Buddhability22 Touko 2021

Taking the steps to respect your own life

Today we’re talking to Lorenna Garcia-Bochas, a young woman in Georgia who grew up around the Buddhist community and chanting. Her own practice developed when she started college and faced some major challenges in her family and with her own mental health, which drove her to dig deep into her own heart to find a way forward.

We cover a lot today: how to grapple with multiple identities and feeling like you don’t fit anywhere; how to take care of your family when they are struggling; and how to find the courage to seek help for your mental health, if that’s what you need.

Ultimately, Lorenna’s story is an amazing example of how chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo can be fuel for taking steady steps to respect your own life, which includes resolving doubt and pain, establishing a dream for the future and taking great care of yourself.

(Note: No information on this episode should be considered medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for any questions related to treatment for mental health issues.)

CHEAT SHEET

1:30 How Lorenna grew up

6:50 Why she started practicing Buddhism

8:30 The family challenges that drove her practice

11:59 What her day-to-day struggle looked like

21:46 How her expectations for herself started to change

25:25 How she changed her experience of school

30:28 What it took to believe in herself

33:46 How she found her dream career path

40:24 The challenges she faced being mixed-race

43:17 Transforming shame

45:34 Her favorite Buddhist concept

48:41 What it took to ask for help for her mental health

56:52 Advice for her younger self and anyone listening

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(257)

A Skeptic's Approach to Buddhism [Feb 2024]

It’s natural to have doubt. The key, however, is whether we use our questions as fuel to seek out answers. Confidence in the power of Buddhist practices grows with time as you see actual proof of chan...

24 Heinä 40min

You Don’t Need to Hide Your Struggles

Buddhism isn’t about being perfect. Even so, it can be difficult to share that you’re struggling with something. Kenichi Hackman, of Los Angeles, used to think he could only share the good parts of hi...

17 Heinä 50min

Buddhability Short: A Life of Ease

Buddhability Shorts is a monthly series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today we’re talking about feeling constrained by things like o...

10 Heinä 9min

Euphoria’s Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje: The Life Experience No Acting School Could Teach

Actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje (“Oz,” “Lost,” “Euphoria”) shares how his difficult childhood shaped him into the actor, writer, and director he is today. He also opens up about how chanting Nam-myoho-...

26 Kesä 1h 8min

Buddhability Short: Make Your True Self Shine

Buddhability Shorts is a monthly series where we break down a Buddhist concept or common life challenge we’ve touched on in an interview. Today we’re talking about true individuality and how to bring ...

12 Kesä 9min

Finding Self-Worth Outside of My Job

How can we strive to do our best without tying our self-worth to the outcome? Today’s guest, Sandeep Ramanthan, of Seattle, struggled with an emptiness any time he was alone and not working. Through d...

5 Kesä 55min

What it Took to Finally Believe in Myself

Each of us is already enlightened but it can be difficult to believe when we hit problems. Dr. Victoria Smith, of New Orleans, had overcome so much through Buddhist practice but still struggled to see...

29 Touko 54min

A Tap Dancer on the Power of Being Yourself

Is it possible for someone who wasn’t always a top student to land a full-ride scholarship? Gabe Morris, of New York, shares how being himself and following his passions as a gifted tap dancer helped ...

22 Touko 45min