The Queer Ritual Podcast

I'm sure many of us in the LGBTQ community have been asked this one. Why is there no STRAIGHT Pride?

I will always answer that pride is a response to shame. So people who have been taught to be ashamed of who they are inside (whether that is sexual orientation, gender identity, etc) are who the Pride movement is for. That isn't to say that people who are in the white Christian majority cannot be proud of who they are, but they haven't been taught to feel shame over who they are.

Stay safe, friends!New...

Happy Pride Month!

In this episode, I reflect on my experiences of being "different" growing up as queer and neurodivergent (ADHD-PI), including how that difference affected me even after coming out. I conclude the episode with how I have used that difference to foster a new sense of community.

I didn't have an outline for this episode, so I know my thoughts wander quite a bit with this one. I appreciate each and every one of my listeners!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
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Happy Pride Month! I know the rhetoric has gotten very negative this year for Pride, so today I want to counterbalance the negative with the positive. This episode contains my top 5 perks of being in a same-sex relationship. Rick and I have been together almost twelve years now, and this month will also be our 5 year wedding anniversary!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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Due to her recent passing, I want to take some time to honor the musical AND spiritual icon, Tina Turner. I explain her encounters with both Christianity and Buddhism, her personal chanting practice (Nam myoho renge kyo), and her efforts to promote peace and unity among all the world's religions.

Mentioned in this episode:
Beyond (2009)
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube

Children Beyond (2009)
Also available on same platforms

Tina (2020)
HBO documentary on her life's story

Happiness Becomes You (2020)
Her final bookNew episodes post Monday and Friday!<...

Continuing the theme of healing for Asian Diaspora content during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, today's episode is on the dark side of filial piety.

What is filial piety? Where does the concept come from? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? All will be discussed in this episode.

I am so proud of my fellow second generation Asian Americans who have decided to speak up on issues of mental health in the Asian American community. One thing our cultures share is the importance of family, but devotion to one's family should never...

Continuing my Asian Pacific American Heritage Month content, today I'm talking about microaggressions. What are they? Why do they hurt? How do we heal from them?

This episode also introduces the concept of radical acceptance.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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Continuing with the theme of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APIA Heritage Month), I am reposting a previous episode on Asian American Impostor Syndrome. Enjoy!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

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Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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Is it okay for a white person to practice Eastern or indigenous spirituality? (Short answer: yes, BUT with more work!)
When does it count as cultural appropriation?

This is a complicated topic, and by no means is this episode of the podcast all you need to know. I don't claim to be an expert here, but I would love to hear some thoughts from my listeners on this subject!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for...

New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

It's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Also known as APIA Heritage Month.

After a month long break from producing this podcast, this episode represents the first "pivot" in this content toward healing: whether that is psychological healing, spiritual healing, or societal healing.

In this episode, I'm focusing on the "perpetual foreigner experience" that is so common with Asian Americans, both here in the United States and when visiting countries abroad in Asia. And I make the connection between the LGBTQ experience and the Asian American experience when it comes to forging a personal identity that is...

Back to the podcast roots with this one! Focusing on the Buddhist philosophical concept of how everything is borrowed.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

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Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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An amusing story about the time Team Impact tricked my family into going to a Baptist Church!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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In light of the recent shooting in Nashville, this episode continues more thoughts on queer respectability politics. I wanted to speak on gender biases within the queer community, and how the fight for equality isn't over after achieving marriage equality in America.

TW: This episode contains discussion on gun violence.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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What are queer or LGBT respectability politics? In this episode, I go over the concept of respectability politics with examples in other communities. Then, I offer some insights on the deeper meaning behind why the LGBT community polices its own behavior.

Apologies for some sound issues in this episode. I'm not sure what adjustments I need to make to remove the echo!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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When you use one candle to light another: is it one flame, or two flames? This is also how fundamental truth works.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Just a quick mini episode welcoming the Spring equinox! I will be on vacation for the next few days, so content might be shorter while I take a break from the hustle and bustle of life. I will see you all soon when I return! Much metta.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

This episode is a general overview on how to heal from past trauma. This episode does not replace the help of a licensed mental health professional!

In this episode, I go over what is trauma in the broadest sense of the word, as well as tools to help change our mindset on past events to promote healing. This includes more traditional psychotherapy, as well as plant medicines.

Mentioned in this episode:
Michael Pollan's book How to Change Your Mind
Cognance, a modified Bacopa monnieri supplementNew episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions...

In this mini episode, I share the parable of the snake and the rope that comes from the Advaita Vedanta school of Hinduism.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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I generally try to steer away from politics in this podcast because I want to be as inclusive as possible, but I feel the call to action after the recent rise in anti-trans and anti-drag bills being proposed in state legislatures across the United States. Ignorance and fear are being exploited in America, and this WILL lead to harm and suffering if we do not counter it with action and education.

I feel our community has made so much progress even within my lifetime, but that progress will be lost if we do not speak up. Let us...

Quick little introduction here to newer concepts in Western psychology about Mind Body complex,  or the idea that emotions live within certain parts of the body. I think this is a fascinating example where Eastern wisdom is finding growing support within Western medicine.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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Warning: This episode contains discussions of emotional abuse, including child abuse, spousal abuse, and spiritual abuse. If these topics are too triggering for you right now, skip this episode or return to it at a later date.
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This episode is on one of the most primal fears of all human beings: the fear of abandonment. I go over the origins of this fear, who can experience it, how it manifests in relationships, and how it is exploited as a form of control. If after hearing these examples, you recognize your own fear of abandonment; I conclude with how...

