The Clearing with Katherine May Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan on the magic of communing with every living thing
Jan 10, 2026
Martha Beck, a bestselling author and life coach, joins her wife, Rowan Mangan, a writer focused on neurodivergence, for a captivating discussion. They dive into the consciousness of stones and the sentience of nature, reflecting on how our culture often dismisses these connections. The couple shares insights on parenting neurodivergent children, embracing impermanence, and the role of life coaching as a modern shamanic practice. Together, they explore how solitude fuels creativity and the magic of communing with every living thing.
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Use Movement To Meditate
- If stillness feels impossible, reintroduce soothing movement into meditation like hand motions.
- Rowan and Martha found moving hands or holding stones helps them settle into practice.
Everything Feels Alive
- Martha Beck and Rowan Mangan describe stones and water as alive and sentient to them.
- They argue modern culture's denial of nonhuman sentience is strange and impoverishing.
Truth Island Sanctuary
- Martha kept a recurring sanctuary called "Truth Island" where liars turn blue and honesty lets the island flourish.
- Over time the island grew from windswept to a cloud forest as truth took root.
