Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire

My guest today is Gail Hovey. Gail is an inspiring author, editor, and activist who I recently met when she was invited to my book group. We had just read her newly published memoir: "She Said God Blessed Us: A Life Marked by Childhood Sexual Abuse in the Church" and we were thrilled to get to know the author. What a beautifully written memoir that sheds light on a largely invisible issue of sexua...

In today's episode I pay tribute to Alvin Ailey's iconic masterpiece "Revelations", celebrating its 60th anniversary. I reminisce about the 50 years this dance has been in my life: as an audience member since I was 12, a teen dancer that learned excerpts of the choreography, a passionate facilitator to introduce "Revelations" to newbies, an enthusiast who delighted in sharing these performances wi...

We are launching a fundraiser this week for MADE Transitional Services . Tarik Greene and Toney Earl, Jr. co-founded MADE, a grassroots organization to address the needs of formerly incarcerated people. MADE stands for Making A Difference Everyday. Please join us in making a difference for an easily forgotten, marginalized group of people. Our bass playing daughter, her drummer husband and a circl...

Most of us can agree that 2020 has been a very difficult year. I am finally feeling some positive energy within reach, thanks to the election win of Biden/Harris. Where were you when you learned that Biden/Harris had finally been declared President and Vice-President of the United States? What feelings surfaced for you? I bet you have a story to tell. So many stories have been shared formally and...

We recorded this podcast just yesterday and did what was necessary to release it within 24 hours because our guest has 2 exciting projects that are happening this week and we wanted to get the word out to everyone as soon as possible. One workshop takes place this coming Sunday November 22nd, the first in a series, called "Manifest Monthly" of monthly yoga workshops to deepen your physical practic...

The Monday before election day, a friend had posted this quote:   "Shout out to anyone doing their part to spread love and raise the vibration of the planet. I know this lingo can sound a little weird to some people, but seriously, if you're out here uplifting people and spreading love, I appreciate you so damn much." Well, I'm out here trying to uplift people and spreading love as I know most of...

Love is in the air, do you feel it?!? I do and if you pay attention, you will see it, hear it, and feel it, too! Love is in the air; love is all around us! There's an outpouring of love: in lawn signs, in mindsets, in the kindness from strangers, in celebrations of anniversaries, birthdays, in protestors, in a record turn out of determined voters, in joyful dancers, in community volunteers and in...

My guest today is Kristin Richardson Jordan, also known, simply as her initials: KRJ. Kristin is a teacher, poet, social justice activist and spiritual warrior, who is currently running for New York City Council in District 9, Central Harlem. She is in no manner a typical politician, in fact KRJ's refreshing platform is radical love! She explains that love is the base for meaningful change, for ac...

This week I share a short, simple exercise called the "Compassion Beads". The premise is that compassion is part of our DNA and can be nourished and cultivated with intention and mindfulness. Biologically, compassion decreases levels of stress, boosts our immune system and helps us feel calm. Using a simple alphabetical mnemonic device, which provides a memory tool, the compassion beads, start wit...

In the midst of more racial atrocities, pandemic chaos, political head-spinning, urgent climate concerns, and violent acts of domestic terrorism, I know we are all doing the best we can to get through our days. Hopefully we are focusing on what sustains our souls, as I've mentioned in the past 3 episodes. Getting through the day, includes simple tasks, routines, chores, as well as little and big d...

I heard wonderful feedback about the last 2 episodes from listeners who really enjoyed hearing shorter, personal stories. Thank you! So today will be another offering from me. Whoa, what a week we just weathered!! From Trump's disgraceful, abusive behavior during the first presidential debate to learning this past Friday that he and Melania tested positive for the Covid-19. Like many of us, I walk...

This week I build on last week's theme of focusing on what sustains our soul by sharing a recent magical moment that I am calling "Swan-Delight". When we pause, pay attention and share these soul sustaining moments, it helps to absorb more fully, their deeper meaning. Just as there is a universal law of gravity, there is a universal law that what we focus on increases. Most of us are conditioned t...

