Episode 219: Nan Seymour

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/

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). https://leelaq.com Code ELENA means 10% off.

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 Free to Be 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.

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.

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: Natural Saints (OUP, 2010), Sacred Acts (New Society Press, 2012), Our Last Best Act: Planning for the End of Our Lives to Protect the People and Places We Love (Broadleaf Books, 2021), and Love Your Mother: 50 States, 50 Stories, and 50 Women United for Climate Justice (Broadleaf Books, 2023).     She also co-authored a book for practitioners Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques (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.

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. Going with Grace, Alua's work Alua's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/alua_arthur_why_thinking_about_death_helps_you_live_a_better_life 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.

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, Success Starts Within: Achieve Your Potential Through Radical Self-Care, 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: https://amzn.to/3TpQvvY