We Don’t Have Political Problems; We Have Spiritual Problems with Political Consequences
Wow. The only word I can use is “wow.” Reginald Hubbard gave both the craziest and most beautiful interview I have ever experienced. When doing research on Reginald, I was a little confused about his main focus.
This changed when I found his Instagram, where he posts his ideas and stories about how he found mindfulness and how he shares it with others. I was really curious to see how he is in person. When he arrived, I was surprised at how honest he was with us right from the start. We openly stated that he had had a stroke, and I think his openness motivated me to be honest and real with my questions.
Reggie talked a lot about how heartbreak should be “normalized,” and I couldn’t agree more. We all place ourselves under great pressure and shame for feeling emotions, because we may not be comfortable with them, but how much better of a world would we have if we were all honest with each other and ourselves? It would be incredible. Similarly, he said that our world doesn’t have political problems; instead, we have spiritual problems with political consequences. We all have our own pain, but too often we are told to suppress it and not reveal it, which leads to social and political problems, such as hatred towards other groups of people. How would our politicians be today if they truly expressed their emotions and if it were normal for everyone to share what was happening for them? There would likely be much less hatred expressed by so many politicians if they too didn’t feel shame about their pain and their heartbreaks.
There isn’t truly a political problem; we have to look at the root cause of political problems: spiritual problems.
-Cora Kayne
Life Is ”Both … And,” Not “Either … Or”
We have had three interviews so far, and the self-proclaimed “Bad Boy of Yoga,” Reginald Hubbard, is and likely will remain my favorite interviewee.
It was incredible to listen to such an educated, down to earth, wise, and intelligent man open my mind to information and perspectives I hadn’t even begun to consider before. It was a truly transformative experience. I can’t underscore it enough, and to think that it happened in only an hour and half is crazy. My favorite line of his: “So many people think of heartbreak as the end of the story. I see it as only the beginning.” This is a beautiful thing to say. To think that a gut-wrenching goodbye can be seen as something positive is quite foreign to me. My way of viewing things up to now has been that bad things are something that you just have to endure if you can. Maybe you come out of it, and maybe you don’t. Even if you survive, you might still be worse off for it. Reginald calls this “either … or” thinking. However, he argues, life is really “both … and.” I can experience the worst time of my life, and it is only my mindset that keeps me from having a positively transformative experience as well. I can choose not to open myself up to anyone again after having my heart broken, or I can choose to see the beauty in heartbreak as well. I do not just have to be miserable; I can be happy at the same time. I can be crying my eyes out over having lost a loved one and still take time to experience the beauty of a butterfly in flight. There can be sadness and happiness; something can be disgusting and charming.
I want never to forget this interview. With hate so prevalent in this world, I need to know that love can exist right beside it, and love can then have the final word.
-Eli Moody
Just Because Something Is Bad Doesn’t Mean It’s Bad for You
Our interview with Reginald Hubbard is the highlight of my week so far, and I don’t think that will change. We began with a meditation practice to calm ourselves and focus in peace and not be overwhelmed by our thoughts. He talked about so many things, all of which had me on the edge of my seat, eager to hear what he was going to say next.
Reginald is a strong man who knows his worth and is willing to stand up for himself to anybody who might seek to diminish him. I asked him how he handles being in a place where people don’t want him, as he is African American, educated, and unafraid to say what he thinks and feels. He stated that “I don’t fear them,” because “fear is all they have,” and others “can only control you if you fear them.” I find this idea incredibly powerful, because it’s true. Now I believe that when you learn not to fear people who don’t value you, you are really in your own league and can‘t be hurt by them.
Reginald made so many meaningful statements that inspire me that I can’t talk about them all in this blog post. “Just because something is bad doesn’t mean it’s bad for you, and just because something is good doesn’t mean it’s good for you.” I am really inspired by this statement because even when bad things happen to you that bring you down, they can be part of a journey to something better. I think this idea will sit with me for the rest of my life. “Heartbreak isn’t the end of the story; it’s just the beginning.” This statement also hit me really hard. I have gone through heartbreak many times in my life. Hearing him talk about how even in terrible times I can still look at the good in life really spoke to me deep in my soul, and I thank Reggie so much for speaking with us today and opening my eyes to so much. Finally, “You can’t get past healing; you have to go through it.” This statement made me realize that I can’t just bottle things up and hide my feelings. I need to “go through” and live experiences so I can truly heal.
I want to say thank you to Reggie from the bottom of my soul, and I recommend checking him out online, because he’s amazing.
-Mateo Borrego
If We Avoid the Hard Stuff, We Don’t Deserve to Grow
It is extremely difficult for me to put into words the intense energy in the room with us during our interview with Reggie Hubbard. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn’t the level of vulnerability, sincerity, profoundness, relatability, and wisdom with which he greeted us. I was in awe with everything that came out of this man’s mouth. I could never do justice to any of the concepts and lessons he gifted us with, but I will do my best to put some of them into words. Practically every single sentence he spoke was quotable, and I scrambled to write it all down because I knew it was life-changing material. I will share just a few of my many takeaways from our conversation.
The first thing that became evident about Reggie is his fearlessness and his ability to know his own worth and call other people out who might belittle him. As a stroke survivor, he came back from being inches from death and realized that he wasn’t going to let anyone stand on his words or push him around. He realizes that the only power that the people who are doing terrible things in our country right now hold is fear. “If I’m not afraid of you, you have no power over me.” He also stated that truth always wins, but it has to be spoken. He stated further that we need to recognize that something sucks when it sucks, but then we must ask ourselves, “What doesn’t suck?” Alongside the bad there is almost always good. His views on what is happening in our country give me hope by helping to take power away from those people who scare me and helping me trust that the truth will win if we are unafraid to speak it.
Another important topic in the interview was heartbreak. He explained that heartbreak is the beginning of a story, not the end, and that heartbreak and emotions are what make the good parts of life beautiful: “Life is not either-or; It’s both-and … life is both joys and sorrows.” He emphasized giving yourself permission to feel what you feel, because feelings exist to be recognized. We have to feel our emotions, and we have to talk about them. “If we avoid the hard stuff, we don’t deserve to grow.” We have to make space for heartbreak and pain, and when we encounter them, we have to exercise discernment, using our wisdom to determine the best course forward. Reggie’s stroke taught him to find joy in the simplest things, like walking and breathing the fresh air outside. I will always remember something said: “Every time you feel as though nothing is going right, listen to the birds sing.”
There are many more things from our interview with Reggie that I wish I could share, and I hope that I can carry them with me and remember the feeling in the room when we spoke with him. I will also take with me the simple and unique form of meditation using sound bowls that he guided us through. It was beautiful and unlike any “mindfulness” practice I’d encountered before, and it was a crucial part of his incredible stroke recovery. I could feel the impact of Reggie’s words on every single person in the room, and I could tell that he is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of human to meet. In a time when I’ve been feeling incredibly scared, angry, confused, and unsure of the future, I am so grateful to speak with thoughtful leaders like Reggie, whose work is giving me a new feeling: hope.
-Rosemary Konviser
On Rethinking Everything
The Reginald Hubbard interview made me rethink everything that is currently going on in my life.
The first question I asked him was about grief and how we need to help people who are going through hard times. The first example he brought up was suicide and how more than ever young people are killing themselves, and he spoke about how we can help others in times of need. That was the perfect response, since it is the exact issue I was thinking about when I wrote the question. I thought about my friend Kalden and what I could have done differently that could have maybe changed his mind and saved his life. However, there is no way we can know that things would have been different if I had said something, and this is exactly what I needed to hear. Honestly, his words are life-changing for me.
In an answer to a different question he talked about his stroke and how having a near-death experience has changed his life and point of view. This idea made me rethink everything about my dad. Last year, my dad, who has an autoimmune disease, went to Mexico and came back with bacterial pneumonia. His body was not equipped to fight it, and he said himself that he was “inches away” from death. I haven’t talked much to my dad, or anyone else, about this event because neither of us is good at talking about emotions and what is going on in our lives. I also didn’t want to talk to him about it because ever since he recovered we have not been getting along very well at all. After listening to Reggie talk about his near-death experience, I realize both what my dad has been going through and how important it is for people around you to be accepting if you are going through something that is life-changing. Just hearing Reggie talk about his experience made me rethink my relationship with my father, and for that I am deeply grateful.
That these two examples perfectly align with what I am going through in my life right now is one of the most magical and inspiring things that I have ever experienced. This interview has fully changed my perspective, and that is exactly what I was hoping would happen on this trip. I am so grateful that I met and spoke with Reggie. It was genuinely life changing.
-Nikowa D’Costa-Hemp
When Everything is Urgent, Nothing Is Important
Reginald Hubbard offers a grounded and brutally honest perspective on healing, emotion, and everyday life.
His thoughts are simple but speak deeply to the heart. He begins by welcoming pain instead of pushing it away. Heartbreak, he says, belongs in the room. There is no need to hide it or feel ashamed. Pain is part of the human experience. Healing, in his view, is not something to pass like a test. It is something to move through and experience. There are no shortcuts, only steady steps forward. He also speaks about urgency and focus: when everything feels urgent, nothing stands out as truly important. Slowing down helps us see what actually matters. Reginald points to the present as the only real moment we have. Neither the past nor the future are real. The present is where life happens.
Honesty is another key part of his message. Lying to yourself will not change reality. Healing starts with truth, even when it is uncomfortable. He encourages people to accept their emotions without judgment. Feeling broken is not a failure; it is normal. Not being okay is okay. Joy, he reminds us, can be found in small and basic things. A quiet breath, a walk, or even a soft moment of peace can bring light. Life is not about choosing between joy or sorrow. Life includes both. They can and must exist together. He challenges us to look not exclusively for what is going wrong. If we only focus on the bad, the bad is all we will see. Even in hard times, something is still going well.
Reginald also speaks about fear and how it can shape our lives. If we are not afraid, the things that might control us lose their power. Fear does not have to lead the way. We can feel it, but we do not have to follow it. His words are not just ideas; they are tools. They help us slow down, breathe, and notice what is real. They remind us that we are not alone, even in the hard times. What stands out most to me is how he brings things back to the simple and true. Life is not just one thing. It is joy and sorrow. It is pain and peace. It is falling down and getting up again. His message is clear: you are allowed to feel, to break, to heal, and to hope. The world may feel heavy, but there is always something good still standing. In a time when so much feels rushed, Reginald’s voice reminds us to pause. To look around. To ask ourselves what is still good. Often the most basic truth is the one we need most: even in pain, something inside you still works. Something is still holding on, and that is enough to begin again.
-Gage Saul
If We Avoid the Hard Stuff, Then We Can’t Grow
I didn’t know who Reginald Hubbard was the first time I heard his name, but before I went to DC, I was able to learn more about him. He is a teacher, activist, and a stroke survivor. I found this combination of life experiences interesting, but I still wasn’t completely invested yet. This was further reinforced by the fact that I am not the best at listening to people. I had learned this many times by listening to people who I knew, liked, respected, and who were very interesting, but when I listened to them speak, I ignored, slept through, or yawned at them. I was therefore worried about interviewing people in DC.
I felt better when I watched an interview with him, because the way he speaks is relaxing, and it also made sense to me when he spoke about things. However, I was still nervous, especially during our first interview this morning with Linda Ryden. I was nervous and distracted, and some of my questions were answered, but I didn’t have a chance to speak.
However, I had forgotten about one key thing about talking to people. Even if you know a lot about a person, if you have never met them before, they can present themselves differently than what you were expecting. When we finally got to talk to Reggie, I was very interested. He wasn’t particularly animated, but I was interested in what he was speaking about. He spoke in a way that made me feel that he was personally talking to me. When I got to ask my question, he responded in a way that made me feel validated and interested, and I got to learn more about him. He also told me something that will stick with me for the rest of my DC experience. I want to use the DC trip as time to grow as a person and to reflect on how I can improve myself and make me a better person. I needed motivation though, and Reginald gave me motivation with this quotation: “If we avoid the hard stuff, then we can’t grow. We will never improve as humans.”
-Kyler Nishimura
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