Practice You with Elena Brower
Content 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.
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Episode 215: Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff-Fehling
04/26/2025
Episode 215: Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff-Fehling
On remembering our original state; the use of quantum energy to boost regenerative competency and overall health. (0:00) - Introduction to Philip von Holtzendorf-Fehling (2:47) - Understanding Quantum Energy (4:21) - Practical Applications of Quantum Energy (10:55) - Impact of Quantum Energy on Water and Food (15:27) - Scientific Evidence and Research (21:04) - Personal Experiences and Practical Uses (23:01) - Accelerating Cell Recovery and Physical Benefits (29:19) - Spiritual and Consciousness Benefits Philipp Samor von Holtzendorff-Fehling is a coach, conscious entrepreneur, and energy healer. In parallel to a successful international business career, he constantly worked through blockages and barriers that had prevented him from fully connecting with his true self. With that, he also started to see energy fields and developed his unique skills as a healer, and he went through two decades of training in shamanic and other energy healing practices. During his business career, he's worked as an executive for several companies, including T-Mobile International and T-Mobile US, where he served as Vice President. He’s the founder and CEO of Leela Quantum Tech and Quantum Upgrade. While he’s also a passionate bio- and bio-energy hacker in his personal life, he’s also a kundalini yoga teacher, a father of two, loves dogs, and is currently No. 2 in the Tennis Senior US Nationals (Men's 50). Code ELENA means 10% off.
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Episode 214: Shirin Etessam
04/12/2025
Episode 214: Shirin Etessam
On the six key steps to freeing ourselves from the inside out. (1:44) - Overview of "Free to Be" (4:02) - Heart Detox and Self-Care (6:21) - Body Detox and Self-Care (8:58) - The Role of Play in Neuroplasticity (13:28) - Finding Your True North (15:28) - Rewriting Your Story (20:01) - Conclusion and Closing Remarks A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Shirin Etessam is an entrepreneur, producer, creator and founder. Shirin founded OML TV, a popular platform dedicated to streaming and curating quality, queer female content, and OML Originals, a female-led production company telling diverse female stories through a vast spectrum of film and television genres. Her book leads us away from the prioritization of accomplishment toward a simple, structured, six-week reset for mind, heart and body. Shirin lives in Marin County with her wife and two children.
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Episode 213: Mallory McDuff part 2
03/29/2025
Episode 213: Mallory McDuff part 2
On our last best act, planning for the end of our lives and aligning our end-of-life choices with our values. Exploring new, sustainable practices such as green burial, aquamation, conservation cemeteries, home funerals and human composting. (0:00) - Introduction and Background of Mallory McDuff (2:05) - Defining Green Burials and Their Importance (5:47) - Exploring Cremation and Aquamation (14:06) - Choosing a Green Burial Site (29:53) - Personal Stories and Final Wishes (36:28) - Practical Considerations and Resources (36:39) - Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks In this second conversation with Mallory McDuff, environmental education professor, we discuss her book, Our Last Best Act. She is the author of four books, with essays featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post and more.
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Episode 212: Mallory McDuff part 1
03/15/2025
Episode 212: Mallory McDuff part 1
On the women who've designated themselves as voices for the Earth and prioritizing joy amidst the truths of our times. (0:00) - Introduction to Mallory McDuff and the Podcast (1:52) - Hannah Herman's Connection to Mallory McDuff (4:49) - The Power of Climate Storytelling (6:20) - Colette Pichon Battle's Story (12:03) - Ayanna Elizabeth Johnson's Focus on Ocean Justice (24:50) - Mari Copeny's Activism in Flint, Michigan (36:11) - Kendra Pinto's Fight Against Fracking in New Mexico (44:55) - Conclusion and Call to Action Mallory McDuff discovered the field of Environmental Education as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Central African Republic, where she saw the critical importance of integrating local communities in conservation. She's the author of four books examining the intersection of spirituality and the climate crisis: (OUP, 2010), (New Society Press, 2012), (Broadleaf Books, 2021), and (Broadleaf Books, 2023). She also co-authored a book for practitioners (OUP, 2015) and written more than 50 essays for the New York Times, Washington Post, WIRED, Newsweek, and more. In this episode, we discuss Love Your Mother. Much of her writing draws on her life at Warren Wilson College, where she lives with her two daughters. In her classes, students collaborate with diverse community partners—from youth to senior citizens—to teach and learn together using the forests, farms, and fields of the campus.
