New Dimensions

Every person has their own timing when it comes to grieving. Claire Willis suggests that grief is a sign of deep love rather than a problem to be solved. She recommends that we allow ourselves to remain in the great brokenness of loss with our eyes and hearts open—thus grief is an invitation to grow and eventually can lead to finding meaning in the experience of loss. Claire B. Willis is a clinical social worker who works in the field of oncology and bereavement. She is a cofounder of the Boston nonprofit Facing Cancer Together and regularly leads bereavement, end of life, support, and therapeutic writing groups. As a lay Buddhist chaplain, she focuses on contemplative practices for end-of-life care. She maintains a private practice in Brookline, Massachusetts. She is coauthor with Marnie Crawford Samuelson of Opening to Grief: Finding Your Way from Loss to Peace (Dharma Spring 2020) Interview Date: 1/21/2021   Tags: Claire B. Willis, grief, mourning, bereavement, depression, disenfranchised sorrows, hidden griefs, untended sorrows, miscarriages, infertility, Hersch Wilson, Metta practice, loving kindness, gratitude journal, Rick Hanson, James Pennebaker, expressive writing, Death & Dying, Personal Transformation

Plotkin encourages us to seek out a soul encounter in order to find our ecological niche and our place in the larger world. He encourages us to do the necessary work to become true “adults,” which has nothing to do with our chronological age. We must do this work in order to give our gifts back to the web of life and become embedded in life-enhancing activities.  Bill Plotkin, Ph.D, has been a psychotherapist, research psychologist, rock musician, river runner, professor of psychology, and mountain-bike racer. As a research psychologist, he studied dreams and nonordinary states of consciousness achieved through meditation, biofeedback, and hypnosis.Currently an ecotherapist, depth psychologist, and wilderness guide, he leads a variety of experiential, nature-based individuation programs. He is the author of Soulcraft: Crossing into the Mysteries of Nature and Psyche (New World Library 2003, Nature and the Human Soul: Creating Wholeness and Community in a Fragmented World (New World Library 2008) and The Journey of Soul Initiation: A Field Guide for Visionaries, Evolutionaries, and Revolutionaries (New World Library 2021)Interview Date: 1/21/2021     Tags: Bill Plotkin, Steven Foster, Meredith Little, C.G.Jung, Journey of Soul, metaphor of caterpillar and butterfly, William McDonough, soul, Dreams, Personal Transformation, Spirituality

Cognitive decline is rampant in today’s world. It’s a toxic jungle regarding pollutants in the air, water, and foods we eat, as well as the negative media we take in. Here our guest touches on how to protect ourselves and our brains as we navigate the neuro-toxic forces that are currently pitched against everyone on the planet. Brant Cortright, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and Professor of Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies. His consulting practice specializes in brain health and neuroscience-informed depth therapy. He is the author of: Psychotherapy and Spirit: Theory and Practice in Transpersonal Psychotherapy (Suny Series, Philosophy of Psychology) (State University of New York Press 1997), Integral Psychology: Yoga, Growth, and Opening the Heart (Suny Series in Transpersonal and Humanistic Psychology) (State University of New York Press 2007), The Neurogenesis Diet & Lifestyle: Upgrade Your Brain, Upgrade Your Life (Psyche Media 2015), Holistic Healing for Anxiety, Depression, & Cognitive Decline (Psyche Media 2020)Interview Date: 1/14/2021    Tags: Brant Cortright, depression, mental illness, Neurotoxins, hormone disruptors, glyphosates, microbiome, inflammation, Alzheimer’s disease, smog, antidepressants, neuroplasticity, neurogenesis, gut microbiome, microbial diversity, bacteria in our intestines, conspiracy theories, Science, Self Help, Heath & Healing, psychology, meditation

The “laziness lie” ignores the many barriers we must deal with in meeting our goals. Being lazy can be a self-protection. Lacking motivation is rational if you haven’t been convinced that there’s any value in it. They say, “I might disagree with somebody else's priorities but if they don't care about doing something that doesn't matter to them, that's pretty rational.” Devon Price, Ph.D. is a social psychologist, writer, activist, and professor at Loyola University of Chicago’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. Their work has appeared in numerous publications such as the Journal of Experimental Psychology, Slate, and has been featured on the front page of Medium numerous times. Devon Price is the author of: Laziness Does Not Exist (Atria Books 2020)Interview Date: 1/7/2021    Tags: Devon Price, Ph.D., laziness, unhoused, homeless, welfare, government assistance, Thor, the Avengers, procrastinate, cyber loaf, workaholic, activism fatigue, grief, grieving, mourning, curiosity, burnout, awe, wonder, Personal Transformation, Social Change/Politics, Relationships, Work/Livelihood

