🎧 Listen to Episode 10: Doing Just Enough

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

A Reflection

There’s something quietly radical about learning to do just enough.

Not in a disengaged or indifferent way—but in a deeply attentive, honest way that honors your limits as much as your calling.

Because let’s be honest, many of us didn’t learn that growing up.

Our sense of work ethic is often shaped long before we ever name it—

through family of origin

cultural expectations

ancestral survival stories

and faith formation.

Somewhere along the way, “yes” became the gold standard. The thing that gets affirmed. Rewarded. Noticed.

And “no”? It might be tolerated…but it’s rarely celebrated.

In this conversation, we explored what it looks like to live differently—to resist the quiet pressure to overextend and instead choose a more sustainable way of being.

I, Brenda, shared about a moment with a colleague before an event we were leading together. I told her I needed a solo night beforehand—not because I didn’t care, but because I did. I needed to guard my margin so I could show up with a healthier capacity the next day.

Her response stayed with me.

She thanked me.
She affirmed my awareness.
She honored my boundary without hesitation.

It was simple. Clear. Generous.

And it made Larissa, and I wonder—what would change if more of us responded that way? If “no” was received not as resistance, but as wisdom?
If teams and communities were built from the beginning with that kind of posture?

Larissa and I also laughed about something very human—the quiet ways we’ve all tried to escape commitments we didn’t have the capacity for. That inner negotiation. The creative excuses. The tension between what we should do and what we actually need. Have you done that? We can’t be the only ones, haha!

Maybe “doing just enough” is about closing that gap.
About living in a way where our yes and no are both honest.

Where we don’t have to fantasize about escape…because we’ve already made space to breathe.

And maybe being serene-ish means trusting that tending to our capacity isn’t selfish—it’s sacred.

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, try a simple capacity check-in practice:

Pause once a day and ask yourself:

• What is being asked of me today?

• What do I actually have the capacity for?

• What would “just enough” look like here?

Notice any tension between expectation and reality—without judgment.
Let your answers gently guide your choices.

An Invitation to Explore More

If this idea of “doing just enough” resonates, here are a few ways to practice it this week:

• Practice a small, honest no:
  Choose one place where you’d normally overextend—and respond with clarity instead.

• Affirm someone else’s boundary:
  When someone expresses a limit, meet it with encouragement rather than disappointment.

• Build margin into your day:
  Even 10–15 minutes of unscheduled space can shift how you move through everything else.

• Notice your internal narrative:
  When you say no, what story do you tell yourself about it? Where did that story come from?

  ---

For You

• Where in your life are you being invited to do just enough instead of everything?

• What might change if you trusted that your limits are not liabilities—but guides?

• We’d love to hear what this stirs in you. Your reflections might shape a future conversation.

Thank you!

We appreciate you being here. If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Looking for the sacred in the “in-between” spaces with you!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 9: Holding Space for Others, Part Two

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

Weʻre back this week with a sequel! There was more to explore on the topic of Holding Space for Others, so here is Part Two of the conversation.

If you havenʻt listened to Part 1, you can do that here:

🎧 Listen to Episode 8: Holding Space for Others

A Reflection

We know what it feels like when someone is half-listening while mentally composing advice. We know what it feels like when someone rushes past our pain because they’re uncomfortable sitting inside it. And we also know the rare gift of being with someone who allows us to fully exhale.

Have you been with someone who doesn’t need you to hurry? Who doesn’t need to rescue you? Who can stay with you, present in a way that feels safe?

And are you that kind of person for others in your life?

In this second conversation on holding space for others, Brenda and I kept circling back to the reality that being present to others is something that takes a lot of intention, practice, and growing awareness.

Sometimes what we are longing for most is not insight, but safety.
A place where our grief, confusion, questions, or weariness can exist without immediately being corrected, minimized, or spiritualized away.

And honestly, this kind of presence can feel difficult to offer.

It asks us to release control and let go of the pressure to “make things better.” It asks us to become grounded enough in ourselves that we can remain open-hearted in the presence of someone else’s pain or vulnerability.

That kind of support is quiet work. Sacred work.

And maybe part of being serene-ish is learning that love does not always look like having answers. Sometimes it looks like listening deeply. Or sitting with someone in the unknown. Or being present in a way that communicates: “You don’t have to carry this alone.”

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, try practicing attentive presence.

