Explore every episode of the podcast POETRY IN EDEN with Felicia A. Iyamu

didn’t you know? the earth, the bird, him, and me, we are all one. it’s something i’ve always believed, and i enjoy being reminded. there’s one timeline that separates one of us from the other. we are in a sacred dance with one another.

before we had social media or the internet, we had a social brain. anthropologist robin dunbar, with social brain theory, found that our brains actually grew larger specifically to handle the complexity of staying connected to a tribe of about 150 people.

the fact is, we aren’t “individuals” who occasionally interact; we are neurons in a larger social nervous system.

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Steven is a poet, philosopher, and photographer. He’s published five books of poetry and experimental prose, including Coda, Anon and Plain Sight, and his writing has been translated into several languages.

Steven’s approach is multidisciplinary, blending lyrical experimentation with visual documentation and philosophical rigor, all aimed at uncovering meaning in what might otherwise be missed.

https://www.stevenseidenberg.com/

Mark Connor, a boxing trainer and writer, has a unique story. Mark's journey from amateur boxing champion to a writer who weaves poems and life stories is inspiring and surely will leave you thinking.

His insights draw from his experiences in the boxing ring and his spiritual journey, exploring themes of time, purpose, and personal growth.

From the quiet epiphany of a kitchen pan to the men who hide behind smoke, i hope we're finally learning how to walk toward the light.

This episode was first shared on Substack and then recorded for the podcast

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In today’s episode, multi-hyphenate talent Paula Essam, actress, filmmaker, and moderator, joins us to discuss the art of crafting stories that resonate deeply and uniquely with audiences. We dive into why diverse storytelling is a necessity rather than just a "brave" choice, and how community serves as the foundation for her creative process.

Keep an eye out for her upcoming film, The Basics of Time Travel, which is in the development phase, and catch her live in action moderating at this year's Berlinale.

https://www.instagram.com/paulaessam_

https://www.spotlight.com/3332-4503-3418

Phillip Wilson is an Entrepreneur, Mathematician, Holistic Health Specialist, and Author of the upcoming book, Pictures of the Mind: Freeing Yourself from Beliefs that No Longer Serve You.

Like his book, this discussion and Phillip's life’s work are a profound journey into self-discovery, spiritual awakening, and the transformative power of perspective.

https://www.phillipawilson.com/

https://picturesofthemind.com/

The Art of Surrender: I Didn’t Want to Let Go explores the quiet power that lives on the other side of release. In this episode, I reflect on how letting go opens the door to gratitude, softness, and trust—and how surrender allows us to move from striving into receiving. It’s a conversation about embracing feminine energy, honoring what was, and making space for what’s meant to arrive when we stop forcing and start allowing.

A quiet reflection on prayer, not as doctrine, but as lived experience. i explore my own resistance to it, the assumptions i held, and what shifted when practice outpaced belief. it’s an intimate conversation about uncertainty, openness, and the unexpected ways meaning begins to take shape.

I did not even know I liked the American sci-fi television series created by the Duffer Brothers called Stranger Things. Well, until I picked it back up again and binged the final two seasons.

Stranger Things was first released as a Netflix original series on July 15, 2016. The show takes place in the 1980s, with the central focus being the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana.

And I believe it has many metaphors to life, conviction, and overcoming! If there were ever an example of perseverance, I think this is one! All in all, great writing.

Enjoy this week's episode which is a very short and inspiring stream of conscious piece, leaning more towards social commentary and mindset tools. And ends with an original poem, by yours truly.

⁠www.feliciaiyamu.com ⁠

Enjoy this week's episode which is a very short and inspiring stream of conscious piece, leaning more towards social commentary and mindset tools. And ends with an original poem, by yours truly.

www.feliciaiyamu.com

In this engaging conversation, Laurier Tiernan, a multidisciplinary artist based in Tokyo, shares their inspiring journey as a writer, musician, and poet, whose music and writing have travelled the world.

We discuss their new book, a debut bilingual poetry collection, Fifty-Five Ways to Survive, which sold out before even hitting the shelves. This episode uncovers the inspiration behind their work and message that with enough perseverance, almost any dream is possible.

The conversation delves into themes of self-discovery, spirituality, and the importance of following one's passion despite societal constraints. Laurier's story serves as a beacon of hope for anyone striving to achieve their dreams!

"What happens when there's nothing left to prove?" was the best performing post of 2025! So, it inspired me to start a series called, "What happens when there's nothing left to hide?"

You can find that three part series on my newsletter. For this podcast, and for you poetry enthusiasts, I share an original poem.

Lots of growth this year! The audience is made up of thousands of listeners and readers from 34 U.S. states and 51 countries. Top countries include the U.S., U.K., Portugal, India, and Germany.

↑320% in audience YoY; 1 in 10 followers hit play within 24 hours of dropping a new episode; while 1 in 7 binge episodes weekly.

Listen to hear the insights for you poetry enthusiasts on Poetry in Eden 2025 Wrapped!

Fate is the set of circumstances we cannot control. The conditions and events that shape our lives without our choosing.

Fate shapes the world around us, but our response to it shapes who we are; in loving fate, we claim our freedom within it.

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We cannot command the cosmos, but we can choose the radiance with which we meet it!

Einstein’s equation E = mc² shows that the universe is built on transformation: matter and energy are not fixed, separate substances but interchangeable forms of one underlying reality.

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This is a continuation of episodes 49 and 50. Read along at feliciaiyamu.substack.com

1. Manifestation is easy and instant. Let your desired reality by defined, not confined, by trusting the divine unfolding.

2. We must remain consistently aware of our beliefs, perceptions, expectations, focus, reactions, convictions and energetically charged thoughts, aligning them with our desired reality.

3. Scarcity is a persistent misalignment with the understanding of the Self, the Universe, God.

This week is a poem and I hope all the poetry enthusiasts enjoy it! This poem has received some of the most positive feedback and will be in the upcoming book, book #2, of the Poetry in Eden series.

This is a continuation of last week's episode #49. I recommend listening to that one before diving into this one as it acts as a foundation for the complex concepts related to quantum physics.

Summary of this week's episode:

1. All things aside, we create “the rules” for our reality. Beliefs play a huge part in this. A master manifestor ignores the external reality and has faith in their “end-state” frequency

2. The transformation and renewal of your mind is not a one time event. It is constant, and in co-creation. Beware who has access to it

3. It is easy to become trapped in another’s point of view. Awareness is the key to transcending this

   
   

   
   

This episodes explores Hermetic philosophy and manifestation. We explore the idea that spirituality without the ability to shape one’s reality is vanity. To be “in this world but not of it” is not an escape from the human condition; it is an invitation to inhabit it more deliberately. We understand the world outside us is often only the delayed reflection of the world within.

"As within so without; as above so below; as the universe so the soul"

Full text at: https://feliciaiyamu.substack.com/

Let’s talk about grief. Heck, nobody wants to talk about death, dying, or grieving. I know that. . .but here we are.

If you’ve ever grieved something (well, to be honest, that’s a given because it is a part of the human experience), this one is for you.

feliciaiyamu.substack.com

www.feliciaiyamu.com

When you zoom out, you find the beginning and the end are the same. This episode is on quantum coherence and "The Donut Theory of Reality." I explore tangential concepts like Schrodinger's cat, quantum mechanics, and more!

feliciaiyamu.substack.com

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In life, each moment is a fresh chance to move forward.

As long as we stay present, go with the flow, and don’t worry about “mistakes,” the moment is ours for the taking.

Because, everything, in the end, is right on time!

⁠www.feliciaiyamu.com⁠

⁠feliciaiyamu.substack.com

I’ve said it again and again. The source determines the strategy.

Are you doing what you think you should do to prove something or are you genuinely creating the life of your dreams? Not, society’s dream. . .but your dream.

Do you know the difference?

In other words, the source determines the strategy asks if your validation comes from within.

If not, you’re literally building your life like a house of cards, fragile, exposed, where anyone can flick and scatter your dreams.

And whose approval are you chasing?

Are you following your dreams?

Are you aligned with your truth?

If not, what excuses have you crafted to convince yourself you cannot have them, cannot live them?

And if you were gone tomorrow, what would it all have been for?

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Poetry in Eden, for poetry enthusiasts, is a full-length audiobook on Spotify, Audible; an e-book and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; a podcast with guest interviews on Spotify, Apple; and a newsletter on Substack.

Find them all at www.feliciaiyamu.com

Sometimes when it isn't getting better, YOU are because self-actualization is the result of NOT getting what you want.

Absence creates an opportunity for application. The bridge from instruction to integration carries us over the river of doubt and confusion to the land of strength and wisdom.

What if I told you that time moves backwards?

That the future we are striving for already lies in the past. That the past is more vast than the future, full of memories, while the future disappears immediately into the past and its vastness.

This episode explores time and how varying cultures view and interact with it.

The Hakuna Matata Effect is what I call the cultural urge to live as if life is effortlessly beautiful, endlessly blissful, and always under control.

It’s the illusion that ease is the norm and discomfort means you’re doing something wrong. That growth should look glamorous. That if your life isn’t a dream 24/7, you’re falling behind.

In The Lion King, Hakuna Matata was a break, not the ending. Simba still had to return to Pride Rock and reclaim his place in the circle of life. He had to feel the hard stuff, take responsibility, and grow.

In that way, Hakuna Matata was meant to be a pause, a breath, a break. A way of saying, “You don’t have to carry it all right now.” And we need that, sometimes.

The Hakuna Matata Effect is what happens when we try to stay in that jungle forever. When we avoid discomfort at all costs. When we filter pain, caption it away, or hide it behind calm, even to the people dearest to us.

feliciaiyamu.substack.com

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A topic I have been passionate about for years, this episode is a poetic thought-piece exploring one of the most pressing topics of our time.

feliciaiyamu.substack.com for full text

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Ho'oponopono is a process of taking responsibility for one's actions, seeking forgiveness, and restoring harmony, often through the repetition of the phrases: “I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you.”

