Mind Over Matcha

Bao Vo
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Biweekly

✨ 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. Hosted by Bao Vo, Mind Over Matcha is a followup to the series Coffee with BAO. But this time we'll go into nature, slow way down, and focus on just one thing at a time. 🌱 You can also watch the show on Youtube and visit baovomusic.com for all of Bao's projects.

  1. 6d ago

    Ep. 14: "Wholesome Seeds" Wisdom From My Older Brother | Healing Arizona Pt. 3/3

    This is the final episode in a 3-part series from my camping trip in the Coconino National Forest in Arizona with my oldest brother Tony. Because we grew up in such different worlds, Tony and I never got a chance to spend any intimate time together. Until now.  Our 5-day adventure culminated in this beautiful conversation over tea, where my brother shares a few spiritual practices that help him the most. Tony's wisdom reminded me to appreciate and respect impermanence. Most importantly, Tony's advice to put your mindfulness energy to what and whom is presently before you can be seen in action in this entire 3-part video series. This was an outdoor adventure that truly changed our relationship in a big way. Hope you get something from our talk! If you this episode resonated with you, please leave a comment, share it with a friend, and subscribe for more.✨ Support the channel or Preorder my book Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist at: www.heyitsbao.com

  2. Jul 30

    Ep. 13: Life Comes in Waves (But You Are the Ocean) | Healing Arizona Pt. 2/3

    If you've ever surfed, you'll know that things are a lot calmer underneath the waves.  This is part 2 of my 3-part series of reflections from my 5-day camping trip in Arizona with my brother Tony. After putting my Youtube channel on hold for nine months, I'll explain what I've struggling with and the Everyday Epiphany that got me through it.  In this video, I share some personal updates on my time away, including overcoming a shoulder injury, prioritizing family, and navigating a big blindspot in my design career. But more broadly, I talk about how we can build a foundation deep enough that these temporary surface waves can't toss us around. I’m sharing the three specific pillars I’ve been intentionally cultivating to regain my balance: nurturing core relationships, practicing radical self-respect, and auditing what I mentally consume. If you feel like you've been caught in the low point of a wave lately, I hope this perspective gives you some solid ground to stand on.  ✨ Support the channel or Preorder my book Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist at: www.heyitsbao.com  If you this episode resonated with you, please leave a comment, share it with a friend, and subscribe for more. Thanks!

  3. Jul 16

    Ep. 12: 5 Days Reconnecting with My Brother | Healing Arizona Pt. 1/3

    This is the first episode of a 3-part series from the Coconino National Forest in Arizona, camping with my oldest brother Tony. What began as an outdoor adventure ended up being a deeply spiritual journey about family, ancestral honor, and a snapshot of a evolving relationship between two brothers born into entirely separate worlds. Join our shenanigans in deep the woods, as we go on the longest hike of my life, dip in an icy cold creek, eat Vietnamese food, and honor the memory of ancestors who came before us by celebrating what it means to feel fully alive. Stay for my everyday epiphanies about my relationship with my brother and my own self-acceptance. Turns out that your current version is exactly who you need to be.   The soundtrack to this video contains all music made by me in my various versions, Ming & Ping, BAO, and my latest project Dragonfroot. You can stream my music on any platform, including this one. Here are the songs featured in the video: ✭ "Postcard ft. Titania Nguyen" by Dragonfroot from the album Pollen (2026) ✭ "Mixed Melodies ft. Mariqueen Maandig Reznor" by Ming & Ping from the album Ming & Ping (2009) ✭ "The Bright Sunlight" by Ming & Ping from the album mingping.com (2004) ✭ "Beautiful Things" by BAO from the album Perpetual Heartbreak (2020) ✭ "Deep Beneath the Sea" by BAO from the album Perpetual Heartbreak (2020) ✭ "Heartfelt" by Dragonfroot from the album Pollen (2026) ✨ Support the channel or Preorder my book Baoisms: Everyday Epiphanies of a Mindful Artist at: heyitsbao.com  If you got something out of this episode, leave a comment, share it with a friend, and subscribe for more. Thanks!

  4. Jun 22

    Ep. 11: My imaginary masterpiece was killing my creativity

    🍵 Let's talk about a recurring challenge I face as a creative: perfection paralysis. Recently rewatching the film Adaptation helped me articulate how my designer brain constantly pushes me to envision projects in their most grandiose, high-production forms, making it super hard to actually start or finish anything. So, I’m adapting. I'm testing out a more sustainable, lower-production approach so I can share more of my ideas with you without burning out—including a look at my new musical album, Pollen, which I quietly released under the moniker Dragonfroot. I'm taking my own advice to embrace the beginner's mind and remember that making an imperfect thing is always better than making nothing at all. Hit me up and let me know your thoughts on this new direction!✨ Stream my new album, Pollen: https://www.dragonfroot.com🎬 Check out Lofi Cinema's take on "Adaptation": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4nk3BA4h6Y🌱 My go-to matcha brand Chafinity (not a sponsor): https://chafinity.com🧧 Support my work financially at: https://ko-fi.com/bao#CreativeProcess #Dragonfroot #OvercomingPerfectionism #beginnersmind

  5. 08/26/2025

    Ep 10. Revealing a Self through abstract painting ft. Sydneé Bethel

    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

  6. 08/02/2025

    Ep 9. Finding Joy in a Beginner's Mind ft. Daniel Hayes

    “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

  7. 07/19/2025

    Ep 8. 5-minute breathing exercise for anxiety, stress, and focus

    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_eJ Summary of the 3-minute controlled breathing study: https://www.psypost.org/a-simple-breathing-exercise-enhances-emotional-control-new-research-suggests The 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 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro from the Colorado mountains 01:05 Breathing is healthy for your body and mind 01:30 A scientific study on 3-minutes of breathing 02:36 5-minute guided breathing exercise 07:15 Make this practice your own

  8. 07/06/2025

    Ep 7. How to "Be Yourself": The Art of Authenticity

    “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 consider 14:04 - 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

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About

✨ 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. Hosted by Bao Vo, Mind Over Matcha is a followup to the series Coffee with BAO. But this time we'll go into nature, slow way down, and focus on just one thing at a time. 🌱 You can also watch the show on Youtube and visit baovomusic.com for all of Bao's projects.

Information

  • Creator
    Bao Vo
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Bao Vo
  • Show Website
    Mind Over Matcha