After rewatching Avatar: Way of Water in preparation for the new film Avatar: Fire and Ash, I decided to revisit the spiritual aspects of this second Avatar film. Listen to this episode to understand the Avatar films from a Buddhist and Hindu perspective. I go into the Buddhist concepts of karma and bodhisattvas and how they apply to the film, as well as how the dynamics of the Sully family fit with the family systems model from psychology. What are the aspects of Metkayina and Tulkun spirituality that differentiate them from other Na'vi clans?

And what do I think is the secret that will be revealed about Kiri in Avatar: Fire and Ash? (Hint: I don't think she's Na'vi Jesus!)

Spoiler warning for the first two Avatar films, and potential spoilers for Avatar: Fire and Ash!

Expect another Spiritual Movie Club episode on the film Sinners in January 2026! And another episode on the Mamoru Hosoda film Wolf Children in early 2026. (I am waiting for Wolf Children to cease being out of print before I revisit that film.)

Music in this episode: "osaka" by snoozybeats, accessed from the Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons license (CC BY)
Image from the film Avatar: Way of Water used under fair use for media discussion.

For inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com 
My skincare and Reiki boutique: Plumeria Beauty+Wellness 
https://plumeriabewell.as.me 

We've got a special treat today! This is my first guest interview on the podcast. I speak with Maggie Johns, owner of Tacit Touch Somatic Therapy. We talk about the Transformative Touch method of somatic therapy as a healing modality, the mind body connection (from Western and Eastern/Reiki/Ayurvedic perspectives), and Maggie's experiences with learning to let go of shame resulting from her Southern Baptist upbringing. Maggie is not a member of the LGBTQ community, but she is an ally and mom to the community! Her experiences with faith are also something a lot of us in the Queer community share, which is one of the reasons I invited her to speak on the podcast.

You can find Maggie and her business Tacit Touch here: https://www.tacittouch.com
And for inquiries into seeing her as a client, she can be reached at tacittouchtherapy@gmail.com

Music in this episode: "osaka" by snoozybeats, accessed from the Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons license (CC BY)

In this episode: I go over the Five Reiki Precepts (Gokai), a brief explanation of what Reiki is, the different branches of Japanese spirituality that influenced Reiki, and related modern practices within Japan that share heritage with Reiki. These are topics I discuss in more detail during my Reiki Level 1 trainings, so consider this just a taste of all that Reiki has to offer!

• Animism, Shinto, Daoism / Taoism, Yin Yang, Sino-Japanese Medicine, TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Mahayana Buddhism, Esoteric Buddhism, Shingon, Tendai, Shugendo, Aiki, Kiko, Qigong, Shiatsu massage, acupressure, wellness, alternative health, energy healing, energy medicine, healing modalities •

If you are interested in studying Reiki with me, or if you have other questions for me, send me an email: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
I am currently accepting interview guests for future episodes of the podcast! I am especially interested in interviewing other wellness practitioners or people who have left their faith of origin. Message me for more details.
IG/Tt: rikidementia
Business Instagram: plumeria.beauty.wellness
Plumeria Beauty+Wellness, Spotsylvania, VA

As always: May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be well.
🙏📿☯️🕉

In this episode, I delve into how emotions affect the health of your body, both from a Western medical perspective and an Eastern spiritual perspective

IG/Tt: rikidementia
Facebook: Plumeria Beauty+Wellness
Online bookings: https://plumeriabewell.as.me
Email: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Interview request form: https://docs.google.com/forms/...

As always, may you be happy, healthy, and well 🙏

(Fixed a glitch in the previous version!)

Bonus Halloween episode! From The Lost Boys to Buffy and True Blood, vampire stories have loved to play with gay and lesbian themes. Why is that? And why do so many gays and lesbians love vampire stories?

This episode is part 2 of the ongoing series of the spiritual wounds of LGBTQ people. In this segment, I focus on how the coming out process can fracture the spirit and lead to fragmentation of self. We can disown parts of ourselves, using language like "same sex attraction" instead of "my sexuality" or "my gender identity." Some of the deep wounds from living in the closet can cause lasting feelings of shame and unworthiness that continue to manifest in our lives even after coming out. I also briefly discuss somatic healing methods that can begin to address the lasting physical ramifications of spiritual wounding. (Reiki, myofascial release / Barnes technique, Emotional Freedom Technique, tapping, biofeedback, and The Emotion Code)

Now that we have addressed how these wounds manifest into adulthood, the upcoming episodes in this series will all be devoted to the healing process! 🙏

For inquiries:
IG/TT: @rikidementia
tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Plumeria Beauty+Wellness ; Spotsylvania, VA
www.instagram.com/plumeria.beauty.wellness
https://plumeriabewell.as.me 

What is spiritual wounding, and how does this pertain to LGBTQ people? In this episode, I delve into common spiritual wounds people in the community face. This is a long winded topic, so there will be multiple episodes in this series!

(This upload was a discarded take from the prior upload. I hadn't realized the previous audio file failed to upload correctly!)

