The Zen Den

“Money is not separate from us. It’s a relationship that reflects how we learned to feel safe in the world.”In this episode of The Zen Den, Maggie Calder sits with financial therapist and money coach Brenda St. Louis to explore the quieter patterns beneath our financial lives. Brenda explains how behaviors like scarcity, control, avoidance, overspending, or over-giving are often learned early, shaped by family, culture, and the body’s need for safety.Together, Maggie and Brenda reflect on how these patterns form, how the body responds when money comes into focus, and how awareness begins to create space for something new. Brenda shares her intention to shift the way we relate to money, allowing it to support connection instead of stress.This conversation offers a gentle invitation to notice your own patterns with curiosity, rather than judgment, and to consider what a healthier relationship with money might feel like in your life.In this episode, you’ll explore:• Why money patterns develop and how they quietly shape our financial lives• The role the body plays in signaling stress, safety, or discomfort around finances• Why awareness and curiosity are more supportive than shame or judgmentTimestamps:(00:00:00) Episode Snippet(00:01:49) Welcoming our guest, Brenda St. Louis(00:02:26) Money is a conduit for connection(00:04:10) Understanding our personal money relationship(00:08:26) Patterns show up in the body(00:11:14) Why logic alone does not change patterns(00:12:44) Shame blocks change(00:15:28) Learning in supportive spaces(00:18:21) Stress brings old money habits back(00:19:14) Intergenerational money patterns(00:20:07) Five common patterns: scarcity, control, avoidance, overspending, over-giving(00:24:17) Every pattern has another side(00:26:06) Rethinking our relationship with money(00:28:13) Money is a long-term learning journey(00:28:57) Connect with Brenda St. Louis(00:30:11) Closing breath and reflectionKey Takeaways:Money is not only about earning and spending, it is a relationship shaped over time.Our money habits often come from early family patterns and a need for safety.The body reveals a lot about our financial stress through tension, breath, and emotion.Shame and judgment do not create change, awareness and safety do.Each money pattern has a useful side that can guide healthier choices.Reflecting on money with curiosity can open space for new patterns to form.About Brenda St. LouisBrenda St. Louis is an Accredited Financial Counselor, Financial Therapist, Certified Money Coach, and Trauma of Money Facilitator with over 25 years of experience in personal development and business. She focuses on financial and emotional literacy, helping people understand their money patterns and build confidence. Brenda is the founder of REWIRE, a speaker, and a published author based in Vancouver, BC.Connect with me:Website: https://www.brendastlouis.com/; https://www.moneyanddesire.com/Email: maggiecalder.ca@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenda-st-louis-6b39b014/FB: https://www.facebook.com/brendastlouisYT: https://www.youtube.com/@brendastlouis7About Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: maggiecalder.ca@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder The Zen Den is a welcoming space for everyone, no matter your background or beliefs, where real conversations happen about how to find peace in a chaotic world. Each episode will explore a challenge or difficulty and guide you toward your own natural Zen state: calm, centered, and clear. Join Maggie in this conscious movement to awaken higher consciousness, live in harmony, and let your authentic truth shine.

