And what was happening inside him while millions of people watched from a distance?

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In Part One of this special interview on the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan sit down with Jesse—the young man many people came to recognize walking behind the monks during the historic Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C.

For the first time, Jesse shares the deeply personal story behind his unexpected journey. After years of struggling with what he describes as darkness, he sold nearly everything he owned, left Utah, and set out alone in search of answers. When changing his surroundings failed to change what was happening within him, his search for inner peace led him to the Hương Đạo Temple in Fort Worth—and to an invitation that would alter the course of his life.

Together, they explore:

• Why Jesse left his home, possessions, family, and familiar life behind
• His attempt to replace internal suffering with physical challenges and uncertainty
• What happened when leaving Utah failed to quiet the darkness in his mind
• Why a Buddhist nun warned him against meditating alone in the desert
• How a fifteen-minute conversation led to an invitation to join the Walk for Peace
• The culture shock and loneliness he experienced after arriving at the temple
• What it was like to begin walking without understanding Buddhism or knowing how to meditate
• The intense physical pain and mental struggle of his first days on the road
• The moment he finally found his breath—and briefly found himself beneath the noise
• How suffering alongside the monks created a powerful bond that did not require words

Jesse speaks honestly about the difference between how the experience appeared online and what he was privately enduring. While others saw a young man participating in an extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime adventure, Jesse was searching for hope, struggling to understand his own mind, and discovering that meditation would not remove his pain—but could make it bearable.

If you have ever believed that changing your circumstances would finally make you feel whole, struggled to be alone with your thoughts, or wondered whether peace is possible while darkness remains, Jesse’s story offers an honest reminder that transformation does not always arrive as a sudden cure.

Sometimes it begins with one breath, one step, and the willingness to keep going.

Listen now to Part One of Jesse’s story, then return next Wednesday as the conversation continues with the accident that changed the course of his journey.

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What if the path toward peace begins by offering yourself compassion in the middle of what feels heavy?

In this special episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy introduces Jesse—the young man many people came to recognize walking behind the Buddhist monks during the historic Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington, D.C.

At twenty-one years old, Jesse sold nearly everything he owned and set out in search of direction. With no previous experience with Buddhism or meditation, his journey unexpectedly led him to the Hương Đạo Temple in Fort Worth just one week before the monks departed. Soon afterward, he found himself walking alongside them, learning to meditate while privately carrying struggles he describes as darkness.

Before Jesse shares his story, Amy leads a short meditation for anyone feeling overwhelmed by personal pain, difficult events, or the heaviness of the world. Through mindful breathing and the simple act of holding yourself in a compassionate embrace, you’ll be invited to offer love, comfort, and gentleness to the parts of you that are hurting.

This isn’t about pretending everything is okay. It’s about recognizing the burdens you carry without adding judgment or negative self-talk—and remembering that your worth and value remain absolute, even during your hardest moments.

Then, join us on Wednesday for part one of Amy and Ryan’s interview with Jesse as he publicly shares his full story for the first time. He’ll talk about leaving home in search of answers, unexpectedly joining the Walk for Peace, struggling to be alone with his thoughts, learning meditation from the monks, and surviving the accident that left him with lasting injuries.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to it whenever life feels especially heavy. Wrap your arms around yourself, breathe, and remember that offering yourself compassion is not silly or insignificant. It can be the beginning of changing how you see yourself—and how you meet the pain of others.

May you be well, happy, and peaceful.

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Why do boundaries sometimes feel like rules designed to control other people?

What if healthy boundaries are really about taking responsibility for what you choose to participate in?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore what boundaries actually are, why they are often misunderstood, and how setting them with clarity and compassion can protect your peace while strengthening your relationships.

Together, they explore:

• The important difference between a boundary and a rule
• Why boundaries focus on your own choices rather than controlling someone else
• How people-pleasing and fear of conflict can make it difficult to stand up for yourself
• The four levels of sharing and how to decide who can safely hold different parts of your story
• Why someone’s role in your life does not automatically make them a safe person for your deepest vulnerability
• A simple three-step method for clearly communicating a boundary
• The difference between a natural consequence and a punishment
• How boundaries differ from avoidance, manipulation, and stonewalling
• Why recurring relationship problems require us to examine our own participation in the pattern

Amy also shares a practical exercise for mapping the people in your life according to the level of sharing each relationship can safely support. Moving someone to a different level does not have to be a rejection or punishment—it may be the adjustment that finally allows the relationship to become peaceful.

