Practice You with Elena Brower

On the ways in which we can respectfully learn from Indigenous cultures about creating instances of meaning, integrity, health and happiness. The Seven Circles encompass a series of interconnected, intersecting circles to help us all live well.  (0:00)- Introduction and Guest Introduction (2:54) - Overview of "The Seven Circles" (3:49) - Movement as an Antidote to Addiction (10:28) - Connection to Land and Environmentalism (16:46) - Spiritual Aspects of Land and Prayer (21:46) - Ceremony and Its Role in Wellness (38:11) - Resources for Allies and Cultural Revitalization (38:42) - Final Thoughts and Gratitude Chelsey Luger is a writer, multimedia journalist and wellness advocate whose work focuses largely on reclaiming healthy lifestyles and positive narratives in Indigenous communities. She is Anishinaabe, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (maternal) and Lakota from Cheyenne River and Standing Rock (paternal). She holds a BA in history and Native American studies from Dartmouth College, and an MS in journalism from Columbia University. Luger has written for the Atlantic, Self Magazine, the Huffington Post, Well + Good, Indian Country Today and more. She is a former VJ (on-air talent), script writer, and producer for NowThis News. She is a trainer/facilitator for the Native Wellness Institute and is the cofounder of Well For Culture, an Indigenous wellness initiative. Luger has worked as talent, cultural consultant, producer, content creator and copywriter for brands such as Nike, Athleta On Running and REI. She is originally from North Dakota and now resides in O'odham Jeved (Arizona) with her husband, Thosh Collins, and their children. Chelsey and Thosh are the authors of The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Wellnow available everywhere books are sold.

On serving and shifting the narrative around death, dying and our transition to the other side. On entering into deep heart healing and becoming ourselves. (0:00) - Introduction (3:01) - Ash's Journey and Personal Background (7:04) - Ash's Work and Certification (13:13) - Ash's Approach to Death Coaching (14:57) - Stories of Helping Clients (29:25) - Ash's Retreats and Private Spiritual Coaching (39:05) - The Impact of Healing on Generations (43:25) - Final Thoughts and Gratitude Ash Canty is a wonderfully queer, Afro-Indigenous-made Psychic Medium and Death Walker, supporting others to consciously and gracefully face their death. Ash's work serves those actively dying as well as those wishing to feel more connected to their own spirit in everyday life. Ash also supports you in connecting with loved ones with mediumship readings, guiding you in transforming your grief into even deeper wells of meaning and aliveness. This work of walking with grief and death found Ash after being diagnosed and hospitalized with a chronic illness called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It was in their most challenging days and scariest moments where death was close---that Ash realized what it was they would offer to this world. "It was when I began to face my own death from my long term chronic illness that I was initiated in the astral plane by my grandmother Ida Canty, who was in spirit. She told me I would be supporting others in the physical world, lessening their fear of death and being a bridge of communication from the spirit realm to this physical realm." Certified as a death care provider through Alua Arthur's Going With Grace program, Ash's hope and prayer is to bring about healing from the other side and a profound peace regarding life after death. https://www.thesovereignspiritmedium.com/

On remembering our original state; the use of quantum energy to boost regenerative competency and overall health.   (0:00) - Introduction to Philip von Holtzendorf-Fehling (2:47) - Understanding Quantum Energy (4:21) - Practical Applications of Quantum Energy (10:55) - Impact of Quantum Energy on Water and Food (15:27) - Scientific Evidence and Research (21:04) - Personal Experiences and Practical Uses (23:01) - Accelerating Cell Recovery and Physical Benefits (29:19) - Spiritual and Consciousness Benefits Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff-Fehling is a coach, conscious entrepreneur, and energy healer. In parallel to a successful international business career, he constantly worked through blockages and barriers that had prevented him from fully connecting with his true self. With that, he also started to see energy fields and developed his unique skills as a healer, and he went through two decades of training in shamanic and other energy healing practices. During his business career, he's worked as an executive for several companies, including T-Mobile International and T-Mobile US, where he served as Vice President. He's the founder and CEO of Leela Quantum Tech and Quantum Upgrade. While he's also a passionate bio- and bio-energy hacker in his personal life, he's also a kundalini yoga teacher, a father of two, loves dogs, and is currently No. 2 in the Tennis Senior US Nationals (Men's 50). https://leelaq.com Code ELENA means 10% off.

On the six key steps to freeing ourselves from the inside out. (1:44) - Overview of "Free to Be" (4:02) - Heart Detox and Self-Care (6:21) - Body Detox and Self-Care (8:58) - The Role of Play in Neuroplasticity (13:28) - Finding Your True North (15:28) - Rewriting Your Story (20:01) - Conclusion and Closing Remarks A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Shirin Etessam is an entrepreneur, producer, creator and founder. Shirin founded OML TV, a popular platform dedicated to streaming and curating quality, queer female content, and OML Originals, a female-led production company telling diverse female stories through a vast spectrum of film and television genres. Her book Free to Be leads us away from the prioritization of accomplishment toward a simple, structured, six-week reset for mind, heart and body. Shirin lives in Marin County with her wife and two children.

On our last best act, planning for the end of our lives and aligning our end-of-life choices with our values. Exploring new, sustainable practices such as green burial, aquamation, conservation cemeteries, home funerals and human composting.  (0:00) - Introduction and Background of Mallory McDuff (2:05) - Defining Green Burials and Their Importance (5:47) - Exploring Cremation and Aquamation (14:06) - Choosing a Green Burial Site (29:53) - Personal Stories and Final Wishes (36:28) - Practical Considerations and Resources (36:39) - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks In this second conversation with Mallory McDuff, environmental education professor, we discuss her book, Our Last Best Act. She is the author of four books, with essays featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post and more.

On the women who've designated themselves as voices for the Earth and prioritizing joy amidst the truths of our times.  (0:00) - Introduction to Mallory McDuff and the Podcast (1:52) - Hannah Herman's Connection to Mallory McDuff (4:49) - The Power of Climate Storytelling (6:20) - Colette Pichon Battle's Story (12:03) - Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson's Focus on Ocean Justice (24:50) - Mari Copeny's Activism in Flint, Michigan (36:11) - Kendra Pinto's Fight Against Fracking in New Mexico (44:55) - Conclusion and Call to Action Mallory McDuff discovered the field of Environmental Education as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic, where she saw the critical importance of integrating local communities in conservation. She's the author of four books examining the intersection of spirituality and the climate crisis: Natural Saints (OUP, 2010), Sacred Acts (New Society Press, 2012), Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books, 2021), and Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice (Broadleaf Books, 2023).     She also co-authored a book for practitioners Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques (OUP, 2015) and written more than 50 essays for the New York Times, Washington Post, WIRED, Newsweek, and more.    In this episode, we discuss Love Your Mother.   Much of her writing draws on her life at Warren Wilson College, where she lives with her two daughters. In her classes, students collaborate with diverse community partners—from youth to senior citizens—to teach and learn together using the forests, farms, and fields of the campus.

