The Mindful Coping Podcast

I was born an artist and have been one my entire life. I am passionate about creating, exploring, and experiencing life and how it affects others. Life is a natural cycle and we have a chance to leave behind our story and our legacy. The first time in my life that my hands hit a brush, there was an explosion of emotions that manifested. There was this rush that I can't really put into words, but it's found in my art. Since then I have never put it down. Art is embedded into my life and the experience of life. I am on a journey that includes all of my children, my wife, and all of the interactions in life. My family travels the world with me and we get to experience a vast variety of people, cultures, and places. My children were born into art so it is a part of who they are. I love finding people who are authentic in what they believe, what they do, and question the world around them. The world is full of inspiration around us and we take the time to appreciate life, we can create something captivating. Life is a journey that is to be interpreted and experienced in oneself. Life is always moving like a river and evolving to the rocks around it. I have evolved into the place I am in life by following my path and embracing my soul. I get to take my life experiences and create art on my journey, and that I am thankful for.https://www.joshstoutgallery.com

This is a space for the exploration of awakening, integration and embodiment, it's a space that supports a deepening of Self. I don't separate between spiritual or non-spiritual, all is included. It's just LIFE and exploring what it means to be human, what it means to be alive, what it means to suffer, and what it is to accept all into the embrace of our experience. Understanding what awakening is, what spirituality is and what they both are not – brings these lofty ideals of ‘enlightenment' back down to lived reality in each and every moment. Learning what it means to transcend and include all that we are, all that we experience, into the broader context of open-awareness.For me what I offer here isn't therapy and it's not about the acquisition of more knowledge. It's about the direct experience of Self using the tool of spiritual discussion & conversation (Satsang), and supported on a deeper level with Divine Light Transmissions. It's about a meeting of our shared humanity, and our shared divinity and as such I don't place myself higher than you, different than you, more than you. I don't claim to have all or even any of the answers. I'm here to support this conversation of “What is the nature of reality? What is the nature of Self?” as a mentor, a teacher, a guide, an energy healer, and a spiritual midwife of sorts – to walk hand in hand with you on this beautiful, messy journey of Self discovery, as Self meeting Self. To discover the light Being that we are at the heart of all existence.We are all figuring out life as best we can. A lot of the people I meet along the way are looking to others to give them answers. I encourage each and every one of you who happen upon this website to look into your own direct experience, use your discernment, listen to what others have to say and mark it against your own internal compass and intuition. Drop all your judgements about what you think you know and take a careful look, take a look prior to your assumptions, I encourage you to do so earnestly. See if whatever they (or I) are pointing to stands up to scrutiny, does it point back to your own truth? But don't take my word for it…. go looking for yourself!To connect with Imogen:Website: beyondimogen.comEmail: beyondimogen@gmail.comPodcast: endofseeking.substack.comYouTube: youtube.com/beyondimogenFacebook: facebook.com/beyondimogenInstagram: instagram.com/beyondimogen

Liz Dueck is a Nature Artist, Art Educator, Trail Guide, and the co-curator of “Along the Cimarron”. She primarily works in oil painting, charcoal and natural materials. Her creative practices are all based on exploration and connection. Along with displaying her work in galleries and curating exhibitions, she regularly leads Art Hikes in the Tulsa and Sand Springs area. Dueck's passion lies in interchangeably connecting art, nature and people together.Dueck graduated with a BFA in Studio Art, a Teaching Certification in Art and a minor in Art History from Oklahoma State University in 2017. She worked for OSU's Art Department in her time there as a student as well as upon graduation as the Education Coordinator of the Prairie Arts Center. She now teaches art at the Tulsa Boys' Home, volunteers as a Trail Guide at the Keystone Ancient Forest leading monthly Art Hikes and resides in the forests of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. To connect with Liz, visithttps://www.lizdueck.com/https://www.instagram.com/lizdueckart/

Kai has a unique gift that allows her to transmit the energy of awakening to open and willing spiritual seekers. She was introduced to the kundalini shaktipat tradition in 1994 when she was 27 years old. Her kundalini was awakened by a shaktipat master and within a few months she was in full manifestation of the Divine Mother. She has since undergone a series of dramatic awakenings that have prepared her to work with others. As a result of working with her, many people report having dramatic life changes, spiritually and in their everyday lives. Read morehttps://www.kaishanti.comInstagram @angeloflightmeditation