“Even when I couldn’t move or speak, I realized that the simplest acts of care, like the gentle touch of a nurse or the presence of my family, were full of love and quietly helped me heal in ways no medicine could.”In this episode of Get Real Zen, former Buddhist nun and spiritual teacher Maggie Calder shares her extraordinary near-death experience after a serious motorcycle accident left her in a coma for 18 days. Maggie describes awakening in a world beyond the physical, surrounded by love, light, and a deep sense of belonging.Joined by guest host Robin, she talks about returning to life with a fresh perspective, living with more presence, and discovering the power of stillness and connection. They explore how consciousness and healing are linked and how love can be felt in every moment, even through challenges.Listen to this heartfelt conversation about life after death, the beauty of awakening, and the reminder that no matter what, you are love.In this episode, you’ll discover:The powerful story of Maggie Calder’s near-death experience and what she encountered beyond this lifeHow her time in a state of “creamy white light” transformed her understanding of peace, love, and onenessThe moment she returned to her body after 18 days in a coma and how it reshaped her perception of physical realityTimestamps:(00:00:00) Episode Snippet(00:02:32) A life of joy and passion before the accident(00:04:09) The day everything changed: motorcycle accident(00:10:39) Entering the light: meeting my deceased parents(00:14:25) The message to return to life(00:17:12) “You are love”(00:20:19) Seeing energy in everything(00:23:30) Reconnecting with the earth through energy(00:25:38) Love without exchange(00:28:03) Desire to communicate(00:30:13) Humans as energetic beings(00:32:17) Using visualization and meditation to activate healing(00:35:02) Discovering the body’s perfect design(00:36:13) A surgeon’s innovation restores her arm and renews hope(00:38:14) We are all perfect and made of love(00:42:14) Our bodies are our homeKey Takeaways:Even in a hospital room, love can show up through the hands and hearts of those who care.We are all made of energy, connected by a divine thread that flows through everything.The afterlife isn’t a place of fear but of peace, light, and belonging.Healing happens not only through medicine but through the energy of kindness and compassion.Coming back to life is a reminder that we are, and have always been, love itself.Communication can happen even when you can't talk.About Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder Get Real Zen is a welcoming space for everyone, no matter your background or beliefs, where real conversations happen about how to find peace in a chaotic world. Each episode will explore a challenge or difficulty and guide you toward your own natural Zen state: calm, centered, and clear. Join Maggie in this conscious movement to awaken higher consciousness, live in harmony, and let your authentic truth shine.

“When you focus on the present, the rest of the day flows with ease.”In this episode of Get Real Zen, host Maggie Calder welcomes Wayne Penny, who spent 42 years at Coca-Cola before retiring. Wayne reflects on his career, the challenges of leading through the uncertainty of COVID, and how mindfulness transformed not only his leadership but also his personal relationships. From bringing Maggie into corporate WebEx meetings to support his team, to discovering the beauty of stillness and presence in retirement, Wayne shares how mindfulness has been a grounding practice in both professional and personal life.Join us for a heartfelt conversation on slowing down, savoring the present, and embracing a more centered way of living.In this episode, you’ll discover:How mindfulness can dissolve fear and uncertainty in high-stress environmentsSimple practices to quiet a busy mind and find presenceWhy starting the day with gratitude sets a powerful toneHow deepened family bonds can grow from mindful livingThe ripple effect of bringing mindfulness into leadership and corporate cultureTimestamps:(00:00:00) Morning gratitude and ocean views(00:02:53) Navigating uncertainty during COVID(00:03:39) Bringing mindfulness to a corporate team(00:06:09) Mindfulness practices that stick(00:08:00) Stronger family connections through presence(00:10:30) Training your focus to notice life’s details(00:11:52) Finding your Zen stateKey Takeaways:Starting the day with gratitude changes how the whole day flows.Mindfulness doesn’t erase the bumps in your day, but it makes them easier to navigate.Quieting the busy mind opens the door to deeper conversations and stronger relationships.Nature is a gentle reminder to slow down and simply be.About Wayne Penny: Wayne Penny is a retired Coca-Cola executive who spent over four decades in leadership, traveling the world for work and sports events. His journey into mindfulness began as a way to support his team through the uncertainty of the COVID era. Today, he continues to embrace mindful living in retirement, deepening his relationships with family and finding joy in life’s simplest moments.Connect with Wayne Penny: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-penny-6965654b About Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder Get Real Zen is a welcoming space for everyone, no matter your background or beliefs, where real conversations happen about how to find peace in a chaotic world. Each episode will explore a challenge or difficulty and guide you toward your own natural Zen state: calm, centered, and clear. Join Maggie in this conscious movement to awaken higher consciousness, live in harmony, and let your authentic truth shine.

