Landscapes for Learning: Recent Episodes
Landscapes for Learning: Tutor & Consultant
8 min
Today's word is: Embodiment
Today's Learning Practice is with Jen Bleier, a somatic educator. She offers up the perfect word! Embodiment.
Join us in this exercise of practicing conversation on Learning Conversation. :-)
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
38 min.
Interview: Jen Bleier, Somatic Educator
Maureen and Pierre interview Jen Bleier, friend and somatic educator. Trained in Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Pilates, Somatic Experience practitioner, and small "d" dancer.
Jen’s work spans different modalities, hence her self-description as a somatic educator. Jen said: “when you work with bodies, you can’t not work with emotions.” Maureen and Jen are on the same team - working to heal, working to educate, integrating Mind Body Spirit health.
So what is Gyrotonic?
Officially: the Gyrotonic Expansion System. Gyro - meaning rotating movement that heals - hence tonic. Those who do yoga and work with bodies, those who suffer with lower back issues, sciatica, know the pain that comes from our skeletal system impinging nerves. Better support, better flexibility and expansion of the skeletal system can relieve that pain. Increased space in the skeletal system promotes synovial fluid, whose principal role is to reduce friction between cartilege and bones in joints. Improved flexibility in the body, for instance through an expanded skeletal system that is being compressed everyday by gravity, walking, standing and sitting, can produce improve health. .
Gyrotonic started out as "Yoga for Dancers." It was started Juliu Horvath. There are over 6,000 Gyrotonic trainers worldwide. Perhaps you didn't know that? We certainly didn't until Jen educated us.
Check Jen out at: https://jenbleier.offeringtree.com
Check out Gyrotonic: https://www.centergyrotonic.com/about/gyrotonic_expansion_system/
In a similar vein, Ido Portal: Movement Culture. https://www.idoportal.com
Healing through movement. At the beginning of the podcast, Maureen says: "we're all waiting for the medical world to catch-up." Meaning, catch-up to practicality and success of somatic paths to improved health. And to some extent it is. Physical therapy after surgery - get up and move. Medical imaging's improved understanding of healing and body mechanics, brain function. And, yet to some extent it isn't because movement therapy is difficult to monetize.
Nonetheless, through sharing and learning pathways, courtesy of podcasts, streaming videos, worldwide web interconnectivity, it's happening. We're delighted you are along for the ride in Learning Conversation. Enjoy!
Response-ability training is an online educational program to provide people with knowledge and skills to respond to their experiences, as opposed to merely reactiving and over-reacting chronically and unconscoiously. When you can respond to what life presents you with regulation and mindfulness, you save yourself from chronic stress which makes you better and your relationships with others better. The Becoming ResponseAble program is a foundation for learning about mental health as mindbody health and discovering inner resources and outer resources you may be unaware of!
5 min
Today's word is: Happy
Maureen references a documentry on Happy - 2012 movie. Is happy a good goal?
Join the conversation.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Resource: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Maureen begins the pod energized having just taught a yoga class.
With over 175 published podcasts on resources, practices, discussions, interviews, reflections, we've somehow not talked about Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. Peterson is a pivotal figure in 'Learning Conversation,' not just for this podcast but for so many who have followed his lead in examining what words mean and how they can be used for good or harm. Peterson's opposition to Canada's speech legislation in Bill C-16, an amendment to the "Canadian Human Rights Act and the Criminal Code," catapulted him to a larger audience.
Jordan Peterson is a clinical psychologist who early on saw the danger of progressive cultural change. He recorded his views in 2016. The recordings went viral. Peterson spoke what few dared. His reaction to the Bill C-16 was not the substance of words but the dynamic of the bill which essentially compelled speech - designating what can and cannot be said and making that part of the criminal code.
In other words, his objection focused on the foundational principles of free speech. Government should not legislate what can and cannot be said. In objecting, Peterson became the grain of sand in the oyster around which other layers of conversation formed. Peterson's podcasts and interviews became the epicenter of conversations, teachings, discussions which were not being had in other parts of Western society, parts that were tamed and shamed and remained silent on Progressivism's righteousness.
With cultural support and power, political correctness began to be legislated. Today, we find ourselves on one side or the other of 'political correctness' with varying degrees of consequence. Cancel culture. Job security or insecurity. Political divides. Social discord.
The binary application of 'for and against' is, unfortunately, part of the political correctness movement. Wielding and leveraging cultural power is key to its change management; no room for discussion, debate, nuance, learning, conversation. Winning is not based on persuasive argument. Of course, speech issues, cultural change, progressive thought, conservation thought are multi-faceted subjects, but without room to examine and discuss facets, discourse is course or dismissed. Shouts and protests are memed and mimed into binary slogans. Black Lives Matter - good, appropriate. All Lives Matter - not good, inappropriate, disrespectful.
How fitting this podcast is released now. In the aftermath of a heinous genocidal assault that has been building over decades and is embedded in political and religous agendas through the charter of Hamas. We are witnesses to digusting binary barbitry that dehumanizes our collective society, and breaks down civilized conversation and actions. Just what Jordan Peterson talks about.
Our hearts go out to all who suffer.
Peace through grace, and let it begin with me.
Live to learn and learn to live.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min
Today's word is: Suffering
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
24 min
Maureen and Pierre discuss spiritual traditions of solitude versus the disaffectation of anxiety and isolation.
Spiritual practices include: Jesus in the desert for 40 days. Thoreau “On Walden Pond.” Meditative practices. John Francis - not talking for 17 years. Modern disaffection include recent school shootings, which is on Maureen's mind as a former school teacher, mother, person.
It’s counter-intuitive or perhaps ‘unnatural’ that there are these traditions of finding integration into society by withdrawing from society. Because we are so society bound, its not usual for a person to take up spiritual practices of solitude.
Maureen’s website: Landscapes for Learning focuses on working out within, and the wisdom of knowing thyself. Often finding oneself involves being with oneself outside of the complications of society.
Maureen a former school teach brings up the flip side of the coin, a disaffected person who retreats from society and ‘loses’ themselves versus finding oneself via a spiritual tradition of separation. Recent school shootings, most if not all taking place from disaffected or mentally challenged males, raise the discussion point which Maureen wants to explore: is isolation healthy or not healthy for individuals.
The discussion leads back to a little known book about monastic life called: The Cloud of Unknowing.
Maureen reflects on her walkabout. A year of traveling and teaching yoga, separated from her normal roles of mother, teacher, dog owner, family member. The walkabout allowed Maureen to shed normal roles and live one day at a time.
If you are interested in a walkabout, you might enjoy listening. If you are interested in the power of 'unknowing' consider it as a concept to fully embrace the world you experience.
5 min
Today's word is: Orange
Color or fruit. Double espresso's and Pierre's got hop at the buzzer + one.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
15 min
What does it mean to be fit?
How do you stay fit? If you want to be fitter, how do you do that?What motivates you?
Maureen found a gym that has been motivating her towards building strength and getting fitter. There are many elements in it and Pierre is curious.
Maureen begins to explain Crossfit to Pierre, who starts to see the attraction of Crossfit in mind, body, and spirit training, with a work-out community supporting good each others good health.
Maureen explains that Crossfit started with the concept of cross-functional fitness, in order to enable ordinary people to be functional in everyday movements. Wow. Basic. Powerful. Especially as one looks around at today's fitness challenges.
Maureen also says that a big part of the attraction of a Crossfit gym is the community - people supporting one another on a journey to better movement and health.
Without a “why,” without a community, lots of efforts to improve health fail. It’s important to find a path and know yourself. What motivates you towards better health?
Pierre and Maureen discuss their motivations and differing experiences with gyms and paths towards fitness.
Maureen introduces resources and people connected to Crossfit for listeners to check out.
RESOURCES
Greg Glassman - founder of Crossfit. Science based, cross-functional fitness.
Jocko Willink - retired U.S. Navy SEAL officer, Silver Star, Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medals, co-author bestseller: Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win podcast
www.jocko.com
Dave Castro - retired Navy SEAL and Crossfit trainer
https://www.instagram.com/thedavecastro/?hl=en
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
21 min
Jon Kabat- Zinn is today’s resource.
Kabat-Zinn is a professor emeritus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He received a Ph.D. in molecular biology for MIT in 1971. He is one of the earlier people in the health field to recognize the adverse effects of stress on health.
His book Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (1991) leads today’s conversation into this resource.
Full Catastrophe Living - the title of his book, Pierre claims is the title of his, Pierre’s, life. Maureen mentions how Kabat-Zinn had to prevail with his editor to keep the word “catastrophe” in the book title. Seems appropriate for these days and our lives.
Kabat-Zinn set up The Center of Mindfulness at Mass. Winner of all kinds of awards, Kabat-Zinn was a leader in bringing the body into the health equation, and also into mindfulness space. It’s not all in your mind, and the solutions are not all in your mind. There are complimentary effects in healing the whole person.
Where Ever You Go, There You Are - another title of Kabat-Zinn’s.
And here you are! Reading and listening to this podcast. We’re glad you are here.
Enjoy this health resource as we explore together the nexus of literature and resources in the mind, body, spirit space.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Enjoy this health resource as we explore together the nexus of literature and resources in the mind, body, spirit space.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min
Today's word is: message.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
15 min
Today's Learning Conversation is about the death of conversation.
Maureen and Pierre share thoughts on the value and importance of conversation for health and wellness in a democracy .
The Death of Conversation is also the title of a podcast between Coleman Hughes and Jonathan Haidt which is resourced in this episode.
Coleman Hughes is a black, African-American, intellectual with a podcast called Conversations with Coleman. Check him out. https://colemanhughes.org.
Jonathan Haidt is a professor of moral philosophy, the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at NYU Stern School of Business, Pierre's alma mater. Professor Haidt's books include:
- The Happiness Hypothesis
- The Coddling of the American Mind
- The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion
Both Professor Haidt and Mr. Hughes tackle difficult subjects. Coleman Hughes does so with aplomb which both Maureen and Pierre find remarkable.
Here’s what Coleman says about his podcast: “Home to honest conversations with leading intellectuals on the polarizing issues in the realm of grace, politics and racism.”
Say what? People are talking about these things? Yup. In Conversations with Coleman.
Check him out. This conversation that we’re ‘resourcing’ is called “The Death of Conversation” and can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsW7q12WJBs
Jonathan Haidt’s podcasts with others can be found here: https://jonathanhaidt.com/podcasts/
Enjoy Learning Conversations.
Enjoy Conversations with Coleman.
Live to Learn and Learn to Live
Peace through grace
5 min
Today's word is: opportunity
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
17 min
Listen to Maureen and Pierre podcasting from their less than professional sound studios!
Pierre introduces a resource that Maureen has not heard of, read about, or taught. Wow! Score one for Pierre.
Pierre brings forward a resource: Vivekananda. Called the ‘Messenger of Indian Wisdom to the Western World,’ Vivekananda was the first person to come to America and teach yoga and Indian spiritual philosophy.
Only in the United States for four years, Vivekananda had a profound effect on the trajectory of yoga and eastern philosophy in America. He was the first in a line of yogis journeying to America.
The occasion of Vivekananda journey to the US was the ‘World’s Parliament of Religions’ taking place in Chicago in 1893.
Fittingly, his speech was given on September 11th, 1893, the same day of the year that this podcast is being released. A fitting anniversary for a speech that rocked our world.
His first words were: Sisters and brothers of America…. Pause and think about those five words for a moment.
His message was one of love. He spoke in opposition to the pursuit of fanatical religious ideas wherein dissension, wars, and centuries of tragedy perpetuated senseless ideas.
Vivekananda’s book Bhakti Yoga, meaning the yoga of love and devotion, is instructive for its deep insights into how the universe works.
Vivekananda writes of energy being the essence of the universe. He also writes that man’s striving for pleasure, the sensational joys of mind and body, is short-sighted and not in keeping with the ways of God. Uninvited, yet traveling all the way from India by ship and train, he arrived and spoke at this august gathering to powerfully proclaim an end to bigotry and fanaticism.
If you’ve not heard of Vivekananda, you might want to check him out. When his work was done on July 4th, 1902, he reportedly passed releasing his soul through ‘mahasamadhi’ while meditating.
Enjoy Learning Conversations.
30 min
Pierre is retired and working. Wait, what? Why? What does retirment mean? What does work mean?
Work and retirement are the subjects of today’s podcast.
The action of leaving one’s job: retirement. Is this a good thing?
Work life balance. What does that look like in different stages of life.
What does work look like in a capitalist society? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing?
The amount of physical labor has lessened over the years, so does that change work and retirement in any fundamental way?
Join us for a meaningful discussion on what work means in different ages and stages for different people in different jobs.
15 min
Health and fitness questions from Pierre. Answers from Maureen. Or is it questions that answer from Maureen?
This is a pretty hilarious account of Pierre’s inquiry into how to use a gym. Maureen knows gyms inside and out.
Pierre’s set up to this podcast is classic Pierre mumbo jumbo, until Maureen sends the strike missile! Yup - laser guided question: why do you think you want to do this? What’s your motivation - strike missile is at the 7 min mark.
Maureen explains the magic of Cross Fit. Maureen explores entrees and motivations to fitness.
Long and short of it, if you are interested in fitness you might be interested in this Learning Conversation. It’s a practical dive into why we do fitness, how we do fitness, and what fitness context is right for you. Strength, social, movement, cardio, outdoor, indoor, guided, free-form?
Check it out. You might look at lifelong fitness challenges and find a key to unlock your interest and desire to be fit.
Enjoy Learning Conversations!
5 min
Today's word is: Radical
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
18 min
Pierre and Maureen introduce a resource: Yuval Noah Harari.
Listen to the end of the podcast and find out why Pierre is so happy. :-)
This podcast veers from Learning Conversation’s usual resources in physical, mental and spiritual health to consider human behavior from the beginning of time. Yup - big subject!
Yuval Harari takes on the history of humans masterfully. A professor at Hebrew University, Harari received his PhD from Oxford University in history and social philosophy.
Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind is a tour de force in describing humans behavioral effects. Insightful and scary.
Pierre and Maureen riff on the destructive qualities of human kind as puzzle pieces in the natural forces of creation and destruction that are universally present.
