Earth and Spirit Podcast

Inward Bound Mindfulness is a nonprofit organization offering intensive mindfulness retreats to youth across the country. In this episode, Inward Bound Executive Director Erik Osugi, and Nikki Cistac, the lead for programs and community engagement, talk about the transformative power of mindfulness for a richly diverse community of young people. Resources: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Inward Bound Mindfulness website: https://inwardboundmind.org/ Contact Erik Osugi: erik@inwardboundmind.org Contact Nikki Cistac: nikki@inwardboundmind.org

Matt Weir is a Louisville-based sculptor and stonecarver who has been commissioned to create an outdoor sculpture for the Earth & Spirit Center. In this episode, Matt reflects on his creative process, including the cosmic humility and contemplative practice entailed in working slowly with ancient natural materials. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Learn more about the Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Falls Art Foundry: https://fallsartfoundry.com/ Matt Weir's website: https://mweirworks.com/ Louisville Visual Art: https://www.louisvillevisualart.org/ Information about the Louisville Visual Art's Curate, Purchase, Inspire program, which is funding the installation of Matt's sculpture on the Earth & Spirit Center campus: https://www.louisvillevisualart.org/cpi

Louisville Collegiate School is an independent school committed to whole-child education. In this episode, Head of School Rob Macrae and Assistant Head of School Jim McGuire describe how they are introducing spiritual practices and principles in a secular educational context, as a way to cultivate kids with self-awareness, a sense of community, resilience, and a commitment to the common good of people and planet. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Louisville Collegiate School: https://louisvillecollegiate.org/ Collaborative for Spirituality in Education: https://spiritualityineducation.org/ Awakened Schools Institute: https://spiritualityineducation.org/awakened-schools/

Will Hunter is a former monk, hermit, and wilderness therapy guide, who currently serves as the retreat director for the Earth & Spirit Center in Louisville, KY. In this episode, Will and I talk about the evolution of monastic life and how the desert or wilderness spirituality of monastic practice is possible – and even essential – for all of us, even in the midst of our built environments and our busy lives. Resources: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Will's upcoming three-week course on Wilderness Spirituality (in-person and online via Zoom): https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/class/wilderness-spirituality/

Shelly Sowell is a therapist and well-being coach who integrates mindfulness and self-compassion into her work with individuals and organizations. In this episode, we reflect on how mindfulness provides a helpful path of healing, integration, and hope for individuals and communities in the wake of the 2024 elections. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Shelly's website: shellysowell.com Shelly's Instagram: @buildamindfullife Shelly's blog page: https://www.shellysowell.com/blog Blog Post on Fear: https://www.shellysowell.com/blog/buildamindfullife-workingwithfear Blog Post on Supporting Kids: https://www.shellysowell.com/blog/buildamindfullife-electionanxiety Blog Post from last year on Prepping for Holidays: https://www.shellysowell.com/blog/mindfullyprepfamilyholidays

In this brief episode, Earth & Spirit Podcast host and producer Kyle Kramer gives some background on why the podcast feed has been dark for a bit, and what the future holds for the podcast moving forward.

David Gershon is the co-founder and CEO of Empowerment Institute, author of a dozen books, and is one of the foremost social change experts in the world. In this conversation, David shares his vision of world peace by 2030 and the inspired and inspiring way he is helping create the means to achieve it. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Registration link for World Building Workshop in Louisville on September 9, 2024: https://poe.earth/POEWBWorkshop Learn more about the Peace on Earth by 2030 Movement: https://peace2030.earth Learn more about the Peace Game and the Peace Game App: https://peacegame.earth https://docs.google.com/document/d/1arS7L8fkp2DgKgfuD3GOAxykugYm3TwGusaZ8Zw5ZA4/edit?usp=sharing https://poe.earth/app Learn more about David's work and writing: https://empowermentinstitute.net