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Episode 211: Alua Arthur
03/01/2025
Episode 211: Alua Arthur
On living your fullest life so you can meet the end with grace. (0:00) - Introduction and Book Reading (2:08) - Alua's Journey from Law School to Death Doula (3:57) - Meeting Jessica and Reflecting on Judgments (7:04)- Alua's Background and Going with Grace (9:23) - Alua's Childhood and Adaptability (12:47) - Life in Los Angeles and Death Doula Work (14:37) - Peter's Illness and Its Impact (18:11) - Reflecting on Peter's Death (20:02) - Alua's Family and Legacy (24:43) - Final Thoughts and Resources Author of BRIEFLY PERFECTLY HUMAN: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End, Alua Arthur is the most visible death doula in America today. A recovering attorney and the founder of Going with Grace, a death doula training and end-of-life planning organization, Alua has been featured on The Doctors and in Disney's Limitless docu-series with Chris Hemsworth, as well as Vogue, InStyle, the Los Angeles Times, The Cut, The New Yorker, and the New York Times. Her TED talk entitled “Why Thinking About Death Helps You Live a Better Life,” went online in July 2023 and has already received over 1.5 million views. Alua has appeared on dozens of podcasts, and a Refinery29 video feature on Arthur and her work received ten million views across social platforms. For her clients and everyone who has been inspired by her humanity, Alua Arthur is a friend at the end of the world. As our country’s leading death doula, she’s spreading a transformative message: thinking about your death—whether imminent or not—will breathe wild, new potential into your life. Warm, generous, and funny AF, Alua supports and helps manage end-of-life care on many levels. The business matters, medical directives, memorial planning; but also honoring the quiet moments, when monitors are beeping and loved ones have stepped out to get some air—or maybe not shown up at all—and her clients become deeply contemplative and want to talk. Aching, unfinished business often emerges. Alua has been present for thousands of these sacred moments—when regrets, fears, secret joys, hidden affairs, and dim realities are finally said aloud. When this happens, Alua focuses her attention at the pulsing center of her clients’ anguish and creates space for them, and sometimes their loved ones, to find peace. , Alua's work Alua's TED Talk: This has had a profound effect on Alua, who was already no stranger to death’s periphery. Her family fled a murderous coup d’état in Ghana in the 1980s. She has suffered major, debilitating depressions. And her dear friend and brother-in-law died of lymphoma. Advocating for him in his final months is what led Alua to her life’s calling. She knows firsthand the power of bearing witness and telling the truth about life’s painful complexities, because they do not disappear when you look the other way. They wait for you. Briefly Perfectly Human is a life-changing, soul-gathering debut, by a writer whose empathy, tenderness, and wisdom shimmers on the page. Alua Arthur combines intimate storytelling with a passionate appeal for loving, courageous end-of-life care—what she calls “death embrace.” Hers is a powerful testament to getting in touch with something deeper in our lives, by embracing the fact of our own mortality. “Hold that truth in your mind,” Alua says, “and wondrous things will begin to grow around it.
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Episode 210: Chazz Scott
02/15/2025
Episode 210: Chazz Scott
On the gift of childlike faith, guarding your mind and the crucial connection between your well-being and your success. (0:00) - Introduction (2:50) - Chaz's Journey to Writing the Book (5:40) - Guard Your Mind and Meditation (12:09) - Self-Talk and Affirmations (16:13) - Work toward ascension and childlike faith (21:58) - Success and Self-Care (26:33) - Conclusion and Call to Action Chazz Scott is an author, speaker, mindset and resilience coach. He is the founder of Supra Mentem, a consulting firm specializing in training leaders in peak performance, well-being, and sustainable success. His clients include the D.C. Hospital Association, the Maryland Association of Election Officials, and the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce. Chazz is the Executive Director of Positively Caviar, Inc., a nonprofit focused on using optimism to build resilience and disrupt youth mental health stigmas. He lives with his wife in the Washington D.C. area. Chazz is the author of his latest book, , which seeks to bridge the gap between wellness and accomplishment by illuminating a simple principle: our outward success is only as viable as our inner well-being. On Amazon:
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Episode 209: Arli Liberman
02/01/2025
Episode 209: Arli Liberman
On sonic gratitude, developing our deeper gifts, the peril of expectation, the potency of the present, and the beauty of self-acceptance. (0:00) - Musical Journey and Transformative Work (5:12) - Early Career Challenges and Breakthroughs (12:25) - Personal Transitions and Professional Growth (14:57) - The Power of Gratitude and Creative Process (15:38) - The Role of Meditation and Yoga in Creative Work (19:35) - The Impact of Friendship and Support (19:57) - Arlie's Musical Projects and Future Aspirations (20:21) - The Influence of Elena's Writing on Arlie's Music (20:42)- The Importance of Self-Acceptance and Present Moment Awareness Arli Liberman is an award-winning screen composer, producer and guitarist who creates vibrant, immersive music for film, TV, multimedia and live experiences. With an unwavering dedication to his craft, Arli's approach to music serves as a transformative force that resonates both on and off the screen. As a screen composer, Arli has worked on a wide range of films, including Sam Kelly's gang movie 'Savage', winning the 2021 APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film Award. In 2024, he collaborated with Tiki Taane to create the score to the historical drama in Te Reo Māori 'Ka Whawhai Tonu - Struggle Without End' directed by Mike Jonathan, with the theme song 'Hold On To The Dream' featuring Louis Baker, released as a single. Arli composed the original score for NZ film 'The Mountain' (2024), with music by Troy Kingi, directed by Rachel House and produced by Piki Films and Sandy Lane Productions. In 2023, he scored 'Stylebender' a documentary directed by Zoë McIntosh about Nigerian - New Zealand mixed martial artist Israel Adesanya, which was premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. His signature sound can be heard on the 36th America's Cup theme, the opening titles of the FIFA Women's World Cup, The All Blacks Experience at SkyCity, and in the Auckland Art Gallery's filmic exhibition Te Mata. As a solo artist, Arli is also prolific, with his fifth solo album coming out on Bigpop Records, in addition to creating a new collaborative album with renowned composer Rhian Sheehan due out in 2024. Arli's production work on Ngatapa Black's album 'I Muri Ahiahi' earned a nomination for Māori Album of the Year at the Aotearoa Music Awards, and he has performed at MoMA New York and the Montreux Jazz Festival, among other international festivals. Originally from Israel, Arli was a member of the groundbreaking White Flag Project, a pioneering crossover band uniting Palestinian and Israeli musicians. Under the mentorship of platinum-selling English record producer Mark Smulian, he was urged to 'find the back door of the electric guitar sound', which marked the beginning of Arli’s journey in developing his sonic identity. In 2009, Arli moved to Aotearoa New Zealand, where he continued to develop his innovative approach to music and began exploring the synergy between composition and visual storytelling.
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Episode 208: Rocío Marte
01/18/2025
Episode 208: Rocío Marte
On rest as our birthright and the vital importance of remembering to pause. (0:00) - Rest and relaxation with a focus on honoring ancestral heritage and claiming birthright to rest. (5:09) - Rest and self-care, with a focus on yoga nidra and inner peace. (13:06) - Rest and self-care with a meditation course and 21-day program. Born in the Caribbean Dominican Republic and living now in Mianjin/Brisbane, Australia, Rocío is dedicated to finding inner resources of ease. Offering Restorative Yoga, Meditation and Nidra for almost 10 years, building bridges with community and world, Rocío is a woman of color, devoted to honoring the space her ancestors missed to pause. Claiming rest today, she nurtures the lineage before her. She encourages us to "Think less. Feel more."
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Episode 207: Melissa Berry Appleton
01/04/2025
Episode 207: Melissa Berry Appleton
On growing up at fifty, practice as a modern-day chaplain and cultivating a domestic monastery. (1:48) - Parenting Practices and Transitions (3:51) - Addiction Recovery and Personal Experience (5:33) - Talking to Children About Addiction (10:02) - Living in a Domestic Monastery (15:24) - Marriage and Personal Growth (23:50) - Chaplaincy and Palliative Care (26:13) - End-of-Life Celebrations and Legacy (29:07) - Connecting with the Community and Future Plans Melissa Berry Appleton is a Buddhist Chaplain, lay ordained in the Soto Zen Prajna Mountain Order, by Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center. Currently serving as a Chaplain with the University of British Columbia Okanagan, British Columbia Interior Health Physicians and the clinical counselling and social work graduate intern practicum program, Melissa has worked as a front-line worker in geriatric cognitive impairments, palliative care, and residential treatment centers for addiction. Almost complete with her Masters of Clinical Counselling in Psychology she's practiced and taught yoga, somatics and meditation for more than 20 years. Melissa is mama to three incredible humans now launching as young adults; her deep commitment to practice in the Domestic Monastery is her greatest source.
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Episode 206: Octavia Raheem
12/21/2024
Episode 206: Octavia Raheem
On rest as the way to reclaim your brilliance, at the altar of now. (0:00) - Octavia's Background and Introduction (2:16) - Losing Parents and Spiritual Connection (2:58) - Rest as a Healing Practice (16:03) - Reading from the Book "Rest is Sacred" (16:19) - Personal Reflections on Rest (16:38) - The Power of Rest and Collective Care (27:01) - Daily and Collective Rest Practices (27:19) - Protecting Energy through Rest (31:57) - Practicing Self-Care and Listening to Oneself Octavia Raheem is a mother, author, yoga teacher and practitioner, and activist. She has received national attention for her work training yoga teachers and diversifying the yoga and wellness industry. Her work as a yoga professional focuses on practical tools to teach individuals how to manage stress, anxiety, and fatigue through yoga and meditation in a way that is accessible to all levels/abilities, and restorative to the nervous system. Her work has been featured in Yoga Journal, Mantra magazine, Well+Good, CNN, WXIA, and Atlanta Magazine. Excerpt from by Octavia F. Raheem: Divine One of Rest, You said come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest. You said I will fight for you; you need only to be still. You said be still and know. And here we are. Here, being this portal within these pages. Here, being this place. Here, at this altar called right now. We come in gratitude for our Ancestors who are well enough in spirit to tend to our wellness. Because of them, we found a way to rest. We made a way to rest. We are here to reclaim rest as our birthright. Let it be so.