The next time someone shares something vulnerable with you:

• Pause before responding.

• Notice any urge to fix, advise, or redirect.

• Take one slow breath.

• Focus on helping the person feel seen and heard before helping them feel solved.

You might try simple responses like:

• “I can see why that feels heavy.”

• “That makes sense.”

• “Thank you for trusting me with that.”

• “I’m here.”

You can also ask a gentle follow-up question:

• “Is there more you would like to share with me?”

• “Is there anything I can do to help you feel supported and cared for?”

An Invitation to Explore More

If this conversation resonates with you, here are a few gentle invitations for the week:

• Practice listening without preparing a response:

  Notice how often your mind jumps toward solutions or stories of your own. Gently return to the person in front of you.

• Let compassion be simple:

  Care doesn’t always have to be profound or eloquent. Sometimes support looks like a check-in text, a shared meal, or quietly showing up.

• Pay attention to your own capacity:

  Holding space for others also requires caring for yourself. Presence becomes difficult when we are emotionally depleted.

• Notice who helps you exhale:

  Who are the people that help you feel safe, grounded, or deeply seen? Consider reaching out to them this week.

For You

• What helps you feel genuinely supported by another person?

• When someone you love is struggling, what makes it hardest to simply stay present?

• We’d love to hear your reflections. Your stories often shape future conversations and remind others they are not alone.

You are welcome to share in the community chat, comments section, or even send us an email at thesereneishpodcast@gmail.com.

Thank you!

Thank you so much for being here with us.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, sharing, subscribing, rating, and reviewing helps more people find these conversations.

Holding space alongside you,

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 8: Holding Space for Others

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

A Reflection

In this episode, Brenda and I talked about what it means to hold space for someone, especially when they are grieving, overwhelmed, questioning, hurting, or simply trying to make sense of their lives. There’s something deeply sacred about being fully present with another person without trying to fix or rescue.

And honestly? It can feel uncomfortable.

Most of us have been trained to move quickly toward solutions. We want to help. We want to ease pain. We want to make things better. We want to say the perfect thing. But sometimes the most healing thing we can offer another person is not advice, but presence. We can care for people by being a steady nervous system, a listening ear, and a reminder that they do not have to carry their experience alone.

We reflected on the difference between hearing someone and actually creating space for them to unfold honestly. That kind of presence requires something of us. It asks us to slow down. To release the pressure to do the right thing. To tolerate uncertainty and discomfort without rushing to fill the silence.

And maybe that’s part of being serene-ish with people that we care about. We can show up with our companionship.

Sometimes the most loving thing we can say is: “I’m here with you.”

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, try practicing one minute of non-fixing presence.

The next time someone shares something difficult with you:

• Pause before giving advice.

• Take one slow breath.

• Listen for understanding instead of response.

• Try saying:

  • “That sounds really hard.”

  • “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

  • “I’m with you in this.”

Notice what shifts when you resist the urge to solve and simply stay present.

An Invitation to Explore More

If this conversation resonates, here are a few gentle ways to practice holding space this week:

• Stay curious instead of corrective:
  Ask questions that invite honesty instead of steering toward solutions.

• Let silence breathe:
  Not every pause needs to be filled. Sometimes people need room to find their own words.

• Notice your discomfort:
  When you feel the urge to fix, rescue, or redirect, gently (without judgement) ask yourself: What am I feeling right now?

• Offer presence in small ways:
  A text. A walk. A meal. A simple check-in. Care does not always have to be profound to be meaningful.

For You

• When have you felt genuinely seen or supported by another person?

• What helps you feel safe enough to be honest about what you’re carrying?

• We’d love to hear your reflections in the comments or chat. Your stories and insights often shape future conversations.

Thank you!

We appreciate you being here. If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Holding space alongside you,

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 7: Melancholy, Apathy, and Hope

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

A Reflection

There’s a quiet heaviness that can settle in without announcement.

Not sharp enough to name as grief.
Not loud enough to demand attention.
Just…present. Lingering.

Melancholy has a way of moving like that—soft, gray, and often misunderstood.

In this conversation, Larissa and I found ourselves naming the subtle textures of melancholy and apathy, and how differently they show up in each of us.

Sometimes emotional.

Sometimes physical.

Sometimes spiritual.

And sometimes, hard to distinguish from something else entirely—like peace, or surrender.

