The Gathering Room Podcast
Join Martha Beck for the podcast edition of her weekly Facebook event, where she discusses spirituality and personal growth topics. The show features lively conversations as Martha opens the floor to questions from live viewers. Topics range from courage and creativity to purpose and intuition, engaging listeners on their journey to self-knowledge. This podcast fosters a community of like-minded seekers.
Episodes
The Memory Rewrite
I’ve spent a lot of my life “reconstituting” my memories, and I didn’t even know I was doing it! On this episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about Memory Reconsolidation Theory—how we can change the emotional impact of painful memories without changing the facts of what happened. I’ll help you look for one tiny good thing connected to a difficult experience, t
Listen Again: The Unknown World
We’re living through a “phase transition,” but I believe it’s what our souls signed up for. In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room Podcast, I explore why the chaos of our times isn’t a sign of collapse, but of metamorphosis. Using the metaphor of ice to water to steam, I talk about how relaxation is the key to navigating radical change. I&rsq
The Way to Self-Worth
I’ve discovered a new favorite psychologist, Dr. Marisa Franco, and in this Gathering Room, I’m talking about her book Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment. We’ll get into how self-esteem differs from self-worth, why praise can backfire, how sitting with our wounded feelings helps build self-worth, and why the Tao Te Ching says success can be as dangerous a
Listen Again: Your Genius is Calling
Did you know you were born a creative genius? All of us are, but we’ve been socialized out of it by the structures of culture. Why? Because the culture wants everyone the same, and genius doesn’t homogenize well. However, I believe our genius never stops calling us, and in this favorite “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I share how you can recognize—and fo
Listen Again: 12 Signs You Might Be Part of the Awakening
As many of you Gatherers know, lately I’ve been feeling that something is changing in this world in a profound way...and I don’t think I’m the only one. There’s a sense of irrational hope, a strange joy, an anticipation that something wonderful is happening amidst all the horrors. On this favorite Listen Again episode of The Gathering Room, you’ll hear about my &ldquo
When You Don’t Know What to Do
Everything’s shifting in our world today—like ice turning into water turning into steam—and we don’t know what’s coming next. This time on The Gathering Room, I share why doing what you know doesn’t work in unprecedented times, and what our timid new shelter dog is reminding me about taking small, slow steps. I also talk about quelling anxiety and broadening our
Peace First
This time on The Gathering Room, I offer up a thought that’s helped me and my clients for years: We’re all meant to live in peace—that’s our real home. I share why chasing the future keeps us anxious, and how dropping into peace in the present moment is what actually allows good things to find you. We also do our guided meditation, and I answer listener questions on time, m
What Do I Do Now
Sometimes in life, things go bash and bonk us right in the face, knocking us completely out of the way we were living. When life shatters our familiar patterns this way, we look around in panic and ask, “Oh my God, what do we do now?” In this episode of The Gathering Room, I share how to step onto what I call Square One—the magical, liminal threshold where your old identity disso
The Bliss of the Infinite Game
Recently I asked for a sign that a painting I’d been working on was the right course for me. The next day, a stranger’s near-death story described my painting almost perfectly. That coincidence reminded me of James Carse’s book Finite and Infinite Games. One is built on winning; the other on continuing to play. In this Gathering Room, I explore how shifting from chasing status to
Special Guest: Tracee Stanley
Sometimes there’s a book that stops me in my tracks, and that’s what happened when I found the work of Tracee Stanley. Today she joins me to talk about her new book, Living Ritual, which is timely not just for me, but for all of us. We discuss distraction as the great thief, how to honor transitions with sacred intention, and the new consciousness rising in the world. Tracee also share
Your Unthinkable Next Step
I’ve noticed a pattern lately: hard workers, high achievers, people with strong identities all saying the same thing— “I just have to stop.” I’m taking it as an invitation. Like fascia releasing into strange, unplanned shapes, we may need to give up who we thought we were to receive what we truly need. In this Gathering Room, I talk frozen shoulders, trauma shaking, a
In Joy Ment
Have you ever noticed that the things we enjoy tend to get worked to death in our culture? We push ourselves so hard that we sap the joy out of things we once loved to do. In this Gathering Room, we’re talking about “in-joy-ment.” I’ll share why joy is its own excuse for being, and how you can use your hard-core work ethic in the search for joy. Join me for exercises on rel
How to Find the Flow
We love to think we can be “set for life.” But the thing is, life isn’t set. It’s not solid—it’s fluid. From my fast-growing chickens to my aging dog Bilbo, I’m constantly reminded that everything changes. In this Gathering Room episode, I share why gripping onto control is actually a form of suffering. Join me as we explore how to stop resisting and inste
How to be Like Water
Did you know there’s a whole different way of being when you start to think like water? I’ve been watching the world’s collective pyramid-shaped consciousness—based on rigidity, hierarchy, and materialism—start to dissolve into a fluid, egalitarian consciousness I call “the Pool.” In this episode of The Gathering Room, I offer you a crash course in “
Bending Reality
On this episode of The Gathering Room, I revisit my “silly” spoon‑bending past and discover that it’s not so trivial after all. What if we can access states of well-being and healing that we can offer to other people and the world? I share how near‑death stories, dogs who feel their humans coming home, and our guided Silence, Stillness, and Space meditation share a common theme:
Regrets? Then change your past!
