The Gathering Room Podcast

How can we approach situations loaded with racism, sexism, or other prejudice without becoming angry? Many of us are conditioned to believe that our anger will upset the system and should be avoided at all costs. Martha explains that, while this is true of anger without wisdom, anger that flows from the wise mind is an important source of courage. In fact, we NEED anger to catalyze change, especially in the face of social and racial injustice. (Originally aired: Aug.18, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha’s dogs, her son, and the COVID virus are teaching her a better way of being in the world. Instead of living life like it’s an endless to-do list, she has been living it as a string of sacred ceremonies. The disruption from COVID has caused her to savor her daily rituals: giving the dogs bits of toast, relaxing with the family before dinner, filling the birdfeeders. Martha shares instructions for making every moment more sacred. (Originally aired: Aug. 10, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may have heard the Buddhist adage that attachment is the root of suffering, but Martha believes it’s actually attachment to desire that’s making us miserable. She points out that if you become attached to wanting something negative to end, it gets worse and it lasts longer. Yet when you grip tight to something wonderful, it slips away! She shares an exercise from internal family systems therapy to help you release your grip on your desires. (Originally aired: Aug. 3, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve been raised to believe that trying, striving, and constantly creating is the only way to live … but the pandemic has forced us all into a deep stillness. In this episode, Martha urges us to embrace the quietude and allow ourselves to be unbuilt so that we can get closer to our true natures. (This conversation originally aired on July 27, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha confesses that she—like many of us—is feeling the weight of the racial tensions across America, the worries swirling around the pandemic, the endless economic fears, and more. How do we persevere when things are this hard for THIS LONG? She explains that everything in nature pulses and, if you pay attention, you’ll notice times of pressure and times of letting go. Simply noticing this cycle makes it easier to bear. (Originally aired: July 20, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this deeply emotional episode, Martha explains that while every human culture has created a sacred space where people can claim sanctuary, many of us feel unable to access any form of safety in modern times. She offers up a simple way to create personal sanctuary within ourselves through repetition and ritual, allowing us all to build a sacred place where no one can hurt us. (This conversation originally aired on July 13, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How do we find the balance between healthy skepticism and openness to magic? How can we tell coincidence from manifestations of our own inner power? Martha shares several of her own fabulously magical experiences and gives us a list of things we can do to bring real magic into our lives and recognize it when it arrives. (This conversation originally aired on August 19, 2019.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martha dives into this episode by confessing that she thought she had a decent handle on what was going on in the world, but the global uprising against systemic racism made her realize her scope of knowledge was actually very narrow. Now, she is practicing her active listening skills and encouraging us all to do the same, saying that listening is powerful magic, but it does take careful practice. (This conversation originally aired on July 6, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Love, understanding, mutual respect. After watching the video of police officers killing George Floyd, Martha is struck by the disconnect between the forces that unite all humans and the atrocious ways we treat one another. She discusses the importance of recognizing the humanity of other people—especially Black people who have been so relentlessly oppressed and targeted—and resisting the urge to “other” anyone who is not exactly like us. (Originally aired: June 1, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"After a huge shock to your life, you may find yourself saying that you’re “back at square one.” Martha insists that, instead, you are “on to square one” and that it’s a sign of forward progress. And when we begin moving toward square two, we are so excited about our new selves that we begin to jettison old things: habits and beliefs, but also old clothes and objects. Martha points out that “spring cleaning” is tied to this internal cycle. (Originally Aired: May 26, 2020.)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.