We even laughed as we tried to imagine a mascot for apathy. A sloth felt obvious. But then came the image of a squirrel—midday, stretched out on a fence, completely flopped over as if to say, “I’m done.”

Strangely relatable.

And maybe that’s part of the honesty here—acknowledging how the weight of life, information, and constant demand can leave us feeling stretched thin…or simply done.

Especially in a world where the noise never really stops.

The endless scroll.
The constant updates.
The quiet pressure to stay informed, engaged, and responsive.

Over time, it can all blur into a kind of numbness. Not because we don’t care—but because we’ve cared so much for so long.

So we talked about what it might look like to live differently.
To turn down the volume.
To become more intentional about what we let in—and what we gently refuse.

Not as avoidance, but as stewardship.

Because hope, in seasons like this, doesn’t always arrive as something loud or sweeping.

Sometimes it’s faint.
Sometimes it’s borrowed.
Sometimes it shows up in the most ordinary places.

In the laughter of children.
In a shared meal.
In a small moment of beauty that interrupts the gray.

Maybe hope isn’t something we wait for.
Maybe it’s something we notice.
Something we practice.

And maybe being serene-ish means learning to hold both—the melancholy and the hope—without rushing either one away.

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, try a simple hope anchoring practice:

At the end of each day, gently ask yourself:

• What was one moment that felt light or good today?

• Where did I notice even a small flicker of beauty or kindness?

It doesn’t have to be profound.
Let it be simple. Let it be enough.

If you’re with others, consider sharing your “highlight of the day” together.

An Invitation to Explore More

If this conversation resonates, here are a few gentle ways to engage with it this week:

• Turn down the noise:
  Choose one small boundary with media or information intake.

• Curate comfort:
  Create a short list of movies, music, or practices that help you reconnect with yourself.

• Name what you’re feeling:
  Is it apathy? Melancholy? Peace? Try to notice without rushing to label or fix.

• Look for good news on purpose:
  Pay attention to stories of kindness, beauty, or quiet goodness.

  ---

For You

• When you feel the weight of melancholy or the pull of apathy, what tends to restore you—even just a little?

• What helps you reconnect to hope in a way that feels real and grounded?

• We’d love to hear what this stirs in you. Your reflections might shape a future conversation.

Thank you!

We appreciate you being here. If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Looking for the sacred in the “in-between” spaces with you!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 6: Spirituality On the Margins

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

A Reflection

There’s something both tender and honest about finding yourself on the margins of traditional faith spaces. Sometimes it’s by choice. Sometimes it’s by hurt, disillusionment, or simply a quiet sense that something no longer fits.

But what if the margins aren’t just a place of absence…but a place of possibility?

In this conversation, Brenda and I reflected on how these “in-between,” liminal spaces can actually become sacred ground. Without rigid expectations, there can be more room to breathe, to ask questions, to notice God in unexpected places. In these places, we might find freedom to show up just as we are. We might find a profound sense belonging.

I think about how often we overlook these moments. The quiet peace during a walk. The laughter shared over a meal. The surprising glimmer of hope in the middle of a difficult day. These can be real, meaningful encounters with God.

Maybe being serene-ish means trusting that God is not confined to one place or structure. Maybe the divine presence of God is already meeting us, right where we are.

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, try a simple noticing practice:

Take a 3-breath pause once a day.

On your first breath, arrive in your body.
On your second breath, notice your surroundings.
On your third breath, gently ask: “Where might God be here?”

Don’t force an answer. Just stay open. You might be surprised by what feels quietly sacred.

An Invitation to Explore More

• If this idea of “spirituality on the margins” resonates with you, here are a few simple ways to explore it in your own life this week:

  • Look for God in unexpected places: Pay attention to where you feel even the smallest spark of the sacred outside of church.

  • Gather differently: Invite a few friends to share a meal, take a walk, or try a simple practice together—and notice what unfolds.

  • Name and nurture it: Don’t dismiss these experiences as “less than” church. What if they are meaningful expressions of your spiritual life?

    ---

For You

• Where have you experienced a sense of the sacred outside of traditional church spaces? In what ways do you want to intentionally make space for more?

• We would love to hear your stories. Feel free to share in the comments or our community chat. Your reflections might even shape a future episode.

Thank you!