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Episode 205: Mirabai Starr
12/07/2024
Episode 205: Mirabai Starr
On the temple of your regular life, and the daily practices of attention, surrender and wonder. (0:00) - Introduction to Mirabai Starr and Her Work (2:16) - Discussion on "Ordinary Mysticism" (5:15) - Accessibility and Intended Audience of "Ordinary Mysticism" (7:18) - Personal Stories and Everyday Mysticism (11:34) - Mirabai's Identity and Role as a Young Elder (14:29) - Current Rituals and Spiritual Practices (19:03) - Memories from Taos and Early Influences (21:29) - Embodying Contemplative Practice (25:44) - The Practice of Wonder and Surrender (32:13) - Final Reflections and Mantra Practice Mirabai Starr is an award-winning author, internationally acclaimed speaker, and a leading teacher of interspiritual dialogue. In 2020, she was honored on Watkins’ list of the 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People. Drawing from 20 years of teaching Philosophy and World Religions at the University of New Mexico-Taos, Mirabai now travels the world sharing her wisdom on contemplative living, writing as a spiritual practice, and the transformational power of grief and loss. She has authored over a dozen books including Wild Mercy, Caravan of No Despair, and God of Love: A Guide to the Heart of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Mirabai has received critical acclaim for her revolutionary contemporary translations of the mystics John of the Cross, Teresa of Ávila, and Julian of Norwich. Mirabai offers the fruit of decades of study, teaching, and contemplative practice in a fresh, grounded, and lyrical voice to a growing circle of folks inspired by the life-giving essence of feminine wisdom. Mirabai continues to teach seminars, workshops, and retreats, both in person and through her online community Wild Heart. She lives with her extended family in the mountains of northern New Mexico.
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Episode 204: Nisha Moodley
11/23/2024
Episode 204: Nisha Moodley
On the soul of our work, the re-indigenizing of our minds and the vital force of sisterhood. <ul> <li>(2:21) - Nisha's Background and Family Life </li> <li>(4:09) - Hiro Boga's Influence on Nisha's Work </li> <li>(7:55) - The Concept of Devotion and Partnership </li> <li>(10:43) - Civilization and Disconnection </li> <li>(15:26) - The Muse and Creative Practice </li> <li>(23:37) - Global Sisterhood Day and the Importance of Friendship </li> <li>(36:43) - Cultivating Friendship and Community </li> <li>(42:52)- Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts </li> </ul> Nisha Moodley is an integrative leadership coach that holds her work – and our collective work – within devotional, animist relational ways. Nisha has 15 years of experience leading mastermind groups, online courses, and nearly 60 retreats. She was first trained to work with subtle energy nearly 30 years ago, and has since received in-depth Health Coach and Executive Coach training, become a Family Constellation facilitator, and deepened her practice through breathwork training, Ancestral healing, and archetypal studies. All of these teachings and modalities (and others) are integrated for guidance that works not just on the level of mindset, but also through much deeper listening and moving. Nisha is the mother of two small children, a newbie land steward, constantly seeking to understand the deeper systemic and historical implications of the individual and collective challenges we face today, weaving those considerations into the work as well.
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Episode 203: Dr. Kamilah Majied
11/09/2024
Episode 203: Dr. Kamilah Majied
On bringing joy to justice; learning how to bear witness to our oppressive patterns and tendencies; fierce compassion as a quality of mind, heart, body and spirit. (2:41) - Engagement with Music and Nature (4:23) - Application of Enlightened Mind (9:06) - Oppression and Human Revolution (17:41) - Emergent Strategies and Joyful Just Action (28:38) - Fierce Compassion and Self-Care (37:54) - Language and Terminology (46:32) - Conclusion and Resources Dr. Kamilah Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical educator, researcher, and consultant on advancing equity and inclusion using meditative practices. Drawing from her decades of contemplative practice and leadership, Dr. Majied engages people in experiencing wonder, humor, and insight through transforming oppressive patterns and deepening relationships toward ever-improving individual, familial, organizational, and communal wellness. Author of Joyfully Just: Black Wisdom and Buddhist Insights for Liberated Living
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Episode 202: Elise Loehnen
10/26/2024
Episode 202: Elise Loehnen
On the origins of our best behavior, managing undue shame and the price women pay to be good.
