Podcasts about Liberation

In Part 2 of our conversation with Priya Hutner, we keep pulling back the curtain on life inside the Kashi Ashram and the world surrounding Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati (“Ma”), including what happens when devotion, hierarchy, and silence collide. Priya continues sharing her lived experience growing up in and around the ashram and how spiritual ideals were often used to excuse harm, blur boundaries, and shut down questions. We talk about the normalization of control and coercion in spiritual communities, the pressure to reframe pain as growth, and what it's like to realize—years later—that what you were taught was “love” or “service” didn't actually feel safe.We explore the long tail of cult recovery and religious trauma, especially for those raised in high-control spiritual environments where obedience was spiritualized and dissent was discouraged. We reflect on the complicated legacy of Ma, the culture of the ashram, and how charismatic leaders and closed communities can create conditions where harm goes unchecked. Priya's honesty adds to an essential conversation about accountability, healing, and reclaiming your voice after leaving a group that once defined your entire world.Be sure to check out Priya's book launching March 3, 2026, Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker's Story of Love, Loss and Liberation, and follow her on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Buddha's teaching on Wise Speech remains as important and necessary today as it did over 2,500 years ago. It may be even more important to be grounded in wisdom and clarity because there are so many more ways to interact with each other and we see the impact and harm of unwise speech around us on a daily basis. Mary talks about how we can make this part of our life.Recorded Jan. 17, 2026 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

This episode is sponsored by Betterhelp.In Part 1 of our conversation with writer Priya Hutner, she takes us inside her years at the Kashi Ashram, a spiritual community led by guru Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, AKA “Ma,” in New York. She unpacks how an intentional, service-oriented “ashram family” slowly revealed deeply culty dynamics beneath the incense and darshan (beholding). She traces her journey from an earnest young seeker drawn to Eastern spirituality, meditation, and seva (service), to an insider navigating Ma Jaya's love-bombing, manufactured mystique, public darshans and punishments, and the slow erosion of her autonomy and critical thinking in the name of devotion and ego death.We also get into the day-to-day life at Kashi—kids raised collectively, money and careers funneled into the guru's vision, romantic and family relationships controlled from the top—and how Priya eventually recognized spiritual abuse, trauma bonding, and high-demand group tactics that still affect former ashram members decades later.Be sure to check out Priya's book launching March 3, 2026, Chasing Nirvana: A Seeker's Story of Love, Loss and Liberation, and follow her on her website, Instagram, or Facebook.Also…let it be known that:The views and opinions expressed on A Little Bit Culty do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the podcast. Any content provided by our guests, bloggers, sponsors or authors are of their opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, group, club, organization, business, individual, anyone or anything. Nobody's mad at you, just don't be a culty fuckwad.**PRE-ORDER Sarah and Nippy's newest book hereCheck out our amazing sponsorsJoin A Little Bit Culty on PatreonGet poppin' fresh ALBC SwagSupport the pod and smash this linkCheck out our cult awareness and recovery resourcesWatch Sarah's TED Talk and buy her memoir, ScarredCREDITS:Executive Producers: Sarah Edmondson & Anthony AmesProduction Partner: Citizens of SoundCo-Creator: Jess TardyAudio production: Will RetherfordProduction Coordinator: Lesli DinsmoreWriter: Sandra NomotoSocial media team: Eric Skwarzynski and Brooke KeaneTheme Song: “Cultivated” by Jon Bryant co-written with Nygel AsselinSUPPORT OUR SPONSORS:You can't step into a lighter version of yourself without leaving behind what's been weighing you down. Therapy can help you clear space. Sign up and get 10% off at BetterHelp.com/culty.Let Rocket Money help you reach your financial goals faster. Join at RocketMoney.com/culty.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Listen to our other podcasts: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 2 Corinthians 4:3–6 - And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. [4] In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. [5] For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. [6] For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

Human suffering arises from the belief that life must match our inner preferences, which are simply selectively stored past experiences. This attempt to control reality leads to anxiety, resistance, and endless struggle, because the outside world unfolds according to its own laws—not ours. True spiritual freedom comes through surrender, acceptance, and dying to the ego-self, allowing us to rest in the seat of consciousness and live in peace, love, and service to what is. © Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2026 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

PREVIEW FOR LATER TODAY: GUEST CLIFF MAY. Global Hopes for Liberation Under the Trump Administration. Cliff May discusses how people in Venezuela, Iran, and Ukraine are looking to the Trumpadministration for liberation from tyranny. He emphasizes the need for increased pressure on Vladimir Putin regarding Ukraine and praises the foreign policy expertise of advisors like Marco Rubio.

Matthew Brickman and Jessica Menasce go deep into the various levels of mediation from the family level all the way up to International Mediation between countries and warring factions to give you insight on how everything still comes back to family values and structure.Her goal is to carve a path to curiosity and, ultimately, a desire to want to work together in shared challenges. She works to foster collaboration among diverse stakeholders within complex environments and have particularly proven success in designing impactful training programs and guiding cross-cultural teams through challenging processes, focusing on sustainable relationship-building.Connect with Jessica: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamenasce/----If you have a matter, disagreement, or dispute you need professional help with then visit iMediate.com - Email mbrickman@ichatmediation or Call (877) 822-1479Matthew Brickman is a Florida Supreme Court certified family and appellate mediator who has worked in the 15th and 19th Judicial Circuit Courts since 2009 and 2006 respectively. But what makes him qualified to speak on the subject of conflict resolution is his own personal experience with divorce.Download Matthew's book on iTunes for FREE:You're Not the Only One - The Agony of Divorce: The Joy of Peaceful ResolutionMatthew Brickman President iMediate Inc. Mediator 20836CFAiMediateInc.comSCHEDULE YOUR MEDIATION: https://ichatmediation.com/calendar/OFFICIAL BLOG: https://ichatmediation.com/podcastOFFICIAL YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/ichatmediationOFFICIAL LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ichat-mediation/ABOUT MATTHEW BRICKMAN:Matthew Brickman is a Supreme Court of Florida certified county civil family mediator who has worked in the 15th and 19th Judicial Circuit Courts since 2009 and 2006 respectively. He is also an appellate certified mediator who mediates a variety of small claims, civil, and family cases. Mr. Brickman recently graduated both the Harvard Business School Negotiation Mastery Program and the Negotiation Master Class at Harvard Law School.

Synopsis: In a powerful tribute to a fearless leader, friends and collaborators share stories of Alice Wong's unwavering commitment to centering disabled voices and challenging systemic inequality in all its forms.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateDescription: Alice Wong lived longer than she expected, but not long enough. The celebrated disability activist lived by the principle that disability justice is integral to all liberation movements, and centered disabled stories with the Disability Visibility Project. When Alice Wong died on November 14 at the age of 51, people across social movements shared their grief and awe for her work, such as her bestselling 2022 memoir, “Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life”. She has been called an oracle, visionary, unapologetic and fearless, and our guests, Wong's dear friends and collaborators, are committed to lifting up her legacy. Sandy Ho is the Executive Director of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum and partner with Alice Wong and Mia Mingus in the Access is Love campaign. She was asked by Alice Wong to post her letter after she passed, where Wong writes “. . . our wisdom is incisive and unflinching.” Steven Thrasher is an acclaimed journalist, professor and author of “The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality & Disease Collide”. He was suspended from teaching classes after speaking out — as Wong also did — on Palestine. Join us as we celebrate Alice Wong and ask what is the work to be done when it comes to healthcare and civil rights for disabled people. Plus a commentary from Laura on imagining the next 100 years.“A lot of Alice's advocacy was focused around the systems that force disabled people to be at the margins . . . Whether it is the Black Lives Matter movement or the pandemic, we see the ways in which our society and political systems respond, and not in ways that prioritize those who are least privileged and have the least amount of power.” - Sandy Ho“I remember talking to [Alice Wong] about the ways she had been conditioned as a disabled Asian American woman to try to accept crumbs, to not complain, to be very docile. I thought that she was really brilliant in bridging together not just Asian American communities, but queer communities, LGBTQ communities, all the communities where your body is made to feel like it doesn't belong.” - Steven ThrasherGuests:• Sandy Ho: Executive Director, Disability & Philanthropy Forum• Steven Thrasher: Daniel Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting, Northwestern University; Author, The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class*Recommended books:“Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life” by Alice Wong, *Get the book“The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide” by Steven Thrasher, *Get the book(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast January 14th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit:  Kibir La Alma rework of “Until Tomorrow Comes” by Marysia Osu from her full length remix ep ‘harp, beats & dreams,' courtesy of Brownswood Recordings;  'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• “The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• The New Disabled Population in Gaza: Comedian & Disability Advocate Maysoon Zayid:  Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Anita Cameron & Keith Jones on The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Civil Rights Milestone With Miles To Go:  Watch / Listen:  Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:•  Disability Visibility Project, Founder:  Alice Wong•  DisabledWriters.com•  Access Is Love•  A Tribute to an Oracle, Alice Wong, by Rebecca Cokley, November 26, 2025, The Nation•  Trump Gutted AIDS Health. Care at the Worst Possible Time, by Steven W. Thrasher & Afeef Nessouli, December 1, 2025, The Intercept•  On Valentine's Day, Let's Recognize Why #AccessIsLove, by Alice Wong, February 14, 2019, Rooted In Rights•  Remembering Alice Wong:  Writer, Advocate, Friend, by Steven W. Thrasher, November 17, 2025, LitHub• Crips for eSims for Gaza, chuffed.org• Alice Wong Interview with Steven Thrasher with subtitles, Watch• Alice Wong, 2024 MacArthur Fellow, MacArthur Foundation Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

(Insight Meditation Society - Retreat Center) The image of a bird flying is offered as a way of bringing together the big picture of the Satipatthana Sutta teachings, with the three characteristics as the environment the bird is flying in. The three characteristics are then situated in the refrain of the Satipatthana Sutta, which is seen as a practice from nature, to reveal our inner nature. This teaching is applied to our lives through exploring how to work with self judgement. The talk ends exploring this practice in the world, for the benefit of all beings.

Today we're considering Ge Ling Shang's book, Liberation as Affirmation, comparing Zhuangzi and Nietzsche. Shang sees both thinkers as putting forward a "religiosity" of life-affirmation. Major points of comparison: use of language (goblet words/zhiyan & Dionysian dithyramb), whether one can relativize all views or should affirm illusion, how to respond to morality (revaluation v/s devaluation), using a single principle to describe multiplicity (ziran/dao & will to power), and the competing views of the superior person (sage v/s ubermensch) and the methods for reaching such a state.

Mary answers the question, "How do we offer Loving Kindness to those that commit atrocities?"  This is a common question, and is especially relevant right now. The heart practices do not ask us to ignore feelings or emotions that arise when faced with the violence and oppression so rampant today. Instead we are invited to greet whatever shows up and reflect on where we are and how we are holding our own pain. The heart practices invite us into our own healing which allows us to open to others.Recorded Jan. 10, 2026 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman presents a reflective and insightful talk centered on Shaykh Masihullah Khan's The Path to Perfection, focusing on the chapter “Love of the World.” Through a moving reading of the text and thoughtful commentary, he brings its timeless spiritual lessons into conversation with the realities of modern life. The talk offers clear, practical guidance on navigating today's challenges while cultivating sincerity, balance, and a deeper connection to what truly matters. In this series Dr. Mufti Abdur-Rahman covers the book titled, 'Essentials of Islamic Spirituality' previously known as 'The Path to Perfection'. Link to book: https://www.whitethreadpress.com/publication/essentials-of-islamic-spirituality/ At a time when the discourse surrounding Islam is generally inauthentic and shallow, The Essentials of Islamic Spirituality presents a much-needed antidote. It goes beyond simply diagnosing the spiritual ailments that afflict us; it puts forward means of eradicating them, so that we as individuals, as communities, and as an Umma can reap the benefits of a spiritual way of life. White Thread Press makes this invaluable work available in elegant and moving prose, while remaining true to its traditional origins. The result, a profound awakening of the heart, is within the reach of all. Those new to the spiritual sciences will delight in the range and profundity of the psychological and spiritual disciplines of Islam, while those already on the Path will gain new insights and perspectives. Shaykh Masihullah Khan, a renowned student of the eminent Mawlana Ashraf ‘Ali Thanawi, wrote Shari'at & Tasawwuf to pass on to future generations of Muslims the numerous benefits of his teacher's wisdom. The teachings gathered here are notes of admonition and encouragement written by a man who has walked the path to his Creator; and at their core, these teachings are sustenance for the ailing hearts and souls of our time. Whatsapp Channel: https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaDV1iu5a249gftHif0D You can find us on Facebook, twitter and instagram @ZamZamAcademy Our tiktok account is @zamzamacademy.com Soundcloud.com/zamzamacademy https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zamzamacademy/id1533951645 https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/zamzamacademy/3030095 For publications: https://www.whitethreadpress.com DISCLAIMER: No part of this video (graphics, images, audio, music) may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without the written permission of the copyright holder.

