What Angelo Is Thinking Now

[angelojohnlewis]

Spirituality and Social Justice Symposium

This Spirituality and Social Justice Symposium explores the intersection of spirituality and activism. Host Angelo John Lewis engages in a dynamic discussion with guests Shariff Abdullah, Lucas Johnson, and Cat Zavis about their experiences in social activism and successful projects.

The panelists highlighted the significance of inner work and personal transformation in effective activism. They emphasized the need for individuals to engage in self-reflection, challenging systems of oppression while practicing empathy and kindness. They agreed that the collective exploration of solutions and the cultivation of curiosity and dialogue are essential for creating meaningful change.

Further into the symposium, they delved into the concept of leadership and its role in social justice movements. They express the need for leaders to prioritize love, compassion, and the well-being of the community over power and financial gain.  While they acknowledge the complexity and nuance of leadership, they advocated for a shift in consciousness and a reimagining of leadership that fosters inclusivity, empathy, and care.

Johnson shared his involvement in representing nonviolent activists at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, while Rabbi Cat Zavis discussed her experience advocating for women prisoners in Alaska and improving their living conditions. Shariff Abdullah discussed his involvement in the Sarvodia Peace Action Plan in Sri Lanka, and emphasized the role of grassroots movements in promoting peace and unity.

Abdullah is the founder of Commonway.org, who in the early 1960s he helped found the Black People’s Unity Movement (BPUM), an organization dedicated to self-help and development in the inner city of Camden. Johnson is the Executive Vice President of the On Being project and a human rights advocate and public theologian with deep, global experience in conflict resolution and community organizing. Zavis is the Executive Director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives, and a long time activist in social change work.

The event was sponsored by the Sacred Inclusion Network, and was held April 23, 2023. The panelists emphasize the importance of community and collective efforts in their work, highlighting the power of inclusivity and connection. Links:

Abdullah's Commonway.org

The Network of Spiritual Progressives

The On Being Project

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

The Intersection of Faith and Activism: Cat Zavis on Spirituality and Social Justice

Cat Zavis discusses her personal journey and insights on integrating spiritualism and activism. Zavis is Executive Director of the Network of Spiritual Progressives

Cat and her colleague, Rabbi Michael Lerner, have worked tirelessly to build a Religious left movement in Israel, countering the religious right movement. They recognize the trauma and PTSD experienced by both Israelis and Palestinians and understand that Israel, as the dominant power, has the responsibility to address the unjust and inhumane situation created through the occupation.

Having personally witnessed the devastating situation in the occupied territories, Cat emphasizes the need for healing, repair, acknowledgment, and transformation to move towards justice. Trauma plays a significant role in both Israeli and Palestinian reactions, reinforcing a cycle of domination and imposing trauma on others.

This episode was recorded as a precurser to the April 2023 Sacred Inclusion Network Syposium on Spiritualty and Social Justice.

Zavis shares her journey of discovering her passion for social justice. Although she always felt a spiritual connection as a secular Jew and explored various spiritual paths she didn't find answers that integrated her outrage and passion until she discovered Judaism's powerful blend of spirituality and social justice. She highlights the tension between the domination worldview, which promotes power and oppression, and the love worldview, rooted in connection and care. Social change movements often reflect these contrasting ideologies, and the work of social justice extends beyond fights for specific issues to raising consciousness.

The conversation delves into the importance of prophetic empathy as a bridge between these worldviews. While activism can sometimes conflict with spiritual beliefs, it is necessary to heal the world. Zavis draws inspiration from the story of Moses, who was sent to overthrow the consciousness of oppression. Engaging in social justice work can be profoundly spiritual, challenging, and transformative.

The episode concludes by discussing the importance of embracing people of different faith traditions while acknowledging historical trauma associated with oppressive religious practices. It is vital for activists to have a spiritual center to ground themselves and sustain their work, and younger generations are recognizing the need for spiritual support in their activism

Links:

Network of Spiritual Progressives

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Lucas Johnson on the Power of Nonviolence and Spiritual Activism

Host Angelo John Lewis and guest Lucas Johnson engage in a powerful conversation about spirituality and social justice.

Lucas Johnson, an ordained minister and Executive Vice President for Social Healing for the On Being Project, shares his deep global experience in conflict resolution and community organizing.

Drawing from his global experience, Johnson shares examples of nonviolent activism from around the world. From South Africa's truth and reconciliation process to the American civil rights movement, he highlights how nonviolence can effectively bring about positive social change.

