Podcasts about we are all connected

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 is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. Title:  We Are All Connected Show Transcripts Opening: [00:00:00] Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express.   Ayame Keane-Lee: [00:01:17] Welcome to Apex Express. Tonight's show is June 19th. We are all connected. We are talking with Asian and Asian American Children's book authors. PowerLeeGirls host Miko Lee talks with Chi Thai and Livia Blackburne about the power of storytelling, maternal heritage, generational trauma, and much more. First, we want to start by wishing everyone a happy Juneteenth, Juneteenth commemorates, an end to slavery and the emancipation of Black Americans after the Civil War. In 1865, 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned of their freedom. Juneteenth marks the day the last enslaved people learned of their freedom. Though outright slavery became illegal, the systematic oppression of African Americans continues to this day. We see that show up in almost every aspect of American culture, from the high rate of infant mortality to the over punishing of Black children in schools, to police brutality, to incarceration. We must continue to recognize the importance of championing Black lives and lifting up Black voices. We are all connected. June 19th is also an important day in Asian American history. In 1982 in Detroit, Vincent Chin was at a bar celebrating his bachelor party prior to his wedding the next day. Ronald Ebens, a white auto worker, and his stepson Michael Nitz taunted Vincent with racial epithets. They thought he was Japanese and were angry about the Japanese rise in the auto industry. When Vincent left the bar later, the two men attacked and killed Vincent with a baseball bat. He was 27 years old. Ronald Ebens never did time for this murder. Ronald Ebens is 85 years old now. Ebens not only skirted prosecution, he has used bankruptcy and homesteading laws in Nevada to avoid a wrongful death civil suit settlement. Ordered by the court in 1987 to pay $1.5 million to Chin's family, the Chin estate has received nothing. Lily Chin, Vincent's mom could have stayed silent about the racist attack on her son. Instead she spoke out. She took a courageous stance to highlight this most painful moment in her life. In doing so, she helped ignite a new generation of Asian American activists working for civil rights and social justice. We find ourselves in a new wave of activism as our communities band together to work against the injustices of the current regime. And what does this have to do with children's books? It is all connected. We highlight children's books by Asian and Asian American authors because we want our next generation of children to know and appreciate their own heritage. We want them to proudly represent who they are so that they can work in solidarity with other peoples. Our struggle is interwoven. As Grace Lee Boggs said, “History is a story not only of the past, but of the future.” Thank you for joining us on apex express. Enjoy the show.   Miko Lee: [00:04:24] First off. Let's take a listen to one of Byron Au Young's compositions called “Know Your Rights” This is part of the trilogy of the Activist Songbook. This multi-lingual rap, give steps to know what to do when ICE officers come to your door.    MUSIC   That was “Know Your Rights” performed by Jason Chu with lyrics by Aaron Jeffries and composed by Byron Au Yong Welcome, Chi Thai to Apex Express.    Chi Thai: [00:07:13] Hello. I'm really happy to be joining you, Miko.  Miko Lee: [00:07:16] I'm really happy to meet you and learn about you as an artist, as a filmmaker, as a children's book author. And I wanna first start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Chi Thai: [00:07:30] Ooh, what a great question. You know what? I love being asked stuff that hasn't been asked kind of before. I mean, there's a kinda really kinda natural answer to that, which is, you know, family are my people. Of course. 100%. And certainly, you know, the reason why I'm talking to you today, you know, in regard to the, to the book, you know, it's about my family's journey. But I found, and I don't know if this is. Somewhat to do with, you know, being a child of two cultures and you know, being a child of the diaspora that you really have to kind of find your own family too. 'cause I suppose I grew up feeling, I didn't quite relate to maybe my parents in a way that, you know, you normally would if you weren't part of the diaspora. And I felt estranged from my birth country and I didn't really feel like British either a lot of the time. So in terms of like, who are my people? I've gathered those people as I've kind of grown up and it's, it's a kind of strange feeling too. I feel like it's taken me a really long to grow up and to figure out who I am. And I suppose that's why, you know, the people that I have a really, a lot of people that have come, kinda later in my life, I actually have no friends in my childhood as an example of that. I've had to kind of find these people as I've grown up, but it's taken me a long time to grow up because growing up in the UK there wasn't any literature to read about what it was like to be Asian. And British, to be a refugee and things like that. So it just took me longer and I then, as a result, it just took me longer to find my tribe. but I have it now, but it's still work in progress. That was a very convoluted answer. I'm very sorry Miko.    Miko Lee: [00:09:15] No, it wasn't. No worries. It's fine. And what legacy do you carry with you?   Chi Thai: [00:09:19] Kind of an extension to that answer, I think when you're an artist, practicing your voice, figuring out your voice, can take a while. And I think I've only really started maybe the last like five to 10 years at the most really figured out what I want my legacy to be. The things I wanna talk about are really about s tories from the diaspora, certainly, and about community and healing. These are the things I think that are really important to me, especially when we talk about maybe coming from struggle. I don't feel it's enough to be an artist today and just talk about struggle. I want to talk about justice as well. And justice really is about healing, you know?    Miko Lee: [00:10:00] Oh, that's beautiful. Can you talk a little bit more about that healing and what that means to you and how that shows up in your work?    Chi Thai: [00:10:07] A couple years ago, no, not even that long ago, I produced a, a feature film. This is probably the best example for it, but I produced a feature film called Raging Grace, which we called it Horror with a small H and it. Basically took the story of what it was like to be, undocumented Filipina in the uk who was also a mother. And I think if that film had been made 10 years ago, it would just shown how hard her life was, and unrelentingly. So, and I think the reason why Raising Grace is so special is it goes beyond the trauma, it takes us to a place of justice, of being able to speak out for someone who has felt invisible, to be visible for someone who's not. Had a voice, to have a voice and to begin that kind of healing process of sticking up for herself, making a change transforming herself from maybe the good immigrant to the bad immigrant and things like that. I think that's a really great example and I think I read a really wonderful thing. It might have been in a Guardian article where we, so a lot of my work is around, inclusion representation of like diasporic stories. And I think when you have, when you exist in the poverty of like representation, I. the solution to that is plentitude. I think that Viet Thanh Nguyen probably said that, so I don't wanna take credit for it. He comes up with so many wonderful things, and that's a wonderful thing to be able to move from poverty, like to plentitude and that be the solution, is kinda really wonderful. So I enjoy being really prolific. I enjoy supporting artists to be able to do their work. So as a community, we can also be prolific and I wanna support, narratives that. Take us beyond a place of struggle and trauma to a place of like healing and justice and so forth.    Miko Lee: [00:11:57] Your work crosses so many genres. You were just mentioning how that film was kind of a horror film and, and then you've done these kind of dreamy animation pieces and then now this children's book. Do you select the genre and the format and the medium, or does it select you?   Chi Thai: [00:12:16] Oh, I think the story chooses it. I like 100% believe that. I just actually was thinking about this 'cause I was doing an interview on something else, people, often ask about the creative process and I, can only speak for my own. But usually when I get an idea for a story, the general shape of it comes almost like really well formed. There's a sense of a lready kinda what genre it'll be. There's a sense of the character, there's a sense of the journey and all these things. I felt the same about, writing The Endless Sea I knew it would be from the voice of a child. This probably sounds like my creative process is terrible, but it was just. This is how it was going to be. That kind of part was writing itself, or at least I feel that it'd been writing itself like that in my subconscious for many, many years before it kind of surfacing and writing. Like the writing bit is just the tip of the iceberg at the end of the day. there wasn't like a kind of decision about that. the story in that sense was quite intact. So I often feel like the story is demanding something about kind genre and for, for Raging Grace 'cause I've talked about this a lot, not just in listen to me, but other things. But we always said like if you are an an undocumented person, every breath you take is taken in a hostile environment. It's so natural for it to be a horror. So there's not a sense that you kinda decide that it's like that is the very reality of someone who's going, you know, that's their lived experience. And if you're going to represent that truthfully, it will be through the prism of horror. And I suppose that's how I think about genre. the story is kind of telling you what it needs to tell its emotional truth. and I felt that way, with The Endless Sea same thing with the Raging Grace, with Lullaby. And I think you talked about The Promise, I suppose I, with The Promise, which is an adaptation I had less choice about that because that was a book and it was a adapted into an animation. I've heard Nicola, who's the author of the book, talk about that and she talks about like the story coming to her in a dream and tiptoeing down her arm coming onto the page, she like describes it really beautifully. so maybe our processes are the same. It feels that way. there's not long deliberations. I mean, that's not to say the writing process isn't difficult. It is. But that, I've never found the, [genre] the difficulty or the bit that's required a lot of, I don't know soul searching with it.    