Abhra Pal

An average IT guy, father, and published poet from Melbourne.
I run a creative and inspirational podcast @storiesnstanza
Important links below 👇

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

#mentalhealthmatters #Australia
#fundraising #ThePushUpChallenge
Halfway mark — and an honest update.

I’ve been sharing my daily progress on The Push-Up Challenge, and today I want to be real with you: I wasn’t feeling great yesterday, so I didn’t hit my full target. But I’m confident I’ll make it up over the next few days — that’s part of the journey too.

For anyone seeing this for the first time: this is a challenge I’ve taken on to do something meaningful for mental health awareness in Australia. So far I’ve raised $80, and nationally, this program has raised close to $9 million, supporting organisations like Lifeline, headspace, and The Push For Better Foundation.

If you’ve ever connected with my writing, my podcast Stories and Stanza, or anything else I’ve put out into the world — I’d love your support for this goal. Every dollar counts, no matter how small.

👉 https://t.co/N6fL2AC7XW

Thanks for being on this journey with me. 💪

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Day 3 of The Push-Up Challenge 💪

120 push-ups today — for the ~120 minutes of REM sleep our brains rely on each night to regulate mood and memory. Poor sleep and poor mental health are more connected than most people realise.

Let me be honest with you — I am not a gym person. I’m not the guy who wakes up at 5am craving a workout. But here I am, Day 3, pushing through 120 reps (broken down into squats, sit-ups, punches and more — because yes, the app lets you mix it up and honestly, that’s the only reason my arms still work 😂).

So why am I doing this?

Because mental health awareness isn’t just something I post about — it’s something I genuinely work on. On my podcast, I have conversations about mental health, resilience, and breaking stigma. This challenge felt like a natural extension of that. Walk the talk, right?

I’m doing 3,307 push-ups in 24 days — one for every Australian life lost to suicide in 2024. If that number doesn’t move you, read it again.

Every rep matters. Every dollar matters. If you’ve been meaning to donate, today’s a good day 🧡

Funds go to The Push For Better Foundation supporting mental health services across Australia.

#ThePushUpChallenge #Day3 #MentalHealthMatters #PushForBetter #NotAFitnessFreak #ButHereIAm

[Julian Day @JulianD86666247]

@storiesnstanza @PodMatch_com @alexsanfilippo8 @abhrapal You're welcome, Abhra. Yes, absolutely! Keep doing what you do, knowing it's reaching & resonating with others. 👏👏

[PodMatch @PodMatch_com]

@storiesnstanza @alexsanfilippo8 @abhrapal Yess congrats!!!

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Thank you
@PodMatch_com
@alexsanfilippo8
for making Stories and Stanza part of Podmatch legacy team. Since joining podmatch Stories and Stanza has appeared in multiple top charts. This means a lot to me. Thanks all to anyone tuning in around the world.
#podcast #topcharts #beaguest

[Priyanka RoyBanerjee @chernozems]

#flowersonFriday

Blooms this year already on our little terrace garden. All of these are amazingly perfumed.

#brussels

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Charts come and go — but today is the first time Stories & Stanza has charted in Germany and Australia. That deserves a moment. 🎙️

🇺🇸 #103 in the United States
🇩🇪 #161 in Germany
🇦🇺 #215 in Australia

Milestones like this are a reminder to pause and look back at the work that got us here — the conversations, the curiosity, and the incredible guests who gave their time and knowledge so generously.

One of those conversations was with psychologist Silvia Russen — an episode on the science of stress, resilience, and why your comfort zone might be your biggest obstacle. A year on, it's still one of my favourites.

I've written it up as a short article. A good moment to revisit it. 👇

#StoriesAndStanza #Podcast #MentalHealth #ApplePodcasts #Grateful

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

#podcast #imdb #storiesandstanza

🎉 BIG NEWS — Stories and Stanza is officially listed on IMDB!

I took a little trip down memory lane recently, looking back at all our episodes… and wow. Over 100 episodes. 98 incredible guests. Conversations that have meant the world to me — and I hope, to you too.
Now that we’re showing up on podcast charts, I’d love to ask for your support in the most meaningful way possible: leave us a review! ⭐️

You can find us on:
🎙️ Apple Podcasts
🎵 Spotify
🎧 Podbean
🎬 IMDB (yes, really!)

Every review helps more people discover our stories and the amazing voices behind them. Thank you for being part of this journey. The best chapters are still ahead. 📖✨

[OKolkata Radio @okolkata]

#rabindrajayanti #audio #podcast

কবিপ্রণাম উপলক্ষে এই প্রজেক্টটি করার পরিকল্পনা ছিল অনেক দিনের - গীতাঞ্জলির একটি বিশেষ মুদ্রণ হাতে আসে কয়েকবছর আগে। যে অনুবাদের জন্য কবির বিশ্ব স্বীকৃতি - তা দুই ভাষায় পাশাপাশি পড়ার সুজোগ হয় প্রথমবার।

[Soma Dey @somadexterous]

"যখন দেখি ওরা কাজ করে গ্রামে বন্দরে,
শুধুই ফসল ফলায়, ঘাম ঝড়ায় মাঠে প্রান্তরে...
তখন ভালো লাগে না, লাগে না কোন কিছুই
সুদিন কাছে এসো, ভালো বাসি একসাথে সবকিছুই..."

মহীনের ঘোড়াগুলি

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Some behind-the-scenes news — today I noticed Stories and Stanza has reached 97,000 listens. 🤍

So, thank you.

I am making some changes to the podcast — updating the categories so the show reaches the right audience. 🗂️✨

For those who don't know, I run two series: one on writing and publishing, the other on mental health, EQ, and resilience. Categories work differently across platforms — some recognise up to three, some only one — so I've updated ours to Mental Health, Books, and Personal Journals.

I recently did a presentation to my colleagues about what I've been building here. Three years in. Starting with virtually no knowledge of podcasting — and somewhere along the way picking up skill, knowledge, and something I didn't expect: purpose.

In three years, I have spoken with writers who wrote bestsellers. Actors on the world stage. Doctors and psychiatrists who unpacked the stigma around mental health. Coaches who help people reimagine their lives. Teachers who believe in changing the way we think.

I have interviewed someone paralysed in a hospital bed.

I have interviewed someone who went to the edge of ending their life — and came back.

I have always considered myself a bit of a rebel and a path-breaker. I question things — patterns handed down to us, conditions we've been told to accept, identities we've inherited without consent. This podcast has always been a conversation about authenticity. And what greater poetry is there in life than that?

These are not three random boxes we ticked — they are three truths we have been living since episode one.

If you've been here a while — thank you for being part of that 97K. 🤍

If you're new — welcome. You're in the right place.

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Your mental health struggles don't define your entire story. ☁️

Just like clouds, they pass. Sunny days return. Kendall Concini Moore shares this beautiful reminder on Stories and Stanza—a conversation about hope, resilience, and holding onto light even on the darkest days.

Watch the full episode on YouTube now. Link in the comment.

#MentalHealthMatters #MentalWellness #HopeAndHeal #YouAreNotAlone #AnxietyAwareness

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

I wanted to share a little heart-to-heart for anyone who writes (or wants to): https://t.co/tVK8gNnS0j

‘Stories and Stanza’ began from my love of words and the quiet joy of connecting with kindred spirits. I recently spoke with Jo Worsfold — a writer, healer and channel from Tasmania — and the conversation landed like a soft nudge. Maybe it will for you too.

Writing isn’t a factory line. Sometimes it’s a quiet channel, sometimes it’s messy play, sometimes it’s the only place your grief or joy can breathe. Let it move through you instead of forcing it into a shape it’s not ready for.

If you want to write anything today, try this: write a single word, a line, or a glorious mess — then close the page and come back later to see what’s there.

If you feel like sharing, drop one line you wrote today. No edits, no judgment — just curiosity and kindness.

#writingcommunity #podcast #healingjourney #storiesandstanza #writerslift

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

🧠✨ New Episode Alert! ✨🧠

Just dropped an eye-opening conversation with psychologist Silvia Russen from London on Stories and Stanza! 🎙️

We dove deep into Pop Psychology vs. Scientific Psychology – separating what's trendy from what's actually true in our social media-saturated world.

🔍 What we unpacked:
• Why terms like "gaslighting," "triggered," and "trauma bonding" are being misused everywhere
• The difference between normal human discomfort and actual clinical conditions
• How to build real mental health hygiene (not just the Instagram version!)
• The danger of "TikTok diagnoses" vs. proper professional help

My favorite insight: Silvia's analogy comparing mental wellbeing to cleaning your house properly – not just lighting candles to mask what's underneath. The real work happens when you face discomfort, not avoid it. 🏠💪

https://t.co/VDmWKlw0YT

#MentalHealthAwareness #PsychologyFacts #StoriesAndStanza

[Abhra Pal @abhrapal]

Woke up to this message today ~ 🎬✨

I can't almost believe it happened – but thank you all who have supported me on this journey.

Here's to more conversations that matter, more stories that heal, and more connections that remind us we're not alone in this journey.

Abhra 🌟

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

🎉 Milestone moment! 'Stories and Stanza' just became eligible for YouTube's Partner Program!

When I started publishing episodes on YouTube a year and a half ago, I never imagined where this journey would take me. The learning curve has been incredible—from understanding analytics to building genuine connections with viewers worldwide.

Huge thanks to everyone who has watched, shared, and engaged with my interviews. Your support means everything! 🙏

I'm currently working on meaningful conversations with creators, writers, and wellness advocates from around the globe. Each discussion dives deep into authenticity, personal growth, and mental wellness.

If these themes resonate with you, I'd love to have you join our community!

#StoriesAndStanza #YouTubePartner #PodcastLife #MentalWellness #AuthenticConversations #CreatorJourney #Grateful

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

“The Nervous System Repair Model.
This model was born from over two decades of working with bodies in their most vulnerable states, in trauma, in exhaustion, in disconnection, and in the tender moments of return. It emerged not from textbooks, but from witnessing again and again, what allows the body to heal when it has forgotten how. It is grounded in somatic intelligence, intuitive healing, and deep nervous system repair, not just through technique, but through tone.”

From Stories and Stanza: 365 Days of Nervous System Care: Somatic Intelligence | Podcast with best selling writer Tracy Whitton, 2 Mar 2026
https://t.co/47jix0pKCu

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Nervous system dysregulation is sabotaging your health.

Tracy Whitton, bestselling author of 365 Days of Nervous System Care, reveals the 4-pillar repair model most people miss—and why your body is still holding onto stress hormones.

Watch the clip 👇 Full episode on YouTube & audio podcasts.

#Mindfulness #NervousSystem #PodcastInterview

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

Sometimes we find ourselves in the spaces between what was and what could be.
✨New post: six poems about the tender paradox of showing up authentically.
"The Art of Being Seen" on Stories and Stanza.
🖤 Link in comment.
#Poetry #WritingCommunity #Mindfulness

[Stories and Stanza @storiesnstanza]

🎙️ LIVE AUTHOR TALK ANNOUNCEMENT!

Two of my favorite @StoriesStanza guests (@BruceAndLelina and @LelinaSmith ) are returning—this time together as co-writers!

Bruce & Lelina Smith will discuss "Heaven That Never Was" (prequel to award-winning "Devil's Delight")

📅 Feb 21, 2026 | 5PM CST | YouTube Live ✨