Did you know that you can change your past? Negative experiences are the things that knock us around enough to seriously change us and lead us to epiphanies and awakenings. By assigning new meaning to old experiences, you can create higher-than-normal levels of joy, compassion, and connection. Join me for this episode of The Gathering Room to find out how to see your past with new eyes and start f
Listen Again: Special Guest Lisa Miller
On this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I’m joined by special guest Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Awakened Brain. In this conversation we discuss the surprising neuroscience of spirituality, ways to awaken your perception of the world around you, and how suffering can expand your spiritual awareness. Dr. Miller also shares some guided meditations to help you access
Special Guest Jonny Miles
In this special episode of The Gathering Room, I got to talk with Jonny Miles—musician, naturalist, and author of the one of the most extraordinary novels I’ve ever read, Eradication: A Fable. We talk about the mysterious process of writing, what it really means to heal a wounded ecosystem, why solitude is essential for original thought, and how great art dissolves our preconceived ide
Listen Again: Rest, Remember, Rise
So many of us are trying way too hard on the path to awakening: straining to let go, striving to stop striving. In this favorite “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about how you can actually let go of attachment, experience more peace, and access the support that’s always available to you. Tune in to discover the magic that can happen when we allow ourselves to
Listen Again: Big Change. Now What?
In this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I explore the disorienting, identity-dissolving place we enter after major life changes...what I call “Square One” in my Change Cycle methodology. I walk you through all four stages of the Change Cycle, answer listener questions about navigating change, and lead a calming meditation to help you surrender the whee
Listen Again: No Map, No Shore, No Problem: How to Live Through This Moment
In this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about how to live through a time of societal upheaval and how we can still find our footing, even when the road ahead is uncertain. I explore how to navigate systemic collapse through Wayfinding: regulating our nervous systems, resisting panic and polarization, grieving fully, creating beauty, and building circles of
Listen Again: Tracking Your Spirit
What if your soul has been leaving you a trail to follow? In this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I talk about tracking animals with my then-two-year-old and how it led me to ponder the question: How do we track our own spirit? In this episode, I share the three signs of a spirit track, how to tell spirit from fear, and why your body is not the enemy. I'll
Special Guest - Eric Zimmer
In this special episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I sit down with the brilliant Eric Zimmer, author of How A Little Becomes A Lot—one of those rare self-help books that’s easy to read, backed by science, and deeply spiritual. In our conversation, Eric shares his “still points” for embedding tiny shifts into your busy life, “choice points” for building good
What Always Never Works
“Always” and “never” feel so satisfying... But they’re almost always wrong. In this Gathering Room episode, I explore how absolutist language keeps us stuck in self-judgment, bad relationships, and susceptibility to false prophets. The antidote is one little phrase: “sometimes, maybe.” This cracks open curiosity, cools down conflict, and tells the truth. A
The Joy of Failure
In this episode of The Gathering Room, I set out to interview author Eric Zimmer about his brilliant new book, How a Little Becomes a Lot, but life had other plans. Due to some frustrating tech failures, we were forced to reschedule. But in the shambles of my expectations, I felt inspired to talk about a core concept in Eric's book: the resiliency to bounce back after something hasn't worked. Tune
The Unknown World
We’re living through a “phase transition,” but I believe it’s what our souls signed up for. In this Gathering Room, I explore why the chaos of our times isn’t a sign of collapse, but of metamorphosis. Using the metaphor of ice to water to steam, I share how relaxation, not clinging, is the key to navigating radical change. I’ll also guide you in our Space, Silen
What to Do With Pain
This Gathering Room was inspired by…my neck. Painful, stiff, and cranky, like it’s got a personal grudge against relaxation. As it turns out, it’s teaching me the ultimate lesson: that pain isn’t the enemy, but a doorway to awakening. In this episode, I share how a brutal bout of food poisoning finally cracked me open to Divine relief flowing down my spine, relaxing what I
How to Win
