The Dandelion Effect

Today's podcast episode is the final episode of the Dandelion Effect Podcast as we know it. We are tying a beautiful ribbon on a project that began in the fall of 2020 as an avenue for continued positive outreach and community engagement in the heat of the pandemic. This podcast has far exceeded our expectations, and while it's bittersweet, we are moving onto different creative adventures that we are all so excited for!As a way to wrap this up, we've decided to bring it full circle and give you a compilation episode of a handful of voices from within the Feathered Pipe Ranch team, an inside-out approach, so to speak. It's an ode to the Ranch: the changes we've been through over the years, the gratitude for this project, and a chance to hear from staff, board members and family members, why they believe this little retreat center in the forest of Helena, MT is, in fact, a life-changing place. We have six guests on today's podcast—Howard Levin, Anne Jablonski, Matt Lambie, Amanda Ellefsen, Eric Myers and Crystal Water—all weighing in about what keeps them coming back year after year, and adding their two cents into where this ship is heading as we look toward the future.Support the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Effie Baldwin is a U.S. Army veteran, Positive Discipline Educator, Associate Member of the U.S. Golf Teachers Federation and the founder of Believing in a Better World LLC. After earning her Kemetic Yoga Certification in Egypt, she became an instructor for Veterans Yoga Project then later a board member for the nonprofit. She's also an End-of-Life Doula and facilitates Emotional Emancipation Circles to promote healing caused by race-based discrimination within communities of African-descent.Prior to becoming her own boss, Effie spent almost 30 years working in high-level positions with the state and federal government in Senior Policy, Grants Administration, and Program Management—and despite this long list of accolades, she admits that her greatest accomplishment is raising two life-embracing adult children.In this conversation, Effie explains the similarities between Kemetic Yoga and golf as two activities that people can do “from cradle to grave,” and the virtues and ethics that are necessary for both: patience, honesty, mindfulness, focus, discipline—all with the result of self-regulation and self-responsibility. Effie came to yoga through, running, of all things. That is to say, she literally ran herself into the ground and yoga was prescribed by a nurse practitioner as a way to rebuild her immune system and ease her pattern of intensity throughout life. It changed the trajectory of her life, and for the last six years, she's added that to her repertoire of service-oriented work.She's a self-proclaimed optimistic realist, a way of viewing the world through practicality and positivity, giving people and situations the benefit of the doubt. She also recalls questioning the “rules of engagement” very early and crafting a life of learning, growing and independently investigating the truth—as she calls it—to decide what made sense for her own happiness, not what was projected onto her from society.We end by highlighting the importance of nurturing the children of our communities and pouring love and energy into youth, whether they are your own kids or not. The next generation need us to show up as positive, responsible and whole-hearted role models just as we need them to carry on the legacy of our families and improve the impact we have on this planet.Believing in a Better WorldSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Alison Zak is an author, yoga teacher, environmental educator and anthropologist, and in her self-written bio, she also adds, importantly, that she is an animal. Her new book Wild Asana launches June 27th and is a delightful mix of wildlife science, Hindu mythology, Eastern philosophy, and personal stories that help us draw connections between our bodies, our minds, and the animals that inspire our practices. As if writing and teaching doesn't keep her busy enough, Alison also founded the Human-Beaver Coexistence Fund, a nonprofit that educates the public about the benefits of coexisting with beavers and provides resources and address human-beaver conflict.Alison has a long history connecting with animals, and when her primate studies took her across the world to Indonesia, she learned firsthand how nuanced the relationship can be between humans and non-human animals, and she began to grasp the importance of deconditioning what we're taught through society—that humans are superior and that other animals are only worth saving if they provide value to us. Of course, if you take the time to learn about different animals, you realize that each species possesses remarkable traits and skills that are integral to the ecosystems they live in. And if you do want to look through the lens of value-to-humans, it can be argued that every animal provides value because we are all intricately connected within the cycles that create our planet, our food, water, air, and soil. This truth has been known since the beginning of time, and modern research continues to publish findings daily that remind us of our interconnectedness.Alison's creative outlets and offerings suggest powerful, yet incredibly simple ways that we can begin to connect with our fellow animals, not only to understand our true role in the greater interdependent ecosystem of the planet, but to also experience the often sought-after feelings of awe, wonder, and unity that we go looking for in spiritual practice, travel or relationship. In her new book, Wild Asana, she teaches people how to connect with and embody animals through the yoga poses that are named after them: scorpion, cobra, fish and downward-facing dog, to name a few. She uses the framework of the Three C's: Curiosity, Compassion, and Connection, suggesting that the last category of connection can be taken even deeper, practicing yoga with a capital Y, meaning union, and that if we can reach that state of union with another animal, there's no longer a question as to why this other being is important, because he or she is me. There's no separation.Come with us, into a wild and wonderful interview that will leave you feeling inspired to learn more about the animals you encounter in your everyday life or those you have a secret curiosity about. I guarantee that after listening, you'll want to go out into the world and experience it for the epic, magical place it is and remember that PLAY is one the most primal animal actions, shared by almost every species, certainly other animals like us in the mammal classification.Alison Zak WebsiteHuman-Beaver Coexistence FundSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Susan Reynolds has over 20 years of experience in digital wellbeing, youth leadership and mindfulness. In 2019 she co-founded LookUp to discover, empower, and mobilize youth leaders who are taking action to raise awareness and design a healthier, more inclusive, and responsible digital world. Susan leads workshops and facilitates panels to educate and empower Gen Z to find and implement their own solutions, and she's spoken globally on the topic at conferences in Copenhagen, London, and most recently in Saudi Arabia.In this conversation, we approach technology with a wide lens, exploring both the promise and the peril of the internet, as well as the ways that different age groups engage with it. Susan poses the idea that part of the teenage mental health crisis could also be viewed as somewhat of a spiritual crisis, the longing for true connection that they try to get from the interconnectedness of the internet, yet these avenues are falling short of helping people to feel deeply connected and fulfilled.And the collective mental health status of our young people proves the power of the digital age—a conglomerate of apps that have captured and run away with their attention, self-awareness, confidence and peace.Honestly, we don't come to many conclusions here. We simply share perspectives, hers from the professional angle having had a long career in tech and education as well as a personal angle, with a deep spiritual sense that's continuing to emerge and guide her more strongly in her work. She shares about the new book she's working on, LookUp Live: The Book, a collection of stories about young advocates she partners with who are making a tangible difference in the lives of their peers and exploring what it means to be human in the 21st Century.Bottom line: Young people are stepping up. Despite, and perhaps because of, the issues they've inherited, there has never been a generation with as strong an ethos of purpose and advocacy as Gen Z. They won't stand for continuing to lose their friends to suicide and shootings. They won't tolerate ignorance. They won't accept policies that prioritize corporations over their own well being.They are choosing to speak out, and that's what Susan gets to witness every day in her role at LookUp, a perspective that allows space for the grief, anger of the situation yet an empowerment that leads to lasting change.LookUp.LiveSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Adam Schumaker is co-founder of Gray Bear Lodge, a rustic retreat center in Hohenwald, TN, 80 miles southwest of Nashville, that hosts experiential workshops to promote growth, fulfillment and the joy of learning. He's a certified Watsu aquatic bodywork practitioner, lifelong yogi and potentially one of the kindest people on the planet.Gray Bear opened in 1996, and the Feathered Pipe Ranch was a big influence on its beginnings, as Adam considered the Ranch one of the “grandfathers of this movement, one of the holders of the seeds.” When he and his partner Diann visited Helena in 1999, India Supera welcomed them with open arms, sharing everything she had learned about running a retreat center—kitchen and cooking details, employee structure, accounting, lodging and more. Adam recalls her saying, “We need places like Gray Bear and the Feathered Pipe. If you're the generation bringing this up, all the wisdom and all the experience I have, I want to share it with you. Feel free to call any time.” And, he did.It's hard to pinpoint themes in this conversation, as we meander gently through many topics. We weave stories with conscious teachings and personal experience with the memories that touch our hearts and open our perspectives. Adam believes stories are integral to learning—he calls it “life teaching life,” the ability to connect with each other outside of the boundaries of any structured tradition or discipline. We talk about the power of nature to remind us what's important, the necessity of digital detoxing and breaking the modern habit of immediate availability, and how building Gray Bear over the last 30 years has actually built him as the person he is today, a process that has invited in the opportunity for profound personal development, accountability and reflection.There are many gems in this interview, but one that really sticks with me is a quote from one of his teachers: Live life as if one foot is in the presence of the almighty divine god being imaginable, and your right foot is in a fresh cow patty that you've accidentally stepped in. All that to say - don't take life too seriously. Don't forget to laugh, and find the lightness in the miracle of being alive.Gray Bear Lodge Retreat CenterSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Dr. Helen Benjamin is the president of HSV Consulting, a company that provides board and management development, strategic planning, and equity, diversity and inclusion services to community colleges. She's had a long career in education: With a master's degree and doctorate from Texas Woman's University, Helen began as a teacher, and has also held positions as a professor, dean, chancellor and president during her more than 30 years in administration for community colleges in Texas and California. She retired in 2016 and is living in Dallas, TX, though retirement for her looks like sitting on the board of several organizations, serving through HSV Consulting, and writing and editing books.Helen and I met at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in summer 2022, where she attended a retreat hosted by San Diego-based yoga teachers Lanita Varshell and Diane Ambrosini. She signed up hoping to find peace and respite, and as she shares in this conversation, she was able to access it—in the innate beauty and tranquility of the Ranch, the movement classes, and the like-minded people she met.Born in 1950, Helen grew up in Alexandria, Louisiana, in the heart of the segregated South, when African Americans were forbidden by law to attend certain schools, restaurants, churches, shops and other public places. Of course we learn about slavery and racial segregation in history books, but how often do you have the chance to hear from someone whose early life was so directly affected by the fear that upheld these beliefs?This history isn't as old as we might imagine, and at age 73, Helen speaks of her upbringing, how she found inspiration, community and love despite the bigotry that surrounded her family and friends. She's a similar age to many in the founding group at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, but her reality during the “hippie era” we speak of so mystically and magically was drastically different than that of our founders—and that's why we want to highlight this story.I ask her about her inner process of alchemizing the feelings that can stem from injustice, her spiritual path and ability to find peace and freedom within, and the importance of documenting the stories of her community and preserving history in order to move forward.We talk about her recent book, How We Got Over: Growing up in the Segregated South— a memoir of 24 personal accounts from African Americans who graduated from Peabody High School in Alexandria, LA in 1968. This book captures the essence of Black life in the Deep South during Jim Crow laws and was born out of an epiphany Helen had while attending a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workshop. She realized that where she grew up, between the railroad tracks, was systematically set up through redlining, and that her rise to where she sat now—in a leadership role for a college in New York—defied all odds. The stories of her and her classmates, who also went on to live full and accomplished lives, had to be told.Support the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Stefanie Tovar is a healing artist, a singer, a yoga teacher, a racial healing facilitator—and so much more. She has over 14 years of facilitating wellness offerings and 20 years of presenting as an international and local performing artist, creating experiences to support healing, awaken awareness, and empower release in Body, Mind, and Heart.  Stefanie is also a Recording Artist with Orchard Records and is the founder of a nonprofit called Yena, which is meant to support this work in schools, shelters, and intimate spaces to "honor people in Leading with Purpose, fueled by Heart."Stefanie visited the Feathered Pipe Ranch this past summer and quickly settled into life at the Ranch during Sonia Azaad's workshop group. She attended Crystal's going away party and played singing bowls with our Tibetan friend Tsering Lodoe during collective prayers. She was always blowing bubbles on the lawn and was even part of a group of ladies who did a wild woman moonlit dance on the nature deck then cold plunged in the lake after. She became a close friend in a very short period of time, and I'm so excited to bring this conversation to you.In this recording, she tells me about her upbringing in Texas, the deep connection she had with singing and nature at such a young age, and the realization that her voice was a gift that she could share to effect change in the world. We talk about the ways that we humans are always receiving messages—what Stefanie calls “scripts”—about who and how to be. Although these messages can feel limiting at times, one of the beautiful aspects of life is that we can choose which scripts we want to follow. Which role we want to take. Which song we want to sing. And writing our own scripts is an option too!Stefanie's life experiences have led her to working in wellness, with a mission to lovingly disrupt the status quo of what it's “supposed to” look like to be a part of this growing industry. As a Latina, she speaks of the importance of diversity in all healing spaces—diversity of race, socioeconomics, religions, belief systems, sexual orientation, abilities and functions. Her work truly highlights the intersection between wellness and social justice, and it's only growing for here, as she was recently selected as one of 40 cohorts across the nation to be a part of the Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing. Stefanie Tovar WebsiteSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Dr. Edie Resto is a distinguished Chiropractor, Naturopathic Doctor and bodyworker. She is a graduate of the Institute of Psycho-Structural Balancing, and she got her start as a massage therapist at the Feathered Pipe Ranch before heading off to an additional decade of schooling at Life Chiropractic College West and Bastyr University. She has had her private holistic health practice for 23 years in Ojai, California, though she sees patients all over the world.She is well-known and respected by people from all walks of life for her compassionate heart, wisdom and desire to help others heal. She travels more than anyone I know, and at 70 years young, credits her energizer-bunny buzz to the fact that she prioritizes fun and genuinely enjoys her life.In this conversation, we talk about her early life challenges and the angels who swooped in teach her about service and unconditional love. We discuss her coming out story at age 28, her desire to remain free and detached from labels, the importance of mentoring her nieces and nephews, and the death experience after a motorcycle accident that showed her when all the categories are stripped down—sexual identity, gender, socio economic class, race—we are just light, energy, and pure love.This accident was the first major injury of her life, and with a broken back, she was forced into a long rest and rehab, learning how to listen to her body and be in relationship with her mind, which of course wanted her to bounce back right away. She took three years off work to fully heal, and she reveals how this experience has helped her more deeply relate to patients and to practice what she preaches when it comes to committing to physical health.Edie has been a friend to me for four years now, teaching me about openheartedness and energetic reciprocation. About adventure and fulfillment. About true health and happiness. She's the OG of abundance mindset, and those who know her can attest that she has full faith in the universe's ability to provide everything she ever needs—her job is just to keep giving from her heart and the rest will come.Support the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Danielle Antelope is a member of the Blackfeet Nation and Eastern Shoshone (shu-show-nee) Nation. Born and raised in Browning, MT, she graduated from MSU with a bachelor's degree in Sustainable Food & Bioenergy Systems, where she deeply studied indigenous food systems relating to her own people as well as other communities around the country.While in college, she served on the board of Food Access and Sustainability Team Blackfeet, known as FAST Blackfeet, and at only 26 years old, is now the organization's Executive Director. FAST Blackfeet provides access to healthy and culturally relevant foods, nutrition education, and gardening/wild harvesting opportunities within the Blackfeet Nation.In this conversation, we dive into Native American history through the lens of the different generations of her family, beginning with her great grandmother, who was the last generation to be born in tipis, live off the land and eat a traditional diet. Her grandmother was the generation of strict reservation boundaries, when ceremonies and gardens were made illegal, and the government introduced commodity rations after killing off their main food source: the buffalo.Her mother's generation is what she calls the “survival foods” era, when the diet shifts to dishes like fry bread and other recipes made from colonial ingredients like wheat, oil and sugar. And now Danielle's generation, the ones who have inherited food insecurity, chronic disease and generational trauma—but who also have a unique opportunity to heal, to reclaim indigenous knowledge and wisdom, and grow from what's been done to their communities.FAST Blackfeet programs like the Food Pantry, Food Pharmacy, and Growing Health Program are reclaiming traditional Blackfeet foods like organ meats, wild berries, loose leaf teas, and bone broths, while inviting tribal members to reconnect with their ancestral roots and build back stronger than ever.FAST Blackfeet WebsiteSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

The landscape of work has shifted dramatically in the last several years. From layoffs and furloughs during the pandemic to record numbers of people quitting jobs in the United States—to the tune of 4 million people per month—people are engaging with employment differently than ever before. And many people have seemed to reach a threshold, saying enough is enough when it comes to low pay, poor treatment and unfair conditions. They're seeking meaning and purpose, flexibility, mutual respect and safety, and they're paying attention to how they feel at work, rather than just collecting a paycheck.It's a new era, and today's guest Don Rheem sees this shift as an opportunity to bring more love and relationality into the workplace, to teach leaders and managers how to provide safe and secure work environments where employees can thrive, and as a result, business can thrive. After all, most of us in the western world do spend a majority of our waking hours engaging with work in some shape or form. Wouldn't it be nice if that time was spent feeling valued, appreciated and celebrated?Don draws on research based in attachment theory to understand human behavior, making the case that humans are biologically hardwired to connect with other humans. He explains how our limbic system, the system that detects threat, is always searching for safe and secure attachments, a mechanism built deep within our brains since the days of hunting in groups and helping raise children with the support of small villages. It's not that we want these connections; we need them in order to function and thrive.Translated to the workplace, employees will never be able to produce at optimal levels if their primal instincts perceive danger, which can happen with inconsistent bosses, unfair treatment, cliquiness, and many other situations common in workplaces around the world.In this conversation, we hear how Don's company E3 Solutions assesses businesses for “employee engagement” rather than “satisfaction,” we discuss the conditions that support trust, fairness and emotional safety in the workplace, and we ponder the personal awareness process that helps managers provide consistent and predictable environments where our brains can relax and focus.Don is the author of The Neuroscience that Drives High-Performance Cultures, and has done two TedTalks: How Can Work Save Our Relationships? and How to Stay Ahead of the Future of Work. He's been involved in this engagement process around the world for 20 years, and is passionate about helping more people feel seen, heard and connected.E3 Solutions/ CultureID WebsiteSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Kara Ware has been on a 17-year journey with her son Zachary, who was diagnosed with Autism just before his third birthday. With this news came the advice from the doctor: “There is no treatment for Autism. Medicate him to help with tantrums, sign him up for speech therapy, take him home and keep him safe.” Suggestions like these are what more and more parents are hearing, as Autism diagnoses skyrocket: In 1975, 1 in 5,000 children were born with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and 1 in 36 children in 2016. Over the last decade in the U.S., the rate has been doubling every 3-4 years, and we are on target to experience 1 in 3 children with ASD by 2035, according to Dr. Zach Bush.WHY?This question became a beacon for Kara as she sat with her toddler, who was hitting his development milestones for almost three years then one day began regressing into pain, confusion and chaos that nobody could explain. She traveled the country, seeking out specialists and alternative practitioners, learning about the root causes of inflammation and toxicity that can lead to a person presenting with Autism symptoms. She was not ready to accept the status quo, and the long path she has walked with her son has resulted in not only the remission of Zachary's Autism symptoms, but a greater sense of health, joy and purpose in her own life as well.Her family is living proof that there is another way to approach this diagnosis–and that there's a bigger red flag in our lifestyles and environment that is begging to be noticed. Our changing planet is having drastic effects on human health and our species is facing unprecedented challenges. Autism is the canary in the coalmine. An invitation to look deeper into our history, our food, water, air, stress. When it's in the home, it's an invitation to explore the entire family ecosystem, rather than view the situation as an isolated issue for one person.Using the functional medicine model that she adopted, Kara outlines the steps to slowly and deliberately remove toxins from the body and home, deepen into family values and spiritual practices to pour energy into thoughts, words and emotions that are creating the environment for healing; and take simple steps with nutrition, supplementation, genetic testing and necessary medical interventions.Personally, Kara  is the healthiest and clearest she's ever been—and so is Zach. Professionally, she's using what she's learned to help doctors shift their conventional practices into functional medicine models and partner with patients for greater health education and lasting outcomes. She is also a board certified health coach, yoga teacher and host and producer of Good Medicine on the Go Podcast. And her new venture this year brings her full circle to helping families use their time, energy and resources wisely on the long journey of healing and living with Autism.Kara Ware WebsiteHope for Healing Family PediatricsSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

