Stay

Jaya Ramesh, LMHC · anchor.fm

Are you tired of polarized narratives and want to practice holding difference without losing yourself? Stay is a podcast for those who want models of relational integrity—not perfection, not righteousness, but something real and who believe that stories can soften us, shift us, sharpen us . Join me, Jaya Ramesh, mental health therapist, author, and facilitator as I try to understand how to do conflict better with those we are in relationship with. Expect to hear real stories from everyday change makers and find inspiration to move through the conflicts in your life.

19 episodes

1mo ago latest

fortnightly cadence

English language

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Episodes 19

Summer Episode 1- Conflict: A mirror to ourselves
1mo ago · 9:49
The first of a series of small episodes where I integrate the learnings from Season 2 and offer small practices. This first episode looks back on the Dean Spade episode and invites to see how conflict is a mirror into ourselves.
Conflict, Shame, and the Practice of Return with Wendy Elisheva Somerson (Wes)
2mo ago · 1:07:18
What does it mean to stay connected, to ourselves, to each other, and to our deepest values, when conflict, shame, and polarization threaten to pull us apart? In this conversation, I sit down with Wendy Elisheva Somerson (Wes), somatic healer, writer, organizer, and author of An Anti-Zionist Path to Embodied Jewish Healing. Together they explore how our responses to conflict are shaped by family histories, collective trauma, and systems of power and why returning to the body can be a profoundly political act. Wes unpacks the somatic practices of "returning to center" and "mutual connection," o
The long walk towards liberation: conflict, community and belonging with Susan Raffo
3mo ago · 1:18:23
In this deep and wide-ranging conversation, I speak with Susan Raffo, writer, community organizer . She invites us to reimagine conflict as a natural part of being in relationship rather than something to be feared or eliminated. Raffo argues that difference, tension, and change are essential features of life, but that systems of oppression, historical wounds, and our growing discomfort with uncertainty often prevent us from engaging conflict in healthy ways. We explore what kinds of cultural “protocols” or practices might help communities hold tension without escalating into harm, and how rec
Conflict and Somatic Liberation: Rethinking Power, Trauma, and Resistance with Dr. Resmaa Menakem
3mo ago · 1:01:08
In this episode of Stay, I am joined by renowned trauma specialist, writer, and somatic abolitionist Dr. Resmaa Menakem for a deeply expansive conversation on conflict, embodiment, and liberation in a time of escalating social and political tension. Drawing from his groundbreaking work in My Grandmother’s Hands and The Quaking of America, Resmaa reframes conflict not as a breakdown of communication, but as something rooted in ancestral trauma, systems of racial violence, and the body itself. Together, we explore how white body supremacy shapes our sense of safety and threat, and why so many in
Where Shall We Go Next? The Emotions and Ethics of Travel with Dr. Anu Taranath
3mo ago · 51:31
I sit down with Dr. Anu Taranath, author of the book Beyond Guilt Trips: Mindful Travel in an Unequal World and explore the complex ethics, emotions, and systemic issues of travel. We delve into how travel shapes identity, empathy, and responsibility in an unequal world and get into the inherent conflicts that are built into traveling. In this conversation, we discuss how travel can evoke feelings of guilt and the importance of navigating these emotions mindfully. Dr. Taranath shares her personal journey of cultural dislocation and how it has shaped her understanding of belonging and empathy.
Voices in Conflict: Art, Identity, and AI with Christine Rose Schemerhorn
5mo ago · 57:57
From Midwestern conflict-avoidance to speaking up in a high-stakes creative industry, this episode follows one voice actor’s journey of finding her voice, while questioning what happens when voices can be replicated, controlled, or replaced. We explore hidden conflicts within the voice acting industry, where art, identity, and business collide. Actor Christine Rose Schermerhorn shares her experiences navigating typecasting, power dynamics, and the growing impact of AI, raising urgent questions about ownership, authenticity, and what it means to truly have a voice.
Beyond the Fields of Right and Wrong: Rethinking Conflict in a Polarized World with Bayo Akomolafe
5mo ago · 45:35
In this episode of Stay, I sit down with philosopher Bayo Akomolafé to rethink how we understand conflict in a deeply polarized world. Rather than seeing conflict as something to fix or avoid, Bayo invites us to see it as the very condition through which life unfolds. He challenges the binaries of right vs. wrong, suggesting that our obsession with resolution and righteousness may actually keep us trapped in repeating cycles. The conversation explores the difference between morality and ethics. Instead of rushing to solutions, Bayo encourages us to slow down, notice the deeper systems shaping
Conflict, Culture, and the Path to Wholeness with Oren Slozberg
5mo ago · 49:36
In this episode I sit with Oren Slozberg, executive director of Commonweal and we discuss conflict, polarization, and cultural approaches to complex societal challenges. Oren reflected on how cultural backgrounds shape perspectives on conflict, drawing on his experiences in Israel and the United States. He unpacks the differences between conflict and polarization and discusses the difficulty of responding to ongoing poly- crises and the importance of moving toward wholeness rather than focusing solely on solutions. He surfaces the powerful role art and creativity in healing and transforming so
Towards Liberation: Conflict as a Necessary Practice
