LaidOPEN Podcast

If you're new to meditation, or finding yourself caught in cycles of anxiety, stress, or overthinking, this guided practice offers a place to begin. In this Chakra Clear Out from my Anarchist Medicine series, I guide a simple meditation designed to help you create internal space, ground in your body, and reconnect with perspective. Rather than trying to stop thoughts or force calm, this practice e...

What is meditation and how do you start? Charna shares a gentle, beginner friendly introduction to meditation, mindfulness, and practice. Have you ever wondered what meditation actually is... and whether you're doing it "right"? In this special introductory episode, I'm stepping away from interviews to talk directly about meditation: how I found it, why it became foundational to my healing journey...

Are you carrying energy that doesn't belong to you? This guided chakra clearing and cord cutting meditation is designed to help you release energetic attachments, reclaim your energy, and clear emotional residue from past relationships, family systems, creative partnerships, religious conditioning, and other draining connections. In this meditation, you'll learn how to: • Call your energy back to...

What if your trauma isn't something to extract, but something that has shaped you the way weather shapes an ancient tree? In this episode I sit down with Josh Schrei , creator and host of the beloved Emerald Podcast, for one of the most expansive and nourishing conversations I've had on this show. Josh brings the wisdom of animist and mythic traditions to the very modern problem of living in a fra...

Ever feel stuck in the same patterns no matter what you try? You might be living out a soul contract . In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast , Charna sits down with Gellyahnah , a channel for divine wisdom and spiritual guidance, to uncover how your karmic and spiritual blueprint might be shaping your life, and how to break free. What you'll discover in this episode: The difference between soul and...

If you've ever wondered if anyone can really develop their psychic abilities? This episode is for you. I sit down with Chase McCarty, the creator of  Social RV , an app that gamifies remote viewing, intuition, and all the weird little psychic skills you didn't think you could train. We talk about psi abilities like remote viewing and intuitive perception. Chase shares how he went from a skeptic to...

In this episode of LaidOPEN, I'm joined by Gabrielle Felder , author of The Five Blessings of Ifá . We talk about returning to spiritual lineage, writing about Ifá as a living oral tradition, and what it meant for Gabrielle to publish this work after being raised Baptist. She shares how being on ancestral land in the American South changed her relationship to history and belonging. We explore Oshu...

In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, I sit down with Mayan astrologer, cacao ceremonialist, and author Christine Olivia Hernandez to talk about ritual, gratitude, discernment, and how to live in alignment with your natural rhythm. Christine shares how Mayan astrology and the Sacred Calendar can help you understand who you are and how your energy is meant to move, rather than forcing yourself into...

In this episode of the LaidOPEN Podcast, host Charna Cassell sits down with content creator Taylor Perkins, better known on social media as Cult Daddy, for a deep conversation about spirituality, embodiment, trauma, and reclaiming personal truth after high control religion. Taylor shares his journey growing up Mormon, achieving financial success, losing everything, and experiencing a profound spir...

Manifesting isn't about wanting harder, visualizing longer, or thinking positively enough. In this episode of the LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna Cassell sits down with master manifestor, psychic medium, and intuitive Colette Baron-Reid to unpack why so many people feel stuck despite "doing all the right things" and what actually creates change. Colette shares her unconventional approach to manifestation...

In this episode of the LaidOPEN Podcast, host Charna Cassell sits down with Elizabeth Rea , an evidentiary clairvoyant psychic medium and former psychic detective whose work has evolved from solving cold murder cases with federal agents to advising high-net-worth founders and investors behind the scenes. Elizabeth shares how a near-death experience at sixteen cracked open her psychic perception, s...

In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, I open up about my own deepening journey with Kundalini Yoga and sit with one of the teachers who has guided so much of that unfolding. Amanbir is a Kundalini Yoga teacher and trainer who has spent more than two years empowering and training thousands of students across the planet. His teaching blends traditional Kundalini lineage, Chinese medicine, astrology,...

