GROUNDED IN GRATITUDE
A tribute to teachers, elders, & guides
Mokwa would not exist without the storytellers, creatives, and spiritual teachers who shaped and formed its journey into being.
Here, you’ll find tributes to the icons that made Mokwa possible – in the form of reflections, open letters, and other unique expressions of love.
I hope you find their work as moving, healing, and helpful as I have.
Neil Gaiman
Writer • Creative • Human Rights Activist
What I Learned from Neil Gaiman:
The magic of honoring creative vision
Favorite Works:
Neverwhere • The Ocean at The End of The Lane • The Wedding Present
Jordan Peterson
Clinical Psychologist • Educator • Author
What I Learned from Jordan Peterson:
The courage to confront chaos
Favorite Works:
Maps of Meaning • 12 Rules for Life • Personality Lecture Series
Ram Dass
Psychotherapist • Academic • Spiritual Teacher
What I Learned from Ram Dass:
The ultimate grace and humor of the universe
Favorite Works:
Be Here Now • In Conversation with Terrence McKenna • Becoming Nobody
Adyashanti
Author • Spiritual Teacher • Lecturer
What I Learned from Adyshanti:
To embrace the divinity of acceptance
Favorite Works:
True Meditation • In Conversation with Gabor Mate • End of Your World
Alan Watts
Mystic • Philosopher • Spiritual Teacher
What I Learned from Alan Watts:
The multidimensional beauty of spirituality
Favorite Works:
The Way of Zen • The Joyous Cosmology • The Way of Liberation
Thich Nhat Hanh
Peace Activist • Author • Buddhist Monk
What I Learned from Thich Nhat Hanh:
The quiet power of gentleness
Favorite Works:
Margaret Atwood
Poet • Novelist • Women’s Rights Activist
What I Learned from Margret Atwood:
The impact of the female voice
Favorite Works:
BJ Miller
Physician • Thought Leader • Author
What I Learned from BJ Miller:
How to cultivate a compassionate and reverent relationship with death
Favorite Works:
End Game • What Really Matters at the End of Life • The Beginner’s Guide to the End
Alexander McQueen
Creative • Visionary • Artist
What I learned from Alexander McQueen:
The revolutionary power of fashion
Favorite Works:
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Screenwriter • Actress • Producer
What I Learned from Phoebe-Waller Bridge:
To laugh in the face of absurdity
Favorite Works:
Marina Abramovic & Ulay
Performance Artists • Revolutionaries • Creatives
What I Learned from Marina Abramovic & Ulay:
That true art comes from channeling deepest love
Favorite Works:
David Bowie
Musician • Artist • Cultural Icon
What I Learned from David Bowie:
Fearless pursuit of self-expression
Favorite Works:
Gabor Mate
Trauma Specialist • Physician • Author
What I Learned from Gabor Mate:
How to honor and hold the child within
Favorite Works:
When The Body Says No • The Wisdom of Trauma • In Conversation with Tim Ferriss
Brene Brown
Researcher • Storyteller • Professor
What I Learned from Brene Brown:
The true value of emotional connection
Favorite Works:
Atlas of the Heart • In Conversation with Susan Cain • The Power of Vulnerability
Jane Goodall
Primatologist • Conservationist • Educator
What I Learned from Jane Goodall:
To acknowledge, love, and respect the heart that we share with all creatures
Favorite Works:
Johann Hari
Journalist • Author • Mental Health Advocate
What I Learned from Johann Hari:
How to free myself from the stigma of depression and anxiety
Favorite Works:
Lost Connections • In Conversation with Joe Rogan • Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong
Emma Chamberlain
Social Media Personality • Fashion Icon • Podcaster
What I Learned from Emma Chamberlain:
How to release myself from self-imposed judgment
Favorite Works:
In Conversation with Gillian Sagansky • Anything Goes • In Conversation with Jake Millar
Ludovico Einaudi
Composer • Pianist • Creative
What I Learned from Ludovico Einaudi:
The ability of music to heal
Favorite Works:
Gary Vaynerchuk
Social Media Personality • Entrepreneur • Author
What I Learned from Gary Vaynerchuk:
Empathy driven business
Favorite Works:
Crush It • Watch This Before You Make Another Decision • Running a Company with Empathy and Kindness
David Goggins
Endurance Athlete • Navy Seal • Public Speaker
What I Learned from David Goggins:
How to transmute trauma through truth
Favorite Works:
Can’t Hurt Me • In Conversation with Joe Rogan • Never Finished
Terrence & Dennis McKenna
Psychonauts • Cultural Icons • Ethnopharmacologists
What I Learned from Terrance & Dennis Mckenna:
The importance of guiding others along the way
Favorite Works:
In Conversation with Ram Dass • BioGnosis • Food of the Gods
Wade Davis
Ethnographer • Writer • Photographer
What I Learned from Wade Davis:
To appreciate the beauty and vastness of human experience
Favorite Works:
The Lost Amazon • Light at the Edge of the World • Give Your Destiny Time to Find You
Paul Stamets
Mycologist • Author • Speaker
What I Learned from Paul Stamets:
To trust in the healing power of plants
Favorite Works:
Fantastic Fungi • 6 Ways Mushrooms Can Save the World • In Conversation with Joe Rogan
Sam Harris
Philosopher • Neuroscientist • Author
What I Learned from Sam Harris:
How to feel at home within my own mind
Favorite Works:
Waking Up • In Conversation with Jordan Peterson • A Lesson on Gratitude
Simon Sinek
Author • Speaker • Ethnographer
What I Learned from Simon Sinek:
How to embody inner vision
Favorite Works:
In Conversation with Steven Bartlett • Where Passion Comes From • The Infinite Game