Lauren Lewis is a CO-based yoga teacher, plant-based chef and culinary educator. She headed west from Pennsylvania in 1999 to attend The University of Colorado, Boulder, and quickly fell in love with the mountains, the community and the lifestyle. After college, Lauren attended the School of Natural Cookery, where she discovered the inherent spirit of food, recipes and skills that she's used in her own healing journey as well as in her service to others.This conversation is setting the bar high for the third season of the podcast. Lauren and I get very personal, making space for her to tell her story about her 15-year battle with bulimia, an eating disorder characterized by periods of binging and purging. This is the first time she has shared publicly about bulimia and the role it's played in her life, as well as the first time I share about my relationship to food, body image and a period of undiagnosed anorexia or food controlling.We talk about honoring the journey towards loving the bodies we have, the challenges we face in today's society with comparison to unattainable ideals, the long and winding path we take to cherish the forms we are in, to respect them, to love them, and above all, to recognize that each and every one of us is sacred.While we are not professionals or experts in this field, we are in fact experts of our own bodies and the stories that these bodies live through. I believe that sharing our experiences helps to de-stigmatize and de-shame topics that are otherwise taboo, and that's what we're doing today. None of it is medical advice or recovery advice. We are simply two women swapping stories and imagining into a better world where children and teens are supported on their paths.Lauren Lewis WebsiteLauren Lewis 2023 Feathered Pipe RetreatSupport the showConnect with Feathered Pipe Ranch: FacebookInstagramSubscribe to our NewsletterCheck out 2023 Retreats

The Feathered Pipe Ranch is a world-renowned retreat center that hosts weeklong yoga and wellness workshops from June through September, and as of this recording, we are smack in the middle of the season. Every retreat is full of amazing people traveling from all parts of the country and even the world—yesterday I met a woman who traveled all the way from Brazil.This year feels like a true reunion of humanity. People are open, vulnerable, eager to learn and willing to lean into friendship and healing. At least that's what I've experienced in speaking with guests. A real presence that leaves me optimistic for our collective futures.To celebrate midseason, we're airing the "Best of Season Two” episode, a taster to hear pieces of all 12 episodes from our second podcast season, and invite you to go back and visit the ones that you missed over the last six months. Based on the analytics, I'm seeing that many new people are still finding and listening to season two, which is really incredible since most of the conversations really are timeless and worth checking out even while the podcast team takes the summer hiatus. The Dandelion Effect Podcast is a gentle reminder that inspiring and extraordinary people are out there doing good in the world. These conversations explore a range of topics including generational healing, veteran's mental health, the law of attraction, food as a love language, sustainable building, ethical technology and mindfulness, energy medicine, adventure travel, and much more.Support the show

Donna Eden is a pioneer in the field of Energy Medicine, and she was born with the gift of literally being able to see the body's energies, in the forms of colors and geometrical shapes. After five specialists told her she had 9 months to 2 years to live, she healed herself from multiple sclerosis, allergies, asthma and the effects of a heart attack at age 27. She then honed her skills and learned how to accurately determine the causes of physical and psychological problems based on the state of a person's energies, and devise highly effective treatments for her clients and students.She's co-authored several books with her husband Dr. David Feinstein, including Energy Medicine, Energy Medicine for Women, and The Promise of Energy Psychology. Donna has taught tens of thousands of people all over the world how to engage with the healing and restorative power of their own energies, and her time teaching at the Feathered Pipe Ranch played an instrumental role in catapulting her career.Her personal story is fascinating and inspiring, and yet, she believes that each one of us is born being able to see energy and that it's a tool that lies dormant if it's not used. Throughout her career, she's seen over and over again that we all have the capacity to tune into energy—what she calls “The Language of the World”—and use it for experiencing mental clarity, physical vitality and joy.In this conversation, I ask Donna to read my aura—I just couldn't help myself!—and she shares her opinion on why so many people suffer from modern dis-ease. She also graciously walks us through four incredibly simple tools for alleviating stress and calming the nervous system. Donna admits that year 79, her age as of this interview, has been her best year yet, and you will hear it in her voice, her laugh, her tone—she is full of energy. You can practically see her smile through your ears.Donna Eden WebsiteSupport the show

Tim Sloffer happened upon the Ranch last year while he was applying for a Lilly Teacher Creativity Grant from the Lilly Endowment, a program that began in 1987 as a way to help Indiana elementary and secondary educators renew their commitment to teaching. To give you an idea of the scope of this program, the foundation awarded 103 grants, each totaling $12,000 for 2022. And, what's amazing about this grant is that teachers can apply to be covered for all kinds of experiences that will enhance the their understanding of themselves and the world at large: studying foreign language, natural resources, photography, chess, quilting, zoology—the list is endless. If you can write it up to show that it will expand and improve you as a person and as a teacher, it's considered.With zero background in yoga, but a desire to learn how to take better care of himself, Tim Googled “wellness retreats” and found the Feathered Pipe Ranch. After looking through the summer schedule, he realized that he could spend five weeks participating in five totally different workshops covering wellness from many angles—and so the grant was written and awarded.In this conversation, we explore Tim's upbringing in the small town of Huntertown, Indiana, the road that led him to following in his mom's footsteps as a teacher, his journey through college as a teen parent, and the challenges and joys of raising three kids.He reflects on his time at the Ranch, what he learned from each retreat, the growth moments that invited him out of his comfort zone and the ways that he settled into the rhythm of life as a long-termer. On Tim's last night, we presented him with a cake and celebrated the time he spent with us on Bear Creek Road, and today we get a window into how the lessons of last summer have trickled into his everyday life.Lilly Endowment FundSupport the show

Dave Morin is an entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist, born and raised in Helena, MT. Currently, he is Co-Founder of Offline Ventures, an investing and inventing company focused on the creation of humanist technology and serving founder potential, and is Chairman of Esalen Institute, a leading center for exploring and realizing human potential through experience, education, and research.Early in his career, Dave was the 29th employee at Facebook and his first job upon moving to San Francisco was at Apple. Needless to say, he's been on the forefront of tech innovation since the start of the internet in the 90s, and over the last couple decades has co-founded and managed a handful of ventures in this realm: Path, a company dedicated to being a source of happiness, meaning, and connection through simplicity and privacy in social networking technology; Slow Ventures, a Silicon Valley venture fund that champions long term thinking and serves a community of over 300 of the most innovative startups in the world; and Sunrise, a nonprofit focused on bringing together science, spirituality, technology, and design to revolutionize how humans experience depression.In today's conversation, we talk about his path from a ski racer in small town Montana to an angel investor and serial entrepreneur smack in the middle of the tech capital of the country, Silicon Valley, California. Recognizing early on that his brain was different than most other kids, Dave describes his childhood as one of looking for belonging, and he found solace and stimulation at his grandfather's house while playing on one of the earliest computer models ever made. He was also serendipitously introduced to Aikido, a Japanese martial art, through his best friend's uncle, and that began his lifelong foray into eastern philosophy, self awareness and contemplative practices.We tackle a big topic today—mental health in the age of technology—and while this interview just scratches the surface of the immensity of this conversation, I hope you walk away with an understanding of the nuance of our current predicament, the good and bad of modern technology, the intent with which it was originally created, and the knowing that there are people like Dave out there, pouring themselves into ideas like Web3, and how to make our interactions with these tools safer, healthier and more human.Offline VenturesSunriseEsalen InstituteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

In the days of digital nomads, geo-tagging and endless sources of technological communication, it's sometimes hard to believe how people traveled without knowing anything about the places they were visiting. With no blog posts or reviews to read, and no way to get in touch with friends in real-time (unless you were right there next to one another), people hitched rides, slept in bus terminals and leaned on poor translation and big hearted-strangers for their next moves.These are details that make up the stories of today's guest VJ Supera, a wild woman of adventure, laughter and endless curiosity. VJ is the sister of Feathered Pipe Foundation founder, India Supera, and she has been traveling to the most remote corners of the world for nearly 55 years. She rarely—if ever—has taken the comfortable route. Now, at 77 years old, she's still making her rounds, though trips have taken a different meaning than they did in the days of twenty-something wanderlust.I got to sit down with VJ in her house in Helena, Montana, where we shared a pot of chai tea in her living room lined with art and travel books. We yuck it up, as she would say, about her upbringing with bohemian parents, the role of creativity and spirituality in her life, experimentation with LSD and other drugs in the hippie era, and stories of her travels to far-off lands, dressing like a man and hitchhiking through Tibet on cargo jeeps, stumbling into a yak drive on a caravan mission to Tajikistan, and living under a tree outside of Guru Sai Baba's ashram in India.If you've been to the Ranch, you may have had the pleasure of meeting her at one of VJ's Bizarre Bazaars, where she spreads out on the lawn and sells ancient beads, rugs, fabrics, and other one-of-a-kind items from the Middle East and Central Asia. She's a summer staple at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, and has become a very important person in my life over the years, always reminding me to take chances, find adventure and have fun. If I have half as much adventure as she has had, I'd consider this a life well-lived.Support the show