On living your fullest life so you can meet the end with grace. (0:00) - Introduction and Book Reading (2:08) - Alua's Journey from Law School to Death Doula (3:57) - Meeting Jessica and Reflecting on Judgments (7:04)- Alua's Background and Going with Grace (9:23) - Alua's Childhood and Adaptability (12:47) - Life in Los Angeles and Death Doula Work (14:37) - Peter's Illness and Its Impact (18:11) - Reflecting on Peter's Death (20:02) - Alua's Family and Legacy (24:43) - Final Thoughts and Resources Author of BRIEFLY PERFECTLY HUMAN: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End, Alua Arthur is the most visible death doula in America today. A recovering attorney and the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization, Alua has been featured on The Doctors and in Disney's Limitless docu-series with Chris Hemsworth, as well as Vogue, InStyle, the Los Angeles Times, The Cut, The New Yorker, and the New York Times. Her TED talk entitled “Why Thinking About Death Helps You Live a Better Life,” went online in July 2023 and has already received over 1.5 million views. Alua has appeared on dozens of podcasts, and a Refinery29 video feature on Arthur and her work received ten million views across social platforms. For her clients and everyone who has been inspired by her humanity, Alua Arthur is a friend at the end of the world. As our country's leading death doula, she's spreading a transformative message: thinking about your death—whether imminent or not—will breathe wild, new potential into your life. Warm, generous, and funny AF, Alua supports and helps manage end-of-life care on many levels. The business matters, medical directives, memorial planning; but also honoring the quiet moments, when monitors are beeping and loved ones have stepped out to get some air—or maybe not shown up at all—and her clients become deeply contemplative and want to talk. Aching, unfinished business often emerges. Alua has been present for thousands of these sacred moments—when regrets, fears, secret joys, hidden affairs, and dim realities are finally said aloud. When this happens, Alua focuses her attention at the pulsing center of her clients' anguish and creates space for them, and sometimes their loved ones, to find peace. Going with Grace, Alua's work Alua's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/alua_arthur_why_thinking_about_death_helps_you_live_a_better_life This has had a profound effect on Alua, who was already no stranger to death's periphery. Her family fled a murderous coup d'état in Ghana in the 1980s. She has suffered major, debilitating depressions. And her dear friend and brother-in-law died of lymphoma. Advocating for him in his final months is what led Alua to her life's calling. She knows firsthand the power of bearing witness and telling the truth about life's painful complexities, because they do not disappear when you look the other way. They wait for you. Briefly Perfectly Human is a life-changing, soul-gathering debut, by a writer whose empathy, tenderness, and wisdom shimmers on the page. Alua Arthur combines intimate storytelling with a passionate appeal for loving, courageous end-of-life care—what she calls “death embrace.” Hers is a powerful testament to getting in touch with something deeper in our lives, by embracing the fact of our own mortality. “Hold that truth in your mind,” Alua says, “and wondrous things will begin to grow around it.

On the gift of childlike faith, guarding your mind and the crucial connection between your well-being and your success. (0:00) - Introduction (2:50) - Chaz's Journey to Writing the Book (5:40) - Guard Your Mind and Meditation (12:09) - Self-Talk and Affirmations (16:13) - Work toward ascension and childlike faith (21:58) - Success and Self-Care (26:33) - Conclusion and Call to Action Chazz Scott is an author, speaker, mindset and resilience coach. He is the founder of Supra Mentem, a consulting firm specializing in training leaders in peak performance, well-being, and sustainable success. His clients include the D.C. Hospital Association, the Maryland Association of Election Officials, and the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce. Chazz is the Executive Director of Positively Caviar, Inc., a nonprofit focused on using optimism to build resilience and disrupt youth mental health stigmas. He lives with his wife in the Washington D.C. area. Chazz is the author of his latest book, Success Starts Within: Achieve Your Potential Through Radical Self-Care, which seeks to bridge the gap between wellness and accomplishment by illuminating a simple principle: our outward success is only as viable as our inner well-being. On Amazon: https://amzn.to/3TpQvvY

On sonic gratitude, developing our deeper gifts, the peril of expectation, the potency of the present, and the beauty of self-acceptance. (0:00) - Musical Journey and Transformative Work (5:12) - Early Career Challenges and Breakthroughs (12:25) - Personal Transitions and Professional Growth (14:57) - The Power of Gratitude and Creative Process (15:38) - The Role of Meditation and Yoga in Creative Work (19:35) - The Impact of Friendship and Support (19:57) - Arlie's Musical Projects and Future Aspirations (20:21) - The Influence of Elena's Writing on Arlie's Music (20:42)- The Importance of Self-Acceptance and Present Moment Awareness Arli Liberman is an award-winning screen composer, producer and guitarist who creates vibrant, immersive music for film, TV, multimedia and live experiences. With an unwavering dedication to his craft, Arli's approach to music serves as a transformative force that resonates both on and off the screen. As a screen composer, Arli has worked on a wide range of films, including Sam Kelly's gang movie 'Savage', winning the 2021 APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award. In 2024, he collaborated with Tiki Taane to create the score to the historical drama in Te Reo Māori 'Ka Whawhai Tonu - Struggle Without End' directed by Mike Jonathan, with the theme song 'Hold On To The Dream' featuring Louis Baker, released as a single. Arli composed the original score for NZ film 'The Mountain' (2024), with music by Troy Kingi, directed by Rachel House and produced by Piki Films and Sandy Lane Productions. In 2023, he scored 'Stylebender' a documentary directed by Zoë McIntosh about Nigerian - New Zealand mixed martial artist Israel Adesanya, which was premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. His signature sound can be heard on the 36th America's Cup theme, the opening titles of the FIFA Women's World Cup, The All Blacks Experience at SkyCity, and in the Auckland Art Gallery's filmic exhibition Te Mata. As a solo artist, Arli is also prolific, with his fifth solo album coming out on Bigpop Records, in addition to creating a new collaborative album with renowned composer Rhian Sheehan due out in 2024. Arli's production work on Ngatapa Black's album 'I Muri Ahiahi' earned a nomination for Māori Album of the Year at the Aotearoa Music Awards, and he has performed at MoMA New York and the Montreux Jazz Festival, among other international festivals. Originally from Israel, Arli was a member of the groundbreaking White Flag Project, a pioneering crossover band uniting Palestinian and Israeli musicians. Under the mentorship of platinum-selling English record producer Mark Smulian, he was urged to 'find the back door of the electric guitar sound', which marked the beginning of Arli's journey in developing his sonic identity. In 2009, Arli moved to Aotearoa New Zealand, where he continued to develop his innovative approach to music and began exploring the synergy between composition and visual storytelling.

On rest as our birthright and the vital importance of remembering to pause. (0:00) - Rest and relaxation with a focus on honoring ancestral heritage and claiming birthright to rest. (5:09) - Rest and self-care, with a focus on yoga nidra and inner peace. (13:06) - Rest and self-care with a meditation course and 21-day program. Born in the Caribbean Dominican Republic and living now in Mianjin/Brisbane, Australia, Rocío is dedicated to finding inner resources of ease. Offering Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Nidra for almost 10 years, building bridges with community and world, Rocío is a woman of color, devoted to honoring the space her ancestors missed to pause. Claiming rest today, she nurtures the lineage before her. She encourages us to "Think less. Feel more." https://rociomarte.com

On growing up at fifty, practice as a modern-day chaplain and cultivating a domestic monastery. (1:48) - Parenting Practices and Transitions (3:51) - Addiction Recovery and Personal Experience (5:33) - Talking to Children About Addiction (10:02) - Living in a Domestic Monastery (15:24) - Marriage and Personal Growth (23:50) - Chaplaincy and Palliative Care (26:13) - End-of-Life Celebrations and Legacy (29:07) - Connecting with the Community and Future Plans Melissa Berry Appleton is a Buddhist Chaplain, lay ordained in the Soto Zen Prajna Mountain Order, by Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center. Currently serving as a Chaplain with the University of British Columbia Okanagan, British Columbia Interior Health Physicians and the clinical counselling and social work graduate intern practicum program, Melissa has worked as a front-line worker in geriatric cognitive impairments, palliative care, and residential treatment centers for addiction. Almost complete with her Masters of Clinical Counselling in Psychology she's practiced and taught yoga, somatics and meditation for more than 20 years. Melissa is mama to three incredible humans now launching as young adults; her deep commitment to practice in the Domestic Monastery is her greatest source.

On rest as the way to reclaim your brilliance, at the altar of now.   (0:00) - Octavia's Background and Introduction (2:16) - Losing Parents and Spiritual Connection (2:58) - Rest as a Healing Practice (16:03) - Reading from the Book "Rest is Sacred" (16:19) - Personal Reflections on Rest (16:38) - The Power of Rest and Collective Care (27:01) - Daily and Collective Rest Practices (27:19) - Protecting Energy through Rest (31:57) - Practicing Self-Care and Listening to Oneself Octavia Raheem is a mother, author, yoga teacher and practitioner, and activist. She has received national attention for her work training yoga teachers and diversifying the yoga and wellness industry. Her work as a yoga professional focuses on practical tools to teach individuals how to manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue through yoga and meditation in a way that is accessible to all levels/abilities, and restorative to the nervous system. Her work has been featured in Yoga Journal, Mantra magazine, Well+Good, CNN, WXIA, and Atlanta Magazine. Excerpt from Rest is Sacred by Octavia F. Raheem: Divine One of Rest, You said come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. You said I will fight for you; you need only to be still. You said be still and know. And here we are. Here, being this portal within these pages. Here, being this place. Here, at this altar called right now. We come in gratitude for our Ancestors who are well enough in spirit to tend to our wellness. Because of them, we found a way to rest. We made a way to rest. We are here to reclaim rest as our birthright. Let it be so.

