Mind Over Matcha

This is a conversation over tea about healing through creativity, breaking free from the habits that keep us on autopilot, and uncovering the most authentic version of ourselves. In this episode of Mind Over Matcha, we dive into how music helps my friend Sydneé Bethel, an abstract painter, enter her flow state. She shares how music becomes a bridge between the inner world and the art. And we share our own journeys of healing through art. Moving beyond how society expects us to be and into being more present for our truest selves. The vital lesson of self love. And a couple more juicy nuggets of earned wisdom.If you've ever felt the unease of living life in autopilot, this episode will help heal your soul. 💜🔍 Find Sydneé on Instagram at @sydneebethel_art🍵 Find and support my work and pre-order my book "Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist" at baovomusic.com

“In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities. In the expert’s mind, there are few.” That's a quote from Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Zen master Shunryu Suzuki. And it's the reason I've invited my friend Daniel Hayes to this conversation over tea, sitting 8,200 feet up in the mountains outside of Denver, Colorado. Daniel Hayes spent most of his adult life doing work that didn’t ask much of his creativity. For a long time, that part of him stayed quiet. Now, he’s making music, writing books, and creating short films for the first time with joy and confidence. Not to prove anything, but to reconnect with a way of being he thought he had lost. In this episode, we talk about how joy can return when you stop needing to be good at something. We explore how letting go of judgment can open up space for curiosity. Daniel shares what he had to unlearn in order to find ease in making things again, and how that shift is changing the way he moves through the world.If you’ve ever felt too late, too stuck, or too unsure to try something new, this one is for you.🌱 Find this show on Youtube. Mind Over Matcha is a space for everyday epiphanies, where we pause, reflect, and find meaning in the small things. Take what you need, and leaf the rest.🔍 Find Daniel Hayes on Youtube or on downingstreetstudios.com👩🏼‍🎤👨‍🎤 My prior performance art & music project Ming & Ping is here on Youtube🍵 Support my projects and pre-order my book "Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist" at baovomusic.comCHAPTERS:00:00 - Intro to approaching life with a Beginner's Mind00:48 - Beginners have many possibilities, Experts have few01:58 - Daniel's background was not in the arts03:01 - A creative & life renaissance at age 5006:09 - Unlearning the illusion of control10:02 - Matcha and the importance of flow states11:46 - Make fear an irrelevant emotion14:40 - Joy in not being right16:54 - How to start at any age18:17 - Play with sandcastles, not sandboxes20:07 - Where to find Daniel's work22:26 - A deer doing deer stuff

If you’re looking for a good 5-minute breathing exercise to calm anxiety, improve focus, or just come back to yourself, try my personal technique. This mindful breathing practice is something I use regularly to shift my energy before doing important things. It’s great for beginners, requires no mediation experience, and works surprisingly fast. I guide you through the full thing in a yoga nidra style, so you can follow along. Before I film an episode of Mind Over Matcha, I’m usually out in nature on my own, carrying all my gear, setting up my own shots, and working through whatever chaos the day throws at me. Before I press record, I always take a few minutes to slow my breath, quiet my mind, and ground myself in the present moment. I think this simple controlled breathing practice can help you with whatever you're doing too!🔗 Here are a couple things that inspired this video: The Neuroscience of Breath: How to Use Breathing to Control Emotions |  ⁨@DrTraceyMarks⁩  : https://youtu.be/rPXuhXndOZc?si=VYHrg82rQ1SLL_eJSummary of the 3-minute controlled breathing study: https://www.psypost.org/a-simple-breathing-exercise-enhances-emotional-control-new-research-suggestsThe actual study in Psychological Reports: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00332941251329856🔖 Bookmark this episode and return to it whenever you need help coming back to center. And share it if you think it can help someone else! 📕 Support my work and pre-order my book "Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist" at baovomusic.com CHAPTERS00:00 Intro from the Colorado mountains01:05 Breathing is healthy for your body and mind01:30 A scientific study on 3-minutes of breathing02:36 5-minute guided breathing exercise07:15 Make this practice your own

