The Tension of Emergence: Thriving in a world that remakes, not breaks

When you’re confronted by overwhelm and crisis, do you turn away from reality to protect your heart? If so, you’re not alone. Jennifer offers a compassionate practice to  help you learn about the denial-acceptance polarity.  Inspired by her conversation with Latinx educator and author, Vanessa Andreotti Jennifer guides you to track where you deny or accept challenging experiences and explore the u...

In this episode, Jennifer England talks with celebrated Latinx educator and author, Vanessa Andreotti about how to bear the weight of modern crises. They share alternative ways of knowing and being as we begin to hospice modernity itself.  They explore: The limits of traditional activism  What is quantum embodied wisdom and why we need it  The one essential skill we must develop in a post-truth wo...

Stifled by status quo scripts of masculinity and femininity? Longing to feel more free in how you express both? Jennifer offers a practice on how to appreciate and let go of old identity scripts that limit your aliveness.  Inspired by her conversation with filmmaker and mythopoetic guide, Ian MacKenzie she encourages an experiment with Eros to expand and liberate old identity scripts.   If you pla...

A renaissance is happening and it’s dissolving limited stereotypes defined by the “man box” and “toxic masculinity”. Jennifer talks with filmmaker, writer and visionary artist, Ian MacKenzie about his journey through art and village to discover what it means to cultivate a healthy and vibrant masculinity.  Tune in to hear:  The influence of 80s pop culture on boyhood and fathering  Why the liberat...

Jennifer offers a practice to help you get unstuck, inspired by her conversation with filmmaker, writer and educator Nora Bateson. In a culture that privileges the scientific, rational and objective, it’s hard to access other ways of knowing. Yet the intuitive, somatic, spiritual and poetic can give us perspective that might bring perspective and relief.  Today, Jennifer encourages you to take an...

Are you caught in a double bind? One of those untenable life situations where you feel torn between two seemingly opposing identities or experiences?  Jennifer talks with filmmaker, writer and educator Nora Bateson for an intimate look at double binds and how expanding our capacity to perceive what's missing, through warm data, can help us heal them. Starting with the legacy of system thinkin...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with creative director and visionary artist Jon Marro. How can you access more creative life force when you’re exhausted, too busy, or disheartened by world events? When we’re running at a feverishly high pace to be productive or save the world, it can feel impossible to slow down and “be creative”. In this practice, Jennifer offers a “new d...

How can we access more creativity and imagination- especially as old systems and structures collapse? Jennifer speaks with multi-disciplinary artist and visionary Jon Marro about courage and humility in the transformative world of creative activism.  With reverence to the more-than-human and imaginal realms, they dive into:  Art as rupture, art as healing  The power and possibility of ‘constraint’...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with Prentis Hemphill.  How can you return to a place of solidity when everything feels unstable? How can you reconnect with your inner knowing when you’ve outsourced the answers to gurus or experts?  A helpful practice- with immediate benefit- is to literally ground yourself to the earth, using your feet and breath.  If you find this practi...

In this episode Jennifer talks with writer, embodiment facilitator, political organizer and therapist, Prentis Hemphill. Together they explore how our body’s wisdom can help us hold more nuance, discern right action and generate healing.  Tune in to hear about: The moment when we lose touch with our bodies  How nuance in our bodies help us avoid binary thinking/acting The power of “witnessing” and...

Join host, Jennifer England as she continues to slow down and embrace the tensions that come with leading social change.  What does it mean to live and lead wisely? How can we strengthen our resilience when we'd rather have certainty and control? How can we develop the courage to be more authentically ourselves- when there's such pressure to conform and arrive? Through the power of film,...

Welcome to the season two finale of The Tension of Emergence. In this season, we composted outdated ideas of leadership. And in this episode, Jennifer shares her favorite moments of each season two interview. She also offers three core principles that she’s carrying forward from these conversations — Embracing the Messy Middle, Embracing Wisdom Over Information, and Embracing the Fluidity of Ident...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with conductor and musician, Ben Zander.  Comparing ourselves to others is totally human and it limits possibility.  Jennifer encourages you to interrupt patterns of comparison that keep you trapped in the “calculating self”. Instead of getting rid of “comparison”, she invites curiosity and acceptance when “less than” or “better than” emotio...

