Root Awareness

 “That is how stories work.  They touch us to believe that if we stay within what truly matters to us and to the people we care about, then step- by- step we are moving towards who we are actually meant to be.”  ~ Dr. Jean Sinoda Bolen she/herEmbodied awareness interconnected with the wisdom of the Earth can provide hope, inspiration, and creative solutions for the next chapter within our greater story of the Earth.    In the final episode of the Root Awareness podcast series, I share the most powerful dream of my life and finally re-membering who I am while coming back home to body, Earth, Spirit, and Soul.  I’ve learned that when one chooses to go inward and travel the path of healing and awakening, the imagination can become alive again, and individual and collective life force can then root into the body as one spreads their creative branches out into a world in desperate need of new possibilities.   I also have the honor of unpacking my life-altering dream with master Jungian Analyst and activist Dr. Jean Shioda Bolen. Jean is the author of 13 books in over 100 translations including Goddesses in Every Woman, Like a Tree, and Close to the Bone. Her books are used as college and university texts in gender studies, women’s psychology, mythology, spirituality, east-west philosophy, and psychology courses.    In this interview, Jean and I explore together the importance of remaining in “awe” of our dreams, our stories, and Earth in order to keep close to the heart what truly matters during these challenging times.  As we move deeper into conversation, Jean shares a personal story of her own ecological awakening to the interconnectedness of all of life and her perspective on the importance of staying connected and in relationship with ancestors and spirits that have passed to the other side.   Jean’s wisdom is the ancient language of the Grandmother Tree, spreading both soulful and spiritual knowledge to present and future generations, not to be forgotten. Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation. Connect with Dr. Jean Shioda Bolen:https://www.jeanbolen.com/https://www.instagram.com/jeanshinodabolen/ Connect with me:www.rootawareness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/https://www.ahrigolden.com/ 

 “Whatever it is that you are here to do, do that.  There is no more time to pretend.  We are in threshold times.  Now is your time.” ~ Avery KalapaThrough my own healing journey and peeling back the layers of inner and outer conditioning, I now am asking the deeper and uncomfortable questions of who I am beyond any duality.  In Chapter 11, Embodiment Beyond the Binary, I share my own gender story and how my understanding of gender intersects with my ecological self.  You will also hear me in conversation with Avery Kalapa (they,them).  Avery is a white, queer, non-binary, trans teacher committed to justice.  They teach yoga in the rigorous, adaptive, somatically precise method of the Iyengar lineage through an anti-oppression framework that uplifts inner healing towards collective liberation.  Avery believes everyone, especially folks who have been left out of or turned off by mainstream yoga spaces, should have access to the revitalizing nourishment of deeply informed, classical yoga without having to code switch or assimilate.  Their offerings center queer and trans folks, outsiders, allies, change makers, and people who care.  Avery has personally inspired me to stay curious and open about my own gender identity as well as embodying the freedom and aliveness that can accompany authenticity beyond shame or walls.  In this conversation, we discuss how alignment with our own unique life force and inner truth often happens organically outside in nature, but can also occur with inner discipline and community support on our yoga mats.   Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation. Links:Avery Kalapa, they/themhttps://yogawithavery.com/ https://www.instagram.com/yoga_with_avery/     Follow me:www.rootawareness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/https://www.ahrigolden.com/   This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

“Despite all the challenges and the climate grief you may be experiencing, stay true to who you are and remember where you come from, and keep moving forward as best as you can.”  ~ Colleen CooleyIndividual and ecological grief are two separate streams flowing into the same interconnected waters.  In Chapter 10, The River Runs Through Us, I share a time of deep connection with the beautiful landscape of the Green River in the Southwest, as well as the first time as an adult I allowed my tears to flow in the presence of another human without any substance or medicine.The episode then gently moves into my conversation with Colleen Cooley. Colleen grew up wandering the washes, mesas, and sandstones in Shą́ą́ʼtóhí, a small community located on the Navajo Nation in northeast Arizona.  She is from the communities of Shonto and Blue Gap, Arizona and this is how she identifies herself as a Diné (Navajo) woman.  Colleen is passionate about the protection and conservation of the diverse landscapes, cultures, and waters that she is surrounded by because it is part of who she is and where she comes from. It is instilled in the stories, teachings, and clans that have been passed down to her. In addition, she is an advocate and raft guide on the San Juan River and Green River, a facilitator, Indigenous Consultant, an educator, and trail runner.  The short film “Water Flows Together” is a film highlighting Colleen’s life story as a River Guide and Diné woman while raising awareness to the challenges that many in her culture face as far as not having easy access to drinkable water.   Colleen offers necessary perspective and ancient wisdom on the sacredness of water, and her own journey home back to sense of belonging and herself when connecting with wild rivers.  She also shares her hope for Earth through telling stories of guiding young people on the River, and calls us all to action to connect and protect the Earth’s waters.     Links:Colleen Cooleyhttps://colleencooley.com/https://www.instagram.com/ccoolio2/https://colleencooley.com/media/films/ Follow me:www.rootawareness.comhttps://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

