Joseph Campbell said people aren't seeking the meaning of life but "the experience of being alive." When songwriter Christa Wells first encountered that idea, in the depths of grief, it resonated with something in her. She recognized that her suffering was actually propelling her into a new level of awareness and vitality her soul had been craving.
Through her own story and conversations with fellow creators and thrivers, songwriter Christa Wells explores the unique paths and practices leading us toward that experience of Aliveness.
Publisher
Christa Wells
Category
education · religion & spirituality · society & culture
Christa with Shuree Danyell On Being Visionary & Returning The World To Harmony
Christa talks with Shuree Danyell about what it means to envision a world restored to harmony, and how she has pursued harmony within herself through creativity and collaboration.
Shuree Danyell is an award-wining creative artist with a growing reputation as an expert and visionary thought leader in the creative marketing industry. As the Founder and CEO of 4K More Creative, a multi-cultural creative design agency based in Long Beach, Shuree is driven each day by a passion to do work in communities of color that inspires others to be their best. Through her passionate leadership, 4kMore Creative operates with a social impact purpose of identifying and developing diverse creative leaders and providing them with the emotional intelligence training needed for success in the global creative economy.
Connect with Shuree:
INSTAGRAM (https://www.instagram.com/shureedanyell/)
4000 More Creative (https://4000morecreative.com/about/)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
29 Nov 2022
Christa with Matthew Dwyer On Being With People In Grief
Christa talks with Death Doula, Yoga Teacher and Kirtan Wallah, Matthew Dwyer about his compassionate work with people in grief. Matthew hosts Death Cafe with Adriana Rizzolo.
Connect with Matthew:
Website (https://www.madhumatt.com/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/madhumatt/?hl=en)
Being Held Newsletter + More (https://linktr.ee/matthewvdwyer)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
22 Nov 2022
Christa with Rachel Handler on Acting, Advocacy & Dancing In A New Body
Christa talks with actress, singer and motivational speaker, Rachel Handler. After sharing the interesting way Christa and Rachel encountered one another, Rachel shares the joy she experiences in performance and how the loss of her leg in a car accident has invited expansion into her life and work.
Find Rachel:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/bionic.brunette/?hl=en)
Website (http://www.rachelahandler.com/)
Find Christa:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
1 Nov 2022
Christa with Adriana Rizzolo on Embodiment, Expansion & Feeling It All
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
Christa speaks with Adriana Rizzolo about embodiment, expansion and the beauty and freedom that comes through embracing the full spectrum of human experience and emotion. They talked at Adriana's home in Ojai, California, several months after meeting on the island of Molokai.
Adriana is a spiritual mentor, somatic healer, sex educator for women, trans* and non binary folks, speaker, grief and aliveness doula, and more. She helps people heal trauma and patterns of helplessness, awaken their power and feel at home in their bodies to start living life in alignment with their soul.
Find Adriana:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/artofloving/?hl=en)
Body Temple Website (https://www.bodytemple.church/guide)
Find Christa:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=LsvH2_fiStSK5rjhMYj8Qg)
5 Jul 2022
Christa with Juniper Wong on Internal Family Systems & the Source of Suffering
Juniper Wong (https://www.juniperwong.com/) is a licensed social worker/therapist who approaches her work with a unique blend of comedy + insight. She shares her knowledge generously on social media, and in this interview we discuss the winding path that led her to her life's work; Internal Family Systems and other modalities for trauma healing; and what she believes is the true source of suffering.
Time Stamps:
11:11 are we selfish for wanting more?
17:24 disconnection as the root of all suffering
24:17 Internal Family Systems as a tool for integration
31:00 what patterns are showing up in mental health right now
34:49 attachment theory & having language for our emotional experiences
39:00 bodily processing of trauma + the limits of cognitive behavior therapy
44:30 eating disorders + internal family systems
45:08 creating safety within the body
49:07 Juniper’s non-negotiables for self-care
54:25 what Juniper loves about being Juniper
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
Connect with Juniper
Website (https://www.juniperwong.com/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/iamjuniperwong/)
17 May 2022
Christa with Gloria Umanah on The Hope Booth Tour + Discerning Your Path
Gloria Umanah is a gifted communicator, the founder and director of The Ex-Nihilo Collective and now creator of The Hope Booth, a life-affirming interactive experience involving a remodeled telephone booth. Hear how she and her team innovated this unique way to meet strangers on the street and let them feel seen and loved.