We've been recording three seasons at once! James is coming soon, then 1 Corinthians and some bonus episodes on the translation commitments. We're so, so stoked.Most exciting: we're recording our first LIVE episode at the Queer Christian Fellowship Conference in Portland, happening January 22-25. www.qcfconf.org for more! We hope to see you there.Read more of the Liberation & Inclusion Translation at www.litbible.net.

True spirituality is about aligning with reality—what is actually happening—rather than resisting or clinging to what the mind likes or dislikes. By storing emotionally charged impressions of past experiences (samskaras), we create inner resistance, which becomes the root of suffering and distraction from our divine nature. The path to liberation lies in relaxing instead of resisting, allowing all of life to pass through without suppression, thereby purifying the inner being and becoming a force for peace in the world. © Sounds True Inc. Episodes: © 2026 Michael A. Singer. All Rights Reserved.

Glenn discusses the U.S. reactions to protests in Iran and what they reveal about U.S. foreign policy.  --------------- Watch full episodes on Rumble, streamed LIVE 7pm ET. Become part of our Locals community Follow System Update:  Twitter Instagram TikTok Facebook  

Hands Off Venezuela was the theme of a January 11th rally and march at Townsend Park in Albany, sponsored by a coalition of groups including the Albang Green Party, Party for Socialism and Liberation, Jewish Voice for Peace, DSA, Porcupine, Capital District Sanctuary Committee, and Veterans for Peace. More than 150 people joined the call for the Trump administration to stop its efforts of regime change, to halt the theft of Venezuela's oil, and to immediately release President Madura. We hear from Chris Garamone and Samaiya of PSL; Dio from Capital District DSA; Mark Mishler from Jewish Voices for Peace; Tracy Sangaré from 518CRSC; John Amidon from Veterans for Peace; and Peter LaVenia of the Green Party. By Mark Dunlea for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

Synopsis:  In a powerful tribute to a fearless leader, friends and collaborators share stories of Alice Wong's unwavering commitment to centering disabled voices and challenging systemic inequality in all its forms.This show is made possible by you! To become a sustaining member go to LauraFlanders.org/donateDescription: Alice Wong lived longer than she expected, but not long enough. The celebrated disability activist lived by the principle that disability justice is integral to all liberation movements, and centered disabled stories with the Disability Visibility Project. When Alice Wong died on November 14 at the age of 51, people across social movements shared their grief and awe for her work, such as her bestselling 2022 memoir, “Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life”. She has been called an oracle, visionary, unapologetic and fearless, and our guests, Wong's dear friends and collaborators, are committed to lifting up her legacy. Sandy Ho is the Executive Director of the Disability & Philanthropy Forum and partner with Alice Wong and Mia Mingus in the Access is Love campaign. She was asked by Alice Wong to post her letter after she passed, where Wong writes “. . . our wisdom is incisive and unflinching.” Steven Thrasher is an acclaimed journalist, professor and author of “The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality & Disease Collide”. He was suspended from teaching classes after speaking out — as Wong also did — on Palestine. Join us as we celebrate Alice Wong and ask what is the work to be done when it comes to healthcare and civil rights for disabled people. Plus a commentary from Laura on imagining the next 100 years.“A lot of Alice's advocacy was focused around the systems that force disabled people to be at the margins . . . Whether it is the Black Lives Matter movement or the pandemic, we see the ways in which our society and political systems respond, and not in ways that prioritize those who are least privileged and have the least amount of power.” - Sandy Ho“I remember talking to [Alice Wong] about the ways she had been conditioned as a disabled Asian American woman to try to accept crumbs, to not complain, to be very docile. I thought that she was really brilliant in bridging together not just Asian American communities, but queer communities, LGBTQ communities, all the communities where your body is made to feel like it doesn't belong.” - Steven ThrasherGuests:• Sandy Ho: Executive Director, Disability & Philanthropy Forum• Steven Thrasher: Daniel Renberg Chair of Social Justice in Reporting, Northwestern University; Author, The Viral Underclass & The Overseer Class *Recommended books:“Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life” by Alice Wong, *Get the book“The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide” by Steven Thrasher, *Get the book(*Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. The LF Show is an affiliate of bookshop.org and will receive a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.) Watch the episode released on YouTube; PBS World Channel 11:30am ET Sundays and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio (check here to see if your station airs the show) & available as a podcast January 14th, 2026.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. Music Credit:  'Thrum of Soil' by Bluedot Sessions, 'Steppin' by Podington Bear, and original sound design by Jeannie Hopper Support Laura Flanders and Friends by becoming a member at https://www.patreon.com/c/lauraflandersandfriends RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:• “The Future is Disabled”: Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha: Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• The New Disabled Population in Gaza: Comedian & Disability Advocate Maysoon Zayid:  Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut and Full Uncut Conversation• Anita Cameron & Keith Jones on The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Civil Rights Milestone With Miles To Go:  Watch / Listen:  Episode CutRelated Articles and Resources:•  Disability Visibility Project, Founder:  Alice Wong•  DisabledWriters.com•  Access Is Love•  A Tribute to an Oracle, Alice Wong, by Rebecca Cokley, November 26, 2025, The Nation•  Trump Gutted AIDS Health. Care at the Worst Possible Time, by Steven W. Thrasher & Afeef Nessouli, December 1, 2025, The Intercept•  On Valentine's Day, Let's Recognize Why #AccessIsLove, by Alice Wong, February 14, 2019, Rooted In Rights•  Remembering Alice Wong:  Writer, Advocate, Friend, by Steven W. Thrasher, November 17, 2025, LitHub• Crips for eSims for Gaza, chuffed.org• Alice Wong Interview with Steven Thrasher with subtitles, Watch• Alice Wong, 2024 MacArthur Fellow, MacArthur Foundation Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

Slavery did not end in the nineteenth century—it persists today, hidden in global supply chains, religious justifications, and systems of power. Kevin Bales and Michael Rota join Evan Rosa to explore modern slavery through history, psychology, and theology, asking why it remains so difficult to see and confront.“It's time some person should see these calamities to their end.” (Thomas Clarkson, 1785)“There are millions of slaves in the world today.” (Kevin Bales, 2025)In this episode, they consider how conscience, power, and religious belief can either sustain enslavement or become forces for abolition. Together they discuss the psychology of slaveholding, faith's complicity and resistance, Quaker abolitionism, modern debt bondage, ISIS and Yazidi slavery, and what meaningful action looks like today.https://freetheslaves.net/––––––––––––––––––Episode Highlights“There are millions of slaves in the world today.”“Statistics isn't gonna do it. I need to actually show people things.”“They have sexual control. They can do what they like.”“Slavery is flowing into our lives hidden in the things we buy.”“We have to widen our sphere of concern.”––––––––––––––––––About Kevin BalesKevin Bales is a leading scholar and activist in the global fight against modern slavery. He is Professor of Contemporary Slavery at the University of Nottingham and co-founder of Free the Slaves, an international NGO dedicated to ending slavery worldwide. Bales has spent more than three decades researching forced labor, debt bondage, and human trafficking, combining academic rigor with on-the-ground investigation. His work has shaped international policy, influenced anti-slavery legislation, and brought global attention to forms of enslavement often dismissed as historical. He is the author of several influential books, including Disposable People and Friends of God, Slaves of Men, which examines the complex relationship between religion and slavery across history and into the present. Learn more and follow at https://www.kevinbales.org and https://www.freetheslaves.netAbout Michael RotaMichael Rota is Professor of Philosophy at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, where he teaches and researches in the philosophy of religion, moral psychology, and the history of slavery and religion. His work spans scholarly articles on the definition of slavery, the moral psychology underlying social change and abolition, and the relevance of theological concepts to ethical life. Rota is co-author with Kevin Bales of Friends of God, Slaves of Men: Religion and Slavery, Past and Present, a comprehensive interdisciplinary study of how religions have both justified and resisted systems of enslaving human beings from antiquity to the present day. He is also the author of Taking Pascal's Wager: Faith, Evidence, and the Abundant Life, an extended argument for the reasonableness and desirability of Christian commitment. In addition to his academic writing, he co-leads projects in philosophy and education and is co-founder of Personify, a platform exploring AI and student learning. Learn more and follow at his faculty profile and personal website https://mikerota.wordpress.com and on X/Twitter @mikerota.––––––––––––––––––Helpful Links And ResourcesDisposable People by Kevin Baleshttps://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520281820/disposable-peopleFriends of God, Slaves of Men by Kevin Bales and Michael Rotahttps://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520383265/friends-of-god-slaves-of-menFree the Slaveshttps://www.freetheslaves.netVoices for Freedomhttps://voicesforfreedom.orgInternational Justice Missionhttps://www.ijm.orgTalitha Kumhttps://www.talithakum.info––––––––––––––––––Show Notes– Slavery named as a contemporary moral crisis obscured by twentieth-century abolition narratives– Kevin Bales's encounter with anti-slavery leaflet in London, mid-1990s– “There are millions of slaves in the world today … I thought, look, that can't be true because I don't know that. I'm a professor. I should know that.”– Stories disrupting moral distance more powerfully than statistics– “There were three little stories inside, about three different types of enslavement … it put a hook in me like a fish and pulled me.”– United Nations documentation mostly ignored despite vast evidence– Decades of investigation into contemporary slavery– Fieldwork across five regions, five forms of enslavement– Kevin Bales's book, Disposable People as embodied witness with concrete stories– “Statistics isn't gonna do it. I need to actually show people things. There's gonna be something that breaks hearts the way it did me when I was in the field.”– Psychological resistance to believing slavery touches ordinary life– Anti-Slavery International as original human rights organization founded in U.K. in 1839– Quaker and Anglican foundations of abolitionist movements– Religion as both justification for slavery and engine of resistance– Call for renewed faith-based abolition today– Slavery and religion intertwined from early human cultures– Colonial expansion intensifying moral ambiguity– Columbus, Genoa, and enslavement following failed gold extraction– Spanish royal hesitation over legitimacy of slavery– Las Casas's moral conversion after refusal of absolution– “He eventually realized this is totally wrong. What we are doing, we are destroying these people. And this is not what God wants us to be doing.”– Sepúlveda's Aristotelian defense of hierarchy and profit– Moral debate without effective structural enforcement– Power described as intoxicating and deforming conscience– Hereditary debt bondage in Indian villages– Caste, ethnicity, and generational domination– Sexual violence as mechanism of absolute control– “They have sexual control. They can beat up the men, rape the women, steal the children. They can do pretty much what they like.”– Three-year liberation process rooted in trust, education, and collective refusal– Former slaves returning as teachers and organizers– Liberation compared to Plato's allegory of the cave– Post-liberation vulnerability and risk of recapture– Power inverted in Christian teaching– “The disciples are arguing about who's the greatest, and Jesus says, the greatest among you will be the slave of all… don't use power to help yourself. Use it to serve.”– Psychological explanations for delayed abolition– The psychological phenomenon of “motivated reasoning” that shapes moral conclusions– “The conclusions we reach aren't just shaped by the objective evidence the world provides. They're shaped also by the internal desires and goals and motivations people have.”– Economic self-interest and social consensus sustaining injustice– Quaker abolition through relational, conscience-driven confrontation– First major religious body to forbid slaveholding– Boycotts of slave-produced goods and naval blockade of slave trade– Modern slavery as organized criminal enterprise– ISIS enslavement of Yazidi women– Religious reasoning weaponized for genocide– “They said, for religious reasons, we just need to eradicate this entire outfit.”– Online slave auctions and cultural eradication– Internal Islamic arguments for abolition– Restricting the permissible for the common good– Informing conscience as first step toward action– Community sustaining long-term resistance– Catholic religious sisters as leading global abolitionists– Hidden slavery embedded in everyday consumer goods– “There's so much slavery flowing into our lives which is hidden… in our homes, our watches, our computers, the minerals, all this.”– Expanding moral imagination beyond immediate needs– “Your sphere of concern has to be wider… how do I start caring about something that I don't see?”– “It's time some person should see these calamities to their end.” (Thomas Clarkson, 1785)––––––––––––––––––#ModernSlavery#FaithAndJustice#HumanDignity#Abolition#FreeTheSlavesProduction NotesThis podcast featured Kevin Bales and Michael RotaEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaProduction Assistance by Noah SenthilA Production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World podcast by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

SPY STREAMS like this are funded by my supporters. If you want this work to continue, please join us.Last night, I infiltrated a live call with over 1,000 members of the Democratic Socialists of America to discuss pro-Venezuela organizing. Here's the important parts:* The DSA is partnering with the PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation) to host a national day of action on Saturday.* They are using the unions to organize.* The DSA currently has over 93,000 dues paying members, equating to over $1.3 million in dues every months. In other words, they're not funded by George Soros.Enjoy this highlight reel. You can find the recording of the full call here.Decode The Left with Karlyn Borysenko is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit karlyn.substack.com/subscribe

