Going Beyond Our Faith And Listening To Others To Enact Positive Change With Micaela Ezra

10/01/20 • 51 min

Today we are talking to my friend, the immensely talented, Micaela Ezra. Micaela is an illustrator, designer, writer and founder of AHYIN, a boutique collection of contemporary Judaica objects, designed and created with holistic, spiritual intentions.

We start our conversation diving into Micaela's journey and heritage which plays a tremendous role in the passion and inspiration for her work. An Australian native, Micaela immigrated to New York City to have the “Sex and the City” life that always fascinated her. She arrived with a handbag full of samples and knocked on doors until securing a position with leading fashion designer Cynthia Steffe (5:04).

While inspired by the beauty and creativity of the fashion industry, Micaela was searching for something more and was drawn towards a career path from a place of service. She began attending classes and reestablishing her connection with her Jewish beliefs on a deeper level which led to opportunities that planted the seed into what would become AHYIN (10:02). She even formed a connection with Gabby Bernstein, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Speaker, which led to their collaboration with the “Super Attractor” and “The Universe Has Your Back” 52 inspirational card decks.

We then discuss the role faith plays in dealing with the daily stresses of this unprecedented time of civil unrest and the critical part Jewish people can play in creating connections and driving the conversation forward in support of ending racial and social injustice (35:32).

Previous Episode

Going Beyond Race in the Wellness Industry and how to stay Spiritually Fly with Faith Hunter

We are honored to talk with international yoga and meditation instructor, wellness philanthropist, movement motivator, healing guide, music head, Spiritually Fly theorist, AND my dear friend and my first yoga instructor, Faith Hunter. We start with a trip down memory lane where our paths first crossed at mang’Oh Yoga Studio in Midtown Manhattan. We then jump into the origin of Spiritually Fly and its philosophy (11:53), Faith’s journey in the wellness industry, the groundbreaking moment of being only the 2nd woman of color to make the cover of Yoga Journal in the 30 years of the magazines’ history, and how the current state of the yoga industry is very much a reflection of the current situation across the United States (27:35). Finally, Faith talks about the sides of her that go beyond yoga and how she has found outlets for her energy and creativity in this time of COVID including her forthcoming book Spiritually Fly! Wisdom Meditation and Yoga To Elevate The Soul! (40:06)
Thank you to our fabulous sponsor ImmPower! They are your most important back to school supply. ImmPower AHCC provides intense immune support for you, and your family. With more people going back to school and work in person, you need to protect your health more than ever. ImmPower’s active ingredient boosts not only your immune system but your energy levels as well, enabling you to better handle life’s never-ending to-do list. Order online at theharmonycompany.com and get $15 off your first order with code “BEYOND” Offer cannot be combined with any other offer, and offer can only be used once per customer.

Next Episode

The Four Basic Needs of Wellness and How They Will Help Us Go Beyond with Julie Wald

On today’s episode, I’m thrilled to welcome veteran wellness pioneer, author of Inner Wealth: How Wellness Heals, Nurtures, and Optimizes Ultra-Successful People, and Founder, CEO and Chief Wellness Officer of Namaste Wellness, Julie Wald.

We discuss Julie’s journey from an NYC Social Worker, feeding her own wellness needs by working as a yoga instructor, meditation teacher, Thai Bodyworker, and Reiki Master on the side, to her founding Namaste Wellness - now a leading global wellness company - to help employees of corporate businesses who were grieving find healthy ways to heal their body and mind from unprecedented trauma in the aftermath of September 11th, at a time when wellness was unheard of and often dismissed (3:22).

We then examine the many similarities between 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic as so many search for healthy ways to heal (10:07) before reviewing several simple but powerful coping strategies for those struggling during these unusual times (21.52) and the reality of the initial adrenaline rush of adapting to change followed by fatigue (39.11).