Michelle C. Johnson: Finding Refuge in Grief

Michelle C. Johnson is a clinical social worker, activist, yoga teacher and author of 'Finding Refuge: Heart Work for Healing Collective Grief' and 'We Heal Together: Rituals and Practices for Building Community and Connection'.  Michelle has a Masters degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill - and has offered training for the likes of Duke University, Google, This American Life, Auburn Seminary, Lululemon, and many others. In this conversation, Michelle shares:  .  Stories and lessons from her honeybees .  The role of the heart in healing and finding integrity  .  The powerful link between grief and aliveness .  How grief can stagnate in our bodies and cause illness in our bodies and culture .  The role of healthy grieving in addressing our collective wounds   .  How spiritual practices can help us hold our brokenheartedness and wholeness at the same   time.    Michelle brings a beautiful perspective on the role of grieving - grounded in community, embodiment and ritual. All dedicated to our personal and collective wellbeing.  With all my heart, thank you for being here. Love, Jono  

Today’s conversation is with Josh Schrei. Josh is a renowned student of mythology - and host of The Emerald Podcast (a podcast mind you that i’d highly recommend you check out). In this episode Josh shares personal and mythical stories to remind us of the hidden treasures to be found in times of sorrow - Articulating grief as part of the cycle of shedding, releasing, and returning to what he calls the “meadows of joy”. As you will soon experience in this conversation, Josh brings a profound understanding of mythology - and his ability to articulate its significance, makes him a rare voice in our world. During this episode Josh shares: • Personal stories of wildfires, grief and his young sons • The pervasiveness of grief underneath the surface of all our lives • Why grief is a vital part of the life cycle - and intimately connected with joy • How mythology has always served as a timeless reservoir of wisdom, capturing the essence of our collective experiences. With all my heart, thank you for being here. Love, Jono  

Today’s conversation is with Shauna Janz. Shauna offers a beautiful invitation into what she calls the “larger currents of resiliency” - which includes the wisdom of our bodies, our hearts, our ancestors, the natural world, ritual healing, imagination and altered states of consciousness.  As you will experience, Shauna brings a very tender, embodied and respectful approach to working with grief.  In this episode, Shauna explores: • The importance of building strong personal “river banks” to allow the rivers of unmetabolized grief to flow into the larger oceans of life, and not flood or overwhelm our lives • How the skills of grieving has brought her closer to her “birthright of joy” and her signature as a “lover of life” • What to do when we feel like we are going to get lost if we allow our grief to come forward • The impact of our severance from the “deeper wells of knowing” - including how we relate to our bodies, ancestors, ritual etc.    

I’m honored to be in conversation with the distinguished business professor George Kohlrieser - who is one of the world leaders incorporating grief into Executive Education.  In this enlightening conversation, we explore:  • How unresolved grief can make leaders cold hearted, emotionally detached and unable to bond with people • Why so many leaders fail to recognise they carry grief  • The obstacles and opportunities for leaders to work through grief  • The “creative force” that is unleashed when grief is metabolized   

For me, this is one of the most important conversations I’ve ever published. In today’s episode, Rosemary Wanganeen shares her personal story of being part of the Stolen Generation, reconnecting with her ancestry, going through a deep grieving process - and ultimately forgiving the atrocities committed on her people.  Rosemary Wanganeen is a proud South Australian Aboriginal woman, Kaurna Elder, and founder of the Healing Centre for Griefology. Rosemary believes that grieving and wellbeing are intimately related - and that the health of Australia’s future rests in our ability to integrate the losses we have in our nation's history. In this episode, Rosemary explores:  • Why indigenous Australians maintained regular grieving ceremonies• The importance of not having the body accumulate “grief energy” • The impact of Plato calling grief "illogical" and a "weakness" • The invitation grief offers for forgiveness and re-kindling spirituality  • Whether Australia will ever have a dedicated “Day of Grieving”   I believe that nothing will heal the soul of Australia more than allowing the pain of our history to enter into our hearts. By finding ways to integrate this grief, we will free up the energy and creativity for a more compassionate future. I urge you to listen to Rosemary and the messages she has received from her ancestors. It means so much to have you here today.  Love, Jono

Like many of you, sorrow has entered my life in a myriad of ways - and it wasn't until I read Francis Weller's book, The Wild Edge of Sorrow, that I began a soulful relationship with grief. Francis Weller is a psychotherapist, author and wise elder who extends an invitation for us to remember what it means to be a Human Being. During this rich conversation, Francis offers beautiful perspectives on sorrow, shame, vitality, beauty making, depression and the “Five gates of grief”. May we all undertake an “apprenticeship with sorrow” and come closer to living and loving more fully. Love, Jono  

This episode is an insight into Jono’s grief work, and how he arrived here. His dance partner in this conversation is his friend (and previous therapist) Kate-Marie Mutsaers. Kate-Marie has over 25 years experience as a community facilitator, somatic therapist, body worker and movement facilitator - walking alongside people in private practice, prisons, disaster settings and dance floors across locations as varied as Central Australia, the Middle East, India, Papua New Guinea and now France where she currently resides.  But Jono didn’t ask Kate-Marie to join him because of her bio. He asked Kate-Marie because of her groundedness, her heart and integrity. She’s a beautiful person to talk with, and she’s been an incredible support for Jono in his life. Jono hopes this conversation gives you a glimpse into where he’s at - and why he’s so drawn to offering grief work during these challenging times. Jono also hopes you also enjoy getting to know Kate-Marie and her stunning presence. Whatever the shape of your grief, it’s never too late to meet it with gentleness and care. This isn’t about wallowing, but remembering how to restore aliveness to our world.  Thank you for being part of this caring community. Love, Jono

This trailer offers Jono's prayer for this podcast - while introducing grief as a gateway into depth and aliveness. This season will explore intimate conversations about grief with somatic practitioners and leaders in business, indigenous wisdom and mythology.

Many of us have been raised to think that men have to act in a certain way. You know the story - be tough, invulnerable, in control, unemotional etc. This has led to an epidemic of loneliness, depression, dysfunction and suicide. This podcast explores some of my experiences and hopefully catalyses a new way of thinking about modern masculinity.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas Phd is the Science Director at the Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California Berkeley. She is one of the leading authorities uncovering the deep roots of human goodness and she specialises in the biological underpinnings of prosocial states like compassion, kindness and empathy and how they benefit well-being and psychosocial functioning. Her programs are hugely popular and offered in online formats for over 400,000 students. During this wide ranging conversation, Emiliana shares how modern science all points to human beings being wired for compassion and connection. At one point, Emiliana said “Biologically, we’re built to dedicate ourselves to each other.” Emiliana also shares how the “achievement model of success” is letting so many people down and the perils of misunderstanding the word “happiness”. Instead, Emiliana speaks of the importance of experiencing our rich and diverse emotions like anger and sadness while also learning how to foster more resilience, connection and meaning.