The Courageous Path

During the holidays or family gatherings in particular, we spend a lot of time with those outside of ourselves. We may feel re-energized or sapped from these interactions. We may feel centered or off-balance.

This guided meditation is designed to help you re-connect to your inner self, to who you are deep down, so that you may find a sense of centeredness and alignment once again.

If you liked this meditation, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Many of us are aware that humans have been causing the destruction of the Earth for years now. We often feel scared, angry and helpless about what we can do to shift the tides and heal the planet. Thankfully, there is a movement afoot, called The Great Turning, founded by Joanna Macy, which provides us with a course of action as we move from an industrial growth society to one that supports and nurtures all forms of life on Earth. Claire Maitre is a teacher and a leader in this movement through the Work That Reconnects network. I am so delighted to share this interview today with Claire. Be sure to check out at 50:47 Claire's hopeful message about how, by focusing purely on love and on small, everyday actions, we can help to heal ourselves and our Earth.

Claire Maitre has trained extensively with Dr. Joanna Macy to facilitate workshops in the Work That Reconnects [http://workthatreconnects.org], designed to help us uncover and experience our innate connections with each other and the healing powers of the web of life so that we can discover our role in creating a life-sustaining civilization. Pioneered by Joanna Macy since the late 1970’s, this highly experiential and interactive work draws from systems thinking, deep ecology, and many spiritual traditions. Claire facilitates workshops primarily in SE Michigan and loves to help people reconnect with their sense of purpose and meaning for being here on Earth at this momentous time in human history. Claire currently lives in an intentional community in Ann Arbor, Michigan and is inspired in her work by caring for her grandsons, ages 2 and 5. Claire’s website: http://chrysalistransitions.com/

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

It is always so inspiring to witness someone embracing their truth and following their heart. Mary Schmaling-Kearns is one of these gifted souls drawn to helping others recognize the sacredness of their bodies through henna art, Reiki and tattooing. Learn about how she found this field, began transforming the lives of clients, and developed her passions into a business in this interview.

Mary Schmaling-Kearns has be found throughout the country beautifying Henna art on folks since 1996. She has traveled across the globe from Mardi Gras to international music festivals traveling and enjoying beautifying people. Mary traveled to India to photograph & document the Art of Mehndi and study its rich history. She is a respected multimedia artist and holds a BFA majoring in photography. Mary has exhibited her art working galleries and has held lectures and conferences in the art world. She brings her natural ability to intuitively paint freehand. You can find her wall murals across the state adorning private homes, businesses and in many yoga studios. Mary has been a Usui Reiki Master Teacher since 2004 and she ran a Reiki clinic for 10 years. She combines her Reiki healing for her clients making the connection of the mind, body and spirit while tattooing. Mary has brought her years of experience as an artist to her tattooing at 13 Moons tattoo studio. People who have received henna art or permanent tattoos from Mary have walked away transformed.

You can learn more about Mary at:

The Eye of Henna

13 Moons Tattoo Studio

The Healing Art of Reiki

Henna Artist, Murals, Photography, Permanent Tattoos

Reiki Master Teacher

207-761-0636

www.theeyeofhenna.com

www.healingartofreiki.com

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

Large workplaces can be intimidating places for employees, especially for those who are unhappy in their jobs. Michael Levine exemplifies someone working to change that. In this interview, Michael shares how he found the courage to speak up and advocate, on a regular basis, for positive culture change in an institutional setting. He also shares words of advice to those who are looking for a new career... it's about trusting the universe! Michael's energy, positive outlook and passions outside of his job will surely inspire many of us in the workforce to similarly create a happier work environment and life!

Michael Levine has been a high school teacher in Southern Maine since 2001, first as a drama teacher and then as an English teacher. He is the founding Producing Director of Acorn Productions and has also been teaching and directing theater in Portland since the mid 1990's. During the renovations of the St. Lawrence Arts Center Parish Hall Theater in 2000, he worked closely with that organization’s board to design and execute the improvements that remain in place at that venue to this day. He has served as Artistic Director of the Maine Playwrights Festival and Acorn's Naked Shakespeare series, as well as conducting theater workshops in area elementary, middle and high schools. He is a graduate of M.I.T., where he studied playwrighting with A.R. Gurney, and acting with Kristen Linklater, and Shakespeare and Company. He co-founded the old Oak Street Theater, has worked at Portland Stage Company and the New Repertory Theatre. Most recently, Levine began a new job teaching English at Windham High School.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

It is my honor to introduce the story of my friend Jamie O'Sullivan. A business owner, deejay, and hair cutter/colorist, Jamie is a wise, old soul who has shared his mind-expanding thoughts with me over the years (as he styles my hair).

