KMUD - Mindful Mud with Flurina Niggli

In this episode of Mindful Mud, I speak with Leslie Potter from PureJoy Parenting about mindful parenting, healthy boundaries, and staying connected to our children without becoming pushy or controlling. We explore how to stay grounded in difficult parenting moments, how to anchor ourselves when emotions run high, and how to draw on our own deeper wisdom through presence. Leslie brings many practi...

For 50 years, the Dharma Center has been a sanctuary for awareness, practice, and community in the heart of our rural town. In this rich and heartfelt conversation, I sit down with Timothy Clark and Ken Berman to explore the remarkable history of the Dharma Center. We follow the threads of many traditions that have touched and shaped this place, from Tibetan Lamas and great Zen teachers, to the co...

In this episode of Mindful Mud, I speak with Devon Sangster Rath and Anthony Maes ("T") about mindfulness for teens, the deep support a retreat setting can offer, and the kind of authenticity that is needed when working with adolescents. We explore the work of Inward Bound Mindfulness, also known as I Be Me, and talk about how retreat can become a safe and powerful space for real transformation. D...

In this intimate and unflinching conversation, I speak with Zen teacher and former hospice chaplain Renshin Bunce about life, death, and the tender space where they meet. We do not shy away from naming things as they are. Renshin shares personally from her own path, her years of hospice chaplaincy, and the many different ways people approach dying. With honesty, warmth, and a clear Zen flavor, thi...

In this episode of Mindful Mud , I speak with ecopsychologist Hanna Nielsen about how we can stay present, human, and connected in a time of climate crisis, grief, anxiety, and overwhelm. We explore what ecopsychology is, what an eco chaplain offers, and why so much of our suffering is rooted in our disconnect from nature, from each other, and from ourselves. This is a conversation for anyone long...

On today’s Mindful Mud episode, I speak with Dr Yang Jwing-Ming , world-renowned martial arts master and founder of YMAA . I’ve been fortunate to train with him for over a decade in Qi Gong and Tai Chi Chuan. In this conversation, we explore the depth of these practices and the philosophy behind them. We begin with Dr. Yang’s own path into martial arts, then explore what Qi is, what Qi Gong is, an...

In this episode of Mindful Mud , we explore Zen on the road with long-haul trucker, musician, and longtime Zen practitioner Jim Spencer (Inaka Crackerbox Jimmy ). With more than 3 million miles behind him, Jim shares what it’s really like to practice in the middle of long days, tight schedules, fatigue, and the steady stream of unpredictability that comes with life on the highway. We talk about wh...

In this Mindful Mud episode, Flurina talks with Richard Taubinger , a world-leading conscious marketing specialist who works with top teachers in health and spirituality, about one of the most controversial topics of our time: AI . Richard shares his own early skepticism about AI , and together they unpack common myths and narratives —from “AI will save us” to “AI will destroy us.” They explore bo...

Curious about mindfulness but not sure it’s for you? In this live Mindful Mud radio conversation, five participants from my 6-week mindfulness course share honestly about what it’s really like to begin. They talk about simple practices—like breathing, mindful seeing, STOP, mindful self compassion, and how they weave them into busy, messy, real life. We explore the challenges, the resistance, the s...

In this episode, Flurina sits down with 5th grader Lily to talk about mindfulness in real life — on the playground, in the classroom, and in those moments when big feelings take over. Together they explore simple tools they’ve learned in class: gratitude practices, ways to calm down during a meltdown, and some easy-to-understand neuroscience about what’s going on in the brain and body. Later in th...

In this heartfelt conversation, Flurina welcomes author and inter-faith leader Sande Hart to explore The Liminal Odyssey : the alchemical magic that lives in those moments of transition. Sande introduces the exploration of the spaces “in-between,” when our lives quietly reshape themselves. She invites us into her own threshold-journey—from profound loss and global activism to tender invitations fr...

How can mindfulness be taught in schools playfully and with deep impact? Andrew Jordan Nance, my guest in this conversation, is the founder and lead trainer for Mindful Arts San Francisco and author of popular mindfulness books for kids. Andrew and Flurina share in this episode their long experience going to classrooms teaching mindfulness to students. You learn many practical tips how to invite m...