Brayton Bowen is an organizational consultant, author, educator, and speaker, who served as a senior human resources officer for Fortune 500 companies. He's also a fierce advocate for compassion in the workplace. In this episode, we explore the benefits compassion can bring in organizational life and beyond. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Brayton's website: https://buildingbetterworldsofwork.com/ Brayton's books: https://buildingbetterworldsofwork.com/success-resources/

John Gage is a Louisville-based folk singer-songwriter and a former public radio host. For over six decades, his music has engaged deeply with spirituality, social justice, and care for the Earth. John brought his beloved old Martin guitar with him to the Earth & Spirit Center to add a few live songs to this wide-ranging conversation about music as a force for good in the world. His most recent album, Circles of Our Lives, features several Wendell Berry poems that John set to music, one of which he performed during this conversation. John teaches music for the Camp Odyssey summer programs at the Earth & Spirit Center, so since our summer camps are in full swing, we are re-airing this episode, which originally aired in 2021. Resources: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org John Gage on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/26zYYPXePtVOO7hHjieUGj

Mat McDermott is Senior Director of Communications for the Hindu American Foundation, a non-profit advocacy organization for the Hindu American community, and an author and contributor for many Hindu American Foundation policy positions on environmental care and the ethical treatment of animals. This conversation explores how Hindu spirituality, and especially the various forms of yoga, help cultivate an ethic of love and care for the sacred world we all share. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Hindu American Foundation: https://www.hinduamerican.org/ Learn more about the June 21 International Day of Yoga

In honor of the Earth & Spirit Center's upcoming summer camps, we're replaying an episode from the archives, about the importance of nature-based free play. Claude Stephens is the Facilitator of Outreach and Regenerative Design for Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. He's also the director of Bernheim's Children at Play Network, an initiative that helps connect children to nature through free play. This conversation explores the importance of free play in nature as an engine of inspiration and imagination, empowerment, equity, and efforts to sustain healthy communities and landscapes. RESOURCES: Earth & Spirit Center: https://earthandspiritcenter.org/ Bernheim Research Forest and Arboretum: https://bernheim.org/ Children At Play Network: https://childrenatplaynetwork.com/

Reverend Seifu Anil Singh-Molares is a priest in the Rinzai Zen Buddhist tradition and serves as the executive director of Spiritual Directors International, an interfaith non-profit that provides resources for spiritual guidance and counsel. This conversation explores what spiritual direction is and how important it is for discerning wisdom and divine presence in all aspects of our life. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Spiritual Directors International: https://www.sdicompanions.org/ Contact Rev. Seifu: anilsm@sdiworld.org

Rebecca and Pete Davis are a sister-and-brother filmmaking team who have created “Join or Die,” a documentary film about the decline of civic life in America and the importance of joining clubs and other associations as a way to restore the health of our democracy. This episode explores how we are all made for belonging and how we can lean into the profoundly joyful work of becoming more deeply connected to our places and to each other. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Join or Die film: https://putnamdoc.com/

Osprey Orielle Lake is the founder executive director of WECAN, the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network, and the author of The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis. In this episode, we explore how embracing a different story about our belonging in a living, animate world can transform our self-understanding and can help to heal our relationship with ourselves, each other, and the rest of the living Earth. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Osprey's organization, Women's Earth and Climate Action Network: https://www.wecaninternational.org/ Osprey's new book, The Story is in Our Bones: How Worldviews and Climate Justice Can Remake a World in Crisis

Tom Williams is a Louisville-based labor relations attorney with a deep commitment to the contemplative path, with the wild idea that a lawyer's vocation may ultimately be to serve as a healer. In this conversation, Tom shares how he puts spiritual principles and insights into action as a tireless advocate for radical compassion, restorative justice, equity, and inclusion. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Learn more about Restorative Justice: https://www.voamid.org/services/restorative-justice/ Learn more about Tom's legal practice: https://www.skofirm.com/attorney/thomas-m-williams/ Compassion Games International: https://www.compassiongames.org/

Dr. Susan Taylor is a PhD economist who has given her life to weaving together commitments of religious faith and commitments to a more just economy. In this episode, we reflect on the central and complicated role that money plays in human life. As an alternative to bare-knuckled capitalism, Susan offers the idea of Sabbath Economics – a radical vision of abundance and economic justice for people and our planet – a vision that each of us and all of us can start living toward right here and right now. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Susan's financial advising firm, Just Money Advisors: https://www.justmoneyadvisors.com/ Faith and Money Network: https://faithandmoneynetwork.org/ OneEarth Jubilee: https://oneearthjubilee.com/

Dr. Michael Hollifield is a psychiatrist and general practitioner who serves as the Founder, President, and CEO of the War Survivors Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to restoring health to civilians and soldiers who have been harmed by war, as well as mitigating the causes of violent conflicts. In this conversation, Michael reflects on the causes of war, its devasting effects, and how mindfulness and other spiritual practices and insights can bring peace in troubled hearts and troubled times. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ War Survivors Institute: https://warsurvivors.org/ War Survivors Institute Virtual Walkathon: https://givebutter.com/2024onewalkathon Upcoming WSI Events in Louisville, KY: WSI will be in the military section all day at Thunder Over Louisville (April 20, 2024): https://thunderoverlouisville.org/ WSI Healing Hearts Evening Event: May 16, 2024 at the Muhammad Ali Center: https://warsurvivors.org/event/healing-horizons-event-at-the-muhammad-ali-center-louisville-ky/

Denise Davis taught writing for decades and is deeply committed to the spiritual journey and to journaling as a particular avenue of spiritual practice. In this conversation, Denise describes journaling as a chance to create what Howard Thurman called an Isle of Peace, where it's safe to reflect on our experience, cultivate compassion for others, and seek the imprint of the divine in our lives. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Learn more about Denise's Earth & Spirit Center course, “Journaling as a Spiritual Practice” (begins March 4, 2024): https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/class/journaling-as-a-spiritual-practice/

Stephanie Barnett is a healthcare consultant, spiritual director, and nonprofit leader who understands her work as accompanying those on the margins, including young mothers who are in active recovery from substance abuse. In this conversation, Stephanie shares how compassion is the spiritual thread woven throughout all her work, knitting together communities of kinship and belonging, where all can know their own worth and belovedness. RESOURCES: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Stephanie's nonprofit, iAccompany/ChooseWell Communities: https://www.choose-well.org/ Homeboy Industries: https://homeboyindustries.org/

Matthew Fox is an author, theologian, and activist Episcopal priest whose radical interfaith work attempts to reawaken us to the sacredness of the created world. In this conversation, originally released in October 2022, Matthew reflects on how creation-centered spirituality, and the marriage of the divine feminine and sacred masculine, can help us respond with hope to the troubles of our apocalyptic times. RESOURCES: Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Websites related to Matthew's work: http://www.matthewfox.org http://www.thecosmicmass.com http://www.orderofthesacredearth.org http://www.dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org

Andy Loving is the founder of Just Money Advisors, a financial advising firm that specializes in working with clients who have strong interests in socially responsible and ecologically sustainable investing. This conversation delves into the complicated role that money plays in our lives and how spiritual values can inspire us to use money and investing as tools for bringing about the more beautiful world that our hearts know is possible. RESOURCES AND LINKS: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Just Money Advisors Inc.: https://www.justmoneyadvisors.com/ Hope Credit Union: https://hopecu.org/ Faith and Money Network: https://faithandmoneynetwork.org/ Church of the Saviour in Washington, DC: https://inwardoutward.org/ Koinonia Farm: https://www.koinoniafarm.org/

