On waking up, grief as a practice, and finding wonder in a collapsing world. With Bob Bharij, hosted by Amel Murphy

What if the way forward isn't to imagine a better future yet, but to make space for grief first?

Bob Bharij is the co-founder of Foundation for Change, where he has spent more than two decades working with people recovering from addiction, trauma and social exclusion. This conversation asks what that work has to teach us about living through today's overlapping crises.

Amel and Bob reflect on the metacrisis, climate grief, trauma, capitalism, patriarchy and the importance of understanding the past before trying to create the future. They discuss waking up to ourselves through education, curiosity and embodied awareness, and why learning to recognise our body's signals may be the first step towards meaningful action.

From a silent retreat in the Italian Alps to the metaphor of dragging invisible balls and chains through life, Bob offers images that stay with you long after the conversation ends.

"They're not ready to reimagine. You know, there's still grieving that needs to take place, you know, there's still despair that needs to be felt." — Bob Bharij

Opening question: "What's alive for you right now?"

Returning from retreat: the metacrisis, grief and asking "How the hell are we here?"

Freeze responses, bodily awareness and why action starts with the body

Twenty-two years in addiction recovery: understanding suffering beyond substance use

Foundation for Change: rebuilding identity, purpose and hope through education

Why self-awareness begins with understanding the past

Wonder, curiosity and creating space away from constant distraction

The invisible "balls and chains" we carry through life

Capitalism, patriarchy and environmental collapse as connected systems

Why grief comes before reimagining the future; yoga as a practice for living with discomfort and joy

About Bob Bharij

Bob Bharij is the co-founder of Foundation for Change and has worked in addiction recovery, trauma-informed practice and adult education for more than twenty-two years. His work combines psychology, philosophy and feminist theory to help people rebuild identity, purpose and self-awareness after addiction and trauma. He is passionate about creating educational approaches that help people think critically about themselves and the world around them. He lives and works in London.

https://www.foundationforchange.org.uk/

About Amel Murphy

Amel is the founder of Embodied Beings. She grew up between cultures, and it was the body, not the book, that first taught her what belonging feels like. For over twenty years, she has worked at the intersection of personal healing and collective change, supporting leaders, communities, and changemakers to come into right relationship with themselves, each other, and the world around them. This podcast was born from that inquiry, and from the belief that stories, told honestly, are medicine.

www.embodied-beings.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelmurphy

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