Physicist Amory Lovins is Cofounder and Chairman Emeritus of Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization working to transform the global energy system to secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future.He has written more than 800 papers and 31 books, including Natural Capitalism, Reinventing Fire, and Winning the Oil Endgame. For the past 45 years, he's advised major firms and governments in over 70 countries on clean energy—including the US Departments of Energy and Defense and a 7-year stint on the National Petroleum Council—as well as leading integrative design for superefficient buildings, factories, and vehicles. Time has named him one of the world's 100 Most Influential People and Foreign Policy, one of the 100 Top Global Thinkers.A Harvard and Oxford dropout, he's taught at 10 universities, and is currently an Adjunct Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Scholar of the Precourt Institute for Energy at Stanford University. He teaches only topics he's never formally studied, so as to retain Beginner's Mind—a concept we'll get into in today's conversation. This is a much different side of Amory Lovins than you'll find in other public interviews.In this conversation, we talk about early childhood influences and illnesses, the 15 summers he spent guiding trips in the White Mountains of New Hampshire—a place that sparked his life-long interest in landscape photography and utter devotion to the natural world. I ask him what it's been like to be a pioneer in the clean energy space, facing the almost mythical powers of the fossil fuel industries, the impending threats of climate change, and decades of scrutiny from critics and those with vested interest in the status quo.We discuss biomimicry, natural capital, and integrative design, and the laws of nature that can help us build and live much more efficiently and harmoniously—concepts he discusses using the example of his own home office in Old Snowmass, Colorado, complete with a 900-square-foot tropical passive-solar banana farm inside. Amory quotes environmentalists, writers, spiritual leaders, sacred texts, and the Taoist outlook that keeps him centered and focused in order to carry out his work in the world.RMI.orgSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Historical trauma is a new model in public health that suggests that populations historically subjected to long-term, mass trauma—such as slavery, the Holocaust, forced migration, and the violent colonization of Native Americans—exhibit a higher prevalence of disease even several generations after the original trauma occurred. This model is backed by research in the field of epigenetics, which studies how trauma changes our DNA and is thus passed on to future generations, making them more susceptible to certain mental and physical conditions.In understanding how to move forward and break the cycle of historical trauma, we have to ask the question: What does historical healing look like?That's the topic of today's conversation with Linda Kinsey, a member of the A'aninin Nation or the “White Clay People”. She is the Native Connections Director for Helena Indian Alliance, helping secure grants for suicide prevention services for Native youth ages 12-24, and she also serves with RISE: Reaching Indian Students Everywhere, to educate people on Native American history and encourage folks to learn who they are by learning where they came from.When it comes to reconciling the history of genocide of Native Americans in this country, the idea of generational trauma is just starting to creep into the vernacular and shed light on the compounding issues they face in modern society—a world in which they're expected to bounce back from a century of intentional erasure. And Linda believes that many people don't understand the current statistics of high suicide rates, alcoholism and substance abuse and chronic disease among native communities is because we don't often learn about the true history of this country.In her former  long-standing role as the director of a Tribal Treatment Center in her hometown of Fort Belknap, Montana—and as a Native woman growing up on a reservation in the 1970s—Linda experienced and witnessed the consequences of historical and generational trauma, and she's dedicated her life to healing herself and integrating her own family's history and helping others do the same.This conversation is very special for us because Linda's tribal family caretakes a Feathered Pipe, a relic that has been with their community for thousands of years and is a symbol of resilience, faith and connection. It's actually because of this relic that she wanted to come visit the Feathered Pipe Ranch in 2021 for the concert with Navajo flutist R. Carlos Nakai. We talk about her feeling when visiting the Ranch and the belief that a place can preserve and protect particular energies just as pipes can hold centuries of prayers and energies, too.Linda teaches us about the importance of balance, growing up in a household of natives and non-natives, democrats and republicans, catholics and protestants. Her whole life, she's been in the middle, which has proven to be the superpower behind her capacity to hold many experiences and emotions at once. This ability is a necessity in today's world and perhaps a necessity that has always existed, considering the ancient wisdom teachings of the Eastern traditions and indigenous peoples everywhere.Helena Indian AllianceSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Bob Quinn is a scientist, farmer, out-of-the-box thinker and savvy businessman who has dedicated his entire career to regenerating food systems and educating the public on the connection between land and soil preservation, nutritious food, robust rural communities and human health.With a PhD in Plant Biochemistry from University of California Davis, Bob returned to his hometown of Big Sandy, Montana—a population of 600 people—where he took over the family farm and was among the first farmers in Montana to go organic. He served on the National Board of U.S. Department of Ag to create a USDA organic standard, started a grain cleaning plant, flour mill and Montana's first wind farm.His book, Grain by Grain with Liz Carlisle, lays out the recent history of farming in the United States, how the rise of  “Big Ag” has pushed small farms out of business and turned rural communities across the country into ghost towns. In a rush to produce higher yields to keep up with the small margins of the global commodity market, farmers have drowned their soil and crops in synthetic fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides that have lasting consequences for the land and the people who eat the end products.What Bob has done to organize organic systems and revive ancient grains is incredible. In 1988, he converted his entire 2,400 acre farm to organic and hasn't looked back. Over five decades, he started several projects and businesses: Kamut International, a company specializing in organic Kamut khorasan wheat; Montana Flour and Grain, which processes his grains into flour for bakeries, pasta makers and distributors; Big Sandy Organics; and The Oil Barn, an operation that presses organically-grown safflower into cooking oil then returns the used oil to his farm to replace diesel fuel.In this conversation, he makes the case for eating ancient wheat varieties versus modern wheat, which has been continuously bred for high yields, at the detriment of nutrition, diversity and flavor. We discuss the research that his team has carried out in Italy among patients with diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome and heart disease, and how switching to a diet of Kamut in place of conventionally-grown modern wheat lowered inflammation, cholesterol, cytokines and other markers that lead to chronic illness. Ancient wheat could be part of the answer for the 12-20% of people who experience symptoms of gluten sensitivity or intolerance.This talk scratches the surface of the high cost of cheap food, but my hope is that it will help you rethink our industrial agriculture system, choose organically-grown foods, experiment with ancient wheat varieties like Einkorn, farro and Kamut, and begin to understand why we can't talk about farming without talking about human health and planetary healthy. The three are inextricably linked, and if we don't start to make different choices, we're just continuing the race to the bottom.Support the show

Rodney Yee is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, co-founder of Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT), and the author of two books: Yoga: The Poetry of the Body and Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee. Rodney has also been featured in over 30 Yoga DVD titles and became an overnight sensation when he appeared on Oprah in 1999, selling 1 million videos the very next day. His connection with the Feathered Pipe Ranch runs deep, as he credits India Supera, Cree elder Pat Kennedy and other staff and teachers with his continued growth throughout the 15 years of summer retreats in Montana.In this conversation, Rodney talks about his experience growing up as a Chinese-American in both Oklahoma and California, his journey through gymnastics, dance, and yoga, and the epiphany of visiting Japan, where his body recognized the relief of walking through streets and dancing on stages where the majority of people shared his similar facial features. We discuss the ways that our ancestors and family history live within our tissues and the reckoning process of finding out who we are, where we came from and where we belong—a therapeutic process that can unfold and bubble up with the practices of asana, pranayama and meditation.Anyone who practices yoga in this country today can most certainly give a deep bow to Rodney, as he was paramount in helping to spread yoga across the West. He continues to teach worldwide today, expanding self-care techniques to healthcare workers, veterans, teachers and other industries.YogaShanti.comSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Jessica Bugbee is a U.S. Army combat veteran, wellness director at Hudson Valley National Center for Veteran Reintegration, and co-founder of TRIBE, a non-profit that teaches yoga and meditation to the active duty military community. She's also a peer specialist in the Vet2Vet program of Ulster County, New York, and leads Women's Warrior Writing classes, mindful hiking groups, kayaking trips and other mind-body-spirit offerings to support and empower veterans and their families.Jessica served as a combat medic and paratrooper during her seven years of active duty, and has been on a monumental healing journey since returning to the States, navigating life after the military and finding her way through Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the myriad ways that trauma presents in the mind and body.In today's conversation, we talk about her life of service, where it started and who inspired it; her experience in the Army, oftentimes as one of two or three women among 500 or more men; and what her reintegration process has looked like, the ways that her military experiences—while technically “over”—are not at all over, and which modalities and healing techniques have helped her overcome and move through anger, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and heartbreaking loneliness over the last seven years since her discharge.Now, she practices and teaches five categories of wellness and rehabilitation: nature, community, movement, breath, and storytelling. It's these resources that inspired her to start TRIBE in 2019, along with a team of veterans, military spouse & family members, DOD personnel, and yoga teachers dedicated to showing people that their superpowers and navigational tools are within them and accessible at any moment.JessicaBugbee.orgHudson Valley National Center for Veteran ReintegrationTribe YogaSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Claudia is a chef, a writer, an ambassador with Hola Montana and a lover of all things culture, food and community. She was born and raised in Barranquilla, Colombia, a tropical city on the country's northern Caribbean Coast, where she grew up primarily with her aunt and uncle. But not long after she turned 18, she moved to Miami, pursued a degree in sociology and International Relations, met Steve, her now husband of 42 years, and worked her way through nonprofit organizations, human resource positions and chef roles, trying to find her niche in helping people and having an impact.When they moved to Montana in 1998, she had one main concern: What the heck is a  Caribbean girl going to eat in the Rocky Mountains? Luckily,  she found plantains, coconuts and lentils–the colorful varieties from Timeless Seeds grown organically right here in Montana.Discovering lentils in Montana (which was a staple food in Colombia) gave Claudia the confidence to begin recreating recipes from her childhood using local and homegrown ingredients. Through her love of fusion foods, she has built a business as a private chef, leading cooking classes, hosting pop-up dinners, catering large events, and always looking for new and exciting ways to collaborate with local farmers, creators and chefs of different backgrounds.The tagline of her business, Claudia's Mesa, is "One World, One Table." Her work and her energy center around celebrating life and strengthening relationships—relationship to the foods we eat, the stories we exchange, the cultures that shaped us and the ones we're continually learning more about. And the relationship with each other, as we come to the table and break bread together.**Fact Check: Colombia gained independence July 20, 1810. ClaudiasMesa.comHolaMontana.comSupport the show

