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Awaken your power.

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by Keri Mangis

5.0(9 reviews)

51 episodes

Updated Weekly

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Podcast Overview

You’ve outgrown the status quo. You’re done with surface solutions. You want real change—inside and out. Awaken Your Power is your invitation to shed the layers that keep you from your truest power. Join Keri Mangis for episodes that are part truth-telling, part myth-busting, and 100% soul-awakening.

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Publishing Since

9/14/2019

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Recent Episodes

January 13, 2026

The Integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service

<h3>Awaken Your Power — The Integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service</h3> (with Dr. Elizabeth Willis) In this episode of Awaken Your Power, host Keri Mangis is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Willis, visionary educator, author, and Director of the Institute of New Paradigm Intimacy, for a rich and expansive conversation about embodiment, power, and what it truly means to return to wholeness. Elizabeth introduces a deeply integrative framework—Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service—and invites us to reconsider where power actually lives. Not as dominance or control, but as presence, sensation, and the capacity to feel. At the heart of the conversation is Eros, which Elizabeth reframes not as sex alone, but as life force itself: the vitality that awakens the cells, animates the body, and reconnects us to our aliveness. Sexuality, she explains, is one doorway to Eros—but not the only one. When approached somatically and consciously, it becomes a portal for healing, creativity, and spiritual intelligence. Keri and Elizabeth explore how modern culture has fractured our experience—separating body from soul, spirituality from sexuality, and service from self—often beginning in childhood. Drawing on her 25+ years in Montessori education, Elizabeth describes how children arrive deeply connected to soul and sensation, only to slowly crystallize into identities built for performance and compliance. What we often call a “midlife crisis,” she suggests, is more accurately an initiatory return to the soul—one our culture rarely names or supports. The conversation moves fluidly between personal healing and collective transformation, addressing shame, trauma, religious conditioning, and porn-based scripts that shape our relationship to sexuality. Elizabeth speaks candidly about how sexuality has been used as a tool for power-over—and how slowing down, attuning to the nervous system, and listening to sensation opens the door to entirely new choices. In this episode, you’ll hear about: <ul> <li> Eros as life force, not performance or pathology </li> <li> The soma as the sensate body—and sensation as a language beneath thought and emotion </li> <li> Why sacred sexuality is more about nervous system attunement than sexual technique </li> <li> Sexuality as a healing portal and a catalyst for psychological and spiritual growth </li> <li> The difference between self-pleasure and masturbation, and why new pleasure pathways matter </li> <li> How embodied boundaries arise from sensation rather than mental rules </li> <li> Questioning libido myths—especially around menopause </li> <li> Teaching and caregiving as spiritual service rather than burnout </li> <li> How individual healing ripples outward into families, institutions, and culture </li> </ul> Elizabeth also shares how her work in sacred sexuality unexpectedly converged with her life as an educator, leading to her forthcoming book, The Initiated Teacher: Reawakening the Soul of the Montessori Educator in the New Paradigm. The book offers a next-level vision of teacher wellness—one that frames teaching as a path of initiation, transformation, and service, rather than endurance. The episode closes with a clear throughline: what we exile into the shadows—especially sexuality—will continue to distort power until it is met with awareness, education, and compassion. Integration is not optional; it is the work of our time. <h3>About Dr. Elizabeth Willis</h3> Dr. Elizabeth Willis is a visionary educator, author and director of the Institute of New Paradigm Intimacy, a global school devoted to embodied leadership, sacred sexuality, and the reclamation of Aeros as life force with over 25 years in Montessori education and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction. Elizabeth Bridges the worlds of spirituality, somatics, and education to help people return to wholeness through the body.  Through her work. Elizabeth invites others to remember that power is not dominance, but presence. Her forthcoming book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GFTCFGQQ?ref=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_wa_apin_dp_DEKYFTQQMF3TJN4309B4&ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_wa_apin_dp_DEKYFTQQMF3TJN4309B4&social_share=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cso_wa_apin_dp_DEKYFTQQMF3TJN4309B4&bestFormat=true&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnEEP4sL8y_Q25ZBj5gJImExgZ92sJdIICE6iidyribf-0jOE50gxgYOmYvY4_aem_J63w6ugern6tzbf3HRbX9A&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ig">The Initiated Teacher: Reawakening the Soul of the Montessori Educator in the New Paradigm</a>, explores the integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service as a pathway to wholeness—for educators and for anyone called to meaningful service. <h3>Connect with Elizabeth</h3> <ul> <li> newparadigmintimacy.com </li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/newparadigmintimacy/">https://www.instagram.com/newparadigmintimacy</a> </li> <li> Signature offering: 9-month Somatic Sex Coaching Certification (now enrolling; next cohort begins in January) </li> </ul>