Harari’s book, Sapiens, sold 25 million copies. It reads like a page turning novel. The Guardian newspaper credits Harari with re-popularizing non-fiction. Check him out.
For reference, Harari’s books include:
2014: Sapiens - A Brief History of Humankind;
2016: Homo Deus - A Brief History of Tomorrow;
2018: Twenty-Lessons for the Twenty-First Century; and
2022: Unstoppable Us - The True Story of Humans.
5 min.
Today's word from Maureen is: Pushing.
Maureen wants to move away from nouns. Her word pushing, pushes Pierre right into Forumla 1. Push, push, push. Hilarious practice where Pierre speaks so fast to get in all he wants to say about F1, that he leaves Maureen with 9 seconds! Enjoy.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
25 min
Maureen and Pierre wander a bit off the road of spiritual mind body health by discussing “narratives.”
Pierre’s been wondering about the term “narrative.” He is a little hesitant to express himself, lest Learning Conversation lands in the quagmire of politics. His insight to the word narrative - stories with a moral, a teaching moment - considers moral stories previously emanating from trusted sources, like parents, grandparents, teachers - and they tended to shape lives for the better. Now narratives are employed ubiquitously in the press, social media, and other life shaping institutions, operating to tell people how life is. Seems a bit scary. Are new narratives from trusted sources? What happened to reporting? Why all the narratives? Is culture shifting so rapidly new narratives are needed? Is power at the root of it all?
Maureen steers the conversation back to mind body spirit by recounting how humans developed conversation and stories with meaning around campfires. Conversing and convening to develop cultural and social meaning is what humans do. We’ve done it since the beginning of time.
This Learning Conversation evolves to consider the perils of new forms of communication, which power can manipulate faster than humans evolve to adapt. Hence, from new technologies in communication comes revolutionary change - the printing press, Bible, radio and new 20th century empire building.
Pierre closes off the conversation with Martin Gilbert’s History of the 20th Century on facism’s use of radio technology to consolidate power, and then tells a funny story, factoid really, about Eisenhower’s time at West Point. Fun fact - as Maureen says.
Enjoy.
5 min
Today's word is: creative
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
See ya around the corner. :-)
24 min
Attia's newsletter and podcast is: The Drive.
Dr. Peter Attia is a physician with degrees in engineering and mathematics. An authority on longevity and healthy lifestyles.
Lifespan vs. Health span
Maureen & Pierre discuss Attia's book, Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity.
In addition to the main themes in the book, Attia self-reveals his own drive and inability to self-care, which led him to crisis. Driven to point of working and almost missing his wife giving birth during a difficult pregnancy, only later does this imbalance in priorities bubble up as problematic behavior.
Another resource in balancing and caring for self in the mind-body-spirit space, check out Dr. Attia. His forte is medical science related to healthy living.
See also his deeply self-revealing discussion on Rich Roll's podcast.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Attia
https://peterattiamd.com
https://peterattiamd.com/about/#:~:text=Peter%20is%20an%20advisor%20to,board%20for%20the%20journal%20Aging.
8 min
Rich Roll has an iconic intro sound to his podcast: a bicycle wheel freely spinning and clicking. An early podcaster, Roll's open question style where he lets guests freely spin their stories can be a beautiful thing to listen to.
It's beautiful because his research is thorough, but he doesn't answer questions for guests, but leads with genuine curiosity and lets guests speak. Refreshing. Results are impactful when a guest, given the time, comfort and challenge of Roll's questions drops into a deep personal share.
Roll's podcasts are a resource from which Maureen and Pierre found many resources in mind-body- spiritual health! Fitness, wellness, illness, dis-ease, eating healthy, and recovery.
Roll is a lawyer, alcoholic, ultra-marathoner, and now podcaster. His drive is extraordinary. His podcasts well researched, hence detailed discussion. Some podcasts can be like his ultra-marathons - long; some are 3 hours long.
Maureen gives permission to listen to portions of a podcast. Both
Maureen and Pierre get around to talking about one of their first influencers in podcast world.
Check him out: Rich Roll. Episodes and his story below.
https://www.richroll.com/all-episodes/
https://www.richroll.com/bio/
10 min
Maureen shares a very personal story about yoga teacher training.
With 2 children in high school and twins in college, Maureen travels to Thailand for 9 weeks to become a yoga teacher.
Pierre asks Maureen about leaving kids 'alone.' Maureen responds that her four children were raised as responsible children (response - able). In pursuing yoga teacher training in Thailand, Maureen also wanted to set an example that women, and specifically 'moms,' can be independent people.
Maureen sensitively reflects on the balance of putting your children first, as moms and parents, is balanced by also putting yourself first to model healthy adult behavior.
From a women's yoga seminary, to 9 weeks in Thailand for teacher training, to a 1-year sabbatical traveling the world as a yoga teacher, writing two books, changing careers from high school humanities teacher to licensed mental health counselor, Maureen models her WORKOUT WITHIN curriculum.
Referenced in the podcast are:
Emmy Cleaves - iconic yoga figure and teacher in the Bikram hot yoga world.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/136016771174512/posts/715420693234114/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHBc8aW3AxU
Bikram Choudhury - hot yoga teacher responsible for an explosion of interest in and practice of yoga from the 1980 - present.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bikram_Yoga
5 min
Today's word: history
Humans as storytellers and the long arc of history: his-story.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min
Today's word is: smashed!
An onamatopoeia!! Pierre and tennis (of course) come up. Maureen muses on the difference of whacked and smashed, and a discussion of words in different languages winds up the pod.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Onamatopoeia!! Pierre and Tennis (of course)
33 min.
Discussion: Making Good and Bad Podcasts
Maureen and Pierre discuss their podcast journey. No editing. Cleaning up speech patterns. Sharing resources. Sharing dialogue with a friend. How did this adventure start?
Pierre revisits the early beginnings when Maureen met Pierre at Bikram Teacher Training 2015, Khao Lak, Thailand at the 10 min mark. Yoga training was 9 weeks of transcendental hell camp.
In this discussion at different times Maureen and Pierre reflect on the need for our polarized society to remember conversational arts. Though a bit of a ramble, this pod explains how Learning Conversation was born, reflecting on topics, formats and the courage of pressing a record button and posting - no net trapeze work.
Discussing the podcasts strengths and weaknesses, a bright spot is the unrehearsed conversation and spontaneous thinking and speaking which keeps exchanges fresh.
Check it out folks.
Done in love, hope you are enjoying.
Closing out as usual:
Live to learn and learn to live - Maureen
Peace through grace - Pierre
18 min
Maureen does a Tough Mudder. Don't you just love that name? The way it sounds? Tough Mudder.
Ok, so what is a Tough Mudder? It's a national phenomenon now for some time where people challenge themselves with an obstacle course. And yes, the obstacles are "tough" and some involve mud.
Maureen hits the podcast after teaching a 6:30 AM Bikram hot yoga class and munching on breakfast tells a hilarious story about the legacy of tough mudding she discovers. Worth a listen.
Doing hard things with other humans is a way to thrive. In Tough Mudder competitions you help fellow contestants. People face their fears. You see another person do it, and think: hey, I can do that. The competition builds confidence and resilience. Maybe you can do a certain obstacle this time, maybe you can do it next time.
It's a competition that embraces Maureen's website and program, which she calls "Landscapes for Learning."
Tough Mudders are special landscapes for learning, but everyday is also a landscape for learning.
Enjoy Maureen's success and description of this competition.
What landscape for learning are you traveling these days? Oh wait, you're reading this! Good for you! Booooo yaaaaa!
14 min
Yes, you read that right. Today's resource podcast is "anonymous." Not just any anonymous, but a famous anonymous. Well as famous as an anonymous person can be. That is because, he - fairly certain of that gender - wrote a book of some fame. The book is titled: The Cloud of Unknowing.
A resource podcast is where we pick a person, a podcast, a book and bring it forward for consideration as a mind, body, spirit health resource. This relatively obscure little book is today's resource.
The book was published in the 14th century. It advises a young monk how to approach God. It's been called a mystical book, but that misrepresents it. It is really a manual for this young monk, a guide toward wisdom, faith and God; away from pretense, ego and certainty.
It's mystical in the sense that one must embrace mystery.
In this podcast, Maureen and Pierre explore living in a cloud of unknowing. Perhaps a virtue not just towards achieving a spiritual life, but calming gift for living through uncertain and divisive times.
Join in for a listen. The more you know the more you realize you don't know.
The Cloud of Unknowing - Anonymous. 14th century manuscript, ironically available on Amazon.
5 min.
Today's word is: alert.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
20 min
Existential Humanist Psychology - well that’s a mouthful.
Maureen is as geeky and deeply interested in psychology as anyone, says Pierre. The two of them go down a rabbit hole of discussion kicked off by Dr. David Puder’s podcast.
A bit of a banter fest here. What was going to be a Resource pod on Dr. Puder's podcast crumbles into a discussion.
Dr. Puder’s podcast with Dr. Kirk Schneider of the Existential-Humanist Institute, where he is a co-founder, launches this discussion pod, because the two experts Puder and Schneider have difficulty framing this psychological modality and what Schneider does.
Because the podcast had difficulty explaining the subject, according to Pierre, Maureen ‘splains integrative therapy to Pierre.
Maureen suggests she is in full geek mode in explaining this, but Pierre disagrees because as geeky as Maureen is in trying to read everything on the planet related to her interests, she digests it, stays grounded, and can explain it in a few words.
The fact that philosophical terms like ‘existential’ and ‘humanist’ find their way into therapy shouldn’t make it confusing, but it does to Pierre.
Dr. Puder’s podcast, titled “Psychiatry and Psychotherapy” is not for everyone, but is useful to practitioners and counselors as Maureen says.
Maureen wrote Dr. Puder complimenting his podcast. Dr. Puder gave her a T-shirt. Pierre suggests that's how he maintains audience.
Kind of a weird podcast. Worth a listen, if for nothing else the opening bucolic scene of Pierre’s workation on a ranch in Washington State.
Be well. Peace through grace. Learn to live and live to learn.
The podcast that launched the discussion. Dr. David Puder
https://open.spotify.com/episode/1np6ANPzdxLmiU4W3RpsV1?si=6bGQQZwUTWOXgGTOtwMLIw
5 min
Today's word is: water.
Pierre immediately goes to Jesus. Ut oh. Maureen sees Shirley Winters floating by in her nightmares.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min
Today's word is: slowly.
Maureen says: no more nouns, kids! Let's get action oriented!
Ok, so the word is slowly?????? Yup, the word is slowly. Check out Maureen and Pierre practicing how to speak to one another. Check out "Learning Conversation."
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
15 min.
James Clear ducks Wikipedia. What?
Maureen wants to talk about James Clear. Pierre explains that there is no Wiki entry for James Clear; his website pops up over all others. Has he somehow taken control of the Internet? Good for him!
His book sold 10+ million copies.
3 key points:
- Small changes make a big difference. Just 1% improvement compounding over days, months, years makes a big change.
- Forget about goals; focus on systems. Goals are about results; systems are about processes that lead to results! Focus on how you are going to get there. You don’t rise to the level of your goals; you fall to the level of your systems
- Lasting habits are made from identify based change. Who are you? Who do you want to be? “Every action is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” Like Aristotle: “You are what you repeatedly do.”
Maureen explains on a practical level how James Clear and new habits can bring change to people - helping people facing challenges.
Maureen: We all know we are going to the grave, but who do we want to be along the way?
Maureen says: "no dawg." Really she said that? Yup she did.
Pierre closes out with some terrible jokes / puns. Thank goodness Maureen mercifully ends it: bah bye now.
Check it out, folks. Another resource. Practical advice. Maureen and Pierre kicking it.
5 min
Today's word is: woke
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min
Today's word is: virture
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
33 min.
Maureen wants to talk about Jonathan Haidt. He is a resource teaching about regulating nervous systems in the midst of social fragility and political brittleness. He's a guy who is in the forefront of calling out aspects of popular culture which he believes are well intentioned but misguided.
Jonathan Haidt’s article in Atlantic Magazine, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” more or less went viral as a result of calling out teaching practices which insulate children, and young adults, from struggles and challenges in learning.
Haidt’s written other books. The titles alone are compelling:
The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom.
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion
The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up A Generation for Failure
Haidt’s book and subtitle for The Happiness Hypothesis ties right into Maureen’s book: Landscapes for Learning, Ancient Wisdom for Modern Humans, which became the foundation for launching this podcast.
Maureen says: “It’s not the kids fault.” Maureen and Pierre discuss learning, education, the concept of ‘unintended consequences’ and many more topics in this pod.
Come join us for a dive into current topics in education and political correctness.
33 min
Fitting for a “Learning Conversation,” this discussion covers a lot of ground. Maybe it’s like your conversations? Those conversations when you are learning, listening, sharing, discovering?
This podcast covers: Whoop (fitness bit) > 90-min hot yoga > strength training > spirit training > Hubbell telescope > science > out space > inner space > a cloud of unknowing > tolerance for ambiguity > self-regulating in challenging situations through mind body spirit disciplines / practices.
Check it out.
Our discussion starts with a dramatic fact statement: Maureen takes a 90-minute hot yoga class at 104-106 degrees, checks her Whoop fitness bit device and it doesn’t register activity!
Maureen thinks the Whoop is broken or maybe drowned in sweat and not registering. She thinks that because her heart rate remained steady through class. She checks her stress level and it registered a minor uptick for 90 minutes.
Whoa. Whoop was working.
Maureen knocked it out of the park with fitness. Come check out where this podcast goes from there. Love you guys listening.
Maureen and Pierre rolling and riffing here.
Enjoy.
20 min
Hold the presses!
Pierre knows what he’s talking about? Wait! What?
Well, let’s qualify that. Pierre knows what he wants to talk about. We’re not saying Pierre actually knows what he is talking about. Let’s be clear about that!
Pierre wants to talk about a book: Radical Love, by Omid Safi.
The book was given to Pierre by his good friend Manish. Hat tip to Manish with a riff on his special friendship.