Tom Ryan was the caretaker of the Feathered Pipe Ranch for 33 years, originally coming to the Ranch in 1975 for a part-time job–and as the story goes, he fell in love and stuck around. Tom has been around the retreat center longer than almost anyone else at this point, and preserving his stories have been a priority to us. If you haven't yet, check out the interview I did with him two years ago on our Feathered Pipe Roots page under the Community tab of our website. It's titled “More than a Job.”These days, Tom lives in a gorgeous house that he designed and built, just above the Ranch property on Old Hippie Lane and he keeps busy as a property manager, dog dad to his new two-year old lab puppy, Bodhi, and resident elder in the summers.If you've been to the Ranch, you've probably seen him at meal times, making everyone at his table laugh with stories of his life of adventure and serendipity. At the ripe age of 82, Tom's sense of humor is vibrant and a bit mischievous, which keeps us all entertained—and there's a softness and simplicity to his wisdom that I have found incredibly supportive and helpful in my own journey.Tom tells stories about going from Navy communications specialist to hairdresser to pipe fitter to caretaker of the Ranch. We talk about the Law of Attraction, what it's meant to him to be given the gift of fatherhood and how he shows up to this role.Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Judith Hanson Lasater is an American yoga teacher and writer who is recognized as one of the leading yoga teachers in the country and throughout the world. Judith's resume is nothing short of impressive: Not only has she been teaching yoga for more than 50 years, but she helped found The California Yoga Teachers Association, the Iyengar Yoga Institute in San Francisco, and the Yoga Journal magazine, which is now in its 46th year of print. She's written 11 books, has taught all over the globe and raised three children. Talk about a super woman!Judith taught was also one of the three teachers to hold the first retreat at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in 1975, a three-week yoga program, for 28 people, all inclusive for $250. And she's returned nearly every year since, and now every summer, one week herself and one week with her daughter Lizzie Lasater, an internationally-known Restorative yoga teacher who learned from her mom.In this conversation, we talk about the right-hand turn that changed her life, her personal understanding of the word ‘spiritual,' how the body is a storehouse for wisdom, and her favorite memory from the Feathered Pipe Ranch over the years. Judith has been brave enough to allow her intuition to carry her through life, an act that takes vulnerability, which she defines as being fully porous and present to the moment.She walks us through several micro exercises to explain topics of perspective, the neurological relationships between the tongue and the brain, and the practice of disidentifying with our thoughts.There is so much quotable wisdom in this conversation:“Perspective doesn't affect your life—it is your life.”"The present moment is the only truth we know.”“We think life is strong and love is fragile, but really it's the other way around. Life hangs by a thread and love holds the universe together.”JudithHansonLasater.comSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

This is the "Best Of Season One” episode, a taster to hear pieces of all 22 episodes and invite you to go back and visit the ones that you missed over the last year. The Dandelion Effect Podcast is a gentle reminder that inspiring and extraordinary people are out there doing good in the world. These conversations explore a range of topics including post traumatic growth and healing, music therapy, food systems and soil, refugee resettlement, mental health and suicide prevention, nonviolent communication, transgender healthcare, cultural preservation and so much more.Please enjoy the different voices you hear and the stories that are told. Many of the people interviewed hold workshops and retreats during the summer at the Feathered Pipe Ranch and you can find links to their respective websites in their episode show notes for continued engagement with these teachers, healers, shamans, therapists and otherwise amazing humans.Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Today's episode is brought to life from the archives, the last interview ever conducted with India Supera, the Feathered Pipe Ranch founder and visionary, who passed away in October 2019 at 73 years old. India was a force of nature and her life holds within in it some of the most exciting stories of adventure, courage, devotion and faith. India left home as a teenager for the adventure of foreign travel. After nearly dying in Pakistan, she began a spiritual quest in India and eventually found Satya Sai Baba, who is considered an avatar by millions of people. After living at Sai Baba's ashram for two and a half years, she was brought back to the U.S. to care for her friend, Jerri Duncan. Within a year, Jerri died of cancer and left India 110 acres of land outside of Helena, MT—and a dying wish that she would help turn it into a healing center.Owning land and living in America was far from India's plan. For a year, she gave away furniture, thought about selling the land, meditated on the purpose of this inheritance, and held sweat lodge ceremonies to pray and connect with spirits, asking for guidance for the way forward. She even returned to India to call on Sai Baba's wisdom. “Teach what you know,” he said. “Make it a place for leaders.”After making the difficult transition from penniless sadhu to administrator, India established the Feathered Pipe Ranch as a nationally known center for seminars in the field of yoga, holistic health and personal transformation.For 44 years, India Supera floated around the property at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, welcoming new guests like old family, sharing meals on the lawn, and stories in front of the stone fireplace. Stories that included tales of her travels in the 1960s and the extraordinary circumstances that led to her vision for America's first healing center of its kind.The 2019 season, however, was different. She had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and given two weeks to two months to live. Leaving her in full preparation mode for the ultimate adventure into the unknown—the transition of her body and transcendence of her soul.Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Wilmot Collins is the Mayor of Helena, Montana, and in 2017, he made headlines as the first black elected official in Montana's state history. Born in Liberia, West Africa, he and his wife fled the country when a dangerous civil war erupted, killing 250,000 people—including two of his brothers—and displacing over a million more. After navigating immigration programs for nearly three years and a string of divinely-orchestrated events, Wilmot finally settled in the small town of Helena in 1994, where he raised his two children and has held positions with Intermountain Children's Home, Alternative Youth Adventures, Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs Montana and more. Wilmot has also served in the Army National Guard and Navy Reserves and is active on the boards of United Way, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, and Montana Immigrant Justice Alliance.I sat down with Mayor Collins at the Feathered Pipe Ranch to talk about his early life, growing up in Firestone, Liberia, working on his parents' chicken farm, riding motorcycles with his brothers and the story of how he met his wife at a bus stop of the local college. We shared many, many tears as he walked me through the unbelievable circumstances that he has survived, a barrage of hurdles, one after the next, that nearly defeated him on his path to freedom and reconnection with his family.I feel so lucky to have Wilmot Collins in a leadership position in Helena, the town that our Feathered Pipe Ranch community has called home for the last 46 years. Someone who sits down for an interview and says, “Ask me anything. I'm an open book.” Someone who isn't afraid to show his heart, his emotions, his journey. That's who I want mediating and making decisions. Because he brings his whole self and that inherently gives people permission to do the same.Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Nat Kendall is a San Francisco-based Bhakti yoga teacher and musician who hosts weekly classes in the Bay Area, annual retreats and has produced numerous albums with different collaborators, most recently an acoustic collection called “My Friend."Raised in Bozeman, Montana, Nat learned guitar, keys and percussion instruments early on and attended the Musicians Institute of Los Angeles followed by the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. He then moved to San Francisco at the age of 30, working as an audio producer and creative director for Pandora Internet Radio before he discovered the path of yoga and began his teaching journey with Rusty Wells and Janet Stone.This is a deeply personal conversation about truth, vulnerability, commitment to self love, and life as the ultimate practice of yogic philosophy. We talk about seeing our teachers as humans, not people who are perfected beings or enlightened masters.He openly shares insight into how his yoga practice helps him remain humble in partnership, the incredible gift of parents who always told him to 'Keep Going' no matter what project or hobby he was pursuing, and the long and winding path of how he navigated a 'Dark Night of the Soul' period in his twenties. We get plenty of laughs, though, as he recounts his time playing in punk and hip hop bands, a path that ultimately led him to using music as an expression of devotion rather than ego.You can hear the buzz of the fans in the heat of the evening, the clink of people setting down mugs of tea between sips. This audio brings you right into the main lodge of the Feathered Pipe Ranch—a place that perhaps you've been before or want to venture to in the future.Nat Kendall WebsiteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Howard Binkow is an old friend of India Supera and a former Feathered Pipe Foundation Board Member. At 88 years old, his life is dedicated to the subject of listening, and he has been a listener in training for 28 years.Howard has had several careers in his lifetime: a home builder, radio host, sales person, author, publisher and currently CEO of the We Do Listen Foundation, a 501c3 that empowers children to become better listeners through a series of books, animations and songs based on the adventures of the Howard B. Wigglebottom and Wonder Kitty characters. With the help of Reverend Ana Volinski, Howard has co-created 17 children's books, which have been translated into Chinese, Korean and French and have sold over 2.5 million print copies. In today's conversation, we focus on the two pillars of listening that he learned from author Steven Covey: “Seek first to understand before being understood” and “be present.” He walks us through his journey of chasing money to chasing meaning, a midlife crisis that led him into the woods of Michigan for a two-year isolated retreat, and eventually to the work that he does today: visiting schools, reading his books to 4-7 year olds and introducing them to the concepts of listening that he believes will help them grow into receptive, caring and balanced adults.Howard speaks from his own experience of awakening as a 60-year-old man, recognizing that his entire life, he equated listening with obedience and doing as he was told in order to escape punishment, whether at home, school or work. Now, as an apprentice to the art of listening, he says the practice has improved his relationships, finances, free time and fulfillment.We Do Listen FoundationSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Jim Barngrover has over four decades of experience in organic gardening, farming and marketing local and fairtrade products. In 1987, he co-founded Timeless Natural Foods, a company dedicated to alternative agriculture through annual legumes like peas and lentils. What began as a venture between four friends has put Montana on the map as America's largest producer of lentils—and to this day Timeless is the only producer of heirloom organic lentils and specialty grains in the country.As a part time lobbyist for AERO, Alternative Energy Resources Organization, Jim was instrumental in the passage of the Montana Organic Definition Act in 1991, and was awarded AERO's 40th Anniversary Leadership in Sustainability Award in 2014. Now as a founding board member of Helena Community Gardens, Jim focuses on the organization's mission of developing gardens within walking distance of every neighborhood in Helena MT. In this conversation, Jim walks us through his journey from farmer's son to ROTC student, activist, gardener, prison horticulture director, and back to farmer. In his young adult life, he moved from Wyoming to Montana in search of a more progressive existence and serendipitously stumbled into the Feathered Pipe Ranch after meeting India Supera in Missoula. Here, he felt more connected to the Earth and the land than he ever had before, and it sparked the inspiration for a life of service both for human health and environmental health. Jim speaks to the chemically-dependent industrial farming complex in America, the reasons why he farms with organic and regenerative practices and encourages others to do the same, the lessons that he's learned from working in harmony with the land, and how lentils work to reduce erosion, build organic matter, and provide natural nitrogen fertilizer for other crops. He's hopeful about how many young farmers are making the shift to more sustainable practices and emphasizes how much power consumers have in the fight to change our food systems.Timeless Natural Foods WebsiteSupport the show

Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher is double-board certified in general and plastic surgery, and is a leader in the field of gender affirmation surgery. She serves the transgender community through her private practice in Miami, where she performs up to 60 surgeries per month as treatment for gender dysphoria. Originally from Ireland, Sidhbh earned her medical degree from University College in Dublin then came to the United States to complete eight more years of intensive surgical training. She served as an assistant professor at Indiana University from 2015 to 2020 where she researched and developed new techniques such as Masculoplasty and was the founding surgical director of the Indiana University Gender Affirmation Surgery Program.Today, Sidhbh joins us for an inspiring conversation about her path to becoming a surgeon and how she works to support people on their journeys to feeling comfortable and complete in their own bodies. She lets us in on the biggest lessons she's learned from her patients:  Humans are complex and it's time we stop pretending that we all like the same things. Sidhbh debunks incorrect ideas about the transgender population that circulate in the media and shares stories about her most memorable patients that will blow you away and restore your faith in humanity.Gallagher Plastic Surgery WebsiteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Of Navajo-Ute heritage, R. Carlos is the world's premier performer of the Native American flute. He began playing the traditional Native American flute in the early 1980s and has released more than 50 albums in his career, earning Platinum status with his album Canyon Trilogy, the first ever for a Native American artist performing traditional solo flute music. R. Carlos has received eleven GRAMMY nominations in four different categories and has traveled the world, making sound sculptures, he calls them-- collaborations with artists from other countries and cultures, hearing stories similar and different to his own and transcending the common stereotypes presented in mass media.On the personal side of things, R. Carlos is wise, gentle, inspiring, a man that values listening, mentoring younger folks and simply BE-ing in this world and enjoying the journey of becoming more of himself every day. In this conversation, we walk through his lifelong musical process--beginning with clarinet and trumpet then discovering the Native American flute when a car accident left him with injuries to the muscles in his mouth that prevented him from playing brass instruments.He speaks of the flute as a vehicle for telling your authentic story, the self expression that allows you to put yourself in the center of your life, to realize that the gifts and tools you were born with are exactly what you need to be who you are meant to be in this world. He opens up about a near death experience that guided him even more towards service through teaching and mentoring young people, and he leaves us with the question: Who Are You and How Do You Belong?R. Carlos Nakai WebsiteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Lauren Walker is the founder of Energy Medicine Yoga, a highly intuitive, simple healing method that marries her extensive studies in yoga with the transformative power of energy work. She is the author of two books: Energy Medicine Yoga: Amplify the Healing Power of Your Yoga Practice and The Energy Medicine Yoga Prescription, and she also has a new book on the way: The Energy to Heal. Lauren has been teaching yoga and meditation since 1997, and now teaches EMYoga across the United States and internationally, both general courses and training teachers on her method.Today, she tunes in from her home in Northwest Montana, and we cover a topic so relevant to what we're facing on a collective and an individual scale: trauma. This conversation aims to be a safe and open container where we unpack and give context to the word that's become so common in mainstream vernacular. We explore trauma, not from an intellectual stance, but from the lens of how our bodies relate to and process experiences that are deemed “traumatic.” It's incredibly subjective what constitutes a trauma, and Lauren walks us through the physiological cascade that occurs when one does experience an event that changes their lives.Most importantly, we talk about how to get out of what she calls the trauma field—the phenomenon when you or someone you know continues to attract chaos, pain, heartbreak, unhealthy relationships and drama—a feat she only began to understand once she met Donna Eden and added energy medicine into her yoga practice. Lauren's brilliance is apparent as we weave through complex subject matter, but her gift for simplifying and translating is just as impressive—thank goodness! She graciously leads us through 15 minutes of practical ways to touch, massage and hold points on your own body to help you release pain, move through challenging events and process emotions. Things that you can begin doing today with no prior experience. It simply works because we are all energy. Remember E=MC²? Don't worry, we break that down too.Energy Medicine Yoga WebsiteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Dr. Jean Shinoda Bolen is a psychiatrist, Jungian analyst, and an internationally known author and speaker who has deep ties with the Feathered Pipe Ranch, hosting women's workshops in Montana since the 1980s. She is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and is the author of thirteen books in over one hundred foreign editions, including Goddesses in Every Woman and Like A Tree: How Trees, Women and Tree People Can Save the Planet.Jean has been an outspoken feminist activist for decades and is an NGO Permanent Representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women from the Women's World Summit Foundation  in Geneva. She also represents Pathways To Peace, The Millionth Circle, Earthchild Institute, Women's Perspective, and the International Public Policy Institute.In today's conversation, we float through topics as if riding a leaf down a stream—beginning with her upbringing as a Japanese American during World War II, her first memories of recognizing injustices and privilege, moments of divine connection and humility, the Age of Aquarius and so much more. We discuss the possibility of transformation during this liminal space of global pandemic--a topic she covered in a recent TedTalk titled: Crisis as a Turning Point: The Gifts of Liminal Time.Perhaps most synchronistic is the thread that weaves itself through our entire conversation: The Dandelion Effect. It was Jean who coined the phrase and gave us permission to use it to name this podcast, so its extra special to share this time with her on the show and hear her interpretation of the phrase.Jean's WebsiteSupport the show

