Sounds of SAND

• #124 War’s Long Shadow: Jungwon Kim & Linda Thai

  From a recent SAND Community Gathering (March 2025) Join mental health clinician Linda Thai and writer Jungwon Kim for an in-depth conversation on intergenerational trauma, historical grief, and healing in community. Together, they explored psychological, spiritual, and communal reverberations of historical violence, framed within the context of U.S. wars in Korea and Vietnam, yet deeply relevant to other conflicts, past and present. They shared their experiences and observations of the complex dynamics of remembering and forgetting—and how they play out across families and communities fragmented by political and militarized violence. Further, they explore modes of restoration that are often overlooked by Western therapeutic approaches: somatic and communal transmutation, cultural ritual, and narrative justice. The pathways they shared honor the deep connections between personal, historical, and communal dimensions of trauma. A vital conversation for anyone seeking to understand how the profound wisdom held within cultural memory can contribute to intergenerational healing. Jungwon Kim is an award-winning writer and cultural worker. She is also a communications leader, organizational strategy consultant, and journalist who has dedicated her professional life to human rights and environmental advocacy. As Head of Creative & Editorial at the Rainforest Alliance, she directed a multimedia team of writers, videographers, and graphic designers. Earlier in her career, she served as the editor of Amnesty International USA’s human rights quarterly that featured the work of award-winning journalists and documentary photographers (circulation 300,000). She began her storytelling career as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and on-air correspondent for nationally syndicated public radio programs. Linda Thai, LMSW ERYT-200 is a trauma therapist and educator who specializes in brain and body-based modalities for addressing complex developmental trauma. Linda has worked with thousands of people from all over the world to promote mindfulness, recover from trauma, and tend to grief as a means of self care. Linda’s work centers on healing with a special focus on the experiences of adult children of refugees and immigrants. Her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom. She has assisted internationally renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, with his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. She has a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:38 Setting the Context: War and Generational Trauma 01:18 Introducing the Guests: Linda Thai and Jungwon Kim 02:17 Linda Thai's Story: A Journey of Healing 06:48 Jungwon Kim's Story: Bridging Generations 11:12 The Impact of War on Generations 13:08 Collective Trauma and Healing 29:39 Ritualizing Healing: The Concept of Han 34:41 The Role of Community in Healing 49:03 Conclusion and Future Conversations Resources Minds Under Seige (A SAND talk with Dr. Gabor Maté and Naomi Klein, facilitated by Cecilie Surasky). Podcast of this conversation. “Violent experiences alter the genome in ways that persist for generations” (Yale News) Han (Korean: 한), or haan, is a concept of an emotion, variously described as some form of grief or resentment, among others, that is said to be an essential element of Korean identity by some, and a modern post-colonial identity by others. – Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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• #123 Listening from Silence: John J. Prendergast

  John J. Prendergast, PhD, is a spiritual teacher, author, retired psychotherapist, and retired adjunct professor of psychology who has taught at Esalen and Kripalu and online. He studied for many years with the sage Dr. Jean Klein as well as with the spiritual teacher Adyashanti. He is the author of the books In Touch, The Deep Heart and Your Deepest Ground: A Guide to Embodied Spirituality (SoundsTrue). Topics: 00:00 Introduction 02:25 The Origin of 'Listening from Silence' 04:48 Exploring the Trilogy of Books 08:55 The Deep Heart and Ground of Being 27:48 Opening the Root Chakra: A Journey into Pure Potentiality 28:25 Tapping into the Current of Life: A Universal Connection 29:59 Addressing Suffering: A Creative Response 32:09 Embodied Non-Dual Approach: Engaging with Life 47:15 The Power of Community in Spiritual Practice Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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• #122 Deep Medicine Circle: Dr. Rupa Marya, Charlene Eigen-Vasquez & Walter Riley

