What does happiness look like when life is difficult? Meditation teacher, musician, and happiness strategist Monique Rhodes joins me for a conversation about mindfulness, daily habits, and making room for everything we feel.
Hello, friends. For this very first episode, I’m so glad to introduce you to Monique. We talk about the experiences that brought her to meditation, how her practice supported her through serious illness, and what it means to feel grounded while still experiencing anger, grief, and uncertainty.
We also get into why playing a game with a friend might deserve a place on the calendar. And since we’re both singers, we talk about music, performing, and what happens when something you love becomes your job. There’s a little backgammon, a little boogie boarding, and a lot to think about.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Meet Monique Rhodes
01:03 What brought Monique to meditation
04:50 How her practice changed her life
08:21 What does it mean to be happy?
10:40 Making room for difficult feelings
14:19 Happiness habits and lasting change
16:40 Making time for play and connection
20:19 Music, performing, and doing what you love
24:54 Monique’s parting thought
27:18 Stay connected
HELLO, FRIENDS EPISODES
CONNECT WITH MONIQUE
Explore Monique’s work and find the happiness quiz we discuss:
https://instagram.com/@moniquerhodesofficial
https://youtube.com/@UCZcyGAkD0_Kp09HGDhvTf9A
ABOUT HELLO, FRIENDS
Hello, Friends with James Donegan is a place for conversations about mindfulness and the unexpected ways our practices show up in everyday life. I’m a yoga teacher, actor, and singer, and I’m curious about how we carry what we practice into the lives we actually have.
Explore Daily Flow Yoga + Meditation:
https://dailyflow.yoga/video
Get periodic Daily Flow updates:
https://mailchi.mp/dailyflow/join-us
If this conversation speaks to you, I hope you’ll follow Hello, Friends wherever you’re watching or listening and share this episode with a friend.
Thank you for spending this time with us. Namaste.
Content note: This conversation includes discussion of childhood trauma, depression, a past suicide attempt, and serious illness.