The Embodied Way Podcast

“Will my culture thank me if I disrupt its complacency?” Zhenevere Sophia Dao asks some of the most piercing, identity-deconstructing and soul-generating questions of our time, while she also embodies the answers with deep, poetic presence and humility. In this episode, we speak to this rare teacher, philosopher, embodiment artist, poetess, and transgender woman,  about the mysteries and the politics of gender, and about what she calls “the transgender necessity”. Zhenevere takes us on an up-close and personal journey into her own process of reclaiming her true gender, and, with spellbinding urgency, invites us to consider the social need to not only accept but to celebrate transgender people as messengers of what is possible in a life– and in a culture. ABOUT OUR GUEST Zhenevere Sophia Dao is a poet, novelist, playwright, and director of the SACRA Theater Company in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A transgender woman, she is also the founder of the practice tradition of MogaDao and the MogaDao Institute. Zhenevere was

What does it take for one to feel an utter and lasting sense of belonging––belonging to one's family, communities, and culture, belonging in one's body, belonging with a partner, and to one's own self? In this conversation with Canadian writer, teacher, and dreamworker Toko-pa Turner who authored the award-winning book Belonging, we contemplate the distinction between fitting-in and belonging, the reasons why non-belonging  is the silent pandemic of our times, the two lovers we must introduce within ourselves, and the competencies  we must learn and practice in order to experience belonging in a fragmented world.   

A brief and unprecedented episode, in which host Stefana Serafina discusses the coronavirus outbreak as a movement of archetypal  universal intelligence, a "raising of the voice of the the Wild Earth that is surging to make herself understood: Pressing pause now is only the start...." "Sit down together–but a new kind of together", Corona seems to be saying,  "Pause and come still,  as a global organization that now gets a chance to meditate on its impact on the much vaster organization of life." To share this episode from our webpage: http://www.embodiedway.com/coronathecrone/ To share this episode in the form of a written essay: https://www.intuitivedance.org/single-post/2020/03/17/Corona-the-Crone-We-Must-Be-Changed

Long before social injustice becomes obvious and explicit, our bodies  experience it, internalize it, and embody it as non-verbal patterns. In this conversation with Dr. Rae Johnson, a scholar working at the intersection of somatic studies and social justice, we expose the mostly unconscious behaviors that perpetuate oppression in an embodied way,  how oppression is experienced as a bodily felt sense,  and how we can learn to undo oppression through the body–– both as we experience it and as we inflict it on others. Rae Johnson, PhD, RSMT is a queer-identified scholar working at the intersection of somatic studies and social justice. Key themes in their work include the embodied experience of oppression, somatic approaches to research, and the poetic body.  They are the chair of the Somatic Psychology Doctoral program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and the author of several books, including "Embodying Social Justice".  https://raejohnsonsomatic.com/

On the importance of creating a culture of emotionally aware and expressed people, and the significance of allowing our bodies to express in a primal and liberated way, as an example of nature and its many states, storms, colors and changes. We speak with somatic healer, dancer, and embodiment facilitator, BERNADETTE PLEASANT, the founder of FEMME!, a modality for all genders. Tune in for this vibrant conversation about  how to harness the primal power and vulnerability of our emotions through the body, in a way that makes us freer, more alive, and more connected.    EPISODE'S WISDOM BITES:  Our bodies are created in the likeness of nature. Sunsets don’t hold back. Rainstorms and the ocean get to be so many things; there is no one right way for them to be. And so we also get to be that expressive: We get to be water, we get to be gentle as a fine mist, we get to be still and inviting, we get to be ferocious, we get to be frozen, or warm. We get to be everything that is given to us by example of nature. And th

How does one know that they are standing at a threshold whose crossing is a promise that life will never be the same?  What gives us the power to move through the toughest, the biggest, or the most influential turning points of our lives? And why are the body and the heart, dance and community our best allies in both personal and collective rites of passage? Listen to Dr. Melissa Michaels weigh in on these powerful questions, and speak to the importance of finding one’s soul path vs. getting on the “success path”.   ––––– Melissa Michaels, is a doctor of education, a movement– and rites-of-passage guide and facilitator, a youth mentor, a community leader and activist, based in Boulder, CO. She creates movement based cross-cultural educational opportunities focusing on the potential that is available at major life thresholds. Her work uses the expressive and social arts to establish body and heart as resources for authentic expression, and for mapping the journey from trauma to dynamic well-being. Recognizing

