Be Still and Live

#02: From Hustle to Healing: Remembering Who You Are Beneath the Hurry

• Gillian Gabryluk • Season 1 • Episode 2

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What if your life isn’t asking for more effort - but more honesty?

In this powerful episode of Be Still and Live, Gillian Gabryluk, founder of Sileo Health & Wellness, shares the story behind her own unraveling - and the rhythms that helped her heal.

We talk about the quiet crisis so many are living through: full calendars, tired souls, and bodies whispering for rest in a culture that won’t slow down. Gillian traces her journey from barefoot childhood days that inspired her Five to Thrive framework, through years of achievement and burnout, to the moment her nervous system finally said enough.

What followed wasn’t a breakdown - it was a breakthrough. You’ll hear how stillness, nourishment, movement, rest, and meaningful connection rebuilt her foundation and how each of these pillars can help you find balance, too.

This isn’t another conversation about productivity or perfection. It’s about learning to listen again - to your body, your limits, your longing for peace. Expect real stories, grounded science, and practical rhythms you can start today: breathing space between tasks, meals that truly feed you, and relationships that help you remember who you are.

Be Still and Live will blend short solo reflections with honest guest conversations - people choosing slower, simpler, more intentional ways to live. If you’re tired of chasing calm and ready to actually feel it, this space is for you.

Take a deep breath.
You don’t have to try harder - just accept the invitation to Be Still and Live.

New here? Start with episodes 1-3: “Take Back Your Life”, "From Hustle to Healing", and “5 to Thrive.”

*Start Fog to Freedom Here*

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Free Guided Fog to Freedom Meditation ...

SPEAKER_00:

I believe we were created to thrive, not just survive. And thriving doesn't come from more hustle, more perfection, or more productivity. If your days feel full, but your heart longs for more meaning, you're not alone. Between the screens, the schedules, and the never-ending noise, it's easy to lose your sense of peace. But what if the way forward isn't found in doing more, but in learning to slow down, to simplify, to be still. Welcome to Be Still and Live, a podcast for individuals, couples, and families longing for calm connection and a more meaningful way to live. I'm Jillian, speaker, coach, and founder of Sileo Health and Wellness. And I'm here to help you create space for stillness and step into a life that feels whole and good again. Welcome back to Be Still and Live. This is episode two, so I guess we officially have a podcast here. Honestly, I wasn't even sure where to begin with this big adventure. I didn't come into this with a big polished plan, but I do feel it's important to give you a glimpse into what's to come or what I think is to come, because a lot of it is a big mystery to me. I'm really just taking one step at a time and trusting the process. I never thought I'd be hosting a podcast, but over the past few years, one thing has become so clear to me. There simply aren't enough honest conversations about what so many of us are feeling, but no one's talking about. So here I am taking a leap of faith to do the best I can to create a space to be real. Each week, Be Still and Live will bring you a mix of solo reflections and guest interviews with incredible people who are choosing to live differently, more intentionally, more slowly, more aligned with what really matters. To say I'm excited about this adventure is an understatement. But I'll be real with you, I'm also incredibly nervous because I have no idea if this message is as important as I feel it is. I don't know if people are going to listen. I don't know how I'm going to find the right voices to come on the show. And I'm also wondering how I'm going to balance it all, taking on another new project I know nothing about. But still, I know from years of working in health and wellness and countless conversations along the way, that this is one of the most important discussions we can be having. And honestly, not enough people are having it. Because when we stop pretending everything is polished and perfect, when we start talking about the hard parts, the exhaustion, the overwhelm that only seems to accumulate day by day, the moments when you wonder, can I really keep living like this? That's where real connection happens. That's where healing begins. And I'm here to tell you, you're not the only one. Most of us are feeling this way. When we let the messy and imperfect into the light, it's freeing, it's connecting. And again and again, people tell me, I just wish we had these conversations earlier. That's what I want this space to be: a place where you feel seen, where you know you're not alone, and where you can begin to reclaim what it really means to thrive. So today, before we dive into everything ahead, I want to start by sharing my own story, how I got here, why Sileo Health and Wellness exists, and what I hope this podcast can mean for you. So I grew up in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada, and I was one of five kids, right smack in the middle with two older sisters and two younger brothers. Life was simple, and most of our days were spent outside, barefoot, wild, and free. And I wouldn't have it any other way. We worked hard, we played hard, and nature, it was our playground. When I look back at my childhood, it was such a gift. And I didn't really know it then, but those years completely shaped me. Those years brought me to where I am today. They were my first experience of living in natural rhythms, the very rhythms I now call Five to Thrive. Fast forward a bunch of years, I earned degrees in health education and theology, rode at the D1 level, and built a career as a teacher and coach. From the outside, it looked like I was doing everything right. I mean, I was following the program, right? Doing exactly what was expected of me and sometimes even going above and beyond. But inside, I was running on fumes. The pressure to achieve, to keep up, to pour myself into everyone else left me exhausted and eventually dealing with chronic health issues. When I finally had the moment to pause after having my first child, I realized how far I had drifted from those simple pillars of health that once grounded me. That's when I discovered integrative health coaching. For the first time, I found a path that honored body, mind, and spirit together, pulling together my education, my life experience, and the direction that I wanted to move in so perfectly. My husband and I made hard choices to simplify, and I left teaching to pursue this new direction while raising our four young kids. It was scary, but it gave me a space to heal. And through that journey, I created what eventually became Sileo Health and Wellness, a call back to stillness, simplicity, and balance. But here's the part I don't want to gloss over. Even after all that learning and healing, I still fell back into old patterns. When my youngest started school full-time, I felt I had the space to return to full-time work. And without even realizing it, I slipped back into overcommitting, overworking, and ignoring the very rhythms I knew were essential. And my body let me know, like the hard way. The thing I've learned about the body is that it's incredibly resilient. It'll do its best to keep going. It'll do its best to gently communicate with you along the way. But if you keep ignoring the subtle nudges, its requests to slow down, to pay attention, it'll force you to pay attention. At this point in my life, I was convincing myself that my work was more important than my self-care. Ignoring those whispers that my body was begging for me to pay attention to. My nervous system completely crashed, and I felt like I was unraveling. Let's just say this experience was humbling because here I was teaching others about health and balance, yet I wasn't living it myself. It was almost like I didn't feel worthy of integrating the same health and wellness practices that I felt other people were worthy of. Still working through that now, but it's been a journey of grace and growth and healing and all the wonderful things. That season forced me to stop, to breathe, and to return to the tools I knew worked. Space for stillness, true nourishment, movement that brought me joy, quality rest, and most importantly, authentic community and connection. The same pillars of health and wellness that helped me years earlier became the way I restored my health again. And it wasn't complicated. We always want to overcomplicate things, but it was so simple. Returning to what I knew were the practices that I needed to integrate to stay balanced, to stay healthy and well. And it reminded me of something so important. This isn't a one and done journey. It's a daily, lifelong practice. It's choosing to integrate what we know allows us to thrive. We don't outgrow our need for balance. It only becomes more important as life goes on. We need to return to it again and again. And that's exactly why I'm here. That's why I started Soleo and this podcast, because I believe we were created to thrive, not just survive. And thriving doesn't come from more hustle, more perfection, or more productivity. It comes from honoring the simple, non-negotiable rhythms that keep us alive and well and enjoying life. Soleil is my way of helping others and reminding myself to slow down, simplify, and build life around what really matters. So that's my story. Not a polished one, but a very real one. And I'd be happy to share more of my story along the way. But now I want to walk with you in your story. This podcast will be a mix of reflections, practical tools, and conversations that help us remember what's true, that everything we need to live with peace, presence, and joy is already within us. As we wrap up this episode, I just want to remind you, you were created to thrive, not just survive. So until next time, take a breath and be still. Thank you so much for listening to Be Still and Live. If today's episode brought you a breath of peace or a moment of clarity, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, or share it with someone who might need it too. For more resources to support your journey toward a slower, simpler, more connected life, visit SoleilCoaching.com or connect with me on Instagram at SoleoCoach. Until next time, be still and live.