THE FALL OF MADURO Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Alejandro Peña Esclusacelebrates the swift US capture of Maduro as Venezuela's liberation. He argues Vice President Delcy Rodriguez must now dismantle the "Cartel of the Suns" to avoid Maduro's fate. Ernesto Araújo frames this as a decisive victory for freedom, forcing a choice between democracy and criminal syndicates. NUMBER 9 1876 BOLIVAR ENTERS CARACAS

Think you care too much about other people's feelings? Think again. In this bold kickoff to 2026, Dr. Aziz pulls back the curtain on the real reason “nice people” overextend themselves, struggle to say no, and feel constantly responsible for everyone's emotions. Spoiler alert: it's not because they care too much—it's because they're trying to stay safe. Deep down, many people-pleasing behaviors are driven by fear, guilt, and the unconscious belief that your worth hinges on making others happy. In this eye-opening episode, you'll learn: Why over-functioning and “caring” often mask codependency The hidden emotional cost of being overly responsible How niceness traps you in an outdated identity that's not really you The essential difference between real care and fear-based appeasement Why it's time to update your inner operating system—not just tweak your habits If you've ever said yes when you wanted to say no, answered texts out of anxiety, or felt guilty for simply protecting your time and energy, this episode will speak to your soul. And it will challenge you to finally liberate yourself from the nice person identity and step into the bold, authentic leader you were meant to be. Dr. Aziz also shares a powerful invitation to make 2026 the year you fully upgrade your life—starting with your confidence. Tune in, commit, and get ready to reclaim your freedom. -------------------------------------------- Why “caring” can be fear in disguise—and how to break free from the Nice Cage Most people start the new year thinking about goals: relationships, health, career, money, confidence. But underneath all of that, there's a deeper goal. Liberation. Liberation from the old identity. Liberation from the old operating system. Liberation from social anxiety, people-pleasing, self-doubt… and the nice cage that keeps you small. And today I want to challenge one of the biggest beliefs that keeps “nice” people trapped: Nice people don't actually care too much. That might sound surprising—because nice people often feel like they care more than everyone else. They feel guilty if someone's upset. They say yes when they want to say no. They carry other people's emotions like they're responsible for them. And they tell themselves: “I care about them, so I can't disappoint them.” “If I say no, it means I don't care.” “If they're struggling, who am I to refuse?” “A good person should help.” But here's what I want you to see: When it feels like you care too much… it often isn't caring at all. It's something else masquerading as care. The Nice Cage: When “being good” becomes self-erasure Niceness can feel like virtue. It can feel like love. It can feel like generosity. It can feel like being a “good person.” But a lot of the time, niceness is actually a strategy—an unconscious survival strategy—to stay safe. Because underneath niceness is a fear that sounds like: “If I upset people, I'll be rejected.” “If I disappoint them, I'll be abandoned.” “If they're angry with me, I'm not safe.” “If I don't keep them happy… I'm bad.” So niceness becomes a cage: you keep trying to be acceptable, agreeable, harmless. And the cost? You don't live your life. You live a managed version of yourself. The big misunderstanding: “Caring” vs. fear Nice people don't actually care too much. They often have something else running the show: 1) Codependence Codependence is basically: “I'm okay if you're okay. And if you're not okay… I'm not okay.” So if someone is happy, you relax. If someone is disappointed, irritated, stressed, or hurt—you go into emergency mode. Your hair is on fire. “What do you need?” “How do I fix this?” “How do I make it right?” And it feels like caring. But really, it's fear. 2) Over-responsibility This is the core belief behind niceness: “I am responsible for your emotional state.” Not that you're responsible to feed someone like a baby— but you feel responsible for whether they're upset. So you avoid saying no. You avoid being direct. You avoid expressing your truth. You override your own needs. Because if they're upset… you feel like you've done something wrong. The “or else” feeling: the clearest sign it's fear Here's one of the easiest ways to tell whether something is care or fear: If it has an “or else” feeling—it's fear. “I have to respond right now… or else.” “I have to say yes… or else.” “I have to make them happy… or else.” “I can't disappoint them… or else.” That “or else” is not love. That “or else” is survival mode. And it's usually not about the current situation—it's an old pattern repeating itself. Why niceness drains your vitality Here's the truth that many nice people don't want to look at: You will not be fully alive in the nice operating system. At best, you can build a life that looks okay on the outside… but it doesn't feel like your life—because you're not being you. And eventually, the nice pattern catches up. burnout resentment being taken for granted relationships that feel one-sided physical symptoms, stress, tension, pain a shrinking life No matter how much you give, the answer becomes: “Give more.” More helping. More fixing. More proving. More caretaking. And that's not a path to freedom. The shift that changes everything The way out is not “try harder.” You can't over-function your way out of this. The way out is a deeper realization: What you've been calling “care” is often fear. And when you see that, something opens up: Saying no becomes healthy—not cruel Boundaries become respectful—not selfish Truth becomes connection—not danger You stop trying to manage people's emotions You start living your life again Because this is the mature truth: Other people are responsible for their emotions. And you are responsible for yours. Real emergencies vs. emotional discomfort Sometimes people say, “But isn't it important to show up for others?” Yes. There are real crises in life. There are emergencies. There are moments when love calls you to step up. But here's the problem: Nice people treat everyday discomfort like an emergency. Someone is frustrated. Someone is impatient. Someone wanted something faster. Someone admits disappointment. And your nervous system reacts like: “Danger. Fix it now.” That's the pattern. And breaking the pattern means you stop treating emotional discomfort as an alarm bell you must obey. Your action step: upgrade your operating system If you want to get free, you'll need more than a small tweak. This isn't “be a little more assertive.” This is: Commit to a deeper level of change. A full operating system upgrade. A decision that says: “This year, I'm no longer living inside the nice cage.” “I'm no longer responsible for managing other people's emotions.” “I will be honest, direct, kind, and real.” “I will live as me.” Because liberation doesn't happen from a wish. It happens from commitment. Why environment matters (and how transformation accelerates) Personal responsibility matters. But you don't have to do it alone. One of the fastest ways to change is: Commitment + the right environment. That's why I've spent decades investing in mentors, coaching, groups, and training environments. Because the right environment speeds up what would otherwise take years. And if you want to do deep work on people-pleasing, niceness, social anxiety, and living with real confidence… If you've been listening to this show for a while and you feel drawn to do this work deeply, you might be a fit for my Unstoppable Confidence Mastermind. It's a 12-month program designed to help you: break free from social anxiety and people-pleasing build bold, authentic confidence speak up, set boundaries, and stop over-functioning create real change that sticks It's immersive support over a full year: live calls with me, step-by-step guidance, progress tracking, quarterly check-ins, and a curated community. If you want to explore it, you can apply using the link above. You don't need to become harsh. You don't need to become selfish. You don't need to stop caring. You just need to stop confusing fear with care. And when you do, you get something back that you might not have felt in a long time: Freedom. The freedom to be fully you. Until we speak again—have the courage to be who you are, and to know on a deep level that you're awesome. Quick Recap Nice people don't care too much. They often fear too much. Watch for these signals: “or else” urgency automatic yes guilt when someone's disappointed over-responsibility for emotions The shift: Other people manage their emotions. You manage yours. The commitment: Upgrade the operating system. Live outside the nice cage.

There are a lot of misconceptions of basic Buddhist teachings and in this talk Mary reflects on a few. The Buddha did not say that "Life is Suffering", but instead that there is suffering, and there is a way out. Additionally, equanimity and being present for what is, does not condone injustice or greed, hatred and ignorance. Buddhist practice is a way of being in the world and fully engaged with it.Recorded Jan. 2, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

In December, I had the pleasure to be a part of one of Anarchapulco's NonConformist Series virtual events, this one focused on the many ways in which crypto-currency can be used as a tool for individual, group, or worldwide liberation. If you'd like to purchase the replay to that event… The post TVP #242: Crypto, Community, & Liberation! Guest Appearance on Anarchapulco Channel appeared first on The Vonu Podcast.

In the latest edition of Late Night Lit, Late Night Supervising Producer Sarah Jenks-Daly talks to playwright Bess Wohl (Broadway's Liberation) and award-winning author Zadie Smith (Dead and Alive: Essays).Plus, Seth's mom, Hilary Meyers, recommends two books for your enjoyment, as well as other selections she is looking forward to reading in the new year.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On my own journey of connecting with myself and everything else, I find everything to seem richer and clearer and just more fulfilling. The base level pleasures of life don't satisfy as much. So when this book came across my desk, I was immediately interested. The book is, Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits. The author is mother, investor, advocate, and founder, Cecily Mak. Cecily says she is devoted to helping people live dimmer-free, with clarity, courage, and the freedom to change without stigma or shame. Her story started with realizing she was using alcohol to dim her life, but our focus is no alcohol. It's any number of things we engage with that dim our lives. Think of what you turn to when you have a moment of freedom. Instead of being fully present in the moment and taking in the beauties and glories and realness of life, you fill it with what? Social media? A book or podcast, whether entertainment or self-help. Just being productive and getting something done? Buying things? Food, entertainment, and even exercise can be the fillers. Anything and everything other than being fully present and clear. In this episode I dig in with Cecily on the topic. We don't even get into the specifics of her "Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits," so before we start, I want to give them to you: 1 My Life Is Better Clear 2 I Choose What I Consume 3 My Intuition Defines My Priorities 4 My Trauma Isn't My Identity  5 Forgiveness and Letting Go Are on the Path to Liberation   6 I Do Not Judge or Impose My Orientations Upon Others 7 Time Is Our Most Precious Currency 8 I Seek Ways to Support Others The book is Undimmed: The Eight Awarenesses For Freedom from Unwanted Habits and you can connect with Cecily on Instagram @clearlifejourney Sign up for your $1/month trial period at shopify.com/kevin Go to shipstation.com and use code KEVIN to start your free trial. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jeff and Rebecca look at what we know of the 2026 publishing calendar to pick 10 books we are most excited about (with some quibbling and caveats). Lots to like this year. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Subscribe to The Book Riot Newsletter for regular updates to get the most out of your reading life. The Book Riot Podcast is a proud member of the Airwave Podcast Network. Discussed in this episode: Check out Zero to Well-Read! The Book Riot Podcast Patreon Come to Powell's to see Gabriel Tallent in Conversation with Jeff O'Neal Vigil by George Saunders On Morrison by Namwalli Serpell Language as Liberation by Toni Morrison Kin by Tayari Jones Brawler by Lauren Groff Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe My Dear You by Rachel Khong Go Gentle by Maria Semple On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward Country People by Daniel Mason Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead Exit Party Emily St. John Mandel American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee Transcription by Ben Lerner Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez Depths of Wikipedia by Annie Rauwerda Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood Screen People by Megan Garber Inside the Box by David Epstein Land by Maggie O'Farrell The Missed Connection by Tia Williams The Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki Whistler by Ann Patchett This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Show #1134 Blues With Horns Vol. 6 01. ZZ Ward - Something You Got (2:38) (Liberation, Sun Records, 2025) 02. Big Shoes - Halfway To Memphis (3:33) (King Size, Qualified Records, 2025) 03. Greg Nagy - Just A Little More Time (2:52) (Just A Little More Time, self-release, 2025) 04. Johnny Rawls - Rip Off The Bandage (3:26) (Make Them Dance, Catfood Records, 2025) 05. Angelique Francis - Sugarcane Jukejoint (5:10) (Not Defeated, self-release, 2025) 06. The Boneshakers - Tears Of The World (3:22) (Live To Be This, Gulf Coast Records, 2025) 07. Honeybear, the Band - If You Were Mine (3:08) (I Was Wrong, Playmor Records, 2025) 08. Jon Cleary & the Absolute Monster Gentlemen - Zulu Coconuts (4:12) (The Bywater Sessions, Well Kept Secret, 2025) 09. Shaggy Dogs - We Could Have Been To China (2:53) (Pinball Boomers, First Offence Records, 2025) 10. Tony Holiday - Shoulda Known Better (2:59) (Keep Your Head Up, Forty Below Records, 2025) 11. Devon Allman - Runners In The Night (4:23) (The Blues Summit, Ruf Records, 2025) 12. Jad Tariq - You Think You're Too Good For Me (2:48) (Jad Tariq Sings, MoMOjo Records, 2025) 13. Kim Wilson - I'm Trying (2:50) (Slow Burn, M.C. Records, 2025) 14. Maria Muldaur - One Hour Mama (3:06) (One Hour Mama: The Blues of Victoria Spivey, Nola Blue Records, 2025) 15. Kim Field & the Perfect Gentlemen - Don't Need But One (3:56) (Don't Need But One, self-release, 2025) 16. Roomful of Blues - Tell Me Who (2:34) (Steppin' Out!, Alligator Records, 2025) 17. Labek - Time Is Running Out (3:57) (Trouble Blues, self-release, 2025) 18. The Love Dogs - Hard To Be Mad At You (3:09) (Get Off My Lawn, T-Ray Records, 2025) 19. The Name Droppers - Out Of This Blue (2:58) (Cool Blue Shoes, Horizon Music Group, 2025) 20. The Lucky Losers - Dont Let It Slip Away (3:59) (Arrival, MoMojo Records, 2025) 21. Moses Patrou - Land Of The Good Groove (3:37) (Confession Of A Fool, Continental Blue Heaven, 2025) 22. Mike Bourne Band - Fore Day Rider (4:05) (Kansas City O'clock, Overton Music, 2025) 23. D.K. Harrell - Vibe With Me (4:35) (Talkin' Heavy, Alligator Records, 2025) 24. All Things Swamp - Sidewalk Strut (5:56) (Dressed, Little Village Records, 2025) Bandana Blues is and will always be a labor of love. Please help Spinner deal with the costs of hosting & bandwidth. Visit www.bandanablues.com and hit the tipjar. Any amount is much appreciated, no matter how small. Thank you.

