The Tension of Emergence: Befriending the discomfort of slowing down to lead and thrive in uncertain times

About The Tension of Emergence: Befriending the discomfort of slowing down to lead and thrive in uncertain times

What if the tension in your life isn’t something to resolve—but something to revere? Welcome to Tension of Emergence, an audio sanctuary where we meet the fertile edge of transformation—not by bypassing discomfort, but by alchemizing it. Hosted by Jennifer England—human rights advocate, Zen practitioner, and former executive—this podcast explores the friction that arises when we’re called to lead, create, or heal during times of profound change. A space for holding paradox, Tension of Emergence invites you into intimate conversations with artists, philosophers, scientists, and change-makers. Together, we expose the fault lines of outdated paradigms and imagine new ways of being with creativity and embodied wisdom. If you’re craving subversive happenings and radical encouragement as you walk the edges of personal and collective change- come join us.

Publisher

Jennifer England

Category

education · religion & spirituality · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

21 Apr 2022

Latest episode

29 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

86 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   29 Jul 2026

   Season 4 Finale with Jennifer England

   Jennifer takes you through a season of conversations with philosophers, teachers, and artists through the lens of a central koan: do we save or savour a world in a state of collapse? She revisits three core movements: The importance of feeling, especially the emotions and sensations we want to avoidLetting go and softening our attachments to identity, being right, or particular outcomesThe idea that there are no guarantees in this life, no matter how earnest or enlightened we areB...

2. 

   27 Mar 2026

   What should I do? A Practice for Looking Beyond the Obvious

   In this companion episode to Jennifer's conversation with Bayo Akomolafe on breaking the trance of pragmatism, she invites you to notice your usual response when something needs fixing, solving, or resolving. What have you been taught to do? What feels expected? And what other responses might be available, even if they are less visible, less legible, or more strange? The idea behind this practice is not to uncover a better solution, as tempting as it is. Rather Jennifer invites you into a pra...

3. 

   5 Mar 2026

   Breaking the Trance of Pragmatism with Bayo Akomolafe

   How do we respond to harm and injustice without reinforcing the very systems we want to tear down? What if our most pragmatic responses—fixing, solving, demanding—are part of a trance that keeps us under the thumb of power? In this episode, Jennifer speaks with philosopher, writer, and teacher Bayo Akomolafe, whose work invites a sideways glance at activism, politics, and the idea that we can simply repair the world if we try hard enough. Together, they explore: How activism can sometim...

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

30 ratings

Contact The Tension of Emergence: Befriending the discomfort of slowing down to lead and thrive in uncertain times

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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