If you have ever overshared and regretted it, remained silent to avoid conflict, or felt resentful because someone repeatedly treated you in a way you did not want, this conversation offers practical tools for changing the pattern without trying to control the other person.

Boundaries are not about building walls around yourself.

They are about deciding what you will participate in, communicating that decision with compassion, and taking responsibility for what you do next.

Listen now and learn how healthy boundaries can help you protect your peace, strengthen your relationships, and live with greater self-respect.

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What if creating healthier boundaries begins by listening to what you need—not trying to control what someone else does?

In this guided meditation, recorded among the birds and peaceful surroundings of Strawberry Reservoir, Amy introduces a healthier way to understand boundaries. Rather than using them as rules for controlling other people, boundaries help us decide what we are—and are not—willing to participate in.

Through quiet breathing, focused counting, and the calming presence of nature, you’ll practice settling a noisy mind and returning your attention to the present moment. Amy also invites you to make a small promise to yourself—offering yourself the care, encouragement, and compassion you need today.

This isn’t about forcing others to change. It’s about recognizing your own needs, taking responsibility for how you participate in relationship patterns, and creating enough space to protect both yourself and your relationships.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore the difference between boundaries and rules. Amy will share a simple three-step process for setting boundaries, along with practical levels of sharing that can help you decide who has earned access to the most vulnerable parts of your life.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to it whenever your mind feels noisy or your relationships feel overwhelming. With practice, you can release negative beliefs, speak to yourself with greater kindness, and create the space you need for greater clarity, connection, and peace.

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Why do we believe certain things are right or wrong?

What happens when following the rules and fitting in no longer feel like enough?

In this deeply personal episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore moral development—the process through which our motivations can move from fear of punishment, to the need for belonging, and eventually toward self-authority, discernment, love, and compassion.

Together, they explore:

• Kohlberg’s three broad stages of moral development: obey or pay, obey to belong, and self-authority
• Why fear and the desire to belong have such a powerful influence on our choices
• The difference between following the letter of the law and understanding its deeper purpose
• Why learning to think for yourself does not mean abandoning morality
• How families and communities can remain connected while allowing people to believe differently
• Why faith crises and deconstruction can feel destabilizing, frightening, and deeply meaningful
• How fear, politics, religion, and social media can pull us back toward conformity
• Why genuine self-authority is grounded in humility, integrity, love, and compassion

Amy also speaks vulnerably about her own spiritual deconstruction, the cost of questioning beliefs connected to identity and belonging, and how exploring different traditions has expanded her understanding of God, humanity, and her own inner voice.

If you have begun questioning inherited beliefs, felt afraid of disappointing your community, or wondered whether you can trust yourself to determine what is right, this conversation offers reassurance that uncertainty does not mean you are lost. It may be an invitation to develop a more honest and personal relationship with your values, your spirituality, and the divine.

Moral growth is not about proving that you have everything right.

It is about continuing to learn, remaining open to correction, and becoming more loving and compassionate along the way.

Listen now and explore how moving beyond fear and conformity can help you trust your inner wisdom, live with greater integrity, and become more fully yourself.

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Who are you beneath your roles, responsibilities, thoughts, and fears?

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces the topic of moral development and explores how moving beyond fear, conformity, and externally imposed expectations can help us reconnect with our own inner wisdom.

Through a grounding “I am” meditation, you’ll gently set aside the different layers of your identity—your surroundings, responsibilities, roles, body, thoughts, and emotional experiences. As each layer is acknowledged and released, you’ll be invited to rest in the quiet awareness that remains underneath it all.

This isn’t about diminishing the importance of your relationships or responsibilities. It’s about remembering that although you have roles, thoughts, emotions, and difficult experiences, none of them represents the entirety of who you are. Beneath every label is a deeper presence that is already peaceful, safe, and whole.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, the difference between obeying out of fear and living from self-authority, and why questioning inherited beliefs can be an important part of spiritual and emotional growth.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to the words “I am” whenever you feel overwhelmed, uncertain, or consumed by the roles you carry. With practice, this simple reminder can help you reconnect with your truest nature and move through life with greater wisdom, compassion, and peace.

