Ciis Public Programs & Performances

Author, cultural ecologist, and geo philosopher David Abram has been an inspirational leading voice at the intersection of ecology and philosophy for over 25 years. A close student of the traditional ecological knowledge of a diverse array of Indigenous peoples, his work articulates the interconnection of humans both with the varied sensitivities of the plants and animals upon whom we depend, as well as with the agency of the places that surround and sustain our communities. In this episode, David is joined by CIIS philosophy faculty Matt Segall for an inspiring conversation on the wild intelligence of our bodies, the ecological depths of our imagination, and the ways in which sensory perception and wonder inform the relation between the human animal and the animate Earth. This episode was recorded during an in-person and live streamed event at First Unitarian Universalist Church & Center in San Francisco on May 19th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. We hope that each episode of our podcast

Modern-day sexual ethics has held that “anything goes” when it comes to sex—if everyone says yes and does so enthusiastically. So why, even when consent has been ascertained, are so many of our sexual experiences filled with frustration, disappointment, even shame? In her book Rethinking Sex, reporter and Washington Post columnist Christine Emba calls for a more humane philosophy, one that starts with consent but accounts for the very real emotional, mental, social, and political implications of sex. In this episode, Christine is joined in a conversation with CIIS Professor and Program Chair of the department of Human Sexuality Michelle Marzullo that invites us to reimagine sexual intimacy, and in turn, attain greater affirmation, fulfillment, and satisfaction for ourselves. This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 11th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a st

Hope without action is, at best, naive. At its worst, it tricks you into giving up the power and agency you have to change systems that cause suffering. Transformative learning and social justice educator Kari Grain’s concept of critical hope calls for a spark of passion and an abiding belief that transformation is not just possible, but vital. This is hope in action: a vibrant, engaged practice and a commitment to honoring transformative potential across a vast spectrum of experience. In her latest book, Critical Hope, Dr. Grain asserts that hope is necessary but hope alone is not enough. In this episode, Dr. Grain is joined by CIIS Chief Diversity Officer Rachel Bryant for a conversation introducing the seven principles for practicing critical hope and exploring how hope isn’t something you have—it’s something you do. This episode was recorded during a live online event on May 5th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our web

Do you fear that growing old means being trapped in a body filled with aches, pains, and losses? Many of us do—especially women. Though our youth-obsessed society is partly to blame, psychologist Susan Sands explains there is a deeper and unrecognized factor—we have never really gotten to know our bodies, to sense and feel our bodies from the inside out. In her latest book, The Inside Story, she offers a much-needed guide for helping us understand, befriend, and support our bodies as we grow older. In this episode, Dr. Sands is joined by CIIS Chair of Integrative Health Studies Meg Jordan for a conversation exploring how the powerful tools of embodiment can help you experience aging as a vital, optimistic, and transformative journey. This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 27th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection.

Author and Professor of Education, Wahinkpe Topa (Four Arrows), and author and Professor Emerita of Psychology Darcia Narvaez have both written and lectured extensively on the need to integrate Indigenous worldviews into every aspect of society—from education to sustainability, wellness, and justice. In this episode, Four Arrows and Darcia offer a conversational exploration of their most recent collaboration as editors of the anthology, Restoring the Kinship Worldview, which presents the wisdom of Indigenous worldviews and how embracing these precepts can nourish our individual and collective lives in these challenging times through 28 powerful excerpted passages from Indigenous leaders including Mourning Dove, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Winona LaDuke, and Xiuhtezcatl Martinez. This episode was recorded during a live online event on April 20th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social m

NOTE: This episode features guided participatory rest practices that include moments of silence at the beginning and end of the conversation. Restoring your body, mind, and spirit amid change is an act of courage, empowerment, and hope. Drawing wisdom from yoga philosophy and her many years of teaching experience, yoga teacher and activist Octavia Raheem offers motivation and guidance to restore ourselves through various forms of change in our lives. Her practice comes to life in her latest book, Pause, Rest, Be, where she provides simple restorative yoga poses and offers short teachings and reflections to see us through times of ending and beginning as well as liminal or transitional space. In this episode, somatic and transpersonal psychotherapist Deanna Jimenez joins Octavia for a conversation on how slowing down, stillness, and deeper connection to our own transitions empowers us to move through personal and collective shifts with more grace as well as what it means to navigate change with presence an

