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2 episodes with Jitterbug Perfume
2 episodes with Jitterbug Perfume
3 episodes with Jitterbug Perfume
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
On this week's show, Slate Business and Tech reporter Nitish Pahwa sits in for Julia. The panel discusses Severance season 2 from Apple TV+. They then talk about the Oscar-nominated film No Other Land – a Palestinian documentary following a young activist fighting his community's mass expulsion by Israeli occupation. They end by discussing Nitish's recent reporting on Buzzfeed's upcoming AI-infused social media platform, BF Island. Endorsements: Dana: The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller and Adam Scott Steve: The Children's Bach by Helen Garner Nitish: Work by the late author Tom Robbins, particularly Jitterbug Perfume, who recently died at 92 Podcast production and research by Vic Whitley-Berry. Email us at culturefest@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tom Robbins (1932-2025, author of the classic novels “Another Roadside Attraction” and “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff in the KPFA studios on May 15, 2000 while on tour for the novel “Fierce Invalids, Home from Hot Climates.” Tom Robbins, who died on February 9, 2025 at the age of 92, was the considered the leading chronicler of the sixties vibe. Over the course of his long life, he only wrote eight novels, one collection of short stories and a memoir over the course of his long life, but he is recognized as one of the most important voices of mid to late twentieth century America. Among his novels are Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which became a film by Gus Van Sant, Still Life with Woodpecker and Jitterbug Perfume. Tom Robbins would only write one more novel after Fierce Invalids, Titled Villa Incognito, it was published in 2003. A collection of his short writings, Wild Ducks Flying Backwards, was published in 2003, and a memoir, Tibetan Peach Pie: A true Account of an Imaginative Life, was published in 2014. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is the only one of his books to be adapted for film. This interview has never been heard in its entirety, until now. The post Tom Robbins (1932-2025), Master of Seriocomic Novels appeared first on KPFA.
Bookwaves/Artwaves is produced and hosted by Richard Wolinsky. Links to assorted local theater & book venues Tom Robbins (1932-2025) Tom Robbins (1932-2025, author of the classic novels “Another Roadside Attraction” and “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues”, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky and Richard A. Lupoff in the KPFA studios on May 15, 2000 while on tour for the novel “Fierce Invalids, Home from Hot Climates.” Tom Robbins, who died on February 9, 2025 at the age of 92, was the considered the leading chronicler of the sixties vibe. Over the course of his long life, he only wrote eight novels, one collection of short stories and a memoir over the course of his long life, but he is recognized as one of the most important voices of mid to late twentieth century America. Among his novels are Another Roadside Attraction, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, which became a film by Gus Van Sant, Still Life with Woodpecker and Jitterbug Perfume. Tom Robbins would only write one more novel after Fierce Invalids, Titled Villa Incognito, it was published in 2003. A collection of his short writings, Wild Ducks Flying Backwards, was published in 2003, and a memoir, Tibetan Peach Pie: A true Account of an Imaginative Life, was published in 2014. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues is the only one of his books to be adapted for film. Photo: Creative Commons, Margot Livesey Margot Livesey, author of the novel, “The Road from Belhaven,” now just out in trade paperback, in conversation with Richard Wolinsky. Recorded at Book Passage Bookstore in Corte Madera, California. Margot Livesey is the author of ten novels, including “The Missing World,” “Mercury” and “The Boy in the Field,” which range from literary novels to psychological thrillers. Born and raised in Scotland. she currently teaches at the Iowa Writers Workshop. “The Road from Belhaven” is set in the late 1800s in rural Scotland and Glasgow, and concerns a young woman artist with second sight who finds herself in difficult circumstances. It's based on stories of Margot Livesey's great grandmother as told by her grandmother and relatives in Australia. Special thanks to Elaine Petrocelli and the folks at Book Passage Bookstore. Photo: Richard Wolinsky. Complete Interview. Review of “The Thing About Jellyfish” at Berkeley Rep Roda Theatre through March 9, 2025. Book Interview/Events and Theatre Links Note: Shows may unexpectedly close early or be postponed due to actors' positive COVID tests. Check the venue for closures, ticket refunds, and vaccination and mask requirements before arrival. Dates are in-theater performances unless otherwise noted. Some venues operate Tuesday – Sunday; others Wednesday or Thursday through Sunday. All times Pacific Time. Closing dates are sometimes extended. Book Stores Bay Area Book Festival See website for highlights from the 10th Annual Bay Area Book Festival, June 1-2, 2024. Book Passage. Monthly Calendar. Mix of on-line and in-store events. Books Inc. Mix of on-line and in-store events. The Booksmith. Monthly Event Calendar. BookShop West Portal. Monthly Event Calendar. Center for Literary Arts, San Jose. See website for Book Club guests in upcoming months. Green Apple Books. Events calendar. Kepler's Books On-line Refresh the Page program listings. Live Theater Companies Actors Ensemble of Berkeley. See website for specific days and times, and for staged readings at LaVal's Subterranean Theater. Actor's Reading Collective (ARC). See website for upcoming productions. African American Art & Culture Complex. See website for calendar. Alter Theatre. See website for upcoming productions. American Conservatory Theatre Nobody Loves You, a musical, Feb. 28 – March 30, Toni Rembe Theatre. Aurora Theatre The Heart-Sellers by Lloyd Suh, February 9 – March 9, 2025. Awesome Theatre Company. See website for information. Berkeley Rep. The Thing About Jellyfish, based on the novel by Ali Benjamin, adapted by Keith Bunin, January 31 – March 9, World Premiere, Roda Theatre. Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov, adapted by Conor McPherson, February 14 – March 23, Peets Theatre. Berkeley Shakespeare Company. See website for upcoming shows. Supergalza: A Shakespeare Cabaret, spring 2025. Boxcar Theatre. Magic Man, Jan 3 – June 2, Palace Theatre. Brava Theatre Center: See calendar for current and upcoming productions. BroadwaySF: Back to the Future: The Musical, Feb 12 – March 9. Orpheum. See website for complete listings for the Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theaters. Broadway San Jose: The Cher Show. March 18 – 23. Center Rep: Froggy, Feb. 9 – March 7. Lesher Center. Central Stage. See website for upcoming productions, 5221 Central Avenue, Richmond Central Works Push/Pull by Harry Davis, March 1 – 30, 2025. Cinnabar Theatre. Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, February 14-23, 2025, Warren Theatre, Sonoma State University. Club Fugazi. Dear San Francisco ongoing. Check website for Music Mondays listings. Contra Costa Civic Theatre Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury. February 1 – 16, 2025. 42nd Street Moon. See website for upcoming productions. Golden Thread AZAD (The Rabbit and the Wolf) by Sona Tatoyan in collaboration with Jared Mezzocchi, April 11 – May 3. See website for other events. Hillbarn Theatre: Fly by Night conceived by Kim Rosenstock Written by Will Connolly, Michael Mitnick, and Kim Rosenstock, March 6 – 23. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre. See website for upcoming productions. Los Altos Stage Company. The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Jan. 23 – Feb. 16. Lower Bottom Playaz See website for upcoming productions. Magic Theatre. the boiling by Sunui Chang April 3 -20, 2025. See website for additional events. Marin Shakespeare Company: See website for calendar. Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts Upcoming Events Page. New Conservatory Theatre Center (NCTC) Francis Grey and the Case of His Dead Boyfriend by Nathan Tylutkis, February 6-16. Wild with Happy by Colman Domingo, March 7 – April 6. New Performance Traditions. Both Eyes Open, a chamber opera on the Japanese American WWII incarceration, February 15-16, Zellerbach Hall. Oakland Theater Project. See website for upcoming schedule. Odd Salon: Upcoming events in San Francisco & New York, and streaming. Palace of Fine Arts Theater. See website for event listings. Pear Theater. The Gods of Comedy by Ken Ludwig, Feb. 21 – March 16. See website for staged readings and other events. Playful People Productions. See website for upcoming productions and events. Presidio Theatre. See website for complete schedule of events and performances. Ray of Light: Next to Normal. June 2025. San Francisco Playhouse. Exotic Deadly, or the MSG Play by Keiko Green, January 30 – March 8. SFBATCO. See website for upcoming streaming and in- theater shows. Cuckoo Edible Magic by Reed Flores, at the Magic in Fort Mason, Feb. 13 – March 8. San Jose Stage Company: An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen, Feb. 5 – March 2.. Shotgun Players. Heart Wrench, Feb 14 – 15. Art by Yazmina Reza, starts March 8. South Bay Musical Theatre: Urinetown, January 15 – February 15, 2025. Saratoga Civic Theater. Stagebridge: See website for events and productions. Storytime every 4th Saturday. The Breath Project. Streaming archive. The Marsh: Calendar listings for Berkeley, San Francisco and Marshstream. Theatre Lunatico See website for upcoming productions. Theatre Rhino Doodler, conceived and directed by John Fisher, February 8- March 2. Streaming: Essential Services Project, conceived and performed by John Fisher, all weekly performances now available on demand. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Happy Pleasant Valley, Book, Music, and Lyrics by Min Kahng, Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto, March 5-30. Word for Word. See website for upcoming productions. Misc. Listings: BAM/PFA: On View calendar for BAM/PFA. Berkeley Symphony: See website for listings. Chamber Music San Francisco: Calendar, 2025 Season. Dance Mission Theatre. On stage events calendar. Fort Mason Center. Events calendar. Crushing, live monologue show, Feb. 27-28. Oregon Shakespeare Festival: Calendar listings and upcoming shows. San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Signs of Life? written and performed by Cheyenne Jackson, 2 performances February 14, Chan National Queer Arts Center. See schedule for upcoming SFGMC performances. San Francisco Opera. Calendar listings. San Francisco Symphony. Calendar listings. Filmed Live Musicals: Searchable database of all filmed live musicals, podcast, blog. If you'd like to add your bookstore or theater venue to this list, please write Richard@kpfa.org . . The post February 13, 2025: Tom Robbins – Margot Livesey appeared first on KPFA.
Just ahead of Earth Month, this week we're welcoming Brook Harvey-Taylor, Founder and President of Pacifica Beauty, the affordable, clean beauty brand that's been championing vegan beauty for nearly 30 years. Join in to hear about Brook's journey, from selling her first aromatherapy fragrance at a Grateful Dead show in Eugene, Ore. in the early 1990s to launching the brand's best-selling vitamin C serum to coming full circle – with a new line of “aromapower” fragrances that kick starts a mood with every spritz.In this episode, you'll hear:How a childhood fave book, “Jitterbug Perfume,” inspired Brook's passion for fragrance, and ultimately led her to become a certified aromatherapist. Which scent to reach for, and when, if you want to uplift, focus or calm your mood, according to the proWhich ingredients to avoid if you're scent sensitiveWhat sets their best-selling Vitamin C serum, the Glow Baby Booster Serum, apart - and how it can only cost $18?! Why Pacifica is moving away from the phrase “clean beauty,” and why Brook is proudly creating products for everyone.Get social with us and let us know what you think of the episode! Find us on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter. Join our private Facebook group, or give us a call and leave us a voicemail at 1-844-227-0302. For any products or links mentioned in this episode, check out our website: https://breakingbeautypodcast.com/episode-recaps/Related episodes from our archives: Tata Harper Skincare Founder Tata HarperRMS Beauty Founder Rose-Marie SwiftSaie Founder Laney Crowell On What Clean Beauty Means Now, Building Best-In-Class Formulas & Introducing “The Concealer From The Future”PROMO CODES: When you support our sponsors, you support the creation of Breaking Beauty Podcast! ImPress Visit impressbeauty.com/breakingbeauty and use code “BREAKINGBEAUTY” at checkout for 25% off imPRESSManicure and Press-On Falsies. FactorEating better is easy with Factor's delicious, ready-to-eat meals. Every fresh, never-frozen meal is chef-crafted, dietitian-approved, and ready to go in just 2-minutes! Head to Factormeals.com/BEAUTY50 and use code BEAUTY50 to get 50% off. Macy's From now until April 7th, Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York will transform into a garden, blossoming with thousands of flowers. It's free and open to the public during store hours! Check out macys.com/flowershow*Disclaimer: Unless otherwise stated, all products reviewed are gratis media samples submitted for editorial consideration.*Hosts: Carlene Higgins and Jill DunnTheme song, used with permission: Cherry Bomb by Saya Produced by Dear Media StudioSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Last year, Arizona Wilderness' (https://www.azwbeer.com) beet-centered saison Jitterbug Perfume scored a perfect 100 with our blind judges, and went on to nab a spot in our Best 20 Beers in 2023. In this episode, head brewer Brad Miles and wood cellar manager Nick Pauley dissect that particular beer, from the blend of wood-aged saisons that form the base, to the way they roasted and processed the beets, and the particular fruit juice and spice additions that rounded it out. They also discuss the Arizona Wilderness approach to spontaneous brewing, using a mobile coolship and wort that they drive out to cooler, higher elevations in the wintertime to capture wild microflora. Along the way, they touch on: building a spontaneous process that works in a dry, desert environment using aged American hops like Crystal, Chinook, and Cascade in spontaneous beer adding funk character to saison with aged hops using regenerative certified organic grains in saison building a base with 5-6 different wood-aged saisons to stand up to strong flavored ingredients balancing acidity in spontaneous and saison beer brewing with Kernza grain partnering with local growers and a local maltster to support a new grain economy And more. This episode is brought to you by: G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): At G&D Chillers they always strive to Build Great Chillers. Partner with them as you Build Great Beer. Choose G&D Chillers on your next Expansion or Brewery start up and receive 1 free year of Remote control and Monitoring of your new G&D Chiller! ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) Turnkey brewery systems. Production line design services. Retro-fitting processing systems. ProBrew™ can do all this and more with any brewery, old or new, small or large. For more information, fill out our contact form on www.probrew.com or email contactus@probrew.com. Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): Old Orchard has supplied flavored craft juice concentrate blends to over 46 states for the production of fruit-forward beer, cider, seltzer, wine, spirits, and more. To learn more and request your free samples, head over to oldorchard.com/brewer (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer) Omega Yeast (https://omegayeast.com): Streamline efficiency with Omega Yeast's Diacetyl Knock Out series. The DKO series is comprised of 8 familiar yeast strains engineered to knock out the formation of diacetyl before it starts. The strains you know, now better. Contact Omega Yeast today at omegayeast.com. ABS Commercial (https://abs-commercial.com). ABS Commercial are proud to offer brewhouses, tanks, keg washers, and preventative maintenance parts to brewers across the country as well as equipment for distilling, cider-making, wine-making, and more! Contact them today at sales@abs-commercial.com to discuss your customized brewery needs. Ss Brewtech (https://SsBrewtech.com). Ss Brewtech was founded by a group of home and craft beer brewers, dedicated to bringing an engineering-first approach to brewery equipment. Ss brewhouses are used to formulate new beer recipes at some of the world's greatest breweries. To learn more, head over to SsBrewtech.com US Water Systems (https://uswatersystems.com): Depending upon the city and day, water quality can vary 40% to 50%. The best method is to start with the same water every time and Reverse Osmosis gives you that power. Visit USWaterSystems.com (https://uswatersystems.com) for a free expert analysis.