“Be yourself.” It’s advice we’ve all heard—but rarely unpack. What does it actually mean to be yourself? And how do you practice it in a world that constantly pulls you away from your core? In this video, I explore what it means to be authentic—not as a curated personality or a brand, but as an evolving human navigating creativity, relationships, and growth. Drawing from two decades as a multidisciplinary artist and mindfulness practitioner, I break down what it means to align with your core values, stay present, and return to yourself through simple, sustainable practices.This episode of Mind Over Matcha covers:00:00 - Introduction to this video's intention and subject matter.01:01 - The real-life benefits of being yourself (and the costs of not).03:10 - What does it mean to "Be Yourself"? My working theory of the five key pillars of authenticity: self-awareness, self-acceptance, flow, a growth path, and courage.07:08 - Introduction to six types of practices to connect with your true self.08:17 - Practice 1: Self reflection to determine your core values and build self-awareness.09:35 - Practice 3: Mindfulness practices such as walking meditation to help you be present with yourself and your thoughts.11:10 - Practice 3: Cultivate supportive relationships to get a fuller view of self and others.12:13 - Practice 4: Have healthy boundaries in order to preserve your self concept and personal wellbeing. 4 types of boundaries to consider14:04 - Practice 5: Flow state activities to help you tune out the noise and practice just being without judgement. Five categories of flow activities to spark ideas for your own practice.16:00 - Practice 6: Better socializing habits to help you not get caught up in judgement and anxiety.17:44 - Five ways to help others feel safe enough to be themselves.19:38 - Writing Assignment: A journaling prompt to help you visualize your “perfect day” and clarify your current values. This provides you with your growth path.20:58 - A Baoism to give you a new perspective on being yourself related to individuality, self-comparison, and compassion.21:49 - Some closing thoughts on more things to look into related to the topic.📘 Preorder My Book "Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist"👍 If this resonated with you, please like the video and share it with someone who might benefit from it.Further Listening & Viewing - These awesome talks and episodes inspired the themes explored in this video:* Hidden Brain Podcast – “Wellness 2.0: Be Yourself”* The Art of Being Yourself | Caroline McHugh @TEDx  * Who Are You, Really? The Puzzle of Personality | Brian Little @TED* The Science of Knowing Yourself (And Why It Matters) |  Dr. Thomas Smithyman#MindOverMatcha #BeYourself #Authenticity

What if the secret to breaking through creative blocks wasn’t pushing harder, but listening more deeply? In this tea talk, I get deep with collage artist Dakarai Akil, whose work combines vintage photography with bold, surreal compositions and motion. His style is often called Afro-surrealism and I can see the past, present, and future of Black culture is alive in his work. And lately, so does he—because now he talks to his art while he’s making it. Over a bowl of matcha green tea, we discuss what it means to listen to your work instead of trying to control it, how that changed his creative process, and how you can start doing it too—even if you’re not a visual artist.Topics include:* How to talk to your creative work* What it means when it talks back* Personal vs. commercial art* Ancestral influence and creative identity* Why curiosity matters more than inspirationWatch this episode as a video on Youtube: https://youtu.be/uf1TtgP3YT8🖼️ See more of Dakarai’s work: www.dakaraiart.com✨ Preorder my book Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist and support the channel at: www.baovomusic.comIf you got something out of this episode, please share it with a friend. Thanks!