On this episode of We Can't Do It Alone, Nōn sits down with writer, podcaster, NAACP honoree, and The Woke Mama herself, Whitney Alese, to explore how many things can be true at once, seeing possibility through the eyes of the people we love and look up to, why we're both into real feelings over hot takes, the magic of childlike wonder, and Whitney's transformative story about a generational quilt that represents Black love and liberation. Helpful things mentioned during this episode: Whitney on TikTok @TheWokeMamaWhitney on Instagram @thereclaimedThe Philly DownloadEnon Tabernacle Church PA How you can support Nōn and this independently-run podcast: Leave a 5-star rating and a wildly glowing review for We Can't Do It Alone on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your pods.Order The Feely Cards on Bookshop.org, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or your local indie bookseller for yourself and literally everyone you know.Listen to You, Me, Empathy, Nōn's previous podcast about mental health, empathy, and big feelings.Need some help with your podcast, or thinking about starting a podcast? Get in touch!Connect with Nōn at nonwels.com and on Instagram @youmeempathy. Thank you for listening to We Can't Do It Alone! Don't forget about the helpers. We all need help. Even you. xoxo nōn

(Uncontrived)

(Uncontrived)

(Spirit Rock Meditation Center) Drawing from the Culasunyatta Sutta and the teaching to Bahiya, this talk explores how the entire Buddhist path unfolds within the immediacy of our sensory experience. Emptiness is revealed not as a metaphysical abstraction but as the progressive letting go of what distracts us from what is peaceful—a movement from palace to forest to space to freedom itself. The whole world exists within this fathom-long body and its six sense doors. Liberation happens here, in the seen, heard, sensed, and cognized—not through traveling to some distant realm, but through radical presence with what is. When we meet each moment of contact with the quality of spiritual friendship, recognizing the loving awareness we already are, even the difficult journey over open ocean becomes workable. We learn to fly between the lives we have and the lives we imagine, without the extra burden of complaint, held by the spaciousness of mind itself.