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Episode 201: Sophie Schauermann
10/12/2024
Episode 201: Sophie Schauermann
On radical self-responsibility and reprocessing our childhood shame to empowerment and creativity. (2:42) – Sophie’s Personal Journey and Research on Highly Sensitive Children (5:17) – Understanding Rooted Rhythm Therapy and Parent Coaching (8:19) – The Nature of “Big Feelings” and Their Impact on Children (10:08) – Practical Tips for Parents of Highly Sensitive Children (15:36) – The Role of Authenticity and Congruency in Parenting (20:55) – The Role of EMDR in Therapy and Parenting Sophie Schauermann, LCSW is a licensed therapist and parent coach based in Denver, CO. Her passion and expertise lie in supporting highly sensitive children (and their parents) in harnessing their sensitivities into their superpowers. She is the founder of Rooted Rhythm Therapy and Parent Coaching, which was born out of the belief that children must get to know the beat of their own drum in order to confidently reach their potential…and that the best kind of parent is one that is Rooted in their own Rhythm. Sophie supports her clients with Synergetic Play Therapy, EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) Therapy, and Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy. She has over 10 years of experience working closely with children and families in many settings, including the Harvard Medical School’s laboratory for youth mental health, the public school system, community based mental health programs, and now in private practice. Her greatest learning, however, lies in her personal story of healing and growth into the person that she is today. Sophie is the proud wife to another therapist and bonus mama to two amazing kiddos that she couldn’t imagine life without.
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Episode 200: Ryan Haddon
09/28/2024
Episode 200: Ryan Haddon
On resetting after betrayal and spiritual abuse, shifting self-loathing, and service as crucial to our healing. (1:00) - Reinventing oneself after doors close in life. (4:56) - Addiction, self-loathing, and recovery. (11:31) - Addiction recovery, self-discovery, and service. (17:25) - Healing from trauma and supporting others. (21:18) - Spiritual betrayal and abuse of power in a spiritual community. (27:24) - Healing from past traumas and finding freedom in one's 50s. Ryan Haddon is the Director of Programming at Sage + Sound’s dedicated space for mental and emotional fitness, called The Study. She is an old friend, a certified Life and Spiritual coach, a clinical Hypnotherapist and certified meditation teacher with over 18 years of experience with hundreds of clients around the world. A sought-after public speaker for corporate retreats such as the international talent agency CAA, for three Tapping Solution Summits, Visionary Women and more.
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Episode 199: Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, PhD
09/14/2024
Episode 199: Vanessa Machado de Oliveira, PhD
On hospicing modernity, an invitation to hold many paradoxical layers of complexity, to stretch your heart, to know vulnerability as your strength. (1:00) - Colonialism, identity, and family history. (7:10) - Modernity, its definition, and its impact on society, culture, and the environment. (16:53) - Modernity, colonialism, and their impact on humanity's mental health and well-being. (26:20) - Education, storytelling, and connection to nature. (32:50) - Indigenous perspectives on psychology, including the concept of the "bus" representing the multiplicity within the self. (39:08) - Modern society's disconnection from nature and self, with a focus on indigenous knowledge and practices for healing and growth. Dr. Vanessa Machado de Oliveira Andreotti has served as a Latinx professor at the University of British Columbia, now Dean of the Faculty of Education of the University of Victoria. Dr. Andreotti is a former and a former . She is the author of (2021) and one of the co-founders of the (GTDF) Arts/Research Collective. Most of her published articles and OpEds are available at . She began her career as a teacher in Brazil in 1994 and has since led educational and research programs in countries including the UK, Finland, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada. Andreotti works across sectors in international and comparative education, particularly focusing on global justice and citizenship, Indigenous and community engagement, sustainability, and social and ecological responsibility. Her research examines relationships between historical, systemic, and on-going forms of violence, and the inherent unsustainability of modernity. Andreotti is one of the founding members of Gesturing Decolonial Futures Collective () and Teia das 5 Curas, an international network of Indigenous communities mostly in Canada and Latin America. She currently collaborates with these groups to direct research projects and learning initiatives related to global healing and wellbeing in times of unprecedented challenges.
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Episode 198: Paula Arai
08/31/2024
Episode 198: Paula Arai
On activating compassion through our simplest offerings of forgiveness, care, gratitude and respect. (0:30) - Japanese rituals for beauty, harmony, and love. (10:00) - Cleaning and its connection to healing and mindfulness. (16:36) - Organizing and decluttering, with a focus on the importance of forgiveness and creating more space in life. (24:49) - Healing, self-care, and relationships. (31:48) - Buddhist teachings, suffering, and healing through interconnectedness and self-reflection. Paula Ara was raised in Detroit by a Japanese mother, and did Zen training in Japan. She obtained her Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Harvard University in 1993 and is now the Eshinni & Kakushinni Professor of Women and Buddhist Studies at the Institute of Buddhist Studies in Berkeley, California. She is the author of Bringing Zen Home: The Healing Heart of Japanese Women’s Rituals, Women Living Zen: Japanese Soto Buddhist Nuns, and Painting Enlightenment: Healing Visions of the Heart Sutra. Her work has been a tremendous force in my own spiritual formation.