Prayer is our most universal and yet individual way of communicating with the divine, of connecting with the infinite dimensions of our being. Here we explore some of the many ways we pray. Celeste Yacoboni is an ordained Minister of Walking Prayer, ordained by the Center for Sacred Studies in Sonora, California. Her work focuses on guiding and supporting people through transitions by creating a space of awareness, presence and inspiration which integrates body, mind, spirit and emotions. She leads “How Do You Pray?” workshops in which people share and experience different ways of prayer and connecting to Source. She lives in New Mexico and is the editor of How Do You Pray? Inspiring Responses from Religious Leaders, Spiritual Guides, Healers, Activists & Other Lovers of Humanity (Monkfish Publishing 2014)Interview Date: 8/27 /2014     Tags: MP3, Celeste Yacoboni, Ho’oponopono, prayer, praying, pray, Matthew Fox, Ph.D., Michael Gelb, Ph.D., Michael Meade, ancestors, God, Robin Lim, Committee of Angels, dedicating our day, ancestors, children and prayer, Peter Russell, innocent curiosity, what would love do now, What would love say, whale caught and freed from fishing lines, Terry Tempest Williams, prairie dogs in prayer, prayer field, Prayer Intention Experiment, e.e. cummings, Antonio Machado, Honey in my heart, oldest prayer, forgiveness, Hail Mary full of grace prayer, credo, Spirituality, Meditation

Play is deeply embedded in our natures. It contributes to optimism and hope for the future. It enables us with the ability to persevere. Brown concludes, “Play is a fundamental survival drive of humanity without which long term survival of our species may be at stake.” He describes research showing that most sociopaths suffer from play deprivation in their childhood. Stuart Brown. M.D. is a pioneer researcher on the effects of play. He’s the founder of the National Institute for Play in Carmel, California. In 1987, he was the producer of the classic documentary film The Hero's Journey, the Life and Work of Joseph Campbell and executive producer and originator of the three part PBS series, The Promise of Play. He is the author of: Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination and Invigorates the Soul (co-author Christopher Vaughan) (Avery 2010) Interview Date: 2/3/2014    Tags: Stuart Brown, M.D., play, Charles Whitman, rigidity in thinking, compulsiveness, depression, addictions, Brian Sutton Smith, Norbert Rosing, National Geographic special, sled dogs, play languages, play signals, rough and tumble games, bullies, beauty, awe and wonder, play and the brain, Peter Gray, neoteny, video games, John Wooden, Bob Fagan, grizzly bear play, Mark Beckoff, optimism, joy, awe, wonder, joyfulness, Roger Guillemin, Psychology, Personal Transformation, Self Help

Robin shares how industrial agriculture has distanced us from the hands that grow and process our food. She explores why eating from your bioregion is good for you, good for your community, and good for the planet. As we commit, in some small way, to eating within a radius of where we live, we help turn the tide toward sustainable living and reconnect to community. Vicki Robin has been a pioneer at the forefront of the sustainable living movement. She has helped launch many sustainability initiatives including: The New Road Map Foundation, The Simplicity Forum, The Turning Tide Coalition, Sustainable Seattle, The Center for a New American Dream, Transition Whidbey, and more. In the 1990’s she served on the President’s Council on Sustainable Development’s Task Force on Population and Consumption. Her books include Your Money or Your Life (Co-Author Joe Dominguez) (Penguin Books 2008, revised) and Blessing the Hands That Feed Us: What Eating Closer to Home Can Teach Us About Food (Viking 2014)Interview Date: 1/17/2014   Tags: Vicki Robin, food systems, nourishment, relational eating, nature, farms, farmers, food, organic food, agriculture, place-based eating, 10-mile eating experiment, ten mile eating experiment, food democracy, corporate controlled agriculture, industrial food system, fertility of the soil, fertility of soil, hope, resilience, Food Twenty Twenty, Food 2020, community, Community, Environment/Nature/Ecology, Social Change/Politics

