Stay ConnectedContent and conversations for times of transition and change.
Join me in discussion with renowned luminaries and dear friends to explore life’s myriad transitions, our understandings and our responses. What does it mean to be present, to shift our perceptions, to engage with the world meaningfully, with dignity and care? With respect for the ancient practices and the modern wisdom that continue to inform and elevate our exchanges, each episode is an invitation to Practice You.
Copyright: © 2019 Elena Brower
On growing our love, meeting ourselves with care, and receiving the intelligent tenderness of every moment.
Andrea Gibson is one of the most celebrated and influential spoken word poets of our time. Best known for their live performances, Gibson has changed the landscape of what it means to attend a "poetry show" altogether. To hear Gibson is like hearing songwriters play their music, their trademark honesty and vulnerability are on full display. Gibson's poems center around LGBTQ issues, gender, feminism, mental health and the dismantling of oppressive social systems. The winner of the first Women's World Poetry Slam, Gibson has gone on to be awarded the LGBTQ Out100 and has been featured on BBC, NPR and CSpan. Gibson is the author of seven award winning books and seven full length albums. Their live shows have become loving and supportive ecosystems for audiences to feel seen, heard, and held through Gibson's art.
You Better Be Lightning (2021) by Andrea Gibson is a queer, political, and feminist collection guided by self-reflection.The poems range from close examination of the deeply personal to the vastness of the world, exploring the expansiveness of the human experience from love to illness, from space to climate change, and so much more in between. You Better Be Lightning is winner of the Independent Publisher Book Award, Feathered Quill Book Award, American Library Association Over the Rainbow, Colorado Book Award & Goodreads Choice Finalist. https://buttonpoetry.com/product/you-better-be-lightning/
Things That Don't Suck (Substack) - It's common to look around and take inventory of what sucks. This is one poet's quest to uncover what doesn't, and what shifts when we shift our attention. https://andreagibson.substack.com
On creating strong communities, pivoting out of productivity and shifting toward ease.
Ana Flores is Houston-born, El Salvador-raised. She's worked in television production for Univision, MTV Latin America and other Spanish-language networks for 15 years before becoming a stay-at-home mom.
When her husband was out of work and the cost of childcare became too expensive in 2009, she and a friend launched SpanglishBaby, a blog for parents raising bilingual and bicultural kids. Within a year, Flores was able to monetize blog posts for about $40 and found herself building "a small community" with fellow ambitious Latina bloggers. Soon she was actively pitching ideas to brands, connecting them with the 25-30 Latina bloggers and influencers from her online community.
"And that's what became Latina Bloggers Connect in 2010, with no money, with no resources," Flores told TODAY. "I saw a path — a support system of people that were willing to open doors for each other."
Six years later, Flores rebranded Latina Blogger Connect as #WeAllGrow Latina, a Latina-owned, self-funded website that elevates the voices of Latinas and provides them with the resources — and inspiration — they need to succeed.
"We really make it a point to hire within our community, because that is how we build socio and economic power," Vanessa Santos — who joined #WeAllGrow as a partner and co-CEO in December 2021 — told TODAY. Flores and Santos believe that to see one woman grow doesn't mean that it's going to take away an opportunity for another. Championing "amigahood," or sisterhood, their website has exceeded 20,000 subscribers, or "amiga members." The free online community is available for English or Spanish-speaking Latinas and offers original content, mentorship, wellness sessions, resources, connections, access to virtual and in-person events like the annual #WeAllGrow Summit, plus exclusive perks created to support entrepreneurs, creatives and professionals. Through their digital platform and in-person events, #WeAllGrow is helping Latinas turn their ideas into realities.
Las Founders was founded in 2022 is the Los Angeles-held event for entrepreneurs sold out and had over 400 attendees taking in panels and conversations with Latina entrepreneurs about how they got their start.
In September 2022, the organization hosted the sixth annual #WeAllGrow Summit. The first summit was held in 2015 and focused on content creation and networking. As the years went by, it's become bigger and more interactive, with Forbes including it as one of 19 Conferences Every Creative Should Attend in 2018 and 2019. This year's sold-out event, held in Palm Desert, California, welcomed over 600 attendees ready to "heal, commune and grow" — which also happen to be the organization's three pillars.
In 2023, Las Founders will be a two-day event in October.