Key Takeaways:

Nonviolence as a Strategy for Social Change: Johnson emphasizes the importance of nonviolence as a powerful strategy for social change. He believes that nonviolence allows for broader participation in campaigns and protests, leaving room for opponents to grow and change their views. Nonviolence is not just a tactic, but a spiritual orientation to life that recognizes our interdependence with others.

 Inner Work and Healing: Johnson underscores the significance of inner work and collective healing in the pursuit of social justice. Nonviolence requires personal and collective healing to create conditions that make it possible for others to choose nonviolence. Viewing opponents as sick and in need of healing can shift attitudes and promote reconciliation.

Spirituality and Social Justice: Johnson's upbringing in diverse religious traditions, his connection to the black Christian tradition, and his personal experiences have shaped his understanding of the interplay between spirituality and social justice. He credits his family, particularly his grandmother, for instilling in him the values of justice, care, and community.

 Finding Joy and Gratitude: Amidst the complexities of the world, Johnson emphasizes the importance of finding joy and gratitude. He shares his spiritual practices of experiencing joy, being in the company of loved ones, and sitting with silence. These practices help him stay spiritually grounded and navigate the challenges of the world. Links

  Links:

Lucas Johnson's On Being Project

Lucas on LinkedIn

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

  Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

"Art as a Sacred Calling": An Interview with Tasleem Jamila Firdausee

Tasleem Jamila Firdausee, the executive director of Art as a Sacred Intiative, here talks about her Baptist upbringing, her immersion into mystical Islam, and her academic scholarship into the role of women in Sufism.

She shares of her spiritual journey and the teachers she's encountered along the way, and illustrates them with readings from her two books, Black Baptist Muslim Mystic: from the Cosmos and From Mississippi Clay to African Skies in Search of Sacred Presence.

By chance, this interview was conducted during the birthday week of the Prophet Mohammed.

"There are traditions all over the world and every country from Malaysia to Sudan, to the hills of Russia, to Senegal... to Morocco, where you have the tradition of Muslims writing poetry, singing praises to the Prophet Muhammad.  And so I, as a poet as God,  want to be a part of those who actually write poetry in the praise in English, because this is my first language," Tasleem said

Tasleem Jamila Firdausee is an internationally award-winning poet, author, multi-disciplinary artist, interdisciplinary scholar, cultural curator and organizer and holistic wellness therapist who uses heart-centered storytelling to examine the intersections of culture, spirituality, and indigenous holistic healing modalities. She's the founder of the Art As Sacred Initiate, an initiative and curatorial organization created to produce and curate experiences that strive to challenge unimaginative conceptions of spirituality, art, and the healing effects of artists' often marginalized cultural production.  Links:

Tasleem's site

Her most recent book

A video about her work

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

  Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Talismans and Lucid Dreaming

Dream Researcher Ryan Hurd talks about lucid dreaming and the secret history of using talismans to elicit lucid dreams.

He defines lucid dreaming and its benefits, explores liminality and dreaming, and how to use talismans to facilitate lucid dreaming.

Ryan Hurd is a dream researcher and life-long lucid dreamer. He edits the website DreamStudies.org, lectures internationally about dreams and consciousness, and is a member of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Ryan has a MA in Consciousness Studies and Certificate in Dream Studies from John F. Kennedy University.

This podcast is an introduction to Ryan's 8/19/23 Sacred Inclusion Network Event, Unlock the Power of Your Dreams with Talismans.

  Links:

Ryan's Dream Studies portal

Lucid Talisman site

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

    Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

"What it means to be human": an interview with Bob Dunham

For leadership authority Robert "Bob" Dunham, there's a fundmantal difference between machines -- even complex computers that mimic logical thinking -- and humans.

Before we even begin to talk about effective leadership, Dunham says, we need to get clear on this difference.

The capacity of “caring,” Dunham says,  is the fundamental aspect of what it means to be human.

"What's fundamental to being human is we are creatures that care. And so it's not only for leaders, it's for all of us as human beings. Our care is fundamental to our life experience. It's fundamental to our action. It's fundamental to our judgments and choices."