Dr. Patricia Gianotti is the Academic Director of The Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago. As a clinician in private practice, she works with clients around issues related to trauma, shame, and narcissism. She's also the founder of the Center for Spiritual Integration, an organization dedicated to the integration of spiritual and psychological aspects of the human psyche. This conversation explores what spiritual integration means in the context of human resilience, authenticity, purpose, building community, and other themes of living and aging well.  RESOURCES AND LINKS: Donate to support the Earth & Spirit Center and this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Visit the Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Patricia's website: www.patriciagianotti.com The Center for Spiritual Integration: https://www.patriciagianotti.com/spiritual-integration Patricia's consultation and coaching practice: www.thewoodlandgroupllc.com Patricia's latest book: Embracing Therapeutic Complexity: A Guidebook to Integrating the Essentials of Psychodynamic Principles Across Therapeutic Disciplines. Institute for Advanced Psychotherapy at Loyola University Chicago: https://www.luc-iap.com/ 

After successful careers in business, Di Anne and Tom Kerrigan have become deeply involved in sharing mindfulness with those who need its practical benefits but may have barriers to access. This episode is the second half of a conversation with them about the democratization of mindfulness and the role mindfulness and compassion can play not only in improving the lives of individuals, but also in changing the systems that perpetuate inequity. RESOURCES: Please donate to help cover the costs of this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Learn more about the nonprofit Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Earth & Spirit Center's Mindfulness Mentors program, bringing free mindfulness instruction to those with barriers to access: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/learn-to-meditate/mindfulness-mentors/ Register for our free Listen, Learn, Act Meet and Greet event, December 7, 2023, 6 – 7:30 EST: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/class/meet-and-greet/

Di Anne and Tom Kerrigan are an entrepreneurial couple who sold their successful business and then devoted their considerable energy and talents to sharing mindfulness with underserved community members, in collaboration with the Earth & Spirit Center. In this first of a two-part conversation, Di and Tom reflect on the difference mindfulness can make in the lives of people who face extraordinary challenges. RESOURCES: Please donate to help cover the costs of this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Learn more about the nonprofit Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Earth & Spirit Center's Mindfulness Mentors program, bringing free mindfulness instruction to those with barriers to access: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/learn-to-meditate/mindfulness-mentors/

Scott Russell Sanders is a Cambridge-educated novelist, essayist, conservationist, and a distinguished professor of English, emeritus, at Indiana University. He wrote and taught for decades about nature and place, family and community, and the concerns of social justice and ecology, woven together with a spirituality that is rooted in awe and wonder. This conversation, from our archives, explores the joys and disciplines of spiritual imagination, writing, and a well-lived life, in communion with others and within our one shared world. RESOURCES: Earth & Spirit Center website: www.earthandspiritcenter.org Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Scott's website: https://scottrussellsanders.com/ Some of Scott's books: Small Marvels: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/small_marvels.html The Way of Imagination: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/way_of_imagination.html The Engineer of Beasts: A Novel: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/engineer_of_beasts.html A Conservationist Manifesto: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/conservationist_manifesto.html A Private History of Awe: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/private_history_of_awe.html Hunting for Hope: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/hunting_for_hope.html Writing from the Center: https://scottrussellsanders.com/book_pages/writing_from_the_center.html

Jim Wayne is a psychotherapist, business owner, a novelist, and for almost three decades until 2019, an elected representative in the Kentucky House. He's been a tireless advocate for tax reforms, concern for the poor, and mental health care concerns. He's also a person for whom prayer, meditation, and religious belonging have played an important role in the person he is, the commitments he holds, and how he does his work. In this conversation, Jim reflects on how his faith and contemplative practice are woven into a life lived in service to others. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ Wayne Corporation: https://www.waynecorp.com/ Jim's novel, The Unfinished Man: https://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Man-Jim-Wayne/dp/0996012001

Sister Kathleen Duffy is a member of a Catholic religious order, the Sisters of Saint Joseph, and she's also had a decades-long academic career as a molecular physicist at Chestnut Hill College. In this weaving together of science and spirituality, she's been guided by the paleontologist and mystic, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, also a person with deep commitments to both scientific inquiry and religious faith. In this conversation, Sr. Kathy reflects on Teilhard's understanding of our Universe as a journey of both matter and spirit, evolving toward greater unity, beauty, and love. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ Sr. Kathy's upcoming retreat at the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, November 10-12, 2023: https://nazarethretreatcenterky.org/programs/65/teilhards-cosmic-images-of-god/ American Teilhard Association: https://teilharddechardin.org/ Institute for Religion and Science at Chestnut Hill College: http://irands.org/