On the temple of your regular life, and the daily practices of attention, surrender and wonder. (0:00) - Introduction to Mirabai Starr and Her Work (2:16) - Discussion on "Ordinary Mysticism" (5:15) - Accessibility and Intended Audience of "Ordinary Mysticism" (7:18) - Personal Stories and Everyday Mysticism (11:34) - Mirabai's Identity and Role as a Young Elder (14:29) - Current Rituals and Spiritual Practices (19:03) - Memories from Taos and Early Influences (21:29) - Embodying Contemplative Practice (25:44) - The Practice of Wonder and Surrender (32:13) - Final Reflections and Mantra Practice Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and a leading teacher of interspiritual dialogue. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins' list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos, Mirabai now travels the world sharing her wisdom on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, and God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Mirabai has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary contemporary translations of the mystics John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Julian of Norwich. Mirabai offers the fruit of decades of study, teaching, and contemplative practice in a fresh, grounded, and lyrical voice to a growing circle of folks inspired by the life-giving essence of feminine wisdom. Mirabai continues to teach seminars, workshops, and retreats, both in person and through her online community Wild Heart. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico. https://mirabaistarr.com

On the soul of our work, the re-indigenizing of our minds and the vital force of sisterhood. (2:21) - Nisha's Background and Family Life (4:09) - Hiro Boga's Influence on Nisha's Work (7:55) - The Concept of Devotion and Partnership (10:43) - Civilization and Disconnection (15:26) - The Muse and Creative Practice (23:37) - Global Sisterhood Day and the Importance of Friendship (36:43) - Cultivating Friendship and Community (42:52)- Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts Nisha Moodley is an integrative leadership coach that holds her work – and our collective work – within devotional, animist relational ways. Nisha has 15 years of experience leading mastermind groups, online courses, and nearly 60 retreats. She was first trained to work with subtle energy nearly 30 years ago, and has since received in-depth Health Coach and Executive Coach training, become a Family Constellation facilitator, and deepened her practice through breathwork training, Ancestral healing, and archetypal studies. All of these teachings and modalities (and others) are integrated for guidance that works not just on the level of mindset, but also through much deeper listening and moving. Nisha is the mother of two small children, a newbie land steward, constantly seeking to understand the deeper systemic and historical implications of the individual and collective challenges we face today, weaving those considerations into the work as well.

On bringing joy to justice; learning how to bear witness to our oppressive patterns and tendencies; fierce compassion as a quality of mind, heart, body and spirit. (2:41) - Engagement with Music and Nature (4:23) - Application of Enlightened Mind (9:06) - Oppression and Human Revolution (17:41) - Emergent Strategies and Joyful Just Action (28:38) - Fierce Compassion and Self-Care (37:54) - Language and Terminology (46:32) - Conclusion and Resources Dr. Kamilah Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical educator, researcher, and consultant on advancing equity and inclusion using meditative practices. Drawing from her decades of contemplative practice and leadership, Dr. Majied engages people in experiencing wonder, humor, and insight through transforming oppressive patterns and deepening relationships toward ever-improving individual, familial, organizational, and communal wellness. Author of Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living

On the origins of our best behavior, managing undue shame and the price women pay to be good.

 On radical self-responsibility and reprocessing our childhood shame to empowerment and creativity. (2:42) – Sophie's Personal Journey and Research on Highly Sensitive Children (5:17) – Understanding Rooted Rhythm Therapy and Parent Coaching (8:19) – The Nature of “Big Feelings” and Their Impact on Children (10:08) – Practical Tips for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children (15:36) – The Role of Authenticity and Congruency in Parenting (20:55) – The Role of EMDR in Therapy and Parenting Sophie Schauermann, LCSW is a licensed therapist and parent coach based in Denver, CO. Her passion and expertise lie in supporting highly sensitive children (and their parents) in harnessing their sensitivities into their superpowers. She is the founder of Rooted Rhythm Therapy and Parent Coaching, which was born out of the belief that children must get to know the beat of their own drum in order to confidently reach their potential…and that the best kind of parent is one that is Rooted in their own Rhythm. Sophie supports her clients with Synergetic Play Therapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) Therapy, and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. She has over 10 years of experience working closely with children and families in many settings, including the Harvard Medical School's laboratory for youth mental health, the public school system, community based mental health programs, and now in private practice. Her greatest learning, however, lies in her personal story of healing and growth into the person that she is today. Sophie is the proud wife to another therapist and bonus mama to two amazing kiddos that she couldn't imagine life without.  

On resetting after betrayal and spiritual abuse, shifting self-loathing, and service as crucial to our healing. (1:00) - Reinventing oneself after doors close in life. (4:56) - Addiction, self-loathing, and recovery. (11:31) - Addiction recovery, self-discovery, and service. (17:25) - Healing from trauma and supporting others. (21:18) - Spiritual betrayal and abuse of power in a spiritual community. (27:24) - Healing from past traumas and finding freedom in one's 50s. Ryan Haddon is the Director of Programming at Sage + Sound's dedicated space for mental and emotional fitness, called The Study. She is an old friend, a certified Life and Spiritual coach, a clinical Hypnotherapist and certified meditation teacher with over 18 years of experience with hundreds of clients around the world. A sought-after public speaker for corporate retreats such as the international talent agency CAA, for three Tapping Solution Summits, Visionary Women and more.

On hospicing modernity, an invitation to hold many paradoxical layers of complexity, to stretch your heart, to know vulnerability as your strength. (1:00) - Colonialism, identity, and family history. (7:10) - Modernity, its definition, and its impact on society, culture, and the environment. (16:53) - Modernity, colonialism, and their impact on humanity's mental health and well-being. (26:20) - Education, storytelling, and connection to nature. (32:50) - Indigenous perspectives on psychology, including the concept of the "bus" representing the multiplicity within the self. (39:08) - Modern society's disconnection from nature and self, with a focus on indigenous knowledge and practices for healing and growth. Dr. Vanessa Machado de Oliveira Andreotti has served as a Latinx professor at the University of British Columbia, now Dean of the Faculty of Education of the University of Victoria.  Dr. Andreotti is a former Canada Research Chair in Race, Inequalities and Global Change and a former David Lam Chair in Multicultural Education. She is the author of Hospicing Modernity: Facing humanity's wrongs and the implications for social activism (2021) and one of the co-founders of the Gesturing Towards Decolonial Futures (GTDF) Arts/Research Collective. Most of her published articles and OpEds are available at academia.edu. She began her career as a teacher in Brazil in 1994 and has since led educational and research programs in countries including the UK, Finland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada. Andreotti works across sectors in international and comparative education, particularly focusing on global justice and citizenship, Indigenous and community engagement, sustainability, and social and ecological responsibility. Her research examines relationships between historical, systemic, and on-going forms of violence, and the inherent unsustainability of modernity. Andreotti is one of the founding members of Gesturing Decolonial Futures Collective (decolonialfutures.net) and Teia das 5 Curas, an international network of Indigenous communities mostly in Canada and Latin America. She currently collaborates with these groups to direct research projects and learning initiatives related to global healing and wellbeing in times of unprecedented challenges.

On activating compassion through our simplest offerings of forgiveness, care, gratitude and respect. (0:30) - Japanese rituals for beauty, harmony, and love. (10:00) - Cleaning and its connection to healing and mindfulness. (16:36) - Organizing and decluttering, with a focus on the importance of forgiveness and creating more space in life. (24:49) - Healing, self-care, and relationships. (31:48) - Buddhist teachings, suffering, and healing through interconnectedness and self-reflection. Paula Ara was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother, and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women's Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra. Her work has been a tremendous force in my own spiritual formation.