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Episode 197: Alicia Mathlin
08/17/2024
Episode 197: Alicia Mathlin
On the duality of resilience, the vitality in softening, the shifting landscape within a diagnosis and finding deep, lasting peace. (5:32) - Cancer treatment, body connection, and self-love. (11:35) - Resilience, grief, and legacy after cancer diagnosis. (18:07) - Starting a foundation and creating a membership community for personal growth. (24:59) - Spirituality, self-forgiveness, and patience with a guest speaker. Alicia Mathlin is the founder of Meditation Pusher, a unique meditation, mindfulness and mindset training company. Alicia has been teaching dynamic teams, professional athletes, entertainers and young people for almost a decade. She teaches in a warm, funny and relatable manner. Alicia is also a yoga teacher, holistic nutritionist and the founder of Theine Foundation. Her background is in international business (London, Paris), and her favourite food is a proper pain au chocolat. The Practice is a membership community rooted in friendship, not mentorship. It is a quiet and elegant place online created to help you access your peace, activate your power, and unlock your potential on your own terms and in your own time.
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Episode 196: Cory Allen
08/03/2024
Episode 196: Cory Allen
On steady practices of self-awareness to redefine yourself as often as you wish, and trusting yourself in any situation to make strong choices that serve.
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Episode 195: Eboni Banks
07/20/2024
Episode 195: Eboni Banks
On the importance of self-trust, repression v. suppression, the vitality of solitude for development of our intuition, and the prioritization of feeling over discursive thinking. (1:00) – Intuitive healing and spiritual gifts with Ebony Banks. (4:49) – Nonprofit work, plant-based eating, and community service. (11:32) – Plant-based diets, spirituality, and entrepreneurship. (15:43) – Trauma, healing, and self-trust. (22:24) – Healing from trauma and rape through self-awareness and spiritual practices. (28:33) – Forgiveness and healing after trauma. (37:04) – Intuition, self-trust, and body awareness. Born in Washington, D.C., and raised in Silver Spring, Maryland, Eboni Banks is an Intuitive Healer and Author who has been aware of her intuition since childhood. She is from a lineage of healers and wellness practitioners on both sides of her family. Eboni’s maternal great-grandmother read palms for a living in the 1940s. Her late father was a social worker and hypnotherapist who owned and operated a private practice mental health clinic. Eboni's inspiration to serve others began as a child while spending time in her dad's office and observing his healing work. As a trauma survivor, Eboni has learned to use her wealth of inner spiritual resources to thrive on her own healing journey and is now inspired to teach people how to do the same. To access their intuition to heal the stuck parts of their lives that prevent them from living their desired life. Eboni's main spiritual gift is Clairtangency, which means clear touch and is the ability to receive information and impressions through touch. She is passionate about charitable work and has worked with nonprofit charities for the past 13 years as a development consultant, targeting social justice, pediatric healthcare, and equitable education. In 2016 Eboni received the Osborn Elliott Award for Outstanding Community Service for a volunteer-led organization she founded, which taught people living in Brownsville, Brooklyn, about the importance of incorporating plant-based eating into their diet. Eboni considers herself a mystic and enjoys exploring the balance of physical and non-physical life. She practices yoga, meditates, and listens to mantras in her spare time. Eboni currently lives in New York City, where she shares her thriving spiritual practices with clients.
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Episode 194: Cynthia Redhead
07/06/2024
Episode 194: Cynthia Redhead
On presence, living on a prayer, devotion and what it means to pause. (1:00) – Meditation, mindfulness, and personal growth with a meditation teacher. (10:01) – Mindfulness, meditation, and prayer with a focus on personal growth and self-care. (20:34) – Simplifying life, death, and spirituality. Originally from Lima, Peru, Cynthia is a first-generation Latina immigrant to the States, currently living in Texas. As a meditation and mindfulness teacher, mentor, and lifetime student, her two greatest passions are creating and teaching. Cynthia’s deepest joy is to see her students and clients befriend all aspects of themselves to live a more present and compassionate life, one breath at a time. Cynthia has been teaching in-person and online since 2018. For her, teaching is not only sharing the practices and wisdom she’s learned from her teachers, but also being of service to her students and clients to teach/mentor for her own experience. Cynthia’s meditation classes may include Sound Healing, Kirtan, Mantra meditation, aromatherapy, minerals, journaling, and many other holistic healing modalities. She loves to travel around the world for work and play. Cynthia’s other passions are painting, watching the waves of the ocean, drinking coffee or matcha, and chasing sunrises. She dreams about going to Bali, Indonesia and leading meditation retreats around the world. Digital meditation programs and classes for self-study: YouTube channel with free resources:
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Episode 193: Ash Johns
06/22/2024
Episode 193: Ash Johns
On prioritizing our connections with our ancestors as a way to elevate our work and the quality of our present relations.
