EP37 with Erin Adams - Founder of Open Hearts and Resilient Minds; What Meditation Can Be, Social Work, and more!

Ep41: If you "failed" your 2026 New Year's Resolution, Winter Season, & so much more, with my partner Daryl

I’m still not sure how I convinced my partner to join me for this podcast episode. If you know him, you know he’s private; he avoids social media, keeps his life close to the chest, and has zero interest in the spotlight. We’re complete opposites! And yet, he said yes to doing this episode with me! This episode is especially for you if your New Year’s resolutions already "failed", feel heavy, or you feel like you want to give up. It’s also for you if this season hasn’t been about pushing harder, but about slowing down, resting, and simply trying to listen to what you actually need. We talk about trying again without shame, redefining what “discipline” and “consistency” can look like, and how winter, both in nature and in our own lives, invites us to pause, reflect, and reset in a gentler way. There’s no pressure here to hustle or overhaul your life overnight. This episode reminds you that you’re not behind and you’re not failing. Grab a warm drink, take a breath, and join us.

Ep40: Don't Die with the Music still inside you - Chapter 1 & 2 of my book

The Vibrant Unknown Lessons Learned In The Journey of Connecting With Your Heart’s Whisper Looking for an Agent, so if you have any recommendations - reach out! The first two chapters of my book, my heart is excited to share this with you all! Chapter 1: Awareness of the Whisper Chapter 2: A Dream Revealed Stay tuned as it's in the works of finally being published.

Ep39: Stop Dreading Mondays, ADD more to your everyday

Are you someone who dreads Mondays... like really dreads them? Do you feel that wave of anxiety creeping in as early as Sunday afternoon? Maybe you find yourself just counting down the days until the weekend, wishing the week away? If that sounds familiar, this episode is made specifically for YOU. In this episode, we dive into why Mondays (and even Sundays) can feel so heavy and, more importantly, how to shift that energy. I share practical insights, thought-provoking questions, and simple ways you can start adding more joy and ease into your week. Because life isn’t just about surviving until Friday, it’s about making every day feel a little more like the weekend. Take a listen, and be sure to comment below with what resonated with you the most. Let’s start reclaiming our weeks, one Monday at a time. To watch on YouTube, click here. [https://youtu.be/Hf7kCfu3FW8]

Ep38 with Noel Coakley; Our Current Political & National Climate, Cycle of Tremulant Times in Human Existence, Productivity and more!

Noel Coakley is an independently licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with a Master's degree in Counseling from Lesley University and Special Education from The University of Massachusetts He is also a certified yoga instructor, supporting a holistic, mind & body approach to wellness. His experience from years as a special education teacher benefits his ability to support differentiated learning styles and needs. Noel has been practicing meditation since 1996, beginning initially with the Indo-Tibetan traditions and then the Yundrung Bön tradition since 2013. Over the years, Noel has been fortunate to learn from over 100 teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness  the 34th Menri Trizin. In addition, Noel is a student of David Nichtern, founder of Dharma Moon, with whom Noel works as an assistant director for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program. As the founder and director of the Boston Center for Contemplative Practice, Noel has created a welcoming space where individuals can explore their own paths to healing, recovery, development, and flourishing. Beyond his professional life, Noel is a loving father, husband, brother, musician, and friend to his dog, Clementine. What the fuck is one of the ways that I started off this podcast, due to our political climate. There are a couple of reasons why this has been one of my favorite episodes, 1) The guest himself, Noel Coakley 2) This whole episode felt meditative, even as I listened to it afterwards. 3) I thought Noel would be the perfect person to ask what to do in our current times in the United States, as someone who is deeply involved in the mental health field and in the Buddhist, meditative world with many years of practice, studying, and teaching under his belt, he did not disappoint. We talk about suffering in our current times and the ongoing cycles of turbulent times in our human existence, how to remain with our hearts open. We talk about our practice and what STILLNESS REALLY means. We then transition into talking about productivity, how the act of doing nothing is such a gift, but how sometimes conditional love comes with it. We touch on resting, and seriously...so much more. From our hearts to yours, we hope you enjoy! . Noel Coakley Social Media Handles: Instagram: wakeupsleepybuddha [https://www.instagram.com/wakeupsleepybuddha/] LinkTree: WakeUpSleepyBuddha [https://linktr.ee/wakeupsleepybuddha?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacQjrhLymQbs5_67XWAaIL6feOCs8163NOr5c0RKw9CmXYHT6DGhQ8nl-gl7g_aem_WkyNZ8oyIu5lhH-cf_cdLg] Website: Boston Center for Contemplative Practice [⁠https://www.thebccp.com⁠]

EP37 with Erin Adams - Founder of Open Hearts and Resilient Minds; What Meditation Can Be, Social Work, and more!

Erin Adams is a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, entrepreneur, social worker, and self-proclaimed “curator of vibes.” She is the founder of Traditional Wisdom, a line of grass-fed & humanly-grazed tallow-based skin care & apothecary. She is also the founder of Open Hearts and Resilient Minds in which her mission is to share the benefits of mindfulness meditation with all who are ready to live with a greater sense of ease, clarity, and compassion in the present moment. She is especially passionate about sharing the practice with those in high-stress environments or at risk of burnout, including but not limited to corporate settings, social workers, first responders, military and medical personnel, Veterans, teachers, individuals experiencing homelessness, and survivors of domestic violence. Through the lens of mindfulness, Erin meets life’s unpredictable paths with wisdom and compassion, turning challenges into opportunities for growth.  . Join us as we discuss what meditation can be. We talk about how it's more than just sitting in our chair or pillow. She also guides us through a beautiful short meditation practice. We talk about Presence, the building blocks of our practice, the attachment and awareness of our feelings, including failure. . Erin also shares her own personal journey with social work and compassion fatigue leading her to create Open Hearts and Resilient Minds. . From our heart to yours! Much love! Erin's Social Media Handles: Instagram: Open Hearts and Resilient Minds [https://www.instagram.com/openandresilient/] Facebook: Open Hearts and Resilient Minds [https://www.facebook.com/openandresilient] Website: openandresilient.com [https://openandresilient.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAacE7jCDFwLRiWKDF6G9JridaOWaYtJUbczwbs4ZSNhDJqhBtZHxNxV3t4hl6A_aem_uPq15mOSEQ7dghcrKXLoRw]