6mo ago · 1:01:31
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dean Spade, legal scholar, community organizer, author of Mutual Aid and Love in a F*cked Up World, and I unpack how conflict operates in both our personal relationships and political movements. We talk about how systems of oppression shape our responses to harm, accountability, and belonging and why rethinking conflict is essential for meaningful social change. Drawing on Dean’s work in transformative justice and community-based responses to harm, we explore the tension between dignity and belonging, the importance of embracing diverse perspectives, and the
Season 2 Intro
6mo ago · 3:25
Welcome back to Season 2! I share where we are headed this season.
The Architecture of Conflict: Cultural Messages, Family Dynamics and the Power of Listening with Dr. Leticia Nieto
9mo ago · 56:11
In this episode, I sit down with Dr Leticia Nieto . We have a tender conversation about how we inherit conflict, carry silence, and slowly remake ourselves through relationship. We talk about listening as a sacred act, disagreement as a doorway, and the quiet ways culture, family, and migration shape our capacity for connection. She helps me to understand what it means to face conflict with honesty and heart shares how relationships can become spaces for healing rather than harm. This episode, the season finale, is a gentle meditation on becoming through rupture, through grace, and through the
Conflict as Connection: The Power of Generative Energy with James Boutin
9mo ago · 41:24
What if conflict could be an act of love? Join me as I chat with James Boutin, facilitator, educator and coach, as we explore a radical reframe of conflict, thinking of it not as something to avoid, or to win but as an energetic space that can either deplete or enable connection. Put another way, how we show matters as much as what we say. He unpacks the difference between generative and extractive conflict and together we examine how the energy we bring to disagreement shapes the outcome. James also offers some strategies to build our capacity for more conflict resilience. You can find out mo
Inviting Conflict In with Dr. Ben Danielson
1y ago · 50:21
Join me in conversation with Dr. Ben Danielson, pediatrician and founder of ASHAY, a non-profit organization focused on reducing youth incarceration. Dr. Ben talks about how the geographies of his life shaped his understanding of conflict, the elements for doing conflict well, the critical role leaders play in shaping how a conflict is metabolized, including the ways we repair and forgive. He also discusses how being in conflict surfaces the very conditions of our belonging and how we need more words for conflict in the English language.
Liberatory Conflict with Lindsey T.H. Jackson
1y ago · 49:09
In this episode I talk with visionary systems thinker Lindsey T.H. Jackson. She reflects on the messages she received as a Black woman about conflict, including suppressing anger. She shares the powerful experience of having her ancestor visit in her dreams and how that helped her to embrace the anger she was suppressing, which has lead to accessing greater joy as well increased discernment about what types of outer conflicts to engage in. By intentionally focusing on herself, unpacking and unlearning limiting narratives, she describes how she is attending to intergenerational healing, both fo
Offbeat: Learning to Listen After the Band Breaks Up with Dilip Ramachandran
1y ago · 32:11
I sit with my cousin, Dilip Ramachandran, former drummer for Parikrama to explore how early experiences of being othered shaped his relationship to conflict and how not knowing how to navigate that tension led him to leaving the band. He reflects on the weight of taking himself too seriously, the toll of unresolved stress, and the power of learning to really listen. Through time and reflection, he shares how loosening his grip on ego opened the door to greater clarity, connection, and healing.
Abrupt Endings: Lessons on Conflict and Collaboration with Aparna Rae
1y ago · 36:54
**Trigger warning-intimate partner violence** I speak with DEI leader Aparna Rae, who opens up about a pivotal moment in her professional journey. She shares the story of a colleague who abruptly ended their work partnership, an experience that mirrored her own long-standing pattern of leaving when conflict arises. Rather than repeating that cycle, she chose to pause and reflect—exploring what it means to stay present in the discomfort of disagreement. Through this conversation, she reveals the lessons she’s learned about navigating conflict, the importance of intentionality in collaboration,
Writing toward an answer: Honoring process in resolving inner conflict
1y ago · 34:02
Not all conflict is external. Sometimes we have to navigate the parts of us that are in disagreement. Join me as I sit with Meghna Jaradi, a writer, storyteller and creative, as we explore the question of what's next for her and how writing as a practice allows her to move through the complexity. Together, we talk about the power of the creative process, the pull of place, and what emerges when we let uncertainty speak!
Conflict without collapse: Choosing a Third Way
1y ago · 37:19
I sit with award winning artist Jon Rubin to talk about what it means to be in conflict with an institution-particularly when that conflict is rooted in political conscience and solidarity. We talk about the sanctions he faced for publicly supporting Palestine, and how he navigated that by carving a third way- one rooted in the possibilities that art offers as a space for critical dialogue, imagination and refusal. We reflect on how early experiences shaped his approach and Jon gets us to reflect on how might art help us hold relational complexity.
Intro to Stay
1y ago · 6:29
Learn about the origin story of Stay with mental health therapist Jaya Ramesh. Music by: @resetcubestudio Art by: Nivi Brett