Gary Lemons is a poet, yogi, activist and long-time member of the Feathered Pipe Ranch Community, venturing to Helena, MT for 20 summers in a row to study with renowned yoga and dharma teacher Erich Schiffmann. An author of eight books of poetry, Gary's latest book Original Grace is the final book of a series he's titled the Snake Quartet, a visceral and insightful journey that follows the end of our world as we know it—and what Mother Earth decides to do with us humans in order to prepare to create a more sustainable existence.Gary tunes in today from his home in Washington state and we allow our exploration to take on a life of its own: discussing what it was like being “born into a house of women with no mother,” his early involvement in the counterculture movements of the 1960s in DC., his courtship with poetry, the laws of nature, genderlessness in infinity and much more.We recognize here, together, that poetry was a form of meditative awareness for Gary long before he even knew what meditation was, and he reflects on the evolution of his craft over the decades--studying and perfecting the formal structure first so that he knew exactly how to break free of it.Now, in his more recent works, he sees his role as a listening post or a channel for the ideas that want to move through him, a force that's not coming from the structural side, but rather a deeper connection with his quartet's character, Snake, that allows the words to flow when the boundaries are released.Gary shares, tearfully, the incredible story of he and his father's reconciliation after 35 years without communication or contact, and we get to sit back as Gary reads two poems: “The Elephant in the Room” from his newest book Original Grace (available in May) and “Freedom” from his book Fresh Horses.Gary's WebsiteRed Hen Press: Buy Original GraceSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Brant Secunda is an internationally acclaimed shaman, healer, and ceremonial leader in the indigenous Huichol tradition of Mexico. During an intensive 12 year apprenticeship, Brant became the adopted grandson and close companion of Don José Matsuwa, the renowned shaman who passed away in 1990 at the age of 110. Brant's initiation into the Huichol tradition began when he was 19 years old, and rights of passage during his apprenticeship included completing a five-day vision quest without food and water in the sacred Cave of Grandmother Growth, capturing and releasing a wild rattlesnake with his bare hands, enduring a 14-month fruit fast to enhance his sensitivity to the natural world, and surviving an extended nine-day vision quest to learn the language of the gods.For nearly 40 years, he has led conferences, workshops, and retreats around the globe, has been a lecturer at the Mayo Clinic, the American Holistic Medical Association Conferences and a faculty member of the Five Branches Institute of Chinese Medicine. He co-authored the award-winning book Fit Soul, Fit Body: 9 Keys to a Healthier, Happier You, and he is a co-founder of the American Herbalist Guild, the Peace University in Berlin, Dance of the Deer Foundation Center for Shamanic Studies and the Huichol Foundation.Brant tunes into today's conversation from his home in Santa Cruz, CA. He introduces us to the practice of Huichol Shamanism, and shares stories of the ways that he learned from Don José—slowly, methodically and almost by osmosis of simply spending time together, completing daily tasks of growing corn, listening to rivers, gathering around the fire and each day deepening his understanding of the earth cycle's and the language of the plants, animals and natural elements.A humble man of gentleness and humor, Brant reflects on his friendship with India Supera, founder of the Feathered Pipe Ranch, and Pat Kennedy, a late Cree elder that included Brant in Montana-based Peace Encampments that brought together leaders from various indigenous traditions in the U.S. and Canada. We talk about the importance of laughter medicine, connecting to nature and what it means to “find your life,” a saying in Huichol Shamanism that Brant shares in his workshops.This conversation flows much like one big prayer or ritual. I invite you to slow down and take this in, not just filtering the words through your mind, but seeing if you can tune into this episode with your entire body, your heart and your spirit. The beauty is in the simplicity, and you may be surprised what transmits.Shamanism.comSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Dr. Joseph Lamb is the owner of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Clinic by Metagenics in Gig Harbor, Washington. He works in partnership with his patients to create optimal health and well-being by using Functional Medicine approaches including lifestyle modification, herbal and nutritional supplementation, cognitive therapy and care that considers the soul as part of the whole picture of health.Dr. Lamb has an impressive resume: He's double board-certified in Internal Medicine and Holistic /Integrative Medicine and is a Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. He has lectured internationally, co-authored a text book on vascular biology and published numerous academic papers outlining his work as the principal investigator in over 75 clinical trials. Dr. Lamb spent 4 years in Tennessee at the Hypertension Institute and 17 years of private practice at the Integrative Medicine Works in Virginia. He's also the Principal Investigator of LIFEHOUSE, a Lifestyle Intervention and Functional Evaluation Health Outcomes Survey.   Needless to say, this man knows a thing or two about the human body. However, it's his consideration of the spiritual component of life that sets him apart from others in his field. Dr. Lamb's work in medicine and his upbringing in the Catholic Church have continued to guide him towards a vocation of service, helping people uncover their unique purpose, motivation and mission, which as a result, propels them towards greater health, longevity and quality of life.In this conversation, he helps us redefine what it means to be ‘healthy' or ‘live well'—a standard much higher than the absence of disease and one that takes into account cognitive, emotional, physical, metabolic and behavioral aspects. The latter being what he describes as the outer expression of the other four categories.Plus, we suss out a statement that had me lying on the floor for hours afterwards contemplating my life path. Dr. Lamb says, “One of the biggest obstacles on the journey of achieving full wellness is the brokenness of our dreams." The role that our unrealized childhood dreams or goals for our lives plays into our ability to reach our full potential of energy, joy, service and health.Dr. Joseph Lamb's WebsiteSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Chris Cappy founded Pilot Consulting in 1994, a firm specializing in leadership development, action learning, executive coaching and change/ transition management for companies throughout the world. He has over thirty years of consulting, teaching and speaking experience, and has helped develop and implement systems that create greater cohesion, clearer vision and sustainable growth for global brands like General Electric, Disney, IBM and more. He is the lead author of Driving Leaders, a book that demonstrates how the principles of top-level automobile racing—vision, planning, training, and exquisite execution over a long period of time—can teach us a great deal not only about leadership, but also about life.Chris brilliantly marries the spiritual with the practical, using his own healing journey in the first 30 years of his life to build the foundation for what he offers now to his clients. His approach to executive coaching is rooted in an intimate understanding of human's search for meaning, a driving force behind why we live our particular lives, and a critical component in how we begin to build a life of fulfillment, freedom and financial health.In this conversation, Chris walks us through the adolescent trials and tribulations that set him on the path of seeking at a young age, leading him through martial arts, meditation, yoga, philosophy and landing him at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Helena, Montana in the 1970s, drinking wine with Joseph Campbell in the Lake Cabin! We talk about his transition from wandering and looking for answers to life's big questions to how he built a thriving consulting business that allows him to carry out his personal life mission--and help others do the same.We discuss the building blocks on the path to finding your purpose, explore the experiential learning model he uses to bring companies together and help them relate as humans--outside of their titles, roles and identities--and reflect on the different phases of life, focusing in on what one researcher calls "The Second Mountain," a time when many people move from career, accumulation and providing for family to putting effort and energy into nurturing community, relationships and giving.Chris has worked with some of the greatest spiritual leaders and the most focused business minds in the world, and his life story is one of exploration, constant learning and service, wrapped up in an organized reflection--as any fellow Virgo will appreciate.Pilot Consulting'Driving Leaders' bookSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Cho Cho is the co-founder and chairlady of Studer Trust, an organization dedicated to building educational facilities and providing proper equipment to schools in Southeast Asia, specifically in the remote regions of Myanmar. As the former Country Manager for Studer Trust, Cho Cho spent over a decade traveling back and forth from the United States to Myanmar every three months to oversee the school projects, a passion for education that stems from overcoming the cultural and societal obstacles in her own childhood in Mandalay, Myanmar.Cho Cho has always been a revolutionary soul. Having grown up in a male-dominated culture and lived through several military government regimes, she rebelled against the traditional systems early on and paved her own life path—running away and marrying her high-school sweetheart, getting an education and growing a career in the travel industry then moving to the United States in 2006 to provide her daughters with the freedoms she desired and knew she deserved her entire life.Her ties to the Feathered Pipe Ranch and to Montana happened serendipitously, as so many of ours do: Cho Cho was working as a travel agent in Myanmar when she met VJ Supera, India Supera's sister, and John P. Anderson, a long-time friend of the Ranch and a resident of Missoula, MT. Meeting these two travelers rerouted her entire immigration plan, and instead of moving to New York City like she originally intended, VJ and John P. helped her move her family to Missoula with a warm welcome from the community and plenty of friends upon arrival.Cho Cho's life story is one of sass and stubbornness, courage and strength, mixed in with an endearing sense of humor that carries her through the hard times. We talk about her childhood heroes, the women who showed her it's possible to rise above the stifling sexist rules, and taught her the importance of speaking up for herself and speaking out for what she believed will lead to a better world. We also touch on the current situation in Myanmar following the military coup a few weeks ago, an ongoing battle for power that Cho Cho is all too familiar with. StuderTrust.orgSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Aimee Ryan is a Lead Facilitator at Ag Innovations, a California-based organization that helps mediate large-scale projects to build healthier farms, communities and ecosystems. Utilizing what she calls her essential trifecta—Nonviolent Communication, Internal Family Systems and Yoga—Aimee specializes in conflict transformation, group process facilitation and collaborative communication.She's worked with a broad range of clients, including non-profits, businesses, government agencies, schools, prisons, social and climate justice movements, and intentional communities. Regardless of the setting, Aimee is passionate about creating spaces that hold the complexities of the human experience and make room for “both/and” thinking. Spaces where people of diverse backgrounds and interests, partisan views, and political divides can resolve conflict and strengthen collaboration.We focus on how the tools from her professional and life training can serve on a intrapersonal, interpersonal and systemic level. She walks us through an interactive exercise using nonviolent communication: the steps of observing, feeling, uncovering the need and making a request. Here's a hint—it begins with slowing way down to tune into yourself. We hear how Aimee's love of collaboration and community building started with her upbringing at the Feathered Pipe Ranch—literally right up the hill from this world-renowned conscious living center in Helena, MT.  From the Hindu, Buddhist and Indigenous traditions that informed most of the offerings at the center, to her trips to India, Nepal, Peru, and beyond with the Ranch family, she recalls taking in a profound sense of responsibility to care for both planet and people. Today, this care continues to inspire Aimee and is pretty much built into her DNA.Center for Nonviolent CommunicationAg InnovationsSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Karma Tensum was born in Tibet and escaped to India with his family at a very young age, fleeing the violent Chinese Occupation of Tibet in 1959. Thanks to the educational sponsorship program setup by The Dalai Lama, and the kindness of individuals who participated in this program, Karma was able to attend Wynberg-Allen School, Mussoorie—one of the top schools in India—which set him on a track to pursue higher education and teaching.In 1994, he won a Fulbright Scholarship and got his Master's from Harvard Graduate School with a concentration in International Education. As a leading Tibetan educationalist, Karma was a member of the first Tibetan National Education Policy Committee that helped to draft the inaugural policy document for Tibetan education in exile.Karma has dedicated his life to Tibetan children in various capacities—as a teacher, administrator, planner and fundraiser in both Dharamsala and Clement Town, India. It was here that he met India Supera, founder of the Feathered Pipe Ranch, and developed a lifelong friendship that led to many good works, including the founding of the Tibetan Children's Education Foundation.For 18 years, Karma has lived in Montana and worked as the executive director of TCEF, a nonprofit that runs scholarships programs similar to the one that put him through school and funds projects to preserve Tibetan culture and arts.This is a nostalgic conversation filled with the miracles of his life. He reflects on how he's been able to stay grounded in his Tibetan spirituality and heritage despite having lived outside of his native country for all but the first three years of his life.We explore the meaning of the word home; discuss the ways that indigenous wisdom and ancient traditions like Buddhism can teach us about healing, the arts, and the importance of strengthening the muscle of the heart; and how it's possible to hold pain and gratitude in the palm of the same hand--the heartache of being forced out of his homeland yet staying open to receive the blessings that have touched his life.Tibetan Children's Education FoundationSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Born into a family of musicians and artists, Matthew Marsolek has been at the forefront of the North American hand drumming movement since the 1990s. He's the band leader of the Drum Brothers world percussion group, and has facilitated hundreds of events and workshops around the Northwest and Canada, sharing music and rhythm with a variety of groups including corporate teams, at-risk youth, bereaved children, cancer survivors, and students of all ages. He's also been a featured speaker at TEDx UMontana, teaching his audience from the stage what he means when he says, “Music is your birthright.”Matthew has studied West African and East Indian music for over two decades and is an accomplished guitarist, vocalist, and composer. Along with two solo projects, he's released albums with Drum Brothers and Mandir and has produced original music for several films. In this episode, we let the melody of conversation run wild. We explore the ancient roots of music making, the proven physiological effects of drumming, the power of music to unite and build connection--a scientific study called entrainment--and we take a deep dive into the multitude of music's functions in culture and society--how to use drumming and other community-based musical practices to help us grieve, release tension, perform ritual and ceremony, celebrate, find joy, communicate healthy emotions and much more.One of Matthew's teaching mantras is “If you have a heartbeat, you have rhythm," and his goals as a music educator are to spark joy, to create a safe space for people to reconnect with their inner child's longing to play, to move past the fear of judgment and perfectionism and to express authentically, their unique song. DrumBrothers.comMatthew's TEDx TalkSupport the show

