Peaceful Loving Vibrant Podcast

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Phindile Chowa, a board certified Emergency Medicine physician who is transforming healthcare and restoring dignity for patients by bringing compassionate, high quality health care to their homes. Through her concierge medicine practice, EMCare2U, she has curated a unique offering that provides on demand, comprehensive support for postpartum mothers and their babies. We talk about my birth story and how Dr. Chowa saved my life when my OB dismissed my concerns, signs and symptoms of preeclampsia. From there, we discuss gaps in our current model of healthcare and how to address them as well as Dr. Chowa's personal meditation practice and how it helped her navigate divorce and being a front line provider during the COVID-19 pandemic. If you want better healthcare or are contemplating or navigating divorce, or you're just curious about topics like health equity and a pretty interesting birth story, keep listening for more. If you enjoy this podcast, please share it with a friend and follow me on Instagram @peacefullovingvibrant. Resources: Dr. Chowa's Concierge Medicine Practice: https://emcare2u.com/postpartum/ Contact Dr. Chowa: info@emcare2u.com and follow her on Instagram @emcare2u Doula: Vanya Francis, Cherished Life Wellness - https://mycherishedlife.com/ Myleik and Mommas Community - https://myleikandmommas.com/ Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast

In this episode, I chat with my friend, Madison King about how motherhood has liberated her to show up authentically as her whole self. She shares how her meditation practice has evolved from a sitting practice to involve painting, cooking and a nourishing bath time ritual. Her practice is a wonderful example of non-performative meditation and embodiment that supports her in her roles as a stay at home parent, wife and multifaceted woman. Highlights include: Meditation as a tool for managing anxiety in pregnancy Navigating the world as a Black stay at home mother How motherhood has made her more conscious of the way she shows up in the world, particularly as she is raising a daughter The balancing act of showing up as best self for child vs. losing self in motherhood Meditation in managing unmet expectations - “I didn't expect my life to look the way it does right now” Carving out time and space for herself and how her partner supports her in that The journey to confidently calling herself an artist Healing from perfectionism Motherhood as continuing education - growing her thinking in parenting philosophy; and The challenges of parenting differently from how we were parented Creating a community (virtual and in person) from scratch while crawling out of postpartum in the pandemic Ritualizing self care practices The episode ends with a couple of journal prompts or themes for your next meditation session - Who am I when I strip myself of the roles I play in my life? What titles am I afraid to take on and what is holding me back? Where to find Madison: Instagram: @mad_hattr (personal), @nature_guh (holistic outdoor adventures) and @vintag3mami (art and painting) Resources: How To Keep House While Drowning - https://www.strugglecare.com/book Myleik and Mommas Community - https://myleikandmommas.com/ Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast

In this episode, I chat with Raha Sabet, Ph.D, an Iranian American psychologist whose training is rooted in a social justice framework. She is committed to mental health equity, and she is passionate about decolonizing psychology. We talk about Raha's personal meditation practice as well as the role of meditation in therapy and its capacity to support mental health. Follow Raha on Twitter @rahaforoozsabet Find a therapist: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com/ Self Compassion resources with Dr. Kristin Neff - https://self-compassion.org/ Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I chat with my friend, Anjelica Malone about how to heal from miscarriage with nutrition, botanical medicine, support and holding space for all your feelings. Anjelica is a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM), Clinical Herbalist, and Certified Lactation Educator Counselor. During our conversation, I share my own grief and loss journey and Anjelica shares about her meditation practice, how it interacts with her Christian faith and how her practice has evolved over time. We end with a five minute guided embodiment meditation inviting you to come back into your body and the present moment, where your power is. Resources: Sol Midwifery and Wellness Mending Invisible Wings: Healing from the Loss of Your Baby, by Mary Burgess with Shiloh Sophia McCloud Aviva Romm- https://avivaromm.com/ The American Herbalist's Guild- https://www.americanherbalistsguild.com/herbal_education Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I chat with empowerment parenting coach and soon-to-be best selling author, Destini Ann Davis. We discuss parenting in alignment with your core values, what gentle parenting is and what it's not, and Destini's top parenting principles and strategies. She also shares her personal journey with meditation and how her practice has evolved over time. We end with a mindfulness practice to help ground ourselves when disregulated.  Pre-order Destini's book, Very Intentional Parenting: Awakening the Empowered Parent Within on Amazon and wherever books are sold. Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

A quick update including my sincere apology for an oversight on terminology, a new yoga offering on Saturdays via Zoom and a request for you to rate, review and share if you like what you hear. Register for my Kickasana Yoga class at Sangha Seattle (virtual on Zoom) by going to www.sanghaseattle.com or on the MINDBODY app. Class is Saturdays at 8am Pacific/11am Eastern.