The latest episode of the Breathe Love & Magic Podcast explores Liberation Magic. We talk about magic and manifestation, and how it can genuinely shift your life. It’s time to move beyond rules and “doing it right” to reconnect with your spiritual core. This conversation with Maritza Schafer, founder of Bruja School, is one of those grounding and warm reminders that magic isn't something you learn, but something you remember. Manifesting Myth Trips People Up Have you ever been told that you're “not manifesting correctly,” and that's why what you want hasn't shown up yet? What a horrible and discouraging message which could make you  want to give up entirely. I remember when someone said it to me! That's why Maritza offers Liberation Magic — a way of working with magic that frees you from the metaphysical industry's criticism, rules, and the idea that you're somehow doing it wrong. Liberation magic invites you to return to your intuition, your energy, and your deeper spiritual truth. When things aren't moving in your life, it's rarely because you're broken or incapable. More often, it's because we've been trying to create from the surface instead of from connection. Liberation magic asks you to slow down, drop beneath the noise, and listen for the wisdom that's already guiding you. Magic – Technology for Transformation So what is magic, really? Maritza describes it beautifully as “a technology for transformation.” It's a collection of tools, practices, and spiritual intentions that help shift what feels stuck and invites something new to emerge. Magic is far more than passive wishing. It's intentional, soulful participation with life's energy! When you merge a spiritual component with your intentions, something softens and opens. The process doesn't feel heavy or forced. Your desires have a way of coming into being because they're rooted in alignment, not effort alone. Think of it as learning to see your life through a spiritual lens where intention matters, energy matters, and presence itself becomes powerful. Mystical Garlic Planting I told a story about using magic when I planted my garlic this fall. Right from the start, When I planted the garlic, I didn't just push cloves into the soil, fertilize, water, and walk away. I planted at twilight — that quiet, liminal space between day and night, when the veil feels thinner. Then, I connected with the land and greeted the spirits and elemental forces. Next, I offered gratitude and asked to collaborate with them as the garden begins it's cycle of growth again. The reason is not because someone told me that's how it's done or good to do. This is how I live when I'm tuned into nature. As I listen to spirit and connect with my own inner knowing, everything comes alive. And that's the heart of liberation magic – where magic and manifestation meet. It’s not dones as a technique, but as a connection to spirit and life itself. Magic as a Way of Life Magic isn't only something you use when you want something to change. It can be how you move through the world. Maritza encourages her students to deepen their awareness of the moment they're in — the energy, the land, the subtle signals that are always communicating with us. That might look like ritual or meditation. You might simply notice your breath while you're standing at the sink or looking out a window. When spirituality becomes woven into daily life, you begin to move with the rhythms of the earth instead of against them. Challenges don't disappear, but your relationship to them changes. You meet life with more grace, more steadiness, and more trust. Remember the Magic Many people are drawn to magic because something feels missing. Maritza about this clearly —longing is often a call back to spiritual connection that's been overshadowed by responsibility, expectation, and noise. As you reconnect, you remember something essential. You are not separate from spirit, but part of it. Remembering brings a deep sense of belonging and the awareness that you are a magical being with access to far more wisdom than you might imagine. Let Go of “Should” and Find What's True One of the most liberating aspects of Maritza's work is releasing the burden of expectation. There is no single right way to practice magic. No gold star for doing it perfectly. No spiritual hierarchy. Your path is sacred because it's your own. When students let go of comparison and external judgment, they often feel an enormous sense of relief. Magic becomes about self-discovery instead of performance. Confidence grows naturally when you stop trying to meet someone else's definition of spiritual correctness. Walking Your Own Spiritual Path Liberation magic doesn't require elaborate rituals or rigid structures. It asks for awareness. By understanding your energy and setting intention with presence, magic can move through your everyday life — in conversations, decisions, and quiet moments of choice. One of the greatest gifts of a spiritual path is realizing that the power you've been seeking has been with you all along. Each step taken with awareness makes the next one clearer, lighter, and more enchanted. Energy Awareness as a Path to Freedom At the heart of liberation magic is energetic awareness. When you learn to notice energy, both yours and the space around you, you gain the power to choose. Simple practices like pausing, breathing, and checking in with yourself can shift everything. Imagine a stressful moment. Now, instead of reacting, you can simply stop, breathe, and notice what's present. That awareness alone can move you from chaos into calm, from contraction into clarity. Living an Empowered, Magical Life Ultimately, liberation magic is about feeling empowered. It strengthens your spiritual connection and reminds you of your place within the larger web of life. From that place, change becomes possible through alignment. Magic isn't something you do once in a while. As Maritza so beautifully teaches, it's a way of living. You trust your gut, cut through the noise, and allow life to work with you instead of against you. Honestly, that's the kind of magic I want for everyone. BIO – Maritza Schafer Maritza Schafer is the founder of the Bruja School where she teaches the Liberation Magic Method. Her teaching centers around a simple premise. The secret to life and everything you truly want is spiritual connection, free from religious trauma and new age bs. Grounded in her indigenous Chilean and Mediterranean lineage. Maritza blends ancestral wisdom with practical coaching. She equips people with powerful spiritual tools and real magic to create meaningful lives and bring transformation in their communities. Website & Social Media Website: https://BrujaSchool.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maritza.a.schafer Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maritza.a.schafer/ Pinterest: https://mx.pinterest.com/bruja_lunasol/ The post The Extraordinary Way Magic Can Free Up Your Life appeared first on Intuitive Edge.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Tonight's show features Asian Refugees United and Lavender Phoenix in conversation about art, culture, and organizing, and how artists help us imagine and build liberation. Important Links: Lavender Phoenix: Website | Instagram Asian Refugees United: Website | Instagram | QTViệt Cafe Collective Transcript: Cheryl: Hey everyone. Good evening. You tuned in to APEX Express. I'm your host, Cheryl, and tonight is an AACRE Night. AACRE, which is short for Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality is a network made up of 11 Asian American social justice organizations who work together to build long-term movements for justice. Across the AACRE network, our groups are organizing against deportations, confronting anti-blackness, xenophobia, advancing language justice, developing trans and queer leaders, and imagine new systems of safety and care. It's all very good, very important stuff. And all of this from the campaigns to the Organizing to Movement building raises a question that I keep coming back to, which is, where does art live In all of this, Acts of resistance do not only take place in courtrooms or city halls. It takes place wherever people are still able to imagine. It is part of how movements survive and and grow. Art is not adjacent to revolution, but rather it is one of its most enduring forms, and tonight's show sits in that very spirit, and I hope that by the end of this episode, maybe you'll see what I mean. I;d like to bring in my friends from Lavender Phoenix, a trans queer API organization, building people power in the Bay Area, who are also a part of the AACRE Network. This summer, Lavender Phoenix held a workshop that got right to the heart of this very question that we're sitting with tonight, which is what is the role of the artist in social movements? As they were planning the workshop, they were really inspired by a quote from Toni Cade Bambara, who in an interview from 1982 said, as a cultural worker who belongs to an oppressed people, my job is to make the revolution irresistible. So that raises a few questions worth slowing down for, which are, who was Toni Cade Bambara? What does it mean to be a cultural organizer and why does that matter? Especially in this political moment? Lavender Phoenix has been grappling with these questions in practice, and I think they have some powerful answers to share. So without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to angel who is a member of Lavender Phoenix. Angel: My name is Angel. I use he and she pronouns, and I'm part of the communications committee at LavNix. So, let's explore what exactly is the meaning of cultural work.  Cultural workers are the creators of narratives through various forms of artistic expression, and we literally drive the production of culture. Cultural work reflects the perspectives and attitudes of artists and therefore the people and communities that they belong to. Art does not exist in a vacuum. You may have heard the phrase before. Art is always political. It serves a purpose to tell a story, to document the times to perpetuate and give longevity to ideas. It may conform to the status quo or choose to resist it. I wanted to share a little bit about one cultural worker who's made a really big impact and paved the way for how we think about cultural work and this framework. Toni Cade Bambara was a black feminist, cultural worker, writer, and organizer whose literary work celebrated black art, culture and life, and radically supported a movement for collective liberation. She believed that it's the artist's role to serve the community they belong to, and that an artist is of no higher status than a factory worker, social worker, or teacher. Is the idea of even reframing art making as cultural work. Reclaimed the arts from the elite capitalist class and made clear that it is work, it does not have more value than or take precedence over any other type of movement work. This is a quote from an interview from 1982 when Toni Cade Bambara said, as a cultural worker who belongs to an oppressed people, my job is to make revolution irresistible. But in this country, we're not encouraged and equipped at any particular time to view things that way. And so the artwork or the art practice that sells that capitalist ideology is considered art. And anything that deviates from that is considered political, propagandist, polemical, or didactic, strange, weird, subversive or ugly. Cheryl: After reading that quote, angel then invited the workshop participants to think about what that means for them. What does it mean to make the revolution irresistible? After giving people a bit of time to reflect, angel then reads some of the things that were shared in the chat. Angel: I want my art to point out the inconsistencies within our society to surprised, enraged, elicit a strong enough reaction that they feel they must do something. Cheryl: Another person said, Angel: I love that art can be a way of bridging relationships. Connecting people together, building community. Cheryl: And someone else said. Angel: I want people to feel connected to my art, find themselves in it, and have it make them think and realize that they have the ability to do something themselves. Cheryl: I think what is rather striking in these responses that Angel has read aloud to what it means to make art that makes the revolution irresistible isn't just aesthetics alone, but rather its ability to help us connect and communicate and find one another to enact feelings and responses in each other. It's about the way it makes people feel implicated and connected and also capable of acting. Tony Cade Bambara when she poses that the role of cultural workers is to make the revolution irresistible is posing to us a challenge to tap into our creativity and create art that makes people unable to return comfortably to the world as is, and it makes revolution necessary, desirable not as an abstract idea, but as something people can want and move towards  now I'm going to invite Jenica, who is the cultural organizer at Lavender Phoenix to break down for us why we need cultural work in this political moment. . Speaker: Jenica: So many of us as artists have really internalized the power of art and are really eager to connect it to the movement.  This section is about answering this question of why is cultural work important.  Cultural work plays a really vital role in organizing and achieving our political goals, right? So if our goal is to advance radical solutions to everyday people, we also have to ask ourselves how are we going to reach those peoples? Ideas of revolution and liberation are majorly inaccessible to the masses, to everyday people. Families are being separated. Attacks on the working class are getting worse and worse. How are we really propping up these ideas of revolution, especially right in America, where propaganda for the state, for policing, for a corrupt government runs really high. Therefore our messaging in political organizing works to combat that propaganda. So in a sense we have to make our own propaganda. So let's look at this term together. Propaganda is art that we make that accurately reflects and makes people aware of the true nature of the conditions of their oppression and inspires them to take control of transforming this condition. We really want to make art that seeks to make the broader society aware of its implications in the daily violences, facilitated in the name of capitalism, imperialism, and shows that error of maintaining or ignoring the status quo. So it's really our goal to arm people with the tools to better struggle against their own points of views, their ways of thinking, because not everyone is already aligned with like revolution already, right? No one's born an organizer. No one's born 100% willing to be in this cause. So, we really focus on the creative and cultural processes, as artists build that revolutionary culture. Propaganda is really a means of liberation. It's an instrument to help clarify information education and a way to mobilize our people. And not only that, our cultural work can really model to others what it's like to envision a better world for ourselves, right? Our imagination can be so expansive when it comes to creating art. As organizers and activists when we create communication, zines, et cetera, we're also asking ourselves, how does this bring us one step closer to revolution? How are we challenging the status quo? So this is exactly what our role as artists is in this movement. It's to create propaganda that serves two different purposes. One, subvert the enemy and cultivate a culture that constantly challenges the status quo. And also awaken and mobilize the people. How can we, through our art, really uplift the genuine interests of the most exploited of people of the working class, of everyday people who are targets of the state and really empower those whose stories are often kept outside of this master narrative. Because when they are talked about, people in power will often misrepresent marginalized communities. An example of this, Lavender Phoenix, a couple years ago took up this campaign called Justice for Jaxon Sales. Trigger warning here, hate crime, violence against queer people and death. Um, so Jaxon Sales was a young, queer, Korean adoptee living in the Bay Area who went on a blind like dating app date and was found dead the next morning in a high-rise apartment in San Francisco. Lavender Phoenix worked really closely and is still connected really closely with Jaxon's parents, Jim and Angie Solas to really fight, and organize for justice for Jaxon and demand investigation into what happened to him and his death, and have answers for his family. I bring that up, this campaign because when his parents spoke to the chief medical examiner in San Francisco, they had told his family Jaxon died of an accidental overdose he was gay. Like gay people just these kinds of drugs. So that was the narrative that was being presented to us from the state. Like literally, their own words: he's dead because he's gay. And our narrative, as we continue to organize and support his family, was to really address the stigma surrounding drug use. Also reiterating the fact that justice was deserved for Jaxon, and that no one should ever have to go through this. We all deserve to be safe, that a better world is possible. So that's an example of combating the status quo and then uplifting the genuine interest of our people and his family. One of our key values at Lavender Phoenix is honoring our histories, because the propaganda against our own people is so intense. I just think about the everyday people, the working class, our immigrant communities and ancestors, other queer and trans people of color that really fought so hard to have their story told. So when we do this work and think about honoring our histories, let's also ask ourselves what will we do to keep those stories alive? Cheryl: We're going to take a quick music break and listen to some music by Namgar, an international ethno music collective that fuses traditional Buryat and Mongolian music with pop, jazz, funk, ambient soundscapes, and art- pop. We'll be back in just a moment with more after we listen to “part two” by Namgar.    Cheryl: Welcome back.  You are tuned in to APEX express on 94.1 KPFA and 89.3 KPFB B in Berkeley and online at kpfa.org.  That song you just heard was “part two” by Namgar, an incredible four- piece Buryat- Mongolian ensemble that is revitalizing and preserving the Buryat language and culture through music. For those just tuning in tonight's episode of APEX Express is all about the role of the artist in social movements. We're joined by members of Lavender Phoenix, often referred to as LavNix, which is a grassroots organization in the Bay Area building Trans and queer API Power. You can learn more about their work in our show notes. We talked about why cultural work is a core part of organizing. We grounded that conversation in the words of Toni Cade Bambara, who said in a 1982 interview, as a cultural worker who belongs to an oppressed people, my job is to make revolution irresistible. We unpacked what that looks like in practice and lifted up Lavender Phoenix's Justice for Jaxon Sales campaign as a powerful example of cultural organizing, which really demonstrates how art and narrative work and cultural work are essential to building power Now Jenica from Levner Phoenix is going to walk us through some powerful examples of cultural organizing that have occurred in social movements across time and across the world. Speaker: Jenica: Now we're going to look at some really specific examples of powerful cultural work in our movements. For our framework today, we'll start with an international example, then a national one, a local example, and then finally one from LavNix. As we go through them, we ask that you take notes on what makes these examples, impactful forms of cultural work. How does it subvert the status quo? How is it uplifting the genuine interest of the people? Our international example is actually from the Philippines. Every year, the Corrupt Philippines president delivers a state of the nation address to share the current conditions of the country. However, on a day that the people are meant to hear about the genuine concrete needs of the Filipino masses, they're met instead with lies and deceit that's broadcasted and also built upon like years of disinformation and really just feeds the selfish interests of the ruling class and the imperialist powers. In response to this, every year, BAYAN, which is an alliance in the Philippines with overseas chapters here in the US as well. Their purpose is to fight for the national sovereignty and genuine democracy in the Philippines, they hold a Peoples' State of the Nation Address , or PSONA, to protest and deliver the genuine concerns and demands of the masses. So part of PSONA are effigies. Effigies have been regular fixtures in protest rallies, including PSONA. So for those of you who don't know, an effigy is a sculptural representation, often life size of a hated person or group. These makeshift dummies are used for symbolic punishment in political protests, and the figures are often burned. In the case of PSONA, these effigies are set on fire by protestors criticizing government neglect, especially of the poor. Lisa Ito, who is a progressive artists explained that the effigy is constructed not only as a mockery of the person represented, but also of the larger system that his or her likeness embodies. Ito pointed out that effigies have evolved considerably as a form of popular protest art in the Philippines, used by progressive people's movements, not only to entertain, but also to agitate, mobilize and capture the sentiments of the people. This year, organizers created this effigy that they titled ‘ZomBBM,' ‘Sara-nanggal' . This is a play on words calling the corrupt president of the Philippines, Bongbong Marcos, or BBM, a zombie. And the vice president Sara Duterte a Manananggal, which is a, Filipino vampire to put it in short, brief words. Organizers burnt this effigy as a symbol of DK and preservation of the current ruling class. I love this effigy so much. You can see BBM who's depicted like his head is taken off and inside of his head is Trump because he's considered like a puppet president of the Philippines just serving US interests. Awesome. I'm gonna pass it to Angel for our national perspective. Angel: Our next piece is from the national perspective and it was in response to the AIDS crisis. The global pandemic of HIV AIDS began in 1981 and continues today. AIDS is the late stage of HIV infection, human immunodeficiency virus, and this crisis has been marked largely by government indifference, widespread stigma against gay people, and virtually no federal funding towards research or services for everyday people impacted. There was a really devastating lack of public attention about the seriousness of HIV. The Ronald Reagan administration treated the crisis as a joke because of its association with gay men, and Reagan didn't even publicly acknowledge AIDS until 19 85, 4 years into the pandemic. Thousands of HIV positive people across backgrounds and their supporters organize one of the most influential patient advocacy groups in history. They called themselves the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power or ACT up. They ultimately organize and force the government and the scientific community to fundamentally change the way medical research is conducted. Paving the way for the discovery of a treatment that today keeps alive, an estimated half million HIV positive Americans and millions more worldwide. Sarah Schulman, a writer and former member of ACT Up, wrote a list of ACT UPS achievements, including changing the CDC C'S definition of aids to include women legalizing needle exchange in New York City and establishing housing services for HIV positive unhoused people. To highlight some cultural work within ACT Up, the AIDS activist artist Collective Grand Fury formed out of ACT Up and CR and created works for the public sphere that drew attention to the medical, moral and public issues related to the AIDS crisis. Essentially, the government was fine with the mass deaths and had a large role in the active killing off of people who are not just queer, but people who are poor working class and of color. We still see parallels in these roadblocks. Today, Trump is cutting public healthcare ongoing, and in recent memory, the COVID crisis, the political situation of LGBTQ people then and now is not divorced from this class analysis. So in response, we have the AIDS Memorial Quilt, this collective installation memorializes people who died in the US from the AIDS crisis and from government neglect. Each panel is dedicated to a life lost and created by hand by their friends, family, loved ones, and community. This artwork was originally conceived by Cleve Jones in SF for the 1985 candlelight March, and later it was expanded upon and displayed in Washington DC in 1987. Its enormity demonstrated the sheer number at which queer folk were killed in the hiv aids crisis, as well as created a space in the public for dialogue about the health disparities that harm and silence our community. Today, it's returned home to San Francisco and can be accessed through an interactive online archive. 50,000 individual panels and around a hundred thousand names make up the patchwork quilt, which is insane, and it's one of the largest pieces of grassroots community art in the world. Moving on to a more local perspective. In the Bay Area, we're talking about the Black Panther Party. So in October of 1966 in Oakland, California, Huey Newton and Bobby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for self-defense. The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of black communities against the US government and fought to establish socialism through organizing and community-based programs. The Black Panthers began by organizing arm patrols of black people to monitor the Oakland Police Department and challenge rampant rampant police brutality. At its peak, the party had offices in 68 cities and thousands of members. The party's 10 point program was a set of demands, guidelines, and values, calling for self-determination, full employment of black people, and the end of exploitation of black workers housing for all black people, and so much more. The party's money programs directly addressed their platform as they instituted a free B Breakfast for Children program to address food scarcity Founded community health clinics to address the lack of adequate, adequate healthcare for black people and treat sickle cell anemia, tuberculosis, and HIV aids and more. The cultural work created by the Black Panther Party included the Black Panther Party newspaper known as the Black Panther. It was a four page newsletter in Oakland, California in 1967. It was the main publication of the party and was soon sold in several large cities across the US as well as having an international readership. The Black Panther issue number two. The newspaper, distributed information about the party's activities and expressed through articles, the ideology of the Black Panther Party, focusing on both international revolutions as inspiration and contemporary racial struggles of African Americans across the United States. Solidarity with other resistance movements was a major draw for readers. The paper's international section reported on liberation struggles across the world. Under Editor-in-Chief, David Du Bois, the stepson of WEB Du Bois, the section deepened party support for revolutionary efforts in South Africa and Cuba. Copies of the paper traveled abroad with students and activists and were tra translated into Hebrew and Japanese. It reflected that the idea of resistance to police oppression had spread like wildfire. Judy Juanita, a former editor in Chief Ads, it shows that this pattern of oppression was systemic. End quote. Paper regularly featured fiery rhetoric called out racist organizations and was unabashed in its disdain for the existing political system. Its first cover story reported on the police killing of Denzel Doel, a 22-year-old black man in Richmond, California. In all caps, the paper stated, brothers and sisters, these racist murders are happening every day. They could happen to any one of us. And it became well known for its bold cover art, woodcut style images of protestors, armed panthers, and police depicted as bloodied pigs. Speaker: Jenica: I'm gonna go into the LavNix example of cultural work that we've done. For some context, we had mentioned that we are taking up this campaign called Care Not Cops. Just to give some brief background to LavNix, as systems have continued to fail us, lavender Phoenix's work has always been about the safety of our communities. We've trained people in deescalation crisis intervention set up counseling networks, right? Then in 2022, we had joined the Sales family to fight for justice for Jaxon Sales. And with them we demanded answers for untimely death from the sheriff's department and the medical examiner. Something we noticed during that campaign is that every year we watch as people in power vote on another city budget that funds the same institutions that hurt our people and steal money from our communities. Do people know what the budget is for the San Francisco Police Department? Every year, we see that city services and programs are gutted. Meanwhile, this year, SFPD has $849 million, and the sheriff has $345 million. So, honestly, policing in general in the city is over $1 billion. And they will not experience any cuts. Their bloated budgets will remain largely intact. We've really been watching, Mayor Lurie , his first months and like, honestly like first more than half a year, with a lot of concern. We've seen him declare the unlawful fentanyl state of emergency, which he can't really do, and continue to increase police presence downtown. Ultimately we know that mayor Lurie and our supervisors need to hear from us everyday people who demand care, not cops. So that leads me into our cultural work. In March of this year, lavender Phoenix had collaborated with youth organizations across the city, youth groups from Chinese Progressive Association, PODER, CYC, to host a bilingual care, not cops, zine making workshop for youth. Our organizers engaged with the youth with agitating statistics on the egregious SFPD budget, and facilitated a space for them to warm up their brains and hearts to imagine a world without prisons and policing. And to really further envision one that centers on care healing for our people, all through art. What I really learned is that working class San Francisco youth are the ones who really know the city's fascist conditions the most intimately. It's clear through their zine contributions that they've really internalized these intense forms of policing in the schools on the streets with the unhoused, witnessing ice raids and fearing for their families. The zine was really a collective practice with working class youth where they connected their own personal experiences to the material facts of policing in the city, the budget, and put those experiences to paper.   Cheryl: Hey everyone. Cheryl here. So we've heard about Effigies in the Philippines, the AIDS Memorial Quilt, the Black Panther Party's newspaper, the Black Panther and Lavender Phoenix's Care Cop zine. Through these examples, we've learned about cultural work and art and narrative work on different scales internationally, nationally, locally and organizationally. With lavender Phoenix. What we're seeing is across movements across time. Cultural work has always been central to organizing. We're going to take another music break, but when we return, I'll introduce you to our next speaker. Hai, from Asian Refugees United, who will walk us through, their creative practice, which is food, as a form of cultural resistance, and we'll learn about how food ways can function as acts of survival, resistance, and also decolonization. So stay with us more soon when we return.   Cheryl: And we're back!!. You're listening to APEX express on 94.1 KPFA, 89.3 KPFB in Berkeley. 88.1. KFCF in Fresno and online@kpfa.org. That was “Juniper” by Minjoona, a project led by Korean American musician, Jackson Wright.  huge thanks to Jackson and the whole crew behind that track.  I am here with Hai from Asian Refugees United, who is a member QTViet Cafe Collective. A project under Asian Refugees United. QTViet Viet Cafe is a creative cultural hub that is dedicated to queer and trans viet Liberation through ancestral practices, the arts and intergenerational connection. This is a clip from what was a much longer conversation. This episode is all about the role of the artist in social movements and I think Hai brings a very interesting take to the conversation. Hai (ARU): I think that what is helping me is one, just building the muscle. So when we're so true to our vision and heart meets mind and body. So much of what QTViet Cafe is, and by extension Asian refugees and like, we're really using our cultural arts and in many ways, whether that's movement or poetry or written word or song or dance. And in many ways I've had a lot of experience in our food ways, and reclaiming those food ways. That's a very embodied experience. We're really trying to restore wholeness and health and healing in our communities, in our bodies and our minds and our families and our communities that have been displaced because of colonization, imperialism, capitalism. And so how do we restore, how do we have a different relationship and how do we restore? I think that from moving from hurt to healing is life and art. And so we need to take risk and trying to define life through art and whatever means that we can to make meaning and purpose and intention. I feel like so much of what art is, is trying to make meaning of the hurt in order to bring in more healing in our lives. For so long, I think I've been wanting a different relationship to food. For example, because I grew up section eight, food stamps, food bank. My mom and my parents doing the best they could, but also, yeah, grew up with Viet food, grew up with ingredients for my parents making food, mostly my mom that weren't necessarily all the best. And I think compared to Vietnam, where it's easier access. And there's a different kind of system around, needs around food and just easier access, more people are involved around the food system in Vietnam I think growing up in Turtle Island and seeing my parents struggle not just with food, but just with money and jobs it's just all connected. And I think that impacted my journey and. My own imbalance around health and I became a byproduct of diabetes and high cholesterol and noticed that in my family. So when I noticed, when I had type two diabetes when I was 18, made the conscious choice to, I knew I needed to have some type of, uh, I need to have a different relationship to my life and food included and just like cut soda, started kind of what I knew at the time, exercising as ways to take care of my body. And then it's honestly been now a 20 year journey of having a different relationship to not just food, but health and connection to mind, body, spirit. For me, choosing to have a different relationship in my life, like that is a risk. Choosing to eat something different like that is both a risk and an opportunity. For me that's like part of movement building like you have to. Be so in tune with my body to notice and the changes that are needed in order to live again. When I noticed, you know, , hearing other Viet folks experiencing diet related stuff and I think knowing what I know also, like politically around what's happening around our food system, both for the vie community here and also in Vietnam, how do we, how can this regular act of nourishing ourselves both be not just in art, something that should actually just honestly be an everyday need and an everyday symbol of caregiving and caretaking and care that can just be part of our everyday lives. I want a world where, it's not just one night where we're tasting the best and eating the best and being nourished, just in one Saturday night, but that it's just happening all the time because we're in right relationship with ourselves and each other and the earth that everything is beauty and we don't have to take so many risks because things are already in its natural divine. I think it takes being very conscious of our circumstances and our surroundings and our relationships with each other for that to happen. I remember reading in my early twenties, reading the role of, bring Coke basically to Vietnam during the war. I was always fascinated like, why are, why is Coke like on Viet altars all the time? And I always see them in different places. Whenever I would go back to Vietnam, I remember when I was seven and 12. Going to a family party and the classic shiny vinyl plastic, floral like sheet on a round table and the stools, and then these beautiful platters of food. But I'm always like, why are we drinking soda or coke and whatever else? My dad and the men and then my family, like drinking beer. And I was like, why? I've had periods in my life when I've gotten sick, physically and mentally sick. Those moments open up doors to take the risk and then also the opportunity to try different truth or different path. When I was 23 and I had just like crazy eczema and psoriasis and went back home to my parents for a while and I just started to learn about nourishing traditions, movement. I was Very critical of the us traditional nutrition ideas of what good nutrition is and very adamantly like opposing the food pyramid. And then in that kind of research, I was one thinking well, they're talking about the science of broths and like soups and talking about hard boiling and straining the broth and getting the gunk on the top. And I'm like, wait, my mom did that. And I was starting to connect what has my mom known culturally that now like science is catching up, you know? And then I started just reading, you know, like I think that my mom didn't know the sign mom. I was like, asked my mom like, did you know about this? And she's like, I mean, I just, this is, is like what ba ngoai said, you know? And so I'm like, okay, so culturally this, this is happening scientifically. This is what's being shared. And then I started reading about the politics of US-centric upheaval of monocultural agriculture essentially. When the US started to do the industrial Revolution and started to basically grow wheat and soy and just basically make sugar to feed lots of cows and create sugar to be put in products like Coke was one of them. And, and then, yeah, that was basically a way for the US government to make money from Vietnam to bring that over, to Vietnam. And that was introduced to our culture. It's just another wave of imperialism and colonization. And sadly, we know what, overprocessed, like refined sugars can do to our health. And sadly, I can't help but make the connections with what happened. In many ways, food and sugar are introduced through these systems of colonization and imperialism are so far removed from what we ate pre colonization. And so, so much of my journey around food has been, you know, it's not even art, it's just like trying to understand, how do we survive and we thrive even before so many. And you know, in some ways it is art. 'cause I making 40 pounds of cha ga for event, , the fish cake, like, that's something that, that our people have been doing for a long time and hand making all that. And people love the dish and I'm really glad that people enjoyed it and mm, it's like, oh yeah, it's art. But it's what people have been doing to survive and thrive for long, for so long, you know? , We have the right to be able to practice our traditional food ways and we have the right for food sovereignty and food justice. And we have the right to, by extension, like have clean waters and hospitable places to live and for our animal kin to live and for our plant kin to be able to thrive. bun cha ga, I think like it's an artful hopeful symbol of what is seasonal and relevant and culturally symbolic of our time. I think that, yes, the imminent, violent, traumatic war that are happening between people, in Vietnam and Palestine and Sudan. Honestly, like here in America. That is important. And I think we need to show, honestly, not just to a direct violence, but also very indirect violence on our bodies through the food that we're eating. Our land and waters are living through indirect violence with just like everyday pollutants and top soil being removed and industrialization. And so I think I'm just very cognizant of the kind of everyday art ways, life ways, ways of being that I think that are important to be aware of and both practice as resistance against the forces that are trying to strip away our livelihood every day. Cheryl: We just heard from Hai of Asian refugees United who shared about how food ways function as an embodied form of cultural work that is rooted in memory and also survival and healing. Hai talked about food as a practice and art that is lived in the body and is also shaped by displacement and colonization and capitalism and imperialism. I shared that through their journey with QTV at Cafe and Asian Refugees United. High was able to reflect on reclaiming traditional food ways as a way to restore health and wholeness and relationship to our bodies and to our families, to our communities, and to the earth. High. Also, traced out illness and imbalance as deeply connected to political systems that have disrupted ancestral knowledge and instead introduced extractive food systems and normalized everyday forms of soft violence through what we consume and the impact it has on our land. And I think the most important thing I got from our conversation was that high reminded us that nourishing ourselves can be both an act of care, an art form, and an act of resistance. And what we call art is often what people have always done to survive and thrive Food. For them is a practice of memory, and it's also a refusal of erasure and also a very radical vision of food sovereignty and healing and collective life outside of colonial violence and harm. As we close out tonight's episode, I want to return to the question that has guided us from the beginning, which is, what is the role of the artist in social movements? What we've heard tonight from Tony Cade Bambara call to make revolution irresistible to lavender Phoenix's cultural organizing here, internationally to Hai, reflections on food ways, and nourishing ourselves as resistance. It is Really clear to me. Art is not separate from struggle. It is how people make sense of systems of violence and carry memory and also practice healing and reimagining new worlds in the middle of ongoing violence. Cultural work helps our movements. Endure and gives us language when words fail, or ritual when grief is heavy, and practices that connect us, that reconnect us to our bodies and our histories and to each other. So whether that's through zines, or songs or murals, newspapers, or shared meals, art is a way of liberation again and again. I wanna thank all of our speakers today, Jenica, Angel. From Lavender Phoenix. Hi, from QTV Cafe, Asian Refugees United, And I also wanna thank you, our listeners for staying with us. You've been listening to Apex Express on KPFA. Take care of yourselves, take care of each other, and keep imagining the world that we're trying to build. That's important stuff. Cheryl Truong (she/they): Apex express is produced by Miko Lee, Paige Chung, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preeti Mangala Shekar. Shekar, Anuj Vaidya, Kiki Rivera, Swati Rayasam, Nate Tan, Hien Nguyen, Nikki Chan, and Cheryl Truong  Cheryl Truong: Tonight's show was produced by me, cheryl. Thanks to the team at KPFA for all of their support. And thank you for listening!  The post APEX Express – January 1, 2026 – The Role of the Artist in Social Movements appeared first on KPFA.

