More Happiness Less Suffering

Kacie is the founder of Flora Fauna Wellness. She graduated with honors from Emperor's College in Santa Monica, CA. She has a Master's in Chinese Medicine and is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. In addition to acupuncture and herbs, Kacie uses eastern modalities like cupping, gua sha, Chinese nutrition, and meditation to help you feel amazing. She also uses supplements and nutraceuticals to help you get better faster.

Trudy Goodman, Ph.D., is a vipassana teacher in the Theravada lineage and the Founding Teacher of InsightLA. Since 1974, Trudy devoted much of her life to practicing Buddhist meditation with revered Asian and Western teachers in the Zen and Theravada traditions, including Zen Master Seung Sahn, Kobun Chino Otagawa Roshi, Maurine Stuart Roshi, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg and other Vipassana teachers. From 1991 to 1998, Trudy was a resident Zen teacher at the Cambridge Buddhist Association. She teaches with Jack Kornfield, Kate Lila Wheeler, InsightLA teachers she has mentored (Beth Sternlieb, Christiane Wolf) Anam Thubten, and other beloved teachers. https://www.trudygoodman.com/about/ https://www.mhlspodcast.com/

Amanda is a modern day meditation teacher, writer and speaker. She has been a meditator for over 15 years and teaches from coast to coast in the US, including in Los Angeles, New York City, San Diego, Miami and San Francisco, as well as online. She is a professor of mindfulness at the University of Southern California and the author of Kindness Now: A 28-Day Guide to Living with Authenticity, Intention and Compassion. www.mhlspodcast.com

Jena Schwartz is an amazing author, coach, and advocate for social change. She also happens to be the "go to" editor here at the More Happiness Less Suffering Podcast, as she edited both of the poetry books created by our founders. Listen in as Jena helps us discover the writer in all of us! "I work with so many people who struggle to value their writing if/when it's not "productive" or clearly "going somewhere." Our society is so outcome-oriented and product-driven, norms that are nearly impossible not to internalize yet are so detrimental to our creative selves". ~ Jena Schwartz

Dr. Saumya Dave is a psychiatrist, writer, and mental health advocate. She recently published her first book, "Well Behaved Indian Women," and is soon to release her next book, "What a Happy Family." Her writing has been featured in The New York Times Book Review, Elle, Bustle, Buzzfeed and more. In this episode Dr. Dave tells her story of writing her first book and persevering through a decade of rejections before hitting gold. Say hello at mhlspodcast.com

Wendy N. Block started practicing meditation at age 18, studying different traditions, including Buddhist, Hindu, and Advaita paths with various teachers. She has been practicing Vipassana meditation for the past 15 years, and has helped organize meditation programs in Long Beach for the past 10 years. She has trained with cognitive psychologist Zindel Segal to teach Mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). Website: www.mhlspodcast.com

Margaret Meloni is a businessperson, Buddhist practitioner, and an advocate for what she calls Death Dhamma. The practice of inviting the awareness of death into your life. She has seen how Buddhism, combined with a healthy respect for the Grim Reaper, has helped her create a life with more peace and less suffering. More info on her website https://www.margaretmeloni.com/

Christiane is a physician turned mindfulness and compassion teacher and teacher trainer. She is an authorized Buddhist teacher in the Insight (Vipassana) meditation tradition, teaching classes and retreats worldwide. She is the co-author of “A Clinician’s Guide to Teaching Mindfulness” and author of the upcoming “Outsmart Your Pain – Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind”. More info on her website www.christianewolf.com

Micha Shaw was born in Washington State, daughter of a South African mother and midwestern father. As a child her family moved a lot, living in England, South Africa and finally settling in Alaska. Her collegiate swimming career at UC Berkeley brought her to California. After working towards the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and coming up short, she turned to meditation and mindfulness to cope with feelings of shame and a sense of failure. Now a mother and happily married to her firefighter husband, Micha speaks about the tools she shares with other athletes on mental resilience. More mindful resources at mhlspodcast.com Cayce Howe: caycehowe.comMonisha Vasa: monishavasa.com

Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi (she/her/hers) is a Buddhist monastic, activist and teacher of both Buddhist and secular programs. She loves bridging the worlds of Buddhist thought, current events, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology. Venerable Tenzin first became interested in meditation in the early 1970s and then started practicing Tibetan Buddhism in early 1991 during a year she spent studying in India and Nepal. She worked in administrative positions in several Buddhist centers in the 1990's, and also completed several long meditation retreats over a six-year period. Venerable Tenzin took monastic ordination in 2004 with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. https://www.unlockingtruehappiness.org/about

More Happiness Less Suffering hosts Monisha Vasa, MD and Cayce Howe both speak about their creative journey and what it has meant on their path to self discovery. Both have published poetry books and speak to the insights that can come about only through the unique outlet of "opening to the unknown".

David Le is a long time meditator, engineer and former Police officer. David spent 25 years on the police force as a patrol officer, detective and undercover officer. David is currently teaching meditation and mindful movement classes at the John Henry Foundation and Phoenix House. He is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Mindful Yoga and Meditation Teacher Training, which emphasizes the cultivation of mindful movements and the capacity to meet life from moment to moment with awareness. It weaves together into one seamless practice yoga asana and pranayama, Insight Meditation, the wisdom teachings of the Buddha, and Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra. David has done extensive meditation retreat practice at Spirit Rock from 2003 until present.For more resources, visit www.mhlspodcast.comCayce Howe: www.caycehowe.comMonisha Vasa M.D. www.monishavasa.com

Some of our most challenging and most meaningful moments often arise while caring for others. Whether you are a physician, nurse, mental health professional, teacher, parent, or supporting an aging family member, caring for others becomes an opportunity to develop resilience and make meaning out of our most human, vulnerable interactions. But how do we find the beauty that often lays hidden amidst the stress of caring? Join Dr. Monisha Vasa and Cayce Howe as we discuss ways to create "Sustainability Caring".

