Being Social Justice: The Spirituality and Social Justice Podcast

Power does not concede to struggle; so be still. Choose to be still. It is in stillness we are able to cultivate power. This episode asks listeners to consider, "What power might there be in getting still with yourself, before working towards change and justice for others?" Listen as Dr. Valin S. Jordan discusses the concept of stillness to cultivate power and how to use stillness for change.  

In this episode you get to hear from just me––Dr. Valin S. Jordan! In this episode I talk about radical love and vulnerability as necessary and crucial elements of the work of social change and justice. Send your questions and comments to [email protected] or reach out via social media @yoga4socialjustice on Facebook or Instagram or @yoga4justice on Twitter.   

In this episode I talk with Dr. Nina Asher, Professor at University of Minnesota. This episode is filled with an exploration about inter-being and what it means for us to be connected to each other. This episode was recorded on May 6, 2020 during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. If you would like to get in touch with Dr. Nina Asher, please send an email to [email protected]. 

In this episode, I talk with Grace Helms Kotre, lecturer at the University of Michigan Dearborn. Grace is a mindfulness instructor and social justice educator. In this episode we discuss the power of vulnerability and storytelling. Grace also shares the importance of vulnerability in the lives of White people to work towards disrupting systemic Whiteness. If you would like to get in contact with Grace, please visit the website https://www.mindfulpowertobe.com/ . 

Dr. Melissa Jean, Assistant Professor of Mindfulness Studies at Lesley University, shares some ideas about how to engage work in higher education in a more contemplative and holistic way—from mindfulness writing practices to seeing students as whole and complete. Dr. Jean provides all listeners with a starting point for considering creativity and mindfulness as a pathway towards engaging in critical conversations. Dr. Melissa Jean can be reached via Instagram @breathe.outside or at www.breaheoutside.com. 

In part two of this interview with Dr. Karen Ragaonaden, Professor of Teaching and the Director of the Center for Mindful Engagement at The University of British Columbia, Dr. Ragoonaden broadens the discussion about contemplative practices to considerations of spirituality for social justice education and the work required to bring about change. If you wish to contact Dr. Ragoonaden, please use the following email address: [email protected].

In this episode Dr. Karen Ragaoonaden, Professor of Teaching and the Director of the Center for Mindful Engagement at The University of British Columbia discusses the importance of contemplative practices for teacher education. Dr. Ragoonadeen pushes listeners to consider how working on the self impacts the ways social justice work occurs. Dr. Karen Ragoonaden can be reached at [email protected] . 

In this episode, Dr. Ann Gleig Associate Prof of Religion and Cultural Studies at University of Central Florida and author of American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity, unpacks the meaning of spiritual bypassing as an understanding that spiritual practice on its own cannot address the needs of psychological development. Listen in to part 2 of this interview with Dr. Ann Gleig. If you wish to contact Dr. Gleig, she can be reached at [email protected]. 

In this episode, Dr. Ann Gleig Associate Prof of Religion and Cultural Studies at University of Central Florida and author of American Dharma: Buddhism Beyond Modernity discusses how Whiteness and the rise of Buddhism as counterculture in the 60s has informed the way White Buddhists presently ignore issues of racial injustice and delegitimate the need for actual change in American Buddhist spaces. Dr. Gleig pushes listeners to consider how Whiteness is seen and experienced as an unconscious identity. If you wish to contact Dr. Gleig she can be reached at: [email protected]. 

In part 2 of this interview with Ajay Rostogi, he  provides listeners with a path for nature contemplation or meditation. If you would like to contact Ajay, please visit foundnature.org or send an email to [email protected].