Connect with Gloria Umanah:
Website (https://www.gloriaumanah.com/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/gloriaumanah/?hl=en)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
10 May 2022
Christa with Yan Palmer on Learning From Childhood, Staying Curious & The Reality of Connection
Yan Palmer is a photographer, writer, teacher, mentor, podcaster and more. Above all she is one who seeks aliveness through looking on the world with a loving gaze.
In this episode of Ways of Life, Christa asks Yan about the lessons of her childhood and what she means when she says she works "in the love business."
Listen and be inspired!
Naomi Shihab Nye is the poet quoted by Yan towards the end of the episode. Here is a link to Naomi's poem, Kindness. (https://poets.org/poem/kindness)
Connect with Yan:
Website (https://www.yanpalmer.com/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/yanpalmer/?hl=en)
Connect with Christa:
Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/christawellsmusic/newthings)
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
27 Oct 2021
Christa with JennyRebecca on Living Abroad, Healing Through Creativity & Following Your Path
Listen and be inspired by JennyRebecca's tremendous passion for growth, authentic living and inspiring others to express themselves. Now living with her husband in Berlin, Germany, JennyRebecca writes music, records, performs and coaches fellow artists. Be inspired by her recent work with refugees in Germany, which had her co-writing a musical...online...in a foreign language.
Thank you for listening & subscribing! If you enjoy this episode--and I know you will--please support the conversation by sharing and leaving a review. Even better, come and join my private community on Patreon!
Connect with JennyRebecca:
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/iamjennyrebecca/?hl=en)
Website (https://www.jennyrebecca.com/)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/christawellsmusic/?hl=en)
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
12 Oct 2021
Christa with Alex Wong on Making Art & Hearing the Inner Voice
Alex Wong is a Nashville-based musical artist and producer with an endless amount of curiosity and a passion for collaboration. In this conversation Alex shares some of his favorite "hacks" for interacting with doubt and resistance in art and life, as well as how the new frontier of NFT art is causing him to re-think our relationship with time.
If you enjoy this conversation, please SUBSCRIBE, leave a review and share with your friends!
Also, join Christa on the brand new WISDOM app (https://www.joinwisdomapp.com/) for live conversations on the topics we care most about!
Connect with Alex!
Website (https://alexwongsounds.com/)
Patreon (https://www.google.com/search?q=alex+wong+patreon&oq=alex+wong+patreon&aqs=chrome..69i57.7055j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8)
IG: @alexwongsounds
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/0aQmoRjGmSoJAQcVnf0SlE?si=E4ZPd4PBRpmH_Wo39uB7LA&dl_branch=1)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
IG: @christawellsmusic
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
28 Sept 2021
Christa with Justin McRoberts on Creating Something Great With What You've Been Given
Justin McRoberts is a gifted author, podcaster, musician, and coach, among other things. His most recent book, It Is What You Make Of It, is a collection of 15 stories pointing to our capacity and responsibility to use what we've been given, however humble it might feel, to create beauty and impact our world.
Please subscribe & share WAYS OF LIFE with your friends & followers! And if you're interested in participating in conversations like this, join Christa on the soon-to-be-released WISDOM APP!
CONNECT WITH JUSTIN:
Justin's Website (http://justinmcroberts.com/)
IG: @justinmcroberts
CONNECT WITH CHRISTA:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
IG: @christawellsmusic
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
14 Sept 2021
Christa with Johanna Middleton on Telling Better Stories, and a World Without Rape Culture
Johanna Middleton is a gifted storyteller from Los Angeles engaging the world through filmmaking, acting, podcasting, educating and creating story-sharing spaces that nurture the individual and community. Her podcast Gray Area Stories, which hosts conversations with survivors of sexual assault about their healing journeys, is entering its second season.
