The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life

What happens when a personal crisis blossoms into a lifelong mission to transform education and community mental health? In this episode, Program Coordinator Dawn Lehman interviews Dr. Stephanie Romero about her path to mindfulness, her experiences integrating secular practice into K-12 classrooms, and the realities of launching a nonprofit. Stephanie reflects openly on the limitations of basic me...

In this episode, host Stephanie Romero speaks with guest Julie Jansen, a somatic movement teacher, meditation practitioner, and forest therapy guide, about the deep connections between embodiment, nature, and mindfulness. Julie shares formative childhood memories of nature—fireflies, wildlife, and moments of awe—that shaped her lifelong relationship with the natural world, even without a nature-ce...

In this thought-provoking episode, Stephanie Romero sits down with longtime meditation teacher, scholar, environmental activist, and community leader Adam Lobel to explore what it means to live, lead, and practice amidst profound personal and societal change. Adam shares his journey from a young spiritual seeker discovering Tibetan Buddhism and the Shambhala tradition to becoming a respected teach...

In this calming and reflective episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Dawn Lehman guides listeners through A Practice of Meditation with The Unexpected, a gentle mindfulness experience designed to help us meet uncertainty with presence, compassion, and curiosity. Through grounding awareness, thoughtful pauses, and mindful reflection, Dawn invites listeners to notice how they r...

In this gentle guided meditation, Dawn Lehman invites listeners to slow down and cultivate a deeper sense of connection — with their bodies, their breath, their ancestors, loved ones, and the living world around them. Through grounding reflections and compassionate awareness, the practice reminds us that we are never truly separate, but part of an interconnected web of life sustained by shared bre...

In this thoughtful and deeply embodied conversation, Stephanie Romero sits down with meditation teacher, somatic psychotherapist, and Dharma practitioner Gavrila Abramson to explore the intersections of Buddhism, trauma-sensitive practice, embodiment, and healing. Gavrila shares her personal journey from burnout and depression while working as an engineer in New York to discovering meditation and...

In this conversation, Stephanie Romero speaks with Allie Greene about the healing power of mindfulness, somatic therapy, and coming home to the body. Allie shares how her background as a professional dancer, along with her own experience with anxiety and disconnection, led her toward body-based practices that help people regulate their nervous systems and reconnect with themselves. Together, they...

Often when I sit to meditate, it is the only time that I take a moment to notice what I am holding in my body -- and many times that means tension.  We try to tell our minds to relax, but the body is still holding onto the stress of the day. Sometimes, we can't just think ourselves into calmness—we have to show our body the way. In today’s episode, we’re practicing Tensing and Relaxing. This is a...

This guided Six Anchors meditation invites listeners into a steady, grounding practice that gently moves attention through breath, body, sound, thoughts, emotions, and open awareness. Designed to cultivate presence and reduce stress, the practice offers a simple yet powerful framework for reconnecting with yourself in the midst of daily demands. Whether you are new to mindfulness or deepening your...

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Dr. Stephanie Romero sits down with educator and mindfulness practitioner Tina Raspanti to explore how a non-linear journey through mindfulness can transform both personal life and professional practice. Tina shares how integrating mindfulness and positive psychology into education creates more compassionate, connected classroom e...

In this guided practice, Stephanie Romero invites listeners into a gentle, accessible approach to mindfulness rooted in awareness, compassion, and self-acceptance. Rather than striving for perfection, this episode encourages participants to simply notice what is present in their bodies and minds, using a steady anchor such as the breath or physical sensations to remain grounded. Through the practi...

In this thoughtful episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Stephanie Romero sits down with Fitzhugh Shaw to explore the deep connections between mindfulness, justice, ancestry, and everyday human growth. Their conversation traces Fitzhugh’s spiritual journey through Christianity and Buddhism, his work in food justice, and the ways meditation can help us build the courage, capac...

In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Romero talks with Janice Martellucci of Peace in Schools about her personal journey into mindfulness, the healing power of contemplative practice, and what it means to build more human-centered, compassionate school communities. Together, they explore how mindfulness can move beyond crisis response to become a universal part of education, helping teens and educators...

