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

People often see a gift or strength in us first before we do. What happens when we’re seen? When we truly see others? When the very act of ‘seeing’ each other, weaves an ecological web of trust that helps us find our way.  In this episode Jennifer talks with Gwich’in activist, river guide and entrepreneur Bobbi Rose Koe on how the land has influenced her leadership by sensitively attuning to a web...

Jennifer offers a brief practice, inspired by her conversation with Executive Leadership coach Carolyn Coughlin.  How do you sort through the overwhelming details when there’s so much coming at you? How do you stay grounded in the unknown? What should you pay attention to? Developed by Jennifer Garvey Berger and Carolyn Coughlin, the Complexity Check In is used at Cultivating Leadership and with t...

Ever feel totally overwhelmed with how complex the world feels? Feel the urgency to  control the mess, so you can say ‘I’ve got this’?  Jennifer talks with executive coach and leadership development specialist, Carolyn Coughlin to unpack how we typically talk about complexity and where it gets us into trouble. They explore how to work with our nervous system to unleash our complexity genius.  They...

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with writer Sophie Strand.  How do you begin to know yourself as “more than” your own body, heart and mind? How can you experience yourself in the “in-betweenness” of things? One way is to listen differently. To attune carefully and sensitively to the more-than-human world.  In this practice, Jennifer offers a “new doing” that you can play w...

How much do you relate to your life as linear? A progressive series of arrival points? Something you can control?  In this episode Jennifer talks with poet, writer and teacher, Sophie Strand to crack open assumptions about our individuality, capacity to control and limited tropes of masculinity. Together they follow the principle of composting, a process of addition, as a more generative approach...

Join host Jennifer England as she continues to slow down and embrace the tension of this cultural moment.  In Season 2 she composts outdated ideas of leadership with artists, philosophers, poets, economists and adventurers. Jennifer explores: the limits of the hero’s journey,  the cult of individualism and  a linear life of arrival points.  With curiosity and vulnerability, Jennifer weaves togethe...

Often we see tension or constriction, cracks or conflict as a sign that something’s terribly wrong. Yet if we’re curious about the wisdom of tension itself , we can alchemize our experience for greater flow and trust.   As we wrap Season 1 of Tension of Emergence, Jennifer distills the wisdom from a brilliant constellation of guests. She reflects on what's possible when we don't turn awa...

What will it take to heal division and the pervasive sense of separateness we feel right now? How can we soften our attachment to being right and in control? Our cultural collective needs a new way of relating and being present to one another, even when we don’t want to.  In this episode Jennifer talks with her Zen teacher, award-winning mediator, facilitator and author Diane Musho Hamilton about...

Bringing the wisdom of our bodies into change-making and leadership circles is becoming commonplace. But it involves being awkward, vulnerable and still so we can feel and integrate what our bodies tell us.   Jennifer is joined by Presencing Institute co-founder, choreographer, and teacher Arawana Hayashi to talk about overlooked assets in any creative process that help overcome impasse and ignite...

Ever notice that sometimes it feels impossible to get momentum?  No matter how clear your intention or the strength of your will, often a gap remains between where you are and where you want to be. You’re not alone. All inner (and cultural) change is accompanied by friction, tension and resistance.  In this episode Jennifer talks with Integral Master Coach™, writer, speaker and host of What is Lea...

We usually think of hope as a sentimental emotion that solidifies what we want in life. But what if it meant something else entirely? In this episode Jennifer talks with two friends who connect for the first time in 40 years. Dr. John England, a climate scientist and Brother David, a spiritual teacher offer insight on how to navigate endless challenges in the midst of a climate crisis.  Weaving to...

When does either/or thinking undermine how we relate to ourselves and each other- especially through the prism of good or bad?  Philosopher, poet and integral coach Holiday Phillips joins Jennifer to discuss the journey of abandoning conventional scripts in our professional lives, how to integrate conflicting parts of ourselves, and how to reframe cancel culture as we navigate the tension of becom...

Bridge builder, edge walker, peace maker and now Canadian Senator, Michèle Audette talks with Jennifer about her call to “shake a country”. In this episode they talk about the power of being from two different worlds (Innu and Quebecois) and how to forge a path of social change, justice and reconciliation. Michèle shares key lessons from activism and time as Commissioner on the National Inquiry on...

We all have the capacity to renew ourselves in stretches of hardship and intensity. But in a culture that prefers to go around, rather than through difficult times, what does a practice of renewal look like? In this episode Jennifer is joined by change-maker Lisa Gibson and poet and dancer Brooke McNamara for a deep dive on: 3 key elements of a renewal practice What a renewal practice really needs...

In the never-ending tide of grief and loss, what is your path to renewal? In this episode coach, facilitator, and systems change consultant Lisa Gibson and poet, dancer and Zen monk Brooke McNamara explore a wholehearted approach to renewal during times of intense rupture. They offer a dynamic path to recalibrate our energy while strengthening our presence and responsiveness to what life throws at...

Jennifer is joined by Cecily Nicholson, a critically-acclaimed poet to discuss her path of purpose through social action and and poetics. An advocate of mental health, prison abolitionism and a meticulous researcher Cecily shows us how to be generous observers of how the micro-everyday is tied to systems and histories of marginalization. She highlights the tensions of our choices on the inner and...

Where do you belong? Where are your edges of belonging?  Belonging/not belonging is a universal and intimate experience that shapes our identities, self-confidence, rebellion and personal evolution. In Episode 2 of Tension of Emergence, Jennifer speaks with poet and theologian Pádraig Ó’Tuama about belonging and how it's shaped by language through politics, theology and recent national events...

In this episode, Jennifer talks with artist, performer, and somatic educator Rachel Blackman about what happens when we embrace the tension of failing, mistakes, and experimentation. They discuss the liberation of unlearning perfectionism through the twists and turns of professional careers. And Jennifer offers a practice to help you let go of needing 'to get it right' and more fully emb...

Join host, Jennifer England, as she explores what happens when we slow down and let go of control on the transformational path of inner and outer change making. Together we explore the discomfort and delight of expansion and the power of alchemizing it to allow something new to emerge.  Jennifer talks with mystics, poets, changemakers and heart-centered leaders about what’s possible inside ourselv...