Episode 16: No Mud, No Lotus | Finding Joy Through Discomfort – Quick Bite

Have you ever wished you could bypass the pain and jump straight to the peace?
In this episode of Relish, host Alyssia Sheikh explores one of her favorite metaphors—No Mud, No Lotus—a reminder that beauty and difficulty grow together. Drawing from mindfulness teachings and positive-psychology research, Alyssia shares how her willingness to feel discomfort deepened her ability to feel joy.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What the lotus symbolizes in Buddhist and mindfulness traditions 
• How discomfort, grief, and “mud” cultivate resilience and depth 
• The link between emotional range and greater joy (positive-psychology findings)
• Why “feeling good” isn’t the goal—feeling fully alive is
• Practical reflections to help you meet the mud with compassion

💭 Reflection: What muddy experiences have shaped your growth? And where might you be resisting the very conditions that could grow your next lotus?

Follow & Connect:

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• Email me: [email protected]
• Call our hotline and leave a voicemail! (213) 632-9972‬
• Book a Self-Trust Session with Alyssia

• The Hoffman Institute (Alyssia is a Hoffman Process teacher; podcast is not affiliated)

Links & Resources Mentioned:

• Thích Nhất Hạnh (2014). No Mud, No Lotus: The Art of Transforming Suffering (Parallax Press) → amazon