In this interview, Jamie boldly shares his story of how receiving an HIV diagnosis at a young age changed his life forever and opened his heart and soul to appreciating life, especially by being connected to others and to something beyond himself. In making the simple choice to live, rather than accepting a possibility of death, Jamie is an inspiration.

James Alton O'Sullivan was born on December 4, 1974 in Manchester, New Hampshire. He grew up in New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. By age 5 his parents had decided to move home to their home state of Maine. Since then Portland Maine has been Jamie's home. He graduated from Portland High School in 1993, and after a short stint at the Evergreen State College, he attended Pierre's School of Beauty. Jamie has been a licensed Cosmetologist since 1998, and currently has a salon at 142 High Street, Suite 512 in Portland, Maine (contact Jamie at 207-318-7895).

His hobbies included deejaying, snowboarding, skateboarding, camping, swimming, biking, and really anything outside. At home he loves to cook, listen to music and watch endless amounts of television and movies.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

I have been blessed to have had the opportunity speak with a wise and compassionate soul, Robert Atkinson. Through his fascinating life studying with Joseph Campbell and Pete Seeger, living in a Franciscan monastery, and delving into soul-making through the journey of the hero and through the Baha'i faith, Bob has a depth of wisdom that will surely help us all in our evolution toward our collective unity as the consciousness of one. Don't miss at 32:52 his sharing on the three phases of the evolution of human consciousness (through his next book), the last of which we are entering now as we return to our sacred roots of living in alignment with all that is.

Robert Atkinson, Ph.D., is an internationally acknowledged authority on life story interviewing and a pioneer in the deeper techniques of personal myth-making and soul-making. His books in these areas have been translated in to three languages and are widely used in personal growth and life review settings.

His most recent book, Mystic Journey: Getting to the Heart of Your Soul’s Story (2012), was called “an exquisite exploration of the spiritual craft of soul-making” by Jean Houston, author of A Mythic Life. Of his memoir, Remembering 1969: Searching for the Eternal in Changing Times (2008), Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul, said it was “profound, friendly, inspiring, and nostalgic… I loved it.”

His other books include, Songs of the Open Road: The Poetry of Folk Rock and the Journey of the Hero (1974); The Teenage World: Adolescents’ Self-Image in Ten Countries (1987); The Gift of Stories: Practical and Spiritual Applications of Autobiography, Life Stories, and Personal Mythmaking (1995; translated into Japanese, 2005); The Life Story Interview (1998; translated into Italian, 2002, and Romanian, 2006); The Beat of My Drum (2005), an autobiography with Babatunde Olatunji; and, Latino Voices in New England (2009).

His BA is in Philosophy and American Studies from LIU, Southampton, and his MA degrees are in American Folk Culture from SUNY, Cooperstown, and in Counseling from the University of New Hampshire. His Ph.D. is in Cross-Cultural Human Development from the University of Pennsylvania; he was also a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Chicago.

At the University of Southern Maine, he was the first Diversity Scholar in the College of Education and Human Development, and a co-founding faculty of the Russell Scholars Program and the Religious Studies minor. He was also a faculty member on the fall 2002 Semester at Sea voyage around the world.

His forthcoming book is The Story of Our Time: How We’re Coming to See All Things as Interconnected, and will be released during the winter of 2017.

He is professor emeritus at USM, director of Life Story Commons, and online at www.RobertAtkinson.net.

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

There is a movement happening around the world toward a remote workforce. While this is a blessing in many ways, people also crave connection with others. In this interview, Patrick Roche discusses the power of co-working and people's deep urges, a tribal mentality of sorts, to interact with other human beings. Patrick explains here how, through the blend of modern technology and a return to community connection, co-working will be the salvation of our economy.

Patrick Roche is the President and Owner of Think Tank Coworking, based in Portland Maine with locations in nearby Yarmouth & Biddeford. Think Tank has grown to become Northern New England’s largest network of coworking facilities, providing nearly 300 members with access to professional, creative and collaborative workspace.

Members have 24 hour coded access to the space, replete with lounge areas, phone booths, conference rooms, kitchen and internet. Think Tank’s also host to networking events, documentary screenings and arts programming.

Patrick sits on a number of non-profit and business advisory boards. He is the recipient of the 2014 Entreverge Award hosted by PROPEL and Successful Innovative Small Business award by SCORE. In addition to running Think Tank, Patrick has a background in building construction, film production and journalism. In his copious free time, he continues to write and pursue his passion for the literary arts.

He lives in Portland, Maine. ​​

Learn more about Patrick and Think Tank at: www.thinktankcoworking.com

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

In this interview with Erin Curren, Nia teacher, improv actress, and professor of French, we explore the gifts of the body in awakening the life force from within, stepping out of a comfort zone to find growth, and the importance of staying open to what life brings for our livelihoods, our learning and our highest potential on the planet. Be sure to listen at 19:06 to Erin talking about awakening passion, sensation and awareness in the body to uncover one's life purpose through Nia.

Teacher, artist, performer, dancer, Erin Curren is above all a lifelong learner. Her biggest thrill comes from inspiring people of all ages to connect on a deeper level with their bodies, their hearts and one another. Erin finds outlets for her passion through Nia and Playback (http://portlandplayback.com), among other endeavors. When not on her bicycle, Erin can be found behind the wheel of her "bejazzled" winged Subaru she calls the Gypsy Crib. Erin lives in Westbrook with her husband Bob.

Learn more about Erin on her website (www.erincurren.com).

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast for more like this to come (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

The nature of reality, human suffering and our understanding of our own existence are among the topics that Seth Leaf Pruzansky discusses in this interview of exploration, awareness and discovery. Check out at 21:58 a 10-minute clip in which Seth and I talk about the generational dissociation with reality, and how we as humans can shift our limited perceptions of who we are to experience less suffering in our lives and on the planet.

Seth Leaf Pruzansky was born into this world with the ability to interpret deeply profound universal wisdom directly from his soul. Throughout the course of his life he has learned how to masterfully articulate this knowing in a way that benefits those who are desperately looking for real answers to the big questions in life.

Seth has spent countless hours in meditation since he was a child, including a “forced” and extended meditation retreat in a monastery called federal prison. He has taken the development of his inner state and applied it successfully to the world at large through “conscious-preneurship.”

Seth is a soon to be published author of the book “A Return to Enlightenment: The Journey from Source and Back Again” (Waterside Publishing Agency. He is co-owner/founder of the certified organic raw food snack company Living Nutz (www.livingnutz.com), and co-owner/founder of Tourmaline Spring-the highest quality most ethically produced bottled water on earth (www.tourmalinespring.com).

Editor of a blog dedicated to transforming human consciousness (www.theuniversalobserver.com), Seth also is the vocalist for “In the Wind,” an acoustic duo a band that creates music with person and collective universal themes(facebook.com/InTheWindBand/). Lastly, he is a co-host of Soul’s Sandbox-a podcast/video show that explores personal and collective universal themes that we all face and deal with on a daily basis (facebook.com/soulssandbox).

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com

I was blessed with the opportunity to spend some time with this inspirational man, musician, healer and kind spirit. Join me for an illuminating interview with Ben Carroll, sharing his life story as a successful musician and his path to re-discovering himself through a deeper connection to spirituality and music. Don't miss the 4-minute clip at 22:40 when Ben talks about our understanding and embracing the change that we're experiencing at deep levels on our planet. It will open your mind in ways you never thought were possible!

Ben Carroll is a musician, sound explorer, sound healer, writer, teacher, and a perpetual student of life. Ben, a former Universal Recording Artist, has a successful music career that spans well past a decade, and is currently gearing up to release his 16th full length album, Multidimensional Voice, out August 8, 2016. With Multidimensional Voice Ben's musical adventures have started him down an exciting new path which has combined his recording career with his sound healing work. Ben is also very active with The Star Teachings, a beautifully expanding spiritual community. He also writes regular soul searching and inspirational blog posts for his website InnerSelfSustained on the nature of these times and humanity's evolution into powerful, spiritual, connected, conscious beings.

Learn more at:

http://bencarrollmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/innerselfsustained/

http://www.starteachings.org/

If you liked this interview, you can follow this podcast (or subscribe on iTunes). To learn more about me, Rachel Horton White, please visit www.soulfulworkconsulting.com