Bayo Akomolafe: How to Move Through Chaos Without Needing Control

What if the rupture of these tumultuous times is not an ending, but an opening? In this episode, Willow speaks with Bayo Akomolafe, philosopher, poet, and thinker whose work challenges us to step beyond binaries and into the fertile, unpredictable space of emergence. They dig into how transformation doesn’t come from rigid certainty or oppositional thinking, but from the cracks—where new possibilities take root. Nature does not resolve tension; it composts it, making way for something unexpected to arise. Bayo invites us to see the turbulence of our moment not as a problem to be solved, but as an invitation to step out of fixed ways of being and embrace the "third way"—the space between and beyond, where new ways of relating, knowing, and becoming can unfold.Podcast production by Magnificent NoiseSeries photography by Camila FalquezEpisode photography by Arianna LagoExecutive Producers: Willow Defebaugh, Theresa Perez, Jake SargentSpecial thanks to Karen Gray, Jasmine Hardy, Tessa Forrest, Ásta Þrastardóttir, Jonas Woost, Kattie Laur

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Transform your life with nature as your guide. As the editor-in-chief of Atmos Magazine, Willow Defebaugh has dedicated her life to illuminating the wisdom of the natural world. In “The Nature Of,” a new podcast from Atmos, she connects these teachings to the most critical issues of our time, inviting luminaries across climate and culture to share insights as to how we can navigate this moment with clarity, resilience, and purpose. Join guests like Esther Perel, Maggie Rogers, and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson as they offer clarity and guidance on how you can change your life to change the world. Season one of The Nature Of is made possible in part by funding from the Sierra Club Foundation. Views and opinions expressed in this podcast do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of the Sierra Club Foundation.