[00:00:00] Mychal: And, that work of healing resistance the principles of nonviolence that talks about this idea of beloved community. Everyone deserves to be seen. Everyone deserves to be heard. Everyone deserves to be long here. And that's powerful. It's so powerful and, and the levels of safety and bravery it takes to just be amongst one another.
It, it's, it's the work of the world, you know? And the Malcolm X quote, that's the last quote, I, I, I feel like I was quotation today, but when we replace I, and we even illness becomes wellness. And, and that's just shown us so much of. like you said, nervous system's, hardwired to be amongst one another to learn to co-regulate together to the mirror neurons and the, the beauty in you seeing, the beauty in me and all that transpires after being in community,
[00:00:50] kate: This is the place of community connection where we honor and celebrate each individual's unique gifts and passions, [00:01:00] share
[00:01:01] Jeanette: rituals for all the seasons and
cycles of life,
[00:01:05] kate: and bring light to both ancient and modern practices that transform communities
[00:01:10] Jeanette: to the new earth paradigm. One that is more loving, compassionate, and life.
This is the Nourish Collective. And where are your hosts? I'm Jeanette Sealy.
[00:01:25] kate: And I'm Kate Strakosch. And we're so grateful that you're here with us to take this journey, to grow, to explore, and to weave together magic and wisdom.
It's such an honor to share with you the conversation that we had with Michael Mills, a transformational leader who, since childhood has found a passion to serve and uplift the community. He is the co-founder of Conscious Youth Development and Service Kids organization, a transforming youth, schools and communities through holistic practices, facilitating [00:02:00] mind.
Social emotional learning, trauma, healing, restorative practices, and resilience building.
Michael is a sound healing facilitator and poet author as well. His purpose is to awaken infinite love within self and humanity.
[00:02:17] Mychal: Thank you for having me.
[00:02:19] Jeanette: Yes. So good to have you. Mm-hmm. ,
[00:02:23] kate: you've been such a light in the community for years. Mm-hmm. , and it's been beautiful So , tell us a little bit maybe about the, how this all began. know what kids it's all about, but just to see the ripple effects and the impact on so many in, in such a positive way.
[00:02:44] Mychal: Yeah. Oh is, it's a blessing and I think it, it means we're all in the right coordinates and all the work that we're doing where we're just around, so it's a beautiful community that is looking to show up in their heart and compassion and, you know, beyond just the the, the business aspect. [00:03:00] Just doing things out of love, you know, and that's, for me, the highest currency there is.
Mm-hmm. .
[00:03:09] Jeanette: So , tell us a little bit maybe about how this all began.
[00:03:13] Mychal: Oh yes. So we often start off by saying, this started lifetimes ago, but but I, I will, I'm gonna start off here. Cuz the chronological is, is really cool cuz. Me and, and brother Ry, we've we've been in coordinates with one another before, even consciously aware of it.
So I'll start off by saying, years after we started this nonprofit, my mother finds and they used to always collect my newspaper articles for like football, basketball, and. They used to just, you know, scrapbook of like everything I've done in school and everything from soccer to basketball, football, you know, even poetry and stuff like that.
And they have like a scrapbook and then they're looking through the scrapbook [00:04:00] and, and, and it's weird cuz it's like, this is in high school and they're seeing a picture of me not me. They have a scrap article of Rodney Solo. , and this is before, like we didn't know each other or anything . So I'm like, wow, that's like certain coordinates.
And then as me and and Rodney talk and, and connect. We also find that, that we're on the same au basketball team. Like I'm an age group under him and we're on the same au basketball town team at the same time. In, in our worlds. And this is, again, this is before we knew each other. So there's things that were putting us in, in divine synchronicity of one another.
So consciously aware of Rodney we're. On Monmouth University campus. He's he's playing football at Monmouth and I'm just a student. I'm very active student. But there's this intramural basketball, which is recreation basketball for college campuses. And we're playing against each other all the [00:05:00] time and and
And so we're, we're playing against each other and. , these are just coordinates, right? And these are just little dots that are being connected. And then it wasn't until years after college where I'm working as a food sourcing manager at the it's called Fulfill now, but the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.
