CTZN PODCAST

Jamia Wilson is many things: an activist, a feminist, a storyteller, a media-maker and a thought leader. But more than anything, she is a truth teller. In this podcast, you experience the full power and spectrum of Jamia’s feminist truth and perspective. And what I found most compelling in our conversation, was her ability to be both brave and vulnerable at the same time. Jamia isn’t afraid to get uncomfortable, to tackle tough issues and to hold the complexity of our intersectionality. The deeper that we're willing to go within ourselves - in our own ability not just to speak the truth, but to know it - the more we can hold the truth for others.

In our conversation, Paola talks about our capacity to hold two truths at the same time. And she really embodies that. She is relentless in her resistance to the racist policies of this administration, to defending and protecting the undocumented community, and to fighting for the freedom and wellbeing of women and children. But she is simultaneously passionate in her expression, ecstatic in song and dance, and generous in her love as an organizer and mother. And she shows us that we can be many things at the same time, And we need to.

In this episode, we are talking about love. Not the mushy, romantic kind of love. But Real Love - how to love when it’s hard or less obvious; how to love when we don’t agree; how to love in the face of so much division and oppression. And we are turning to the incredibly wise Sharon Salzberg, meditation master and and best-selling author. Sharon has been teaching Metta meditation, or loving kindness, since 1974. She’s been seminal, not just in bringing meditation and mindful practice to the west, but in modernizing the practices, making it relatable and accessible. Her latest book, Real Love, does just that. In our conversation, we tackle everything from loving our enemies to empathy burn out to befriending our inner critic and to voting as an act of love.

Tarana Burke set this movement in motion long before the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the Alissa Milano tweet or the Time’s Up campaign. It actually began over a decade ago in Alabama to support brown and black survivors of sexual violence. Since then, the call has gone viral and Tarana is on a mission to help women navigate what comes after the hashtag. Whether you are a survivor or an ally, everyone has a place in this movement, she says. And as you’ll hear in this interview, she is proving that a movement of radical healing is not only possible, it’s happening.

She's blunt, brilliant, hilarious, and an abundance of wisdom. Seane Corn is a world renowned master yoga teacher, but to just call her a yoga teacher feels absurd. She is a provocative and moving public speaker. She's the founder of the nonprofit, Off the Mat Into the World, which has trained over 5000 people in how to bridge personal transformation and social change. And she's about to be an author for her first book, which knowing her, will be a juicy “tell all” about her journey from spiritual practice to social action. But, what you will experience of Seane on this podcast, and what I know of her in person, is that she is relentless in her pursuit of truth and transformation. She doesn't just preach about getting into the world and taking action, she walks the talk. Her process is real time, and raw, and vulnerable, which is why I think she's so popular. People see themselves in her stories. She gives us permission to be broken and beautiful at the same time.

Can politics be spiritual? Marianne Williamson things so. The best selling author, spiritual activist and integrative politician talks to us about what's broken in America and how to center love in our politics. Her fierce call to action challenges us to acknowledge our collective wounds as a country and reclaim America through revolutionary love and spiritual practice.

I wish I could share the full unedited version of this interview because like all of my conversations with Angel, it was deep. And inevitably with her, I have some major realization or breakthrough. That may sound dramatic, but once you start listening, you’ll know what i mean. Reverend angel Kyodo williams, born and raised in NY. is an ordained zen priest and sensei. She is acclaimed Author of Radical Dharma and Being Black: Zen and the art of living with fearlessness and grace...and that is a perfect title to describe her. She is a force of nature. In this episode, Rev angel talks about how we need to hold the intersectional complexity of who we are in America and how we came to be here. She challenges us to go beyond what is politically correct or socially acceptable and do the simple and radical thing of practicing justice and being in relationship with one another. Oh, and she reveals her best "life hacks".