Episode 66: The Practice of Meditation with the Unexpected

Episode 70: Dawn and Stephanie Part 2

What does it actually take to turn a personal mindfulness practice into a community-wide movement? In Part 2 of this special conversation, the tables remain turned as Program Coordinator Dawn Lehman continues her interview with our usual host, Dr. Stephanie Romero. Stephanie opens up about the terrifying leap of faith she took when she left a stable public school teaching career to establish Awake in Pittsburgh, a secular mindfulness nonprofit.   She pulls back the curtain on the raw realities of running a nonprofit, from navigating tight budgets and capitalist pressures to overcoming systemic pushback from school districts. Finally, Stephanie explains why traditional "on-the-cushion" meditation isn't always enough, sharing how the organization has evolved to integrate the Trauma Resiliency Protocol and Integrative Community Therapy for deeper, systemic healing.   In this episode, we discuss: * The Birth of Awake in Pittsburgh: Leaving public education to build a secular nonprofit from scratch. * Overcoming Nonprofit Challenges: Facing school district roadblocks, funding shortages, and systemic hurdles. * The Evolution of Healing: Moving past basic meditation to embrace trauma resiliency and relational community therapy. Resources Mentioned: * When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön * Organizations: Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, Shambhala Center of Pittsburgh, and New Sun Rising * Curricula & Workbooks: dot B (UK), CARE for Teachers (Penn State), Path of Freedom, and the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com [https://www.awakencollaborative.com/] Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com) Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting. The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh! Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support [http://www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support] Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

Episode 69 - Dawn Lehman and Dr. Stepahnie Romero Pt. 1

What happens when a personal crisis blossoms into a lifelong mission to transform education and community mental health? In this episode, Program Coordinator Dawn Lehman interviews Dr. Stephanie Romero about her path to mindfulness, her experiences integrating secular practice into K-12 classrooms, and the realities of launching a nonprofit. Stephanie reflects openly on the limitations of basic meditation, the dangers of spiritual bypassing, and why the future of wellbeing must incorporate trauma resiliency and relational connection. Key Topics Covered * The Spark of Practice: How a painful divorce and Pema Chödrön’s book When Things Fall Apart introduced Stephanie to meditation 25 years ago. * The Power of Community: Finding a spiritual home in the Unitarian Universalist Church and embarking on local mindfulness "field trips" with friends. * Mindfulness in the Classroom: How shifting her own teaching presence and introducing simple chime practices helped Stephanie's middle school students outperform peers. Resources Mentioned * Book: When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chödrön * Organizations: Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills, Shambhala Center of Pittsburgh, and New Sun Rising * Curricula & Workbooks: dot B (UK), Care for Teachers (Penn State), Path of Freedom, and the Mindfulness-Based Emotional Balance Workbook   Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com [https://www.awakencollaborative.com/] Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com) Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting. The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh! Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support [http://www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support] Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

Episode 68 - Julie Jansen

In this episode, host Stephanie Romero speaks with guest Julie Jansen, a somatic movement teacher, meditation practitioner, and forest therapy guide, about the deep connections between embodiment, nature, and mindfulness. Julie shares formative childhood memories of nature—fireflies, wildlife, and moments of awe—that shaped her lifelong relationship with the natural world, even without a nature-centered upbringing. Her path eventually led through yoga teacher training, meditation practice, and motherhood, which deepened her commitment to embodied awareness and presence. Julie also discusses founding Earth Body Presence [https://www.earthbodypresence.com/] during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way to foster community through mindfulness, movement, and relational presence. The conversation explores somatic practices as tools for emotional processing, emphasizing that emotions are experienced in the body and supported through movement and walking. Julie introduces forest bathing and forest therapy, rooted in the Japanese practice of Shinrin-yoku and informed by her training with the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, highlighting their role in regulating the nervous system, reducing stress, and restoring connection to the natural world. A central theme of the episode is “remembering”—reconnecting to the understanding that humans are not separate from the Earth but part of it. Julie frames forest therapy as a practice of remembering our “earth bodies” and living in reciprocal relationship with the natural world. The conversation also touches on relational mindfulness, the practice of listening without agenda, and how slowing down can serve as both healing and quiet resistance in a productivity-driven culture. Julie closes by recommending Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh. Key themes: * Somatic awareness and emotional processing through the body * Nature-based mindfulness and forest therapy * Nervous system regulation through time in nature * “Remembering” our connection to the Earth * Relational mindfulness and presence in communication * Slowing down as resistance to extractive culture Resource mentioned: * Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Nhat Hanh Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com [https://www.awakencollaborative.com/] Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com) Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting. The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh! Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support [http://www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support] Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

Episode 67: Adam Lobel

In this thought-provoking episode, Stephanie Romero sits down with longtime meditation teacher, scholar, environmental activist, and community leader Adam Lobel to explore what it means to live, lead, and practice amidst profound personal and societal change. Adam shares his journey from a young spiritual seeker discovering Tibetan Buddhism and the Shambhala tradition to becoming a respected teacher and leader within the movement. He reflects candidly on the painful collapse of that community, the lessons learned through uncertainty and loss, and how those experiences ultimately led him to develop a new framework for navigating our complex world: The Four Fields. Together, Stephanie and Adam explore how mindfulness, emotional inquiry, ecological awareness, imagination, and contemplative practice can help us respond to today's overlapping crises—from climate change and social injustice to technological disruption and collective uncertainty. Adam introduces listeners to practical concepts such as the "Three S's" of earth-based practice—slow down, sense, and soften—and discusses the importance of reconnecting with the natural world, embracing emotional complexity, cultivating open awareness, and learning to live with groundlessness. This conversation is an invitation to move beyond simple answers and into deeper relationship with ourselves, one another, and the living world. Whether you're a contemplative practitioner, a leader navigating uncertainty, or simply someone seeking wisdom in challenging times, you'll find inspiration, insight, and practical guidance for living with greater presence and purpose. In this episode, you'll learn: * How meditation and contemplative practice can support resilience in uncertain times * What Adam's Four Fields framework teaches about personal and collective transformation * Why ecological awareness is an essential part of wellbeing * How emotional inquiry can help us navigate grief, anxiety, and moral injury * The role of imagination, vision, and open awareness in shaping a more compassionate future Join us for a powerful conversation about healing, courage, community, and the possibility of creating a wiser and more connected world. ----more---- Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com [https://www.awakencollaborative.com/] Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com) Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting. The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh! Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support [http://www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support] Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

Episode 66: The Practice of Meditation with the Unexpected

In this calming and reflective episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Dawn Lehman guides listeners through A Practice of Meditation with The Unexpected, a gentle mindfulness experience designed to help us meet uncertainty with presence, compassion, and curiosity. Through grounding awareness, thoughtful pauses, and mindful reflection, Dawn invites listeners to notice how they relate to unexpected moments in life rather than resisting them. Whether you are navigating change, stress, transition, or simply seeking a moment to reconnect with yourself, this guided meditation offers space to slow down, breathe deeply, and build resilience for life’s unfolding moments. This practice reminds us that while we cannot always control what happens around us, we can cultivate awareness and steadiness within ourselves. Find a quiet space, settle in, and allow yourself these moments of reflection and renewal. Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com [https://www.awakencollaborative.com/] Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com) Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting. The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh! Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support [http://www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support] Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.