So a leader, he continues, needs to be clear about what he or she cares about and seek alignment with that of his or her team or organization 

In this interview, Dunham expands on what he means by generative leadership, what he learned from his mentorship with Fernando Flores, and how he maintains enthusiasm and creativity in these challenging times

Dunham is the founder of the Institute for Genererative Leadership. Prior to founding the Institute,  he was a VP at Motorola Computer Systems, COO of Action Technologies, and VP of Consulting for Business Design Associates. He's the author or co-author of several books, including The Innovator's Way and The Power of Owning Up.

Links:

Bob Dunham's LinkedIn

Institute for Generative Leadership

Power of Owning Up

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Sacred Inclusion Network Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Express Gratitude Everyday

Join us in participating in the Sacred Inclusion Network December Gratitude Challenge Each day, you'll receive a gratitude question for you to answer and (optionally) share it with others. Sample question: "What's something that you see everyday that you're grateful for.?" Sample response: "Looking into my newborn son's eyes each day fills me with happiness. It's totally free. Get started here: https://bit.ly/sacred-challenge Here's what renowned psychologists Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough, discovered about people who consciously focus on gratitude. They > Feel better about their lives as a whole > Experience greater levels of joy and happiness > Feel optimistic about the future > Have more energy, enthusiasm, determination, and focus > Make greater progress toward achieving important personal goals Get started here: https://bit.ly/sacred-challenge ************************************************* (Spanish) La gratitud es una fuerza inmensamente poderosa que nos ayuda a expandir nuestra felicidad. Crea amor, relaciones y siempre mejora nuestra salud. Muchos estudios científicos han encontrado que las personas que se enfocan conscientemente en la gratitud experimentan un mayor bienestar emocional y salud física que aquellas que no lo hacen. De acuerdo con los reconocidos sicólogos Robert Emmons y Michael McCullough las personas que se enfocan en las experiencias de gratitud: • Se sienten mejor en sus vidas como un todo. • Tienen mejores experiencias de disfrute y felicidad. • Se sienten optimistas sobre el futuro. • Se enferman con menos frecuencia. • Se ejercitan con más regularidad. • Tienen más energía, entusiasmo, determinación y se enfocan en hacer mejores progresos a través de sus logros alcanzados en metas personales. Únete a nosotros como esperamos en los próximos 21-30 días para declarar porqué estamos agradecidos. Comienza registrándote en nuestro sitio web Sacred Inclusion Network. Te enviaremos un tema de agradecimiento cada día para que reflexiones y consideres si es ajustable a ti. (Opcional: También puedes participar en el Reto exclusivamente en What's App. Solo busca SINNET - Latinoamérica) Luego, comparte tus reflexiones con el resto de los miembros del reto publicando un estado foto o texto. El reto comienza oficialmente el Lunes 5 de diciembre, pero puedes unirte cualquier día entre el 5 de diciembre y el 9 de mayo. ¡Toma el reto! ¡Amplía tu capacidad de amar! Gratis para participar. Comience aquí: https://bit.ly/sacred-challenge

[angelojohnlewis]

Join us for the Gratitude Challenge and deepen the quality of your love. Registration ends Friday. https://bit.ly/discover-love

[angelojohnlewis]

Sleep Medicine: the Practice of Yoga Nidra

Restorative yoga practioner Jennifer Piercy explains the philosophy of yoga nidra, leads participants through a yoga nidra session, and answers questions about dreams, sleep and rest.

This is a recording of the 11/19/22 Sacred Inclusion Network Managing Dark Spaces exploration. 

The yoga nidra practice starts about 16:14, goes for approximately a half-hour, and is followed by questions and answers.

Piercy’s sleep meditation tracks on the Insight Time app have been played more than 21 million times. An experienced Restorative Yoga Practitioner, she’s studied with Dr. Rubin Naiman, a pioneer in integrative sleep and dream medicine, and has spent thousands of hours in her 16+ years as a yoga practitioner guiding people in the impactful and neglected art of slowing down. 

Links:

Piercy's site

Article on yoga nidra

Podcast interview with Jennifer

Recommended resource (see Chapter 15, Dreams and Multidimensional Reality)

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel -- 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Restoration, Dreams and Navigating Dark Spaces

Integrative restoration and dream educator, and yoga facilitator Jennifer Piercy here talks about yoga nidra, the importance of sleep and restoration practice, and the "wake-centric" bias of contemporary culture.

Rather than view sleep as a necessary evil, Piercy suggests approaching it as a kind of spiritual practice and an invitation to explore the unknown.  