A couple of days ago, Supreme Court Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away. What a tragic loss for our country, for our democracy and the soul of our nation! I am heartbroken and join millions of Americans in honoring her impressive legacy; she was a true American hero, relentlessly fighting for equal justice under the law. RBG championed women's rights as well as protecting the constitutional r...

My guest today is Sharon Charde. Sharon is a poet, teacher and author, who recently published a heartfelt, beautifully written book "I Am Not A Juvenile Delinquent: How Poetry Changed a Group of At Risk Young Women". For over a decade Sharon volunteered as a poetry teacher at a residential treatment facility for delinquent girls. Her initial intention was to reach out to these young women and have...

Oh what an emotional week this has been! How my heart aches for Jacob Blake, the black man who was brutally shot 7 times in the back by police officers, with his young children witnessing such racial violence as they sat in their car. The outpouring outcry in the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin, pleading for justice. The appalling, intentional hatred by a 17 year old white supremacist who illegally...

My guest today is Vonetta Taylor. Vonetta is a mystic, spiritual guide, entrepreneur, and Emmy award winning designer. Initially excelling in math and physics, Vonetta went to Cornell University, majoring in engineering, but then switched to Cultural Anthropology, which spoke more to her heart. Post-graduate research of magic, myth and education, brought Vonetta to Africa, but it was the people in...

I am happy to announce that my recent guided chakra meditation is now available on my website. Listen here . As we continue to delve into important layers of racial oppression, white supremacy, racial justice and what it truly means to dismantle racism, I am grateful to have this platform to share some of what I have been processing. Black people have acknowledged how difficult it is to give hones...

This past week, the strong winds and heavy rains of Hurricane Isaias moved up through the east coast, uprooting thousands of trees. Mother Nature is reflecting what many of us are experiencing personally and collectively, the aftermath of not just the physical storm, but of the pandemic and racial injustices that continue to challenge and shake us. The force of the storm captured in the verbs: upr...

I lead a 20-30 minute meditation with a small group of friends every Friday morning and this past week, one of my friends asked if I could record the meditation. I was moved that she would like to hear my meditation again, that she found my free-form guidance helpful in giving her a centering peace. So here it is for my friends and all my podcast listeners: a 20 minute spontaneous, organic guided...

My guest today is Kitty Hatcher. Kitty is a gifted astrologist and tarot reader, who reads astrological charts and teaches beginning, intermediate and advanced classes on astrology. I first met Kitty in 1993 and every reading from her since has helped me distinguish and live more confidently into, what Kitty describes as, who I truly am, as opposed to who I am programmed to be. With what has been...

Instead of a guest today, I'd like to humbly do my part in honoring the life and legacy of John Lewis. Representative John Lewis died on Friday July 17 at the age of 80 from pancreatic cancer. You will find beautiful tributes to Mr. Lewis, in the recent New York Times article, on a NPR special and throughout social media platforms. Please take the time to learn more about this courageous, devoted...

My guest today is Horace Turnbull. Horace has spent his life devoted to positively shaping kids lives and uplifting community, through the value and power of the arts. Horace grew up in segregated Greenville, MS, in high school he helped farm families find housing, formed recreational activity program for young people, majored in sociology and psychology at Tougaloo College, before moving to New Y...

My guest today is Frances Pratt. In my Nyack, NY community, Frances, at age 86, is a beloved, living legend. Frances is a registered nurse, who had a 53 year career at Nyack Hospital, which included being head nurse of ER and later a health administrator. The hospital named a waiting room after Frances, a scholarship in her name, as well as a positive-image rose garden. Frances is also a "licensed...

My guest today is Julia Adamy Pederson. Although Julia is an outstanding professional bass player, today's conversation is not about what a marvelous bass player she is, or her vibrant music career. Julia, my wholehearted, yet humble daughter, is uncomfortable talking about herself. True to the instrument she plays, her personality matches the function of the bass player: to be a supportive role,...

My guest today is Kimberly Latrice Jones. Kimberly is an activist, writer, and director. It was Kimberly's recent impassioned video that powerfully moved me and inspired me to reach out to her. Both Trevor Noah and John Oliver highlighted Kim's video, where she provides a poignant history lesson (all too often left out of our formal education), outlines the broken social contracts between whites a...