The five stages of grief shows the process of grieving is long and arduous.

This episode explores both.

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This episode explores the answer to your existential crisis. Right on time, really. . .we are, after all, living through deeply existential days.

Shake your magic 8 ball as you ask it a question. Whisper it into the wind as you look within. It is time for some self reflection, and I promise it is worth it.

feliciaiyamu.substack.com

www.feliciaiyamu.com

This episode is on the numbness of victimhood vs. real accountability, the antidote, & being American from afar. I am almost a decade living outside the United States and the window I look through is increasingly alarming.

feliciaiyamu.substack.com

⁠www.feliciaiyamu.com⁠

I don't remember you. Have we met before? In this episode, I dive into how authenticity and memory connect, and where we can go in a world of vanity, perfection, and pride.

Selective empathy is a moral challenge. Empathy, the capacity to feel and understand the emotions of others, is often heralded as the foundation of human morality. Yet, in practice, empathy is rarely distributed equally (and not everyone has it).

This episode dives into moral apathy, selective empathy, and ways forward.

What happens when there's nothing left to prove? This episode is on the slow-release of performative perfectionism and how we can move through the world loving ourselves and others.

This week, let's take it slow, and enjoy 3 original poems. May the grace of poetry fill you with hope and light this week.

To stay close to all of my work, follow along at www.feliciaiyamu.com

From astrology, to grief, to quantum realities, to Nietzsche: we explore balance in this week's episode.

Want more? Follow along at www.feliciaiyamu.com

With a recent trip back home to the U.S.A, I was struck by America’s numbness. People live in their own silos, guarding what is theirs, clinging to what they love. Status and luxury have become obsessions, while inequity is ignored with practiced ease. The instinct to speak out is dulled, the drive to resist is extinguished. The silence sends chills down my spine. I hear it echoing in the margins, where reality remains unspoken, unchallenged.

Stay connected at www.feliciaiyamu.com

In this episode, I revisit our key pillar of psychology, and what things like the Dark Triad and Narcissistic Personality Disorder really mean, bringing it back to dark energy and the building blocks of our universe. This week's original poem is, "Sundays Are for Lovers."

A sit down conversation and deep talk with American author Sandra Schnakenburg on her journey of healing, authenticity, and her the path of discovery that led her to writing a truth-telling debut novel!

This episode explores the definition of time, the sanctity of knowledge, and the repeated burning of books as a temporal reference. As we look towards the future, should we wonder: are we running out of time? And if we are, what can we do about it?

Explore foundational theories related to quantum physics to understand how multiple realities might have led us back to Donald Trump.

Read a version of this episode at feliciaiyamu.substack.com or explore all of my work at www.feliciaiyamu.com

Join the conversation with tech enthusiast, entrepreneur, and writer, Luv Mishra, as we dive into the question, 'Can we coexist?' As we look back on history and where it has led us all today, this question is top of mind.

What do you think? Can we coexist? Answer the poll or leave your thoughts in the comment section.

Ah, yes! What a year it has been. Lots of changes and lots of growth. Hold your hats for our 2024 Wrapped, full of learnings, insights, and key moments. Forward this to someone building their dream life too! If you are interested in working 1-on-1, please contact me through my website.

www.feliciaiyamu.com

Join in on a deep conversation with Sharlene Shah as she shares her journey on living authentically, and how she learned to live and find fulfillment from the inside out! This episode on The Journey Within is full of tools to unlock your authentic self and path!

www.trueselfleadership.com

There are trends I have noticed in the past months from friends and family which appear to be symptoms of group think. In this episode, I begin to uncover what these repeated patterns could mean for the American future and the value implied by certain status symbols, all as an American living abroad

Enjoy the fourth episode of the Unscripted series where I candidly share what is going on in my life, heart, and mind in an effort to connect without barriers.

This episode happened to be recorded the same day Donald Trump was re-elected into the highest seat of the United States government.

On Writing by Stephen King helped me finish my two books, and helped me understand the mission and drive behind most authors. Today, we will explore my purpose and my mission further from the lens of my latest book, Poetry in Eden (now available online worldwide), and the alchemy of writing with purpose.

The Eight Limbs of Raj Yoga from the Yoga Sutras is a method in Vedanta philosophy to achieve freedom from the cycle of births and rebirths. The Eight Limbs of Raj Yoga include restraints (Yama), observances (Niyama), yogic postures (Asana), breathwork (Pranayama), withdrawal of the senses (Pratyahara), concentration (Dharana), ultimate focus on one thing/meditation (Dhyana), and ultimately complete absorption or spiritual enlightenment (Samadhi).

Dr. Swarna Singhal is a professional counselor, psychotherapist, professional speaker, life coach, marriage counselor, author, mother, grandmother, and wife to her late husband of 47 years together.

Understand intergenerational cycles and how to break free from them with Joe Horne, a psychospiritual and psychotherapeutic counselor based in Lisbon with a background in ADHD and addiction. Joe also has extensive research on the correlation between neurodivergence and generational trauma.

Explores groupthink, and how it relates to intergenerational trauma and repetitions in history.