Moms, Mats and Manuscripts
Moms, Mats and Manuscripts is a podcast hosted by Ksenia Volkova Tomaz, a former molecular biologist, yoga teacher and mindset coach for scientists, and mom. This is a space for honest, unpolished conversations about the parts of academia and ambition we don’t talk about enough.
Here, we explore the mental and emotional load of being a young scientist or high-achieving woman: the pressure to constantly produce, the identity crises, the inner critic, the fear of slowing down, the guilt around rest, the invisible labour of motherhood, and the messy process of redefining success on your own terms.
I share personal stories, science-backed insights, and yoga-psychology tools to help you navigate burnout, self-worth, boundaries, and the overwhelming push to “do more.”
Think of this space as a friend's couch, where you can have a cup of coffee, relax, exhale and be seen.
Episodes
47 episodes
E46 - Due dates & deadlines: pregnancy in the last year of a PhD and figuring out who you are after (with Dr Katerina Danezi)
In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I sit down with my friend Katerina Danezi. Katerina finished her PhD with a baby on her hip, literally. She wrote 330 pages of her thesis in mere weeks, eight months postpartum, while breastfeedin...
E45 - Not lost - becoming: matrescence, postpartum recovery, and radical rest (with Munirah Razak)
After an emotionally challenging birth and a postpartum recovery marked by chronic pain, relationship breakdown, and identity crisis, my guest Munirah Razak, a yoga teacher, postpartum massage therapist, and matrescence coach, found her footing...
E44 - From PhD to parenthood: on identity, becoming unapologetic and letting go of control (With Dr Lauren A. Mason)
What happens when you try to build a career and a family at the same time?In this episode, I’m joined by Dr Lauren Mason - research scientist, higher education consultant, and creator of Lauren Finds a Way - to talk about mother...
E43 - From vague goals to real life: A seasonal reset (and what I'm learning along the way)
What if the problem isn't that you're bad at goals... it's that the way we're told to set them is kind of broken?In this solo episode, I'm sharing how I've been doing goal-setting differently. Instead of the classic New Year's resolution th...
E42 - Freelance career after leaving academia: freedom, insecurity and finding balance
In this second part of my conversation with scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira on Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, we move beyond leaving academia and into what comes next: building a freelance career, and ...
E41 - Academia wasn't worth my life: Leaving academia, not-so-alternative careers and redefining success
In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I’m joined by scientific writer and science communicator Sónia Gomes Pereira to talk about the moment she realised that the traditional academic path simply wasn’t worth the cost.
E40 - Leaving academia without burnout (with Dr Ana Amaral)
The story of our today's guest, Ana Amaral, challenges the typical "I left academia because I burned out" narrative. With a biochemistry PhD, postdocs at Cambridge and Karolinska Institute, and an incredibly supportive boss, she had everything ...
E39 - I thought I'd be further ahead by now
Four years into self-employment, almost two years of this podcast... and instead of feeling settled, I’ve been sitting with a lot of mixed emotions.In this birthday reflection episode, I talk honestly about the thought many of us carry: ...
E38 - When you're ambitious but exhausted: a gentle approach to goals
Struggling with New Year’s resolutions, goal setting, or motivation as a PhD student, academic, or ambitious parent? In this solo episode of Moms, Mats & Manuscripts, I talk about what is not working with traditional goal se...
E37 - New Year, new podcast (kind of)
Welcome to the new chapter! In this solo episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, I share what’s changing on the podcast in 2026 and my vision for the year ahead. I talk about the upcoming episode series focused on mother...
E36 - (S3E16) Starting a family in academia: a conversation on fears, ambitions and the myth of perfect timing (with Dr Asya Martirosyan)
In this honest and beautifully chaotic episode, Dr Asya Martirosyan joins me once again for a vulnerable conversation about starting a family in academia: the fears, ambitions, cultural expectations, and the persistent myth of “perfect timing.”...
