Pop Conscious

In this episode, we'll look at what it means to be Pop Conscious and how one might go about attempting to live a Pop Conscious existence every day! We'll take a look back throughout two years of shows to find the recurring themes, the standouts, and the takeaways. Join us as we share collective pop culture memories, surprises, and inspiration from unexpected sources and offer tips to find more! 

In this episode, Malayna and Stacy talk with Sunil Yapa, author of the novel Your Heart Is a Muscle the Size of a Fist. Set in the midst of the 1999 World Trade Organization protests in Seattle, his book squeezes global issues into a handful of passionate characters that took their stand at this historic event. And he's Sri Lankan-American, like Malayna! We'll explore how we can use our hearts, not as fists, but as points of connection as we work together to transform our world. 

What happens in the space between two people in an interaction? Between several people? In the space between thoughts, breaths, heartbeats, or in the gap between here and there, Spirit is moving, and all things are possible. In between our plans and what actually happens, there is space for magic to transform each moment. Join Malayna and team member Michele Coles as they explore pop culture mythology for examples of what can happen when we make the most of the space between.

Today is Leap Year Day, so Malayna and Michele will be looking at lessons they've learned from leaping too soon as well as from taking leaps of faith. There are times, like the calendar day, when we have no choice but to leap, but others when the attempt to subvert divine order can backfire. Of course, we'll look at movies, TV shows, and other leaping references in pop culture to glean leaping lessons for life!

How do we know what we truly value in our lives? One way is to look at where and how we spend our money. When we put our money on something, we are investing in it. Another way is to look at how we spend our time. Are we watching TV that enriches us and makes us feel like better people? Are we contributing to the box office of a film that enriches our world? How do we invest our energy? Do we choose the things that really matter? Are we leaking energy on things that don't really matter to us, but take up all our time? How much do we value ourselves in the equation of life? Join Stacy and Malayna as they come up with examples from pop culture and life!

We get a lot of our ideas about how prosperity is supposed to look from TV and movies, but we can also find great metaphors that illustrate the prosperity principles that make our lives richer now. Join Malayna and Michele as they talk about their studies in prosperity from a spiritual perspective, and the books, music, TV, and movies that illustrate an approach to prosperity that is in alignment with our values, hearts, and dreams.

Pub Theology is a thing, really! Beyond just a concept, it's something people all over the place are really doing. Books have even been written about it, which only goes to show it's totally real. Our Pop Conscious pal Rev. Ogun Holder has tried it, so we'll talk about how it is done and why it's catching on across the country. We'll also look at other intersections where raising a glass meets with pop culture, religion, and deeper connections. Join us with the drink of your choice! 

Is it just us, or does life feel like managing a three-ring circus? If you're ever thought of running away to join the circus, perhaps you don't have far to run. Malayna has found the circus metaphor has helped her reduce stress and offered cheer, even if only from imagining the background music. Join her and Stacy as they talk about what the circus has symbolized to generations of kids and the young at heart, how it has been depicted in film and television, and how we can enjoy life as a circus! 

As kids, we learn from media images about what's possible for us, and everything seems possible! Superheroes, space travel, inventions, whatever we can imagine. As we get older, we get a glimpse of how society functions, and as teens, we learn to emulate and identify with images that reflect how we want to be seen. But at some point, we limit our possibilities by overidentifying with the examples we see, and underidentifying with the underlying Truth of Spirit expressing in, through, and as each of us. Join us as we share some tools to find and reclaim our True selves beneath society's images! Self-empowerment through media!   

To celebrate the vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malayna and Stacy have invited a friend from our well-spent youths in Unity as a guest expert! We'll talk with Dr. Scott Bowman, criminal justice professor and social justice advocate, about how we can depict MLK's vision in entertainment and media, how we are all still called forth to make new choices to reach for it, and where we're seeing it become reality. From Straight Outta Compton to The Force Awakens, join us in raising our vision higher!

