In this episode of The Sounds of SAND podcast, host Michael Reiley speaks with Father Adam Bucko about his journey and the integration of Christian contemplative spirituality with social justice activism. Father Adam shares his formative experiences growing up in Poland during the resistance against totalitarian government, his work with marginalized youth in the United States and India, and his philosophy of engaged contemplation. He discusses the importance of heartbreak as a spiritual guide, the responsibility of acknowledging historical injustices perpetrated by the Christian church, and the practice of staying grounded through monastic rhythms of life. The episode highlights the need for a balanced approach to spirituality that embraces both love and grief, and explores reconciliation with the world's suffering through active, mindful presence.

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A Decolonial Invitation to Remember, Relearn, and Resist

From a live SAND Community Gathering (November 2025) a live conversation with Dr. Jennifer Mullan & Iya Affo.

Their discussion emphasizes the importance of ancestral wisdom, collective healing, and the decolonization of therapeutic practices. Dr. Mullan shares her personal journey of reconciling traditional healing methods with modern therapy and explores the impact of historical and intergenerational trauma. The conversation also highlights the significance of land, lineage, and community in the healing process, and addresses the ways in which therapy can be transformed to be more inclusive and effective for diverse populations.

Dr. Mullan shares from her journey of calling therapists into a politicized practice—one rooted in responsibility, reverence, and collective liberation. The conversation challenges clinicians to confront their training, interrogate their privilege, and participate in the sacred labor of relearning.

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This episode, recorded live at The Eternal Song live gathering (June 2025), brings together a distinguished panel featuring Patricia June Vickers, Judy Atkinson, Dr. Diana Kopua, and Donald “Del” Lavedure, moderated by Dr. Gabor Maté. The discussion explores the integration of ancestral wisdom and modern therapeutic methods to address and heal trauma within Indigenous communities. The group share their personal and professional experiences, emphasizing the connection between land, ancestry, and healing. The conversation highlights the importance of storytelling, cultural practices, and the role of spirituality in fostering collective and individual healing, while addressing how individuals outside Indigenous cultures can support this crucial work.

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Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere summit with Indigenous voices.

Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff discusses her work and the profound ideas in her book  Zazu Dreams: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle, A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene Era. She explores themes of dream consciousness, cultural and ecological extinction, radical symbiosis, and the concept of apocalyptic parenting as a strategy for social justice and ecological ethics, an antidote to petroleum parenting. The discussion digs into the interdisciplinary ties found in her stories, her collaborative projects, and the communal effort in creating sustainable futures. Dr. Alhadeff also shares her real-life experiences of living for almost a decade in a reclaimed school bus, 'The Love Bus', exemplifying the principles of radical mothering, reuse, collective creativity, and joy amidst systemic challenges.

Dr. Cara Judea Alhadeff is a professor and author of dozens of books and articles on art, philosophy, sexuality, climate justice, life-passion activism, and "petroleum parenting," including the critically-acclaimed Zazu Dreams: Between the Scarab and the Dung Beetle, A Cautionary Fable for the Anthropocene Era, and Viscous Expectations: Justice, Vulnerability, The Ob-scene. Alhadeff’s forthcoming book, Unlearning What We Think We Know (Vernon Press), will be performed during the World Affairs Conference. Her photographs/ performance videos are in private and public collection,s including San Francisco MoMA, MoMA Salzburg, Austria, the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, and include collaborations with international choreographers, composers, poets, sculptors, architects, and scientists. She has been interviewed by The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Pacifica Radio, NPR, and the New Art Examiner. Alongside Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Vandana Shiva, Alhadeff received the Random Kindness Community Resilience Leadership Award, 2020. In 2022, Alhadeff was nominated for a MacArthur Fellowship. Her theoretical and visual work is the subject of documentaries for international public television/ radio. A former professor of Critical Pedagogy & Performance at UC Santa Cruz and Founder of Radical Art in Action, Alhadeff teaches, performs, and parents a creative-zero-waste life. She and her family live and perform in their eco-art installation, a repurposed school bus. www.carajudeaalhadeff.com

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What does it mean to stay tender in times of unraveling?

