SAWT Podcast | Community, Nature, and Resilience with Dr. Michelle Elena

What keeps you grounded when everything around you changes? In this episode, Shahd Alasaly speaks with Dr. Michelle Elena, founder and executive director of MAR, Mindful Action for Regeneration, and a TEDx University of South Florida 2026 speaker. Michelle shares how family, chosen community, and time spent in nature shaped her path and helped her rebuild after moments of loss and uncertainty. From founding multiple nonprofits to creating healing spaces through environmental work, Michelle reflects on resilience, renewal, and the quiet strength found in community. She opens up about surviving hurricanes, leaning on neighbors, and learning that healing does not happen all at once, but in seasons. This conversation is about staying present through chaos, noticing what supports us, and trusting that renewal comes even when we cannot see it yet. Listen with care. Take a breath. Let the message settle. Follow on Instagram: Host: @shahd.alasaly Guest: @michelle_ellena_ #podcast #community #resilience #natureandhealing #tedxspeaker #conversationsthatmatter