There is a difference between healthy skepticism and unhealthy skepticism, and that difference is ego. If your skepticism is only to reinforce your preexisting worldview, then that isn't skepticism. That's ego. Continue this line of thought, and see where it takes you!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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I read an article recently referencing a study on whether men would promote a masculine or feminine presenting gay man for a spokesperson position.

The article can be found here:
https://www.them.us/story/glass-ceiling-gay-men-study

I have some thoughts! In this episode, I break down the "glass ceiling" and how femmephobia affects both women and men.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

**SPOILER WARNING FOR AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER**

I had a listener request for this one!

What is different about the spirituality in James Cameron's newest film, Avatar: The Way of Water? In this bonus episode, I go over the newer concepts introduced in the sequel; including reincarnation, Amrita / immortality serum, and Taoist metaphysics. This new film has parallels to real world issues such as post colonialism, multiracial identity, animal exploitation, and extinction.

(All copyrighted materials in this episode constitute fair use as film criticism. I received no compensation for this episode.)New episodes...

Since this episode drops the day before Valentine's Day, let's talk about love in the age of "the apps".New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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This guided walking meditation is for the times in your life when you don't feel your most confident. Put on your headphones, find some comfortable shoes and a safe space to walk in your power with me.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Right Speech is one of the steps on the Noble Eightfold Path in Buddhism, but this practice should be accessible to everybody.

In this episode, I read excerpts from the Pali Canon pertaining to Right Speech. I try to elucidate effective communication strategies in situations where two people cannot agree on what is truth.

I also connect the practice of Right Speech to the throat chakra within the Reiki system. Being "in the closet" or unable to speak one's truth will lead to throat chakra imbalances, and that manifests as trouble with speech, mouth and jaw...

In Western cultures, we tend to view gender as existing within a binary. But globally, this isn't always the case. In this episode, I go over various third gender identities from around the world. Some of these identities have spiritual significance in their cultures, while some are also discriminated against. In certain instances, I think it's much better to use a culture's specific term instead of imposing Western terms like transgender, androgynous, or non-binary. I personally will use the term genderfluid to refer to myself in English, but I am okay with Lao or Thai people using the word kathoey...

What's in a name? In this episode, I'm talking about names: surnames, given names, nicknames, stage names, and Dharma names! Names confer meaning upon us, whether that's given to us by our parents or a mentor, or even a meaning that we choose for ourselves. I also share the Dharma name or Homyo given to me by Bishop Marvin Harada this past month.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

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Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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I hadn't fully explained my family's immigration story yet, so here it is! I talk about my grandfather, General Khamhou Boussarath, and how he brought my family over to the United States from Laos. The legacy of the Vietnam War and the Secret War (the Laotian Civil War) lives within me.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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When people make prayers or try to manifest something in their lives, you'll notice they offer start with the word "Please." In this mini episode, I offer a different kind of manifestation by using "Thank you." You will notice by thanking the universe for something as if you already have it, you are visualizing the change you actually want.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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Have any of the spiritual terms related to theism, nontheism, or atheism confused you? This episode is for you! There are a lot of terms explained here (nontheism, atheism, agnosticism, apatheism, theism, monotheism, polytheism, pantheism, animism, monism, nondual monism, dualistic monism, qualified nondual monism, absolute monism)New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Piggybacking off my most recent episode, I want to touch on a very common part of the Asian American experience: impostor syndrome. In this episode, I define what Asian American impostor syndrome is as well as offer some of my own tips and words of wisdom to counteract it. I have no issue whatsoever if this podcast episode inspires you to contact me directly about one-on-one coaching.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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I'm going to get a little bit political in this episode, but hear me out! In this episode, I speak on how the "Oppression Olympics" or "Check your privilege" movement misses the mark when it comes to healing the divides in America. I also talk about some of my own experiences as a white passing Asian American, and how that has made me more compassionate to the suffering of others.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

What is lineage transmission? In this mini episode, I briefly go over what lineage transmission is, as well as the importance of lineage transmission when finding a spiritual teacher. I list some examples of lineage transmissions from various traditions, as well as go over my own examples of lineage transmission. Finding an authentic, unbroken chain between teacher and student, that leads all the way to the Master or founder of that spiritual tradition, is the easiest way to spot an authentic spiritual teacher, as well as the easiest way to spot a potentially bad guru.New episodes post Monday and...

In this episode, I talk about how to heal past trauma. At some point after a traumatic event, the burden of healing falls onto us to heal, not the people who inflicted that trauma upon us. There is an externalization process and an internalization process that goes along with trauma. Healing requires us to identify internalized messages, and then learn to let those internalized messages go.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

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This one is a mini-episode on why I find New Year's Resolutions to be arbitrary. Personal growth and spiritual growth should be a year round practice! But of course, I always inevitably set one for myself anyway. This year, I don't want to "rage type." I want my words to inspire and have meaning and authenticity behind them, but without starting arguments with other people.

Many thanks to all who listen to the podcast. Have a safe and happy New Year this weekend! See ya next year!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and...

In this episode, I talk about my own struggles with anxiety and how I worked through it. I also offer some tips for "coming out" that I wish I knew when I was younger. First and foremost, you have to feel you are in a safe place before coming out, so of course the coming out process can trigger anxieties in people. But I will say, life out of the closet as an LGBTQ person is so much better than life in the closet!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com<...