In this deeply embodied conversation, sacred sexuality facilitator Briana Cribeyer reveals why our relationships trigger our youngest, most wounded parts—and how to practice showing up as adults in love. Whether you're monogamous, non-monogamous, or single, this episode offers revolutionary insights about nervous system regulation, desire, and the daily practice of truly meeting another person.
What You'll Learn:
Understanding Your Nervous System in Relationship:
Working With Desires:
Lessons From Non-Monogamy for Everyone:
Jealousy, Grief & The Big Feelings:
Inner Child & Teenager Work:
About Briana Cribeyer:
Briana Cribeyer is a facilitator, trainer, and founder of Sacred Sexuality Rising. With a rich background in social services, non-profit management, and education, Briana blends her expertise in sociology and sustainability with deep spiritual practices rooted in movement, prayer, and shamanic healing. Her journey has taken her from the Midwest to the mountains and forests of Colorado, New Hampshire, and Washington, as well as abroad to Japan and South America, where she cultivated a profound connection to earth wisdom and womb medicine.
As a lead trainer for Intuitive Tantra and a facilitator for the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA), Briana guides individuals and communities toward transformation, healing, and self-empowerment. Her work emphasizes radical love, self-responsibility, and the belief that through these practices, we can shift the collective trajectory of humanity.
Her workshops and sessions are an expression of her deep commitment to cultivating connection, community, and alchemical transformation.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Briana:
This episode contains mature discussions about relationships, sexuality, intimacy, and emotional processing. While educational in nature, listener discretion is advised.
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In this transformative episode, Dr. Rachelle Kammer introduces us to EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)—a powerful therapy modality that works with your nervous system to release trauma stored in your body, not just your mind.
Rachelle explains how EMDR can access unconscious memories and beliefs you didn't know you were carrying, including pre-verbal trauma from infancy or even in utero. We explore the difference between single-incident trauma and complex PTSD, the profound connection between trauma work and grief work, and how trauma gets passed down through generations.
This isn't just theory—Rachelle walks us through practical tools you can use immediately to calm your nervous system, including bilateral stimulation techniques and resourcing exercises. Whether you're stuck in old patterns, healing from childhood wounds, or trying to break generational cycles, this episode offers both understanding and actionable hope.
Key Takeaways:
About Dr. Rachelle Kammer:
Dr. Rachelle Kammer is a Clinical Professor at Fordham University, with a MSW and PhD from Columbia University. In her private practice, she uses EMDR to help clients release trauma stored in the body and nervous system, supporting them in breaking generational cycles and reclaiming their lives.
Connect with Dr. Rachelle Kammer:
https://www.fordham.edu/graduate-school-of-social-service/faculty/full-time-faculty-profiles/rachelle-e-kammer/
Resources Mentioned:
Tools to Try at Home:
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Content Warning: This episode discusses trauma, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and grief. Please listen with care and reach out for support if you need it.
Have you ever felt defined by your worst moment? Like one failure, one mistake, or one traumatic experience has become the story of who you are?
In this raw, honest conversation, I sit down with Pushcart Prize-winning poet Dr. Ravi Shankar to explore how writing can literally set us free—whether we're behind bars or trapped in our own stories.
Dr. Shankar went from being the youngest tenured professor in Connecticut College history to spending 90 days in jail. What happened inside those walls changed everything. Now he teaches creative writing to incarcerated people using "bibliotherapy"—the practice of using writing as a path to healing.
In this episode, Ravi shares the exact prompts and practices he uses to help people transform pain into power, face their shadows without drowning in shame, and break free from the labels society has placed on them.
This isn't just about writing. It's about liberation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
WANT TO TRY IT?
Start with these three prompts:
ABOUT DR. RAVI SHANKAR:
Dr. Ravi Shankar is a Pushcart Prize-winning poet and author of the award-winning memoir Correctional, which chronicles his 90 days in jail and the men he met there. He teaches creative writing at Tufts University, bringing college classes into correctional facilities to help incarcerated people heal and reclaim their voices through bibliotherapy. He's authored 18 books and appeared on NPR, PBS, and in The New York Times.
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
Books:
Concepts:
Connect with Ravi:
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What if the words you use every day are creating the life you're living—for better or worse? In this conversation, coach and organizational development expert Hendrik Berberich reveals how language functions as technology, shaping not just what we communicate, but the reality we experience."
Hendrik shows how we can use language as a tool to reprogram our patterns, our emotional states, and who we're becoming. Drawing from 15+ years of experience, he proves that change isn't mysterious—it's methodical.
Key Takeaways:
What Makes This Episode Special: Hendrik demonstrates these concepts in real-time—catching himself experiencing embarrassment, naming what's happening in his body, and redirecting. Self-awareness as it actually happens."
About Hendrik Lasse Berberich: Hendrik is a coach, experience designer, and organizational development specialist who has spent over 15 years mastering the intersection of language, emotion, and embodiment. Born in Germany and having traveled to 20+ countries, he brings deep intercultural wisdom to his work. Trained in linguistic and emotional competencies, somatic frameworks, Art of Hosting, Collective Leadership, and Complexity Facilitation, Hendrik helps individuals and organizations move from unconscious patterns to intentional becoming.
Connect with Hendrik: Instagram: @hendrikberberich Website: www.hendrikberberich.com
Resources Mentioned:
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What does it mean to be human in an endless universe? And how do we find meaning when science seems to have declared God dead?
In this profound conversation, Dr. Margot Brouwer shares her personal journey from childhood panic attacks about death to becoming an astrophysicist—and ultimately discovering a philosophy that dissolves the fear of mortality entirely.
In this episode, you'll discover:
About Dr. Margot Brouwer:
Dr. Margot Brouwer is an astrophysicist and author who has been preoccupied with existential questions for as long as she can remember. From a young age, she suspected that studying the universe would provide answers to life's biggest mysteries.
She became the first student to complete a Master's degree in Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics at the University of Amsterdam. At Leiden University, she earned her PhD for mapping dark matter in the universe and was the first to test Professor Erik Verlinde's new theory of gravity. After her PhD, she worked as an astronomical researcher at the Universities of Amsterdam and Groningen.
But despite gaining an ever-deeper understanding of the universe, she couldn't find answers to her childhood questions about meaning, consciousness, and death. Her continuous immersion in philosophy culminated in reading Spinoza's Ethics, where she finally found the key to translate her scientific knowledge into answers to her greatest existential questions.
This pantheistic vision opened the door not only from science to philosophy, but also to mysticism—the spiritual realization that everything consists of one divine whole and that we are inseparable parts of it. Her journey is chronicled in her book "We Are Stardust" (currently available in Dutch, with hopes for an English translation).
Connect with Margot:
If you know of a publisher that might be interested in translating "We Are Stardust" from Dutch to English, please reach out to Margot through her email.
Connect with us:
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What if the thing triggering you right now is actually a gift? What if shame, guilt, and fear around your body aren't personality flaws—they're just human patterns you can interrupt?
In this raw, honest conversation, Aaron Mandelbaum—philosopher, tantra facilitator, and transformation guide—breaks down the invisible blocks keeping us from pleasure, presence, and authentic connection.
We explore:
This isn't theory—it's practical wisdom from someone who's guided thousands of people worldwide through shame, trauma, and transformation. Whether you're exploring tantra, healing triggers, or just want to stop repeating the same patterns, this episode gives you tools to choose a new path.
Content note: This episode includes frank discussion of sexuality, trauma, and healing practices.
Key Themes & Topics
Resources Mentioned
Books:
Workshops & Training Programs:
Connect with Aaron:
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Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.
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What if the healing you've been searching for isn't in another app, book, or wellness trend? What if it's literally growing all around you?
In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Andrea Jaramillo - a public health nurse, certified forest therapy guide, grief and ceremony holder, and founder of Forest Nurse - to explore forest bathing as medicine for our modern burnout.