What if the way to “win” at life isn’t self-help, productivity, or prizes, but making deep connections with other people? In this Gathering Room, I share how a reality TV show made me realize that the clock time of modern culture has replaced the communion time that once shaped human days. To hear how to escape the tyranny of the clock, build community amid chaos, and win by conn
How Wide Your Life Can Be
In this Gathering Room, I'm questioning the idea of accepted reality as I share stories of telepathy, near‑death experiences, animal visitations, and the ways that denial keeps our lives narrow. I talk about deciding to “live wide” by kicking down the walls of what our materialist culture tells us we should think, and opening ourselves up to magic, joy, and connection instead. If you'd
Let the Other Shoe Drop
In this episode of The Gathering Room, I share how a perfectly wonderful, creative day unexpectedly led to a moment of anxiety, and how that experience transformed my understanding of fear, struggle, and even death. We reframe the old familiar saying “waiting for the other shoe to drop” to acknowledge joy as our true, natural state. Join me for this conversation to explore how “d
When to Let it Be
In this Gathering Room, I explore what it means to “let it be” when life feels unfinished, messy, or even painful. Through stories of near‑death experiences, spiritual teachers, personal loss, and wild synchronicities, I reflect on the idea that having experiences—good, bad, and everything in between—is the true meaning of life. I also lead you in a meditation and answer li
Shortcut to Bliss
What if you could turn even your most painful moments into a pathway to bliss? In this episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about the Hindu concept of satcitānanda—which means the joining of truth, consciousness, and bliss—and how we can drop into this state by letting go of resistance. I’ll share a "formula" for how to do this that I learned from the zen monk and mathematician
How to Dance Sideways
Are you one of the millions of people who are struggling financially right now? In this episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about how to navigate times when money feels tight and the old ways of surviving just aren’t working anymore. I share how “dancing sideways”—following flutters of discomfort that nudge us toward something new—helped me create work I love, and h
Listen Again: Your Spiritual Brain
In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I'm talking about synchronicities—moments that hint that our universe is not random. Drawing on Dr. Lisa Miller’s research from The Awakened Brain, I share how being open to spiritual realities can improve health, boost resilience, and protect against anxiety and depression. To learn ways to keep your “spiritual do
Listen Again: When Losing the Path is Finding the Way
Been feeling lost lately? It’s not surprising. The world is shifting in ways we’ve never seen before, creating unprecedented changes in many of our lives. Moving through these unfamiliar landscapes can make us feel uncertain where to go—which is a lot like feeling lost. In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I’m talking about feeling lost during t
No Map, No Shore, No Problem: How to Live Through This Moment
In this extended episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about what it means to live through a time of social unraveling, and how we can still find our way, even without guarantees or clear paths ahead. I explore how to navigate systemic collapse through Wayfinding—regulating our nervous systems, resisting panic and polarization, grieving fully, creating beauty, and building circles of communi
Wayfinding Through Chaos
Where do you go when you don’t trust what’s around you? In this week’s Gathering Room, I talk about how to navigate our chaotic, rapidly changing world by turning inward to the body's wisdom. I’ll guide you through a Wayfinder visualization to help you feel held in safety, and show you how this state can become your most trusted navigation system. Join me for the full conve
Listen Again: A Compass Doesn't Draw Maps
Have you ever felt an irresistible pull toward something new, even when it didn’t make any logical sense? In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I tell the story of my family’s recent bold leap—leaving behind a home we adored to start anew in upstate New York—led only by intuition and a string of joyful coincidences. This conversation is all about
Listen Again: The Only Way Forward…
Do you ever try to make forward-thinking plans, but then you get hit with surprises you never saw coming? In this encore “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about how to move forward by embracing change and uncertainty—and the delightful surprises that can come your way when you do. I’ll also guide you through a meditation to help bring your att
Drawing the Spirit Home
In our culture, there's nothing good about aging. But what if growing older is really a spiritual strategy, not a personal failing? What if it's the way your soul finds its way home? On this episode of The Gathering Room, I explore how the slowing down of the body allows it to fill itself with more light, more spiritual awareness, and a deeper sense of peace. Tune in to hear about “prodigies
