Sounds True: Insights at the Edge

All of the myriad forms of life on our planet, whether plant or animal, predator or prey, contribute to our survival. And when any one of the fragile threads of the web of life begins to fray, all of us are threatened. Craig Foster—the Academy Award–winning creator of My Octopus Teacher—has since the age of three spent his life intimately connected to the natural world, in particular the Earth’s e...

Meghan Riordan Jarvis had been a practicing trauma therapist for almost 20 years. Then, in the course of two years, she lost both of her parents. “I came to understand what my clients had been telling me about for decades really, really differently,” she reflects. In this podcast, join Tami Simon in conversation with Meghan about Can Anyone Tell Me?, her new book that explores the most common and...

Too many Black women are living other people’s stories for their lives, making themselves smaller to serve other people or society’s expectations. Shelah Marie is here to inform us that we can break free from cultural restrictions and our self-imposed barriers and unabashedly be who we really are, including our imperfections, our growth areas, our unacknowledged successes, and everything in betwee...

The question of how to find peace in the midst of uncertainty has been on our minds a lot lately. Listeners of this podcast have heard many of Tami Simon’s guests speak to this central challenge of our times. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, we’re thrilled to share what one of the world’s leading spiritual teachers has to say.  Here, Tami talks with bestselling author Michael A. Singer abo...

What would you attempt if you knew you couldn’t fail? Most of us didn’t grow up in a family that was unfailingly supportive. Instead, as life coach and author Giovanni Dienstmann explains, “We were conditioned to believe certain things about ourselves and about life that are just not helpful.” In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with Giovanni about his new book, Wise Confidence, and how we can each...

High-functioning codependency? That's not an oxymoron. For psychotherapist Terri Cole, a pattern emerged in her practice that led her to take a deeper look at what we traditionally define as codependent. With her new book, Too Much, Terri introduces high-functioning codependency (or HFC)—illuminating the key traits and behaviors associated with HFC, how it gets passed from generation to generation...

Why is it so hard to talk about sex? How can we be a better friend and lover for our partner? What's the secret to maintaining "the magic" that first brought us together? Acclaimed sex educator and New York Times bestselling author Emily Nagoski views these questions through a unique lens that centers pleasure—not desire—in her counseling work with struggling couples.  In this podcast, Tami Simon...

Through the eyes of the sage, all of humanity is kin. And all of our ancestors are available to support us if we relate to them with integrity and respect. So teaches social activist and author Valarie Kaur in her new book, Sage Warrior. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with Valarie about how we can navigate the time of cultural transition that we find ourselves in by “reclaiming love as a force...

Pānquetzani is a traditional herbalist, healer, and birthkeeper from a matriarchal family of folk healers from the valley of Mexico, La Comarca Lagunera, and Zacatecas. At a time when countless women in BIPOC communities are facing a maternal mortality crisis, Pānquetzani is working to bring back the nearly lost Indigenous approaches to childbirth and the postpartum journey. In her new book, Thriv...

What if the problem in your relationship isn’t you or your partner but the mountain of stress you’re both dealing with? It's a no-brainer to say that too much stress kills intimacy, but what do we really mean when we say “stress”? And what can we actually do about it? In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with couples therapist and author Elizabeth Earnshaw about her new book, ’Til Stress Do Us Part:...

After almost 50 years as one of the world's leading environmental activists, John Seed has started to see an encouraging shift: "Caring about the Earth isn't just for hippies and pagans," he says. "More and more people are moving from having these ideas to exploring what we can do about them." In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the founder of the Rainforest Information Centre and co-author of...

Sharing your life with another person is often as challenging as it is rewarding. And while many therapists say they’d choose any specialty over working with couples, Dené Logan says, “I’ll take them all!” In her private practice, Dené supports clients in rebalancing the feminine and masculine energetics of intimacy as the key to a thriving partnership.  Here, she speaks with Tami Simon about her...