The book, Radical Love, is a compilation of poems from Sufi mystics. You may have heard a few of the authors' names: Rumi, Hafiz, etc. Omid Safi introduces their poems in a new light stemming from an approach to Islam which involves a single-minded focus on God, to the exclusion of all else. Hence the title: Radical Love.
At the center of Islam, according to these mystics is God; and God is love. By stripping away human, material, and differentiated things and ideas, one can see God according to these mystics. The introduction by author Omid Safi provides the religious context of the poetry as well as biographical information on the poet authors.
Pierre and Maureen explore the book, sometimes reading poems (10-20 words long) with a back and forth question asking and answering that hopefully piques your interest in finding this book. .
While Riverdance and whirling dervishes make a brief appearance, this podcast mostly focuses on the poetry that seeks to illuminate a path to God. Check it out: Radical Love.
This book might just plant a seed for thinking about life and Islam differently. Omid Safi is a professor at Duke University who also teaches spiritual courses through Illuminated Courses. He also leads yearly educational and spiritual tours through Turkey, Morocco and other countries. Check him out.
Peace through grace, my friends. Peace through grace.
5 min
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
25 min
Eckert Tolle’s video: Excess baggage. How we think of life’s struggles causes unnecessary suffering. The second arrow analogy in Buddhist tradition.
Tolle says life is one’s response to circumstances, not the collection of circumstances.
Maureen and Pierre resource an outstanding light in the modern field of spiritual awakening: Eckert Tolle.
The assumption that people shouldn’t face difficulties or suffer is delusional. Struggling, suffering is one way to grow. Tolle calls thinking we should be free of struggle a dysfunctional use of mind.
Maureen and Pierre spend a fair amount of time discussing the role of struggle. Also discussing how struggling to avoid struggling can be counter productive - the second arrow.
Marueenism No. 101: Check yourself before you wreck yourself.
Work out within. What’s on my side of the street? Another of Maureen's lessons from Landscapes for Learning - let life be your teacher and you'll be destined to thrive!
Check out Tolle’s 11 minute video interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHhEPUp5X_I
More on Tolle in Part II
10 min.
Maureen wants to talk about Deb Dana.
Pierre and Maureen begin by laughing and laughing some more about their efforts to explain polyvagal theory.
A mind-body resource, Deb Dana, a psychologist teaches people how to recognize their physiological states.
If you understand the ladder of stress and relaxation, high regulation or low, she says there are 3 distinct states.
Prior paradigms of physiological control focused on the mind controlling the body. But Deb Dana and Stephen Porges show through polyvagal theory that communication is a two-way street - body to brain, brain to body.
Recognizing when your brain is triggered by the body’s reaction can help provide perspective and provide therapeutic benefits, traction.
Come join us explore Deb Dana as a resource in this exploding universe of mind body knowledge.
Check her out at these links:
Deb Dana & Stephen Porges at the Polyvagel Institute
https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org
Rhythm of Regulation
https://www.rhythmofregulation.com
And books:
Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory
Polyvagal Exercises for Therapists and Clients, 50 Client Centered Practices
Polyvagal Flip Chart, Understanding the Science of Safety
….and others. Enjoy
20 min
Maureen and Pierre reflect on a year of podcasting trying to learn conversation. Yes, ironically that’s the title of our podcast: Learning Conversation.
Join us as we consider "the shit that comes out of our mouths."
We skip over the structure of our podcasts, listed below, and dive into the speaking / listening duality.
We consider Socratic dialogue. We explore having a 6th form of conversation. Maureen provides a 411 - information please - on Socratic dialogue. How does it work?
We agree that in most conversations statements are made and accepted without exploration or question. The conversation then proceeds along. How different would conversation be if we truly considered each statement and resolved meaning?
In Socratic dialogue, it’s almost as if we start with a statement and go backwards. We consider the source and truth of statements. In normal conversation, we start with statements and move forward from their foundation. How different is conversation that looks at foundations and sees what they rests on, how is it solid?
A bit rambling - but that is the nature of conversation. Maureen and Pierre reveal their own beginning fascinations with conversation.
Below is our podcast structure. In Year 2, we may be adding a 6th form, Socratic Dialogue. We’ll do that as soon as we can figure out how to do that!
Learning Conversation’s Podcast Structure
-
Resource - introduce a resource
-
Reflection - reflect on past pods
-
Practice - 3 min drill on 1 word
-
Interview - interview a person
-
Discussion - discuss a topic
15 min
After a weather report comparing morning temps in MA and CA, both 58 degrees, Maureen introduces Professor John Vervaeke as a Learning Conversation resource. He is an award winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.
Vervaeke’s academic interests include wisdom, mindfulness, meditation.... Wait, what? Pierre comments those subjects were not available when he went to school. How times have changed.
A reason the Learning Conversation podcast started is the exploding amount of literature in the field of psychology, mindfulness, somatic health, meditation, yoga, and on and on knitting elements of cognitive science , brain / body science, neurology, ophthalmology all intersecting and illuminating traditional spiritual pathways as developed through meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, not to mention ancient wisdom through philosophy.
Vervaeke says we (the West) are suffering from a wisdom famine. Parenthetically, Maureen sent Vervaeke a copy of her book: Classic Wisdom for Modern Humans, which relates to the professor's interests in Stoicism and classical wisdom.
Professor Vervaeke’s newest video series is: “After Socrates.” Check him out on YouTube.
Awakening from the Meaning Crisis - his 50 part lecture series is also on YouTube.
Enjoy!
15 min
Maureen and Pierre share their daily weather report, and then pod their way into the subject of atttention. Then, Maureen tells Pierre about the workshop she is giving on attention and love at Yoga Studio Y in Danvers, MA, where Maureen has opened a Wellness Resource Center.
The Wellness Center at Studio Y is designed to create community by expanding offerings of the yoga studio. Think of it as ‘yoga off the mat.’
Maureen explains she is giving a series of weekend lectures focused on the question: what is wellness? Illness, wellness and fitness. How do they all go together? Let Maureen explain.
Attendance is free for members. Check it out if you are in the Danvers area. And check out this pod discussing the expanding resources of Maureen's world: Landscapes for Learning.
13 min
Maureen talks about a course she took from a resource called: Embodied Philosophy.
Pierre, who knows nothing about polyvagal theory, plays the part of the ventriloquist dummy trying to understand what polyvagal theory is all about. Maureen explains.
Put on your safety belt for a zoom down the steep part of the roller coaster. Maureen recaps: Polyvagal Theory Neural Exercises for Safety and Connection.
Dr. Stephen Porges who discovered an interesting medical fact / theory related to the polyvagal nerve explains what he found in the medical world. He is speaking with Deb Dana. Deb Dana, a psychologist, sees Dr. Porges’ medical information and constructs a theory around behavioral health related to neuroception.
Three tiers of the nervous system are explained here. Once we understand what tier our nervous system is in, our self-awareness allows us the opportunity to manage affect. Game changer.
Ok - we told you, strap in. There are even dinosaurs in this one!
Enjoy
5 min
Today's word is: resourceful.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
13 min
This pod is different. Pierre tries to explain the power and beauty in a book which translates the poetry of Islamic mystics.
Written by Omid Safi, the book's title is: Radical Love: Teachings from the Islamic Mystical Tradition.
Each page is a poem. Some pages have less than 10 words on them. The mystics like Rumi, Sumnum, Hadith, Hazrat Khan, Rabi'a strip away worldly thought, materials things and write poetry of pure love as an embodiment of God, which in the Islamic mystical tradition is God. God is pure love. Pure love is God.
Safi write a brilliant introduction which frames this poetry leading even novices into an understanding of the Quran at its core - at least as seen by Sufi mystics.
Enjoy this book: Radical Love, and the poetry of Middle Eastern mystics
13 minutes
Lately, Pierre's been obsessed with the title of our podcast, Learning Conversation - see prior Reflection podcasts. He is enjoying learning about learning through conversation, and improving conversational skills. Wait, what? Listening is involved? Who knew?
On that note, Maureen tells Pierre about a book she used with her students to teach the skill and importance of listening. The book emphasizes listening's role in creating authentic relationships.
It's called Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World by John Francis. It's the latest MindBody Resource that we want listeners to know about!
Here are a few gems from the book:
-In the context of solving problems, not speaking precludes argument
-From a place of silence new understandings emerge
-Inability to listen suppresses opportunities to learn.
The book is based on John Francis’ experiment in not speaking for 17 years!
Join us to explore John Francis unique experiment in listening. 17 years my friends, 17 years!
Enjoy.
20 min
After beginning with disclosures about their espresso fixations, Maureen and Pierre jump into a reflection on conversation.
Going beyond reflections about their podcasting, this reflection considers the nature of conversation itself - balancing speaking and listening. The art of conversation.
Elevating curiosity, holding space to listen and consider other people’s ideas, Maureen brilliantly explains the negotiation of social meaning through dialogue. The process of making, confirming, changing, and passing on culture - norms, values, processes. The process of building relationships that in effect underly culture and functioning social interactions.
Explore dialogue as a key component of human beingness. The ability to regulate one’s nervous system to effectively engage in dialogue is critical to highly functioning societies.
And not just functioning societies, but functioning personal relationships. Maureen points out that mental health counseling is often about being there for people who don’t feel heard - can’t have a conversation with their partner or their parents.
Both Maureen and Pierre reflect on different kinds of conversation through family and cultural lenses. For instance, how is conversation in Pierre’s Italian family (Tucci) different from other conversations? How must people regulate around different cultural norms for conversation?
Check out this podcast and consider the utility and importance of effective conversation, especially considering conversational dissonance and disfunction in America today.
A meandering podcast reflecting on the meandering and often messy, but valuable nature of holding understanding space in conversation.
Join us.
Enjoy.
5 min.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
30 min
What started as a Resource podcast on Ido Portal, an Israeli therapist viewing life as flow and movement, turns into a Discussion podcast on non-movement, grounding and touch as contrasted to flow and movement.
Maureen and Pierre discuss grounding to touch and contrast that movement therapies.
Begin your morning with Pierre’s sigh - an appreciation of morning in Sonoma - and Maureen’s comments on gratitude. "I get to do what I do."
Later dive into Ido Portal’s classic - worth the price of admission - response to Andrew Huberman’s interview questions: “I am going to try very hard this morning to not answer any of your questions.”
Oh my goodness gracious! Have you ever heard such a terrific answer to a professional interviewer asking questions?!
Ido Portal is about play and movement, which he feels expresses meaning beyond words. He feels play is spontaneous and messy.
In some ways, this podcast is spontaneous and messy. Enjoy it.
Dive in!
Resources mentioned and linked are:
Ido Portal: https://www.idoportal.com
Please check out the scrolling pics on his splash page. Amazing.
Moshe Feldenkrais: https://feldenkrais.com/about-the-feldenkrais-method/
Irene Lyon: https://irenelyon.com
Xerxes Whitney: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm84qElMGOg
ENJOY!
8 min
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
Maureen's description of this podcast: Pierre goes nuts about skiing!
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
22 min
Maureen and Pierre are going to dive into a Learning Practice - the 3 minute drill talking about a single word. But they don’t!
They get into a Reflection on how the podcast started, and its various forms. It’s about Learning Conversation's one year anniversary.
When we started podcasting, we had no idea how long our podcasts should go: 1 hour, 30, min, 20 min, 5 min, 3 min?
In early podcasts, we talked over one another. We were trying to figure out what to talk about, how to talk about it.
Maureen’s website envelope, Landscapes for Learning, which holds Learning Conversation’s podcasts is a key part of Pierre’s participation.
When this started, Maureen was reading about 5x to Pierre. Pierre felt: hey, I can’t keep up with all this. And Maureen felt: hey, I want to share this stuff with others. And the pod Learning Conversation began.
Unedited - Maureen and Pierre stumble around, and appreciate the gritty real nature of what they do, and how they do it. They remind listeners that the podcasts are unedited.
What’s a fave podcast? Pierre shares. Maureen shares.
One year anniversary Reflection.
Enjoy!
Learning Conversation’s Podcast Structure
-
Resource - introduce a resource
-
Reflection - reflect on past pods
-
Practice - 3 min drill on 1 word
-
Interview - interview a person
-
Discussion - discuss a topic
4 min.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
14 min
Pierre's off the slopes in Utah to talk about mindbody and spirit-focused podcasting with Maureen.
In vacation mode, he and Maureen reflect on happy places - ski slopes and mountain tops, tennis courts and flat spots.
After breaking down happy places, Maureen and Pierre reflect on their Learning Conversation podcasting journey.
Where did the idea come from? What went into the decision to podcast? What’s cool about podcasting?
Before podcasting together, Maureen and Pierre talked about their post yoga training interests and Maureen introduced Pierre to 4 books that he had not read. She thought he might have read them. The idea arose that shared interests are not identical to shared experiences, and both need exploration.
Reflecting further on overlaps and gaps in their mutual interests and experiences in mind, body, spirit, they recognized that at this moment in history there is an explosion of information in this genre. It’s coming from many sources, traveling many channels.
There are books. There are podcasts. There are radio shows. There are television shows and documentaries on a gizzillion streaming and platform channels. There are retreats and centers of learning. There are monasteries and ashrams. There are scientists at universities with new research tools revealing brain and body workings. Medical experts and doctors exploring public health and individual health where lifestyle diseases dominate death statistics.
Information in this area is truly exploding. Maureen and Pierre though: maybe it would be beneficial to catalogue their discussions and learnings. Maybe it would be a good idea to travel the landscapes of learning together?
And so a podcast was born - Learning Conversation.
Learning Conversation is where we learn together. Bonus points to Maureen, who built a website: LandscapesforLearning.com where conversations could reside and link to other resources that she offers in the counseling and life coaching spaces.
So join us. Learning Conversation podcasts are organized in the following categories, typically with different lengths. Pick and go. Enjoy!
1 Reflections
-
Resources
-
Practices
-
Interviews
-
Discussion
5 min.
Pay attention!
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
15 min
Resource: Tara Brach
Tara Brach and radical acceptance.
Tara’s life’s trajectory in the ’60’s was to go from college and then spend 10 years in an ashram.
