Episode Overview:

In this intimate and unfiltered episode, Melissa LeAira returns to the mic with special guest Anastacia Dadashpour to explore the sacred unraveling that often follows spiritual growth, loss, and conscious transformation. Together, they reflect on the messiness of becoming—when the tools stop working, the energy fades, and surrender becomes the only way through.
This is a conversation for anyone sitting in the void between who they once were and who they are becoming. Raw, real, and deeply human, it reminds us that healing isn't a straight line—and that sometimes falling apart is the beginning of coming home.

Key Topics Covered:

• Letting go of the performer self and trusting the fall
  
  
• Psychedelic integration and emotional recovery
  
  
• The discomfort of silence and the power of stillness
  
  
• Reframing grief, resistance, and fatigue as sacred cues
  
  
• Conscious leadership and the vulnerability of holding space
  
  
• Creating from devotion rather than urgency
  
  
• How nature, spirit, and presence recalibrate the soul
  
  
• Podcasting as a ritual of truth, not production
  
  

Notable Quotes:

• "I thought I could come back and just jump in again, but something in me knew I wasn’t ready. The performer wanted to get to work. The soul needed rest." – Melissa
  
  
• "There’s something sacred in not knowing. The breakdown is part of the initiation." – Melissa
  
  
• "We all reach a point when the tools no longer work—not because we’re broken, but because we’re evolving." – Anastacia
  
  
• "Surrender isn’t passive. It’s one of the most active, courageous choices you can make." – Anastacia
  
  
• "The silence holds so much wisdom, if we’re willing to stop performing and just listen." – Anastacia
  
  

Hard Truth Bombs:

• You don’t need to be ready to return. You need to be honest about where you are.
  
  
• The collapse after growth is part of the growth.
  
  
• Your value doesn’t disappear when your output slows down.
  
  
• Healing requires space, stillness, and grace—not more pushing.
  
  
• Integration is not a performance—it’s a sacred pause.
  
  
• Leadership begins with being real, not being perfect.
  
  

About Our Guest:

• Anastacia Dadashpour -
  
  

Anastacia has been devoted to improving the human condition since childhood. Raised in a multicultural and politically active family, she developed a deep curiosity for systems, people, and the soul of society. She’s traveled to 44 countries, worked in diplomacy, journalism, and the nonprofit world, and continues to be guided by the powerful resilience of the human spirit.

She is the mother of two daughters—Azaria, who is in spirit, and Izabela, who is her greatest joy. Anastacia is the author of The Love Manual for Humanity and the owner of Sunshine Sanctuary, a boutique jungle lodge in Montezuma, Costa Rica, where she holds space for rest, reconnection, and healing.

Order her book: The Love Manual for Humanity on Amazon
Connect on Instagram: @anastaciadadashpour
Explore the Sanctuary: sunshinesanctuarycostarica.com

Resources & Links:
Start your own Journey Out of the Bottle at journeyoutofthebottle.com
Follow Melissa on Instagram: @journeyoutofthebottle
Explore Human Design, conscious recovery, and emotional integration
Apply for private mentorship or upcoming retreats



About the Host:

Melissa LeAira is the founder of Journey Out of the Bottle, a post-alcohol renaissance for souls ready to awaken. Through storytelling, sacred support, and honest conversations, she guides others through the nonlinear terrain of transformation,