In this episode, my sister and I wind down over a couple glasses of our favorite vinho verde and chat about how meditation has impacted our relationships. Jhodi is a Ph.D. student at the University of Alabama in Birmingham and she started meditating in college. We talk about how meditation has helped her deepen her relationship with herself and how that has helped her add value to her relationships with others. We chat about self compassion, toxic positivity, non-attachment (aparigraha), boundaries and that single life! We end with a 5 minute guided meditation on self compassion and self worth. Resources from this Episode: Electronic Meditation Resources: Yoga with Adriene: https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene Insight Timer meditation app: https://insighttimer.com/ This is the largest collection of FREE guided meditations and it includes a timer for you to meditate on your own. Liberate: Meditation app for Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) Liberate Meditation App in the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/liberate-meditation/id1451620569 Liberate Meditation App on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zencompass.liberate&hl=en_US Sangha Yoga in Seattle, WA. My home studio, which is now offering virtual classes on Zoom. Go to https://sanghaseattle.com to sign up. My yoga teacher at Sangha: Heather Falkin IG: @yogifalkin Open Path Collective - https://openpathcollective.org Therapy for Black Girls directory - https://providers.therapyforblackgirls.com Relational Intelligence by Dr. Dharius Daniels - https://www.amazon.com/Relational-Intelligence-People-Skills-Purpose/dp/0310357829 Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I chat with my sister-in-law, Tonya, about balancing work and self care while working from home. Tonya talks about how her meditation practice helps her gain creative freedom, clarity and peace that makes her more effective at work. Meditation gave her a wellness outlet that doesn’t require her to leave her home - a major key in the COVID craziness we are all dealing with. We chat about analysis paralysis, dealing with uncertainty, manifestations of stress in our physical bodies, chakras, pranayama, dealing with frustrations at work and meditation as a healing tool that leads to less need for substances and medications. We end with a 5 minute guided body scan that you can use at work to reset and refocus. Resources from this Episode: Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breath) with Yoga by Biola: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln0wP9_0VZA Sangha Yoga in Seattle, WA. My home studio, which is now offering virtual classes on Zoom. Go to the MINDBODY app or https://sanghaseattle.com to sign up. My yoga teachers at Sangha: Heather Falkin IG: @yogifalkin and Sarah Hyde IG: @yogisarie Read about the chakras: https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Body-Western-Mind-Psychology/dp/1587612259 Yoga Nidra on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/chrisspatola/playlist/5717SM3tpAkXtxXwt19ibS?si=hrpdT4YASCK7aRtkmt4XuA https://open.spotify.com/user/22zw6azzj3ngxo57foxjgiphq/playlist/4syP2Dqv4kFsElXNv6Ldeh?si=0NiixBP5TxauCOkMyJbIxA Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Let’s get personal! In this episode, I share how my meditation and yoga practices show up in how I mother our children. I share my birth story, and how mindfulness, meditation and yoga have impacted each phase of my motherhood journey so far, including pregnancy, breastfeeding and the postpartum period to date. We end with a five minute guided meditation designed to help you make space for what motherhood is to you, and I share my favorite quote about motherhood. Resources from this Episode: Sangha Yoga in Seattle, WA. My home studio, which is now offering virtual classes on Zoom. Go to https://sanghaseattle.com to sign up. My yoga teachers at Sangha: Heather Falkin IG: @yogifalkin Annabell Dumez-Matheson IG: @journeyyogi My favorite quote about motherhood is by Dr. Shefali Tsabary. Her website is: https://drshefali.com Join the #PLVsquad Best Way: Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrant Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode, I share with you some gems I picked up at a great talk on malas by Sasha Korellis. I share my own experience with these prayer bead necklaces as well as some highlights from Sasha’s talk. I discuss beads, garlands and prayers, 108 Malas, the anatomy of a Satcha Mala and tantric malas. Listen to learn how you can use these ancient technologies in your own meditation practice. At the end of the episode, I guide you through a 5 minute meditation meant to help you ground and trust that you are where you need to be with everything you need to thrive. Resources and references from this episode: Modern Mystic Shop’s Sunday School series: https://modernmysticshop.com/blogs/news Satcha Malas by Sasha Korellis: http://satchamalas.com Satcha Malas on Instagram: @satchamalas Where I got my first mala: https://www.dharmashop.com Tantric Malas: http://satchamalas.com/shop/tantric-f8tzf Join the #PLVsquad: Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrantpodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