Branjae is the personification of Black American Music. She is an artist, activist, dancer, singer, and actress. She asks “why not” through her music, challenging listeners to embrace their authentic selves.  Her lyrical depth, energetic theatrical performances, and out of the box genre fluidity are as unique as the personas she embodies.Having previously performed at the legendary Apollo Theater,  BOK Center,  Cain's Ballroom and more, Branjae's fearless and energetic showcase, encourages elevated consciousness by connecting with her audiences for the soul purpose of creating unity and harmony. Born in the city of Motown and rooted in the city of The Gap Band, artist Branjae has established herself as a full-bodied, entertainer; singing, dancing, and acting her way into the hearts of audiences across the globe.Her voice has been likened to artists like Lauryn Hill, India Arie and Nina Simone; while her stage presence is influenced by Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, and Freddie Mercury. PREVIOUS SUPPORT INCLUDES LIZZO, THUNDERCAT, TANK AND THE BANGAS, BRIAN MCKNIGHT, THE YING YANG TWINS, FISHBONE, OHIO PLAYERS, RC AND THE GRITS, AND THE LATE WAYMAN TISDALEAccolades Include:WINNER - BEST FEMALE ARTISTBLACK WALL STREET MUSIC AWARDS3X WINNER - BEST FEMALE ARTIST, ARTIST OF THE YEAR,  RECORD OF THE YEARTULSA VYBEZ AWARDSWINNER - JIMMY LAFAVE SONG WRITING CONTESTNOMINEE - BEST MUSIC VIDEOINDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS5X NOMINEE - TULSA MUSIC AWARDSHer short film projects “Street Light” & “Free Facts” have gained International recognition including exclusive features for Billboard Magazine & AfroPunk; and screenings in TORONTO, MANCHESTER, PARIS, LONDON, AMSTERDAM, BERLIN, SYDNEY, MELBOURNE, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES AND AUSTINTo connect with Branjae, visithttps://www.branjaemusic.comhttps://www.facebook.com/BranjaeMusic/https://www.instagram.com/branjaemusic/https://www.youtube.com/user/branjae

There is a strange, mysterious beauty to how things don't work out as planned.Things don't get done.things sometimes stay on our to do list forever.intentions or goals sometimes are never fulfilled.things get forgotten aboutplans fall through.People disappoint us.we disappoint ourselves.our expectations dont get met.projects sometimes are left unstarted or abandoned half-finishedPeople aren't who we think they are.we aren't who we think we areThings don't satisfy us the way that we expect them to.the experiences we seekdon't bring us the happiness we had hoped forWhat we expect to happen doesn't.what we fear sometimes does come to passWhat we hope for doesnt materialize.the meaning we strive for vanishes like a thief in the nightCan I learn to laugh at the ridiculousness of my belief that everything I expect to happen will or won't?how can I know?Can I learn to see the beauty in what lies unfinished or what is never even started?Can I finally open my eyes fully to see that what is complete is just a small fraction of what exists in the Universe?

Grace Bubeck is a psychologist (MSc), philosopher (PhD), and certified massage therapist by work history and professional training. In 1999, she left a first career in academia at the London School of Economics to become a body-mind therapist in private practice and a personal development and meditation teacher. She offers in person therapy, counseling, and workshops, as well as online non-dual spiritual events and group programs.http://www.gracebubeck.com/about.html

When I am finally able to “see” that there is so much more to it All than the things that I feel like I have to get done,when I no longer have an agenda to push out into the world,when I no longer need to make anything happen,when there is no longer really anything to do other than what comes naturally in each moment,when I no longer need to worry about where I am going in life,when it all begins to feel like nothing more than just a series of moments unfolding in time,when I am not afraid to be in a place where I exist outside of time but not afraid to return back here and fully inhabit this particular human incarnation,when it's no longer about my personal will,when it's really no longer about how I feel,when my personality and perspective is finally seen  to be just another drop in a much larger Ocean,when I am ok with just flowing with it All as it happens and when it happens,then I am just simply here along with everything else at the center of it All.

Spiritual guide and author, Shakti is known internationally as one of the most authentic and profound voices in contemporary spirituality. Presenting the message of Advaita and non-dual Tantra within a contemporary framework, Shakti offers, with compassion and great clarity, an inner technology for dissolving the contraction of suffering that traditionally accompanies each of our lives. Her invitation is to come to the space of inner peace and unconditional love which resides at the heart of us all.      Her key teachings are the love for transcendence, or spiritual awakening, followed by its deep integration, into everyday living, so that each moment can be met as a precious opportunity for spiritual growth. Her students are left with the joy of an open heart and an authentic sense of freedom within the recognition of our being as one with everything.      https://www.shakticaterinamaggi.com

