The Sacred Koi Podcast

Storytelling has long been used as a tool of ancestral power, a way for our people to weave wisdom and values through the simple acts of breath, rhythm, and voice. In this episode, we sit with the concept of ancestral technology—those spiritual tools like prayer and song that are etched into our DNA to help us reach across time and feel ourselves whole again. Our conversation moves through the healing power of communal singing, the somatic depth of music as a portal for memory, and the delicate art of documentary songwriting. We dive into what it looks like to unmask our creative process and protect our energy while holding the weight of others’ truths, ultimately reflecting on the legacy we are seeding for future generations to inherit.Note from the Author: This episode was recorded in the summer of 2025.SHOW NOTES & RESOURCESAbout the Guest:Khalid Taylor is a documentary songwriter, teaching artist, and communal storytelling facilitator. Through his practice, SOL Songs, and his work with Queer Quoir, Joyful Voices, and Reset Outdoors, Khalid helps individuals and communities transform personal stories into healing songs. He currently studies Narrative Medicine at Columbia University and is committed to uplifting the voices of LGBTQ+ folks and people of color through story, sound, and song.Connect with Khalid:* Website: Solsongs.com* Instagram: @sol__songs* Instagram: @queer.quoir* Website: songsthroughtheireyes.com* Instagram: @songsthroughtheireyesAdditional Resources:* Documentary Song Writers* Joyful Voices & Basement Poetry* Reset Outdoors* Study Narrative Medicine at Columbia UniversityTIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro01:29 – Welcome Khalid Taylor03:00 – Discovering the Storyteller Within05:23 - Inherited Voices: Lessons from our Elders13:28 - Piercing the Veil: The Genetic Technology of Prayer and Song21:38 - Vibrational Medicine: From Spiritual Connection to Nervous System Regulation25:25 - The Queer Choir: Transformation Through Collective Sound32:25 - Documentary Songwriting: The Art of Holding Others’ Stories39:14 - Spiritual Stewardship: Maintaining Your Own Personal Well-being while Remaining in Service to Others48:04 - The Stories We Leave: Crafting a Legacy for Future Generations This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredkoipodcast.substack.com

In this episode, I am challenging the rigid binaries that fracture our sense of self and keep us locked in cycles of performative survival. I am uncovering the deep connection between modern gender fluidity, metaphysical principles, and the ancient Yin & Yang philosophy that predates modern physics. By tracing these concepts back to the spiritual foundations of pre-colonial Africa, I find myself also reclaiming a history where gender was understood as a manifestation of energy rather than mere anatomy. This episode is an invitation to move past inherited distortions and find the balance of my own—and perhaps your own—natural rhythm. As you listen, I invite you to reflect on this question: Where in your own life have you been conditioned to overdevelop one energy at the expense of your own wholeness? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments.  SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES RESOURCES: * Memory Held by Land: Inside the Sacred Vodun Forest of Ouidah (Acetheyogi YouTube) * Haliwa-Saponi Tribe* Macaulay, T. B. (1837). A penal code, prepared by the Indian Law Commissioners. J.L. Cox and Son* The Indian Penal Code, Act No. 45 of 1860* Smith, E. W., & Dale, A. M. (1920). The Ila-speaking peoples of Northern Rhodesia. Macmillan and Co. * Signorini, I. (1973). Agɔnwole agyalɛ: The marriage between two persons of the same sex among the Nzema of southwestern Ghana. Journal des Africanistes, 43(1), 187–205. * Amadiume, I. (1987). Male daughters, female husbands: Gender and sex in an African society. Zed Books. * Somé, M. P. (1994). Of water and the spirit: Ritual, magic, and initiation in the life of an African shaman. TarcherPerigee. * Somé, M. P. (1999). The healing wisdom of Africa: Finding life purpose through nature, ritual, and community. TarcherPerigee.* Epprecht, M. (2008). Heterosexual Africa? The history of an idea from the age of exploration to the age of AIDS. Ohio University Press.* Gupta, A. (2006). Section 377 and the dignity of Indian homosexuals. Economic and Political Weekly, 41(46), 4815–4823.* Gaudio, R. P. (2009). Allah made us: Sexual outlaws in an Islamic African city. Wiley-Blackwell.    * Tamale, S. (Ed.). (2011). African sexualities: A reader. Pambazuka Press * Nyanzi, S. (2013). Dismantling reified African culture through localised homosexualities in Uganda. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 15(8), 952–967.* Wang, R. R. (n.d.). Yinyang (Yin-yang). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  00:44 – The They/Them of it all 02:30 – The Diversity of Human Genetics: A Look at Biology vs. Social Constructs  07:48 – What is Sexual Orientation? 11:53 – My Personal Journey 19:19 – My Social Identities 22:15 – Everything is Energy: The Philosophy of Yin & Yang 25:14 – African Traditions: Decolonizing Anti-Gay Colonial Mindsets 27:50 – A Look at Pre-Colonial Africa  30:42 – I Love You  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredkoipodcast.substack.com

