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How many of us feel alone and isolated as the world continues to burn with so many fires? How many of us have forgotten how to connect with each other? Why does it matter? In this week's episode, I'm talking about how important it is for us to find or build community so that when push comes to shove, we will have people to turn to. And these communities don't have to be solely about liberation, it can be as simple as a book club or a knitting group. Tune in to learn more! Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: The Two of Cups (Reversed)  Poem: “The Fish and I will chat” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

Inner work starts with thinking about how pain and sorrow is an opportunity for us to break down our barriers or any other walls. Allow yourself to feel the pain and sorrow. What if the wound is the place where the light shines forth from you? There is a light within that connects all of us. We are able to heal ourselves from the inside out. The work we do on ourselves affects those around us. Everyone can see your light radiating out and they will be inspired. Humans are communal beings. We are a species that thrives on supporting each other and helping each other. When you do the work of healing, observe the pain and sorrow, notice it, feel its presence, let go, and acknowledge the lessons learned. Thinking of starting a meditation practice for the new year? Grab my free resource, 5 Tips on Meditation, to get you started on a high note! Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Want to learn more about healing your trauma? Visit ⁠https://suryagian.com⁠ for more insight on healing, offerings to learn how to heal, and invitations to practice. Follow me on Instagram for some real talk about healing AND play: @leslieannhobayan. Also, subscribe to my Youtube Channel: Leslieann Hobayan. Today’s poems: “The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”  by Rumi“Spiced Manna” by Hafiz Books/ Verses Mentioned: Matthew 6:25-3025 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Last week was a little rough. I'm calling it Fury Week (kind of like shark week but without the sharks ha!). During that time, I found myself noticing patterns and asking: what is the universe trying to show me?  In this week's episode, I'm inviting you to consider what your reactions (as opposed to intentional responses) might be trying to tell you. As empire and its oppressive systems continue to crumble, the familiar ways of doing things no longer work. Can you get insight on what direction to take next from your reactions? How can you get guidance from rage? Tune in to learn more! Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: The Sun Poem: “In the City, A New Congregation Find Her” by Barbara Jane Reyes ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

We've got the new moon in Pisces, the Spring Equinox, and Mercury turns direct! Hooray! What have you learned during this time of reflection and review? Now is the time to move forward towards the light. Plant the seeds of your dreams (Pisces energy!) and nurture them for their full bloom later this season. In this week's episode, I am talking about how our frequency and who we are being already contribute to the fight for liberation. Of course, it is still crucial for us to take the necessary actions to dismantle empire and build this new world (boycotts, communicating to your elected officials, etc), but it's also important to honor our individual Divine calling as well as build meaningful connections in our communities. Tune to hear more! Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Seven of Pentacles Poem: “Easter Sunday” by Shin Yu Pai ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

We get tired. We get run down. We burn out if we're not careful. How do you keep going when the world's fires continue to burn? What do you do when your spiritual practices fall short? When they start to get stale? Or when your grit to fight for social justice and liberation weakens? Tune into this week's episode where I admit to feeling less “spiritual gritty” and what you and I can do to shift out of it. Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Three of Pentacles Poem: “Then Winks” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

Are you feeling stagnant or tired or uncomfortable? We are in eclipse season! So this portal is expediting change rapidly whether you want it to happen or not. This week, the Eight of Cups comes forward to remind us that letting go of old stories, limiting beliefs, even people in our lives is important to making room for our growth. In this episode, I offer a couple of tools (including one ritual) to help with identifying what needs to be released and how. Tune in to this lesson-filled episode to learn more! Email me to get the ritual for releasing the old: [email protected] Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠  Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Eight of Cups Poem: “Galleon of Prayer” by Barbara Jane Reyes ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

In this episode, I'm in conversation with JS Park, a Korean American hospital chaplain based in Florida whose compassion has made an incredible impression on so many people, including myself.  J.S. Park is a hospital chaplain, former atheist/agnostic, sixth degree black belt, suicide survivor, Korean-American, and follows Christ. He. is author of The Voices We Carry: Finding Your One True Voice in a World of Clamor and Noise. Published by Northfield/Moody. He is currently serving at a 1000+ bed hospital, one of the top-ranked in the nation, and was also a chaplain for three years at one of the largest nonprofit charities for the homeless on the east coast. We talk about compassion and grief, which do not have clear definitions or prescriptions for embodying them. Both grief and compassion look  different for each individual person. It's not a one-size-fits-all. We also talk about how we might hold compassion for those whose beliefs are rooted in our oppression. And how we might identify this collective grief we are currently feeling but can't quite name. Listen in as we dive into how we can human better together. Today’s poems/ Books / Oracle / Tarot Cards mentioned: Oracle Card: Trust the Timing Poem: "Torso of Air" by Ocean Vuong   Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ JS Park Website: ⁠https://jsparkblog.com/⁠ Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/jspark3000/?hl=en

