Open Div Podcast

Nadia Milad Issa (they/them) is a scholar-practitioner, dance educator, and an Iyalochá—a fully initiated high priestess of Regla de Ocha-Ifá. They graduated from Harvard Divinity School with a Masters of Theological Studies and is starting their PhD. at UT Austin with a focus on spiritual reparations. A lifelong dancer and member of a Haitian Contemporary Dance Company, Nadia fuses art and activism and focuses their studies on Afrikan-derived traditions in the Afro-Caribbean diaspora, particularly Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian traditions of Regla de Ocha-Ifá, Candomblé, and Umbanda. In this episode, Nadia and Daniel discuss: - Spiritual reparations, what that is, and what it might look like - The misrepresentation of and prejudice against their tradition, Regla de Ocha-Ifá, popularly known as “Santería” - Relating to trees or bodies of water as the literal bodies of divinity And much more!

In this episode, Brian and Daniel discuss: Rethinking the archetype of Jesus Christ How to bring Christians and Christianity in touch with nature again Wilderness guiding and soul encounter And much more.

In this interview, Emerald and Daniel discuss: How she leads groups into the wilderness to fast Soul encounter in the wild Entering nature as a sacred space And much more.

Raul Espinoza is an activist and Life Coach with 12 years of experience. Raul has traveled over 40 countries worldwide consulting and storytelling for conscious brands/impactors who are helping their communities thrive. In this episode, Raul and Daniel discuss: How All Kings provides men exiting the justice system in New York City access to transformative, healthy initiation and healing Nature as a space of healing and transformation And much more.

Boysen is the author of “The New Macho,” a 21st century credo for the mature masculine, and a co-creator of MKP's “The Men's Work” 3-week course. He's on a mission to transform culture; with nearly two decades experience nurturing emotionally grounded, accountable, and purpose driven men. In this episode, Boyson and Daniel discuss: Why we need positive examples of masculinity right now The Mankind Project as one space for transformative men's work Nature as a traditional space of initiation from boyhood into manhood And much more.

Rebeka Ndosi is the founder of Maji ya Chai Land Sanctuary. She is a healer, teacher, public speaker and community coach dedicated to serving youth of color and their support systems, including the adults in their lives. In this interview, Rebeka and Daniel discuss: Nature as an automatic place for healing and relaxation The pervasive stress and anxiety of being a POC The need for Black- and indigenous-owned land sanctuaries for rest and rejuvenation And much more.

Padma Menon is a pioneer in reviving the ancient practice of dance contemplation. She helps those seeking to reclaim their sacred selves by sharing her lifetime's knowledge in sacred Indian dance, philosophy and ritual. In this interview, Padma and Daniel discuss: How Padma teaches people to channel the archetype of the goddess through traditional Indian dance How dance and movement can be considered a form of embodied knowledge The ineffable and consciousness-shifting quality of dance And much more.

Day Schildkret is an award-winning queer author, artist, ritualist, teacher and is internationally known for Morning Altars, a practice in nature, art and ritual. In this interview, Day and Daniel discuss: Day's new book: “Hello, Goodbye: 75 Rituals for Times of Loss, Celebration, and Change” The practice of creating morning altars out of natural material And much more.

Rabbi Hammer is an author, educator, midrashist, and ritualist committed to an earth-based and wildly mythic view of the world in which nature, ritual, and story connect us to the body of the cosmos and to ourselves. She is the co-founder of Kohenet Institute and the Director of Spiritual Education at the Academy for Jewish Religion. In this interview, Jill and Daniel discuss: Lost folk traditions of Judaism The role of women in traditional Jewish ritual Reclaiming Jewish nature-rites And much more.

Michael J. Meade is a storyteller, author, and scholar of mythology, anthropology, and psychology. He's the founder of Mosaic Multicultural Foundation and the author of Awakening the Soul, The Genius Myth, and other works. In this episode, Michael and Daniel discuss: How our childhood coping strategies inform the way we respond to stress as adults. How to find our unique calling in life How to “suffer in the right direction” to make our suffering meaningful And much more.

