Episodes 38
Avg. Duration 47m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (5)
Since Feb 2025
Latest Episode May 2026

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
45%
Hosting
api.substack.com

Contact & Outreach

About This Podcast

A non-dogmatic spiritual podcast about how we find and make meaning as leaders in a world on fire. I share insights from my personal and teaching practice (yoga, bhakti, meditation, astrology, ancestral practice, etc.) and interview guest from all different spiritual traditions to hear how their spiritual practices guide their leadership.

veralester.substack.com

Social Media

Explore Statistics

Recent Episodes

S1E37 Ep. 37: The Dance of Change

May 14, 2026 32m

Welcome Back, Curious Hearts.I recorded this episode a couple weeks before you’ll hear it, and in that time there’s been a pretty significant change in my life.The details of the change don’t matter.…

S1E36 Ep. 36: Tann Cordell-Schneider

Apr 15, 2026 1h

Ep. 36: Tann Cordell-Schneier: The Breath is Everything.Tann and I had never talked explicitly about our spiritual lives, but I have known for a long time how much she listens to the world around…

S1E34 Ep. 34: The Prayer of Brushing Your Teeth

Apr 06, 2026 36m

I love thinking about meditation as “spiritual showers.”You don’t only shower once. Ideally, you shower every single day. Forever. You don’t shower well enough once that you suddenly are clean…

S1E35 Ep. 35: Neel Sus

Mar 25, 2026 53m

Conversations with folks like Neel are the reason I started this podcast. I wanted to normalize spiritual life. It’s so much more common to hear people share deeply personal stories — we talk about…

S1E33 Ep. 33: Sierra Austin-King

Mar 12, 2026 47m

One of the greatest gifts of my work is the people: they’re people doing extraordinary work who are committed to their own growth. Sierra is no different — but in additional to all of that, I feel…

S32E1 Ep. 32: Faith is Doubt

Mar 03, 2026 22m

Welcome back, curious hearts! Thanks for your patience with me during my Mardi Gras hiatus. These are high holidays for me, and the energy of costume making and celebration really takes over. And…

S1E31 Ep. 31: Sam Reynolds

Feb 07, 2026 1h 32m

My aspiration in the interview episodes of Curious Hearts is to reflect the extraordinary diversity of human spiritual life. Our internal worlds are the closest understanding we have of the Divine:…

S1E30 30: Self-Study

Jan 30, 2026 22m

In this episode, I reflect on the practice of self-study and why it matters so much in moments of cultural upheaval, confusion, and pain. When the world feels overwhelming, it is tempting to turn all…

S1E29 Ep. 29: Seán Johnson

Jan 22, 2026 1h 7m

In many ways, Seán is the reason Curious Hearts exists. He was my first yoga teacher, and he led my teacher training, and has been a mentor and now a friend for many years. His commitment to…

S1E28 Ep. 28: Infinite Divinities?

Jan 16, 2026 27m

My concept of the Divine and my relationship with It has changed over the years. As I grow and change, how I understand this vast unknowable mystery also changes.This is one of many places where…

S1E27 Ep. 27: Michelle Cassandra Johnson

Dec 29, 2025 58m

I met Michelle Cassandra Johnson through her anti-racist work for yoga studios, and have had the privilege to work with her over the years as her work as evolved — including doing deep grief work,…

S1E26 Ep. 26: Creativity

Dec 23, 2025 16m

This is a quick episode because there isn’t must to say: instead, it’s time to DO.If you’re at home, find a blank piece of paper and some colored pencils or crayons. Or open the cabinet and cook…

S1E25 Ep. 25: Court VonLindern

Dec 18, 2025 58m

One of the gifts of my work is getting to connect with other deep thinkers and feelers about the nature of the divine.What is “god?” When that word gets stuck in my throat, why is it getting stuck?…

S1E24 Ep. 24: Unity

Dec 14, 2025 37m

This episode marks six months of Curious Hearts. It’s become a welcome ritual for me, even in the months where it has felt harder to get my thoughts together. This episode is one that I tripped over…

S23E1 Ep. 23: Paige Bradley-Pecoul

Dec 04, 2025 59m

Paige and I met at a workshop, and we were instant kin. She has a kind of grounded magic to her, a realness, on top of decades of yoga practice.I had the privilege of sitting by her side weeks after…

S1E22 Ep. 22: Gratitude

Nov 27, 2025 41m

This episode is an exploration of the spiritual powers of gratitude, and why it’s archetypal across so many traditions — as a strong suggestion if not a requirement.May your day be full of reminders…

S1E21 Ep. 21: Rev. jessica young chang

Nov 05, 2025 1h 13m

This episode is full of full-belly laughs and deep conversations about spirit and just how hard it is to be in the world right now. I am honored to call Reverend jessica young chang a dear friend,…

S1E20 Ep. 20: Paradox

Oct 31, 2025 41m

To get to my own spiritual path, I first had to clear away the overgrowth of my brain. I am a smart person, but I was also raised by parents who valued education. I am incredibly grateful for that,…

S1E19 Ep. 19: Matt Candler

Oct 23, 2025 58m

Matt Candler is one of my favorite kinds of people. He’s humble. He’s funny. And he’s not willing to change paths.One of the hardest things for each of us to learn in the course of our lives is the…

S1E18 Ep. 18: Courage

Oct 17, 2025 36m

It took me all week to record this episode.The form and the content of this work are often the same. I often find that I live out these episodes for a week at a time before I can sit down to record.…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Curious Hearts have?

Curious Hearts has published 38 episodes since February 2025, covering topics in Education, Religion & Spirituality.

Is Curious Hearts still active?

Curious Hearts is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 47m.

How do I contact Curious Hearts for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Curious Hearts, including email and social media links.

Similar Podcasts