Spiritual Ecology and the Ethics of AI with Philosopher Madelaine Ley

Spiritual Ecology and the Ethics of AI with Philosopher Madelaine Ley

On today’s episode of Honing In, we’re asking a big question: how can our society address the rapid growth of AI technologies in a way that feels ethically intact? Philosopher of technology, Dr. Madelaine Ley, suggests an explorative approach that invites us to slow down, reflect, and feel, not just to moralize or optimize. Madelaine guides us through how her motivations and interests have developed since pursuing a PhD in Care in Responsible Technology. We also explore Spiritual Ecology as a way to connect with the earth, question the ethics of technological advancement, and become sensitive to the many options available to us about how we choose to engage.   If you’re curious about the robot in your local grocery store or have been wondering what sits at the intersection of technology and integrity, this conversation is for you. Together, we hone in on: * Philosophy as a generous, curious, and explorative practice  * How we feel about the emergence of robots in our everyday lives * What Spiritual Ecology is and the perspective it offers about the morals of technology  * Starting points for challenging our perspectives about technology and AI * Contemplative art and making space and time for reflection  * Gestures: Madelaine’s upcoming project that explores ethics beyond morality Mentioned in this episode: *  Nic Antionette [https://nicantoinette.com/] More From Madelaine: * Madelaine’s personal website [https://www.madelaineley.com/] * WaySeeing Ethics Consultancy [https://wayseeing.ca/] * STIRRINGS [https://madelaineley.substack.com/] (newsletter and podcast) * Madelaine’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelaineley/] * Madelaine in the Weaving New Narratives Film [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn8sSy04hCE] More from Kate: ⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry [https://katehenry.com/coaching/] 💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/] 📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/links] Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/]. Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter [https://www.melissakaitlyncarter.com/].

Why I’m Aiming for Effectiveness Over Efficiency This Season

School’s out for summer…which means it’s finally time to pick up those projects you’ve been dreaming of starting (or avoiding entirely, whoops). Before you develop a 9-to-5 bootcamp or timeblock your days into oblivion, take a deep breath and consider what an effective approach to productivity could look like for you this season. On today’s solo episode of Honing In, Dr. Kate Henry walks listeners through her process for setting summer goals by referencing her free workshop “How to Effectively Reach Your Goals this Season.” [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/freegoalsworkshop] Kate shares that when we aim for effectiveness over efficiency, we make a plan that acknowledges our individual needs around time, energy, and focus. In doing so, we  strategically chip away at our tasks with intention, versus racing to finish, which may cause overwhelm and burnout. Join Kate for her reflections and a-ha moments, then try out the workshop prompts yourself [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/freegoalsworkshop] to plan truly effective goals in this season of your life! Kate hones in on: * The benefits of using the framework of a “season” for project planning  * How Kate defined effectiveness this season and set criteria that supports her relaxation * The predicament of balancing personal, creative, and professional goals * An invitation to bring more compassion to our productivity approach  * How Kate would update the workshop in 2026 Mentioned in today’s episode: * FREE WORKSHOP: “How to Effectively Reach Your Goals this Season”  [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/freegoalsworkshop] * Honing In Episode: “How to Set More Realistic Goals” [https://katehenry.com/honingin/howtosetmorerealisticgoals/]  * Honing In Episode: “Bringing Our Humanness to the Table with Jen Carrington” [https://katehenry.com/honingin/jencarrington/]  * Blog post: Jen Carrington’s “The Eight Seasons of Business” [https://www.jencarrington.com/blog/2019/5/6/the-eight-seasons-of-business] * Newsletter: “What to Share and What to Keep: Reflections on the Creative Process”  [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/archive/what-to-share-and-what-to-keep/] * Newsletter: “Is Your To-Do List Clear Enough: It’s all in the Verbs”  [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/archive/is-your-to-do-list-clear-enough/] * Newsletter: “I Need to Just Do It! Exploring Aversive Tasks”  [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/archive/i-need-to-just-do-it/] More from Kate: ⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry [https://katehenry.com/coaching/] 💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/] 📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/links] Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/]. Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter [https://www.melissakaitlyncarter.com/].

Building a Portfolio Career and Advocating for Change Leadership with Taylor Elyse Morrison

Navigating multiple career paths simultaneously may seem fragmented, stressful, and a nightmare for calendar scheduling, but Taylor Elyse Morrison [https://taylorelyse.com/], a portfolio careerist and PhD student who believes people build identity through action and interaction, is here to show us that it’s quite the opposite. As a neurodivergent, multi-passionate person, the challenge of balancing various projects creates the precise level of interest that Taylor needs to stay fully engaged in her work. Plus, the flexibility of being a portfolio careerist allows for designing a life that supports self-exploration and self-care…both of which Taylor is deeply passionate about. In today’s episode, we explore what it means to build a portfolio career, and how diversifying both income streams and skillsets has created the room for Taylor to pursue multiple degrees and dive deep into what it means to be a leader in today’s social climate. Together, we hone in on: * What a Portfolio Career is and how Taylor has intentionally configured hers  * How building a portfolio career has supported Taylor’s neurodivergence  * Multical as a solution for overlapping schedules and how Taylor created it * The importance of leaving behind archives as a portfolio careerist  * What Change Leadership is and why Taylor pursued a PhD in the field  More From Taylor: * Taylor’s Website [https://taylorelyse.com/] * Taylor’s Newsletter [https://taylorelyse.com/newsletter] * Taylor’s LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylorelysemorrison] * On Portfolio Careers [https://taylorelyse.com/post/portfolio-career] * Multical [https://www.usemultical.com/] (scheduling tool) * Women Facilitating [https://www.womenfacilitating.com/]  More from Kate: ⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry [https://katehenry.com/coaching/] 💌 Sign up for Kate's free newsletter [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/] 📚 Download Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/links] Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/]. Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter [https://www.melissakaitlyncarter.com/].

Liberating Yoga and Mindfulness with Harpinder Mann

Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Harpinder Mann. Harpinder Mann, RYT-500, SEP (she/her), is a trauma-informed yoga teacher, Bhakti student, and author based on Tongva land (Los Angeles). Rooted in her Sikh spiritual background and Panjabi ancestry, she shares yoga as a sacred path of remembrance and liberation. Practicing since 2013 and teaching since 2018, she guides students in weaving sādhana and the eight limbs of yoga into daily life to cultivate resilience, meaning, and connection. Her work bridges social justice and healing, honoring collective liberation. Her book, Liberating Yoga: From Appropriation to Healing, invites readers to reclaim yoga as a practice of integrity and wholeness. Here are some of the things Harpinder and I discuss: * Challenging the packaging of yoga and mindfulness as relentless self improvement * Why working with students and clients doesn’t feel like a project to Harpinder * Decolonizing yoga through honoring where practices have come from * Harpinder’s book journey and the sense of responsibility she felt while writing Liberating Yoga * Giving yourself space between projects to allow ideas to come to you * The many ways we can deepen and practice yoga Resources & Links: * Harpinder’s website [https://www.harpindermann.com/] * Events with Harpinder [https://www.harpindermann.com/events] * Harpinder’s book, Liberating Yoga: From Appropriation to Healing [https://www.harpindermann.com/book] * Harpinder’s Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/harpindermannyoga] * Harpinder’s Podcast [https://www.harpindermann.com/podcast] (we referenced Episode 3: Understanding Yoga Exclusion, Fatphobia + Racial Trauma with Leah Saliter [https://www.harpindermann.com/liberating-yoga-episodes/leah-saliter]) * Books mentioned: Edward Said’s Orientalism [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientalism_(book)] and Bessel Van Der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Body_Keeps_the_Score]. SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS ⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry [https://katehenry.com/coaching/] 💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/] 📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/links] Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/]. Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter [https://www.melissakaitlyncarter.com/].

How to Take a Sabbatical and Prioritize Projects that Resonate with Amelia Hruby

Welcome back to Honing In and to my interview with Amelia Hruby. Amelia Hruby is a feminist writer, educator, and podcaster with a PhD in philosophy. She is the founder of Softer Sounds podcast studio, and the host of Off the Grid, a podcast about leaving social media. Her new book, Your Attention is Sacred Except on Social Media is out now. Here are some of the things Amelia and I discuss: * Amelia’s 2026 sabbatical as a way to set boundaries with her work and spark creative energy * How our academic training affects the way we think and make sense of things * Valuing theoretical and embodied knowledge when it comes to business and marketing  * Big questions folks are asking about social media, big tech, and AI * Amelia tells us all about "COME TO CLASS: How to teach & sell online with confidence & care" (see you there!) Resources & Links: * Amelia’s website [https://www.ameliahruby.com/] * Amelia’s book [https://offthegrid.fun/attention] * Amelia's interview with the APA about feminist public philosophy [https://blog.apaonline.org/2021/11/01/feminist-public-philosophy-beyond-the-academy-an-interview-with-amelia-hruby/] * Off the Grid podcast [https://offthegrid.fun/podcast] * Off the Grid AI series [https://offthegrid.fun/ai-series] * Off the Grid business predictions: Predictions for Social Media [https://offthegridclubhouse.substack.com/p/6-predictions-for-2026-social-media] and Predictions for Marketing Trends [https://offthegrid.fun/shownotes/2026-marketing-trends]  * Softer Sounds podcast studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/] * Come to Class info + waitlist [https://amelia.myflodesk.com/cometoclass] SUPPORT FOR CREATIVE THINKERS ⭐ Productivity Coaching with Dr. Kate Henry [https://katehenry.com/coaching/] 💌 Sign up for Dr. Kate's free newsletter [https://buttondown.com/KateHenryPhD/] 📚 Download Dr. Kate's free Sustainable Productivity Planner [https://katehenry.myflodesk.com/links] Podcast editing and support by Softer Sounds Studio [https://www.softersounds.studio/]. Theme song by Melissa Kaitlyn Carter [https://www.melissakaitlyncarter.com/].