Dr. Ingrid Waldron is a professor at McMaster University whose research and advocacy focus on environmental racism, climate justice, mental illness, and the structural and environmental determinants of health disparities in Black, Indigenous, immigrant and refugee communities. She is the author of There's Something in the Water: Environmental Racism in Indigenous & Black Communities, and co-produced the 2019 Netflix documentary of the same name. In this episode, Ingrid and Daniel discuss: Preventing burnout while campaigning for environmental change Environmental racism, what it is and how it works Stories of communities that fought back (and eventually won) against industrial pollution in their communities And much more.

Tyson Yunkaporta is a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne and member of the Apalech Clan. He is the author of Sand Talk: How Indigenous Thinking Can Save the World. In this episode, Tyson and Daniel discuss: Can indigenous ways of knowing change our way of thinking? Are cities, and the societies that build them, fundamentally unsustainable? How can non-native people reconnect to the land and their indigeneity? And much more.

Join us for a conversation with Jay Stolar, a songwriter and producer known for developing signature sounds for artists in multiple genres. In the 2 years since he shifted his main focus from being an artist to a writer/producer his songs have amassed over 200 million streams and been recorded by artists ranging from Selena Gomez to John Legend.

Join us for a conversation on rationalism and re-enchantment with Daniel Shkolnik, a Humanist speaker, community organizer and host of the Re-Enchantment podcast, and Casey Rosengren.

Join us for a conversation on the psychedelic peer support line & why we need it with Hanifa Nayo Washington, award winning cultural artivist and the Cultivator of Beloved Community for the Fireside Project, which aims to help people fulfill the potential of their psychedelic experiences by providing compassionate, accessible, and culturally responsive peer support, educating the public, and furthering psychedelic research.

Join us for a conversation on reimagining the role of religion in a changing world with Elan Babchuck, Founding Director of Glean Network, an incubator and network for entrepreneurs who are building new models of faith in action, and Director of Innovation at Clal, a think-tank focused on the future of faith in America.

Join us for a conversation on prosocial spirituality with Jeff Genung, co-founder of Contemplative Life, a non-profit organization that connects people and communities with transformative practices, and co-founder of Transformation365.org, an experiential practice network.

Join us for a conversation on wisdom for rebels with David Fuller, a multi-skilled journalist, filmmaker and the founder of Rebel Wisdom, a platform to make highly complex ideas accessible to as many people as possible.

Join us for a conversation on the state of religion and young people with Dr. Josh Packard, Executive Director of Springtide Research Institute, accomplished researcher and academic with an expertise in the sociology of religion and new forms of religious expression.

Join us for a conversation on contemplative spirituality for the 21st century with Fr. Adam Bucko, director of The Center for Spiritual Imagination at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Garden City, NY and member of The Community of the Incarnation, a "new monastic” community dedicated to democratizing the gifts of monastic spirituality and teaching contemplative spirituality in the context of hearing and responding to the cry of the poor and the cry of the earth.

Join us for a conversation on how to create equitable spiritual spaces with Christian Watkins, Associate Minister in the United Church of Christ in Connecticut and a Global Co-Missioner with Global Ministries in Istanbul, Turkey.

Join us for a conversation on monasteries 2.0 with Tasshin Fogleman, a resident at the Monastic Academy in Vermont.

Join us for a conversation on religion, conflict and values with Drew Rau, writer, theologian, teacher, and spiritual entrepreneur.

Join us for a conversation on ACT for clergy and pastoral counselors with Dr. Jason Nieuwsma, a clinical psychologist who is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University Medical Center and who serves as the Associate Director for VA Mental Health and Chaplaincy.

Join us for a conversation on technology, psychedelics, and the future of religion with Erik Davis, an author, independent scholar, podcaster and teacher based in San Francisco.

Join us for a conversation on reimagining modern-day Jewish life with Daniel Libenson, founder and president of the Institute for the Next Jewish Future and co-host of the Judaism Unbound podcast.

Join us for a conversation on how to revive pilgrimage with Guy Hayward, co-founder of the British Pilgrimage Trust (britishpilgrimage.org), who leads guided pilgrimages around Britain.

Join us for a conversation on the formation of lay chaplains with Arelis Benítez, a graduate student in Religion, Psychology, and Culture at Vanderbilt University.

Join us for a conversation on building One Spirit Interfaith Seminary with Rev. Diane Berke, the Founder and Spiritual Director of One Spirit Learning Alliance.