You Have My Permission
Hoping to survive the holidays without betraying your Essential Self? In this episode of The Gathering Room, I share how to navigate this season of stress, family dynamics, and cultural expectations using your inner compass instead of willpower and resistance. You’ll hear about following wild synchronicities, living from your heart, and giving yourself permission to be yourself. Tune in for
Level Up from Survival Mode
Ever played Minecraft? My five-year-old pulled me into it, and I started seeing it as a metaphor for how we move through real life. On this Gathering Room, I share stories from my journey through decades of Survival mode, my awakening into Creative mode, and what it feels like now to live mostly in Adventure mode, guided by something wiser than my everyday mind. If you’ve ever felt stuck in
Give "Tomorrow You" a Break
On this episode of The Gathering Room, I explore the tendency to assign difficult or unsavory tasks to “Tomorrow Me,” thinking I’ll magically want to do them in the future. Tune in to hear personal stories, practical tips to plan things out of joy instead of obligation, and why it’s kinder and wiser to honor what your “Today Self” genuinely wants and needs. If y
Special Guest: Lisa Miller
Gatherers—I’m thrilled to be joined by special guest Dr. Lisa Miller, author of The Awakened Brain, for this episode of The Gathering Room podcast! In this episode we discuss the surprising neuroscience of spirituality, ways to awaken your perception of the world around you, and how suffering can expand your spiritual awareness. Dr. Miller also shares some guided meditations to help yo
Everyday Pilgrims
Greetings, Beloveds! I’ve returned from my walk along Spain’s Camino de Santiago, and on this episode of The Gathering Room, I’m sharing what it taught me about turning everyday life into a pilgrimage. I explore how adventure, faith, and story weave meaning into our days. (Back home, even a plumbing disaster became part of my wild journey...) To learn how you can travel through l
Listen Again: Being Great Company...for Yourself
Did you know that until you are truly compassionate to yourself, you can’t be compassionate to any other person? In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I talk about building compassionate communities—and how a safe, loving, mutually supportive community is probably the most important thing we can ever have, especially during chaotic times. I’d love for
Listen Again: Staying Sane, No Matter What
In this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I explore what I call “sanity quilting” and offer practical advice for maintaining your mental well-being during turbulent times. Like crazy quilting, sanity quilting involves building a life out of things you love in order to stay peaceful, calm, inspired, and sane. Join me for the full episode to learn more abo
Listen Again: What Lies Beyond Anxiety?
In this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I dive into the big themes of my most recent book, Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life's Purpose, and share how my ongoing research, writing, and real-life experience have given me deeper insights than ever before. I talk about why moving beyond anxiety starts with radical kindness to yourself, and h
Listen Again: How to Bring the Good Times Back
Did you know that recalling positive sense memories creates connections in the brain that reinforce positive, joyful times instead of fear or anxiety? That’s what I’m talking about on this special encore episode of The Gathering Room! Listen again to hear how you can rewire your brain to access a place of wisdom and the peace that passes all understanding. You can also follow my guided
How to Make Progress
Welcome to another episode of The Gathering Room! This week I’m broadcasting from a co-working space, thanks to ongoing house repairs at our new home. But my less-than-ship-shape house is possibly the perfect metaphor for the topic we’re diving into today: the idea that “progress” might not always look or feel like we (or others) expect it to. In fact, progress is making us
A Compass Doesn’t Draw Maps
Have you ever felt pulled toward something new without knowing exactly why…when there seems to be no logical reason for it?In this episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I share all about my family’s recent wild adventure of leaving behind the home we all loved and moving to upstate New York, guided only by the pull of our inner compasses (and a series of delightful coincidences). It'
The Uses of Adversity
On this slightly (or very?) “woo-woo” episode of The Gathering Room, I share how leaving our beloved home for one that needs a sledgehammer has shaken my normally steady joy... Throughout this difficult time, I’ve received some loving guidance that’s helped me sit with the pain so it can ripen into sweetness—and I’m feeling so much better. Tune in to hear more!