Host: Julie Strauss Website/Instagram Guest: Ambika Devi Website/YouTube/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/LinkedIn Join the Best Book Ever Newsletter HERE! Subscribe for FREE to receive weekly emails with complete show notes, photos of our guests, and updates on what Julie is reading on her own time. Support the podcast for just $5/month and you'll receive the weekly newsletter AND a monthly themed curated book list. Become a Founder for $100 and you'll receive the weekly newsletter, the monthly curated book list, AND a personal thank you on the podcast AND a Best Book Ever T-Shirt in your favorite color and style. Discussed in this episode: Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins Fun With Dick and Jane Lilith by Ambika Devi The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Cupid is a Bastard by Ambika Devi Journeys Out of the Body by Robert A. Monroe Danielle Garrett Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore Artemis by Andy Weir The Martian by Andy Weir Project Hail Mary (Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you shop using my affiliate link on Bookshop, a portion of your purchase will go to me, at no extra expense to you. Thank you for supporting indie bookstores and for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)
Art is another modern bridge to ancient wisdomOne of my favorite novels in my early 20s was Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. It is the colorful story of a king searching for immortality. On his quest, he finds out that out of all the sophisticated matters in life, beetroots are a prime ingredient of an immortality ritual. Odd as it may sound, from a yogic filter, beetroots as super-earthy veggies are a go-to if you want to strengthen the manager of earth vibes in our energetic system, namely Muladhara chakra. Muladhara, the root chakra is the source of anti-aging and a priority in any yogic practice to increase vitality and stamina. To know more about the modern connection and application of yogic secrets on Muladhara chakra listen to this podcast.
Lexi & Ben get literary AF with their first ever book club episode! Dork book club? Book dork club? Whatever. Listen in as they dork out about some of the formative books that made them the dorks they are today.SHOW NOTES:Books we talked about:The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (Lexi)Catacombs by Paul McCusker (Ben)It Happened in Boston? by Russell H. Greenan (Lexi)The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien (Ben)Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins (Ben)Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Lexi)Redwall by Brian Jacques (not Jeph Jacques) (Ben)Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Lexi & Ben)Every book ever written by David Sedaris (Lexi)The Discworld series by Terry Pratchett (Ben)Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (Ben)Important references:Scotish snowplowsReading Rainbow (We love you LeVar)Jonathon Frakes libidoChristian Persecution ComplexEveryone is DEADCletusToonie (ferreal)Margaret AtwoodTheodore Mouse Goes to Sea"A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"Becky ChambersBONUS MATERIAL:Producer Jess' formative book picks and explanations:Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones. I wasn't really much of a reader until I was turned on to the Harry Potter series, but this was the first book I read before even those ones that made me interested in fantasy, and was ultimately what put me on the path of being a lifelong book lover (Gail Carson Levine also falls under this umbrella as another kickass fairytale fantasy writer)A Complicated Kindness, Miriam Toews. I think YA is grossly underrated and books like this prove that; I also think the idea that YA has to have a happy ending is ridiculous and this is a book that proves that because it's decidedly melancholic throughout all the way to the end (but honestly that is how teenagerdom felt for me, so I appreciate that)Nightwood, Djuna Barnes. From a stylistic perspective it's unlike any other book I've ever read (it's a story with no plot, really - contemporary of TS Eliot if that gives any context) and it fundamentally changed the way I think about love and sexualityThe Waves, Virginia Woolf. My favourite of Woolf's work, this is the first time I ever got to read an experience of depression that felt like my ownThe Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck. Yes, this is an Oprah Book Club book that was given to me by my mother as an "easy read" because I was feeling overwhelmed crushing out a shitload of classics readings in my undergrad, but this is a book that I re-read probably once a year. It just kind of makes you feel good despite the fact that it's about the cyclical folly of man, and I love that Difficult Women, Roxane Gay - I love short stories as much as I love novels, and this is one of the best collections I've ever read, period. Every single one of these stories completely captures the terror and power of what it means to be a womanGrief is the Thing with Feathers, Max Porter - I don't think I've ever cried so hard reading before (like had to stop because I couldn't see the page crying) but you feel really cathartically better after because if you've ever experienced any death in your life this is a heartbreakingly true articulation of how truly awful it is to lose someone you love SOCIALS:Here's where you can find us!Lexi's website and twitter and instagramBen's website and instagram and where to buy his book: Amazon.ca / Comixology / Ind!go / Renegade ArtsDork Matter's website(WIP) and twitter and instagramIf you're enjoying Dork Matters, we'd really appreciate a nice rating and review on Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods. It would very much help us get this show to the other dorks out there.“Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold."
Today in botanical history, we celebrate the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, an English botanist and a Patron Saint of gardeners. We'll hear an excerpt from a book by Tim Robbins featuring September in Louisiana. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that inspires us to make plants feel right at home in our homes. And then we'll wrap things up with a milestone moment in the history of Australia - the stunning loss of the Garden Palace that happened on this day 139 years ago today. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Curated News 2022 Garden Trends Report: From Crisis to Innovation | Garden Media Group Important Events September 22, 1694 Birth of Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, English statesman and writer. He's remembered for his letters to his son and other notable people of his day. He once advised his son, l recommend you to take care of the minutes, for hours will take care of themselves… Yale University has Chesterfield's note containing the words to On a Lady Stung By a Bee. To heal a wound a bee had made Upon my Chloe's face, It's honey to the part she laid, And bade me kiss the place. Pleased, I obeyed, and from the wound Suck'd both the sweet and smart ; The honey on my lips I found, The sting within my heart. September 22, 1800 Birth of George Bentham, English botanist, writer, and teacher. He was going to be an attorney but pursued botany after living in the country. His thinking was preserved in a diary, which he kept for over fifty years. George once wrote, I decided that my means were sufficient to enable me to devote myself to botany, a determination which I never…. [had] any reason to [regret]. George's longest professional friendship was with the botanist John Stuart Mills who had lived with the Bentham family as a teenager. A pragmatist, George finished his Flora of the British Islands by writing every morning before breakfast. He purposely used simple language so that his book could reach a wider audience. George wanted everyone to see fundamental differences in plants. The useful way he classified plants laid the foundation for modern taxonomy. Later in his career, George co-authored the three-volume Genera Plantarum with Sir Joseph Hooker. The "Bentham & Hooker system" was widely used and made plant classification easier. George also worked with Ferdinand Mueller to create an impressive nineteen-volume flora of Australia. In 1830, George discovered Opal Basil (purple) which is prized for its flavor and color. But the plant George is most associated with is an Australian sister plant to tobacco, Nicotiana benthamiana. The plant was named in his honor and is used to create vaccines for the Ebola virus and the coronavirus. George died two weeks shy of his 84th birthday. September 22nd Today is the Feast Day of Phocas the Gardener, a Turkish innkeeper and gardener who lived during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. His garden aided him in living his most-remembered virtues: hospitality and generosity. When Roman soldiers arrived in his village, Phocas offered them lodging and a homemade meal using the bounty of his garden. As they talked, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept, Phocas went out to the garden to dig his own grave and pray for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas revealed his identity to the soldiers who reluctantly killed him. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, Phocas illustrated how gardens create connection and community. Phocas is the Patron Saint of flower and ornamental gardens, farmers, field hands, and market gardeners. Unearthed Words Louisiana in September was like an obscene phone call from nature. The air--moist, sultry, secretive, and far from fresh--felt as if it were being exhaled into one's face. Sometimes it even sounded like heavy breathing. Honeysuckle, swamp flowers, magnolia, and the mystery smell of the river scented the atmosphere, amplifying the intrusion of organic sleaze. It was aphrodisiac and repressive, soft and violent at the same time. In New Orleans, in the French Quarter, miles from the barking lungs of alligators, the air maintained this quality of breath, although here it acquired a tinge of metallic halitosis, due to fumes expelled by tourist buses, trucks delivering Dixie beer, and, on Decatur Street, a mass-transit motor coach named Desire. ― Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume Grow That Garden Library Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is Beautiful plants in beautiful spaces. And this book has one of my favorite covers ever! So hats off to the book designer who came up with that incredible cover. Hilton is a plant stylist, a plant whisperer, and a plant coach, and all of that comes into play in this inspiring book of home interiors that are full of life, style, balance, health, and of course, plants. Carter is a master of greenery, and his approach to creating a welcoming room is making your plants feel right at home. Carter uses his book to take us on a tour of a dozen different homes that all feature their own unique ways of incorporating plants into their interiors and design. Each space is thoughtfully laid out, super comfortable, and beautiful. This book is 224 pages of plants at home in the home - and what a welcome addition for each of us to make. Lots of plant styling inspo in this book! You can get a copy of Wild Interiors by Hilton Carter and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $17 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart September 22, 1882 On this day, at 5:40 am, the iconic Garden Palace in the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney was destroyed in a fire that consumed the entire fourteen-hectare structure in forty minutes. The flames could be seen for twenty miles. Modeled after the Crystal Palace but constructed primarily with timber, The Garden Palace was built at a record pace and completed in just over eight months for the Sydney International Exhibition in 1879. It dominated Sydney's skyline for only three years. In its glory, a statue of the Queen stood beneath the palace dome made of thirty-six stained-glass windows. After the Exhibition closed, the Garden Palace was unfortunately used to store important records (including the 1881 census) and countless irreplaceable Indigenous artifacts. The cause of the fire has never been established. At the time of the fire, a French artist named Lucien Henry captured the fire on canvas. His assistant, George Hippolyte Aurousseau, recalled the moment in a 1912 edition of the Technical Gazette: Mister Henry went out onto the balcony and watched until the Great Dome toppled in; it was then early morning; he went back to his studio procured a canvas, sat down, and painted the whole scene in a most realistic manner, showing the fig trees in the Domain, the flames rising through the towers, the dome falling in and the reflected light of the flames all around. Today the Pioneer Memorial Garden rests on the site where the dome would have been. Built in 1938, the garden commemorated the 150th anniversary of European settlement in Australia. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Sondrine Kehoe's love affair with scent and botanicals came into being at a very young age. Kindled by childhood curiosity; Mixing flowers, honey, and alcohol to make her first perfume. What started as a creative outlet has now grown into a successful regenerative business. Cygnet Perfumery creates the most divine collection of handcrafted botanical extrait de parfum's and regenerative skincare, made in limited and small batches using sustainable sources and methods. Whether it be a parfum or skincare, Sondrine only uses the most carefully considered natural ingredients ( no synthetic fragrances or endangered plants), the process of creation is slow and intentional, with every extrait de parfum released exclusively in limited batches. Listening to Sondrine talk about the alchemical creation process of her potent products; It becomes clear that Cygnet Perfumery is a business centred around integrity and conscious practices. Sondrine's devotion and attention to every aspect of creating these divine bottles of joy for our most primal sense are admirable and something worth celebrating. This conversation is heart and soul-worthy and will teach you a lot about the art of botanical perfumery. Tune in to hear Tahnee and Sondrine discuss botanical formulation, conscious business, the power of scent, essential oils, motherhood, birth, midwifery, and so much more. "We want to treat it with respect. That's part of the reason we release a small batch and only once a year. We don't want to produce in mass production, to make as much profit as possible out of these amazing plants that we have the privilege of working with". - Sondrine Kehoe Tahnee and Sondrine discuss: Botanical perfumery How we experience smell. The skin microbiome. What is regenerative skincare? skincare ingredients. The golden age of perfumery. Native Australian botanicals. Aromatherapy and oil guidelines. Home birth and midwifery. Why the scent of parfum changes over time. Who is Sondrine Kehoe? Sondrine Kehoe is the founder and nose behind Cygnet - a mindful small business that offers slow-made botanical extrait de parfum and regenerative skincare. Sondrine is a self-taught perfumer who has been alchemising plants into fragrance since she was a child. After studying midwifery and becoming a mother herself, she launched Cygnet in 2020 - a celebration of nature, creativity, and the fifth sense. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST Resources: IFRA Perfume Body cygnetperfumery.com.au Cygnet Perfumery Instagram Q: How Can I Support The SuperFeast Podcast? A: Tell all your friends and family and share online! We'd also love it if you could subscribe and review this podcast on iTunes. Or check us out on Stitcher, CastBox, iHeart RADIO:)! Plus we're on Spotify! Check Out The Transcript Here: Tahnee: (00:00) Hi everybody and welcome to the SuperFeast Podcast. I'm here today with Sondrine Kehoe. She's the founder of Cygnet Perfumery, and she's just a bit of a legend. I'm really excited to have her here with us today. Tahnee: (00:14) I've been diving into her world, I think since the start of the year. I signed up for a subscription for her work, and I've been getting these beautiful little packages on that incredible cotton paper that you use, which I'm obsessed with. Tahnee: (00:26) And Sondrine's work around using botanicals that are really carefully sourced, and some of them are handmade, and just this really kind of old school process, using... Is it the spiritus vini? All of this stuff. I'm really excited to be here with you. Because I have a big thing for perfume but I don't like all that commercial stuff, so it's super exciting to meet you. Thanks so much for joining us. Sondrine Kehoe: (00:53) Thanks. It's so nice to be chatting to you. Tahnee: (00:56) Yeah. And I'm just so fascinated with your story. I tried to do a bit of research on you, and saw that used to be a midwife, and I thought, babies, scent... Really primal careers you've had. So would you mind telling us a little bit about how you got into perfumery, but also your life before perfumery? Sondrine Kehoe: (01:20) Of course, yeah. Where to begin? I feel like actually, perfumery started right from the beginning. So before midwifery and all those other tangents that I went on, I started, just like most children, making potions in the garden from plants, and I think we can all relate to that. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:46) And I just never grew out of it. It's just a passion that was seeded from an early age. And so I'd always make my own perfumes and skincare from the garden, and was very encouraged by all my aunts and family, who would give me books and old perfume bottles. Sondrine Kehoe: (02:10) And I remember in primary school, I discovered that botanical perfumery was an actual vocation, and that there were people out there making it. And so I made my first alcohol based perfume with vodka and honey, and different flowers from the garden. I've still got it today, actually. But it's something that I've just done my whole life and loved. I guess it's a bit of a creative outlet for me. Sondrine Kehoe: (02:42) And then I got out of high school, and actually was going to start something when I finished school, a completely different project, but with botanical perfume. But life took me in another direction and I ended up studying midwifery, and completely fell in love with that whole world. Babies, birth. It was a really special time. Sondrine Kehoe: (03:11) So I studied that for four years. And then me and my partner decided to have a sea change, to move out of the city with my sister and her husband. And sorry if I sound breathless. It's the 32 week [crosstalk 00:03:28] read my daughter a story and I'm... Run a marathon. Sondrine Kehoe: (03:36) So we had a sea change out of Melbourne and ended up both getting pregnant, within about two weeks apart of each other. And so we both had our babies in the same house, and life just suddenly slowed down a lot. And I took a step back from Midwifery, and just fell back into perfumery. Sondrine Kehoe: (04:03) While my daughter would nap I would be tinkering away on different formulas. And Cygnet really grew from there, from becoming a mother and re- igniting that creativity and slowing down a bit. So yeah, it's definitely related. Pushed me in that direction. Tahnee: (04:29) I don't know a lot about the art and craft of it beyond that it's this incredible mix of alchemy and chemistry, and then nuance, your own olfactory perceptions and how you weave things together. But is it a slow process for you, pulling together a scent, or is that something that comes really quickly, or how does it work for you? Sondrine Kehoe: (04:54) I'd probably say a little bit of both. Definitely mainly slow. There's a couple of perfumes that have taken a couple of months to create, but a lot of them take years really, of just slightly altering 1.1 Mil less of something. I think it's definitely a slow process. And the ageing process in itself is slow with them, and they do change after you allow them to age for six months or so. Tahnee: (05:31) Yeah, I found that super interesting, just researching perfumes, that like wine, they age and they get better, different. What's your thoughts on that? Is there an appropriate use phase? Sondrine Kehoe: (05:47) Definitely. I think you can definitely draw that analogy between wine making and perfumery, particularly with botanical perfumery, and you have these really dynamic, alive essential oils you're working with, and absolutes that are in themselves like perfumes, really. Sondrine Kehoe: (06:08) So each oil is made up of hundreds and hundreds of different volatile chemical compounds, and so when you mix them all together and put them in a base of... So we use spiritus vini, which is grape alcohol... There's these chemical reactions that occur between all the essential oils, and that's what creates that... On the nose, you'll notice it becomes smoother, rounder, less sharp notes sticking out. They kind of do become fuller bodied. And sometimes- Tahnee: (06:47) Yeah, like wine. Sondrine Kehoe: (06:48) Yeah, it is. It's really similar to wine. Tahnee: (06:55) So with the spiritus vini... I guess I'm not super familiar with how a more commercial perfume is made. Years ago I stopped using them because they made me sick. If I sprayed... I can't remember... I bought one when I was in my early 20s and every time I sprayed it I'd sneeze for about half an hour, and then I'd feel really nauseous. So I stopped using them. Tahnee: (07:20) And I kind of just started moving more toward essential oils and things anyway. And we spoke a little bit off camera about that, but I was really researching essential oils, realising how potent they are, and you know maybe not to be liberally applying, as I was at the time. So what's the role of the spiritus vini? Is it like a preservative or a carrier, or how does it hold the perfume? Sondrine Kehoe: (07:45) I guess its role is a little bit of everything. So essential oils, and absolutes, and all of their aromatic materials we use can't be applied directly to skin. So you have to follow and know their safe skin concentration limit to, as best as you can, make sure that no one's going to have a reaction to the product. Sondrine Kehoe: (08:14) And so partly it's a dilutant, but alcohol does also preserve the fragrance. But the main thing I love about it is that it actually projects the fragrance. So as you put it on, the alcohol rises, evaporates off your skin, and it really gives that lift, especially to the top notes of the fragrance. So that's why we chose to work with it rather than do oil based perfumes. I just love how it makes the fragrance smell, and how you experience it. Tahnee: (08:52) Yeah, and my guess is that quality of when you apply it, your body's warm and there's that mixing of you and the perfume [crosstalk 00:09:01] Sondrine Kehoe: (09:01) Yeah, that's a whole other thing, isn't it? It's amazing. You smell it on[crosstalk 00:09:09] Tahnee: (09:10) Yeah, and I'm like, "It doesn't smell the same on you." Sondrine Kehoe: (09:13) Yeah, it mixes with your own body chemistry. And even the climate as well... So you'll notice, in warm weather, it might be slightly different to, say, winter. It's so alive, isn't it? Living organism of perfume. Tahnee: (09:33) Yeah, and I guess like if you're... Because I know you're really interested in the microbiome, and I wonder if you could speak a little bit to that, in terms of those more synthetic fragrances, and then how something like Cygnet would work. Is it more microbiome friendly to work with more natural products? Is there a correlation there between keeping our skin happy and... Sondrine Kehoe: (09:57) Yeah. So I guess my interest in the microbiome happened when I studied midwifery. That was when I first learned about it. Because our microbiome is seeded at birth, obviously. And that sent me into a whole research spiral, and I just fell in love with it, and had always planned on launching skincare. Sondrine Kehoe: (10:22) So we launched, at the start of this year, the regenerative skincare line which is all microbiome friendly. And with perfume, products that can influence the microbiome in a negative way can be natural or synthetic. So it can be either, because there are definitely essential oils that are really highly anti microbial, like tea tree oil. That's an example. Tahnee: (10:53) Oregano. Sondrine Kehoe: (10:54) Yeah, oregano. Exactly. And so in concentrations that are really high, they can also affect the good bacteria that we want to keep on our skin. But then there are also oils that are selectively anti microbial. And so they'll target the pathogens, the bad ones we don't want, but still allow the others to thrive. So with the perfumes, they are alcohol based. And alcohol is obviously... Tahnee: (11:29) We've learned about that this year. Sondrine Kehoe: (11:30) Yeah, we learned about that, and I think we can all feel that, with all the sanitizer we're applying as well, that it's not a great thing for our microbiome. But it's needed sometimes. So it's something that I would love to integrate further with our fragrance line, as we grow. Sondrine Kehoe: (11:49) The key thing with it, that I wanted, was... You'll note that they're all applied the traditional way. Because they're extraits, we dab them. We don't spray them. And so they're applied to a really tiny surface area of your skin. So I definitely wouldn't claim that they are going to benefit your microbiome. But I would have to leave it to the experts to... Tahnee: (12:22) Yeah, but I guess that makes a lot of sense, that you're not like spraying this mist all over you, that's going to hit multiple parts of the body. Sondrine Kehoe: (12:32) Yeah, definitely. But it certainly has different benefits too, wearing as, say, a synthetic fragrance. Tahnee: (12:41) Yeah and I mean, your skincare... I just received some the other day. I just opened it this morning. It's beautiful. [crosstalk 00:12:47] So I'm looking forward to having used it for a little while, but I'm really interested in your work around that, because there's a hydrosol product with the seaweed extract in it, which looks [crosstalk 00:13:03] And then I've got the serum. So I'm interested, how did that come about? What's your process with putting that together? Sondrine Kehoe: (13:10) So I was working on that for quite some time. We called the line Regenerative Skin Care because we follow a philosophy where each product has three criteria that it has to meet. So we source all our ingredients direct from farmers, producers, distillers, scientists that are using regenerative, organic or bio dynamic practises. And they have to be microbiome friendly for our skin. And then also we plant a tree with each one sold. Sondrine Kehoe: (13:48) So the whole concept is that it's meant to regenerate the microbes both on our skin and on the earth, through biodiversity. And it's been an amazing journey. I've just met so many incredible producers and distillers. So most of our ingredients are sourced within Australia, and then there's a couple internationally. But it's been so nice to connect with these amazing people, and definitely been one of my favourite experiences so far in the business. So it kind of emerged from that. Sondrine Kehoe: (14:29) And so at the moment, there's only two products, a serum and an elixir, I guess you could call it. It's a mist. And we're also slowly working on a cleanser. But it will always be really minimal, because if you're into microbiome friendly skincare, you'll know you don't need much for your skin. A minimal routine is best. Tahnee: (14:57) Yeah. Leave it alone. Sondrine Kehoe: (14:59) Exactly. And as little ingredients as you can, just of really high quality. But the ingredients that have made these products, I've fallen in love with. You mentioned the seaweed extract. So that's one from a company in Hobart, Tasmania. And it's wakame seaweed that they collect from Patagonia, as well as a little bit on the coast of Tazzy. And they organically extract it in their lab. Sondrine Kehoe: (15:34) And they work, I think, with a university nearby them. So they've done some really amazing studies on this product they create, and it's just really an incredible extract for the skin, and for the microbiome as well. Tahnee: (15:49) I'm excited to see that, because I think seaweed's just such an incredible... I know they're kind of weird plant animal things. [crosstalk 00:16:06] But they're such an amazing boon for humans and the planet. It's really exciting to see them getting a bit more time in the public arena. Sondrine Kehoe: (16:16) Yeah, it is, isn't it? Tahnee: (16:17) Yeah. And so I was really curious about where Cygnet came from. Because it's a baby goose, but is that your relationship with it? Is it a baby goose [crosstalk 00:16:31] Sondrine Kehoe: (16:31) Funnily enough, it basically is. So a cygnet's a baby swan. Tahnee: (16:36) Baby swan. Sondrine Kehoe: (16:36) It's slightly different from a goose. Tahnee: (16:37) Yeah, no, gosling. Of course. Sondrine Kehoe: (16:38) Same, same. Tahnee: (16:40) [crosstalk 00:16:40] my baby brain. Sondrine Kehoe: (16:42) We were just in Sydney, feeding baby swans, cygnets... Tahnee: (16:45) Oh, were you? Sondrine Kehoe: (16:45) ... And my daughter was like, "What's a baby swan called?" And I was like, "It's called a cygnet." Yeah, anyway. Tahnee: (16:49) They're so cute. Sondrine Kehoe: (16:49) Yeah, they're sweet, aren't they? So my loved ones all call me swan. So that's how it came... And then Cygnet obviously evolved after I became a mother. So we were chatting one evening, and the name came about. Tahnee: (17:11) It's so beautiful. And all of your branding, all of its really... I can just tell how much your attention to detail and that alchemy has sort of carried through the whole range. Sondrine Kehoe: (17:24) Oh, thank you. Tahnee: (17:26) It's really beautiful to experience it. Sondrine Kehoe: (17:26) That's lovely. Tahnee: (17:29) Like that paper, I swear, every time I get it I'm like- Sondrine Kehoe: (17:31) Yeah, isn't it amazing? I just keep it but I don't know what I'm doing with it. Tahnee: (17:35) That paper's called lokta paper, and it's a traditional Nepalese paper that is made from a plant there. But it's beautiful. Sondrine Kehoe: (17:46) It is. It's really, really special. And so tell me a little bit about... Do you do some of the distillation stuff yourself, or are you... I mean, I'm thinking about time. How long do these take you? Tahnee: (18:02) I know. I would love to. It's definitely a big hobby of mine. I was lucky enough to go and have a day distilling with one of my producers, who distils the rosemary hydrosol for me. And it was amazing, learning about distilling. Tahnee: (18:22) I'd love to eventually get a still and have a go myself. But I think it would be a big learning process, and I'm very fussy with my sourcing. And the oils that I'm working with, just of a calibre that would probably take me years to figure out how to distil them as well. So I'll leave it to the experts for now. Tahnee: (18:46) But I do some things in house, so using an old method called enfleurage, where you use a bit of fat... I use organic shea butter... And it's for flowers that are too fragile to distil as an essential oil. So maybe like violets and- Sondrine Kehoe: (19:12) Jasmine and rose. Tahnee: (19:13) Yeah. All of those beautiful ones. So you lay them on the fat, and you have to change them every day, at least 30 times. So it's a really slow process. And then you wash them [crosstalk 00:19:25] Yeah, exactly. So I do do that. I enjoy all those slow processes. And I also make tinctures. So with the spiritus vini, you can extract certain materials as a tincture, and then age them as well, separately to the perfume. Sondrine Kehoe: (19:47) So you're using those tinctures in the perfume, as a part of [crosstalk 00:19:50] Tahnee: (19:50) I am. Yeah, as a part of the base. Some of them are really strong, so they don't constitute the whole base. So for example, Vigneron, which I think you just would have got. Is that right? [crosstalk 00:20:06] Oh no. End of the year [crosstalk 00:20:10] December, sorry. That has a- Sondrine Kehoe: (20:08) Sneak preview. Tahnee: (20:13) That all started from a tincture I made of heritage roses from a vineyard nearby. Sondrine Kehoe: (20:18) Oh, wow. Tahnee: (20:19) Yeah, so that's beautiful. And it also has an oak barrel tincture as well. So it's a lot of fun. I think alchemy's one of the things that I'm just super into, and I feel like perfume [crosstalk 00:20:36] really old art, that if you go back all the way through human history, we've been playing with scents. Because there's that really primitive sense of how much scent brings forth memory, and brings forth really subtle layers of our consciousness. Is there a scent for you that's really meaningful, that holds... Sondrine Kehoe: (20:59) A lot of memory? Tahnee: (21:00) Yeah, [crosstalk 00:21:03] You've worked with a lot of really powerful scents in your range. Sondrine Kehoe: (21:05) Yeah, definitely. I think whenever that happens it always takes me by surprise. So recalling something comes to mind right now, but [crosstalk 00:21:20] you'll get a smell of a perfume. Someone's walking by, and you'll smell what they're wearing, and instantly [crosstalk 00:21:27] taken back to another loved one. But I'm trying to think... Tahnee: (21:36) It's probably all hand sanitizer right now. Sondrine Kehoe: (21:39) Yeah. Well actually, the hand sanitizer brings me back to the birth suite. [crosstalk 00:21:43] so I kind of have this nostalgic love for the smell. Tahnee: (21:48) That's really charming. Delivering babies. Sondrine Kehoe: (21:52) Exactly, yeah. And it's funny like that. I think it's the strongest sense we have that's connected to emotion and memories. It has a really powerful ability to bring back memories. A lot of the time it might just be things like cooking, I think, will often bring me back to my childhood. A certain dish that my mum would make. Tahnee: (22:17) Yeah, even stuff you've eaten overseas. Smelling- Sondrine Kehoe: (22:19) Yeah. Is there something for you? Tahnee: (22:24) I have a thing for vetiver because... This is a weird story, but I had an eating disorder in my late teens and early 20s. I was very disembodied, and I worked with this woman for a really long time who would rub vetiver all over her hands before she worked on me. And the first time I ever remember feeling my body, all I could smell was vetiver, and it's just this very- Sondrine Kehoe: (22:49) Wow. What a powerful memory. Tahnee: (22:51) Yeah, it's a really grounding smell. Every time I smell it now I'm like [crosstalk 00:22:59] Sondrine Kehoe: (22:59) And it's distilled from roots as well. So that's [crosstalk 00:23:02] Tahnee: (23:02) Is it? Sondrine Kehoe: (23:03) Yeah [crosstalk 00:23:04] Tahnee: (23:03) So that makes sense. Really earthy. But I've always liked spag bol and things like that. Sondrine Kehoe: (23:12) I know. It's always those simple things. Manila or all those. Tahnee: (23:18) Or certain incense. I used to own a yoga studio, so there's times when I would light a certain type of incense I'd be like, "That reminds me of that space." [crosstalk 00:23:28] I find perfume [crosstalk 00:23:31] Sondrine Kehoe: (23:31) Definitely. I love using scent purposefully, to bring you back to a certain way of feeling, or a time. And using new scents that you haven't smelled before to help establish a memory, I think's really beautiful. Tahnee: (23:51) Yeah, like creating a new pathway. Sondrine Kehoe: (23:52) Yeah. Tahnee: (23:54) Is your daughter interested in this process at all? Sondrine Kehoe: (23:57) Yeah, she is. She's already doing it in the garden. Tahnee: (24:02) Has she created anything interesting yet? Sondrine Kehoe: (24:08) Yeah, she's my prodigy. The pressure's on her. No, she definitely loves exploring, and I can't wait till she's... She's only three, but when she gets to the age where she's able to tinker around at my perfume organ and play with all the oils. I can't wait to see what she creates. She's definitely very interested in it. Tahnee: (24:33) But