Disability is often described as a tragedy, a crisis, or an aberration even though 1 in 5 people worldwide have or will have a disability. Why is this common human experience rendered exceptional? Disability studies scholar Jennifer Natalya Fink argues that this originates in our families. Weaving together stories of members of her own family with socio-historical research, in her latest book, All Our Families, Jennifer illustrates how the eradication of disabled people from family narratives is rooted in racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic sorting systems inherited from Nazis. Inspired by queer and critical race theory, Jennifer calls for a lineage of disability: a reclamation of disability as a history, a culture, and an identity. In this episode, autistic Mestiza, critical educator, and disability studies scholar-activist Sara M. Acevedo joins Jennifer for a conversation that challenges us to reconnect disability within the family as a means of repair toward a more inclusive and flexible structure of

Journalist Mónica Guzmán is the loving liberal daughter of Mexican immigrants who voted twice for Donald Trump. Mónica is also the chief storyteller for the national cross-partisan depolarization organization Braver Angels, which brings her to the real front lines of a crisis that threatens to grind America to a halt—broken conversations among confounded people. In this episode, CIIS Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Damali Robertson talks with Mónica about her life, work, and her recent book, I Never Thought of It That Way, in which she shares ways for us all to have fearlessly curious conversations. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 24th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for fur

Spiritual teacher and international bestselling author Deepak Chopra believes there is an inner path to prosperity and wealth that—once charted and explored—offers access to the great riches of the universe and life’s unbounded possibilities. In his latest book Abundance: The Inner Path to Wealth, Deepak illuminates this road to success and wholeness, sharing a guide to a life of true power, prosperity, and plenty. In this episode, CIIS Chair of Integrative Health Studies Meg Jordan joins Deepak for a conversation exploring how to tap into a deeper sense of awareness to become an agent of change in your own life. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 17th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. To find out more about CIIS and public programs like this one, visit our website ciis.edu and connect with us on social media @ciispubprograms. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for fur

According to renowned political economist Raj Patel and physician and activist Rupa Marya, our bodies, our societies, and our planet are inflamed. In their recent book, Inflamed, Raj and Rupa reveal the links between health and structural injustices—and offer a new deep medicine that can heal our bodies and our world. In this episode, Raj and Rupa are joined in a rich, unique conversation with CIIS professor Charlotte María Sáenz as they illuminate the hidden relationships between our biological systems and the profound injustices of our political and economic systems. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 8th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. We hope that each episode of our podcast provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care

Being a healer today often means navigating complexities and challenges. Healers of all modalities can feel sidelined, underfunded, or delegitimized within a Western capitalist framework. In this episode, licensed psychologist and CIIS faculty Elizabeth Markle talks with somatic psychotherapist, author, and podcaster Laura Mae Northrup about her latest book, Radical Healership, in which Laura offers an authentic, spiritually grounded approach to finding a true path to working in a healing profession. This episode was recorded during a live online event on March 2nd, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection and growth. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support, here are some resources to find immediate help and future h

Over the past 17 years, queer autistic author and educator Nick Walker has played a key role in the emergence of the neurodiversity paradigm—a framework for scholarship, practice, and social justice work where treating human neurocognitive variations such as autism, dyslexia, and ADHD as medical disorders is understood to be a form of systemic oppression along the same lines as the pathologizing of homosexuality in the 19th and 20th centuries. In this episode, Dr. Walker is joined by writer Dan Glenn in an uplifting conversation exploring her newest book, Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities. They also discuss the edges and intersections of neurodiversity, gender, Queer Theory, embodiment, creativity, somatic psychology, and the human capacity for transformation. This episode contains explicit language. It was recorded during a live online event on February 16th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discu

Despite the undeniable fact that Indigenous communities are among the most affected by climate devastation, Indigenous science is very rarely found in mainstream environmental policy or discourse. Environmental scientist, advocate, and author Jessica Hernandez introduces and contextualizes Indigenous environmental knowledge and proposes a vision of land stewardship that heals rather than displaces and generates rather than destroys. In this episode, Dr. Hernandez is joined by Indigenous scholar and activist Melissa Nelson in a conversation exploring her latest book, Fresh Banana Leaves, and how to stop the eco-colonialism ravaging Indigenous lands to restore our relationship with the Earth to one of harmony and respect. This episode was recorded during a live online event on February 10th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, a

