Renaissance on Radio
November 2016
By Jamuna Rangachari
Jamuna Rangachari interviews Brenda Michaels who hosts a popular radio talk show, Conscious Talk, along with her partner Rob Spears, on healing, awareness and the New Age
One of my friends recently told me about Conscious Talk, a radio talk show hosted by Rob Spears and Brenda Michaels. Rob was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and given about one year to live (which was 40 years ago) and Brenda was diagnosed with cancer three times, the last time in her breast. She was also given about a year to live. Neither of them opted for chemotherapy or radiation treatments, but instead, went on separate journeys with the intention to heal emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
They later founded a website with the aim of making people aware about new revelations in the holistic field.
If we desire to change our current circumstances and create a peaceful world that includes the realisation of our full consciousness, then it is time for us to take personal responsibility for our lives and the environment we live in, they say. Their radio show is a bold, spiritual wake-up call for change that aims to inform, inspire and empower people. The show, which is grounded in spiritual and metaphysical beliefs, examines every part of a person’s life from a conscious perspective, and encourages listeners to take responsibility for their lives. It highlights possibilities and solutions that have yet to become mainstream.Brenda, the co-founder of Conscious Talk, shares her views with us on behalf of both of them.
When did you start thinking about beginning Conscious Talk?
We started thinking about starting Conscious Talk right after we moved to Seattle in 1997. It took a few years of planning and pitching until we finally found a space on Seattle’s Alternative Talk Station KKNW 1150 AM. It took many nos until we found a yes. At the time KKNW was a Rhythm and Blues station. We were the first show of its kind, and it was so well received that the following year it became CNN News and Talk, and as the demand grew for the type of programmes Conscious Talk offered, it became a 24/7 days a week talk station.
What was the turning point in your life that made you believe that everyone can heal themselves?
Our turning point was our experiences with healing cancer from inside out.
I chose Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, MD. Rob’s doctor was Dr. Phillip Taylor. Both offered holistic approaches to cancer. Unfortunately, Dr. Gonzalez is dead. Dr. Taylor would be 86 years if he is still alive. Were not sure that he is. Both of those MDs were pioneers in holistic medicine, way before their time.
The other teachers showed up in the form of books, natural healers, and an insatiable drive to find answers that were not within the conventional system, but that both of us knew would save our lives. For the first time, we were connecting with who we really were instead of who we thought we were.
Where do you think the world is heading now?
It is our belief that while the external world structures are falling apart, an undercurrent of sustainability, natural healing techniques, spiritual and emotional healing, and other ways of doing and being are growing rapidly. We are very optimistic about the future, but also aware that more and more people need to shift their consciousness, to truly turn things around. This current shift were all involved in, is giving everyone a grand opportunity to wake up, take responsibility for their lives and their decisions, and begin healing their wounded selves. When done enough well see rapid changes for the better, and possibly peace on this planet for the very first time!
We may be finally moving away from what we don’t want, to what we would like to see for mankind.
What do you recommend to everyone for leading a holistic life?
We recommend that individuals do the required inner work to fully awaken their real selves that lies beyond their ego-personality, before they take on the quest of changing the world. This requires great courage, surrender, and the intention to heal. We did not come here to become rich, famous, poor, or any of the other labels we use to define ourselves. We came here to experience and manifest our God (higher nature), integrate it with our lower/ego nature, and become true human beings, fully formed. That is what this shift is all about.Perhaps the context for leading a holistic life is to realise that, first, you must make the journey from the head to the heart.
What are the experiences that you would like to share with the world?
There are so many experiences, it is hard to decide. The one that impacted both of us was moving through cancer. We’ve also had amazing spiritual experiences since waking up, but cancer is probably the one most people can relate to. We would call it the gift of adversity.In the field of possibility, it is not only wise, but also most instructive to embrace the fact that all things and experiences, both good and bad, are for you to learn from.
What has been the view of the material world on your philosophy?
There are people who are still stuck in the old ways of doing and thinking. We understand that change is both frightening and challenging for most. This said we feel we are being pushed and stretched to the maximum in today’s world because many beings are still holding on. One of the lessons we’ve learnt going through cancer is that holding on is a losing proposition that can lead to a major turmoil in life. We believe everything that happens, happens for a great purpose. If people are willing let go of their old, worn-out beliefs, and ways of doing and being, they’ll be able to move forward in life with much more ease and peace.
What are the challenges you still face?
The challenges we face are the same as everyone else. It is our response to those challenges that truly makes a difference. If we resist, blame, shame or get angry at what is unfolding, we are guaranteed to suffer and struggle. If we embrace our challenges, ask the Universe, God, or whatever higher being one engages with, what we need to learn, and then explore those issues, healing begins to take place. We are not saying that the challenges unfold in an easy manner, but we’ve learnt that they help us grow to a higher level of awareness when we surrender to what is, and commit to our growth through it. Perhaps the greatest challenge for all of us on a day-to-day basis is that were okay, no matter what.
Do you see the views of the world changing?
We do see the world changing, albeit slowly. Everything is changing whether we like it or not, or whether we believe it to be true or not. It’s a fact of our universe. We cannot sustain the lifestyles we’ve been living any longer. Too many people with too little resources make it impossible for us to not change. We may hang on, we may stomp our feet and resist, but change is here to stay for a very long time. Even in our lifetimes we have seen great societal and cultural shifts. Organics, barely on the horizon 20 years ago, are becoming mainstay. Even MacDonalds is touting clean food, for crying out loud. The majority of Americans are embracing natural or alternative options before going to an MD, and those same MDs are slowly recognising that not everything can be solved with a pill, try as they might. Racial, gender and other issues that weren’t discussed even 30 years ago are now commonplace in the news. We have actually come a long way, and it’s a very large ship that still has to be turned around.
What is your vision for the future?
Our vision for the future is a scaled-down population that will exist with the consciousness of oneness. A oneness which is a deep knowing that you are more than your body, a spirit in this amazing human form, capable of deep love, peace, togetherness, and compassion. A future where fear and sense of lack no longer exists, which allows for peace, well-being, and love for all of creation to exist and flourish. Of course, it will take years upon years before this consciousness is fully integrated on this planet, but we are hopeful and committed to that vision, and to our continued work to help make it possible. We see that the younger generation embraces concepts that we seeded, but in a whole new way. There is more group thinking, and hopefully more caring and acceptance of a greater diversity of people. That, indeed, will lead to a richness of life beyond the limited materialism of the present.
About the author : “Jamuna Rangachari writes and manages the websites of Life Positive. She has authored three books for children, compiled and interpreted Teaching Stories-I and II for Life Positive. and published a book through Hay House.”