On the duality of resilience, the vitality in softening, the shifting landscape within a diagnosis and finding deep, lasting peace. (5:32) - Cancer treatment, body connection, and self-love.  (11:35) - Resilience, grief, and legacy after cancer diagnosis.  (18:07) - Starting a foundation and creating a membership community for personal growth. (24:59) - Spirituality, self-forgiveness, and patience with a guest speaker.  Alicia Mathlin is the founder of Meditation Pusher, a unique meditation, mindfulness and mindset training company. Alicia has been teaching dynamic teams, professional athletes, entertainers and young people for almost a decade. She teaches in a warm, funny and relatable manner. Alicia is also a yoga teacher, holistic nutritionist and the founder of Theine Foundation. Her background is in international business (London, Paris), and her favourite food is a proper pain au chocolat.    The Practice is a membership community rooted in friendship, not mentorship. It is a quiet and elegant place online created to help you access your peace, activate your power, and unlock your potential on your own terms and in your own time. https://www.meditationpusher.com/thepractice

On steady practices of self-awareness to redefine yourself as often as you wish, and trusting yourself in any situation to make strong choices that serve.

On the importance of self-trust, repression v. suppression, the vitality of solitude for development of our intuition, and the prioritization of feeling over discursive thinking. (1:00) – Intuitive healing and spiritual gifts with Ebony Banks. (4:49) – Nonprofit work, plant-based eating, and community service. (11:32) – Plant-based diets, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. (15:43) – Trauma, healing, and self-trust. (22:24) – Healing from trauma and rape through self-awareness and spiritual practices. (28:33) – Forgiveness and healing after trauma. (37:04) – Intuition, self-trust, and body awareness. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Eboni Banks is an Intuitive Healer and Author who has been aware of her intuition since childhood. She is from a lineage of healers and wellness practitioners on both sides of her family. Eboni's maternal great-grandmother read palms for a living in the 1940s. Her late father was a social worker and hypnotherapist who owned and operated a private practice mental health clinic. Eboni's inspiration to serve others began as a child while spending time in her dad's office and observing his healing work. As a trauma survivor, Eboni has learned to use her wealth of inner spiritual resources to thrive on her own healing journey and is now inspired to teach people how to do the same. To access their intuition to heal the stuck parts of their lives that prevent them from living their desired life. Eboni's main spiritual gift is Clairtangency, which means clear touch and is the ability to receive information and impressions through touch. She is passionate about charitable work and has worked with nonprofit charities for the past 13 years as a development consultant, targeting social justice, pediatric healthcare, and equitable education. In 2016 Eboni received the Osborn Elliott Award for Outstanding Community Service for a volunteer-led organization she founded, which taught people living in Brownsville, Brooklyn, about the importance of incorporating plant-based eating into their diet. Eboni considers herself a mystic and enjoys exploring the balance of physical and non-physical life. She practices yoga, meditates, and listens to mantras in her spare time. Eboni currently lives in New York City, where she shares her thriving spiritual practices with clients.

On presence, living on a prayer, devotion and what it means to pause. (1:00) – Meditation, mindfulness, and personal growth with a meditation teacher. (10:01) – Mindfulness, meditation, and prayer with a focus on personal growth and self-care. (20:34) – Simplifying life, death, and spirituality. Originally from Lima, Peru, Cynthia is a first-generation Latina immigrant to the States, currently living in Texas. As a meditation and mindfulness teacher, mentor, and lifetime student, her two greatest passions are creating and teaching. Cynthia's deepest joy is to see her students and clients befriend all aspects of themselves to live a more present and compassionate life, one breath at a time. Cynthia has been teaching in-person and online since 2018. For her, teaching is not only sharing the practices and wisdom she's learned from her teachers, but also being of service to her students and clients to teach/mentor for her own experience. Cynthia's meditation classes may include Sound Healing, Kirtan, Mantra meditation, aromatherapy, minerals, journaling, and many other holistic healing modalities. She loves to travel around the world for work and play. Cynthia's other passions are painting, watching the waves of the ocean, drinking coffee or matcha, and chasing sunrises. She dreams about going to Bali, Indonesia and leading meditation retreats around the world. Digital meditation programs and classes for self-study: https://www.cynthiaredhead.com/programs YouTube channel with free resources: https://www.youtube.com/@cynthia.redhead.meditation/  

On prioritizing our connections with our ancestors as a way to elevate our work and the quality of our present relations.

On empowering women in business, prioritizing integrity and creating a global movement. As Founding Executive and Chair of the Board of doTERRA, Emily Wright has been fully immersed in the global essential oils market since the mid-90s. Empowering people on both sides of the bottle, she loves creating intentional connections and unifying teams for a common cause. She is a champion of doTERRA's business model, focusing on providing tools to help nurture physical and emotional wellbeing while helping people reach their personal goals. Emily's relentless desire to source the world's most pure and potent essential oils continues to lift communities in sourcing regions as she places her whole heart into doTERRA's purpose: helping the world heal.  Emily and her husband Korey are the parents of four beautiful children and three adorable grandchildren, her pride and joy. (4:06) - Using essential oils for health and wellness.  (9:10) - Gender inequality in the workplace, personal growth, and leadership development.  (14:21) - Using essential oils for health and wellness, fear of success holds back potential.  (18:48)- Empowering families globally through essential oils.  (25:07) - Growth and service in the essential oil industry.  (34:15) - Essential oil quality and sourcing.  (39:13) - Sustainable business practices and essential oil sourcing in Bulgaria and Madagascar. (43:05) - Essential oils, quality standards, and impact on healthcare.  (53:31) - Longevity, wellness, and passion with a female entrepreneur. 

On the causes of, and possible solutions for, autoimmune struggles. On resolving the trauma signature so many of us carry.

On resilience, via the wisdom of our ancestor Ralph Waldo Emerson. Seeing our character reflected in our opinions of the world. Shifting our lens to acknowledge our uniqueness, practicing surmounting our subjectivity in order to steep ourselves in reality as it is with empathy, equanimity and insight. (1:00) – Stoicism and Self-Reliance with Mark Tuzik. (4:56) – Emerson's philosophy and its impact on Thoreau's work. (13:12) – Emerson's philosophy of self-awareness and perception. (19:07) – Solitude, loneliness, and self-discovery. (25:02) – Writing, self-doubt, and emotional reactivity. (31:14) – Emerson's philosophy and its application to relationships. Mark Matousek is a bestselling author, teacher, and speaker whose work focuses on personal awakening and creative excellence through transformational writing and self-inquiry. His books include Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story, The Boy He Left Behind, When You're Falling, Dive, Ethical Wisdom: The Search for a Moral Life, Ethical Wisdom for Friends, Mother of the Unseen World, and Writing to Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and publications, including The New Yorker, O: The Oprah Magazine, Details, Tricycle, Good Housekeeping, and Harper's Bazaar.  He has blogged for Psychology Today and offers courses in creativity and spiritual growth around the world. In 2013, Mark founded The Seekers Forum, a global online community for non-sectarian spiritual dialogue. He is on the faculty of The New York Open Center, The Omega Institute, 1440, Esalen, The Rowe Center, Hollyhock, and Blue Spirit, Costa Rica.  He lives with his partner in Springs, New York. His new book is Lessons From An American Stoic.  

From the wild edge of intuition, women's health, inner presence and full embodiment, a peek inside the hearts of wise, engaged women.   (2:48) – Women's health and intuition with a holistic approach. (8:50) – Rituals and inner terrain mastery for personal growth. (16:43) – Women's cycle, herbal medicine, and personal growth. (23:53) – Women's empowerment and healing. (32:02) – Women's leadership and herbal medicine course. (36:32) – Meditation and inner wisdom for personal growth. Seraphina Capranos is a clinical herbalist, homeopath, and initiated priestess with a practice spanning over two decades. As well as being a deeply engaging teacher and speaker, she has a clinical practice on Salt Spring Island. Her unique blend of gifts straddle the vast worlds of plant medicine, homeopathy, and ritual and ceremonial magic. She is a sought after international teacher who has taught thousands of students since 2008. She is the CEO and founder of The Center for Sacred Arts. From The Wild Edge is a ground-breaking virtual program that weaves a rich tapestry of Myth, Herbal Medicine, Modern Science and Ritual, taught by Seraphina and Dr. Karley Denoon. Blending expert health and hormonal guidance, herbal medicine, enriching community learning, elevating your understanding of what it means to heal as a woman in our times, From The Wild Edge might be a relevant course for you. ELENA means 5% off the course at this link. Enrollment closes Sunday May 12, 2024.