Please join us as Dr. Charmaine Gregory talks about her intriguing journey from the island of Jamaica to the US and the challenges as a ER physician. Website: mhlspodcast.com Instagram @mhlspodcast

Join Dr. Monisha Vasa and Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe as they chat about the speed of life (especially during the holidays) and how we can bring some balance to the chaos. More Happiness, Less Suffering Website: mhlspodcast.comInstagram @mhlspodcast

Laura B. Vater, MD, MPH is a Hematology/Oncology Fellow at Indiana University School of Medicine. Influenced by her mom, an Internal Medicine physician, and dad, a safety engineer and community leader, she developed an early interest in medicine and care for humanity. Throughout her medical training, Laura has remained interested in preventive health, the vital role of communication and humanism in medicine, and promotion of clinician health. In 2017, she developed a tool to help patients and clinicians simplify and prioritize health (the SMILE Scale). This tool is being used in schools and clinics in the U.S. and England. Laura enjoys hiking, reading, and spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog. Connect with Cayce & Monisha on Instagram or the web: IG @mhlspodcastIG @caycehoweIG @monishavasawww.mhlspodcast.com

Lynda Arnold (AKA @divasonic) is a phenomenal sound healer and musician who has played on some of the largest global stages including SXSW, Burning Man and UNICEF events. Join us for a lively and honest discussion about how we all heal differently, and how sound can be a force for transformation, empowerment and connection.

Join us on Episode 13 of the More Happiness and Less Suffering podcast as we sit with former Buddhist Monk and Dharma Teacher Scott Tusa to share his expert advice on the spiritual path and how to bring the sacred into everyday life. Connect with us on www.mhlspodcast.com or Instagram @mhlspodcast More Happiness, Less Suffering

Join us on Episode 12 as Cayce Howe and Dr. Monisha Vasa interview hip-hop artist Castor Pollux, on how 'keeping it real' means getting real with your emotions and innate spark. On this episode, learn about how Castor Pollux embraces the intersectionality between mindfulness and creativity to curate hip-hop art for the world. Connect with us on Instagram @mhlspodcast or our website www.mhlspodcast.com

On this episode, Cayce and Monisha explore the balance between self-compassion and self-discipline in developing sustainable motivation towards our goals. Connect With Cayce & Monisha on Instagram @mhlspodcast

Join us on Episode 10 of the MHLS Podcast as Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe and Psychiatrist Dr. Monisha Vasa discuss moving toward transformation in the here and now by recognizing opportunities to notice extraordinary things in the ordinary. Reach us at www.mhlspodcast.com and on Instagram @mhlspodcast

When you are physically and mentally mindful in your every step, your results flourish into something bigger than expected. Join us on Episode 9 of the MHLS Podcast as Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe and Dr. Monisha Vasa interview former professional basketball player Justin Johnson, on consciously letting go of unproductive thoughts and feelings for positive energy. Connect with us on Instagram @mhlspodcast Website: www.mhlspodcast.com

Challenging events that take place in our lives can make it easy to enter a spiral of ‘what if’ scenarios that often cause anxiety and stress. Join us on Ep. 8 of the MHLS Podcast with Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe and Psychiatrist Dr. Monisha Vasa as they talk over how to meet this anxiety with awareness and what it means to be fully present with what is now. www.mhlspodcast.com

Join us on Ep. 6 of the MHLS Podcast as Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe and Dr. Monisha Vasa discuss the balance between learning and digesting teachings from Meditation teachers while activating your own inner teacher to always have someone to lean on and guide you when struggling. “No book, no teacher, no teaching is going to teach you about you.”    Visit our website: www.mhlspodcast.com Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/mhlspodcast

Check in to Ep.6 of the MHLS podcast and find out how Madhuri Parson went from watching her father and grandfather make jewelry in the heart of Calcutta, India, as a child, to almost losing herself in corporate America. Luckily she turned back to her spiritual roots to find personal inspiration in her creative heritage.    Lear more about Madhuri Parson on Instagram @madhuriparsonjewelry and on her website www.madhuriparson.com

Loss is a theme which people experience in different situations and periods of their life; especially in the wake of COVID-19. Join us as we discuss the different aspects of loss and how to meet and work with it.

Focusing on your mind is difficult in the wake of COVID-19, but it can be essential in helping us cope during times of worry, anxiety, or fear. Join our discussion about how getting back to the roots of mindfulness to navigate those feelings can help you feel more grounded when everything feels ungrounded.

When your social life slows down, how do you manage feelings of loneliness? Struggling with a sense of loneliness can be brought on subtly in many ways. Join us as we explore the types of loneliness individuals may experience and how we can manage it. 

Technology and work-life balance make it harder than ever to disconnect, Physiatrist Monisha Vasa and Senior Meditation Teacher Cayce Howe discuss steps anyone can take to manage depression, stress, and anxiety with compassion.

Individuals all over the world struggle with self-acceptance. For some sage advice, join our discussion about overcoming the unhealthy idea of perfectionism and instead – embracing your inner qualities.