Beholden

"[A] person who exists deserves the human dignity of every single person. That has to be the North Star." with Qasim_Episode 24

Fri, 17 Apr 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Qasim Rashid is a human rights lawyer, author, and former nominee for U.S. Congress. He received his BSc from the University of Illinois at Chicago, his JD from Richmond Law, and served as a visiting fellow at Harvard University.

Qasim’s human rights work includes supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence, representing asylum seekers, and serving as a first responder to global disasters. He has published numerous books, academic law reviews, and articles across the media spectrum in TIME, New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today.

Qasim is the Founder and President of Just Win, a creator representation firm focused on social justice and human rights. He runs a popular human rights Substack with 177,000 subscribers titled "Let's Address This with Qasim Rashid,” and has more than 2.6 Million total social media followers. You can find him across platforms @QasimRashid.

Talk to me: Changing the Narrative on Race, Religion, and Education by Qasim Rashid can be found here.

For the listener wanting to learn more about topics discussed:

Articles on racial wealth gap:

https://ncrc.org/the-racial-wealth-gap-1992-to-2022/

https://www.brookings.edu/articles/black-wealth-is-increasing-but-so-is-the-racial-wealth-gap/

https://publicintegrity.org/inequality-poverty-opportunity/the-heist/racist-history-wealth-gap-redlining-maps/

Articles on incarceration, police brutality, and race

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7331505/

https://www.nacdl.org/Content/Race-and-Policing

https://naacp.org/resources/criminal-justice-fact-sheet

https://lawlibguides.sandiego.edu/policekillingsandassaults

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9540942/

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/research/racial_and_ethnic_disparities/

For those that prefer watching vs reading information https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13th_(film)

Books mentioned in the podcast: Quaking of America by Resmaa Menakem

Radical as root or foundation, see the book The Conversation by Robert Livingston

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line and/or check your favorite podcast provider, as oftentimes they supply transcription services.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including emotional and social intelligence and anti-racism, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison.

*Please note that the opinions and experiences of those interviewed in this podcast are not necessarily the opinions and experiences of the interviewer. One of the intents of this podcast is to interview a variety of people with a variety of experiences and opinions.*

If you are interested in participating in a future podcast, which involves thoughtful, caring, and connecting conversations to encourage proximity and a sense of interconnection, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Participate’ in the subject line.

To learn more about Ignite Well-being, in the suburbs of Chicago, and/or the host, Allison, please see their website, Patreon, or Substack page. Deepest bow to the paid supporters on Patreon, who make this work more financially sustainable.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier and/or moderate quality sound equipment.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

" The stigma against receiving help with some mental challenges is terrible, and we need to stop that" with Beverly_Episode 23

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Beverly Trafton is a woman of trans experience, living in the western suburbs of Chicago. She is a licensed electrologist and owns her own business, Transcendent Electrolysis, where she is open to serving all but centers her care for trans and gender diverse folk.

In this podcast, she discusses more about her mental health journey, including partial hospitalization program (PHP) and the use of therapeutic ketamine. We also discuss the individualization of mental illness (ie pathologizing the individual) verses considering how relationship and community can contribute to or manufacture illness.

Content awareness: we discuss mental health challenges and trauma. These topics might be difficult for folks. If you are in a mental health crisis, please seek out the care of a trained mental healthcare provider, and/or please consider reaching out to The Trevor Project (which specializes in suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ folks; if you are not LGBTQIA+ but have funds you wish to use to support those in crisis, please consider donating to The Trevor Project). Additionally, we discuss the therapeutic use of ketamine.We are not advocating for that use for individual listeners. If you are interested in the use of therapeutic or medical substances for your personal mental health journey, please seek out the assistance of a trained medical provider.

For more information on ketamine therapy, please see this link

For more information on trauma and the body, please see the works of Resmaa Menakem, Gabor Mate, Judith Lewis Herman, Zhenevere Sophia Dao, and Emily Nakoski as incredibly starting points.

For more information on trans folk, please see the WPATH; Trans Bodies, Trans Selves; GSRD model; Dean Spade’s work; AASECT as a resource for folks wishing to speak to a sexuality health professional.

