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Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast

by Kristen Vandivier

What does it take to really create change–the kind that helps us work together as human beings for one another and for the planet? We believe the change we all wish to see in the world first needs to happen within. In this podcast, Kristen Vandivier and Isabel Keoseyan ­– co-founders of Meditation Without Borders – and their guests share laughs, stories and insights into the movement of meditation for social change. Read more about us and sign up our newsletter here: https://www.meditationwithoutborders.net/being-the-change-podcast

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Episodes

  1. Teach a Girl, Uplift the World with Habiba Mohammed and Maryam Albashir of the Centre for Girls Education in Nigeria

    It’s hard to imagine in the western world, but in Nigeria, girls as young as ten are married and four out of every ten girls are married before the age of eighteen, eight out of ten in the northern region. When a girl is forced into marriage, sometimes to a man old enough to be her grandfather…

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  2. Bringing Love and Healing to Israel with Nechama Shaina

    With all eyes on the conflict in Isreal, Lebanon and Gaza, it can be easy to sink into despair witnessing the endless stream of news stories of violence and devastation. However, there are some who are like lights in the darkness, spreading peace and love at the center of the strife. We are so...

  3. The Feminine is Power

    Recorded October 2024 While it seems like the patriarchy is at its peak and brutality is rampant around the world, it can feel like we’re all tumbling towards darkness. However, when we take a wider view, we see that there is a larger movement at play, and there is hope of a phoenix rising from…

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  4. Mood Making and Authenticity

    You’ve seen them, people trying too hard, taking themselves too seriously, putting on a show, straining to appear of a higher status or consciousness state or social status than maybe they are. Perhaps you have caught yourself giving off an impression as opposed to just being your sweet but...

  5. The Man Behind "Be Here Nowra" with Barron Hanson

    Meditation is a solitary practice right? Not necessarily. Our latest guest on our podcast is not only creating community through this individual practice, he is also pioneering a study on the effect of deep meditation on the collective consciousness. We are delighted to have Barron Hanson on our...

  6. A Story of Survival and Recovery with Odette Nyiramilimo

    It is hard to imagine violence on the scale that occurred 30 years ago this spring in Rwanda. But for our guest, Odette Nyiramilimo, she doesn’t have to imagine, she can remember. We are so honored to have Odette on our podcast. She is not only a medical doctor who with her husband founded the...

  7. Raising Up Women, Raising Up Rwanda with Mary Balikungeri of the Rwanda Women's Network

    Thirty years ago, the world stood by as over 800,000 people were brutally killed in Rwanda over a period of three and a half months. The aftermath seemed insurmountable, yet today, Rwanda stands as one of Africa's safest destinations, boasting a stable political environment. This remarkable...

  8. Bringing Peace to the Middle East

    The world has been a witness to one of the deadliest conflicts in recent memory this fall with the Isreali/Palestinian conflict, and so many of us are feeling an urgency to help with no clear direction as to how. In this episode, we interview our colleagues, David Lahav and Emily McCarthy, two...

  9. Spiritual Ambition

    We’re taught from when we are little to be ambitious in order to achieve what we want, but what if what we want is to strive for something that is already within us, enlightenment? In a teaching that expounds not looking to the future for happiness, where does something like ambition fit into…

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  10. Revealing the Luminous Self

    Two years ago, we spoke with Tracee Stanley, founder of the Empowered Life Circle, about her book "Radiant Rest," and it was one of the most memorable interviews we’ve hosted on this podcast. We are honored to have her on again to talk about her new book, "The Luminous Self," which comes out in...

