Handful of Leaves | Mindfulness & Buddhism in Everyday Life

From Childhood to Romance: The influence of our parents' relationship on our love lives. In this episode, we discuss how much we are influenced by the relationships modelled around us, understand different attachment styles, and find the root cause of our pain.  May, a senior psychologist also draws on her personal experiences and client stories to help us understand how our attachment wounds...

After the death of her first love, all Cynthia wanted someone to take away all the hurt and pain. She realized, though, as she sat on her floor surrounded by tissues, that she would have to find a way to do it for herself. Through this search, she found that communication was key. If she wanted to change how she lived in the world she would have to change how she interacted with it, which meant ch...

We've all felt lonely at some point(s) if our lives. But why do we feel lonely? What's the opposite of loneliness? And is there a way to be alone but not feel lonely? Find out more with our co-hosts Cheryl and Kai Xin as they chat with Heng Soon.  About the guest Teo Heng Soon (known as Soon in short) is a final year student at the University of Melbourne studying towards his passion of becom...

Amidst market turmoil, a looming recession and the Russia Ukraine war, the number of global tech layoffs has been rising at an alarming rate. These layoffs are also hitting really close to home. Singaporean employees are getting axed from top tech companies such as Microsoft, Twitter and Meta. This year alone, we have already seen 850 tech companies laying off a total of 136,000 employees so far,...

You don't have to be religious to practise mindfulness and meditation. But we also can't deny that there is a huge overlap between secular mindfulness and mindfulness in Buddhism. So what are the differences and why does it matter? And as Buddhists, how do you know if you are progressing on your path?  ----- About our guest:  Dr. Yeoh Kar Kheng has over 15 years of experience in practisi...

Inevitably in life, we have to part ways with friends. Sometimes we break up involuntarily due to some misunderstandings, sometimes we deliberately choose to walk away from friends who are toxic. There is no one easy way to break up with friends.   In this episode, we have our special guests, Khema and Nalanda, from the u awake? podcast to chat about friendship breakups. Cheryl and Kai Xin, t...

As we move into adulthood, the pursuit for independence can be at odds with our parent's wishes, especially in the Asian context. We may not agree with our parents on what's best for us (career, relationship, lifestyle etc). We may stop showing affection towards them. And along the way, that might leave them feeling hurt or abandoned.  In this episode, Cheryl and Kai Xin chat about  Thei...

Having suicidal thoughts is more common than we think. You never know who may be suicidal, it could be the person with the biggest smile in the room, your strongest parent, or even yourself. According to SOS Singapore, suicide is the leading cause of death for those between 10-29 years old. We hope that today’s episode will bring you hope if you’re feeling suicidal. Or if you know someone who is s...

How does an abundance mindset align with the Buddhist values and practice? Daylon shares personal stories of how moving away from the scarcity mindset has helped him in his life and career.   Daylon is a corporate executive turned education entrepreneur who runs a training institute, based in Singapore & Malaysia, focused on helping professionals and businesses grow their careers and busi...

If you feel like you need to get your life all figured out but haven't, this episode is for you. In our chat with Ling Ling, we discover: ✅ The balance between having a plan and going with the flow ✅ Being good/average at everything vs being GREAT at ONE thing ✅ What to do when you are at life’s crossroads ☝️‼️ We also get an insider view of how to answer this classic question from a job recrui...

During her career in emergency medicine, Dr Ng Yuen Yen realised that as a doctor, she was not able cure death. She then awoke to the fact that the Buddha has cured death and that she’d have to understand that for herself.  This episode attempts to unpack Nibbana (enlightenment) and shares a balanced approach on how we can slowly increase our happiness in the here and now. About the speaker:&...

Sis Ratna Juita is a TEDx speaker, facilitator and lifelong learner. She facilitates training in areas of Mindfulness, Well-being, Personal Mastery & EQ. She went through a transformational journey through mindfulness practice and now dedicates her life to empowering others to do the same. She co-authored the book “Women Empowered: Personal Journeys to Become Empowered Women”. She has voluntee...

In this episode, Datuk Charlie shares his experiences dealing with hostile colleagues who sabotage his work and how to navigate stressful situations. Datuk Charlie started his career as a Chartered Quantity Surveyor and later worked in Construction, Real Estate Development and Legal Services. Some of his roles and contributions:  Advocate and Solicitor in Soh Hayati & Co  Independent...

About Heng Teng Teng: Founded her own training and coaching business (Grow Consultancy) in 2010 to help people be more resourceful in responding to changes. She is certified in Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), Adult Maturity Developmental Coaching, and Enneagram of Personality. Has 2000 hours of coaching hours, and her clientele includes leaders ranging from MDs, GMs, and SVPs to Region Heads f...

Our guests:  Hao is the asian Ariana Grande, joining us today to share the perspective of how to look out for the “One” after dating 7 exes. At a grand old age of "42", Kyle, a creative director had gave up looking for the one but he still wishes to be found in a relationship. Transcript: here Timestamps:  (00:54): When to pursue a relationship? (02:29): What happens when you settle for...

Gwen's work has received recognition from TED, Obama Foundation, and The World Economic Forum. Beyond these achievements, Gwen shares her journey dealing with anxiety and depression, and what it truly means to be vulnerable, authentic, and empathetic. Get connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook Transcript: here This episode is sponsored by: Alvin Chan Lynn Leng Joanne C Time stamps:&nb...

Do you remember the songs that accompanied you through the key moments of your life? Whether it is falling in or out of love or going through lonely and dark nights, a good song would never fail to resonate, to give strength, and to heal.  This Vesak month, we learn more about Buddhist music from the eyes of Buddhist musicians.  There are two parts to this episode. We speak with Dr Kang...

Is money the root of all evil? Should we deny wealth because it brings us more trouble? Is it really true that money can't buy happiness?  In this episode, Seow Kek Wee helps us reevaluate or relationship with money and how to achieve financial and spiritual wealth at the same time. About the guest speaker - Seow Kek Wee As a veteran investor of more than 20 years, Kek Wee is the Head of Inve...

Good and bad, isn't exactly black and white.  Does doing a bad deed, make one bad person?   Does a kind act always bring about positive result? Can anger be a force for good? Transcript: link Get connected here: Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook Resources and useful links: Book - In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction by Dr Gabor Maté Angulimala sutta - The Seri...

Are you a good person? Who exactly defines what is good/bad and what is right/wrong?  In this episode, Sister Sylvia Bay shares what it means to be good, the tipping point when good turns bad, and how to develop wisdom along the path to happiness.  About the guest speaker:  Sylvia Bay has been dedicated to the study and practice of Buddha's teaching since 1992. She graduated with a...

1 in 3 Singaporeans work at least 10 hours a day. Because we spend most of our waking hours working, inevitably our identify is defined by our profession and career achievement. But is that all to life? Who are you beyond the work that you do?  In this episode, we have our special guest, Sis Amy Tong!  We discuss how we can humanise the corporate life, when to quit and when to...

How do we know if we're contented or just complacent? How can we strive for success without the stress?  Tan Chade Meng, the author of the international best-selling book - search inside yourself, shares with us how. Transcript: Click here Get connected here:  Telegram Instagram YouTube Facebook Resources and useful links: Chanda Samadhi Sutta Learn about meditation  30-day meditati...

You’ve got the Handful of Leaves Podcast here to tackle all these big and small issues in life from a Southeast Asian perspective! We cover topics like mental health, finance, career, to the juicy details of sex, and we are not afraid to ask the tough questions.  Hosted by two friends Kai Xin and Cheryl who crossed paths and bonded over a shared curiosity of “Is there more to life?”, we hope...