Miko Lee: [00:14:28] So with that being said, how did Endless Sea your latest children's book? How did that tiptoe into your imagination?    Chi Thai: [00:14:36] This is a strange one because this is probably the closest thing to like, almost autobiographical work. What I can say is like, it's the true story o f how I and my family, which would've been at the time my mom and dad, my older sister, me, how we fled Vietnam after the fall of an Saigon. we actually left quite late we left in 1979 w hen things were tr were getting truly, truly, truly, quite terrible. And, this was very much a last resort. I think my parents would try to make things work, but realized that they couldn't. This journey that we took on these, boats that were made badly, made poorly, that many of which sank has become almost like the genesis story of our family. It's like it's a big, it has a long shadow, right? Ever since you know I, it is like the first story that I can remember. It's one of the few stories my mom would tell me again and again when we, when they see their old friends, it's something they talk about. So it's something that has happened to it to us, but it's such a big thing that it's just, echoed In my life growing up, as I've you know, got older and older, and the wonderful thing about having a story kinda live with you eventually it's in your blood and in your bones, but also if it's a thing that's kinda shared with you again and again, you actually build up this, there's something about the repetition of it, and then every time you hear it told from an uncle or a family friend or from your mom, a new little detail is embroidered that someone adds. So I've kinda lived with this story for 40 plus years and I've been collecting all these little things about it all this time and all that time it was, I think, kind of just writing itself, you know? You know, it was doing all that work before I actually put like pen to paper. Um, yeah.    Miko Lee: [00:16:31] Was there a catalyst or something that made you actually put the pen to paper?   Chi Thai: [00:16:36] That's really interesting. You know, I probably don't mind it is probably something really banal like. I think I probably wrote it during Covid and I had more time. Um, I think there are probably be some bigger forces in place. And you know what, I can tell you what it is actually if I'm, I'm forcing myself to think and examine a bit closer so when this is totally true. So I remember hearing the news about Viet Thanh Nguyen win winning the Pulitzer for The Sympathizer. And it made such a mark on me and I kind of felt, wow, someone from our community has achieved this incredible thing. And I thought, why? Why now? Like, and I was like, well, you know what? It's probably taken our community certain amount of time to come of age, to develop not just the abilities to write, to create, to make art, but also to have possibly the relationships or networks in place to be able to then make the art and get it out into the world. And I kind of felt when he was able to do that and came of age, I kind of felt there was going to be like other people from the kind of diasporic Vietnamese community that would also start to flourish. And that made me feel really good. About probably being a bit older than the average kind of artist, like making their, kinda like their pieces and everything and saying, you know what? My time can be now. It's okay. And I just find it just really inspiring that, you know our community was kind of growing, growing up, coming of age and being able to do these, these things And I kind of felt like it had given me the permission, I suppose the, the confidence to go, “Oh this story that I've been carrying my whole life, which I don't really see a version of out there I can write that and now I can write it and I'm the right person to write it.” And I had just done The Promise so I had a relationship with Walker. I was like, I have a, you know, a relationship with the publisher. I feel my writing is matured. Like I can do this. And so it was like a culmination and, you know, convergence of those things. And, but I do remember having that thought thinking, “This is a good time to be alive in our community 'cause we're actually able to make our art and get it out there now.” I, I felt it was like a real watershed moment really.   Miko Lee: [00:19:11] What made you decide to do it in this format as a Little Kid's Children's Illustrated book? We were talking earlier about how to, to me, this is the first more realistic version of a boat people experience in a very little kid's voice. What made you decide to do it in this style?    Chi Thai: [00:19:33] So interesting. At the same time, I was writing The Endless Sea. I was writing also the script for a short film, which is called Lullaby, which is takes an incident that happened on my boat but expresses it as a film, as a little kinda horror kinda drama, but a kid cannot watch that. It's like too terrifying. Um, and I wrote, you know, The Endless Sea at the same time. And again, I can't, it's really hard for me to articulate. I just knew it was gonna be a kid's book, like, and I knew it'd be written from the voice of a kid, and I didn't actually, can I say I didn't even ascribe a particular kind of value to that. It wasn't until I had started conversations with the publisher they're like, you know, we see like there's a really high, like this is really great that it's written in the voice of the kid. It somehow gives it something else. Something more is something kind of special. I didn't set out to like, overthink, like what was the most effective way to tell this story? I, I think I just told the story as honestly as I could, you know, with the words that I felt that, you know, I had in me to de, you know, to describe it. In the most authentic way to, to me. And like I say, at the same time, I knew, like I knew that was a kid's book. There was another part of that I wanted to express that was really important to me and that was survivor's guilt. But that I felt was like, that was a horror, so that was really not gonna be suitable for kids. So I was definitely thinking about lots of things to do with the same subject of the same time, but they were definitely being expressed in different ways. And again, Lullaby came to me very kind of quickly, almost fully formed. And I knew, you know, it would be a ghost story. I knew it would be the story of a mother and things like that. And I often maybe, you know, I should, I, I should interrogate more, but I kinda, I take these kinda. These ideas, which are quite well shaped and, and then I just like lean into them more and more and more. But they, the way they arrive it, I've kinda, I, I can see a lot of what is already about to unfold.   Miko Lee: [00:21:43] And do you still dream about that experience of being on the boat as a kid?    Chi Thai: [00:21:52] It's, it's a really difficult thing to explain because you know that that happened now so long ago, and I've probably heard the story thousands of times. I've watched all the terrible Hollywood movies, I've seen all the news clippings, I've watched all the archive. I've listened to, you know, people talk, and I have my own memories and I look at photographs and I have memories of looking at photographs. I feel like, you know, my memory is really unreliable, but what it is instead is it's this, this kind of, kind of tapestry of, you know, of the story of memories, of, you know, images as I grow up of hearing the story, like all coming together. One of the things I did when I wrote, I wrote The Endless Sea, is I then went back to my mom and I did a recorded interview with her 'cause I was really worried about how unreliable my memory might be. And I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions and I said, and I, it was like, you know, in the way I would've just like listened to the story quite passively before this time I interviewed her and I asked a lot of questions about details and all sorts of things. 'cause I really wanted to be able to represent things, you know, as factually as I could. And that was kinda one of my kinda kind of fact checking kinda exercises I did 'cause I was, I was much quite worried about how unreliable my memory was about it all. And you know, what is, what is a memory of a memory of memory, like, you know, especially when it comes to thinking about that time on the boat and the feelings I had. Yeah. So, you know,    Miko Lee: [00:23:34] and you were so young also to    Chi Thai: [00:23:37] Totally 100%. And sometimes, I don't know, you know, is it a memory of a memory? Is it a dream of a dream?   Miko Lee: [00:23:44] Mm-hmm.    Chi Thai: [00:23:44] Or just some, yeah.   Miko Lee: [00:23:46] Was there anything that your mom said that surprised you?    Chi Thai: [00:23:50] Yeah. Um, she didn't realize how bad it was gonna be and she was like, “God, if it, I'd known how terrifying it was I dunno if I, we could have done it.” I think there's a certain amount of naivety involved and I suppose that surprised me. You know? 'cause we know already now how bad it was. Um, so things like that surprised me.    Miko Lee: [00:24:15] and your mom, the dedication of the book is to your mom. What does she think when she first read it?    Chi Thai: [00:24:22] I've got a funny story. My parents, you know, they, we left, they were in their early twenties and I think it was, you know, the escape was hard for them, but settling in new country was really hard for them. That's. That's been kind of their struggle. They had to work so hard, so many hours to kind of, you know, give us a great life. And, I think a lot of that meant they weren't people that could go out, enjoy, enjoy movies, look at art, read lots of literature and things like that. They're very, very simple, very working class. Simple life or working class kinda life. Very much all about, uh, the work. Um, and I remember when I had a, the publisher had made like a mockup of the book and I gave it to my mum to read 'cause I wanted her to be happy about it too, and she's probably been my toughest critic. I think everything I've done, she hasn't really liked, to be honest. Um, and when I gave her the mockup to read. She went, “Yeah,” but she said it in such a way I knew what she meant was Yeah, that's right. You know, that's the truth. That's the, you know, the book isn't the testimony, but it felt like she was saying yeah. It was like the simple kind of approval. It wasn't like a lot    Miko Lee: [00:25:50] That is the most Asian mom's approval ever.    