Join host Charna Cassell for a raw and eye opening conversation with Margaret Bronson, founder of Deconstruction Doulas. Margaret grew up inside a high control Christian cult and survived domestic violence, child abuse, excommunication, and the long psychological fallout of authoritarian religion. Now she guides others through the same dismantling of belief systems that once owned them. In this ep...

In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, Charna talks with Dr. Chelsey Hague-Zavaleta, an expert in applied educational neuroscience and social–emotional learning. Together, they explore what it really means to raise calm, connected kids — and how to do it without losing your mind (or yourself) in the process. They unpack the science of co-regulation, discuss the difference between gentle and authorit...

In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, host Charna Cassell sits down with award-winning playwright, performer, and teacher Ann Randolph , whose autobiographical solo shows blend comedy, storytelling, and profound transformation. Together they explore their long-held desire to collaborate — a journey guided by synchronicity, presence, and creative courage. Ann shares how her early days working the gr...

This season, dreams are really on my mind. I've been thinking about how they shape our creativity, our healing, and the subtle ways our bodies speak through them. In this episode, I sit down with dreamwork expert Bonnie Buckner , author of The Secret Mind: Unlock the Power of Dreams to Transform Your Life  and founder and CEO of the International Institute for Dreaming and Imagery. Bonnie teaches...

Welcome back to LaidOPEN Podcast. In this week's episode, we explore altered states of consciousness, sound, healing, and the legacy of ancestral trauma. My guest is Tania de Jong . She's  a singer, sound healer, and social entrepreneur who co-founded Mind Medicine Australia , leading efforts to make psilocybin and MDMA legally available for treatment-resistant mental health conditions. Tania shar...

Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions of sexual assault. In part 2 of this powerful conversation, Charna sits down again with Ariella Daly : dream worker, animist, and beekeeper — to continue exploring how dreams can become profound guides for healing, recovery, and transformation. Ariella shares more of her personal path, weaving together the wisdom of dreams, ritual, and the natural...

Trigger warning: discussion of seggsual assault near the end In this episode, Charna interviews  Ariella Daley , a seasoned dream worker, animist, and beekeeper with over 15 years of experience. Ariella shares her fascinating journey into beekeeping and dream work, influenced by a blend of naturalism from her mother and mysticism from her father. She recounts a significant experience where wild be...

In this powerful episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, I sit down with medical researcher, writer, and host of Modern Hysteria, Micah Larsen , to dive deep into her deeply personal and courageous journey through PMDD, menopause, and preeclampsia. With warmth and unflinching honesty, Micah illuminates the painful gaps in our healthcare system and the persistence of medical misogyny—and, more importantly, ho...

What do you really want—and how do you even begin to ask for it? In this episode of laidOPEN, I'm joined by somatic sex therapist Susan Morgan Taylor , a healer and teacher who guides people through the often-overlooked terrain of embodied desire. With over 25 years in somatic healing, Susan brings a grounded, intuitive approach to what she calls the Pleasure Keys Process—a set of practices design...

Welcome to the first episode of July 2025, where I have a fascinating conversation with Nick Brancato , a relationship systems architect and author of 'Prioritize Us.' Nick shares his unique journey from being a professional poker player to stepping into the world of personal development and relationship coaching.  We talk about the significance of aligning priorities within relationships, enhanci...

In this episode of LaidOPEN Podcast, I have an insightful conversation with activist and author Dean Spade about his extensive work in movements for queer and trans liberation, anti-militarism, and the abolition of police and prisons.  Dean and I discuss his new book titled ' Love in a Fucked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell Together ,' covering topics such as mindful...

In this episode, Charna Cassell discusses the profound topic of silence, featuring an interview with Justin Talbot Zorn and Leigh Marz, authors of ' Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise. ' They delve into experiences and practices from their book that encourage finding clarity and peace amidst external and internal noise. The conversation covers the political and cultural relevance of...

In this episode of Laid Open Podcast, I welcome back Dr. Keesha Ewers, a specialist in integrative medicine and functional sexology. We discuss the critical yet often overlooked topic of menopause, highlighting how women's health issues, particularly post-childrearing, are neglected in society and underfunded in research.  Dr. Keesha and I provide insights into hormone replacement therapy (HRT), d...