Soul + Practice: Raw Conversations & Real Practices with Kathy Escobar & Phyllis Mathis

The world sure feels weary right now and in this episode we process through some of the main themes in Kathy's book "A Weary World: Reflection for a Blue Christmas"--Honoring Reality, Practicing Honesty, Embracing Paradox, and Borrowing Hope--for 2024. We hope it's nourishing somehow--we realized how much we needed it when we were done recording it!

Well, folks, here are--a second Trump presidency is coming and so many of us are reeling. In this episode we try to honestly acknowledge what we're up against and how we need to be careful of not feeding the futile that will keep us spinning and weakened and instead consider tangible practices that will help us be as healthy and connected as we can in the weeks and months to come.

Well, it's been a terrible ride, and here we are--the day before one of the most crucial elections in our lifetimes so far. We are holding everyone close in our hearts and know that no matter the outcome, it's a bumpy ride today. In this episode we process some things to remember as we tend to our souls and embody our values in tangible ways.

The fallacy of false equivalencies and "whataboutisms" can really mess with us when it comes to not only the US election but so many other areas of our lives. In this episode we explore that a little more (or, um, ramble about it) along with the importance of "breaking up with knowing" and a false sense of control that comes with trying to predict outcomes and find a way to perceived safety. Oh, and occasionally we make screaming goat sounds.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are 5 seasons, not 4. This fifth season is "Late Summer", which starts in mid-August and goes through Fall Equinox and is a place to pause, ground, celebrate, and honor the energy and fruits of Summer intentionally before just barreling into Fall. In the wild season we're living in right now with US politics and the wider world--combined with our own personal realities--it feels so wise to consider what we can learn and apply from this season and that's what we ramble about on this episode!

Well, we weren't sure what would happen for the Fall but we did think we might come back for some episodes as we navigate this wild political ride we are all on in the USA right now. The election is coming November 5th and so much is on the line. In this episode we basically just catch up on the last few months and the turn of events that have happened since Joe Biden stepped down as the Democratic candidate. Here we go. Strap in, it's going to be an even wilder ride for sure.

Well, we definitely had no plans to do any episodes this Summer, but in light of the reality of the mash-up of the presidential debate and terrifying Supreme Court decisions--all just a few days before July 4th--we decided to pop up an episode so we could process and hopefully put a few things out into the universe for ourselves and others as we travel this road as a country the next 4 months. Please, if you haven't looked it up yet, check out Project 2025 (we forgot to mention this by name). Wake up, sober up, regulate, listen. This is real and we've got to be as. healthy and educated as we can.

Wow, 88 episodes for Soul Practice and this season, which started in November, had so much goodness. We are so grateful for our friends who come play with us, everyone who listens, and a place for us to letting our soul lead us and our practices help change us and the world we live in. Happy Summer. No telling what Fall will bring for Soul + Practice but we always love hearing from you!

As we begin to wind down Season 5, in this episode we share some simple things to remember for our soul, simple practices to consider, especially as we go into Summer. Now, to use them :)

There is so much goodness in this episode! We loved our conversation with Holly Roach, who is a social justice educator, contemplative activist, and community organizer dedicated to creating healthier people, systems, movements. Individual, ancestral, and collective trauma work all is linked together and basic practices to heal matter! Based near Asheville, she is founder of Restorative Retreats (more at restorativeretreatsnc.com). Learn more about Thomas Hubl's work and books at https://thomashuebl.com.