Episode 225: Daria Burke

On the quiet work of befriending ourselves, and the remembered language of healing. (0:00) – Introduction and Guest Overview (2:47) – Daria's Childhood and Early Life (9:01) – Impact of Grandmother's Death and Early Loss (12:14) – Discovering the Truth About Her Grandmother's Death (20:14) – Intergenerational Trauma and Addiction (26:12) – Emergence and Mentoring (34:19) – Success and Ambition (41:48) – Meditation and Emotional Independence (46:13) – Letter to Her Mother Daria Burke is an American writer, speaker, and wellbeing advocate. A marketer by trade and a seeker at heart, Daria is a storyteller and sense-maker, weaving together personal experience and the science of healing and transformation to explore new ways of understanding how we choose who we become. Her debut memoir, OF MY OWN MAKING (Spring 2025), is a soulful and scientific exploration of overcoming adversity, healing from childhood trauma, and rewriting one's own story. As a Chief Marketing Officer, Daria was named a 2020 AdAge Woman to Watch whose work has been recognized by Women’s Wear Daily, Forbes, Vogue, Town & Country and the Cut. She has written for Fast Company, The Huffington Post, and Black Enterprise, and has appeared on The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC. A distinguished alumna of NYU Stern School of Business (MBA) and the University of Michigan (BA), Daria was born in Detroit and now calls Los Angeles and East Hampton home. Daria's memoir OF MY OWN MAKING. Part memoir, part methodology, OF MY OWN MAKING is a soulful and scientific exploration of the power to shape one’s destiny and a fearless rallying cry to excavate and examine the stories that define our lives.

On healing our emotional biography, the unwounded soul within, and the choices we keep making to evolve. (0:00) — Sophie Grégoire Trudeau's Introduction and Background (3:35) — The Importance of Holding Ourselves (7:02) — Navigating Addiction and Hyper-Vigilance (8:33) — The Science of Happiness and Integrity (10:56) — Understanding Human Behavior and Emotional Intelligence (14:38) — The Role of Nature and Playfulness (15:32) — Navigating Personal Relationships and Trauma (40:01) — The Impact of Patriarchy and Toxic Masculinity (45:42) — The Importance of Self-Care and Emotional Regulation (46:00) — The Role of Playfulness and Humor in Emotional Health (49:08) — The Impact of Menopause and Andropause on Relationships Through the years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has had the occasion to meet inspiring world leaders — Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Michelle and Barack Obama, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden, and more — who've inspired her to bring about change and justice in the world. Sophie studied commerce at McGill University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Montreal, as well as a certificate from the Promedia School of Television and Radio. Deeply passionate about exploring the great outdoors, she loves sports, movement, and yoga. She's the former First Lady of Canada, and she's also certified to teach yoga for children and adults, practicing and guiding meditation and yoga nidra sessions to reset the nervous system and find calm. Her first book, Closer Together (Penguin Random House and KO Éditions), encourages us to better understand the mechanisms of our own personality and the quality of all our relationships — most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves.

On the facets of grief, the joy in the depths, and the presence we bring.   (0:00) — Introduction and Guest Introduction   (3:23) — Rosemerry's Son Finn   (6:05) — Grief and Connection with Finn   (11:53) — Exploring Darkness and Light   (18:39) — Metaphors and Connection   (24:30) — Meadow and Listening   (28:15) — Talking to the Dead   (29:53) — Rosemerry's Work and Resources Devoted to helping others explore creative practice, Rosemerry is co-host of Emerging Form, a podcast on creative process, co-founder of Secret Agents of Change (a surreptitious kindness cabal), and co-leader of Soul Writers Circle. She directed the Telluride Writers Guild for ten years and co-hosted Telluride’s Talking Gourds Poetry Club for another ten years. She teaches and performs poetry for mindfulness retreats, women’s retreats, teachers, addiction recovery programs, scientists, hospice, literary burlesque and more. Clients include Craig Hospital, Business & Professional Women, Think 360, Ah Haa School, Desert Dharma, Well for the Journey, and the Women’s Dermatological Society. She performs as a storyteller, including shows in Aspen at the Wheeler Opera House, at the Taos Storytelling Festival, Page Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. Her TEDx talk explores changing our outdated metaphors. For five years, she performed in the Telluride Literary Burlesque. She has been writing a poem a day since 2006, posting them since 2011 on her blog, A Hundred Falling Veils. In 2023, her poems can be heard daily on the Ritual app, The Poetic Path. Favorite themes include parenting, gardening, ecology, love, science, thriving/failure, grief and daily life. She has 13 collections of poetry, and her work has appeared in O Magazine, A Prairie Home Companion, PBS News Hour, American Life in Poetry, on fences, in back alleys, on Carnegie Hall Stage and on hundreds of river rocks she leaves around town. Her poems have been used for choral works by composers Paul Fowler and Jeffrey Nytch and performed around America. Her most recent collection, Hush, won the Halcyon prize. Naked for Tea was a finalist for the Able Muse Book Award. Other books include Even Now, The Less I Hold and If You Listen, a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. In 2023 she released All the Honey; Beneath All Appearances an Unwavering Peace (a book for grieving parents with artist Rashani Réa); a book of writing prompts, Exploring Poetry of Presence II; and Dark Praise, a spoken word album with Steve Law. She’s won the Fischer Prize, Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge (thrice), the Dwell Press Solstice Prize, the Writer’s Studio Literary Contest (twice) and The Blackberry Peach Prize. She’s widely anthologized including Poetry of Presence, How to Love the World, The Path to Kindness, Send My Roots Rain, Come Together: Imagine Peace, Dawn Songs, and To Love One Another. She’s been an organic fruit grower, a newspaper and magazine editor, and a parent educator for Parents as Teachers. She earned her MA in English Language & Linguistics at UW–Madison. One-word mantra: Adjust. Three-word mantra: I’m still learning.