“These are the old ways.  We are all descendants of people who lived in deep communion with place, and with the land, and with the incredible resources and wisdom of the more - than-human world.” ~ Darshana Avila (she/they) At this time in our Earth’s history,  spiritual awakening is happening on both individual and collective levels as more people become aware and attuned to the energetic intelligence of the body beyond the ego and the mind.  In chapter 9, Sensual as Power, I share my own kundalini awakening experience.    You will also hear me in conversation with Darshana Avila she/they.  Darshana is a sex and embodiment coach and believes in sex, intimacy, and relationships that are connected to nature and soul, rooted in justice and advocacy, trauma informed, and in service to collective liberation. Darshana’s business, Erotic Wholeness takes a uniquely relational approach, guiding folks into connection with the parts of yourself that are vital for enjoying satisfying intimacy.   I have had the pleasure to be in friendship with Darshana and witness her power and knowledge as it pertains to the body and the erotic.  During my own experience of kundalini and spiritual awakening, I often felt confused and ashamed; however, I now know that Darshana was the mentor I needed then. She offers irresistible invitations to the listener about the beauty that happens in the body when returning to inner and outer wildness, and liberating honest conversation about our sensuality inside of a culture that often attempts to dominate or repress anything and everything sexual and/or erotic.  Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation. Links: Darshana Avilahttps://www.darshanaavila.com/https://www.instagram.com/darshana_avila/  Follow me:https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.comOther links:Audre Lorde: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audre_LordeDavid Abram: https://www.davidabram.org/

Quote: “I want to be moving at the pace of the land, the pace of the weather, the pace of circadian rhythm.”  -brontë velez (they,them)What if humans remembered that we don't have to subordinate Earth and our own bodies in order to be powerful and courageous?  Instead, what would Earth look like if we moved as nature's pace while simply being ourselves, embodying our own unique artistry?In chapter 8, Meeting the Moment, I share a story when I went through a physical trauma, and was held by a grandmother who rocked me into remembering and honoring  the sacredness of Earth and inner feminine knowing.     You will also hear from brontë velez, artist, filmmaker, and founder of Lead to Life, a trans - local collective led by black diasporic and queer artists, healers, and ecologists that bridges racial and environmental justice through ceremony and art practice.  In this interview, brontë shares their personal story of continual inner decomposition, and transmuting individual and ancestral pain into art.  They beautifully and powerfully express their own journey of both tending land where they inhabit as well as the tending of their own inner landscape in order to meet this moment of greater collective change and weather.  brontë's  courage to meet an inner monster through deepening their relationship with the more than human world, has also ignited their true source of fire, alchemy, and creativity.  When we feel empowered to connect to the inner fire of our emotional bodies while being affirmed and nurtured by land and community, service can transmute into art and natural offerings for ourselves, our ancestors, and to greater Mother Earth. Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.Links: brontë velezhttps://www.leadtolife.org/https://www.instagram.com/littlenows/ Follow me:https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

Quote: “Be patient with yourself.  Patience is one part of self-compassion. You are listening and learning something new, and you are doing the work.  It doesn’t have to look like anything more grand than that.”   “Home” can be an inner place of true belonging, but how do we find the courage and support to embody our wholeness and ecological selves even through an experience that is often met with shame and judgment by the dominant culture?  In chapter 7, Abortion as Portal, I share my personal abortion story and how this experience was an opening into healing, self love, and community care.  I also interview Kristen Portney MFT.  In a society where abortion often comes with feelings such as shame, stigma, and otherness, Kristen has created Abortion Wheel, a place where people can come to share honestly about their own unique stories. Kristen is a post- abortion counselor and community mental health advocate.  With training in counseling psychology and also as a birth and abortion doula, she leads workshops using ritual and community- resourcing for people who have experienced one or multiple abortions. Kristen views abortion as a portal - an opening into exploring, with guided support, the layered experience of having gone through an abortion. Kristen was the guide that I so needed then, and her voice and wisdom can offer those who have experienced abortion much needed perspective on how going through this portal can be a doorway into healing, empowerment, and creativity.  Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.Links:Kristen PortneyWebsite: https://www.abortionwheel.com/ Instagram: @kristenportney_therapyFollow me:Instagram: @root_awarenessThis podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

Quote: “These mushrooms have a wisdom, an intelligence, a consciousness that we don’t fully understand, and when we commune with these medicines we are contacting that wisdom.   Connecting to our own wisdom deep within us and also communing with this non-human intelligence that is part of the greater collective whole of our planet.”  When the floodgates opened to my personal grief from taking psilocybin in the wild, I was forever changed.  I became a more sensitive, responsive human being, but at the time, felt shame after the experience.  I didn’t know that I needed someone there to help me digest the feelings that surfaced.  In Chapter 6, Psychedelic Sentience, I share my story of merging with Earth energy through the magic of mushrooms in Big Bend National Park, Texas // Chisos/Jumano territory.    In this episode you will also hear me in conversation with Dr. Emily Willow, a psychiatrist, adjunct professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and researcher, who guides her patients with Ketamine assisted psychotherapy, psychedelic integration, and holistic therapy.  Emily is passionate about public education and supports the emerging psychedelic renaissance through free resources on instagram.    In this informative conversation, Emily shares her knowledge on the differences between taking psychedelics in the wild and in the clinical setting, and the benefits of having a skilled and trained practitioner there to guide you when ingesting these medicines.  We also discuss her hopes for the future of the psychedelic movement, as well as some of the insight that she has personally gained from her own psychedelic healing journey.  Some other questions explored are, how can psychedelics be used for collective healing and not just personal healing?  How can folks engage in deep inner work through psychedelics without spiritual bypass and cultural appropriation?    Psychedelics and plant medicines can offer potent healing wisdom to humans suffering from stuck trauma in the body and also for those desiring expanded awareness and inspiration.  However, they can also support ecological awakening and remembering our kinship with Earth and the more than human world.  Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.Emily is co-leading an EcoPsychedelic Integration series in the Bay Area in California beginning in August 2023.  You can check out the link below.   Links: Emily Willowhttps://www.emilywillowmd.com/https://www.instagram.com/emilywillowmd/https://www.expandedecologies.com/series-details Follow me:https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

In Chapter 5, Friendship Ecology, I share a personal story of being in the wild as a young teen and learning what true friendship means when fostered by nature.  You will also hear from Mabel and Gabe, recent college graduates in their early 20s with a strong sisterhood and shared passion for the more than human world.  On one of my recent adventures leading folks in the Pecos Wilderness with the organization Lead Feather, outside of Santa Fe New Mexico, these two young, inspirational women gave me hope for the next generation of leaders.  Gabrielle “Gabe” Glassmann is a social media manager and snowboarding instructor from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and Mabel Moon is a river guide living and working in West Virginia.  In our conversation together, we explore what true authentic friendship means, and how shared solo experiences in nature can support both individual and relational healing.  We also discuss personal hopes for future leadership, and the intersection of wilderness and technology.    Mabel and Gabe demonstrate how human connection that happens in the wild can stretch us into deeper, more authentic ways of relating with ourselves, each other, and the Earth.  Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.LINKS:https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/https://leadfeather.org/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

Quote: “Walk humbly and walk in service, and nothing can ever touch you.” ~ Lyla JuneIn Chapter 4, Roots of Belonging, I begin the episode by sharing a formative story from my life of belonging to Earth and community while witnessing a wise elder from the Diné reservation, speak truth and compassionate wisdom from his heart.  I also interview Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June).  Lyla is an Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages.  Her messages focus on Indigenous rights, supporting youth, traditional land stewardship practices and healing inter-generational and inter-cultural trauma.In this profound interview, Lyla shares her personal path and perspective on how to express authentically, and what it means to truly belong to ourselves, our people, and the Earth. With passion, she discusses how mentorship from elders and her own healing journey has supported a life of meaningful service.   Prayer, knowing one’s Indigenous roots, and honoring our ancestors, are crucial to understanding ourselves and how we can all be warriors for the creator during this time of great unraveling.     Links: https://www.lylajune.com/https://www.instagram.com/lylajune/https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com

Quote:  I don’t know anything that is as mysterious, as ancient, as wise, and as generous as Mother Life.  ~ Nina SimonsIn chapter 3, Instinctual Leadership, I share a pivotal story of my first female led backpacking trip, where I witnessed two sisters transform their relationship from rupture to repair, while rock climbing.  This moment demonstrated what is possible when we are courageous enough to turn toward challenge in both our relationships with each other and our relationship with the wild.  I also interview Nina Simons, the Co-Founder and CEO of Bioneers and organizer and leader of women’s retreats and trainings.  Her book Nature Culture and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership received the 2018 Nautilus Gold Award in the Women category and silver award in the Social Change and Social Justice category.  Nina and I explore together how to lean towards mutually compassionate human relationships and reciprocity with the natural world, as well as the importance of devotional service to both inner self and sacred purpose.  The new emergent leadership led by the feminine is guided by the body, the instinctual nature, and the heart.  Grounded in her decades oexperience of collaborative leadership, Nina shares her hope for a future where all humans and leaders uplift each other and prioritize working together across differences.     When deeply connected to the Earth, we are more connected to our sacred and wild instincts, and leadership inspired by the natural world has the potential to ignite a both new and ancient way forward for all beings.  Each episode ends with a Root Awareness meditation.Links: Nina Simons:https://www.ninasimons.com/https://www.amazon.com/Nature-Culture-Sacred-Listens-Leadership/dp/1734757175https://www.instagram.com/1ninasimons/Follow Me:https://www.rootawareness.com/Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/root_awareness/ This podcast was co-created with award winning media midwife Ahri Golden.  www.ahrigolden.com