“Nature is not outside of us. It is within us, sustaining us, guiding us, and reminding us who we are.” – LoriAnn Bird Welcome to Get Real Zen, a space where we explore how to find real inner peace in the middle of life’s chaos.In this episode, I talk with my dear friend LoriAnn Bird, an educator, author, and plant wisdom guide, about the sacred reciprocity between humans and the natural world. LoriAnn shares her story of reclaiming ancestral teachings, her deep passion for native and medicinal plants, and how our relationship with nature impacts not only our physical health, but also our sense of peace, purpose, and belonging.Together, we explore how caring for plants restores balance in our lives, how nature heals our nervous systems, and why cultivating reciprocity with the Earth may be the key to finding our inner Zen.In this episode, you’ll discover:How practicing reciprocity with plants brings peace, purpose, and a sense of legacyThe role of native and medicinal plants in supporting ecosystems and human wellnessThe calming and restorative effects of birdsong, trees, and plant frequencies on the nervous systemSimple daily rituals that connect us to nature: walking barefoot, touching trees, and tending plantsHow to build meaningful relationships with the plants in your homeWhy respect, reverence, and reciprocity are essential teachings for modern lifeThe hidden benefits of “weeds” like dandelion, chickweed, and purslaneHow forests model collaboration, generosity, and kindness for humansTimestamps:00:00 - Episode Snippet03:04 - Witnessing the loss of birds and habitat05:30 - Emotional impact of diminished plant life07:17 - Nature heals us09:08 - Reciprocity with plants12:25 - How to find inner peace through nature and stillness15:03 - How nature activates all our senses20:07 - Reclaiming cultural foods and medicinal plants23:18 - Plants as teachers of mental, physical, and spiritual wellness27:24 - Closing meditation: Gratitude for plant life and EarthAbout LoriAnn Bird:LoriAnn Bird is an Indigenous Métis herbalist and educator who shares the wisdom of wild, medicinal, and edible plants in our everyday spaces. Her work invites us to reconnect with the living world, restoring relationships with Indigenous plants, reclaiming true local foods and medicines, and fostering ecological healing. Connect with Laurieanne Bird:Website: https://loriannbird.ca/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthandcompany/Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revered-Roots-Ancestral-Teachings-Medicinal/dp/0760393257 About Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder 

“Raising children is a constant lesson in presence, patience, and the art of balancing worry with trust.”I’m Maggie Calder, and I’m so excited to welcome you to The Zen Den, a space where we explore how to find real inner peace in the middle of life’s chaos. In this episode, Maggie Calder talks with Susannah Adams about the beauty and challenges of motherhood. They explore everything from caring for newborns to guiding teenagers, and how parents can find moments of peace amid worry and busy days. They also share tips on family connection, mindful routines, and taking small moments for yourself. Tune in to hear heartfelt stories, gentle guidance, and practical ways to bring calm, balance, and joy into your parenting journey.In this episode, you’ll discover:The raw, real highs and lows of motherhood, from sleepless nights to heart-melting momentsHow surrender, trust, and selflessness can transform the parenting journeySimple ways to find your Zen and stay grounded, even when life feels chaoticHow intentional family rituals create deeper bondsWhy taking time for yourself isn’t selfish, but the key to showing up fully for your loved onesSecrets to balancing parenting, personal growth, and your passions without losing yourselfTimestamps:(00:00:00) Episode Snippet(00:01:34) Introducing our guest, Susannah Adams(00:03:36) Birth requires surrender and trust(00:06:00) Trust the wisdom of mothers past(00:07:35) Infancy is beautiful but demanding(00:09:10) Tender bonds restore strength(00:11:12) Worry is part of parenting(00:13:16) How do you find your Zen state?(00:15:25) Family values ground us(00:18:38) Create your own family rituals(00:20:28) Solitude keeps you present(00:22:13) Nature eases household tension(00:23:21) Connect with Susannah Adams(00:24:24) Closing blessings and reflectionKey Takeaways:“Parenthood is the biggest job ever, and it never stops.”“As a parent, it's always been my intention to keep a few steps ahead of them in my personal growth, to be able to help them in their challenges.”“Some of the challenges from birth are enormous, a feat to enable our bodies to go through this as women, as mothers, to surrender and cleave yourself open to bring the little being through.”“Part of what's seeding you to drop into that inner peace is the trust in the infinite, that whatever is happening will be safe.”“Stepping outside when things are chaotic allows a change of scenery and a sense of abundance.”About Susannah Adams:Susannah Adams is a talented musician, sound healer, and mother of two, dedicated to creating music that nurtures the mind, body, and soul. Susannah combines her personal experiences, creativity, and deep sensitivity to craft music that serves as a restorative resource for listeners seeking balance in their busy lives.Connect with Susannah Adams:Website: https://www.susannahadams.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bliss.singer/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@susannahadams4525Email: contact@susannahadams.comAbout Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder/