Dr. Sue Stuart-Smith is a UK-based psychiatrist and psychotherapist, an avid gardener, and the author of The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature. In this second installment of a two-part conversation, Sue reflects on the fundamental human need to connect with the rest of the living world and how we can overcome the modern world's alienation from nature through equitable access to green spaces. She also offers insights as to how gardens can provide healing from trauma, help us manage stress and burnout through a new relationship to time, give us a sense of agency and hope, and help us come to terms with our own mortality. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Sue's book: The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature. Sue's website: https://www.suestuartsmith.com/ Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suestuartsmith/

Dr. Sue Stuart-Smith is a UK-based psychiatrist and psychotherapist, an avid gardener, and the author of The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature. Over her long career in psychotherapy, Sue has seen the power of gardens and nature connection to heal trauma, cultivate mindfulness and spirituality, navigate anxiety, stress, and burnout, and help us become our full, embodied human selves. In this first of a two-part conversation, Sue and I talk about the co-evolution of gardens and humankind and the essential role nature plays in human physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Whether you're a gardener or not, I hope you enjoy Sue's powerful, moving reflection on the deep relationship between green nature and human nature. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Sue's book: The Well-Gardened Mind: The Restorative Power of Nature. Sue's website: https://www.suestuartsmith.com/ Sue on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/suestuartsmith/

Dr. Kathleen Coyne grew up among the indigenous peoples of Northern Canada, which set her on a lifelong journey as a community development expert and an advocate for equity and justice, especially with those who are on the margins. She's also deeply committed to the spiritual path of Christian meditation. In this beautiful, heart-opening conversation, Kathleen shares how the spiritual practice of contemplative, heart-centered compassion and listening provides a powerful and grounded way to engage the needs of the most vulnerable. RESOURCES: Make a tax-deductible donation to support this nonprofit podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Center for Applied Mindfulness homepage: https://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ Upcoming virtual retreat Kathleen will lead with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth: “Listening as Sanctuary: Introduction to Compassionate Listening as Contemplative Practice.” https://nazarethretreatcenterky.org/programs/391/listening-as-sanctuary-virtual/ Kathleen's bio: https://nazarethretreatcenterky.org/teachers/392/kathleen-coyne-medes-edd/ syiyaya Reconciliation Movement, supporting dialogue between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people on British Columbia's Sunshine Coast: https://syiyayareconciliation.ca/ Compassionate Listening Project: https://www.compassionatelistening.org/ Compassionate Integrity Training: https://www.compassionateintegrity.org/ Boundless Compassion: https://www.boundlesscompassion.org/

Martin Boroson's experience spans the study of Western and Eastern spiritual traditions, much of that work done at Yale University, but also the world of business and management. An ordained Zen priest, Marty also earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He is the founder of the One Moment Company, LLC, which provides meditation and mindset training to large healthcare institutions and Fortune 500 companies. He also provides consulting and coaching services for organizational leaders, especially helping them bring mindfulness to issues of time management. In this second of a two-part conversation with Marty, we focus on the themes of his book, One-Moment Meditation: Stillness for People on the Go. We also dive into the tensions and possibilities of bringing spiritual practice into the everyday world of action and especially into the workplace. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ https://martinboroson.com/ https://onemomentcompany.com/ https://www.becomingme.com/

