From the Ashes

Welcome back to From the Ashes ! This week, I’m joined by writer, meditation teacher, and yoga practitioner, Linda Saslow. Linda’s journey of resilience, self-discovery, and sobriety is a remarkable testament to the human spirit’s capacity to rise stronger from life’s challenges. In this episode, Linda shares the personal experiences and transformative events that shaped her book See You Zen , a f...

Welcome back to From the Ashes ! This week, I’m joined by personal trainer, meditation practitioner, and personal development guide, Benjamin Moore—better known as BMOOR. BMOOR’s transformative journey from addiction and self-destruction to self-awareness and empowerment is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. In this episode, Benjamin shares his profound "Harajuku moment," the turni...

I met this week's guest Rafa, or Hon Yi, on a rainy day in the mountains of Mao Kong, Taipei, during my recent trip to Taiwan, and was immediately impressed by his warmth and wisdom. Rafa is a seventh-generation tea master from Maokong, Taipei. In this episode, we explore the rich history and unique qualities of Taiwanese tea, the philosophy that makes tea a path to mindfulness, and the traditions...

In this thought-provoking episode of From the Ashes , I dive straight into the trenches with Cate Stillman, a pioneer in blending ancient health practices with modern wellness, and my awesome business coach. Cate shares her transformative journey, as detailed in her latest book, Witch's Cancer Journal , which recounts her battle with cancer and the unconventional healing practices she embraced alo...

Welcome back to From the Ashes ! Season 2 is here, and I’m excited to start things off with a solo episode focused on living with empathy and resilience in an increasingly polarized world. Today, I’m sharing four guiding principles that have helped me connect with others across cultural divides and find peace in differing perspectives. These are lessons from my travels, cultural exchanges, and a l...

I'm excited to announce that we are about to start Season two of this amazing show! I want to start by expressing my deepest gratitude to everyone who tuned into and participated in Season one. Your support stories and engagement made it an unforgettable journey of healing, transformation and connection, and I had a blast putting it together. Season two is all about expanding perspectives. We'll b...

This week’s guest is my long-time friend and college dance crew mate, Joey Kim. Joey’s story of resilience and healing is both profound and inspiring. In this conversation, we reflect on our college days at Northwestern University, our time in ReFresH Dance Crew, and how we have evolved over the past decade and a half navigating the challenges of life. Joey and I discuss how we've overcome our exp...

In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Jeremy Lyons, and we dive deep into his experiences of personal growth, curiosity, and learning through failure. Jeremy shares his journey of navigating a difficult 2022, which included two major job losses, and how these challenges led him to reinvent himself, start his own company, and foster a greater understanding of his own ADD diagnosis. We...

In this week's episode of From the Ashes , I sit down with Shiemier Munroe, a passionate youth educator from LA and host of Lounge with Munroe . Shiemier shares her deeply personal story of overcoming childhood bullying, navigating ADHD and anxiety, and embracing her biracial identity as a "Jamexican" (Jamaican-Mexican). Our conversation dives into mental health, a personal exploration of inner ch...

In this week’s episode of From the Ashes , I sit down with Basanth Muralikrishnan, a world-class saxophonist based in Chennai, India. Basanth’s journey is one of blending worlds—combining the rich traditions of Carnatic (Indian classical) music with the fluidity of Western Classical and Jazz. Despite performing on some of the world’s most prestigious stages, what stands out most is his humility an...

We are lucky this week to be joined by my good friend Nasr "Versátil" Ismail, or “Ish” as I know him. A master martial artist with over 40 years of experience and creator of The Warrior Class, Nasr shares his journey through Capoeira, movement therapy, and counseling psychology. Throughout the episode, Nasr shares his personal experience of the impact of childhood sexual assault, how he has harnes...

In this week's episode of "From the Ashes," I sit down with my friend Johnny Sage, a seasoned healer and spiritual guide, to explore some tough truths about the healing community. Johnny shares his personal journey from rock bottom to discovering a variety of healing modalities that transformed his life. Together, we dive into the disillusionment that often comes with the spiritual path, the impor...

In this special milestone episode of "From the Ashes," I celebrate over ten episodes by reflecting on the journey so far with my friend Rikio Inouye. Rikio and I have fun taking turns as the interviewer, diving into my experiences, challenges, and the profound lessons I've learned from the inspiring conversations featured on the podcast. We discuss the transformative power that the JET Program (Ja...