  From a recent SAND Community Gathering (Feb 2025) hosted by SAND co-founders, Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. Deep Medicine Circle (DMC), a collective of healers, farmers, artists, and storytellers, is challenging colonial structures by redefining health and wellbeing through practices that heal communities and restore connections to land. Led by Dr. Rupa Marya, Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, and Walter Riley, this visionary group is creating a holistic food and wellbeing model that nourishes both people and land, recognizing the profound interconnectedness of human health within social, environmental, and historical contexts. Dr. Rupa Marya  is a physician, activist, writer, mother, and a composer. She is a Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and a co-founder of the Do No Harm Coalition. Her work sits at the nexus of climate, health and racial justice. She is the co-author with Raj Patel of the book Inflamed: Deep Medicine and the Anatomy of Injustice. She works to decolonize food and medicine in partnership with communities in Lakhota territory at the Mni Wiconi Health Circle and in Ohlone Territory through the Deep Medicine Circle. She has toured twenty-nine countries with her band, Rupa and the April Fishes, whose music was described by the legend Gil Scott-Heron as “Liberation Music.” Charlene Eigen-Vasquez, J.D. is of Ohlone descent, from the village of Chitactac. She is dedicated to land back initiatives, land preservation, land restoration, cultural revitalization and environmental justice because she feels that these initiatives have a direct impact on physical and mental health. As a mother and grandmother, she completed a law degree so that she might better serve Indigenous communities. Today her focus is on regenerative leadership strategies, leveraging her legal skills, and mediation skills to advocate for Indigenous interests, negotiate agreements and build relational bridges. She is an acknowledged peacemaker, trained by Tribal Supreme Court Justices. Charlene is the former CEO and Director of Self-Governance for the Healing and Reconciliation Institute. Charlene also serves as Chairwoman of the Confederation of Ohlone People, Co-Chair of the Pajaro Valley Ohlone Indian Council and Board Vice President for the Santa Clara Valley Indian Health Center. Charlene was recently brought into the Planet Women’s 100 Women Pathway, a cohort designed to increase the number of diverse women leaders at the helm of the environmental movement. Walter Riley was born in 1944, number 9 of 11 children born to a farming family in Durham County, North Carolina. His family farmed until he was about 6 years old. He grew up in the Jim Crow south and in his early teens, Walter became active in the Civil Rights Movement organizing voter registration, sit-ins, jobs campaigns, and in his late teens became Field Secretary for CORE (Congress for Racial Equality), got married and became a father. He moved to the Bay Area in the 1960s where he became active in the political, social justice movements. Walter is a long-time community activist and civil rights attorney. Topics 00:00 Introduction and Greetings 00:47 Introducing Dr. Rupa Marya 01:46 Deep Medicine Circle and Board Members 02:36 Charlene's Introduction and Ancestral Tribute 07:33 Walter Riley's Introduction and Civil Rights Work 23:48 Connecting Food Systems and Colonial History 26:40 Healing Through Music and Cultural Awareness 27:43 Addressing Hunger and Malnutrition During COVID 28:06 Farming as a Path to Justice and Resilience 30:26 The Role of Historical Trauma in Land Restoration 30:51 Holistic Problem Solving and Cultural Stewardship 36:13 Youth and Community Engagement in Healing 41:28 The Importance of Ethnic Studies and Solidarity 43:08 Reflections on Historical Movements and Future Change 52:29 Concluding Thoughts on Healing and Unity Resources Farming is Medicine (film) Do No Harm Coalition Inflamed (Rupa Marya) Rupa and the April Fishes Boots Riley (Filmmaker and Musician) “I’m a Virgo” (TV Series by Boots Riley) “Sorry to Bother You” (Film by Boots Riley) The Coup (Boots Riley’s Band) Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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• #121 From Science to Spirit: Elisabet Sahtouris

  Today we present an anthology episode with SAND speaker, Dr. Elisabet Sahtouris (1936-2024) who passed in December 2024. Internationally known as a dynamic speaker, Dr. Sahtouris was an evolution biologist, futurist, professor, author and consultant on Living Systems Design. She taught the relevance of biological systems to organisational design in business, government and society. She was a Fellow of the World Business Academy, an advisor to EthicalMarkets.com and the Masters in Business program at Schumacher College, also affiliated with the Bainbridge Graduate Institute's MBA program for sustainable business. Dr. Sahtouris convened two International Symposia on the Foundations of Science and written about integral cosmologies. Her books include A Walk Through TIme: from Stardust to Us, Biology Revisioned, co-authored with Willis Harman, and EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution. sahtouris.com Topics 00:00 Introduction to Elisabet Sahtouris 01:11 Indigenous Science and Wisdom 04:02 The Living Universe Concept 07:04 Western vs. Vedic Science 09:16 The Evolution of Scientific Assumptions 11:47 Mechanism vs. Organism in Biology 12:45 Genetic Engineering and Its Pitfalls 15:56 The Role of Consciousness in Evolution 17:33 Dying to Live: Evolution through Recycling 28:22 The Metaphor of the Butterfly 33:58 Advice for Future Generations 39:29 Closing Thoughts and Reflections Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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• #21 A Hunger for Wholeness: Iya Affo (Encore)

  This is a recording from the 2022 Community Conversation between with guest Iya Affo and SAND co-founders Zaya and Maurizio Benazzo. Very few people are aware of the impact of historical trauma. Historical trauma is trauma so deeply rooted in the subconscious we may not even know it is there. It can leave us feeling anxious, irritable, sad, and hopeless… and we have no idea why. But once we begin to see the larger context of our trauma, then a more holistic healing can begin. Iya Affo is a Culturalist and Historical Trauma consultant. She earned Western certification as a Trauma Specialist and is a descendant of a long line of traditional healers from Bénin, West Africa. Iya serves as an Executive Board Member for the Arizona ACEs Consortium, is an Adjunct Faculty member at the Arizona Trauma Institute, and is the founder of Heal Historical Trauma Culture & Indigenous Wellness Academy. She has visited more than 30 countries; living in Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, Native American, and Yoruba communities, embracing aspects from each culture for personal evolution. She strives to transcend tolerance through cultivating love and respect in hopes of facilitating the decolonization and subsequent healing of indigenous people from all over the world. Iya advocates for the harmonization of Traditional Medicine and Western Medicine for true holistic healing. Iya's passion is to cultivate intergenerational healing by connecting intuitive ancestral practices with modern neurobiology. As we delve into leveraging our neurobiology to facilitate the healing process, we will also explore re-culturing and the creation of self-harmonizing communities. Iya Affo’s Website Topics 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:51 Introducing Iya Affo 02:31 Iya's Personal Journey 05:57 Understanding Historical Trauma 10:14 Resilience and Cultural Connections 11:57 The Role of Names and Identity 16:25 Tools for Healing and Resilience 19:12 The Importance of Cultural Practices 24:35 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma 26:34 Storytelling and Historical Context 26:54 Ancestral Vigilance and Survival Instincts 29:05 Epigenetics and Generational Trauma 30:50 Impact of Historical Trauma on Modern Behavior 34:52 Challenges of Western Medicine in Indigenous Communities 43:51 Traditional Healing Practices and Neurological Regulation Support the mission of SAND and the production of this podcast by becoming a SAND Member

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