Ep. 95 Yes, And: Mindfulness and the Art of Improv

Life rarely follows our carefully rehearsed script. Apparently, nobody sent life the agenda.

In this episode of ShrinksRap, we welcome Larry Cammarata, PhD, a psychologist specializing in mindfulness-based psychotherapy and mind-body health. Larry leads Coffee with Shrinks for EBMC Psych Inc and the West Coast Mindfulness Institute (WCMI) and serves as Director of Education for Mindfulness Travels. A Tai Chi and Qigong instructor with four decades of meditation experience, he integrates movement, humor, storytelling, and improvisation. Forty years of meditation—and he still agreed to get on a microphone with me.

Together, we explore how mindfulness and improv help us stay present, listen without rehearsing our next brilliant comment, and connect with the person actually standing in front of us. Larry discusses small joy and big joy—and how both can show up when we say “Yes, and” to what life offers. We also explore the courage to look foolish and what happens when our inner critic loses its position as executive producer.

What can “Yes, and” teach us about relationships, uncertainty, and life going off script? Join us for a conversation about loosening up, leaning into possibility, and making room for joy. We don’t have to know our next line to participate.