How to Fly
Welcome to The Gathering Room, beloveds! In this episode, we’re going to talk about flying—both in the literal sense and as a metaphor for living our wildest dreams. I also answer listener questions about how to strengthen your metaphorical flying muscles, follow the pull of your intuition, and embrace life’s magic. I also guide you through a meditation to focus on the true
When You Can't Let It Go
Have you ever tried to “let it go,” only to find that you can’t? That’s because whatever you're struggling with—sadness, fear, anxiety, rage—you don’t have it. It has you. On Episode 215: When You Can’t Let it Go of The Gathering Room, I talk about how to sit with those difficult emotions and just let them stay—and why this is one of the most p
How to Keep the Faith
Faith isn’t something outside you—it’s a muscle you build from within. If you’ve been depending on outside voices or practices to feel okay during these daunting times, I invite you to return home to your own inner knowing. On this episode of The Gathering Room, we’ll quiet the noise, find our stillness, and surrender into the consciousness that holds us always. Join
Listen Again: Clear Mind, Quiet Heart
As I’m sure you’re keenly aware, people are extremely divided these days. From our politics, to our attitudes, to our ways of speaking about others, we are growing more and more polarized—and mutually destructive.On this episode of Listen Again: The Gathering Room podcast, I’m talking about how upset many of us feel, why that upset is not always coming from a place we can t
Listen Again: Special Guest: Chase Jarvis
I’m thrilled to be joined by my guest Chase Jarvis for this special “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room podcast! Chase is an award-winning artist, serial entrepreneur, and bestselling author, who has a new book out called NEVER PLAY IT SAFE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FREEDOM, CREATIVITY, AND A LIFE YOU LOVE. This remarkable book helped me take a few big leaps in my own life,
Listen Again: How to Play with the Conscious Universe
Did you know that everything around you is conscious and responding to you in various ways?It may sound woo-woo, but there’s legitimate scientific research to support this idea! In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I talk about the synchronicities and “God winks” that occur when we realize we’re all one field of consciousness. If you&rsq
Listen Again: Finding the Field
I’ve long believed that a transformation of human consciousness would take place in my lifetime. And I feel that this “new consciousness” is both a state and a place that we can access. I’ve also been thinking more about what I call “wayfinding” and how it can help us all reach this new consciousness. In this "Listen Again" episode of The Gathering Room, I share
Listen Again: Awakening Your Magician
Did you know that the right hemisphere of your brain is doing supercomputer-level processing all the time, whether you’re aware of it or not? Wild, right? Martha calls the right hemisphere “the magician” because it can come up with the most amazing, brilliant solutions to very difficult problems, seemingly out of thin air.In this episode of The Gathering Room: Awakening Your
Listen Again: How to Access Intuition When You Really Need It
Our culture generally teaches us that anxiety will keep us safe—but really it’s our intuition that does that! In this “Listen Again” episode of The Gathering Room, I explore how to tell the difference between anxiety and intuition, and how to hear what your intuition is trying to tell you. To find out more about listening to your intuition and how to discover its freq
Listen Again: Igniting Your Purpose
In this Listen Again episode of The Gathering Room, Martha talks about following your curiosity to activate the right side of the brain, which is where our passion lives. And our passion is what leads us to our life’s purpose. If you want to start looking for things that draw your attention (rather than push yourself toward the things you think you should do), and you’re ready to prepa
Listen Again: Anchoring into Kindness
There’s no question about it—we’re living in chaotic times. We’re all trying to be happy and at peace, and we often think we need to find external circumstances that are conducive to those states. But did you know that there is a bedrock of stillness and kindness that we can drop into, no matter what’s going on around us? In this “Listen Again”
Listen Again: Using Your Powerful Sensitivity
As Martha says, “We are the ones who can start to lead our lives in the direction that our higher selves are signaling to us to go and potentially help a lot of other people whose sensitivities may not be quite as strong—and in this way we serve the world.” To learn how to appreciate, listen to, and trust your powerful sensitivity, join Martha for the full episode, where she&rsqu
Rest, Remember, Rise
Have you ever found yourself striving for spiritual growth, only to feel anxious and exhausted by all your efforts?The reason is that nothing moves during the times we’re striving and stressing. It’s only when we let go completely that the universe brings it to us. In this episode of The Gathering Room, I explore this peculiar spiritual paradox: how pushing ourselves harder to attain a
When Losing the Path Is Finding the Way
Lately I’ve been feeling lost… How about you? It’s not surprising. The world is undergoing some truly unprecedented things, and it’s creating unprecedented changes in many of our lives. Navigating the unprecedented means we have to venture into uncharted territory. And that feels a whole lot like being lost.In this episode of The Gathering Room, I’m talking about fee