This conversation with Zhen Dao, creator of the Mogadao Institute tradition, is a mythopoetic, down-to-earth, and sensuous contemplation on rediscovering the true erotic nature of being as a return to our vulnerability and our need for each other. We speak about Eros beyond the impoverished cultural perceptions and modern exploits, and bring the erotic back  into the context of making full-body contact with one another and the living world, taking the great risk of  becoming spiritually naked in our mutual need for “other”, and letting ourselves be found and touched in our deepest longing.   ABOUT ZHEN DAO  Zhen Dao is the founder of the Daoist–based practice tradition of MogaDao, and the MogaDao Institute in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a transgender embodiment master, poet, novelist, and writer on a variety of philosophical, and cultural subjects, and her teachings come in one of the most unique, spellbinding, and truth-telling voices of our times. Zhen is  also the director of the theater company SACRA: Im

MAKING SOUL FOR A TROUBLED WORLD, with Michael Meade   How to make more soul for a world that seems to be falling apart?  “What you love is the cure”, reminds us mythologist Michael Meade.  In this conversation with the renowned storyteller, author, and scholar, we speak about why it’s of the essence to get closer to what you  love and do more of it, so you can be in conversation with your own soul, harvesting its timeless resources for living a meaningful life and making more soul for the world. Join us for this rich conversation on the significance of lunar knowledge, embodied soul wisdom, mythological acupuncture, and living with purpose in times like ours. “We all hope our lives have meaning. The way to make sure of that is to love what we love and make more soul for the world. When we make more soul through our personal genius,  life is more present, things are more connected, and the world secretly more united.”   ABOUT MICHAEL MEADE Michael Meade, D.H.L., is a renowned storyteller, author, and scholar

Deya Dova is a ground breaking vocalist, electronic music producer and an international touring artist from Australia, who records her music live at sacred sites. We speak about the experience of merging body and earth and blending into the landscape as a way of giving voice to the land, and singing  the ancient human myths that can unite modern humans in new ways. Tune in for some live singing, newly released tunes, and this in-depth conversation with Deya Dova and co-producer Hamilton Barnett.     DEYA DOVA Synthesizing ancient songlines, tribal voices and inspired story telling with cinematic soundscapes, future bass and totemic beats, Deya Dova invokes temple mysticism and brings euphoric tribalism to the dance floor. Hailing from the expansive Nullarbor desert in Australia and now based in the Byron Bay Area, Deya writes, records and produces all of her intricate vocal work and also designs her costuming and album artwork.  Deya and her co-producer and husband Hamilton Barnett fuse into their music and p

On following the body's internal and evolutionary wisdom to generate new life. We speak to Tina Stromsted, PhD about the body as an intelligent orchestra always organizing for  healing and growth, movement as the language of the soul, and bringing light into the dark places of the psyche by using the body's guidance. A guided practice is offered at the end of the conversation.  ----- Tina Stromsted, Ph.D. is a Jungian psychoanalyst, dance therapist, and somatics educator.  She was a founding faculty member of the Women’s Spirituality Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a co-founder and faculty member of the Authentic Movement Institute in Berkeley (1993-2004). Currently she teaches at the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco, the Depth Psychology/Somatics Doctoral program at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and as a core faculty member for the Marion Woodman Foundation.  With 40 years of clinical experience, and a background in dance and theater, she teaches at universities and healing ce