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What does it really mean to accept something you wish had never happened?

What if acceptance isn’t giving up—but the first step toward finding a way forward?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore radical acceptance: the practice of meeting reality as it is, without judgment or resistance, while responding to yourself and your circumstances with love and compassion.

Together, they explore:

• The difference between radical acceptance, resignation, and approving of harmful behavior
• Why resisting reality can prolong emotional suffering and keep us from moving forward
• How to notice anger, fear, grief, and pain without becoming trapped in them
• Why acceptance does not eliminate the need for accountability or healthy boundaries
• How the mind’s desire for comfort can keep us repeating familiar patterns
• Why releasing control does not mean becoming passive or abandoning what matters
• How expectations and attachment to specific outcomes can interfere with peace
• What the changing seasons can teach us about growth, release, rest, and renewal

Amy and Ryan also discuss the difference between experiencing pain and adding suffering through resistance. They explore how accepting an emotion allows it to move through the body, while attaching judgment, meaning, and old stories to it can keep us stuck.

Along the way, they share personal experiences involving grief, work, relationships, faith, identity, and the difficult realization that doing everything “right” cannot guarantee a particular outcome. They also consider how life’s recurring patterns may reveal the places where healing and growth are still needed.

If you have ever struggled to accept something painful, held onto anger while waiting for someone else to take responsibility, or believed you could finally have peace if life would only go according to plan, this conversation offers another way forward.

Radical acceptance does not mean that what happened was okay.

It means acknowledging that it happened, meeting yourself with compassion, and deciding what you need now.

Listen now and discover how releasing resistance, loosening your attachment to outcomes, and accepting life’s natural rhythms can help you move toward greater freedom, wholeness, and peace.

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What if peace doesn’t come from controlling what happens—but from releasing your resistance to what already is?

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces the practice of radical acceptance: acknowledging the reality of life without judgment, avoidance, or the belief that painful experiences should not have happened.

Radical acceptance does not mean approving of harm or pretending that difficult circumstances are okay. It means recognizing that life naturally includes joy and grief, growth and loss, rest and renewal—and allowing uncomfortable emotions to move through us rather than holding them in place through resistance.

Drawing on the rhythms of nature and the changing seasons, Amy explores how fall invites release, winter offers restoration, spring brings new beginnings, and summer encourages growth and joy. Each season has a purpose, just as every stage of our lives can offer something necessary to our healing.

Through a five-minute breathing meditation, you’ll focus on the rise and fall of your breath and the quiet space between each inhale and exhale. This simple practice can help you reconnect with your center, observe your thoughts without judgment, and find stillness even when the world around you feels chaotic.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore radical acceptance more deeply, including why we resist painful emotions, how resistance can prolong suffering, and how accepting reality can help us move forward with greater clarity, compassion, and peace.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to it whenever you find yourself fighting against an emotion, circumstance, or season of life. With practice, following the natural rhythm of your breath can remind you that every experience changes—and that release, rest, growth, and renewal are all part of becoming whole.

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Why can you recognize a behavior you want to change—and still feel unable to stop repeating it?

What if the struggle itself is evidence that you are becoming more aware?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore the challenging side of self-awareness: the uncomfortable transition between recognizing an unconscious pattern and finally becoming free from it.

Together, they explore:

• Why awareness is the beginning of change, even when the behavior does not immediately stop
• How the mind develops automatic programs from childhood experiences
• Why believing other people must change can place your peace outside your control
• The difference between accepting reality and approving of harmful behavior
• How resistance, overthinking, and avoidance may be attempts to protect an old wound
• Why the beliefs beneath our behavior are often different from the explanations we consciously give
• How compassion for younger versions of ourselves can help loosen long-held patterns
• How laddering can reveal the root belief beneath something that keeps us stuck

Amy then guides Ryan through the laddering process in real time, beginning with his repeated difficulty pursuing music. What initially appears to be a fear of not being good enough gradually reveals deeper beliefs about purpose, worth, and an experience from his teenage years that continued shaping his choices decades later.

