Gratitude Blooming Podcast

Send us a textAs the frost of winter blankets parts of earth, we find ourselves wrapped in the cozy musings of transition and the gentle guidance of nature's rhythm. Based on our recent travels, including to a snow-cloaked Yosemite, we invoke the power of nature's symbolism to inform our reflections on the year gone by. Our conversation meanders through the interplay of presence, intention, and the art of slowing down. We begin with a guided meditation that invites you to feel the essence of change and embrace the unfolding gifts of the coming year.With each passing story and shared experience, we unearth the profound influence of humility on our journey, mirroring the unassuming strength of Yosemite's ancient sequoias and the steadfast violet. This episode is a tapestry woven with threads of gratitude, intentionality, and the practice of 'Wu Wei'—effortless action that trusts life's currents. As we look forward to a musical tribute to humility with Ariel Loh, we invite you to lend an ear to the harmonies of "Tiger Lily," a melody that cradles the spirit of open-hearted receptivity. Join us for an exploration of how to stand strong yet supple amidst life's ebb and flow, and welcome the new with grace and poise.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textAs we meander through the intricate pathways of artistry, poetry, and land stewardship, Arlene Kim Suda, Belinda Liu, and Omar Brownson uncover the profound synergy these realms share in steering life's grandest inquiries. Our conversation, rich with personal experiences like a recent trip to a sanctuary in Tijuana, spotlights the vitality of communal ties and the bravery entailed in embracing change. Reminisce with us as we delve into heartfelt discourses about the indispensable roles of co-creation, the transformative power of saying "yes," and the journey toward aligning with our internal compasses.This episode illuminates the often overlooked yet essential aspects of gratitude and the collective joy found in creative pursuits, all while challenging traditional paradigms that no longer serve our evolving society. As we navigate the delicate equilibrium of reminders, routines, and rewards, we celebrate the artists, poets, and land stewards—who are the custodians of memory and communion. Here's to the recognition of our shared humanity, to seeing beauty in our joint imperfections, and to cherishing each moment of simply being human. Join us for this heartwarming toast to life, community, and the art of human connection!--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textAs we journey through life, we often find ourselves confronting the paradox of ambition and rest. Come with us, be part of our personal reflections on recent travels, and you might just hear the whisper of your own inner compass urging you to make necessary changes. Let's walk together as we share our tales of self-discovery, pondering the effects of modernity, particularly within the fast-paced tech and startup culture.Have you ever considered the effects of ancestral trauma on your wellbeing? Join as we traverse this path, considering how we can find healing and transformation, even amidst the pressures of the modern world. We'll share our stories of confronting core wounds and navigating the cultural intersections of our lives, inviting you to embark on your own journey of self-discovery.But, it's not all serious introspection. We'll also be shedding light on the joy of cross-cultural dancing, the power of presence and the beauty of transcending metaphors that no longer serve us.  Join us as we celebrate our collective role in co-creating the world we want to live in, embracing the joy and inspiration that comes from meaningful connections and shared stories.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textYou ever find yourself searching for an antidote to the chaos of the world? Let's journey together into the warm, comforting embrace of hope, gratitude, and the soothing scent of candles. Special guest Kate De Palma, former teacher turned candle artisan and founder of Scented Designs, illuminates us with her story of transformation. She shares her leap from the classroom to the candle workshop, and how her newfound passion became a beacon of joy and community.Our intimate conversation continues under the soft glow of intention setting and candle rituals. We share our personal experiences, revealing how these practices have brought light and positivity into our lives. The transformative power of ancestral healing, the art of candle hygiene, and the practical use of candles as tools for setting intentions are all threads woven into this enlightening chat. So, light a candle with us as we explore these heartwarming rituals together.Finally, we explore the importance of balance and boundary setting. Co-host Omar Brownson shares his ambitious dreams for sustainable growth while preserving his own wellbeing. We reflect on the harmony between personal and professional life, using the symbol of the Fox Glove flower, a metaphor for singing your heart's song. We wrap up our conversation with a focus on the simple practices that can spark joy, hope, and gratitude in our lives - think candles, note cards, and music. So, join us as we kindle hope and gratitude in the cozy glow of our candle-filled spaces.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textHow do you find hope and personal empowerment in the face of war and political unrest?  According to Lea Endres, the CEO of NationBuilder, democracy is the least violent form of government currently known to humans.  It's a system. It's also an idea. And it lives in our imaginations.  Research shows that when citizens are actively engaged in showing up for their community,  it can actually turn the tide in countries that have slid into authoritarianism.  Human beings will not endorse or advocate for violence against another group until they have dehumanized that group.  Dehumanization is a prerequisite for violence. Lea reminds us that we each have personal power and agency.  When institutions fail, it's actually civil society that can bring us back into a healthy balance.For our second live podcast series, we reimagine democracy as an everyday practice of listening, speaking, and asking questions in a new way to humanize one another and build our muscle of empathy. Tune into this raw, inquisitive conversation with our live audience, the Gratitude Blooming team, Jim Herr from the Democracy Center, and Lea Endres from NationBuilder.Enjoy the captivating intro and closing beats of the Taiko drummers from On Ensemble to notice more fully with your heart.   Share your perspective as you experience this practice with us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com!   --- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textImagine a world where tenderness takes the political stage and grace is nurtured enough to birth something beautiful. In today's heart-to-heart, we sit within the hard cracks and rubble of life, armed with a gentle energy, exploring how we can endure the world's heaviness without being swept away by it. Drawing inspiration from Bayo Akomolafe's call for a politics of tenderness, we invite you to join us in this moment of vulnerability as we turn to the Gentleness card from our deck, a beacon created in a moment of overwhelming emotion. We delve into the importance of creating a space for discomfort to arise and the necessity of channeling a tender energy before taking action.But, our journey doesn't stop at tenderness; forgiveness, too, holds a vital place in our discussion. Ever experienced the therapeutic power of art and music? We're inviting you to pause, reflect, and embrace the themes of healing and forgiveness, creating room for the discomfort of change. Light a candle for healing and listen to our song Forgiveness, for yourself and your community. Reflecting on the anemone card from our deck, a symbol of forgiveness, we navigate through the strength it takes to weather challenging times and the energy required for true forgiveness. Remember, tenderness, grace, gentleness, and forgiveness are the pillars we need in our lives, and this conversation hopes to serve as a gentle reminder.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textHave you ever wondered how the power of pause can lead to achieving more? Today, we're joined by Emily Lynn Wendell, who takes us on her personal journey of battling an autoimmune condition while simultaneously building a business. Despite the challenges, Emily's story is one of resilience and creativity. She likens her experiences to building wire sculptures one wire at a time, a testament to her patience and determination.Taking a step back from medical school due to her health situation, Emily redirected her passion for medicine into exploring integrative medicine, art and somatic work. Her unique blend of modalities, coupled with the importance she places on play and joy, makes for an intriguing insight into managing difficult circumstances. Emily's journey offers valuable lessons on the role of curiosity, patience, and playfulness in maneuvering through life's challenges.In our closing conversation with Emily, we delve into the theme of self-cultivation and the journey of finding hope. Emily opens up about her use of Human Design to find focus amidst her health journey and the role of meditation in connecting with inner strength. Drawing inspiration from the Gratitude Blooming card deck, she shares her insights on patience, hope, and gratitude. Emily's journey serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of self-care, patience, and the transformative power of a good pause.Join us to listen to the Gratitude Booming x Window Seat music collab: Self-care.Find more about Emily's journey on IG at @emilylynn415--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textWelcome to a journey of courageous self-expression, a voyage across the realms of identity, gratitude, and remembrance. How do you find your authentic courage? In today’s conversation, we explore this question, and so much more. What's more, we have a new segment – a heartfelt invitation around the beautiful questions that reside in our lives. Join us as we engage with you, our listeners, to unveil the questions you are holding.Beat by beat, we’ll navigate the dynamic concept of courage, and its myriad manifestations, especially when fear tries to cloud our vision. Also, as a part of our ongoing collaboration with the Japanese American National Museum, we’re taking on themes of empathy and democracy. Adding to our exploration, in a few weeks, we will be joined by our esteemed guest Lea Endres, co-founder and CEO of Nation Builder, sharing her insights into the practice of democracy. As we delve into the Gratitude Blooming deck, we’re setting our sights on these evolving themes, culminating our journey with a music practice amplified by the power of infinite possibility. So, grab your headphones and join us as we tune into courage and mindful expression.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textReady to reframe fear and the unknown as fertile ground for creativity and change? Our illuminating conversation aims to inspire you to do just that. We explore the "J-curve", a trajectory of change that involves embracing failure and loss, while co-creating a future outside traditional conventions. The dance between fear and creativity forms the heart of this episode. We invite you to consider the vital role of the unknown in collective change and how artists harness this uncertainty. While fear can stifle, it can also spark creativity when viewed through a lens of joy and playfulness. We also discuss the concept of 'enough', inviting you to examine the roots of your fears and construct metaphorical houses to safeguard your dreams.Let's take a moment to reflect on how we protect our dreams. We focus on the power of gratitude and freedom, discussing ways to shield our dreams from fear and nurture playfulness for resilience. We bring to light the significance of creating space for failure from an Asian-American perspective and how the unfamiliar can lead to rewilding our hearts. It's more than a discussion; it's a journey into the unknown. Are you ready?Also, listen to the wildcard song from our Garden of Healing album for inspiration. --- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!

Send us a textThere is more to reciprocity than giving back. Our guest, Christine Liboon, a PhD student in Education, is here to take us on a deep exploration of her findings. She shares her fascinating research around the Filipino concept of 'utang na loob', which she and her colleagues are redefining as a gift rather than a debt. We also explore the symbolism of currency as not merely monetary exchange but a representation of a promise or a commitment.The second part of our journey with Christine leads us into an important conversation about self-care, joy and reciprocal relationships. Drawing from her personal experiences, she underlines the essence of rekindling joy in activities we love, the significance of introspection, and the need to rebalance life. She makes us rethink kindness and gentleness, not just as virtues, but as tangible bridges connecting self-care and community. As a parting gift, we invite you  to embrace and feel the power of gentleness through music. So, get ready to be inspired and challenged in equal measure in this enriching episode.--- Join us live on substack to participate in our monthly community practice: https://gratitudeblooming.substack.com Create an intentional practice or give meaningful gifts with the Gratitude Blooming card deck, notecards, candles and much much more at our shop at www.gratitudeblooming.com. Learn more about our co-hosts and special guest for Season 4: Co-host Belinda Liu | Hestia Retreat Centers Co-host Omar Brownson | Trickster's Guide to Immortality on Substack Special Guest Dr. Paul Wang | The Dao CenterIf you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to leave us a 5-star rating and review. Your feedback is valuable to us and helps us grow. Share your thoughts and comments by emailing us at hello@gratitudeblooming.com. We love hearing from our listeners!