On redefining power, living and leading without apology, spacious parenting and the perceptions holding us back. (2:24) – Self-awareness, identity, and heritage. (7:32) – Identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. (11:38) – Heritage, identity, and systemic racism. (16:35) – Privilege and allyship in a 20-year marriage. (20:50) – Parenting, values, and personal growth. (27:01) – Parenting teenagers and respecting their identity choices. (31:40) – Privilege and its various forms. (36:23) – Privilege and leadership with a focus on neurodiversity and accessibility. One of Australia's leading credentialed coaches for female executives and entrepreneurs, Kemi Nekvapil is an author and a highly sought-after international speaker, a flower farmer, a wife and mother, and a solid friend. She's studied leadership and purpose at The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and trained with Dr Brené Brown to become a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, working with teams and organisations to create daring leaders and courageous cultures. Kemi is a facilitator for The Hunger Project Australia and a regular interviewer of industry icons including Elizabeth Gilbert, Martha Beck and Marie Forleo, and she hosts the number one ranking podcast The Shift Series. With a level of compassion and wisdom only gained through extraordinary life experience, Kemi is a powerful advocate for connected, value-based living.

On the unexpected places of practice in our lives, the freedom of rigor, and the wisdom of closing the chasm between our values and our actions.  (2:06)- Zen Buddhism's Eightfold Path and personal growth. (6:47) – Buddhism, compassion, and social justice. (14:43) – Buddhist ceremony and personal growth. (20:43) – Meditation, mindfulness, and personal growth. (27:06) – Zen Buddhism and practice in Japan. (36:21) – Meditation, routines, and finding peace. (40:38) – Finding freedom through rigor and discipline. Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After many years as a chaplain and psychotherapist, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, which offers contemplative approaches to care through education, personal caregiving, and Zen practice. Today, New York Zen Center's methodologies are internationally recognized—and have touched the lives of tens of thousands of individuals. Koshin is a world renowned thought leader in contemplative care. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications, 2019) and the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications, 2016). His work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, Tricycle among other publications. Koshin's new book, Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion, is a welcoming guidebook for finding expansive ease and deep compassion within oneself and through relationships with others based on the Eightfold Path, one of Buddhism's foundational teachings. In his book, Koshin weaves together anecdotes from his own life dealing with abuse and discrimination, insights from many wise teachers, and invitations to constantly practice showing up to our lives in every moment.

 On shifting the way we perceive our capacities as humans and as parents, focusing on relational connection and possibility. (4:14) – Mindset shift for work-parent conflict. (13:28) – Work-parenting challenges and unhelpful labels. (18:50) – Embracing challenges and finding opportunities in life. (26:50) – Managing stress and finding resilience through self-compassion. (33:18) – Nonviolent communication and parenting. In Work, Parent, Thrive, Yael shares practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these meaningful roles. While these strategies won't create more hours in the day, they can shift how we label our experiences, revise the stories we tell ourselves about working and parenting, and recognize the value we get from each role on its own, and in combination with one another. Yael Schonbrun, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of Psychologists Off the Clock: A podcast about the science and practice of living well, and mother of three. Yael's academic research explores the interaction between relationship problems and mental health conditions. She has authored chapters in several books and has written dozens of scientific articles. In her private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses evidence-based science to help individuals and couples learn to manage work, parenting, and marriage in more effective and fulfilling ways. She draws upon treatments that integrate ancient Eastern philosophy with scientifically backed practices. Yael's writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, Kveller, Lilith Magazine, The Wise Brain Bulletin, Psychology Today, and Motherly. Her new book is Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like too Much). Yael lives outside of Boston with her husband and their three small comedians. https://yaelschonbrun.com/  

On the Way of Tea, the practice of service, the meaning of presence and the medicine of silence. (1:46) – Tea, presence, and mindfulness. (5:48) – Tea, meditation, and prison reform. (11:52) – Buddhist chaplaincy training and tea practices. (16:26) – Acting, producing, and healing. (22:37) – Meditation, mindfulness, and Zen Buddhism. (32:14) – Music, prison reform, and personal growth. Mia Maestro most recently wrapped Oscar-nominee Jose Rivera's Castro's Daughter, directed by Miguel Bardem. She appears in the Apple+ Scott Z. Burns' climate change anthology Extrapolations starring opposite Ed Norton. Mia is a citizen of the world, traveling, surfing, scuba diving, and warming her spirit through the practice of Cha Dao, The Way of Tea. She's passionate about prison reform and serves tea to the incarcerated through Healing Dialogue and Action in the state of California. https://miamaestro.com

On the ecological, mythical and cultural understandings that shape our history of extraction and exploitation, and how one conversation can truly make a difference in our future. (1:42) – Reconnecting with nature and protecting forests. (11:41) – Feminism, patriarchy, and earth-centered traditions. (17:11) – Regenerative farming and indigenous knowledge. (22:40) – Indigenous worldviews and language revitalization. Founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Osprey Orielle Lake works internationally with grassroots, BIPOC and Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and diverse coalitions to build climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized clean-energy future. She sits on the executive committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and on the steering committee for the Fossil Free Non-Proliferation Treaty. Osprey's writing about climate justice, relationships with nature, women in leadership, and other topics has been featured in The Guardian, Earth Island Journal, The Ecologist, Ms. Magazine and many other publications. She is the author of the award-winning book Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature. Osprey holds an MA in Culture and Environmental Studies from Holy Names University in Oakland and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area on Coast Miwok lands.  https://ospreyoriellelake.earth/  https://www.wecaninternational.org/

On death, grieving, service, and releasing our fixation on redemption.

On fostering spiritual kinship and community, a plea to stay in the fold of love and civility, and recipes to fortify the truth of our interbeing. (3:40) - Facing grief and loss as a chaplain. (10:21) -Buddhist retreats for intergenerational healing. (18:55) -Narcissism and the Buddhist Path to Authenticity. (25:11) - Intergenerational wisdom and mindfulness. (31:25) - Buddhist teachings and meditation practice. (37:03) -Ethics, gratitude, and relationships. Dr. Pamela Ayo Yetunde is a pastoral counselor, writer, instructor and speaker. She did her post-doctoral work at Harvard Divinity School, earned a Doctor of Theology in Pastoral Counseling from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, GA, earned her M.A. in Culture and Spirituality from Holy Names University in Oakland, CA, and her law degree from Indiana University of Law. She is a Community Dharma Leader certified by Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, CA. Her articles appear in Buddhadharma, Lion's Roar, Journal of Buddhist-Christian Studies, Religions and Feminist Theology. She is an interfaith pan-Buddhist practitioner. Ayo is the author of three books: Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community (2023, Shambhala Publications). Black and Buddhist: What Buddhism Can Teach Us About Race Resilience, Transformation and Freedom co-edited with Cheryl A. Giles (2020, Shambhala Publications). Buddhist-Christian Dialogue, U.S. Law, and Womanist Theology for Transgender Spiritual Care (2020, Palgrave Macmillan).  

On the signals transmitted across generations, the evolution of secrets, and the resonances felt through timelines and dimensions.

On ceasing the pursuit of our hierarchical notions of success; turning the light inward for true connection and care. Emilio Diez Barroso is a light, a teacher and a collaborator on this planet. In his bio, he says he's perfected the art of appearing very successful: managing two family offices, a venture investment firm, sitting on the board of over a dozen companies... but as he saw that none of that was actually nourishing him, he turned his attention inward. With a mission of transforming our shared sense of unworthiness, he now mentors individuals and groups, considering everyone with whom he works to be his teacher. Dedicated to alleviating suffering in the world, he's the author of The Mystery of You, a dive into his process and findings.

On enhancing the coherence in your home, your body and your cells.

On the elemental forces carrying across times, heartaches, understandings and losses. The questions and gifts in the liminal spaces, and the importance of honoring grief in all its forms.