How do Black women grow, transform, and make good use of the power they possess? In her new book, Evolving While Black, inspirational life coach and “Chief Happiness Curator” Chianti Lomax shares a guide to help Black women achieve authentic happiness and liberation on their own terms. This episode of Insights at the Edge brings you into her company with Sounds True founder Tami Simon as they disc...

How do we effectively devote ourselves to our own health and healing? Whether it's a physical challenge, a mental health concern, or some combination, how do we take responsibility for the things we should and free ourselves from the burden of what we're not really accountable for? For Amy B. Scher, it all starts with removing the emotional, energetic blockages that prevent our truest self-express...

The modern workplace is a source of so much pain in so many peoples' lives. And with the extreme challenges facing humanity, it's easy to understand the gloom-and-doom perspective that has become prevalent today. Frederic Laloux sees things differently. "I look at it from a place of adventure," he tells us. "If we don't have a lens of 'these are times that are confusing and difficult' we can see t...

Stefanie Iris Weiss is illuminating the mysterious ways that our bodies, the natural world, and the cosmos intersect and comingle. With her book Sex and Your Stars: A Sexologist's Guide to the Erotic Energy of the Zodiac, she brings readers an approach "to truly know ourselves, to shed our shame, and to explore our erotic energy with others." In this podcast, Sounds True founder Tami Simon speaks...

The painful injustices we see across society may seem insurmountable. Yet as therapist and author Dr. Kamilah Majied teaches, “Undoing some of the injustice that we do to ourselves and others is actually one of the most joyful things we can do.” Instilling joy into our social change work is the theme of Dr. Majied’s new book, Joyfully Just, and the subject of this inspiring conversation hosted by...

We need an updated and broader narrative with respect to the field of psychedelics. While legitimate clinical research and societal openness to these remedies may be on the rise, so too is the confusion and misinformation. Therapist and researcher Sean Lawlor has emerged as a leading voice in articulating a new understanding of this long-maligned field of therapy and healing.  Here, Tami Simon spe...

There is a boundless goodness at the heart of this and every moment. And the path to realizing this goodness directly and more continuously is often what we would least expect. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with poet, author, and Zen meditation teacher Henry Shukman about his personal journey and the insights he shares in his latest book, Original Love.  In a conversation that will appeal to...

There are certain experiences that are completely and utterly devastating, yet seemingly impossible to articulate and share. Grief educator and author Christina Rasmussen calls these our “invisible losses”—and they are often more perplexing and difficult to navigate than the overt tragedies we all endure in life. In this podcast, join Sounds True’s founder, Tami Simon, in conversation with Christi...

Looking at the state of our world, says Dr. Otto Scharmer, it’s plain to see that there’s something wrong with our collective decision-making. How, then, do we move from just reacting against the issues of the past, toward sensing and actualizing the future that is wanting to emerge? That is the profound question at the heart of this podcast featuring the renowned MIT lecturer, author of Theory U,...

Are we in the midst of a civilizational collapse? There are some definitive signs, says Margaret (Meg) Wheatley, who has spent a lifetime as an activist and educator seeking to create a more caring, compassionate, and connected world. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the renowned organizational and systems expert about how she maintains faith in humanity and a tireless commitment to her lif...

How do meditation and mindfulness accelerate moral progress? Is spiritual insight alone sufficient to solve today’s problems? Dr. Sam Harris is a five-time New York Times bestselling author, philosopher, neuroscientist, and host of the popular podcast Making Sense. He is also someone who has practiced meditation for more than 30 years, having studied with teachers in Tibetan, Burmese, Indian, and...

The natural world has provided inspiration to poets, artists, and creatives of every ilk. And that includes inventors and innovators like Dr. Jeff Karp. In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with the renowned biomedical engineer and founder of The Karp Lab about his new book, LIT (Life Ignition Tools): Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action, and how you yourself...

The universe has a dream for you. Are you ready to become its partner on the path toward your highest good? In this podcast, Tami Simon speaks with Tammy Mastroberte about her new book, The Higher Help Method: Stop Trying to Manifest and Let the Universe Guide You. Here, Tami and Tammy discuss how to work with the benevolent figures and supporting energies that you can call upon in any time of nee...