This week, I sit down with my friend DJ KICKIT (Karla Rendon) for a conversation about friendship, resilience, and staying grounded in uncertain times. We talk about the headlines, LGBTQ rights, and how stress can show up in our friendships and nervous systems — all through the lens of journalism for the nervous system.

We also get real about social media, how it can pull us apart, and the ways we can reconnect meaningfully. DJ KICKIT shares the practices that keep her grounded — music, movement, service — and we explore grace, joy, and the question, “What can I control?”

We reflect on how showing up for friends and community matters, even when we can’t control the headlines.

✨ Key Takeaways:

• Less social media, more connection
• You can’t control the government or the headlines—only your response
• Adult friendships are hard; lead with grace
• We need each other more than ever and how to be an ally
• Motivation + small rituals = real resilience

If this episode helped you breathe a little easier, share it with a friend and follow the show so you don’t miss what’s next.

Connect with Karla:

Website: www.djkickit.com
IG: Instagram/djkickit17
SoundCloud mixes: https://on.soundcloud.com/5yUFaIhwZ3p7O2m3p0

Support the show

Connect with Leslie:

https://www.instagram.com/thenewsyogi/

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNewsYogi

Submit your questions for the podcast Q&A episodes:

https://www.thenewsyogi.com/podcast

In this episode of the News Yogi Podcast, Leslie Rangel guides listeners through a meditation aimed at coping with news anxiety. The practice focuses on creating internal space and visualizing a protective light that represents inner wisdom and boundaries. This guided visualization helps change makers filter out overwhelming information and reconnect with their inner peace.

Support the show

Connect with Leslie:

https://www.instagram.com/thenewsyogi/

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNewsYogi

Submit your questions for the podcast Q&A episodes:

https://www.thenewsyogi.com/podcast

How do you stay informed when the world feels like it’s on fire — and your nervous system is already maxed out?

In this solo voice note, Leslie Rangel — journalist, nervous system educator, and first-gen daughter of immigrants — gets real about what it means to care deeply without collapsing. From scrolling through heartbreaking images in Gaza to hearing about renewed ICE raids, she shares the raw truth of what it feels like to be both informed and emotionally overwhelmed.

If you’ve ever found yourself spiraling after doomscrolling…
If you want to champion human rights but find it hard to sleep after the headlines…
If you believe in justice and joy…

This episode is for you.

You’ll hear:

• How to tell when your nervous system is overstimulated by the news (and what to do about it)
• Why traditional media consumption isn’t designed for bodies with trauma
• Nervous-system friendly ways to stay informed — without shutting down
• The guilt we feel for experiencing joy in the midst of global suffering (and how to reframe it)
• Why taking care of yourself is about showing up

This is journalism for the nervous system.

✨ If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs a reminder that it’s okay to care… and still rest.

Support the show

Connect with Leslie:

https://www.instagram.com/thenewsyogi/

https://www.youtube.com/@TheNewsYogi

Submit your questions for the podcast Q&A episodes:

https://www.thenewsyogi.com/podcast