Visionary Art as a Catalyst for Social Change with Mark Henson

To Support The Show: Patreon.com/islandsofcoherenceSubscribe, Like, Comment, and Hit the Bell for Notifications on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram (@islands.of.coherence) and Tik Tok (@islandsofcoherence)Joining us on the show this week is Kazu Haga who is a trainer, educator, student, and practitioner with over 25 years of experience in nonviolence and restorative justice. His work combines lessons from decades of Buddhist practice, trauma healing work, and Kingian non-violence practices. He generally brings this work to prisons, schools, community organizations, and activist spaces though he’s also coalesced the essence of it into two exceptional books, ‘Healing Resistance, A Radically Different Response to Harm’, and his newest, ‘Fierce Vulnerability, Healing from Trauma, Emerging Through Collapse’ which serves as the foundation for today’s conversation. To stay updated with Kazu's work, order his books, or work with him in any professional capacity, head over to kazuhaga.com SHOW TOPICS - Importance of Vulnerability - What if Our Vulnerability isn't Received Well? - Safe Vulnerability Requires Training - The Power of Nonviolence - Nonviolence and Modern Movement Spaces - Importance of Belonging - Is There Validity to 'Hyper Wokeness'? - COVID and Social Unrest - Boredom and Learning to Listen - Luigi Mangione's Approach Vs. Nonviolence - Civil Unrest is the Zendo

To Support The Show: Patreon.com/islandsofcoherenceSubscribe, Like, Comment, and Hit the Bell for Notifications on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram (@islands.of.coherence) and Tik Tok (@islandsofcoherence)Joining us on the show this week is pioneering Somatics teacher, author, and leader in the fields of trauma healing and social transformation, Staci Haines. She's most known for her work in co-founding Generative Somatics, which is an organization that brings somatic practice to individual healing, community care, and movements for social justice. She's also the co-founder of Generation FIVE, which works to end child sexual abuse within five generations. Staci is the author of The Politics of Trauma: Somatics, Healing, and Social Justice and Healing Sex: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing Sexual Trauma. Her newest project, The Outer Work Project seeks to serve as a bridge between individual healing and social justice work. For this conversation we explore her life's work and the inspiration for The Outer Work Project. If you want to stay plugged in with her work, she hosts a free monthly online gathering called SomaSJ which can be found in the links below! Show Topics- What is Somatic Work?- Individual and Collective Somatics- Cultivating Somatic Awareness- The Political Dimension of Embodiment- Somatics and Boundaries- Trauma and Opening- Somatics in Activist Circles- Navigating Anger- The Outer Work Project and Embodied OrganizingLINKSstacihaines.comhttps://theouterworkproject.org/

To Support The Show: Patreon.com/islandsofcoherenceSubscribe, Like, Comment, and Hit the Bell for Notifications on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram (@islands.of.coherence) and Tik Tok (@islandsofcoherence)Joining us on the show this week is author and co-founder of the Flow Genome Project, Jamie Wheal. Many of you have likely heard of Jamie through his groundbreaking work writing about flow states in his book, ‘Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALS, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolution the Way We Live and Work’ or his other more recent work, ‘Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That’s Lost It’s Mind’. He’s also the thinker behind the popular Substack, ‘Altered States of America’ which has gone on to amass over 45k people.For this conversation, Jamie and I explore the confronting subject of collapse. Whether it’s ecological, societal, or cultural, there are certain perspectives that we can adopt which will help us navigate the unavoidable changes that are going to challenge humans in the next century. We also explore ways to stay inspired, how to navigate the wellness industrial complex, and why thinking about death is good for us. If you want to stay plugged in with Jamie’s work, head on over to his Substack at Jamiewheal.substack.com or consider checking out his online community over at skool.com/homegrownhumans. He’s also got some books you can order wherever you get your books. Show Topics- Discovering Flow- Becoming Collapse Conscious- Death as Initiator - Exploring Narratives of the Future- We’re Already in Collapse- How to Respond to Collapse- Denying the Pull of Influencer Culture- Antidotes for Disconnection- Creating More- Human’s Place in Nature

This weeks episode is with the incredibly talented Sophie Strand! Sophie Strand is a writer and poet based in the Hudson Valley who focuses on the intersection of spirituality, storytelling, and ecology. Her poems and essays have appeared in numerous projects and publications, including Spirituality & Health, Atmos, Braided Way, and Art PAPERS. She is the author of The Flowering Wand, The Madonna Secret, and her recent memoir The Body Is a Doorway as well as the creator of the popular Substack “Make Me Good Soil.” Her writing has swept the internet like a wildfire with its beautiful prose, impactful insights, and palpable potency. For this conversation we explore the ancient yet wholly relevant worldview of animism, the nature of intelligence, falling into a romantic relationship with the natural world, and the process of realigning masculinity. If this episode leaves you feeling inspired, check out her work over at:sophiestrand.comhttps://sophiestrand.substack.com/@cosmogynySHOW TOPICS - What is Animism- Fairy Tale Logic- What Have We Lost By Plugging Our Ears to the Natural World?- Selfhood is a Network- A.I and the Curse of Prophecy- Self Optimization is a Distraction- Learning how to Commune with the Land We’re On- Connecting to Home While Away from Home- The Grief of Increasing Sensitivity- Returning to Sensuality - Bringing Masculinity into Balance- Importance of Fiction

To Support The Show: Patreon.com/islandsofcoherenceSubscribe, Like, Comment, and Hit the Bell for Notifications on YouTubeFollow us on Instagram (@islands.of.coherence) and Tik Tok (@islandsofcoherence)Joining us on the show this lifelong student of The Art of War, Jim Gimian! In this conversation we explore how this ancient text which originated in feudal China contains lessons that can be applied to our modern lives in 2026. Jim has been studying and teaching The Art of War (the Sun Tzu Bing Fa) since 1980. He served as the general editor of the best-selling translation, The Art of War: The Denma Translation (2001) which received critical acclaim from military officers, business leaders, and Asian Studies scholars. Gimian followed that with The Rules of Victory: How to Transform Chaos and Conflict - Strategies from the Art of War (2008), co-authored with Barry Boyce.Gimian has been presenting lessons from the Art of War to business and non-profit leaders in North America, Australia, and Europe since 1985. His work takes the form of seminars, leadership training programs, consulting, and coaching. The core of this work is presenting the text’s profound strategic thought in clear, simple, and accessible training that enables today’s leaders to employ these tools in their work and lives amidst the challenges of an increasingly complex and uncertain world.You can check out his course and coaching services over at Rules of Victoryor Order his book at The Art of War: Denma TranslationShow Topics- What is The Art of War- The Concept of 'Taking Whole'- Why Should We Care About Preserving Our Opponent?- History of the Art of War- Philosophical Underpinnings of the Text- Seeing Ourselves Clearly- Conflict as a Sign of Interconnection- Leadership and Trusting Those You Lead- Navigating Living Systems- Pushing Round Boulders Down Hill