Interested in listening to Beverly’s first episode?, here’s the link.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including sexuality, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"Together, we are the rising tide" with Jennifer_Episode 22

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 09:00:00 -0500

Jennifer Wright-Berryman (she/her), Ph.D. is an associate professor of social work at the University of Cincinnati. She studies suicide prevention and equitable death care for LGBTQIA+ communities. Jennifer recently published the book Equity at the End: The New American Way of Death with Dr. Staci Zavattaro (University of Central Florida). Jennifer is the co-founder (with Kat Vancil-Coleman) of Equal Deathcare, a website resource for LGBTQIA+ communities to access death care resources nationally and in their home state. Jennifer has also authored two novels, The Dying Five and The Dying Five, 2. More information about Jennifer and her books can be found on her website.

In this interview, Jennifer discusses her identities, the invisibility of non-heterosexual identities when married to a person of the opposite gender, privilege, "research poverty", fluidity of attraction and various intimacies beyond the sexualized, her work in bringing equity into death care, and her creative process and making time for writing.

Content awareness: we briefly discuss death and suicide. These topics might be difficult for folks. If you are in a mental health crisis, please seek out the care of a trained mental healthcare provider, and/or please consider reaching out to The Trevor Project (which specializes in suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ folks; if you are not LGBTQIA+ but have funds you wish to use to support those in crisis, please consider donating to The Trevor Project).

For additional conversations about death, please consider attending a Death Café (these occur regularly around the world, virtually and in-person; Allison hosts these once a month) and listening to other episodes of this podcast (such as 3, 4, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, 21).

For the listener that might be less familiar with the differences between equity and equality, please see a good descriptive article here. Essentially, equality works to treat folks equally, whereas equity acknowledges that systems treat folks unequally and works to level the systems by supporting folks in specific ways to make their experience on par with that of others. From this space of equity, equality can then be utilized more effectively.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including death and dying, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"We can change the world by loving one person next to us today" with Christian Sundberg_Episode 21

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 07:00:00 -0500

Christian Sundberg is a project manager for complex nuclear pump and valve manufacturing projects and a public speaker, having presented at over 100 events. Additionally, Christian’s life has had a unique spiritual trajectory, which includes out of body experiences and pre-birth memories. Christian shares his spiritual perspectives and experiences in a book called A Walk in the Physical. More information about Christian, his experience, and his book can be found on his website here.

In this interview, Christian discusses a variety of existential and spiritual topics, including nonduality and paradox, fear and love, contrast as opportunity for growth, physical life as a highly sensitive human, psi skills, materialism, meditation, and the quantum field. (So buckle up listeners, this one is a journey that navigates through big topics. Please do come back for multiple listens as you process his words and work.)

Content awareness: we briefly discuss death and suicide. These topics might be difficult for folks. If you are in a mental health crisis, please seek out the care of a trained mental healthcare provider. For additional conversations about death, please consider attending a Death Café (Allison hosts once a month but these occur regularly around the world).

Resources mentioned include Tom Campbell’s My Big TOE trilogy (first book linked here), Tom Campbell in Spain YouTube video series, Silver Birch, Seth Speaks (channeled by Jane Roberts), and Mike Marable.

Additional resources that align with Christian’s work and might support the listener in their learning and deeper dives are that of Paul Selig, Lee Harris, and Gary Zukav.

Lastly, be sure to check out Episode 17 of this podcast with Lali to hear about her near death experience, a relative of a pre birth experience.

For related writings to this topic, please see my Patreon page as well, where I discuss relationship and spirituality, regularly, and have a post about my use of We as a pronoun here.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including spirituality, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

Intermission_A Meditation and Retreat_Episode 20

Sun, 28 Dec 2025 08:00:00 -0500

The broad intent of this podcast is to explore identity AND move beyond into a bigger view - that of interconnection, across humanity, generations, even species, living and non. (Interconnection, for the purposes of this podcast, is defined through an ecological, spiritual, and quantum physics lens).

However, many of our identities are culturally made and handed to us by family and/or culture without self reflection - how do we define those identities, do they fit, have they changed over the course of our lifetime?

In this episode, the listener will explore layers of identity via a guided meditation. If you as a listener are new to meditation, there are recommendations made within the podcast to assist you.

It is my hope that with this meditation, the listener will take away wonderment. Wonder at identity, how we define them, if they fit, what we are under these layers, and at the spiritual brilliance that makes you, the listener, you. Identity, ideally, should be a source of wonder, not a weapon or source of separation.

