Podcasts about healing collective grief

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an author, activist, spiritual teacher and practitioner, racial equity consultant and trainer, and intuitive healer. She approaches her life and work from a place of knowing we are, can, and must heal individually and collectively. Michelle teaches workshops and immersions and leads retreats and transformative experiences nationwide. As a dismantling racism educator, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups. Michelle was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. Michelle published the first edition of Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; and the 2nd edition of Skill in Action in November 2021, published by Shambhala Publications. Her second book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021. Her third book, We Heal Together: Rituals and Practice for Building Community and Connection, published by Shambhala Publications, explores the deep knowing and truth that we are interconnected; we belong to one another. We Heal Together offers rituals and practices meant to dream us into a new way of being to benefit the highest and fullest good. Her latest book, A Space For Us: A Guide For Leading Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Affinity Groups, was published by Beacon Press in August 2023. Michelle leads courageously from the heart with compassion and a commitment to address the heartbreak dominant culture causes for many because of the harm it creates. She inspires change that allows people to stand in their humanity and wholeness in a world that fragments most of us. In this conversation, Michelle and Anjali discuss: Kleshas as an inquiry: Michelle's new book on kleshas What does healing mean when the world is ablaze? Our collective nervous systems Michelle's writing as a practice of reclamation and re-connection Her go to rituals during the writing process Role of community care and collective How does she practice care as a space holder? Connect with Michelle on her website or on Instagram @skillinaction You can receive 30% off if you pre-order Illuminating Our True Nature from Shambhala Publications. Use TRUENATURE30 at checkout. Free Resources for Teachers We are grateful for the support of our podcast partner OfferingTree — an all-in-one, easy to use business platform for classes, courses, memberships and more. Check it out at www.offeringtree.com/accessibleyoga.

Are there simple practices for developing greater connection? Tune in for an inspiring discussion with Michelle Cassandra Johnson on her new #book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief.#MomentsWithMarianne airs in the Southern California area on KMET 1490AM & 98.1 FM, an ABC Talk News Radio Affiliate! Michelle Cassandra Johnson is a social justice warrior, author, dismantling racism trainer, empath, yoga teacher and practitioner, and an intuitive healer. With over 20 years of experience leading dismantling racism work and working with clients as a licensed clinical social worker, Johnson has a deep understanding of how trauma impacts the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small nonprofits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, and many others. She teaches workshops nationwide. https://www.michellecjohnson.com For more show information visit:www.MariannePestana.com#bookclub #readinglist #book #bookish #MariannePestana #author #authorinterview #kmet1490am #community #connection #humanity #healing #healingtrauma #compassion #selfimprovement #selfcare #loveyourlife #compassionate #kindness

Michelle Cassandra Johnson joins @Banyen Books & Sound for a conversation on Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief. MICHELLE CASSANDRA JOHNSON is a social justice warrior, author, dismantling racism trainer, empath, yoga teacher and practitioner, and an intuitive healer. With over 20 years of experience leading dismantling racism work and working with clients as a licensed clinical social worker, Johnson has a deep understanding of how trauma impacts the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small nonprofits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, Lululemon, and many others. She published Skill in Action in 2017 and teaches workshops nationwide.

In this episode with Michelle Casandra Johnson, we cover the importance of the grieving process and having practices that support it. We discuss how our practices have shifted since Covid-19 and the things we hope will not go back. Michelle talks about working with our ancestors and learning from their traumas and resistance as well as her special connection to her honey bees. Michelle wrote the foreward for my forthcoming book, The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga out with Shambhala Publications in May 2023. It was wonderful to connect with her here. Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. As a dismantling racism trainer, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, Auburn Seminary, Kripalu, Mercedes, Spotify, Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; the second edition of Skill in Action, published by Shambhala Publication, comes out November 2nd, 2021. She teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle's latest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by Shambhala Publications, came out in July 2021. Her upcoming book, We Heal Together: Rituals and Practices for Building Community and Connection, published my Shambhala Publications, is available for pre-order now and comes out in April 2023. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing, and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world. Michelle's Website & Instagram ----------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.