What is spirituality - really? What does it mean to find the sacred in everything? Tune into this rich conversation with spiritual teacher and author of 5 books, Joan Tollifson.  Joan cuts right through the confusion of spiritual practices and invites us to find not just the diamonds in the mud, but also the beauty of the mud itself. She is a master of bringing the listeners back to the most impor...

In this episode, Justine Willis Toms, host of New Dimensions Radio, shares the origin story of New Dimensions and the early days of creating spiritual radio. She also talks about how her spiritual practice has changed through the years, the journeys within different religions and the expansion through inclusiveness. Learn about the importance of circle work, radio and the way to stay truly connect...

In this Bonus special, Nona Ikeda is interviewing Flurina Niggli, exploring how one can find their own spiritual path. Flurina shares her personal journey and how she overcomes constant sickness and physical limitations through divine interventions, deep surrender to the meditation practice, her naturopathic educations, and life itself.

Russell Munsell and I are discussing the scientific benefits of slow, intentional movements, like Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Yoga. We draw from the book, “Mindful Exercise, Metarobics, Healing, and the Power of Tai Chi” by Peter Anthony Griffin. How can some incredible healing journeys be explained? What does awareness and oxygen levels in the cells have to do with the deep healing effects of mindful ex...

In this episode Fred LaMotte shares his gift to describe the connection to the divine through poetry. He shares delightful stories and some snippets of his beautiful writing. This episode is full of doorways to enter the world of true wonders that is all around us, and that we most often miss in this busy life. Fred is a master to describe true mindful living in a way that is grounded and full of...

In this episode, Heidi and I talk Mindfulness 101. What is mindfulness, and how can you cultivate more awareness in your life? We share our own entry points into meditation and what keeps us going. This conversation is packed with inspiration, practical tips, and myth busters. We explore how to free ourselves from the inner critic and other unhelpful habits. We talk about how being centered and ha...

Are you longing to simplify your life and find more quality time and meaning? Are you wondering how to slow down the hamster wheel you are on? In this conversation with Andy Couturier, we talk about his book, “The Abundance of Less” and how it is inviting us to slow down. It inspires us to find more purpose in our daily lives. The book profiles ten men and women who have left mainstream life in ur...

In this episode I have the pleasure of talking with Daiko, the head priest of Rinzai Zen Temple "Daishu in West." We talk about how Daiko starts and follows the Zen path and what it means to be a leader of a small Zen Temple in California. Have you ever wondered how a regular day looks like in a Zen Temple? What does it actually mean to practice Zen 24/7? What are some core questions and discoveri...

My guest in this edition of Mindful Mud is Rhonda V. Magee, law professor, mindfulness practitioner and founding Director of the Center for Contemplative Law and Ethics at the University of San Francisco. She is the author of "The Inner Work of Racial Justice, Healing Ourselves and Transforming Our Communities Through Mindfulness. In this episode, we have a conversation about how we can raise awar...

 Are you curious how Mindfulness can be taught in schools and support social emotional learning? This episode's guest is Gordie Hunt, a middle school teacher. We talk about Mindfulness in schools generally and the program I have been running in the middle school Gordie is teaching in. Hear about the transformational power of mindfulness practices for students and teachers. We discuss some of the s...

In this episode we explore how to implement positive change in one's own life, that is aligned with the heart. No matter if it is a change in eating, exercise or rest habits, we explore how to actually approach it so you won't fail. My guest is Russell Munsell, he has a four decade professional career in training individuals to explore their human capacities, maximize the full potential and achiev...

My guest Naoko Moller describes the art of preparing food in a loving and funny way. Get inspired to bring more purpose to your cooking. Naoko is a food activist and Japanese cooking connoisseur. She was born in a Zen Buddhist temple in Niigata, Japan, raised in Hawaii and in Japan at Zen Buddhist temples.  She learned how to cook by assisting her mother from an early age and as a minister's wife...

In this episode, I have a conversation with Kira M. Markoff, author of the book: Mindfulness and Me, a Practical Guide for Living. We talk about many ways folks can integrate meditation into their daily lives. The book is written as an eight-week guide with fifty-six different practices, one for each day. Playfully, we look at different ways anyone can integrate more mindfulness.