The Tension of Emergence: Thriving in a world that remakes, not breaks

How can you stay present to a world that breaks your heart open—without hardening or turning away? What is right action when there is no right answer?

In this episode, Jennifer talks with Joshin Byrnes—Zen teacher, former AIDS activist, and founder of Bread Loaf Mountain Zen Community—for a deeply honest conversation on his evolving expressions of activism and spirituality as he wrestles with and practices ethical action in a time of trouble.  

Together, they explore:

• Growing out of enemy oriented and dehumanizing activism
• “Bearing witness” as essential practice in a culture of separation 
• How letting go of fixed ideas creates healing action 
• The Zen principle of vowing mind as a compass for ethical responsiveness.

Come join us for a slow and tender dialogue about how to deepen your relational intimacy, practice and ethical inquiry as you taste the ache of being human. 

Content Note: This episode includes a story that references suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, support is available. Resources are included below. 

Links & resources—

• Learn more about Joshin Byrne’s work at Bread Loaf Mountain Zen
• Zen Peacemakers 
• Get Jennifer’s Substack Newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline: 9-8-8 or https://988.ca/
• US Crisis Helpline: 9-8-8 or https://988lifeline.org/
• International suicide resources can be found at https://findahelpline.com

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

Ever find yourself caught in a loop of analyzing what you're feeling—trying to think your way through the ache, the confusion, the rage, the numbness? Or find that it feels easier to let your mind fix or solve the hard things rather than sense in or move with them? 

In this short practice episode, Jennifer England invites you into a somatic experience of feeling—beyond story, solving and fixing. Inspired by her recent conversation with therapist and writer Lisa Olivera, you’re invited to drop the narrative and let music, movement, and presence guide you into a relationship with aliveness.

You’ll be guided through:

• A simple, intuitive practice to shift from analysis into sensation.
• Choosing music that mirrors your current emotional tone—no need for it to be calm or upbeat.
• A movement invitation that meets you exactly where you are—angry, tender, exhausted, joyful, or stuck.

Whether you're overwhelmed, can't access how you're feeling, or somewhere in-between, this episode offers a powerful way to grow your fluency in feeling—by letting your body lead.

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

What if pain isn’t something to fix or escape—but a wise, living presence asking for our attention?

In this episode, Jennifer sits down with writer and therapist Lisa Olivera for a heartfelt conversation about relating to pain as a wise teacher, rather than an adversary. Drawing from Lisa’s personal journey—shaped by early experiences with a culture that teaches us to avoid pain—they explore:

• The social narratives that keep us from feeling fully
• The role of somatic practice in understanding our body’s intelligence
• What it means to approach suffering with reverence 
• The slow, courageous path toward collective belonging

This episode invites you to deepen your fluency with feeling —in your body, the mystery of life and one another.  

Links & Resources:

• Learn more about Lisa’s therapeutic and written work
• Sign up for Human Stuff, Lisa’s Substack
• Get Already Enough, Lisa Olivera’s first book
• Receive Jennifer’s biweekly newsletter 
• Connect with Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

Ever feel awkward in trying to express, connect or attune to another? Ever interpret your awkwardness as a failure? 

In this short practice episode, Jennifer England invites us to explore mispronunciation not just as a linguistic slip, but as a relational metaphor. Inspired by recent conversations with X'unei Lance Twitchell, you’re invited to notice the moments you "miss the mark" in connection—and to consider what might be fertile, even beautiful, in the in-between.

You’ll be guided through:

• A reframing of mispronunciation as an opening, not an error.
• Gentle prompts to explore awkwardness, misunderstanding, and self-expression.
• A two-part inquiry to help you stay present with the discomfort of “not quite getting it right.”
• An embodied invitation to soften and stay—instead of fix or retreat.

Whether you're navigating a tough moment with a loved one or reflecting on your own self-expression, this episode is a chance to pause and relate differently to misunderstanding itself.

Links & resources—

• For more practices and inspiration from Jennifer get bi-weekly inspiration to help you navigate the hard mess of leading and being human
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Talk with Jennifer! Share an insight or ask a question here [email protected]

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

How might a willingness to cross thresholds of understanding help us access wilder and more intimate ways of knowing? 

In this episode Jennifer talks with X’unei Lance Twitchell—Indigenous language teacher, poet and scholar—who shares his deeply personal journey of reclaiming the Tlingit language. From an early longing to connect with his grandfather to challenging the violence of cultural erasure, X’unei invites us into the healing and transformative role language plays in decolonization and community renewal.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How the seemingly impossible can become a movement, one word and gesture at a time
• How learning an Indigenous language changes the way you think, untangling the illusion of separateness
• Why vulnerability and mistake-making are the foundation of resilient and laughter-infused community building.

Join Jennifer and X'unei for a conversation that invites you to listen through the words—to the generous heartbeat of a community and culture remaking itself.

Links & resources—

• Learn more about X’unei Lance Twitchell
• Watch an episode of Molly in Denali
• Gagaan X'usyee/Below the Foot of the Sun: Poems
• Get Jennifer’s Substack newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

What does it mean to be engaged in a world that feels like it’s breaking?

In this preview of Season 4 of Tension of Emergence,  Jennifer England shares the heart of the new season’s inquiry—a living  koan that has been shaping her own writing and leadership: how do we act with love and integrity in a time of rupture and collapse, without rushing to fix or save a world that may not need our saving?

With a  magical cadre of guests, Jennifer explores tensions we’re told to resolve—between urgency and spaciousness, grief and creativity, doing and being. With the backdrop of global upheaval, she asks:

• Is “breaking” the whole story? If not, what else is happening?
• How do we stay in relationship, when our hearts are breaking?
• What do we do when we can’t agree on the path forward?

Tune in to discover what it means to live at the edge of  uncertainty—curiously, generously, and awake. Season 4 offers a  sanctuary of emergence-  and place to be honest in the mess of it all.

Come follow along for deep dives, and micro-practice episodes, to nourish this season of collective stretch. 

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

Does joy sometimes feel hard to access? Ever find yourself focusing more on where you’re suffering or experiencing pain? Or perhaps you find it easy in this season of your life but want to experience joy even more? 

In the last micro-episode of Season 3, Jennifer guides you to amplify joy on three different levels: the gross, subtle and causal. She encourages you to enhance the experience of joy, even amidst pain and includes a suggestion to explore the Buddhist practice of Tonglen if you’re facing difficult times. 

If you play with this practice and have an insight you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! 

Links & resources—

• For more practices, offerings and writing from Jennifer, subscribe to Jennifer’s newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Email Jennifer with any questions or observations- [email protected]

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

We’ve been talking about “feeling more” so we can access more wisdom in our leadership, but what if we’re really good at avoiding pain?  

In the final week of season three of the Tension of Emergence, Jennifer delves into the question of how to work with personal and collective pain with the co-founder of Mobius Executive Leadership and expert in trauma-informed development, Amy Elizabeth Fox. Together they break down the illusory binary between the personal/professional, individual/collective and pain/joy. 

They also share—

• Three stages of working with pain and how to transmute pain into possibility
• How the privatization of healing has gotten us into trouble
• Why communal witnessing can shift everything

Tune in for an in-depth exploration of how to work with personal and collective pain so that you can access more joy, presence and liberation. 

Links & resources—

• Mobius Executive Leadership
• Connect with Amy Elizabeth Fox on LinkedIN
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn and get her Substack here

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with modern-day mystic and teacher Cynthia Bourgeault. 

Instead of virtues being a static object we have, they can be thought of as active agents of change. Jennifer offers a two-part practice to help you leverage your unique personal virtues (and power) to transform a current challenge. 

In this episode, Jennifer shares a personal example and emphasizes the importance of practice as a dynamic process of learning from your direct experience.

If you play with this practice and have an insight you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you! 

Links & resources—

• For more practices, offerings and writing from Jennifer, subscribe to Jennifer’s newsletter
• Follow Jennifer on Instagram or LinkedIn
• Email Jennifer with any questions or observations- [email protected]

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro. 

Jennifer talks with modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, author and teacher, Cynthia Bourgeault about how our global breakdown might be a breakthrough. Weaving together science, philosophy and spiritual traditions they talk about the evolution of human consciousness and how to nourish and feed the collective.  

In this episode they share- 

• Our shift to an integral structure of consciousness 
• How reciprocity works between the seen and unseen worlds
• What is three-centered awareness and how to develop it
• Why virtues are more than personality traits 

Tune in to this beautiful conversation to learn the subtle art of cosmic reciprocity and discover why we’re more resilient and creative than we think. 

Links & resources—

• Cynthia Bourgeault’s website
• Order Cynthia’s books and reading suggestions
• Global network for seekers on the wisdom path: Wisdom Waypoints
• Sign up for Jennifer’s Substack, connect with her on IG or LinkedIN

Gratitude for this show’s theme song Inside the House, composed by the talented Yukon musician, multi-instrumentalist and sound artist Jordy Walker. Artwork by the imaginative writer, filmmaker and artist Jon Marro.