On befriending the mind; when negative emotions have positive outcomes, and the practice of coming home to yourself.   (0:00) — Introduction  (1:34) — Discussion on Sadhvi's Book "Come Home to Yourself"  (3:05) — The Importance of Spirituality  (10:58) — Bringing the Mind to Your Side  (24:45) — Using Anger Constructively  (41:07) — Daily Practice and Service  (47:41) — Evening Routine and Community Involvement  (49:57) — Closing Remarks and Future Plans Bestselling author, a world-renowned speaker, serving on the United Nations Advisory Council on religion, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati is a renunciate monk, living in an ashram on the banks of the Ganges River in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Stanford University, she holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has dedicated her life to sharing the profound wisdom from the ancient Vedic tradition of India, as well as serving local communities. Her new book, Come Home To Yourself, is a journey through the heart of householder practices, befriending the mind, mastering the emotions and living a life of exemplary presence. RESOURCES https://comehometoyourself.org/

On embodying the creative, intuitive, fortifying feminine spirit at every stage of our lives.  (0:00) - Introduction to Mara Branscombe and Her Work (2:01) - The Importance of Ritual in Daily Life (5:27) - Elemental Wisdom and Connecting with Nature (8:53) - Exploring the Archetypes in "Sage Huntress Lover, Queen" (14:58) - The Role of the Sage and Huntress Archetypes (20:20) - Navigating the Transition from Huntress to Lover and Mystic (29:41) - The Queen Archetype and Leadership with Love (32:32) - The Weaver Archetype and Centric Consciousness (35:49) Conclusion and Call to Action Author of Ritual as Remedy (Findhorn Press, 2022) and Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen (Findhorn Press, 2023), Mara Branscombe is a yoga and meditation teacher, author, artist, ceremonialist, and spiritual mentor. Teaching for twenty years, she runs international retreats, corporate leadership programs, and online personal development programs. She is a regular contributor for Spirituality and Health and Wanderlust, and lives with her husband and two daughters in Vancouver, Canada. Ritual As Remedy: Embodied Practices for Soul Care https://www.ritualasremedy.com Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen: Access Your Power and Creativity through Sacred Female Archetypes https://www.femininearchetypesbook.com

On our commitment to joy as key to longevity. On prioritizing curiosity, compassion and empathy for true well-being. (0:00) - Welcoming Colleen and Jason Wachob (4:04) - Overview of "The Joy of Well Being" (5:25) - Colleen's Story and the Importance of Breath (15:23) - Jason's Insights on Connection and Loneliness (21:15) - Real Food Chapter and Nutrition Philosophy (27:47) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts (34:29) - Closing Remarks and Future Plans Jason & Colleen Wachob are the husband and wife Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media platform dedicated to well-being with 15 million monthly unique visitors which they launched out of their Brooklyn apartment back in 2009. Jason is also the host of the popular mindbodygreen podcast, and together Colleen and Jason recently co-authored The Joy of Well-Being: A Practical Guide to a Happy, Healthy & Long Life. Colleen graduated from Stanford University with degrees in international relations and Spanish and Jason graduated from Columbia University where he played varsity basketball for four years. https://thejoyofwellbeing.com/