And. After work I would, cuz my heart's always been in the community. I would go volunteer at different soup kitchens and and just be in a community. And he would go to the soup kitchens. He's working as a youth development specialist in Asbury Park High School. And he would bring his students to the soup kitchen to volunteer and.
We'd start seeing each other. And so we'd have these coordinates that are being connected and these dots being connected and we start having these conversations about everything in the world. Cuz we're all doing like community work. I'm working at the food bank, but I'm also working as a youth development and, and doing mentor work and volunteer and like [00:06:00] behavioral assistant work, working with youth in the community in different arenas.
And Ron's doing the same thing and, and we're just talking about everything going on in the community and we're just, , we're just talking about these cycles. I'm gonna start, start first, start off by calling it unconsciousness, but these cycles of, of unconsciousness, but these generations of pain bodies and, and traumas that are being passed on in a community from parent to child, then generation to generation, and how people are seeking solutions.
And from our awareness and maybe the wrong outlets, you know, the drinking, the smoking, and just kind of like numbing it away and so I don't have to feel this. Right. And then we're also seeing people like on the social justice arena, just like, yeah, the protests are great. But after the protest, what's actually happening, right.
Or even deeper layers like I, I read a book called Healing Resistance is by Kazu Haga, but it's like, it talks about [00:07:00] the principles of nonviolence, but also the need to take care of yourself, to heal yourself. As I'm trying to dismantle systems, I also have to dismantle. The portion of the systems that are inside of me.
So it's like the, the, the I and the we at the same time. But a lot of people were just doing the we, you, you, you, you, you and the protests are great. I'm not, I'm not, it brings awareness, but if I'm doing it from a hurt space, it's not a race. It's gonna last long, you know? And, and just how like, At the individual level, people weren't whole.
So we seen these cycles going on in the community and it was around that time that we were both starting to and starting to look. Deeper within ourselves, holistically. So we started changing up our diets and, you know, the Mickey D's and junk food. And we started finding, okay, there's a, there's a cleaner temple, you know, where I'm able to operate from a pure space and my mind is more focused, you know, I'm cutting out fast foods, I'm cutting out junk foods, getting away from the sugar, and I'm starting to put in foods and [00:08:00] nourishing me on a, on a physical level and my optimal level.
And I'm starting to see the importance of just like, man, ooh, I had to clean this. Clean this temple out and how, how regulated I became after doing that, and then just doing the same type of diet and cleansing for the mind. Junk music, and junk tv and all this other stuff. And I, I tell this often to youth.
I, I grew up listening to hip hop and, and 50 cent and all this. And I wonder why I had so much aggression with, in me as a young man and have these like the, the mind of One of those individuals that they're listening to, but it's like, why am I have that type of anger? Why do I have that type of aggression in me?
It's, oh, it's the music I'm listening to. I have to tend to my mind like I'm tending to a garden. What seeds am I planning and things of that sort, so. Started cleansing the mind, finally the healing the heart and started losing the, the simple tools of like the breath and the body and how I can bring [00:09:00] more healing inside this space.
And , it, it took a journey and we're still, we still go through it cuz it's, not about the destination, but the journey. But it's like, wow. Imagine this space that I'm, because when I change this reality and here I began to see a reality out here change. Imagine we started bringing that blueprint to youth and Rodney started experimenting with it in Asbury Park High School working with the, the students.
He was, even though it wasn't part of his job, and he started like, okay, this, this is actually more beneficial than me doing the old social constructs of social work and, and things of that sort. and, and it's like, wow, this is, this is powerful. And even myself, it's like I hated giving or having, cuz we had these caseloads of youth and you'd be able to work with them for like 90 hours or 120 hours.
And then on HIPAA law, after you disconnect from that youth, you can't see or, or have contact with them for two years. And I'm like, wow, that, that doesn't seem, cuz these relationships. Connections matter. And a lot of times these healthy [00:10:00] connections a lot of these youth don't have. So I always I'll say this cuz I'm, I'm way past that time, but like I've always broke hip hop and like, I always stayed in contact with my youth even beyond our service time because I, I knew the value of having healthy, supportive adults in, in your lives.
And so we started kids in 2014 and it started, those conversations started, you know, that observation. Sparked an obligation to give back to this community and a community that was dear to our heart, Asbury Park. And it wasn't 2014, we, we started with an open mic just to get our name out in the community.