She along with other resource figures like Jack Kornfield, Alan Watts, Sam Harris, were attracted to Eastern wisdom during the 50's, 60's and 70's - periods of change and questioning. Now many years later, figures like Tara Brach have risen in our culture to be influencers. She has 3 million podcast downloads per month.
Maureen and Pierre have about 3 podcasts downloads per month. Be the fourth!
Together, Tara Brach and others like her who, Maureen and Pierre are exploring in this podcast, are changing the landscape of learning in the spiritual realm. Applying learned disciplines in Western science and secure in decades of practice and teaching, Ms. Brach's ideas are joining others like rivulets forming a stream.
American psychologist and proponent of Buddhist meditation, Ms. Brach is associated with Jack Kornfield in working to train and certify meditation teachers.
Explore with us, Ms. Brach’s ‘radical acceptance.’ Maureen views this concept up close and personal. Boiled down to its essence, it is meeting yourself, your life, responses and reactions with friendliness. Regulating to pause and accept - not trying to make experience anything other than it is. Why do we think or choose to change experience based on ego, wants, desires? Interesting concept.
Join us in exploring this resource.
Tarabrach.com
25 min.
Jack Kornfield is one of those ‘cross-over’ figures from the 50’s and 60’s, that grew up in Western society and embraced Eastern wisdom.
A Buddhist philosopher who started centers in the United States for practicing meditation.
Learn about Jack Kornfield’s journey as a young peace corp representative in Thailand in the ’60’s to the founding of Spirit Rock in Woodacre, CA in 1987, to his work in virtual spaces with Tara Brach, introducing a training and certification program for meditation leaders.
Join us.
Jack Kornfield: After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.
JackKornfield.com
13 min.
Maureen talks to Pierre about the Wellness Resource Center she is managing at her local Yoga studio.
How cool is that? If you live in Danvers, MA, or anywhere nearby, check out Maureen's Wellness Center, where Maureen also teaches yoga.
Building on Landscapes for Learning curriculum and website, Maureen gets real in addition to virtual. Bringing her unique blend of professional and personal experience to life coaching, counseling and making resources available to those around her, check out this new in-person feature of LFL - Landscapes for Learning.
Enjoy!
25 min.
This pod is for Sydney.
Maureen recognizes that Pierre’s “good morning” is subdued and asks a question.
How human to recognize. How gracious to ask.
Pierre relates the story of losing his friend and best companion of 14 years, his dog Sydney.
This pod cast relates a ‘miracle story’ or two of Syd’s doing.
We dip into the subject of grief.
Grief is a subject that isn’t afforded much room in our culture. It's also a subject that is ‘hard’ to manage. Difficult because it is so visceral. Its visceral nature parallels Learning Conversation podcasts' exploration of connections in mind, body & spirit. Balancing those parts of us. Because grief is more visceral is less manageable and a bit of a lesson for us in the importance of recognizing our less thinking selves and seeing value.
Join us.
Excellent resources on grief.
Huberman Lab on Grief
Dr. Joan Rosenberg on Grief
5 min
Camus? The word is: absurd.
Join us.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Mental Health Counselor and Wellness Educator, Maureen Bakis offers mindbody wellness programming at Bikram Yoga Danvers/Studio Y owned by James Frew and located on Route 1 South in Danvers, Massachusetts.
Maureen created and runs the Wellness Resource Center at the studio where she creates and delivers wellness education programs, lifestyle consultation, mental fitness training and coaching to studio members and to schools, businesses, and individuals within local communities across the North Shore.
Visit https://landscapesforlearning.com/wellness-resource-center/ to learn more!
6 min.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
30 min.
This discussion is about Maureen’s BOOK! Title: The Graphic Novel Classroom: POWerful Teaching with Learning and Images, published by Corwin Press, 2011
Folks check out the cover graphic if nothing else!!!!
https://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Novel-Classroom-POWerful-Teaching/dp/1628737344. ENJOY!
Using graphic novels as her main tool, Maureen taught young people how to reflect on how they make meaning from images based on their conditioned life experiences and how to negotiate meaning socially, with their peers. This experience ultimately led Maureen to a career as a psychotherapist and wellness educator at Landscapes for Learning.
Graphic novels created within the comics medium of communication afforded Maureen the opportunity to learn about how humans make meaning together based on a process of social negotiation. The world isn't just how I see it. It's how WE see it. "Me" has to be willing to be a "We."
Maureen learned how this process of social negotiation of meaning and communication required self-regulation-- her own regulation as the classroom manager and learning facilitator-- and her students' as pre-occupied teenagers. Teaching the process of metacognition, (how we know how we know) mindfulness (not attaching to thoughts/we aren't our thoughts), and nervous system regulation (assessing safety and threat within ourselves/ fight/flight/freeze, etc..) within the context of teaching English brought her to her psychology passion and new career.
Maureen had to remain calm and alert enough to create space and not interefere or control students so they could viscerally experience this meaning-making process for themselves.
Real learning is a messy process. It includes making mistakes, becoming dysregulated, getting emotionally upset, offensive and insensitive remarks. These things happen when mindbodies try to formulate what they think and attempt to express it to others. Dealing with others' differing opinions can be a stress-filled situation.
Maureen saw how trigger-warnings and other safe-space and speech-limiting school policies were creeping into classrooms and interfering with this important learning process. Protecting students from hurt feelings and discomfort created weaker, less courageous individuals who feared others and developed unhealthy dependence on adults.
It's a problem of our age - time and era, not birth years.
Helping students unlearn the conditioning of "finding the one right answer to get the grade" was a challenge and joy.
4 min.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
Today's word is: Harvest
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
22 min.
Maureen and Pierre chat as Pierre recovers from cold and flu, discussing Michael Singer, a stalwart in the mind, body, spirit space.
Michael Singer’s book: The Untethered Soul is a beautiful allegorical book. Since writing that book, he’s connected to the website: Sounds True. In that learning space, Singer creates an 8-part series: Living from a Place of Surrender.
Pierre suggests that Michael Singer’s Living from a Place of Surrender is one of the clearest explanations of meditation and what consciousness to be found.
Singer being a tech entrepreneur developing a medical data software platform has a unique way of explaining Eastern philosophical stuff in a clear and logical Western fashion. No wooo woooo. Straightforward examples from a logical mind. Over the 8 sessions, he gently leads people towards understanding one's deeper consciousness - or as he calls it: one's seat of consciousness.
Both Maureen and Pierre agree Michael Singer is super clear describing metaphysical experiences.
Check it out. You might be glad it did.
Sounds True: https://www.soundstrue.com
Michael Singer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOTwnTtSzvs
5 min
Today's word is: MAD.
It's A Mad Mad World!
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
I
15 min
Come journey with us through conversation about CS Lewis’s thinking his way from atheism to Christianity. A powerful story, an incredible journey.
“Right and Wrong, A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe.” A title of one of CS Lewis’s books - powerful. Incredible. CS Lewis posits humans know right and wrong without learning - it's innate.
Learn more about CS Lewis. Go beyond his books about Narnia, The Witch, The Lion and The Wardrobe. CS Lewis a resource for the ages.
Enjoy!
20 min.
Maureen aces test to be a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.
Maureen counterbalances the negative in the DSM with ‘strengths counseling, merging the fields of ‘mind, body, spiritual health’ with traditional mental health counseling.
Enjoy this discussion of frontiers in mental health counseling. Maureen and Pierre talk about how human beings relate to and behave toward one another, how the nervous system is shaped early in life through attatchment and attunement.
Alas, before any of us have any choice in the matter, our little bodies and brains are shaped by our early caregivers. When we can, later in life, learn about who we are and how we function, we realize much of our stress arousal and calming patterns, and ways of relating to others in relationship were taught and programmed into us long, long ago.
We may not have had choice when we were younger, but adulthood is about learning and taking responsibiity for oneself. To this end, it's worth doing studying self-awareness to care for oneself and better understand others. Be informed, know thyself and form compassionate relationships.
Oh - and listen to Maureen sing from Oklahoma at the end!
60 min
A deep dive discussion into how fields of human behavior are beginning to overlap and converse with each. SNAP: Learning conversation - you mean it's happening? It's happening indeed.
The basis of this podcast is a Jordan Peterson interview with Andrew Huberman. This is Maureen's adorkable dream conversation linking psychology with the humanities and spirituality, all backed by hard science with practical results for everyday people doing everyday living.
For Maureen a humanities teacher and therapist, this conversation is a dream - as it is for many of us who have been wanting to see fields in the humanities 'converse with each other.'
Geek out with us. And or dive into the podcasts yourself.
ENJOY!
Andrew Huberman
https://hubermanlab.com
Jordan Peterson
https://www.jordanbpeterson.com
20 min
Maureen introduces Pierre to another mind-body resource, Kelly Starret and his wife, Juliet Start, who recently created The Ready State Podcast.
https://thereadystate.com/podcasts/
Mind body resources explored - this focuses on the body piece, but we see in these resources the overlap of body, mind, spirit.
Learn about tools for finding your inner tools. What can a foam roller do for your viscera - how is that related to emotional regulation
Referenced in the podcast:
Stacy Simms - Female Physiology and Nutrition Science. "Women are Not Small Men
https://www.drstacysims.com
Jill Miller - Yoga Teacher, Therapy Balls & Yoga Tune-Up
https://www.tuneupfitness.com/teacher/jill-miller-creator-yoga-tune-up
Glen Cordoza and Kelly Starrett: The Supple Leopard - The Ultimate Guide To Resolving Pain, Resolving Injury, and Optimizing Athletic Performance
20 min
Maureen and Pierre talk about how much they love Sam Harris' Waking Up app!
What is meditation? What is it not?
Sam Harris demystifies a mystical subject and practice. Less soothing sounds, rustling wind, harmonic bowls, this app is more of a philosophy course that will liberate you from the control your thinking mind most likely has over you. Waking Up introduces practical steps in establishing a meditation practice, while explaining its deep mystery. Check it out.
About half way into the podcast, Pierre describes an experience of dropping into a meditation state which shuts off his brain from processing visual inputs. Kind of freaky, kind of cool.
One of the more powerful points that Sam Harris makes is deep meditation states are not something achieved at the end of a road of work or practice. They can be achieved almost instantly by recognizing a new reality, a reality wherein you are object not subject. A reality where ego disappears. Brain function is observed (one might say) instead of being put in control of interacting and interpreting what is experienced. When the brain / opinion / processing drug of perception is removed from interactions, we have an opportunity to grasp the possibility of an experiential reality, a reality where we are not the center. A book called, Having No Head by Douglas Harding helped Sam Harris glimpse this shifted reality of deep meditation.
Learning Conversation podcasts are about bringing resources to a broader audience's attention. While Sam Harris doesn't need our help on that score, we want to make sure you know we think this app is a gem! Check it out.
5 min
Faith - leap of.
Leaping into the future. Having faith in oneself and making choices. Spirituality. Thomas Aquinas- faith beyond reason. Letting go of needing answers, evidence, certainty. Every day leaps, big overarching life leaps.
What's the role of faith in your life?
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
12 min
Happy New Year. Laugh along with us as we explore three 'mustabtory' life lessons for this year or any year.
In this Resource pod, Maureen wants to introduce REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) by reading from a book. No seriously. And, Maureen tells Pierre: this will be funny. Pierre, ever the skeptic, is doubtful.
Re-listening: it IS FUNNY. BTW: Pierre writing here, Maureen is right! Hehe.
Do you like the word 'mustabatory?' Yes, read mastabatory, for three significant expectations people have that create suffering - all starting with the ways things 'must' be. Life should be fair.
Here are a few gem lines as Pierre and Maureen riff on fairness and expectations for fairness in life.
M: 'Thinking creates a shitshow in your life.'
P: 'Fairness doesn't happen in a day.'
M: 'You don't have to awfulize everything.'
Hey, join us for life lessons for the new year. Find out about REBT, CBT (Cognitive Behavior Theory) and laugh along the way.
Join us. Wishing you a happy and healthy 2023. Hope you have fun.
5 min
Pierre gives the word today. It's: resentment.
What is resentment? What makes resentment? Psychologically how does it develop? Maureen elucidates.
Pierre chimes in, suggesting somewhere underneath resentment is narcissism and it might be intractable.
Maureen calls BS on Pierre. Pierre thanks Maureen. WAIT! WHAT? YUP! Nobody's head explodes, nobody 'gets into it with the other person. It's conversation folks.
Join us in listening. Join us in practicing.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
10 min
Maureen puts the word "empath" up for an "LP" Learning Practice.
The word is discussed a bit. What it means to be empathic. What labeling oneself or others with word does.
Very soon thereafter, Pierre drops into a self-disclosure vortex, which you can hear him try to escape multiple times. Maureen plays gentle guide and a very interesting discussion emerges about difficulties experiencing emotions through art and entertainment vs. real life.
Join us for a deep and self-disclosing Learning Practice as we travel the landscapes within before your ears.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation - the title of this podcast.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
12 min
Maureen and Pierre dive into Stoicism.
Sam Harris's meditation app "Waking Up" has a section on the stoic path. It's a series of mini-pods, about 8-15 minutes long that take you down the path of this philosophy with a view towards a better life.
Maureen picks up on that and introduces several resources from her studies of philosophy which are now overlapping modern interests in classical wisdom. Pierre chimes in and a bunch of resources are discussed. The book Pierre was trying to remember in the pod is: The Stoic Challenge, see below. The psychologist Maureen remembered is Albert Ellis. Listen to this pod for a quick overview and intro to these resources:
Epictetus - Greek philosopher.
Marcus Aurelius - Roman emperor, author, philosopher
Ryan Holiday - author: The Obstacle is the Way; The Daily Stoic; Discipline is Destiny
William B Irvine - author: The Stoic Challenge; A Guide to the Good Life; Slap in the Face: Why Insults Hurt and Why They Shouldn't.
Robert Greene - author: The 48 Laws of Power & many others.
Robert Ellis - psychologist: REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) based in part on Stoicism.
ENJOY THESE RESOURCES!
20 min.
Work: I have to do this vs. I get to do this
What is work? How does work work? Is it good?
This podcast is about Dr. Phil? Maureen likes Dr. Phil. Pierre asks who’s Dr. Phil?