  11. You Deserve the Best

    You deserve the best. Never feel unworthy or not justified in having the best. I tell you, this is your heritage; but, you have to accept it. You have to expect it; you have to claim it. To do so is not demanding too much. These powerful words come from Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, better known…

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  12. Have Meditation, Will Travel with Théo Burkhardt

    As teachers of meditation, we’re always talking about the journey inward. But what about the outer journey, is there a spiritual value in traveling the world? In this episode, we have a delightful conversation with fellow Vedic Meditation teacher and avid world traveler Théo Burkhardt about why…

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  13. A Beautiful Life: In Memory of Nicole McCracken

    This is a very special episode where we honor the memory of Nicole LeVeck McCracken who dropped her body this past September after a long battle with cancer. Nicole was a Vedic meditator on her way to becoming a teacher of the practice she loved so dearly as well as an Alcoholics Anonymous…

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  14. Light in the Jungle with Rachel Hogan of Ape Action Africa

    It’s no secret that our lack of awareness as a society is doing great harm to the planet as well as all of its creatures. In this episode, we are thrilled to speak with one of those who are holding back the tide of destruction, Rachel Hogan, director of Ape Action Africa. Rachel has devoted the...

  15. The Light Inside with Joh Jarvis

    Meditation is all about letting the light in. In this episode, we speak with Joh Jarvis, Vedic Meditation teacher and founder of the Light Inside, who is on a mission to let the light find its way into prisons and jails. Joh talks about what it was like teaching men in maximum security at Rikers...

  16. What Holds You Back Can Set You Free

    There is one constant in the human condition and that is the desire for growth. However, we all have these different issues, habits, or patterns that seem to hold us back and keep us from living life to the fullest. But what if it were those very traits that held the secret to our evolution? In...

  17. Setting and Dissolving Boundaries

    Boundaries are a fascinating subject because according to the Vedas, they don’t really exist. When we want to manifest, boundaries are created, when we want to unify, boundaries are dissolved. What that looks like in our own lives is setting healthy personal boundaries while at the same time...

  18. Everyone is on a Spiritual Path

    There are some that proudly proclaim they are on a spiritual path while others want nothing to do with it. However, spirituality is not something you can be "into" or not, everything is spirit. We are all devoted something, the question is what do you worship? What is getting the bulk of your...

  19. Feeling Helpless to Help

    Every day the news seems to get worse and worse. The sense of urgency builds and yet for most of us ordinary people who live thousands of miles away, we feel helpless. In this episode, Kristen and Isabel confront their own moments of helplessness in the face of global tragedy and discuss how...

  20. Letting Go of Resistance

    So much of what we want out of life does not require more effort and struggle, we simply have to stop resisting and allow what already is. As they say, “what we resist persists.” But how do we learn to let go and simply relax and enjoy? In this episode, Kristen and Isabel examine the root causes...

  21. New Year's Orientations

    If you had to pick a word to describe how you want to experience this new year, what would it be? 2022 seems to have us all cautiously optimistic. While we’re all still licking our wounds from the last two years, we also seem to be eager to make the most of what’s to come, hence New Year’s...

  22. Navigating Holiday Family Drama

    There’s that famous quote by Ram Dass, “If you think you’re enlightened, go spend a week with your family.” It is an almost universal condition that spending time with family at the holidays can be triggering like little else, even for avid meditators. In this episode, Isabel and Kristen explore...

  23. The Line Between Loneliness and Solitude

    These past couple years, it could be argued that loneliness is like a second epidemic. And with the holidays coming up, feelings of isolation are intensified. But being alone does not necessarily cause loneliness. In this episode, Isabel and Kristen look at the line between loneliness and…

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  24. Freedom Behind Bars with Saskia Niño de Rivera

    There are those among us who are shining light in the darkest of dark places. In this episode, we speak with Saskia Niño de Rivera, who is basically a one-woman revolution to reform the Mexican penal system. Through her organization, Reinserta, Saskia works with kidnappers, incarcerated mothers…

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  25. The Birth of a Mother with Jess Osie

    When we become a mother, we take on an ancient role that extends far beyond simply feeding and clothing our children. In this episode, we speak with our good friend and colleague Jess Osie, Vedic Meditation teacher and the founder of the Vedic Mamas Circle, a group she created specifically to...

