WeBeTheChange: Conversations with Evolutionaries

When the Land Speaks: Sacred Space, Loss, and Spiritual Determination

A fireside conversation with tribal leader Brian “BB” Melendez about land, ceremony, and the evolution of sacred space. Some sacred places are widely recognized by the world. Others are created slowly through listening with responsibility to Spirit, people, and the land. Brian Melendez reflects with Colleen Akiko and her husband, Chris, through themes of compassion, grief, Indigenous resilience, colonization, land stewardship, leadership, and developing spiritual spaces that can sustain future generations. Recorded outdoors with the sounds of fire and people gathering in the background, this episode invites listeners into a deeply human conversation about the relationship between land, people, and Spirit. Reach out to BB at TribalMinds.org. [https://tribalminds.org] For more info, resources and an invitation to the Bowl of Light Café, go to SongRise.LIVE [https://www.songrise.live].

Leisa Peterson Series: COMING OUT OF THE TRANCE, Pt. 2: Naming the Pattern

What if real strength is refusing the bait—staying human while you name the pattern? In Part 2 of the Leisa Peterson series, Colleen and Leisa get practical about what to do when the world is loud: how to name patterns without feeding fear, practice fierce compassion with real boundaries, and create safety together without pretending we all agree. You’ll hear grounded language for staying regulated, holding complexity, and remembering that collective healing isn’t built through individual heroics — it’s built through human beings choosing steadiness and care on purpose. Make sure to check out Leisa's Substack, Equal Stakes, [https://equalstakes.substack.com/] and connect with her at wealthclinic.com [http://wealthclinic.com]. If you’d like a free place to relax and reflect in community, visit SongRise.live [http://SongRise.live] and click the Bowl of Light Café link at the top.

Leisa Peterson Series: COMING OUT OF THE TRANCE; Pt 1: Scarcity, Paradox, and Transcending

What if “transcendence” isn’t about escaping the world—but waking up from its deceptive trance? WeBeTheChange host Colleen Akiko and Leisa Peterson--Wealth Coach, Author and Financial Intuitive, discuss the larger pattern behind our culture’s distress: a scarcity-based trance that keeps people reactive, divided, and exhausted. (Do we detect a familiar Ugh?) Leisa shares how her decades in finance—and her decades on a spiritual path—converged into a new way of seeing: paradox is now the training ground. We explore what it means to hold fear and keep moving, to seek unity and keep boundaries. And we remember that love is a rich, roll-up-your-sleeves practice to cultivate over time. Visit Leisa at wealthclinic.com [http://wealthclinic.com]; resources at SongRise.live [http://SongRise.live]

Kari Hagel Series; THE WEB OF WELLNESS: RECONNECTING TO NATURE AND SELF; Pt 1: Nature Deficit Disorder: The Hidden Epidemic

When was the last time you learned from soil instead of a screen? Middle and high school teacher Kari Hagel shares with WeBeTheChange host Colleen Akiko about the rise of nature deficit disorder. Kari, also a Health & Wellness Coach, shows how hands-on ecology—worm bins, a classroom dog, gardening and even mapping water with a drone—restores attention, engagement, and belonging. In Pt 1 of The Web of Wellness, students move from apathetic to curious. If post-COVID disconnection feels familiar, this episode offers down-to-earth ways to re-root at school, at home, and wherever you can be in nature. Visit Songrise.LIVE [http://Songrise.LIVE] for Bonus Content and your free eGuide, Out of Your Head, Into Your Light.

A FEARLESSLY FERAL LIFE; Pt 3: From Triggered to Belonging—The Willingness Shift

When the craving hits, what are you actually hungry for? In Part 3 of “A Fearlessly Feral Life,” we get practical about the sober path: the tiny act of willingness that flips the switch, the boundary that protects your peace, and how to tell a trigger from a longing for belonging. We talk family dynamics and codependency, the medicine of community (AA rooms and beyond), and what it means to choose fellowship—and freedom—over the old loop. If you’ve ever reached for a numbing habit, this episode offers a grounded reframe, a breath, and a next step back into yourself. Connect with Colleen at SongRise.live [http://SongRise.live] and type "Gift" at the bottom of the page for your free eGuide, "Out of Your Head, Into Your Light."