Pondercast

When life changes from order to chaos and then to….nothing. We are lost in space. I'm here to report back.

Hi. There is nothing new we can say about the month of January... or is there? There are two phrases that came to me in the grey gloom and they are: 1) soft and alive 2) rich and steady Work with me. Yours in January solidarity, Laurie and Joshua

Our quarterly collboration with Killbeat Publicity featuring some of the fall's most exicitng new releases, curated by the discerning and eclectic ear of Laurie Brown.

Chances are, if you live in Canada, you have already seen some snow this season….but..have you had a perfect snowfall yet?

Chances are you have a list kicking around your place right now. Maybe a shopping list – or a ‘to do' list? Do you make a list of pros and cons when faced with a big decision? We humans love our lists because they offer a placebo effect to the complex chaos of our world.

Pondercast is taking a high dive this fall for our 6th season. Our new motto: Expect the unexpected...unexpectedly. This episode is our first step to a new, more immersive, embodied experience for you. Climb the Yarmouth, Nova Scotia lighthouse with me..and dive down into the cold waters of The Bay of Fundy. An antidote to that all too familiar ‘back to school' feeling.

Pondercast is on a small summer break, but here's 10 minutes of a beautiful summer rain to help wash away some stress. 

Our quarterly collaboration with Killbeat Music featuring some of the summer's best new music, curated by the discerning and eclectic ear of Laurie Brown

The summer installment of our quarterly collaboration with Killbeat music, Ponderbeat!

We have a guest contributor this time around - coming to you from deep inside Laurie with the inside scoop on the Roe vs Wade decision.

What was the combination for your first high school locker? I bet you remember it. That combination was the ONLY thing I was sure of when I stepped into school that year. Character Count is about the life long process of getting to know yourself. It starts with recognizing yourself in the mirror. Where it ends depends on how closely you are willing to scrutinize what you see. Here's looking at you kid!

What would you be willing to do to find a home for your family?

We start this Pondercast with a field trip to my pond to hear the spring peepers and then head off into an exploration of how our seasons are not sticking to their lane anymore.

Spring is here. Huzzah! Tax time. Whatever. I started thinking about this episode while I was on hold with Canadian Revenue Agency. Let's think about time and how it comes to us in a 100 different flavours. Warning: When you ponder time deeply – it turns into space. This will be a journey: forwards and backwards. Tempus fugit.

Oh boy…spring is almost here! Let's celebrate with a Ponderbeat episode – our quarterly collaboration with Killbeat Music! An entire episode of new and about to be released music. Settle in and feast yourself on some fresh music. Thanks to Killbeat! As always, if you hear an artist you love here – BUY THEIR MUSIC!! Kyla Charter - Qwyn Jordan Klassen - Ash Wednesday Scott Hardware - Summer Helena Deland - Swimmer Yves Jarvis - Prism Through Which I Perceive Katie Tupper - How Can I Get Your Love Donovan Woods - Leave When You Go Cassidy Mann - Election Night The Weather Station - Marsh Sam Weber - Money Ears up! Laurie, Ty and Joshua

“It's taken us 5 years, but we finally managed to have a robot reading a whole list of curses, followed by a Sun Ra free jazz drum freak out. Great work team, this episode will be DIVISIVE” – Joshua Van Tassel

Beyond being places where we put stuff to get it out of our way, attics and basements are the perfect metaphor for the stuff in our heads. Both the things we run away from and what we want to return to. Personally, I prefer attics to basements…but I know there's something here for everyone.

This episode is a report from deep inside the limbic system of the brain. Also known as the paleomammalian cortex (if you want to get fancy), or the emotional brain. Perhaps you've been there before? I'm calling it ‘I've Come Back from Worse', because shit has been going down in my world. Yours too? If so, how about something you can hang on your wall to acknowledge that? The phrase “I've come back from worse” has earned a reputation in my family, and my niece has created this tea saucer and sends them out into the hurting world from her shop in Peterborough, Ontario. Pondercastronauts get a 10% discount! Type in the code IVECOMEBACKFROMWORSE and you can join this illustrious club of survivors. https://www.watsonandlou.com/collections/altered-vintage-plates You will also hear about a program I took called The Grief Recovery Method. Here's a link to find out more about that. https://www.griefrecoverymethod.com/ If you are looking for grief support, contact me (laurie@pondercast.ca) and I'll put you in touch with someone who can guide you through the course. Phew! Lots of big stuff happening. And...life goes on. May you be well. Look out for the ice.

Happier New Year! We are all adjusting constantly these days, so taking a look at what it takes to feel secure is a good way to start 2022 here on Pondercast. Is that even possible? We discuss.  

Happy solstice, we're re-releasing an episode from our very first season. 

You made it through another November. You are to be congratulated. Why is November so hard? (I can hear you listing reasons). I think it deserves a word all its own: viscerable. Join me on this ‘romp' through November and right out the back end of it!

What happens when you start a conversation with ‘I don't know'... where do you go from there?

This episode is inspired by a fox, a La-Z-Boy, and an old journal... oh... and words.

We've moved all our guided meditations and grounding thoughts to our new podcast "Ground Level". Search for it wherever you get your podcasts and subscribe to keep getting guided meditations.  More about Ground Level here.

For our first episode of the 5th season - expect some turbulence in the weather! Laurie looks at our emotional response to big weather: wind and rain, thunder and lightning and fog - and Joshua outdoes himself creating a musical electrical storm.

Attention: the gateway to compassion.

If you've been missing The Signal with Laurie Brown on CBC radio – she's back with Pondercast Radio. Imagine the experience of radio only on your favourite music streaming provider. If you subscribe to Spotify or Apple Music then Pondercast Radio is within your grasp. Laurie will be publishing a new ‘radio' show every month filled with new stories and new music – for you to enjoy anytime day or night. Become a supporter of Pondercast on Patreon for as little as $3 a month and we will bring the special late night vibe you remember.  

Be the passenger, not the driver.

Another quarterly instalment of fresh new music delivered to your inbox courtesy of Pondercast and Killbeat Music! Absolutely Free - How to Paint Clouds Astral Swans – Spiral Andy Shauf - Jaywalker Charlotte Cornfield: Drunk on You Homeshake - Passenger Seat Jasper Sloan Yip - Strange Calm KDAP - Wilner's Parade Charles Spearin - My City of Starlings Ouri - Ossature Cots - Last Sip

Put a label on it and move on.

 Breath is all you need.

This episode is about what happens when the music dies. Don't worry, there's a happy ending here. It's coming back! Only this time around – we have changed.

Just sit, everything else will happen by itself.

Regaining ground.

If music is a language, then colour must be too.

When meditation becomes a vigil  

See what shifts when awareness steps up.

You are heading to the clouds in this episode. Let's ponder a world where we could be living a second life up in the data flow of the cloud. Ready to leap to a complete mind upload? What could go wrong?

Invite everything in to your meditation.

No judgement, no commentary, no analysis.  Just watch the show roll by.

I've changed, you've changed, the climate has changed. If we aren't all experiencing a sea change moment right now - I'm not sure when that moment might be.

Tuning into the space between thoughts.

Relaxing into your natural awareness.  

What would wipe your slate clean?

The consciousness we all share.

Getting a better view.

Always more complicated than hellos, goodbyes are both an ending and a beginning.

Get here quick.

 There is nothing missing in this moment.

The world is coming out of hibernation…and so are we. This episode is about all kinds of new beginnings - first hellos - and the art of making an entrance. Let's get together again. (That feels so good to say.)

 Imagine feeling satisfied with the moment you are in.