Wisdom and Practice

About Wisdom and Practice

No one has all of the answers—but isn’t our quest for meaning what makes us human? Wisdom & Practice opens the door to insights from traditions across the philosophical and spiritual spectrum. Every two weeks, author, educator, and host Simran Jeet Singh sits down with thought-leaders, creatives, and philosophers to uncover what we can learn through exploring life's greatest questions. Starting with: How can we all cultivate more meaning, purpose and growth in our own everyday lives? Through curious and open-minded conversations, each episode illuminates different means of practice guests have taken to discover new awareness of themselves. And in doing so, Wisdom & Practice invites you to reflect and find deeper understanding for yourself, too.

Publisher

Aspen Institute

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 May 2024

Latest episode

14 Aug 2025

Latest episodes

29 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Aug 2025

   Building Real Unity with Nava Kavelin

   What if unity isn’t a lofty ideal, but a daily practice rooted in how we speak, act and build together? This week, Simran is joined by writer, podcaster, and spiritual thinker, Nava Kavelin, for a conversation that grounds the Baha’i teachings of oneness and justice in real, everyday action. Together, they reflect on the collective exhaustion so many are feeling and how spiritual frameworks can help us move from fragmentation to belonging. Nava invites us to imagine a world shaped by human education, universal language, and shared values. Through stories, questions, and personal reflections, Simran and Nava explore how consultation, community-building, and consistent alignment between values and actions can transform all of us This conversation reminds us that small, sincere acts of connection matter. That unity isn’t something we wait for - it’s something that we practice together. Resources: Check out Simran’s work on his website at simranjeetsingh.org (http://simranjeetsingh.org/). Wisdom & Practice is produced in partnership with PRX and the Aspen Institute, with support from the John Templeton Foundation. Music by Raj Kanwal Singh. This episode was produced by associate producer, Serena Chow, producer, Rithu Jagannath and senior producer, Morgan Flannery. Our project manager is Edwin Ochoa, our show is mixed by Tommy Bazarian and the executive producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales.

2. 

   31 Jul 2025

   When Doubt Builds Bridges Instead of Walls

   What happens when a poet, a rabbi and an imam walk into a room - not to debate, but to listen? In this special live episode of Wisdom and Practice, Simran moderates an honest, soul-stretching panel at NYU’s Fritz Weitzman Owens Memorial Lecture with Kaitlyn B. Curtice, Dr. Shaykh Faiyaz Jaffer, and Rabbi Joshua Stanton. Together, they wrestle with the tensions and truths of interfaith work - its’ beauty, its’ burdens and its’ urgent relevance today. They dive into the power of empathy, the gift of doubt, and what it means to scale compassion in divided times. With wisdom from diverse traditions and lived experience, this conversation reimagines faith not as a fixed doctrine, but as a living, evolving practice of showing up for ourselves and each other. Special thanks to NYU, for the use of this audio. This panel was hosted by: Melissa Carter, EdD - Global Spiritual Life Senior Director and Head of Mindfulness Education and Programming at NYU Coordinated by: Chelsea Garbell - Associate Director, Global Spiritual Life, Robert Taylor, Jr Assistant Director Global Spiritual Life at NYU And it was recorded and edited by: NYU-TV Resources: Check out Simran’s work on his website at simranjeetsingh.org (http://simranjeetsingh.org/). Wisdom & Practice is produced in partnership with PRX and the Aspen Institute, with support from the John Templeton Foundation. Music by Raj Kanwal Singh. This episode was produced by associate producer, Serena Chow, producer, Rithu Jagannath and senior producer, Morgan Flannery. Our project manager is Edwin Ochoa, our show is mixed by Tommy Bazarian and the executive producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales.

3. 

   17 Jul 2025

   The Seeds of Community with Anurima Bhargava

   What if family isn’t just who you’re born to, but who you choose to grow with? This week on Wisdom and Practice, we’re joined by community organizer and thought leaderAnurima Bhargava. In this episode, we explore how presence, faith, and mutual care can reshape the way we build and belong. She invites us to see each other not as weeds to be managed, but as seeds to be nurtured - reminding us that healing communities start with how we show up for one another. Together, Simran and Anurima unpack what it means to build intentional relationships rooted in dignity, agency, and shared values. Through story, food, and faith, this conversation offers a powerful reimagining of community, - not as something we inherit, but something we co-create. In a world often marked by disconnection and division, they offer a grounded vision of belonging - one where everyone has a place, and every seed has room to grow. Resources: Check out Simran’s work on his website at simranjeetsingh.org (http://simranjeetsingh.org/). Wisdom & Practice is produced in partnership with PRX and the Aspen Institute, with support from the John Templeton Foundation. Music by Raj Kanwal Singh. This episode was produced by associate producer, Serena Chow, producer, Rithu Jagannath and senior producer, Morgan Flannery. Our project manager is Edwin Ochoa, our show is mixed by Tommy Bazarian and the executive producer of PRX Productions is Jocelyn Gonzales.

Who has been a guest on Wisdom and Practice

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Laurie Santos
• Chris Duffy
• Amy Gallo
• Krista Tippett

Reach and audience

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

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

31 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

15 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 28 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

36

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51