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Episode 192: Emily Wright
06/08/2024
Episode 192: Emily Wright
On empowering women in business, prioritizing integrity and creating a global movement. As Founding Executive and Chair of the Board of doTERRA, Emily Wright has been fully immersed in the global essential oils market since the mid-90s. Empowering people on both sides of the bottle, she loves creating intentional connections and unifying teams for a common cause. She is a champion of doTERRA’s business model, focusing on providing tools to help nurture physical and emotional wellbeing while helping people reach their personal goals. Emily's relentless desire to source the world’s most pure and potent essential oils continues to lift communities in sourcing regions as she places her whole heart into doTERRA’s purpose: helping the world heal. Emily and her husband Korey are the parents of four beautiful children and three adorable grandchildren, her pride and joy. (4:06) - Using essential oils for health and wellness. (9:10) - Gender inequality in the workplace, personal growth, and leadership development. (14:21) - Using essential oils for health and wellness, fear of success holds back potential. (18:48)- Empowering families globally through essential oils. (25:07) - Growth and service in the essential oil industry. (34:15) - Essential oil quality and sourcing. (39:13) - Sustainable business practices and essential oil sourcing in Bulgaria and Madagascar. (43:05) - Essential oils, quality standards, and impact on healthcare. (53:31) - Longevity, wellness, and passion with a female entrepreneur.
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Episode 191: Sara Szal Gottfried, MD
05/25/2024
Episode 191: Sara Szal Gottfried, MD
On the causes of, and possible solutions for, autoimmune struggles. On resolving the trauma signature so many of us carry.
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Episode 190: Mark Matousek
05/11/2024
Episode 190: Mark Matousek
On resilience, via the wisdom of our ancestor Ralph Waldo Emerson. Seeing our character reflected in our opinions of the world. Shifting our lens to acknowledge our uniqueness, practicing surmounting our subjectivity in order to steep ourselves in reality as it is with empathy, equanimity and insight. (1:00) – Stoicism and Self-Reliance with Mark Tuzik. (4:56) – Emerson’s philosophy and its impact on Thoreau’s work. (13:12) – Emerson’s philosophy of self-awareness and perception. (19:07) – Solitude, loneliness, and self-discovery. (25:02) – Writing, self-doubt, and emotional reactivity. (31:14) – Emerson’s philosophy and its application to relationships. Mark Matousek is a bestselling author, teacher, and speaker whose work focuses on personal awakening and creative excellence through transformational writing and self-inquiry. His books include Sex Death Enlightenment: A True Story, The Boy He Left Behind, When You’re Falling, Dive, Ethical Wisdom: The Search for a Moral Life, Ethical Wisdom for Friends, Mother of the Unseen World, and Writing to Awaken: A Journey of Truth, Transformation, and Self-Discovery. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and publications, including The New Yorker, O: The Oprah Magazine, Details, Tricycle, Good Housekeeping, and Harper’s Bazaar. He has blogged for Psychology Today and offers courses in creativity and spiritual growth around the world. In 2013, Mark founded The Seekers Forum, a global online community for non-sectarian spiritual dialogue. He is on the faculty of The New York Open Center, The Omega Institute, 1440, Esalen, The Rowe Center, Hollyhock, and Blue Spirit, Costa Rica. He lives with his partner in Springs, New York. His new book is .
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Episode 189: Seraphina Capranos
04/27/2024
Episode 189: Seraphina Capranos
From the wild edge of intuition, women's health, inner presence and full embodiment, a peek inside the hearts of wise, engaged women. (2:48) – Women’s health and intuition with a holistic approach. (8:50) – Rituals and inner terrain mastery for personal growth. (16:43) – Women’s cycle, herbal medicine, and personal growth. (23:53) – Women’s empowerment and healing. (32:02) – Women’s leadership and herbal medicine course. (36:32) – Meditation and inner wisdom for personal growth. Seraphina Capranos is a clinical herbalist, homeopath, and initiated priestess with a practice spanning over two decades. As well as being a deeply engaging teacher and speaker, she has a clinical practice on Salt Spring Island. Her unique blend of gifts straddle the vast worlds of plant medicine, homeopathy, and ritual and ceremonial magic. She is a sought after international teacher who has taught thousands of students since 2008. She is the CEO and founder of The Center for Sacred Arts. From The Wild Edge is a ground-breaking virtual program that weaves a rich tapestry of Myth, Herbal Medicine, Modern Science and Ritual, taught by Seraphina and Dr. Karley Denoon. Blending expert health and hormonal guidance, herbal medicine, enriching community learning, elevating your understanding of what it means to heal as a woman in our times, From The Wild Edge might be a relevant course for you. Enrollment closes Sunday May 12, 2024.