What does the nervous system have to do with activism? What does it have to do with spirituality? In this week's episode, I talk about the importance of caring for our nervous system, which serves as the bridge between the spirit realm and the earthly world. Without it, we can't see clearly where we are being guided and know what aligned action to take in order to move forward.  We are of no use to anyone if our cup is empty and our nervous systems are fried. So it is essential to strengthen our nervous systems while also understanding how to regulate them. Our bodies have been living in survival mode for too long. We need to give ourselves real, somatic rest so that we can be effective in our fight for revolution. Tune in to hear more!  Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card:The Knight of Swords Poem: “Blue Madonna” by Vandana Cana ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

When you hear “nervous system”, do you think about your high school biology class? When you hear “nervous system REGULATION”, do you ask yourself: what does any of this have to do with spiritual practices or liberation work? In this week's episode, I'm talking about the importance of nervous system regulation in relation to spirituality as well as our human experiences. How does this science term and our understanding of it have anything to do with connecting to our Divine selves or hearing our intuition? Everything, actually. Tune in to learn more!  Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Seven of Swords (Reversed) Poem: “Advent” by Wendy Chin Tanner ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected] Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠

The pace of our world today makes it easy to forget that we have physical bodies. There are so many things in our face to distract us from being physically present in the Now. As spiritualists, we are more interested in what's happening deep within that we forget to ground ourselves. As activists, we want to single-handedly save the world, which gives us no time to pay attention to the fact that we have a physical body with needs, like food and water and rest.  In this week's episode, I am bringing us back to basics: care for our bodies. Tune in to hear about some somatic practices that help make sure that our bodies are in good health and resilient while the world continues to burn. We need to serve from full cups, not broken, leaky ones. Listen in today! Oh, and if you want to reach out and get on my mailing list to hear about future breathwork and Kundalini yoga sessions, email me here: [email protected] (note: I've got a new domain!) Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: The Devil Poem: “The Art of Forgetting” by Neil Akin ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: ⁠suryagian.com/subscribe⁠ and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠ Kundalini Yoga Classes: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini⁠ Speak Your Truth: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth⁠

It's still January and so we still have the New Year vibes! This week, I'm asking you what your intentions are for this new year. Intentions give us focus and help to infuse a certain kind of energy into the goals we set (including the dismantling of émpirè). Relatedly, I want to know: what are your gifts that are to be offered to the world? Do your goals align with these gifts? Are you sharing your light or trying to hide it? Tune in to hear how goals, intentions, and sense of self are all intertwined as we continue to work towards a liberated world. Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: The Six of Wands Poem: “Religion” by Sheryn Maddon ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: ⁠suryagian.com/subscribe⁠ and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠ Kundalini Yoga Classes: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini⁠ Speak Your Truth: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth⁠

As empiré continues to crumble, it doubles down on its destruction by taking as many with it as possible. This is akin to the death rattle. Gasping for its last breath. As people living in the center of empiré, we must remain steadfast in our resolve for a liberated world. But how? Community and creativity. The key is to remember that we are not alone and that we have the power to create. And creativity doesn't just mean painting or writing or theater (which are all excellent things!), but it can be as simple as making a meal for yourself or for another person. Tune in to hear more about how this does not just mean survival, but thriving amidst the upheavals that include violence and tragedy. And yes, if you want to connect: reach out to me at leslieann @ suryagian.com Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: The Page of Cups Poem: “Faith” by W. Todd Kaneko ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: ⁠suryagian.com/subscribe⁠ and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠ Kundalini Yoga Classes: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini⁠ Speak Your Truth: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth⁠

Happy New Year listeners! Welcome to a fresh new start! I don't know about you, but I am glad to see 2026! In this week's episode, I'm talking about the difference between setting intentions and making resolutions (don't even bother with the latter). And using goals as a place for your focus rather than a marker of achievement.  This year needs to be different. This year is about community and sharing, kindness and compassion–and of course LOVE! – all the soft things that we cannot assign metrics to. In order to build a world that is truly liberated, we need to work towards right relationship with each other as well as with mother Earth. Tune in to hear more! Spotify: ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu⁠  Apple: ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520⁠   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Ace of Pentacles Poem: “Televangelism” by K-Ming Chang ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: ⁠suryagian.com/subscribe⁠ and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: ⁠leslieann.substack.com⁠ Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠ Youtube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy⁠ Kundalini Yoga Classes: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini⁠ Speak Your Truth: ⁠https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth⁠