On the deeper questions and practices of unearthing the luminous self.

On holding space for the realities of menopause, normalizing the multiple truths of aging, prioritizing the power of shared intergenerational story to end the negative ways in which we relate to our bodies. Omisade Burney-Scott (Oh-me-SHAH-day, she/her) is a seventh generation Black Southern feminist, storyteller and social justice advocate.  She is also the creator/curator of The Black Girls' Guide to Surviving Menopause (BGG2SM), a multimedia project focused on normalizing menopause and aging through the centering of the stories of Black women, women-identified and gender expansive people.    BGG2SM curates opportunities for people experiencing menopause or will experience menopause in the future to think about and, often, reimagine their own story and menopause journey as something unique, dynamic, natural, and deserving of respect and support. BGG2SM has collaborated with Society for Women's Health and Research, Prevention Magazine, Elektra Health and partnered with Kindra to create the Say More Conversation & Journaling Cards.  BGG2SM's core programs are their Black Girl's Guide to Surviving Menopause podcast,which is a guide to the different stages of menopause, intergenerational storytelling gatherings and annual zine called "Messages from the Menopausal Multiverse”.  She has been featured in numerous outlets including Oprah Daily, Forbes, VOGUE, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Omisade and BGG2SM partnered with The Honey Pot Company for World Menopause Month in October and the Embodied Podcast at WUNC-North Carolina Public Radio for a series of weekly videos using the Say More deck. Omisade is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, the proud mother of two sons, and resides in Durham.   With over 5K listens in 10+ countries, non-binary, Black women and femmes are craving this information and this community. Your support allows us to curate, produce and edit new content for Black women over 50 that will be shared via a quality podcast product as well as curate and co-host intergenerational salon-style community engagements to engage intergenerational WOC, indigenous folx, Black women and femmes.  

On the efficiency and efficacy of nano-particle colloidal silver for external and internal support. Meet Steve Revelli, a dynamic individual with a multifaceted background. As Chief Scientific Officer at American Biotech Labs, Steve's expertise spans a wide range of roles, including Research and Development, Quality Control, and Formulation. A retired educator and former Adjunct Professor, he brings a wealth of knowledge from his 30 years in science and health education. Beyond the lab, Steve's enthusiasm shines as he officiates track and field meets as a USATF master's level official, or globe-trots to oversee World Cup Bobsled and Skeleton races for the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.  He's here to talk with us today about Silver Biotics, where he's played a pivotal role in crafting antimicrobial cosmetics and wound care products, showcasing his commitment to merging science and wellness. If you choose to explore, code Elena means 30% off your first purchase, and 10% off thereafter. Thank you Silver Biotics. Steve has a passion for education, science, and sports which intertwines seamlessly, driving his commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and fostering learning where ever he goes. At https://silverbiotics.com/, code 'Elena' means 30% off for you as a listener of Practice You. Silver Biotics has taken the old technology of colloidal silver and improved it to create the next generation of silver products. SilverSol® was created to improve on current formulas to make them safer and more effective.  Through a new manufacturing technology, patented under multiple patents, and patents pending, Silver Biotics advanced nano-silver solution has become the new standard by which all other silver products are measured. We call this new generation of colloidal silver the Miracle Particle, SilverSol®.  

On the chaos and coherence of water, the dire state of our soil both in Nature and our bodies, and how coherent water improves our markers of brainwave health, biological age, microbiome, energy levels, and our connection to the circadian rhythms of life. Mario is an entrepreneur, researcher, and CEO New Earth Technologies, a company that offers the miracle of Analemma Water by transforming water into a coherent liquid crystalline state, enhancing the properties and benefits of the water we drink.  In this conversation, we discuss the science of structured water and its impact on our overall health and longevity.  As a listener of the Practice You Podcast, code elena10 means 10% off sitewide for you.  

On our interconnectedness, releasing paradigms, and receiving the work that needs to pass through us. 0:42 – Introducing Matthew Quick; Bestselling author of The Silver Linings Playbook and We Are The Light; https://matthewquickwriter.com/ 3:00 – We Are The Light – A series of letters written by a mass shooting survivor from protagonist to analyst over the course of a couple years. These letters are about interacting with the little brother of the shooter. 5:30 – Inspiration for the story – Movie theater shooting in Aurora, Co – writing a novel about a tragedy in a movie house and the people in the community come together to resanctify this space. 8:04 – Getting sober in 2018; experiencing writers block for 3 years; entering Jungian analysis; having paranoid thoughts and taking that into the creative writing wrestling ring. After 7 years of trying to sit down to write this novel, it was written in 6 weeks. 11:00 – This Jungian Life Podcast; The protagonist, Lucas, talking about Eli, the brother of the shooter. Tiny injections of reality from your analyst. 14:00 – Lucas is tapping into these sacred places of radical love. He accesses a divine wisdom, possessed by the archetype of love in finding this reconciliation and healing of the community. 17:05 – Conversations about power – as we elevate these conversations of power, are we relegating conversations of love? Lucas take the stance of radical love. Owning the potential of darkness within all of us through shadow work and learning to love the totality of our humanity. 19:05 – How can we treat the shadow in others with more respect and bring dignity. Having the conversations as a community for acknowledging the personal responsibility for those unseen. Slowing down and taking the time to have human interactions. 21:42 – The work is to see the people that make us the most angry are the people most like us. These things that make us uncomfortable are manifestations of things that are going on inside of us. Bringing it back to within and doing the work. 24:11 – Seeing the humanity within all. Every single human is a part of this interconnected whole. Dropping opinions and assumptions and allowing vulnerability. 26:45 – Teach the kids to think, not what to think. Give them the tools to make up their own minds about things. We don't have much dialogue and nuanced conversation in public spaces based on our affiliations. 29:15 – Our extroverted society demands quick answers and voicing of opinion, but complicated problems require a lot of pondering and meditation, especially in the wake of a tragedy. 31:50 – Ego is always going to want to take responsibility for everything. How little control we actually have can be terrifying at first, but also creates a pathway to access better ways. The analyst says to get out of the way, let what comes through you come through you. 34:15 – Having the humility to serve and let go afterwards is the trick. Life circumstances shift, but it comes back to service, humility and getting out of the way. 36:45 – A message to those struggling to get sober; finding people who can support you and you can talk to. 39:00 – Getting the benefit of talking about your sobriety. Admitting the need for allies. Matthew Quick is the New York Times bestselling author of  The Silver Linings Playbook—which was made into an Oscar-winning film—and eight other novels, including We Are the Light, a #1 Indie Next Pick and a Book of the Month selection. His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, received a PEN/Hemingway Award Honorable Mention, was an LA Times Book Prize finalist, a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice, a #1 bestseller in Brazil, a Deutscher Jugendliteratur Preis 2016 (German Youth Literature Prize) nominee, and selected by Nancy Pearl as one of Summer's Best Books for NPR. The Hollywood Reporter has named him one of Hollywood's 25 Most Powerful Authors. Matthew lives with his wife, the novelist Alicia Bessette, on North Carolina's Outer Banks. https://matthewquickwriter.com/  