  26. Spreading Inspiration with Light Watkins

    Merriam-Webster’s definition of inspiration is “to move or guide by divine influence.” This episode, we are talking to someone who embodies this more than anyone else we know, and has literally wrote the book on it. We’re talking about our friend and colleague Light Watkins (@lightwatkins). If…

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  27. Overcoming Spiritual Passivity

    To be a spiritual person does not give us a free pass to remove ourselves from the need of the times. On the flip side of that, to be an activist does not mean you have to be angry. In this episode, Isabel and Kristen explore how enjoy fulfillment where everything is experienced as One and…

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  28. Grieving the Youngest Losses

    IN MEMORY OF ARTEMIS VANDIVIER, LOST 7/11/21 Like a night sky of stars, the memories of babies who lost their lives as they began shine in the hearts of countless mothers and fathers. Yet it’s not talked about much, and for so many parents, grief walks with them wherever they go. This is a...

  29. The Power of Radiant Rest with Tracee Stanley

    We live in world that glorifies busy-ness and the never-ending pursuit of “more.” Our guest reminds us all that we need to go in the other direction, in the direction of rest, in order to experience fulfillment. We are honored to have Tracee Stanley, renowned teacher of yoga nidra and meditation...

  30. Spiritual Gaslighting

    The term spiritual gaslighting, also known as spiritual bypassing, has been increasingly in the public consciousness, but it’s not always clear when teachings such as “everything happens for all reasons” or “everything is one,” do more harm than good in the listener if their lived experience…

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  31. Selflessness and Meditation

    If you’ve been accused of being “selfish” for your meditation practice, you wouldn’t be the first. Some people think going within when there is so much that needs doing outside is self-indulgent, or they have expectations for your actions and can’t stand to see you do “nothing.” Usually these...

  32. Identifying the Need of the Times

    For all of us, there is always one most evolutionary action at any given time. An action that is both the most progressive for our individual growth and the growth of everyone else. But how do we know what that action is? In this episode, Kristen and Isabel explain how, through intuition and...

  33. Connecting Through Relatability

    The wellness world has gotten caught up in the trend of putting forth an unrealistic, “aspirational” image as a way of selling itself. This type of inauthenticity, however, can be separating, with an undercurrent of “you are lacking” in the messaging. Turns out relatability is critical to...

  34. The Power of the Present

    Everyone’s heard the command, “Be present,” but how do you maintain presence for more than a few seconds? Turns out presence comes from Being, so it just is. It cannot be forced but is the natural result of consistent meditation practice. However, there are some strategies you can employ in the...

  35. Healing from the Inside Out

    When illness or injury strikes, we tend to turn on ourselves. We get frustrated with our bodies, frustrated with the “set back” and we direct all that negativity towards ourselves. It seems the world and almost everyone in it is in need of some deep healing, but we have to relearn how to heal.…

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  36. What It Really Means to Be Well

    We have lost our sense of what it means to be really and truly well. Even those in the “wellness” industry often push body ideals and routines that are not healthy for everyone. We are thrilled to have Rana Haddadin (@ranayu_1) as our guest, who, with her husband Rodrigo de la Barrera, founded...

  37. It's Not All Happy, But It is All Beautiful

    We can get stuck in this idea that we are supposed to be happy all the time and when we aren’t happy, we want to just fast forward through whatever we are experiencing. But while not all situations are happy–for example there are times of loss and struggle and transformation–they are all part of...

  38. How Ayurveda Can Help the World

    Ayurveda is riding a wave of popularity, but while most think of it as a dietary system or self-care regime, Ayurveda is so much bigger than that. Dylan Smith, the founder of Vital Veda and one of the world’s foremost Ayurvedic practitioners talks to us about how to find balance with nature…

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  39. Why So Serious?