When You Are Ready, Horses Will Find You: Discovering in The Common Body, with Paula Josa Jones PAULA JOSA-JONES, an author, choreographer, dancer, educator, and equestrian, in conversation with Stefana Serafina about the common body, the shared physical and nonphysical field of emotion, sense, communication, and love between all species. ABOUT PAULA PAULA JOSA-JONES, a choreographer, dancer, educator,  and equestrian, known for her visually rich, emotionally charged dance theater.   Her work includes choreography for humans, interspecies work with horses, dancers and riders, and film and video. Paula has been called "one of the country's leading choreographic conceptualists" by the Boston Globe and the Village Voice describes her work as "powerful, eccentric, and surreal". Her dances have been produced in Russia, Europe, Mexico and throughout the United States. She has taught at Tufts University, Boston University, and internationally. Paula is the creator of an interspecies company with horses, dancers and

Vinn Arjuna Martí, award-winning choreographer, performer, master teacher, and  founder of  Soul Motion, in conversation with Stefana Serafina about the value of pausing amidst the moving moment, the exploration of self,  relationship, and the psyche through the shapes, energy, and movements of the body in motion,  and on the power of bringing dance to "the citizens", people from all backgrounds who find medicine in practicing one of the most ancient expressive arts.  Vinn Arjuna Martí is an award-winning choreographer, global performer, master teacher and founder of  the  conscious dance practice Soul Motion®. Vinn Arjuna has been teaching movement for over 35 years and along the way has trained and worked with many teachers, including Gabrielle Roth of the 5Rhythms. Arjuna has been passionate about bringing  dance and movement to people of all backgrounds and including those who have never trained or performed as dancers. He teaches around the world, and also  trains teachers and facilitators, while  also c

On restoring the balance, flow, and creativity  in a woman’s life by reconnecting to  the “feminine root” of our bodies and the power inherent in the female anatomy, with Tami Lynn Kent,  author of Wild Feminine: Finding Power, Spirit & Joy in the Female Body.   THIS EPISODE'S WISDOM QUOTES  “Encircles by pelvic bones, round and smooth,  the root of the female body is like a bowl. Here, in the womb, a woman will find the energy she holds for herself and for the mothering her creations. For centuries,  women have been the bowl- they have been basket makers weaving containers that held food and water just as their bodies held the energy of the children and home. In urban times and modern settings, female roles have been redefined, but a woman's body still holds or releases energy from the root.” “I feel that women are fundamentally disconnected from the pelvic bowl and part of that disconnection has to do with shame, and also with what they have learned about their bodies, which often comes in a very techni

On intuition and sensitivity as  higher intelligence and the power of embodied daydreaming and imagination as creative forces. We speak to Penney Pierce, author of 10 books on intuition and perception, about the importance of honoring one's body not only as the soul's only home, but also as the  powerful, intelligent system tapped into the unified field and capable of dreaming our desired realities into physical form– if given a chance.  Penney Peirce is one of the pioneers of the intuition development movement, who has researched and written about  inner energy dynamics, intuition, expanded perception,  dream  work and transformation since the 70s.  Penney is a popular author, lecturer, and trainer who has worked in the US, Japan, Europe, South America, and South Africa for 4 decades, coaching  business and government leaders, psychologists, scientists, and celebrities. She has been worked with The Center for Applied Intuition, The Intuition Network, The Institute for the Study of Conscious Evolution, and Th

On the importance of staying in our bodies, slowing down to be with our own body's living systems and sensitivity, and getting to know the deeper life of our anatomy as an antidote to the fast-paced, electronic world that is evolutionary new to the human body. Guest Andrea Olsen is a pioneering embodiment educator and expert on experiential anatomy, the author of  a triad of books on the human body and its creative and intuitive expression. For the last three decades  Andrea  has been a Professor of Dance  and Environmental Studies at Middlebury College in Vermont. She is a long time collaborator with embodied mindfulness pioneers  Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen of Body-Mind Centering and Janet Adler of Authentic Movement.   Andrea also teaches at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California,  bringing body education and mindfulness practices into graduate courses on global communication. This episode's Wisdom Quotes: “Understanding that body is part of Earth is an essential component of