What if your intuition guided you to move across the country, give-up your private practice and do so without knowing exactly where you were going to land and work?  Or what if it told you to buy a house sight unseen—like not even having seen a picture of it—would you?  Well, you would if you were in touch with your intuition and knew it for the powerful and life affirming source that it is.  That's exactly what my guest Michelle Cassandra Johnson did—and doing so reshaped her life in amazing ways she couldn't have imagined. Michelle and I talk making intuitive decisions, big and little, as well as daily rituals and practices that make this social just warrior and anti-racism teacher's intuition clear rather than cloudy.  All that on today's Own Your Intuition Show.SHOW NOTES:Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. As a dismantling racism trainer, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, Auburn Seminary, Kripalu, Mercedes, Spotify, Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a JustWorld in 2017; the second edition of Skill in Action, publishedby Shambhala Publication, comes out November 2nd, 2021. She teaches workshopsin yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle's latest book, FindingRefuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by ShambhalaPublications, came out in July 2021. Her upcoming book, WeHeal Together: Rituals and Practices for Building Community and Connection,published my Shambhala Publications, is available for pre-order now and comesout in April 2023.  Michelle C Johnson: https://www.michellecjohnson.com Yes, tell me!  How the heck do I tell the difference between the voice of my intuition and my “fear-based” ideas?  Download the free audio here. What's this Own Your Intuition program that starts September 27th all about? 

This is the final episode of Season 2. It features me talking about the reason why I decided to take a sabbatical and make space for REST. I recorded this prior to the supreme court's further attack on our civil rights and the planet, so there is no mention of the most recent traumas and horrors happening in our country and world. This episode focuses on rest as a practice and the reality that not everyone has the space to rest. In this episode, I discuss:My decision to take a sabbaticalThe importance of restThe privilege of being able to restHow we all deserve to rest White-bodied folks and reparations for Black peopleFinding Refuge, the bookHoneybeesGardeningSpiritual practice I do not include my bio here because, well, you know me; instead, I include a request for you to continue to support my work and Finding Refuge. Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief has a birthday on July 31st. It has been out in the world for a year now, and what a year it has been. Thank you for purchasing, sharing, and posting on social media about Finding Refuge. Thank you for showing up in Finding Refuge retreats and making space for yourself to grieve and heal. Thanks for hosting book clubs and using the book club guide as well as the guide for how to wade through the holidays that I created in November of 2021. So many of you have been touched by Finding Refuge, and I have a request. If you haven't written a review on Amazon and Goodreads, please do. You do not have to have purchased the book on Amazon to write a review there, but if you do write a review on Amazon, it improves the visibility of the book. This past month has shown us that what I offer in Finding Refuge is timeless. There is so much grief to move through and so much healing for us to do. Please write a review and tell your friends about the book. The practices in it are meant to heal our hearts, and I want us all to be able to heal our hearts. In addition to writing a review for Finding Refuge, the book, you can write a review and rate The Finding Refuge Podcast on iTunes. Season 3 is going to be amazing, and I cannot wait to bring more interviews and healing balm your way. One more thing, I have several opportunities for online and in-person practice centered around Finding Refuge coming up. Visit my website and subscribe to my newsletter to stay apprised of my upcoming offerings.I did mention that I would link to a few here:Finding Refuge Celebration and Ritual Level 1 Leadership CohortDetox and RefugeFinding Refuge Retreat Podcast music by Charles Kurtz+ Read transcript

Michelle Johnson is a social justice activist and licensed clinical social worker. She is a trainer for the organization Dismantling Racism, as well as an intuitive healer. In her latest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, Michelle focuses on the effect that trauma can have on both the mind and body. By doing so, she helps people understand how power and privilege can play out in one's life. Michelle also explores the effects of oppression and what this can do to the energy body.    In today's episode, host Shay Beider speaks with Michelle about the collective grief experienced by people and how this can be linked to cultural trauma. She shares ways people can work through grief by tapping into their spirituality and focusing on breath and meditation. Michelle also explains how her work as a therapist has allowed her to embrace empathy and create space to heal from trauma. Michelle shares what healing means to her and the importance of yoga to connect with our inherent wholeness.   Transcripts for this episode are available at: https://www.integrativetouch.org/conversations-on-healing    Show Notes: Check out the Finding Refuge Podcast here Michelle's book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief Read Skill in Action here Learn more at Michelle's website https://www.michellecjohnson.com/   This podcast was created by Integrative Touch (InTouch). InTouch is working to transform the way people experience healthcare. A leader in the field of pediatric integrative medicine, the organization supports caregivers and families whose children have any type of special health or medical need. This includes kids with cancers, genetic conditions, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic stress, and other serious health issues. The founder, Shay Beider, pioneered a new therapy called Integrative Touch™ Therapy that supports healing from trauma and serious illness. The organization reaches thousands of people each year in hospitals and communities and offers unique Telehealth programs to families and healthcare providers from around the world. Thanks to the incredible support of volunteers and contributors, individuals are able to receive wellness education and integrative medical services at little or no cost.

