Commune with Jeff Krasno

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today’s episode beckons us to find a middle way between the extremes that are dominating the social discourse while also providing a little comic relief after another frenetic week in America. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Judge Vaughn R. Walker served as a U.S. District Judge from 1989 to 2011, and while he was nominated by two Republican presidents, he also presided over many progressive decisions, including the case that paved the way for the legalization of gay marriage. Today’s show is part civics lesson and part reassurance in the resilience of our democratic institutions. We discuss the court as a remaining bastion for thoughtful discourse, and, of course, the impact of Justice Ginsburg’s death on the future of the Supreme Court.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today’s episode, inspired by a recent addition to the Krasno family, is called Small Is Beautiful. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Jules Evans is a prolific philosopher who writes on a wide variety of topics from stoicism and cognitive behavioral therapy to Artisotle and ayahuasca. Today’s conversation touches on the weaponization of social media, the need for real in-person community, the counterculture sparked by Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, and Krishnamurti, and the surprising affinity many Nazis had for the occult, alternative medicine, and biodynamic farming.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today’s episode, inspired by the recent documentary, The Social Dilemma, focuses on the impacts of social media usage from loneliness and depression to social polarization and extremism. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

This week, Jeff interviews the hosts of the Conspirituality podcast – Derek Beres, Julian Walker, and Matthew Remski – on the white nationalist and anti-Semitic origins of the QAnon movement and how it uses the heart-wrenching issue of child sex trafficking as a recruitment tool. The conversation also covers how weaponized misinformation on social media is creating extremism and how we can support and talk with friends and colleagues who may be influenced by misleading content.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today’s episode focuses on income inequality, distributive justice, and John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance.” To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

During this summer of reckoning on social justice, Justin Michael Willams took a step back from his social media and realized that in the flood of traumatizing news we were losing our ability to see a future bigger than our circumstances. So he wrote a long article titled Ending Racism: How to Change the World in One Generation. In this episode, he discusses that hopeful piece and reminds us to be ready for our solutions to actually work. You can read Justin’s article at EndingRacismTogether.com

School psychologist and conscious parenting author Dr. Rebecca Branstetter has some advice for you in today's podcast: You are not homeschooling your child. You are supporting your child with distance learning during a global pandemic. You are not working from home. You are working at your home during a global pandemic. This mindset shift (along with many others she offers in this interview) invites parents to focus on what's most important right now — connection with your kids.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we discuss America’s demographic future and how VP candidate Kamala Harris is a bridge to an evolving multi-racial and secular nation. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

In her early 20’s Sophia Amoruso launched an eBay store selling vintage clothing. A few years later, Nasty Gal skyrocketed to $100 million in revenue and Sophia found herself (for better or worse) as an icon of female entrepreneurship. In this episode, Jeff and Sophia discuss the triumphs and travails of rising in the business world and how to avoid many of the pitfalls new business owners stumble into. To take Sophia’s new Commune course, Finding Business Clarity, for free, go to onecommune.com/clarity.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we discover a debate technique called Steelmanning which is not only useful for public discourse but also serves as a potent personal development tool. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Self-compassion is a muscle we have to remind ourselves to flex, and Sharon Salzberg is one of the most experienced trainers for that exercise. In this episode, Jeff sits down with Sharon to discuss faith, resilience, joy, and community — all in the face of great adversity. Visit onecommune.com/join to watch Sharon’s online course, Compassionate Resilience, and try Commune Membership free for 14 days.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we discuss the over-consumption of sugar and its correlation to escalating rates of obesity, diabetes and COVID-19 fatalities. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

The word “love” spurs a sense of excitement and wonder, while “commitment” feels weighted by social pressure, monogamy, and laundry lists. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, Jeff and Schuyler muse about their 25th wedding anniversary and visit their friends Dave and Erin Kennedy, a polyamorous couple whose views on love, commitment, and sex offer a radically different view of long-term partnership.

The silhouette of Colin Kaepernick is ubiquitous. Stenciled on sidewalks and spray painted on boarded-up businesses, the image of Kaepernick has become an unmistakable icon of racial justice. Because his image has been claimed by both conservative and progressive media, it’s easy to forget what he was asking for in the first place. In this episode, we dive into an account of Kaepernick’s protest, what motivated him to take a knee, and the alarm bell he was sounding.