On taking back the  definition of "witch" and rewriting the myth of the women's power, with Judika Illes, an independent scholar, educator, and author of several books and encyclopedias, including the Encyclopedia of  Witchcraft, published by Harper Collins.  THIS EPISODE'S WISDOM QUOTES  Reclaiming “witch” cannot really be done without reclaiming women’s power in general. Witches are defiant, in their power, and take pride in women’s power… They are not beholden, they are independent in their power. They don’t have to ask their father of their brother or their husband or son what they should do. Witches are the power in themselves.” Witchcraft is about knowledge, and it’s about knowledge of the earth, knowledge of the elements, of the heavens and the water... The roots of witchcraft and shamanism go back to really primordial times when witches were the leaders and the heroes of their community.  The constant objectification of women’s bodies paralyzes us. If we are constantly worried about what we look like,

OUR BODIES AND EARTH: ON WHY NATURE IS OUR PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP  A conversation about our bodies as aspects of Earth and nature as a human's primary relationship. On the need- and the luxury!- of attuning our bodies'  ecosystems to the wakeful intelligence of our natural world and romancing our inner and outer nature as a way of self-knowing. Host Stefana Serafina speaks to Jamie McHugh, an embodiment educator who has been on faculty at the Tamalpa Institute and JFK University for over 25 years. A somatic therapist and coach, Jamie is also the creator of Somatic Expression, a method for practicing the art  of conscious relationship between one’s own body and the living landscape.   THIS EPISODE'S WISDOM QUOTES "Once we plug into the larger body of the Earth, we have more possibilities and choices for the fullness of our being to emerge. So in our daily lives, do we have simple little places of green, trees, and water? Where can we go in our immediate environment to settle into ourselves and resonate with the

On this episode of the Women's Edition, host Stefana Serafina speaks to Shakti Malan, PhD about sexuality as a vital life force and the need to rediscover and embody its fluid, undirected flow in the female body as way of reconnecting to Earth, rebalancing the feminine principle, and liberating consciousness.  Tune in for a rich conversation on the body as a resource and an ally, the female sexual organs and the nature of sexual energy, Lilith and Eve, releasing sexual trauma and trusting the feminine flow again. Although this episode is under the Women's edition, it is a very educational one that you could share with your men partners, friends, and collaborators as well.  THIS EPISODE's WISDOM QUOTES: "The feminine principle is the sexual principle, there is no difference really between the feminine and sexuality... A feminine body is a round, fluid, undulating ocean of sexual energy that wants  to move in an undirected and explorative way....Female sexuality and our sexual organs are a gateway to our inner

Host Stefana Serafina speaks to Ruby Gibson, PhD, about our bodies as record keepers and storytellers. According to Dr.Ruby's research and the  Somatic Archeology technique she developed, our bodies are much like archeological sites that hold the artifacts of our personal and multigenerational past– and through that, the capacity to "remember" the stories of our lineage and forgotten past and bring them to resolution and reconciliation.  Dr. Ruby Gibson is  an international educator, researcher,  and author. A somatic pioneer,  for the last 35 years she  has been bridging bodywork, transpersonal psychology, human behavior, shamanism, and spirituality into two unique techniques she developed, called Somatic Archaeology and Generational Brainspotting.   Dr. Ruby's research has focused on trans-generational healing and recovery, centrally through the body's memory and wisdom.  She  is the executive director of the Freedom Lodge, a nonprofit organization providing  historical trauma healing to Native American pop

In this episode of the Women’s Edition, host Stefana Serafina speaks to Chameli Ardagh, founder of the Awakening Women Institute, about women and their bodies’ inherent wisdom as the bringers of a new dawn for the world. Chameli Ardagh is a leading pioneer in contemporary feminine spirituality, and has inspired thousands of women around the world with her breakthrough methods for living and embodying  feminine awakening. This Episodes Wisdom Quote: “A woman’s body is a vessel for evolution. Not only the womb is a microcosmic experience of the greater cosmic creativity but a woman’s body is aligned to the greater cycles of nature. When we come closer to our bodies, we come closer to the universal dance? the wisdom and rhythms that we have as a culture forgotten, and we live in the consequence of this separation from these rhythms, destroying ourselves and our world. So women are the teachers. We as a collective are waiting for the women to come forth and bring back this intimate knowing we have in our bodies