Connect with Johanna and Gray Area Stories:
Johanna on Instagram: @johannaoflala
Website (http://www.johannamiddleton.com/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/grayareastories?l=es)
Gray Area Stories on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/3gGjnKka3BhW1vn75Fkjqs?si=ICWPjap5R82zutsKwymYzQ&dl_branch=1)
Connect with Christa:
Website (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/home-horizon/)
Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/christawells)
IG: @christawellsmusic
Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=7CHB61IgQ3-3cEG5gCSnpg&dl_branch=1)
2 Sept 2021
Christa with Vaneetha Risner on Living With Suffering
Author/Blogger Vaneetha Risner has become an inspiration to so many, sharing her story of contracting polio as a young child in India, growing up in hospitals, and living through numerous other losses including divorce and the loss of her infant son. Vaneetha speaks about experiencing God in suffering, and allowing suffering to shape us towards deeper connection and even joy. Pick up a copy of her new book, Walking Through Fire: A Memoir of Loss and Redemption (https://www.amazon.com/Walking-Through-Fire-Memoir-Redemption/dp/140021811X/ref=asc_df_140021811X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509360428472&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14438295527831340444&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9013188&hvtargid=pla-1188158404501&psc=1) at most major book retailers!
Please share with a friend, leave a kind review, and subscribe to Ways of Life so we can spread these beautiful conversations!
Thank you for listening!
Find Vaneetha at:
www.vaneetha.com (https://www.vaneetha.com/)
IG: @vaneetharisner
Find Christa at:
www.christawellsmusic.com (http://www.christawellsmusic.com/)
IG: @christawellsmusic
SPOTIFY (https://open.spotify.com/artist/3gCNiuPNPiAA5UQSgb8Uby?si=2oA3rq-nS2-MSzgp4pbz5Q&dl_branch=1)
22 Jun 2021
Christa with Bruce Roberts on Farming, Sobriety & Rediscovering His True Self
On this episode Christa takes a walk on Harpeth Moon Farm outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with owner Bruce Roberts. Bruce describes his journey away from and back to himself, which has included (among other things) Christianity, alcoholism, music, Mary Oliver, and now farming. Bruce is currently working to gather a decade of journals into a book he hopes will inspire others to listen closely to the inner voice and discover freedom.
The poem Bruce reads on the episode is called "The Journey" by Mary Oliver.
CHRISTA WELLS:
www.christawellsmusic.com
@christawellsmusic
BRUCE ROBERTS:
www.harpethmoonfarm.com
@bhroberts221
@harpethmoonfarm
18 May 2021
Christa with Steven Roccazella on the Wim Hof Method + Barbering With Love
Christa talks with Tennessee's only official Wim Hof method instructor Steven Roccazella about how this particular breathing and cold exposure method brought dramatic healing to his life, physically and emotionally.
Steven also shares how, after 13 years in law enforcement, barbering became a way of creating a loving space for the men in his Utah community.
Learn more about the Wim Hof method and connect with Steven at https://www.wimhofmethod.com/instructors/stevenroccazzella.
Find Christa and Steven on Instagram:
@ice_life_tennessee
@christawellsmusic
30 Mar 2021
Christa with Monica Snyder on Cultivating Aliveness with Chronic Illness
Christa talks with friend Monica Snyder on living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Monica and her daughters both suffer from EDS and has had to release former expectations of what their lives would look like. With grace and wisdom that comes from lived experience, Monica shares about:
letting go of doing-based identity
currencies of kindness
being called back to a slower pace
living from a sense of abundance
the meaning of hope
keeping marriage alive amidst long-term suffering
parenting with chronic & degenerative illness
Connect with Monica, her journey and her writing at:
www.MonicaKayeSnyder.com (http://www.MonicaKayeSnyder.com)
Follow Christa on Instagram at @christawellsmusic
9 Mar 2021
Christa with Nick Flora on Christa's Journey Through Divorce
Christa invites friend and fellow Nashville musician (and self-development coach) Nick Flora to lead a conversation on how her divorce impacted her awakening and sense of aliveness. She shares the importance of community and friendship on her ability to move from despair to joy, and some practices that have become non-negotiable to her wellness. Nick and Christa recall how their shared suffering during that season deepened their bond as friends and how they were able to hold both deep pain and authentic joy at the same time.
Find Nick's music and coaching services at:
https://www.nickfloracoaching.com/
https://nickflora.com/
16 Feb 2021
Introducing: WAYS OF LIFE
Join songwriter, poet and artist mentor Christa Wells as she explores the varied paths and practices that have led people into a new experience of "aliveness" - often at the cost of leaving the familiar and expanding through suffering into something new and courageous.
Learn more about Christa's work at www.christawellsmusic.com (www.christawellsmusic.com )
Reach and audience
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Apple Podcasts (US)
4.6 / 5
14 ratings
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