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Episodes 19

Summer Episode 1- Conflict: A mirror to ourselves

Conflict, Shame, and the Practice of Return with Wendy Elisheva Somerson (Wes)

The long walk towards liberation: conflict, community and belonging with Susan Raffo

Conflict and Somatic Liberation: Rethinking Power, Trauma, and Resistance with Dr. Resmaa Menakem

Where Shall We Go Next? The Emotions and Ethics of Travel with Dr. Anu Taranath

Voices in Conflict: Art, Identity, and AI with Christine Rose Schemerhorn

Beyond the Fields of Right and Wrong: Rethinking Conflict in a Polarized World with Bayo Akomolafe

Conflict, Culture, and the Path to Wholeness with Oren Slozberg

Towards Liberation: Conflict as a Necessary Practice

Season 2 Intro

The Architecture of Conflict: Cultural Messages, Family Dynamics and the Power of Listening with Dr. Leticia Nieto

Conflict as Connection: The Power of Generative Energy with James Boutin

Inviting Conflict In with Dr. Ben Danielson

Liberatory Conflict with Lindsey T.H. Jackson

Offbeat: Learning to Listen After the Band Breaks Up with Dilip Ramachandran

Abrupt Endings: Lessons on Conflict and Collaboration with Aparna Rae

Writing toward an answer: Honoring process in resolving inner conflict

Conflict without collapse: Choosing a Third Way

Intro to Stay

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Episodes 19

Summer Episode 1- Conflict: A mirror to ourselves

Conflict, Shame, and the Practice of Return with Wendy Elisheva Somerson (Wes)

The long walk towards liberation: conflict, community and belonging with Susan Raffo

Conflict and Somatic Liberation: Rethinking Power, Trauma, and Resistance with Dr. Resmaa Menakem

Where Shall We Go Next? The Emotions and Ethics of Travel with Dr. Anu Taranath

Voices in Conflict: Art, Identity, and AI with Christine Rose Schemerhorn

Beyond the Fields of Right and Wrong: Rethinking Conflict in a Polarized World with Bayo Akomolafe

Conflict, Culture, and the Path to Wholeness with Oren Slozberg

Towards Liberation: Conflict as a Necessary Practice

Season 2 Intro

The Architecture of Conflict: Cultural Messages, Family Dynamics and the Power of Listening with Dr. Leticia Nieto

Conflict as Connection: The Power of Generative Energy with James Boutin

Inviting Conflict In with Dr. Ben Danielson

Liberatory Conflict with Lindsey T.H. Jackson

Offbeat: Learning to Listen After the Band Breaks Up with Dilip Ramachandran

Abrupt Endings: Lessons on Conflict and Collaboration with Aparna Rae

Writing toward an answer: Honoring process in resolving inner conflict

Conflict without collapse: Choosing a Third Way

Intro to Stay