Episode 169 Marla McPherson, conservationist, river runner
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Marla McPherson. Marla is Conservationist, High School English Teacher, and River Runner. I had the pure pleasure of meeting Marla in Utah a couple of weeks ago when visiting my treasured friend and previous podcast guest, . Beneath Marla’s current job titles, is an impressive, courageous, wise woman who has built her own house, lived off the grid, helped a friend start her own business: an outdoor wilderness leadership school for kids, discovered innovative ways to blend her love for teaching, adventure and wilderness, from Alaska to Argentina. Marla honors her humble...
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Episode 168 Reminder From A Snail
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
I’m trying something new today! This week’s episode is a recording from a TikTok Live I did over the weekend. I wanted to be more spontaneous and offer a natural live interaction with some of my TikTok followers. I had been asked to explain what I mean when I call myself a psycho-spiritual therapist, so my Healing Angel poster and a snail help me address that here. I also felt led to end with a simple guided meditation. Delighted to join my podcast circle with my TikTok soul family. Check the show notes for a link to my TikTok account. Enjoy the podcast. Links: TikTok :
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Episode 167 Peter Fish, A Remembrance
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
While hiking through the ancient, majestic landscape of the southwest last week, we learned that Peter Fish, a dear friend of ours, died of a heart attack. We were shocked, distraught and so very sad. We walked a labyrinth in Peter’s honor, we built cairns to pay tribute to Peter, we held him and his beloved Tracey Anarella in meditation and shared stories of my husband’s 35 year friendship, recalling all the various musical projects with Peter. We are deeply grateful for the positive, healing impact Tracey had on Peter’s life in the past 10 years, softening his intensity, expanding his...
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Episode 166 A Whole New World
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
The song “It’s a Whole New World” from the Disney movie Aladdin keeps wiggling its way into my mind these days. My beloved spiritual son, Joel Cross introduced me to TikTok last week and he and TikTok have truly opened me up to a whole new world!! From one who never opened a Facebook account and keeps her Instagram account at arms length, I have a lukewarm relationship with social media platforms. My account is to specifically promote my weekly podcast episodes. It took a couple of years to build 200 followers on Instagram and now in my 4th year of hosting this podcast, I have a...
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Episode 165 Joel Cross, musician, poet, change-maker
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Joel Cross. Joel was when I launched the podcast in January of 2018 and he also wrote the beautiful theme song for my podcast “Shine Your Light”. You can also find a on my website for those of you who want to download it for meditation or your yoga playlist. Joel is a beloved spiritual soul, who I both treasure and feel deeply grateful to have in my life. I know that his open-heart, self-reflection and clarity will inspire you. I am eager for all my listeners to hear the clear vision Joel has claimed for himself: to be a conduit of grounding, healing and...
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Episode 164 The Full Catastrophe
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
Do you have a lot going on in your life? Do you feel like your schedule is overflowing with life’s ups and downs? Welcome to the full catastrophe of life! Jon Kabat-Zinn titled his first book “Full Catastrophe of Living.” He says the full catastrophe is “another way to speak of heart-fullness.” Can you be present as you feel your way into your experience from moment to moment: the heartbreaking moments, the tender, sweet moments, the frightening moments and the joyful ones? Kabat-Zinn says that “It’s the nature of the human condition to actually, encounter uncertainty, stress,...
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Episode 163 Garbage Collector
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
I often bring a garbage bag with me on my Hook Mountain walks. I can’t stand to see trash on the trails, so I feel compelled to do my part to clean up the garbage along the way. I unpack some associations and metaphors that come to mind while collecting garbage. Garbage collectors were important to Martin Luther King, Jr. and the civil rights movement. Garbage collectors have been critical in nationally exposing and highlighting the abuses, non-unionized, low-paying jobs and dangerous working conditions that too many people have suffered under. MLK brought the garbage collectors’ plight...
