Under The Beautiful Banyan

Marea Michele

Welcome to Under the Beautiful Banyan, a podcast that weaves together heartfelt stories from life's journey—moments of heartbreak triumph, trust, and transformation. Highlighting important lessons in growth, resilience, faith, and healing. Through these stories, I hope to inspire you to trust in yourself, God and your journey. To embrace change, and gather the tools needed to be in alignment with everything that is for your highest good.  Each episode, I’ll invite you to join me under the metaphorical branches of the magnificent banyan tree. My hope is that you’ll not only gather some new tools to heal and grow but also be encouraged to reflect on your own journey and the lessons within it, because we all carry stories that can inspire, uplift and be of support to others.  The ultimate symbol of connection, the banyan tree in what looks like a forest of trees, is actually one tree with an extensive network of roots and branches that all originate from one host dropping seeds that have germinated causing other branches and roots to grow creatively and uniquely in all different directions. In many cultures, the banyan tree is a symbol of strength, shared wisdom, shelter, and community. It’s a common gathering spot of introspection, where stories are shared, elders provide guidance and communities come together.  My belief is that we are all banyan trees dropping seeds. Join me as we explore the beauty of life's lessons and together, create a community where every story becomes a source of inspiration, and every lesson a guidepost on the path to a more aligned, more fulfilled life. Dropping supportive seeds for those in our Tribes, our community and in the world while expanding the banyan tree for those who will sit up under it, after us. I’ll see you…Under the Beautiful Banyan!

  1. Sep 28

    Acceptance Is a Healing Tool | Letting Go of What You Thought It Would Be

    Acceptance is a healing tool. Learning how to accept what is instead of holding onto what you hoped it would be, can support healing, emotional healing, and letting go of expectations. Sometimes the deepest pain isn't caused by what happened. Sometimes it's caused by the distance between what is and what we thought it was going to be. In this episode of Under the Beautiful Banyan, I'm sharing how acceptance helped me heal from heartbreak over a relationship that never fully became what I imagined it could be. There was connection. Chemistry. Commonality. And because I wanted the experience so badly, I created a preview in my mind of what this relationship could become. When that preview didn't happen, I was heartbroken. But eventually, I had to accept something important: He didn't create the preview. I did. Acceptance didn't mean giving up. It didn't mean betraying myself, lowering my standards, or pretending I didn't want love. It meant respecting reality. It meant accepting what was instead of hurting myself over what I hoped, wished, imagined, or believed it could become. And when I was finally able to accept what was—not what I thought it was going to be, healing began. In this conversation, I talk about: 🌱 Acceptance as a healing tool 🌱 Letting go of expectations 🌱 Healing from disappointment 🌱 Creating stories about what a relationship could become 🌱 The difference between reality and what we hope for 🌱 How refusing to accept reality can create unnecessary pain 🌱 Why acceptance is not giving up 🌱 Choosing reality without betraying yourself This isn't just about romantic relationships. Acceptance is a tool that supports healing in family relationships, business, goals, dreams, and any situation where reality looks different from what we hoped it would be. Sometimes healing begins when we stop fighting what is. Acceptance is a healing tool. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 Acceptance Is a Healing Tool 00:40 Why Acceptance Can Help You Heal 01:26 The Story That Changed My Perspective 02:22 Wanting One Beautiful Love Story 02:49 When I Thought I Found My Romance 03:34 Creating a Preview of What Could Be 04:15 Until It Wasn't 05:06 Heartbroken Over Something That Didn't Happen 05:41 Why I Thought I Could Make It Work 06:25 I Created the Preview 07:05 What My Heartbreak Taught Me 08:19 Acceptance Helped Me Heal 08:38 Healing Begins When You Accept What Is 09:57 Acceptance Is Not Giving Up 10:28 The Courage to Deal With Reality 10:57 Stop Betraying Yourself for What Could Be 11:21 Acceptance Is a Healing Tool