Things get really interesting when I get to a point where there is nothing that can be extracted or collected from any particular experience. Somewhere along the journey I learned that when I want or need something, it's like a “bottomless pit” and it's never, ever enough because that's the way the game works. My predicament is that sooner or later, I am always going to “hit the wall” and there is nothing left whatsoever in yet another zero sum game that I am trying to win.When the point of no return is reached, the saddest thing is to wake up and find myself still grinding away trying to take away something from nothing as it just simply cannot be done.What's in front of me isn't what I am trying to make it be; it's just what it is, and it really doesn't require my input, and stands on its own.The most liberating realization is to finally see that there is joy in Nothing as there really is something there, but it is fleeting and quickly comes into existence and then quickly disappears and cannot be amassed and set aside for later.Life has really begun to happen for me after it's all already been played out and all of the illusions have been shattered and the infrastructure of delusion has been dismantled, and all that remains is what's really happening, right here, right now, without any need for me to “curate” it.

Melissa Moore Ph.D. is the steward of North American Karuna training since 2014, and co-founded Karuna Europe in 1996. Melissa has her MA in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and her Ph.D. in Psychological Anthropology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.Melissa has been a student of Vajrayana Buddhism and Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1979. She was the founding Director of the Felton Institute for Research and Training in San Francisco (2006–2016). She has been involved in community-based research for the most marginalized populations in California, trained front-line providers in mental health in evidence-based practices, and then researched the outcomes.Melissa is the Executive Director of Karuna Training and a lead faculty. She has taught Karuna Training in nine countries and in four states in the U.S. She lives in Denver with her dog and husband.Melissa recently published The Diamonds Within Us: Uncovering Brilliant Sanity Through Contemplative Psychology; find out more about the bookhere: https://thediamondswithinus.orgTo learn more about Melissa and about Karuna Training, visithttps://karunatraining.com

When I get still physically and/or mentally, there is a deeper sense that my mind is contantly “under construction”…….thought forms turning into building blocks of beliefs and fuel for the fire of emotional reactions.At some point, it feels like these thoughts and beliefs become their own “infrastructure.”There has been a freeing discovery that I don't have to “buy the building” or “live in it.”Whether I “live in it” or not, the construction project unceasingly goes on, but it gets easier to find peace and harmony amidst all of the noise as I practice not giving in to the need to “own the building.” It took years to recognize that “moving somewhere else” doesn't really work as this “construction project” goes on everywhere that I go.At the same time, there is also an “active demolition” of this infrastructure as thoughts and the energy that fuels them simply move through and come and go as long as I am not in the way of that natural process of creation and destruction.It has taken a long time for me to realize that I don't have to own these thoughts and internal reactions as they really aren't mine at a deeper level and all part of the energy moving through something much more vast than me.It's just all part of the dance of life, and it's so much less personal than I ever dreamed possible.

Louise is a researcher, coach & intuitive artist,  stone whisperer, and earth energy worker (PhD, MSc, PGDipCEIG, BA, INLPTA NLP, AAMET EFT,  VTCT, Reiki Master)She supports and empowers individuals and organisations to return to heart and reconnect to life. We do this by putting you back in the driving seat of your own life – guiding you to the wisdom and knowledge that resides your own heart, and giving you the confidence to bring forward this new understanding in everyday life.https://www.heartsenseresearch.co.uk

Woke up this morning feeling time rushing away from mewind relentlessly blowing outsideWhy do i resist the present moment when it leads to eternity with me and without me, all at the same time?Why do i feel like i am moving so slowtime is rushing by so fastwhere is it that I really need to go?what is it that i really need to do?Can I just simply feel what I feel, however it feels, without believing anything about it or even that it is real beyond what is in my mind and how I am reacting to it ?What I feel and think is simply the weather that passes constantly and changes into something else .