On growing our love, meeting ourselves with care, and receiving the intelligent tenderness of every moment. 2:05 - You Better Be Lightning – winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, Feathered Quill Book Award, American Library Association Over the Rainbow, Colorado Book Award & Goodreads Choice Finalist. 4:30 - Things That Don't Suck (Substack); Softening since high school, and over the last 10 years. Everything changing with the first buzz cut. 6:30 - Anis Mojhani – “My heart was too big for my body, so I had to let it go.”; Discovering spoken word in 1999. Dreaming of having poetry readings in packed rock clubs. 8:45 - People coming to the shows because they too were having panic attacks. Being diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and almost immediately feeling safer than ever before. 10:50 - Remission nutrition and chemotherapy. 13:00 - We don't realize how much we are living in the future until we are confronted with our mortality. Trusting the universe and having a loving relationship with our mortality. 15:15 - Favorite medium of art – Music. It transports to an expansive place, so many feelings at once, nostalgic and enlivening. We are every age we have ever been. We are all of the ages. 17:20 - In order to offer forgiveness, I don't have to love myself less, I can love myself more. Self love being the same thing as loving the entire world. 20:10 - Choosing compassion over anger when finding out about getting cancer. Gaining this sudden clarity. Continuing to learn. 23:35 - Learning tenderness from the places where there was a lack of tenderness. Becoming witness and having compassion for the edges. Seeing that kindness comes from offering kindness to the parts of me that haven't been kind. 25:50 - How much to share publicly vs keeping things quiet. Feeling safety in expression. 27:35 - Drawing inspiration from everywhere. All of writing and creating is plagiarizing the beauty that is already here. What made the aspen trees is the same thing that made me. 29:40 - Short readings from Andrea – “Instead of Depression”; “Wellness Check”; Andrea Gibson is one of the most celebrated and influential spoken word poets of our time. Best known for their live performances, Gibson has changed the landscape of what it means to attend a “poetry show” altogether. To hear Gibson is like hearing songwriters play their music, their trademark honesty and vulnerability are on full display. Gibson's poems center around LGBTQ issues, gender, feminism, mental health and the dismantling of oppressive social systems. The winner of the first Women's World Poetry Slam, Gibson has gone on to be awarded the LGBTQ Out100 and has been featured on BBC, NPR and CSpan. Gibson is the author of seven award winning books and seven full length albums. Their live shows have become loving and supportive ecosystems for audiences to feel seen, heard, and held through Gibson's art. You Better Be Lightning (2021) by Andrea Gibson is a queer, political, and feminist collection guided by self-reflection.The poems range from close examination of the deeply personal to the vastness of the world, exploring the expansiveness of the human experience from love to illness, from space to climate change, and so much more in between. You Better Be Lightning is winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, Feathered Quill Book Award, American Library Association Over the Rainbow, Colorado Book Award & Goodreads Choice Finalist. https://buttonpoetry.com/product/you-better-be-lightning/ Things That Don't Suck (Substack) - It's common to look around and take inventory of what sucks. This is one poet's quest to uncover what doesn't, and what shifts when we shift our attention. https://andreagibson.substack.com  

On creating strong communities, pivoting out of productivity and shifting toward ease. 3:00 – Las Founders, founded in 2022, is a Los Angeles held event for entrepreneurs focused on hearing from Latina Entrepreneurs. Meeting the expectations for attendees while sustaining event and production costs. 6:10 – Women with an entrepreneurial spirit. Disentangling the growth and rebalancing of growth through the pandemic through focused objectives and offerings. 8:10 – 2-Day event in October 2023; serving the different identities within the community. 3 Pillars – Heal, Commune, Grow. Addressing ancestral and systematic wounds through healing in community, and growing from that space. 10:25 – ‘Heal' Track and Wellness Day; Keynote this year from Yung Pueblo. Day 1 – Thrive With Ease; Day 2 – “Connect With Your Innermost Self.” 12:55 – Transitioning from massive elaborate summits to something smaller, and more true. Prioritizing ease, and creating time and space rather than being controlled by the time and space. What comes in naturally? 14:55 – We find validation when we can ‘do it all,' but find a tipping point when our priorities begin to need filling and we have to manage what cups get filled. How can I position myself in creation and attraction mode? 17:10 – Exploring ways to edit and make things half as long, and simpler. What does prayer mean to you? Connection. Humility to ask for help. 19:55 – Break The Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma by Dr Mariel Buqué; Breaking the cycle of abandonment – The ultimate support is the support we get from within ourselves. 21:55 – It is ok to take it slow, say no, create loving boundaries, find soft spaces. How do we slow things down? Proactively incorporating a meditation practice. 24:00 – Making weekends/time off sacred for the team collectively. Respecting your rest, space and time. Ana Flores is Houston-born, El Salvador-raised. She's worked in television production for Univision, MTV Latin America and other Spanish-language networks for 15 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom. When her husband was out of work and the cost of childcare became too expensive in 2009, she and a friend launched SpanglishBaby, a blog for parents raising bilingual and bicultural kids. Within a year, Flores was able to monetize blog posts for about $40 and found herself building “a small community” with fellow ambitious Latina bloggers. Soon she was actively pitching ideas to brands, connecting them with the 25-30 Latina bloggers and influencers from her online community. “And that's what became Latina Bloggers Connect in 2010, with no money, with no resources,” Flores told TODAY. “I saw a path — a support system of people that were willing to open doors for each other.” Six years later, Flores rebranded Latina Blogger Connect as #WeAllGrow Latina, a Latina-owned, self-funded website that elevates the voices of Latinas and provides them with the resources — and inspiration — they need to succeed. “We really make it a point to hire within our community, because that is how we build socio and economic power,” Vanessa Santos — who joined #WeAllGrow as a partner and co-CEO in December 2021 — told TODAY. Flores and Santos believe that to see one woman grow doesn't mean that it's going to take away an opportunity for another. Championing “amigahood,” or sisterhood, their website has exceeded 20,000 subscribers, or “amiga members." The free online community is available for English or Spanish-speaking Latinas and offers original content, mentorship, wellness sessions, resources, connections, access to virtual and in-person events like the annual #WeAllGrow Summit, plus exclusive perks created to support entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals. Through their digital platform and in-person events, #WeAllGrow is helping Latinas turn their ideas into realities. Las Founders was founded in 2022 is the Los Angeles-held event for entrepreneurs sold out and had over 400 attendees taking in panels and conversations with Latina entrepreneurs about how they got their start. In September 2022, the organization hosted the sixth annual #WeAllGrow Summit. The first summit was held in 2015 and focused on content creation and networking. As the years went by, it's become bigger and more interactive, with Forbes including it as one of 19 Conferences Every Creative Should Attend in 2018 and 2019. This year's sold-out event, held in Palm Desert, California, welcomed over 600 attendees ready to “heal, commune and grow” — which also happen to be the organization's three pillars. In 2023, Las Founders will be a two-day event in October. 

Micah Salaberrios, an expert in the field of Nonviolent Communication, has been teaching the practice since 2016. With his passion for improving the lives of others, he hosts "The Art of NVC" Podcast, and wrote one of the top-selling books in relationship conflict resolution entitled "The Art of Nonviolent Communication." His website is https://artofnvc.com. Micah's belief in the transformative power of NVC has been the driving force behind his work, helping people to resolve conflicts peacefully and fostering deeper understanding in their relationships. Micah is dedicated to spreading the teachings of Nonviolent Communication to as many people as possible, empowering them to live more fulfilling and harmonious lives. 3:00 – Finding NVC and doing this work as a profession. NVC style appreciation – acknowledging someone's need for appreciation, encouragement, recognition and acknowledgement. “Would you like to be recognized for the unique talents you bring to this project?” 5:40 – Using NVC to get to a place of understanding that both parties in a conflict probably have the same need – to feel safe, protected, future for the children, etc. 7:20 – We mistake strategies and needs. The four steps of Non violent communication – 1) Identify the issue using observable facts, unbiased. Do not imply that someone is bad or wrong. 2) Express how you are feeling in this moment. 10:05 – 3) Explain why you feel this way – your values. 4) Make specific requests. Do not be vague. 12:55 – The observation moment (step 1) is not about the judgment of what is happening. Explore the feelings and needs inventory. 15:00 – You must have empathy for yourself. Take a moment to give yourself empathy and acknowledge the feeling to yourself when it is happening. 17:15 – When NVC is not available, do emergency self empathy – guess how you feel and why. Empathy releases the obligatory tension around parenting. 19:20 – When you notice you, or someone else, is upset, guess how they feel and why. You don't have to be correct, but that person will feel the full force of your attention without feeling judged. 21:50 – NVC is not a thing you do, it is a shift in consciousness, a way of being. Opinions and judgments have a frequency that stimulates our ego and is not beneficial. Instead of opinions, have preferences. 24:00 – Opinions and judgments are draining. They keep us busy and steal our life force. Empathy as a first instinct is like carrying a love gun. 27:00 – https://www.artofnvc.com/; The Art of Nonviolent Communication: Turning Conflict into Connection; https://www.patreon.com/artofnvc 29:30 – Practicing the principles of NVC is an important part of learning. NVC is a technology of intimacy, compassion and closeness. 31:40 – Transforming triggers using emergency empathy. 33:40 – We are water. If we can be shaped by our environments, then we can be reshaped. Transformation happens in the moment, not the future. Visit Micah's Patreon Page for the NVC Practice group, as well as access to his masterful Art of NVC Online Course.  https://patreon.com/artofnvc