  2. Sep 21

    Pain Is Inevitable | Why Suffering Doesn't Have To Be

    Pain vs suffering: learning the difference can change how you move through grief, loss, guilt, self-blame, and some of the hardest experiences of your life. Pain is inevitable. Suffering doesn't always have to be. In this episode of Under the Beautiful Banyan, I'm talking about the difference between pain and suffering and what I've learned while moving through grief, loss, guilt, and the kind of pain that changes you. Things hurt because they matter. But sometimes, after the pain happens, we add another layer. We blame ourselves. We replay what happened. We question every decision. We wish we could go back and do something differently. And that's where pain can become suffering. I'm sharing my own experience with grief and the loss of my sister Val, the things I've had to confront within myself, and the difference between allowing pain to move through you and creating additional suffering by fighting what cannot be changed. This isn't about pretending pain doesn't hurt. It's about learning how to carry it without allowing it to consume everything else. If you're navigating grief, loss, guilt, regret, self-blame, or a painful season of life, I hope this conversation gives you something to sit with. Subscribe for more conversations about healing, self-awareness, alignment, growth, and navigating the second half of life with intention. In Honor of My Bones | Sister❥ Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 Pain Is Inevitable. Suffering Is Different. 00:33 Why I Called My Sister 01:42 Something Was Wrong 02:05 I Was in Full-Blown Panic 03:39 I Got on the First Flight 04:13 I Knew Something Was Different 04:45 The Call From the Hospital 05:32 I Did Everything I Could 05:45 Why I Blamed Myself 06:48 What I Learned About Pain 07:13 Pain and Suffering Are Different 07:33 The Stories I Told Myself 08:06 The Stories Create Suffering 08:47 When Life Gives You Pain 09:07 Don't Add Stories to the Pain 09:38 Will You Slip? Yes. 10:13 Six Years Later, the Pain Is Still Here 10:42 What Loss Taught Me About Values 11:24 How Losing Her Changed Me 11:51 Love Yourself Through the Pain 12:07 Be Kind to Yourself

  3. Sep 14

    I Don’t Need a Man… But I Want One!

    Wanting a healthy relationship doesn’t mean you need a man. For single women who still want love, this is about relationship standards, good men, and being honest about what you truly desire. I have been married and single. I have been happy and hurt. And while I will certainly avoid all foolishness, that does not mean I have to pretend I don't desire love, because I absolutely do! In this episode, I share the story of Demetrius, the man who showed me what genuine protection, integrity, care, and non-contingent love looks like. Because of his love and that experience, I know healthy, aligned love is available to me. I don't NEED a man to complete me. Thank GOD! I don't NEED a man to save me. I'm already Saved! But I will not be telling God that I don't want partnership simply because I have been disappointed before. There is a HUGE distance and difference between not needing a man and not wanting love. If you have been saying, “I don't want no man,” but privately you still desire healthy love, companionship, connection, and partnership, this conversation is for you. The question is not whether you should want love. The question is whether you are being honest with yourself about what you actually desire—and whether you are doing the work necessary to be available for it. In this episode, we talk about: • Why being single and happy doesn't mean you don't want partnership • How pain can make us deny what we actually desire • The space between standards and settling • Why knowing healthy love is possible changes what you are willing to accept • How self-awareness helps you identify the relationship you actually want • What it means to be in alignment with yourself before aligning with someone else • Why saying you don't want something you secretly desire can become self-betrayal If this conversation was supportive, share it with someone who may need the reminder that wanting love does not make them weak, needy, desperate, or incomplete. In Honor of My Beautiful Creature | Metris❥ Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 I Don't Need a Man… I Want One 00:28 I Still Believe in Love 00:51 The Boy Who Changed My Standards 02:08 The Day He Protected Me 04:24 What Demetrius Taught Me About Love 05:35 Why I Know I'm Not Asking for Too Much 06:26 He Never Stopped Protecting Me 08:19 What Happened to Demetrius 09:44 The First Example of Healthy Love 10:22 Why So Many Women Say They Don't Want a Man 11:08 Do You Really Not Want Love? 12:22 There's No Shame in Wanting Partnership 13:50 The Man I'm Actually Waiting For 16:02 What Alignment in a Relationship Means 19:01 Single, Happy, and Still Wanting Love 20:16 Are You Saying the Opposite of What You Desire? 21:02 The Areas of Alignment 22:57 Be Honest With Yourself

  4. Sep 7

    YOU, Don't Know You!

    Self-awareness and getting to know yourself are essential if you want to stop feeling misunderstood. Do you really know yourself? I thought I did until I realized I couldn't always explain what I needed. I could tell you my zodiac sign, my love language, where I was from, what I did, and all the roles I played. But I couldn't always tell you what I needed to feel seen, heard and loved or why. And most importantly, what I needed to do, experience or be, to love myself better. For years, I found myself saying, “They don't understand me.” “He doesn't even know me.” “I don't know why I do that or feel like this." Then I had to ask myself a harder question: Do I even know me? In this episode of Under the Beautiful Banyan, I'm talking about self-awareness, self-discovery, feeling misunderstood, getting to know yourself beyond your titles and roles, and why other people can only know you to the degree that you know yourself. If you've ever felt misunderstood or wondered why you keep repeating the same patterns in relationships and life, this conversation is for you. Because before we ask someone else to understand us, we have to get intentional about getting to know ourselves. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 You Don't Even Know You 00:23 Do You Really Know Yourself? 00:50 Why Age Doesn't Equal Self-Awareness 01:58 The Difference Between Roles and Who You Are 02:40 Questions You Should Ask Yourself 03:55 Why You Keep Repeating the Same Patterns 04:38 Why I Felt So Misunderstood 05:38 The Question That Changed Everything 06:50 Other People Can Only Know What You Know 07:46 I'm Not Becoming—I'm Remembering 08:29 How I Started Getting to Know Myself 09:13 Ask Yourself Better Questions 10:19 Dropping the Pride of “I Know Myself” 10:37 Remembering Who the Hell I Am 11:35 Do You Really Know Yourself? 12:26 Remember Who You Are

  5. Aug 31

    I Know You Love Me, But I Don't Feel It!