is she more in the mud and petals stage? Sondrine Kehoe: (24:37) She's still in the mud and petals stage. Tahnee: (24:41) My daughter [inaudible 00:24:43] not a nice smell, but I'm very proud of you for trying. Sondrine Kehoe: (24:49) Yeah, definitely. Tahnee: (24:49) And are you using a lot of traditional... I mean, my understanding of perfumery is a lot of, I guess, our more modern processes out of the French style, I guess, that I know. [crosstalk 00:25:06] Sondrine Kehoe: (25:05) Yeah, for sure. It is, yeah. So the processes we use are inspired by, I guess, the golden age of perfumery in France, which was around 16th to 18th Century, I think, before synthetic molecules were discovered. And there were these beautiful perfumes. A lot of them were made up of hundreds of different essential oils. And they would also use... The spiritus vini comes from there too, a particular distillation of grape alcohol. Sondrine Kehoe: (25:44) And the style, extrait de parfum, is also a French style that's the most concentrated, purest form of scent, and why I really love that intimate physical process of applying it directly to your skin, rather than spraying. [crosstalk 00:26:07] Tahnee: (26:07) I totally agree with that. It's very sensual, and slow, and [crosstalk 00:26:13] in putting it on. And I mean, I guess, is that tradition... I'm interested in how... Are you looking at Australian botanicals, and going, "Well, how do I weave..." Sondrine Kehoe: (26:27) Definitely. Tahnee: (26:28) I don't know how they'd play with your perfume. Sondrine Kehoe: (26:32) Yeah, so influenced by those old traditions but then weaving in more contemporary insights and methods, and I guess disrupting a little bit what the tradition of perfume is. Tahnee: (26:46) Go, girl. Sondrine Kehoe: (26:46) So I've used some beautiful Australian oils, and at the moment I've got a really gorgeous duo of oils from a distiller in New South Wales that I've been slowly working on. Sondrine Kehoe: (27:05) I find one of my favourite scents is the smell of the bush by the beach, but it's something that [crosstalk 00:27:11] hard to capture.So I've been working on something for years, but I'm still not happy. It's hard to do it justice. Tahnee: (27:19) Because I guess you've got so many layers of nuance, and that [inaudible 00:27:26] fresh, seaweedy, and then [crosstalk 00:27:28] Sondrine Kehoe: (27:28) Exactly. Tahnee: (27:30) And you guys are on the Mornington Peninsula, right? Sondrine Kehoe: (27:32) We are. Tahnee: (27:32) So you've got the proper Aussie bush. Sondrine Kehoe: (27:35) Exactly. We are. We're on a little beach town here. And we're on five acres, so there's mainly tea tree on the property where we are. Tahnee: (27:45) Lovely. Sondrine Kehoe: (27:46) And the smell of that sandy soil and the tea tree when the sun warms it up, it's so beautiful. We've got some amazing oils coming from Australia, particularly our Australian sandalwood as well. Tahnee: (28:01) Is that sort of an emerging industry here? Because I think it seems like these big oil companies, which we don't need to name names, but we know who they are... Then there's all these little people who are just quite small. Is it hard to compete with these kind of big, MLM, global operations? Sondrine Kehoe: (28:29) Yeah, definitely. So like the artisan distillers... There's definitely a bit of a monopoly on the oil industry. And a lot of politics, and also sustainability issues as well, with sourcing. It's something that we're super careful of. Sondrine Kehoe: (28:53) I'd love to be able to source everything direct like we do with skincare, for fragrance, but we make our batches in really small quantities that are released once a year, so it's just not viable for the producers of these oils to sell them in such small quantities. Sondrine Kehoe: (29:13) So we work with three different suppliers. One of them mainly sources from artisan distillers, which is really nice because it's a completely different product. For example, vetiver, you will smell three different oils and they'll smell completely different depending on where they're grown or who's distilled them, what the climate was like that year. Sondrine Kehoe: (29:39) And so here in Australia, it's definitely starting to grow a bit bigger. I would say the main oils that are coming out of Australia for the perfume industry are Australian sandalwood, particularly because sandalwood's an endangered species. Sondrine Kehoe: (30:00) So we used to use Sandalwood coming out of India, but basically the sandalwood trees there got just decimated by the perfume industry and essential oil industry, which is really sad, and something to be wary of when you're buying oils. So we don't use any endangered species in our perfumes. Sondrine Kehoe: (30:22) And the other oil that comes out of here... It's actually an absolute... Is called boronia, and it's a tiny little brown flower. I'm not sure if you've ever heard of it. Tahnee: (30:32) Yeah, is it like the little succulenty kind of- Sondrine Kehoe: (30:35) It does look a little bit like that, and it looks a bit like a bell, the flower. Tahnee: (30:39) Yeah, I think I grow some. Sondrine Kehoe: (30:41) Yeah, I know. One mil of that is about usually $60. [crosstalk 00:30:49] Yeah, exactly. Tahnee: (30:52) So what's it smell like? What's its notes? How would you describe it? Sondrine Kehoe: (30:58) It's really beautiful and unique. It's like a perfume in its own right. It's kind of like... Tahnee: (31:04) Kind of a floral- Sondrine Kehoe: (31:05) Floral but a little bit fruity. So we don't currently have a perfume with it in there, but it's definitely on the cards.[crosstalk 00:31:16] Yeah, I get too excited. All these different projects running at once. Tahnee: (31:21) Yeah, I mean, I think we're very similar here. We always have 500 things in the pipeline that never seem to make the light of day. But it's a really interesting thing with sustainability, because again, in researching the essential oil industry a few years ago, I was just pretty devastated with how... And I mean, even the spiritual community, like palo santo and all of the things that we... Sondrine Kehoe: (31:44) Yeah, I know. Tahnee: (31:46) ... Everyone burns in their [crosstalk 00:31:47] White sage is getting destroyed. And I was reading a lot about frankincense in Africa and [crosstalk 00:31:59] Sondrine Kehoe: (31:59) Yeah. The same with that as well. Yeah, I think there's not enough awareness about it, perhaps. And I think maybe people think that when you're buying online, that it's all of the same calibre and produced in the same way. And even the amount of oils that are fake essential oils online as well is really shocking. You definitely want to know who your supplier is. Tahnee: (32:33) And I noticed that with your perfume, it's so viscous, compared to even good quality organic perfumes and stuff I've bought, there's a real... Viscosity's only word I can think of. It's a really deep texture and substance to it. And really rich smells. Tahnee: (32:54) And I think there's something... The first time I ever got a vial... I think it was the [inaudible 00:32:59] It was the first one I got, and I was like, "Whoa. This is a very different experience to all the other ones I've ever bought." Which are mostly from health food stores or small makers. They're probably the oil based ones that you were talking about earlier. Tahnee: (33:12) But I can sort of tell that... And I've noticed that with buying essential oils. You can see how the concentration and how the colour and the smell... And there's a real difference in quality. Sondrine Kehoe: (33:23) Yeah, for sure there is, isn't there? Tahnee: (33:27) [inaudible 00:33:27] Are there any sort of companies for the public that you like? Like Australian based? Sondrine Kehoe: (33:32) Yeah, for sure. Well, Australian based, I have bought from Ahimsa, and I've been pretty happy with them. Really happy. And our biggest essential oil distributors here would maybe, I'd say, be... There's New Directions or Auroma. Sondrine Kehoe: (33:54) I don't buy too much from them so I'm not quite sure. I can't really make a comment about them. But I find it quite hard to source within Australia, and so my two main suppliers Hermitage in Italy and Eden Botanicals in America, to be completely transparent, if anyone wants to check them out. Tahnee: (34:23) I've bought from Eden in America when I've been over there. And in my research, a lot of the better companies did seem to be the European based, because they were- Sondrine Kehoe: (34:35) Yeah. I think it's also to do with... I've been trying to get a few oils direct, and dealing with customs is another world. Tahnee: (34:47) I know all about that. Sondrine Kehoe: (34:47) And the taxes you pay on top of it. So I think it is really hard for a business here to offer that kind of array of products within Australia. But I really love the values of both of those companies, and completely trust how they test and source their products. But I'd love to hear if anyone's had some good experiences here as well. I know there's another company called earthYARD which is relatively new. Tahnee: (35:24) Yeah, I've heard of them. Sondrine Kehoe: (35:27) They're really transparent with where they source as well. So they've got quite a small range of essential oils, but also carrier oils as well. Tahnee: (35:37) And so can you explain that concept for people who don't understand? You said before that you don't want to put pure, unadulterated... That's not the right word but you know what I mean... Pure essential oil on your skin. Acupuncture brain fry. Tahnee: (35:57) My friend... My gosh... He literally burned himself. I can't remember what he put on his skin, but then he went out in the sun, and he had third degree burns. Sondrine Kehoe: (36:05) Oh, no. Oh, the poor thing. Tahnee: (36:10) One must be careful. Sondrine Kehoe: (36:10) So oils that can do that particularly, are bergamot and certain citruses. It's called they're phototoxic, so if you go out into the sun wearing them, then [crosstalk 00:36:25] So yeah, definitely don't play around with oils at home undiluted. Sondrine Kehoe: (36:34) So there's a perfume body called IFRA, and they set the rules for how much of both synthetic and natural ingredients can go into a perfume at a safe skin level. There's a lot of maybe discussion around whether those rules are right or not. And in Australia we don't actually have to follow what they do, but in countries like in Europe, you do. To sell your fragrances you have to follow those guidelines. Sondrine Kehoe: (37:12) And I've chosen to follow them, just because it does set out a safe level so that people are less likely to have an allergic reaction. And particularly with those phototoxic essential oils, how much can you put in the perfume without someone going out into the sun after and getting a terrible burn like that. [crosstalk 00:37:35] it's something you definitely don't want your customers to experience. Sondrine Kehoe: (37:40) So their guidelines are all available to the public, and it's definitely interesting to read if you're going down the route of learning about perfumery as well. And then also, there's lots of great aromatherapy resources that also go into safe skin levels. Tahnee: (38:04) Yeah, because I grew up reading my mum's aromatherapy books. They were in my house. Sondrine Kehoe: (38:11) That's so nice. Tahnee: (38:12) Yeah, but I remember being like... You'd never put anything on straight. Even [crosstalk 00:38:18] you'd put in a carrier oil or something. And then 10 years ago everyone starts getting really into essential oils, and dabbing them on everything. And I was like, "Maybe I'm missing something in my learning about this." And what you're saying about the microbiome as well. They can be very powerful. Sondrine Kehoe: (38:40) Yeah, they are. I think that's the important thing, that just because it's natural or organic doesn't mean it's formulated in a way that's safe for your skin, or particularly for your microbiome. That's still such a new and emerging field of research. And I think skincare will all head there. I just think that that's the future of skincare. But slowly. There's a lot of work to be done there. Tahnee: (39:09) Yeah, they don't realise that they're actually part of the plant's hormones. I don't know if you've ever read... Obviously Perfume and Jitterbug Perfume, any of those books around perfume? Have you? Sondrine Kehoe: (39:25) I've read... What's that classic one? [crosstalk 00:39:30] Yeah, it's great. Patrick Suskind. Is that right? Tahnee: (39:33) Yeah, I think that's right. There's another book called Jitterbug Perfume, which is by Tom Robbins, which is not as well known, but it's one of my favourites. Sondrine Kehoe: (39:41) Okay. I've heard of that, actually, I've been meaning to read it. Is it good? Tahnee: (39:45) It's amazing. It's very absurd he's trying to capture the fragrance of beet at one point. Sondrine Kehoe: (39:52) Oh wow. Tahnee: (39:56) It goes all through New Orleans and France and Seattle, and all these different places. But just that idea of the essential oil being like the blood or the essence of the plant. Sondrine Kehoe: (40:07) Yeah, definitely. Tahnee: (40:07) Can you speak at all to that? Because I find that such a fascinating idea. Sondrine Kehoe: (40:16) Yeah, definitely. I do see it like the essence of the plant for sure. Especially when you're in the room, when it's being distilled. Being in that room, and when Bridget from Granite Bar Rosemary was distilling the rosemary, there's just an energy in the room as well when you start smelling it come through this amazing old copper... Tahnee: (40:43) Still. Sondrine Kehoe: (40:43) Yeah, still. It does have this really amazing feeling, and the oils do feel so alive as well. And that ties in to the old alchemy as well, doesn't it? Extracting that... Tahnee: (41:00) Yeah, that very essence of... Sondrine Kehoe: (41:03) Yeah, the very essence of the plant. Tahnee: (41:05) And then what, I guess, a privilege that is, to have access to that. Sondrine Kehoe: (41:09) Oh, it is. Tahnee: (41:10) And [crosstalk 00:41:10] it just becomes this whole story. Sondrine Kehoe: (41:15) For sure. We try and treat it with that respect as well. That's part of the whole reason of releasing really small batch, and only once a year, and not just producing in mass production, to make as much profit as you can out of these amazing plants that I feel like we have the privilege to work with. Tahnee: (41:39) Yeah, I mean, herbalism's the same for us. It's this funny dance between... You want people to experience the magic, and then at the same time it's like we have to respect what's realistic within the capacity of these plants to be spread around the world. Sondrine Kehoe: (41:59) Yeah, what you can harvest. Tahnee: (42:01) Yeah. And I think about that a lot with all of these things we consume for pleasure, beauty, health. It's easy to just be like take, take, take, and at some point... I love that idea that you have that regenerative... Tahnee: (42:18) And I know you guys pay the rent as well, like we do. We support a company that buys land to regenerate, and we pay the rent, and give to some indigenous communities. Tahnee: (42:29) But it's just this idea that... Mason and I have always talked about it, where it's like the plants give us so much. It's the least we can do to give back in some way. Sondrine Kehoe: (42:37) Yeah, definitely. The business model needs a lot of shaking up, doesn't it? Tahnee: (42:42) Yeah. And I think there's people like yourself, and I'm starting to see... I mean, I think the internet is a blessing and a curse, but it provides this forum for us, especially... I mean, we're still a small business... To really get out there and be seen by people, and not have to go through these big distributor channels. And you get to have direct relationships with customers [crosstalk 00:43:06] Sondrine Kehoe: (43:06) Yeah, it's so nice, isn't it? It makes it all really worth it, especially that direct relation with your customers. Tahnee: (43:07) And so what does that look like for you guys? I mean, I saw you wrote somewhere that you had a five year plan. What's Cygnet's journey looking like? Is it [crosstalk 00:43:28] Sondrine Kehoe: (43:30) Well, it's always evolving. And it's definitely heading in the direction of... The immediate goal is broadening our range of skincare offerings, and continuing to establish those relationships with farmers, growers, distillers around here. Sondrine Kehoe: (43:53) And then the dream would be to have a regenerative farm. I think that's more of a 10 year goal. I'd absolutely love to head in that direction, and have an aromatic garden as well, and be able to produce more ingredients for perfumes. Sondrine Kehoe: (44:15) But it's all still growing, and the business is growing with my family. And this little bub's on the way, due in October. And I'm sure that everything will change again. It's been a really nice way to do business. Just take the pressure off constantly producing more, and those concepts of success and everything, and just slowly grow it with how the family's [crosstalk 00:44:53] Tahnee: (44:53) I mean, how do you define that for yourself? Is this just something that lights you up, and you feel successful just seeing it come to life? When you have that farm, will that be the thing that makes you feel like you've really made it, or have you- Sondrine Kehoe: (45:09) Feel like you've got there? Tahnee: (45:11) Yeah. Because I think about that a lot with us. I'm still not sure sometimes. I feel like we've achieved so much and I could kick back, and I'm like, "I'm good." Sondrine Kehoe: (45:19) Yeah, and then do you think, "Where would I like to grow from here"? Tahnee: (45:24) [crosstalk 00:45:24] we just did a process with our team where we did a five year plan, and the team were dreaming up that we had a wellness centre, where people could come and heal. And listening to them all talk about their dreams for what SuperFeast could become, I was like, "Oh, wow." Tahnee: (45:42) It's really inspiring... Because Mason and I have carried it, like you're probably