We appreciate you being here. If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Looking for the sacred in the “in-between” spaces with you!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 5: Reclaiming Land, Story, and Home

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

In this week’s episode, we sit down with our friend Larissa to explore what it means to restore what was broken. Land is more than property — for many, it is identity, ancestry, and belonging. But through generations of injustice, entire communities have been displaced from the very ground that held their bones and their stories. What happens when a few ordinary people, armed with real estate licenses and a willingness to listen, decide to do something about it? In this episode, Larissa shares the beautiful and ongoing story of Inoanāiwi — an organization working to return land to Native Hawaiian families — and what it looks like when healing, justice, and community come together in the most grounded way possible.

A Reflection

Land is more than a legal title or a financial asset — it’s memory, identity, and belonging. For Native Hawaiians, the relationship with land runs deeper than ownership; it’s ancestral, communal, and sacred. When that connection is severed, something in the soul fractures, too.

• the grief of not being able to bury your ancestors where they belong

• the displacement of being pushed from your homeland, not by choice, but by cost

• the quiet loss of culture when the land that holds it is no longer yours

• the longing to simply be who you are, in the place that made you

In this way, land becomes more than ground beneath our feet — it becomes a mirror of justice, wholeness, and belonging. When we pay attention to who has been displaced and why, we begin to hear an invitation: to restore, to repair, and to return what was taken. Organizations like Inoanāiwi are answering that call — one family, one down payment, one piece of reclaimed earth at a time. And in doing so, they remind us that healing is not only personal. Sometimes, it is rooted in the very ground we stand on.

3 Engagement Ideas

Take a moment to settle in — find a comfortable position in a place that feels safe. Sit in a chair, step outside, or simply pause where you are.

1. Learn the land beneath your feet. Take 5–10 minutes this week to research the indigenous history of the land where you live. Whose ancestors walked it? Who stewarded it before you? Websites like native-land.ca are a great starting place. Let curiosity lead you toward greater awareness and gratitude.

2. Reimagine what stewardship means. Whether you rent or own, consider how you relate to the space you occupy. Stewardship isn’t just about property — it’s about how we hold, share, and honor what we’ve been given. Ask yourself: Am I caring for this space in a way that reflects generosity and responsibility?

3. Support the work of restoration. If this conversation stirred something in you, consider learning more about Inoanāiwi and the work they’re doing to restore land to Native Hawaiian families. You can find them at inoanāiwi.org. And look into whether similar land restoration or housing equity organizations exist in your own community — there may be more happening close to home than you know.

For You

• In this episode, we learned that restoration rarely starts with having all the answers — it starts with listening, learning, and saying yes to a small idea. Where in your own life might God be inviting you to show up for something bigger than yourself — even if you don't feel ready?

• Share in the comments or our community chat…weʻd love to hear from you!

Thank you 🫶

Thank you for listening, commenting, and engaging! If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Weʻre right here with you, trying to be serene-ish!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 4: The Wisdom of The Body

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

In this week’s episode, we explore the ways we connect and disconnect with our bodies. A lot of the messaging we’ve received is that the body is not to be trusted. It’s a vessel for work and control. But what if we’ve missed the gift and blessing of our bodies? What if our bodies are also a way that God moves in our spiritual formation? In this episode, we share our formative stories, our journey of discovery to something deeper and more integrated.

A Reflection

Our bodies are much more than vessels that carry us through the day – they’re living messengers, quietly speaking in sensations, fatigue, tension, breath, and rest. When we slow down enough to listen, our bodies often show what our minds try to outrun:

• the need for rest

• the invitation to grieve

• the signal that something is out of alignment

• or the quiet affirmation that we are moving in a life-giving direction

In this way, the body becomes a sacred guide, offering us wisdom through its signals and rhythms. Learning to tune in — to notice a tightness of our chest, a deep exhale, a burst of energy, or the heaviness of being overwhelmed — can reconnect us to ourselves and to God’s, our Creator’s, gentle invitations toward wholeness. When we honor these signals with curiosity rather than resistance, our bodies help guide us toward deeper spiritual and emotional well-being.

3 Peace Practices

Get in a comfortable position in a place that feels safe. You can sit in a chair, lay on your bed, whatever works for you.

1. Check in with your body like you would a friend. Take 1–2 minutes a day to pause and ask, “What’s my body feeling right now?”—without fixing or judging. Let your body speak first.

2. Respect the body’s signals as sacred, not selfish. Fatigue, hunger, tears, restlessness — they’re not interruptions to your spiritual life. They are part of it. Responding with kindness can become a form of worship.

