In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, host Dr. Stephanie Romero speaks with Erica Strasser—a licensed clinical psychotherapist, practice owner, adjunct psychology professor, and yoga and pilates instructor based in Pittsburgh. Erica shares her clinical insights and deeply personal journey of using mindfulness and somatic practices to anchor through grief, life transitions, and trauma.

• Mindfulness Roots & Unconventional Career Path: Erica details her early introduction to Buddhism and meditation at age 15, taking a college mindfulness course while earning an art history degree, and her eventual pivot into professional counseling following a major life tragedy.

• Transforming Grief into Purpose: How losing her first husband, Joe, to a drug overdose at age 27 inspired Erica to earn her Master’s degree in counseling with a focus on substance use recovery, grief, and mindfulness tools.

• Somatic & Body-Based Healing: The role of physical and sensory practices—such as running, yoga, walking meditation, and engaging the five senses—in moving grief and strong emotions through the body.

• Breaking the Stigma around Overdose Loss: Overcoming judgment, shame, and isolation associated with substance use disorder, and creating non-judgmental spaces through community work like Awaken Pittsburgh’s Mindful Connections for Healing After Loss course.

• Navigating Parental Loss: Reflecting on the ongoing journey of mother loss, holding space for grief, and recognizing subtle signs of presence and connection.

• Sustaining Wellbeing & Boundaries: Practical routines for avoiding burnout, including hard digital cutoffs (turning off phone and social media at 9 PM), hydration habits, and fitness walking.

1. Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations For Working Through Grief – A daily meditation book providing compassionate reflections for grief processing.

2. Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free by Terri Cole – A guide to setting healthy boundaries, practicing self-care, and building foundational mental health habits.

Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com

Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com)

Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting.

The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh!

Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support

Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, host Stephanie Romero speaks with Bhante Pema, resident monk at the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center. Bhante Pema reflects on his early ordination in Sri Lanka at age 10, inspired by his granduncle, and his journey to leading monastic and community spaces in the U.S. The conversation addresses the distinct ways Western and Eastern audiences approach practice, emphasizing that meditation cannot stand in isolation without ethical living and generosity. Bhante Pema also shares insights on academic versus spiritual instruction, virtual youth programs, daily monastic routines, and the core mechanics of Theravada Vipassana meditation.

Key Themes

• Monastic Journey: Ordained as a novice monk in November 1986 in Sri Lanka, pursuing higher education in Thailand, Singapore, and the U.S. before coming to serve the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center in 2008.

• Ethics as a Foundation for Meditation: Why moral precepts (such as the five lay precepts) are not rigid rules, but preventive practices that reduce mental agitation and regret to prepare the mind for deep meditation.

• Cultural Differences in Practice: Contrasting the Sri Lankan immigrant community's focus on generosity (Dana) and ethics with Western practitioners' eagerness to jump directly into meditation.

• Mindfulness for Youth: Implementing Zoom-based yoga, movement, loving-kindness (Metta), and gratitude meditation to support children's emotional wellbeing.

• Understanding Vipassana: Moving beyond pure calming practices (Samatha) to observe the impermanent, constantly arising, and passing nature of experience.

Resources Mentioned

• Pittsburgh Buddhist Center & Cleveland Satellite Center: Community centers offering retreats, classes, and cultural events.

• Bhavana Society: Forest monastery in West Virginia, co-founded by Bhante Gunaratana and Bhante Rahula.

• Book: Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana

• Book: 8 Mindful Steps to Happiness by Bhante Gunaratana.

• Book: Being Nobody, Going Nowhere by Ayya Khema.

• Book: In Buddha's Words: An Anthology of the Pali Canon by Bhikkhu Bodhi.

• Book: Why Buddhism is True by Robert Wright.

Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com

Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com)

Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting.

The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh!

Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support

Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.

In this episode of The Ripple Effect of Wellbeing in Work and Life, host Stephanie Romero sits down with Reverend Jim Magaw, minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the South Hills (Sunny Hill). Reverend Jim reflects on his personal journey with spiritual exploration and 28 years of addiction recovery, sharing how contemplative tools offer a container to observe life's challenges rather than escape them. The conversation explores practical strategies for preventing burnout in helping professions, the integration of micro-meditations into busy schedules, and how grounded spiritual practice fuels sustainable social justice work. Stephanie and Jim also discuss leading through theological pluralism, fostering curiosity across differing perspectives, and building meaningful community connections right in our own backyards.

Key Themes

• Spirituality in Recovery: How contemplative practices address spiritual emptiness and provide a container for holding difficult urges and emotions.

• Micro-Practices for Self-Care: Utilizing brief, intentional pauses throughout the day—such as two-minute breathing breaks and music—to prevent burnout in demanding leadership roles.

• Sustainable Social Activism: Finding a middle path between apathy and constant anger by grounding justice work in community partnerships and actionable steps.

• Theological Pluralism & Curiosity: Cultivating spaces that welcome diverse belief systems, encouraging deep listening and genuine curiosity over division.

• Relational Community Building: The impact of local engagement, interfaith relationships, and small acts of neighborly kindness.

Resources:

Learn More at www.awakencollaborative.com

Music: Weather Any Storm by Cody Francis and Forever and A Day by Kim Aspen (canva.com)

Produced by Say Some Thing Studios, a creative media division of Elevate 1 Consulting.

The Awaken Collaborative supports Awaken Pittsburgh!

Awaken Pittsburgh, a 501c3 non-profit organization, relies on the generosity of our community to achieve our mission of fostering well-being, empathy, and compassion for all. Your support helps mindfulness practitioners reach individuals across the Greater Pittsburgh Area through evidence-based programs, activities, and events. Give Today! www.awakenpittsburgh.org/support

Music: "Chill Mode" by Audiobinger from the free music archive. This work is openly licensed via CC BY 4.0.