Art Burns spent years in New York's high-pressure advertising world before addiction and burnout brought him to his knees, and to mindfulness. Today he's a certified mindfulness meditation teacher and founder of Alicia's Angels, a nonprofit bringing guided meditation, self-compassion coaching, and community support directly into chemotherapy infusion centers.

In this conversation, Art shares the story of Alicia, the client whose journey inspired the organization's name, and unpacks how mindfulness helps cancer patients and their families soften anger into acceptance, release the "cancer as identity" trap, and find beauty even in life's hardest moments. Steph and Art talk honestly about supporting loved ones through illness, the neuroscience behind rewiring the brain through practice, and why real presence matters more than having the "right" words.

Whether you're navigating a diagnosis, supporting someone who is, or just want practical tools for showing up more fully in your own life, this episode offers both heart and hard science.

Learn more about Alicia's Angels: https://aliciasangels.com/

ABOUT ART BURNS:

As a certified mindfulness meditation teacher, Art draws upon his traditional Catholic upbringing, combined with his extensive studies in the Eastern philosophies of Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, to spiritually connect with people from every background. Through the language of their religious and cultural experience, Art helps people understand the universal laws of spirituality to help bring them to a place of physical and emotional wellbeing. Art resides in Colorado with three cats.

🔑 KEY TAKEAWAYS

- Alicia's Angels brings free mindfulness meditation, self-compassion coaching, and community into chemotherapy centers and virtual sessions for patients, families, and caregivers. - A cancer diagnosis doesn't just affect the patient, it ripples through family members, friends, and coworkers in ways that are easy to miss. - The most helpful thing you can offer someone facing illness isn't advice or errands, it's honest, judgment-free presence and active listening. - Mindfulness isn't about controlling your thoughts; it's about noticing when your attention wanders and gently returning, it's a "muscle" you build with practice. - Neuroplasticity research shows consistent meditation practice measurably changes brain activity, even outside of meditation itself. - Self-compassion follows a simple three-step practice: acknowledge the struggle, remember you're not alone in it, then offer yourself comfort. - A diagnosis (or any role we play) doesn't have to become our whole identity, it is one thread in a larger tapestry.

⏱️ CHAPTERS:

00:00 - Cold Open: Meet Art Burns & Alicia's Angels 00:29 - The Story Behind Alicia's Angels 05:53 - Inside the Program: Meditation, Coaching & Community 08:52- How a Cancer Diagnosis Ripples Through the Family 16:48 - What to Say (and Not Say) to Someone with Cancer 20:23 - From Advertising Burnout to a Mindfulness Practice 31:07 - When Illness Becomes Your Identity 37:05 - The Power of Presence Without Judgment 44:52 - Alicia's Words: From Anger to Compassion 48:02 - The Self-Compassion Practice 53:29 - The Neuroscience of a Rewired Brain 57:03 - Small Daily Practices That Change Everything 1:03:01 - Judgment, Traffic Jams & Seeing the Beauty in What Is 1:08:28 - Closing Question: Who Are You at Your Core?