Musings over Coffee: Recent Episodes
Ari Amala
A couple of sex-positive, anti-capitalist, polyamorous psychotherapists discuss intimacy, secure attachment, polyam dynamics and their favourite therapeutic theories and processes.
Join Ari Amala and Alexander Jenkins as they explore emotional and relational intelligence, structuralism and other key components of community building and social change.
It's time to admit this is an annual podcast at best and it's time for a catch-up.
Ari and Alexander talk about where their attention has been recently and their burgeoning and burning desires. They explore their directions of growth, the things that are grinding their gears and breaking their hearts.
Ari and Alexander are back on the podcast train after an unintentional 9 month hiatus. They discuss moving to Melbourne and starting a new cycle of work, study, and finding time for creativity through slowing down.
In this episode, Ari and Alexander talk about the privatised aged care industry in Australia – in particular, Aveo Group. They interview Amanda* whose parents lived in one of Aveo’s retirement villages and the challenges and injustices they faced in coming up against this aged care giant.
*Name has been changed
Show Notes
Investigation of Aveo by Fairfax Media and ABC’s Four Corners in 2017
Employee Reviews of Aveo
Family Review from family member
Takeaways from the Royal Commission into Aged Care
Is it possible to have depolarised and curious conversations with people you radically disagree with?
What if those conversations are about climate change, politics, lockdowns or... vaccinations?
What helps or hinders our capacity to have a conversation with good faith and kindness?
We don't have the answers but feel free to listen in on our exploration.
Ari and Alexander are joined once again by New Zealand's sweetheart, Tim Restieaux. Tim is a Marxist, polyamorous powerlifter who enjoys making candles and making out with Ari.
The topic for this episode arose after Alexander saw one too many Facebook posts declaring that, Australia was becoming a "Communist Authoritarian state." Seeing some people's conceptions and misconceptions about communism made us wonder how different people understand and conceive of both communism and capitalism. So, we turned to the person we know who is most-versed in economic systems and critical theory and asked a bunch of questions.
Tim talks about social and historical context of capitalism, the defining features and values of both capitalism and communism, and the role of Covid-19 in escalating people's political fears.
Hope you enjoy the conversation!
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Ari mentioned 'Fully Automated Luxury Communism,' which is a book by Aaron Bastani that describes the role of technology in creating a post-scarcity world.
Ari, Alexander, and Tim reflect on the challenges, changes, and pivotal moments of relating within their polycule.
This episode focuses on a possible allyship between the feminist movement and spiritual ideals. What are the similarities and how can they support each other to progress?
Alexander shares an experience of being inspired by a beautiful man and how his interaction unlocked dormant qualities inside him.
Ari and Alexander explore the process of accessing the full spectrum of archetypes and energies that live within us:
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Appreciate
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Acknowledge
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Amplify
Alexander and Ari unpack one aspect of the nestling process: the baby birds, and the joy and laughter that comes when their baby birds are playing well together.
More information about the nestling process can be found at https://nestling.ariamala.com/
Ahhh, life is so comfortable. I feel relaxed and safe. Things are in cruise control.
What, if anything, would compel me to leave the cosiness of the village?
It could be heartbreak, it could be a transformational workshop, it could be boredom, it could be… Jude Lawrence.
Check out Jude’s poetry on Instagram @wordsbyjude
If you’re in Auckland, check out our upcoming Nestling Process workshop:
https://nestling.ariamala.com/
Photograph by Jason Allen
After witnessing Hamish Daley's finesse in facilitating an 'Understanding Adult Attachment' workshop at Resolution Festival, Ari and Alexander invite him on the podcast to talk about facilitation.
What is facilitation? How do you create safety when working with edgy themes? How do you stay responsive and respectful to the input of individuals while maintaining integrity with the intention of the workshop? What does bad facilitation look and feel like?
Ari, Alexander and Hamish discuss all this and more on this month's episode of Musings over Coffee.
Find out more about Hamish's relationship coaching and coaching for single people at:
www.connectionmechanic.com
Social media platforms are engineered to capture and capitalise on our attention, yet market themselves as a way of finding community and nourishing existing connections. How do we engage with social media knowing that its loyalties lie with capital, rather than people? How do we continue to create and priotise real, gritty, unmediated relationships that exist outside of the matrix of social media? Ari and Alexander discuss.