Martin Boroson studied Western philosophy at Yale, followed by private study of Eastern philosophy and the work of Carl Jung. He also earned an MBA from the Yale School of Management. He is a leadership coach, founder of the One-Moment Company, and an ordained Zen priest in the Hollow Bones Rinzai Zen order. He's the creator of One-Moment Meditation and the author of One-Moment Meditation: Stillness for People on the Go. With artist Chris Gilvan-Cartwright, he's also created Becoming Me, his recently reprinted book that is part beautifully-illustrated children's book, part mystical treatise on the nature of existence and our place in it. In this first of a two-part episode, Marty reflects on Becoming Me and the gentle, essential truths it holds for people of all ages, backgrounds, and religious persuasions. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ https://www.becomingme.com/ https://martinboroson.com/ https://onemomentcompany.com/

We're trying something a little different for this episode. As the host of the Earth & spirit Podcast, I always get to ask the questions. But this time, we're turning the mics around. Dan Galvin, who's part of the Earth & Spirit Center team, agreed to be the host and to put me in the hot seat this time, to talk about some of my background and the work of the Earth & Spirit Center, including our new Institute for Applied Mindfulness. I hope you enjoy this conversation about contemplative spirituality and its connections to building healthy communities and cultivating a deep relationship with the rest of the living world. RESOURCES AND NOTES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness homepage: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ More info on Kyle: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/about-us/our-team/kyle-kramer/ Kyle's latest book: Making Room: Soul-Deep Satisfaction Through Simple Living.

Lois Luckett is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in private counseling practice since 1980. In this podcast conversation, Lois shares how mindfulness, body awareness, and connection to the natural world can help us feel safe, learn to trust, and become more healthy and whole. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Hakomi Institute: https://hakomiinstitute.com/ Lois Luckett on Psychology Today site: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lois-s-luckett-louisville-ky/835522 Previous Earth and Spirit Podcast Episode with Lois Luckett: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/the-wisdom-of-trees-lois-luckett-on-learning-from-our-sylvan-kin/

Sr. Gail Worcelo co-founded the Green Mountain Monastery in 1999, encouraged and supported by her friend and mentor, the late Thomas Berry. Berry, a cultural historian and Passionist priest, was a ground-breaking thinker who contemplated the new story science has given us of 13.8 billion-year history of our evolving Universe. He considered the implications of this new story for our religion, education, economy, and government. In this conversation, first aired in 2020, Sr. Gail reflects on how Thomas Berry's vision has guided the Green Mountain Monastery community and offers wisdom for all of us, here at the choice point between an ecozoic or a technozoic future. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Green Mountain Monastery: http://www.greenmountainmonastery.org/ Thomas Berry Resources: http://thomasberry.org/ The Journey of the Universe: https://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/

Jud Hendrix is the executive director of Interfaith Paths to Peace, a nonprofit organization with a mission of building peace, justice, and compassion by uniting and organizing people of diverse faiths, races, and cultures. In this episode, Jud reflects on spirituality, social change, hope, and what it means to help build the beloved community. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ Interfaith Paths to Peace: https://paths2peace.org/ Zoom link for Wednesday 3:30pm EST weekly conversations mentioned in the show: https://zoom.us/j/9847872987

Dr. Hannah Bland is a licensed counselor, an assistant professor of mental health counseling, and the director of the mental health counseling education program at Spalding University. She has worked extensively in prisons, the foster care system, and rape crisis centers, among other difficult circumstances. In this conversation, Hannah shares the important synergy between mindfulness and mental health care, especially with those who face extraordinary life challenges. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: http://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ Dr. Bland's Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program: https://spalding.edu/master-of-arts-in-clinical-mental-health-counseling/

Jimmy Springston is a former Air Force officer and chief operating officer of a multi-million-dollar commercial construction company, who now coaches other leaders. In this podcast conversation, Jimmy reflects on how to create organizational cultures that are more mindful, emotionally intelligent, effective, and sustainable. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Connect with Jimmy Springston: https://jimmyspringston.com/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Institute for Applied Mindfulness: https://www.instituteforappliedmindfulness.org/ The Center for Nonviolent Communication: https://www.cnvc.org/ More on Entrepreneurial Operating System: https://www.eosworldwide.com/

