KMUD - Mindful Mud with Flurina Niggli

In this episode of Mindful Mud, I talk with Naoko Moller about something we do every day: eat. We explore meals in Soto Zen temples, cooking and preparing food as Zen practice, and how bringing attention into the kitchen can calm and center the mind. Naoko shares practical wisdom for real life too, including cooking without recipes, feeding a family when time is short, navigating picky eaters, plating food with care, and the importance of sitting down and eating together. At the heart of our conversation is a simple invitation: Eat when you eat. Cook when you cook. From growing and preparing our food to eating and digesting it, how can we bring more awareness, gratitude, and joy into the whole process? Our relationship with food is also a reminder that we are deeply interconnected with the earth, with one another, and with what nourishes us. Chapters (00:00:02) - Introduction and Welcome(00:00:44) - Introducing Naoko Muller(00:01:46) - Revisiting the Previous Episode(00:02:59) - From Food Activist to Food Researcher(00:04:33) - Upcoming Food Conference in Osaka(00:05:33) - Water, Rice, and Japanese Food Culture(00:06:45) - Community, Irrigation, and Rice Farming(00:08:41) - Academia, Chefs, and Ordinary Cooks in Food Studies(00:10:20) - Miso Making and California Fusion Cuisine(00:12:15) - Cooking as Meditation and Zazen Philosophy(00:16:05) - Cooking Without Recipes and Seasonal Adjustment(00:18:10) - Finding Presence While Cooking(00:21:04) - Taste, Care, and Texture in Japanese Cooking(00:23:37) - Language and Cultural Vocabulary Around Food(00:24:22) - Teaching Cooking Without Recipes to Westerners(00:26:42) - Mindful Cooking Despite Busy Schedules(00:31:23) - Practical Tips for Mindful Meals and Plating(00:33:47) - Eating Together: Zen Temple Traditions(00:35:29) - Modern Food Culture and Disconnection(00:37:07) - Meal Planning, Leftovers, and Efficiency(00:39:53) - Color, Flavor, and the Six Tastes of Zen Cooking(00:42:57) - Connection Through Growing and Harvesting Food(00:47:07) - Involving Kids in Food and Overcoming Picky Eating(00:50:20) - Classes, Workshops, and Contact Information(00:53:12) - Closing Remarks and Sign Off

How do we stay grounded, healthy, and even happy in a world that feels increasingly stressful and uncertain? In this episode of Mindful Mud, I talk with psychology professor, mindfulness practitioner, and Tai Chi teacher Philip T. Dunwoody about what stress actually does to the body and mind, and what truly helps. Phil makes the science behind the stress response easy to understand and connects it directly to everyday life. We talk about why mindfulness works, how Tai Chi and movement support the nervous system, and practical ways to create more balance when the world feels like too much. Because Phil works closely with college students, we also explore the pressures young adults face today and the tools that can help them build resilience, self awareness, and healthier ways of navigating this stage of life. From media hygiene and nature bathing to mindfulness, Tai Chi, and political stress, this conversation offers grounded tools for living well and more empowered.

This episode of Mindful Mud hits close to home, quite literally. My guest is my son Julian, who was 18 when we recorded this conversation and is now 19 and in college. Together we talk honestly about what it was like to grow up with a meditation teacher as a mom, and what it means to be a young person trying to find your way in a world filled with pressure, distraction, technology, expectations, and constant stimulation. Julian shares openly about stress, technology, addiction, dopamine, the developing brain, and the challenge of staying present in a world that is constantly pulling at our attention. We also talk about the tools that help, including mindfulness, awareness, humor, and learning to pause before being swept away. At the heart of the conversation is something every parent and growing child knows: growing up is a process we go through together. How do we stay close as our children become more independent? How do we keep the relationship real, find compassion for each other, and keep meeting one another through all the change? Funny, deep, vulnerable, and full of practical wisdom, this is a conversation for parents, teens, young adults, and anyone who wants to understand this complicated, beautiful process of growing up together.

Back to school can bring excitement, fresh beginnings, and also anxiety, uncertainty, big emotions, and major changes in routine. In this lively and very practical episode of Mindful Mud, I am joined by four mindfulness instructors from across the U.S. and Canada who are also parents, teachers, and school providers. Together, we share what actually helps children and families move through the transition into a new school year, from preschool all the way through college. This is a recording of a live call-in radio show. We talk about big emotions, anxiety, and how to stay real with our own feelings as parents while still supporting our kids in theirs. How can we help children meet anxiety without being overwhelmed by it? How can we gently shift from fear toward curiosity and opportunity without dismissing what feels hard? Drawing on mindfulness, modern neuroscience, professional experience, and our own lives, this conversation is packed with simple, tested tools and resources for parents, students, and teachers. If you are looking for practical ways to make the start of the school year more grounded, connected, and manageable, this episode is for you.

In this warm and fact filled episode of Mindful Mud, I speak with Dr. Paul McCarthy from the UK, a sports psychologist who has worked for decades with professional athletes. Together we explore mindfulness in sports, from the science behind flow state to the importance of staying grounded under pressure. We talk about why acknowledging thoughts, emotions, and difficulties can be more powerful than trying to suppress them, and how self compassion and joy are not separate from success, but deeply connected to it. This conversation is for athletes of all levels, coaches, parents, and anyone interested in how mindfulness can support performance, resilience, and a deeper love of the game. Chapters (00:00:02) - Mindful Mud: In the World of Sports(00:01:00) - A Taste of Dr. Paul McCarthy(00:01:54) - Paul O'Brien(00:05:07) - The Biggest Struggles Of An Athlete(00:07:00) - The role of mindfulness in sports(00:17:40) - Focus on the Flow State(00:25:49) - The importance of quality in our life(00:31:33) - Mental Training and More Mindful Practice(00:39:57) - Mindfulness in Sports(00:47:51) - The importance of self-compassion in sport(00:51:37) - Episode 8: Mindfulness in Sports