"Part of being at home in the unknown is that we literally need to practice being at home in the dark. And sleep and rest are both literally and metaphorically inviting you into that. I think of it as a superpower that people forget they even have," she says.

Piercy's sleep meditation tracks on the Insight Timer App have been listened to more than an astonishing 21 million times.

Piercy is on a kind of mission to help people view sleep and restoration in a more holistic light. 

One of her favorite quotes of from Dr. Rubin Naiman, a pioneer in integrative sleep and dream medicine, and the man who coined the "wake-centrism" term.

"We are oblivious to a profound and pervasive bias in our perception, that waking is our sole, primary form of consciousness. Consequently, we tend to view sleep and dreams as secondary, subservient states of being. Wake-centrism is a kind of flat earth consciousness that discourages us from approaching the edges of our awareness. It is not a blind spot but a loss of peripheral vision. Wake-centrism is not a way of seeing, but a way of NOT seeing the bigger picture — the world behind the world," Naiman wrote.

In this podcast, Piercy talks about the path that led her to become a restoratation and dream educator, shares some practical suggestions for those struggling with sleep issues, and talks about the dangers of an overly medical approach to sleep disorders. Piercy will facilitate the Sacred Inclusion Network's 11/19/22 event, Navigating Dark Spaces. 

Links:

Piercy's site

Article on yoga nidra

Recommended resource (see Chapter 15, Dreams and Multidimensional Reality)

Piercy's 11/19 Sacred Inclusion Network event

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel -- 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Activating Egyptian Spirituality (Excerpt)

Marques Redd on African spirituality, the lure of Egypt, and what to expect during the 10/15 Sacred Inclusion Network exploration.

Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/BHlxqvV6iac

Marcus Redd's site

Sacred Inclusion Network

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Activating Egyptian Spirituality

African cosmologist, independent scholar and multimedia artist Marques Redd discusses African spirituality, the legacy of Egypt, and the tradition of the gatekeepers.

Redd here explains he first became interested in African spiritualty, his academic studies on the influence of ancient Egypt on Plato's philosphy and 19th century literature, and how these studies became the basis for his intellectual, artistic, and spiritual work.

"The reason why I'm attracted to African spiritual systems is that within them you can still see the remnants of these early understandings of what it means to be human, and conceptions of the Divine that, in a deeper sense, made us human, and made us into the beings and creatures that we are today." he says.

Redd will facilitate the Sacred Inclusion Network's 10/15 Online Community Exploration, in which he'll provide a map for activating ancient Egyptian rituals that can be used in one’s individual practice. The workshop will be grounded in guided meditations and an exploration of how to use hieroglyphics as shamanic tools.

For more information about Redd's work, visit https://marquesredd.com For information about the 10/15 Activating Egyptian Spirituality event, visit https://egyptian-spirituality.eventbrite.com.

For information about his 10/21-10/23 Esalen Institute workshop, visit https://www.esalen.org/workshops/harnessing-the-power-of-creation-through-african-ritual

To learn more about the Sacred Inclusion Network, visit https://sacredinclusion.com

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Archiving the Impossible

Kripal

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Bridging Together Indigenous and Modern Science

The sacred pipe, the Raven, and a peyote ritual were three touchstones of the path of Dr. Apela Colorado, traditional cultural practitioner and indigenous scientist of French and Oneida descent.

In this podcast, she shares stories of how each of these elements formed an essential part of her journey, from growing up as a mixed-race child in rural western Wisconsin to founding in 1989 the Worldwide Indigenous Science Network (WISN).

As she relates in this podcast and in her recently published book, Woman Between the Worlds, she as a teenager followed her grandfather’s advice and attended college, an action that rare for native women at the time. But while climbing the academic ranks and eventually attaining a Ph.D. from Brandeis University, she always remembered another part of her grandfather’s counsel: “Remember the pipe,” he told her, another way of saying “remember your roots.”

In this podcast, Colorado relates milestones from her remarkable journey, from her involvement in Indian Movement, through her encounters with indigenous elders in the south of France, Ethiopia, South Africa, and Central Asia. She also sheds light on native ritual and symbolism, such as the role of the sacred pipe in ceremony.

She also shares some lessons she learned from elders along the way, and mystical encounters with real and allegorical ravens, and how a peyote ceremony transformed her perception of life. 

