EP #20 | The Day I Asked to Die: Overcoming Trauma, Addiction, and Atheism With Cesar Cardona

In this deeply moving episode, Nicole Spencer sits down with Cesar Cardona, a meditation guide and public speaker, to explore his extraordinary journey from a tumultuous childhood to finding peace through Buddhism. Cesar shares how his early life was marked by violence and isolation, leading him into a world of gangs and crime. Yet, through a series of transformative experiences, including a near-death encounter and a profound spiritual awakening, Cesar discovered the power of mindfulness and compassion. 

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ABOUT THE GUEST: 

Cesar Cardona is a public speaker and mindfulness educator whose work centers on resilience, inclusion, and social unification. He grew up in a household marked by violence and abandonment, the child of a Spanish Republican father from New York and a Black Democrat mother from the South. Two worlds that rarely spoke the same language, yet shaped his understanding of difference, survival, and the power of perspective.

Now certified in mindfulness through Rice University and trained by Sri Lankan and Tibetan Buddhist monks, Cesar teaches a framework he developed called Growth Mindfulness: a blend of inner stillness and outer action that helps individuals and communities navigate change without losing their center.

 His talks and workshops are built for people doing hard things, people who care deeply, carry a lot, and are looking for tools that are simple, usable, and grounded in lived experience. 

Check out Cesar’s podcast Beauty in the Break: https://linktr.ee/beautyinthebreak

http://www.cesarcardona.com/

https://www.instagram.com/_cesarcardona

www.youtube.com/@CesarCardonaSpeaker

ABOUT THE HOST:

Nicole Spencer is the host and curator of Spirituality for Skeptics, a show that explores the shift from doubt to belief through raw, transformative conversations. Raised without spirituality or religion, she never expected to find herself on this path. In her mid-30s, mentors and personal experiences opened her to curiosity about the unseen, inspiring her to create a space where others could explore freely without dogma or prescription.

Executive Producers: 

Glenn Milley https://www.instagram.com/goforglenn 

and 

Bessie Fong https://www.instagram.com/bessiefong