It’s easy to get caught in the pursuit of wealth, fame and power- especially if we’re attached to certain arrival points through the constant evaluation of ourselves. Jennifer is joined by Ben Zander, Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra and co-author of The Art of Possibility to talk about how we shift from our smaller 'self' to the alchemy of 'we'.   In this episode...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with friend, dancer and choreographer Michelle Olson. What do you tend to hide about yourself from others? What is it on behalf of? Jennifer encourages you to identify places and patterns of hiding. She encourages you to shake loose from the cultural confines of who you think you are to become more of who you are. A practice of honest vulner...

Most of us hide ourselves- especially our pain, grief and hardest truths. How and when do you let yourself be seen? And by whom? In this episode I speak with artistic director, dancer and choreographer Michelle Olson about the transformation that can happen when we're truly seen.  Together we talk about the process of witnessing and being witnessed as an essential part of becoming ourselves a...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with author and philosopher Báyò Akomóláfé.  Ever assume that “something’s wrong” if you’re lost, confused or bewildered. Notice the impulse to run back towards certainty and solid ground? In a world that privileges straight lines and arrival points- no wonder we pathologize the experience of “feeling lost”.  In this micro-episode, Jennifer...

In this episode Jennifer speaks with author, teacher and trans-public intellectual Bayo Akomolafe about what’s revealed when we become lost and bewildered. Through story, myth and examples of ecological errancy, Bayo encourages us to stay with the trouble.  With laughter and curiosity they explore— How to cultivate “lostness” in a world that privileges certainty  The limits of inclusivity politics...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with author and teacher Toko-pa Turner.  When you lose touch with what matters- it’s easy to look to external advice, guides and mentors. But finding your way home- to yourself and each other- happens most authentically from the inside out. Learning to trust the intuitive hits you receive can help you reorient to your dreams, longings, and w...

Fascinated by your dreams but struggle to make sense of them? Our dreams invite us to enter a deeper relationship with ourselves- yet we often don’t know where to start. In this episode Jennifer speaks with Canadian author, teacher, dreamworker and founder of the Dream School, Toko-pa Turner about the power of our dreams and how they help remember ourselves home.  They explore— Why classic Jungian...

Jennifer offers a brief practice, inspired by her conversation with Economics of Happiness visionary and economist Mark Anielski.  She guides you to identify where your energy feels depleted and where your energy feels abundant. Sensing into these energy patterns you'll identify the conditions that are either blocking or supporting resourced and flow states. Jennifer invites you to practice w...

A “scarcity mindset” is often a culprit when we’re competing with each other. This tendency to compare and compete has origins in the link between rising debt money and GDP growth. Considering an alternative money system, based in reciprocity, Jennifer speaks to Economics of Happiness visionary Mark Anielski about our money matrix and its impact on our well-being.  Together they explore— The debt...

Jennifer offers a brief practice, inspired by her conversation with friend, facilitator and author, Gabe Wilson.  You are made up of multiple identities that change over time. Being able to access the wisdom from different parts of you can help you solve problems- especially those that are caused by the hardening of perspectives and identities. Jennifer encourages you to discover what identities m...

Our identities are beautiful, resilient and dynamic. But sometimes, our attachment to them can contribute to unhealthy polarization. In this episode Jennifer talks with facilitator, advisor, and author Gabe Wilson about how to relate more fluidly to our multiple identities with this question: what do you stand for? As an African American/Brazilian Gabe shares pivotal life experiences that clarifie...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with Gwich'in activist and wilderness guide, Bobbi Rose Koe.  How do you experience yourself as “more than” your accomplishments, job titles and identities? How can you feel more content with who you are now? One way “in” is to pause, recognize your gifts and honor where and who they come from. Then, with intention, give these gifts to...