January 6, 2026

Presence, Power, and Belonging to Ourselves

<h3>Awaken Your Power — Presence, Power, and Belonging to Ourselves (with Mellara Gold)</h3> In this episode of Awaken Your Power, host Keri Mangis sits down with Mellara Gold, a longtime meditation and mindful yoga teacher whose work centers on awareness, self-compassion, and embodied presence in a complex and often overwhelming world. Their conversation opens with a question many spiritual practitioners quietly wrestle with: how do we remain rooted in love and light without turning away from real suffering, injustice, and cultural upheaval? Keri and Mellara explore the delicate balance between spiritual practice and honest engagement with the world—without bypassing, numbing, or pretending. Mellara shares her personal origin story: a debilitating spinal injury at seventeen that led her, reluctantly, into yoga. What began as physical rehabilitation became a profound awakening. Through breath and movement, she discovered not just relief from pain, but a way of being with herself—perhaps for the first time. Awareness, she explains, is not something she chose; it was something life demanded. From there, the conversation unfolds into a rich exploration of: <ul> <li> Awareness as a daily, embodied practice rather than a spiritual concept </li> <li> Self-compassion as the gateway to dignity and sovereignty </li> <li> The ways women are conditioned to abandon themselves in order to belong </li> <li> Belonging to oneself as a prerequisite for healthy community </li> <li> Rejection as redirection, not failure </li> <li> The cultural addiction to external validation and how mindfulness interrupts it </li> <li> Ritual as presence rather than performance </li> <li> Solitude, hermiting, and silence as essential—not indulgent </li> <li> The generational ripple effects of inner work and healing </li> </ul> Mellara speaks candidly about the necessity of solitude and learning to say no—not as withdrawal, but as responsibility to one’s own consciousness. She reframes ordinary tasks like washing dishes or folding laundry as devotional acts when done with presence, reminding us that transformation does not stay contained; it moves outward through families, relationships, and communities. The episode closes with a simple but powerful reminder: presence is power. To offer yourself even a moment of undivided attention is to come home to your wholeness. This episode is especially resonant for anyone navigating midlife, burnout, identity shifts, spiritual fatigue, or the quiet realization that pushing through no longer works. About Mellara Gold Mellara Gold has taught meditation and mindful yoga for over two decades. She is the author of A Life Worth Living: A Journey of Self-Discovery Through Mindfulness Yoga and Living in Awareness: Deepening Our Daily Lives Through Prayer, Ritual, and Meditation. A former actress trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Mellara is also a regular contributor to OM Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine, Elephant Journal, and other spiritual publications. You can find Mellara at <a href="https://mellara.com/">mellara.com</a> and on Instagram @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/mellara_gold/?hl=en">mellaragold</a> Email here at <a href="mailto:info@mellara.com">info@mellara.com</a>

December 30, 2025

Mental Illness? Or a Spiritual Emergency?

In this powerful and paradigm-shifting episode of Awaken Your Power, Keri speaks with Sean Blackwell, author of Bipolar Awakenings and creator of the Bipolar Awakenings project. Sean’s work courageously challenges the dominant psychiatric narrative, offering a radically different lens on bipolar disorder, psychosis, and what many might call “mental illness.” Drawing from his own dramatic hospitalization in 1996, nearly 20 years of research, and extensive work with clients around the world, Sean explores the intersection of spiritual awakening, trauma, and non-ordinary states of consciousness. He argues that what is often labeled as pathology may in fact be a spiritual emergency—a potent, disorienting, but potentially transformative process arising from the body’s own intelligence. Together, Keri and Sean dive into the risks of over-pathologizing, the cultural discomfort with breakdowns, the somatic nature of Kundalini energy, and how integrating these states requires nuance, courage, and a complete overhaul of how we hold human experience. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in mental health, trauma healing, spirituality, or challenging the status quo around what it means to “wake up.” <h2>In This Episode We Explore:</h2> <ul> <li> Sean’s unexpected hospitalization following a powerful Kundalini awakening </li> <li> Why he believes his episode was a breakthrough, not a breakdown </li> <li> How the psychiatric system oversimplifies complex spiritual processes </li> <li> Why the “chemical imbalance” narrative lacks scientific support </li> <li> The difference between spiritual emergency and mental illness </li> <li> How trauma, intergenerational wounds, and somatic blockages fuel bipolar symptoms </li> <li> The role of Kundalini as a force for psychological reorganization </li> <li> Dangers and benefits of meditation retreats and intense spiritual practices </li> <li> Why our culture silences truth-telling during non-ordinary states </li> <li> Sean’s innovative use of surrogate breathwork in healing sessions </li> <li> The evolutionary potential in embracing—not suppressing—these experiences </li> <li> Why the world doesn’t need “normal” people, but natural people </li> <li> What real healing demands: courage, expression, and deep self-inquiry </li> </ul> <h2>Key Quotes</h2> <ul> <li> “What psychiatry calls mania or psychosis may actually be a spiritual emergency—a powerful awakening that’s too much to integrate all at once.” </li> <li> “The chemical imbalance story simply isn’t supported by science.” </li> <li> “Breakdowns are breakthroughs trying to happen.” </li> <li> “Normalcy is what got us into this cultural mess. The world needs more natural people.” </li> <li> “In non-ordinary states, people often speak truths their families have avoided for decades.” </li> </ul> <h2>About Sean Blackwell</h2> Sean Blackwell is the author of Bipolar Awakenings: The Quest to Heal Bipolar Disorder and creator of the Bipolar Awakenings YouTube channel. For nearly two decades, he has studied the somatic, energetic, and spiritual dimensions of bipolar disorder and psychosis. Through private retreats and breathwork-based healing processes, Sean supports individuals navigating extreme states and spiritual crises. His work blends transpersonal psychology, trauma healing, and a deep respect for the body’s innate intelligence. Learn more at: bipolarawakenings.com <h2>Resources Mentioned</h2> <ul> <li> Sean’s books, training programs, and videos: bipolarawakenings.com </li> <li> Sean’s YouTube channel: “Bipolar Awakenings” </li> <li> Holotropic Breathwork (Stanislav Grof) </li> <li> Keri’s website: kerimangis.com </li> </ul> <h2>Connect with Keri</h2> For more conversations that challenge the status quo and awaken deeper self-authority, subscribe to Awaken Your Power on your favorite podcast platform. Find more writing, courses, and resources at kerimangis.com.

51 total episodes available

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What is Awaken your power.?: You’ve outgrown the status quo. You’re done with surface solutions. You want real change—inside and out. Awaken Your Power is your invitation to shed the layers that keep you from your truest power. Join Keri Mangis for episodes that are part truth-telling, part myth-busting, and 100% soul-awakening.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates weekly.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 7 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Information about guest appearances is not available.

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