May You Live Well

This week we have Buddhist monk Chophel Delek on the podcast. Chophel and I have crossed paths a few times in recent years through DNKL Tibetan Buddhist Center for Universal Peace, where Chophel lives and teaches and I have studied from time to time. Chophel grew up in nearby Fairfield, Connecticut and took ordination as a monk shortly after discovering Tibetan Buddhism in his early twenties. In this episode he takes us through the process of making that choice and how his life has shifted si...

This week we have musician and creativity/business coach Marcie Grambeau on the podcast. Marcie and I crossed paths in Thailand in 2014 when we were both immersed in exploring spirituality and healing, and she has carved out a unique path for herself as a somatic healer of over 10 years, yoga and meditation practitioner, and musician who also has a knack for business. In this episode she shares her story of growing up with a tendency toward perfection in Ann Arbor, Michigan, suffering and hea...

This week we have coach, organizational trainer, and international speaker Anahita Moghaddam on the podcast. Anahita is a fellow student of contemplative science and we first connected when I attended a talk of hers titled “The Neuroscience of Joy” at a Buddhist center in my hometown of Redding, Connecticut. Anahita has traveled extensively through the world and through the inner workings of the mind and in this episode she offers listeners invaluable glimpses into the contemplative path and ...

In this episode we have mother, meditator, and creative Deb Owen on the podcast. Deb is a retired school counselor who also happens to be my mom and I’m thrilled to be able to share this conversation with listeners because it’s really been over a decade in the making. Deb shares her story of what it was like to witness my journey as I stepped off a conventional path in my mid-twenties to pursue spiritual studies through slow-traveling some of Asia, and how this brought challenges to our relat...

In this episode we welcome traveler, homesteader, and entrepreneur Dwyer Haney to the podcast. Dwyer and I met over a decade ago when we ski raced in the same conference in college and since then he’s lived a pretty incredible life that includes living internationally, solo sailing down the coast of the Americas for 2 years, and now building a homestead in northern Vermont. Dwyer discusses his upbringing and how the confidence instilled in him by his parents that he can learn and accomplish w...

This week we have meditator and athlete Sasha Dingle on the podcast. Sasha is a mindfulness teacher and coach based in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and is also the founder of Mountain Mind Project. Sasha and I have actually never met in person, but our paths have crossed in different ways throughout our lives, starting with ski racing in the same circuits in Vermont as kids, moving to the Rocky Mountain West, and now connecting through mutual interest in supporting people to live fully using tools ...

In this episode we have Dana Coman on the podcast. Dana is an L.A.-based hatha yoga teacher, human resources human capital analyst, and hypnotherapist who uses her skills to guide people through therapeutic sessions. Dana and I met at a mutual friend’s Christmas dinner in Koh Phangan in 2014 and I was struck then—as I still am now—by Dana’s energy and enthusiasm for life. And of course that’s common when you’re taking a few years off to travel the world and practice yoga every day, but Dana’s...

In this episode, dancer, choreographer, and movement teacher Paul Singh joins us to share about his experiences in the movement form of contact improvisation (CI). Paul first studied dance at the University of Illinois and began dancing contact improv in New York City. He's taught CI around the world and led movement classes for Movement Research, Sarah Lawrence College, and Julliard. A creative force, Paul has deep and insightful shares about what it means to move and be moved, b...

In this episode I sit down with yoga practitioner, author, and self-care coach Deniz Aydoslu. Deniz and I both spent quite some time studying yoga therapy on Koh Phangan, Thailand, and we’ve also both moved through our own journeys of applying yogic tools for well-being to working through depression. In this talk Deniz shares more about her own background and challenges growing up, what pulled her toward yoga and spirituality, and what she’s learned about the intersections of emotional proces...

In this episode, meditation teacher and contemplative guide Kirat Randhawa joins us to share her story of stepping onto the contemplative path. Kirat first studied fashion and merchandising in London before moving to New York City, where she became acquainted with meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. She joins Alexa to discuss the nuances of contemplative practice and how she personally navigates this transformative, challenging, and rewarding path. This is the stuff you likely won't hear i...