Join us for a conversation on storytelling and organizing with Marshall Ganz, the Rita E. Hauser Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing, and Civil Society at the Kennedy School of Government, where he teaches, researches, and writes on leadership, organization, and strategy in social movements, civic associations, and politics.

Join us for a conversation on Zen Buddhism and religious violence with Brian Victoria, who holds a M.A. in Buddhist Studies from Sōtō Zen sect-affiliated Komazawa University in Tokyo, and a Ph.D. from the Department of Religious Studies at Temple University.

Join us for a conversation on building the Sacred Design Lab with Casper ter Kuile, co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, a co-host of the podcast Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School.

Join us for a conversation on spiritual direction for the non-religious with Sarah Cledwyn, a spiritual guide and healer who holds a Master of Arts in Theology and a Certificate in Spiritual Direction from St. Catherine University.

Join us for a conversation on spiritual and religious coping in the non-religious with Julie Exline, Professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences at Case Western Reserve University.

Join us for a conversation on nuns, nones, and modern day expressions of Benedictine spirituality with Katie Gordon, co-founder, national organizer, and network weaver with Nuns & Nones, a collaboration between Catholic Sisters and spiritually diverse millennials that seeks to create communities of care, contemplation, and courageous action.

Join us for a conversation on journaling as a spiritual practice with Christina Baldwin, a writer and seminar presenter of 30+ years experience. She has contributed two classic books to the renaissance of personal writing, including the well-known classic, Life's Companion, Journal Writing as a Spiritual Practice, revised and reissued in 2007 after 100,000 original sales.

Join us for a conversation on religious studies after "world religions" with Chris Cotter, a Lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Chester, and IASH-CTPI Duncan Forrester Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

Join us for a conversation on the story of The Nomadic School of Wonder with Barbara Groth, founder and creative director of the Nomadic School of Wonder, who also handles Experience Design for the immersive art project known as Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Join us for a conversation on chaplaincy for spiritual rebels with Rev. Sarah Bowen, an interfaith/interspiritual minister serving on the academic staff of One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York City, where she teaches both interspecies and 12-step spirituality.

Join us for a conversation on nontheistic sanctification with Gina Magyar-Russell, a licensed psychologist in Maryland who specializes in psychological and spiritual adjustment following adverse life events, with emphasis on the treatment of anxiety, mood, and spiritual problems.

Join us for a conversation on attention collections with Anthony Garcia, a writer, storyteller, and gifted public speaker.

Join us for a conversation on the Sunday Assembly with Josh Bullock, a criminology and sociology lecturer at Kingston University, London who did his thesis on Sunday Assembly.

Join us for a conversation on faith and Crossfit with Alexander Darius Ornella, who holds a PhD in Theology (Dr. theol.) and a Master in Theology (Mag. theol.) from the University of Graz, Austria.

Join us for a conversation on the future of belonging with Vanessa Mason, the research director at the Institute for the Future, a 52 year old nonprofit organization that helps individuals, organizations and communities think systematically about the future.

Join us for a conversation on finding your path outside tradition with Jillian Richardson, a writer and coach, teaching people how to connect more deeply with themselves and others.

Join us for a conversation on ACT, spirituality and cultivating prosociality with Steven C. Hayes, a Nevada Foundation Professor in the Behavior Analysis program at the Department of Psychology at the University of Nevada.

Join us for a conversation on financial models of spiritual community with Elan Babchuck, Founding Director of Glean Network, an incubator and network for entrepreneurs who are building new models of faith in action, and Director of Innovation at Clal, a think-tank focused on the future of faith in America.

Join us for a conversation on belonging and culturally sensitive spiritual practice with Sebene Selassie, a teacher, author and speaker who explores the themes of belonging and identity through meditation, creativity and spirituality.

Join us for a conversation on spirit tech with Wesley J. Wildman, a Professor of Philosophy, Theology, and Ethics and Professor in the Faculty of Computing and Data Sciences at Boston University.

Join us for a conversation with Angie Thurston, co-founder of Sacred Design Lab and a Ministry Innovation Fellow at Harvard Divinity School.

Join us for a conversation with Nick Moraitis, CEO at the Foundation for Young Australians, Australia's leading philanthropic organisation dedicated to young people's social action.