    When did everything get to be so serious? Granted, it’s been a heavy year, it really has, and finding the path back to a light-hearted way of life can be pretty obscured in the midst of everything that’s been going on. And isn’t it insensitive to experience joy with so much suffering is going on…

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  40. How to Love in a Time of Hate

    It's hard to remember a time of greater division and hatred, and we are all suffering under its weight. Unity seems impossible as the political chasm widens not only in the US but across the world. Love is the answer, but how do you love someone who oppresses you or others? Is loving certain…

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  41. Living Unbounded

    This week’s podcast is all about Karma. Not the definition that’s popular in the West which is more like a “what goes around comes around” kind of thing, but the true definition of Karma which is action that binds. After this past year of massive global Karmic events, it can feel like the walls…

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  42. Healing Sexual Trauma

    It’s a topic that’s not broached often, but is a powerful undercurrent in the lives of many people, especially women. What if there was a way to change your consciousness so that sexual trauma is not limiting you but becomes a point of connection with others that can lead you to your purpose? In...

  43. In the Darkness, We Wake Up

    The world is in a pretty dark place right now, it’s hard to deny, and it has people searching for an answer. What if there was a way to find light in this darkness? What if it was the darkness itself that caused the awakening? In this episode, we talk about spiritual epiphanies and how they are...

  44. Taking On Polarization

    It seems like the only thing we can all agree on nowadays is that we are living in a time of extreme polarization. And the lines of division are across almost every sphere of life: political, racial, generational, Covid safety, economic, whether see a blue or a gold dress? What got us to this...

  45. Enlightened Enterprise

    How do you scale wisdom? Cory Smith, serial social entrepreneur and CEO/co-founder of Wisdom Labs is on a mission to find out, and we are lucky enough to have him on our podcast. He started Wisdom Labs with the belief that business is a force for social change and it starts with our behaviors at...

  46. In the Name of Freedom

    Whole nations have been formed and wars have been fought in the name of this concept we call freedom. But what is freedom? Is it doing whatever we want to do, whenever we want to do it, following one desire after the next in search of fulfillment? What about a free society, what happens when your...

  47. Mixing Altruism and Capitalism

    There are some people who dedicate their lives to helping others and then there’s Alejandro Souza, social entrepreneur, author, and founder of Pixza, a social development platform disguised as a pizzeria supporting previously homeless young adults, as well as other innovative projects for social...

  48. Nurturing Relationships

    Nothing occupies our minds or influences our decisions more than our relationships. In this episode, Isabel and Kristen dive deep into the mechanics of what is needed for a successful alliance and how these connections are the foundation for how our greater society functions. Tune in to learn the...

  49. Clowning Como Cambio Social (en español)

    La risa, la felicidad, la empatía, el amor y el llamado a crear un cambio social. En este episodio, Isabel entrevista a nuestro invitado muy especial, Andrés Aguilar. Andrés Aguilar es un payaso, showman, artista, músico, emprendedor, líder social y fundador de Risaterapia, una organización sin...

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

What does it take to really create change–the kind that helps us work together as human beings for one another and for the planet? We believe the change we all wish to see in the world first needs to happen within. In this podcast, Kristen Vandivier and Isabel Keoseyan ­– co-founders of Meditation Without Borders – and their guests share laughs, stories and insights into the movement of meditation for social change. Read more about us and sign up our newsletter here: https://www.meditationwithoutborders.net/being-the-change-podcast

HOSTED BY

Kristen Vandivier

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast have?

Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast currently has 53 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast about?

What does it take to really create change–the kind that helps us work together as human beings for one another and for the planet? We believe the change we all wish to see in the world first needs to happen within. In this podcast, Kristen Vandivier and Isabel Keoseyan ­– co-founders of Meditation...

How often does Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast release new episodes?

Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast has 53 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

Where can I listen to Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast?

You can listen to Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast?

Meditation Without Borders – Being the Change Podcast is created and hosted by Kristen Vandivier.
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