Buddhability

Today we’re addressing a feeling that can be experienced universally: feeling disconnected from yourself. Sometimes, our life looks pretty good on paper and we’re lucky enough to have meaningful work and relationships, but still, deep inside, we feel…nothing. Our guest is Rodrigo Carvalhedo, an animator and writer based in Los Angeles who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism a few years ago, w...

Today we’re speaking with Krystal Kalima, a 22-year-old college student from Hawai’i who started practicing SGI Nichiren Buddhism when she was in high school. Krystal’s story is a lesson in what it takes to overcome shame and become proud of where you’re from. Growing up, she and her mom experienced extreme financial hardship, which led her to feel ashamed about sharing her circumstances with othe...

Today we’re talking about music and creativity with special guest Nikolai Fraiture, who is best known for being the bassist of The Strokes. He also created a new theme song for Buddhability, which we’re so excited for you to hear! Nikolai started chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, which is the core practice of SGI Nichiren Buddhism, just a few years ago. Today he shares how he has seen his Buddhist pra...

Today’s episode is about the power of believing in yourself, even if the people around you don’t.  Having the courage to pursue the life you want isn’t easy, and it’s especially hard when the people around you put you in a box, or limit what they believe you can do. But Buddhism teaches us how to live a life of unlimited courage.  Our guest is Jenny Ye, of Michigan who started her practice of SGI...

You’re invited to a conversation hosted by Buddhability on how to overcome negative self-talk. We teamed up with Celebrity Makeup Artist Janice Kinjo, Former NFL Player Josh Scobey and Learning Behavior Specialist Jennifer Cook who will share their stories of overcoming self-doubt and negative self talk.  When: Saturday, August 28, 2021 @ 11am PT / 1pm CT / 2pm ET Register here: https://buddhabili...

Today we’re talking about work and more specifically, how to deal with feeling stuck. If you're feeling trapped by your job or routine, or if you have a secret dream that you haven't yet had the courage to pursue, this episode is for you. Our guest is Clara Kitongo, a young woman who started practicing Buddhism at a time when she was really feeling stuck in her career and life. Her journey with ch...

Today’s episode is an in-depth conversation with actor Vinessa Shaw, who is known for her success as a child actor in movies such as Ladybugs and Hocus Pocus and then, as an adult, in Eyes Wide Shut and most recently, 12 Mighty Orphans , which is in theaters. Vinessa has been practicing Buddhism since childhood, and today she shares her honest experience dealing with success at a young age, strugg...

Tomorrow, we are kicking off our 31-Day Chanting Journey so today’s episode is filled with practical tips and advice on how to make the most of it, especially if one of your reasons for doing it is to address negative self-talk. Out guest is Erin Harris, who grew up practicing Buddhism in the Bay Area. Erin’s own story is so moving. She grew up with a stutter and at a young age, realized that the...

Just a short announcement today to share that starting August 1 we are doing another 31-Day Buddhability Journey where we invite you to try chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo for the month of August! Sign up at www.buddhability.org/journey

Today we are addressing how to navigate the loss of a loved one or support them through serious illness. While everyone's experience and circumstances are different, our guest, Jonathan Teran, shares his family's story, and the takeaways feel truly universal.            In August 2020, Jonathan lost his father to pulmonary fibrosis, and today he shares how his family used their Buddhist practice t...

Today we are talking about relationships and specifically addressing a few questions that we’ve received from listeners, which are: How do I decide if the person I’m with is the one ? What does Buddhism say about creating a healthy long-term relationship? And how can I support my partner while also supporting myself? Our guest is Faith Jones, a young woman whose journey with Buddhism is intertwine...

Today we’re discussing creative work, but the lessons apply to virtually anything in your life that brings out feelings of resistance, fear or self-doubt. Our guest is Monica Ong , a Connecticut-based visual poet and designer. She’s been practicing Buddhism ever since discovering it on study abroad in high school and our conversation today is filled with practical insights on how to navigate a cre...

Six years ago today, on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ratified same-sex marriage, a monumental achievement after a more than 25-year battle across the country. Recently, journalist Sasha Issenberg published a riveting, comprehensive history of that struggle, titled The Engagement: America’s Quarter Century Struggle Over Same-Sex Marriage , tracing it back to 1990, when the political moveme...

Today we're talking about how not to give up on your dream. Even if we discover our dream job or purpose at a young age, on the path to pursuing it, we often have to grapple with our own self-doubt, tough decisions, and at times, challenging and unexpected obstacles. Today we’re talking to Michael Cornell, a 5th-grade teacher in New York City. After struggling with anxiety and depression during gr...

Today we’re talking to Lorenna Garcia-Bochas, a young woman in Georgia who grew up around the Buddhist community and chanting. Her own practice developed when she started college and faced some major challenges in her family and with her own mental health, which drove her to dig deep into her own heart to find a way forward.  We cover a lot today: how to grapple with multiple identities and feelin...

Today we have a short announcement about Buddhability’s upcoming 7 Day Refresh, starting Monday, May 17. Sign up at www.buddhability.org.

Today we are covering one of our most highly requested topics: boundaries and self-care. Our guest is Jessica Riley, a mental health specialist in Florida, who most recently was a military psychologist. After struggling deeply with setting boundaries, an overwhelming workload and an inability to really take care of herself, she started chanting about her situation and came to a major realization a...

Today we're talking about careers, a topic that we plan to cover from many different perspectives on future episodes.  Our guest is Louise Ocasion, who started practicing Buddhism when she was in college and struggling with a deep sense of confusion about what to do with her life. Today, she’s a corporate executive who has worked at some of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, but the...

Instead of an episode this week, we have an announcement! Based on your requests, we just published a video explainer on enlightenment. Find it on Buddhability's YouTube or Instagram , or at this link .

Today’s episode is about a key Buddhist concept, which teaches that where you are right now is exactly the place you need to be to fulfill your purpose, as long as you're willing to dig deep into your heart and let the courage out. We speak with Dori Colly, a young mother in North Carolina. On the surface, hers is a story about the challenges she went through to buy a house. But what's most incred...

Today we are discussing a question that comes up a lot: How do I stop comparing myself to other people? It can be a real struggle, especially if you feel like the people around you are better or farther ahead than you in some way. Here’s an article we did on the subject, called Feel like you're falling behind?   Our guest today is Harrison Tsao, who started practicing Buddhism in high school becau...

Appreciate the Buddhability content but want to hear from people actually practicing Buddhism? We teamed up with members of our Buddhist community to present a new online series hosted by Buddhability. The first one is this Friday and we're talking about how to refresh yourself when you feel burned out. Join us Friday, March 26 at 9 a.m. PT, 11 a.m. CT, 12 p.m. ET. Register here: https://buddhabil...

On this episode, we discuss living with chronic health challenges, be it physical or mental health. Jenny Ohrstrom, who has been seeking treatment for Lyme disease for nearly 8 years, shares her story of learning how to find happiness despite living with painful, unpredictable symptoms. While everyone's experience with illness is different, for chronic illness, the battle is as much about managing...

Today we are talking about being new parents, which is a topic that's been requested by many listeners. Savini and Piper, college sweethearts from India who moved to New York City in their 20’s, share the story of having their first child in September 2019, just 6 months before the pandemic began. They've had to navigate a lot: not only grappling with a new identity and sense of responsibility, bu...

We are back with part 2 of last week’s episode , which is all about the Buddhist community . In the SGI we meet in local neighborhood groups (these days over Zoom) to figure out how to apply Buddhism to our daily lives, together. In part 2, we share Karina’s story of facing and transforming her past with support from her Buddhist friends, as well as advice for anyone who has just finished the 28 D...