CTZN

In this episode, we are talking with Mark Gonzales - architect, storyteller, creator and author - about reshaping the public imagination and waging beauty on all fronts. He challenges us to ask hard questions of who we are and why we are here. And to be more imaginative, to dream bigger about how we can create new stories and structures that reflect our values: love, beauty and belonging.

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.@markgonzalesco challenges us to ask hard questions of who we are & why we're here-to dream bigger about how we can create new stories & structures that reflect our values: love, beauty & belonging. Check him out on CTZN Podcast w/@kkellyyoga ctznwell.org/ctznpodcast @ctznwell

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Mark is what I would call a human architect. He is a futures designer, a storyteller, a disruptor and a creator. He wrote an incredible book called IN TIMES OF TERROR, WAGE BEAUTY which is exactly what he does. He wages beauty in the midst of destruction. He sees the potential in failure. He makes magic and art out of nothing. And on this podcast he invites us to level up. To not just disrupt and push against, but to imagine better, to dream bolder.

One of my favorite quotes from his book is “context is what enables us to remember that we have survived far worse than this present moment and we will grow something far better.”

He says that when we get a taste of the “real” - of love beauty and belonging - then we can reject what they are offering us. We are able to discover creativity, which he defines as introducing invention into existence. Only then can we imagine better and plot towards the world that is beyond our wildest dreams. As you listen to Mark’s words, you too will start to wonder about what’s possible and wage beauty in a whole new way.

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Erin Schrode was an activist in the womb. By the age of 13 she had started a non-profit called Turning Green, a global student-led movement devoted to cultivating a healthy, just and thriving planet through education and advocacy around environmentally sustainable and socially responsible choices. She is young and passionate and hungry.

And it’s not that she’s fearless but rather fear-with. She can face her fear and do it anyway. And at the age of 24, she surprised even herself when she decided to run for office, becoming the youngest person ever to have run for Congress. In this podcast, Erin talks to us about taking risks, doing the right thing and living a life of service.

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What gets lost when we wait for the right time? @runforsomething's @erinschrode talks with @kkellyyoga about taking risks - because the stakes are too high not to make an impact: ctznwell.org/ctznpodcast #CTZN @ctznwell

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In this podcast, we talked with Erin Schrode about what it takes to take risks and make leaps. And it reminded me of an article I read recently that said the problem for women is not winning - it’s deciding to run. When women run they are just as likely to get elected as men.

But as Erin described her process of deciding, you could hear that narrative that women in particular embody - that we are never ready, never good enough, never smart enough or resourced enough to do anything much less run for office. I was inspired by Erin’s story of choosing to go all in, despite what was stacked against her.

And she had me reflect on what gets lost when we wait for the right time? What’s at stake when we don’t go for it? When we live up to our potential? And her secret is this: before she decides to do anything big, she asks herself three questions:

1-Where can I be most impactful?

2-What am I most passionate about?

3-What best sets me up for a lifetime of service?

And she is proving that we can start before we’re ready. And often when we do, we surprise even ourselves around what we are capable of.

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In this episode, we are sitting down with Dr. Chelsea Roberts, school teacher, yoga influencer, activist and truth-teller, as we talk about breaking the silence and how to live up to the promise of oneness in yoga and wellness communities. She believes in the power of yoga in restorative justice work and is on a mission to create more inclusive and authentic spaces of healing.

Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts, former school teacher and Doctor of Education Studies, is breaking the mold and changing the face of yoga. She says that if we really want to be committed to healing in the yoga and wellness world, we have to be willing to confront the truth of how we are replicating systems of oppression and exclusion in those spaces. We have to break the silence.