The process is not quick or perfectly linear. Ryan’s thinking mind repeatedly searches for logical explanations and tries to move away from the underlying feeling. By leaving that struggle in the conversation, Amy shows what laddering can actually look like—especially for people who are more comfortable analyzing their experiences than feeling them.

If you have ever known that something was holding you back but could not understand why, this conversation offers a practical way to move beneath the surface explanation and discover the belief at the root of the pattern.

You may not be responsible for the beliefs your mind formed when you were young.

But through awareness, compassion, and a willingness to look beneath the surface, you can begin choosing what happens next.

Listen now and learn how self-awareness and laddering can help you uncover unconscious beliefs, care for the parts of yourself that still carry them, and move toward greater freedom, wholeness, and peace.

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What if becoming more aware of yourself is the first step toward becoming more fully who you are?

In this guided meditation, Amy explores the double-edged nature of self-awareness. Recognizing our patterns can be uncomfortable, but it is also the beginning of changing the behaviors, beliefs, and automatic reactions that no longer reflect who we want to be.

So often, the mind relies on unconscious programs created during earlier stages of life. Without awareness, these old patterns can continue directing our choices while convincing us that our circumstances—or the people around us—are the reason we cannot experience peace.

Through mindful breathing and quiet observation, this meditation invites you to notice your thoughts without reacting to them, reconnect with glimpses of your truest self, and approach your current ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving with compassion rather than judgment.

This isn’t about criticizing yourself or using awareness as another reason to feel shame. It’s about becoming conscious of what has been shaping your life so you can heal, grow, and choose responses that better reflect who you are becoming.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore self-awareness more deeply and discuss why recognizing our own patterns can feel so threatening. Amy will also share a practical skill for approaching the parts of ourselves we resist with greater honesty, curiosity, and compassion.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to it whenever you feel stuck in an old pattern or tempted to believe that your peace depends on someone else changing. With practice, self-awareness can become a doorway to greater freedom, wholeness, and peace.

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Why are you patient and grounded on some days—but easily overwhelmed or reactive on others?

What if you could recognize emotional escalation early enough to change what happens next?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore emotional regulation and share two practical tools for understanding your nervous system, recognizing when stress is taking over, and responding in a way that reflects who you truly want to be.

Together, they explore:

• How automatic emotional patterns develop and why the brain continues running them
• The difference between feeling an emotion and allowing it to control your behavior
• How your window of tolerance changes with stress, trauma, exhaustion, hunger, hormones, and other factors
• The difference between hyperarousal, such as anger and agitation, and hypoarousal, such as shutting down or numbing
• How mindfulness and meditation can widen your capacity to handle stress
• The five levels of emotional escalation and why level three is the critical turning point
• How to recognize the physical signals that tell you regulation is needed
• How these tools can support adults, children, marriages, families, and people working to change unwanted behaviors

Amy and Ryan also share how they used the five-level system to help their daughter Mallory recognize her emotional state and communicate what she needed before reaching a full meltdown. Over time, the same skill that helped her regulate at school became a practical language their entire family could understand.

If you have ever snapped at someone you love, shut down under stress, become trapped in avoidance, or wondered why your capacity seems smaller on certain days, this conversation will help you recognize what is happening before the reaction takes over.

Emotional regulation does not mean suppressing what you feel.

It means understanding what you feel, noticing when you are approaching your limit, and choosing what you need before emotion takes control.

Listen now and learn how greater awareness of your window of tolerance and levels of escalation can help you respond with more intention, integrity, and peace.

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What if emotional strength isn’t about controlling what you feel—but learning how to respond consciously when emotions arise?

In this guided walking meditation, Amy introduces emotional regulation: the ability to recognize what is happening within you, calm your nervous system, and choose a response that reflects who you truly want to be.

Through the simple rhythm of lifting, moving, and stepping, you’ll practice slowing down, focusing on each movement, and gently returning your attention whenever your mind wanders. This mindful movement can help interrupt automatic patterns, ground you in the present moment, and create space between what you feel and what you do next.