As human beings, we are attuned to the changing of nature's seasons, but the seasons seem to be behaving differently than we have come to expect. And as we deal with this unexpected change, we find the predictable schedule of television seasons has changed drastically. The few fall season and summer reruns have shifted to include midseason replacements, online viewing, and binge watching. Do we even know where we stand in the flow of time anymore? Join Malayna and Stacy as they explore the parallels of seasons and how to make the most of all of them!

From tales in print to today, storytelling has evolved into modern media that continues to find new ways to evoke the feelings associated with the holiday season for each era and generation. Many of our most beloved songs today came from movie soundtracks. Really! Join us as we celebrate the Christmas spirit in a Pop Conscious way!

The busyness of the holiday season may cause us to feel Scroogey, Grinchy, or just overwhelmed and grumpy. We've got ideas to keep us all focused on what's really important. Using the Advent theme of faith, we'll look at some ways to keep the season fun, authentic, imaginative, treasured, and heartfelt. Nonsense and tomfoolery included.  

As we prepare for Thanksgiving, we'll take the traditional tale—being welcomed by neighbors of a different culture and faith to cooperate, create, and celebrate abundance—and find ways that shows up in our lives and in entertainment. Malayna and Stacy are grateful for their extended families, made up of friends from all over the world. They'll share their experiences and talk about diverse and extended families in our favorite TV shows and movies–Star Wars, Superheroes, and who knows what else? There's plenty to share and be grateful for, and you're invited!

Malayna's back went out, so while laying down for a few days, she meditated upon the Unity Twelve Powers and saw how lessons of strength might help her heal. She used Myrtle Fillmore's technique of offering and asking for forgiveness from her body. This reminded her of the Hawaiian forgiveness practice of Hoʻoponopono, and then, of course, pop songs started providing a mental soundtrack. Join Malayna and Michele Coles as they examine both spirit and silliness, entertainment and enlightenment, to inspire health for mind, body, and spirit! It's good for you!

Today we remember those whose dedication to a cause was so complete that they gave their lives to change the world. This includes war veterans as well as spiritual leaders like Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr., but there are also those who gave themselves to something bigger and found the impact differed from their intention. A great example is Hedy Lamarr, who would be celebrating her 101st birthday today. A successful actress in 1930s and '40s Hollywood, her scientific curiosity led to inventions intended to help the Allies during World War II, but we now use them as the basis of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth communications. Join Stacy and Malayna as they explore the inner call that pulls us forward and honor those who stepped forward to meet and create their destiny.  

Malayna is at Unity Village and so is special guest Rev. Kelly Isola who will join with team member Michele Coles to talk about the metaphysics of  the Great Pumpkin! They'll also touch on the celebration of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and All Souls' Day from a pop culture and Unity perspective! Let your spirit out to play, and join us for more fun with fall and flights of fancy.

Halloween celebrations help us make light of dark concepts, so that maybe we're not so afraid of the dark. In this episode, we'll focus on the most lighthearted fun: cartoons, funny commercials, and comedic expressions of things like monsters, the undead, and things that go bump in the night. Join us as we bring the shadows to light, and don't be surprised if you find yourself enlightened!

As we approach Halloween, we are surrounded by images that bring up thoughts of mortality. Interestingly, October 19 marks a little-known holiday called Evaluate Your Life Day. So we're going to use these in combination, along with our Youth of Unity Fall Rally theme of The Cycle of Self-Love: Realize, Release, and Replenish, to make life lessons from seasonal fun! We'll use the costumes we choose, the treats we indulge in, and find reasons to celebrate life in it all.

What is it about pumpkin spice that makes us feel like it's time to celebrate a change of seasons? If that doesn't do it for you, what does? Seasonal shifts have been marked in different ways throughout history. Join Malayna and Stacy as they look at the things that make them feel a fondness for the fall and compare modern homages to traditions from the past. We'll find them in stories from and about days gone by (like Outlander) and ones that have been retooled for today (like Sleepy Hollow). Get your favorite flavor of latte and join us for some fall fun!   