doing right now... It's ourselves for so long. And now we've got this group of other people that are contributing as well, and it's actually- Sondrine Kehoe: (45:53) That's so exciting. Really special. Tahnee: (45:54) Yeah, it's kind of like you feel that community vision coming through. So anyway, it just got me thinking a lot about, what does it even mean? [crosstalk 00:46:06] Sondrine Kehoe: (46:06) I know. Well that's beautiful. I think that community vision, getting to that place, is somewhere where I'd feel like that's where I wanted to be, is building a community out of what you're doing is so special. And being able to invite other people in to imagine where your business could grow, so it's not just yours. It's as much your customers. And then inviting people in to work with you is so nice, having that team. So probably, when I had a beautiful team like that I would be feeling like, "Wow." Tahnee: (46:45) It is. It's definitely a really challenging part of business too. I'm not going to lie. But I find, for me, it's probably the most rewarding part too, is... It sounds trite but it literally feels like family. The people we've worked with for... I've been here for six years, so people I've worked through that whole time. And there's something very special for me about those relationships, and the stuff we've all been through. Sondrine Kehoe: (47:13) That's nice. Tahnee: (47:15) Yeah. And just how they dream SuperFeast to life every day as well. Sondrine Kehoe: (47:19) Yeah, that's amazing. It's so nice. [inaudible 00:47:24] Tahnee: (47:24) Yeah, well, I think it's similar... We've always talked about preserving land and trying to... Even, we want to bring the Australian indigenous herbs to market. It seems like an impossible dream in some ways, because we've been working with the TGA for a few years now, and it's just such an ordeal. Sondrine Kehoe: (47:47) Oh, wow. Yeah, I can imagine. Tahnee: (47:50) But it's possible. It's just you've got to keep [crosstalk 00:47:52] consistent. Tahnee: (47:54) Keep your vision and keep persevering. Yeah [crosstalk 00:47:58] And I've got this feeling, even in these times when, especially with COVID and all this stuff going on, that the earth is dreaming her dream too, and we're all a part of that. And I think there's a lot of beauty and small pockets emerging of sustainable, positive, really earth focused business. And it feels good. I try to stay in that space, and not go into, "Oh my god, the world's going to end." Sondrine Kehoe: (48:33) Yeah, it's nice to kind of use that rage, or what you're feeling, despair, or hate, and try and turn that into positive action, isn't it? Tahnee: (48:49) Yeah, [crosstalk 00:48:52] use your business to make a stand for the things that you believe in and preserve [crosstalk 00:48:57] Sondrine Kehoe: (48:56) Yeah, definitely. I think there's always room for that in what you're doing. Definitely. I feel like it gives it purpose. [crosstalk 00:49:09] Is there more skincare... Is that just the cleanser at this point, or you're going to do [crosstalk 00:49:17] Sondrine Kehoe: (49:16) Definitely always kind of dreaming about more little things, but [crosstalk 00:49:23] I think that, realistically, it'll be the cleanser this year, that's coming, and that's coming along really beautifully. And then slowly build it from there. Sondrine Kehoe: (49:38) Also, I'd love to be doing more one-off perfumes. I've got all these old flacons that I've collected since I was a girl, and I'd love to do one-off perfumes with that. But with pregnancy actually, I haven't been able to work with my oils. Tahnee: (49:53) That was literally going to be one of my questions, because I have been illegally dabbing. Sondrine Kehoe: (49:59) Sorry? Tahnee: (50:00) I've been using a little bit. I just said illegally dabbing. Sondrine Kehoe: (50:06) You can always, as well, put them on like a hankie or something, or clothing. Tahnee: (50:10) Yeah, I'm trying to be very mindful. But I was thinking, would you mind speaking a little bit to that? What's the rationale around pregnancy, and avoiding- Sondrine Kehoe: (50:20) Avoiding essential oils? Tahnee: (50:21) Yeah. Sondrine Kehoe: (50:22) So, particularly important in the first trimester, when your baby and your placenta and everything are still forming. There really just isn't enough research to say what a safe concentration level of essential oil is, obviously for ethical reasons. You can't really do a study saying that. So the best thing is just to avoid them. Sondrine Kehoe: (50:50) I think there's a very small list of safe essential oils. They're still advised not to be used in the first trimester. Some of them have really powerful effects, you'll know, even on your menstrual cycle. They've got the ability to cause contractions and- Tahnee: (51:09) [inaudible 00:51:09] Sondrine Kehoe: (51:09) Yeah, exactly. So they are really powerful ingredients. Also, just personally as well, with smell, anything that's strong sets me off. Tahnee: (51:26) Very unfortunate for a perfumer. Sondrine Kehoe: (51:28) It is. It's really funny having a ridiculously heightened sense of smell... I can smell things from miles away... And not being able to work at the perfume organ. It's slightly annoying, actually. But that's one thing I'm super excited about, is getting back to creating perfumes again, once this [crosstalk 00:51:49] Yeah, exactly. Tahnee: (51:56) I would love, if you don't mind, just before we sign off, sharing a little bit about... You said you had your daughter at home. You're a midwife, so I assume you've trained in all aspects of midwifery? Sondrine Kehoe: (52:08) Yeah. I actually still call myself a student midwife, because I had my daughter a semester out from finishing my degree. And was still really lucky to attend a lot of births. You do a lot of placement during your degree, and work with lots of beautiful midwives and pregnant women, and also learn how to have access to all the research as well. Sondrine Kehoe: (52:43) And I can solely put it down to doing midwifery that I had confidence to birth and confidence in my body that I could birth my daughter at home as well. So I'm so grateful that I found myself doing midwifery. It was a really beautiful experience. Me and my sister, as I said, both had our babies at home together with the same midwives. Tahnee: (53:09) That's so beautiful. Sondrine Kehoe: (53:11) And they were joking we'd go at the same time. Tahnee: (53:12) Be nice and convenient. Sondrine Kehoe: (53:13) So it didn't happen. They come when they want. So I did have her at home, and I've got the same beautiful midwife again, another one who's gorgeous, this time. So we'll be having this one at home as well. [crosstalk 00:53:34] Did I read that you had a home birth too? Is that right? Tahnee: (53:37) Yeah, my daughter was at home. So we live in a different house now, but in South Golden, where we live now. Which is really cute. We walk to the beach and I'm like, "That's where you were born." And she's always like [crosstalk 00:53:50] Sondrine Kehoe: (53:49) That's so nice. Tahnee: (53:53) Yeah, it's really cute. Sondrine Kehoe: (53:55) That's nice, isn't it? Tahnee: (53:56) Yeah, and the woman who owns the place is still a friend. So it's very nice. And I guess my mum always spoke of birth as... This sounds terrible but she's like, "We're animals. Animals give birth." Sondrine Kehoe: (54:11) That's not terrible at all. Tahnee: (54:12) They just do it. Sondrine Kehoe: (54:13) That's true. Tahnee: (54:14) Sounds very non romantic. Horses don't lie down on their backs and birth. They walk around and then they squat. Sondrine Kehoe: (54:22) We watched videos in our uni of animals giving birth. Tahnee: (54:26) Oh, did you? There you go. So I guess I had a lot of faith in that biologically, physiologically sound birth. And we're really fortunate in this area, to have a midwifery programme through the hospital that... Sondrine Kehoe: (54:42) Yeah, that's amazing. [crosstalk 00:54:43] Tahnee: (54:43) ... Allows for home birth. Yeah, so if you're no risk and tick all the boxes, you can do it. So we were really grateful for that. Sondrine Kehoe: (54:52) That's great. Tahnee: (54:53) Because that was a time when SuperFeast was not that big and we were very poor. Sondrine Kehoe: (54:56) No, it's not accessible, which is really sad. In Melbourne, I know there's at least one hospital that offers the home birth programme, in Sunshine Hospital, but you have to live within 30 minutes drive. Tahnee: (55:12) Yeah, so it's the same here. You have to be within shooting distance of the hospital. And I think they get so many people apply. I think there's a team of 10 midwives. So I think they give priority to women who've worked with them before, and then women that live in the area, and then they will take, occasionally, people outside. But I just think that I'd love to see more of those kinds of systems. There are some. I know there's a handful around the country. Sondrine Kehoe: (55:44) Yeah, there's a lot of challenges facing midwives, and home birth midwives in particular, that you'd be well aware of. It's a whole other. Tahnee: (55:58) Yeah, well we had a woman called [Cheryl Siri 00:56:01] on the podcast, who used to be a home birth midwife. And [Jane Hardwick Collings 00:56:06] as well, who I'm studying with. And just their stories... It's a really challenging time to be- Sondrine Kehoe: (56:14) It is, but at the same time, there's so much research supporting it, and particularly coming out now, in very baby steps in that direction. There's a lot of support for continuity of care. So when you have one midwife that whole pregnancy. Sondrine Kehoe: (56:31) And a lot of hospitals are implementing [crosstalk 00:56:35] continuity of care programmes, but like you said, tyre still tiny. The capacity to take a lot of women in those programmes just isn't there. Tahnee: (56:44) Yeah, you read the statistics... I think there was a study done in the States with 16,000 women or something, and there were no adverse outcomes for home birth. It was just such a positive study on how safe and how it's just such a minimal risk, especially these days. Tahnee: (57:08) I mean, I was talking to someone about this today, where I'm like, "I'm 20 minutes driving slowly to a hospital. They've let the ambulance know I'm having a baby. They've got the [crosstalk 00:57:18] in the fridge if something happens." There's a lot of steps put in place to make sure you're safe as well. It's not just... Tahnee: (57:29) And that's what I also believe. I've had friends that are free birthed, and I think women deserve the right to be educated to choose to have the support if they want it. And I do think it should be- Sondrine Kehoe: (57:39) Yeah, information's key. Tahnee: (57:42) Yeah, and just accessibility, like you're saying, that it's five to seven grand plus for a private midwife is a lot for a lot of people. Sondrine Kehoe: (57:47) Yeah, definitely. Not really affordable. But hopefully it moves in a good direction. [crosstalk 00:57:57] Tahnee: (57:57) Yeah, is that something you'd ever thought of getting back into? Sondrine Kehoe: (58:01) Definitely, yeah. I feel like once you've done it, it's just like... Tahnee: (58:04) Addictive? Sondrine Kehoe: (58:04) Yeah, completely. So I think once the kids have grown up, it's something that I'll go back to. It was too hard with having my little one. The only way to finish the course was to enrol her full time in daycare before one, and so it just wasn't really a possibility for me, or an option. And so I'll definitely go back there once I'm older, for sure. Tahnee: (58:36) Done making your own babies. Sondrine Kehoe: (58:37) Yeah, exactly. Tahnee: (58:39) I think there's something about that experience of having your own births too, that would... I had a student midwife with my home birth, and she'd had two boys fairly recently. She was only a couple of years older than me, and there was something about her being so close in my age, and having just had... It was like really nice to share that. And then also having older midwives who were... Been around the block, had seen everything, really relaxed and really calm. It was a really nice mix. Sondrine Kehoe: (59:07) So nice. Tahnee: (59:09) Good women's business stuff. Sondrine Kehoe: (59:10) Yeah, it is. It felt like that When I got to uni. It was I think over 100 women enrolled in this course. Like Hogwarts. Tahnee: (59:24) Hogwarts for ladies. Sondrine Kehoe: (59:24) Learning all these amazing things. Tahnee: (59:27) Well that's wonderful. I want to thank you so much for spending the time. I know that those last two weeks of pregnancy are exhausting, so I hope you've enjoyed being here with us. Sondrine Kehoe: (59:40) It was so nice. Tahnee: (59:41) Yeah, I'm really grateful because I just really love what you guys are doing, and what you're doing. Sondrine Kehoe: (59:50) Thank you so much. That's lovely. Same goes to you as well. Tahnee: (59:54) Thank you. I love that we get to connect with people through this. I'm like, "This is so good. I get paid to talk to people." [inaudible 00:59:59] So cygnetperfumery.com.au is the best place to find you guys, and online, on Insty? Sondrine Kehoe: (01:00:11) Yeah, we're on Instagram as well, cygnetperfumery [crosstalk 01:00:16] Tahnee: (01:00:16) I can put the links to that. And any other places you want to send people or any other things you want to share? Sondrine Kehoe: (01:00:24) No, I think that was covered beautifully. I think just engaging with your fifth sense. We so often neglect it, and it can bring so much joy. Tahnee: (01:00:36) Yeah, well especially, I think, in these times, what's been so nice for me receiving your parcels is just taking the time, reading the notes, and just having a very different experience. Tahnee: (01:00:52) I mean, we work with smell a lot, with herbs too, but it's not the same pleasurable... It's more around the sort of, "That's good, that's potent, that's strong" Whereas this is like this really beautiful and romantic experience. So I really love what you guys are doing. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:09) That's so nice to hear. Thank you. Tahnee: (01:01:09) Thank you. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:11) Thanks so much for having me on. Tahnee: (01:01:14) Yeah, well I hope you guys check out Sondrine's work, and we'll stay in touch. I'm so excited to continue to try your skincare. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:22) Beautiful. Tahnee: (01:01:22) I just [inaudible 01:01:25] be done. Because I feel like I've been trying all these different things and I'm just getting a bit like, "Ugh." Because I really just want like two or three things in my life. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:35) Yeah, you don't need much, which is the opposite of what the skincare industry will have you believe. Tahnee: (01:01:39) Well I tried absolutely nothing. My husband is this annoying person who's never washed his hair. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:45) Oh, really? Tahnee: (01:01:47) I'm just like, "I hate you." Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:48) [inaudible 01:01:48] Tahnee: (01:01:48) No. And I'm like, "Well boys don't have to do it. Why do girls?" Sondrine Kehoe: (01:01:54) Probably if you gave your body that break, I guess your microbiome would [crosstalk 01:01:59] Tahnee: (01:01:59) I've tried with my hair and it... Sondrine Kehoe: (01:02:01) Didn't work. Tahnee: (01:02:01) Well, I gave it like four months, and I was like, "No. This is gross." But I definitely found with my skin... I learned that when I was in my... I came off the pill in my mid to late 20s, and I got really bad acne, which I later worked out with acupuncture and stuff, but at the time, I was like, topical... And my skin just got worse and worse. And I ended up going to nothing, like jojoba oil, and sometimes a clay to just pull it out. And it calmed down heaps after that. And my mum used to always put avocado and honey on my face. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:02:40) That's great. Your mum sounds wonderful. Tahnee: (01:02:40) Oh yeah, she's definitely crunchy. We grew up with a lot of weird and wonderful things. But I think it definitely reminded me just to strip it back to the basics. And since then, I don't use a lot of stuff. But I find you start buying oils, and then you have all these oil potions, this potion, cleansing potion, and then you're like... Sondrine Kehoe: (01:03:03) Yeah. Your vitamin C, your retinol. Tahnee: (01:03:07) Well I've never got into that. There's this great natural skincare place here, and they one time were like, "Vitamins." And I'm like, "No, that's too complicated." [inaudible 01:03:19] but they're probably good for me. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:03:22) Well, your microbiome does most of the work so [crosstalk 01:03:28] support them and you'll be fine. Tahnee: (01:03:29) Well thank you so much. It was such a pleasure to talk to you. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:03:33) You too. Tahnee: (01:03:33) And I hope you have a really great day. Sondrine Kehoe: (01:03:35) Thank you. Dive deep into the mystical realms of Tonic Herbalism in the SuperFeast Podcast!
One of the most flamboyant writers in the business is Tom Robbins of “Jitterbug Perfume” and “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” fame. He has some candid and practical advice for aspiring novelists in this maiden episode of Novelist Spotlight, hosted by Mike Consol, author of “Hardwood: A Novel About College Basketball and Other Games Young Men Play.” 9/18/21
One of the most flamboyant writers in the business is Tom Robbins of “Jitterbug Perfume” and “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” fame. He has some candid and practical advice for aspiring novelists in this maiden episode of Novelist Spotlight, hosted by Mike Consol, author of “Hardwood: A Novel About College Basketball and Other Games Young Men Play.” 9/18/21
Author of “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” and “Jitterbug Perfume,” Tom Robbins celebrates his 89th birthday today.
Now you know juicing is one the best and convenient ways to get in your daily “energy”, healing foods . But did ya know: - Not all veggie juices need to taste like crap
Today on the podcast, we're bringing ancient teachings to life as we journey through the Daoist delineation of the human psyche by way of storytelling. In this transformative conversation, Mason and Yin yoga, meditation, and medical Qigong practitioner Stephanie Nosco discuss the Wu Shen, also known as The Five Spirits; A system of spiritual descent, allowing us to live out our Dao through bringing the light of Heaven down to Earth, and alchemising pain into growth. Stephanie's transfer of knowledge and her ability to bring this elusive spiritual system to life through story and metaphor is brilliant. This intrinsic part of the Daoist teachings can't be measured or quantified but is the consciousness behind everything. Descending from the Heavens with Shen and moving through Hun, Yi, Po, and Zhi, Stephanie takes us on a journey, pulling out the light and different expressions of each spirit along the way. In a realm of work she's so passionate about Stephanie expresses that compassion for ourselves is essential on this path of healing. For true transformation, wisdom, and inspiration will arise from our psyche, only when we are willing to go into the murky depths to do the work, and begin to consciously live out our Dao. Tune in for wisdom. Mason and Stephanie discuss: The Five Spirits. The spirit of the organs. Mingmen and our destiny. The wisdom in storytelling. Bringing Shen into the body. Practices to nourish the Hun. Hun disturbance and depression. Practices to help the Yi spirit. Po disturbance and breathwork. Medical Qigong to nourish the five spirits. Yin yoga as an avenue to explore the spirit dimension. Who is Stephanie Nosco? Stephanie is a dedicated yin yoga, meditation, and medical qigong practitioner. After over a decade of teaching these modalities and witnessing their transformative power, Stephanie has fostered a deep appreciation for the human spirit and its undervalued potential to heal the physical, mental and emotional body. Stephanie is endorsed by yin yoga founder, Sarah Power's, through the Insight Yoga Institute. She has sat multiple long silent retreats, with senior teachers from both Theravada and Mahayana Buddhist traditions. Her most recent interests surround how spirituality, energetics, and psychotherapy intersect, and is currently completing her Masters' in Counselling psychology. Stephanie views Yin Yoga, Meditation, Qigong, and psychotherapy as methods to re-awaken what we already know. She founds her teachings on the principle that this inner knowing is the true guide towards health, healing, and awakening. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST Resources: Nosco Yoga Stephanie's Instagram Stephanie's Facebook Yin Yoga Teacher Training Rooted In Spirit Book Sarah Powers Yoga Q: How Can I Support The SuperFeast Podcast? A: Tell all your friends and family and share online! We'd also love it if you could subscribe and review this podcast on iTunes. Or check us out on Stitcher, CastBox, iHeart RADIO:)! Plus we're on Spotify! Check Out The Transcript Here: Mason: (00:00) Steph, thanks so much for coming on the podcast. Steph Nosco: (00:02) Thank you so much for having me. Mason: (00:04) Yeah, absolute pleasure. I was very excited to stumble upon your Instagram page. I am learning a lot, I am frothing on it. Is it ... How do you pronounce your last name? Nosco? Steph Nosco: (00:18) It's Nosco, yeah. Mason: (00:20) Yeah, Nosco. Nosco Yoga. It's very good. I think I found it through Kimberley. Steph Nosco: (00:25) Oh, okay. Yeah. She does Qi-Fu therapy. Mason: (00:30) Qi-Fu therapy, yeah. Steph Nosco: (00:31) Yeah, nice. Mason: (00:32) She'll be jumping on the pod as well. We did a live together on Instagram. Steph Nosco: (00:36) That's great. Mason: (00:37) Saw you guys. How did you guys connect? Steph Nosco: (00:40) Just through Instagram, just through the Gramme world. Yeah, and she reached out to me about doing a live. And so, I was like, "Sure, I'd love to chat with you about it." Mason: (00:48) The Gramme. Steph Nosco: (00:49) Yeah. Mason: (00:49) That's how my now wife found me, through Instagram and just sent me a DM. Steph Nosco: (00:55) Oh, hilarious. Mason: (00:55) Yeah. Steph Nosco: (00:56) Yeah, there's definitely pros and cons to media for sure. Mason: (00:59) Oh yeah. Now, what I liked about your Gramme is you're straight up, you're talking about the spirits of the organs. Do you want to ... Because I just use very general, crass language around that. Do you want to go in and just ... You focus on that, you've got a Yin yoga background as well. And that's what you teach, a lot of Yin yoga, which everyone loves here. [Tarnee 00:01:24], again my wife, runs a company here with me. She's a Yin yoga teacher. And it comes up and everyone's always wanting more. And I thought, "Oh, great. Steph can help kind of satiate everyone's drooling for Yin yoga in their desire." Steph Nosco: (01:35) Yeah. Mason: (01:37) But going into the spirits, the [Zhi 00:01:39], everyone's heard about it a little bit from Rhonda Patrick that's been on the podcast, seen that this is a part of Chinese medicine that's been cut out, diminished, and therefore left this vacancy. The storytelling's been cut out, the capacity to get kinetically in touch with the body through Qi and knowledge of Qi. Through healing, through just that general understanding that comes, it's such a huge missing piece. And you're talking about it so well just through looking at what you put into your Instagram posts. So, let's dive in. You want to just start everyone off in understanding what it is? Steph Nosco: (02:17) Yeah, sure. So, I guess we can think about it like there's two different systems sort of happening, which kind of can get a bit confusing. So, a lot of people are familiar with the five elements, which are called the Wuxing. So, there's five elements, as you know. And they move in a wheel. So, the wheel of the five elements from water to wood, wood to fire, fire to earth, earth to metal. So, it goes in that spiral. But the Wu Shen, Wu means five and Shen means spirit, which we're going to be talking a lot about. And essentially, the Wu Shen is the empty space in that wheel. It's what makes that wheel turn. It's the consciousness behind everything. Steph Nosco: (02:58) And so, when I first heard about the Wu Shen from actually my shamanic Chinese medicine teacher, I was just so fascinated, I wanted to know more. I was like, "Tell me more about the spirits," you know? Like, I was just ... I wanted to dive into this so badly. I formerly was a Buddhist practitioner and very, very into meditation. And I have a religious studies background. So, I was like, "Give me more of the Wu Shen." And so, I learned a lot from Lorie Eve Dechar who's an acupuncturist. And she just has so much information about the spirits. And I started reading kind of classical texts that were really hard to get, because a lot of these texts are like out of print, you can't even buy them. So, it was like a book less than an inch thin for $200, kind of thing. Mason: (03:46) Oh nice. I love those ones. Steph Nosco: (03:49) Yeah. So- Mason: (03:51) Any in particular? Because I know everyone will start hounding you and me for that little- Steph Nosco: (03:54) Yeah. So this one, Rooted in Spirit by Claude Larre and Elisabeth Rochat is really great. They have quite a few translations on the Neijing Suwen, which is a lot of where this stuff comes from. So, me being religious studies background and super nerdy into this stuff, I was just so lit up about it. And then, also realising there's a big gap. Like, we're not talking about this. And why aren't we talking about this in yoga out of all places? And Yin yoga is such a perfect avenue to explore the spirit dimension. My teacher is Sarah Powers. So, I learned a tonne. That's kind of how I got interested through this stuff. But she didn't offer a lot of this information because it is quite obscure. So, I was like, "Okay, let's dive into it." Steph Nosco: (04:41) Yeah, so I guess, what can I say about the Wu Shen? So, again, the Wu Shen is that axis in the centre. And it exists along a vertical plane. Yeah, a vertical plane versus the Wu Shen exists on that horizontal plane in that horizontal axis. So, the Wu Shen kind of moves in a different order than the elements, which can get a little bit confusing. But we can think about it like a map to the spirit that enters through the GB20 at the crown of the head, okay? Through what ... [Shu shu ninati 00:05:11] is what we would call it in yoga or Taiji Pole is what we would call it in Daoism. Mason: (05:18) It's like, you were talking about the compass. It's like, you can say everyone's like, yes, there's ... And again, we've talked a lot about Yin Yang, Wu Xing as like, well, ultimately, it's the foundation of medicine. And it's like, that is literally, we don't need to go into Western diagnosis. It's literally the healing that arises from the diagnosis and bringing about harmony in the Yin Yang, Wu Xing. Yet you're talking about that, literally being on that nature plane and that physical plane. And then, all of a sudden, boom, we put up the horizontal axis. Steph Nosco: (05:53) Yes. Yeah. Mason: (05:54) We've got a compass. Steph Nosco: (05:55) It's bringing heaven literally down into earth. So, it's bringing ... How spirit comes down into earth through me. That's what it is. And so, what's confusing, I heard your episode on the three treasures. You guys talked a little bit about that. Mason: (06:09) Yeah. Steph Nosco: (06:11) Yeah, so it's kind of like, we have the three treasures, which are essentially the different densities of Qi, because everything is Qi. And Shen is the densest form of Qi. But within that Shen, there's also different gradients of density of energies. And so, that's what the Wu Shen are. And so, the five are Shen, which gets confusing because Shen is also all of them. But we can think of also like shining a light through the prism. Everything is Shen, everything is light, everything is spirit. But when you shine that light through a prism, it divides, right? So, we have these different densities. So, we have Shen, Hun, Yi, Po, and Zhi. Mason: (06:55) What comes ... I've just been listening to a podcast around the nature of animism, and how we are this ... We're this dot of ... You know? The smallest portion of humans have gone completely into the intellect and the analytical way of looking at the world. And literally for all of history, every single human is getting the kinetic ... Like, everything is alive around us. You can feel the living nature of everything. And what I'm just realising in the process I'm going through is looking at Yin Yang, Wu Xing, you know? Even that is a step away from the analytical Chinese medicine that is just purely nuts and bolts and seeing someone as symptoms and disease states, to then go to Yin Yang, Wuxing, but then straight away, when the Zhi and these aspirations of the various organs that can emerge and the aliveness and the spirit that can emerge, the personality almost that can emerge, not only just then did I see that you've got that upward, that horizontal that then gives you a compass. Mason: (08:08) What I can feel then, then I've got the contrast and the story of the body and the world. And the universe starts colouring ... It's just started colouring in for me a little bit. I can really start feeling the aliveness of everything. And it's just playing in really nicely to my week and listening to this podcast around animism. And I love people like Stephen Harrod, you know, the herbalists who they're bringing this storytelling and this metaphor to herbalism and to the plants. Same as people doing that to the stars, not just studying these things going, you need to feel the aliveness and you need to be able to tell stories. And that's what I'm feeling and I'm excited to go in with you now and hear these stories. Steph Nosco: (08:51) Yeah, so I guess we can start with the first kind of story, which is maybe more of again metaphors. Metaphors and stories, they just bring these teachings to life. And it has to be that way, right? Because we can't measure, we can't quantify the five spirits. So, Laurie, Lorie Dechar, she's just a brilliant, brilliant woman. But she actually had a download. So, this is not in any texts. But she had this download that the five spirits could be likened to like a mountain. And she uses the [Kumoon 00:09:20] Mountain, which is the mountain, it's like a sacred mountain in China. And what's funny about this is now this mountain, this Kumoon mountain is on the border of Tibet and China. And she heard once, one of her friends recently went there. And they reported, "Oh yeah, it's really deserted now. There's like old tanks there and it's just like there's garbage." And she's like, "You know what? What an amazing metaphor for where we're at now as a species." It's like this Kumoon mountain has been abandoned, you know? Steph Nosco: (09:57) And so, her job is like ... I asked her, "Can I use the metaphor of the mountain in my work?" And she says, "Use it." She's like, "We need this. We need to bring the spirit down. We need to bring the spirit down the mountain." And that's really what we were kind of chatting before the show is that the Daoism is really a system of descent, of spiritual descent. So, it's not about ascent, it's about bringing the light of heaven down the mountain. And as we move down, we actually alchemize our difficulties into growth and we realise our Dao and we live our Dao, which is really what actually the whole function of the five spirits is to live out our Dao. And for the listeners who don't know what that is, our Dao is our purpose. It's like the Wu Wei, right? When we're living our Dao, we live with naturalness, we live with ease. This effortless effort. And yeah, we don't have to try so hard, our life just kind of flows because we're living in alignment, in spiritual alignment. Mason: (11:06) Two questions. Can you talk about the significance of a descending model being offered or just being present, you know? Not necessarily as like, this is the way you need to live forever. But as an offering potentially, I'm not sure whether it's balancing out or what, compared to the ascension model that is so prevalent now. Steph Nosco: (11:29) Yeah. So, the ascension model is kind of like, if you meditate enough and if you're spiritual enough, you're going to kind of get to ... You're going to kind of bypass all of the shit. Or it's like, I'm going to be ... My life is going to be completely neutral and happy when I am up here. So, it's very much ... it's still existing in this good and bad dichotomy, versus embracing the paradox, you know? Steph Nosco: (11:58) I saw this thing on Instagram. I don't know if you saw my riff the other day on my feed. It was like one of the spiritual accounts I was following. And it was on the emotions and how the positive emotions have this line, right? This line above, below. And it was the positive emotions, like compassion, love, gratitude, all these things. And it's like ascension. And then below was like all the negative emotions. And then at the bottom, it said death. And it was very much like, we want this, and we don't want this, right? Mason: (12:28) That's the Abraham-Hicks model, I think, no? Don't- Steph Nosco: (12:31) It could have been. But it was- Mason: (12:33) And I'm going to retract, I don't know. For anyone that loves the Hick, do not come after me if that is wrong. Steph Nosco: (12:40) Yeah. Anyway, it was just this kind of meme or this image. And I thought, you know what? This is the problem with the ascension model is, it says anything that isn't good or anything that lives in the shadow, there's something wrong with that, and I need to bypass that somehow or I need to ... What's the word I'm looking for? Jump over it or ascend it or transcend it maybe. But what alchemy says, what this Daoist alchemy says is, that stuff, that lead is actually the gold. That is why we're here. Like, if we weren't meant to go through those difficulties, then we would just still be a spirit in the clouds, you know? It's those things that teach us, it's those things that season us. And so, that's what we're doing is, we're going down the mountain. We're bringing spirit right into those difficulties, right into the grit. Mason: (13:33) And so, when we go on this, we'll go on this journey down the mountain through the spirits. Although they're the same thing, technically they have different expressions. Steph Nosco: (13:45) Yes. Mason: (13:46) I'm imagining, you're going to kind of highlight and ... I don't know why I said the word ... Though the word showcase, it does not seem appropriate. But nonetheless, I'm going to say it. Steph Nosco: (13:56) Maybe. Mason: (13:57) Showcase. Steph Nosco: (13:58) I could get up and do a dance or something. Mason: (13:59) Yeah. Steph Nosco: (14:00) Yeah. Mason: (14:00) And over here we have Po. Po is going to be a beautiful spirit for you to get into the alchemy. Steph Nosco: (14:06) Yeah. Mason: (14:08) Are you going to kind of like just highlight for us and bring us into that feeling of how, through embracing these various parts ... And how would you suggest in the beginning for someone new relates to this? Are these various expressions of the spirit of ourselves, of our own organs? Is this a universal expression of a particular type of Chi that we can all relate to? How do you relate to these spirits? Steph Nosco: (14:35) Yeah, they're universal. They're definitely universal energies. And they're very personal. So, I would say that they're both. You know, everyone experiences Shen differently, everyone experiences Hun differently. And yet, everyone has it. So yeah, it's kind of both, I think. It's both personal and transpersonal. Mason: (14:53) And finally, can you just give a nice little ... Just bring to awareness for me what you see, again, the medicine being starting to acknowledge this horizontal element of the compass that is this spirit, versus just practising Chinese medicine on that horizontal plane? Steph Nosco: (15:14) Yeah. So, the way Lorie describes it, and the way my Qigong teacher describes it is, it helps to ground the changes, okay? So, we could go