If you’ve ever wanted to start journaling — or come back to it with fresh energy — this video will give you a gentle nudge and some helpful tools. In this episode of Mind Over Matcha, I share why journaling has been such a grounding practice in my life — not just during the tough times, but also when things feel totally fine. This isn’t about “dear diary” vibes. It’s about creating space to hear yourself more clearly — to process emotions, make better decisions, and show up with more intention in everyday life. I talk about what journaling actually does for your mind and body, why it works (even when you think you don’t “need” it), and how to start a practice that feels sustainable and personal.I’ll also walk you through:- How to start journaling without turning it into a chore- What psychologists like James Pennebaker say about the benefits of expressive writing- How journaling helps me regulate emotions, tap into creativity, and stay present- How journaling helps compartmentalize a very private and sometime challenging process, so it doesn't get in the way of the rest of your life- Why writing by hand slows you down and makes space to untangle thoughtsIf this resonates, let me know in the comments — or share it with someone who might need it.Find this show on Youtube here.✨ Preorder my book Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist and support the channel at baovomusic.com

What does it really mean to get a second chance at life? Is survival a blessing… or a burden? Darro is a music artist and activist who survived a life-threatening brain tumor and emerged forever changed. In this intimate tea talk, we explore what art, life, and purpose mean in the aftermath of a near-death experience. If you've ever felt the urgency to live more deeply—or the exhaustion that comes with that urgency—this conversation is for you. 🎵 Find Darro at www.instagram.com/darro_c🍿 Find Mind Over Matcha on Youtube📖 Pre-order my book and support my projects at baovomusic.com✨ Please share this with someone who could use it

Change is inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. We cling to identities, relationships, and ideas, hoping to hold onto something permanent—only to realize that everything is constantly transforming.In this episode of Mind Over Matcha, I step into nature to observe its effortless cycles of birth, death, and renewal. Trees shed their leaves without resistance. Rivers carve new paths without hesitation. Nothing stays the same, and that’s the beauty of it. Through art, mindfulness, and embracing impermanence, I’ve learned that life isn’t something to control—it’s something to move with. When we stop fighting change and start dancing with it, everything feels lighter.🌿 Where are you in your cycle of change? Let me know in the comments.🔗 Pre-order my book & explore my work → baovomusic.comIf this resonates, share it with someone who might need it. And if you’re into everyday epiphanies like this, subscribe for more. 🍵✨

Death is life’s final transition, yet most of us spend our lives avoiding it. But what if embracing death could teach us how to live more fully? In this episode of Mind Over Matcha, I sit down with death doula Erika Lim over tea, to explore what she has learned from guiding people through their final moments. We discuss what it means to die well and how preparing for death can shape the way we live. This conversation isn’t just about dying—it’s about presence, love, and making peace with impermanence. If you've ever wondered how to approach life with more intention, this episode might offer a new perspective.🌿 What are your thoughts on how Erika or I see the topic of death? Have questions? Let me know in the comments.🔗 Pre-order my book & explore my work → baovomusic.comIf this resonates, share it with someone who might need it. And if you’re into everyday epiphanies like this, subscribe for more. 🍵✨

I’ve always been obsessed with creating spaces—from murals and art installations to digital worlds and an entire fictional universe for my old band Ming & Ping. But lately, I’ve been drawn to a different kind of space—one built on intention and presence rather than physical materials. So what does this have to do with tea? ✨ Welcome to Mind Over Matcha. A space where my guests and I share everyday epiphanies—tiny droplets of wisdom that just might change how you see the world. Take what you need, and leaf the rest. 🌱💀 Check out my other show Coffee with BAO as a Podcast or Youtube📖 Pre-order my book and support my other projects at baovomusic.com

What if a simple conversation over tea could change the way you see the world? Coming soon as a Youtube show and podcast, Mind Over Matcha is a space for everyday epiphanies—tiny droplets of wisdom that could change how you see the world. Hosted by artist and storyteller Bao Vo, this show blends curiosity, wisdom, and the meditative ritual of tea to explore the unconventional ideas, passions, and life lessons that shape us. The slower, more intentional followup to Coffee with BAO, Mind Over Matcha invites you to steep in new ways of thinking. Take what you need, and leaf the rest. 🌱Subscribe now and join the ceremony. 🍵✨