Zen Commuter – Details, episodes & analysis

Today on Zen Commuter, I’m joined by the insightful and inspiring Jodi Rose Gonzales—artist, author, and art therapist. Jodi blends creativity and mindfulness to help others navigate life’s challenges with clarity and grace. Her unique approach to healing through expressive art and spiritual reflection offers a powerful path to inner peace. Get ready for a conversation that’s equal parts calming and deeply thought-provoking.

✅ Defining what creativity is, on one level, and how it can help us better understand who we are
✅ The intersection of mindfulness and meditation
✅ How to foster introspection through creativity.

Jodi Rose Gonzales is a visual artist, art therapist, author, and mindfulness coach who inspires her students through teachings intended to spread more hope and healing around the world. She is recognized as a top artist by Marquis Who’s Who in America, and a Global Impact Artist by the International Association of Top Professionals. Jodi has authored two Amazon #1 New Releases including the Doodle’s Code and Drawn to Yoga, she is featured in an international bestseller called 50 Fearless Leaders, and she’s the host of The iROSE Podcast. She helps busy creative people who are intentional about personal growth using art-based mindfulness, a unique method that helps people develop insight and self-awareness—AND manage anxiety and stress—in one simple practice.

Begin your free creative journey with Jodi Rose

https://www.jodirosestudio.com/free-art-prompts

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Welcome to Zen Commuter! Today, I’m joined by Leslie Draffin for a fascinating conversation about the intersection of plant medicine, spirituality, and women’s wellness. We’ll explore how microdosing mushrooms can support mental clarity, emotional balance, and even spiritual awakening. Leslie also shares insights on how understanding the menstrual cycle can be a powerful tool for self-awareness and personal growth. Whether you're curious about the benefits of microdosing or looking to deepen your connection with your body and mind, this episode offers valuable wisdom you won’t want to miss.

✅ Utilizing plant medicine to help women ease menstrual symptoms and connect to their power
✅ Overview of how microdosing works
✅ How meditation helps all people connect with what is true and resonant for them

Leslie Draffin is a women's somatic coach, psychedelic microdosing guide, breath & meditation teacher & menstrual cycle educator. She helps midlife women embrace their bodies, sex, and psychedelics so they can overcome the wound of unworthiness, get free from mental health challenges and build a life they're excited about. Leslie believes somatic practices like breathwork along with sacred Earth medicine have the power to bring us home to ourselves, awaken our authenticity and heal the trauma locked within our subconscious.

📌 Follow Leslie Drafffin:

• Activate your Inner Magic: free microdosing guide: https://lesliedraffin.myflodesk.com/microguide

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliedraffin/

• Podcast - The Light Within: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-light-within/id1554915881

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Sonal is a certified meditation teacher and the founder of CONNECT Meditation. In her workshops and sessions, she blends ancient Eastern wisdom with modern science to make mindfulness accessible to today’s practitioners. Raised in India and now based in Boston, Sonal’s background in corporate human resources, learning and development, and life coaching allows her to connect deeply with both individuals and organizations.

She also teaches at WITHIN, a San Francisco-based meditation organization. With a foundation in psychology, human resource development, and Somatic EMDR, Sonal specializes in trauma-sensitive mindfulness. She also offers sound baths that utilize healing frequencies to promote relaxation and inner balance. Passionate about guiding people to discover the transformative benefits of meditation, Sonal helps enhance well-being, boost productivity, and cultivate compassion.

Sonal finds great joy in sharing meditation as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth, helping others connect with their inner clarity and resilience.

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https://www.connectmeditation.com/

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

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Catherine is an integrative spiritual consultant, former trauma and hospice chaplain, and first time author of the book Everyday Awakening. In her book as well as her private practice, she counsels people on what it means to be alive, and how to awaken into their heart and soul. She has faced death twice and companioned hundreds of people as they died. The deep peace and sense of the other side she witnessed was profound and soul shaping. We can all awaken and it is a choice how we are choosing to live each day.

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https://www.catherineduncan.org/

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

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Jeff Patterson, from Portland, OR, USA, has over 36 years of experience, practicing and teaching the meditative and martial arts. As the founder of Northwest Fighting Arts/Portland Tai Chi Academy and The Yielding Warrior, where he emphasizes the transformative power of meditative and martial arts practices, particularly the yielding concept. He has published two books and hundreds on instructional videos. Founder of The Yielding Warrior online program and has worked with 1000's of students from around the world.

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Get a FREE copy of The Yielding Warrior

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

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Visualizing is an important aspect of meditation, yet some people struggle with how to it. My Insight Timer friend Alberto asked if I could help him with becoming better at it, and to that end, I thought I would record an episode to help not just him, but anyone who could use some practice at becoming better at imagining. Enjoy.

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Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

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Some people fear being alone with their thoughts. those people understand the benefit of calm that a practice brings, the cost for getting there is too great; the cost of being alone with painful, denigrating. thoughts. Today I talk about how to become comfortable with ‘troublesome” thoughts so that you can meditate if you think it would be beneficial (and it will be) ;0)

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Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

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The last time we got together we had the joy of hanging out with Forrest Rivers, Author of tHumanity’s Spiritual Rebirth. As is customary on ZC, when I interview an author, I like to read an excerpt from their book; and today is no exception.

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Website: https://forrestrivers.com/

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069110064900

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwlenz/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@forrestrivers475

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

• Send me a message: speakpipe.com/zencommuter

• Email: thom@zencommuter.com

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• Donate: Support the Podcast!

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Forrest Rivers has become a good friend of mine. So when his publicist sent me an email to have him on the show I jumped at the chance. He is a man who truly sees thing in such a wonderfully rich way. He drops the labels of good and bad, and helps us see every moment as an opportunity to grow, to understand “ourselves” on a deeper level. Yeah, you can imagine why I have love and respect for him. Today we talk about the ways we as a planet can grow through seemingly challenging curcumstances.

Schedule Time with Thom (Complimentary consultation)

Website: https://forrestrivers.com/

Social Media Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069110064900

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwlenz/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@forrestrivers475

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

• Send me a message: speakpipe.com/zencommuter

• Email: thom@zencommuter.com

• Instagram: @thom_walters

• Twitter: @thom_walters

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/zencommuter

• Donate: Support the Podcast!

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

I am very happy to be back on the air after a three week hiatus. The longest one in the 10 year history of Zen Commuter. So thank you all for your patience and understanding. I can’t think of a better topic to talk about on my return, than Tonglen Meditation. Today I read an article that talks about how we can reduce our fear of suffering by engaging in a meditation practice that has us voluntarily taking on the suffering of others.

Schedule Time with Thom (Complimentary consultation)

Thanks again for listening to the show! If it has helped you in any way, please share it using the social media buttons you see on the page.

• Send me a message: speakpipe.com/zencommuter

• Email: thom@zencommuter.com

• Instagram: @thom_walters

• Twitter: @thom_walters

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/zencommuter

• Donate: Support the Podcast!

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify