The Tenderness Revolution

In this podcast episode, author and poet Katie Colombus speaks to the Tenderness Revolution about the art of truly listening and her volunteer work with the U.K.-based charity, the Samartians. "Listening helps us be there for others, to support them in tough times, and to strengthen our relationships with partners, family, friends and colleagues. From opening up a conversation with someone who might be struggling, to how to use gentle encouragement to help others share their stories, How to Listen demonstrates the power of listening without judgement and draws on the extensive experience of Samaritans in offering practical advice to apply to your own life," according to her book description. Her book contains useful tips from trained Samaritans on how to talk and address the emotions that are deep down within us. Read more about her book here. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram. The show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry edited and produced this episode.

April Stearns was 35 years old when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, shortly after having her daughter. Through the traumatic events that shaped her life since cancer, she found escape in storytelling, not just her own story; but being an avenue for other women "too young" to get breast cancer.Four years later, April launched Wildfire Magazine, a publication specifically written by and for women in similar circumstances. In this episode, April talks honestly and openly about the emotions she experienced after her cancer diagnosis; guilt, fear, grief, and the unpredictability that comes once one enters "cancerland." Cancer has fundamentally changed April's life, and she is not afraid to talk about all the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with such a life-changing diagnosis. You can follow her on Instagram.The show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry edited and produced this episode.

Allie Bailey is a British ultra-marathon runner. She has been hailed as an "inspirational female adventurer" by the Guardian newspaper. Whether she is running across Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia, crossing the Namib Desert, running the full length of the Panama Canal, or crossing Scotland on Packraft and foot, she is always doing something remarkable. She is also the founder of Ultra Awesome, co-presenter for the Bad Boy Running Podcast, and Ambassador and presenter for The National Running Show. She is also a sponsored athlete for Beta Running (Injini, Ultimate Direction, and Katoola) and 2XU. Allie puts it best on her website, "Ultimately the thing I am most proud of is inspiring other people to get out and discover how brilliant they can be and how brilliant the world around them is. I’m not superwoman or a professional athlete. I’m someone that has struggled to find where they fit and that suffers (like a lot of people) with depressive demons, anxiety and existential misery. That fades when I am out doing what I do best with people that I can see are changing their lives. That is so, so special. And I am so lucky to be able to do it for a living."You can follow her on Instagram.This episode was edited and produced by the show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry.

Michelle Becker is a licensed marriage and family therapist and mindful self-compassion teacher who knows that human beings thrive in healthy, well-connected relationships. Yet, that’s not always our experience. She also recognized that most of us are underdeveloped in skills that are fundamental to those relationships – compassion, and wisdom. She founded Wise Compassion with the bold intention of changing the way we relate to each other. Through workshops, keynotes, podcasts, live events, and online education, Michelle shares the knowledge and tools required for people to relate to each other better.You can follow her work on Facebook and on Instagram.This episode was edited and produced by the show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry.

British writer, TV, stage, and voice-over actress, Miranda Keeling has done a remarkable thing. By stopping to notice all sorts of things: amazing moments that happen around all of us every day, she's started a conversation about presence. About how, if we all observe each other a bit more in day-to-day life, we can have a remarkable impact on our capacity for empathy, our ability to connect, and our appreciation of the world around us. It's so simple yet so profound.Her brand new book The Year I Stopped to Notice was published by Icon Books on March 17th, 2022. Her work has been published in 100 Voices by Unbound, METRO, Waltham Forest Echo, Positive News, The Scotsman, Reader's Digest, short story, 'Alouette" in Gains and Losses by Barbican Press, miniature play ‘Bulldog’ for Uncommon Nonsense, Royal Court, 'Panphobia' at Stratford Circus Theatre, 'The Carbon Footprint Detective Agency' at the Arcola.You can follow her on Twitter and on Instagram.This episode was edited and produced by the show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry.

International bestselling author and spiritual teacher, Mark Nepo, exudes deep wisdom and a calm presence that's rare in our world.During this conversation, Mark describes the immense pain and suffering that he experienced in his 30s while battling a rare form of cancer that spread to his brain. Despite feeling like he'd been pushed to his absolute limits - both physically and mentally - Mark says the experience lead to the philosophy that he's known for today. Which is about having the courage to surrender to an unknowable future. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1951, Mark Nepo is the author of more than twenty books, including the New York Times number one bestseller, The Book of Awakening, which has sold more than a million copies. A renowned speaker, poet, and spiritual teacher, Mark has appeared several times on Oprah Winfrey's show, SuperSoul Sunday, and was chosen as one of her SuperSoul100, a group of inspired leaders using their gifts and voices to elevate humanity, who Oprah has described as the world's biggest trailblazers.  Visit Mark's website here for information about upcoming events. Find him on instagram @mark_nepo. You can purchase Mark's latest book The Book of Soul: 52 Paths to Living What Matters, hereThis episode was edited and produced by the show's launch co-creator and producer Aisha Chowdhry.