Three hundred episodes! Can you believe it?? How did we get here? What an amazing feat! Never did I ever imagine that I would have a podcast let alone release 300 episodes!  To celebrate, I have invited my writer-friends and fellow Pinays, Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor and Tamiko Nimura! In this episode, we talk about what has kept us steady and tethered during this year of upheavals and drastic change. With the new moon and the winter solstice approaching this weekend, we also talked about what seeds we want to plant for the coming season and new year. Bring a cup of tea and tune in to this episode to feel uplifted by listening in on a chat with good friends. Here's to 300! Tamiko Nimura’s forthcoming book, A Place For What We Lose, is due out April 28, 2026 from University of Washington Press. Pre-order your copy today and take advantage of their 40% off sale! Go here: https://uwapress.uw.edu/book/9780295754758/a-place-for-what-we-lose/  =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: Three of Swords (Reversed) "Samadhi" by Vikus Menon ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: [email protected] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundaliniSpeak Your Truth: https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth About Tamiko Nimura Tamiko is an award-winning creative nonfiction writer, community journalist, editor, and educator with experience in higher education, the arts, public history, and Asian American communities. Her forthcoming memoir, A Place for What We Lose: A Daughter’s Return to Tule Lake, will be published by the University of Washington Press. She is the author of Rosa Franklin: A Life in Health Care, Public Service, and Social Justice (Washington State Legislative Oral History Program, 2019) and co-author of We Hereby Refuse: Japanese American Acts of Wartime Resistance (Chin Music Press/Wing Luke Museum, 2021). For eight years, Tamiko coached writing and literature students across a wide range of academic and non-academic settings. Since leaving academia in 2011, she has expanded her work to include public history, social media support, blogging, grant writing, and writing for newspapers and magazines. For more than a decade, she has written a commissioned monthly essay series on Japanese American history, arts, and culture for Discover Nikkei, with a focus on the Pacific Northwest and Washington State. Her areas of specialization include diversity and equity, higher education, Japanese American history, writing and editing, grant writing, publishing, food writing, proofreading, and Asian American issues. =============== About Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor’s non-fiction, poetry, and short fiction have appeared in print and online in several journals and anthologies including Katipunan Literary Magazine, Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults, Kuwento: Small Things, and Beyond Lumpia, Pansit, and Seven Manangs Wild: An Anthology. Her poetry chapbook Pause Mid-Flight was released in 2010. She is also the co-editor of True Stories: The Narrative Project Vol. I-IV, and her poetry and essays have been collected in Dancing Between Bamboo Poles. She has been performing as a storyteller since 2006 and specializes in stories based on Filipino folktales and Filipino-American history. Rebecca, as Rebecca A. Saxton, received her MFA in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University in 2012, her BA in Humanities from Washington State University in 1998, and her MA degree in English with honors from Western Washington University in 2003.

In this week's episode, I’m talking about the challenges of balancing the material with the spiritual in this overwhelming world. How can we remain true to our spiritual practices while the external world inundates us with so much noise that we lose track? How can we hear what our ancestors are trying to tell us if we don't sit still for one goddamn minute? Tune in to remember why we’re here and what we’re meant to do, how to navigate the material world while staying rooted in our spiritual purpose. Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NmlshGX4ijHPXmFIgT1Nu  Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/spiritual-grit/id1497436520   =============== Today’s poems/ Books mentioned: Tarot/Oracle Card: King of Pentacles (Reversed) “Forgive the Dream” by Hafiz ===============  Courses / Exclusive Content / Book Mentioned: Subscribe to mailing list + community: suryagian.com/subscribe and get the 7-day meditation challenge, “Spark Joy in Chaos” Subscribe to “Adventures in Midlife” newsletter: leslieann.substack.com Instagram: @leslieannhobayan  Email: [email protected] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxAeQWRRsSo5E7PBJdZUeoEAYXnAtuyRy Kundalini Yoga Classes: https://www.suryagian.com/anchor-amplify-kundalini Speak Your Truth: https://www.suryagian.com/speak-your-truth