When we see Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl, it feels like a massive win for visibility, but it also invites us to look deeper at the tension between being seen and being swallowed by the mainstream. This episode, “Unlearning the Curse of Assimilation,” explores that exact edge—where we stop shrinking ourselves to fit into systems that were never made for us. When I speak of this “curse,” I’m talking about the heavy cost of trading our ancestral wisdom and cultural rhythm for a seat at a table that often demands our silence. This conversation is about breaking those generational patterns and remembering who we were before colonization interrupted our connection to spirit.  Note from the Author: This episode was recorded in the summer of 2025.   SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES About the Guest: Karim Brown is a proud Boricua and longtime Lehigh Valley resident who has navigated the intersection of the Latino and English-speaking communities since 1984. With over 25 years in the educational field, Karim currently serves as a school parent liaison for the Allentown School District, where she bridges connections to ensure every family feels empowered in their journey. Her expertise in restorative practices, family therapy, and trauma-informed care allows her to nurture deep trust, but it’s her commitment to “Framily”—the intentional community she’s built over decades—and her devotion to mindful, heart-centered living that makes her such a grounded guide. Whether she’s leading Title I initiatives or finding joy in nature with her Great Danes, Rose and Scooby, Karim embodies what it means to live with purpose. Together, we explore how to reclaim our breath, resist cultural erasure, and return to the wisdom that has always lived in our bloodlines.   Connect with Karim: * TikTok: @KarimBrown77 * Instagram: @KarimBrown5513  References & Inspiration: * Brown, K. M. (2020, June 29). Embracing ancestral mindfulness. Shanthi Project. https://www.shanthiproject.org/post/embracing-ancestral-mindfulness  * Frey, W. H. (2018). The US will become ‘minority white’ in 2045, Census Bureau projects. Brookings Institution. - https://bit.ly/4bZBPgu  * U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Projections of the size and composition of the U.S. population: 2020 to 2060 (Report No. P25-1144). U.S. Department of Commerce. -  https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/p25-1144.html    TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Intro  01:23 - Welcome Karim Brown   03:00 - Culture Shock: Moving from Puerto Rico to rural Pennsylvania, USA   06:37 - Decolonizing Mindfulness: Shifting perspective from something ‘white’ to something ancestral and cultural   13:50 - Unlearning Trauma (Resmaa Menakem quote)   17:16 - What it means to practice healthy selfishness   19:19 - Mindfulness as a form of resistance against systems that devalue our rest  25:29 - How colonial systems have distorted our relationship to time  32:37 - The Puerto Rican flag was once illegal   34:10 - America is projected to be a Majority POC nation by 2040!  39:57 - Conscious reconnection to Puerto Rican ancestral wisdom   45:28 - Outro  This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredkoipodcast.substack.com

This episode centers homecoming as the process of finding ourselves again after survival required us to adapt. A return to the body, to ancestral knowing, and to a deeper sense of belonging within ourselves.Rooted in Afrocentric thought and Buddhist teachings, this space explores healing through embodiment, spiritual awareness, and the lived experience of Black identity across the diaspora. This episode speaks to collective healing, decolonization, and reconnecting with the body as a source of wisdom.Through this lens, pleasure becomes a gateway—an opening into self-trust, emotional healing, sexual wellness, and spiritual alignment. This is a return to self, a reconnection to ancestral memory, and a pathway toward Black joy, liberation, and wholeness.SHOW NOTES & RESOURCES Join the Inner Circle: While you can listen on any platform, the heart of this journey lives on Substack. This is my primary home for sharing deeper archives, engaging in community dialogue, and offering resources that aren’t available anywhere else. 👉🏾 Subscribe to the FREE Sacred Koi Podcast Substack at https://sacredkoipodcast.substack.com/welcome Connect with Me:* Instagram: @sacredkoipodcast or @acetheyogi* Website: https://acetheyogi.comReferences & Inspiration:* The Black Joy Project: Founded by Kleaver Cruz - https://kleavercruz.com/the-black-joy-project/* Lineage: Teachings of the Shangpa Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism - https://www.kauaidharma.org/TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro00:44 - Why ‘Homecoming’ is the first step02:02 - Why the name ‘Sacred Koi’?04:09 - Who Am I?06:49 - The Compass08:40 - Reclaiming Joy & Pleasure13:26 - The Road Ahead This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredkoipodcast.substack.com