In this time of constant distractions and disappointment we become exhausted and heartsick as our good work is ignored. Wheatley speaks with fierce honesty as she gives us the map of where we are. She also gives us tools that enliven and reinvigorate us in our work and relationships. Margaret Wheatley is an internationally acclaimed writer, speaker, and teacher. She is co-founder and President Emerita of The Berkana Institute, a charitable foundation that works with people around the world who strengthen their communities using the wisdom and wealth already present in their people, traditions, and environment. Her books include Leadership and the New Science (Berrett-Kohler 1998), Perseverance (Berrett-Kohler 2010), Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope in the Future (Berrett-Kohler 2009), So Far from Home: Lost and Found In Our Brave New World (Barrett-Kohler 2012) and Who Do We Choose To Be: Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity (Berrett-Kohler 2017)Interview Date: 12/11/2012  Tags: Meg Wheatley, Margaret Wheatley, distraction, concentration, reflection, culture of opinions and instant judgment, happiness, time, reflection, contemplation, emergence, reductionist science, emergent culture, entanglement, DNA, epigenetics, brain, internet, research on internet, technology, values, lost in wilderness, hope, friendship, path of warriors, bureaucracies, islands of sanity, being present, humor, laughter, motivation, spirit, relationship, Business, Philosophy, Personal Transformation, Self Help, Work/Livelihood, Social Change/Politics, Community, Relationship/Partnership

Whether you are a Christian, a Jew, belong to any other denomination, or have no religious affiliation, you may be surprised to know that the Bible represents generations who have resisted tyranny in impossible circumstances when the future looked bleak. She also highlights the many women in the Bible who were first to resist the tyranny of unjust rulers. Jennifer Butler is an ordained Presbyterian minister with her Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. She is the founding Executive Director of Faith in Public Life and former chair of the White House Council of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Butler is a staunch advocate for women’s rights and human rights and is passionate about the need to counter religious extremism. She served in the Peace Corps from 1989 to 1991 in a Mayan village in Belize, Central America, where she discovered she had a talent as a community organizer. She is the author of Who Stole My Bible: Reclaiming Scripture as a Handbook for Resisting Tyranny (Faith in Public Life 2020).Interview Date: 11/30/2020    Tags: Jennifer Butler, Bible, sexism, Muslim women protest, Sinai covenant, Moses, Ten Commandments, Sabbath, hyper capitalism, John of Patmos, pandemic, George Floyd, Cherokee nation, Trail of Tears, Ibram Kendi, racism, Exodus book in Bible, Shiprah, Puah, Pharaoh, Charlotte Gordon, Hagar, Dolores Williams, Creation Museum, evolution, Jim Henderson, Jim Hancock, Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Pontius Pilate, Jesus, Good Samaritan, King Solomon, Religion, Social Change/Politics

How can fundraising be fun? Wiersma’s enthusiasm for gathering together while contributing to the larger community is infectious. She’s a mighty force for positive good. Tune in and discover how to come up with ideas and creative ways to raise money so that you too can be a catalyst for good and be energized to create awe-inspiring events in your community. Betsy is a consummate organizer and has been at it since she was a teenager. Missing the camaraderie of her biological sisters when she moved from the Midwest to Colorado she gathered a “chosen” sisterhood of friends who’s motto is to “Do good and have fun.” In 2005 she, with her friends, began the CampExperience <tm>  Network which is a three day retreat for women consisting of brief presentations by some awesome and accomplished women, delightful activities, and raising money for charities in unique and entertaining ways. Wiersma was honored as one of the top 25 women in Colorado by the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and is recipient of the Francis Wisebart Jacobs award (known as Colorado’s” Mother of Charities”) for philanthropy. In 2019 Betsy was a Speaker at TEDx Colorado, Cherry Creek Women on the topic “Choose Your Family, Change Your Life.” She is the author of Exceptional Events: Concept To Completion (Second Edition) (Kari Strolberg) (Chip Books 2003) and The STEW: Smart Talk Exceptional Women: Art & Insights by Women For the World (Vervante, Inc. 2020) Interview Date: 11/16/2020   Tags: Betsy Wiersma, fundraising, craftlete, aspen trees, mentoring, sisterhood, CampExperience Network, sisterhood, giving to charity, fundraising events, summer camp for women Art & Creativity, Women’s Studies, Community