In this live SAND Community Gathering (November 2025), SAND co-founders, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo spend the hour with activist and author Kazu Haga. This conversation invites us into a collective inquiry about healing, justice, and the radical courage of vulnerability. Drawing from his work on restorative justice and Kingian nonviolence, Haga explores how compassion can live alongside grief, anger, and collapse—not as escape or appeasement, but as a disciplined, relational practice of staying with the pain of the world.

Topics:

00:00 Introduction and Welcoming Remarks

00:44 Introducing Kazu and His Work

04:08 Understanding Fierce Vulnerability

06:43 The Great Turning and Collective Healing

10:50 Non-Violence and Social Movements

17:13 Spiritual Practice and Activism

24:22 Anger, Rage, and Non-Violence

26:40 Personal Stories and Reflections

28:57 Sowing Seeds of Change

29:56 The Power of Vulnerability

31:33 Healing Through Non-Violence

38:55 The Concept of Negative Peace

47:48 Living in Community

49:45 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Resources:

Kazu Haga's Website

Fierce Vulnerability

Canticle Farm

The Eternal Song (film series by SAND)
 

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Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere Gathering. 

In this episode, hosts Maurizio and Zaya engage in deep conversation with Yoruba philosopher and post-humanist thinker Bayo Akomolafe. In this episode, Bayo shares a Yoruba creation myth involving the Orishas, highlighting the importance of flow and memory. He reflects on his journey as a psychologist in Nigeria and critiques the political dimensions of healing. The dialogue also touches on the limits of modernity, the significance of wounds in creating new worlds, and the interconnectedness of all living beings. Bayo’s insights invite listeners to reconsider traditional notions of clarity, identity, and safety, promoting a deeper, more fluid understanding of existence as it weaves into narratives of The Eternal Song.

Watch this full conversation and 40+ more The Eternal Song film series and All-Access Pass with from our 7-day gathering with Elders and knowledge keepers 

Topics

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:46 Introducing Bayo Akomolafe

02:13 A Yoruba Creation Story

06:50 Reflections on Healing

12:49 Decolonization and Human Ecology

20:32 The Complexity of Solutions

22:25 Chaos and Order: The Eternal Dance

22:41 The Illusion of Solutions

22:50 Climate Chaos and Moralities

23:34 The Exhaustion of Traditional Moralities

24:10 Para Politics: A New Approach

26:30 The Role of the Trickster in History

28:45 The Power of Wounds and Cracks

31:31 The Fluidity of Identity

36:52 The Origins and Evolution of Language

40:15 Christianity and Indigenous Faiths

44:15 Final Reflections and Gratitude

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Hosted by SAND’s Lisa Breschi Almond, this poignant discussion entitled 'War's Long Shadow Part Two: The Medicine of Story' was recorded live as a recent SAND Gathering. The show features two heartfelt stories of their first-hand accounts of post-war trauma shared by Linda Thai and Jungwon Kim. The conversation explores personal narratives of war trauma and generational grief, focusing on the Vietnam War and Korean War, respectively. Linda recounts her family’s harrowing escape from Vietnam and their struggle to resettle in Australia, while Jungwon explores her parents’ experiences and the enduring impact of the Korean War. Emphasizing the importance of storytelling, the session highlights the collective healing and emotional sobriety brought through sharing and listening to these deeply moving stories

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00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:55 Land and Settler Acknowledgement

02:13 Introducing the Presenters

04:16 Linda's Story: A Journey of Survival

39:31 Jungwon's Story: Generational War Trauma

01:02:30 Reflections and Closing Remarks

Resources

War’s Long Shadow, Part 1 (the first part of this conversation from early 2025)

Jung Won Kim’s Website

Linda Thai’s Website

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In this episode, SAND co-founders and hosts Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo welcome Dr. Thema Bryant, a tenured professor of psychology and former President of the American Psychological Association, to discuss holistic healing, ancestral wisdom, and collective liberation. Dr. Bryant emphasizes the importance of recognizing both individual and collective trauma, the power of storytelling, and the need for interdisciplinary approaches to wellness. The conversation explores the emotional and spiritual aspects of healing, the role of joy and grief, and the importance of community in fostering resilience and thriving. Dr. Bryant also provides practical advice on deepening relationships, finding like-minded communities, and maintaining emotional balance in the face of ongoing trauma.