Join Maureen and Pierre for an amazing journey in conversation from Dr. Phil, to children living in bedrooms, to rocks becoming organisms. No really, all in 20 minutes. You'll be AMAZED!
Maureen brings up Dr. Phil’s observation that his show has changed over time because the issues that people in general are facing have shifted. His observation is that people are concerned with bigger issues. For instance, parents are concerned about what their children are learning. Dr. Phil's show started with the ‘normal’ foibles of being human that makes great drama on television - infidelity, personal crises, hysteria. Now, folks are concerned about ‘bigger’ issues. Pierre finds out who Dr. Phil is.
Maureen and Pierre talk about work and its value. Are adult children living in extra bedrooms a problem? What is going on in society, how do we feel about it?
Then Pierre drops down a rabbit hold of organic chemistry and completely mangles an explanation of how rocks turn into organisms - real life mystery that is recently solved! WHOA! Fasten your safety belts. Really - it's all in Nick Lane's book: The Vital Question.
Watch Pierre and Maureen go from Dr. Phil, to children living in bedrooms playing video games, to inorganic chemistry and LUCA - Life’s Universal Common Ancestor. Join the millions listening to these amazing journeys!
Referenced in the podcast:
Coddling of the American Mind - Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
The Vital Question - Nick Lane (How inorganic rocks become living organisms)
The Strange Order of Things - Antonio Damasio
LUCA - Life’s Universal Common Ancestor
5 min.
Today's word is: Kindness
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
25 min.
Maureen and Pierre both had a bad night and are cranky. Well actually sad. It involves dogs. Both need a little stress relief.
Segue to Andrew Huberman’s podcast on meditation. What forms of meditation are there? Are they different? What parts of the brain do they effect? How do they work? Can they help me? Check out the link to Huberman and listen to a discussion on meditation.
Pierre references his meditation mentor: Xerxes Whitney - Learning Conversation's first interviewee. See links below.
Demystifying meditation. Check it out as Maureen and Pierre share their experiences and try to create access into this not so easy subject.
Andrew Huberman: How Meditation Words - Science-Based Effective Meditations.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTBSGgbIvsY
Xerxes Whitney: TedX - Going To The Edge by Going Within
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm84qElMGOg
Xerxes Whitney: Learning Conversation Interview
https://landscapesforlearning.libsyn.com/learning-from-xerxes-whitney
11 min. Small practices lead to BIG things!
Maureen and Pierre start off with new words - preppy slang, millennial slang - samezies, prezzies, rezzies. Have you heard the word: adorkable? Yup: adorable and dorky. It's from the millennial generation.
What generation are you from? Pierre and Maureen break it down and reveal.
Conversation wanders into Chinese cup gardens, meditation practices, chakra levels, mini-practices, gifts from friends.
Worth noting: practical entrees into deep practices. Can 5 minutes make a difference? Do you need to do yoga for 90 minutes, 1 hour? How about 3 minutes? Meditation, do you need to do it for 20 minutes, 10 minutes? How about 30 seconds?
Do you have a daily spiritual practice? How are you intentionally growing your empathy awareness, your kindness skills, your love muscle? Oh, wait! SNAP! That didn't come out right! Well folks, that is why we are learning conversation - small L, small c. ;-)
5 min. Maureen and Pierre practice conversation discussing the word: black.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss the nuanced word: jaded.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
12 min.
Maureen and Pierre talk about talking. Reflecting on prior podcasts, we’re learning conversation (small "L" small "C").
Inevitably we judge ourselves. The ummms, the likes, the spacer words and sounds. We’re working on that! HA! Learning Conversation.
Another part of Maureen and Pierre’s reflection centers on the unique nature of conversation, its meandering, its casualness, its contemporaneous, serendipitous connections between people. A beautiful art form, meant to be practiced.
Maureen and Pierre also talk about how these pods (podcasts) are creating access to a growing library of thought and resources in the marketplace of mind / body / spirit health.
And, lastly our 3-minute Learning Practice drills highlight how a single word can be interpreted in multiple ways - a metaphor for how difficult understanding whole conversations filled with many words can be!
Enjoy this review of Learning Conversation.
5 min. Maureen chooses the word "listen."
Listen.
How do we train our mind / body to pause in a physiological state of self-regulation opening ourselves to listen to another human being, genuinely taking in and considering what a person says?
Join us in listening. Listen to a Learning Practice on the word "listen."
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
25 min. Pierre and Maureen reflect on Thanksgiving and gratitude, how it changes a person's brain and perspective allowing life to be savored.
Maureen comments on the positive feelings created when a person experiences gratitude from someone else for their actions. This according to Andrew Huberman.
Pierre comments on his weekly gratitude practice led by Xerxes Whitney, during Tuesday evening during guided meditation sessions.
This Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to reflect on gratefulness. Whether times are difficult or terrific, remember we are here now. We are able to experience life. An ability to experience the present moment can be the root of gratefulness when we strip away wants, desires.
We get to be here, now, with ALL the catastrophe of life-- the good and bad, the competing narratives, the questions about what it all means.
SAVOR Life! You get to be here now!
Enjoy our unique national holiday of Thanksgiving.
Show links:
Xerxes Whitney, TedX Talk - Going to the Edge by Going Within
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm84qElMGOg
Maureen Bakis:
https://landscapesforlearning.com/about-me/about-maureen/
Pierre Ratte:
https://yogahealseverywhere.com
14 min. Maureen reflects on Kathy Kain's book Nurturing Resilience. Kathy Kain is a resource in learning about trauma and social interactions, which Maureen sees as important for helping clinicians, but not just clinicians - teachers, social workers, parents, people.
Understanding patterns of behavior rooted in trauma is enlightening. Why can this person or that person not see their 'self-interest' and act upon it? Why is this or that person 'reactive,' or to use another word 'triggered.' Understanding the why, where and how of embedded social interactions helps us with compassion.
There is a spectrum of stress in our lives. Not all of it is negative. The more we know about it, the better able we are to respond to it in ourselves and relate to it others. Check out Mo solo. :-)
5 min. Let's talk about death, orgasms, and comedy, shall we?
Maureen and Pierre discuss the word: Be & Bee. (No, not the cordial / liquor!)
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
5 min. Let's talk about death, orgasms, and comedy, shall we?
Maureen and Pierre discuss the word: Altruism.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
40 min. Fasten your seat belts, Maureen and Pierre discuss food.
What is love of food? How does food become a connection between two people, within a family, and more broadly create social fabric outside the home? How is culture manifested through food - shout out to Claude Levi-Strauss, the French anthropologist.
What are people’s relationships with food? Pierre’s Italian / French family elevated the dinner experience to ritual. The Italian side of his family "Tucci" is, to put it mildly, food obsessed. Perhaps you’ve seen Pierre’s cousin on CNN and in the movies?
Maureen relates Rajashree Choudhry’s take on food as a centering piece of Indian culture. There are spiritual and sacred practices associated with food preparation and eating.
Pierre brings in Claude Levi-Strauss’ book The Raw and the Cooked, and Maureen and Pierre dive into the historical traditions around food watered down with modern approaches -fast food, snacking, eating on the go. All diminish ritual, diminish connection between people and diminish connection to land and nature.
A wide ranging conversation around food, regulating, and co-regulating, social fabric, child rearing and ritual. The periodicity of food. We eat three times a day, we have special meals weekly, we have holiday meals. How do meals function in child rearing? How do meals function in religion?
Towards the end of the podcast - whoa wait, Pierre dives into Tolstoy and Anna Karenina? Whoa. What? Check out the podcast. If you get to the end you’ll have a new take on Anna Karenina from its different translations and learn how this podcast actually started.
It’s a long listen, but a pretty interesting meandering from food to anxiety to podcasting to Anna Karenina - this is conversation kids!
30 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss forgiveness.
Forgiveness begins with Shakespeare. Well, that is overstated. This podcast on forgiveness begins with Shakespeare. Not Portia’s speech from the Taming of the Shrew, where she says: “the quality of mercy is not strained, it droppeth like the gentle rain from heaven.” The podcast starts with Pierre randomly finding a book on Henry V on a picnic table a few days ago and writing about that in his weekly newspaper column. So that is the Shakespeare connection.
On the topic of forgiveness, Maureen wants to discuss something Pierre said. Pierre said: if you believe that forgiveness is a virtue, perhaps you’ve overlooked the fact that you first judged? Maureen and Pierre go on to discuss meanings of the word “forgiveness.”
How do we live without judgement? What does it mean to judge? Are there different levels of judgement? How does discernment fit in? Where does forgiveness fit in?
Join this discussion on forgiveness.
Oh yeah, Portia’s speech goes on to say about mercy (forgiveness) “It is twice blest: it blesseth him that gives and him that takes. ‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest; it becomes the throned monarch better than his crown.
Pierre's column: This Week in H'burg
www.healdsburgtribune.com
Enjoy.
12 min. Maureen and Pierre bring forward Alan Watts as a classical mind body resource. An icon of the 1960's, Alan Watts was an Episcopalian priest who is known for bringing Buddhism to the west.
The double entendre of the interview is: Being in the Way.
So often we spend our time trying to be somebody - the athlete, the business success, the well-liked person. Sometimes we forget to spend time being ourselves, or even finding out who we are.
Join us for a brief conversation considering Being in the Way, a conversation between Ram Dass and Alan Watts.
17 mins. Learning about simple and personal applied strategies for grounded living after having spent decades looking for answers in the self-help aisles of bookstores.
The quickest way to meditate is by focusing on one of the five senses. By focusing on the sense of touch, we elevate the body's signals of feelings over the mind's processing, and we ground to the present moment. When we are in the present moment, worries of the future mist over, regrets and burdens of the past fade. We can be grateful for the here and now. The Landscape for Learning is in you - Workout Within with Maureen! :-)
Maureen and Pierre are talking about resources and explore the premise of this podcast, which is illuminating resources to help others. Very quickly, they discover the word "irony." Self-help is within, and they dive into the irony of self-help advice, books, resources. Is that the right path to go down?
Pierre relates his hack: get out of your head and into your ass. Tim Ferris’ advice per Maureen is: get out of your head and get into your body - a little more understandable. Hehe
Pierre’s daily prayer includes the expression: May I come to my senses.
Maureen and Pierre discuss life hacks - short cuts or crutches to help us combat our cultural imbalance to brain and rational thoughts. Our culture practices disembodiment, so says Maureen.
Explore with us the deeper meaning of our body’s wisdom and presence. Especially, the body’s wisdom to be happy.
Landscapes for Learning
6 min. Maureen and Pierre unpack the word "unfairness" in this 3 minute drill that spills over at the end. Snap: Pierre gives the word and Maureen spins the table. Wait. What? You can do that?
So, Pierre gives the word and starts in talking. Interesting conversation about "learning conversation" and how we understand words differently. Both Maureen and Pierre view hypocrisy as a higher form of 'bad behavior' - but each comes at it a little differently. Interesting spill over conversation in Learning Practice.
35 min. Sadhguru baffles Joe Rogan (and the rest of us) with the REAL definition of soil, yoga, and the limits of our intellect to know who we are. Yoga is everything. What? Yoga is everything? Explain.
Both Maureen and Pierre comment on Joe Rogan's curiosity and difficulty in wrapping his (Joe's) mind around Sadhguru's explanations on life. Although promoting healthy soil for the earth as a life mission, Sadhguru schools Joe on yoga. Maureen and Pierre dive into the deeper elements of yoga - a way of being not an exercise class.
10 min. Pierre and Maureen take on a BIG subject in 5 minutes. Well, no, actually 10 minutes. Check it out.
Pierre relates the best explanation he's ever heard of why good triumphs over evil. Maureen and Pierre rid on good and evil in Learning Conversation - volleying concepts and thoughts back and forth is a way of learning and exploring. In this episode: Chögyam Trungpa Rimpoche, Pema Chodron, Bikram Choudary.
The concept of Basic Goodness comes from Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior by Chogyam Trungpa
"If we are willing to take an unbiased look, we will find that, in spite of all of our problems and confusion, all our emotional and psychological ups and downs, there is something basically good about our existence as human beings. Unless we can find that ground of goodness in our lives, we cannot hope to improve the lives of others." (p.29-30)
Shambhala: "In Tibet, as well as many other Asian countries, there are stories about a legendary kingdom that was a source of learning and culture for present-day Asian societies. This was a place of peace and prosperity, governed by wise and compassionate rulers. The citizens were equally kind and learned, so that, in general, the kingdom was a model society...it represents the ideal of an enlightened society...The people of Shambhala began to practice meditation and follow the Buddhist path of loving kindness and concern for all beings... Among many Tibetan teachers, there has been a long tradition that regards the Kingdom of Shambhala, not as an external place, but as the ground root of wakefulness and sanity that exists as a potential within every human being..." Shambhala tradition is "about cultivating who and what we are as human beings" and "Shambhala vision is an attempt to encourage a wholesome existence for ourselves and others."
11 min. Maureen and Pierre riff on play. Yeah, that thing we did as kids. Now we're reading about it as 'exercises' for healing stress.
Maureen and Pierre reflect on their own lives where sports played a big role in counter-balancing the stresses of growing up - fairly normal stuff. Fast forward to therapeutic modalities and play, bodily movement, repetitive and intentional activities are recommended to relieve conditions of stress.
Exploring the somatic component of stress in a short podcast, recounting personal experience and Aha moments of seeing the natural healing that takes place when we listen to our bodies.
Also a brief discussion of how life has changed from our grandparents era where work was physical, to our parents era of professionals and cerebral work, to our current era of electronic connectivity which has us sitting on our a#$es all day.
Check it out. It's brief. It's personal. It's to the point.
11 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss Peter Levine's Healing Trauma resource for understanding trauma as somatic experience. A resource not only for the traumatized, but for all of us who may learn to spot symptoms of trauma in others and be more compassionate.
Maureen is actually reading this book and recording her voice so patients without resources will have access to Peter's wisdom. Dr. Levine is a pioneer in the field of trauma studies, recognizing that trauma comes in many forms and lodges in the body. The mind reacts to the body's incorporation of the unresolved event.
Check out this brief podcast, where Maureen and Pierre explore resources - resource resources - in the field of somatic pathways to health.