If this episode resonates for you, we’d love for you to take a screenshot and tag us on Instagram stories @ctznwell and @chelsealovesyoga and click below to tweet:

Dr. Chelsea Jackson Roberts @ChelseaJaya is changing the face of #yoga. She says if we're committed to healing, we have to confront the truth of how we're replicating systems of oppression & exclusion in those spaces. ctznwell.org/ctznpodcast @ctznwell @kkellyyoga #CTZN

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Jamia Wilson is many things: an activist, a feminist, a storyteller, a media-maker and a thought leader. But more than anything, she is a truth teller. In this podcast, you experience the full power and spectrum of Jamia’s feminist truth and perspective. And what I found most compelling in our conversation was her ability to be both brave and vulnerable at the same time. Jamia isn’t afraid to get uncomfortable, to tackle tough issues and to hold the complexity of our intersectionality. The deeper that we're willing to go within ourselves - in our own ability not just to speak the truth, but to know it - the more we can hold the truth for others.

If this episode resonates for you, we’d love for you to take a screenshot and tag us on Instagram stories @ctznwell and @jamiaawilson, and click below to tweet:

.@jamiaw isn't afraid to talk about the tough stuff and confront with love. Check our her truth-telling interview with @kkellyyoga on #CTZN Podcast at ctznwell.org/ctznpodcast @feministpress @ctznwell

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What I really appreciate about Jamia Wilson is that she is never afraid to “go there” - to talk about the tough stuff, the issues that make people uncomfortable, to confront one another with love. But as we discuss in this podcast, speaking truth to power isn’t just something we fling around. It’s a skill set that we cultivate and channel. To build the muscle of authentic and courageous communication requires self awareness, a commitment to relationship and a curiosity and consciousness about how we got here and what it’s gonna take to change.

And that is the perfect superpower for Jamia who is an activist, author and the executive director of the Feminist Press. Jamia is not just known for her provocative words, but is becoming the go-to interviewer for provocative conversations with some of the the biggest feminist icons of our time including Solange, Erykah Badu and the legend herself Congresswoman Maxine Waters.

Jamia recalled some of what she’s learned from this lineage of feminists saying “it’s not just about reclaiming your time but about reclaiming your power.” In this interview, she challenges us to contemplate how we can be more fearless about leaning into our purpose, trusting our instincts and channeling our power. Powerful advice from a powerful woman.

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In our conversation, Paola Mendoza talks about our capacity to hold two truths at the same time. And she really embodies that. She is relentless in her resistance to the racist policies of this administration, to defending and protecting the undocumented community, and to fighting for the freedom and wellbeing of women and children.

But she is simultaneously passionate in her expression, ecstatic in song and dance, and generous in her love as an organizer and mother. And she shows us that we can be many things at the same time. We need to be.

If this episode resonates for you, we’d love for you to take a screenshot and tag us on Instagram stories @ctznwell and @paolamendoza, and click below to tweet:

"Without joy, you can only resist for so long before you break." @paolamendoza on #CTZN Podcast with @kkellyyoga @ctznwell ctznwell.org/ctznpodcast #joyisanactofresistance @resistancerev

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Paola Mendoza – filmmaker, author, mother, and resistor - is taking on some of the biggest issues facing humanity, and she believes that artists have a unique and essential role in catalyzing change and opening the heart of America.

In this episode, Paola talks about the essential role of joy in our activism. And I've struggled with this, especially as a white, cisgender, straight person, with lots of privilege points. My activism has been intense and serious and sacrificial. I didn't give myself permission for joy. I was righteous in my commitment, but I was constantly burned out and tired. I became snarky and cynical, and I forgot how to have fun.

What I learned from Paola, and what I'm starting to practice myself, is that joy itself is an act of resistance. In our conversation, Paola said, "Without joy, you can only resist for so long before you break." And communities on the front lines are really modeling this.

Joy is the medicine. It keeps us resilient, it keeps us inspired, and it keeps us going. When we claim our joy, it is a radical act of defiance. In it, we affirm our existence and worthiness. Our expression in and of itself is disruptive to the status quo that tries to get us to be complicit and conform. When we sing and dance and draw and sculpt, we are shaping a new story of what is possible for ourselves and one another. One that is centered in love, justice, and interdependence.

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