And it became its own program. Its own platform for vulnerability, for openness, for, you know, being your authentic self, for healing, for compassion, for, and just community. And, and it was beautiful and we. Done that since 2014, ever since every month we have hosted open mic here in Asbury Park and it's one of our longest standing programs.
So we did did a lot of those community programs. [00:11:00] Monthly meditation sits. We started a Free journey summer program in 2015, that summer. And it was just a, a program. It was for like K through 12, you would've thought, you know, cause we didn't have an idea of narrowing it down. But years following that, we started narrowing it down.
We had an elementary school camp, then we had a middle school camp, and high schoolers were able to volunteer with us as junior counsel. Our junior conscious workers, and it wasn't until 2017 where we started a school-based program because me and Rodney took a leap of love and we left our full-time job, so we didn't know what was gonna happen, but we knew that we had a passion and a purpose.
And so that leap of love helped us really like, okay, now we're living out the constructs of systems and we're able to build our own system within the organization. So as soon as that happened, schools are reaching out to. Like that. So 2017 schools were reaching out to us. By that time. Rodney also worked with some some folks in Asbury Park of like building out a wellness initiative and for educators and youth and[00:12:00] At that time when he left his full-time job, they're like, well, we need someone to actually facilitate this wellness initiative.
And boom, we had our first large contract in Nasbe Park that fall 2017. And ever since then, you know, we've had our program here in Nasbe Park where we've been able to expand throughout the state, almost said nation, but that's, that's a idea of things to come, but throughout the state and working with over a hundred schools and.
Impacting well over 15,000 youth. Over 7,000 educators and thousands of community members who've been through our programs. And now it's just all really about influencing the systems and the systemic change. And that has to take place because we know in order for this to be truly holistic and and really deeply ingrained in the culture, Leaders have to embody these tools as well.
So we've had great partnerships with dcf department of Children and Families, and did a keynote with them over earlier this year. And [00:13:00] , we're doing our second keynote with N J E A next month. And it's been beautiful because we're starting to see the need and I think the pandemic helped out with a lot of it.
The need for individuals to look within themselves and , to find more sources of healing inside of me and the. has to come within me for me to change anything outside me. So that is a long-winded answer. For your question, , I just realized I went off
[00:13:28] kate: It's incredible. And
to just learn in recent years how. , your reach has spread wider and wider, and the nationwide won't be too much longer
[00:13:39] Jeanette: a leap of love. I mean, I just felt so resonant. I actually got goosebumps from it, but Wow. Just
[00:13:49] Mychal: goosebumps.
[00:13:50] Jeanette: Beautiful. Yeah. Thank you.
[00:13:55] kate: Are you seeing. A change and [00:14:00] even more of a need for it after 2020, after so many lives were disrupted with their flow of being in school, being in in person, in community, and then coming back and all the flux that has come and gone.
Are you seeing more of a demand?
[00:14:23] Mychal: Yes. Yes is a short answer, but the long answer is we saw this in 2017 and you know, the beauty and the gift of the pandemic, a lot of us had to sit with ourselves. And during that time, you can't go anywhere other than here. And, and you start to understand, oh, Things are broken, not just on a systemic level, but on an individual level.
And, and so whether it be layoffs and, and relationships, loss of life, a lot of people had to reconcile with some of the things that are already inside of me and some of the things I've been [00:15:00] putting away or sweeping under the rug for a long time. And I think. Like any, any type of event like the pandemic or, I know they did a lot of this work around Sandy as well.
They'll now funding comes on a emotional level even though we kind of seen it back then. And also, and just a little digression, we, we saw it and we also had an opportunity to train under a organization called Holistic Life Foundation that was doing this work 20 years prior. In, in Baltimore school system.
And, and it was like an inspiration for us as well. So it's, we saw what could take place and we're, we're thankful that the pandemic allowed doors to open now so we can rethink, reimagine, and reinvent education as it should be. And I forgot the, the source of the Copa. We always lead within our recharge your battery workshops.
It's education educating the mind. Without education, the [00:16:00] heart is no education at all. So understanding that, it's like how do we educate the heart? How do we connect back to the hearts? But how do we diversify education in a way where we meet all the needs of individuals and everyone is not just.
Learning one way, but we're learning how to navigate life and how to be in purpose. And, and one thing that we've been leading with over the last year, because there's a lot of research coming out around it there's a book called The Awakened Brain. And it's by Dr. Lisa Miller. I'm Jeanette, I think, you know of that work.
But I've had the privilege of working alongside another colleague of Dr. Lisa Miller. This woman named Linda Lanier, and she is actually one of the founding members of Castle Social Emotional Learning and built this framework for schools to adopt. And I work. Side her in this fellowship called Transformational Educational Leadership.
And [00:17:00] in that, at program , we are teaching a, a different level of consciousness, even beyond sel. They call it transformative SEL now, but it's a, it's a way of interviewing connection culture, being culturally responsive and equity and including all these things in that framework. But I'm happy to say that because of the pandemic, a lot of.
Systems are beginning to change. And we've had the opportunity to work with leaders superintendents in Monmouth County and do a presentation and running and open up the doors, even, I guess, in a more diligent way, because some of them didn't even know we were working in their schools prior to that.
They're like, oh, wait, oh, you did that program and now it's, it's on everyone's radar. It's on everyone's mind and their heart, and I think it's necessary. And it's necessary conversations to talk. Pain to talk about trauma and, and to talk about all these things that had been affecting us prior, but have now we're, we've seen tremendous now in schools, a need for us to [00:18:00] address this work.
And I, I'll just say this, be too, cuz I think it's very related. Even the state of New Jersey has been pushing forth an initiative. They have the Office of Resilience in New Jersey. and it's built around the framework of the ACEs adverse Childhood Experience study. And they've been really trying to make it accessible to every community to have this knowledge of ACEs.
And if you're not familiar with that work, I would highly recommend looking at it because the CDCs funded it in 1994 and they sound that the largest impact we'll have in healthcare as we. Is addressing childhood trauma. And if you can connect that to the work that we know as wellness practitioners, you know, 90% of disease is, is trapped emotions and things of that sort and just in the body and just understanding how the body keeps a score and all these factors just addressing that will change the world.
And , we, what better way to do it in the education school system where everyone goes through and everyone has [00:19:00] access to.
[00:19:02] Jeanette: It's absolutely phenomenal. I mean, understanding the context of culture and community in the healing process and what you're building and at the age that you're implementing it, that you're able to reach people is the step towards healing intergenerational trauma that has been passed on and on and on through systems of oppression and racism and, and social injustice and all of the things that were actually finally, I.
really facing together collectively instead of hiding from and pretending it doesn't exist or swallowing it with shame in our communities. Now there's like this collective awakening around the processing of this and there's so, so much beauty there. All you just shared, and I'm like gonna be able to go down some rabbit holes around the resources you've just given us.
But I, I deeply appreciate the work you. ,
[00:19:57] Mychal: I appreciate you. I appreciate you. I'm [00:20:00] reflection of your heart, . Yeah, and you know, I, I think so much of change and I don't discount this and, you know, I apologize it comes off wrong, but like I, I, a lot of change comes from chaos. my brokenness. Right?
And and so I don't even in myself and my, one of my sound practitioners talked about this tanglement between coherence and incoherence and how both are necessary. are, constantly in an influx, you know, for me to grow. I have to go through incoherence to get back to coherence and, and that duality of both.
And, and so I'm thankful for the pandemic. I'm thankful for all the experiences in my life that made me aware and made me align me here. Because there's several moments and experiences in my life and, you know, talk about childhood trauma that had put me here to, to look at something deeper and more meaningful in life and, and myself first and then in life.
[00:21:00] And to bring this to the world.
[00:21:02] kate: I have a few questions coming to mind, but I appreciate that you acknowledged the coherence comes from incoherence and from chaos, and we see that with the work that Jeanette does work that I do in different ways with approaching the body. that the body is wired to operate on a frequency of love.
Mm-hmm. , which is the strongest field of coherence in the body. But so many experiences dampen that and dim that connection and the imprints that get stuck in the brain. And so much of that is coming back to, to trusting the body. Mm-hmm. [00:22:00] trusting in. in the way that it can heal. And something that always brings us together is through community and how we can learn from each other, how we can grow with and through each other.
