Candice is back on the main feed, asking for help as she deconstructs the striking overlap between cult dynamics and colonial harm. Inspired by the work of BIPOC educators and anti-racism activists, she explores how social location factors into collective cult recovery. Then, artist, activist, and educator, Aleyah-Erin Lennon joins Candice for the first half of a two-part conversation that explores what it might mean, if we, as white women in...
I have more to say on the heels of yesterday's post, because I'm receiving more questions - mostly from folks who are new to the 'cult'ure series... asking me, but WHY is the cult label even necessary? As I said yesterday, I agree that labeling can be a distraction and stand committed to keeping the focus on accountability. AND ALSO.... When is the onus no longer on victims to protect those who cause harm from feeling defensive and upset by the...
My choice to use the word 'CULT' scares some people away from the work I do on & off the pod. So why do I continue to use it? Because it's the right word. For years, when I was involved in wellness 'cult'ures where shady shit was going down... I would on occasion, google the word 'cult' and scan the clickbait criteria, my heart pounding all the while. I was desperately on the hunt for ANY evidence to assuage my anxiety. I'd breeze past many...
Candice is back with another solo episode, this time asking some big questions: What is gaslighting & why is it such a thing? Why are so many people allergic to the word victim? And is spiritual dogma getting in the way of relational accountability? The episode opens with a peek into Conspirituality - and a new book by the same name - leading into an exploration of spiritual supremacy and how/why social stigmas around victimhood have...
dd #21 | A Humble-Pie Reminder re: Scope of PracticeMonica Welty & I exchange text messages from time to time, and a couple of weeks ago we were on fire... sending audio messages back and forth while laughing our arrogant and indoctrinated asses off.We'd been listening to episodes of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast. Specifically, two episodes - Don't Tell Glennon To Love Her Body and a follow-up to it with Dr. Hillary McBride... and we had...
Part 2 | Making Room: Inclusivity & True Belonging w/ Susan McCulleyHere's the second half of our two-part conversation with Susan McCulley where we continue with an inquiry into how we might do movement/fitness differently.Topics covered in part two include: Honoring 'the practice' and how this can be a smokescreen for deference to leaders or the need for personal validation. How we support the individuated experience, including making room...
Part 2: Regret, Repair, & Healthy AlternativesWelcome to Part 2 of my conversation with Sybil Nance where we continue examining red flags in yoga 'cult'ure + take a deep dive into the harm we inadvertently cause when trauma cascades through the hierarchies we inhabit.In this episode, we speak about: Regrets we have in common How frequently trauma gets passed down through 'the teachings' from leader to trainer to teacher to student The active...
Part 1: Yoga & Retreat 'Cult'ure Red FlagsThis week I'm joined by Sybil Nance to discuss the ins and outs of yoga wellness 'cult'ure. Sybil and I met back in 2019 when we were both active in the same online yoga community and have reunited for this timely convo. In part one of a two-part dialogue, Sybil & I discuss her trauma-informed background and experience hosting yoga retreats, as well as a number of red flags we've both...
Here are 8 arguments commonly used to deflect responsibility and/or diminish the experience of folks who've have experienced abuse. Personally speaking, I encountered every one of these lines of defense in new age 'wellness' communities where I worked and studied for two decades... AND I was also, at times, very much guilty of perpetuating them. Mental health awareness isn't just about how to respond in a moment of crisis... it's also about...
In a very special episode, and in honor of Transgender Day of Visibility, Candice sits down with her dear friend, Rachel Kaufman. Rachel speaks about how the pandemic impacted her work as a massage therapist and reflects on what it’s like to live as a trans woman during this time of unprecedented political backlash. She generously shares about why she decided to come out as a trans woman, and the many challenges she has faced along the way....