Tensions are on the rise in the Collective- they have been for a few years, now. We are all connected. The question is, how deep within each of us does that connection reach? And beyond that… How does it affect our mental health? How does it affect our global community at large? How do we work- as individuals- to help the Collective to heal? Listen to this episode for tips, tools, and some answers. Show Notes: Dr.Brit Finkbeiner: https://grandrapidschirocenter.com/meet-team/ Donate to Support the Podcast: Donor Website: donorbox.org/doorwaytoself Venmo: @doorwaytoself Cashapp: $doorwaytoself Find and Follow Doorway to Self and Rachel Leah Gerson: Website and email list: www.doorwaytoself.com Facebook: facebook.com/doorwaytoself and facebook.com/thedoorwaytoselfpodcast Instagram: @doorwaytoself and @thedoorwaytoselfpodcast and @rachel.leah.gerson YouTube: youtube.com/c/doorwaytoself --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/doorwaytoselfpodcast/support

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of death and grief. In episode 51, Amber and Jivana talk about how they are each navigating grief and loss in their personal and professional lives. We'll discuss tools that help us from humor to therapy to our yoga practice. We talk about how concepts from yoga philosophy have helped us reduce suffering and embrace the nature of life as it really is. Amber leads us in a simple movement practice that can be done from a chair. And finally, Jivana reads a short excerpt on grief from his book Yoga Revolution, then leads us in a meditation. In this episode... Amber & Jivana check in and catch up We highlight some of the Accessible Yoga programming for the month of February We share some of our favorite resources for navigating grief and caring for our hearts and minds Amber shares how humor helps her cope with grief and loss Jivana reminds us not to judge our “trauma responses” as inherently negative, since sometimes they're survival tools We discuss how sometimes patterns that have served us when we were younger aren't needed anymore and how therapy has helped each of them We talk about how picking the right folks for your support system can make a big difference We discuss how the yoga practice helps us stay grounded through grief and loss, and actually embrace life as it is Amber leads a short movement practice that can be done in a chair Jivana reads an excerpt from his book Yoga Revolution and leads us in a short meditation Resources: Molly Lannon Kenny Yoga for Grief and Loss by Karla Helbert Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson Deb Malkin's instagram (@movewithdeb) Dallas Rising is holding an unique session on Secret Grief Nichala Joy Devi

Content warning: this episode contains discussion of death and grief. In episode 51, Amber and Jivana talk about how they are each navigating grief and loss in their personal and professional lives. We'll discuss tools that help us from humor to therapy to our yoga practice. We talk about how concepts from yoga philosophy have helped us reduce suffering and embrace the nature of life as it really is. Amber leads us in a simple movement practice that can be done from a chair. And finally, Jivana reads a short excerpt on grief from his book Yoga Revolution, then leads us in a meditation. In this episode... Amber & Jivana check in and catch up We highlight some of the Accessible Yoga programming for the month of February We share some of our favorite resources for navigating grief and caring for our hearts and minds Amber shares how humor helps her cope with grief and loss Jivana reminds us not to judge our “trauma responses” as inherently negative, since sometimes they're survival tools We discuss how sometimes patterns that have served us when we were younger aren't needed anymore and how therapy has helped each of them We talk about how picking the right folks for your support system can make a big difference We discuss how the yoga practice helps us stay grounded through grief and loss, and actually embrace life as it is Amber leads a short movement practice that can be done in a chair Jivana reads an excerpt from his book Yoga Revolution and leads us in a short meditation Resources: Molly Lannon Kenny Yoga for Grief and Loss by Karla Helbert Yoga Revolution by Jivana Heyman Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson Deb Malkin's instagram (@movewithdeb) Dallas Rising is holding an unique session on Secret Grief Nichala Joy Devi