And your work and devotion to it is such a great reminder in that, hmm, trauma can really feel like such an isolating ex or isolated experience. , but when groups can come together, how it can be this, this shared field where without even sharing the stories, vocalizing it, that we can drop into that space and, and raise the race into the heart.
And from that open to a deeper state of alignment.
[00:22:53] Mychal: Yeah, we have found. It's important to, [00:23:00] to learn how to be in community again. And that's one of the biggest things we bring into schools. And you know, we, we. We make a community, we break not, not break the ice but just to move towards one another.
And, and there's a lot of research, especially over the last few years that show the, the dangers of isolating and isolating and suffering. And, and I saw research out of the, I think University of New Hampshire said isolation is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and also decreases your lifespan.
And I'm just like, wow. We have to learn how to be in community again. And in this digital age, it could be hard , and, but we could use it as a tool but not let it take over. I came from a school, right? Asbury Park High School. It's like, wow, everyone's just hooked on here. And they, and even they say, I'd rather communicate on here with a person right next to me than actually communicate this person right next to me.
And, and how the fallacy of, of [00:24:00] being able to like something on a digital platform, but not being able to tell that person you like them in real life. And, and so learning how to be in community again is, It's probably, you know, for me, the one of the most important workings to do moving forward.
[00:24:23] Jeanette: the ability to be held in a community, embrace in the way of. Moving together, breathing together, or chanting together, or offering presence to witness someone speaking, someone offering their spoken word. Mm-hmm. , the healing power in that is profound and it's, it's amazing to think that in some ways we still think of healing as binary and individual and.[00:25:00]
It really isn't at all. It takes this collective experience to really transform and to bring safety to the nervous system to bring regulation. So absolutely it's epic what you're doing. I love that you're doing it with kids and school systems and districts where there's such a need for it where there's not necess.
and understanding or a ground of support from, you know, working parents or families that have experienced divorce or their own systemic isolative qualities that trauma has induced, and then to reprogram and to initiate. Opportunity for deep change on the individual. And then collective level is just, it is brilliant and it's where the work and the heart of the work really begins.
So it's [00:26:00] beautiful.
[00:26:01] Mychal: Can I make one more plug? Cuz Jeanette and, and a small group of us. during the pandemic when everything was isolated, we were meeting weekly, almost twice a week, sometimes in a training together called Game Changers. So it's, it reminds me of community and just that that nourishment you get because isolation was difficult for a lot of individuals and I saw individuals even in the wellness arena who.
you know, who, who suffered in silence and turned to the drug abuse and, and substance to help heal that space. And I, I say that because it's understand healing journeys. Like, okay, there's some things that people are trying to do to cope. Through something. So even when a youth embraces something that they're doing, I don't try to say it's a label as good or bad, but can I show you more tools and more options, more a toy box of assortment that you can use for your own healing journey.[00:27:00]
[00:27:01] Jeanette: That was such a great experience. The game changer, intensive, and yeah, such a gift. Like we were in community with one another, but then there was this larger global community. Mm-hmm. simultaneously doing the work and it's an ongoing opportunity to join in on and support and as is the kids organization, which at the end will definitely give you ways to support this beautiful work that Michael and Rodney are doing with our team.
And. The more that we can step up and take action where action needs to be taken, the more that , we drive the collective towards more peace, more harmony, and the higher vibration of love.
[00:27:41] Mychal: Mm-hmm. Absolutely.
So can I pose a question to both of you?
it's like but what is awakening within you in regards to the transformation, not just of yourself, [00:28:00] but the world in this moment?
[00:28:19] kate: I'll share from my room
part of the work that I do and connect with clients. is around leading in through the physical body, but going deeper into the emotional and the energetic bodies. And for a long period of time, I've deemed it Yoni work. So mainly working with women, with vulva owners. But I love, love, love, love, having the opportunity to work with men around their Lingam health.
But from that, it's opening up this pathway. . [00:29:00] What I, what is awakening within me is weaving in this connection between the masculine and the feminine energy that each of us embody and however individuals identify themselves. But the fire has become so much brighter within me and the devotion to move out of the comfort zone that I was in.