Synopsis:  From his early days as an illustrator for the Black Panther Party to winning the prestigious Mohn Award in 2023, artist Akinsanya Kambon has been using art to amplify marginalized voices and tell stories of resilience.Make a tax deductible YEAR END DONATION and become a member go to LauraFlanders.org/donate. This show is made possible by you! Description: With each glimmering piece he creates, artist Akinsanya Kambon brings suppressed histories of both colonization and liberation to life. His ceramic works depict struggle and survival across the African diaspora, and stepping into his studio is a spiritual experience, as Laura Flanders recently discovered. Kambon was a member of the Sacramento chapter of the Black Panther Party where he worked on the layout and illustration of the party's famous paper and became lieutenant for culture, illustrating among other things the party's ten point plan and works for young people. In 2023, he won the prestigious Mohn Award — the top prize given by the Hammer Museum for his participation in their biennial “Made in LA” show, titled Acts of Living. His one-man show opened in Beverly Hills at Marc Selwyn Fine Art in April 2025. An exhibition of his work will open at the New York Sculpture Center in May 2026. In this unique conversation, Flanders asks Kambon about his own survival stories, including his polio diagnosis, getting drafted into the Vietnam War, and his year on death row. Kambon was arrested in connection with the killing of a police officer and was later acquitted from that high-profile Oak Park Four case. Join Flanders and Kambon as they discuss how art keeps spirits alive, and catch Flanders' commentary on today's fight to control our nation's stories.“Art educates the masses of people. Not Black or white or Asian, this educates the masses of young people to our struggle, to how long they're struggling and how it's connected.” - Akinsanya Kambon“I thought of myself as an artist even when I was a child, because art was therapy for me . . . I used to always seem like I would always take the side of the underdog.” - Akinsanya KambonGuest:  Akinsanya Kambon, Artist, Former Marine, Black Panther & Art Professor Additional Credits:Additional Crew:  Marco Amador, Producciones Cimarrón Clips from the documentary short- "Akinsanya Kambon The Hero Avenges," Produced by The Hammer Museum;  Directed by Gabriel Noguez and Sean Rowry.Special thanks: Cynthia Wornham, Annie Philbin, Marc Selwyn Fine Art  Full Conversation Release: While our weekly shows are edited to time for broadcast on Public TV and community radio, we offer to our members and podcast subscribers the full uncut conversation. These audio exclusives are made possible thanks to our member supporters.Watch the special report on YouTube; PBS World Channel September 5th, and on over 300 public stations across the country (check your listings, or search here via zipcode). Listen: Episode airing on community radio September 10th  (check here to see if your station is airing the show) & available as a podcast.Full Episode Notes are located HERE.-Related Podcast:  Uncut Conversation with Akinsanya Kambon, Artist, Former Marine, Black Panther & Art Professor RESOURCES:Related Laura Flanders Show Episodes:•  Jacqueline Woodson & Catherine Gund: Breathing Through Chaos & the “Meanwhile”, Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut - Full Uncut Conversation•  Genesis Be & Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis: Building Collective Freedom with a Poet & Preacher, Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut   •  Ai Weiwei: How Do We Save Our Humanity?  Watch / Listen:  Episode Cut - Full Uncut Conversation  Related Articles and Resources:• Akinsanya Kambon exhibit for ‘Made in L.A. 2023: Acts of Living' the Hammer Museum's biennial exhibition highlighting the practices of artists working throughout the greater Los Angeles area• Akinsanya Kambon Receives $100,000 John Award, Made in L.A. Biennial's Top Prize Honors Artistic Excellence, by Victoria L. Walntine, December 12, 2023, Culture Type•  Akinsanya Kambon's exhibition April 17-May31, 2025 at Marc Selwyn Fine Art•. 10 Shows to see in Los Angeles May 2025, by Matt Stromberg, May 1, 2025 Hyperallergic• Upcoming Akinsanya Kambon Exhibitions: He will be featured in a solo exhibition represented by Ortuza Projects in collaboration with Marc Selwyn Fine Art during Frieze New York in May 2026, and concurrent with a solo exhibition at the New York Sculpture Center.  Art Media Agency Laura Flanders and Friends Crew: Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer; Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O'Conner-Senior Consulting Producer. FOLLOW Laura Flanders and FriendsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraflandersandfriends/Blueky: https://bsky.app/profile/lfandfriends.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraFlandersAndFriends/Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraflandersandfriendsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFLRxVeYcB1H7DbuYZQG-lgLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lauraflandersandfriendsPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/lauraflandersandfriendsACCESSIBILITY - The broadcast edition of this episode is available with closed captioned by clicking here for our YouTube Channel