On this episode, I interview Julio Rivera, the Afro-Latino founder of the Liberate meditation app for Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC). Julio shares so much about his personal journey in overcoming the fears associated with being an entrepreneur and confronting his own internalized oppression. We discuss: Vulnerability as an essential part of Julio’s personal journey and his role in holding space for people of color; The role of his meditation practice in helping him acknowledge difficult emotions like fear and shame, and managing his inner critic; The connection between physical sensations (like muscle tension) and emotions, and how body scan meditations have helped him make that connection; Building a community of men who support each other in their meditation practices and provide a safe space for each other to share vulnerable emotions; Creating virtual safe spaces for people of color to heal through meditation and community; How meditation helps us develop a healthy relationship with our thoughts; Including our ancestors in our meditation practice; and more! At the end of the episode, Julio leads us through a 10 minute body scan. This type of meditation is a powerful way to practice being present to the physical sensations happening in your body, and may help you identify areas where you are holding emotions in your physical body. Resources from this episode: Liberate Meditation website: https://liberatemeditation.com Liberate Meditation App in the Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/liberate-meditation/id1451620569 Liberate Meditation App on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.zencompass.liberate&hl=en_US Liberate on Instagram: @liberatemeditation Guided Meditation - Unveiling Your Deepest Goodness with Pamela Ayo Yetunde on the Liberate Meditation App: https://liberate.app.link/liBgX2mwPW Liberate Meditation BIPOC Community on Facebook: Liberate Meditation BIPOC Community Email julio@liberatemeditation.com if you’d like to volunteer to help with the Liberate Meditation App Julio on Instagram: @julio.a.rivera New York Insight Meditation Center People of Color Sangha: https://www.nyimc.org/event/people-of-color-sangha/ The Power of Vulnerability by Brene Brown: https://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare Join the #PLVsquad: Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrantpodcast

What is yoga and how is it related to meditation? In Episode 2, wellness influencer and yoga instructor, Abiola Akanni shares her meditation journey and how anyone, even YOU, can access enlightenment. We discuss: How Abiola started meditating without even knowing she was meditating; Meditation as a tool for managing anxiety, alchemizing trauma, dealing with uncertainty, and retaining emotional stability despite challenging circumstances; How sit meditation differs from overthinking; Yoga and its connection to meditation; Making yoga accessible to and inclusive of everyone, including tips for yoga studio owners; Can Christians do yoga? Barriers and benefits of starting a yoga practice; and more! At the end of the episode, Abiola guides us through a five minute breath meditation that is perfect for beginners. This meditation is designed to provide rest and relaxation to your physical body. Resources from this Episode Yoga by Biola: www.yogabybiola.com Yoga by Biola on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9W80oIe7cLOF_UYgDk7q6w Trap Vinyasa™: www.trapvinyasa.com Instagram: @trapvinyasa @yogabybiola Join the #PLVsquad: Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com fb.me/PLVpodcast Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrantpodcast

What if you could choose how you respond in high stress situations? Learn how meditation can help you reclaim your power through building awareness. In this episode, I interview Dr. Michelle Bailey, a board certified pediatrician and integrative medicine specialist who helps women in medicine revive their energy and ease day-to-day stress. We discuss: How meditation can help you prioritize self care; What mindfulness is and how mindfulness meditation differs from other practices; How to start meditating with mindfulness; The benefits and challenges (for yourself and others) of building a mindfulness practice; Myths about meditation and religion; How to build community to support your meditation practice, particularly as Black women; How to define the leading force in your life; and more! At the end of the episode, Dr. Bailey guides us through a five minute meditation about finding calm amidst chaos. Resources from this episode: Dr. Michelle Bailey: http://www.drmichellebailey.com/ https://www.facebook.com/DrMichelleBailey/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/UpliftingWomeninMedicine/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-bailey-0440155/ Triangle (North Carolina) Insight Meditation Community: https://triangleinsight.org/ Insight Community of Washington DC: https://www.tarabrach.com/organizer/insight-meditation-community-of-washington/ Insight Timer meditation app: https://insighttimer.com/ Tara Brach: https://www.tarabrach.com/ Join the #PLVsquad: Email me: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com fb.me/PLVpodcast Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrantpodcast

Welcome to the Peaceful Loving Vibrant Podcast! I created this podcast to make meditation more accessible to people of color. On Episode 0, I introduce myself and share a bit about what you can look forward to on the podcast. Join the PLV Squad through: Facebook: fb.me/PLVpodcast Instagram: @peacefullovingvibrantpodcast Email questions, feedback, topic requests, or just say what's up: peacefullovingvibrantpodcast@gmail.com