Growing Wise

This episode is dedicated to the women and people in Iran who are fighting for their rights and for their freedom.Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

This episode was co-created with community. My hope, and our hope, is that by listening to these learnings and visions for our collective future, you will feel less alone, meaningfully connected and more courageous as we cross the threshold and enter a new cycle of life. Thank you to the brave and wise individuals who shared their time, presence and profound insights during numerous 1:1 conversations and a community circle held on December 29, 2021. Muriel Alexander Darius Bashar Vanessa Demello Prassan Patel Jordan LindoAasttha KhajuriaSaira HussainCaroline MacfarlaneSteve BallantyneTendisai CromwellRyan Van Der HoutOr Har-GilAnd others who preferred not to be identified. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with my dear friend, co-creator and teacher, Adil Dhalla (he/him). Adil is the Director of Community for Reset, a social enterprise that has been making pop-up playgrounds since 2015. He has previously held senior leadership positions at two of the largest social enterprises in Canada and is the Chair of the StopGap Foundation's board. Adil's mission is to study and teach love, so naturally, in this conversation, we talk about what it means to love ourselves and to love others. Adil shares insights on the role of community, play and vulnerability in transforming isolation, and how we can collectively move towards justice, joy and freedom.Adil openly shares his fears, his hopes and his healing journey, particularly as it relates to men. This episode was recorded in late 2020 and references the political and social climate of that moment in our collective history. Website: www.adildhalla.comSubscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode I share a reading of an essay I wrote in early 2020, which feels more relevant today than it did at the time that I wrote it. Whether you are experiencing your own grief, or grieving as a response to the horrific injustice in the world, I hope this reading can support you in your process. "I didn't understand what grief was until I understood that grief is not sadness. It's not the melancholy that fills the air on a gloomy winter day. It's not the experience of missing a friend who lives across the ocean. It's not the disconnection you feel after an unresolved argument with a loved one. Grief is much deeper than that."Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode I am in conversation with my dear friend Nadine Araksi Silverthorne (she/her). Nadine is a writer and master storytelling coach, who has spent the past two decades of her career creating click-worthy content for some of Canada's biggest brands.After navigating her youngest child's rare disease and subsequent hospitalization in 2013, followed by the breakup of her marriage in 2017, Nadine found solace in the communities and friendships she had cultivated over the years. Her current focus is on mental and physical well-being and self care.In this conversation, Nadine and I talk about the intricacies of love, marriage, family and divorce. Nadine openly shares the details of her own self-love journey, filled with insights and wisdom for anyone who has found themselves longing for clarity, courage and alignment in their life and in their relationships. A curious, creative, people-person, Nadine has a passion for storytelling on any platform. She spends her days leading teams to greatness through a collaborative, compassionate and transparent approach to leadership. She dreams of writing the truest sentence possible to convey an experience and retiring in Spain with a future Corgi dog someday. An active community volunteer, Nadine wants imagination to win out over cynicism and strives to always walk the talk.Website: https://www.kickstartology.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nadinearaksi/https://www.instagram.com/kickstartology/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kickstart.community.women (request to join!)-------------------------Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

Audio journeys are designed to activate your spirit. To connect you deeply to yourself, to others and to everything that exists within the universe. You can experience this journey while sitting in a meditative position, laying down or, if available to you, while walking or moving your body.  Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode, I am sharing a conversation with Laura Sniderman about how we can create more meaningful connections in our lives. Laura shares personal experiences, academic insights and her learnings from years of community building. Together we unpack what it really means to be vulnerable with friends, family and strangers. And how we can create a sense of belonging by leaning into and out of community. "As humans, we all have an array of feelings and emotions, and as a global society, we need to learn how to embrace those feelings and those thoughts, collectively, so that we are not meeting each other on the premise of superficial things, such as interests or pictures, but rather we are meeting each other on the foundations of mutual vulnerability, generosity and reciprocity—and a desire for consistency, for ongoing connection, not just one-off interactions or a like or a comment."Laura Whitney Sniderman - Founder & CEO of KinndLaura launched Kinnd 10 months ago at the onset of COVID as a response to the growing epidemic of loneliness. Kinnd is a digital friend-making platform that is de-swipifying and re-humanizing the experience of making a friend online. Currently, Kinnd is a Facebook Group, soon to be app, that now has over 8500 members from 100 countries around the world. Laura has a Masters in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Columbia University and is a 2X Founder having previously run an International Women's retreat company for 6 years. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. . 