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Episode 162 The Presence of Angels
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
According to the mystics, every human being has been assigned a guardian angel, regardless of your beliefs, culture, ethnicity or geography. That’s right, a personal angel who is the gatekeeper of your soul. And then there are multiple angels who serve unique functions to heal, guide, protect and direct us. Do you allow angels to work with you and for you? Have you ever felt the presence of angels? I hosted 5 Archangels last week and palpably felt the presence of the angels before the Derek Chauvin verdict was announced. The emotions of this verdict are complex and there is much...
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Episode 161 Hilary Carr Jones, social worker, writer
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Hilary Carr, my beloved aunt. Hilary is a Social Worker, Writer and our family Heart-Storian! I left in a minute of pre-show dialogue where I explain this new word I made up for her. I also want to prepare you for our spotty WiFi connection - as Hil says: it’s the impact of living in the woods of Maine. Sometimes Hilary’s word are slowed down, stretched like taffy and then sped up, a tad garbled, so I did my best to edit those awkward moments, trusting that the quality of our conversation will come through. Raising 5 wonderful children, working as a Social Worker in...
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Episode 160 Patrick Heffernan, yoga teacher, actor, dancer
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Patrick Heffernan. Patrick is a skilled & gifted yoga teacher, actor, dancer and impassioned human. Don’t you love it when someone you love and respect introduces you to someone they love and respect and you immediately understand why they care for each other and feel blessed to join in the love fest! Well that is what I felt when introduced Patrick Heffernan into my life. Thank you, Shawna! Celebrating your kindred spirit sibling-hood with Patrick and delighting in the integrity, heart and humor you both infuse into your exceptional yoga classes and into life. I...
info_outline In today’s episode I pay tribute to Alvin Ailey’s iconic masterpiece “Revelations”, celebrating its 60th anniversary. I reminisce about the 50 years this dance has been in my life: as an audience member since I was 12, a teen dancer that learned excerpts of the choreography, a passionate facilitator to introduce “Revelations” to newbies, an enthusiast who delighted in sharing these performances with many friends and family, to the proud wife of the bass player in Ailey’s wonderful band that accompanies a glorious gospel choir. I miss seeing the live performance this year and particularly miss the extended family of all involved in this production.
As we mourn the loss of people, places and performances that can’t be experienced in person, I am focused on the hope, inspiration and joy captured in “Revelations”. I appreciate all that the magnificent Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater stands for and embodies. I am deeply grateful for the warm, inclusive, loving embrace I experience when in the presence of Ailey’s band, spirited choir and exquisite dancers. I’ll let that sustain me till we meet again in person.
Checkout the links below to watch the Opening Night Virtual Benefit and links to my previous podcast guests representing a musician, 2 choir members and a dancer/Associate Artistic director of the company. Enjoy the podcast!
Thanks to everyone who supported and donated to the MADE fundraiser we launched last week. Tarik Greene and Toney Earl, Jr. co-founded MADE, a grassroots organization to address the needs of formerly incarcerated people. MADE stands for Making A Difference Everyday. Please join us in making a difference for an easily forgotten, marginalized group of people.
Our bass playing daughter, her drummer husband and a circle of their talented musician friends recorded an album last year, thanks to the generosity of Matt and Margaret Balitsaris, to raise money for Tarik and Toney’s program.
We’re happy to announce that along with the digital downloads that are available at TheMadeProject.BandCamp.com, MADE-transitions.org is offering physical CDs for purchase. The CDs contain 3 additional bonus tracks not available at bandcamp.com. Thanks for your continued support.
Links:
Alvin Ailey Opening Night Virtual Benefit
Enlighten Podcast Episodes featuring:
Gary Fritz (Ailey percussionist)
Roosevelt Credit (choir member)
Gail Blache-Gill (choir member)
Matthew Rushing (Alvin Ailey Associate Artistic Director)
The MADE Project/GLOW album:
themadeproject.bandcamp.com (Digital Downloads)
GLOW Music Videos/YouTube channel
M.A.D.E. Transitions (Glow CD orders)