This isn’t about suppressing anger, fear, or other difficult emotions. It’s about learning to experience those feelings without allowing them to take control. True power comes not from overpowering others or controlling external circumstances, but from understanding and regulating ourselves.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore emotional regulation more deeply. Amy will share practical skills for recognizing your personal levels of escalation, responding to early warning signs before reaching the trigger point, changing unwanted behaviors, and helping children learn to identify and communicate what they need.

If you feel overwhelmed, reactive, or unable to quiet your mind by sitting still, return to this walking meditation whenever you need to reset. With practice, each mindful step can help you move toward greater awareness, self-mastery, and peace.

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Why do certain words, behaviors, or situations create such powerful emotional reactions?

What if your triggers aren’t simply problems to avoid—but clues showing you where healing is still needed?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore what emotional triggers really are, why they activate automatic reactions, and how learning to understand them can lead to greater freedom, healthier relationships, and lasting peace.

Together, they explore:

• How present-day experiences can activate patterns formed in the past
• Why the brain sometimes reacts to an old threat as though it is happening now
• The difference between being triggered and choosing how to respond
• Why expecting others to manage our triggers can leave us feeling powerless
• How curiosity can help uncover the original experience behind a reaction
• How parts work can help care for and release younger versions of ourselves
• When professional trauma treatments such as EMDR or ART may be helpful
• Why triggers can become valuable guides toward healing and freedom

Along the way, Amy and Ryan share examples from their own relationship, including how Ryan becoming quiet once activated fear from Amy’s childhood—and how understanding the source of that reaction allowed them to make room for both of their needs.

If you have ever felt overtaken by an emotional reaction, expected someone else to make your discomfort disappear, or wondered why certain situations affect you so deeply, this conversation offers a practical way to interrupt the old program and respond from the present.

Your triggers are not proof that you are broken.

They are invitations to discover where the past is still shaping the present—and where greater freedom is possible.

Listen now and learn how taking responsibility for your triggers can help you move beyond automatic reactions and create greater awareness, wholeness, and peace.

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What if the moments that disturb your peace are also showing you where healing is needed?

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces a different way to understand emotional triggers—not as something to fear or avoid, but as signals that can help reveal unresolved pain, conditioned beliefs, and places within us that need attention.

Through a simple breathing practice inspired by Bhante Paññākāra and the Buddhist Walk for Peace, you’ll learn to focus on the breath, observe your thoughts without reacting to them, and begin each day with a powerful intention: Today is going to be my peaceful day.

This isn’t about expecting your circumstances—or the people around you—to be peaceful. It’s about remembering that you can pause, breathe, and choose how you want to respond, even when something difficult activates fear, anxiety, or an old emotional wound.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore what triggers are, why they happen, and how you can approach them with curiosity rather than avoidance. Amy will also share practical skills for using triggers as guides toward greater awareness, healing, and freedom.

If this meditation resonates with you, return to it whenever you feel overwhelmed or reactive. With practice, the simple act of observing your thoughts and returning to your breath can help you cultivate greater patience, compassion, and peace—within yourself, your relationships, and the world around you.

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What if healing doesn’t require leaving grief behind—but learning how to carry love and loss together?

In this deeply personal episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan honor their son Dawson on what would have been his twenty-first birthday. For the first time in the fifteen years since his death, they sit down together and talk through his life, their years of caring for him, the pain of losing him, and the profound ways he shaped their family.

Together, they explore:

• The realities of raising twins born nearly fourteen weeks premature
• How intuition helped Amy navigate impossible medical decisions
• The joy, humor, and enormous spirit Dawson brought into their lives
• Why survival mode can carry us through a crisis—but leave grief waiting beneath the surface
• The different ways people experience, avoid, and eventually process loss
• How painful experiences can deepen resilience, compassion, and our ability to help others
• Why healing does not mean forgetting the people we have lost

Along the way, Amy and Ryan share stories of Dawson’s laughter, his love of music, the family and community that supported them, and the experiences that shaped who they are today.

If you are grieving, carrying pain you have never fully faced, or trying to find meaning after an experience that changed your life, this conversation offers an honest reminder that there is no perfect way to survive loss.

Healing doesn’t mean the grief disappears.