3. Incorporate a daily body prayer. Try a simple practice like placing your hand on your heart or stomach and praying: “God, help me hear the wisdom You’ve placed within me today.”

For You

• In this episode, healing the separation of our bodies from our spiritual formation. What is something from this episode that you want to try? Or what is a way that you practice “serene-ish” in your own life?

• Share in the comments or our community chat…weʻd love to hear from you!

Thank you 🫶

Thank you for listening, commenting, and engaging! If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Weʻre right here with you, trying to be serene-ish!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 3: When Words Wound

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

In this week’s podcast, we step into a conversation that isn’t serene — but is very much necessary.

A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump made an offensive post about Barack and Michelle Obama that many have named as racially charged and harmful. We zoom out to examine the historical context that gives moments like this their weight, and we unpack the difference between intent and impact — and why centering intent often minimizes real harm. We explore why these incidents land differently in BIPOC communities, how racial fatigue builds when rhetoric is cumulative rather than isolated, and what grief and exhaustion can feel like in real time.

With honesty, steadiness, and a little “serene-ish” humor, we offer grounded practices for staying rooted when public discourse reopens old wounds.

A Reflection

We’d love to believe words are just words. That public posts are momentary. That we can scroll past and stay untouched. But of course, we’re human. Words carry history. They echo old narratives. They land in bodies already carrying stories and weariness.

Some moments in public discourse aren’t simply political disagreements. They reopen chapters that many people never had the luxury of closing. And for some of us, the weight isn’t just about one comment — it’s about the accumulation.

So what can we do?

We can slow down before reacting.
We can choose curiosity over defensiveness.
We can center impact over intent.
We can check on the people who may be carrying more than we see.
We can limit our exposure when our nervous systems need protection.

This is the quiet work of staying steady without becoming numb. Of telling the truth without losing ourselves. Of acknowledging harm without surrendering to hopelessness.

And this is where “serene-ish” lives.

Not in pretending everything is fine.
Not in bypassing our grief or our anger.
But in holding honesty and grounding at the same time.

We may not feel calm in moments like these. But we can practice rootedness. We can practice care. And sometimes, that steadying — however imperfect it may be — is enough for the next step forward.

A Serene-ish Practice: 4 Grounded Practices for moments like these

• Pause before reposting. Ask: Is this amplifying harm or inviting clarity?

• Name impact honestly. Especially if you’re directly affected.

• Check on your people. A simple text: “I saw that. How are you doing?”

• Limit consumption. Protect your nervous system.

For You

• You can find the book Larissa shared she’s returned to numerous times here: My Grandmother’s Hands

• What is one practice you can try this week when public discourse feels inflammatory or harmful?

• Share in the comments or in our community chat… we’d love to hear from you!

Thank you 🫶

Thank you for listening, commenting, and engaging! If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Weʻre right here with you, trying to be serene-ish!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 2: Peace For Our Mind, Body, and Spirit

You can find us on your favorite podcast platforms:

• Spotify

• Apple Podcasts

• YouTube Podcasts

In this week’s episode, we found ourselves laughing about the strange and wonderful things we’ve tried in the search for peace while navigating stress. Weighted blankets. Stress toys. Deep cleaning our home. At one point, one of us admitted to hiding in the bathroom hoping serenity might just…find us there. If you’ve ever done something similar, you’re in good company.

A Reflection

Weʻd love to be people who are peaceful all the time. But of course, weʻre human. In our human existence, we are affected by disruptions, hard days, situations that trigger anxiety, and our own limitations.

So what can we do? We can find ways to steady ourselves. We can cultivate skills that can help us regulate. We can be creative and persistent as we nurture peace inside of ourselves.

And this is where “serene-ish” comes in. We may not experience perfect peace or constant calm, but we can try. And maybe that is enough to carry us through the next moment.

A Serene-ish Practice: One-Minute Grounding

Get in a comfortable position in a place that feels safe. You can sit in a chair, lay on your bed, whatever works for you.

1. Place a hand on your chest. Notice how it feels to be in your body, right here in this safe place.

2. Take three slow, deep breaths in and out.

3. Bring to mind one thing you are grateful for right now. Small, big, whatever emerges to the surface for you. Allow yourself to savor and enjoy that thing.