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Awaken Founder Dr. Stephanie Romero guides listeners through a grounding body scan meditation designed to restore focus, presence, and nervous system balance. A body scan is a simple yet powerful practice of bringing non-judgmental awareness to physical sensations throughout the body. Rather than trying to change anything, Dr. Rom...

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Awaken Program Deliverer Shannon Jenkins guides listeners through the timeless practice of Loving-Kindness, also known as Metta. With clarity and warmth, Shannon invites us to intentionally cultivate an open heart, especially toward those who challenge us. Rather than forcing emotion or manufacturing feelings, this practice gently...

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, Stephanie Romero sits down with Pittsburgh entrepreneur Adam Lackett to explore the hidden costs of “grind culture” and the deeper work of building a life that is both sustainable and meaningful. Adam shares how early assumptions about success shaped a pressure-cooker approach to work, how burnout and dissatisfaction led him towar...

On this episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast, Dr. Stephanie Romero is joined by Lawrence Schuessler (he/him) for a deeply human conversation about mindfulness, embodiment, and the search for ease. Lawrence shares his path to meditation through early instability, sobriety, yoga, and community, and reflects on how learning to be present in the body became an act of healing. Together, they explore Na...

In this new episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast, Program Deliverer Britt Dorazio gently guides listeners through a grounding practice of self-compassion. So often, we extend understanding and grace to others while holding ourselves to impossible standards. This episode invites a different way of being—one rooted in kindness, presence, and care for our own inner experience. Through a thoughtfully...

In this week’s episode of The Ripple Effect Podcast, Dr. Stephanie Romero invites listeners into a compassionate exploration of forgiveness as a powerful mindfulness practice and an act of self-care. Moving beyond the common myths that forgiveness means forgetting or excusing harm, the episode reframes it as the process of releasing the emotional charge that keeps past pain alive in the present. T...

In Part 2 of this ongoing conversation, Dr. Stephanie Romero continues her dialogue with Sylva London and Ñeca Rodriguez, Awaken Pittsburgh’s Integrative Community Therapy trainers and facilitators, moving from understanding to application. This episode explores how Integrative Community Therapy shows up in real communities and everyday life. Sylva and Ñeca reflect on what happens when people are...

In this first part of a two-part conversation, Dr. Stephanie Romero is joined by Sylva London and Ñeca Rodriguez, Awaken Pittsburgh’s newest Integrative Community Therapy trainers and facilitators, for a thoughtful and deeply human discussion on healing, belonging, and community. Together, they explore what Integrative Community Therapy is and why it matters, especially in a world where so many pe...

As we step into a new year, this episode offers a grounded and reflective pause to help you begin with clarity and purpose. Guided by practice leader Danielle Thum, this episode invites listeners into a gentle intention-setting experience rooted in guided visual imagery. The practice begins with grounding exercises to help you settle into the present moment, followed by guided imagery designed to...

In this episode of The Ripple Effect with Stephanie Romero, EdD, Stephanie sits down with Joseph Croskey to explore how mindfulness can grow from lived experience into a steady practice that supports resilience, presence, and purposeful living. Joseph shares his winding path from military life to contemplative practice and global wellness work through Peace on Purpose, including how inner peace ca...

In this powerful episode of The Ripple Effect with Stephanie Romero, EdD, Dr. Jennifer Joyce shares her transformative journey into Integrative Community Therapy (ICT) and how it intersects with mindfulness, healing, and social justice. Together, they explore the roots of ICT in liberation theology, the importance of authentic connection, and how community-based healing practices can foster equity...

This episode offers a gentle guided practice led by Dr. Stephanie Romero that invites listeners into a state of radical gratitude while honoring the complexities of their emotional landscape. She begins by grounding participants in breath, body awareness, and emotional check-ins before moving into a compassionate RAIN practice to hold difficult feelings with curiosity and care. From there, the gui...