Enlighten: Uplift & Inspire

I want to acknowledge and address the traumatic, heartbreaking reality of our country's anti-black socialization, systemic racism and the internalized racist worldview that is ingrained in being white. I am reaching out, retreating, asking others, asking myself, learning, unlearning, doing, undoing, reflecting, listening, making mistakes, and striving for growth. I truly want to be as present to t...

My guest today is Jamie Surya. Jamie is a yoga instructor, owner of her own yoga studio and a revered community builder. Jamie was drawn to yoga at a very vulnerable time in her life, when she was struggling with anxiety and depression. Yoga shifted and profoundly transformed Jamie's life so she is devoted to sharing the practice with others. Rooted in a reverence for the ancient philosophy and pr...

I didn't plan for, nor expect the flood of tears that came over me, and in between my sobs, I realized it took a pandemic for me to feel the raw emotions of our country's intensified racism. It took a pandemic for me to weep in a new way for all the people of color who have been terrorized by police brutality and white supremacy. It took a pandemic for me to feel simultaneously outraged and helple...

My guest today is Suzanne. Suzanne had been a TV Producer, Videographer and Film Director, before her near fatal injury 3 1/2 years ago that created an opportunity for Suzanne to reset everything in her life. Suzanne has slowed down tremendously and is now living a more natural life, more in touch with the earth, animals, and people. She even says that her long road to recovery served as a warm up...

My guest today is Jason Tomlinson. Jason is a career skills advocate, community builder, and master barber. Jason's official title at Rockland Community College (RCC) is "Confidential Assistant to the President", which entails (other than being able to keep a good secret), coordinating scheduling and logistics for the president; representing the college in the community by building/collaborating/m...

In the past 2 months, during our shelter-at-home precautions for the coronavirus, I've done three separate 1,000 piece puzzles. So it won't come as a surprise that I've been reflecting on puzzles, the metaphors they hold, and what it means to me to be puzzling through this pandemic. So instead of a guest today, I want to share with you some of my puzzle thoughts and the insights they have provided...

My guest today is Dr. Lauren Dulberg. Lauren is a doctor of Chinese Medicine, an acupuncturist and devotee of ancient traditions. Having studied anthropology and ethno-botany, Lauren developed a reverence for southwest plant medicine. She then studied and personally experienced the ancient wisdom and effectiveness of Chinese medicine, with its healing powers in herbal formulas. She became motivate...

Even though the precautions we need to take as we do whatever we can to flatten the curve of Covid-19, prevent us from meeting in person, I am grateful that Zoom allows me to record conversations with guests near and far.  My guest today is Elizabeth Van Meter. Elizabeth is an actor, filmmaker and devoted humanitarian and one of the most authentic, inspiring humans I know! From her one-woman show,...

I truly hope this finds you healthy and safe, taking the necessary precautions we all need to be taking during this Covid-19 pandemic. And if you or anyone you love is ill or on the front line, please know that there is a circle of compassionate light beings holding you and those you care about in their loving embrace. I personally hold each of you in my daily meditations and want you to remember...

Instead of a guest today, I would like to share some of my own reflections in the midst of this pandemic and only hope that it may resonate and provide a heart connection for you. I know we are at a loss, so much of our lives, as we've known it have shifted, if not fully turned upside down. We will, if we haven't already, experience heart-breaking loss: loss of job stability, loss of reliable inco...

My guest today is Mother Suzanne Toro, one who embodies a compassionate and peaceful heart. In keeping with the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we recorded my conversation with Suzanne via Zoom. Suzanne is an Episcopal Priest, rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Cornwall, NY and although life has slowed down for many people, Suzanne admits that she has never worked ha...

Instead of a guest today, I would like to share some spiritual wisdom for these difficult times. Addressing and responding to COVID-19 marks an unprecedented moment in our history. Not just for some of us, but for all of us. Because this virus does not discriminate based on geography, culture, race, ethnicity, and socio-economic level, we are all impacted! Again not just in our neighborhood, our t...