to acupuncture and have a treatment. And then, within three weeks, we're back in that usual pattern. And so, unless we alchemize, what I mean, unless we take the light of our awareness, which is our Shen, and we bring it down into those difficulties and transform them, that pattern is still going to be there, because remember Jing, Qi, and Shen. Shen is the mind and the mind influences everything. If we still have that same pattern in our mind, that same rift in our ... I don't want to say personality, but in our psyche, then that pattern is just going to keep coming. And so, especially things like with co-disturbances, like chronic pain, we got to do this Wu Shen work to ground change. Steph Nosco: (16:11) So, it's a transformation. It's not just about getting back to where we were before. That's really important. Yeah, it's not like I'm going to be healthy again. It's, I'm going to actually take this symptom and ask, what is my body trying to tell me? What is the wisdom in this? What is the lesson? What is the meaning? Mason: (16:28) It really starts dipping into like a way of maintaining flow. If you're looking from a Western sense, I always think it seems like it's getting deep into the emotions, it's getting deep into the psychology of who we are, but in a way that's approachable, a way that can be invited into the family, having some language around it, so we can kinetically get an understanding of what's happening for say ourselves, our wives, our husbands, our partners, our children, so that we can ground the healing and the expansive way of living into our home, bringing the medicine into our home, rather than just relying on an external institution to give it to us. Steph Nosco: (17:16) Yes, it's empowering, because once you start to know what's going on with your spirits, with your psyche, then you can say, "Maybe I can make that change." Or, "Maybe I need support right now." But there's that level of awareness. Mason: (17:29) So, for me, I can definitely ... I feel like I'm attracted to this and have talked about the fact that I like that this style of living is descending, especially when you've ... Especially I'm someone that's gone through, in the early days, through that new age community that comes with the implications. Perhaps it's good in short doses, I don't know. I definitely learnt a lot through it, you know? You need to aspire. Basically, you need to learn, you need to let go. And then, maybe you'll become pure enough. Maybe if you do all these things right, you can look through the eyes of God and be a good person. But until then, you keep practising , rather than easing back into the completeness and the wholeness in which you are. Mason: (18:17) So, for me, I'm going to take myself into that mentality of starting at the top of the mountain in my completeness. And then hand it over to you to take us on this journey. Steph Nosco: (18:28) Yeah, sure. Okay. I did write notes. So, just to keep me on track. Mason: (18:34) Beautiful. I love it. I just started standup comedy. And I had a phobia about- Steph Nosco: (18:38) That's awesome. Mason: (18:39) I was like, "I'm not ever allowed to write notes ever." And then I'm like, "You know what? I think it's not a bad thing to prepare. I think I should write some notes." Steph Nosco: (18:48) Yeah. I mean, there's just so much. Like, it's just, this information is just so rich. And yeah, I'm just really, really grateful for the elders that came before who mapped this out. It's just incredible. So yeah, definitely honouring those ancestors. Okay, so let's start at the top of the mountain. So, the Shen is the sun. The Shen is the light. So, we think of the Shen relates to the fire element. And this can be seen in the light in someone's eyes, okay? Steph Nosco: (19:22) So, it's said that the Shen comes in upon conception. And you can start to see it in the light in the baby's eyes or the smile in the baby, right? And so, I like to divide it. It's easier for me to understand the Shen when I divide it into two parts. So, the one Shen, which means, this is who we really are. This is our ultimate nature, awareness. And this is the part of us that's always going to be okay, even if we're not okay. This is the deathless aspect of our mind. And because it exists beyond time and space, it knows the truth at all times. So, that's the one thing about the Shen, it is the truth, the truth of who we are, okay? Steph Nosco: (20:06) But then we have what's called the Shen Zhi, what you were talking about earlier, which is like the rest of the spirits. So, it's the personality self. And the heart is like the capacity to be aware and to make contact with the truth, both personal truths, like our personality self, and ultimate truth. So, this is our willingness to hold both. And my teacher always says this to me, Sarah Powers, actually. She's like, "We have to have a willingness in our spiritual practise to wake up and grow up," you know? Both. And so, that's the Shen Zhi. That's the working with the Shen Zhi. It's the personality self. And then we have this like ultimate self, okay? Steph Nosco: (20:51) What else do I want to say about the Shen? So, the Shen gets disturbed when there's any kind of shock or trauma. So, when the heart is shocked with something, like say you just get in a car accident, what happens is, the Shen will actually leave the body, because it belongs to heaven. It takes any chance it gets to just kind of vacate. And so, when our Shen isn't in our body, we don't have access to truth and we can't really make decisions very well. Steph Nosco: (21:19) So, another example would be falling in love. When you fall in love, that also disturbs the Shen. And the Shen, the mind, the awareness will leave the body. And so, you often don't make the best decisions when you're in love. Or when you're over-excited. So, one of the- Mason: (21:35) That's probably the key distinction there. Steph Nosco: (21:37) Yeah. So, anyways. So, Shen disturbances will show up often if somebody is ... Kind of like they use inappropriate laughter. So, we can notice they're saying something really serious, but they're laughing. That can be an indication of a Shen disturbance. So, also this anxiety or being almost over-joyful would be like a Shen disturbance. Steph Nosco: (22:06) And another metaphor that I like to give is, it's kind of like, when our Shen is healthy, it's like looking into a clear pool of water, it reflects the truth. When we're really busy, when we're really agitated, it's like a wavy river or wavy pool and we can't see clearly. So, it's really important when we're working with the Shen, just giving ourselves basic space, you know? Like, spend time every day being quiet. And I think this is one of the problems in our modern life is that we aren't often quiet. We're constantly stimulated. And there's really not enough space for the Shen to reside. It's often out of our body. Steph Nosco: (22:51) Even when we close our eyes, the Shen will rest down into the heart. So, when we sleep, the Shen will go into the heart, but similarly when we meditate. So, when we meditate and close our eyes, it gets the Shen to actually drop down into the heart and for our energy to collect. So, something like a silent retreat, I used to lead them before COVID, I fricking love silent retreats. Even just taking an hour to not talk. Like, let things settle down. So, that's really the work of the Shen, because if we don't bring the Shen home, it's really hard to bring awareness into any of the other spirits. Mason: (23:29) Can I ask you there, with Shen, something I liked about your posts is, you've had the ... I'm always careful not to personify these energies and spirits too much, but also I love it. Steph Nosco: (23:41) Yeah, so do I. Yeah. Mason: (23:44) And for you, I mean, for me when I'm relating to the Shen is ... And I appreciate kind of the variation that you're bringing in terms of that personality element of the Shen, which is almost, if we see the Shen as the heart as the emperor and the other organs serving the emperor and feeding in various ways of thinking and being and different ways of virtuous nature and various emotions. We see a personality come and get delivered through the heart or through the Shen, however informed by the other organs and other energies. Is that fair to say? Steph Nosco: (24:19) Yep, totally, 100%. Yeah. And the heart knows what's going on, right? Through the blood because the blood pumps through. And it's always going through the heart. It's kind of like the heart talking ... It's exactly like you said with the emperor. It's like, "Oh yeah, that's going on there, okay." So, it's kind of ruling the show. So, if the emperor isn't home, there's a problem, right? So, it's about bringing it down. And the Shen is easily scared. So, whenever we're anxious, it's like the Shen isn't in the body. So, doing anything as far as practicality, give yourself space, find time to be quiet. And anything that brings you into your body. Like, even massaging your feet or even putting your hands on your body while you're meditating. Or even if you just need a five minute timeout, you know? That helps bring the Shen home. Mason: (25:13) How do you relate to, if there is a personification or story around your own Shen, I'm interested how you relate to that and feel that, kinetically feel that story unravelling for yourself with that Zhi? Steph Nosco: (25:28) Yeah, I often think of the Shen as like a bird that gets scared really easily. And so, I tend to have like, even right now on this podcast, like before this podcast, I was like, "Oh no, my Shen is out of my body. I need to calm down," which of course that internal dialogue made it worse. But yeah, I often think of this little bird that gets scared and it flies away. And then, when I sit down and I calm down and I breathe, it's like that little bird can come back into the best of the heart. And then there's just more awareness. Mason: (26:03) Naturally, I can feel, although we're going to go nice and deep on this podcast, as we go through all of these various elements of who we are and the major organs, I can see already in you describing that, the interplay between the various Zhi, between the various spirits, and the roles that they play and the way they interact. Could possibly derail us, I'm not going to. But I could just ... You know? You even start to talk, bring that bird storytelling, I'm like, "Oh, wow. And I can see." It's much easier for me to see now how various other spirits would be playing a role in supporting the heart and the Shen now in a story, rather than a theory. Steph Nosco: (26:45) Yep, 100%. 100%. Okay, can we move on now? Any more- Mason: (26:50) No. Yeah, of course. Steph Nosco: (26:52) Yeah, okay. I mean, like each one of these, you can do like ... Like, I did a Yin series on each one. And I was like, "It's not enough time." But it is good to kind of get an overview because they do interact with one another. So, the Hun, for example, is a messenger of the Shen, okay? So, if you think of the Shen like a light, now you're coming down the mountain into the mist and into the clouds at the very top of the mountain. So, now the Shen is starting to take form through dreams and visions. And that is really the role of the Hun as a messenger of the Shen. And these are what's called the upper spirits. They both relate to the blood. And they both inform any kind of messages from heaven, from I guess the [Yan 00:27:41] energy. Steph Nosco: (27:42) Let me just grab my notes here. So yeah, it's called the cloud soul and it goes up and down in our sleep. So, when we sleep, the Shen moves from the eyes into the heart. And the Hun will also be in the eyes when we're awake, because remember the Hun follows the Shen. So, when we're awake, that's where the Hun is at our eyes, because the Hun really wants to learn. Think about the Hun like wood element, it wants to grow, okay? Steph Nosco: (28:13) So, the Hun comes down and it learns. It learns, it plans, it formulates our dreams and visions. And it's not all that refined when it first comes into the body. So, for example, a baby can't really plan. Its visions aren't really formulated yet. But as we start to get older, this is the kind of thing that the Hun learns. And sorry, going back to the closing the eyes thing. When we close our eyes or sleep, the Shen will rest in the heart. But the Hun will actually rest in the liver. And that's how it digests our experience through dreaming. So, the Hun is also related to dreams. Steph Nosco: (28:53) Yeah, and so it's really hard to live out our Dao, right? So, Shen is like, "Okay, now I know what my Dao is, sort of. Or I have some kind of idea." It's this insight, this light. And it's hard to really live that out if we can't make a plan, okay? So, it starts to kind of manifest down at the Hun. Mason: (29:17) Right, so I mean, I saw you talk about that in terms of the heart, the Shen having ... It's like, "Oh, here's our values." And that was really useful for me as an interpretation. Steph Nosco: (29:32) Values is a really good word. This is what I value, this is my truth, right? And so, how do we live that? Well, we're going to need some kind of plan because we don't live in heaven, we live on this plane. And so there's this ... I mean the Hun does have density. But it's not very dense. It still comes and goes, it's still fairly fleeting if that makes sense. So, somebody with a Hun disturbance, they often lose hope, you know? Hope is a Hun thing, having hope for the future, seeing possibilities. Steph Nosco: (30:10) Some people who don't have or have a Hun disturbance can also be like wandering aimlessly through their life, kind of like, "Oh, I'll do this now. Oh, I'll do this now," but they can't really direct it. So, it's, let's have a plan, let's have a vision. Let's take this light and actually start to manifest it. But it's the first point of manifestation, right? And so, this is all about the Hun. Steph Nosco: (30:34) And then, some ways that we can work with the Hun, obviously dreamwork. Dreamwork is really great. Practising using your imagination. As a former Buddhist, I was like a strict Theravada Buddhist practitioner for many years. And I was like, "I'm not visualising anything." Like, just breathing or Dzogchen, you know? But this idea of practising , like let's go on a little journey here, like a guided visualisation journey. Anything to exercise the imagination is brilliant. And I think that this is one of the things that we've lost in our modern day is like, our imagination has been beaten out of us, you know? By the time we're in high school. So, visioning is really important, exercising your imagination. And then, also letting the sceptical part of you that's like, "Oh, that's not possible." Let that part kind of step back so that you can really let your imagination loose. And that will nourish your Hun as well. Mason: (31:27) That's a really, really important distinction. Like, I was just transported back to my university days and to my high school days. And I remember my first year of uni, where I could really feel it. Like, the final fatigue in having that imagination, that visioning, dreaming part of myself kind of like beaten out of me, within that context anyway. And it takes a long time to get that back. So, I mean, anything to be able to support that liver, wood energy, when you're going through that system, if you do find yourself dismayed around your lack of ability to be imaginative and dream anymore, that's huge. Steph Nosco: (32:13) Yeah, it is. And it's a practise. And I think people don't realise that. Like, I have so many students that come and say, "I can't visualise," or, "I can't. I'm not a visual person." Okay, neither was I, but you practise. And it becomes easier over time. And I mean, one of the things, I often relate the Hun, and I know some teachers don't. Some teachers relate compassion and loving kindness to the Shen spirit. But I actually really like it in the Hun. Like, I really feel compassion as a liver energy for me, because it's very active. And it's also like, when you do a loving kindness meditation, you're using your imagination. You're using the faculty of the Hun to imagine, how would I look and how would I be in that person's shoes? You know? Steph Nosco: (32:58) So, you're using that capacity to kind of take different perspectives. And being able to walk in another person's shoes or imagining what it would be like to be them is a large faculty, I think, of developing compassion and loving kindness. And so, that's also an aspect I feel of the Hun spirit. And that's just coming through my meditations, not necessarily maybe the classical way to describe it. Yeah. Mason: (33:21) Well, I mean, the classical way as well, I find the trump there is that, thankfully the classical texts have gone and systemized this especially so a Western civilization can interpret it, not that that was their intention. Steph Nosco: (33:36) Yep. Mason: (33:36) But if you go back to the nuance of the conversation, the organs are collaborating. There's no rule- Steph Nosco: (33:45) Totally. Mason: (33:45) You know? Like, I know you know this. But that was an important one for me to remember as well. Like, okay, hang on, courage. Courage comes from the ... That's right, it comes from the lung. But I also feel courage from the kidney. But that's wrong. Steph Nosco: (33:56) Courage comes from the ... Yeah, totally. Mason: (33:58) Like, that's wrong, isn't it? Because ... Steph Nosco: (34:00) Yeah, and actually, I was having this conversation about trust and faith, because I feel like trust is very much a Yi thing, but then some people think it's a kidney or a Zhi thing. So, it's like, but they're both, right? It's both. And anyway, so you're right. It kind of depends on which way you look at it. And it can be an open conversation, rather than a, this is right and that's wrong. Mason: (34:21) And again, it's like a village, you know? I know it's like a civilization in the way that it's described a lot of the time, the emperor of the heart and the general of the liver, you know? Like, we don't need to use that language necessarily. It can be a village on more of a small scale. It's always going to be a collaboration. The leader of the tribe isn't solely taking responsibility for feelings of infinite love and generosity for everyone. Steph Nosco: (34:49) That's