Open Heart with Lu Leslan

Every border we live inside — we inherited. Episode 5 of Open Heart Season 3 asks what it cost in human lives — and tells the story of one woman alone in a motel room with yellowish curtains in Tijuana in 1979 — who crossed a border she wasn't supposed to cross. And a woodcarver on the Victoria Falls Bridge who crosses one every day just to feed his family. SHOW NOTES EPISODE 5 — THE BORDER T...

Where does superiority come from — and what does it cost us? Episode 4 of Open Heart Season 3 traces the origins of superiority from a ten year old girl winning a woodwind competition to the labels we use to divide ourselves. And then shows what dignity looks like in the faces of people who never needed a stage to prove their worth. SHOW NOTES EPISODE 4 — SUPERIORITY VS. DIGNITY Superiority needs...

Why do we want what we want? Why do we stop asking the most important question — and fill the silence with consumption, shortcuts and masks? Episode 3 of Open Heart Season 3 traces the why question from the first human who looked up at the sky — to the hunger for dignity that drives everything we do. SHOW NOTES EPISODE 3 — THE WHY QUESTION Why is not just a question. It is how the human story begi...

EPISODE 2 — STATE OF MIND SHOW NOTES The mind is not a fixed address. It is transient yet powerful — a state of storming weather followed by peaceful calm. No clues for where it is heading or where it will land. This episode asks: How do we feel about ourselves when we look up at the skyscraper? What would happen if we had a different way to communicate without words? Does the mind enjoy playing t...

EPISODE 1 — DEMONS IN OURSELVES SHOW NOTES We all carry something dark. Something inherited. Something we didn't choose. This episode asks the hardest questions: Where do our demons come from — our genes or our experience? Why do our closest relationships bring out our sharpest edges? Is there honor when survival is at stake? What does a collective demon look like across 8 billion humans? Can...

Season 3 of Open Heart arrives June 11th. Hosted by pianist and philosopher Lu Leslan, this season moves inward — through demons, borders, forgiveness, paradox, and the words we repeat without ever questioning them. Not a self-help guide. Not a lecture. A journey through the hardest questions of being human — with company. SHOW NOTES Drifting shadow ghost Laying head on my pillow Humming lullaby S...

What truth remains when you dare to let go of everything that was never truly yours? In this Season 2 finale, Lu explores what it means to break free—not from life or people, but from the accumulated weight of traditions, rules, conventions, and noise inherited through the generations. She shares a deeply personal story about choosing solitude over convention, the Stoic wisdom of releasing what we...

What if transformation isn't something you choose? In this episode, Lu explores metamorphosis as a magical, unstoppable and risky process happening in all of us—visible and invisible, in darkness and in light. She shares the butterfly's secret (complete dissolution before emergence), a deeply personal story about bringing a premature infant into the world, and why our tears are the seeds...

What if intention isn't about achieving—it's about being? In this episode, Lu explores the difference between intention and goals, intention and expectation, and how living with intention requires courage to let things fall apart. She shares personal examples from daily life—preparing a meal with what she already has, bowing after hot yoga in gratitude—to demonstrate how mindful frugalit...

What if chaos isn't the problem? What if breakdown is how the system works? In this episode, Lu explores chaos as a functional process—from her granddaughter April's first grade lesson about good and bad germs, to the second law of thermodynamics, to the emotional chaos of puberty and relationships. She draws a powerful parallel between how our bodies process food beneath our awareness a...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION: What if perfection is the deepest illusion? What if the world is meant to be imperfect? In this episode, Lu explores imperfection at the core of human existence—from conversations across countries revealing no perfect system exists, to the biological parallel of good and bad bacteria we need to function. She shares her personal struggle as a pianist striving for excellence whi...

What if memory is just reconstruction? What if the roles you play aren't the sum of who you are? In this episode, Lu explores illusion as the mechanism that keeps us building coherence where there is none. She shares a personal story about looking at a family photo and recognizing the woman but feeling no connection, the biological paradox of six elements creating infinite variety, and why th...