7 min. Maureen and Pierre tease each other about their default personality traits.
Rain's pitter patter is backdrop to short exchange on the power of connection.
Reflections on 2 years of sheltering-in-place under circumstances and rules designed to lessen pandemic effects. Upsides and downsides of social media.
Mr. Brightside switches on Ms. Sunshine. Join us for another morning Learning Conversation. Coffee anyone?
11 min. WOW - Maureen and Pierre actually decide in advance what to talk about. Wait what? They did?
Yup. Ok. So?
Now that most of social media's memetic vocabulary words are are out there, just what are Maureen and Pierre talking about this morning?
Pierre is on a roll. Social Dilemma? He ups the ante to Dystopian Dilemma. Social isn't really social at a variety of levels.
Listen to this discussion on social media trends and effects through this social media podcast outlet.
When will Maureen and Pierre discuss the word: ironic?
20 min. Discussion: Being Uncomfortable Brings Growth
Maureen and Pierre talk how going to the edge of comfortableness helps growth. Facing fears rather than running from them allows you to relive difficulties and heal. How does ‘feel good’ culture work against?
Where do we find threats in our environment? How do we respond to stress? How do we fix fritzzelled internal operating systems in humans when they become overwhelmed. Maureen and Pierre discuss small doses of uncomfortable leading the way towards healing.
22 min.
Is there a pandemic crisis in attention control? Johan Hari says there is. It’s a perfect storm of new technologies rapidly grabbing control of our attention. Cell phone culture, streaming entertainment, work paradigms on-line, they all compete for our attention.
Maureen and Pierre discuss the crisis of attention disorder / control, possible solutions and new perspectives leading to optimism in the midst of crisis.
If there is a crisis and we acknowledge that, how do we change ourselves? How do we change our culture. How do we take collective action? Very interesting question from Johan Hari’s podcast with Rich Roll. Hari says capitalism is fueling attention control disorder. The business model of making money via clicks fuels more clicks, shorter edgier content. Social media is so pervasive, should it be treated like a public utility? Maybe social media should make money on a subscription model, or a regulated utility model? The advertising model fueling attention control disorder through TikTok type content – reducing everything to memes of the moment might be causing societal health problems.
Check it out. A problem is raised and solutions are discussed.
5 min. Let's talk about death, orgasms, and comedy, shall we?
Maureen and Pierre discuss the word: Mortality.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
30 min. Reflections around content podcasts.
Maureen starts with self-observation and self-criticism. Isn’t that something we all do? Especially when we are observing ourselves in sound or video? Why do we do that?
Maureen and Pierre comment on respective linguistic habits and conclude we are “learning conversation.” Pun intended and accomplished!
This Reflection episode covers practice sessions on: Opinion and Politics and Maureen and Pierre discuss their respective books. Pierre elucidates a new word: Upinion – feelings you feel compelled to say and no one wants to listen to.
Later in the podcast, Maureen reflects on her book: Landscapes for Learning: Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human. Maureen’s book is “me-search” where she explores the “how” of therapy and self-realization garnered from her own experience. Mapping streets, providing transport methodologies, identifying resources needed for traveling the landscape of learning for self-development.
Pierre reflects on his book: Today in H’burg: 100 Days Sheltering In Place – a historical document providing day by day statistics, headlines and pictures of a historical event which hasn’t happened in 100 years, a worldwide pandemic.
Bacon and Eggs – attention challenges, Covid consequences – connections and disconnections are all in this reflective recap.
Enjoy!
5 min. Let's talk about death, orgasms, and comedy, shall we?
Jim, Maureen and Pierre discuss the word: Grace.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Marjon Robati visits with Pierre and Maureen reflecting on their shared experience of 500 hours in yoga teacher training in the jungles of South Thailand, two hours south of Phuket. Discussion evolves to how yoga training changed lives.
Marjon a CPA by profession immersed herself in yoga teaching, traveling to different yoga studios, and going deeper into more subtle yogic arts of obtaining mind body and spiritual unity.
Marjon is the founder and creator Shiva Shakti Unite. Check her out on Instagram, and her website: https://www.shivashaktiunite.com
A cancer survivor at the tender age of 25, Marjon had to plumb the challenges of a cancer diagnosis, which led to questioning a fast-paced lifestyle relentlessly pushing career goals at Deloitte Consulting and then international tax planning for Neilson Consumer Research and Global Solutions.
Unplugging from business and plunging into yoga, Marjon found health and grounding. In this interview, she describes the subtler aspects of yoga which yield energy and harmony - oneness with the world.
Enjoy Marjon's beautiful voice and spirituality as she explains her personal practice, philosophy, and journey into oneness. Check out her beautiful practice exploring yoga for you and with you at Shiva Shakti Unite. Thank you, Marjon, dear friend. Live to learn. Peace through grace.
25 min. Daily Schedule Discussion. A follow-up discussion after exchanging schedules. Pierre and Maureen discuss lifestyle diseases. Maureen suggests people might have too many priorities. She references: Mark Manson: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck.
Pierre expresses empathy for everyone experiencing the pressures of society, which puts many lesser goals in front of health and loving connection. How does our culture affect our choices?
Maureen calls bullshit on not being able to make choices around environmental conditioning, citing the prevalence of excuse making, or simply not paying attention. We have choices. We are privileged. We should be able to make choices for our own benefit. We set ourselves up with stressors and suffer.
Are we on the whining side or the winning side of our choices?
For hundreds of thousands of years, no body had a schedule. How do we handle schedules now? Is it surprising that there is a lot of dis-ease with our lives and lifestyles built around schedules which get broken down to hour and half-hour blocks?
There is a different outro to this one. Wait for it. Go Maureen!
45 min. A Day With Maureen & Pierre
After discussing Johann Hari’s book, Attention, Maureen tells Pierre that she has her patients write down their daily schedule in hour increments in order for them to see and review where they direct their attention.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, so Maureen and Pierre decide to share their daily schedules with each other, and with you, dear listener. Sort of a day in the life of… Being real, authentic and letting you know a bit more about who these people are through what they attend to.
Where do you put your attention? What does your day look like in hour increments?
14 min. Mind Body Resource: Johann Hari
The opposite of addition is connection, so says Johann Hari. Author of books about Addiction and Attention, Pierre tells Maureen about a podcast where Rich Roll interviews Johann Hari. Pierre focuses more on the Hari / Roll conversation than on the subject matter of Attention, so we might have to return to this.
Johann Hari interviews experts around the world and brings powerful insights into subject matter. In his latest book on Attention, he traveled the world for 3 years speaking with experts. Then took 3 months off and spent it in Provincetown (P-town) without a phone detoxing from social media. What do short bytes of information do to our attention?
Pierre seems a bit amp’ed up like Johann Hari was with Rich Roll, which is sort of a funny (not funny) take on how this conversation develops. Pierre barely stops talking in this podcast, while Maureen, a teacher, reflects on trying to move away from pedagogical speaking. Maureen and Pierre are ‘learning conversation’ as they go. Journey with us.
25 min. Maureen & Pierre spend another few minutes laughing about the start of their podcast never knowing what they are talking about.
M & P issue a disclaimer: This is the Internet kids. If you think Pierre and Maureen know what they are talking about: beware, hehe. In other words, Maureen & Pierre are ordinary people discussing ordinary topics in the mind body space, sharing resources.
Discussion begins around Helen Keller's quote: the most beautiful things cannot be seen, or even touched. They must be experienced with the heart.
Maureen brings up the Chinese word for heart, which also refers to mind. It is essentially heart / mind: Xin.
In a discussion of knowing and feeling, Pierre brings up Michael Singer's phrase the 'seat of consciousness.' Maureen brings up Jack Kornfield's concept of mind and heart connections to consciousness, and the quote: the mind creates the abyss, the heart crosses it. Maureen continues referencing Antonio Damasio teachings that consciousness is within the entire body. Knowing is feeling.
Join us for an interesting conversation exploring the wisdom of mind, heart, spirit, body.
10 min. Maureen & Pierre laugh about the opening line of their podcast: What are we talking about today???!!!
Pierre and Maureen discuss acceptance and change in the context of a quote from Carl Rogers. Maureen helps Pierre distinguish Carl Rogers from the 'pyramid dude' (Abraham Maslow) and asks about a paradox which Rogers thought held deep meaning. The paradox and quote: the more a person becomes themself, the more they see themself, and others around them, change.
Discussion revolves around the importance of stillness in understanding. How change in humans is realized.
Podcast finishes up with a brief introduction of 3 psychotherapists interviews with "Gloria" as a compare and contrast study in styles of therapeutic interaction. The three therapists are: Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis and Fritz Perls. Enjoy!
25 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss Elizabeth Stanley's book, Widen the Window: Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma.
Long title and long book, about 450 pages. Bessel van der Kolk writes the forward and pays Elizabeth Stanley an astounding tribute saying: "I don't think I've ever read a book that paints as complex and accurate a landscape of what it's like to live with the legacy of trauma as this book does, while offering a comprehensive approach to healing." WOW.
Maureen and Pierre take a deep dive into this important resource for mind body health, after previously discussing Bessel van der Kolk's ground breaking book: The Body Keeps the Score. A bit of compare and contrast discussion, in addition to bringing up other resources on the topic. These resources include: John Bowlby, a British psychologist who developed 'attachment theory.' And Amir Levine, who has updated that theory with insights into adult attachment styles.
Amir Levine's book: The New Science of Adult Attachments and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love, is an accessible book with a simple, but powerful mathematical theory around partnering and co-regulating through relationships. Amir Levine is an MD, psychiatrist and neuroscientist associated with Columbia University in NYC.
Widen the Window refers to widening the window of tolerance for stress in order to cope and heal.
https://elizabeth-stanley.com
https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/amir-levine-md
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bowlby
22 min. Maureen and Pierre introduce Bessel van der Kolk's book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
A watershed book in establishing a diagnosis around trauma and its healing. Scientific yet accessible, it was on the NYTimes bestseller list for 141 weeks - almost 3 years.
Maureen relates how the book is useful as a parent, teacher and clinician / therapist. It's relevant in understanding humanity, not just traumatized individuals, but understanding how the body copes with stress - positively and negatively.
Maureen and Pierre unpack a quote relating to agency and interoception, their roles in healing. The podcast highlights the changing and exploding nexus of information coming out on mind body systems.
17 min. Maureen & Pierre discuss the paradox of having resources and not availing ourselves of these aides. Why? Self-esteem? Fear? Comfort in the known?
Pierre suggests care of children necessitates taking care of oneself. Maureen suggests the importance of learning how to be a person before learning how to be a 'personality.' A general discussion of raising and educating healthy children ensues.
Later in the podcast, Maureen and Pierre touch on PTSD, trauma and rehabilitating the nervous system, and how that is different from rehabbing our skeletal muscle system.
15 min. Maureen and Pierre open up the podcast with a discussion about 'love.' Somewhere in this podcast Barry White, Eddie Murphy, the Little Rascals, Alfred E. Newman, and Forrest Gump make appearances.
More to point: Amir Levine and Rachel Heller's book: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love is discussed. Popular self-help title, but real research from a Columbia University professor, Amir Levine, and co-author, Rachel Heller. Basically, great science behind a goofy title.
Very accessible book propounding powerful math around adult dating probabilities given personality types around adult attachment theory. If you are looking for love as an older adult, even someone moving towards the 30 year mark, consult this book and consider its thesis.
This was recorded around Valentine's Day. Maureen and Pierre consider all the rituals that our society has around loving another, and how few rituals our society has around going within to learn, honor and love oneself. Something to think about next time you are in See's chocolates. Just sayin.
Amir Levine: https://childadolescentpsych.cumc.columbia.edu/faculty/amir-levine
Rachel Heller: https://crediblemind.com/people/rachel-heller
12 min. Maureen and Pierre create content discussing resources in mind body and spiritual health. They introduce and discuss Andrew Huberman's podcast, called The Huberman Lab. Huberman is a Stamford PhD and not your average podcaster. He goes deep into scientific information with the goal of making sense of it, and making it available to average people - for free. Free is good. Learning Conversation highlights resources, including books, podcasts, practices, that assist in learning journeys towards self-realization, a practice of working out within.
Find Huberman's newsletter and podcasts on his website, YouTube, Spotify, or ApplePodcasts.
https://hubermanlab.com
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Today's word is: Forgiveness. Ok, 3 minutes. GO!
Forgive yourself your trespasses. Be free to love and accept yourself. Ask for forgiveness in the measure you forgive others is in the Lord's Prayer.
"AS" says Pierre, is a BIG little word!
"If you need to forgive, you are starting in the wrong place."
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites:
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
12 min. Pierre puts bacon on one plate, eggs on another plate. What's up with that? Maureen and Pierre discuss cognitive challenges of aging and / or other sources of what are affectionately called mind farts, senior moments - whatever. Pierre attributes some of these to allo-pathetic stress load, mind fog; PtSD fog, Covid fog. Maureen and Pierre discuss the importance of acceptance, Buddhist training in mindfulness, intention in actions; existential experiences and tipping points in life.
28 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss Covid and the Pandemic, asking the question: what were unexpected outcomes from sheltering in place. Pierre relates how conversation changed. People relearning conversation. With social distancing, cocktail party or dinner party conversation changed to one person speaking at a time at a socially distanced table. Hence, if there were 4 people separate outdoors at 2 tables, all 4 people listened to the person speaking. Maureen relates how social distancing and sheeting in place slowed society down. More opportunity to reflect on activity. There is a discussion of introverts v extroverts; and how they fared during the pandemic. Conversation wraps with learning within the landscapes of our lives, the meaning of love, is love the opposite of fear, sufferings' role in human affairs, non-judgmental lessening ego, musings on the Golden Rule and the importance of, loving ourselves. Enjoy!