    Feeling unloved in a relationship can be confusing when you know the person loves you. In this episode, I share why knowing he loved me wasn't enough when in some really pivotal moments, it didn't come through. I knew he loved me. I just couldn't feel it. There is a difference between someone loving you and someone expressing that love in a way that allows you to actually feel loved, heard, considered, respected, supported, and covered in the relationship. In this episode of Under the Beautiful Banyan, I share the story of a relationship with a man I genuinely believe loved me. But over time, I repeatedly communicated what I needed, what didn't feel good, and where I was no longer feeling covered and respected. Eventually, I started questioning myself. Was I asking for too much? Were my requests unreasonable? Were my boundaries the problem? Was I the problem? Love in and of itself, is a heart posture, but expressing that love, is an action and a choice. If I tell you that something hurts me, that I don't feel heard, considered, respected, or loved and I communicate that repeatedly...what happens next matters. This conversation isn't only about romantic relationships. It applies to the people we love, the people who love us, and every relationship where someone's words don't consistently align with what we experience. In this episode, we talk about: • The difference between loving someone and making them feel loved • Why repeatedly communicating your needs matters • Boundaries, standards, and being labeled “too much” • What happens when you begin questioning your own reality; gaslighting • Why confusion is a problem in relationships • Cognitive dissonance when words and actions don't match • Knowing your worth and honoring your feelings • Why requirements are different from expectations • When love is real but the relationship still isn't healthy for you Sometimes the question isn't: “Do they love me?” Sometimes the question is: “Can I actually feel the love they say they have for me?” And if the answer continues to be no, you are allowed to look at the relationship honestly. Subscribe to Under the Beautiful Banyan for conversations about healing, relationships, self-awareness, boundaries, alignment, and becoming who you were designed to be. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 I Know You Love Me, But I Don't Feel It 00:15 Why I Stayed Longer Than I Should Have 00:31 Loving Someone vs. Making Them Feel Loved 01:00 The Relationship That Made This Clear 01:48 When Everything Started Changing 03:05 When I Stopped Feeling Loved 04:20 Taking the Relationship to God 05:30 What I Needed to Feel Loved 06:12 The Problem Was My Boundaries 07:16 When I Finally Stopped Talking 07:55 I Never Questioned That He Loved Me 08:18 Love Is a Heart Posture—Expression Is an Action 08:59 When You Start Questioning Yourself 09:42 If It Hurts You, It's Already a Thing 10:06 This Isn't Just About Romantic Relationships 11:14 Why I Would End the Relationship 12:01 You Are Not Too Much 12:43 Confusion Is a No for Me 12:59 The INVESTED Areas Behind This 14:11 When Words Don't Match Actions 14:40 Keep Your Boundaries and Standards 15:11 Go Deeper With the Alignment Pack

  6. Aug 25

    I Never Thought He Would Do That!

    Betrayal and broken trust can change the way you see relationships, family, and the people you love. In this episode of Under The Beautiful Banyan, I share a deeply personal story about my brother, betrayal, trust, and learning how to trust again without betraying myself. Sometimes the person you trust most is the person you never imagined could hurt you. I never thought he would do that. Until he did. In this episode, I talk about one of the deepest betrayals I've experienced and what it taught me about trust, relationships, forgiveness, and protecting my heart without closing it. Because you never really know what another person is capable of. But that doesn't mean you have to become incapable of trusting. You don't have to let what someone did to you determine how you show up in every relationship that comes after it. You don't have to punish new people for wounds someone else created. And you don't have to betray yourself in an attempt to protect yourself. Sometimes the hardest part of healing isn't forgiving the person who hurt you. It's deciding what you're going to believe about yourself, other people, and love after they did. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ============================== CHAPTERS 00:00 You Don't Know What Someone Is Capable Of 00:24 What It Cost Me to Learn This 00:59 I Was the Big Sister Mama 01:22 When My Brother Started to Change 02:13 I Decided Not to Save Him 02:50 Everything Changed 03:12 My Brother Would Never... Until He Did 03:35 When Betrayal Breaks Your Heart 04:10 I Started Grieving the Relationship 04:48 “I Did It” 05:21 I Was Too Hurt to Be Angry 05:59 It Took Me Four Years to Heal 06:43 I Didn't Want to Stop Trusting People 07:44 What Betrayal Taught Me About Expectations 08:39 Protecting Yourself Can Become a Prison 09:33 When Protecting Yourself Becomes Self-Betrayal 09:51 I Still Want Love and Family 10:10 Can Trust Be Rebuilt? 10:37 Why This Betrayal Was Different 11:03 The Relationship Was Never Repaired 11:29 I Refused to Let It Stop Me From Trusting 11:50 Do You Make People Earn Your Trust? 12:06 When Trust Is Broken 12:32 What Betrayal Can Teach You 12:49 I Won't Betray Myself to Keep Someone 13:07 They Show You Who They Are 13:24 Trust and Evolution 13:47 Never Say What Someone Else Won't Do 14:10 Go Deeper With INVESTED Alignment

