Woven Wings Live

In the “always on” culture of today, fun can often be viewed as a sign of not being serious enough, an indulgence that takes away from our productive lives. Or worse yet, even if we value fun, it can elude us as we either just forget to have fun, or we just feel that we can’t escape the tide of day to day life.  Today we’re joined by Organizational Psychologist and Fun expert, Dr. Mike Rucker, to...

We’re joined by Ren Xue practitioner, Nina Jutras, to listen to her story of resilience, personal responsibility, and growth in the face of adversity.  Nina shares how she grew up with a chronic illness that came to define her identity, even as she did everything she could to cope with it and lead a normal life. In a seeming paradox, as much as she tried to escape her illness, she also didn’t want...

Join Gabe Crane and Rahul Deedwania to hear what they're looking forward to for Season 3 of Woven Wings Live! We revisit what's most alive for us with the show, and recommit to you - dear listener - our aim to spark reflection and growth through conversations on spiritual traditions and practices, psychology, social science, activism, community building, adversity and triumph, creativity...

Join Rahul and Gabe as they look back on 2023 and Season 2 of Woven Wings Live! Join our newsletter: https://www.wovenwings.net/newsletter Reach us at: live@wovenwings.net Join our newsletter: https://www.wovenwings.net/newsletter Visit our YouTube Channel : https://www.youtube.com/@wovenwingslive Reach us at : live@wovenwings.net

In today’s episode, we’re joined by John Harper to learn about the Diamond Approach, a modern-day spiritual path oriented around deep self-exploration and discovery.  - What is the Diamond Approach, and what makes it unique? - How does it help us connect with our consciousness?  - What role does curiosity play in our self discovery path? - And how does connecting with our truest selves unlock our...

In our last episode, we discussed the art of decision making from a very practical, analytical lens. Today, we have the unique opportunity to explore in detail what it feels like to make a tough decision when your mind, body, and heart are not all singing the same tune. We’re joined by Conscious Leadership and executive coach, Justin Mulvaney to break down a recent decision making experience that...

How often do you get stuck while making a decision, even past the point of receiving any new information? We make many big and small decisions everyday, and yet few of us have a method to our madness. We’re joined today by Decision Coach, Nell McShane Wulfhart, to dig into the ins and outs of this all important process: - Why do people need to get better at decision making? - How much of it is int...

Money is a key player in our day-to-day lives, and yet we rarely stop to consider the many ways in which we relate to it. A measure of success, the basis of feeling secure, or the precursor to a sense of freedom… or even happiness. The narratives around money are as extensive as they are deeply ingrained. To unpack all of this, we’re joined today by Mike Trugman, veteran accountant, as well as fel...

It is often acknowledged how stories can help us understand each other's experiences more deeply by sharing information in a way that creates emotional connection. But there isn’t as much emphasis placed on the role of our own internal stories in the way that we experience the world.  Today we’re joined by writer, author, and negotiation and communication expert, Beth Fisher-Yoshida to discus...

In a time where narratives in news often focus on divisions in our societies, there are still those that pursue the seemingly trite understanding that we have more in common than we often appreciate.  We’re joined today by Shariq Abdul Ghani, executive director of a Houston based interfaith community building organization, to discuss: - What value comes out of bringing together people from differe...

Today we're rereleasing an episode that originally aired just over a year ago on May 17th of 2022, where we spoke with Sampada Wakhlu, co-host of the 2022 Global Bhagavad Gita Convention , to discuss engaging sacred texts in the modern world. Sampada’s approachable nature and rich background with this iconic text of south Asian culture serves as a jumping off point to consider the benefits sa...

Today we approach the complex subject of male sexuality, and attempt to be a part of crafting a healthy narrative around a topic that is at-times controversial, dark, and even demonized. We sit with sociologist and men’s work practitioner, Elliot Katz, and discuss: - What is the “man box of masculinity”, and how is it problematic for both individuals and society at large? - How do shame, secrecy,...

QUICK REQUEST: Contribute to a Maui Wildfires Relief Fund here In this continuation of our resonance series, we expand the conversation from focusing on finding resonance within ourselves, to recognizing its broader impact: - How is resonance in our state part of not just benefiting ourselves, but also facilitating broader change in the world? - How do we relate with immense social and environment...