For information on Neem Karoli Baba and Bhakti yoga, please see https://nkbashram.org/, https://www.ramdass.org/ , or https://www.hanumanmaui.org/ (Ram Dass is the most well known student of Baba's). Although Kashi Atlanta has since closed, listeners can access the founding teacher's content here https://swamijayadevi.com/ Please note that my experience of identity, spirit, and Baba's teachings will likely differ from that of others, as they should.....my experience is based on just that - my being. Yours will likely differ, as will that of others. Revel in your unique experience.

*Please take care of your body, with positioning and breathing needs. By participating in this meditation, the listener/participant assumes all risks. Note that this meditation is crafted with the beginner/intermediate practitioner in mind. If you can tolerate longer silences between guidance, please do pause the recording to allow for longer processing time. *

Additional guided meditations are currently being created for release in the near future.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including spirituality and diversity, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison. Allison reads over 150 books a year, mostly nonfiction, and many of these books are phenomenal resources for common life considerations and needs, such as meaning-making, relationships, and social justice.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"Changing a law won't take this away because we will continue to be here" with Shannon_Episode 19

Thu, 27 Nov 2025 08:00:00 -0500

Shannon Lane is a trans man and Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has been working in the field of mental health services for almost 30 years. He is experienced in working with diverse populations including LGBTQ+, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse, trauma, sexual assault, and domestic violence.

In this interview, Shannon discusses his lived experience as a trans man, his job as a social worker, and the importance and joy of community.

Listeners can find more info about Shannon and his professional practice here, and they can find more information on the distinctions between secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue here.

Deepest bow to the Kimberle Crenshaw, law professor and activist, who originally coined the term intersectionality based on Black feminist studies and her recognition of the framing of power and multiplicity of discrimination that Black women experience through the construction and experience of gender and race – pivotal work in understanding the virulence and amplification of bias, racism, and sexism, and additionally applied across identities and isms. Understanding intersectionality has expanded my worldview and recognition of self-truths since I learned of it decades ago. May her work continue to enlighten and enliven others.

If you are interested in book recommendations related to topics discussed, including gender diversity, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison. Allison reads over 150 books a year, mostly nonfiction, and many of these books are phenomenal resources for common life considerations and needs, such as meaning-making, relationships, and social justice.

Sincere apologies for sound artifacts resulting from impaired WiFi connectivity from a major communications carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"Love does not have to be hierarchical" with Katie_Episode 18

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Katie Clark (she/her) is a public librarian, an aunt of ten, and a queer community builder. After giving up on ever finding an sexual identity that fit, she found out asexuality existed at age 32, and believes that more openness about queer identities when she was young would have changed her life. There's a special place in her heart for anyone recognizing and embracing their queerness later in life.

In this interview, Katie discusses her asexual and aromantic identities, what those can teach us about intimacy and love, as well as her later in life autism diagnosis.

To connect with Katie, please consider following her on Bluesky (katiec1212.bsly.social) or emailing her (katieaclark1212@gmail.com). To connect with Belong Fox Valley, see their website. For more information on gender detachment, see this article.

Terms used in this interview that might not be familiar to all listeners are: AFAB (assigned female at birth; this includes trans men, nonbinary folk, and cis women, among others), ace (short for asexual; other phrases include ace-spec, meaning ace spectrum, as asexuality, like many other manifestations of sexuality, exists on a spectrum), relationship anarchy (a good resource is Dean Spade's new book Love in a F'cked up World), relationship smorgasbord, and masking (a term used by people with autism in reference to how they might consciously or unconsciously modify their behaviors to closer align with 'neurotypical' individuals). For more information about the practice of and training for certified sexuality educators and sexuality counselors, see AASECT (Allison is listed there).

If you are interested in more book recommendations, please see Allison's bookshop on Bookshop.org Purchasing books through Bookshop offers greater support to authors as well as curators, such as Allison. Allison reads over 150 books a year, mostly nonfiction, and many of these books are phenomenal resources for common life considerations and needs, such as meaning and relationships. Books included in Allison's shop address asexuality and relationship anarchy.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"Love is just this energy that exists beyond time and space" with Lali_Episode 17

Sun, 05 Oct 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Lali Metta is a visionary designer, multimedia artist, and storyteller based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Through her brand Metta Visionary Design, she creates furniture and artworks that merge craftsmanship with spiritual resonance. She is also the founder of Holy Bananas Media, offering video production and social media storytelling services, and Golden Sol Surfskate, a lifestyle project inspired by liberation and movement.