It means allowing love, pain, and meaning to exist together.

Listen now and meet Dawson—the joyful little boy whose life continues to teach Amy and Ryan about love, resilience, compassion, and greater peace.

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What if the experiences that break our hearts can also become sacred ground for healing?

In this guided meditation, Amy honors the life of her son Dawson, who passed away at four and a half years old, and explores what grief can teach us about resilience, compassion, and becoming more whole.

The difficult experiences we endure can leave us feeling overwhelmed, lost, or even broken. Through mindful breathing and gentle self-compassion, this meditation invites you to slow down, regulate your nervous system, and offer yourself the same love and encouragement you would give to someone else who is hurting.

This isn’t simply a relaxation exercise. It’s an opportunity to honor what you have survived, recognize the strength within your struggle, and begin seeing life’s most painful experiences not only as wounds, but as sacred parts of your healing and growth.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan share more about Dawson, the profound impact his life and death had on their family, and what their experience has taught them about grief, resilience, compassion, and finding meaning in life’s most difficult moments.

If this meditation resonates with you, come back to it whenever life feels especially heavy. Sometimes healing begins with something as simple as taking one breath at a time, wrapping your arms around yourself, and remembering: You’ve got this.

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Why do we react the way we do—even when we know better?

In this conversation, Amy and Ryan explore the powerful concept of Parts Work and how every version of ourselves continues to influence the way we think, feel, and respond to life's challenges. Together, they unpack why shame keeps us stuck, why self-criticism rarely creates lasting change, and why genuine healing begins with compassion.

Building on Monday's guided meditation, this episode explains how our younger selves developed beliefs and protective strategies that once helped us survive but may now be limiting our relationships, confidence, and peace. Amy shares the framework she has developed through years of working with clients, offering a practical, accessible approach to understanding your inner world without judgment.

If you've ever wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns, struggle with negative self-talk, or find it difficult to extend compassion to yourself, this conversation will give you a new perspective—and practical tools—to begin creating lasting change.

Healing doesn't happen by fighting the parts of yourself you dislike. It happens when every part of you is finally understood.

In this episode you'll learn:

• Why your brain developed different "parts" to protect you
• How childhood experiences continue to shape adult thoughts and behaviors
• Why shame and self-criticism keep us stuck
• How compassion creates deeper and more lasting change than punishment
• Practical ways to begin healing old wounds and strengthening self-worth

Whether you're new to parts work or have explored it before, this conversation will help you better understand yourself, deepen your self-compassion, and move toward greater peace.

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The way you see yourself today was shaped by the experiences of every version of you that came before.

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces a compassionate approach to Parts Work—a practice inspired by Internal Family Systems (IFS) but adapted into a simple framework you can use on your own. Rather than criticizing or trying to "fix" yourself, you'll learn to reconnect with younger versions of yourself through curiosity, understanding, and love.

As you revisit a meaningful memory, you'll practice offering your younger self the compassion, safety, and wisdom they needed most. This process helps loosen the grip of shame, soften negative self-talk, and begin changing the unconscious beliefs that still influence your life today.

Healing doesn't come through punishment. It comes through compassion.

Take a deep breath, find a comfortable place to settle in, and join us as we begin building a relationship with every part of ourselves—so we can experience greater healing, greater self-compassion, and greater peace.

In this episode you'll experience:

• A guided self-compassion meditation
• An introduction to Amy's approach to parts work
• A practice for connecting with younger versions of yourself
• A powerful exercise for reducing shame and strengthening self-worth

On Wednesday's conversation episode, Amy and Ryan will explore why this practice is so transformative and how it can change the way you relate to yourself and others.

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Why do we care so much about what other people think?

What if the answer isn’t that other people are judging you… but that your own mind is filling in the blanks?

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan have an honest, unscripted conversation about shame—not as an abstract psychological concept, but as something that quietly influences our relationships, decisions, confidence, and sense of self every day.

Together, they explore:

• The critical difference between shame and guilt
• Why our brains assume the worst when we don’t know what others are thinking
• How childhood experiences shape the beliefs we carry into adulthood
• Why comparison, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and even gossip often grow from shame
• How self-awareness and curiosity begin to dissolve old beliefs
• Why healing starts when we stop believing every thought our mind offers us

Along the way, Amy and Ryan use their own experiences—including moments from creating the podcast itself—to show how shame can hide in even the most ordinary parts of life.