E35 - (S3E15) Science, startups, and sanity: finding balance while wearing many hats with Dr Asya Martirosyan
In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, Ksenia sits down with Dr Asya Martirosyan to explore the highs and lows of life in academia, the pressures of PhD and postdoc work, and how she rediscovered her love for science when freed from ex...
E34 - (S3E14) Speak up: A conversation on finding your voice and confidence with Emma Gaskin
Public speaking, whether in a conference room or on stage, can feel absolutely terrifying. For many scientists, it’s part of the job, yet few of us are ever taught how to really do it: how to command a room, connect with an audience, and share ...
E33 - (S3E13) Becoming the mentor you needed: a conversation with Dr Liz Berry about mental health, mentorship and changing academic culture
What makes a great mentor, and how can we create a healthier, more compassionate academic culture?In this episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, we talk with Dr Liz Berry, assistant professor at New York Medical College ...
E32 - (S3E12) What 2 years of motherhood taught me about life, work and growth
In this solo episode, Ksenia is reflecting on two years of motherhood and the 7 powerful lessons it has taught her about life, work, and growth. These are not just parenting lessons; they’re insights anyone can apply in their career, studies, o...
E31 - (S3E11) You can't fail at rest: a solo reflection on letting go of "perfect" self-care
Do you ever feel like rest and self-care have become just another task on your never-ending to-do list? In this solo episode, Ksenia wraps up her 3-part series on rest and slowing down. She shares why so many of us turn self-care into another c...
E30 - (S3E10) Rest as rebelllion: a solo reflection on how rest is an act of resistance
In this episode, Ksenia is diving deeper into the idea that rest is an act of rebellion. We've all been there: the pressure to constantly hustle, especially in fields like academia and other demanding careers, can be overwhelming. B...
E29 - (S3E9) The courage to slow down: a solo reflection on finding your pace in a world that won't stop rushing
What if slowing down was not a weakness, but a skill?In this solo reflection, Ksenia talks about how she went from constantly rushing (and feeling like rest was something she had to “earn”) to slowly learning the courage it takes to pau...
E28 - (S3E8) Prenatal yoga: our honest experiences, challenges and lessons
In this intimate, honest episode, we (two moms and yoga teachers) open up about how yoga supported us through pregnancy, labour, and postpartum - not just in the physical sense, but in how we learned to listen to ourselves, surrender, roar, and...
E27 - (S3E7) Hormone health, cycle-informed living and productivity: Interview with Emilia Villegas
Stress, overwork, and constant hustle can wreak havoc on your hormones, especially if you're constantly ignoring your natural cycle and your body's cues. In this episode, Ksenia sits down with hormone health expert Emilia Villegas to discuss ho...
E26 - (S3E6) On hearing our bodies’ messages (and learning to not ignore them)
In this honest and open conversation, we reflect on how our relationships with our bodies have evolved over the past decade, from student all-nighters and coffee-fueled burnout to a more attuned, mindful approach shaped by yoga, motherhood, and...
E25 - (S3E5) Building a business and raising a toddler
This solo story gets personal: Ivna interviews Ksenia about the behind-the-scenes chaos (and beauty) of trying to build a meaningful, sustainable yoga business while raising a toddler full-time.We cover what it's like to feel like you're...
E24 - (S3E4) Academic mobility: Lessons and love stories from the places we’ve lived in
What does home really mean when you've lived across half a dozen countries? In this heartwarming and honest episode, we share our personal journeys through Europe and Asia - from summer internships and PhDs to falling in love, becoming mothers,...
E23 - (S3E3) Burnout recovery, rewiring the brain and healing through yoga: Interview with Sylvie Lahaie
In this powerful episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, we sit down with neuroscientist and yoga teacher Sylvie Lahaie (aka Synaptic Sylvie) to unpack her journey through burnout, mental health struggles, and finding healing through y...
E22 - (S3E2) Journey from burnout to balance & sustainable productivity: Interview with Anahita Amirpour
In this special first interview episode of Moms, Mats, and Manuscripts, Ksenia sits down with Anahita Amirpour - PhD student, performance consultant, and former nurse anaesthetist - to explore how researchers can thrive without burning...