Is forgiveness a gift you give... yourself? Dr. Robert Enright, founder of the International Forgiveness Institute, shares facts that will shift your perspective, and hear one incredible woman tell her true story of forgiving the unforgivable. Learn more about Commune courses and events at onecommune.com.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we compliment our episode with Kate Nelson, the plastic-free mermaid, to talk about our possessions and how we feel about them. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

While going to college in Santa Barbara, California - Kate Nelson looked around in the middle of a party at the sea of Red Solo cups half filled with beer and thought that there must be another option. After venturing out into the Great Pacific Trash Gyre, volunteering at Jean Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society, and becoming non-reliant on disposable plastic for over 10 years now, Kate Nelson is a Plastic-Free Mermaid.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we trace the decay of trust in science and journalism and discuss how individual citizens can help maintain the cohesion of society. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Our society's war of narratives is preventing us from having thoughtful, meaningful conversations around a shared goal. How did we get here? And how can we hope to agree on conclusions if we also disagree on what counts as valid evidence?

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, we get metaphysical, with one of the most basic questions of all... To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

As humans, we often struggle to express our emotional realm, which can feel confusing, shadowy, and private. But words are vessels for emotions, and poetry can help us understand why we feel the way we feel — something science struggles to explain. In this episode, poet Jacqueline Suskin discusses the relevance and power of poetry for this moment in time, and how writing teaches us to find healing and hope in our lived experiences.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, he shares his thoughts on Independence Day in the United States and the relationship between independence and interdependence. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

We have to change the paradigm of what it means to be a man in our society. For so long, the ideal man was someone who suppressed his emotions, never showing that side of him to the world. But what has internalizing these values led to? A loneliness epidemic, addiction, grief, and suffering. Today, we explore the archetypal characteristics of maleness, mass incarceration, how the BLM movement is different from past civil rights movements, and what one group is doing to bring men together to be vulnerable with each other and cultivate other aspects of humanity.

When COVID-19 swept through her community, Shelly Tygielski had a simple idea: Connect people who can give directly with those in need. Within days her Pandemic of Love went viral, resulting in more than 187,000 matches and over $25.1 million in direct transactions. And as she reveals, these one-to-one acts of charity offer so much more than financial support — they re-instill our faith in each other.

Today, in honor of Father’s Day, I share with you a piece entitled Finding Fatherhood. This episode is dedicated to my loving father.

Our approach to dying is a reflection of how we think about so many other different parts of our life, which for many of us is based on fear. Though death is the only thing we are guaranteed in this life, the associated grief, loss, and loneliness are human emotions we often tend to avoid. At times, these thoughts cause us to have a fear of life, we stop living because we're so afraid of dying. In today's episode, Ann Grant shares her thoughts on death, reflecting on how the death of her mother shaped her views on dying and how our thoughts on death have changed.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy, and culture. Today, he shares his thoughts after attending a recent Black Lives Matter march in Hollywood with his family. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Jeralyn Glass has dedicated her life to healing through sound, and plays her crystal singing bowls in a wide range of venues, from concert halls to cancer centers. However, this is not remotely where Jeralyn’s career started. Today’s podcast is her story.

Each week Jeff has been writing a Sunday article called Commusings where we take a moment to think deeply on the topics of spirituality, philosophy and culture. Today, he shares the piece we published in the days after the murder of George Floyd.

What's different this time? Today, African-American community leader Anasa Troutman discusses race relations in America, and how the pandemic, unemployment, and systemic police brutality led to a breaking point. What does leadership look like in this moment? And amidst the suffering, is there hope? To hear more from Anasa, you can also listen to her TEDTalk here: http://www.anasatroutman.com/tedtalk

The global pandemic conscripts a different type of soldier, wearing a different sort of uniform. Dubbed "essential workers," they fight an invisible enemy that cannot be slain, only grimly flattened. This podcast is in recognition of their service, and includes an interview with an essential worker very close to home.

India.Arie is a prolific singer-songwriter and the winner of 4 Grammy awards, but today on the show we talk about a different dimension of her life that has always been quietly present — her spirituality. What turns a simple object into a meaningful heirloom? How can we tap into the power of ritual to create transcendent art? Check out India.Arie's new music video, shot right here at Commune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWsfL2eI5ns

When you fly over a city and see all those backyard swimming pools and barbecues, do you ever wonder: What if we shared more resources? What if we had passionate conversations with people next door rather than someone on social media a thousand miles away? In this episode, Robert O'Neill, founder of Haven Coliving, shares his vision for small urban communities and a return to real human interaction.

Raised by a shaman in New York City and signed to Sony Records at 19, Biet's life has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, clarity and addiction. Now dubbed the “Lady Gaga of Meditation,” her approach to spirituality is pragmatic and practical: You will find enlightenment within your life's circumstances, and nowhere else. It's not about changing the facts of your life, but working with and within them.