If you’ve ever worried about what people think, struggled to feel “good enough,” or found yourself trapped in self-criticism, this conversation will help you understand where those feelings come from—and how to begin letting them go.

Healing doesn’t begin by becoming someone else.

It begins by seeing yourself more clearly.

Listen now and discover how understanding shame can lead to greater self-compassion, authenticity, and lasting peace. 

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Shame has a way of convincing us that we are the problem.

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces one of the most common—and most painful—experiences we all face: shame.

You’ll explore the difference between guilt (“I did something bad”) and shame (“I am bad”), and why that distinction matters for healing, self-worth, and lasting change.

This week’s meditation also teaches a simple but powerful mindfulness practice using breath and counting to quiet the mind, strengthen awareness, and cultivate a gentler relationship with yourself. Whether you’re new to meditation or your mind feels like it’s constantly racing, this practice will help you return to the present moment with curiosity instead of judgment.

This meditation lays the foundation for Wednesday’s conversation, where Amy and Ryan dive deeper into shame, resilience, and self-compassion—and explore practical tools for breaking free from shame without losing accountability.

Take a deep breath, slow down, and remember:

At your truest nature, you are peace. Sometimes we simply need to create the space for that peace to rise within us.

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Have you ever ignored a gut feeling and later wished you hadn’t?

This week we’re exploring one of the most misunderstood skills we have: intuition.

In this conversation, we explore what intuition really is, why we so often ignore it, and how learning to notice your body’s signals can help you make decisions with greater clarity, confidence, and peace.

Along the way, we discuss:

• The human capacity for developing senses beyond our 5 physical senses, and how that is connected to true power. 
• Stages of development related to morality and how the highest development depends upon a strong intuition.
• Why our body often recognizes truth before our conscious mind does
• How to tell the difference between fear, anxiety, and intuition
• Why ignoring red flags teaches us to stop trusting ourselves and how to heal.
• A practical exercise you can begin using today to strengthen your intuition

Whether you’re making a major life decision, healing from past experiences, or simply wanting to feel more grounded, this episode offers practical tools for reconnecting with the wisdom that’s already within you.

If you haven’t already, we recommend listening to Monday’s guided meditation first, as it lays the foundation for many of the ideas discussed here.

If this episode resonated with you, would you help us grow this community by sharing it with someone who might benefit?

After years of helping people heal as a trauma and addiction therapist and wellness coach, Amy started the Greater Peace Podcast with one goal: to make these life-changing skills available to as many people as possible.

Every share helps that mission reach one more person searching for greater peace.

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What if the wisdom you’re searching for is already within you?

In this guided meditation, Amy introduces one of the foundational skills for creating lasting peace: strengthening your intuition.

So often, our conditioned mind drowns out the quiet inner knowing that has always been there. Through this meditation, you’ll begin practicing how to move beyond mental noise and reconnect with the deeper, wiser part of yourself—the part that isn’t defined by fear, performance, or the need to prove your worth.

This isn’t simply a relaxation exercise. It’s a powerful experiential meditation designed to help you sense the stillness beneath your thoughts and reconnect with your truest self.

Then, join us on Wednesday as Amy and Ryan explore what intuition really is, why so many of us have lost touch with it, and practical tools you can begin using immediately to strengthen your ability to trust yourself, make wiser decisions, and live with greater confidence and peace.

If this meditation resonates with you, come back to it often. Like any skill, learning to recognize and trust your inner wisdom grows stronger with practice.

*Subscribe to the Greater Peace Podcast for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.*

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What if the peace you are seeking is hiding in the one-second pause between a trigger and your response?

If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I don’t know why I keep doing this,” this conversation is for you.

Most of us don’t choose our reactions as much as we think we do.

Long before we’re aware of it, our brains create automatic patterns based on childhood experiences, painful moments, and the beliefs we’ve formed about ourselves and the world. Those unconscious patterns often take over before we’ve had a chance to think.