In this episode, I am reading an essay about the meaning of life, and how we can examine our current reality, to imagine and create others. "We question our existence because as far as we know, our lives on the physical plane are temporary. We question whether we truly matter because we don't know how to reconcile suffering, aloneness, non-attachment and death. As long as we value permanence, longevity and legacy, as long as we reject the temporary nature of all things, including our own lives, our own impact, we will have a difficult time believing that our individual existence matters, or we will want it to matter so much that we end up causing tremendous harm." Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode Or Har-Gil open-heartedly shares the journey of embracing her identity and becoming more fully herself—which was catalyzed by her falling in love with a woman, while being married to her husband of 10 years. Together we explore the importance of expressing our truths, how suppressed emotions can manifest in the body, and the practice of creating space for different and fuller versions of ourselves, and our loved ones, to emerge. Or Har-Gil is an Art Therapist, workshop facilitator, and rising Kohenet (Hebrew Priestess in training) who helps people connect to their intuition, creativity, and inner magic. She is Jewish, queer, and of mixed Ashkenazi and Sephardi/Mizrahi heritage. Learn more at www.orhargil.com Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

What Does it Really Mean to Trust Ourselves and Each Other?I've asked myself this question many times. In this episode I share my insights and perspectives on how we can approach redefining trust, and deepening the trust we have in ourselves and each other, knowing that life will not unfold as we want or imagine. What if trust meant that, sometimes whatever we're standing on, won't feel solid, and that is part of the process of cultivating trust? I share with you a new definition for trust, how to restore ruptured trust, and how I have been able to feel more centred and at peace when I trust that everything in life is happening for me and not to me. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

Shilbee Kim (she/her)  is a Korean-born social enterprise and passion coach for Innoweave and the Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network, as well as the Workstream Manager at Brookfield Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. In our conversation, Shilbee Kim shares her perspective on how we can use passion as a powerful tool for justice and systems change, and urges us with a call to action to look within, and do our part, individually and collectively, to prevent anti-Asian hate, violence and racism. Please note, due to the nature of our conversation, the subject matter in this episode is sensitive and may be triggering for some folks. Please ensure you are over the age of 18 before tuning in. Memorable Quotes from Shilbee: "Sometimes we just need to get rid of the noise, to discover or reconnect with, what our truest desires are. It's all in us. We have the tools already.""Passion has allowed me to look at things that I didn't want to look at, that needed healing. To transform things. To try things. To use my voice to speak up against injustice. It has led me to creating business, writing stories, to finding the love of my life. It's been a great teacher for me.""Right now, my sense of belonging has been shaken up, and in that process, I'm finding power in my own self, and realizing that I belong to me, and only me, and that has been liberating in and of itself."  Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode I reflect on our individual and collective experience of anger. An emotion that is often feared, avoided and suppressed--but one that has the power to create meaningful change. I share my own experiences of anger and strategies I use to allow this emotion to move through me. As well as examine how anger is viewed and shaped by culture, society, our upbringing and our identities. "Expecting someone who is rightfully angry to not raise their voice feels like expecting someone who is heartbroken or grieving to hold back their tears. We wouldn't tell a grieving person not to cry, so why then, do we expect someone who's angry to remain ‘calm'?"Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode, Priyanka Saju and I talk about what we really mean when we say the words ‘I feel fat', the distinction between body positivity and body neutrality, and how your environment, upbringing, culture can shape your relationship with your body.Priyanka (she/her) is a Toronto-based writer, speaker, and follower of creative impulses. She embraces writing as a medium to give voice to her unresolved feelings as she navigates the middle places of cross-cultural upbringing, the pursuit of success, and the nature of womxnhood, self-acceptance, and resilience. Priyanka does this while approaching these topics with the type of humour and humility that can only be gained by tripping face-first into growth. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her partner and their moody-but-handsome dog, Cashew. Priyanka is a woman of many hyphens but considers truth-teller closest to her centre. Her work can be found @priyanksaju or at www.priyankasaju.com.Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

