In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Dawn Sumner. Dawn is a Geobiologist who studies how Earth and life have co-evolved over billions of years. She completed degrees at the California Institute of Technology and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She has been a professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis for 28 years. She has been an author on more than 130 publications, and Dawn has been honored for her scientific research by several societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dawn’s research has included studying how microbial communities live in Antarctica, and she uses that information to better model the evolution of early life on Earth and how the atmosphere got the oxygen we need to breath. She also participated in the NASA Mars Curiosity rover mission, helping the team look for evidence of ancient microbial life on Mars.

In addition to her science, Dawn prioritizes the human side of life in her interactions with others. She is dedicated to helping people of all backgrounds prepare for and succeed in scientific careers. Specifically, she makes time to listen to the problems individuals are facing and helps them find productive paths forward, whether the challenges originate from cultural barriers, harassment, mental health issues, other circumstances, or their interactions. Dawn uses what she has learned to try to make the university a more supportive environment for people who have traditionally been excluded from academia.

For her own wellbeing, Dawn participates in capoeira. This beautiful Afro-Brazilian art form provides intense physical interactions, improvisational music, and a strong community grounded in centuries of tradition.

In this episode Broderick reflects on the question of what it means to live well and our current sociopolitical moment. Here he lays out a framework for thinking about the question of what it means to living well or have a good life and how it relates to our current sociopolitical moment. So, this is not a commentary on the particulars. It offers a way to think about this moment within the context of what makes life worth living. The aim here is to inspire your own reflections on the framework outlined and the questions proposed.

In this Episode I speak with Jeff Snipes. Jeff has served on the boards of Greenhouse E3, Education Superhighway, Mindful Schools, Challenge Success, and Marin Montessori in addition to several for-profit HR Technology firms. Over the past twenty years he has led multiple education-related organizations and facilitated scores of leadership circles and retreats. Jeff currently serves as Founder and Chairman of Millennium.org, an organization dedicated to expanding Whole Self well-being through education. In addition to its lab school in San Francisco, Millennium is growing a vibrant professional development community for educators and parents. Learn more about Jeff's work at https://www.millennium.org

In this Episode I speak with Bhavani Siegel. Bhavani is a founding member of Mount Madonna Center, where she lives. She is a senior teacher in MMC’s Yoga Faculty where she teaches many aspects of Yoga, including Meditation, Prāṇāyāma & Yoga Philosophy.

Among these, her specialties are: 

• Foundational Values in Yoga Philosophy: Yama & Niyama 

• Mantra Yoga: Sanskṛit as Sacred Sound 

• Ritual & Symbolism in the Path of Yoga

Bhavani also leads Yogic rituals (Pūjā & Yajña) at Mount Madonna Center’s Sankaṭ Mochan Hanumān Temple. She also incorporated yoga for children as a schoolteacher for 20 years. In essence, Bhavani loves chanting & ritual, mystic poetry, and the solace of nature.

In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Laura Chandler. Laura is a writer, teacher, podcast host, and award-winning songwriter. She has worked in publishing, music and video production, and alternative therapies. As the co-founder and Executive Director of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream, a school for consciousness studies in Berkeley, CA, she is dedicated to the preservation of traditions, and practices that contribute to the healing of the earth and the awakening of humanity to a more compassionate existence. Her music has appeared in film and television, and she is the owner of Red Cow Records and Music Publishing.

With a background in spiritual, therapeutic and meditative techniques from around the world, she has worked with master teachers from a variety of traditions. She has also released seven albums and co-authored two books, Depth Hypnosis: A Path to Healing, Power, and Transformation and Coming to Peace: Resolving Conflict Within Ourselves and Others.

In her work, Laura trains people in Depth Hypnosis, an integrative psycho-spiritual healing modality that blends aspects of ancient wisdom and contemporary psychological thought, and has helped thousands of people live happier, healthier, more fulfilling lives. She is particularly interested in the profound connection between creativity and spirituality and integrates this perspective into teachings that blend art, consciousness studies, and holistic practices. She teaches and speaks nationally and internationally and works with groups and individuals through her private practice.