Living is never easy after death. Whatever or whoever you are grieving, it can be the loss of a loved one, a dream, or a waistline, the very process REQUIRES you to transition to a new reality. It can feel daunting and overwhelming, but transition is what gets us to fully step into our destiny and who we were born to be. This week, Dr. Venus reflects how grieving is another form of transitioning from what was, to what can be. She talks about how to keep going when you don't see a point, and when something you love is no longer there, and why that's an invitation for new traditions and beautiful possibilities. Are you willing to let go of what you had to become who you were born to be? Let's talk about it.   Key Takeaways: [2:55] While you are grieving, Dr. Venus invites you to take the case that the transition of where you are coming from to where you are going can be a very magical space, one that is ripe with possibility. [3:13] Sometimes letting go of the past can feel very scary and painful, even if the future is something you are looking forward to. It's the death of something you knew, and losing that comfort can be anxiety producing. [4:05] With change and transition can come new alliances, relationships, expectations and new futures. If you think of your grieving not just as a loss but a transition from the old to the new, you can begin to see some blessings. [5:13] Dr. Venus is fully committing herself to being an artist, and opportunities and people are showing up in ways she wouldn't believe. However, she wouldn't necessarily have those if she wasn't also grieving the loss of what she used to be and open to the transition of who she is becoming. [6:15] The right people will find you, but they won't define you. And you will find people who help redesign you. Even in the sadness, there's always some good stuff. [8:20] As Dr. Venus grieves the transition of her brother Tory, she honors his sense of humor and by doing comedy herself, feels as though a piece of him is still with her. [10:04] As you transition from grieving to new traditions, one just may make you laugh or surprise you in ways you didn't expect. Dr. Venus shares her first “couples non-Christmas Christmas” with her partner, and the mix of grieving, playing, laughing, and building something new. [15:37] God softens our hearts when we grieve and makes us open and available for new futures. Transition is required to fully step into our destiny. [19:02] Transition can be in everything, to deciding you are eating better and saying no to choices you made before, to changing the way you see the world or a politician.   Quotes: “Going from having to be alone while I grieve to being supported while I grieve, that's a transition.” “Take the case that the grieving is a transition that you're going from what used to be, to what could be, and that is a very magical space. That's a space ripe with possibility.” “Are you willing to let go of what you had to become for who you were born to be?” “God is softening my heart by grieving, and making me open and available for new futures.” “Transition is required for my destiny.”   Mentioned: Dr. Venus Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Amazon Pilot  “Hot Mess Millionaire” Complete Series (https://www.youtube.com/c/DrVenusOpalReese) Free Gift When You Join The Truth Tribe The Black Woman Millionaire Hot Mess Edition   RESOURCES Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief   

On this season of Black Oxygen - we are going to discuss grief, loss and mourning. Author of the Wild Edge of Sorrow, Francis Weller says, “Grief work is soul work. It requires courage to face the world as it and not turn away …” In this season of Black Oxygen, we are going to do just that - face our grief together. In addition to sharing some of their stories around loss, our guests and I will explore the following questions: • It's been said that the condition of Black life is one of mourning - what does this quote by Claudia Rankine mean to you? • Sometimes we have a tendency to think of grief as a time bound linear process. What is your relationship to time and grief? How would you describe your process of grief and mourning? • We know that our times of grief are not necessarily mutually exclusive from moments of joy - During your experience of grief and sorrow were there moments of joy in the process? Is there anything that made you laugh during that time? • How has your experience of grief brought you closer to yourself? How has your experience with grief impacted your relationships? • How has your experience of grief impacted how you show up in the world day-to-day? • How do you think that tending to our collective grief could be a source of healing for our country's wounds? What would need to be in place to make this happen? • If you could create a grief playlist - what one or two songs should be on it? Resources: Grieving While Black: An Anti-racist Take on Oppression and Sorrow by Breeshia Wade Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief by Michelle Cassandra Johnson See No Stranger by Valarie Kaur The Wild Edge of Sorrow by Francis Weller The Condition of Black Life is One of Mourning by Claudia Rankine https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/22/magazine/the-condition-of-black-life-is-one-of-mourning.html

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle's work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has worked in several non-profits and served as an elected official and on many non-profit boards of directors. She has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Auburn Seminary, Kripalu, Yoga Alliance, and Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017 and her newest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021. She teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. In 2020 she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge. In This Episode:  The awareness that comes with awakening and how this relates to social justice. Why embodiment is the key to healing racism.  If White bodied folks don't have the resiliency to do this work, what will it take? Rest as a necessary tool for activism. The work that White bodied people have to do. The work that the BIPOC community has to do.  The practice of remembering and how we can have grace and compassion for those who are remembering. FULL SHOW NOTES Skill In Action Instagram Skill In Action Website Laura Chung Instagram Brittany Simone Anderson Instagram The Werk Podcast Instagram Awaken and Align Instagram Awaken and Align Website YouTube Channel Connect with Awaken and Align & The Werk: If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it and tag us! Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it! Follow on Instagram @awakenandalign @thewerkpodcast Let us know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle's work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. She has worked in several non-profits and served as an elected official and on many non-profit boards of directors. She has led Dismantling Racism Trainings with large corporations, small non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, The Center for Equity and Inclusion, Auburn Seminary, Kripalu, Yoga Alliance, and Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017 and her newest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021. She teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with embodied approaches to racial equity work, creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. In 2020 she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge. In This Episode:  The awareness that comes with awakening and how this relates to social justice. Why embodiment is the key to healing racism.  If White bodied folks don't have the resiliency to do this work, what will it take? Rest as a necessary tool for activism. The work that White bodied people have to do. The work that the BIPOC community has to do.  The practice of remembering and how we can have grace and compassion for those who are remembering. FULL SHOW NOTES Laura Chung Instagram Brittany Simone Anderson Instagram The Werk Podcast Instagram Awaken and Align Instagram Awaken and Align Website YouTube Channel Connect with Awaken and Align & The Werk: If you enjoyed the podcast and you feel called, please share it and tag us! Subscribe, rate, and review the show wherever you get your podcasts. Your rating and review help more people discover it! Follow on Instagram @awakenandalign @thewerkpodcast Let us know your favorite guests, lessons, or any topic requests.