Originally from Ecuador, Andrea has spent her nursing career walking with people through life's biggest moments, from birth to death. Through this work, she discovered that nature isn't just nice to have - it's medicine we all need.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.
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Connect with Andrea:
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In this powerful conversation, men's work facilitator Blake Zealear opens up about the unique challenges facing men today and the transformative power of authentic brotherhood.
What You'll Learn:
Guest Bio: Blake Zealear is a certified sex educator, lead facilitator at ReMenber Brotherhood Journey, faculty at the International School of Temple Arts, and an empowerment coach.
Resources Mentioned:
Connect with Blake:
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Join us for an intimate conversation with poet and author Meredith Heller as she shares her powerful journey from homeless teenager to guide helping women worldwide reclaim their authentic voices through poetry. We explore how writing serves as deep medicine for the soul, transforming our relationship with difficult emotions.
Guest: Meredith Heller, author of "Write a Poem, Save Your Life" and "Writing by Heart." After leaving home at 12, she found healing through poetry and now leads transformational writing workshops globally.
Befriending Your Inner Critic
Embracing Your Wildness
The Power of Witnessing
Practical Tools
Key Quotes
"The wildness is the capacity, willingness, courage, and curiosity to express ourselves, to feel what we feel fully, no matter what it is."
"Write to touch your own truth. Write to reach your own hallelujah."
Resources:
Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.
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Have you ever known exactly what you need to change but felt unable to actually do it?
This conversation with transformation facilitator Karlijn Kouwenhoven reveals why traditional approaches often fall short and how working with your emotional body creates lasting change.
Karlijn left her corporate career in leadership development after discovering the power of embodied transformation work. Now she facilitates life-changing retreats worldwide, helping people move beyond intellectual understanding to create real shifts in their lives.
In this episode, you'll discover:
Key Topics Covered:
About Karlijn Kouwenhoven:Karlijn holds a Master's in Social & Organizational Psychology and worked in leadership development at a major consulting firm before discovering transformational body work. She's now a certified Tantra and Hatha Yoga teacher and founder of KABIRA, facilitating development retreats across three continents. Her approach integrates mind, body, and soul through what she calls "cutting through the bullshit" to create real change.
Mentioned Resources:
Take Action:Try one of Karlijn's three practical tools:
Please note: This episode discusses approaches to emotional processing and transformation. These techniques are meant to complement, not replace, professional mental health support when needed.
Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.
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With Rahi Chun, Somatic Sex Educator & NeuroAffective Touch Practitioner
What if the tension you carry isn't something to fix, but wisdom your body is trying to share?
In this raw and transformative conversation, Somatic Sex Educator Rahi Chun explains why your body holds onto emotional experiences - and how to work with it, not against it, to release what's been holding you back.
What You'll Learn:
Understanding Armoring:
The Foundation of Healing:
Practical Tools:
Body Wisdom:
About Rahi Chun:
Rahi combines training as a CA state-certified Somatic Sex Educator, NeuroAffective Touch Practitioner, and Life Coach with an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology. His global training includes work in India, Austria, and Sweden, specializing in de-armoring arts, family constellation therapy, and somatic sexual wholeness.
Resources Mentioned:
Content Warning:
This episode contains mature discussions about sexual health, trauma, and intimate body work. While educational in nature, listener discretion is advised.
Garden of Becoming explores the messy, beautiful work of becoming whole. New episodes drop weekly every Tuesday. Subscribe and follow for conversations that go beneath the surface.
Connect with us:
Review and Share: If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review to help others find this show, and share it with someone who needs to hear this message.
Welcome to the Garden of Becoming!
Weekly episodes invite you into soulful conversation with healers, artists, and embodied guides exploring transformation, trauma healing, conscious sexuality, spirituality, creative expression, and the raw magic of being human. We speak to the things that move us—grief and joy, fear and freedom, shame and sovereignty—because becoming your most authentic self asks for courage, community, and the willingness to feel.
Subscribe to grow your roots, unfold your wings, and walk the path home to yourself!
For daily reflections + soulful tools for healing and embodiment, visit:
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