Small Rituals, Playful Art: Making Space for Calm

Mei Liu,, Dr. Jengyu Lai, Dr Gail Van Kanegan - Healing Steps to Wellness

What does making space for calm look like—a moment of gratitude, a daily self-care ritual, or a playful illustration of a rat relaxing in a teacup?

Join Dr. J and Mei on Healing Steps to Wellness for a conversation with Dr. Gail Van Kanegan about stress, everyday routines, and her approach to energy practices. Then meet artist Elden Lai, whose whimsical illustrations bring a fresh, imaginative perspective to lifestyle medicine. Together, these conversations explore a shared theme: finding small opportunities to pause, reconnect, and make room for yourself.

In this episode
Gail shares her transition from nursing and clinical practice to holistic and energy-based work.

Explore her perspective on Reiki, sound baths, grounding, and gentle self-care practices.

Hear a discussion of gratitude, movement, time in nature, and reminders to pause throughout the day.

Learn why herbal teas require attention to side effects, medications, and individual health conditions.

Meet Elden and discover the inspiration behind his lifestyle-medicine art series.

Hear why he chose rats as his characters—and how a tea bath became his playful interpretation of stress management.

What would you draw to represent sleep, social connection, or another pillar of lifestyle medicine? Share your ideas for Elden’s next illustration in the comments. Tell us which small ritual helps you make space for calm.

Resources and links
Gail Van Kanegan’s presentation — PowerPoint (.pptx):
https://healingstepstowellness.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/Stress-effects-pod-cast.pptx

Connect with Dr. Gail Van Kanegan and explore her resources:
https://drgailv.com/

Explore Healing Steps to Wellness and more podcast episodes:
https://healingstepstowellness.com/

Subscribe to Healing Steps to Wellness for more conversations about lifestyle medicine, creativity, and whole-person health. Like this episode and share it with someone who could use a moment to pause.

A note on health information
This episode is for education, not medical advice. Gail describes her personal approach to energy-based practices; discussion does not establish their scientific validity or effectiveness. Do not use this content to replace medical evaluation or prescribed treatment. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before trying herbs or supplements, particularly if you take medications or have a health condition.