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Episode 188: Kemi Nekvapil
04/13/2024
Episode 188: Kemi Nekvapil
On redefining power, living and leading without apology, spacious parenting and the perceptions holding us back. (2:24) – Self-awareness, identity, and heritage. (7:32) – Identity, belonging, and cultural heritage. (11:38) – Heritage, identity, and systemic racism. (16:35) – Privilege and allyship in a 20-year marriage. (20:50) – Parenting, values, and personal growth. (27:01) – Parenting teenagers and respecting their identity choices. (31:40) – Privilege and its various forms. (36:23) – Privilege and leadership with a focus on neurodiversity and accessibility. One of Australia's leading credentialed coaches for female executives and entrepreneurs, Kemi Nekvapil is an author and a highly sought-after international speaker, a flower farmer, a wife and mother, and a solid friend. She's studied leadership and purpose at The Gross National Happiness Centre in Bhutan and trained with Dr Brené Brown to become a Certified Dare to Lead™ Facilitator, working with teams and organisations to create daring leaders and courageous cultures. Kemi is a facilitator for The Hunger Project Australia and a regular interviewer of industry icons including Elizabeth Gilbert, Martha Beck and Marie Forleo, and she hosts the number one ranking podcast The Shift Series. With a level of compassion and wisdom only gained through extraordinary life experience, Kemi is a powerful advocate for connected, value-based living.
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Episode 187: Koshin Paley Ellison
03/30/2024
Episode 187: Koshin Paley Ellison
On the unexpected places of practice in our lives, the freedom of rigor, and the wisdom of closing the chasm between our values and our actions. (2:06)- Zen Buddhism’s Eightfold Path and personal growth. (6:47) – Buddhism, compassion, and social justice. (14:43) – Buddhist ceremony and personal growth. (20:43) – Meditation, mindfulness, and personal growth. (27:06) – Zen Buddhism and practice in Japan. (36:21) – Meditation, routines, and finding peace. (40:38) – Finding freedom through rigor and discipline. Sensei Koshin Paley Ellison, MFA, LMSW, DMIN, is an author, Zen teacher, Jungian psychotherapist, and Certified Chaplaincy Educator. After many years as a chaplain and psychotherapist, Koshin co-founded the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care, which offers contemplative approaches to care through education, personal caregiving, and Zen practice. Today, New York Zen Center’s methodologies are internationally recognized—and have touched the lives of tens of thousands of individuals. Koshin is a world renowned thought leader in contemplative care. He is the author of Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion (Balance/Hachette, 2022); Wholehearted: Slow Down, Help Out, Wake Up (Wisdom Publications, 2019) and the co-editor of Awake at the Bedside: Contemplative Teachings on Palliative and End of Life Care (Wisdom Publications, 2016). His work has been featured in the New York Times, PBS, CBS Sunday Morning, Tricycle among other publications. Koshin's new book, Untangled: Walking the Eightfold Path to Clarity, Courage, and Compassion, is a welcoming guidebook for finding expansive ease and deep compassion within oneself and through relationships with others based on the Eightfold Path, one of Buddhism’s foundational teachings. In his book, Koshin weaves together anecdotes from his own life dealing with abuse and discrimination, insights from many wise teachers, and invitations to constantly practice showing up to our lives in every moment.
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Episode 186: Yael Schonbrun PhD
03/16/2024
Episode 186: Yael Schonbrun PhD
On shifting the way we perceive our capacities as humans and as parents, focusing on relational connection and possibility. (4:14) – Mindset shift for work-parent conflict. (13:28) – Work-parenting challenges and unhelpful labels. (18:50) – Embracing challenges and finding opportunities in life. (26:50) – Managing stress and finding resilience through self-compassion. (33:18) – Nonviolent communication and parenting. In Work, Parent, Thrive, Yael shares practical strategies from clinical psychology and social science to better manage the conflict and enhance enrichment in work, parenting, and the balance of these meaningful roles. While these strategies won’t create more hours in the day, they can shift how we label our experiences, revise the stories we tell ourselves about working and parenting, and recognize the value we get from each role on its own, and in combination with one another. Yael Schonbrun, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist, assistant professor at Brown University, co-host of Psychologists Off the Clock: A podcast about the science and practice of living well, and mother of three. Yael’s academic research explores the interaction between relationship problems and mental health conditions. She has authored chapters in several books and has written dozens of scientific articles. In her private practice, writing, and podcasting, Yael uses evidence-based science to help individuals and couples learn to manage work, parenting, and marriage in more effective and fulfilling ways. She draws upon treatments that integrate ancient Eastern philosophy with scientifically backed practices. Yael’s writing on work, parenting, and relationships has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Greater Good Science Center, Behavioral Scientist, Kveller, Lilith Magazine, The Wise Brain Bulletin, Psychology Today, and Motherly. Her new book is Work, Parent, Thrive: 12 Science-Backed Strategies to Ditch Guilt, Manage Overwhelm, and Grow Connection (When Everything Feels Like too Much). Yael lives outside of Boston with her husband and their three small comedians.
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