Lali’s work is grounded in creativity, community, and consciousness—bringing together design, art, and narrative as pathways for connection and transformation.

In this interview, I focus on Lali’s near death experience – what it taught her, is teaching her, and can teach us, the listeners. Deepest bow to this dear friend; may the listener be changed by her words and experience.

To connect with Lali, see her website, email, and Instagram (Lali’s, Metta Visionary Design, Holy Bananas Media, Golden Sol Surfskate)

If the topic of near death experiences interests you, be sure to check out Episode 21 with Christian, where he discusses his pre-birth experience.

If you are interested in more discussions about the afterlife and the paranormal, one place to drop in is a death café (these are hosted around the world, including by Allison with Ignite Well-being, once a month, the first Wednesday of the month, registration on their EventBrite page)

For listeners that would like to read the poem Allison wrote about love in Sanskrit, see their Patreon here (and please note that Allison misspoke, as there are 96 words for love). An additional and related piece of writing that might inspire listeners, about people igniting one another’s lights is by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, called We Were Made For These Times.

Sincere apologies for the sound artifacts in this episode, secondary to the inconsistencies of the signal from a major wifi carrier.

To learn more about Ignite Well-being, in the suburbs of Chicago, and/or the host, Allison, please see their website, Patreon, or Substack page. Deepest bow to the paid supporters on Patreon, who make this work more financially sustainable.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"I think a person should never lose their skepticism " with Mary_Episode 16_Bonus Content

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Mary Marshall, a paranormal researcher, medium, medical intuitive, author, and educator, returns, by listener request, for a second episode to discuss more specifics regarding her experiences and the paranormal.

To learn more about, support her work, or connect with Mary, see Instagram: @paranormalmd, her website, or her bio.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line, or check your device, as several platforms offer transcripts (such as Apple podcasts).

If you are interested in more discussions about the afterlife and the paranormal, one place to drop in is a death café (these are hosted around the world, including by Allison with Ignite Well-being, once a month). Or, in addition to Mary's content, check out some of Allison's perspectives on Patreon.

Sincere apologies for the sound artifacts in this episode, secondary to the inconsistencies of the signal from a major wifi carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

“If I didn't have faith, I'd be pretty much a wreck” with Mark_Episode 15

Sun, 07 Sep 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Mark is a Christian, a father, a nurse practitioner specializing in slow-growing blood cancers, with a young son, Eli, who was diagnosed with leukemia. Mark is also Allison (the interviewer)’s brother. In this interview, he discusses his son’s diagnosis, the impact that diagnosis has had on his family, as well as his supports, like his faith and his wife.

With the care of his hospital team and family, Eli is in remission.

If Mark's words and Eli's story inspired you to help children fight cancer, please consider donating to Nationwide Children's Hospital, located in Columbus, Ohio, and linked here.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line. If you utilize Apple podcasts, transcripts are often easily available over that app.

Sincere apologies for the sound artifacts in this episode, secondary to the inconsistencies of the signal from a major wifi carrier.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"If they would just listen and ask me questions and come to some kind of understanding of what I've been through, that's incredibly rare.” with Kurt_Episode 14

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this interview, Kurt Johnson discusses his challenges reintegrating into society after serving time in prison following a murder conviction. Listener discretion is advised, as the topics discussed are for mature audiences.

For more information on Kurt, please see his website, YouTube channel, and Twitter. To contact him, please use the contact page on his website.

For those interested in additional resources about criminal justice, please see the word of Father Gregory Boyle, Grace Boggs, Dean Spade, Mariame Kaba, Angel Davis, Eric Stanley (and the book Captive Genders), Bryan Stevenson, The Prison Yoga Project, The Marshall Project, the documentary 13th, PEN America's Prison and Justice Writing Project. This list is not meant to be complete but as a starting point.

For transcripts of the show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with 'Transcripts' in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"We truly are extensions of Source Energy, and that is our true nature; our true nature is divine love." with Donna_Episode 13

Sun, 17 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Donna Callaghan is a Doctor of Divinity, Personal Growth Coach, Hypnotherapist, Shamanic Practitioner, teacher, and a workshop presenter. To connect with Donna, her website is https://www.journeyofthesoul.net/ and her email is donna@journeyofthesoul.net

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

To learn moreabout Ignite Well-being, in the suburbs of Chicago, and/or the host, Allison, please see their website, Patreon, or Substack page. Deepest bow to the paid supporters on Patreon, who make this work more financially sustainable.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

Intermission_Episode 12

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this brief episode, Allison reviews the intent of this podcast as an intermission, speaking more in depth about the remembrance of ourselves, humility, and building capacity to hold difference.

