In this lively October Integral Creative Writers Pod, Dr. Jane Simmons shares powerful tools for organizing your nonfiction writing and finding your true audience. Together, the group explores how integral writers can hospice the old world, midwife the new, and bring their visionary voices forward.
Karen led us into the fascinating terrain of shadow work. Drawing on Jung, Ken Wilber, and Marie-Louise von Franz, we explored how meditation alone can’t uncover the repressed parts of ourselves—and why engaging the shadow is essential for real growth. From fairy tales to daily triggers, this conversation shines a light on the “dark forest” we all carry within. 🌑✨
Being “nice” isn’t the same as creating psychological safety. In this talk, Bett Bollhoefer shares stories from nonprofits, Toastmasters, and tech to show why great leaders balance kindness with accountability. You’ll learn why safety matters more than “being nice,” how emotional regulation shapes culture, and what leaders like Satya Nadella and Tim Cook get right.
👉 Perfect for anyone curious about fostering trust, innovation, and real accountability in leadership.
In this session, we explored the Integral Life Practice framework—how the introduction sets the stage for the four modules: body, mind, spirit, and shadow. Participants shared practices like yoga, journaling, meditation, music, and nutrition, mapping them into the ILP blueprint for a balanced life.
We discussed building a framework to keep practices intentional, how shadow work appears in daily life, and the role of “both/and” thinking. The group set intentions to create ILP action plans, beginning with the shadow module next month, and agreed to share commitments for accountability.
Despite a few early mix-ups, the conversation was practical and inspiring—showing how everyday actions can shape a conscious, evolving life practice.
Author Lisa Maroski shares the journey behind her award-winning book Embracing Paradox, exploring how paradox and “both/and” thinking shape integral consciousness. In this Creative Writers Support Pod, she reflects on writing, publishing with Cosmos Cooperative, and the power of community in bringing big creative projects to life.
In this Integral Life Practices Support Pod, we explore the four core modules—body, mind, spirit, and shadow—and how everyday practices like yoga, journaling, and meditation fit into a bigger framework for growth. The group shares stories, reflections, and sets intentions for building a balanced ILP blueprint, starting with shadow work.
Join Larry O’Connor and the Integral Life Practices Support Pod as they kick off a journey of embodied growth, shared accountability, and everyday spiritual practice. This session lays the groundwork for building habits across mind, body, spirit, and shadow—together, one step at a time.
Join Karen Shearer Vorhees and the Integral Creative Writers Support Pod as they explore new opportunities for publishing, collaboration, and growth through a partnership with Cosmos Co-operative. This visionary session charts a path for writers to turn their integral ideas into real-world creative action.
Leadership advisor Ron Laurie introduces the Viable System Model as a powerful framework for aligning human physiology, organizational design, and integral theory to help organizations thrive in complexity.
Jane Simmons shares a powerful framework for integral writing using three distinct voices: the Scientist, the Artist, and the Philosopher. Through a moving personal story on self-compassion and healing, she illustrates how blending these voices can deepen both our writing and our collective transformation.
Join Marco Morelli as he shares the vision behind Cosmos Cooperative—a creative, member-owned community fostering art, learning, and integral culture. Contact: marco@cosmos.coop.
Writing for Growth: William Koty on Integral Purpose and Finding Your Audience
Join author William Koty as he explores how to write about deep, complex ideas—like Integral Theory and purpose—without losing your readers. In this lively session from the Integral Leadership in Action Writers Pod, William shares insights from his upcoming book Integral Purpose, tackles the challenge of balancing accessibility and depth, and invites discussion on how to engage both newcomers and seasoned integral thinkers.
Perfect for writers, coaches, and seekers who want to make big ideas meaningful and relatable.
Welcome to this immersive session where Bett Bollhoefer explores the intersection of embodied product development, chakra meditation, and Spiral Dynamics! Bett, a seasoned product manager and yoga teacher, introduces the Embodied Product framework—a unique approach that blends tech innovation, intuition, and holistic leadership to create meaningful, sustainable products
This video explores the transformative power of Bohmian Dialogue in creating We Space, a collaborative environment where diverse perspectives come together to generate new insights and collective wisdom. T Poling, a seasoned practitioner of Integral Leadership, shares practical techniques for fostering meaningful dialogue in organizations, leadership teams, and communities. The discussion highlights key principles such as suspending judgment, deep listening, and thinking beyond either/or solutions, emphasizing how dialogue can lead to emergence, synergy, and innovative problem-solving. This session also serves as a preview for the upcoming Embodied Integral in Boulder (April 3-5, 2025), where participants can engage in live We Space sessions and explore deeper applications of these transformative practices.
Join us for an inspiring conversation with Karen Voorhees as she shares her novel-in-progress, Shadow of the Earth. Set 11,000 years ago at the dawn of agriculture, this historical fantasy explores the transition of humanity from hunter-gatherers to the early stages of civilization. Through the lens of an integral framework, Karen weaves a story that reflects both the challenges of the past and the evolutionary shifts we face today.