Plato's cave is no longer a place of ignorance but a nervous system organized around familiarity. The chains are early attachment imprints; the shadows are trauma-bonded patterns mistaken for love. Neural biology prioritizes prediction over truth, so the brain confuses recognition with safety and repetition with intimacy. Attachment wounds project onto partners, turning chemistry into reenactment and connection into regulation. Leaving the cave is not acquiring insight but tolerating the collapse of familiar neural patterns long enough for presence to emerge. Those who see threaten the system because truth deregulates the known. Liberation in love occurs when the nervous system relinquishes pattern for presence.

Plato's cave is no longer a place of ignorance but a nervous system organized around familiarity. The chains are early attachment imprints; the shadows are trauma-bonded patterns mistaken for love. Neural biology prioritizes prediction over truth, so the brain confuses recognition with safety and repetition with intimacy. Attachment wounds project onto partners, turning chemistry into reenactment and connection into regulation. Leaving the cave is not acquiring insight but tolerating the collapse of familiar neural patterns long enough for presence to emerge. Those who see threaten the system because truth deregulates the known. Liberation in love occurs when the nervous system relinquishes pattern for presence.

"We Were Short on Cash, Not on Love: Liberation Psychology for the Holidays"Dr. Raquel Martin returns to the class to break down how families can resist capitalism's grip on the holiday season while building real community care. As a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in liberation psychology, Dr. Martin doesn't just help people cope—she helps them fight back.In this conversation, she gets brutally honest about raising Black boys in the South, why "I prescribed activism as much as I prescribed coping skills," and the difference between protective versus proactive parenting. She shares how growing up "short on cash, not on love" taught her that traditions don't require money—they require energy and intention. And she explains why there's no such thing as individual wellness when we're all operating in oppressive systems.Dr. Martin offers concrete strategies: how to talk to children about why the president is terrorizing communities, how to find your 15 minutes for joy even when exhausted, and why following the right people on social media is a survival tool. She also shares her favorite parenting resources and reminds us that apologizing to our children means changed behavior, not Roblox cards.This isn't therapy. This is liberation psychology. This is how we build the communities that will sustain us through whatever comes next.Show notes/resources: Books & AuthorsParenting Resources:"Raising Confident Black Kids" by M.J. Fievre"Raising Resilient Black Kids" by Dr. Erlanger Turner"The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel WilkersonDigital Activists & Educators to FollowDr. Lauren C. Mims- @drlaurenmims Garrison Hayes- @garrisonhBlair Imani- @blairimaniMychal Threets- @mychal3tsBrittany Packnett Cunningham- @mspackyettiWebsite: raquelmartinphd.comPodcast: Mind Ya Mental PodcastSocial Media: @RaquelMartinPhDOrganizations & Communities MentionedMalik and Mamas - Parenting group for community buildingBurn the Cape Community - Dr. Martin's online community for Black mental healthGirl Scouts/Boy Scouts - Suggested for building community around shared interestsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/teach-the-babies-w-dr-david-j-johns--6173854/support.

This episode challenges you to rethink the economy from the ground up. Solana Rice and Jeremie Greer of Liberation in a Generation break down why extraction and exclusion are not bugs but core features of our current system, and invite listeners into a bold vision of a liberation economy rooted in guarantees rather than scarcity. Through stories of gentrification, community-led policy making, and real experiments like social housing and guaranteed income, they offer a clear and hopeful framework for how economic power can be rebuilt within a generation.View the show notes: https://www.lifteconomy.com/blog/building-a-liberation-economy-solana-rice-jeremie-greerEarly bird registration is now open for the spring 2026 cohort of The Next Economy MBA, a nine-month facilitated learning journey for people building a more just and regenerative economy. Save 20 percent if you sign up before February 2. Learn more at lifteconomy.com/mba.

Delusion is one of the greatest impediments to freedom and in this talk, Mary discusses how being embodied and whole allows for clear seeing. When we're stuck in the habit energies of our minds, we're often disconnected from reality and our journey is back to wholeness, to clarity and to living with a wise heart.Recorded Dec. 27, 2025 in the virtual worldSend me a text with any questions or comments! Include your name and email if you would like a response - it's not included automatically. Thanks.Visit Mary's website for more info on classes and teachings.

Drs. Mackenzie Steiner and Alex Iantaffi discuss their collaborative program, The Collective Alchemy of Gender Liberation. This is a new, somatic-based program created by trans people for trans people in service to our collective liberation. In this episode, they talk about how the program started, the values it's rooted in, and how gender is an embodied experience. Mackenzie and Alex also talk about how their collaborative process is heart-centered and based in relationality, rather than product-focused and treating the collaboration as a mean to an end, as is often the case in dominant culture. While the program is by and for trans people, the episode has much to offer to cis folks as well in relation to a deeper understanding of gender and to what a collaborative process centered in decoloniality might look like.  Mackenzie Steiner is a reformed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of clinical experience specializing in attachment, gender identity and socialization, as well as addictions and trauma recovery. For 20 of those years, she worked with veterans facing just about every possible type of concern related to their identities, relationships and mental health, but particularly at the interface of addictions and complex post-traumatic stress. Mackenzie transitioned into private practice at the beginning of 2023 to stretch her wings and be free to practice with communities and in ways unencumbered by organizational constraints. At the heart of her work is building an attuned, compassionate and safe relational base from which to explore the challenging aspects of one's history and how it intersects with the present moment. Mackenzie accomplishes this through a mosaic of attachment, mindfulness, emotionally and somatically focused approaches as well as parts-work perspectives that she has found most efficiently and humanely promote long-term change and deep healing. And she has found that nature can be a profound ally for this process! On the more personal side, she is an avid outdoors-person who is most nourished by activities ranging from landscaping to hiking, climbing and backpacking. She is also a seeker of mysteries, having an insatiable curiosity to discover the knowledge and wisdom underlying our physical, psychological, relational and spiritual realities in service of promoting our health and authentic evolution.  Find out more about the Collective Alchemy of Gender Liberation and Dr. Mackenzie Steiner at the following links: Website: https://www.gender-alchemy.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collectivegenderalchemy/ @collectivegenderalchemy Dr. Mackenzie Steiner's website: https://naturesmosaictherapy.com/  Instagram: GenderStoriesHosted by Alex IantaffiMusic by Maxwell von RavenGender Stories logo by Lior Effinger-Weintraub

