Shows
A Mindful InvitationWhen Thoughts Spiral, Try ThisEver find yourself stuck in a thought spiral you just can’t shake?In this week’s episode, I’ll guide you through a gentle, science-backed breath practice called cyclic sighing—designed to help ease anxious loops and bring you back to calm, grounded presence.This episode’s for you if your brain’s been buzzing and you’re craving even just a few minutes of peace.✨ Also—if you’re local to Oregon, join me this summer for “Sip, Soil, and Stillness” workshops: a mindful art workshop h...2025-06-0808 minA Mindful InvitationFinding Calm in the ChaosLife can feel like a swirling glass of water—thoughts and to-do lists clouding our clarity. In this episode, we’ll take a few mindful breaths together and practice creating a moment of stillness. When life feels hectic and noisy, this is your invitation to soften, to root down, and to remember that calm is always accessible—even in the chaos.✨Join us in an intimate, summer workshop in Oregon wine country where we’ll slow down and reconnect through nature, creativity, and presence. Get notified when registration opens as well as other workshop opportunit...2025-06-0107 minA Mindful InvitationMindfulness, But Make it OutdoorsIn this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we step outside—literally—and explore how nature can help us root into presence. Whether you’re walking among trees or just stepping out your front door, this guided mindfulness practice helps you feel grounded, supported, and connected to something bigger than the to-do list.Plus, I’m inviting you to Sip, Soil, and Stillness—a soulful summer workshop in Oregon’s vineyards where we’ll slow down, savor beauty, and reconnect through nature, creativity, and presence. 🌸 Get notified when registration opens.💛...2025-05-2508 minA Mindful InvitationYour Coffee Can Be a MeditationWhat if mindfulness didn’t require more time—just more presence?In this episode, I’ll guide you through a gentle, informal practice you can do with your morning drink. Using just a few mindful sips, you’ll learn how to ground yourself, set intention, and create calm in the middle of your everyday routine.We’ll touch on:The difference between formal and informal mindfulnessA research-backed reason to practice in small momentsA sensory sip meditation you can return to anytime✨ Plus, I’m...2025-05-1808 minA Mindful InvitationWhen Life Shifts: Mindfulness for Unsteady TimesThis week, I’m sharing a personal story—and a practice to help you find steadiness when life feels uncertain. Inspired by the quote by Pema Chödrön, “You are the sky. Everything else—it’s just the weather,” this guided meditation invites you to breathe, soften, and come back to yourself.In this episode:A personal reflection on the 50th anniversary of the Fall of SaigonA grounding, guided meditation for navigating the unknownA special in-person invitation if you’re local to Portland, OR✨ Sign up for the Mindful Art for...2025-05-1107 min
AWM Author TalksEpisode 214: Thi Bui, Vu Tran & Rita BullwinkelThis week, we discuss McSweeney’s new quarterly issue: McSweeney’s 78: The Make Believers, featuring writers of the Vietnamese diaspora. We are joined by contributors and guest editors of the issue, Thi Bui and Vu Tran, as well as McSweeney’s Quarterly Editor Rita Bullwinkel. You can learn more about their work in the episode description below.During the episode, Thi, Vu, and Rita mention upcoming events in celebration of this issue. You can learn more about these special events at the links below. We hope to see you at one of these!Asian Art Museum...2025-04-2145 minA Mindful InvitationWho the Heck is Thi Doan (and Why Is She Inviting You to Meditate)?Hi friend,This week’s episode is a little different. If you were curious about who the heck is behind the mic inviting you to pause, breathe, and practice mindfulness, then this is the episode I share my story. About how I *resisted* mindfulness…yep. About my winding path from pharmacist to artist to mindfulness guide 💛 Why mindfulness through art became my unexpected prescription 🐾 And yes… how obsessed I really am with my dog.Thank you for being here.🌱Until next time.💛 Discover more at www.ThiDoanArt.com🌱 Looking for fr...2025-04-1304 minA Mindful InvitationOffering Love, Even When It’s Hard: A Guided MeditationEven when we want to lead with love, it’s not always easy. Some days, compassion feels far away—especially when we're stretched thin or holding a lot.In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, I’ll guide you through a simple, approachable Loving-Kindness meditation (also known as metta). It’s a practice that starts with you and gently expands outward—to someone you love, someone neutral, someone who’s a little harder to love, and eventually to all beings.We’ll move slowly and kindly. You don’t need to get it p...2025-04-0608 minA Mindful InvitationA Simple Mindfulness Practice for Self-CompassionHow do you speak to yourself in difficult moments? Is your inner voice kind and understanding, or is it filled with judgment and "shoulds"?This episode is an invitation to soften, to pause, and to offer yourself the same compassion you so freely give to others. We’ll begin with a quote from the Dalai Lama, explore why self-compassion is essential for our well-being, and then settle into a gentle guided meditation to help you bring more kindness into your inner dialogue.Plus, I’m sharing a simple and powe...2025-03-3008 minA Mindful InvitationPress Reset: A Spring-Inspired Practice for RenewalSpring is here—a season of new beginnings, fresh perspectives, and renewal. But how often do we move through life assuming we already know what’s ahead? What if we could approach each day with curiosity and openness, like a child seeing the world for the first time?In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we explore:🧘♀️ A short guided meditation to help you step out of autopilot and into awareness💨 A simple sensory practice to bring curiosity and wonder back into daily life🎨 A free art print to remind you to em...2025-03-2308 minA Mindful InvitationFinding Balance: Welcoming the Spring EquinoxThe Spring Equinox is a time of balance, renewal, and fresh starts—a perfect reminder to pause and reflect. But in the midst of daily life, finding balance can feel just out of reach.In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we will focus on balance and planting a seed of intention to empower ourselves as we move into the new season. Take a deep breath, give yourself a moment of stillness, and step into spring with clarity and intention.✨ Download the free Spring Reset Guide – A mindful reflection tool t...2025-03-1608 minA Mindful InvitationFeeling Stressed? A Guided Meditation to Help You RelaxEver feel like stress is running the show? When we’re constantly on the go, our nervous system stays in overdrive, releasing cortisol—the body’s stress hormone. While cortisol is helpful in short bursts, chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels have been linked to anxiety, sleep issues, high blood pressure, weight gain, and even heart disease.The good news? We can train our nervous system to slow down with mindfulness practice.In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we explore:🌿 How chronic stress and cortisol impact the body2025-03-0908 minA Mindful InvitationDo You React or Respond? The Mindfulness Shift You NeedEver feel like you’re on autopilot, reacting to situations without even thinking? Maybe it’s a frustrating email, a stressful moment at work, or a comment that instantly triggers you.The difference between reacting and responding is awareness. When we react, our habits take over. When we respond, we create space to choose how we want to show up.The good news? Mindfulness helps us shift from reaction to response.🎧 In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we explore:🧠 Why we default to...2025-03-0208 minA Mindful InvitationSpending Too Much Time in Your Head? Here’s a Way OutEver catch yourself lost in thought—rehashing the past, planning ahead, or worrying about the “what ifs”? You’re not alone. A Harvard study found that we spend 47% of our waking hours thinking about something other than what’s happening in the present moment. And researchers discovered that this mind-wandering comes at a cost: it makes us less happy.The good news? Mindfulness helps us break this cycle and return to the present, where life is actually happening.In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we explore:🧠 The associati...2025-02-2309 minA Mindful InvitationWhen Change Feels Hard, Try This Gentle PracticeChange is hard. Even when we know it’s inevitable, we often resist it—clinging to what feels familiar, fearing what’s unknown. But what if, instead of fighting change, we could learn to flow with it?In this episode of A Mindful Invitation, we explore the nature of change, why impermanence can feel unsettling, and how accepting life’s constant shifts can bring us more peace. Then, we’ll move into a guided meditation to practice letting go—one breath at a time.Take a deep breath… and let’s begin.2025-02-1606 minA Mindful InvitationA Gentle Meditation for When Fear Feels OverwhelmingFear is a natural part of being human—wired into us for survival, alerting us to danger and triggering fight, flight, or freeze. But when fear lingers, turning into persistent worry or anxiety, it can leave us feeling stuck and overwhelmed.What if, instead of resisting fear, you could meet it with mindfulness? In this episode ofA Mindful Invitation, we’ll explore how to acknowledge fear with curiosity and compassion, practice a gentle guided meditation using the RAIN technique, and learn how to let fear pass—like a cloud in the sky.Take a deep breath...2025-02-0909 minA Mindful InvitationOverwhelmed? Try This 7-Minute ResetOverwhelm. Stress. Anxiety. We all feel them. But what if you had a simple way to shift from reactivity to calm—one breath at a time?In this first episode of A Mindful Invitation we explore a powerful quote by Viktor E. Frankl, practice a short, guided meditation to create space between stimulus and response, and close with a gentle invitation to nurture calm through creativity. Take a deep breath… and let’s begin.✨ Download the Calm-Through-Creativity Checklist – a free guide with simple ways to bring mindfulness into your day: Find...2025-02-0207 min
The Vietnamese Boat PeopleAmbiguous GriefThi and Phuong Nam Doan are two sisters born in Portland, Oregon. In 2020, their mom was diagnosed with lewy body dementia, a type of progressive dementia that leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function. The family has been navigating how to take care of a woman who used to take care of them. Their cousin, Andy Nguyen remembers how his aunt has always been like a second mother to him. The three grew up as a very close unit and they share how much the mom is the foundation in their lives. She is the matriarch...2022-07-2736 min
Lắng by Mindful-NestLẮNG Special #8: Đối mặt với áp lực đồng trang lứa cùng Doãn HuânChào mừng các bạn đã quay trở lại với Lắng Podcast!
Quay trở lại với tập mới của tuần này, chúng mình tiếp tục mời tới một khách mời nữa cho chủ đề Đi tìm con đường của bản thân. Nếu như tập trước là góc nhìn của mình và Trà - những người trẻ 22 tuổi về con đường tương lai, thì tập lần này nhường spotlight cho góc nhìn của những người “già đầu” hơn một chút - những...2021-08-0245 min