To, I'm going to use the word you, you've expressed to co-regulate together and to do it on a greater level because everything we've been discussing in this beautiful conversation comes down to supporting ourselves, nourishing our nervous systems and healing together. And when we are vibrating in a healed state, there's endless potential to, to grow, to make a greater impact on ourselves.
So I am committing to [00:30:00] the mission of doing more and more of this intimate work, but the intimacy really tapping back into the emotions and the energetics and inviting individuals to come along and claim that, reclaim that sovereignty on their journeys.
So thank you for witnessing me as I declare that here a hope . A hope
[00:30:36] Jeanette: I love this question. And Kate, that was beautifully, beautifully said. So thank you both for the invitation to open up that perspective and that doorway. Yeah. What's really calling my soul right now is that dance between, and this has been my entire life, that dance between embodiment and [00:31:00] spirituality.
The earth in, and the stellar, the, I love how you use the word coordinates, like those coordinates that are both grounded in the earth in, in. The sacred lines within the earth, and then the sacred cosmic connection of the stars and the way that souls are brought into our spaces and the right ways and the right times to support this collective mission towards awakening.
and I'm getting the chills like I'm saying this, but I feel this more and more in these conversations. You're here, Kate and I have come together, and then there's connections across the globe. And so we're expanding these coordinates to reach those in our communities that we need to connect with and to branch further and further out to this global heart where we really understand the truth of our interconnectedness and [00:32:00] the web of, you know, Indra's web that we are all a part of in that every action matters and our choices really matter and that we are not in any way, shape, or form alone here. And that there's so much love and so much beauty and how do we bring it and how do we support it and how do we cultivate this in our own lives?
And then the lives of those we touch.. Without spiritually bypassing and like pretending that everything is perfect and beautiful to come also into the hardcore reality of this embodiment process, this temporary existence, this Maya or illusion of all that, which is impermanent. So that is, That's pulling my heart at the moment.
I'd love to hear you answer as well, please,
[00:32:54] Mychal: yeah I, I'm gonna make a statement too. And, and and it's [00:33:00] part of my answer and it's a bold, it's an authentic statement. Cuz you mentioned it right? , I see different levels of spirit and how, cuz especially Dr. Lisa Miller's work, if, if you look at it deeply and, and the awaken brain, which he says, and the spirituality and education conferences they have every year and the work that's been working its way towards mainstream for so, so long now, decades.
The absence. of spirituality is, is causing a lot of suffering. So for me, and, and I know the, the word spiritual bypassing and I understand in different levels, but for me it, it's spiritual, uplifting, spiritual integration and into this way cuz I, I, hey, I, I [00:34:00] know I've seen folks in, in the spiritual realm who just.
Going along the merry way, nothing is ever happening. Yes, this is, doesn't affect me. Even though you mentioned Andrew's web, it affects all of us and, and. . And I've seen individuals at the beginning of pandemic and God bless their heart and soul who just said, okay, this, you know, they work for kids. It's not, this works not for me.
I'm gonna just go to Peru and good. And it's like, okay, but I know for me my purpose is here. And, and specifically in this community, and, and so. The integration of that. Right. The integration and invitation, like a, like a, a apprentice talks about an trauma is an invitation to heal. For me it's, it's about bringing the duality together in the space that I call love.
Right? And, and the love exists in the light and the dark, and the pain and the glory, and, and to bring that on the forefront because, You know, the difference between [00:35:00] me and, and in regards, not me, but in, in regards to spirituality and education. When I have an event that's traumatic, that happens to me and I'm not connected to my spiritual nature, there are high levels of depression where when I have access to spirit during that traumatic event
It's, it's a tool of resilience to help me integrate that experience. And I just had one of our transformative educational leadership sessions last night and, and we had a, a dear friend in soul of mine Dr. Velma Cobb talk about what's lacking in the world, especially in the world of, of of equity.
and this anti-racist work is integration on all those Right. Individually and systemically. And, and so for me it is that integration. [00:36:00] You know my, my purpose here is to awaken infinite love and, and that is incorporating all. into the experience, the, the love of being in community together, the love of being in community while we're enduring pain together, and the love of being in community while we're having a good time together.
All this , is is for me, part of the love and the building of beloved community. So that's really been alive inside of me and, and awakening, and it's just the need to bring this yeah, I'm smiling because Very dear teacher of mine not a personal teacher, but someone I've followed and, and been inspired by for so many years since my childhood is Dr. Cornell West. And, and he, he speaks of being amongst the least of these right and feet on the ground connected to the ground. So I, for so many years in, in this community, Neptune Asbury Park in particular, I've been around community [00:37:00] leaders who. We'll put down the very person we're actually creating these doing this good work to help.
Right. And so you outcasted an individual in the community, whether it be in a school level, su suspension or on a community level of saying that person's no good in the community doing it. But that's the integration, right? And for me to see my reflection, that individual is, is part of the love. . Right? And, and, and so anytime I have an opportunity to, to connect back to that space I, I get this dearly when I'm in the schools.
It's like, oh, this is why I'm here. You know? I don't care how many stages we go on and, and then, you know, publications and TV and stuff like that. This is why I'm here. And it's for the least of these. So that integration of spirit is an integration of humanness on all levels, right? You deserve to be.
You might have done something, you know, and it may not be good for community, but let me tell you why I deserve to be here. I'm [00:38:00] ashamed of behavior. I'm not gonna shame you. I'm gonna lift you up and tell you how we can do better in our community and help you understand why we're all connected right now.
And, and so for me that that's the work Is that integration And, and just on a personal level, cuz I'm wearing it right now. This is my brother's clothing line. And my brother was someone of the least of these always in school suspensions, always being an outcast and, you know, gang culture and selling drugs in and outta jail.
And he had a prison sentence and he came out this last time with a, a different mind and a, a more healed version of himself of. Attending to his body and his mind and his heart and doing some healing work and, and seeing life in a different lens. I'm like, this is what we need. Right? It's not to push people out, but to include everyone and, and for me it's incorporating all that, the things that we cannot.
that we [00:39:00] don't like to see. What the Dark Knight, right? And, and the dark Knight of our souls, the, the pieces of ourselves and, and of ourselves and reflections of other people to integrate that and to lift it up, right? And, and, and ground down too, cuz it's not just, you know, it's ground down and why we lift up and hold each other in love.
So for me, that that's, that's the awakening side of me is, is to bring that to life and all the aspects of life. And so that's, it's the work that being called forth right now which doesn't seem much like work, but it's, it's purpose.
[00:39:46] Jeanette (2): I'm brought, it's like tears to my eyes and. I felt your mission in my heart, so thank you. I mean, thank you. Just beautiful. It reminded me of a story. [00:40:00] There's a Bible passage, I think, where Christ said, whatever you do, to the least of my brethren, you do unto me, .
[00:40:06] Mychal: I haven't written in my phone right now.
[00:40:08] Jeanette: But there's also the story, I, I think it's the Abu. Ubuntu tribe in Africa, where it's the legend has it that when someone in the tribe does something wrong, something shameful, something they shouldn't have done, everyone in the tribe then surrounds him or her and expresses all of the goodness, all of the good things that they have done, all of the beauty that they hold and carry.
And there's so much medicine in that
[00:40:39] Mychal: it's power, it's power. , I actually told in regards to that , it's a magical I am because we are, and I had told that to a group of students today. I told 'em to look up the documentary mission Joy with Dalai Lama and Bishop Tuda. Right. And, and just that work of [00:41:00] reconciliation, right?
It's, it's not about avoiding conflict. , but how can we have an ongoing relationship after conflict? What is this inviting me to learn about myself and about how we connect to one another? And I think there's a lot of reconciliation that's needed to, you know, and that's part of the integration. It's just how do we have an ongoing relationship?
With those who have such dramatically different views, radically different views of us and, and and how humans exist together. But how do we still incorporate and integrate our, our relationships together and. , that's the work of healing resistance. I loved it cuz it just opened my mind on so many different levels of, of violence and nonviolence.
Not just the physical violence, verbal violence, even a thought that's violent. And and, and then it took that word to realize how much violence still lives inside of me. And, [00:42:00] and how in, in, in the work of beloved community, how can we exist together across people of different colors and, and genders, identities.