Pierre gets Omicron. Discussion of Pierre's experience with omicron moves to Pierre's experience at the beginning of the Covid pandemic. On March 18, 2020, Pierre took a picture while outside on a walk while sheltering in place in CA and began sharing a daily picture for the next year, as a way to uplift people by seeing the beauty in the world around them. During the year, Pierre turned the first 100 days of photographs into a book: Today in H'burg: 100 Days Sheltering in Place. The book is a daily compilation of Covid statistics, local, regional, national and global, showing day by day the progression of the disease in different geographic areas. Each day there are also newspaper headlines, chronicling this historic event not seen for 100 years. Check out the book on Amazon or TodayinHburg.com
12 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss Maureen's book: Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human. Written to reframe the rubric of modern education, "no child left behind" and unintentionally handicapping every child in a system that is results oriented and not learning the joy of learning, the joy of discovery. Maureen's tag line: Workout from Within is explored through conversation relating to: Stoics, Shakespeare, Oracle of Delphi, Mental Health Counseling, and finding resources to travel your landscape of learning.
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.
If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites.
Today's word is: Politics. Ok, 3 minutes. GO!
Landscapes for Learning
YogaHEALS
Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation. If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us: contact us through our websites. Today's word is: Opinion. Ok, 3 minutes. GO!
YogaHEALS
Landscapes for Learning
Pierre and I talk reflect on our podcasts, including our interview with Grace Tempany, Resource of Resources, Invitations, For Us To Us, and Bio-Rhythm Dips. Discussion begins with Grace's insight that learning includes unlearning. Epistemic authenticity, do we really know what we think we know? Discussion moves on to Invitations, where we focus on "the pause." Do we pause between activities to be more intentional, more in the present moment or do we just roll from one thing to the next. Maureen points out that pausing requires "regulation" of mind body systems, and repetitive work with "the pause" can improve health. Reflections winds up with an explanation of bio-rhythms and seeing the life's events as a learning landscape that operates "for us" rather than on us, or to us. The age old question: why is this happening to me?
54 mins. Conversation with Grace Tempany about learning via unlearning, her journey through the the yin and yang of yoga, a career in education, her new career in psychotherapy - which parallels Maureen's journey from high school teacher to therapist, and Grace's new podcast about leaning into "reluctant conversations." Grace's podcast of Spotify:
Fallen From Grace
Grace's Website: GraceTempany.com
7 minutes. Pierre gets Covid, can't do another podcast because his late afternoon, low-energy bio-rhythm kicks in. Maureen explains some of the chemicals that create bio-rhythms, and introduces the Stanford podcast guru: Andrew Huberman, who brings science to people in an understandable and free forum. Pierre and Maureen have fun discussing whether a Manhattan cocktail or a yoga Nidra guided meditation are the remedy of choice in addressing late afternoon energy lulls.
Reference: The Huberman Lab Podcast https://hubermanlab.com/toolkit-for-sleep/
17 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss the question: do things happen to you or for you? How do we respond to life experiences? Maureen bring up Don Miguel Ruiz's work and book: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom come up. Agreement 1: be impeccable with your word, Agreement 2: don't take things personally, Agreement 3: Don't Make Assumptions, Agreement 4: Always Do Your Best. Pierre discusses Socrates: and evaluates man's most dangerous trait. Discussion returns to pausing and the need to develop regulatory control of our physio-emotional triggers in conversation and life. Using life's journey as a learning tool, or Landscape for Learning - hat tip to Maureen.
20 min. Maureen invites Pierre into conversation. Discussion focuses on invitations and flows to pauses. Pauses in breathing, pauses in music, and pause in life. Pausing creates space to consider transitions, better appreciating and paying attention to the next experience. Learning Conversation touches on the teaching of Alan Watts, Stanley Crouch, Louis Armstrong and Miles Davis in considering the power of the pause. We briefly consider the notion of things happening for you vs. to you, which we tee up for another podcast.
Show note links to referenced people and subjects:
Alan Watts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Watts
Stanley Crouch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Crouch
Louis Armstrong: Early Armstrong recordings from the 1920's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B06DwBVi9LA
Miles Davis: In A Silent Way... pauses... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlIyqiIJ98w
12 min. Sharing information with others in the exploding field of mind body health. So many avenues of information - gurus, streamers, authors, podcasters, personalities, memes - what the heck? Finding resources and using them - working out from within. Classic Wisdom for Modern Humans - Maureen's book tries to put self-help into perspective. Socrates' question: temperance, courage, wisdom, judgment, which is innate? Why we are podcasting.
Please Share & Visit
LandscapesforLearning.com
YogaHEALS
Learning Practice features 3-minute conversations around a single word. Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation. The word is "zen." 3 minutes: Go!
Reflecting briefly on the initial learning conversations after launching the podcast. Learning Reflections will be a regular feature, interspersed between a series of podcasts, to improve our Learning Conversation journey.
56 mins. Learning about "going to the edge by going within." A discussion around life's challenges, mindfulness meditation, gratitude, acceptance, possibility / opportunity mindsets, and embracing obstacles without victim mentality. A learning conversation with Xerxes Whitney - meditation leader, physical education teacher, motivational speaker and coach.
Check out Xerxes' TedTalk and share with friends!
"Going to the Edge by Going Within" Xerxes' TEDTalk
20 min. Maureen and Pierre further discuss how the Learning Conversation podcast started. Beginning with yoga training in the jungles of Thailand; why that yoga training was different and stuck with so many graduates; and how yoga training inspired further curiosity in mind body health. From the yoga training, Landscapes for Learning - Maureen's website was birthed, and YogaHEALS - Pierre's website was birthed. Now Learning Conversation brings those endeavors together in a series of podcasts exploring mind body connections.
Please Share & Visit:
Landscapes For Learning
YogaHEALS
7 min. The landscapes of our lives are for learning where experience is our teacher. When we gather together and share our resources, we are destined to love and thrive! Guide to resources in mindbody health; zagat's guide / yelp; your resource guide to navigate the mind-body information explosion.
Please share and visit:
Landscapes for Learning
A podcast exploring Landscapes for Learning where Maureen Bakis and Pierre Ratte share resources through conversation. We discuss the union of mind, body, spirit, and knowing thyself. Join us in Learning Conversation.
Our cultural values and conditioning are making us sick.
Grappling with our unique forms of suffering and problems, whatever that entails or however it manifests uniquely within each person, directly opposes our modern cultural values that are about promoting happiness, getting people to literally buy into the story that they need comfort and pleasure (permanently) and encouraging a dependence on everything outside of themselves rather than within. Guess what? You are enough and you can "fill" your life by getting to know who you REALLY are through facing your fears and challenges. It requires honesty as well as building courage and personal discipline, and that's exactly why most people take pills, develop unhealthy dependencies on others, retreat to or stay forever in their comfort zones, and live lives of "quiet desperation" in the words of HD Thoreau.
Our sources of pain are diverse, but we are all flawed and we all suffer-- in our own ways, great and small-- because we are human. It's scary and challenging to face our insecurities and vulnerabilities, but doing so is exactly the path to freedom. You can learn tools and practices to get better at suffering and to suffer less and live with more joy in this very struggle.
This podcast is a reading of a couple of excerpts from Part III of the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon) called "Challenge." To know oneself deeply, to express oneself authentically, to be fully present for yourself, even in your pain, is a difficult path, but it is the way to a meaning-filled life of wisdom and wellness.
Please Visit & Support https://landscapesforlearning.com/
017: Learning as Opportunity Mindset: Undoing Schooling for more Wisdom and Wellness Parents, students, and teachers of all kinds will appreciate this podcast which is a reading of Part V: Learning from the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon)
After 14 years as a Humanities educator, I quit teaching in public high school because the American education system is built in a way that discourages authentic learning for wisdom and wellness, demonizes failure, and values competitive achievement to the detriment of personal wellness rooted in balance and wholeness. The system is dying rapidly because it is too slow to update itself to suit modern life. (This doesn't mean it isn't necessary, that it doesn't do a lot of good, or that it cannot transform!)
My current goal as a student of mental health and yoga teacher is to bring a wisdom curriculum to students-- which is not only young people and their parents-- but ALL people because humans are built for continual learning, as learning IS vitality. We could do with a bit less schooling in its current form and a lot more wisdom.
Part of the Landscapes for Learning mission is to promote a way of being in the world that is rooted in life-long learning not necessarily for personal gain or social power but for personal wisdom and wellness. It's learning that emphasizes cooperation and competence, encourages people to "go vertical" with their learning (i.e to travel their inner landscape through self study for self-realization) not only horizontal, and to reconnect with their "unconditioned" true nature!
Learn more about learning, vulnerability, and proper parenting (of self and your children) for wisdom and wellness!
Visit LandscapesforLearning.com for more podcasts and blog posts about schooling, learning, education, wisdom, wellness, yoga, and more!
References
*I mentioned in this podcast another podcast of Eckard Tolle by SoundsTrue where he explains this "horizontal" part of life and the "unconditioned" self.
Bakis, M. (2019) Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness Amazon, Amazon Kindle
I read from the Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon), sharing a bit about attention and its difference from critical judgment; I also explain Bikram Yoga and attention and why the BY Dialogue and mirrors are integral to practitioners' self-study for self-realization.
See also the wellness benefits and impacts on stress management and stress reduction that comes from strengthening focused attention (as well as breathing) as part of hatha yoga practice in "The Science of Yoga" video.
Namaste!
It may seem foolish and overly-simplistic to encourage people to know who they are and why this process of self-study matters so much, but I would argue that we don't know ourselves nearly as well as we think nor nearly as much as we should!
In this podcast, I outline the five directions that make up the "Self-Study Wheel" found in my Classic Wisdom for the Modern Human: A Self Study Guide for Wellness, 2019, Amazon). It turns out to be a nice description of the elements in the book. Once you hear the overview, you'll want to get the tools and practices in the book and start observing yourself in more ways to self-actualize!
I recorded this to prepare for a workshop I will be presenting at a Bikram Yoga studio nearby and hopefully in many more venues in the future. I believe high school and college students could use this wisdom sooner rather than later, as I only recently learned about this map and directions to know myself for wellness and fulfillment and wish I had gotten it much earlier in my life.
Having worked with teenagers as a high school teacher/coach and raising four of my own, the self-study curriculum I created is the soft-skills and wisdom we neglect or is found wanting in modern parenting and schooling which is overly-focused on outcomes/results rather than process; grades instead of personal growth and character development; and comparison and competition rather than cooperation and competence. We need more human literacies training for more connection, love, personal responsibility, and self-care. I hope this podcast and my book helps.
Have a listen to get inspired to be yourself!
This episode is about my own learning about kids, yoga, and self-knowledge over my years teaching high school and raising my own kids. I talk about the future of constant change and how we need to radically alter education to help kids find and live their unique truth. I talk about interpreting images in a text, soft skills, values, the grading system, rescuing and preserving our humanity, and the differences between the usual business of traditional schooling and authentic learning, and much more.
The Landscapes for Learning Mission is to help people thrive and flourish using tools they already own within them to navigate a future that will require them to surf the waves of change on novel landscapes.
I hope to help dismantle traditional schooling and its unhelpful, outdated, and damaging values and persuade teachers, schools, and students to focus their attention on better, more important ways of learning. My goal is to support all parties in this transformation (and especially by loving and caring for our most valuable asset---our teachers) with their humanity and love for shared humanity in tact.
Help the Landscapes for Learning Mission catch fire! Please share!
Please "Like" on Itunes.
Follow Landscapes for Learning: @ LandscapesforLearning.com
Twitter @Landscps4learn
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/landscapesforlearning/
Instagram: LandscapesforLearning27
SHOW NOTES/References:
Lenore Skenazy's Free Range Kids
LetGrow.org (BLOG)
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
A brief recap and reflection on some of the central themes from It's Not About the Grades: Landscapes for Learning Beyond Schooling including trust & truth, the effects of traditional schooling, fear, codependency, prohibition of failure, overprotection of parents and more.
Please visit Landscapes for Learning!
@landscps4learn (Twitter)
LandscapesforLearning (Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/landscapesforlearning/
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music) "Political Lunatics" by Earthling
Hello Listeners!
It's Not About the Grades: Love for Learning Beyond Schooling is very close to completion, so I am reading the Introduction here for feedback, as a way of getting "peer review" before I write proposals for publishing it.
I would LOVE your input, insight, constructive criticism and HONEST feedback to improve this manuscript draft.
Please visit Landscapes for Learning!
@landscps4learn (Twitter)
LandscapesforLearning (Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/landscapesforlearning/
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music) "Political Lunatics" by Earthling
Hello Listeners!
It's Not About the Grades: Love for Learning Beyond Schooling is very close to completion, so I am reading a few chapters here for feedback, as a way of getting "peer review" before I write proposals for publishing it.
I would LOVE your input, insight, constructive criticism and HONEST feedback to improve this manuscript draft.
Please visit Landscapes for Learning!
@landscps4learn (Twitter)
LandscapesforLearning (Instagram)
https://www.facebook.com/landscapesforlearning/
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music) "Political Lunatics" by Earthling
"Every student deserves a good teacher,
every teacher deserves the opportunity to be a great teacher"
-Teri Almquist
Building an inner connection with yourself isn't easy. This union, or yoga, is hard work. It's about trust--first in a teacher when you don't yet know how to trust yourself or you are overwhelmed by pain, fear, or self-doubt. But then, little by little, you begin to believe in yourself; then you begin to trust yourself; then you have genuine faith in yourself. You become stronger and more flexible, more balanced through this process. Your teacher is your trusted and loving witness on your unique journey into your inner landscape.
This enormously important teacher-student relationship built on trust is transformative, life-changing. Teri's first teacher, Diane Duscharme believed in her and supported her from the very first moment she entered the yoga studio with a badly injured neck and a pack a day smoking habit, and since then Teri has been paying her transformation forward-- first by becoming a Bikram Yoga Teacher, then opening her own studio, and now providing continuing education for Bikram yoga teachers around the world.
A Bikram yoga class is an opportunity to focus in the mirror and concentrate on oneself-- to travel one's inner landscape. It's practicing over and over again, consistently, in order to learn more about oneself. It's a chance to find that quiet space within us where our truest, most loving self lives--- that place from which we can learn how to mindfully respond to life and all its challenges. It's a landscape for learning.