Micah Salaberrios, an expert in the field of Nonviolent Communication, has been teaching the practice since 2016. With his passion for improving the lives of others, he hosts "The Art of NVC" Podcast, and wrote one of the top-selling books in relationship conflict resolution entitled "The Art of Nonviolent Communication." His website is https://artofnvc.com.
Micah's belief in the transformative power of NVC has been the driving force behind his work, helping people to resolve conflicts peacefully and fostering deeper understanding in their relationships. Micah is dedicated to spreading the teachings of Nonviolent Communication to as many people as possible, empowering them to live more fulfilling and harmonious lives.
Visit Micah's Patreon Page for the NVC Practice group, as well as access to his masterful Art of NVC Online Course. https://patreon.com/artofnvc
On the golden moments of quiet and the depths of healing available in silence.
Silence isn't just the absence of noise. It's a presence that brings us energy, clarity, and deeper connection.
Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz take us on an unlikely journey--from the West Wing of the White House to San Quentin's death row; from Ivy League brain research laboratories to underground psychedelic circles; from the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park to the main stage at a heavy metal festival--to explore the meaning of silence and the art of finding it in any situation.
Golden reveals how to go beyond the ordinary rules and tools of mindfulness. It's a field guide for navigating the noise of the modern world--not just the noise in our ears but also on our screens and in our heads. Drawing on lessons from neuroscience, business, spirituality, politics, and the arts, Marz and Zorn explore why auditory, informational, and internal silence is essential for physical health, mental clarity, ecological sustainability, and vibrant community.
With vital lessons for individuals, families, workplaces, and whole societies, Golden is an engaging and unexpected rethinking of the meaning of quiet. Marz and Zorn make the bold and convincing argument that we can repair our world by reclaiming the presence of silence in our lives.
Justin Talbot Zorn has served as both a policymaker and a meditation teacher in the U.S. Congress. A Harvard- and Oxford-trained specialist in the economics and psychology of well-being, Justin has written for the Washington Post, The Atlantic, Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy, and other publications. He is cofounder of Astrea Strategies, a consultancy that bridges contemplation and action, helping leaders and teams envision and communicate solutions to complex challenges. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his wife and three children.
Leigh Marz is a collaboration consultant and leadership coach for major universities, corporations, and federal agencies as well as a longtime student of pioneering researchers and practitioners of the ritualized use of psychedelic medicines in the West. In her professional work, she has led diverse initiatives, including a training program to promote an experimental mindset among teams at NASA and a decade-long cross-sector collaboration to reduce toxic chemicals in products, in partnership with Green Science Policy Institute, Harvard University, IKEA, Google, and Kaiser Permanente. She is the cofounder of Astrea Strategies. Leigh lives in Berkeley, California, with her husband and daughter.
On the intentional integration of psychedelic experiences; supporting and educating for responsible engagement in our healing and creative expansion.
As the founder and director of Tam Integration, Daniel is committed to offering radically accessible and inclusive support and education for people who are wanting to transform, heal, and grow. Tam's integration circles and online conferences enjoy a world wide audience and much critical acclaim. Daniel also leads the yearlong Mt. Tam Psychedelic Integration Coaching Program, training emerging leaders in the facilitation of transformational engagement.
As a psychedelic integration coach, Daniel serves people in weaving their new-found truths into their lives and practices sustainably, harmoniously, compassionately and wisely. His methods are fiercely practical while maintaining space for mystery and magic to emerge. He offers time tested and scientifically backed tools so clients can create a life for themselves that is aligned with their deeper values and manifests measurable results that matter.
He and his wife live in a tiny town in New England where they forage for mushrooms and throw rocks into creeks with their two young boys.
On working for ourselves, creating what we love and the science behind clean skincare.
Lisa Mattam is a proven and passionate entrepreneur. Named by Profit Magazine as one of the Top Ten Emerging Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and recognized by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce as Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Lisa has become a thought leader in entrepreneurship and resilience, and the advancement of women and diversity. She is a frequent commentator on these topics and has been quoted in a variety of media including Fast Company, The Globe and Mail, CBC, and The Toronto Star.
With her first venture The Mattam Group, she grew a consulting firm with clients in Canada, the US, Latin America, and the UAE. More specifically, she equipped Fortune 500 companies like Walmart with the tools to keep women in the C-Suite and advance diversity in the workplace. Notably, she co-authored the report, "Mom's the Word: How Organizations can Change the Impact of Motherhood on Career Success" and was a contributor to the book, "Five Good Ideas", published by Coach House Books. Building on that success, Lisa launched Sahajan, an evidence-based natural skincare line based on the Ancient Science of Ayurveda.