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. Her new book is Finding Refuge: Heartwork for Healing Collective Grief.  Read our review of Finding Refuge from the July/August 2021 issue of Spirituality & Health.  Rabbi Rami and Johnson start by defining racism throughout history. They explore ethnocentrism, white privilege, generational trauma, radicalizing yoga, the problematic nature of “color-blindness,” and more.   “We are in physical bodies and yet we are not our bodies. But we need to recognize what our bodies are doing to other bodies as we remember our divinity. … We can hold both of these at the same time.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Michelle Cassandra Johnson is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. Her new book is Finding Refuge: Heartwork for Healing Collective Grief.  Read our review of Finding Refuge from the July/August 2021 issue of Spirituality & Health.  Rabbi Rami and Johnson start by defining racism throughout history. They explore ethnocentrism, white privilege, generational trauma, radicalizing yoga, the problematic nature of “color-blindness,” and more.   “We are in physical bodies and yet we are not our bodies. But we need to recognize what our bodies are doing to other bodies as we remember our divinity. … We can hold both of these at the same time.”

This week, my dear friend, Michelle Cassandra Johnson is back to help us tend to the shattered parts of ourselves so that we can embrace our wholeness and do the work of healing the collective heart. In the podcast, she says, what's needed in this moment isn't to get back to normal or to get back to work or to get back being busy and productive. What's needed is to acknowledge what we've gone through and what has been lost. We must feel in order to heal. Her new book, Finding Refuge: Heartwork for Healing Collective Grief, is a radical invitation for those of us who feel brokenhearted, helpless, confused, powerless, and desperate in this moment to embrace the lost art of grieving as an essential component of healing. This book moved me and made me feel new depths and dimensions of my grief that I honestly didn't know was there. It made me reflect on how I, like many others, have attempted to manage my grief behind closed doors - alone and isolated. But Michelle reminds us that we don't grieve in isolation in the same way that we don't heal in isolation. This podcast is a beautiful and joyful reminder that despite the difficult and uncertain times we are facing - we are resilient together and have the capacity to meet this moment with an open heart that can heal us forward. Connect with Michelle Cassandra JohnsonVisit her websiteFollow her on Instagram at @skillinactionBuy her book, Finding Refuge: Heartwork for Healing Collective GriefIf this episode resonates with you, we'd love for you to take a screenshot and tag us on Instagram stories @ctznwell, @kkellyyoga and @skillinactionJoin CTZNWELL on PatreonFollow CTZNWELL on InstagramSign up for CTZNWELL's weekly email WELLREAD+ Transcription(read transcription here)

We each have maybe a handful of teachers in our lives that fundamentally shift the way we see or experience— Michelle Cassandra Johnson has been one of those teachers for me.Michelle is a true embodiment of grace, fire, compassion, and grit, and is a radiant example of how to to show up with skillfulness and heart in a dysfunctional world.Her new book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was released just this week, and I am so excited to dive into and savor it starting next weekend when I've carved out some special time and space to do so.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michelle, and that if you arent' already familiar with her books and other offerings, that this will be the first of many times you get to experience her gifts.“Our culture conditions us to notice what is going on from the head up and not from the throat and heart down. The only way out is through, by way of the feelings. If we are going to make social change, we need to cultivate a practice of feeling... When one connects with their feelings as yoga teaches us to do, one can connect with their heart. If one is connected with their heart, they have the opportunity to be changed and to shift their perspective. They have the opportunity to feel the pain of living in a world that is designed to break the spirit through violence, oppression, and injustice.”— Michelle Johnson (from Skill in Action)About Michelle Cassandra Johnson (she/her)Michelle is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle's work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017 and her newest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021.Michelle teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. In 2020 she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge.Links + Additional Resources:View these show notes on our website at https://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-06Follow Michelle on Instagram @skillinactionFinding Refuge book and 40-day sadhana (sliding scale pricing)Finding Refuge podcastSkill in Action bookMichelle's upcoming eventsMichelle's race equity training