The Toolbox: Tools for Teaching Bikram Yoga by Teri Almquist available HERE (Amazon)
Visit Teri's Studio at Wellness Hot Yoga in Haverhill, Massachusetts
For more information about teaching seminars, webinars, and professional development visit: https://www.teachfromlove.yoga/
Webinars for teaching yoga at http://webinars.teachfromlove.yoga/
Visit http://www.LandscapesforLearning.com
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
Nick Filth grew up in an abusive home, dropped out of high school after ninth grade, was homeless for a time, and addicted to drugs, but ironically his experiences with THC and psychedelics sent him out of this world then back to his own life-- his truth, which is a place and point of view way more expansive and stunningly beautiful and loving than ever. As soon as I connected with Nick at the Bikram yoga studio where I teach and he practices, we engaged in rich, interesting conversation right away, so naturally we had to record this podcast.
So what could a middle-aged, suburban mom, yoga teacher, and former high school teacher share in common with a tattoo artist with a 9th grade education and a proclivity for psychoactive experiences? Find out by listening to a long and winding conversation, and perhaps you'll learn what you, too, share in common with both of us!
I am grateful to Nick for this podcast because his real and raw story about his life's journey helped me re-think my current memoir about growing up with typical suburban American values of social comparison, competition, and where my pure, essential self, my true nature, was neglected because overpowered by the conditions and demands of my environment. I am also indebted to him as my teacher because I learned a ton, not only about him and his perspective but also because through the opportunity to dialogue, I can learn more about my own thinking and the ways I connect and communicate with other living beings who are so much more than just bodies controlled by brains. (See list of take-aways below).
In this podcast, we discuss psychedelics, the contrast between schooling and authentic learning; conditional and unconditional love; nature versus nurture; truth and expression; the value of balance as it applies to limits and structure and change; Nick's visit to an ashram, his music, tattoos, meditation & yoga, my writing, and much more. This is our contribution to the new long form media and podcasting trend. Enjoy!
You can find out more about Nick here:
His webpage: http://www.nickfilthtattoos.com/
His Tattoo Shop: http://www.hiddenhistorytattoos.com/
His podcast: http://www.nickfilthtattoos.com/polishingtheblackstone/
His record label: https://deafeningassembly.com/
Take-Aways: Learning by Doing (Podcasting) 1. I learned from participation in the dialogue that you learn about yourself and your limited understanding through talking with others. 2. I still need to work on better listening. 3. Listen with my heart and my head. It is the nature of the beast to want to finish your thoughts and express earnestly, in a quest for understanding, but I ought to really be more centered on a quest for connection through the heart than acquiring more insight through knowing/knowledge. Listening with my heart, as Nick said, not so much with the ears. This is a non-intellectual approach to connection and love which is how I want to “be” in the world, not just “know” everything. 4. I’m happy to continually be learning and share this example with people— to face my fears and be vulnerable and open hearted to the world, to my guests and by publishing it, all people. I continue to stop comparing and judging, and I am okay with being judged by others. It's "no big deal" as Pema Chodron might say, as long as I check my aims and they are good-- focused on learning and love and truth. 5. Be authentic. This includes being limited and flawed and searching and floundering around in the dark, in ambiguity because this is the learning process and the nature of being human (brains trying to order chaos as Nick said) 6. I am getting more and more comfortable with my discomfort and exposure of my true self and my limitations.
“One is never afraid of the unknown; one is afraid of the known coming to an end.”
----Jiddu Krishnamurti
Traveling the landscapes for learning is a challenge for so many of us human beings, but Grace Tempany’s personality, disposition, and training in self-inquiry makes her unusually well-suited for riding the waves of change and challenge as she fluidly balances between both the comfort of home and job and the security and order they provide as well as following her restlessness and desire for exploring new landscapes-- the novelty of new people, places, and cultures. She is a dynamic warrior-yogini on the hero’s journey! Grace is self-described “full of contradictions”-- equally at home with one foot in such formal, structured academic settings like education as well as the other foot in the Yin Yoga and Bikram Yoga communities. She talks with me about her tools for introspection and contemplation as well as how understanding the ways that her mind works is a key component in her increased self-awareness and therefore indispensable to being fully awake which enables her to live with vitality and appreciation.
I learned from Grace about traveling beyond one’s literal geographical and internally-prescribed boundaries and limits and being comfortable with that very often uncomfortable process, and how this type of travel is the journey of authentic learning which is going from the known, familiar, and secure to the unknown, unfamiliar, and disorienting place beyond, a process that is anxiety provoking for many people and requires training. There are ways to make yourself more open and vulnerable to the unknown, one step at a time!
Grace refers to both Jiddhu Krishnamurti about holding opposing ideas simultaneously rather than feverishly defending an idea and Pema Chodron who teaches about staying with pain and discomfort rather than running from it and to not give up on this struggle. Grace believes that the people who shy away from discomfort will not only die with regret but miss out on their very own life. She urges people to become aware that an important life-learning process exists and with methods and practices, like meditation and yoga, you can become fully alive and present for your own life.
I hope you enjoy this discussion about landscapes, learning, and our shared humanity.
Visit and follow me, Maureen Bakis, at http://www.LandscapesforLearning.com
Podcast Music: Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
“The best way is to understand yourself, and then you will understand everything.
So when you try hard to make your own way, you will help others, and you will be helped by others.
Before you make your own way you cannot help anyone, and no one can help you.”
― Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice
Myozen Joan Amaral moved to the Boston area in 2012 from the San Francisco Zen Center to serve as guiding teacher for the Zen Center North Shore. She is delightful, funny, a ray of light, and a calming force to be around. There's a positive and loving attractiveness about her that, as she says at the end of the podcast, impacts others more than anything she could say using words. As a priest living back out in the world, her primary focus is on the dynamic relationship between formal meditation practice and everyday, messy human life.
I met Joan years ago when I went on a World Religions class field trip to the Zen Center and again when she was invited to implement a meditation program for students and teachers at the school where I worked as a high school humanities teacher.
In this podcast, Joan talks with me about the interplay of the inner landscape and life on the outer landscape in terms of zazen and the precepts of Zen Buddhism. She talks about the Zen Center and her role as Priest within the local community and individual mindful meditation practice as well as its relationship to community, activism, and social justice. We also talk about the definition of mindfulness and how it is popularly perceived as a tool for stress reduction, how it’s been limited in some ways because of such perceptions and definition, and the barriers to its acceptance as a valued practice.
Influencing the world and serving others is intimately tied to individual practice, and honing one's practice is a form of social activism benefitting not only the practitioner but all else.
I learned some important lessons about myself and my desire to "help others" in this podcast! Enjoy.
For more about the North Shore Zen Center:
https://zencenternorthshore.org/
For more information about Zen Buddhism:
http://www.zen-buddhism.net/
Visit my "love for learning beyond schooling" website at http://www.LandscapesforLearning.com
Contact: Landscapesforlearning27@gmail.com
Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
"A Parent-Teacher Conference about Values" is a solo episode about my book-in-progress It's Not About The Grades: Love for Learning Beyond Schooling which I hope to revise and publish in the coming months. I provide a brief, yet incomplete, overview of the book in progress and read an excerpt from a chapter that is about the parent-teacher conference I wanted to have while a high school teacher but never really could. Now that I have resigned from my position, I am able to discuss what I see as the critical piece missing from a complete education for high school students as it is severely overshadowed and drowned out completely by the over-valuing of grades.
I invite parents and schools into a conversation about a serious reflection on their values and our culture's values and the mental health of teens, not merely to help kids to be successful students and achievers but rather to be whole, healthy, individual human beings who are able to self-actualize and blossom throughout their lives.
I welcome your comments on the podcast in iTunes and feel free to share your thoughts by emailing me at landscapesforlearning27@gmail.com or visit http://Landscapesforlearning.com
-Maureen
"All of humanity's problems stem from his inability to sit quietly in a room alone"- Blaise Pascal One of my goals with the Landscapes for Learning project is to draw more attention to the need for an explicitly taught wisdom curriculum for high schoolers as a counter balance to all the demands of the external landscape put upon kids today.
To become wise is to know oneself-- one's essential or fundamental self which is always in a state of becoming and might be creatively developed throughout life. This essential self is foundational to the more social self---roles we play in the practical world, the expectations of others we try to meet. If we can help kids live from the inside out early on in their young lives, they may just be able to stay true to themselves-- to their authentic selves, so that they always have shelter, a home, to which they can return when life on the external landscapes get challenging.
One way to travel one's inner landscape is through meditation. Meditation and mindfulness practice has become trendy recently, and it is useful as a relaxation tool, but it's also an avenue to something deeper-- to enter into the world of the essential self.
My guest in this LFL podcast episode is Allen Gaskell who has been practicing meditation regularly for many decades, as well as practicing yoga, forest-bathing (which he didn't know had that name until recently!), white-water rafting, and other outdoor immersion activities. He is a former Mental Health Counselor who worked in prisons, within the court system, and created a counseling center at Salem State University, its first. He also worked for many years counseling veterans with PTSD. A Vietnam Veteran himself, with 3 Tours in Reconnaissance, Alan enthusiastically enlisted in the military after high school in N.Y. and later attended college to study comparative religion at the University of Vermont. Shortly after, he stumbled across a book about Vipassana and the rest is meditation and mindfulness history.
He recently completed a 90-day silent retreat, so I was curious about what that experience was like and thought others might be interested too. He talks with me about the value of meditation in his life, especially today on our very noisy and busy external landscape.
We talk about the workings of our minds when we observe it through meditation or yoga practice, thoughts about why, how, and who ought to be teaching about the inner landscapes, how to "sell" suffering to others or invite them into self-reflection and self-awareness, and how to learn more about our own humanity to recover it from a life of overwhelm in a technological-consumerist culture.
I loved our almost entirely unedited two-hour conversation! Enjoy!
Visit and follow me, Maureen Bakis, at http://www.LandscapesforLearning.com
Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
Changu Changezi is an ordinary guy with an inspiring story about learning and landscapes. He is a traveling Bikram yoga teacher who lives his life with integrity, authenticity, and an unshakeable sense of self. He has been traveling the world teaching Bikram yoga for the past four years, approaching learning with an open heart and an open mind all along his journey.
Whether meditating, practicing or teaching yoga, biking across Canada for charity, being bullied as a young boy in Pakistan, coming unglued from his chair in the corporate world, or dancing, Changu sees the beauty in everything-- every experience, every person he meets, good and bad. Trusting the process of life as ever-unfolding allows him to live deeply connected to himself, others, and the world around him. Ever grateful for all of his life-long learning, Changu consistently lives and speaks his truth.
Our conversation about landscapes for learning includes Changu’s immigration to Canada, transformation, compassion, integrity, Bikram Yoga Teacher Training, world travel, “trusting the process,” teaching, yoga, faith, and more.
Changu and I will chat again in the future, delving more deeply into his traveling and teaching adventures, so enjoy his first podcast and come back for another!
Please check out Changu's Facebook pages, Tulandandasana Everywhere and Humans of Bikram Yogafor stunning photos from Changu's yoga postures on gorgeous landscapes around the worldand inspirational stories about individual transformation resulting from the practice of Bikram Yoga.
Watch this incredibly beautiful slow-motion video of Changu below....and his balancing stick poses from around the world!
Balancing Stick from around the world!
"All good things are wild & free"
-Henry David Thoreau Niki tells her story about traveling across the landscapes of nature-- as avid hiker/outdoor enthusiast, wolf-advocate (yes, they need our help!), Bikram yogi, and exotic animal handler. After a not-so-great, though sadly typical, experience with public high "schooling," Niki blossomed into an avid learner and teacher after she answered what she terms her "Call of the Wild."
Niki is a wonderful and interesting example of the various forms of learning and teaching that happen outside the narrow academic realm of school. For the students who struggle in school or who don't succeed as a student in the academic realm, this episode is for you!
A few quotes from our conversation:
"When life is trying to tell you something, when the some 'thing' keeps calling you back, you should probably listen."
"I learned not to have expectations... or believe in limits about what I could do or couldn't do."
"I just knew I was in the right place. I just knew-- this is it. This is my life. This is me."
"So many doors opened for me."
"I am so grateful....I love my life. I wouldn't change anything."
I really hope you enjoy listening to Niki about her sense of self-awareness; interconnectedness; the wild; listening; and openness to what life brings. Her enthusiasm for authentic forms of learning and teaching are contagious!
For more information:
Curious Creatures @ https://www.curiouscreatures.org/
The New England original
Interactive LIVE ANIMAL Programs & Parties
Established by Dean Kosch in 1987
Wolf Hollow @ http://www.wolfhollowipswich.org/
114 Essex Road
Ipswich, MA 01938
Tel: (978) 356-0216
Bikram Yoga
Find a studio location anywhere in the world.
@https://www.bikramyoga.com/
Creative Commons License for "Political Lunatics" by Earthling (intro and outro music)
"Political Lunatics" by Earthling
Grace and I discuss our desire to begin a conversation about teaching as moral and teaching with courage and integrity. We discuss the need for more authentic forms of teaching and learning in school, so that kids can embark on their individual journeys toward the self rather than just trying to find the right answer for an A on a test or college admission. Enjoy! Check out Grace’s wonderful work at GraceTempany.com Check out the Landscapes for Learning blog for more conversation and resources about love for learning beyond schooling
This first podcast was published in April 2018 when I was trying to find my way forward, out of a career in education and into careers in yoga and psychotherapy. LFL has grown and morphed, as has the new podcast series called Learning Conversation.
Please Follow/Like LandscapesforLearning.com Landscapesforlearning27@gmail.com
2018 Book in Progress: It's Not About the Grades: Love for Learning Beyond Schooling was never published; as it turned out, this was the draft I needed to write to later publish Classic Wisdom for Modern Humans: A Self-Study Guide for Wellness (2019, Amazon).*
This Landscapes for Learning solo podcast is a motivational speech/ mini-lecture about exploring your inner landscape in order to be the hero of your own life! You ARE the hero of your own journey, and understanding who you are is the most important course you will ever take in your life as a student. You should be at the center of your own curriculum, and let the rest of your schooling experiences supplement this foundational study of yourself.
Follow Landscapesforlearning.com for additional podcast episodes, blog posts, "after-school" help, coaching curriculum, and other resources to grow and support your love for authentic learning across the landscapes of your life.
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