Like a reef or rainforest, what we call a human is actually a multispecies superorganism — technically a "holobiont." We evolved to exist with our microbes and the microbiomes of others. Breast milk co-evolved to feed the growing garden in an infant's gut. We exchange microbes when we hug and kiss or have a pet in the house. Today, Ara Katz, co-founder of Seed, talks about the importance of microbes and how they can impact the health of our bodies, our children, and our planet. To learn more from Ara and Seed, check out their Instagram channel at instagram.com/seed or visit seed.com.

None of us imagined motherhood under these conditions. Some of us are essential workers navigating front-line jobs, but most of us are now stay-at-home moms, our careers vying with our kids for breathing room. Schuyler Grant hosts today's Mother's Day episode where she, along with other mothers, reflect on what it means to be a mom in this moment.

Capitalism bombards us with the message, “You’re not enough, but to compensate we're going to sell you a product.” This gets particularly dangerous when the products are pills and medical devices, and in particular, hormonal birth control. Today, Allison Behringer, creator of the Bodies podcast, shares her personal story with "the pill" and discusses how the -isms (sexism, racism, and capitalism) cause problems in modern medicine.

Is your personal narrative true? Or do you manipulate and aggregate past phenomena to support your current story? Today, Nick Ortner, CEO of The Tapping Solution, talks about how the simple technique of tapping can powerfully address fear and anxiety and aid the process of healing. Plus, experience a short tapping session!

Our patterns of behavior are often rooted in our lack of self-worth. When there is something wrong on the inside, our instinct is to look for external agents to deal with those issues. However, radiance only comes from self-reflection. In today's episode, Danielle LaPorte discusses the importance of introspection, as it allows us to forgive, better understand our stories, and reach a place where we accept our enoughness.

What is the new world story that will spin out of our situation? Meditation doesn’t necessarily lead to a passive life — it can also encourage an active one. Today, author and recording artist Justin Michael Williams talks about how meditation helps us quiet the mind and rest in gratitude while becoming engaged members in our community. Together, we can be part of the solution.

If ever there was an opportunity to introduce a more local way of life, one not engineered for corporate globalism, it is now. Today’s guest is the founder and director of Local Futures, Helena Norberg-Hodge, who discusses how we can address some of the world's most salient issues, from global warming to income inequality, through localization. Yes, we CAN create sustainable local economies that don't require exploitation of anonymous workers and the desecration of the planet.

Why are so many of us sick when we value health? The American way of processing and marketing food is spreading. All over the world waistlines are expanding, hospitals are filling up, and people are getting sick with chronic illnesses. In the time of COVID-19, our health is becoming more important than ever before. Today, we talk about the relationships between immunity and a healthy diet, regenerative agriculture, localization, and how Ocean’s unique family history shaped his life’s work.

When information overloads us, we need a reset. But how do we really surrender and let go of so much thinking? Today, Tracee discusses how Yoga Nidra can help us quiet the mind, unwind and understand our stories, and ultimately reach a place of discernment and clarity. This podcast made possible by: Better Help Magic Spoon

In today’s episode, Dr. Mark Hyman shares a wide range of options for boosting your immune system — from food groups and supplements to practices and rituals. He and Jeff also delve into food policy, environmentalism, and how the pandemic may impact our approach to health moving forward.

Spending quality time with our own minds can be terrifying for our socially oriented species, and yet here we all are, home alone with thoughts for company. Fortunately, we have a technology for that (albeit an old one) — meditation. Today, meditation teacher Light Watkins shares his pragmatic approach to our modern, quarantined life.

Eventually this crisis will end, and at that point we have an opportunity to rewrite the story of humanity. Will we use this pause in business-as-usual to reassess consumerism, globalism, and how we define a well-lived life? Or will we scurry back to business as usual? That's up to us. If you have any thoughts feel free to email me at [email protected]. For now, stay centered. Follow the science. Don’t succumb to fear. And spread knowledge, not the virus.

The spread of the coronavirus reflects our inter-connectivity, starkly highlighting our intertwined destiny and common humanity. We are not just individuals living among other individuals acting in our own self-interest. We are connected by a power greater than ourselves.

In-Q is a national poetry slam champion, multi-platinum songwriter and jaw-dropping performer with an incredible talent for weaving sound, rhythm, and insight. In this episode, In-Q offers spiritual lessons with hip hop grit in turns of phrase that incite tears, laughter, and epiphany.