On our imperiled bodies of water, focusing on the majestic Great Salt Lake, and the urgency of divesting from harm. (0:00) - Introduction to Nan Seymour and Her Work (3:18) - The Great Salt Lake and Its Significance (6:06) - Human Impact and Environmental Concerns (9:07) - Efforts to Protect the Lake (13:58) - Hope and Future Actions (18:23) - Nan's Poetry and Personal Connection (26:01) - Community Engagement and Future Plans (31:27) - Closing Remarks and Resources Nan created River Writing in order to foster voice and authentic connection. Everyone is welcome in her circles. This community-held writing practice was designed for anyone willing to pick up a pen. A recent PBS documentary highlights River Writing as a method of repair for what is broken in our relationship with the natural world. Her debut poetry collection, prayers not meant for heaven, was published by Toad Hall Editions in the summer of 2021. Nan's story lake woman leaving, a modern myth, was awarded the 2022 Alfred Lambourne prize by Friends of Great Salt Lake. As the poet-in-residence on Antelope Island, Nan led day-and-night vigils on behalf of the imperiled Great Salt Lake throughout the 2022 and 2023 Utah State legislative sessions. During her weeks on the receding lake shore, she assembled the praise poem called irreplaceable, ;a collective love letter containing over 400 individual voices from lake-facing citizens. The epic ode is a community cry for this essential ecosystem's full restoration. In the May 2023 special issue of Desert Report, Nan offers a reflection on relationship with the lake from the perspective of two winter vigils. Nan continues to advocate for Rights of Nature, legally defensible personal rights for ecosystems, including Great Salt Lake. Her work gives voice to their inherent right to live, flourish, and evolve in natural way. The words emerge from a devotion to repairing the breach between humans and the rest of the sentient, singing earth.

On the finer practice of friendship, tending to ourselves in order to be present, and learning what it means to be a good friend.  (0:00) - Introduction and Author Background (2:48) - Discussion on the Book's Title and Theme (5:02) - Reflections on Meredith's Role in the Book (7:56) - Navigating Joy and Sorrow in Friendships (12:45) - Exploring Spirituality and Recovery (16:13) - Healing and Overcoming Envy (21:05) - Supporting a Friend Through Illness (26:39) - Maintaining Friendships After Loss Christie Tate is a Chicago-based writer and essayist. She has been published in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Rumpus, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Eastern Iowa Review and elsewhere. Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review’s nonfiction contest, which was published Fall 2019. In this episode, we discuss B.F.F., her latest book, which strikes a deep chord of love and understanding.

On the ways in which we can respectfully learn from Indigenous cultures about creating instances of meaning, integrity, health and happiness. The Seven Circles encompass a series of interconnected, intersecting circles to help us all live well.  (0:00)- Introduction and Guest Introduction (2:54) - Overview of "The Seven Circles" (3:49) - Movement as an Antidote to Addiction (10:28) - Connection to Land and Environmentalism (16:46) - Spiritual Aspects of Land and Prayer (21:46) - Ceremony and Its Role in Wellness (38:11) - Resources for Allies and Cultural Revitalization (38:42) - Final Thoughts and Gratitude Chelsey Luger is a writer, multimedia journalist and wellness advocate whose work focuses largely on reclaiming healthy lifestyles and positive narratives in Indigenous communities. She is Anishinaabe, an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa (maternal) and Lakota from Cheyenne River and Standing Rock (paternal). She holds a BA in history and Native American studies from Dartmouth College, and an MS in journalism from Columbia University. Luger has written for the Atlantic, Self Magazine, the Huffington Post, Well + Good, Indian Country Today and more. She is a former VJ (on-air talent), script writer, and producer for NowThis News. She is a trainer/facilitator for the Native Wellness Institute and is the cofounder of Well For Culture, an Indigenous wellness initiative. Luger has worked as talent, cultural consultant, producer, content creator and copywriter for brands such as Nike, Athleta On Running and REI. She is originally from North Dakota and now resides in O’odham Jeved (Arizona) with her husband, Thosh Collins, and their children. Chelsey and Thosh are the authors of The Seven Circles: Indigenous Teachings for Living Wellnow available everywhere books are sold.

On serving and shifting the narrative around death, dying and our transition to the other side. On entering into deep heart healing and becoming ourselves. (0:00) - Introduction (3:01) - Ash's Journey and Personal Background (7:04) - Ash's Work and Certification (13:13) - Ash's Approach to Death Coaching (14:57) - Stories of Helping Clients (29:25) - Ash's Retreats and Private Spiritual Coaching (39:05) - The Impact of Healing on Generations (43:25) - Final Thoughts and Gratitude Ash Canty is a wonderfully queer, Afro-Indigenous-made Psychic Medium and Death Walker, supporting others to consciously and gracefully face their death. Ash's work serves those actively dying as well as those wishing to feel more connected to their own spirit in everyday life. Ash also supports you in connecting with loved ones with mediumship readings, guiding you in transforming your grief into even deeper wells of meaning and aliveness. This work of walking with grief and death found Ash after being diagnosed and hospitalized with a chronic illness called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. It was in their most challenging days and scariest moments where death was close---that Ash realized what it was they would offer to this world. "It was when I began to face my own death from my long term chronic illness that I was initiated in the astral plane by my grandmother Ida Canty, who was in spirit. She told me I would be supporting others in the physical world, lessening their fear of death and being a bridge of communication from the spirit realm to this physical realm." Certified as a death care provider through Alua Arthur's Going With Grace program, Ash's hope and prayer is to bring about healing from the other side and a profound peace regarding life after death. https://www.thesovereignspiritmedium.com/