Nicole Peltier has been teaching her eclectic, musically motivated, creative yoga classes for over 25 years to all ages and levels. Nicole draws a lively following of teens and young people who are inspired by her young, fresh attitude and easy to follow instruction. Being "mature" also makes Nicole an ideal teacher who inspires older students to let down their hair and rock without reservation.  Tulsa's first yoga studio was opened and operated for over 20 years by Nicole and her partner. She is considered, by many,  the OG of Yoga in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  She is wildly passionate, energetic and inspirational. She is a true motivator. She is known as a powerful leader within the yoga community. She offers exceptional yoga retreats. Raven Yoga Retreats encompass sacred spiritual practices, mindful living techniques, healing modalities, holistic health and yoga for beginners as well as seasoned practitioner in a tranquil environment. Her powerful delivery in yoga classes is called "an experience" by her students.  She focuses on the energy yoga arouses when combined with music which is part of how she connects the students to joy, movement and childlike freedom.  Also, since Nicole's discovery into her own recovery, she has developed her own 'Raven Yoga for Freedom', (Trademarked in 2016) which addresses the issue of addiction, fear and emotional blocks. Nicole also leads a non-denominational Sunday Yoga Service with gospel and worship that she calls "All Rise Yoga Service". Nicole studied at Mount Madonna Center in Santa Cruz in 2000, and has studied extensively to hone her craft.  She spent 2022 studying Shamanism with a local shaman and incorporates shamanic practices into her classes.  Nicole is a festival favorite presenting at Internationally renowned yoga festivals. Yoga on the Mountain (4 yrs), Fayetteville Yoga Fest (4 yrs), Telluride Yoga Fest (3 yrs), Yoga Farm Fest Shreveport (3 yrs), Wild West Yoga Fest (2 yrs.), Drishti Beats (2023), Little Rock Yoga Fest (2023), Serenity Fest - Durango (2022, 2023), OKC Yoga Fest (2018), I AM Yoga Fest (4 yrs), Big Om Yoga Fest (2 yrs). Nicole shines at yoga retreats being a top presenter at Big Om Retreat (13 seasons), Dazen Collective (8 retreats) & Connect & Evolve (4 retreats). She has several modules she offers for yoga teacher training. She teaches Cueing, Voice Control and Flow Tactics to budding new yoga instructors. She continues to travel all over the world hosting yoga classes, retreats and ceremonial offerings. 

Dashama is a life and business strategist, happiness expert, author, speaker, media producer and teacher. She has practiced hatha yoga since childhood and is now one of a rising generation of young yoga instructors who incorporate life coaching skills in their teaching.

Ronald A. Alexander, PhD, MFT, SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) is a Creativity and Communication Consultant, and an Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private psychotherapy practice working with individuals, couples, families, and groups in Santa Monica, California. He is the Executive Director of the OpenMind® Training Institute, a leading-edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in core creativity, mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and mindfulness meditation. For more than forty-four years, Alexander has been a trainer of healthcare professionals in North America, as well as in Europe, Russia, Japan, China, and Australia. As a Mindfulness and Zen Buddhist practitioner, he specializes in utilizing mindfulness meditation in his professional and corporate work to help people transform their lives by accessing the mind states that open the portal to their core creativity.Alexander is a leading pioneer in the fields of Mindfulness Based Mind-Body Therapies, Gestalt Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Ericksonian Mind-Body Therapies, Holistic Psychology, and Integrative and Behavioral Medicine. He is a long-time extension faculty member of the UCLA Departments of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Entertainment, a lecturer in the David Geffen School of Medicine, and an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and Pepperdine Universities. Alexander received his SEP Certificate from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute in Boulder Colorado. He consulted with and received treatment from Milton H Erickson MD. He personally trained with Ernest Rossi and Steven Gilligan in Ericksonian Hypnotherapy as well as with Daniel P. Brown of the Harvard Medical Cambridge Hospital professional training's seminars in hypnosis and hypno-analysis. He trained with and was certified by the Los Angeles Gestalt Therapy Institute and with Erving and Miriam Polster PhD of the Gestalt Training Center of La Jolla. He also received training and supervision in Contemporary Gestalt and Family Therapies, Psychoanalytic Self-Psychology, Relational and Object Relations Therapies.Dr. Ronald Alexander, PhD is a leading Creativity and Communication Coach, International Clinical Trainer, Executive and Leadership Coach, with a private practice in Santa Monica, California. He is the originator of the OpenMind Training® Institute, a leading edge organization that offers personal and professional training programs in mindfulness based mind-body therapies, transformational leadership, and meditation. His unique method combines ancient wisdom teachings with Leadership Coaching and Core Creativity into a comprehensive integrated, behaviorally effective mind-body program. This system combines techniques that support strategies of personal, clinical, and corporate excellence and growth.Alexander's extensive training includes core creativity, conflict management, Gestalt therapy, leadership and organizational development, and vision and strategic planning. He pioneered the early values and vision-based models for current day leadership and professional coaching. He specializes in Mind-Body therapies and has been studying and teaching Mindfulness Meditation, Creative Visualization and Transpersonal Psychology since 1970. Alexander studied with and was influenced by noted leaders in these fields such as Ken Blanchard, Werner Erhard, Warren Bennis, Umberto Materana and Francesco Variela, and was one of the grandfathers of coaching along with Jim Rohn, Tony Robbins and Jack Canfield.To learn more about Dr. Ron and his work, visithttps://ronaldalexander.com

Victoria Angel Heart M.Ed is a mindfulness meditation guide, sacred musician and intuitive channel. Her life's work is to be a conduit of love for people to realize themselves as love personified.