Dr. Colorado is in equal measure shaman and academic, and her accomplishments are many. She's a Ford Fellow, who in 1982 received a PhD from Brandeis University, and went on to create the world's first doctoral program in traditional knowledge at the California Institute of Integral studies. She also directed the Indigenous Mind Program, which for 20 years taught students into ways of exploring their ancestral and earth-based holistic consciousness within an academic framework. 

Links:

Worldwide Indigenous Science Network (WISN)

Woman Between the Worlds Amazon page

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel -- 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

  Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

When Spiritual Practice Gets Messy

Author, teacher and coach Raphael Cushnir learned from hard experience that the results of spiritual practice aren't always warm and fuzzy or particularly pleasurable. In his case, they included kriyas, or very intense involuntary movements, sometimes accompanied by rapid breathing and non-nonsensical speech.

These were challenging enough to handle in private, but were especially problematic when occuring in public, such as in a meeting with colleagues.

Cushnir, the author of six books and a leading voice in the world of emotional intelligence, here tells a story he previously kept private. Sharing it now, he says, can help others more comfortably navigate the unexpected terrain of the mystical path.

Cushnir here talks about his upbringing, his belief in the importance of integrating spiritual practice and psychotherapy, his work with sacred sexuality, and the surprising things he learned when interviewing professed spiritual teachers about their personal growth edges.

Cushnir has shared his unique approach to personal and professional development with millions of readers in O, The Oprah Magazine, Beliefnet, Spirituality and Health, Psychology Today, and The Huffington Post.

He is the author of six books, lectures worldwide, and is a faculty member of the Esalen Institute, the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies. In addition, he coaches individuals and teams at Fortune 100 companies, governments, religious organizations, and leading non-profits.

The kriya experiences he shares here are elaborated in his most recent book, Surviving the Divine: A Memoir of Rude Awakening.

This podcast was recorded in advance of Cushnir's 12/9/21 Sacred Inclusion Network Event, "Navigating Spiritual States." 

Links:

Cushnir's website

Surviving the Divine Amazon page

Sacred Inclusion Network

Sacred Inclusion Network's Facebook Group

Sacred Inclusion Network's YouTube Channel -- 

Like the podcast? Support us on Patreon!

  Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

"Matrix Man": An Interview with Whitley Strieber

In 1985, a strange incident occurred that would totally transform the life of Whitley Strieber, at the time best known as a writer of horror novels, including The Wolfen and The Hunger.  

As memorialized in his book, Communion and the movie of the same name, this was his abduction by a group he calls "the visitors."  Communion and Strieber's subsequent work has gone a long way towards changing the world's perception of paranormal phenomena. 

In this podcast, Strieber describes the childhood incidents that foreshadowed his later Encounters of the Third Kind; the biomechanical implant visitors placed in his left ear, and the "sensing" meditative exercise he believes has facilitated his ability to communicate with "the visitors."

Since the publication of Communion, Strieber has become one of the world's leading investigator and chronicler of paranormal activity through his Unknown Country website (https://www.unknowncountry.com/) and his long-running Dreamland podcast. 

Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast

[angelojohnlewis]

Inner Work and the Path of Leadership

For Robert "Bob" Dunham, the art of effective leadership is as much as inner game as an outer one. It begins, he says, with the leader identifying what h/she cares about, what h/she'll will do to respond to that caring, and then engaging with others about shared meaning.

When beginning his work with prospective leaders, Dunham often begins by asking them to define what they care about, a question which many find perplexing. Many can only answer it in simple terms, for example citing their need to take care of their family.  "But how is that going to inform your value satisfaction in the domain of your work life, your action life?," he asks. "There's a deep part of us -- many traditions would call it your soul -- that has one concern and that concern is, 'are you alive?', 'are you really living?'.... But that's where we have to go, and that's where we meet Spirit," Dunham says. In this podcast, Dunam explores the art of mastering what he "generative conversation" for answering questions of caring, and developing shared commitment in teams and organizations. Generative questions -- ones that elicit commitments -- can have a transfomative effect in personal, workplace, and societal contexts.

Dunham is the founder and director of the Institute for Generative Leadership and the the co-author with Dr. Peter Fleming of The Innovator's Way: Essential Practices for Successful Innovation. He holds two degrees from Stanford University, completed three years of postgraduate work in Ontological Design, and four years in Somatic Leadership with the Strozzi Institute. Early in his career, he led the onboard software development team for the Hubble Space Telescope. 

  Check out the Diversity and Spirituality's newest podcast