Being Different Together

In this second episode of our Intentionality series, Nyssa and Kelly return to the handwritten bathroom poster of Uncle Murry Landsman’s teachings to explore three more life-shaping slogans: “Everything works. Nothing works.” “Feeling good needs no excuse.” and “Anything worth doing is worth doing badly.”  They unpack how these paradoxical ideas speak to perfectionism, decision fatigue, and the pr...

In this first episode of our Intentionality series, Nyssa and Kelly pull back the curtain on a wild synchronicity in their shared lineage: a 1970s psychologist named Murry Landsman, the human potential movement, and a handwritten bathroom poster of life-changing intentionality slogans.  We explore the first two: “Everything you’ve done in life prepared you for this moment” and “It is frequently ea...

In this episode of Being Different Together, Kelly and Nyssa unpack why conflict doesn’t have to mean something is wrong —in fact, it can be the very path to deeper connection. Drawing on the work of Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath and the Center for Real Dialog, they explore how “healthy conflict” in relationships can reduce emotional threat, calm our inner “baby,” and transform repetitive fights into...

In this episode, Nyssa and Dr. Kelly answer a listener question about one simple but powerful object: the meditation bell.  What is the purpose of a bell in your meditation space? They explore how a meditation bell (or singing bowl, chime, or timer bell) can mark transitions, create a ritual for mindfulness, and help you “come home” to yourself. From Thich Nhat Hanh’s bell of mindfulness to Insigh...

In this episode of Being Different Together , Nyssa and Kelly welcome the spring equinox by exploring what this turning point in the seasons can teach us about personal growth, relationships, and real dialogue.  Using the story of their unassuming little peach tree—hidden, pruned back hard, and now bursting with blossoms—they unpack the difference between cultivation and control, and why pruning (...

Nyssa and Kelly explore how moon phases and lunar cycles can become a practical, soulful framework for goal setting, time management, and personal growth.  Nyssa shares how working with new moon intentions and full moon reflections helped her call in a conscious relationship, complete projects, and deepen her spiritual practice—plus the now-classic “have you seen this moon?” story.  If you’re curi...

In this episode of Being Different Together, Kelly and Nyssa break down one of Buddhism’s most practical (and misunderstood) teachings: emptiness—using the now-famous story of the pen . Is it a pen or a chew toy? It depends who’s looking.  Drawing from the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and modern life at the kitchen table (complete with dog Poppy chewing pens), they explore how reality doesn’t c...

If you’ve ever wondered how to start a creative project with your partner—or why it can feel so hard—you’ll feel right at home in this episode.  Kelly and Nyssa share the honest story behind launching their podcast: from the initial “we should record this” spark to choosing equipment, taking a podcast course, and dealing with all the resistance that shows up when you actually hit record and publis...

Feeling overwhelmed by the news? In this episode, Kelly and Nyssa unpack how to cope with bad news, negativity bias, and constant stress without totally checking out.  They explore why our brains are wired to focus on threats, how the modern news cycle exploits that, and what happens when our stress cycles never fully complete—hello burnout, anxiety, and numbness. With a mix of psychology, mindful...

In this episode, Wes Bozeman joins us at the kitchen table for a wide-ranging conversation about yoga, touch, teaching, and community. We talk about Ghosh yoga, Thai massage, authenticity in practice, and what it means to hold tension without trying to resolve it too quickly. The conversation moves between philosophy, lived experience, and the quiet moments where healing actually happens. Main Top...

Touch is both essential and complicated. In this episode, Kelly and Nyssa explore touch as a human need—how it can be both deeply healing and highly charged.  The discussion moves through consent, subjectivity, non-sexual touch, and how cultural conditioning has shaped the way bodies relate to one another.  Drawing from bodywork, psychotherapy, Thai massage, and lived experience, the episode names...

Kelly and Nyssa dive into the topic of retreat, exploring why stepping back from everyday life—especially through silence and meditation—can be so transformative.  Kelly shares stories from her early Zen retreats, including a hilarious (and humanizing) fart-at-the-final-ceremony moment that shattered her assumptions about belonging, and she explains how intensive practice, noble silence, and commu...

In this companion episode, Kelly uses the skills of Real Dialog to interview Nyssa about her unconventional path into healing work.  Nyssa traces her journey from teen poetry nights and open mics, to aromatizing Manhattan after 9/11 with her mom’s aromatherapy team, to studying religious experience and Sanskrit, and ultimately building a career as a massage therapist, aromatherapist, and coach.  A...

Nyssa uses the principles of Real Dialogue to interview her wife and co-host, Kelly, about how she found her way into psychology, chemical dependency work, acupuncture, and Zen Buddhism.  Kelly traces the breadcrumbs from Codependent No More on the back of the toilet and bedtime stories from the psych ward to Virginia Satir, Thich Nhat Hanh, her Zen teacher Lawson, and a whole-person practice that...

In this episode, Nyssa and Kelly talk about what it means to be together as a companion to their previous conversation on being different.  They share memories of how they met, how Thai massage shaped the early days of their connection, and how each of them first encountered the idea of conscious relationship.  The conversation moves through their personal histories, key teachings from John Welwoo...

In this episode of Being Different Together , Nyssa and Kelly dive into what it means to be different and why our brains are wired to treat difference as a threat. They share personal stories from childhood, band days, identity, and relationships to highlight how difference can create conflict or become a catalyst for transformation. The conversation moves from instinct to intentionality, showing...

In this episode of Being Different Together, Nyssa and Kelly introduce the practice of Real Dialogue and share the story of how they became a “demo couple” for dialogue therapy training with Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath and the Center for Real Dialogue.  They talk about why this work matters in a world of divorce, estrangement, and “neurotic polarization,” and lay out the core objectives, conscious...

In this episode, Nyssa and Kelly introduce the heart of Being Different Together and share why conversations matter so deeply to their relationship, their work, and their community.  They talk about Real Dialogue™, what conscious relationship means to them, and how holding difference creates more love, connection, and harmony.  The episode sets the foundation for weekly conversations, future guest...