12 Signs You Might Be Part of the Awakening
I’m very excited, Gatherers, because lately I feel that something is changing in this world in a profound way, and I don’t think I’m the only one… There’s a feeling of irrational hope, a strange joy, a sense that something wonderful is happening in the midst of all the horrors. I’ve always been obsessed with the idea that we humans would change the way we live
A Time to Dance
For this Gathering Room episode, I drew inspiration from a recent Ani DiFranco concert, as well as Ecclesiastes 3 and the song “Turn! Turn! Turn!”, to explore the unexpected emergence of hope in this time of global upheaval—and how you can learn to access it. If you’re searching for connection, comfort, or the motivation to keep “dancing,” tune in for the
The Art of Hope Without Proof
Do you ever find yourself wondering if it’s foolish to keep hoping for good things to happen, especially with our world in the state it’s in? Whenever I have this thought, I remind myself that if we stop ourselves from hoping, we cut ourselves off from the creativity that is meant to build what comes next. It’s only by refusing to use the human capacity for hope that we can be tr
Turning Breakdown into Breakthrough
All my life I’ve been waiting for a transformation of human consciousness. And I always thought that it would be a gentle and beautiful awakening, essentially like what the Buddha experienced. I suppose in some universes it might happen that way…but in the universe where I find myself now, I’m seeing massive upheaval and disruption instead. In this episode of The Gathering
How to Stop the Spin
These days life can seem extremely chaotic—have you felt it, too? Whether it’s the noise of the world or the noise of your own thoughts, there’s so much happening and so many things to think about that it can really get your head spinning with questions like: What am I supposed to be doing? Where is my attention supposed to be? How do I rest my heart? The good n
Special Guest: Chase Jarvis
I’m thrilled to be joined by my guest Chase Jarvis for this special episode of The Gathering Room podcast! Chase is an award-winning artist, serial entrepreneur, and bestselling author, who has a new book out called NEVER PLAY IT SAFE: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO FREEDOM, CREATIVITY, AND A LIFE YOU LOVE. This remarkable book helped me take a few big leaps in my own life, and I hope that listening t
Frantically Going Nowhere
Do you ever feel like a hamster running on a wheel? Hamsters may love to scurry, but it tends to make us humans anxious and exhausted. Unfortunately, we live in a world that constantly pressures us to keep up with an increasingly frantic pace. And while we run faster and faster, the only place we ever reach is burnout. It’s when we start to get to burnout and the wheel is still going so fast
Anchoring into Kindness
There’s no question about it—we are living in chaotic times.We’re all trying to be happy and at peace, and we often think we need to find external circumstances that are conducive to those states. But did you know that there is a bedrock of stillness and kindness that we can drop into, no matter what’s going on around us? In this episode of The Gathering Room, I&rsquo
Kindness Creates
It is a weird world out there right now, and if you’re like me, you’re feeling more than a little anxious. Anxiety has been called the mental illness of our time, but in fact, it’s not a mental illness. It’s an understandable reaction to an abnormal world that we never evolved to handle. As I’ve written in my book Beyond Anxiety and talked about at length, creativity
The Hunt for Inspiration
In this episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I’m talking about the power of inspiration and how we can actively go “hunting” for it amidst the sea of misinformation and disinformation we all have to navigate each day. To learn more about actively hunting for inspiration and how it can help you create positive change in the world, join me for the full episode! CONNECT WITH US F
Being Great Company for Yourself
Did you know that until you are truly compassionate to yourself, you can’t be compassionate to any other person?In Episode #192 of The Gathering Room, I’m talking about building compassionate communities—and how a safe, loving, mutually supportive community is probably the most important thing we can ever have, especially during chaotic times.I’ve been reading my way throug
Clear Mind, Quiet Heart
As I’m sure you’re keenly aware, people are extremely divided these days. From our politics, to our attitudes, to our ways of speaking about others, we are growing more and more polarized—and mutually destructive.On this episode of The Gathering Room podcast, I’m talking about how upset many of us feel, why that upset is not always coming from a place we can trust, and what
Staying Sane, No Matter What
When I was writing Beyond Anxiety, I wanted to find a good metaphor for building a life that you love within the cultural bounds of wherever you are and still stay sane. And I thought about crazy quilting!If you are a quilter, you know that crazy quilting is not the same as ordinary quilting. Ordinary quilting starts with a pattern that is carefully drawn out, and then the quilter sews together pa
Finding the Field
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about wayfinding and how it can help us create what I call “the new consciousness,” which is both a state and a place that we can access. That’s what I’m talking about on this episode of The Gathering Room podcast—episode 189: Finding the Field. The name of my Wayfinder Life Coach Training program was inspired by the wisdom of anc
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