We each have maybe a handful of teachers in our lives that fundamentally shift the way we see or experience— Michelle Cassandra Johnson has been one of those teachers for me.Michelle is a true embodiment of grace, fire, compassion, and grit, and is a radiant example of how to to show up with skillfulness and heart in a dysfunctional world.Her new book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was released just this week, and I am so excited to dive into and savor it starting next weekend when I've carved out some special time and space to do so.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michelle, and that if you arent' already familiar with her books and other offerings, that this will be the first of many times you get to experience her gifts.“Our culture conditions us to notice what is going on from the head up and not from the throat and heart down. The only way out is through, by way of the feelings. If we are going to make social change, we need to cultivate a practice of feeling... When one connects with their feelings as yoga teaches us to do, one can connect with their heart. If one is connected with their heart, they have the opportunity to be changed and to shift their perspective. They have the opportunity to feel the pain of living in a world that is designed to break the spirit through violence, oppression, and injustice.”— Michelle Johnson (from Skill in Action)About Michelle Cassandra Johnson (she/her)Michelle is an activist, social justice warrior, author, anti-racism consultant and trainer, intuitive healer, and yoga teacher and practitioner. She has led dismantling racism work in many settings for over two decades and has a background and two decades of practice as a clinical social worker. Michelle's work centers on healing from individual and collective trauma, coming back into wholeness and aligning the mind, body, spirit, and heart. She published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017 and her newest book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief was published by Shambhala Publications in 2021.Michelle teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide and is on the faculty of Off the Mat, Into the World. In 2020 she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge.Links + Additional Resources:View these show notes on our website at https://gaiacenter.co/blog/bodyful-06Follow Michelle on Instagram @skillinactionFinding Refuge book and 40-day sadhana (sliding scale pricing)Finding Refuge podcastSkill in Action bookMichelle's upcoming eventsMichelle's race equity training

Activist, author, teacher and healer Michelle Cassandra Johnson joins Tracee Stanley for a pertinent and poignant conversation on grief and healing. Michelle discusses her upcoming book Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief and her definition of collective grief. Michelle and Tracee talk through the presence of exhaustion in activist spaces in this past year following immense trauma. They also consider how to be in community to imagine hope and what is possible, and the radical gift of dreaming. They explore losing the illusion of control, and rituals for grief. Join them for a discussion on liberation in a time of deep mourning, making room for optimism and hope.

Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. As a dismantling racism trainer, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; she teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle's new book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by Shambhala Publications, comes out on July 13th, 2021. She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. Recently, she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing, and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world. In this episode we discuss: Stewarding grief. Acknowledging brokenheartedness to begin healing. Presence of the heart and finding refuge. Spiritual practices to bring you back home to the body and into the collective body. How oppression takes the breath away. Being in relationship with your ancestors. Collective care and justice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Michelle Cassandra Johnson shares about knowing your capacity and creating space to grieve in a community of support. You'll also hear about: Michelle shares her experience of being stopped by the police for no reason, other than being Black How we have been conditioned to grieve in isolation On finding liberation and freedom in grief  TV as medicine   ♥♥♥ Join The Earth Speak Collective Membership! Join like-hearted folks in a sacred container and community where you'll: Connect deeply to yourself, others, nature & spirit Learn to trust your intuition Activate your Earth magic Expand your healing & divination skills Put your intuition into practice in everyday life Stop feeling lonely on your spiritual path Embody & express your creative power & truths Experience safe space without agenda or judgment   When you join the Collective, you get access to all of our past workshops, any live workshops happening while you're a member, live weekly energetic reset calls, monthly community rituals, all the secret episodes, member-run meetups to explore magical topics, and a lively members-only forum (that's not on FB!). ▶▶▶ Learn more and sign up for the Collective membership here: https://www.earthspeak.love/collective ***** Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; she teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle's new book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by Shambhala Publications, comes out on July 13th, 2021. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing, and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world.   In this episode, we talk about: Responding to heartbreak Remembering your roots, and bringing forth your medicine Michelle shares some stories of personal grief How Michelle's newest book was guided by Spirit Integrating grief into healing work Why we're resistant to grief On being conditioned to grieve in isolation Finding freedom and liberation through grief On calling in support from our guides and helpers Why our capacity to hold grief is limited How the Spirit can hold grief, even if our body cannot On understanding your capacity for grief Hypervigilance and why BIPOC folks need more space for rest How our capacity shifts, depending on the identities we embody On identifying what is grief and how it shows up Michelle shares her experience of being stopped by the police for no reason Grieving for the end of our life Acknowledging grief and asking -  is there heartbreak today? On permission to grieve Cry-constipation On being witnessed and grieving in a community of support TV as medicine Seeking support for grief and depression The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effect of unprocessed grief  Michelle shares about the upcoming 2nd edition of her book Skill in Action  And so much more! Bonus Secret Episode! Get the grounding and clearing meditation with Michelle Cassandra Johnson at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret. Links: Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Learn more about Michelle's offerings at www.michellecjohnson.com Connect with Michelle on Instagram @skillinaction // https://www.instagram.com/skillinaction/ Connect with Michelle on Facebook @skillinaction Pre-order Michell's new book Finding Refuge Get the secret episodes at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret     References: 23andme https://www.23andme.com/ Finding Refuge Book https://www.finding-refuge.com/ Shambhala Publications https://www.shambhala.com     Usher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_usher Trayvon Martin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trayvon_Martin Sharmonic work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamanism Skill in Action https://www.skill-in-action.com/the-book Healing in Community Online Summit https://www.skill-in-action.com/the-book Yoga International https://yogainternational.com/ This is Us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Us DSM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5 Finding Refuge Podcast https://www.michellecjohnson.com/finding-refuge-podcast Skill in Action 2nd Edition https://www.shambhala.com/skill-in-action-15838.html Sādhanā https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%81dhan%C4%81 Rohini Moradi https://www.magicinclined.com/ Rohini on the Earth Speak Podcast https://www.earthspeak.love/shows-1/rohini-moradi-sweeney-31 Akashic Records Workshop https://www.earthspeak.love/akashic-records Bhagavad Gita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita Dharma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma Michelle's Intuitive Healing offerings https://www.michellecjohnson.com/intuitive-healing Subscribe to Michelle's newsletter https://www.michellecjohnson.com/subscribe Earth Speak Ep14 https://www.earthspeak.love/shows-1/michellejohnson14     ► Leave us a written review on iTunes, and get shouted out on the show! Theme music is “It's Easier” by Scarlet Crow http://www.scarletcrow.org/ and “Meeting Again” by Emily Sprague  https://mlesprg.info/ ► Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Follow Earth Speak on Instagram and tag us when you share @earthspeak https://www.instagram.com/earthspeak