Chi Thai: [00:25:54] It's so funny, like people say to me, oh Chi, it's such a beautiful book. Oh, the writing so lit, like lyrical. It's stripped back, it's elegant. Like, you know, Viet Thanh Nguyen , like God bless his like consults, gave me a comment to put in the book, said these wonderful things, and my mom goes, “yeah.”. You know, it made me laugh at the time, but I knew what it meant. And I also was old enough, I was mature enough, you know, God, if she'd given me that, if I'd been 20 written that I might have cried and my heart might have broken. Right. But I, I knew I had, I've so much compassion, you know, for my parents. Mm-hmm. And people like my parents, what they've been through and, you know, but    Miko Lee: [00:26:38] That was incredibly high praise for her.    Chi Thai: [00:26:40] It was, I couldn't have asked more.   Miko Lee: [00:26:47] Oh, I totally get that. I think that's such an Asian thing. That is so funny.    Chi Thai: [00:26:53] It is, it is. I didn't feel bad. I, I remember showing her Lullaby, um, and she didn't like it at all.    Miko Lee: [00:27:02] What did she say? What is her not like voice? What did she say to that?    Chi Thai: [00:27:05] Oh, she. Well, firstly, she, well, the, the film is almost silent because basically it tells a story. It's inspired by a mother that was on our boat who lost her baby on the border crossing, and I was very much ever, for as long as I knew about this woman's story, I was like, I was very much haunted by it, and I was haunted by, you know, the fact that that's how she felt and her guilt. Over losing her baby on this journey. And I knew, I knew I wanted to tell her story. 'cause one of the things I feel very strongly about is when you are on the losing side. So I'm from South Vietnam, like that's not the, you know, that's not the story that's told, the story is told of who triumphs at the end of the day. And I was just like all those people that we lost at sea, this mother, her baby. The stories kind of aren't told. So I kind of felt really strongly that this was somehow a very creative way to put down like a, an historical record like this happened. And actually I found out after making the film that five babies were lost in our boat, not just one.   Miko Lee: [00:28:24] Wow. So what did she say, your mom say?   Chi Thai: [00:28:28] Yes. So I made this film, which was for the most part, a silent film. This is a woman that's shut down. She barely speaks anymore. She is living with the guilt ever. You know, when she was on the boat before her baby died, she sang a lullaby, and ever since then, she hasn't been able to speak again. And then we find out that she has been haunted by the ghost of her child that she lost. And then a bit too, you know, to kind of free herself from that. She, she actually sings, you know, the, the film culminates in her singing the Luby one last time. S saying Goodbye finally being able to move beyond her Gild and I Griffin, saying goodbye and hoping she's able to, you know, progress. So I made a film about that was largely silence except for this lullaby, and my mum watched it. She went, next time you make a film, you know you need more words. I was just like, oh, I think my heart probably did crumple off a bit a bit at that point.    Miko Lee: [00:29:30] Aw.    Chi Thai: [00:29:31] You know? Um, but yeah. But yeah, it's okay. It's okay because you know what? My mom doesn't get to see stuff like that very often. So sometimes she doesn't have the wider, and this is why, I mean, like, the life that she's had, you know, hasn't been one where she's been able to surround herself with, oh, I'm so lucky. You know, my life has been so different, but it's been different. Different because of, you know what she's, what she's done for us, so it's okay. I can take it on the chin when she says my film doesn't have enough dialogue in it.    Miko Lee: [00:30:04] I love that. For you, have you had conversations with your mom about your life as an artist, and what are her thoughts on that?   Chi Thai: [00:30:16] Well say. So I, so my mom, I don't really like, you know, she's probably not that into it. I'll be honest about being an artist. I can understand why she wants you to have a good life. And I would say for the most part, being an artist is, is a, is a tough life because it's hard to make, you know, the, the pennies work, right?   Miko Lee: [00:30:44] She wants stability for you, right?    Chi Thai: [00:30:45] Yeah, exactly. But she's made a peace with it. And basically what happened, I think all the best story is gonna be about my mom, right? Is that she basically, I, I, um, I have a partner, we've been together for 15 years. Um, he's a really nice guy and he has a reliable job and we have two kids together and i,    Miko Lee: [00:31:08] So that makes it okay.   Chi Thai: [00:31:10] So yeah, this is what I was saying. So she said to me like. It doesn't really matter what you do now. 'cause she, you are already peaked. You're somebody's wife. We're not married. But she told everyone in Vietnam we were married 'cause she couldn't cope with this not being like having kids out of wedlock. In her head. She's rewritten that we are married. Right. She's like, you are married, you're somebody's wife and you mother, it doesn't get better than that. So if you are an artist or if you're a filmmaker, whatever, it doesn't matter. 'cause nothing can be better than that. Right. So she's accepted on the basis that I've already fulfilled, kind of my promise.   Miko Lee: [00:31:46] Wow. Interesting.    Chi Thai: [00:31:50] And she means that in the nicest possible way.    Miko Lee: [00:31:52] Yeah.    Chi Thai: [00:31:52] That she feels like you have a home, you have stability, you have someone who loves you, you know, you have a, a purpose in life, but really her value, you know, the way, I think, the way she measures my value is like, that's how she looks at it. The, the art is something else.    Miko Lee: [00:32:10] Well, I really appreciate you sharing your art with us in the world and your various, um, genres and styles. And I'm wondering how our audience can find out more about your work. Clearly we'll put links to where people can buy the book and let's see, but how do they find out more about your films?   Chi Thai: [00:32:28] Um, so that like, because it is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War in 2025. Actually the very anniversary of that is the tomorrow, the 30th, April, right? Um, you can watch Lullaby on Altar, which is a YouTube channel. Um, and I can give you the link for it. Rating Grace is on Paramount Plus if you want to, if you've got Paramount Plus, but you can also buy it from all the usual kind of places too. Um, and you know, and we'll see us from all great book stockists, I imagine in, in the us.   Miko Lee: [00:33:07] Thank you so much. Um, I'd love to get, I'd love for you to send me the link so I could put 'em in the show notes. I really appreciate chatting with you today. Um, is there anything else you'd like to share?    Chi Thai: [00:33:19] Um, no, I think, I think that's good. Your, your questions are so good. Mika, I'm already like, kinda like processing them all. Uh, yes.    Miko Lee: [00:33:30] Well, it was a delight to chat with you and to learn more about your artistic vision, and my wishes are that you continue to grow and feel blessed no matter what your mama says, because deep down, she's still proud of you. Even if she doesn't say it out loud.    Chi Thai: [00:33:47] I believe it. I totally believe it.    Miko Lee: [00:33:50] Yay. Thank you so much for spending time with us on Apex Express.Next up, listen to stay, go from dark heart, a concert narrative by singer and songwriter Golda Sargento.   MUSIC   That was the voice of Golda Sargento from the new Filipino futurism punk rock sci-fi dark heart. Welcome, Livia Blackburne Children's book, author of Nainai's Mountain. Welcome to Apex Express.    Livia Blackburne: [00:38:56] Thank you so much for having me.    Miko Lee: [00:38:58] I wanna start with a personal question, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:05] I am Chinese American, and so I carry the stories of my grandparents who fled China to Taiwan, fled that war. And I also carry the stories of my parents and myself who immigrated. To America, and I am, I grew up in New Mexico, so I have fond memories of green chili and new Mexican food. I went to college, Harvard and MIT on the east coast. So I've got a bit of that kind of ivory tower. And now I'm in LA and, you know, my people are, my family and my community, the writing community here. So I, I'm a big mix. Yes.    Miko Lee: [00:39:44] What legacy do you carry with you?    Livia Blackburne: [00:39:47] I mentioned a bit of my grandparents and my parents. What they went through in the war in China, and then my parents and me coming here. the experience of being here in two worlds, coming from Taiwan having that cultural background and also, growing up in the United States. The culture I've been surrounded with here as well.    Miko Lee: [00:40:06] Thank you so much for sharing. Can you tell us about your new illustrated children's book? Nainai's Mountain. What inspired this work?    Livia Blackburne: [00:40:14] The story of this book actually started with another book that is coming out in a couple years that actually I can't share too much about. My grandparents fled the war in China and then my. Parents grew up in Taiwan and I wanted to preserve that family story. My parents are getting older. So I started doing oral interviews with my parents about their childhood, what it was like, growing up. I wouldn't say they weren't refugees in Taiwan. It's a very complicated political situation, but they were transplants to Taiwan, and what it was like growing up there, their daily life. What kind of things they did when they were a child, their pastimes, I wanted to preserve their stories and I got a lot of great material., A lot of that is going into a novel that I'm currently working on. But also as I worked on it, there were so many great details that I thought would be really good in a picture book as well. Also, I'm a mother now. I have an 8-year-old daughter, and she is half Caucasian, half Asian. She has never gone to Taiwan before and I. As I'm writing this, I'm thinking, it would be really great to, I do want to share Taiwan and, my own childhood, home with her at some point. And so I start imagining what would it be like to bring her back to Taiwan and show her everything. And that became the seed for Nainai's Mountain, which is a. Story of a girl visiting Taiwan for the first time with her grandmother. And her grandmother shows her around and tells her stories about her childhood, and the girl through her grandmother's eyes, sees Taiwan, you know, for the beautiful place that it is.    Miko Lee: [00:41:56] You also wrote the book I Dream of Popo. How are these companions to each other and also for audiences that might not speak Chinese. One is a grandmother on the mother's side, and the other is the grandmother on the father's side. Can you talk about how I dream of Popo is linked to Nainai's Mountain?   Livia Blackburne: [00:42:15] Thank you for pointing that out. Yes. So Popo is maternal grandmother, and Nainai is a paternal grandmother. And that is a fantastic question. So I dream of popo is kind of my story. So it's about a little girl who moves from Taiwan , to the United States and it's about her relationship with her grandmother who stays in Taiwan. And it talks about, how a close relationship, navigating long geographical distances about the language barrier that comes up. And that was very much me, Nainai's Mountain. It's kind of like Popo in reverse, you know, it's now it's someone going back to Taiwan and kind of getting in touch with those roots. That, as I mentioned, that's inspired by my daughter. And you'll see in Nainai's Mountain, I specified that the child should be, half Asian, half Caucasian. Because, I wanted more of that representation in the children's literature.    Miko Lee: [00:43:07] Thank you. I, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about the artistic style. So you are the author, but you had different illustrators for both of the books and the style is really different. The in, when I look at Nainai's Mountain, which I'm holding here, it's sort of collage and really vibrant colors. Where I Dream of Popo has a different, more. I'm almost realistic, kind of look to it. And I'm wondering what your process was like in collaborating with illustrators.    Livia Blackburne: [00:43:37] That's one of the best things about being a picture book author, is that you get to collaborate with so many illustrators and they all have such different styles, such different visions. Most of the time it's the publisher who chooses the illustrator, although they. Consult me usually. My editor for I Dream of Popo picked Julia Kuo. And she sent me samples and I loved it. And, it was great. I'm friends with Julia now and that book did really well. It was very well known, especially in kind of Taiwanese American, Asian American circles. And so when I did, Nainai's mountain, that was with a different publishing house and my editor. He very consciously said, you know, because it's also a book about Taiwan and a grandmother. We don't want to get it confused with I dream of Popo. So, we made a conscious decision to pick an artist with a very different style and Joey Chou is fantastic. He's very well known for his Disney art. You can see his art in a lot of the hotels and cruise ships. And, he, very bright, vibrant, and I, he's also from Taiwan. I think he did a fantastic job.   Miko Lee: [00:44:41] And have the artistic work ever surprised you as being really different from your imagination while you were writing?    Livia Blackburne: [00:44:48] That's a great question. I don't think they've ever surprised me. By being different. They surprised me in the specifics that they've chosen. For example, I dream of Popo. Julia, spent a lot of time in Taiwan and she put in these great, Taiwan details that, you know, if you're from Taiwan, you would know for sure. There's like a specific brand of rice cooker called the rice cooker, and she has one there and like the giant bag of rice in the corner, and the calendar on the wall.   Miko Lee: [00:45:16] Even the specificities of the food and the trays and everything is quite lovely.    Livia Blackburne: [00:45:20] Yeah, yeah. You know, every time I read that, I look at that spread, I get hungry. So surprise there. And, with Joey, I, I love how he does the different, there's kind of flashback pictures and there's, pictures now and. The thing about him, his color, I just love the color that he put in from the greens, of Taiwan to kind of the bright fluorescent lights, neon lights of Taipei, and then there's kind of the slight sepia tones of the past and he just, you know, brings it so to life so well.   Miko Lee: [00:45:49] I didn't know he was a Disney animator, but it totally makes sense because it feels very layered. It does feel animated in a way and kind of alive. So I appreciate that.   Livia Blackburne: [00:45:59] I'm not sure. If he's an animator. He does a lot of art for the theme parks and like products and the cruise ships and stuff. I'm not sure.    Miko Lee: [00:46:07] Oh, interesting.   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:07] He does like movies and  stuff.    Miko Lee: [00:46:08] Interesting. It looks like animation though. Your book.    Livia Blackburne: [00:46:13] It does look very, yeah. Lively. Mm-hmm.    Miko Lee: [00:46:16] That I'm looking forward to that series. That would be so cute. The grandmother series as a whole little mini series traveling to different places. can you tell us about your new book, Dreams to Ashes? Has that been released yet?   Livia Blackburne: [00:46:29] Dreams to Ashes? That has been released that, released about a month before Nainai's Mountain. Yeah, that one's quite a bit different. So that one is a nonfiction book and it's a picture book, and it's about the Los Angeles massacre of 1871. Whenever people, I tell people about that, they're like, wait, you wrote a picture book about a massacre? Which is slightly counterintuitive. So I never knew about the Los Angeles massacre growing up. And, and, given that I am a Chinese person in Los Angeles, that is kind of weird. Basically, it was a race massacre that occurred. One of the biggest mass lynchings in history, uh, where there was a between two rival Chinese organizations and a white bystander was killed. And because of that, , a mob formed and they rounded the Chinese population up basically. And. Blame them for that death. In the end, 18 Chinese men were killed and only one of them were involved in the original gunfight. It was a horrible tragedy. And unfortunately, as often happened with these kind of historical tragedies in our country, nobody was really punished for it. A few men were indicted and convicted, but their convictions were overturned and it just kind of disappeared into history. And it really struck me that, you know, nobody knew about this. I wanted to kind of bring this to light and unfortunately when I was writing it, it was also, during the Covid pandemic and, I was seeing a lot of anti-Asian rhetoric, anti-Asian hate crimes were going up. And I saw so many parallels between what happened. Back then, because, you know, Chinese people specifically were being vilified , they were being called immoral, stealing people's jobs. And you can see in the years before the massacre the newspapers were saying horrible things and, you know, the hate was just becoming very strong and all that exploded one night into an unspeakable tragedy. Unfortunately as an author, you want your work to be relevant, but sometimes you don't want your work to be relevant in this way. Right. Nowadays I'm seeing so much rhetoric again against immigrants and not of many ethnicities. And in some ways I'm sad. That, this is happening now. And I also hope that this book will contribute to the conversation and show how the danger of racism and xenophobia and hate and what, what can happen because of that.   Miko Lee: [00:48:55] So this occurred in the late 1800s, right? Was it before the Chinese Exclusion Act?    Livia Blackburne: [00:49:03] Yes, it was before the Chinese Exclusion Act. So you'd hope that people kinda learn from these things. And it was just kind of one of the, one of the horrible things that happened on the way to the Chinese Exclusion Act and Chinese immigrants being excluded basically Chinese laborers at least.   Miko Lee: [00:49:23] Oh wow. Okay. I'm looking this up now. And 1882 we know was the Chinese Exclusion Act and this incident actually happened in 1871. Yes. A decade beforehand, Helen Zia always talks about these moments that are missing. MIH missing in history and this is clearly another one of, another time of just wiping out a population.I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit more about how Children's Books can make a difference in the world that we're currently living in, where our government is banning books and you know that there's a narratives that they want to align with a certain kind of conservative ideology. Can you talk about the power of being a Children's Book author in this time that we're living in right now? . I'm really thinking about dreams to Ashes and even I dream of Popo and even Nainai's Mountain, which you would think, oh, they're, you, they're visiting their grandparent, their grandmothers, that would not be controversial. But now when even words like inclusion and diversity are threatened and books are being banned, I'm just wondering if you could. Share a little bit more about your superpower as a children's book author?    Livia Blackburne: [00:50:31] Yeah, that's a fantastic question. We live in a time right now, there's, a lot of hate, a lot of intolerance, a lot of fear of different people groups. And a lot of that I think is because people are unfamiliar with people unlike themselves. They see. People who are different, look differently, act differently, speak differently, and it scares them. And I think the best way to get around that is to actually get to know people of other backgrounds, to see them as human. And I think that's where children's books come in. ‘Cause we don't, children are not born. With this hate of the other. They learn it. But, if they grow up being familiar with people of different backgrounds seeing their stories seeing them as, normal human beings, which, should be obvious, but sometimes it's hard, for adults to realize. Then, I'm hoping, as a children's book author that it will lead to a more empathetic world. And perhaps that's why the government sometimes in certain groups are wanting to, censor this and control the flow of children's books because, children are the most their minds are still open. They're still able to learn.    Miko Lee: [00:51:48] And Livia, tell us what you're working on next.   Livia Blackburne: [00:51:53] So right now I am. Working on a historical middle grade. We haven't quite announced it yet, so I can't say the title or too many details, but it is based on my family history of my parents and grandparents who moved from China to Taiwan after the civil War.   Miko Lee: [00:52:12] Please check out our website, kpfa.org. To find out more about our show tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is created by Miko Lee, Jalena Keane-Lee, Preti Mangala-Shekar, Swati Rayasam, Aisa Villarosa, Estella Owoimaha-Church, Gabriel Tanglao, Cheryl Truong and Ayame Keane-Lee.   The post APEX Express – 6.19.25 We Are All Connected appeared first on KPFA.

On this very interesting episode of the Doing the Most Podcast scientist and bio-chemistry/molecular biology student Elif Narbay shares the science behind the reality that WE ARE ALL CONNECTED.In addition to breaking down this incredible concept Elif and Shannon discuss consciousness theories, the relevance of quantum physics, the concept of time and how science backs the spiritual phenomenons of soul mates, twin flames and so much more.This episode is beyond cool and a must listen for anyone who is interested in science, spirituality and the incredible elements of this life and beyond.Join DTMU: https://go.doyoudothemost.com/sixfigurefreelancing-10/All things Shannon Fairweather: https://stan.store/shannonfairweatherAll things Elif Narbay: https://linktr.ee/elifnarbayListen to the Doing the Most Podcast on other platforms: (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Buzzsprout, etc!): https://linktr.ee/doingthemostpodcastSupport the show

Lynne McTaggart is an award-winning journalist, pioneer, and the author of seven books, including the worldwide international bestsellers The Power of Eight, The Field, The Intention Experiment, and The Bond, all considered seminal books of the New Science and now translated into some 30 languages. Over the years, Lynne's been called a ‘metaphysical rock star', ‘the Madonna of the Quantum World,' ‘the Malcolm Gladwell of the New Science', and even ‘The Dalai Mama.' She's consistently voted one of the world's top 100 spiritual leaders for her ground-breaking work with consciousness and the power of intention. Lynne is known for the quality of her writing and in-depth research, her inspirational speaking style, and her uncompromising role as a New Thought leader and spiritual change agent. Lynne, her book, and the web-based experiment were prominently featured in Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol, and Brown even created a character partly based on her. She's been given awards for Spiritual Writer of the Year and Science Book of the Year and, in 2015, her company WDDTY Publishing Ltd was named Ethical Business of the Year. 0:00 - Lynne McTaggart Intro 3:35 - Latent Human Capacity to Heal 5:15 - “The Field” & Implications for Humanity 10:35 - Newton + Creating From the Quantum Field 15:45 - The Intention Experiment 18:55 - Altruism | Get Off Of Yourself 21:45 - Power of Eight | Spontaneous Healings 33:25 - We Are All Connected 38:15 - Why Belonging Is Essential 43.30 - The Final Trio Guest: Lynne McTaggart Website Instagram YouTube  Facebook All Books  Intention Essentials 2022   Host: Emilio Ortiz Twitter | https://bit.ly/35hMMda Instagram | https://bit.ly/35fkcJx  TikTok | https://bit.ly/3lKjs3W Watch Video Interviews on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/emilioortiz  Special Offerings to Support the Show: ✦ Receive 15% off any purchase from Ra Optics, the world's best blue-light-blocking glasses. Use our code "justtapin" at checkout for your special discount - https://bit.ly/RaOptics-EmilioOrtiz ✦ Receive 10% off any purchase from Intelligent Change, elegant tools, and simple daily routines to instill positive change, including products such as "Five Minute Journal" and "Productivity Planner." Use our code "EMILIO10" at checkout for your special discount - https://bit.ly/IntelligentChange-EmilioOrtiz  Leave a Rating for Just Tap In with Emilio Ortiz: ✦ Spotify | https://spoti.fi/3BOnqQr ✦ Apple Podcasts | https://apple.co/3IeWnjD Our mission at Just Tap In is to bridge the new consciousness and empower, inspire, and uplift the next generation of leaders to co-create the New Earth. Business inquires emortiz0717@gmail.com

What you believe is what you'll see… Often, the narrative is that we are being held up by limiting beliefs when it comes to achieving the life we envision. Early experiences in life build those beliefs and thoughts, those beliefs and thoughts affect our feelings; feelings become our actions, and actions form our habits. Our habits cement our thoughts. The cycle becomes a pattern. Then, we fall into the egocentric trap that holds us back from achieving our full potential. In this episode, our guest, Dr. Ray Blanchard describes the process by which he helps people spiral back into the source of their fundamental worldviews that dominate their life, make distinctions, create new beliefs, shift into an ecocentric worldview, and realize the life they envision in a whole new positive perspective.  Here's what we've learned from Dr. Ray Blanchard:01:24 How to achieve a breakthrough by shifting one's worldview06:29 Helping people transform their worldview to accomplish what they want in life09:03 How making distinctions help people see deeper through themselves10:29 Describing vs. experiencing14:04 The guiding principles of training that transcends cultures20:46 Transforming from the egocentric to the ecocentric relationship24:10 The overmind that cares about how one's actions affect the world as a whole28:34 How egocentricity sets us up to self-hate, hurt, and self-destruction31:08 The Great Spirit that binds us all together as one35:08 The practice of creating a deep connection with others39:19 How we achieve safety and transformation from within ourselves42:35 What mindful noticing without judgment is 3 Ways People Can Become Stronger and Resilient From WithinIncreasing Endorphins in the Body(42:35 - 45:06) Practice the ability of mindful noticing without judgmentStart to notice your environment, start to notice your own emotions, your own thoughts, your own feelings. Start to notice the interaction between you and other peopleThen, find yourself addressing all these intervening thoughts, and you might find yourself judging.Dismiss the thoughts. Just relax and let it go. So you end judgment 30 Days of Mindful Nature Walks(45:17 - 45:56)When you've started to be mindful and noticing.Take an hour of silent walking in nature.Then get into a few minutes of walking in nature. And then just be mindful and just notice.Do this for 30 consecutive days in a row at sunrise. If you can do it just for a few minutes a day, it would be a profound and life altering experience. Networking(45:57-56:10)Network or work with other people.Share with other people and learn.Let other people share with you. Develop yourself in a personal learning community.When you share things, you become aware and notice. Episode Challenge  Oneness & Connectedness (36:10-36:48)Episode challenge of the week Practice this practice of Oneness and Connectedness with a person who is comfortable with you and is up for it. Do this long enough to take the superficial thoughts out but not long enough to be uncomfortableWith people in your life who you're close to, take a few seconds to look into their eyesTry to look beyond their eyeballs and see through the essence of their beingLook into their heart and into their soul. Let them look into yourself and feel your connection. You will feel the profoundness of this practice.If you try this exercise, let us know and tag us @iamclaudine and Marc Anthony at the @btopodcast.  About the Guest:Dr. Ray Blanchard is an educator, coach, consultant, and internationally acclaimed master trainer. He has personally trained over 300,000 participants, mentored 300 trainers, and coached various top-tier executives and leaders globally. He specializes on:Personal Transformation Training,Leadership Development and Team ManagementLifestyle Coaching and MentoringWealth GenerationHaving distinguished the key factors that generate individual breakthroughs and lasting corporate performance, he uses accelerated learning strategies to open awareness, illuminate purpose, and inspire service to create self-transformation and cultures of care. He holds formal training in Psychology and East-West Philosophy. For over 40 years, he has influenced the personal development industry by designing and delivering premier training in the United States, Canada, South America, Japan, China, New Zealand, and Russia. He is a member of the acclaimed Transformational Leadership Council, the Association of Transformational Leaders, the Evolutionary Business Council, and was knighted in the Order of St. John.A graduate of Washington University (St. Louis) and the University of Oregon, Ray has a relentless passion for ongoing learning and contribution. His signature work was featured in the Heroes Quest wisdom webinars, the Launch Your Dream workshops, the TrainUP trainer development program, and other conscious media productions and documentary films.  Connect with Dr. Ray Blanchard:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrRayBlanchardInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrayblanch/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrayblanchard/Follow his page: https://www.facebook.com/rayblanchardtrainingsystems Follow the Podcast: Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/breakthrough-the-ordinary/id1579129631  Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7L6XsP0M87M8CX7AJ2LRS4  Google Podcasts - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zaW1wbGVjYXN0LmNvbS9DQ1V1NVR6agAmazon Music - https://q4k0kx5j.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fmusic.amazon.com%2Fpodcasts%2F05bbcd2c-1e6b-4d09-934e-4eac42e12362/1/0100017af9eb75aa-8c17c10b-25b5-4300-b24e-c002d99f89b3-000000/lIGTk2xPKpZbRH-tqg7FXsRKud4=229iHeartRadio - https://iheart.com/podcast/85365975/   Follow Us @thebtopodcast]: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thebtopodcast  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thebtopodcastTwitter - https://twitter.com/thebtopodcastTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thebtopodcastWebsite - https://btopodcast.comContact Us - thebtopodcast@gmail.com   About the podcast: Are you ready to commit to your future self---if you are, Marc Chiaramonte, a creative entrepreneur, coach, and adventure seeker, and Claudine Chiarmonte, psychotherapist, coach & joy creator, are ready to take you on a journey of self-discovery to unlock your highest potential! Join Breakthrough the Ordinary to reveal what awaits you on your next quest of exploration, bringing practical strategies, tools, and secret fairy dust that our guests, coaches, healers, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders, will be sharing with you! New episodes drop every MONDAY!

NEW Convo with Dominico Ep.8 - Remembering Katy. I'm Honoring My Best Friend Katy & Celebrating Her Upcoming Birthday. This is the 1st Holiday Season without My Touchstone & I'm Sure There Are Other People Experiencing the Same Kind of Loss. WE ARE ALL CONNECTED!! #foreverfriend #griefjourney #missingyoualways #audiocast #familyholidays #indieartists #nycsinger

Maya felt disconnected from her Catholic upbringing and felt it was filled with fear and guilt. With her parents having a loving marriage, Maya found herself falling into an expectation of love and marriage and ended up in an abusive situation. Maya would get direct symbols and signs helping her with clarity and eventually knew that if she didn't leave the relationship, she would die. Her light work started to grow and eventually Maya felt this experience was a blessing. When you commit to yourself, the teachers show up in your life.Maya Starhawk's special link to the world was inspired by the teachings of Peruvian and Native American shamans. She is a master of the ancient art of reading the soul, bringing to the surface its deepest meaning and infinite connection to the cosmic journey. She teaches others by walking the path of the ancient ones to a place of personal transformation and extracts the innate knowledge of our connection to all things. Her special view of the world is a gift to others of the capacity for individual empowerment and embracing one's truth. Maya's gentle footsteps are impressed in the red dirt of the trails Arizona where she resides.Connect with Maya: Mayastarhawk@yahoo.com; or on FB Maya Starhawkhttps://mayastarhawk.com/Find Sean and Corrine on Social Media:IG: Corrine Champigny, TurningPoints_Podcast, theseanronFB: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.org