For years, Mark Epstein kept his beliefs as a Buddhist separate from his work as a psychiatrist. But as he became more forthcoming with his patients about his spiritual learning, he was surprised to find many were eager to hear more. The divisions between the psychological, emotional, and the spiritual were not as distinct as one might think. In this episode, Dr. Epstein is joined by CIIS professor and psychologist Alzak Amlani in a conversation about his life, his work, and his latest book, The Zen of Therapy. This episode was recorded during a live online event on January 26th, 2022. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection and growth. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support, here are some resources to find immediate help a

Renowned certified Gottman therapist and author Elizabeth Earnshaw offers a culturally tuned-in, LGBTQIA+ friendly approach, and an accessible guide to healing relationships and creating enduring intimacy for unmarried and married couples in her work and writing. In her latest book, I Want This to Work, Elizabeth shares her expertise and presents for today’s generation the most effective and proven steps for relationship success. In this episode, CIIS professor and licensed psychologist Margaret Boucher joins Elizabeth for a conversation about how to navigate difficult relationship issues to create stronger and more resilient partnerships. This episode was recorded during a live online event on December 9th, 2021. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection a

Psilocybin mushrooms have been used for hundreds, likely thousands of years. Currently, more than 65 universities in North America and Europe have been approved for clinical studies ranging from treating depression and Alzheimer’s to addiction. Psilocybin has clearly risen to the forefront of medical research. In this episode, renowned mycologist and medical researcher Paul Stamets provides an illuminating talk covering the psilocybin movement through history into the current modern moment as well as an overview of the most clinically significant studies, the newest research on psilocybin analogues, micro-dosing, and the implications for creating a paradigm shift in the ecology of consciousness. A transcript of this podcast episode is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspect

Through his yoga teaching and writing, Jacoby Ballard explores the intersections of yoga, capitalism, cultural appropriation, and sexual violence. He offers a queer-centered, fully embodied, and equity-rooted practice with meditations and sequences for processing and healing from trauma both individually and in community. In this episode, queer, transgender, autistic author and educator Nick Walker talks with Jacoby about his latest book, A Queer Dharma and the possibilities for finding an unapologetically queer path towards true healing and transformation This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 18th, 2021. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection and growth. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support

Apela Colorado is a traditional cultural practitioner and Indigenous scientist dedicated to creating a bridge between Western thought and Indigenous worldviews. In her latest book, Woman Between the Worlds, Dr. Colorado invites us to explore how Indigenous wisdom resonates in modern life while lovingly teaching us to honor its power, beauty, and potential. In this episode, CIIS faculty Susana Bustos joins Dr. Colorado for a conversation about her lifelong journey connecting with the essence of Indigenous spirituality and culture, and reawakening to the wisdom of her Native American and French Gaul ancestors. This episode was recorded during a live online event on November 4th, 2021. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection and growth. If you or someone

The evidence of consistent correlations between planetary alignments and world events as seen through the lens of archetypal astrology can provide us with a much-needed context for our time. Understanding both the cyclical patterns and the historical trends that preceded our current moment can help us engage with greater consciousness and skillful intelligence the powerful forces now active in the world. This episode features CIIS professor and cultural historian Richard Tarnas as he presents his latest state of the world report on the archetypal context of our national and global moment. It was recorded during a live online event on February 18, 2022 in a continuation of our recent annual tradition of offering such an archetypal overview, and this year included a special advance screening of the opening episode of the new documentary series The Changing of the Gods. Inspired by Richard’s work and featuring leading figures in the fields of history, psychology, spirituality, political activism, technological

Experienced mindfulness teacher Kaira Jewel Lingo provides accessible advice on navigating difficult times of transition by drawing on Buddhist teachings on impermanence to help us establish equanimity and resilience. In this episode, CIIS Integrative Health Studies professor Megan Lipsett talks with Kaira Jewel about her teaching and her latest book, We Were Made for These Times, which offers teaching on meditation and a step-by-step process to nurture deeper freedom and stability in daily life. This episode was recorded during a live online event on October 28th, 2021. A transcript is available at ciispod.com. Many of the topics discussed on our podcast have the potential to bring up feelings and emotional responses. We hope that each episode provides opportunities for growth, and that our listeners will use them as a starting point for further introspection and growth. If you or someone you know is in need of mental health care and support, here are some resources to find immediate help and future hea