Michelle Cassandra Johnson shares about knowing your capacity and creating space to grieve in a community of support. You'll also hear about: Michelle shares her experience of being stopped by the police for no reason, other than being Black How we have been conditioned to grieve in isolation On finding liberation and freedom in grief  TV as medicine   ♥♥♥ Join The Earth Speak Collective Membership! Join like-hearted folks in a sacred container and community where you'll: Connect deeply to yourself, others, nature & spirit Learn to trust your intuition Activate your Earth magic Expand your healing & divination skills Put your intuition into practice in everyday life Stop feeling lonely on your spiritual path Embody & express your creative power & truths Experience safe space without agenda or judgment   When you join the Collective, you get access to all of our past workshops, any live workshops happening while you're a member, live weekly energetic reset calls, monthly community rituals, all the secret episodes, member-run meetups to explore magical topics, and a lively members-only forum (that's not on FB!). ▶▶▶ Learn more and sign up for the Collective membership here: https://www.earthspeak.love/collective ***** Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; she teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle's new book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by Shambhala Publications, comes out on July 13th, 2021. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing, and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world.   In this episode, we talk about: Responding to heartbreak Remembering your roots, and bringing forth your medicine Michelle shares some stories of personal grief How Michelle's newest book was guided by Spirit Integrating grief into healing work Why we're resistant to grief On being conditioned to grieve in isolation Finding freedom and liberation through grief On calling in support from our guides and helpers Why our capacity to hold grief is limited How the Spirit can hold grief, even if our body cannot On understanding your capacity for grief Hypervigilance and why BIPOC folks need more space for rest How our capacity shifts, depending on the identities we embody On identifying what is grief and how it shows up Michelle shares her experience of being stopped by the police for no reason Grieving for the end of our life Acknowledging grief and asking -  is there heartbreak today? On permission to grieve Cry-constipation On being witnessed and grieving in a community of support TV as medicine Seeking support for grief and depression The physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual effect of unprocessed grief  Michelle shares about the upcoming 2nd edition of her book Skill in Action  And so much more! Bonus Secret Episode! Get the grounding and clearing meditation with Michelle Cassandra Johnson at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret. Links: Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Learn more about Michelle's offerings at www.michellecjohnson.com Connect with Michelle on Instagram @skillinaction // https://www.instagram.com/skillinaction/ Connect with Michelle on Facebook @skillinaction Pre-order Michell's new book Finding Refuge Get the secret episodes at https://www.earthspeak.love/secret     References: 23andme https://www.23andme.com/ Finding Refuge Book https://www.finding-refuge.com/ Shambhala Publications https://www.shambhala.com     Usher https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_usher Trayvon Martin https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trayvon_Martin Sharmonic work https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamanism Skill in Action https://www.skill-in-action.com/the-book Healing in Community Online Summit https://www.skill-in-action.com/the-book Yoga International https://yogainternational.com/ This is Us https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Is_Us DSM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-5 Finding Refuge Podcast https://www.michellecjohnson.com/finding-refuge-podcast Skill in Action 2nd Edition https://www.shambhala.com/skill-in-action-15838.html Sādhanā https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C4%81dhan%C4%81 Rohini Moradi https://www.magicinclined.com/ Rohini on the Earth Speak Podcast https://www.earthspeak.love/shows-1/rohini-moradi-sweeney-31 Akashic Records Workshop https://www.earthspeak.love/akashic-records Bhagavad Gita https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita Dharma https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dharma Michelle's Intuitive Healing offerings https://www.michellecjohnson.com/intuitive-healing Subscribe to Michelle's newsletter https://www.michellecjohnson.com/subscribe Earth Speak Ep14 https://www.earthspeak.love/shows-1/michellejohnson14     ► Leave us a written review on iTunes, and get shouted out on the show! Theme music is “It's Easier” by Scarlet Crow http://www.scarletcrow.org/ and “Meeting Again” by Emily Sprague  https://mlesprg.info/ ► Join the Earth Speak Collective Membership at https://www.earthspeak.love/collective Follow Earth Speak on Instagram and tag us when you share @earthspeak https://www.instagram.com/earthspeak