After a celebrated run off-Broadway and rave reviews, Irene Lucio has returned to the role of Isadora in the groundbreaking play. LIBERATION explores the universal themes of freedom, identity, and resilience, set against the backdrop of historical and contemporary struggles for justice. Isadora is an Italian immigrant filmmaker who entered a green-card marriage. New York Theatre Guide called her performance “sharp and witty… toggling back and forth between humor and heartbreak with natural ease.” Irene is perhaps best known for her role in Jeremy O. Harris' award-winning play SLAVE PLAY where she starred as Patricia and played the role in all four forms of the show. She also wrote a Spanish series titled ‘SúperEllas' for Canela TV. A show for children about Latina trailblazers, it won the Best Non-English Program – Family Programming at the 48th Annual Gracie Awards. As a Latinx woman born and raised in Puerto Rico, Irene seeks roles which showcase the importance of diverse representation in the arts. Fluent in Spanish and a graduate of Princeton and Yale's esteemed acting program, she currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and 2 year old son. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you've been dragging some of last year around with you, or you've been feeling that strange mix of excitement and pressure that shows up every January, this episode is calling your name. Closing out the year, the POTC cohosts are bringing you a conversation about how creativity can be a lifeline, a mindset shift, and a really enjoyable way to start 2026 feeling more like yourself.Walking you through simple ways to reflect on the past year, we share some creative exercises that spark real insight and explore how tuning into your creative side can help you make meaning, connect with people, and better handle the tough stuff life throws at you. If you're craving more joy, connection, or just a new angle on the year ahead, you're bound to find something that resonates.So settle in, and join us in starting the year with intention, curiosity, and a little touch of creativity.Listen and Learn: Reflection Exercises, including: Finding Meaning: Reflecting on the past year, where were you last New Year's, and what were your biggest highs and lows since thenMeaningful Moments: Reflecting on two or three meaningful moments from the past year and vividly recalling the sights, sounds, and feelings of each experienceLessons, Wins and Moving Forward: Reflecting on your past year to uncover lessons from mistakes, celebrate achievements, and clarify what truly matters to you as you move into 2026Vision for the Year Ahead: Reflecting on what you truly want, the areas you've neglected, and the values you want to prioritize in the year aheadHow incorporating creative, life-affirming activities can boost your well-being and help you navigate life's challengesPractical exercises and tips to spark more creativity in your life in the new yearResources: Access the New Year's Reflection Questions from this episode (.pdf or editable MS Word versions available) Debbie's Guided Journaling Substack with writing prompts and a 30-day journaling challengeYear Compass worksheets: https://yearcompass.com/Word of the Year and Unravel Your Year worksheets by Susannah Conway: https://www.susannahconway.com/unravel Creative Mornings: https://creativemornings.com/ Jill | Betrayal Weekly: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jill-betrayal-weekly/id1615637724?i=1000726003078 If you have a story connected to trauma, crime, or someone who's caused harm—and you feel ready to share it—Jill would love to hear from you. You can book a free 30-minute consult at:https://jillstoddard.com/contact-us About the POTC CoHosts: Debbie Sorensen, PhD, Co-hostDebbie (she/her) is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Denver, Colorado with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and Anthropology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a Ph.D. in Psychology from Harvard University. She is author of the book ACT for Burnout: Recharge, Reconnect, and Transform Burnout with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and co-author of ACT Daily Journal: Get Unstuck and Live Fully with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She loves living in Colorado, her home state, with her husband, two daughters, and dog. When she's not busy working or podcasting, she enjoys reading fiction, cooking, traveling, and getting outdoors in the beautiful Rocky Mountains! You can learn more about Debbie, read her blog, and find out about upcoming presentations and training events at her webpage, drdebbiesorensen.com.Jill Stoddard, PhD, Co-hostJill Stoddard is passionate about sharing science-backed ideas from psychology to help people thrive. She is a psychologist, writer, TEDx speaker, award-winning teacher, peer-reviewed ACT trainer, bariatric coach, and co-host of the popular Psychologists Off the Clock podcast. Dr. Stoddard is the founder and director of The Center for Stress and Anxiety Management, an outpatient practice specializing in evidence-based therapies for anxiety and related issues. She is the author of three books: The Big Book of ACT Metaphors: A Practitioner's Guide to Experiential Exercises and Metaphors in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy; Be Mighty: A Woman's Guide to Liberation from Anxiety, Worry, and Stress Using Mindfulness and Acceptance; and Imposter No More: Overcome Self-doubt and Imposterism to Cultivate a Successful Career. Her writing has also appeared in The Washington Post, Psychology Today, Scary Mommy, Thrive Global, The Good Men Project, and Mindful Return. She regularly appears on podcasts and as an expert source for various media outlets. She lives in Newburyport, MA with her husband, two kids, and disobedient French Bulldog. Michael Herold, Co-HostMichael (he/him) is a confidence trainer and social skills coach, based in Vienna, Austria. He's helping his clients overcome their social anxiety through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and fun exposure exercises. (Though the jury is still out on whether they're mostly fun for him). He is also a certified therapeutic game master, utilizing the Dungeons&Dragons tabletop roleplaying game to train communication, assertiveness, and teamwork with young adults. Or actually, anyone ready to roll some dice and battle goblins in a supportive group where players want to level up (pun!) their social skills. Michael is the head coach of the L.A. based company The Art of Charm, running their confidence-building program “Unstoppable” as well as workshops on small talk, storytelling, vulnerability, and more. He is the scientific advisor and co-producer of their large podcast with more than 250 million downloads. As a member of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), Michael is the current President of the ACT Coaching Special Interest Group with nearly 1,000 coaches worldwide, and the co-founder of the ACT in Austria Affiliate of ACBS, a nationwide meetup for ACT practitioners in Austria. He's a public speaker who has spoken at TEDx, in front of members of parliament, universities, and once in a cinema full of 500 kids high on sugary popcorn. In a previous life, he was a character animator working on award-winning movies and TV shows such as “The Penguins of Madagascar” and “Kung Fu Panda”. That was before he realized that helping people live a meaningful life is much more rewarding than working in the film business – even though the long nights in the studio allowed him to brew his own beer in the office closet, an activity he highly recommends. Michael grew up with five foster kids who were all taken out of abusive families. His foster sisters showed him how much positive change is possible in a person if they have the love and support they need.Emily Edlynn, PhD, Co-HostEmily (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in pediatric health psychology who works in private practice with children, teens, and adults. She has a BA in English from Smith College, a PhD in clinical psychology from Loyola University Chicago, and completed postgraduate training at Stanford and Children's Hospital Orange County. Emily spent almost ten years working in children's hospitals before pivoting to private practice, which allowed her to start a writing career. Emily has written her blog, The Art and Science of Mom, since 2017 and a parenting advice column for Parents.com since 2019. Emily's writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, Scary Mommy, Good Housekeeping, Motherly, and more. She recently added author to her bio with her book, Autonomy-Supportive Parenting: Reduce Parental Burnout and Raise Competent Confident Children and has a Substack newsletter. Emily lives with her husband, three children, and two rescue dogs in Oak Park, IL where she can see Chicago's skyline from her attic window. Yael Schonbrun, PhD, Co-hostYael (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist who wears a number of professional hats: She has a small private practice specializing in evidence-based relationship therapy, she's an assistant professor at Brown University, and she writes for nonacademic audiences about working parenthood. She has a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and completed her postgraduate training at Brown University. In all areas of her work, Yael draws on scientific research, her clinical experience, ancient wisdom (with an emphasis on Taoism), and real life experiences with her three little boys. You can find out more about Yael's writing, including her book, Work, Parent, Thrive, and about her research by clicking the links. You can follow Yael on Linkedin and Instagram where she posts about relationship science or subscribe to her newsletter, Relational, to get the science of relationships in your email inbox!Related Episodes: 410. Creativity and Making Things with Kelly Corrigan and Claire Corrigan Lichty345. Writing for Personal Growth with Maureen Murdock211. Subtract with Leidy Klotz73. Essentialism with Greg McKeown257. The Gift of Being Ordinary with Ron Siegel 37. Post-Traumatic Growth with Diana and Debbie375. Midlife: From Crisis to Curiosity with Meg McKelvie and Debbie Sorensen 285. What Do You Want Out of Life? Values Fulfillment Theory with Valerie Tiberius 351. You Only Die Once with Jodi Wellman 138. Exploring Existence and Purpose: Existentialism with Robyn Walser 329. The Power of Curiosity with Scott ShigeokaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“Knowledge didn't fail you. It just can't carry you where you're going next.” Topics Discussed • Fertility burnout after years of doing everything right • IVF trauma and how it lingers beyond the procedure • Why knowledge alone stops creating change • Subconscious blocks that show up as overdoing and overwhelm • The role of frequency in emotional healing and integration • Letting go of fixing, chasing, and constant optimizing • Becoming the observer instead of the manager of your healing “Your body isn't asking for more effort. It's asking for coherence.” Hello Beautiful, Monica here supporting you to become the conscious mama you were born to be. This is not a New Year pep talk. This is not a fresh start fantasy. This is a pause. There comes a moment in the fertility journey when learning more stops helping. When gut health protocols, mindset work, emotional healing, even subconscious healing start stacking up instead of settling in. When fertility burnout isn't loud panic anymore, but quiet exhaustion. The kind where you know what to do, yet nothing feels integrated. This episode is an honest conversation about that moment. The one where information is no longer the issue. Patterns are. Frequency is. The way you relate to your body, your story, your timeline, your expectations. The part where IVF trauma, loss, and pressure quietly shape how safe it feels to slow down. I share why I am shifting this podcast into something simpler, slower, and more uncomfortable in the best way. Short episodes. Less teaching. More space. Invitations to notice how you move, react, strive, and hold control. Not so you fix yourself, but so you stop abandoning yourself in the name of doing it right. If you have done everything and still feel stuck, this episode will meet you there. No rescue. No urgency. Just a truth that might feel sharp at first, then oddly relieving. “Liberation begins when you stop trying to prove you're doing enough.” Timestamps 00:00 Welcome and grounding into the conversation 01:30 Why New Year energy never resonated for me 03:20 When knowledge became accessible, but embodiment didn't follow 05:50 The patterns I see women repeating even with all the tools 07:15 Why this podcast is shifting into shorter, quieter episodes 09:30 Fertility burnout, IVF trauma, and the illusion of control 11:40 What real pattern interruption actually asks of you “Nothing new needs to be added. Something old needs to be released.” Full Transcript Over on the Blog: https://www.findingfertility.co/blog/the-end-of-infertility-overdoing-a-new-frequency-for-fertility-healing Let's Do This Together

#358: This week, we're stepping into the winter solstice with a special gift - a collection of powerful moments from past episodes that capture the heart of what Feminist Wellness is all about. Whether you're celebrating the holidays, marking Yule, or simply taking a breath in this midwinter moment, this episode invites you to pause and come home to yourself through what I call a kitten step: the smallest possible step toward growth, even smaller than a baby step (because those are way too big). Join me this week as I share some of the most transformative teachings from recent conversations about breaking free from the systems that keep us small. From understanding emotional outsourcing patterns to practical tools for reclaiming your emotional space as an act of resistance, these insights offer a path toward collective liberation that starts with the revolutionary act of being kind to yourself. Get full show notes, transcript, and more information here: https://beatrizalbina.com/358 Order your copy of End Emotional Outsourcing here: https://beatrizalbina.com/book/ Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/beatrizvictoriaalbinanp/?hl=enMentioned in this episode:Buy Your Copy of End Emotional Outsourcing Today!Please support the book by reviewing it on Amazon or Goodreads. It helps the book reach more folks who are still living in old survival patterns and don't have language for it yet. Drop your screenshot at beatrizalbina.com/book and you'll get access to thank-you gifts and raffles for free breathwork sessions, coaching, and audiobook copies. I appreciate you more than you know. Get your copy today: https://feminist-wellness.captivate.fm/bookEEO Pre-Sale

This talk explores the liberating power of clear seeing — vipassanā, or insight — the capacity to recognize things as they truly are rather than as we wish them to be. Through the practice of mindful attention, we begin to see through the illusions that shape our experience: the illusion that things are solid, that the self is fixed, that craving can bring satisfaction, and that suffering is personal. Each moment of genuine insight loosens the grip of confusion and reveals the luminous awareness that is already free.   You'll learn how insight unfolds through the deep investigation of perception, self, desire, and suffering; how mindfulness and compassion work together to transform pain into wisdom; and how to bring these realizations into the immediacy of daily life. Through stories, reflection, and direct practice, you'll discover how to live from the natural clarity that sees through delusion and rests in the heart of liberation.

Dr. Thema has an inspiring conversation with her father Bishop Bryant about his journey moving from being a late bloomer as a youth to a champion for spiritual and political liberation. He shares what helped him to launch as someone who struggled with academics and behavior as a result of fear. He shares his success story and his wisdom for parents who are raising children who have not yet flourished. Bishop John Richard Bryant is the son of the late Bishop Harrison James Bryant and Edith Holland Bryant. He was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and is a graduate of Baltimore City College High School and is a graduate of Morgan State University in his hometown. After college, Bishop Bryant joined the Peace Corps and served as a volunteer in West Africa from 1965 to 1967. He has taken seriously the words "study to show thyself approved…" Bishop Bryant received his B.A. in 1965 from Morgan State University, Master of Theology in 1970 from the Boston University School of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1975 from the Colgate Rochester Divinity School. He also receivedseveral Honorary Doctoral Degrees from Wilberforce University, Paul Quinn College, Payne Theological Seminary, the Southern California School of Ministry, Virginia Seminary and his alma mater, Morgan State University. In addition, he was honored as an outstanding alumni of Boston University School of Theology and was inducted into the Baltimore City College High School Hall of Fame. Bishop Bryant was a Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellow and while pursuing his doctoral studies at Colgate Rochester Divinity School, he completed special studies at the University of Lagos [Nigeria] and the University of Ghana at Legon and served as a Peace Corp volunteer. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share.

Reading from my new book Wildflowers Praying at Midnight, released December, 2025. This piece begins with: Ukuzola. Calm now. Here is our medicine.... All of my books are available at booksellers worldwide and at my website. Birthing Life personal phone sessions, book specials, Substack journal, apparel, poetic keynotes and talks, and book/poetry readings are available at my website. Thank you for posting your copies and readings of my books and writings, tagging #jaiyajohn, encouraging others to purchase, and sharing online book reviews. My whole heart cries Grateful. jaiyajohn.com...                   Send us a textSupport the show

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson talks Russia, Ukraine, China, the collapse of Europe's economy and more. Then Junaid S Ahmad talks Pakistan, Imran Khan and why Zionism will fail. And then filmmakers Tami Gold and JT Takagi talk about Third World Newsreel and revolutionary film. For the full discussion, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-full-jt-146035006 Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired US army colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell. He is an anti-war critic of U.S. foreign policy and a member of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity. Junaid S Ahmad teaches Law, Religion and Global Politics and is the Director of the Centre for the Study of Islam and Decolonization (CSID), Islamabad, Pakistan. He is a member of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST), the Movement for Liberation from Nakba (MLN) and Saving Humanity and Planet Earth (SHAPE). Tami Kashia Gold is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural worker and a professor at Hunter College CUNY. Her teaching focuses on documentary production and LGBTQ non-fiction studies. As a filmmaker, Tami has produced RFK In The Land Of Apartheid; Signed, Sealed and Delivered: Labor Struggle in the Post Office; The Last Hunger Strike: Ireland 1981; Another Brother, among others. Tami is a recipient of a Rockefeller, Guggenheim and Fulbright Fellowships; NY/NJ Video Arts Fellowships; AFI Independent Filmmakers Fellowship and Tribeca Audience Award; GLAAD Media Award; Urban Visionaries Award, Museum of Television and Radio; Excellence in the Arts Award from the Manhattan Borough President; Cine Golden Eagle Award;1st Place Athens International Film and Video Festival; HUGO Award; Gold Plaque Chicago International Film Festival; Director's Choice Award, Black Maria; Video Golden Apple Award; National Media Network Festival among others. JT Takagi (Orinne JT Takagi) is an award-winning independent filmmaker and sound recordist. Her films are primarily on Asian/Asian-American and immigrant issues and include BITTERSWEET SURVIVAL, THE #7 TRAIN, THE WOMEN OUTSIDE, and NORTH KOREA: BEYOND THE DMZ, which all aired on PBS. As a sound engineer, she has recorded for numerous public television and theatrical documentaries with Emmy and Cinema Audio Society nominations including the 2018 Oscar-nominated and Emmy-winning STRONG ISLAND by Yance Ford, BLACK PANTHERS: VANGUARD OF THE REVOLUTION, and TELL THEM WE ARE RISING by Stanley Nelson, and others. She also manages Third World Newsreel, a non-profit alternative media center, and serves on the boards of both community and national organizations working on peace and social justice. ***Please support The Katie Halper Show *** For bonus content, exclusive interviews, to support independent media & to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow Get your Katie Halper Show Merch here! https://katiehalper.myspreadshop.com/all Follow Katie on Twitter: https://x.com/kthalps Follow Katie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kthalps Follow Katie on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@kthalps_

World leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss an unprecedented plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance more support for Ukraine. Critics argue that it's legally questionable and risks serious retaliation from Moscow. Correspondent Clare Sebastian joins the show from Brussels.   Also on today's show: author Marietje Schaake, "The Tech Coup"; playwright Bess Wohl and actor Kristolyn Lloyd, "Liberation"; Zoe Weissman, a survivor of both the Brown University and Parkland school shootings    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices