Contemplify

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Philosophy
**Contemplify**

The Contemplify podcast kindles the examined life for contemplatives in the world. Through artful musings & conversations with scholars, creatives, and master teachers each episode delivers a subtly intoxicating* exchange on the contemplative lifestyle with practical takeaways to emulate in daily life.

Host, Paul Swanson, is a husband, father and contemplative educator at the Center for Action and Contemplation and co-host of Another Name for Every Thing with Richard Rohr**.

*Contemplify is best served with a pint in hand. Please listen responsibly.

** All shenanigans, tom foolery and bally-hoo posted on Contemplify are my own. Contemplify is not representative of the Center for Action and Contemplation or Richard Rohr on any matter.

Latest Episodes:

Remembering Lerita Coleman Brown on Waiting for a Word in the Heart Dec 20, 2025

Show notes

Remembering Lerita Coleman Brown

Stay Outside (or Non-Liturgical Liturgical Calendar Musing) Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

Musing on my personal non-liturgical liturgical calendar that runs from December 11 - December 10 each calendar year.

Gail Straub on Embracing Our Human Family Nov 01, 2025

Show notes

"In radiant, lyrical prose, Gail Straub takes us on a voyage like no other, both into little-known places across the globe and, most memorably, the inner realms of the soul. …..this is a journey that no reader will forget and, I believe, all readers will, in their own way, hope to emulate."

— Andrew Carroll

Author and empowerment pioneer Gail Straub's latest book Home Inside the Globe: Embracing Our Human Family. This is Gail's second time on Contemplify (hear our first conversation here), and like our previous conversation we find the heart of the conversation in the flow of presence in the sacred. The writing of Gail Straub inspires me to draw from the currents of our shared humanity, to witness and honor the profound connections that transcend all borders. I think she will do the same for you.

Visit Gail Straub at gailstraub.com

Visit Contemplify.com for shownotes

Mark Longhurst on The Holy Ordinary Oct 18, 2025

Show notes

Mark Longhurst is an author and contemplative guide who has spent years exploring the sacred dimensions of everyday life. In our conversation we talk about his book The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God, a beautiful invitation to discover the divine presence woven throughout our daily movements. Mark draws on his experiences as an activist, pastor, father, husband, art enthusiast as a way to gladly open portals to the sacred. The Holy Ordinary is for all of us mudblood mystics out in the world.

Visit Mark Longhrust at Substack | IG: @ordinary.mystic

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Haleh Liza Gafori Brings Water to the Thirsty Oct 04, 2025

Show notes

Haleh Liza Gafori is a translator, performance artist, vocalist, and educator whose work bridges ancient Persian mysticism with contemporary spiritual longing. In our conversation we talk about her latest book Water, a luminous collection of new translations from the 13th-century Persian mystic Rumi, following her acclaimed debut Gold (you can find our first conversation on Gold in the Contemplify archives). I am moved by Haleh's ability to make these masterworks sing, bringing Rumi's timeless wisdom about surrender, divine love, and ecological awakening to this moment. Visit Haleh Liza Gafori at halehliza.com | IG: @halehliza

visit contemplify.com for shownotes

Contemplative Parenting with Aizaiah G. Yong and Nereyda Yong Sep 20, 2025

Show notes

"This book is just what the world needs right now. At a time when tensions are hot, divisions are growing, and uncertainty is the order of the day, Sacred Parenting is a call to reconnect with what matters most: our children, our families, ourselves, and our God. The authors offer gentle wisdom and contemplative practices as antidotes to the high-volume, fast-paced, do-or-die world in which we live."

— David M. Csinos, founder and president of Faith Forward, research director for Family Faith Every Day

Rev. Dr. Aizaiah G. Yong and Rev. Nereyda "Neddy" Yong, authors, speakers, and incarnational advocates for contemplative parenting. In our conversation we talk about their book Sacred Parenthood: Spiritual Practices for the Highs and Lows of Parenting, a profound exploration of how we can approach raising children as a spiritual practice and sacred calling. Aizaiah is the executive director of @Collegeville Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research at Saint John's Abbey and University. Neddy is the Director of the Radically Inclusive Parenting Project. Aizaiah and Neddy bring a beautiful blend of contemplative insight and practicality that I will transform the way you think about the ragged and holy work of raising children.

Visit Aizaiah G. Yong at collegevilleinstitute.org
Visit Nereyda "Neddy" Yong at inclusiveparents.org
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[Rebroadcast] Dr. Larry Ward on America's Racial Karma, the Fragrance of Wisdom, and Learning How To Suffer Less Sep 13, 2025

Show notes

This is a repost of my conversation with Dr. Larry Ward. Dr. Ward passed away on August 19 at his home in Rhode Island. He was a Buddhist teacher, author, and co-founder of The Lotus Institute. He left behind a legacy of peace and advocacy for healing individual and collective trauma. I only ever interacted with Dr. Ward online, but his big soul, wisdom, and laughter came through with so much heart. My daughter and I tuned into his online memorial which held his spirit… we joined in the prayers and listened to the stories from his students, friends, and loved ones, it impacted us both. Dr. Ward's wife and co-founder of The Lotus Institute, Peggy Rowe, will continue their work. As we lose elders, those we barely know and those we consider kin, a desire to honor them and cherish them in their passing arises, so I am sharing this again. and if you so moved, head over to thelotusinstitute.org and consider supporting their work. With that, please enjoy this rebroadcast of Dr. Ward's timeless wisdom and joy.

Dr. Larry Ward is a senior teacher in Buddhist Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh's Plum Village tradition, the author of the book America's Racial Karma, and co-author with his wife, Peggy, of Love's Garden: A Guide To Mindful Relationships.

Dr. Ward brings forty years of international experience in organizational change and local community renewal to his work at the Lotus Institute. He holds a PhD in Religious Studies with an emphasis on Buddhism and the neuroscience of meditation, and has trained at the Trauma Resource Institute. Dr. Ward and I talk about humanity's greatest weakness, learning from our teachers, the impact of fragrance as a teaching metaphor and so much more.

Visit Dr. Larry Ward at thelotusinstitute.org | IG: @thelotus_institute

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Amy Frykholm on Journey to the Wild Heart Sep 06, 2025

Show notes

"You can trust Amy Frykholm as a modern-day amma who knows the terrain of the soul. Reading Journey to the Wild Heart is like going out to the desert for a word. It helps us slow down, let go, unknow in Silence, and embody Love.―

— Carmen Acevedo Butcher, author of Practice of the Presence

Amy Frykholm is a writer and journalist who makes her third appearance on Contemplify (round one, round two) to talk about her latest book Journey to the Wild Heart: Four Invitations to Contemplative Living. Amy is an award-winning writer, scholar, and journalist whose work insightfully explores American religion and culture. Her debut novel High Hawk has been long-listed for the 2025 PEN/Hemingway Award. This is Amy's third time on Contemplify, so you will not be surprised that in Journey to the Wild Heart Amy weaves together ancient mystics to modern poets and philosophers, inviting readers into deeper knowing through reflection and practice.

Visit Amy Frykholm at amyfrykholm.com

Visit Contemplify.com for shownotes.

Todd Davis on Ditch Memory Aug 23, 2025

Show notes

"To read a new and selected collection is to experience the evolution of a voice, in this case an essential voice in American poetry. To sit with the whole of these transportive, immersive poems is to awaken like a wild riparian corridor in spring. Wildflowers on the banks. Birdsong in the branches. The reader's heart is a bud: open. Beautiful work."

— Chris Dombrowski, The River You Touch

Poet Todd Davis's latest collection is Ditch Memory: New and Selected Poems. This is Todd's third time on Contemplify, and like the previous conversations we find our charge in the sacred strides of cultivating attention. The poetry of Todd Davis stretches me and helps me scratch the dirt of what is real, to taste and relish my short passage through this world. I think he will do the same for you.

Visit Todd Davis at todddavispoet.com

Visit contemplify.com for shownotes Episode Show Notes Works by Todd Davis

Resources & People Mentioned

Dave Shumate
W.B. Yeats
Mary Oliver
Wendell Berry
Hildegard of Bingen
David James Duncan
Chris Dombrowski
Mary Rose O'Reilley

Drink Recommended

Sleepytime tea with Peace Orange Tea with a dab of honey

Sr. Laura Swan, OSB on the Radical Wisdom of the Beguines Aug 09, 2025

Show notes

"…Swan's book provides an accessible overview of beguine spirituality in the context of their own times…[it] does a good job of explaining both the beguines' spiritual practices and their continuing legacy."

— Commonweal

Sr. Laura Swan is a Benedictine sister, spiritual director, author, teacher, and archivist. In our conversation we talk about her book The Wisdom of the Beguines: The Forgotten Story of a Medieval Women s Movement. I am fascinated by the Beguine movement as I think it is incredibly instructive for our times. Sr. Laura brings a contagious passion and a catalog of wisdom to the Beguines that I hope seeps into your soul. Can't wait for you to hear more about the Beguines movement.

Visit Sr. Laura Swan at lauraswanosb.com | YouTube: @BenedictineLauraSwan | Facebook: laura.swan.505

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