For listeners that want to deeper dive into humility, spirituality, and building community, here are some resources to consider (in no particular order and not exclusive):

Rumi, Kabir, Joanna Macy, Gary Zukav, Mirabai Starr, Bill Plotkin, Richard Rohr, Thich Nhat Hanh, Rupert Sheldrake, John O’Donohue, Margaret Wheatley, bell hooks, Stephen Harrod Buhner, Octavia Butler, Gregory Boyle, Martin Prechtel, Joy Harjo, Mariame Kaba, Kai Cheng Thom, Ram Das, Krishna Das, Neem Karoli Baba, Paul Selig, Sandra Ingerman, Robin Wall Kimmerer, A Course in Miracles, Babaji, Mary Oliver, Pema Chodron, Joan Halifax, Tibetan Book of the Dead, The Upanishads, Radiance Sutras.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast.

“I need people to show up. I need people to stay when things get messy. I need people to speak up when its hard” with Diana_Episode 11

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Diana Hawken Torres is a founder and current Vice President of ALMAS (Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs), the first Latino-led and Latino-serving nonprofit in Naperville. Diana also participates in a variety of other service organizations to foster a diverse and supportive community.

In this interview, Diana discusses her identities as a Latina, an immigrant, and a mother and the world she is helping to build for future generations.

To connect with Diana’s work, please explore the following links:

· Alliance of Latinos Motivating Action in the Suburbs (ALMAS), Alianza de Latinos Motivando Acción en los Suburbios (ALMAS) www.ALMAScommunity.org

· https://linktr.ee/almascommunity (resource and action list)

· https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BKT7vbqgoqigXTG_nhz3YfA1drfE--HbZxZq5oc-dR0/edit?usp=sharing (document is in Spanish)

· https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wiTNJvQVbFOGjV6tXvoJJR01_K-uPUB4t7tu6E-5KqM/edit?tab=t.0(document is in Spanish)

· https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mirdzYEt_jc

· https://mailchi.mp/almascommunity/friends

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

“My identity is wrapped up in the satisfaction and the need…to help make this world, and make people, feel better”_with Mary Episode 10

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Mary Marshall is a paranormal researcher, medium, medical intuitive, author, and educator.

In this interview, Mary discusses her spiritual gifts and identity as well as the marginalization related to her gifts. Mary also dives into her understanding of the afterlife.

To learn more about or connect with Mary, see Instagram: @paranormalmd, her website, or her bio.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

“Understand that with all of the identities that we stack upon these vehicles, our bodies, we truly are underneath that one human collective.” with Kara_Episode 9

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Kara Strauss is a Jewish, atheist, pelvic floor physical therapist that works to see other people’s humanity and advocate for her own.

In this interview, Kara discusses identity, marginalization, consent-based practice, her history with anxiety, and the importance of family and community. If you are interested in learning more about Kara or working with her, please see Instagram: @karastrauss_dpt and her website.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible. Final thank you to Pexels for the associated armadillo photo used in some promotional spaces, by Jean Paul Montanaro: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-of-armadillo-17367652/

"We're just one perspective in… a kaleidoscope of perspectives in this world of ways to live" with Bryana_Episode 8

Thu, 29 May 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Bryana Sergott is a trans, disabled veteran, a student, and a friend.

In this interview, Bryana discusses the pedestal of identities, carving our own paths, and the importance of self-love and immersion in other cultures.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

“You can always feel when somebody’s not going to judge what you have to say” with J_Episode 7

Sun, 18 May 2025 09:00:00 -0500

J Currie is a life coach, meditation instructor, author, and founder of Awake Oneness Tribe Listeners can find more information about J here

In this interview, J discusses identity, spirituality, some of the challenges of masculinity, building community, and the importance of deeply listening to one another.

Resources mentioned in this episode are the Awake Oneness Festival (https://www.awakeonenesstribe.org/onenessfest and Ram Dass’ discussion of the golden thread of righteousness

For transcripts of this show, please email Ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

Intermission_Episode 6

Mon, 12 May 2025 09:00:00 -0500

In this brief episode, Allison reviews the intent of this podcast as an intermission, speaking more in depth about holding similarity AND difference with dignity, changing language, and the importance of self-definition.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast.

