Connected with Jen and Shannon

The Truth Isn't Yours Or Mine, It Exists Between Us with Matthew Segall

What if the most important thing science can't measure is the very thing that makes us human? In this episode, we sit down with Matthew Segall— philosopher and associate professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies — to explore one of the most urgent questions of our time: how do we bring science and soul back together? Matt bridges the gap between the objective, measurable world of modern science and the deeply subjective inner world of the soul — and makes the case that we need both to truly understand what it means to be human, to be in relationship, and to live well on this planet. We explore: * Why mapping the brain will never be the same as mapping consciousness — and what Carl Jung learned the hard way * The "magical third thing" created in the relational space between people, and why meaning making is always a collective act * How fragmentation and collective trauma are breaking down our ability to connect — and why compassion (which literally means suffering together) may be the only way through * Why the default human relationship with nature has always been animism — and how modernity got it exactly backwards * What it means to think of humans as the nervous system of Gaia * Why embodiment is divine want — and what the elves in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings can teach us about mortality * How to make language feel less like a cage and more like a musical instrument * Simple practices — walking, writing, and Rudolf Steiner's nightly review — to help you live and reflect more intentionally This is a conversation for anyone who has ever felt the tension between what can be proven and what can be felt — and suspected that the truth lives somewhere in between. Midnight Desire Music Code: NBZXGUHOCLS2UMQJ Now I'm Here Music Code: YGXO2ITZHM7OXVMR Conversion Music Code: VWO55YXYGJLXYXZG All music licensed through Soundstripe

Are We Removing the Human from Healthcare with Nishi Joshi

What Happens When We Remove Art from Healing? In this episode, Shannon and Jen sit down with Nishi Joshi —Global Arts in Medicine Fellow, movement psychotherapist, social emotional learning educator, and president of the Indian Association of Dance Movement Therapy — to explore what’s lost when healthcare systems strip away the arts in favor of outcomes, productivity, and certainty. Nishi makes a compelling case that the arts aren’t a supplement to care — they’re foundational to it. Long before modern medicine, communities processed grief, built belonging, and made meaning through movement, music, ritual, and symbol. When we remove that, she argues, we don’t just lose creativity — we lose dignity, connection, and the relational space where real healing happens. The conversation digs into why the arts can feel threatening to systems built on standardization, how creative expression shifts the power dynamic between practitioner and patient, and why making something — anything — is one of the most radical acts available to us in chaotic times. Nishi also shares her experience with the Global Arts in Medicine Fellowship, where she and Jen first connected, and the collaborative project that grew out of it: the Global Arts for Peace initiative, now uniting more than 20 professionals across the world in using the arts to engage communities around themes of peace. Whether you’re a healthcare practitioner, a creative, or someone who has forgotten they are one — this episode is an invitation to remember.

Loneliness and the Arts with Alex Rodriguez

In a world facing rising loneliness, burnout, and disconnection, what if healing requires more than medicine alone? In this episode of Connected with Jen & Shannon, we sit down with interdisciplinary researcher and artist Alex Rodriguez to explore the emerging world of social prescribing — a growing movement where doctors and healthcare systems are beginning to prescribe art, creativity, nature, and human connection as part of wellbeing. Together, we explore: * why loneliness has become a public health crisis * how creativity impacts mental health and the nervous system * why art may be more essential to healing than we realize * the role of social cohesion, meaning-making, and connection in wellbeing * how “peace,” healing, and community may actually be practices we learn together This conversation lives at the intersection of science and soul, logic and intuition, individual healing and collective wellbeing. Because maybe art isn’t “extra.” Maybe it’s part of what makes us human.

Authenticity Isn’t What You Think—Here’s How It’s Built with Laurie Schloff and Hava Horowitz

Most people think authenticity is something you either have… or you don’t. But what if it’s something you build? In this episode, we explore authenticity through the lens of communication, presence, and awareness—and challenge the idea that it starts from within. Is authenticity shaped by our inner world… or built through how we show up, act, and connect with others? Featuring a powerful mother-daughter duo: Laurie Schloff — executive communication coach, author, and industry leader whose work has been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Cosmopolitan, and The Wall Street Journal Hava Horowitz — Harvard Business School educator, actor, and communication coach who helps individuals connect body, voice, and story Together, we explore: How confidence and authenticity are built through behavior and feedback Why presence is often a physiological—not just mental—shift The role of the body and nervous system in communication under pressure How storytelling shapes identity—and how identity shapes how we show up Why conflict, tension, and even discomfort may be essential to real connection Along the way, a deeper idea emerges: Authenticity isn’t just something you feel. It’s something you practice—in real time, in relationship. Because in the end, communication isn’t just about what you say. It’s about how you show up—with awareness, intention, and the willingness to grow.

Listening Beyond Words: the Body, the Field, and Living in Resonance with Dr. Ginny Whitelaw

What if the most important signals in your life… aren’t logical? In this episode of Connected with Jen and Shannon, we sit down with Dr. Ginny Whitelaw—a former NASA scientist, Zen master, and leadership expert—to explore the space between logic and intuition… science and soul—and what becomes possible when we learn to listen beyond words. Because what if your body isn’t just reacting to the world— but actually sensing it through resonance? This conversation dives into the idea that we’re not separate individuals operating in isolation… we’re part of a field of connection and consciousness. And your body? It’s your antenna. We explore: * Resonance as the hidden force behind connection and human behavior * The relationship between science and soul—and why it’s not either/or * How intuition and logic can work together, not in opposition * Why the body often knows before the mind can explain * How leadership is the practice of turning energy into things that matter * The role of deep listening, presence, and awareness in navigating complexity * What it means to live and lead from a place of connection and consciousness This isn’t about choosing sides— logic or intuition, science or soul. It’s about integration. Because the leaders who will navigate what’s next… are the ones who can sense, listen, and respond—not just analyze. If you’ve ever felt something you couldn’t explain… or knew something before you could prove it… You’re already experiencing resonance. 🎧 Listen in and explore what it means to live, lead, and connect—on a deeper level.