Carolyn Cole experienced tragic events at a young age. After losing her brother when they were both teenagers, she knew she had to move forward and live a full life enough for the both of them. Yet even that was not enough and she needed to figure out why bad things happened to good people. After spending time in Isreal, she traveled to Greece and was kidnapped and the victim of a sexual assault. Her perpetrator strangled her and left her on the side of the road and fortunately she was found and brought to a hospital. She continued down the road of her life until the emotional scars of her traumas showed up in a long term relationship. Even to this day, Carolyn has never had anger towards her perpetrator. She came to a place of understanding where her trust issues came from. Join us for a revealing and uplifting conversation with one of Corrine's closest friends as she shares her journey with us.Connect with Sean and Corrine on Social Media:IG: Corrine Champigny, TurningPoints_Podcast, theseanronFB: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.org

Zachary's spiritual journey began in 2011 when he had a profound kundalini awakening six months after passing the bar and beginning his legal career. At the time of his initial awakening Zachary says he wanted to run off to a monastery or ashram and simply ruminate in the blissful energies that accompanied his awakening. But God had other plans, and worldly obligations kept him in the world to walk the path of a householder yogi. Zachary has spent the last ten years studying the perennial non-dual wisdom tradition and cultivating his initial awakening through the practice of Kriya Yoga, a comprehensive path of self and god realization popularized in the west by Paramahansa Yogananda, author of Autobiography of a Yogi. While walking the path of a devoted spiritual seeker, Zachary has built a successful legal career and served in many leadership roles in his community and profession. Zachary says the need for balancing worldly obligations with spiritual aspirations has made him more effective at both, and has helped him cultivate a deeply embodied spiritually. In 2020 Zachary felt called to emerge from the “cave” of the householder yogi, and began public teaching and offering spiritual guidance and healing. Zachary Adama is a spiritual guide, healer, and host of the Yoga of Ascension podcast and youtube channel.Highlights from our chat with Zachary:*The universe is not a great clock but a great thought*Kundalini awakening experience and internal purification process*Integrating spiritual experiences into the personality *Non-dual experience of life*Living in the world and being at peace with your fellow human beings *We need awake people living in our culture as householders *Karma and attraction in relationships for healing opportunities and how sometimes attraction turns to repulsion. *The obligation to your soul and your soul growth *Ayahuasca and why now is the time to integrate spiritual practices with these plant medicines Note from Corrine: I did a private healing session with Zachary a few weeks after our interview with him and I loved it! I wholeheartedly recommend a session with him. Zachary is intuitive and his therapy is subtle and super potent at the same time.FIND ZACHARY:Website: https://www.zacharyadama.comOfferings: https://www.zacharyadama.com/servicesYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ZacharyAdama/Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yoga-of-ascension/id1514889314Find Sean and Corrine on Social Media:IG: Corrine Champigny, TurningPoints_Podcast, theseanronFB: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.org

 Having early memories from childhood  of coming from a place of much fluidity of understanding; What was felt and thought  was communicated through an instant understanding. Yukiko couldn't figure out why there was so much pain and whenever she saw people who were sad, would try to cheer them up. These are some of the early memories of a woman who walks a mystical path on earth.  Her quest began as a teenager when she saw that there was no lack in the world and that it was already beautiful.  Within this restricted human format, she saw that experiencing beauty and perfection in the world was possible and has spent her life helping others experience it for themselves. The harder the challenge, the bigger the portal that is opening up. -Yukiko AmayaYukiko Amaya is passionate about fully embracing the unique life path and potential of each one and loves to guide and accompany her students and private clients to that spaciousness. Much of her work for the past 40 years or so has been at the confluence of embodiment, energy and consciousness. There, we become Radiant and Empowered, connected to All and yet singular. Yukiko is a mentor, healer, teacher, shaman, yogini, dancer, Priestess of Avalon and Priestess of Goddess. Special deal on 12 Full Moon Ritual package:https://fullmoonpackage.mygoddesspath.com/12-full-moon-rituals-special-promowww.EarthGoddessImmersion.comyukiko@MyGoddessPath.comSEAN and Corrine:FB: @CorrineChampigny, @Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.corrinechampigny.com www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.orgIG: @CorrineChampigny, @TurningPoints_Podcast, @theseanron

This two part civics and music piece includes a Q&A session with Carl Sagan from a 1994 interview that  leads into "Symphony of Science - We Are All Connected" by Melody Sheep. From the artist:  "We Are All Connected" was made from sampling Carl Sagan's Cosmos, The History Channel's Universe series, Richard Feynman's 1983 interviews, Neil deGrasse Tyson's cosmic sermon, and Bill Nye's Eyes of Nye Series, plus added visuals from The Elegant Universe (NOVA), Stephen Hawking's Universe, Cosmos, the Powers of 10, and more. It is a tribute to great minds of science, intended to spread scientific knowledge and philosophy through the medium of music. 

Lori Jones is a massage therapist and reflexologist that aspires to help clients to live in body/mind/spirit consciousness. Studying at Irenes Myomassology then mentored with Charlotte Irwin and Dr.Jesus Manzaneres, Lori believes in the healing power of touch to return oneself to their authentic self. Lori is currently building a coaching practice and writing a book on Self-Realization. "Be kind to yourself, so you can be kind to others." - Lori Jones FB: @CorrineChampigny, @Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.corrinechampigny.com www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.orgIG: @CorrineChampigny, @TurningPoints_Podcast, @theseanron 

She found herself communing with mother earth, talking to trees and feeling the oneness very early on in her childhood. Mother Mary spoke directly to her as a child but she was punished for telling her parents about this sacred conversation. One of the survivors of the Mumbai Hotel shooting in 2008, Rudrani wrote a book called Soul Survivor about her experience. Her newest book is called Choosing Happiness.website: http://rudranidevi.comyoutube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiHVmusyGHMCL0Mu-WlZ2TQtwitter: https://twitter.com/#!/RunningRuRudrani/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rudrani.deviDevi Clinic/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Devi-Clinic-Inc/127140604047519Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rudranidevi/AC Certified Facilitator: https://www.accessconsciousness.com/en/public-profiles/rudrani-devi/ReverbNation: https://www.reverbnation.com/a_ru9“In her latest book, aptly titled Choosing Happiness, the author explores the many reasons why a person might not choose happiness, and offers her tips & tricks to living a more joyful, aware life.”— THRIVE GLOBALFB: @CorrineChampigny, @Turning Points PodcastYouTube: Corrine Champigny, Turning Points PodcastWebsites: www.blissed.com, www.theivyhouse.org, www.corrinechampigny.com www.globalwatchfoundationchildrenshome.orgIG: @CorrineChampigny, @TurningPoints_Podcast, @theseanron 

At 60 years of age, Lissa wonders why she didn't start all of this earlier in her life. We mix it up this week and chat with one of Corrine's current coaching clients. Join us for a lively conversation about changing your habits to live a happier life. Lissa shares that it helps her to talk with like minds so that she does not feel alone on this journey into understanding life and herself more clearly. Meditation is not a magic pill but it does give us the capacity to deal with life head on and grow. She is heading off to her first silent retreat and we look forward to checking in with her for a follow up soon!