For You

• In this episode, we talked about a variety of ways to cultivate peace in our daily life. What is something from this episode that you want to try? Or what is a way that you practice “serene-ish” in your own life?

• Share in the comments or our community chat…weʻd love to hear from you!

Thank you 🫶

Thank you for listening, commenting, and engaging! If you are enjoying our podcast, please share, subscribe, rate, and review. That helps people find us.

Weʻre right here with you, trying to be serene-ish!

Brenda and Larissa

🎧 Listen to Episode 1: Welcome to The Serene-ish Life

There’s a moment in our very first episode when everything is flowing… and then a sheep bleats in the background. No, neither one of us has goats, but I, Brenda, have a goat miniature figure that bleats when you press it. It’s supposed to be a stress reliever. At first, the idea of this screaming goat being stress relief seemed wild, but every time I press it, we break out into laughter. So we’re sharing the joy with you! You’re welcome, haha… but here’s why.

We want serenity, but reality often comes with interruptions, noise, and unexpected sounds that remind us that peace doesn’t always look polished. Sometimes, serenity is found right in the middle of the bleat.

Subscribe now

A Reflection

Serenity isn’t about perfect quiet; it’s about presence. When interruptions happen, we have a choice:

• Do we resist them, tighten up, and lose our center?

• Or can we let the interruption become part of the moment… maybe even something that makes us smile?

A Serene-ish Practice

This week, when something interrupts your calm (a child calling, a car horn, a text ping, or yes… even a goat 🐐):

1. Pause.

2. Take one slow breath in and out.

3. Whisper: “Peace is here too.”

Let the interruption be an invitation, not a thief.

For You

• Question: What’s one recent “bleat moment” in your life… an interruption that ended up teaching you something or making you laugh?

• Share in the comments (we’d love to include some of your stories in a future episode).

In Case You Missed It

🎧 Listen to Episode 1: Welcome to The Serene-ish Life

👉 Thanks for being with us in this beginning. We’re learning that serenity is never perfect but always possible, even in the bleat.

Until next time, remember to look for peace, even if it’s just the serene-ish kind ◡̈

Larissa and Brenda

We’re Brenda Renderos and Larissa Marks, and The Serene-ish Podcast is your space for some honest conversation about keeping our humanity in a complicated world.

This space grew out of a shared calling to spiritual direction, soul care, and a deep awareness that real life is rarely serene.

The name came from a moment of shared laughter. Brenda’s husband once gave her a small desk figurine of a goat. When you press it, it bleats loudly. It made us laugh, and then it made us think. We spend our days helping people cultivate spaciousness, attentiveness, and grounding, and yet life often feels more like goat yoga than a quiet monastery.

That’s when it clicked.

We’re not chasing serenity. We’re embracing serene-ish.

This podcast is a space for conversations shaped by that tension: the longing for peace and the reality of noise, interruptions, complexity, and joy. Each episode is a thoughtful, unscripted conversation between friends who care deeply about spiritual formation, justice, inner life, and the practices that help us stay rooted in the middle of real life.

What We’re Exploring

• Spiritual formation that meets us where we actually live

• The inner work required to stay grounded without disengaging from the world

• Justice, compassion, and responsibility held with tenderness rather than urgency

• Paying attention to what’s forming us beneath our habits, beliefs, and reactions

We don’t offer polished answers or spiritual performance. And although we’re mindful, we’re also okay with our podcast not being polished.

We offer presence, curiosity, lots of laughter, and honesty.

Who This Is For

If you’re drawn to contemplative life but feel overwhelmed by the pace and pressure of the world, you’re not alone. If you care about justice and also long for a gentler way of being. If you’re learning to live faithfully without pretending life is calm or resolved, friend, this space is for you.

Come Sit With Us

Listen while you’re walking, driving, resting, or moving through the ordinary moments of your day. Bring your questions, your weariness, and your hope. We’ll bring ours too.

Stay Connected

You’ll mainly find us on Instagram (Brenda + Larissa), but occasionally, you may catch us on Facebook (Brenda + Larissa). You can see what we’re up to with our friends at Unhurried Living or connect with us for Coaching or Spiritual Direction. And if The Serene-ish leaves you wanting more, check out our other substacks, Notes from a Spiritual Director with Larissa and This Sacred Work with Brenda.

Life may not be serene.
But together, we can be serene-ish.

Brenda and Larissa