The Practice of Being of Service

Bonus: Village Circle Reflections on Spirit

In this conversation, We Outside host, Ain, welcomes back season one guests, Ellina Yin, Elissa Sloan Perry, Vanessa Hatakeyama and Tina Lopes to explore the themes of spirituality, personal growth and the interconnectedness of nature and time. They share their individual perspectives on how spirit manifests in their lives and the importance of being in tune with natural rhythms.  They relate to the metamorphosis of butterflies to illustrate transformation and the cyclical nature of life, while a reflection on intergenerational wisdom highlights the importance of nurturing future generations. The conversation concludes with the importance of community in spiritual exploration. In this episode, we explore: * How time influences our spiritual practices and understanding. * Nature plays a crucial role in our spiritual connections. * Transformation as a natural part of life, much like the butterfly's metamorphosis. * Intergenerational wisdom is vital for nurturing future generations. * Listening to our bodies and spirits is key to personal growth. New Seneca Village [https://www.newsenecavillage.org/] is a restorative residency experience that invites leaders and healers to access expansive resources for the sake of nourishing and sustaining their collective visioning for a just future. We Outside is hosted and produced by Ain Bailey and produced and edited by Aisha Jordan. Get in touch with We Outside at team@newsenecavillage.org [team@newsenecavillage.org].

We, The Storm

Join us for a vibrant conversation about the interconnectedness of all beings, curiosity as a catalytic force for transformation and the counter-intuitive truth about abundance. Lystra Germaine Sam joins host Ain Bailey for a stimulating conversation about self‑liberation and collective freedom. They trace the deep ties between nature, spirit, community, and personal growth, naming curiosity as a catalytic force for transformation. Lystra and Ain examine how a culture of urgency undermines well‑being and how curiosity, gratitude, rest, and reflection can counteract that harm. The episode celebrates the journey of transformation and the interconnectedness of all beings. In this episode: * Self as nature * Reflection as a crucial practice for understanding our life’s journey. * Holding the complexities of leadership with love. * The rigor and reciprocity that abundance requires * The transformative power of trying and failing and trying again * Urgency as a killer of joy Sacred Shoutout Links: Lystra:  Trauma of Money course [https://www.thetraumaofmoney.com/] Trauma of Money: Compassionate Pathways to Disempowering Financial Trauma and Shame [https://www.thetraumaofmoney.com/trauma-of-money-book], by Chantel Chapman [https://www.instagram.com/chantelchapman] Ain:  I Am That [https://bookshop.org/p/books/i-am-that-nisargadatta-maharaj/b2334e227797bf71?ean=9788197871191&next=t], by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Lucille Clifton [https://poets.org/poet/lucille-clifton] poem “won’t you celebrate with me [https://poets.org/poem/wont-you-celebrate-me]”  Lystra Germaine Sam Bio: Lystra is a sister, an orphan, an Aunty Supreme and a dedicated practicing "good ancestor".  A cultural futurist, travel architect and global experience designer who works and lives at the intersection of justice, healing, equity, decolonization, and belonging.  The founder of Qmooniti Travel & Lifestyle - an award winning B Corp Certified travel company https://www.qmooniti.com/ [https://www.qmooniti.com/], and Sisters Leading Sisters, a community leadership container rooted in the Afrikan philosophy of UBUNTU: "I am because we are". My next chapter is devoted to legacy work - what can I leave behind that is truly meaningful? Connect with Lystra @sistersleadingsisters [https://www.instagram.com/sistersleadingsisters/] and @qmooniti [https://www.instagram.com/qmooniti/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lystra-germaine-sam-she-her-hers/]  New Seneca Village [https://www.newsenecavillage.org/] is a restorative residency experience that invites leaders and healers to access expansive resources (time, space, access to nature, restorative practices, intentional community and higher consciousness) for the sake of nourishing and sustaining their collective visioning for a just future. We Outside is hosted and produced by Ain Bailey and produced and edited by Aisha Jordan. Get in touch: team@newsenecavillage.org [team@newsenecavillage.org].

Continuous Becoming

In this engaging conversation, philanthropic powerhouse and guest Aldita Amaru Gallardo and host Ain explore the ongoing journey of becoming, as well as the roles of activism and spirit in philanthropy. They reflect on the wisdom and resilience of trans communities and honor the legacy of trans leader Miss Major Griffin‑Gracy [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miss_Major_Griffin-Gracy] while unearthing how we can hold reverence for ourselves on our own paths of self‑discovery and belonging. The discussion also delves into the intersection of love and activism, philanthropy’s role in supporting transformative change and the importance of finding joy in small moments amid deep societal challenges. In this episode: * Trans movements as a blueprint for resilience and innovation. * Becoming, belonging and boundaries as intentional practice * How philanthropy can support transformational - not just incremental - change. * Finding joy in small things Sacred Shoutout Links: Aldita: Cesar Chavez Park [https://berkeleyca.gov/community-recreation/parks-recreation/parks/cesar-chavez-park] - Berkeley, CA  Ain: Cosmic Dawn: The Untold Story of the James Webb Space Telescope [https://plus.nasa.gov/video/cosmic-dawn-the-untold-story-of-the-james-webb-space-telescope/]  Aldita Amaru Bio: Aldita Amaru Gallardo (she/her/ella) is a philanthropic consultant, donor organizer, and founding director of the Action for Transformation Fund, a rapid response fund resourcing trans-led organizing, healing, and power-building efforts in the United States. She is a disabled, Indigiqueer trans woman from Lima, Perú, and has called Oakland, California, on unceded Ohlone Land, home for over a decade. She is committed to resourcing generative movements working toward collective liberation and transforming philanthropy, and society writ large, so that no one is left behind. Learn more about Aldita Amaru Gallardo: @ladycaucau https://www.instagram.com/ladycaucau/?hl=en [https://www.instagram.com/ladycaucau/?hl=en]  New Seneca Village [https://www.newsenecavillage.org/] is a restorative residency experience that invites leaders and healers to access expansive resources (time, space, access to nature, restorative practices, intentional community and higher consciousness) for the sake of nourishing and sustaining their collective visioning for a just future. We Outside is hosted and produced by Ain Bailey and produced and edited by Aisha Jordan. Get in touch with We Outside at team@newsenecavillage.org [team@newsenecavillage.org].

Weaving Worlds

Join us for a conversation about Vanessa’s journey in hula and her dedication to creating a nurturing work environment that calls in the future. In this conversation, Villager Vanessa Hatakeyama joins host Ain Bailey to share her insights on the role of spirit through movement and deep connection to community. Vanessa discusses her journey in hula, the cultural roots that inform her practice, and her dedication to creating a nurturing work environment in the nonprofit sector. The conversation highlights the role of physical movement in grounding oneself, and the significance of love and compassion in leadership. In this episode, we explore: * Cultural art of hula and how it informs the ways spirit moves through oneself * Spirit and intentionality in community * Transforming nonprofit culture * Evolving the role of leadership to create the world we want to see  * “how can I create that fertile ground at work so that my people can flourish?...that it can really be a place that nurtures people and that helps that reality that I do want to live in.” Sacred Shoutout Links: Vanessa: Whale Rider Movie [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0298228/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_8_nm_0_in_0_q_whale%2520rider] Ain: Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese” [https://www.watershedecotherapy.com/articles/for-everyone/eco-poetry-mary-olivers-wild-geese/] Vanessa Bio: Bay Area born and raised, Vanessa Hatakeyama is the Executive Director of the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (JAMsj). A San Jose Japantown resident for over a decade, Vanessa is deeply rooted in the local community and has fostered collaborations with artists and arts organizations to showcase and celebrate the vibrant creativity, abundant diversity, and rich cultures that thrive in the historic Japantown neighborhood. As committed to her work and community endeavors as she is, they all come second to her beautiful blended and extended family and her passion for the Hawaiian art of Hula. When she has free time she is an avid listener of podcasts, reader of books, writer of poetry and prose, and enjoys throwing inconsistently shaped mugs, bowls and plates on the pottery wheel. Connect with Vanessa: vanessa@jamsj.org [vanessa@jamsj.org]Check out the Hālau Nā Wai Ola: Website [https://www.halaunawaiola.com/] & Youtube [https://www.youtube.com/@halaunawaiola/about] * Website: https://www.halaunawaiola.com/ [https://www.halaunawaiola.com/] * Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@halaunawaiola/about [https://www.youtube.com/@halaunawaiola/about] New Seneca Village [https://www.newsenecavillage.org/] is a restorative residency experience that invites leaders and healers to access expansive resources for the sake of nourishing and sustaining their collective visioning for a just future. We Outside is hosted and produced by Ain Bailey and produced and edited by Aisha Jordan. Get in touch with We Outside at team@newsenecavillage.org [team@newsenecavillage.org].

The Practice of Being of Service

Guest Kirsten Scobie joins host Ain to explore spirit, connection, and the role of ego in how we relate to others. They surface moments of intimacy—both in personal relationships and professional life—and unpack how societal systems can complicate true connection. Kirsten traces her own journey with ego, showing how it can protect yet also limit us, and they highlight humility, vulnerability, grounding practices and gratitude as tools for deeper connection. The conversation closes with reflections on building a future rooted in service and belonging. In this episode: * Ego can protect us, but it also limit our connections. * Commitment to connection and being in service as spiritual practices * How systems and societal constructs can inhibit genuine connection. * Humility and vulnerability as a counterbalance to ego Sacred Shoutout Links: Kirsten:  Dried Calendula [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calendula] (with sea salt flakes and Borage [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borage]) Work Your Light Oracle Deck [https://bookshop.org/p/books/work-your-light-oracle-cards-a-44-card-deck-and-guidebook-rebecca-campbell/25bcc8e0a68fc966?ean=9781781809952&next=t&utm_source=google&utm_medium=pmax&utm_campaign=16243454879&utm_content=&utm_term=%7Bsearchterm%7D&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=16235479093&gbraid=0AAAAACfld42J2E6Lye2XhtGw387tjHEv6&gclid=CjwKCAiA8vXIBhAtEiwAf3B-g2qSqcsm_R_Bcy7M8KFWFoaFYD6P6gRFDsRN9dJzCpReI6ODGOt0KRoCH34QAvD_BwE] Ain:  Pillars of Creation [https://science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-takes-star-filled-portrait-of-pillars-of-creation/]  Dragon Oracle Deck [https://dianacooper.com/products/dragon-oracle-cards/] Kirsten Bio: Kirsten Scobie is the founder of Persimmon Consulting Company, where she partners with donors, foundations, and institutions to design philanthropic strategies rooted in trust, humility, and justice. With over two decades of experience, Kirsten brings a rare blend of strategic rigor, emotional intelligence, and deep listening to help clients move resources in ways that truly build power in under-resourced communities. For more information, please see www.persimmonco.com [http://www.persimmonco.com] New Seneca Village [https://www.newsenecavillage.org/] is a restorative residency experience that invites leaders and healers to access expansive resources (time, space, access to nature, restorative practices, intentional community and higher consciousness) for the sake of nourishing and sustaining their collective visioning for a just future. We Outside is hosted and produced by Ain Bailey and produced and edited by Aisha Jordan. Get in touch with We Outside at team@newsenecavillage.org [team@newsenecavillage.org].