What an amazing first season of Finding Refuge!!Thank you to all who listened, reached out, shared episodes, and went into their hearts to create a pathway for healing. This episode is quite late. I wasn't quite sure how to end Season 1. My friend and comrade, Tristan Katz, agreed to have a conversation with me about what's been on my mind lately. This is a juicy conversation, and I hope you gain something from listening to it. I hope it stirs something in your heart and soul. I hope it resonates deeply with you. We talk about all the things but mainly about:- Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, my new book! My new offerings! - Tune in for more information about how you can share space with me and practice being a point of refuge for yourself and others. - Collective Grief- Collective Healing- The aftermath of Covid-19, when we are still in Covid-19- Avoidance of the truth at the expense of what needs to heal- Abolitionism - My love of medical dramas and how they always, always make me tear up and ugly cry- What I see in the future. Cassandra knows some things. - My beautiful chickens- My most magical beesSee you soon for Season 2. I'll be back in August with some amazing guests! In the meantime, take care of yourselves and each other. I hope to see you over zoom as we heal and one day in-person again! The upcoming offerings I mention in the episode include:Wild Lotus June 9th, 6:00-8:00pm CDTFinding Refuge Workshop: Heart Work To Heal Collective Grief8 Limbs Yoga June 4th, 1:00-4:00pm PSTSkill in Action: Responding to Unsettling and Uncertain TimesJune 5th, 9:00-11:30am & 1:00-4:00pm PSTFinding Refuge: Teachings from the Bhagavad GitaJune 6th, 1:00-4:00pm PSTFinding Refuge: Heart Work to Heal Collective Grief To pre-order Finding Refuge and gain access to preorder bonuses which include a 40-day self-paced sadhana and three meditation and asana practices, visit finding-refuge.comPodcast music by Charles Kurtz+ Read transcript

This week, Michelle C. Johnson, (https://www.michellecjohnson.com/) joins us for a beautiful and indulgent conversation around connecting to our ancestors. We talk about: dismanteling racism connecting to ancestors healing ancestral trauma connecting to source building altars prayer and chanting beekeeping her incredible new book, Finding Refuge and so much more! Meet Michelle: Michelle C. Johnson is an author, yoga teacher, social justice activist, intuitive healer, and Dismantling Racism trainer. She approaches her life and work from a place of empowerment, embodiment, and integration. As a dismantling racism trainer, she has worked with large corporations, non-profits, and community groups, including the ACLU-WA, Duke University, Google, This American Life, Eno River Unitarian Universalist Church, Lululemon, and many others. Michelle published Skill in Action: Radicalizing Your Yoga Practice to Create a Just World in 2017; she teaches workshops in yoga studios and community spaces nationwide. Michelle’s new book, Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief, published by Shambhala Publications, comes out on July 13th, 2021.  She was a Tedx speaker at Wake Forest University in 2019 and has been interviewed on several podcasts in which she explores the premise and foundation of Skill in Action, along with creating ritual in justice spaces, our divine connection with nature and Spirit, and how we as a culture can heal. Recently, she created her own podcast, Finding Refuge, which explores collective grief and liberation and serves as a reminder about all the ways we can find refuge during unsettling and uncertain times and of the resilience and joy that comes from allowing ourselves to find refuge. Whether in an anti-oppression training, yoga space, individual or group intuitive healing session, the heart, healing, and wholeness are at the center of how Michelle approaches all of her work in the world. To connect with , please visit: https://www.michellecjohnson.com/ To pre-order Michelle's new book, Finding Refuge, please visit: https://www.finding-refuge.com/ ▶▶▶ Please rate, commnet, and share this episode to share the magic, and join the Magic Inclined community to connect with magic humxns from all aroud the world: https://magicinclined.mn.co All music provided by www.lukesweeney.com Luke's spodify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0HUCUssIZ14hidQEb4IpwZ