“At the center of your being, you know who you are and you know what you want.” – Dr. Robin JohnsonWelcome to Get Real Zen, a space where we explore how to find real inner peace in the middle of life’s chaos.In this episode, I talk with Dr. Robin Johnson, an extraordinary teacher, psychologist, and intuitive guide, about the power of reconnecting to our gut wisdom and inner rhythm. We dive into her story of resilience, from growing up in the heart of the civil rights movement to building a global career, and how she returned to the practices that bring her peace: movement, meditation, and truth-telling.Together, we explore what it means to call your body your home, to honor your intuitive “yes” and “no,” and to find your Zen state through simple daily practices.In this episode, you’ll discover:Why your gut is often wiser than your headHow embodied practices like dance and movement meditation restore balanceThe difference between living for external validation vs. inner truthSimple daily rituals to check in with your body and calm your mindThe courage it takes to live authentically in a world of outside pressuresWhy your body is your true home, and how to never leave itTimestamps: 00:00 Gut wisdom vs. mental chatter07:00 Dance as a healing and spiritual practice10:00 Feeling at home in your body and your truth13:00 Human Design and understanding inner splits17:00 Decisions from the gut: simple yes or no20:00 Meditation and dropping from head to heart23:00 Daily practices: body scan, breathing, and Ho‘oponopono27:00 Rewiring the brain through loving thoughts30:00 Living authentically despite external pressures35:00 Courage, compassion, and the true meaning of homeAbout Dr. Robin Johnson:Dr. Robin Johnson is a Harvard-trained psychologist, leadership coach, and intuitive guide who has worked in more than 70 countries. With roots in the civil rights movement and decades of experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Robin bridges intellect with intuition, heart with mind, and the personal with the collective. Through her work in Human Design, embodied practices, and coaching, she helps individuals reconnect with their truth and live in alignment with their deepest values.Connect with Dr. Robin Johnson:Website: https://drrobinjohnson.comAbout Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder Get Real Zen is a welcoming space for everyone, no matter your background or beliefs, where real conversations happen about how to find peace in a chaotic world. Each episode will explore a challenge or difficulty and guide you toward your own natural Zen state: calm, centered, and clear. Join Maggie in this conscious movement to awaken higher consciousness, live in harmony, and let your authentic truth shine.

“The world may be complicated, but inside us is a quiet place where calm and clarity always await.”I’m Maggie Calder, and I’m so excited to welcome you to Get Real Zen, a space where we explore how to find real inner peace in the middle of life’s chaos. In this introductory episode of The Zen Den, I invite you to walk with me through my story from a lively family life to traveling with Eckhart Tolle, creating a healing space, and living as a Buddhist nun in Thailand. Along this path, I discovered that true peace is not about escaping life’s challenges but about meeting them with presence, awareness, and grace. Tune in and join me as we explore how to find calm and clarity in the midst of life’s chaos.In this episode, you’ll discover:The moment I realized life needed to be more than just busy noiseHow traveling with Eckhart Tolle changed everything for meWhat becoming a Buddhist nun taught me about stillness and peaceHow mindfulness can turn even the toughest moments into calmWhat The Zen Den is all about and how it can help you find your own ZenAbout Maggie Calder:Maggie Calder is a former Buddhist nun and spiritual guide who has traveled the world with Eckhart Tolle and led a healing retreat center in Chicago. She helps listeners find their Zen state, a place of calm and presence, by sharing her wisdom on mindfulness and inner peace.Connect with me:Email: getrealzen.com@gmail.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggiecalder/Get Real Zen is a welcoming space for everyone, no matter your background or beliefs, where real conversations happen about how to find peace in a chaotic world. Each episode will explore a challenge or difficulty and guide you toward your own natural Zen state: calm, centered, and clear. Join Maggie in this conscious movement to awaken higher consciousness, live in harmony, and let your authentic truth shine.

Get Real Zen is a conscious conversation space hosted by Maggie Calder, where guests share real-life challenges and the inner journey of returning to peace, presence, and balance—their “Zen state.” Through personal stories and mindful reflections, the show explores how even in chaos, we can access stillness and harmony within. Whether through ancient wisdom, spiritual practices, or everyday breakthroughs, each episode invites listeners to find their natural state of being: calm, clear, and centered.Connect with Maggie via: getrealzen.com@gmail.com