Episode 362 For The Senses
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I share another John O’Donohue blessing, called “For The Senses”. My senses have been sweetly awakened and nourished on my travels. Wherever you might be this summer, I hope you are noticing the gift of your senses. May your senses breathe in all the wonder and beauty around you. May your senses illuminate sensations that stimulate and nourish you. May you be uplifted and inspired by nature, people, food, travels, experiences and all that enlightens you. Enjoy the podcast!
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Episode 361 For The Traveler
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode I offer a blessing for those who may be traveling this summer. I feel blessed and deeply grateful to be spending 3 weeks in Asia this summer. I’ll first be in Vietnam for 10 days and then traveling to Bali to visit my son, Wil, who moved to Indonesia in December of 2023. I recorded some short offerings before I left, so my listeners can still receive their weekly episodes. Wherever you might be this summer, I hope you are able to listen and continue to be uplifted and inspired by nature, people, travels, experiences and all that enlightens you. May...
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Episode 358 Nandini Austin
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
My guest today is Nandini Austin. Nandini, a British Indo-Mauritian, now living in the Hudson Valley, is a performer, workshop facilitator and certified Holistic Ayurveda Coach. Nandini masterfully blends ancient wisdom with her modern spirit of wellness in a workshop called “Temple Goddess: Global Dance and Ayurveda Retreat”. Temple Goddess will be at Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY starting Friday evening July 4th through Sunday afternoon July 6th. From Chaka Kahn’s “I’m Every Woman” to Fleetwood Mac’s “A Woman of a Thousand Years”, two songs that reflect...
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Episode 357 Hold Our Ground
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I describe the uplifting event I attended in my community to honor and celebrate Tom Chapin’s 80th Birthday. Tom, his family, his music, the special guests, the stories and the social justice woven throughout the evening, were magnificent. I didn’t realize how much I needed to experience something so joyful and inspiring. As Tom’s step-daughter, Jessica Craven so beautifully articulated: “I was reminded once again…of the profound power of the arts, community and family to heal and uplift. It’s never been more important to make sure we’re immersing...
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Episode 356 Birthday Blessings
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I honor someone special in my life, Jenn M, whose birthday is Tuesday May 20th. I describe some of the qualities I admire in Jenn and give a shout out to her 8th grader, E, who typically listens to my podcast on the drive to school. Thanks E, for being my youngest listener. As I celebrate Jenn and the dreams that are stirring in her heart, I share John O’Donohue’s blessing “For Longing”. May it resonate for the birthday gal as well as all of my listeners. May we each honor the longings in our heart and trust that our longings are aligned with our soul....
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Episode 355 Beltane
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I describe and honor Beltane, the Celtic festival of spring. Beltane is rich with magic as we celebrate the fertility of the land, the potential for new life and the abundance of nature. With the following weeks of May, into June, I encourage you to find your own way to honor Beltane. We are invited to be intentional about what we are planting inside of us for future growth. Delight in the late afternoon sun rays, the stunning cloudbursts and rainbows of this season. It’s no coincidence that we celebrate mother’s day around the same time we thank our Mother Earth...
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Episode 354 Childer of Wonder
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I talk about my love for the word wonder. Wonder slows me down, drops me into curiosity, and then opens the rich doors to gratitude. Even as a senior citizen, I consider myself a child of wonder. Let the magnificent gifts of Spring re-ignite your sense of wonder. Check out the show notes for links to hear the poignant words of Dot, a 96 year old woman who strives to live in awe and to the timeless wisdom of Rachel Carson’s The Sense Of Wonder. May we embrace what it means to be a child of wonder. Enjoy the podcast! Links: IG:
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Episode 353 I Am Because We Are
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode I explore the African proverb Ubuntu, which means ‘I am because we are.’ The phrase came to me in meditation last week and has stayed with me everyday. How do we honor our universal bond that connects all humanity? In the midst of hatred, divisiveness and injustice, how do we deepen our compassion, find forgiveness and treat others with respect? Nelson Mandela’s commitment to Ubuntu reminds me that we are all interconnected and that we have a responsibility to care for one another. ‘I am because we are’ is a phrase and philosophy I am inspired by. I...
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Episode 352 Bless The Earth
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, as we celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd, I talk about what it means to bless the earth. From cleaning up trash in our local parks to cultivating more awareness and responsibility to care for our planet, we can bless the earth. I share the earth blessing meditation that organically came to me and through me years ago, that is a part of my daily spiritual practice. May we bless the sky, the land and the waters. May we all bless our precious planet earth. May everyday be Earth Day. Happy Earth Day! Enjoy the podcast!
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Episode 351 Slow and Steady
Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire
On this week’s episode, I provide a guided meditation to help ground us in these tumultuous times. Carve out a few minutes for silence, stillness and slow, steady, replenishing, deep breaths. You are not alone. I hold you, my dear listeners in loving-kindness and compassion. Enjoy the podcast!
info_outline Not sure if you are still feeling the afterglow from the Day of Inauguration on Wednesday, January 20th, when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States, but I certainly am! I can easily access how moved I felt, how inspired, nourished and invigorated I was by the colors, vibrancy, decency, respect and refreshing HOPE that infused the ceremony and celebrations. The afterglow is still alive for me and when it fades, it doesn’t take much effort to re-ignite it. In fact, all I have to do is recall an image, a person, an outfit, an exchange, a gesture, or words expressed and the positive vibes course again through my body.
In today’s episode I highlight our hero, the brave Eugene Goodman, our brilliant ray of light, Amanda Gorman and the endearing, playful tribute to Bernie Sanders, whose memes showed up in every nook and cranny, with people and in places that we truly need him.
I’ve re-listened, re-watched Amanda’s performance of “The Hill We Climb” - I encourage you to let her words shower you with possibility, potential and passion. Here is the last stanza in her poem:
“In every known nook of our nation, in every corner called our country, our people, diverse and beautiful, will emerge, battered and beautiful. When day comes, we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it. For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”
Remind yourself of how your soul was nourished by poignant prayers, sincere speeches, sweet songs and powerful poetry - stoke the afterglow when you need a little boost. Let the tears flow, goose bumps tingle, cleanse the toxicity. The more I focus on the glow of Inauguration Day, the more it expands, so I encourage you to talk about it, highlight your favorite moments and share those moments in solidarity with your circles. We need to support each other as we face the layers of challenges ahead. May we do so with courage, compassion and a belief in our shared humanity.
Check out the show notes for a variety of links that pay tribute to Eugene Goodman, Amanda Gorman and Bernie Sanders. Enjoy the podcast!
Links:
Amanda on Instagram
Bernie Sanders on Instagram
"Fury and Faith" by Amanda Gorman
“The Hill We Climb” by Amanda Gorman
Amanda at the Library of Congress
Amanda performing at The Moth
Bernie Sanders on Seth Meyers
Ed Palermo Big Band "Amnerika"