On the golden moments of quiet and the depths of healing available in silence. 2:35 – The origins of Golden; How can we be helpful and effective in making things better? The answers lie in the silence. Writing about silence for Harvard Business Review. 5:10 – What's the deepest silence you have ever known? Not just the absence of noise, but a presence. Notice noise, tune in to silence. 1) Pay attention to the diverse forms of auditory, informational and internal interference. Study how to navigate them. 2) Perceive the small pockets of peace that live amidst all the sounds and stimuli. Seek these spaces. 3) Cultivate spaces of profound silence. 7:55- How we can find the most pristine attention possible when is only available for a very short time. Finding presence in silence. Exploring booming and rapturous silence. 9:30 – The attention economy and its impact on presence in silence. Is life really louder? Yes, across Europe, an estimated 450 million people (65% of the population) live with noise levels deemed hazardous to our health. Every two days we produce as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization to 2003. 12:15 Our pristine attention is measured at 0 according to GDP. It doesn't have a value unless it's chopped up and turned to revenue. We often mistake feelings of stress for aliveness. Attention taken to its highest degree is the same thing as prayer. 15:35 – Silence is renewal. Silence can reset the nervous system. Silence is Humility. Silence is accepting that it's ok to not fill the space. Silence is clarity. Silence is expansion. Silence is the essence of life itself when there is nothing making claims on our consciousness. 17:35 – The Creative ACT: A Way of Being; Jarvis Jay Masters, writer and Buddhist on death row for 32 years for a crime he did not commit. 20:05 – Compassion is a doorway to silence. Experiencing Covid in San Quentin. “It's not about you right now.” 22:10 – The way to quiet the noise in these impossible situations is to quiet the responses to the noise. Silence might interrupt the sadness of never understanding ourselves. 24:10 – What helps you stop? A yoga practice, meditation practice, chanting, tea rituals, creating circumstances to be doing what you love all the time. 27:25 – Enjoy deeply what you're doing vs being lost in unwanted distraction. Keeping connection with what animates life. Appreciation that leads to love. Holding the heart. Reconnecting to the heart and body. 30:05 – Coming back to the place where nothing is making claims on the consciousness, even in the midst of intense noise, fear and uncertainty. 32:50 – Silence and quiet can come just in a moment, and in infinite ways. Facing ourselves in silence means having the courage to become more aware of what's been hidden. 34:50 – Getting a little closer to our intuition. Cyrus Habib – serving from a place of intuition. Turning down the noise of life in order to hear the signals of the heart. 37:00 – Getting beyond the noise of other people's expectations. Becoming a connoisseur of creation. Attention stability and balance. 39:20 – Baelyn Neff – @allmattersofspirit – Stay with the Tea. Idea #7 – Presence is having all your energy and attention at your disposal, and not inaccessible because of worry, distraction, anxiety or chronic tension. 43:15 – Cynthia Bourgeault – Never do something in a state of internal brace. In the midst of noise, quiet down and keep going. Silence isn't just the absence of noise. It's a presence that brings us energy, clarity, and deeper connection. Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz take us on an unlikely journey--from the West Wing of the White House to San Quentin's death row; from Ivy League brain research laboratories to underground psychedelic circles; from the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park to the main stage at a heavy metal festival--to explore the meaning of silence and the art of finding it in any situation. Golden reveals how to go beyond the ordinary rules and tools of mindfulness. It's a field guide for navigating the noise of the modern world--not just the noise in our ears but also on our screens and in our heads. Drawing on lessons from neuroscience, business, spirituality, politics, and the arts, Marz and Zorn explore why auditory, informational, and internal silence is essential for physical health, mental clarity, ecological sustainability, and vibrant community. With vital lessons for individuals, families, workplaces, and whole societies, Golden is an engaging and unexpected rethinking of the meaning of quiet. Marz and Zorn make the bold and convincing argument that we can repair our world by reclaiming the presence of silence in our lives. Justin Talbot Zorn has served as both a policymaker and a meditation teacher in the U.S. Congress. A Harvard- and Oxford-trained specialist in the economics and psychology of well-being, Justin has written for the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, and other publications. He is cofounder of Astrea Strategies, a consultancy that bridges contemplation and action, helping leaders and teams envision and communicate solutions to complex challenges. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and three children. Leigh Marz is a collaboration consultant and leadership coach for major universities, corporations, and federal agencies as well as a longtime student of pioneering researchers and practitioners of the ritualized use of psychedelic medicines in the West. In her professional work, she has led diverse initiatives, including a training program to promote an experimental mindset among teams at NASA and a decade-long cross-sector collaboration to reduce toxic chemicals in products, in partnership with Green Science Policy Institute, Harvard University, IKEA, Google, and Kaiser Permanente. She is the cofounder of Astrea Strategies. Leigh lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter.

 On the intentional integration of psychedelic experiences; supporting and educating for responsible engagement in our healing and creative expansion. 0:42 – Introducing Daniel Shankin; Psychedelic Integration Coach; Director and Founder of Tam Integration; https://tamintegration.com 2:45 – Microdosing psychedelics as a way of treating addiction and engrained behavioral patterns. “Be Here Now” by Ram Das was the first ‘Integration Manual.' 4:40 – Yoga practice as a tool for liberation and grounding in this body/lifetime. Naturally approaching psychedelics with coaching clients. 6:00 – https://2023.integrationjam.com; Finding community spirit and gathering online. Talking about cool and interesting topics with cool and interesting people. 8:10 – Keystone species, biodiversity and ecosystems. Wrapping our head around everything being connected. The tree shades the water protecting the fish. 10:30 – Where to begin with psychedelics — microdosing and macrodosing. Integrating in specific ways. *This is not medical/legal advice. This is not legal in many places, and there is an element of risk. https://www.youtube.com/@TamIntegration 12:55 – Take time to educate ourselves, making good decisions with the information we have, and responding to feedback from body and mind, maybe journaling around it and tracking it. Psychedelics are a nonspecific amplifier. They bring up what is already underneath our layer of awareness. The psychedelic is not making you anything, but revealing what is there. It's an orange juice squeezer. 15:00 – We all have these very specific needs, and when the needs are met, there is a happy day. Understanding of a need becomes a transformation. 17:25 – Understanding psychedelics from the perspective of its more practical benefits. True psychedelics don't stand for addictive patterns. They become irritating. 19:00 – Macrodosing experiences; Tam Integration – Pre and Post Integration; Long term Integration. 21:05 – Training Integration Coaches; creating an experience that is respectful of our consciousness, respectful of the molecules. There's no reason not to approach an intense experience with a certain amount of reverence. 23:20 – Compounds in psilocybin associated with the self and persona. Compounds that scientifically decrease circulation to certain parts of the brain, increase circulation to certain parts of the brain, and it's in promise for personal growth. Going in with a meditation practice. 25:20 – Meditators have more of the positive effects and fewer of the negative effects. Meditators are often used to putting the persona aside. 27:25 – https://2023.integrationjam.com; Save 10% with Coupon code: Elena. 30:15 – Moral Trauma; https://www.moralinjuriesofwar.org; connoisseurship of certain mushrooms. As the founder and director of Tam Integration, Daniel is committed to offering radically accessible and inclusive support and education for people who are wanting to transform, heal, and grow. Tam's integration circles and online conferences enjoy a world wide audience and much critical acclaim. Daniel also leads the yearlong Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration Coaching Program, training emerging leaders in the facilitation of transformational engagement. As a psychedelic integration coach, Daniel serves people in weaving their new-found truths into their lives and practices sustainably, harmoniously, compassionately and wisely. His methods are fiercely practical while maintaining space for mystery and magic to emerge. He offers time tested and scientifically backed tools so clients can create a life for themselves that is aligned with their deeper values and manifests measurable results that matter. He and his wife live in a tiny town in New England where they forage for mushrooms and throw rocks into creeks with their two young boys.