Topics

00:00 Introduction and Greetings

00:53 Introducing Dr. Thema Bryant

01:20 Dr. Bryant's Background and Philosophy

03:11 Grounding Practice and Body Sovereignty

08:32 The Importance of Compassion and Presence

11:52 Intergenerational Trauma and Healing

17:15 Decolonizing and Indigenizing Healing Practices

27:00 Balancing Activism and Self-Care

34:15 Grief and Collective Healing

36:44 Cultural Differences in Grieving

37:59 The Interplay of Grief and Joy

38:28 Toxic Positivity and Spiritual Bypassing

41:07 Constructive vs. Destructive Anger

44:53 The Importance of Emotional Expression

47:03 Creating and Deepening Community Connections

51:00 Collective Healing and Liberation

01:03:13 Balancing Self-Care and Collective Care

01:11:14 Final Thoughts and Resources

Resources

Dr. Thema Bryant
Dr. Thema Bryant is the author of the recently released book Matters of the Heart and the host of The Homecoming Podcast.
Jaiya John

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Recorded live at The Eternal Song Seven Day Film Premiere summit with Indigenous voices. 

Donna Kerridge, a Rongoā Māori practitioner from Waikato, Aotearoa New Zealand, shares insights into her journey bridging Māori traditional medicine and the Western healthcare system. Kerridge discusses the challenges and beauty of indigenous healing practices, emphasizing the significance of connection to nature, ancestral knowledge, and the balance between the physical and spiritual realms. She reflects on her experience watching the film Eternal Song and the necessity of truth in storytelling. Through her work and this conversation, Kerridge elucidates the importance of understanding one's place in nature and the universe to achieve true wellbeing. Hosted by Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo.

Topics

00:00 Introduction to Donna Kerridge

00:58 Reflecting on the Film's Impact

03:45 Understanding Rongoā Māori

06:10 The Concept of Wellbeing in Rongoā Māori

10:55 Healing Practices and Patterns of Disease

20:19 The Importance of Ancestry and Connection

22:37 Ancient Knowledge and Modern Science

29:47 Challenges of Being a Healer in Modern Times

32:18 Exploring the Pillars of Ru Māori

33:42 Connecting with the Spiritual Realm

36:30 Healing Through Nature

43:28 Respect and Indigenous Knowledge

45:41 Bridging Western and Indigenous Medicine

52:28 The Role of Ancestral Knowledge

56:25 Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

Find out more about The Eternal Song film series and All-Access Pass and the SAND film Mauri which features all three guests from today’s show.

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In this panel from the The Eternal Song 7-Day Global Gathering Schedule, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo speak with Dr. Diana Kopua, a  Māori psychiatrist, Mark Kopua, a cultural leader and master carver, and Tina Ngata, an advocate for indigenous and environmental rights. The conversation explores the significance of revitalizing indigenous knowledge, ancestral connections, and reindigenization. They explore the effects of colonialism, the doctrine of Christian discovery, and the urgency of collective wellbeing practices. The conversations weaves reconnection with ancestral stories, the environment, and indigenizing oneself as crucial steps towards collective healing and resilience.

Find out more about The Eternal Song film series and All-Access Pass and the SAND film Mauri which features all three guests from today’s show.

Topics

00:00 Introduction of Extraordinary Voices

01:50 Personal Introductions and Backgrounds

07:09 Current Issues in New Zealand

12:24 Colonial Impact on Māori Wellbeing

18:42 Traditional Māori Wellbeing and Ancestral Connections

33:29 Healing Through Ancestral Stories

34:56 Impact of Colonization on Indigenous Mindset

37:04 Reconnecting with Ancestral Wisdom

40:55 Understanding Racism and Education

44:26 The Role of Christianity and Wealth

52:51 Indigenizing vs. Decolonizing

53:35 Practical Steps to Re-Indigenize

56:38 Final Thoughts and Reflections

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