For more information about Laura visit: https://laurachandler.org/ 

In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Diane Musho Hamilton. Diane is an award-winning mediator and a teacher of Zen meditation. She received dharma transmission from Genpo Merzel Roshi in 2006. Diane served as the Director of Dispute Resolution for the Utah Judiciary from 1994 - 1999, mediating many matters, from simple neighborhood disputes to complex, multi-party negotiations. She was most recognized for her skills in facilitating difficult conversations about race, gender, and religion in Utah. She began working with Ken Wilber and the Integral Institute in 2004 and has held transformative containers for many people interested in their development for fifteen years. She is the co-founder of Two Arrows Zen, a center for Zen study and practice in Utah. She is the author of three books on conflict resolution, relationships, and communication. Her latest book is Waking Up and Growing Up: Spiritual Cross-training for an Evolving World (Shambhala Publications, June 2025), co-authored with Gabriel Wilson.

For more information about Diane visit: https://www.dianemushohamilton.com/ 

In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Jennifer Meek. Jen is an Embodiment Coach, Trauma Informed Yoga Therapist and Somatic Dance Instructor with over a decade of professional experience in dance, yoga and mindfulness. She is certified through the International Association of Yoga Therapists and also holds a certification in Somatic Integrative Trauma Therapy from The Embody Lab. She guides folks in coming back home to their wise bodies to live more in touch with intuition, pleasure and a deep connection to self and others.

For more information about Jennifer visit: https://www.jennifermeek.com/ 

In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Rita Bozi. Rita is a multidisciplinary Somatic Relational trauma-informed Facilitator, Psychedelic Therapist, Somatic Transformation Educator, author, and podcast co-host. With thirty years’ experience in the healing arts, she is the director of Brilliant Healing Inc. She works with individuals and groups, leading unique, experiential and creative healing retreats. She trains, mentors and supervises international students in her 3 Module program: Somatic Relational Trauma-informed Practices for Medicine-Assisted Facilitation.

Her podcast PUNK THERAPY: Psychedelic Underground Neural Kindness has had over 20,000 downloads which she co-hosts with Dr. T. In 2013, Rita wrote, produced and co-starred with Gabor Maté in the multi-disciplinary show, The Damage is Done which performed to sold out houses. Her first novel, When I Was Better, released in 2022 is a winner of the Firebird Book Award, and is a finalist for the 2022 Goethe International literary award for Late-Historical Fiction. She is a retired dancer, actor and performer.

For more information about Rita visit: https://www.brillianthealingsystems.com

In this week's episode Broderick is in conversation with Gary Peterson. Gary is a Registered Craniosacral Therapist (RCST ®) who has been teaching and practicing energy therapies for over 40 years. He teaches Craniosacral Therapy trainings, Polarity Therapy trainings, and other therapeutic work for the nervous system. His teaching and private practice are inspired by his strong desire to understand and alleviate the deep causes of suffering found with stress and trauma to the nervous system. He is especially motivated to help babies, moms and their families to resolve the crippling effects of traumas and stresses that happen during gestation, birth and early neonatal life.

Gary’s first book, Settling: Simple Ways to Calm Your Nervous System, will be published soon. This self-help manual gives you a set of vital skills for regulating your nervous system in order to experience greater health, balance and relaxation.

Gary and his wife Bonnie have 3 grown children and 2 grandchildren, and live in Sebastopol, CA.

For more information about Gary visit: https://starinstitute.us/

In this episode I speak with Paul T. P. Wong. Paul passed away in October 2024 at the age of 87. He was Professor Emeritus of Trent University and Trinity Western University. He was a Fellow of various psychology associations such as the APA, APS, and CPA, and the founding President of the International Network on Personal Meaning and the Meaning-Centered Counseling Institute. He was Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Existential Positive Psychology and Consulting Editor of the Journal of Humanistic Psychology. He published 8 books and more than 300 articles and book chapters, with increasing impact according to Google Scholar. He was also shortlisted by AcademicInfluence.com as one of the most “noteworthy and influential psychologists,” with a world ranking of No. 155.