The Tension of Emergence: Thriving in a world that remakes, not breaks
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 Together, we expose the fault lines of outdated paradigms and imagine new ways of being with creativity and embodied wisdom.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.
Episodes
69 episodes
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 t...
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 episod...
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Listening is Your Superpower: Reduce Defensiveness, Increase Connection with Jennifer England
In this short guided practice, Jennifer builds on her conversation with Zen teacher Diane Musho Hamilton and facilitator & executive coach Gabe Kaigen Wilson to explore one underrated superpower in our “growing up” toolkit:
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Defensive to Anti-Fragile: The Path of Waking Up and Growing Up with Diane Musho Hamilton and Gabriel Kaigen Wilson
Jennifer speaks with Zen teacher Diane Musho Hamilton and facilitator Gabriel Kaigen Wilson about walking a spiritual path: not just waking up to our inherent belonging, but growing up into emotional maturity, fl...
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Consent to Being Undone: A Simple Practice for When Life Doesn’t Go as Planned with Jennifer England
In this practice episode, Jennifer England invites you into the courageous act of consenting to be undone.Drawing on her recent conversation with cultural worker and author Stephen Jenkinson (Matrimony: Ritual, Culture and the...
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On Matrimony, Mothering Culture and the Undoing of Self with Stephen Jenkinson
In this festive wedding season, what if matrimony wasn’t here to affirm the intensity of love between two people but a courageous submission to the unknown? Jennifer speaks with Stephen Jenkinson—cultural activist, author, ceremoni...
Feed What You Love (A Practice) with Jennifer England
What if feeding what you love—even in the face of despair—could be your most vital climate practice?In this episode, Jennifer offers a guided practice inspired by a recent conversation with climate educator and author Sarah Jaquet...
When Grief Brings Us Back to Love: The Quiet Courage of Climate Activism with Sarah Jaquette Ray
When it comes to climate anxiety, most of us swing between utter despair or self-protective numbness. In our doom-scrolling attention economy, these are natural, but not always helpful, responses.In this episode, Jennifer speaks with cli...
Meeting You Again: A Practice of Seeing Beyond Labels with Jennifer England
In this companion to my conversation with Joshin Byrnes on The Vowing Mind, here's a short practice of seeing those you love—and those you judge—with fresh eyes.We all carry fixed ideas of who others are: the reliable one, the d...
The Vowing Mind: Returning to Relational Intimacy in Times of Trouble with Joshin Byrnes
How can you stay present to a world that breaks your heart open—without hardening or turning away? What is right action when there is no right answer?In this episode, Jennifer talks with Joshin Byrnes—Zen teacher, former AIDS activist, a...
Let Your Body Lead – A Movement Practice for Feeling with Jennifer England
Ever find yourself caught in a loop of analyzing what you're feeling—trying to think your way through the ache, the confusion, the rage, the numbness? Or find that it feels easier to let your mind fix or solve the hard things rather th...
Fluency in Feeling with Lisa Olivera
What if pain isn’t something to fix or escape—but a wise, living presence asking for our attention?In this episode, Jennifer sits down with writer and therapist Lisa Olivera for a heartfelt conversation about relating to pain as a wise t...
Mispronunciation with Jennifer England (A Practice)
Ever feel awkward in trying to express, connect or attune to another? Ever interpret your awkwardness as a failure? In this short practice episode, Jennifer England invites us to explore mispronunciation not just as a lingu...
Untangling Our Minds through Language, Land and Laughter – with X’unei Lance Twitchell
How might a willingness to cross thresholds of understanding help us access wilder and more intimate ways of knowing? In this episode Jennifer talks with X’unei Lance Twitchell—Indigenous language teacher, poet and scholar—who share...
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Welcome to Season 4 with Jennifer England!
What does it mean to be engaged in a world that feels like it’s breaking?In this preview of Season 4 of Tension of Emergence, Jennifer England shares the heart of the new season’s inquiry—a living koan that ha...
Amplify Joy (A Practice) with Jennifer England
Does joy sometimes feel hard to access? Ever find yourself focusing more on where you’re suffering or experiencing pain? Or perhaps you find it easy in this season of your life but want to experience joy even more? In the last micro...
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Embracing Pain, Remembering Joy with Amy Elizabeth Fox
We’ve been talking about “feeling more” so we can access more wisdom in our leadership, but what if we’re really good at avoiding pain? In the final week of season three of the Tension of Emergence, Jennifer delves into the questio...
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Overcome a Challenge with a Different Kind of Power (A Practice) with Jennifer England
Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with modern-day mystic and teacher Cynthia Bourgeault. Instead of virtues being a static object we have, they can be thought of as active agents of change. Jennifer offers a t...
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"More than a Body": The Subtle Art of Cosmic Reciprocity with Cynthia Bourgeault
Jennifer talks with modern-day mystic, Episcopal priest, author and teacher, Cynthia Bourgeault about how our global breakdown might be a breakthrough. Weaving together science, philosophy and spiritual traditions they talk about the evolution ...
Feel Unmotivated or Flat? Activate Flexibility in Your Nervous System (A Practice) with Jennifer England
Jennifer offers a practice to dispel the myth that a regulated nervous system equates to calmness and neutrality. Drawing on insights from somatic experiencing practitioner Kimberly Ann Johnson, she emphasizes the importance of prac...
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Somatic Rites of Passage and Radical Responsibility with Kimberly Ann Johnson
Transformational growth can be aided by mindset shifts but deeper change is initiated and sustained through the body. Jennifer talks with Somatic Experiencing™ Practitioner, educator and author Kimberly Ann Johnson about how to develop receptiv...
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Feeling Edgy? Embrace It (A Practice) with Jennifer England
Feeling overwhelmed, brokenhearted, anxious or "can't even" these days? Amidst it all, we often want to "take the edge off" to feel better. But what if our "edges" have wisdom we need to hear. Jennifer offers a practice, inspired b...
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Don't Take the Edge Off: The Gift of Sobriety with Madeleine Shaw
To survive hustle culture, family and career pressures and world affairs we often decompress with social media, our phones or alcohol. In this episode Jennifer talks with social entrepreneur, author and cyclical wisdom devotee Madeleine Shaw ab...
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Befriending Shame (A Practice) with Jennifer England
Jennifer offers a practice, inspired by her conversation with Amber McZeal. How might befriending the experience of shame support our collective liberation? Jennifer guides you to explore the unique sensations associated...
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Beyond Traditional Activism: The Medicine of Our Ancestors with Amber McZeal
Are you feeling the limits of activism- specifically in the way we seem to become more polarized and exhausted?In this episode Jennifer talks with sacred scholar, vocalist and activist Amber McZeal to unpack how to move into deeper...
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