Ofosu and Leah talk with former Real Housewife of New Jersey and activist for childhood cancer Dina Cantin about her journey toward living a life with more compassion. They also discuss practical tips for developing empathy and communicating with kindness, and Dina shares her top five life lessons. 📲 Want to learn how to be more compassionate and increase your overall well-being? Unlock your FREE YEAR of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1 📚 More about Dina Cantin: Dina Cantin is the creator of Project Ladybug, a supportive ally of DCG Giving, and a former Real Housewife of New Jersey. 📱 Follow Dina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dina/ 🎤 Listen to Dina’s podcast, Dina Does, here: https://dinadoespodcast.com/podcast ▶️ Follow along on YouTube to watch this episode and more exclusive content: https://youtu.be/rkMlgsZROSE 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by meditation experts Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) Meet Dina Cantin (02:50) The power of compassion: Why it matters in today's world (03:45) Dina's turning point toward living a life of compassion (06:08) Developing empathy and understanding: Tips and techniques (07:47) Communicating with kindness: Strategies for effective and compassionate communication (10:32) Cultivating compassion in relationships: Tips for building stronger connections with others (12:42) Dina's top five life lessons: Practices for cultivating compassion through self-care (14:14) Compassion in action: Making a positive difference in the world (19:46) Starting your journey toward greater compassion with the Balance app

Ofosu and Leah talk with certified coach and clinician María-Victoria Albina about the causes, effects, and challenges of the Sunday scaries. They also share other practical tips for managing work-related stress and anxiety, establishing a healthy work-life balance, and cultivating greater mindfulness and well-being. 📲 Ready to start managing your work-related stress and anxiety? Unlock your FREE YEAR of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1 📚 More about María-Victoria: María-Victoria is a trained Nurse Practitioner and Master Certified Life Coach. Her mission is for her clients to stop feeling anxious, exhausted, and overwhelmed, so they can have better relationships with their partners, parents, and themselves. You can learn more about her work here: https://victoriaalbina.com/ 🎤 Listen to María-Victoria’s podcast, Feminist Wellness, here: https://victoriaalbina.com/podcast/ 📱 Follow María-Victoria on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaalbinawellness/ ▶️ Follow along on YouTube to watch this episode and more exclusive content: https://youtu.be/0gC1sySGYSw 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by meditation experts Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) Ofosu's experience with the Sunday scaries (01:33) Leah's experience with the Sunday scaries (03:40) Meeting María-Victoria (04:29) The psychology of the Sunday scaries: Understanding the causes (09:07) Effects of the Sunday scaries on mental health: How meditation can help (11:39) Coping strategies for dealing with the Sunday scaries: Tips and techniques (12:44) The importance of self-compassion and self-care: Cultivating self-awareness and self-love (18:39) Communicating with colleagues or supervisors about work-related stress: Setting healthy boundaries (22:49) Starting your journey toward greater mindfulness with the Balance app

Ofosu recently made a commitment to have more productive mornings, but it's been difficult for him to become a "morning person." So he talks with Leah and Greg Hammer, MD, about the benefits of waking up early, the science behind sleep and your circadian rhythm, and the strategies for incorporating meditation into a morning routine. They also share other practical tips for creating a sustainable morning routine that sets the tone for a productive, fulfilling day ahead. 📚 More about Greg Hammer, MD: Dr. Hammer is a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, pediatric intensive care physician, pediatric anesthesiologist, mindfulness expert, and the author of GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals, which you can order here: https://www.amazon.com/GAIN-Without-Pain-Happiness-Professionals/dp/1951104013/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 🩺 You can also learn more about Dr. Hammer and his work here: https://greghammermd.com/ ▶️ Follow along on YouTube to watch this episode and more exclusive content: https://youtu.be/R-MuUaP1Zzk 📲 Ready to start your journey toward becoming a morning person? Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by meditation experts Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) Why Ofosu's trying to become a morning person (01:41) Meeting Dr. Greg Hammer (02:17) Can you change your circadian rhythm? (03:18) Why you should pay close attention to your sleep hygiene (03:52) Rewiring your brain to become a joyful morning person (06:10) How to establish a morning meditation practice (09:33) Bringing intention into your morning routine (and your entire day) (11:07) How to make sure your morning routine is sustainable (11:59) Caffeine and alcohol's impact on your sleep (15:11) The importance of always having a plan (16:49) Creating a morning ritual with the Balance app

Ofosu and Leah guide you through a quick meditation for anxiety that you can do wherever you are. Learn how practicing a few simple breathing exercises—and some gratitude—can ease any anxiety you're experiencing in just a few minutes. ▶️ Follow along on YouTube to watch the latest episode and more exclusive content: https://bit.ly/3KZCtLT 📣 Update on our show: We’re moving to a new release schedule. So from now on, we'll release new episodes every other Monday. Our next full episode will be out on April 24. 📲 Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by meditation experts Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) An update on Well Balanced (00:46) Meditation for anxiety (04:02) Why do we experience anxiety? (05:11) How to get a free year of Balance, a personalized meditation app