What is the “self”—and who is this “you” trying so hard to become a better version of? In this episode, Lu Leslan explores the curious phenomenon of human bias: how the very self that seeks improvement is the same one tangled in the problems it wants to fix. Through humor, wisdom, and gentle reflection, we dive into five common “self-traps” that keep us stuck in endless loops of self-judgment, sel...

What does it mean to exist in a world of wars, poverty, and endless suffering? In this episode, Lu explores existential questions through the lens of Wu Wei—keeping perspective without force. She shares the duality of human existence (blessed with imagination, cursed with conflict), the wonder of looking at the night sky across time, and a powerful poem from a national park. This is about holding...

How many times have you felt two opposing truths at once? Wanting to stay AND wanting to go. Loving someone AND needing space. In this episode, Lu introduces the WAIT technique for holding duality without breaking. Learn how to Watch both truths arise, Allow them to coexist, Investigate what each reveals, and Take a breath to hold both. Features a personal story about the Peace Corps and finding T...

What if you could embrace your thoughts with an open heart, without judgment? In this episode, Lu introduces a 5-step process for observing thoughts with curiosity. Learn how to sort thoughts into what serves you, challenges you, and nourishes you—then choose consciously. Features a personal story about editing her first documentary through eleven rough cuts and a simple practice you can try today...

In this Season 1 finale, we explore the thread that's woven through every episode: The Power of Storytelling. Why do our stories matter? What happens when we name what's been invisible? And how does sharing our experiences connect us across continents and cultures? I reflect on naming the "Imposter Protector" — recognizing that the exhausting mask we wear is often also our stre...

In this deeply personal episode of Open Heart, Lu Leslan reflects on the transformative and paradoxical journey of motherhood. Moving beyond societal expectations and biological definitions, motherhood is examined as a profound initiation that reshapes identity, invites vulnerability, and fosters empowerment. Through intimate stories—ranging from the fragile days with a premature infant to the les...

In this thoughtful episode of Open Heart , Lu Leslan invites us to explore the transformative power of surrendering — not as passivity, but as a conscious alignment with the natural rhythms of life and our deeper selves. Journey into the subconscious mind, a vast reservoir of intuition, ancestral wisdom, and universal energy. Discover how embracing the full spectrum of light and shadow within us—t...

What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why love remains one of the most misunderstood words in our language How biological processes influence our experience of connection and attachment The illusions of love: understanding why the highs and lows are fleeting states The core essence of love as Self-Knowledge and Truth Practical wisdom on cultivating love from within—nurturing your inner “tree of self-...

In this thoughtful episode of Open Heart , Lu Leslan reflects on the lifelong journey of learning and teaching. Drawing from insights in her previous episode Music Mapping , Lu explores the architecture of learning—from imitation to mastery—and the essential role of curiosity and kindness in embracing new challenges as we age. She shares personal reflections on cultivating a Beginner’s Mind, the p...

In this deeply personal episode of Open Heart , Lu Leslan reflects on her mother’s quiet strength, the complex emotions of loss, and the enduring impact of a love both tender and transformative. Lu shares intimate memories—from the pride of a shared moment shopping for a gown to the profound grief of losing her mother at a young age—and explores the questions left unanswered. Through this reflecti...

In this deeply personal episode of Open Heart , Lu Leslan explores Music Mapping —the invisible pathways music carves in our consciousness from childhood innocence to adult mastery, and sometimes, transcendence. Lu shares her own journey navigating two musical traditions—the effortless joy of playing the Sheng as a child and the challenging pursuit of piano mastery as an adult. She reveals how exp...

In this episode of **Open Heart**, Lu Leslan shares her personal journey of building cultural bridges—connecting Taiwan and the United States, integrating Eastern and Western musical traditions, and navigating generational divides. She reflects on the immigrant experience, the challenges of straddling two worlds, and the intricate beauty of embracing multiple cultural identities. Lu also examines...

What’s in a name—and how does it shape who we are? In this episode, Lu shares her journey through four different names and the freedom in choosing her true identity. Show notes: The story behind Lu’s birth name, Kai-Li Teng, inspired by Grace Kelly Challenges of adapting and mispronouncing names as an immigrant Name changes through marriage and personal transformation Becoming Lu Leslan: the choic...