This solo episode is a reading of my personal essay, Thing We Don't Talk About, a love letter dedicated to the secrets within all of us. "We pay a price for carrying what is meant to be released. The price is our peace of mind, our well-being, and our capacity to experience and share profound love.The irony of human existence is that our deepest desire is to feel loved, connected and liberated — yet our greatest fear lies in being seen for who we truly are. It is the great paradox of our kind. One that has led many to seek and abuse power in order to fill a void that can only be filled with deep, intentional, meaningful connection."Read the full essay hereSubscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode I am sharing an intimate conversation with my good friend Peter Katz.Peter Katz (he/him) is a JUNO award and Canadian Screen Award-nominated singer-songwriter and speaker. His work has been featured on several movies and television shows including Lethal Weapon, Reign and Heartland, as well as the 2016 Rio Olympics. Peter is a 4-time TEDx speaker and one of the country's most in-demand speakers, inspiring audiences with his signature ‘Keynote Concerts' when he is asked to speak by Fortune 500 companies, large organizations and government agencies. Peter's music has been streamed over 5 million times, his YouTube videos have been viewed over 20 million times, and in 2020, he launched his 6th record, City of Our Lives, available on all major streaming platforms. In this intimate conversation, Peter and I discuss the journey of devoting oneself to the creative path, what it means to truly open up our hearts, and how we can transform some of the most challenging and painful experiences of our lives into love, wisdom and gratitude.Website: www.peterkatz.comSocial: @peterkatzmusic--------------------------------Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

A solo episode reflecting on creative energy, radical self-expression and the power of taking steps toward bringing your ideas and visions to life. Reach out to me with thoughts, feelings and questions. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode, I'm speaking with Yazmin Harris (they/them). Yaz is a queer, non-binary, POC human, movement encourager and sex worker from Toronto Canada, who prioritizes pleasure. They teach sensual, playful based movement practices as a way to develop self-intimacy and take space in the world of sensual domination. Our conversation is a deep dive into the complexities of culture, identity, sexuality, family relationships and what it means to navigate the in-between and embrace duality. The content in this episode is intended for adults only. Please ensure there is no one under the age of 18 tuning in. Learn more about and connect with Yazmin and their work. yazthehuman.comnonbinarydom.com@yaz.thehuman -------------------------------------Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

A solo episode dedicated to the struggles we are individually and collectively experiencing. When we are in the eye of the storm, it is difficult to see pain as a teacher, to know that we are in the process of healing and transformation. In this episode, I share my perspective on pain, love and what we can anchor in when we have been thrust into the discomfort and uncertainty of the unknown. This teaching is for anyone who is experiencing something challenging and/or feeling into the complexity and suffering that is often emblematic of the human experience. Especially right now.I hope by listening to this, you feel more present and at peace. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

In this episode I share a conversation with Chidiogo Akunyili-Parr. Chidiogo (she/her) is a writer, speaker, storyteller, movement builder and Founder of She ROARs, a community of empowered women across the world unleashing their ROAR.  She is a World Economic Forum Global Leadership Fellow and has been named ‘100 most inspiring women in Nigeria' by The Guardian.In this conversation, Chidi and I discuss her upcoming book and learn about her relationship with her mother, her spirituality and how she has learned to navigate grief and heal from loss. Please note: this content is sensitive and may be triggering for some listeners, please ensure you are 18+Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin. 

So it begins! A new adventure and experiment. In this episode, I share with you my vision, my hopes and fear and a little more about the journey we are collectively embarking on. Subscribe to become a part of the Growing Wise community. You will have opportunities to participate in experiences, workshops and live podcast recordings facilitated by Negin.