As coaches, Ofosu and Leah are well-versed in meditation for focus and have an impressive list of other tips to help themselves focus. So they compare notes, as well as talk about how meditation music can be a useful tool to deepen concentration. They also celebrate the launch of Flow State, the Balance app's first meditation music track clinically proven to increase focus, by talking with Adam Hewett, the founder of Evoked Response. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/0Pg2Spuvjrg 📣 Update on our show: We’re moving to a new release schedule. So from now on, we'll release new episodes every other Monday. Our next full episode will be out on April 24. 📚 About Adam Hewett: Adam is the founder and team leader of Evoked Response, and a pioneer in the neuroscience of music. You can learn more about his work and Evoked Response here: https://www.evokedresponse.com/ 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) A sneak peek of Flow State, new science-backed meditation music for focus in the Balance app (00:47) Why is it so hard to focus? (02:52) What helps Ofosu get focused (03:43) Leah's hack to make tasks more interesting (06:39) Juggling parenthood, partnership, and other obligations (07:39) Challenges to our ability to focus (09:32) How meditation music can help us focus (10:22) Adam Hewett on Flow State (12:03) The clinical studies (and results) on Flow State (13:09) Meditation for focus and how mindfulness can improve focus 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Leah's neighborhood dog recently had puppies in her home, and she's feeling all the puppy love. She talks with Ofosu about the lessons in unconditional love, mindfulness, and contentment that we can learn from animals. They also discuss ways we can perceive the world more like our four-legged friends. 📣 We want to hear from you! What do you like, not like, and want more of on the Well Balanced podcast? Share your feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB_March?user_id= ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/zVtjZAv73Jw 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) The story of Lala, Leah's neighborhood dog (01:53) How animals can help us live healthier and happier lives (03:29) How to bond with and learn from animals (06:46) Caring for rescue animals and the power of loving attention (09:13) What we gain from taking care of animals (11:08) Alternatives to pet ownership (12:20) Ofosu's childhood dog and grieving the loss of a pet 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Vulnerability can be scary—even for meditation coaches. So Ofosu and Leah talk about how they've overcome that fear and why being vulnerable is important to grow. They also share their tips to help you embrace vulnerability and confidently ask for what you need. 📣 We want to hear from you! What do you like, not like, and want more of on the Well Balanced podcast? Share your feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB_March?user_id= ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/brDne6bgS-s 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:00) A Well Balanced listener asks, "How can we learn to be vulnerable?" (00:57) Leah's experience breaking through the fear of vulnerability (03:55) The power of vulnerability (05:10) Is being vulnerable counterintuitive? (05:59) Ofosu's experience of being vulnerable in hip-hop culture (08:07) Being vulnerable on social media (08:40) Letting go of perfectionism (09:36) When vulnerability doesn't come easy (11:26) What vulnerability is not and why we armor ourselves (11:56) Expressing yourself freely (13:26) How to notice what you need (and ask for it) 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Financial anxiety, just like all forms of anxiety, can affect anyone. So, Ofosu and Leah talk with Alexa von Tobel, the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital and a Certified Financial Planner™ about how to overcome mental barriers around money and take the fear out of finances. She also shares her three key steps to successful money management and how to have better conversations about money with others. 📣 We want to hear from you! What do you like, not like, and want more of on the Well Balanced podcast? Share your feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB_March?user_id= 📚 More about Alexa von Tobel: Alexa is the founder and managing partner of Inspired Capital, a Certified Financial Planner™, and a bestselling author. 📙 You can order her book, "Financially Fearless," here: https://www.amazon.com/Financially-Fearless-LearnVest-Program-Control/dp/0385347618 📘 And you can order her second book, "Financially Forward," here: https://www.amazon.com/Financially-Forward-Todays-Digital-Smarter/dp/1984823523/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:31) Meet Alexa Von Tobel (01:47) What's at the core of our fears about money (02:57) Having conversations about money (03:44) Overcoming mental barriers around money (04:24) Reframing money as a tool (07:57) The 3 key steps to successful money management (10:14) How to talk to your family about financial stress (12:14) Reframing your beliefs about money (13:37) Teaching children about money (16:41) What's giving Alexa von Tobel life right now 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

What does it mean to #dateyourselfinstead? Ofosu and Leah talk about their experiences of taking themselves out on solo dates and why they're important, even if you're in a relationship. They also discuss tips to help you prioritize dating yourself, push against your comfort zone, and nurture your independence. 📣 We want to hear from you! What do you like, not like, and want more of on the Well Balanced podcast? Share your feedback here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WB_March?user_id= ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/j082m7hRgxQ 🎧 What's in this episode: (02:43) - Leah's experience going on artist dates (03:23) - Ofosu's experience eating solo at a restaurant (05:55) - How to push against your comfort zone (06:34) - Learning how to be truly autonomous (07:20) - The difference between spending time by yourself and dating yourself (07:39) - Going on N.I.C.E dates (08:23) - How Leah prepares for a solo date (09:40) - Nurturing the independent part of you (10:22) - Taking micro-dates with intention (12:07) - Feeling awkward when you're out by yourself (14:21) - Do you really know yourself? (14:39) - How to prioritize dating yourself (17:11) - Overcoming mom guilt (19:12) - Dressing up for yourself 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1

Ofosu and Leah talk about what really matters at the end of our days—and lives. They discuss how death can remind us to celebrate the life and connections we have, and they share tips that'll help you shift your focus toward what matters most. ▶️ You can watch the latest episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/0YSN1i8Ej6Q 🎧 What's in this episode: (00:46) - The Tibetan death meditation and celebrating the life that we all have (02:55) - Hear a part of Ofosu's new song (03:10) - Experiencing everything life has to offer (04:24) - How distracting social media really is (04:50) - Doing what's right for you (06:01) - Overcoming the sense of "time's running out" (07:46) - Ofosu's fear of losing his parents (10:24) - Leah's tip: Writing a letter to loved ones that have passed away (12:55) - Appreciating moments of real connection (with yourself and others) 🧘 About Balance: Well Balanced is co-hosted by Ofosu and Leah, Balance’s Co-Heads of Meditation. Balance is a highly personalized meditation and sleep app that's been named Google's App of the Year and Apple's App of the Day. Completely free for the entire first year, Balance is helping 5 million+ people around the world improve their stress, sleep, focus, and mood. Unlock your free year of Balance today by downloading it from the App Store or Play Store: https://balanceapp.sng.link/Arat1/yqod/dyc1