Awaken your power.

Keri Mangis
  • 5.0 (9)
  • PHILOSOPHY

You’ve outgrown the status quo. You’re done with surface solutions. You want real change—inside and out. Awaken Your Power is your invitation to shed the layers that keep you from your truest power. Join Keri Mangis for episodes that are part truth-telling, part myth-busting, and 100% soul-awakening.

  1. The Integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service

    JAN 13

    The Integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service

    Awaken Your Power — The Integration of Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service (with Dr. Elizabeth Willis) In this episode of Awaken Your Power, host Keri Mangis is joined by Dr. Elizabeth Willis, visionary educator, author, and Director of the Institute of New Paradigm Intimacy, for a rich and expansive conversation about embodiment, power, and what it truly means to return to wholeness. Elizabeth introduces a deeply integrative framework—Sexuality, Soma, Soul, and Service—and invites us to reconsider where power actually lives. Not as dominance or control, but as presence, sensation, and the capacity to feel. At the heart of the conversation is Eros, which Elizabeth reframes not as sex alone, but as life force itself: the vitality that awakens the cells, animates the body, and reconnects us to our aliveness. Sexuality, she explains, is one doorway to Eros—but not the only one. When approached somatically and consciously, it becomes a portal for healing, creativity, and spiritual intelligence. Keri and Elizabeth explore how modern culture has fractured our experience—separating body from soul, spirituality from sexuality, and service from self—often beginning in childhood. Drawing on her 25+ years in Montessori education, Elizabeth describes how children arrive deeply connected to soul and sensation, only to slowly crystallize into identities built for performance and compliance. What we often call a “midlife crisis,” she suggests, is more accurately an initiatory return to the soul—one our culture rarely names or supports. The conversation moves fluidly between personal healing and collective transformation, addressing shame, trauma, religious conditioning, and porn-based scripts that shape our relationship to sexuality. Elizabeth speaks candidly about how sexuality has been used as a tool for power-over—and how slowing down, attuning to the nervous system, and listening to sensation opens the door to entirely new choices. In this episode, you’ll hear about: Eros as life force, not performance or pathology The soma as the sensate body—and sensation as a language beneath thought and emotion Why sacred sexuality is more about nervous system attunement than sexual technique Sexuality as a healing portal and a catalyst for psychological and spiritual growth The difference between self-pleasure and masturbation, and why new pleasure pathways matter How embodied boundaries arise from sensation rather than mental rules Questioning libido myths—especially around menopause Teaching and caregiving as spiritual service rather than burnout How individual healing ripples outward into families, institutions, and culture Elizabeth also shares how her work in sacred sexuality unexpectedly converged with her life as an educator, leading to her forthcoming book, The Initiated Teacher: Reawakening the Soul of the Montessori Educator in the New Paradigm. The book offers a next-level vision of teacher wellness—one that frames teaching as a path of initiation, transformation, and service, rather than endurance. The episode closes with a clear throughline: what we exile into the shadows—especially sexuality—will continue to distort power until it is met with awareness, education, and compassion. Integration is not optional; it is the work of our time. ...

    42 min
  2. Presence, Power, and Belonging to Ourselves

    JAN 6

    Presence, Power, and Belonging to Ourselves

    Awaken Your Power — Presence, Power, and Belonging to Ourselves (with Mellara Gold) In this episode of Awaken Your Power, host Keri Mangis sits down with Mellara Gold, a longtime meditation and mindful yoga teacher whose work centers on awareness, self-compassion, and embodied presence in a complex and often overwhelming world. Their conversation opens with a question many spiritual practitioners quietly wrestle with: how do we remain rooted in love and light without turning away from real suffering, injustice, and cultural upheaval? Keri and Mellara explore the delicate balance between spiritual practice and honest engagement with the world—without bypassing, numbing, or pretending. Mellara shares her personal origin story: a debilitating spinal injury at seventeen that led her, reluctantly, into yoga. What began as physical rehabilitation became a profound awakening. Through breath and movement, she discovered not just relief from pain, but a way of being with herself—perhaps for the first time. Awareness, she explains, is not something she chose; it was something life demanded. From there, the conversation unfolds into a rich exploration of: Awareness as a daily, embodied practice rather than a spiritual concept Self-compassion as the gateway to dignity and sovereignty The ways women are conditioned to abandon themselves in order to belong Belonging to oneself as a prerequisite for healthy community Rejection as redirection, not failure The cultural addiction to external validation and how mindfulness interrupts it Ritual as presence rather than performance Solitude, hermiting, and silence as essential—not indulgent The generational ripple effects of inner work and healing Mellara speaks candidly about the necessity of solitude and learning to say no—not as withdrawal, but as responsibility to one’s own consciousness. She reframes ordinary tasks like washing dishes or folding laundry as devotional acts when done with presence, reminding us that transformation does not stay contained; it moves outward through families, relationships, and communities. The episode closes with a simple but powerful reminder: presence is power. To offer yourself even a moment of undivided attention is to come home to your wholeness. This episode is especially resonant for anyone navigating midlife, burnout, identity shifts, spiritual fatigue, or the quiet realization that pushing through no longer works. About Mellara Gold Mellara Gold has taught meditation and mindful yoga for over two decades. She is the author of A Life Worth Living: A Journey of Self-Discovery Through Mindfulness Yoga and Living in Awareness: Deepening Our Daily Lives Through Prayer, Ritual, and Meditation. A former actress trained at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, Mellara is also a regular contributor to OM Yoga & Lifestyle Magazine, Elephant Journal, and other spiritual publications. You can find Mellara at mellara.com and on Instagram @mellaragold Email here at info@mellara.com

    41 min
  3. Mental Illness? Or a Spiritual Emergency?

    12/30/2025

    Mental Illness? Or a Spiritual Emergency?

    In this powerful and paradigm-shifting episode of Awaken Your Power, Keri speaks with Sean Blackwell, author of Bipolar Awakenings and creator of the Bipolar Awakenings project. Sean’s work courageously challenges the dominant psychiatric narrative, offering a radically different lens on bipolar disorder, psychosis, and what many might call “mental illness.” Drawing from his own dramatic hospitalization in 1996, nearly 20 years of research, and extensive work with clients around the world, Sean explores the intersection of spiritual awakening, trauma, and non-ordinary states of consciousness. He argues that what is often labeled as pathology may in fact be a spiritual emergency—a potent, disorienting, but potentially transformative process arising from the body’s own intelligence. Together, Keri and Sean dive into the risks of over-pathologizing, the cultural discomfort with breakdowns, the somatic nature of Kundalini energy, and how integrating these states requires nuance, courage, and a complete overhaul of how we hold human experience. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in mental health, trauma healing, spirituality, or challenging the status quo around what it means to “wake up.” In This Episode We Explore: Sean’s unexpected hospitalization following a powerful Kundalini awakening Why he believes his episode was a breakthrough, not a breakdown How the psychiatric system oversimplifies complex spiritual processes Why the “chemical imbalance” narrative lacks scientific support The difference between spiritual emergency and mental illness How trauma, intergenerational wounds, and somatic blockages fuel bipolar symptoms The role of Kundalini as a force for psychological reorganization Dangers and benefits of meditation retreats and intense spiritual practices Why our culture silences truth-telling during non-ordinary states Sean’s innovative use of surrogate breathwork in healing sessions The evolutionary potential in embracing—not suppressing—these experiences Why the world doesn’t need “normal” people, but natural people What real healing demands: courage, expression, and deep self-inquiry Key Quotes “What psychiatry calls mania or psychosis may actually be a spiritual emergency—a powerful awakening that’s too much to integrate all at once.” “The chemical imbalance story simply isn’t supported by science.” “Breakdowns are breakthroughs trying to happen.” “Normalcy is what got us into this cultural mess. The world needs more natural people.” “In non-ordinary states, people often speak truths their families have avoided for decades.” About Sean Blackwell Sean Blackwell is the author of Bipolar Awakenings: The Quest to Heal Bipolar Disorder and creator of the Bipolar Awakenings YouTube channel. For nearly two decades, he has studied the somatic, energetic, and spiritual dimensions of bipolar disorder and psychosis. Through private retreats and breathwork-based healing processes, Sean supports individuals navigating extreme states and spiritual crises. His work blends transpersonal psychology, trauma healing, and a deep respect for the body’s innate intelligence. Learn more at: bipolarawakenings.com Resources Mentioned Sean’s books, training programs, and videos:...

    43 min
  4. Claiming Your Voice and Your Space

    12/23/2025

    Claiming Your Voice and Your Space

    In this episode of Awaken Your Power, Keri is joined by Karen Laos—speaker, coach, confidence cultivator, and host of the Ignite Your Confidence podcast. Karen has spent 25 years as a trusted C-suite advisor and keynote speaker for companies like Google, Starbucks, and NASA, and is the author of Trust Your Own Voice. Keri and Karen dive into what it really takes for women to speak up, negotiate clearly, and take up space—at work, in relationships, and on the stage. Karen shares candid stories from her upbringing in a frugal, traditional home and how mixed messages about “being seen” shaped her early relationship with her voice and self-worth. They explore cultural myths around negotiation, scarcity, gender roles, and “imposter syndrome,” while offering practical tools to help women ask for what they want without apology and step into a deeper, more grounded confidence. In This Episode, We Explore: Karen’s origin story: flea markets with her dad, learning to “never pay full price,” and the early messages she absorbed about speaking up The painful gap between being valued for what you produce vs. being loved simply for who you are How cultural myths (like “a good negotiation means everyone’s a little unhappy”) keep us in scarcity and zero-sum thinking Why women tend to over-qualify themselves before applying or asking—and what we can learn from how men apply “underqualified” The power of clear, direct asks vs. passive, softened language “If you’re interested…” vs. “Would you like to…” How to negotiate in a way that creates win–win outcomes, not winners and losers The subtle ways women still police other women who take up more space, speak boldly, or break traditional norms Gender conditioning and invisible early messages (like “girl sandwiches” vs. “boy sandwiches”) Why discomfort is necessary for growth—and how to get curious instead of judgmental when we feel triggered by another woman’s boldness Imposter syndrome as a sign of growth, not proof you don’t belong Why we need both warmth and assertiveness, and how women are held to a different standard than men The idea of a “celebration portfolio” to collect evidence of your strengths and accomplishments Karen’s mission to reach 10 million women and help them turn self-doubt into self-confidence Key Concepts & Practices 1. Celebration Portfolio Create two lists: Your accomplishments (things you’ve done, created, achieved) Your character strengths (who you are—your attitude, presence, and values) Return to this when doubt creeps in to remind yourself you do belong where you are. 2. 5 & 5 Exercise Ask five people you trust to share five positive qualities they see in you. Look for themes and strengths you may take for granted because they feel “just like you.” 3. Clear, Direct Asking Replace: “If you’re interested…” “If you’d like to…” With: “Would you like to…” “Are you available to…” “Here’s a time that works for me—does it work for you?” 4. Borrowing Your Future Self When you’re scared to ask or step forward, ask: “What would the woman I’m becoming do here?” Then make the decision she would make. About Karen...

    43 min
  5. The Feminine Path to Power, Healing, and Community

    12/16/2025

    The Feminine Path to Power, Healing, and Community

    In this episode of Awaken Your Power, Keri talks with Maureen Spielman—spiritual psychology coach and host of the Mystical Sisterhood podcast—about what it really means to live from unity consciousness in a world that feels more divided than ever. They explore how our inner work ripples out into the collective, why women and the reclaimed feminine are so central to this time on the planet, and how creativity, community, and liminal “in-between” spaces become initiations into a more awake life. Maureen also shares candidly about her own cancer journey as a turning point that stripped away old personas and unprocessed resentment, inviting a deeper level of honesty, self-compassion, and spiritual growth. Together, she and Keri challenge the shiny, “love and light” version of awakening and talk about the real cost—and real gifts—of saying yes to a path of consciousness. In This Episode, We Explore: What unity consciousness actually is and how it contrasts with dualistic “right/wrong, winner/loser” thinking Why we can see both deep cultural division and an unprecedented rising of light and collaboration at the same time How our inner work on shame, guilt, anger, and self-judgment creates harmony in our relationships and the wider collective The idea of the microcosm and macrocosm: how each of us is a small version of what’s happening in the whole Why women and the reclaimed feminine are so central right now—sisterhood, mentoring, eldership, and cyclical wisdom Moving from competition and scarcity to collaboration and “there’s room for all of us” Creativity as a feminine, mystical force—how everything from cooking to conversation can become alchemy Liminal spaces: the uncomfortable “in-between” times when one life is over and the next hasn’t formed yet Learning to stay with discomfort (the “mosquito on the nose” in yin yoga, the bugs on the yoga mat) instead of constantly seeking comfort The real cost of awakening: illness, loss, breakdown, and the crumbling of identities we thought we needed Why Maureen wouldn’t go back to who she was before cancer and deep inner work Sovereignty and power: how we’ve been conditioned to give our power away—and how to start calling it back The difference between being “normal” and being truly natural, in your own voice and rhythm Key Themes & Takeaways Awakening isn’t tidy or glamorous. It’s more often about being stripped down, cracked open, and invited to unlearn who you thought you had to be. Inner and outer are mirrors. As we heal our inner critic, judgment, or resentment, our relationships and communities shift, too. The feminine is rising. Not as domination over the masculine, but as a rebalancing: community over hierarchy, cycles over straight lines, mentorship over lone-wolf heroics. Creativity is everyday magic. True magic is changing how we see the world—and helping others see differently, too. Your power is yours to reclaim. Notice where you hand your authority to experts, influencers, or systems, and gently call that power back to your own inner knowing. About Maureen Spielman Maureen Spielman is a spiritual psychology coach and the founder/host of the Mystical Sisterhood podcast. Her work centers on unity consciousness, sisterhood, and helping women...

    38 min
  6. Yoga as Self-Inquiry

    12/09/2025

    Yoga as Self-Inquiry

    Episode Description In this conversation, Keri sits down with yoga teacher and clinical social worker Karen DeBaun, owner of Yoga Moodra, to explore yoga as a practice for living—not just another form of exercise. They talk about midlife beginnings, healing from trauma, and how yoga can become a framework for pausing, reflecting, and living more consciously in chaotic times. Karen shares why discomfort and anxiety are often the doorway to real change, how curiosity keeps us from hardening into certainty as we age, and why she sees herself as an “ambassador of love and peace” in a culture that rewards speed, productivity, and numbness. This is an invitation to step off autopilot and into a more deliberate, awake way of being. In This Episode, We Explore: Yoga in midlife and beyond How starting yoga in her 40s shaped Karen’s teaching Why so many of her students have stayed with her long-term What it’s like to come to yoga without being a “bendy 25-year-old” Yoga as a practice for the mind, not just the body The line that hooked her: gaining flexibility in the mind How yoga supported her emotional and physical recovery after a serious motorcycle accident Why she believes yoga is “a practice for living,” not just fitness Capitalism co-opting yoga Hot yoga, power yoga, and speed as the dominant narrative What we lose when yoga becomes just another workout Reclaiming yoga as “a sacred practice of remembering who you are” Pause as quiet rebellion How yoga classes are built around intentional pause and integration Why rest, reflection, and stillness are almost nonexistent in our culture Why even one hour a week of true pause can begin to change a life Habits, autopilot, and conscious living The difference between helpful routines and unconscious habits Why Karen and Carrie are more interested in undoing habits than just trading old ones for new How habits can become “brain shortcuts” that keep us from actually being present From reactivity to response How yoga has helped Karen become less reactive and more deliberate The ripple effects of one person becoming calmer, clearer, and more rooted in their values How this inner work quietly shapes our culture and communities Yoga, activism, and being an “ambassador of love and peace” Different roles people can play: activists, supporters, question-askers, rabble-rousers Karen’s personal mantra: “Ambassador of love and peace” Expanding the idea of activism beyond protests and picket signs to how we move through the world every day Discomfort as a catalyst for transformation Why anxiety and discomfort are often what finally move us to change Karen’s own leap into yoga teacher training in her 40s (and imposter syndrome all along the way) How to reframe discomfort as information and invitation, not failure Why it’s so hard to try new things From Karen’s article “5 Reasons Why It’s Hard to Try New Things”: Our built-in negativity bias and brain’s obsession with safety ...