A listener suggested this topic, which makes it even more fun and interactive! Video games are often blamed for negative changes in youth and society, but what if they could be used for good? What if they could help us become better? Dr. Jane McGonigal is a video game developer and champion who has created a free online game tool to help us become our best selves. We'll take a look at the positive contributions video games make to society and humanity, and it's backed by science! Join us and learn how to be your most super self!

As Stacy returns from the Spiritual Educator's Retreat for the Unity Southwest Region, Malayna has been celebrating ways of being a godmother. Join them as they explore similar roles and archetypes in fiction, and in life, that can offer kids a wider support system. Whether you're a “Sparent” or part of the “Auntie Brigade,” an uncle, grandparent, Big Brother, or Sister, you can positively influence a child's life without even trying. As volunteers or involved family members, we can all make an even bigger difference in their lives and ours. Tune in for inspiration!

Where does one go from Disney? Malayna and Stacy welcome former Disney animator Dave Zaboski to learn about creative living! A classically trained painter and illustrator, he has cocreated several national children's books including one with Deepak Chopra. He has created concept art for film and game projects, and travels and teaches creativity and innovation as a public speaker. Spirituality and creativity infuse everything he does, so join us to learn tips on seeing your own life as an evolving work of art!

In celebration of the 40th Toronto International Film Festival, second only to Cannes, and known for launching Oscar hopefuls, we're discovering there's plenty to love about Canada. Canadians are much like us, many of them with similar accents, so we don't notice when they show up in our favorite TV shows or movies. Cable programming is full of Canadian-produced television shows, and musicians and comedians become some of our favorites, without our even realizing it. So let's point out how much they bring to our lives in the good ol' US of A, and the world at-large, and share some love for our neighbors to the north! Plus, team member Michele Coles will join us to share her observations from her up-close-and-personal trip to the Great White North! 

If you had to learn everything you knew about the world and its people from movies and TV, what would you know about prayer, ritual, and sacred celebrations in other cultures and lands? What could you learn from their depictions? And would they be accurate? These are the questions we'll try to answer and discuss in our Pop Conscious preparations for Unity World Day of Prayer. Tune in for our recommendations of alternative spiritual observances with pop culture flair!

We are all in the school of life, so as summer ends, we're beginning to gear up for getting down to business! Whether in school, work, or just life, our business may include classes, writing assignments, deadlines, and tests to determine if we've “made the grade.” In so many ways, school never ends. So join us as we look at pop culture expressions of schooling, and find fun ways to keep learning about ourselves!

These terms are familiar to anyone who has traveled, as both Malayna and Stacy have recently, but they are also ideas that can be used in connection with summer's end. Whether it means beginning a new school term or reflecting upon your career and life goals, we'll examine pop culture depictions of these concepts. Join us in looking at the destinations we choose, how we make departures from our routines to get there, and how to know if we've arrived. Travel outward and inward with Pop Conscious!

Malayna welcomes Sezín Koehler to discuss cultural identity and the pop culture transcending it. Sezín is of mixed descent and is a Huffington Post blogger, novelist, and Third Culture Kid who has lived in 13 countries and 18 different cities. Her pop culture fandom ranges from mermaids to Maleficent, Gilmore Girls to Guardians of the Galaxy, Labyrinth to Love, Actually, and Hannibal to Harry Potter. Her spiritual beliefs are just as diverse and expressive. Join us as we explore pop culture's global influence and how it inspires our lives, whatever our cultural influences may be!

When you're a fan, you have a passionate reverence for the subject of your fandom that is not unlike a spiritual experience. We welcome back our favorite scholar-fan, Dr. Tanya Cochran, to share insights found in the TV series Firefly and it's follow-up film, Serenity. We'll look at the resonance we find in the archetypes of the crew members and how belief plays a huge role in this space cowboy adventure by Joss Whedon. And we can't forget the fans. There's not a power in the 'verse that can stop us!