In this episode of the Greater Peace Podcast, Amy and Ryan explore the difference between reacting and responding—and why that small space between the two has the power to change your relationships, your healing, and your life.

Using stories from neuroscience, personal experience, Viktor Frankl’s timeless wisdom, and practical therapeutic tools, Amy explains how the conditioned mind develops, why change feels so difficult, and how mindfulness helps us interrupt old patterns before they take over.

You’ll learn:
• Why your brain is wired to react automatically.
• How childhood experiences continue to shape adult behavior.
• The difference between reacting from fear and responding with intention.
• A simple exercise you can use after difficult moments to understand your triggers, respond with greater compassion, and create lasting change.
• How practicing mindfulness in everyday moments strengthens your ability to stay true to who you want to be when life gets hard.

Healing doesn’t happen by becoming someone else. It happens by creating enough space to choose who you want to be instead of letting old programming choose for you by a younger version of your brain.

Because between the stimulus and the response is a space—and in that space is the possibility of greater peace.

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Before we can change our reactions, we first have to develop the ability to notice them.

In this week’s meditation, Amy introduces the foundation of one of the most life-changing skills we can learn: mindfulness. Drawing on the wisdom of Viktor Frankl, Eckhart Tolle, and contemplative traditions, she explores how presence creates the space between life’s challenges and our automatic reactions.

Through practical examples and a guided 10-minute meditation, you’ll begin strengthening your ability to return to the present moment—whether you’re driving, cooking, walking, spending time with loved ones, or simply breathing. Like any muscle, mindfulness becomes stronger with practice, giving you greater awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and conditioned patterns.

This meditation serves as the foundation for Wednesday’s conversation, where Amy and Ryan take a deeper look at why we react the way we do and introduce a practical skill to help you interrupt automatic patterns and choose your response with greater intention.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Why mindfulness is the first step to lasting change.
How presence helps quiet the conditioned mind.
Simple ways to practice mindfulness throughout your day.
A guided meditation to strengthen awareness and inner peace.

Peace begins within. And every moment of mindful awareness is an opportunity to choose who you want to become.

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In the very first Greater Peace Conversation, Amy and Ryan Lindstrom introduce the vision behind the Greater Peace Podcast and share the personal experiences that inspired them to create it.

Amy explains the unique weekly format of the podcast, where each Monday meditation introduces a simple practice, Wednesday's conversation explores that topic in greater depth, and community discussions continue throughout the week.

The conversation then turns to this week's theme: the conditioned mind and the Sufi teaching that "the soul is covered by a thousand veils." Together, Amy and Ryan explore how childhood experiences shape the beliefs we carry about ourselves, how those beliefs influence our relationships and behaviors throughout life, and why self-awareness and compassion are essential parts of healing.

Drawing from psychology, trauma therapy, meditation, Buddhist teachings, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and personal life experiences—including grief, parenting, marriage, and midlife growth—they discuss how we can begin recognizing the stories we've inherited, gently question them, and uncover the peace that has always been within us.

This episode is an honest conversation about healing, purpose, relationships, and the lifelong process of becoming more fully ourselves.

In this episode:

• The vision behind the Greater Peace Podcast
• Why Amy became a mental health therapist
• Ryan's perspective on growth and self-awareness
• The conditioned mind and negative core beliefs
• The Sufi teaching of "the soul is covered by a thousand veils"
• How childhood experiences shape adult relationships
• Why meditation helps us observe rather than become our thoughts
• Compassion, healing, and peeling back the layers that hide our true nature

Whether you're beginning your own journey of healing or simply looking for thoughtful conversations about psychology, mindfulness, spirituality, and personal growth, we hope you'll join us each week as we continue exploring practical ways to cultivate greater peace.

If you enjoyed this conversation, please follow the podcast and share it with someone who may benefit. Your support helps us continue creating meaningful conversations that encourage hope, healing, and a more compassionate way of living.

*Subscribe to the Greater Peace Podcast for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.*

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*Subscribe to the Greater Peace Podcast for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.*

STAY UPDATED
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FACEBOOK
YOUTUBE
TIKTOK

*Subscribe to the Greater Peace Podcast for new episodes every Monday and Wednesday.*

STAY UPDATED
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YOUTUBE
TIKTOK