Joe Grant is a Scotland-born modern-day mystic, spiritual guide, retreat leader at Holy Hills Hermitage in rural Kentucky, and the author of numerous books and articles about scripture, justice and spirituality. Joe has worked with indigenous peoples of the U.S. and in Latin America. In this conversation, originally released on February 27, 2020, Joe reflects on his spiritual journey, which has led him to live with indigenous peoples deep in the Amazon rainforest, as well as making a home amid the pain and violence of inner city Louisville. In all of this, Joe follows a vocation of heart-wide-open engagement with our beautiful, wounded world. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Joe's latest book, Wandering and Welcome: Meditations for Finding Peace, published by Franciscan Media. Joe's retreat center in rural Marion County, Kentucky, Holy Hills Hermitage: https://holyhillshermitage.org/

Dr. Ursula Goodenough is professor emerita of biology at Washington University, the president of the Religious Naturalist Association, and the author of The Sacred Depths of Nature: How Life Has Emerged and Evolved. This conversation explores the story of how science can inspire deep reverence and care for our shared, evolving world. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Info about Ursula's latest book, The Sacred Depths of Nature: How Life Has Emerged and Evolved: www.sacreddepthsofnature.com Religious Naturalist Association: https://religious-naturalist-association.org/

Gretchen “Bunny” Nash has worked for decades with children and adults facing emotional and behavioral challenges as well as various forms of trauma. In this conversation, Bunny shares how mindfulness practices can rewire our brains to foster stress resilience, compassion, and greater well-being for individuals and communities.

Sr. Toni Temporiti, PhD is the founder of Microfinancing Partners in Africa, an organization that provides loans to empower women who struggle with poverty. In this episode, Sr. Toni reflects on the power of listening, community, and courage for creating a more beautiful and sustainable world – one person, one community, one small loan at a time. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Microfinancing Partners in Africa: https://microfinancingafrica.org/

Dr. Tony Zipple is an expert in behavioral health and rehabilitation counseling, in both clinical and academic settings, with extensive background in executive leadership of large organizations. In this episode, we reflect on Tony's experience with positive psychology, mindful self-awareness, and how individuals and organizations can flourish, especially amidst change. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Tony Zipple's website: https://tonyzipple.com/ Incite Consulting Solutions: https://inciteconsultingsolutions.com/

Phil Lloyd-Sidle is an Earth and Spirit Center instructor who sees the linkage between mindfulness and social justice, including issues of incarceration, race, gender identity and sexual orientation, and the patriarchy. In this episode, Phil shares how mindfulness can help those on the margins – and all people – to embrace their own worth and value, navigate suffering, and cultivate compassion for themselves and others in our deeply interdependent world. Note: The introduction and show notes to this episode have been revised to correct information in the guest's bio. RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth and Spirit Center homepage: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Louisville Vipassana Community: http://www.louisville-vipassana-community.org/ Dharma Seed: https://dharmaseed.org/ Insight Meditation Society: https://www.dharma.org/ Plum Village: https://plumvillage.org/

Day Schildkret uses found natural materials in outdoor settings to create Earth-based art whose beauty is utterly impermanent. He's also the author, most recently, of Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change. In this episode, Day and I reflect on how nature, creativity, and ritual help us navigate change, make meaning, and remember our true wholeness and belonging. RESOURCES: Please support this podcast at https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Day's new book, Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change: https://www.dayschildkret.com/books Day's websites: https://www.dayschildkret.com/ https://www.morningaltars.com/ Day in Instagram: http://instagram.com/morningaltars Day on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/morningaltars

Dr. Broderick Sawyer is a clinical psychologist who integrates mindfulness and compassion practices into his work with organizations and individual clients. This episode explores how mindfulness can inform psychological wholeness, promote healing from racial stress and trauma, and help overcome mind-states that perpetuate division. NOTES AND RESOURCES: Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Broderick Sawyer's website: https://www.brodericksawyer.com/

Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim are a husband and wife team of Senior Lecturers and Research Scholars at Yale University in the School of the Environment, the Divinity School, and the Department of Religious Studies, with specializations in East Asian religions and Indigenous religions. They co-direct the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology and are the creators of the new Coursera series, Religions and Ecology: Restoring the Earth Community. In this 2021 episode from our podcast archives, Mary Evelyn and John discuss their decades of work at the intersection of ecology and the world's religions, as informed by their mentor Thomas Berry and with the hopeful, deep-time perspective of our evolving universe. RESOURCES: Please donate to support this podcast and the Earth & Spirit Center nonprofit organization: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/category/podcast/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Coursera courses by Mary Evelyn and John: Religions and Ecology: Restoring the Earth Community https://www.coursera.org/specializations/religion-ecology Journey of the Universe: A Story for Our Times https://www.coursera.org/specializations/journey-of-the-universe Yale Forum on Ecology and Religion: https://fore.yale.edu/ Journey of the Universe film/book/podcasts: https://www.journeyoftheuniverse.org/ Thomas Berry Website: https://thomasberry.org/ United Nations Environment Programme Faith for Earth Initiative: https://www.unep.org/about-un-environment/faith-earth-initiative Greenfaith: https://greenfaith.org/ Ecology and Religion, by John Grim and Mary Evelyn Tucker. Washington DC: Island Press, 2014. The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times, by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams. New York: Celadon Books, 2021

Deborah Eden Tull is a Buddhist teacher, activist, author, and sustainability educator. In this conversation, we dive into her latest book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown. We reflect on how darkness is an invitation to open-hearted, full-spectrum living, fierce compassion, relational mindfulness, and hopeful, courageous dreaming in the service of life. RESOURCES: Please donate to support this podcast and the Earth & Spirit Center nonprofit organization: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/category/podcast/ Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Eden's website: https://www.deborahedentull.com/ Eden's new book, Luminous Darkness: An Engaged Buddhist Approach to Embracing the Unknown: https://www.deborahedentull.com/luminous-darkness Eden's nonprofit, Mindful Living Revolution: https://www.deborahedentull.com/non-profit

Jason Shulman is a spiritual teacher who straddles the worlds of Jewish Kabbalah mysticism and Zen Buddhism. In this episode, Jason shares his practical, deeply grounded, nondual vision of reality and how it plays out in conflict resolution, the integration of polarities and paradox, and above and beneath all, love. RESOURCES: Jason's school, A Society of Souls: https://www.societyofsouls.com/, https://www.facebook.com/asocietyofsouls/ The Foundation for Nonduality: https://www.nonduality.us.com/, https://www.instagram.com/foundationfornonduality/, https://www.facebook.com/FoundationForNonduality, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_ml_7AMW7UL15uD_CI9mQQ Earth & Spirit Center: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/

Nina Simons is an activist, author, social entrepreneur, and the co-founder of Bioneers, a nonprofit organization committed to social and environmental justice work that honors the web of life, now and into the future. In this conversation, Nina reflects on how feminine and indigenous leadership are crucial paths for cultural and ecological regeneration. RESOURCES: Earth & Spirit Center: www.earthandspiritcenter.org Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Nina's website: https://www.ninasimons.com/ Nina's new book, Nature, Culture & The Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership, 2nd edition: https://www.ninasimons.com/writing Bioneers website: https://bioneers.org/

Matthew Fox is an author, theologian, and activist Episcopal priest whose radical interfaith work attempts to reawaken us to the sacredness of the created world. In this conversation, Matthew reflects on how creation-centered spirituality, and the marriage of the divine feminine and sacred masculine, can help us respond with hope to the troubles of our apocalyptic times. RESOURCES: Earth & Spirit Center website: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/ Donate to support this podcast: https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/donate/ Websites related to Matthew's work: http://www.matthewfox.org http://www.thecosmicmass.com http://www.orderofthesacredearth.org http://www.dailymeditationswithmatthewfox.org