Matt Kuntz is the Executive Director of National Alliance on Mental Illness in Montana, the nation's largest grassroots organization, supporting, educating and advocating for people with mental illnesses and their families. He is also an Army veteran, graduate of West Point Military Academy, former corporate lawyer and a father of three in Helena, MT.Recognized by President Obama as one of 18 “Ordinary Americans Who've Made An Extraordinary Difference,” Matt's legislative work in the mental health field has undoubtedly helped improve the lives of many people. He was recently appointed to serve on the Department of Veterans Affairs National Research Advisory Council, helping to sustain a national research program focused on the high-priority health care needs of veterans, and he also helped institute the Center for Mental Health Research and Recovery at Montana State University, where he leads studies on Montana Youth and Veterans.In this episode, Matt shares openly about his own struggles with suicidality and what helped him through the darkest periods of his life. We discuss the mental health research he's involved in, the murky, but hopeful, waters of diagnosis and treatment in our current healthcare system, and the strategy he used to move from a random guy in Montana to someone who helps to pass laws through Congress.Most importantly, we break through the stigma that's typically associated with mental illness and talk candidly about the biological susceptibility and environmental factors that lead the human brain to function differently for each and every person. This is a raw and open conversation, a new perspective on the complexity of the human brain and the diversity of the human experience.National Alliance on Mental Illness: namimt.orgMSU Center for Research and Recovery: montana.edu/cmhrr.Medium: @mattkuntzMatt's Book: An Illustrated Journey Through BipolarSupport the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Baxter Bell, MD, is a certified Yoga Therapist, medical acupuncturist, co-author of the book Yoga for Healthy Aging, and former family doctor of 14 years. He teaches public yoga classes, is on the faculty for several teacher trainings around the country, and hosts virtual workshops and retreats specific to the benefits of yoga for healthy aging, back care, digestive health, brain function, sleep and more.Melina Meza is a pioneer in the field of yoga, nutrition, and Ayurvedic Health, sharing her knowledge around the world for more than 20 years. She is also a photographer and the creator of Seasonal Vinyasa Yoga, a holistic practice that features lifestyle, diet, and yoga practices tailored to the rhythms of the four seasons. Melina's books Seasonal Health and Wellness and The Art of Sequencing series combine her passion for nature, the five elements, movement and beauty to help people stay vibrant and creative in their minds and bodies.Today, they join us from their home in Oakland, California to talk about the power of routine, the physiological effects of being in community, the roles that sleep (by 10pm!), local foods and 20 minutes of daily exercise play in your overall health, and how setting boundaries can be the ticket to finding more space—and creativity—in your day.We dip our toes into the rich wellspring of wisdom that the ancient health sciences of Ayurveda can offer our busy, modern lifestyles. Plus, Baxter walks us through breathing techniques to strengthen the respiratory system for focused prevention against COVID-19 and other seasonal colds and flus.www.baxterbell.comwww.melinameza.comSupport the show

Allison Radecki is a food writer, culinary tour guide, a member of the first graduating class of Italy's University of Gastronomic Sciences, and dear friend of the Feathered Pipe. Able to converse and share recipes in a range of languages, she has spent her career traveling the world, learning about culture, tradition and people through the lens of food--where it comes from, how it's grown and by whom it's prepared.From the secrets of the perfect udon noodles in Japan to Frankies' meatballs in Brooklyn, Allison is most interested in how food brings people together and opens us up to connection, generosity and joy. How breaking bread with those different from yourself can lead to lasting social change. How asking questions about what's on your plate sparks an important conversation about history, diversity and sustainability.Allison reminisces about her favorite childhood dishes, introduces us to the foremost voices in the international Slow Food movement, and tells stories that will leave you saving for a one-way ticket to Italy to embark on your own Eat, Pray, Love adventure--or make you run straight back to your mother's kitchen. We discuss simple and creative ways to vote for good, clean and fair food systems and support every step in the supply chain from farmers and growers to restaurateurs and small business owners.Disclaimer: Do not listen to this episode on an empty stomach.Resources:Slow Food Movement: https://www.slowfood.com/University of Gastronomic Sciences: https://www.unisg.it/en/welcome-unisg/Soul Fire Farm: https://www.soulfirefarm.org/Cherry Bombe: https://cherrybombe.com/Ten Mother's Farm: https://www.tenmothersfarm.com/Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Sarah Bergakker is a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) and the founder of Mooxli, a company dedicated to providing self-care resources and continuing education for healthcare workers. Mooxli is an acronym for 'MOve your mindset, OXygenate your soul, and LIve life differently'. It was born out of Sarah's personal experience in the healthcare industry for the last quarter century, navigating through emotional, mental and physical challenges that her professional training didn't at all prepare her for.We talk about the prevalence of burnout, substance abuse and suicide among nurses and physicians and uncover the hidden feelings that many in this field keep bottled up for fear of going against the industry's “There's no crying in the ER” culture.Inspired by her personal and professional contemplation, Sarah has created a safe and supportive community where healthcare professionals can learn how to care for themselves first, because it's impossible to pour from an empty cup--even when running on empty has been historically rewarded.Her team helps people process emotions, release the stories that they carry and navigate the moral dilemma of being asked to constantly choose the wellbeing of others over your own. Mooxli provides the tools of yoga, purpose practices and true resilience training through its online community, book clubs, retreats and continuing education workshops. Website: www.mooxli.comInstagram: @mooxli_Youtube: Mooxli * This program is brought you by the Feathered Pipe Foundation and its kind supporting community.Support the show (https://featheredpipe.com/gratitude/)

Dan Libby is a licensed clinical psychologist, yoga teacher and the Executive Director of Veterans Yoga Project, a national nonprofit based out of Northern California.Dan specializes in the integration of evidence-based psychotherapies and complementary and alternative medicine practices for the treatment of PTS(D) and other psychological and emotional distress in active-duty military and veterans. As a Postdoctoral Fellow with Yale University's Department of Psychiatry and the VA's Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center, Dan conducted research investigating the physiological effects of mindfulness meditation as well as the first epidemiological investigation of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in VA PTSD treatment programs.  He is also former Director of Clinical Services for the Starlight Military Rehabilitation Program and has taught mindfulness and yoga to hundreds of veterans and active-duty service members.All that said, Dan claims to have learned everything he ever needed to know at the Feathered Pipe Ranch, the renowned nonprofit educational foundation and yoga retreat center. In this episode, we discuss the clinical conditions of stress: lack of safety, predictability and control; how to create S.P.A.C.E. for healing to occur; the importance of evidence-informed yoga; and the five pillars of VYP's Mindful Resilience programs: breath, meditation, movement, rest and gratitude. Dan shares his excitement for VYP's new Mindful Resilience for Compassion Fatigue program, created to equip healthcare, frontline workers and caregivers with tools to prevent the effects of burnout, fatigue and vicarious trauma. We also spread awareness for the organization's largest annual fundraiser—Veterans Gratitude Week, November 6-16th—which culminates in a weekend online series featuring a dozen of today's most prolific health and wellness professionals.Dan's background in yoga, massage and spirituality married with his extensive training in psychology provide a unique window into holistic healing, and this conversation is a worthwhile listen for veterans, their loved ones and anyone interested in reaching deeper levels of mental, emotional and physical resilience.For more information visit: https://veteransyogaproject.org* This program is brought you by the Feathered Pipe Foundation and its kind supporting community.Feathered Pipe Foundation Since 1975, Feathered Pipe Foundation has been focused on inspiring positive change in the world.Support the show