Where to reach me:
IG/Tt: @rikidementia
📧: tqrpodcast@gmail.com

Plumeria Beauty + Wellness; Spotsylvania, VA
www.instagram.com/plumeria.beauty.wellness
To schedule a healing session: https://plumeriabewell.as.me

Happy Spooky Season!! 👻 
In this episode, I tell two true spooky stories from my own life. In the first story, I recall the haunting in my childhood apartment in Fort Worth, TX. In the second story, an odd detail from a past life regression session that became a crazy coincidence months later.

If you are interested in being a future guest on this show, send me an email at tqrpodcast@gmail.com . I am especially looking for LGBTQ healers, yogis, or witches who have left their original faith.
To book me for past life regression, Reiki, or oracle reading: book a coaching session with me at https://plumeriabewell.as.me ! I take both in-person or online appointments at my skincare and wellness boutique, Plumeria Beauty+Wellness.

Let me know what you think about the new logo or name change in a Spotify comment on this episode or by sending me an email.

Until we meet again,
Riki B 💜

I'm back! As I return for the long overdue Season 2 of The Queer Ritual Podcast, here are some updates on the state of this podcast and the new direction I will be taking it.

The TL;DR
I've started my own business! Plumeria Beauty+Wellness in Spotsylvania, VA.
Find me on IG @Plumeria.Beauty.Wellness or Facebook listed as "Plumeria Beauty+Wellness"
I am available for Reiki and spiritual coaching sessions in person or online through my booking site: https://plumeriabewell.as.me 
Catch me on an upcoming episode of Healing Out Lao'd with Rita Phetmixay
I will have a vendor booth at the Love Light Wellness Festival on 27th September, 2025 at Riverfront Park in Fredericksburg, VA

Follow me on Instagram @rikidementia for updates on IG Live group healing sessions!

Thank you to everyone who has already subscribed to my podcast, and I look forward to interacting with you all soon! Peace and blessings. May you be happy, healthy, and well.

I'm sure many of us in the LGBTQ community have been asked this one. Why is there no STRAIGHT Pride?

I will always answer that pride is a response to shame. So people who have been taught to be ashamed of who they are inside (whether that is sexual orientation, gender identity, etc) are who the Pride movement is for. That isn't to say that people who are in the white Christian majority cannot be proud of who they are, but they haven't been taught to feel shame over who they are.

Stay safe, friends!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Happy Pride Month!

In this episode, I reflect on my experiences of being "different" growing up as queer and neurodivergent (ADHD-PI), including how that difference affected me even after coming out. I conclude the episode with how I have used that difference to foster a new sense of community.

I didn't have an outline for this episode, so I know my thoughts wander quite a bit with this one. I appreciate each and every one of my listeners!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Happy Pride Month! I know the rhetoric has gotten very negative this year for Pride, so today I want to counterbalance the negative with the positive. This episode contains my top 5 perks of being in a same-sex relationship. Rick and I have been together almost twelve years now, and this month will also be our 5 year wedding anniversary!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Due to her recent passing, I want to take some time to honor the musical AND spiritual icon, Tina Turner. I explain her encounters with both Christianity and Buddhism, her personal chanting practice (Nam myoho renge kyo), and her efforts to promote peace and unity among all the world's religions.

Mentioned in this episode:
Beyond (2009)
Available on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube

Children Beyond (2009)
Also available on same platforms

Tina (2020)
HBO documentary on her life's story

Happiness Becomes You (2020)
Her final bookNew episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Continuing the theme of healing for Asian Diaspora content during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, today's episode is on the dark side of filial piety.

What is filial piety? Where does the concept come from? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? All will be discussed in this episode.

I am so proud of my fellow second generation Asian Americans who have decided to speak up on issues of mental health in the Asian American community. One thing our cultures share is the importance of family, but devotion to one's family should never come at the expense of one's mental health. The only way we can stop intergenerational trauma is by being aware of it!

New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Continuing my Asian Pacific American Heritage Month content, today I'm talking about microaggressions. What are they? Why do they hurt? How do we heal from them?

This episode also introduces the concept of radical acceptance.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Continuing with the theme of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (APIA Heritage Month), I am reposting a previous episode on Asian American Impostor Syndrome. Enjoy!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

Is it okay for a white person to practice Eastern or indigenous spirituality? (Short answer: yes, BUT with more work!)
When does it count as cultural appropriation?

This is a complicated topic, and by no means is this episode of the podcast all you need to know. I don't claim to be an expert here, but I would love to hear some thoughts from my listeners on this subject!New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!

It's Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! Also known as APIA Heritage Month.

After a month long break from producing this podcast, this episode represents the first "pivot" in this content toward healing: whether that is psychological healing, spiritual healing, or societal healing.

In this episode, I'm focusing on the "perpetual foreigner experience" that is so common with Asian Americans, both here in the United States and when visiting countries abroad in Asia. And I make the connection between the LGBTQ experience and the Asian American experience when it comes to forging a personal identity that is different from that of your parents.New episodes post Monday and Friday!

Listener questions and business inquiries: tqrpodcast@gmail.com
Personal IG: www.instagram.com/rikidementia

Thank you for listening!