    45 min
  7. Menopause: Women's Third Rite of Passage

    12/02/2025

    Menopause: Women's Third Rite of Passage

    Episode Summary In this episode of Awaken Your Power, Keri talks with Maree Lipschitz—speaker, facilitator, writer, and lifelong spiritual seeker—about the radical cultural power of female rites of passage. Drawing from decades of work with girls and women at puberty, motherhood, and menopause, Marie shares how ceremony and ritual can transform these transitions from private struggles into publicly honored initiations. Together, Keri and Maree explore how reclaiming these rites of passage doesn’t just support individual women—it quietly undermines patriarchal, capitalist norms and invites an entirely different model of wisdom, leadership, and community. In This Episode, We Explore: How Marie went from industrial chemist studying oxytocin to a facilitator of deeply embodied female rites of passage. Why menarche, motherhood, and menopause are spiritual rites—not just biological events. What Maree learned when no one honored her own transition into motherhood, and how that sparked her work designing ceremonies for new mothers. Examples of rites of passage from Indigenous and traditional cultures (from four-day dances to 40 days of post-birth seclusion) and what our modern world has lost by abandoning them. Why post-menopausal women have historically been the wisdom-keepers—and how longer lifespans are creating an unprecedented wave of potential elder leadership. How patriarchy harms both women and men, by over-valuing masculine forms of power and shutting down emotion, intuition, and vulnerability. The quiet but radical difference between “helping women succeed in the current system” vs. using ritual to question and reshape the system itself. The idea that all rites of passage are embodied and why public witnessing, truth-telling, and blessing are essential parts of any initiation. Practical, everyday ways to reclaim ceremony: Marking first periods, first heartbreaks, significant birthdays, and other turning points. Simple rituals you can create at home for yourself or loved ones. How denying rites of passage pushes teens (and adults) to self-initiate through risk-taking, numbing, or self-destructive choices. What it means to move from “midlife crisis” to midlife transformation, with ritual as a container. Maree's reframing of the Triple Goddess: Maiden → Menarche and emerging sexuality Mother → Nurturer (whether or not you have biological children) Menopause → The Alchemist, with Crone/Elder emerging more fully around 70+ The deep stigma and falsehoods we must unlearn about menopause, including the belief that women lose their value once fertility ends. Why Maree encourages women to track their cycles (and perimenopausal symptoms) as an act of power and a practical tool when seeking support. A simple, beautiful story of how she honored her last period with candles, a bath, and a love letter to her body. Key Takeaways If culture doesn’t provide initiation, we will seek it anyway—often through risky, unconscious, or harmful paths. Ceremony doesn’t have to be elaborate. Simple + sincere + witnessed can be life-changing. We are living in a rare moment in history where large numbers of...

    48 min
  8. Awakening into Sovereignty

    11/25/2025

    Awakening into Sovereignty

    Awakening Into Sovereignty with Aaron Scott In this episode, Keri Mangis is joined by author and systems-thinker Aaron Scott for a far-reaching conversation about what it means to awaken inside a world built on inherited myths, conditioning, and collective illusions. Drawing from his background in philosophy and nearly two decades on Wall Street, Aaron offers a rare lens into how our identities are shaped—and misshaped—by the structures we grow up within. Together, they explore the process of shedding those layers and reclaiming a deeper, more grounded truth. This episode moves through: The “synthetic construct” we mistake for reality How childhood conditioning forms identity and disconnects us from our core Disillusionment as a doorway, not a failure The illusion of separation and why it fuels division Conspiracy thinking as a ready-made story that replaces imagination Interconnection as both comfort and responsibility The myth of scarcity—not just of resources, but of time, meaning, and belonging What it means to live from authenticity instead of external validation Sovereignty as a daily practice of truth, agency, and conscious choice Aaron also shares the personal breaking point that pushed him to question the life he had built—and the moment he chose inner truth over external expectations. The conversation closes with a grounded, accessible definition of sovereignty: A return to the truth within, a reclamation of selfhood, and a shift in how we move through the world. If you’ve been sensing that the old stories no longer fit—or that something deeper is calling you back to yourself—this episode meets you right where you are. https://www.theaaronscott.com https://www.amazon.com/BEFORE-WE-FORGET-Collective-Awakening/dp/1969372230

    36 min
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5
out of 5
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About

You’ve outgrown the status quo. You’re done with surface solutions. You want real change—inside and out. Awaken Your Power is your invitation to shed the layers that keep you from your truest power. Join Keri Mangis for episodes that are part truth-telling, part myth-busting, and 100% soul-awakening.

Information

  • Creator
    Keri Mangis
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    51
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Keri Mangis, Author
  • Show Website
    Awaken your power.