In this week’s episode of the “Spirituality Simplified” podcast, “Spiritual Awakenings – Part 2”, Ali shares different accounts of people’s spiritual awakening stories.Disclaimer: This podcast contains material only suitable for adults. Watch this podcast on the Spirituality Simplified YouTube Channel!Watch HerePost your comments, questions, and stories of your experiences connecting with Spirit in the comments section on YouTube!Needing some help getting clear with your purpose and tapping into your own Inner Light? Check out the Sounding the Call of Your Soul ProgramConnect with Ali! ali@soulhealingwithali.comInstagramFacebook Pinterest LinkedIn

Lauren Ornelas is the founder and the executive director of the Food Empowerment Project, a nonprofit food justice organization that spotlights the abuse of animals on farms, unfair working conditions for produce workers, and the unavailability of healthy foods in communities of color and low-income areas. She and I spoke earlier in the pandemic. She had just written an article on Medium called, We Are All Connected. It was written back in April, but it could not be more relevant now, with the demonstrations in our streets calling out systemic racism. “As many of us know, COVID-19 has just proven what we know: that racism and inequalities that exist for Black, Indigenous, and Brown people in this country are a barrier to success and living healthy lives. Our communities have been losing lives due to police violence, lack of health care, lack of healthy food, lack of clean drinking water, environmental racism, lack of living wages, and the list goes on; however, what makes COVID-19 even more dangerous is that these problems still exist and in some ways are exacerbated.”  – Lauren Ornelas, We Are All Connected Lauren has spent her entire life on the front lines fighting for human and animal rights. She went vegan and became an activist in the 80s, later she founded and ran the animal right’s organization, Viva USA, and in 2007, she started The Food Empowerment Project, an organization that operates from the understanding that we are indeed all connected, humans, animals, and the planet and thus, it only makes sense to fight for the whole package. Later, in that same Medium piece, she writes, “…but I am more determined than ever that we must truly fight the systems that have a role in how we got here.” And that is exactly what Lauren and the Food Empowerment Project are doing.

How do we understand why a faithful Creator God allows such suffering? We'll look at this question in light of two important realities we have rediscovered these last ten days:1) We Are All Connected2) We Are Personally Responsible

The very first interview guest here on Lean Into Curiosity suggested I ask a consistent question to each guest that ties in the premise of the show.  Wow-what a great idea!  Now I ask each guest to share their meaning of curiosity.  I got to my 20th interview episode and decided to compile all of the amazing answers.  I split the compilation into two episodes.  This is the second set of 10 guests sharing their ideas and meaning behind being a curious person. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE: Below is a link to each discussion mentioned in this episode: Episode 021: Practice Self-Love with Keidi Janz Episode 022: Overcome Limiting Beliefs with Jaclyn DeGregorio Episode 023: Prioritize Your Creative Passions with Shelly Snow Pordea Episode 024: What’s Not Working? With Katagyn Shalhoub Episode 025: Stay in Your Own Lane with Denise Steffen Episode 026: Your Path and Purpose with Kariman Pierce Episode 027: Get Good at Pivoting with Katy Oliveira Episode 028: We Are All Connected with Dr. Joanne Lefebvre Connolly Episode 029: Step Into Your Brave with Tiffany Agnew Episode 030: Reinvent Your Space with Jennifer Phelps Follow along on IG: @leanintocuriosity

We're taking a quick detour during our celebration of the 5th annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival to talk to the author of Pacha's Pajamas, Dave Room. We chat about his book, augmented reality, and the future of storytelling (among other things)! About The Book: Pacha is a little girl awakening to her immense gifts and bringing them to the world. Pacha's imagination is bigger than the Andes Mountains - the homeland of her ancestors. When she goes to sleep, the characters on her pajamas guide her on dream adventures to learn more about herself and the world. The day before Earth Day, Pacha’s magical pajamas carry her into an epic dream where she’s the central player at a nature festival to save the planet from destruction.
Pacha awakens with the inspiration to show the world that We Are ALL Connected. We've relaunched our Patreon! Instead of running multiple services to collect pledges for the things we do, we combined everything into ONE location. This will allow us to keep everything centralized, only ask for your support at one location, and better upgrade our entire operation. With your support, That's Entertainment and Everything is Awesome will be able to make upgrades to provide not only higher quality content but more of it. Thank you in advance for supporting us; it means the world to Kev and Mike. If you're unable to support us on Patreon, consider subscribing to Everything is Awesome on iTunes and leaving a 5-star text review or telling a friend--your Patreon pledges, iTunes reviews, and word of mouth recommendations go a long way at helping us do bigger and cooler things, like live shows, con appearances, and creating more high-quality content. Everything is Awesome LATE NIGHT will be LIVE on July 16th, 2017 from 2p to 3p EST at Tattooed Mom on South Street in Philadelphia, PA! Part of The 5th Annual Philadelphia Podcast Festival, Mike and Kev will be joined by Noah Houlihan, Brian Durkin, and playing games during the show! Check out latenight.awesomepodcast.com for more details! All this and more on this week's edition of Everything is Awesome! Find Kev on twitter @ThatNerdyKev Find Pacha's Pajamas on twitter @pachaspajamas Everything is Awesome on twitter @RealAwesomePod Find Pacha's Pajamas on the web Check out Dave's blog Support Everything is Awesome by leaving a 5-star review on iTunes, Apple's math gets us in front of more people's eyes and ear :) Support Everything is Awesome by telling a friend

WE ARE ALL CONNECTED. Is white midwifery/birth community racist? HOW DOES IT AFFECT US? (A brief message addressing recent events in the local and national birth community ... Read more at https://taprootdoula.com/2017/04/24/wake-up-white-birth-community-black-women-and-babies-are-dying/) Black women and babies are dying at epidemic rates. What does it have to do with us? The same forces that hurt black moms and babies also hurt us, in more subtle ways. Our healing cannot happen individually ... it is dependent on the healing of EVERYONE in our community. Black women are the canaries in the coal mine ... we are all breathing in the poison, but they are the ones who stop singing first. BE BRAVE, GET UNCOMFORTABLE. LOVE YOUR COMMUNITY. HEAL YOURSELF.

Modern science is proving what ancient wisdom cultures have known all along,: WE ARE ALL CONNECTED. The most powerful place of connection is the human heart. It is the single organ that  not only creates a unified field among all people but also creates a harmonic field with the earth itself. Join us on this amazing journey to reclaim your heart, heal your past and create a new future.  

Symphony of Science is a site that posts songs made from clips of shows dealing with science. so far they only have three songs, all here. Songa are listed with people in them. A Glorious Dawn-Carl Sagen & Stephen Hawking We Are All Connected-Carl Sagan, Richard Feynman, Neil deGrasse Tyson & Bill Nye Our Place In The Universe-Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, Michio Kaku & Robert Jastrow

Connie Barlow and Michael Dowd riff on the latest sensation in musical culture -- which is also the latest sensation in the public understanding of science. It is a new music video series created by independent video artist John Boswell. Posted on YouTube, and also available in mp3 for free download, the two projects Boswell created thus far have topped the charts. "A Glorious Dawn," which features the auto-tuned (and thus singing) voice of Carl Sagan is now the top-rated music video of all time. Boswell launched "We Are All Connected" on October 19, and within three days it surpassed 100,000 views on YouTube. It features four singing voices blended with the original video images from which the voices were drawn. These are: Carl Sagan, again, Richard Feynman, Bill Nye ("the science guy"), and Neil deGrasse Tyson singing the words from which the title itself is drawn. Watch this video and see if you, too, feel that a whole new world of possibility and hope is now beckoning us forward. Truly a religious experience! You can get there via the artist's website: Symphony of Science.