For inmate Gary Shepherd, a new kind of spiritual wisdom emerged once he started to study evolution. It’s made him what he calls an “evolutionary.”

Sweat lodges helped Samuel Martinez reclaim his Native heritage and shed some of the trauma he and his family endured. He’s now helping others do the same with a sweat lodge in his Oakland backyard.

The human voice is a demanding instrument. Handling it requires precision and skill. But for composer and musician Silvia Nakkach, it’s more than a tool to make pretty sounds. She sees it as a gateway to spiritual growth.