"Nature is for everyone" with Kyla_Episode 5

Tue, 29 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Kyla is a naturalist, mother of two, wife of 20 years, organic gardener, food enthusiast, and lifelong learner who grew up in the southern suburbs of Chicago and now lives in the southwestern suburbs. She currently works for a conservation organization creating and supporting programs that connect people with nature and the environment and she's studied communications, business, finance, sociology, real estate, edible wild plants, and ecological gardening. Kyla considers herself a "realistic optimist" and always aims and hopes for the best outcomes, while also setting realistic expectations about the chances of those outcomes coming to fruition and the likely obstacles that'll be encountered. In addition to her personal goals of one day living a self-sustaining lifestyle off the land and raising her children to be self-sufficient, empathetic, kind, resilient, and critically thinking humans, she has a professional goal of getting as many people as she can to fall in love with nature as possible. Kyla also wholeheartedly believes that prioritizing fun and joy is an important part of self-care.

In this episode, Kyla explores her identities, the meaning behind them, the under-representation of certain populations in outdoor spaces, spirituality and faith, as well as using love as a guide.

Resources mentioned in this podcast include the books Caste , The 1619 Project, and Serviceberry

The soft literature piece Allison wrote about nature can be found on Patreon here

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"I've been called to love" with Patty_Episode 4

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Content warning: discussion of suicide and the prevention of sexual harm/violence

Patty is a cancer survivor, an artist, and a person of faith that actively works to build bridges and love all people, particularly those that are marginalized.

In this episode, Patty discusses her journey with cancer, what life has taught her as a person that directly faced mortality, the loss of an important friend, the significance of friendship, and making sure people in her proximity feel loved and connected.

Patty’s presence brought the host, Allison, to tears, processing the depth and meaning of Patty’s words. Listeners will likely have an emotional experience; have tissues handy.

Resources mentioned include the book The Artist’s Way , an article by the author Clarissa Pinkola Estes , Into the Body of the World by Eve Ensler, and the book the Other Significant Others. If you are looking for additional spaces to discuss and explore mortality, please consider supporting Death Cafes – Allison hosts a café once a month and more info can be found on EventBrite

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"The reality is if you want to have real dialogue with people, in my mind, you have to begin with you” with Andy_Episode 3

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:00:00 -0500

Content Warning: discussion of suicide.

Andy Weiss’ son died by suicide in 2012. He is a Jewish elder and activist working to prevent suicide and support suicide survivors.; he currently assists as a TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) mentor and care group facilitator. Andy discusses what he has learned from his grief as a suicide survivor as well as how to support suicide survivors. Andy also explores meaning, aging, and marginalization, while reminding us all that love is the answer.

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, there are groups that can help, including the Trevor Project, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Association of Suicidology, Suicide Prevention Services America , and/or the 988 mental health line.

To read the letter by Ram Dass, referenced by Andy, see https://www.ramdass.org/a-letter-to-rachel/

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

To learn more about Ignite Well-being, in the suburbs of Chicago, and/or the host, Allison, please see their website, Patreon, or " rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Substack page. Deepest bow to the paid supporters on Patreon, who make this work more financially sustainable.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

“I can always find a moment that I’m utterly grateful for” with Allaina_Episode 2

Thu, 27 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Allaina Humphreys is an activist and graphic designer living in the western suburbs of Chicago. She is a quadriplegic and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, both of which shape her activism and professional life. She speaks on topics including disability, advocacy, parenting, and finding meaning in life.

To learn more about Allaina, explore her portfolio and her work with Bolingbrook Pride, United Spinal, the Accessible Community Task Force, and the Bolingbrook Arts Council.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.

"I am not a threat" with Beverly_Episode 1

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 09:00:00 -0500

Beverly Trafton is a woman of trans experience, living in the western suburbs of Chicago. In this podcast, she discusses more about her multitudes and how she works to make the world a kinder place. She is a licensed electrologist and owns her own business, Transcendent Electrolysis, where she is open to serving all but centers her care for trans and gender diverse folk.

For transcripts of this show, please email ignitewellbeing.naperville@gmail.com with ‘Transcripts’ in the subject line.

Thank you to Pixabay and SergePavkinMusic for the song used in the podcast. And thank you to Cloudconvert and Audacity for making podcasting more accessible.