With Sahajan, Lisa brings together her entrepreneurial background and her knowledge from over 15 years working in and consulting to the pharmaceutical industry to create a skincare collection that since its launch has been featured in Vogue Paris, O, The Oprah Magazine, and Forbes, and is distributed in Canada and the US in retailers such as Indigo, The Detox Market & The Bay. Lisa was the only Canadian to be selected for Sephora's Inaugural Beauty Accelerator. In 2021, The Atelier named her Entrepreneur of the Year and BMO offered a grant to Sahajan for her leadership in Beauty x Sustainability.
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On Energetic Healing, tools for self healing and a framework for energy centers in the body.
Doctor Jess is a 2005 graduate of Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine who recognized her path to become a doctor early in her life. She is an avid athlete and health enthusiast who has always been passionate about the human body, and especially the intricacies of the musculoskeletal system. This interest led her to receive board certifications in both Neuromusculoskeletal Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
After nearly two decades of working in the fields of regenerative medicine, cranial and biodynamic osteopathy, she began bridging her services with energy medicine and healing in early 2020. She has since transitioned from an in-person private practice to an energetic teaching and healing platform where she works mostly with individuals and groups non-locally.
She is entirely committed to empowering others to heal themselves by teaching them about their bodies and how to work within them energetically. She offers group healing sessions so others can experience what it feels like to have energy move within their bodies, and then hands them the energetic healing tools and practices to self heal.
Doctor Jess integrates and bridges the worlds of modern medicine with the energetic fields, and offers you a collaborative healing experience, empowering you to take ownership of your life and body and learn how to heal from the inside out.
On the creation of what's alive for you, and the gifts you give when you follow your truth.
Katie Rose is a yoga teacher, ayurveda guide and author with over 25 years of experience in the world of wellness. She holds accreditation with both Yoga Alliance and Yoga Australia as a registered experienced yoga teacher and teacher trainer with many thousands of teaching hours under her belt. She is a doula and teacher for the Australian Doula College.
Katie was the manager of the prestigious TriYoga centre in London before moving to Sydney and opening Samadhi Yoga in 2004 followed by Jivamukti Yoga Sydney which at its peak was a four-studio business and is still a thriving community today.
Her popular online courses have helped hundreds of women from all over the world in empower themselves. Much of Katie's work focuses on the Australian seasons, landscape and Indigenous culture and she has a keen passion for respecting First Nation's wisdom as well as animal rights and the environment. Katie has spent many years studying in India, the UK, America and Australia. She has had the honour and blessing of learning with some of the best yoga and ayurveda teachers in the world from some of the strongest, most authentic lineages.
She is the founder and host of the annual Bhakti Women's Online Yoga Summit and the author of several internationally available books published by Rockpool Publishing including Mindful Living and The Yoga of Birth.
Katie helps women go from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to living a life that is vibrant, creative and abundant. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her partner and her five children in a loud and busy household where her meditation practice keeps her sane.
On how we heal; trusting that you know what you need to heal, to thrive, to rest and to rewrite your story.
Writing came into her life by way of therapy and the exploration of healing through journaling and mindfulness. The intention behind Alex's work is to build community & healing practices through literature & language.
Alex teaches workshops, courses, and retreats to assist others in finding their voices and create clarity in their lives & relationships. alexelle.com
On the necessary redefinition and reconnection to darkness as the medicine of compassion, and how our embrace of the unknown can change the world.
Deborah Eden Tull, the founder of Mindful Living Revolution, is an engaged dharma teacher, public speaker and activist. She spent seven years as a Buddhist monk at a silent monastery, now offering retreats, workshops and consultations internationally.
Eden teaches dharma intertwined with post-patriarchal thought and practices, resting upon a lived knowledge of our unity with the more-than-human world. Her books include Relational Mindfulness: A Handbook for Deepening Our Connection with Ourselves, Each Other and the Planet and The Natural Kitchen: Your Guide for a Sustainable Food Revolution.
Eden also teaches the Work That Reconnects, created by Buddhist scholar Joanna Macy, for transforming out pain and love for our world into compassionate action.
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