Today’s conversation is the 2nd in our series on Resonance, with a focus on how to apply the theory of resonance to a common impulse shared by many adults - the impulse to control - our thoughts, our external circumstances, our lives. - What does that impulse to control look like? - What types of circumstances bring that impulse to life, and where is it beneficial vs not? - How does an overextende...

We’ve all heard the common cliche, “that resonates,” but what does this truly mean? Usual host Gabe Crane serves as the guest for this episode to explore the depths of this seemingly innocuous question. In addition to being a musical concept, Resonance is an emerging methodology that lies at the core of Gabe’s work at Woven Wings. Drawing on the influences of his teachers’ systems, Ren Xue and Pro...

Gabe and Rahul are joined by Gabe’s wife Lakshmi and Rahul’s wife, Keerti, as they all share a virtual living room conversation on some familiar Woven Wings themes that pertain to each of our lives. With Gabe, Lakshmi, and their son Satori visiting Lakshmi’s parents and extended family in India for the first time in 4 years, we dig into their experience, and examine the role of tradition, family,...

Two days out from Father’s Day, we explore the concept of centering men, a topic perhaps controversial - or maybe even unwelcome - in a time when men are often considered the root of many problems. “Kawika” Mattos, proud father and grandfather, and facilitator of mens’ groups as well as parenting classes for both men and women, helps shine a line on: - What’s unique about the male experience, and...

If you’ve ever reflected on how well your actions align with your goals, you’ve likely encountered the idea of motivation. How does motivation work, and where does it come from? How can I identify my true motivations? How can I be more motivated? In today’s conversation with Barry Sommer, a licensed Educational Psychologist, Marriage and Family Therapist, and faculty member at Columbia University,...

How many of us go around our local environments - whether they’re urban, suburban, or otherwise, and have no idea what’s around us Today we’re joined by Ralph Steven, herbalist and ethnobotanist to discuss: - Why does connecting with our surroundings matter? - What does it mean to “have a relationship with and connect with plants”, and how do we do it? - What role do plants play in healing, and wh...

There are many varied perspectives on what constitutes a healthy life and how to get there. What few disagree on, though, is how important health is in the context of living a vibrant life. Today we sit with Jackie Blunt to discuss the concept of “holistic health”: - What does “holistic health” even mean, and how does it compare and contrast with our typical way of thinking about health? - What ro...

Today we sit with the passionate and innovative Arturo Ezquerro to hone in on the critical role of learning in our lives: - Why is learning so essential to not just thrive, but also survive? - What is the concept of the “social learning organism”, and how has he brought that to life in his work? - How do our relationships influence our learning environment? - What’s the role of self knowledge in l...

Today we’re re-releasing an episode that originally aired just over a year ago on March 22nd of 2022, where we spoke with Simeon Darwick Birnbaum, laughter yoga instructor and founder of Joyful Living.  We explore how we can lean into a lighter way of being by utilizing a spiritually and biologically potent practice that’s readily available to all of us: our own laughter. We see how regardless of...

The idea that we “create our own reality” may feel trite and cliche in today’s age, where self help adages run unrestrained through our feeds. And yet what lies beneath this particular concept is a foundational set of powerful spiritual principles grounded in ancient wisdom. We sit with Nivedita Ganapathi - spiritual seeker, motivational speaker, and transformational coach - to explore: - What is...

Talking about and reflecting on death can feel morbid, scary, dreadful even. Today we sit with Matt Segall, Professor of Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness to explore the concept of death from the lens of philosophy, and do our best to bring the conversation to a practical place: - Why is talking about death powerful? What does it unlock for us? - What does it mean to “cross the threshold” o...

Roman Hanis shares an eclectic spiritual philosophy built on the concepts of essential humanity and a shared human heart, which mirror core tenets of the Woven Wings philosophy: the idea that we’re all connected at a very deep level, and that coming together in harmony and support for both each other and the world that we inhabit is essential to the planetary healing that we so innately crave. Wha...