In this session, Dr. Jane Simmons dives deep into the power of paradox, polarity thinking, and integral perspectives to enhance creative writing. 📝💡 🌟 What You’ll Learn in This Session: - The role of polarity thinking in writing and creativity - How to balance the known and the unknown for creative breakthroughs - Brain Gym exercises to enhance focus and integrate left and right brain function 🧠 - The importance of metaphor in capturing deeper truths - Techniques for shifting perspective and embracing non-dual awareness 🔄 - Exercises to develop wholeness thinking in storytelling and life
Embodied Integral Session Overview: Using Pain and Discomfort for Growth
In this video, a panel discusses the upcoming ILiA Support Pod event in Boulder from April 3rd to 5th, 2025, designed as an "embodied integral experience." This gathering moves beyond intellectual theory to cultivate a journey where facilitators and participants engage with body, mind, spirit, and emotions in a dynamic, interactive environment. Key sessions and micro-practices are aimed at enhancing self-awareness, integrating masculine and feminine energies, and strengthening resilience and community. Sessions cover various themes, including physical embodiment practices, transformative life practices, and collaborative exercises, all grounded in an integral framework. Attendees will have opportunities for personalized, experiential learning, collective practices, and moments of rest.
Dr. Simmons walks you through her proven approach to guiding writers from initial ideas to completed manuscripts. She emphasizes the importance of organization before writing, offering hands-on support throughout the process, and helping authors craft standout book proposals and pitches for agents. If you're writing to inspire, empower, or change lives, Dr. Simmons' coaching could be the key to unlocking your book's full potential.
In this session, we share the micro practices that help us regulate.
We do a writing exercise using breathwork, writing on paper, and then leverage A.I., such as ChatGPT, to create an essay. We do an exercise to leverage ChatGPT or another LLM for a writing exercise. Enjoy!
We share our favorite memories from ICON’s Future Human event from May 2024.
During this February ILiA Support Pod we hear from the organizer of Future Human event which is held May 16th to 19th in Denver. We do a round table discussion of what would make the event successful.
Brandon Nørgaard presents on how to establish and grow local and regional meta-hubs, which are interconnected meetup groups in the same geographic region wherein each constituent group serves some important function for the community at large and the meta-hub as a whole is intended to provide people some of the important things that would otherwise be lacking in their lives. You can read more about meta-hubs here: https://enlightenedworldview.com/proj...
Note that this is inspired by the work of Hanzi Freinacht, which is the pen name of two social theorists who have applied Integral Theory to the social and political realm.
Dan Noble on Monday, Aug 21st, for an interactive session called “Building Local Regenerative Economies: An ILiA Case Study and Leadership Clinic.”
Dan will share the work he is doing in Regenerative Economies. He will explore together with us the following:
What is Integral Leadership in Action (ILiA)?
What are circular regenerative economies?
What are, and why are bioresources important?
How are ILiA methods central to these enterprises!?
The “clinic” aspect of this discussion is where attendees can share ideas and insights with Dan. Dan is open to improving his work and is hoping to receive wisdom from the group.
About Dan Noble:
Dan Noble is the Founder of Noble Bioresources, Inc. (NBI; NobleBioresourcesInc.com). NBI is a bioproducts market & industry development firm, based in California. He is also Executive Director of the Association of Compost Producers (ACP) (healthysoil.org; the US Composting Council California State Chapter) since 2002 and has over 50 years of science & business-based environmental education, market research, publishing, strategic consulting, enterprise, compost utilization, and association management experience.
ACP continues to develop and implement compost awareness and market-ready programs, specifications, and sustainable management practices that build healthy soil using compost. NBI turns bioresource market intelligence into regenerative Organics Management Infrastructure Plans for local communities, and profitable bioproduct businesses to support the development and operations of local renewable organic economies. Mr. Noble has been a student of Integral Life Practice for over 25 years and has B.A. degrees in Biology and Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and M.S. degrees in Molecular Biology & Education from the University of Oregon.
We are discussing the upcoming event, Future Human.
ICON and ILiA are putting on an event not to be missed called Future Human. The Feb 19th Support Pod will discuss what elements, themes, and experiences will make this May event spectacular. Come out and share your insights.
Suzanne Taylor introduces the Essay Contest.
In this inspiring session of the IAH Creative Writer Support Pod, host Bett Bollhoefer and guest Michael Melhaney explore the art of writing through mindfulness and embodiment. Michael shares how he transformed his once painful writing process into an effortless daily flow by integrating macro and micro practices like yoga, meditation, breathwork, and his signature method, “Master the Entry Point.” Together with other writers in the pod, the group discusses creative flow, intrinsic motivation, visualization, and how curiosity and self-compassion can unlock the joy of writing. Whether you’re a seasoned author or just starting out, this conversation will help you bring more ease, presence, and purpose to your creative process.
The ILiA Board shares why you should join us at the Embodied Integral Event in Boulder. To register go to https://www.ilianow.org/embodied-integral-boulder
Learn more about ILiA: https://www.ilianow.org/
About ILiA
Integral Leadership in Action was conceived in an Open Space session in 2004 during an Integral Leadership seminar that was sponsored by Integral Institute. It featured Ken Wilber and Fred Kofman, and Jeff Salzman was a major organizing force. Dan Noble originated the idea of creating a follow-up group, and core collaborators from year one have been Cindy Wigglesworth, Victoria Wilson-Jones, and Terry Poling. Their shared intent was twofold: 1) Continue the conversation that Ken and Fred stimulated and 2) Create a conference that each would personally like to attend.
We explored these sub topics: What could the US gain from full participation by this group in the decisions to co-build a more inclusive future Can we enlarge the US American pie to fully include the other side of America?