There is a certain individualistic ideal which seems to tell us that it is possible, maybe even preferable, to do it on your own—whatever it may be. But if we look closely at our favorite heroes, most of them have backup—sidekicks, family, love interests, butlers, and the like. Even the Lone Ranger had Tonto! He wasn't alone after all! Join Malayna and team member Michele Coles as they scan pop culture for supposed heroic loners and their sidekicks or support teams. Then we'll bust the myth and refine the ideal of individual empowerment to include supportive connections, because we know that “oneness” doesn't mean being alone, but joined in Unity!

Throughout the past few weeks, Stacy has been busy in her role as the Southwest Unity Region's Teen Consultant, overseeing Uniteens Camp and then accompanying our older teens to the International Youth of Unity event at Unity Village. Malayna has been reminiscing about her own youth in Unity, and thinking of movies and TV shows where characters get to do it all again. If you could go back, would you do things differently? What might we learn from such forays into our imagination? Can it make life better today? We'll explore these questions this week on Pop Conscious!

Looking at advertising with a critical eye can tell us about our culture today and help us experience nostalgia of days past. But looking at ads with your third eye, or through a lens of spiritual awareness, can help you see what's important to you and what isn't, and maybe even understand what's important to someone else. In this episode, Malayna Dawn and Michele Coles will discuss how to use Unity principles to make the most of what we can't avoid! We'll talk about how to be in the world, but not of the world, play with what's fun, and ignore what isn't useful.

It's the book we wish WE had written! Reel Transformation was actually written by Unity minister Cindy B. Wright, who does a great job of tying together some of our favorite things: The Hero's Journey, movies, transformation, spirituality, and Unity. Returning team member Michele Coles will join Malayna in sharing our favorite parts of the book and thinking of other pop culture we can work into the pattern of Reel Transformation. Join us!  

Our special guest is Tracy Williams, a Certified DreamBuilder Coach, who helps turn dreams into reality. Malayna, with returning Pop Conscious team member Michele Coles, will look at how films depict dreams and the power of our minds to create our realities. What dream would you create? Join us and learn how to make it happen!

Our special guest is Tara Hernandez, joining us during summer hiatus from her job as a writer for the show The Big Bang Theory! A fellow alumnus of Youth of Unity, we'll be talking about where Unity principles and her job intersect, what inspired her to pursue this work, and get a sense of what a normal day is like in the writer's room of a successful show about multicultural-scientist-fanboys and the people who love them. Chances are we'll develop some explosive theories of our own along the way!

When people are fans, they are passionate, devoted, and engaged. It makes fandom the perfect vehicle for riding a wave of devotion to create a more engaged life—one in which passion informs all the choices we make. We welcome author and scholar Tanya R. Cochran, who will tell us how she has channeled her passion for the works of Joss Whedon and J.J. Abrams into her career, and as a means to deepen her inner journey. Join us and learn to follow your inspiration!

Stacy's been struck by puppy love, having just adopted an adorable dog from a shelter. Malayna knows the joys of puppy parenthood, too, so together they will look at how canine companions have impacted not only all of our lives, but pop culture as well. We're Pup Conscious! 

We want to learn more about Rev. Kelly Isola's recently published article titled “Muppet Theology” and build on it! The Muppets were part of our early education, but we learned more than how to count and spell. Along with learning more about all the things Rev. Kelly does to spark our spirits, we'll look at all the ways the Muppets have influenced us and how we can apply what we learned to creating a more fantastic life!

May the fourth be with you! Things have changed since the originally-released, history-making, Star Wars Trilogy. A prequel trilogy came out, and in 2012 the brainchild of George Lucas was adopted by Disney. Disney is known for magic, fantasy, and imagination. Stacy and Malayna will talk about the impact both have had on pop culture, and how we can use what they've taught us so far as tools to improve our lives, as we look forward to when The Force Awakens! 

With Malayna's excitement about the release of the inspiring film Little Boy in theaters, and Stacy's return from a Faith Walk-themed Youth of Unity event, we are reminded that “a little child shall lead them” … or rather, us. How can we let our inner child lead the way in our own lives? Pop Conscious will explore the ways we are reminded to let go of our jaded, pessimistic viewpoints and become like a child in order to enter the Kingdom of all possibilities!  

