James Baker is an inner work practitioner and founder of Intentional Society. After spending 15 years in software development he became disillusioned with the corporate world and decided to pursue his passions. He launched Intentional Society - an online transformational community centered on developmental and relational practices. After over 150 weekly gatherings the community has grown into a unique space for personal transformation and interpersonal exploration. In this episode, we speak about the role of relational practices in human development, playing with power dynamics, breaking through social conventions, navigating the relationship between safety and growth, becoming developmentally aware, and the paradoxical dance between being and becoming.



🔗 [Links & resources] 🔗

• Intentional Society (online transformational community)
• Follow James on Twitter
• Becoming Developmentally Aware by Artem Zen
• Already Free by Bruce Tift

📝 [Show notes] 📝

0:00 - Introduction
1:30 - From software development to human transformation
7:13 - What is Intentional Society and the premises it’s built on
10:21 - Interpersonal development and relational practices
13:09 - Major takeaways from over 150 weekly gatherings
18:48 - Moving from modern to post-modern to metamodern perspectives
21:24 - Playing with power dynamics
24:10 - Breaking through social conventions and stretching boundaries
29:55 - The Three Principles of Intentional Society
34:45 - Navigating the relationship between safety and growth (Meta-Safety)
43:18 - Transforming our relationship to judgmental thoughts
45:40 - What intentional society members have in common
49:52 - Becoming Developmentally Aware
53:39 - The paradoxical dance between being and becoming (unfolding)
1:02:55 - The future of transformational online communities
1:10:27 - Cultural evolution vs. individual development
1:13:25 - The increasing need for an ecology of practices
1:19:15 - A message of fundamental okayness





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