Commune with Jeff Krasno

Very few of us are free from some form of addiction — alcohol, sugar, sleeping pills, sex, Instagram, co-dependent relationships, the list goes on. Russell points out that all our addictions stem from a common problem: spiritual disconnection. But when we admit we have a problem, believe in real change, accept help from others, and hand over our will and control to a higher power, we can begin to find freedom from our addictions. Furthermore, can the 12-step recovery model be applied to the addictions of our society? Can we collectively recognize a problem, commit to change, undertake a thorough inventory, recognize patterns, and create a culture of service? Today we examine 12-steps from the personal to the communal. Visit onecommune.com/join to watch Russell's online course on Recovery and try Commune Membership free for 14 days. Connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

Today's episode is an excerpt of Sharon Salzberg's Commune course on Compassionate Resilience. Lovingkindness is the common term for what in the Buddhist tradition is called metta. We talk about lovingkindness not in terms of liking somebody or approving of them; rather, lovingkindness is about having this bone-deep recognition that our lives are connected. Visit onecommune.com/join to access the full course and try Commune Membership free for 14 days. Connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

The myth of the separate self underlies our entire civilization, says philosopher and author Charles Eisenstein. This dualistic view of the world pits people against each other and turns nature into something we want to control. But we can choose another story — one of interdependence and connection. By doing so we become able to solve “impossible” problems, from political polarization to global warming. Visit onecommune.com/join to watch Charles' online course, Political Hope, and try Commune Membership free for 14 days. Connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

Today's episode is an excerpt of Marianne Williamson's Commune course on relationships. A miracle happens when you stop thinking with fear and start thinking with love. To establish stronger connections, you need to go into every situation requesting to be an instrument of love. Visit onecommune.com/join to access the full course and try Commune Membership free for 14 days. Connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

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 muses on life lessons he has learned as he turns 50. For more musinsgs and quotes, connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

Sleep affects every system of the body — everything we do, we do better with a good night of sleep. Enter Dr. Michael J. Breus, aka The Sleep Doctor! With a specialty in Sleep Disorders, he is one of only 168 psychologists in the world with his credentials and distinction. Listen in to learn about chronotypes, supplements, and simple hacks to improve the quality of your rest. Get a free 5-day pass to Dr. Breus' Sleep Better course on Commune at onecommune.com/sleep Connect with us on Instagram at @onecommune and @jeffkrasno.

As of this moment, democracy has held. In today’s episode, Jeff explores how the institutions of journalism and the judicial courts withstood an authoritarian assault. While it appears that the election results will be honored, America has a misinformation problem that is stoking extremism and exposing democracy’s fragility. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is best known as a distinguished environmental lawyer and advocate for environmental justice. In recent years, he has been an outspoken critic of Big Pharma, specifically as it pertains to vaccines. Many have dubbed him an “anti-vaxxer,” but he claims to be pro-safe vaccines and contends that vaccines do not undergo sufficient testing. Jeff invited Robert on the podcast to provide a platform for Robert to raise legitimate concerns about vaccination, as the lack of thoughtful discussion on this issue has, in some cases, radicalized the movement. While Jeff may not agree with some of the assertions in this episode, he ultimately decided that the value of sharing another’s opinion in a considered and non-social media context was more valuable than silencing those views. We've gone ad free! Support the Commune podcast here: https://www.onecommune.com/support

When we say, “The nation needs to heal,” what does that actually look like on a personal level? In today’s conversation with yoga teacher Elena Brower, we discuss how to re-grow the roots of civil conversation and connect on a level deeper than our deep-seated political identities. And she shares how she offers understanding and love while not forgoing accountability and justice. We've gone ad free! Support the Commune podcast here: https://www.onecommune.com/support

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 a personal tale of Communion and the need for a national one. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

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 looks at the vote, from a historical, spiritual and moral perspective. How does our vote reflect our higher principles? And what are the attributes we should look for in candidates and policies? To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

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 is the tale of the home birth of Jeff’s middle daughter and underscores the one thing in life that is certain: uncertainty. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Rep. Tim Ryan (D) is the congressman from Ohio’s 13th district and former presidential candidate. He is a daily meditator and the author of A Mindful Nation: How a Simple Practice Can Help Us Reduce Stress, Improve Performance, and Recapture the American Spirit. Ryan is also a proponent of regenerative agriculture as a technique to sequester carbon and revitalize American agriculture. We've gone ad free! Support the Commune podcast here: https://www.onecommune.com/support

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 explores the stages of grief, including the relationship between suffering, purpose, and love. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

Lama Rod Owens is a Buddhist minister, Black activist, and author of Love and Rage: The Path of Liberation through Anger. As he says in this podcast, "Anger is the bodyguard for hurt." Anger wakes us up to what is happening inside ourselves, but it also requires stepping back into a space of reflection before fiercely stepping forward to address the source of our pain. We've gone ad free! Support the Commune podcast here: https://www.onecommune.com/support

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 describes Jeff’s madcap adventure at a wellness conference that led to his contraction of COVID-19. And how we need to step outside the political invective if we hope to solve the crisis of the pandemic. To receive the Commusings newsletter, you can go to onecommune.com and sign up at the bottom of the page.

A native of New Milford, Pennsylvania, author Ash Ambirge often serves as a translator, of sorts, between the languages of “rural America” and “coastal elite America.” In this conversation, Jeff and Ash discuss the hidden human needs behind voters’ embrace of Trump, and how mutual understanding can offer a path to a more productive conversation. You can read Ash’s essays that inspired this podcast at themiddlefingerproject.org. We've gone ad free! Support the Commune podcast here: https://www.onecommune.com/support

Seane Corn is a yoga teacher and passionate political activist who believes social issues cannot be separated from yoga and spirituality. Today we discuss how she is using her platform in an explicitly non-neutral and political manner as well as the emergence of QAnon within the wellness community and her outspoken efforts to dispel it.

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