Join us on this episode of From the Ashes as we sit down with Carman Murray, an educator turned author, speaker, and mentor. Carman shares her powerful story of leaving a 15-year teaching career to embrace her authentic calling. Carman is one of my mentors and her commitment to empowering others to thrive is truly powerful. With deep insights into self-care, authenticity, and overcoming limiting b...

Join us in this episode of From the Ashes with our guest Ryan Hawks, the creator of Hawks Nest Peak Performance. From bootstrapping his way through college to finding fulfillment in leading a homeless assistance program, Ryan shares his journey of overcoming burnout and reigniting passions. This episode is filled with insights on resilience, authenticity, and mental toughness. About Our Guest: Rya...

Join us in this episode of From the Ashes with our local Long Beach guest Dr. Erika Shaw of Urban Salt Acupuncture. Discover how a high school soccer injury led her to a fulfilling career in Chinese medicine. Dr. Shaw shares her expertise in treating orthopedic and sports injuries, her approach to holistic healing, and her passion for helping others. This episode is filled with insights on health,...

In this week’s episode of From the Ashes , I reconnect with my old friend John Helmiere, a minister, intimacy coach, and advocate for social justice. John and I met 17 years ago during an internship at Glide in San Francisco. In this episode, John shares his powerful journey from struggling with self-repression to finding liberation through embracing his spirituality and sexuality. We dive into hi...

About Our Guest: Michael Green is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner from the Southern California University of Health Sciences. He completed his meditation teacher training at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC) and is a certified mindfulness teacher through the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA). Michael has studied and practiced various meditation techniques, incl...

About Our Guest: Abe Cajudo is a multi-hyphenate creative and founder of Framekicker, a full-service creative agency. Guided by his curiosity, range of interests, and knack for connecting the dots between art, commerce, and culture, he helps businesses build deeper connections with their customers by telling better stories—no matter the medium. He also partners with small businesses, authors, and...

About our Guest, Annett Bone: Annett Bone is a living example of what happens when you embrace your passions. This dance artist, creative strategist, yoga teacher, and relationship coach found her true calling after reigniting her love for dance at 43, following a 20+ year hiatus. Now, Annett empowers others to do the same. Through graceful movement and mindful guidance, she helps you bridge the g...

About our Guest, Brandi Andres: Brandi Andres is a dynamic entrepreneur and community builder based in Long Beach, CA. She owns The Wellest and Bar Non, a space dedicated to non-alcoholic beverages, mindful lifestyle goods, and eco-friendly products. Brandi's journey is marked by multiple reinventions and a deep commitment to living authentically and inspiring others to do the same. In our convers...

About our Guest: Emeroy Bernardo is the founder of a digital marketing agency called  Vision Paradox and a professional dancer Los Angeles. He has been dancing since the age of 8 and has been teaching since 2004. He's danced and toured with international companies such as Culture Shock, Antics, and Movin' On Up Productions, performed for the Los Angeles Rose Parade, LA Sparks, LA Clippers, th...

About our Guest, Reed Wasser, Founder of Human Aeon: Reed Wasser is a capoeirista, psychonaut, and entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience practicing and teaching meditation, movement, breathwork and other techniques for the alignment of consciousness, mind and body. He is a certified Level 2 Wim Hof Instructor and offers workshops on the Wim Hof Method, various breathing techniques, meditat...

About our guest, Lilian Cooper: Colombian-born and New Jersey-raised, this 43-year-old now calls California her home. Being a world traveler and a lover of all things dance, Lili’s world was turned upside down when she made a drastic decision regarding her health in 2015. This decision would alter the course of her career and eventually cause her to do a 180-degree pivot into new realms of health...

About our guest, Ally Vega: Ally Vega is a Filipina American movement coach, choreographer, and performer based in Los Angeles. She has performed alongside artists such as Guy Tang, Bohan Phoenix, Nitemrkt, and Ppop artists Maris Racal, AC Bonifacio, Kim Chiu, and more. Ally has also been featured in digital content on NBC Asian America, Buzzfeed, and Steezy. She is also t...