The dark night of the soul—how can pop-conscious Unity people use practical, positive principles to navigate it? Our tools include comedy, music, and cartoons as ways to observe, connect, and understand the metaphors and metaphysics. Team member Michele Coles, who has been known to use spiritual stand-up comedy as a map, joins us in an honest exploration of our shadows as we make our way to the light.

We are so excited to welcome the authors of Reform Your Inner Mean Girl, Amy Ahlers and Christine Arylo to chat with us at Pop Conscious! They'll share steps to help us stop bullying ourselves and how to get to know our inner mean girls and what they want so we can bring them over from the dark side. Identifying these archetypes for transformation can be creative and fun. Party over here!

With the new show Fresh Off the Boat making waves on TV, we thought we'd talk with our favorite Asian-American, Unity Online Radio host Evelyn Foreman, from The Call of Spirit, about her experiences. In addition to issues of immigration and multiculturalism, we'll look at boat journeys in film like Life of Pi and Noah, and at the symbolic meanings of such journeys. Ever heard of the Mayflower? It's likely we're almost all descendants of adventurous, faith-filled boat people!

What is it about a belief in magic, fairy tales, and the supernatural that has been so popular in society for the past several years? Your Pop Conscious pals, Malayna and Stacy, will look at several of the most popular TV shows, movies, books, and more that show our need to suspend our disbelief. How can we utilize the same to help people believe in more than just fiction? Perhaps it is time for a new paradigm for belief. Join us as we discuss and discover!

Pop culture is where many of us get our ideas about how life should be, but many of the best-loved stories are based in the unexpected. Stacy and Malayna will take a look at the TV shows, films, and songs that informed their expectations, and some of the places they look for when those expectations seem frustrated. How can we prepare ourselves to expect the unexpected, when by definition, it can't be done? Just remember, "No one expects the Spanish Inquisition!"

Your hosts became intrepid reporters, getting in on a Q&A with the creators and stars of the OUTLANDER series on Showtime, and are always happy to find ways to make their obsessions useful for personal and spiritual growth for themselves and others. Since the one-word title refers to people from another land, we thought we'd delve a little deeper into the sense of being an outsider. We've all experienced it, and yet we have also seen that special something that an unknown entity brings. Join Malayna and Stacy as they share their insights on outsider-ness!

This week, as a tribute to the long and fruitful life of Leonard Nimoy, Pop Conscious will discuss the impact of one character, namely Spock, on pop culture, and on fandom. He taught so many of us about the importance of listening to both logic and the heart, and about the true meaning of friendship. What is it about this character and the Star Trek universe that has moved so many to a sort of religious devotion? And is there really any such thing as a final frontier? Listen as Malayna and Stacy, along with team member Michele Coles, take the discussion where no man has gone before!

Is it just us, or does everyone seem grouchy these days? Curmudgeonly characters can offer comedic contrast and show us where society can be improved. Join us as we harness their powers for good, rather than getting stuck in a ranting rut!

We're all caught up in Oscar Fever! Of course, if WE were in charge, things might look a little different. Your Pop Conscious pals, Malayna and Stacy, will not only discuss their Oscar-related opinions, but will also create their own categories and criteria, and dole out virtual awards of their own imaginary design! Join in the fun and maybe you'll even come out a winner.

This week, we aim to bridge the sentiments of both Valentine's Day and Presidents' Day by showing some love for our Commanders in Chief. With guest cohost and new Pop Conscious team member Michele Coles (who actually has a degree in pop culture!), we'll talk about the history of media coverage and media depictions of the president, as well as how social media seem to make some people far more vocal. How can we apply affirmative language and Unity principles to politics? Join us as we explore the possibilities!

There are many celebs who choose to use their star power for good, helping to draw attention to a worthy cause. Others may be faced with the question, “to guilt or not to guilt?” We'll talk about how often guilt works (we promise not to play Sarah McLachlan's song during the show ...) and also campaigns that have found creative ways to make a difference by harnessing the power of affirmative language!