  7. Jul 14

    PROOF OF LIFE | Five of A Kind

    The Pattern Nobody Knows They're Living In. A story about toxic family relationships, repeated betrayal, and the moment I realized 5 different people were actually one unhealthy spirit. For women over 45 healing from family trauma and setting boundaries with relatives. I thought I had five separate unhealthy relationships with five different blood relatives. What I learned, painfully and slowly, was that it wasn't five relationships at all. If this resonates, the belief and reframe I share at the end might be exactly what you need to hear. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-digital-alignment-pack-bundle/ 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Listen to Under The Beautiful Banyan Podcast: ➡︎ https://bit.ly/3Ix4Qna Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?lang=enIG: Instagram: ➡︎ https://www.instagram.com/mareamichele/ INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/g6apznbcaZY Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎ https://youtu.be/MbvCkKhvD90 ======================= This video is NOT sponsored. Music by Suno.com Stock Video & Images by Pexels ==============================

  8. Jul 12

    PROOF OF LIFE | Mrs. Esco & The Elephants

    A foster care story about the teacher who changed my life. For women over 45 healing from childhood wounds, this is how one act of grace redirected what I believed about trust, worth, and love. I stole from the teacher who loved me most. I was terrified of what she'd do when I had to bring it back. What she did instead became a turning point I didn't understand until decades later. This is the story of Mrs. Jean Esco, a classroom full of elephants, and the moment that redirected my life. If you know Mrs. Jean Esco, who taught at Jones Elementary School in Detroit, Michigan — please share this with her. I need her to know what she meant to me. This is Episode 7 of the Proof of Life series on Under the Beautiful Banyan. Subscribe to be alerted when I upload a few times a week! =================================================== 🌱 Ready to explore your own alignment? ⬇ Start Here: Take the INVESTED Alignment Assessment https://investedalignment.com 🌱 The Digital Alignment Bundle ⬇ https://mareamichele.com/product/the-... 🌱 The Full Bundle ⬇ Get your ALIGNMENT PACK BUNDLE here!: https://mareamichele.com/bundle/ ==================================================== CONNECT WITH ME ======================= Website: ➡︎ https://investedalignment.com Tik Tok: ➡︎ https://www.tiktok.com/@mareamichele?... Instagram: ➡︎   / mareamichele   INVESTED Alignment Framework: ➡︎    • The 10-Step Protocol To Healthy & Aligned ...   Beautiful Banyan Backstory: ➡︎    • Beautiful Banyan Podcast Trailer   ======================= This video is NOT sponsored.

About

Welcome to Under the Beautiful Banyan, a podcast that weaves together heartfelt stories from life's journey—moments of heartbreak triumph, trust, and transformation. Highlighting important lessons in growth, resilience, faith, and healing. Through these stories, I hope to inspire you to trust in yourself, God and your journey. To embrace change, and gather the tools needed to be in alignment with everything that is for your highest good.  Each episode, I’ll invite you to join me under the metaphorical branches of the magnificent banyan tree. My hope is that you’ll not only gather some new tools to heal and grow but also be encouraged to reflect on your own journey and the lessons within it, because we all carry stories that can inspire, uplift and be of support to others.  The ultimate symbol of connection, the banyan tree in what looks like a forest of trees, is actually one tree with an extensive network of roots and branches that all originate from one host dropping seeds that have germinated causing other branches and roots to grow creatively and uniquely in all different directions. In many cultures, the banyan tree is a symbol of strength, shared wisdom, shelter, and community. It’s a common gathering spot of introspection, where stories are shared, elders provide guidance and communities come together.  My belief is that we are all banyan trees dropping seeds. Join me as we explore the beauty of life's lessons and together, create a community where every story becomes a source of inspiration, and every lesson a guidepost on the path to a more aligned, more fulfilled life. Dropping supportive seeds for those in our Tribes, our community and in the world while expanding the banyan tree for those who will sit up under it, after us. I’ll see you…Under the Beautiful Banyan!