Political views and different views and, and even humans and animals, you know, how, how do we exist together? How do we integrate that together? And, and for me that's Ubuntu . It is the work. I have a poem around Ubuntu. Ubuntu, who I am, I am You. And it's just. It's work each and every day. It's the ongoing relationship that I'm connecting to with myself that extends outside of myself to you.
[00:42:49] kate: Thank you for that reminder.
It's called the nugget of keeping that, [00:43:00] keeping that alive as we navigate our way. in and out of our days and all the unpredictability. Mm-hmm. And the commitment towards ourselves with it.
Thank you. Thank you,
thank you.
It's a real gift for you to share. not only the work that you're doing in the world, but your personal work and walking, walking your truth, and thank you for sharing that with us and the community and bringing us back to the basics.
[00:43:47] Jeanette: Yeah, and for the deep integrity in which you hold this work and you hold spaces that you create, and we're just thrilled to have you into.
Be part of this [00:44:00] community with you. And so just deep bow yes. We often ask our guests if there's a practice or a piece of art or something you would like to share to leave our guests with, whatever that may be. No pressure.
[00:44:21] Mychal: Oh poetry. This one poem, I've it's, it's the work and it's it's called Vulnerable and it's, it has a lot of what I spoke about today. Love, unconditional love and Ubuntu and, and and just everything that I live by in this poem. And it's called Vulnerable. Should I, okay, I'm gonna back up a little bit so I don't project too much[00:45:00]
I'd rather have that awkward wave with no wave back than to not wave at. I am strong enough to withstand the embarrassment. I have fallen many times before I will get back up, let my wave be assembled, that my heart is open with no shame. How dare I put up walls because of society's frame? A standard picture of what is normal.
But I'm here to tell you that my love cannot be contained if I lose all. My love is all that remains. I is all that remains. I'm unbounded by misery's chains. [00:46:00] My intention is the way. Why should I refrain and fear that yours aren't the same? My love does not change. If your love is not the same. I will wave a new expectation of a wave back cuz I have learned that unconditional love doesn't always love back.
Unconditional love is all that we lack. If our love is unconditioned, then we will always wave back. My wave is a reflection of me. So when I wave to you, I only see me. It's the absence of unity that we see division between you and. So for all to see open and honestly, I wave. No shame. No blame. I love no attachment, no frame.
I will wave [00:47:00] again. I will love again. Thank you.
Thank you.
[00:47:17] kate: That made me cry, . Thank you.
[00:47:22] Mychal: Hmm. I appreciate you both dearly.
[00:47:32] kate: How can more people be involved with kids support your mission? learn about you and where to find you.
[00:47:45] Mychal: Hmm.
Well, the first thing we often mention is you can support us by supporting you. And this work is extended beyond organization and just, we [00:48:00] always don't think of kids as an organism that's living and connecting. And, and so the. I bring balance to myself. The more I do the work within me, I'm contributing to the mission.
And just, you know, check us out. Conscious with a k spelled that word wrong on purpose. K o n s c i o u s.org. That is our website. And look up our social media. K Y D ss nj, that's our Instagram. K yds dot nj is our Facebook. And just check out and, and we will be opening a community wellness center or transformational space where individuals could do deeper layers of, of healing and work.
Very soon. Uh uh, we just have. It's not quite announced yet, but a little surprise that it's helped us make that dream a reality. And, and we certainly appreciate both of you Kate, Jeanette for that event that you did a [00:49:00] few weeks ago, and the donation proceeds, because everything goes to supporting this dream and making this dream a reality.
So also if you have a school that you want us to connect to, I, I love the coordinates. We've been, I said over a hundred, but I think it's over 110 schools now. Throughout the stage. Came back from Hackensack yesterday and I know we'll be in. Atlantic City a couple of weeks and everything in between.
And Monmouth County, of course. But this, if you want to bring us in to do any work with your educators or students, reach out to us emails [email protected]. And of course, keep your peace. Keep your peace. Thank you
[00:49:46] Jeanette: so much. Love to you, so much love and gratitude. What a joy. We hope to have you back again.
[00:49:55] Mychal: Maybe you have the other half, and like a reflection
[00:49:58] Jeanette: part two.[00:50:00]
[00:50:02] kate: Thank you, Mychal.
[00:50:03] Mychal: Thank you. I appreciate you.