right. Mason: (34:50) That's completely attributed to the whole tribe working together. Steph Nosco: (34:53) Totally, totally. Yeah. Yeah, so that's kind of the Han. Can I move on? Or do you have any more questions about the Han? Or comments? Mason: (35:05) Well yeah, I do have comments. I try and shut myself up sometimes. Steph Nosco: (35:11) No, I'm curious. I would love to be in dialogue. I mean, yeah. I'd love to know. Mason: (35:14) Just going along, it's interesting ... We talk about ... We talk, have the spirit and this awareness of the spirit of the various organs, so that if the liver wood ... The way you understand it, if our liver wood is flowing and transforming between its expression of Yin Yang Qi, then we see a healthy ... Basically a healthy spirit, a healthy expression, a healthy personality, a healthy function of the Hun. If we see a disturbance of that wood Qi, then we start seeing ... That's where personification or bringing it into more of an animalistic metaphor, we can start seeing that an aggravation can come about and a frustration can come about from the Hun. Mason: (36:04) If you have this very tactile, spirit based way of approaching it, then you can go, "All right, let's just see in the beginning how I can remedy this first of all." There's certain practises, a Yin Yoga, a Yin Yoga sequence, working with that liver meridian, perhaps some foods or herbs that are friendly. And so, is this the way that you relate to keeping us along? Or how do you relate to that healing element? Steph Nosco: (36:32) Yeah, definitely. I would say, again, like you were saying before, it's all in conversation, right? Because it's not like, okay, if I'm dealing with liver stuff, I don't just do liver because I know that water nourishes wood. So, if I'm feeling like a wood element thing, where I don't have any dreams and visions, then maybe I actually need to nourish ... Like, I need to be more in that dreamy space of water. Steph Nosco: (36:55) So, yes and no, I would say. Like, they all work in harmony. But definitely I would use practises like Qigong and Yin to like ... Maybe with more of a focus on liver stuff to work with the Hun. But then also we have to remember, it's like the things that we do every day. Like the little things that we do every day. I'm going to get into the Yi in a moment. But something that my partner does all the time is he just stands up in the kitchen and just eats food. And he's just like not even ... And I'm like, "It's not good for your Yi." Like, it's just little things like that, that can really help us along. Not giving yourself enough time to sleep. Like the ending, like the morning when we're dreaming, because that's when we vent, right? That's when we vent our emotions. Like, giving yourself enough time to sleep, that's going to make a big difference in the Hun spirit. Steph Nosco: (37:47) Even just enjoying beauty. Not giving yourself enough time to enjoy beauty. Go outside, look at things that are beautiful. The Hun loves beauty. So yeah, and even just especially the colour green. Like, get out in nature, breathe that in. And people don't think of that as a medicine, right? But it is. It's these little things. It's the little things that we do every day, our habits. Mason: (38:13) Beautiful. All right, Spleen. Steph Nosco: (38:15) Also one more thing I want to say about the Hun is that it can also show up, like we often think about the liver in anger. But it actually shows up in this context more in depression, which is something that I just kind of was really learning this year was that, again, if we don't have hope, if we can't dream of a future, there's this sense of, "Okay, well then what's the point?" So, that can also be a sign of a Hun disturbance. Mason: (38:43) I mean, just again, you feel the tactile nature of this alive way of seeing the body, rather than just a cog, you know? Bunch of cogs in a machine. You can see, there's depression, we can look at it as a whole as something that is emerging. We can go and look at the nuance of depression emerging from, it's got this kind of feeling to it, or maybe emerging from this kind of style of stagnation. Like, just different roads, I guess, to Rome, and getting back to the core issue, but not just going, "Bang, depression, that's diagnosed." Steph Nosco: (39:15) Totally. And I think one more thing I want to say, coming back to your point and our point earlier, we were talking about empowerment, is these things again can't be measured or seen. It's not like you're going to go to one magical Chinese doctor and they're going to be like, "You have depression because of a Hun imbalance." It's more about self-reflection, feeling into your patterns, feeling into your spirit, right? It's very much this kind of inner reflection, learning this information, feeling it in your body, sitting with metaphor and story, working with your dreams. And then, "Maybe something's going on with the Hun." Do you see what I mean? So, it's less of this diagnosis where we're putting ourselves in this box and we're handing our power over to someone else to tell us what's wrong with us. Mason: (39:57) Decentralised healing. Steph Nosco: (39:59) Exactly. Yeah. Okay. Shall we continue? Okay. So, we come down from the clouds. And now we're on earth. So, we were on the earth plane. And we are now at the centre, which is the Yi spirit. So, Yi is translated as intention or clear thought. So, this is now where the dreams and visions start to manifest. They start to manifest as what? As our specific intentions to do something. But it's not only the intention, it's the follow through. So, I often like to think, since we're doing story and metaphor, I often like to think of the Yi as a humble farmer, because a lot of the descriptions of the points in the body in the other organs are described as like the palace gate and the 10,000 halls or whatever. But the Yi is described as living in a hut. Steph Nosco: (40:57) And so, the Yi is like this little farmer who is like, "Okay, now I'm going to take the light of the Shen and the dreams and visions from the liver and I'm going to do something with it." So, this is the part of us that's showing up every day and getting our hands dirty. So, it's the ... And I also like to think of the Yi spirit, not only as intention, but as devotion and constancy. So, let's just give an example of, say you wanted to start a Qigong practise or a yoga practise. And you have this insight that this is my path, I'm going to start. You get these dreams and visions. Okay, I'm going to do it Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday at this studio. Steph Nosco: (41:38) Okay, so you have the dreams and visions. And then the Yi says, "Okay, now I'm going to set my alarm and actually going to go do it. I'm actually going to follow through on it day in and day out." Mason: (41:50) No wonder my acupuncturist tells me I constantly have a spleen deficiency. Steph Nosco: (41:55) Yeah. So, one of the things that tends to happen is, the classic disturbance is this rumination of thought. So, it's the thought that goes round and round and round and round without follow through, right? And so, then it's just stuck there. And it causes all kinds of ... Like, the knotting of the Qi and all of the things that ... And there's this feeling of like, I'm stuck, I doubt myself. Is this even good? It's just this sense of being frozen. Mason: (42:24) Get out of my body, you shaman witch. Steph Nosco: (42:26) Yeah. So, one of the things I- Mason: (42:30) I said witch, by the way everybody, with a W. Steph Nosco: (42:36) Okay, with a W. Yeah. And I think for a lot of people, this is where the work happens. This is where the rubber meets the road, you know? We can have all of these ideas, but unless we're going to actually do them, it just won't happen. And I think part of the problem is, to come back to this Yi metaphor, the Yi relating to the stomach and spleen organ, which is about digestion. So, sometimes we literally bite off more than we can chew. We have this grand idea. Okay, I'm going to do this now. I'm a wood type, so I have a lot of ideas. And then it just stays. All the ideas just stay, but there's no connection to the lower spirits, right? Steph Nosco: (43:14) And so, one of the things I always suggest to people and my students is, take small bites. So, things like, okay, I want to start this podcast, or I want to lead this yoga retreat, or whatever it is. Maybe you make the phone call to rent the space. You know? Like, one thing. Write it down, do it, check it off a list. And take a moment to feel grateful. So, bask in that. Bask in your accomplishment of doing something. That really helps the Yi, because the Yi is also about nourishment. So, if we're spinning round and round and round and not actually following through on our dreams and aspirations, we don't feel nourished by life. So, even if it's that one little thing that you can check off on your to-do list, it really helps the Yi spirit. If you say you're going to do something and you don't do it, that creates that imbalance. So, it's better just not to say that you're going to do it. Mason: (44:12) Huge. Yeah. I'm having a really big moment. Steph Nosco: (44:16) Okay. I can see the gears turning a little bit. Yeah. Mason: (44:20) Well, I feel, again, I have known this about myself theoretically. I've talked about it in therapy. And of course, bringing the real ... The storytelling and bringing it to live and animating it, it brings me into the reality of feeling actually what's going on. And it's always these moments when rubber does hit the road and distinction becomes something that I can embody as a knowing of myself and start possibly offering respect to that element of myself that can't digest these huge ideas that I just throw down, you know? Down the oesophagus and into the stomach. Steph Nosco: (45:05) Right. Right. Mason: (45:06) Yeah, it's a really beautiful ... It's a really transformational and practical way of having actual perception occur of who you are. Steph Nosco: (45:21) Yeah. Yeah. And I've often, when I teach programmes, it's often like, "Oh, that's me." Or, "I have that one." Or one girl in my last training was like, "I think all of them are out of balance." And she was freaking out. I was like, "Don't worry about it. It's fine." It's like, we start where we are, right? And we just ... Yeah, again, compassion. Compassion for where we are and we just start where we are. Mason: (45:43) Yeah, it's also nice starting at the place where you don't have to do a lot. And you talk about devotion. And it's nice having devotion for something that isn't aspiring to be given something by some entity, you know? That's going to ... Or given something by some ... I don't know, beam of light or whatever it is that you ... Yeah, it's different ... It's a very different energy. Steph Nosco: (46:06) Yeah. And I think that some people think of devotion as like singing to a goddess, which it can be. Like, I do. I have a Guan Yin Dharma practise and I love singing to Guan Yin. So, it can be that. And singing is really good for the Yi, like physically singing. The character for the Yi is the symbol for the heart. And then on top, the Chinese character for a music note. So, this idea that we're singing our heart's song. We're singing our life into being. But again, we're not just singing one time, we're singing constantly. It's like in that constant. Steph Nosco: (46:38) But you don't have to be devoted to a deity. You could be devoted to ... Like, for me, one of my friends, because I was really wanting to get this information out there, and I was struggling. And she's like, "Think of your Instagram posts or your media posts," because of COVID, everything's locked down. Like, I need to teach. She's like, "Think of it like devotion. This is your devotion practise. Like, you post. You don't post for yourself. You post for other people. But it could be anything. It could be your garden. It could be your work or whatever. It doesn't have to be ..." Your relationship, that's also devotion. So yeah. Mason: (47:10) Beautiful. Steph Nosco: (47:11) One thing I will say, one more thing about the Yi spirit that's important to mention is it can often show up as an imbalance as excess sympathy. And so, this is when someone isn't quite ready to take responsibility for their own life and starts to help someone else. So, they're taking a bunch of actions for someone else's life, rather than their own. So, an important thing when working with the Yi spirit, taking bite sized chunks of tasks, but then also saying no to other people is really important for the Yi spirit. Mason: (47:45) I mean, one thing I love and have a soft spot for is the activist community. And there's a part of myself that loves being expressed within activism. I do not choose to be identified completely in that realm. But just that advice that you just gave, whether it's maybe a practitioner, maybe an activist, someone who's just going out and fighting for the earth. Steph Nosco: (48:12) Right. Mason: (48:12) I feel like that distinction's just very important. Steph Nosco: (48:14) Right. Mason: (48:14) Don't need to go much further down there. But if you want to, go for it. But yeah, just wanted to point that out. Steph Nosco: (48:19) And I think that if that's somebody's Dao, then it's good, because this is the thing is, we can't say that ... Like, if that is their life, if that's what the heart is saying is true, then it's true. If that's not what your heart is saying is true, then it's not true. And this is something we'll get through when we get to the Zhi, if we ever get there. Is- Mason: (48:40) Another hour, let's see. Fingers crossed. Steph Nosco: (48:41) Yeah. But the Zhi, again when we're doing work that's in alignment with our purpose, it actually is energy giving, right? So, it's just kind of something to note. Okay, let's move on. Mason: (48:54) Let's. Steph Nosco: (48:55) Okay, so now we're going into the lower spirits. So, the Yi is actually not an upper spirit and it's not a lower spirit, it's at the centre, okay? So, we have upper spirits, Shen and Han. We have the Yi in the centre. And then we have the lower spirits, which are the Po and the Zhi. And these relate to our body. So, we say ... Sorry, not our body, related to the earth. So, they belong to earth. Upper spirits belong to heaven, the lower spirits belong to the earth. Steph Nosco: (49:19) So, the Po is our animal spirit. So, it's, like I was saying, the Hun learns. The Po doesn't learn, it knows what to do. The baby is born, it takes its first breath. We don't teach a baby how to breathe, it just breathes, okay? So, this is what the Po does for us day in and day out, it keeps us alive. It's our automatic processes. But it does learn through trauma. So, when the body goes through some sort of trauma, the Po spirit will hold onto that as a semantic memory. And so, this is where our demons live, this is where the shadow lives. And this is what happens. So, we have the vision of the Hun and the Shen. And we have our intention. And we're like, "Yeah, I'm going to get up to go to that yoga class." And then the Po spirit comes in. Steph Nosco: (50:07) Then the lower spirit says, "Oh, but you should just sleep. Oh, but X, Y, Z." And this is often these unconscious forces that get in the way of living out our highest intention. So, this is where we get into the downward descent. It is our job to take the higher spirits and witness. This is why we go to therapy, it's because we have to witness these kinds of patterns that have been inlaid into our soma. Steph Nosco: (50:41) So, chronic pain is like a classic Po disturbance, having kind of a chronic issue, chronic pain. And then, any kind of rigid thinking, this inability to let go, the inability to change, right? If you think about the Po spirit relating to metal element, relating to the season of fall, it's all about death. It's about letting transformation happen, transformation occurring. And so, people who have this Po disturbance, it's really hard to move forward. There's this big resistance to change. Mason: (51:12) Quick question. Steph Nosco: (51:14) Yeah, so this is really ... Like, when I say the Yi is where the rubber hits the road, kind of. But it's actually when we start to interact with the Po, because it takes a lot of intention to bring the light of the Hun and the Shen down to meet the Po. So, the problem, this is where oftentimes our spiritual practise stops because it's all rainbows and butterflies until we meet our shadow. And then we tend to just abandon ourselves. We abandon our anger, we abandon our anxiety, we abandon blah, blah, blah. Mason: (51:46) Could you clarify soma quickly? Steph Nosco: (51:48) Yeah, so the soma, the body. So, all sensations, any time you feel something, that's Po spirit. And someone with some kind of extreme Po disturbance might not be able to even feel their hand. They'll have complete dissociation, or opposite, too much pain. So, too much sensation, not enough sensation. And again, it's not like if you get in a car accident and you have a broken leg, yes you're going to feel pain, but that's not really Po disturbance. The Po disturbance I'm talking about is this kind of chronic pain that tends to show up that's unexplainable. Mason: (52:26) Unexplainable, right. I was going to ask. And is that simply there from the rigidity, due to our lack of ability to go into the shadow, fear, grief. Steph Nosco: (52:37) Yes. Mason: (52:38) Fear of death, whatever it is, and actually bring it. Steph Nosco: (52:41) Yeah, so Lorie talks about it being like it starts to sink. So, the Po spirit starts to drop down and kind of harden. But it's the upper spirits that will kind of elevate it and keep it from that entropy. I guess we could call it entropy. Mason: (52:57) Huge. No wonder the association of transformation is like all ... I know alchemy and alchemist is kind of always what I think of when I think of that part of myself. It's like a warrior alchemist. Steph Nosco: (53:07) Yeah. And kind of you have to be. I mean, and a compassionate one too. I keep on saying this word compassion. But it's like, we need it. And that's why we want the Hun and the Po to exist together, right? The Han is going to come down and support the Po. And the Po will inform the Han and all that. But let's not get into that because we got to make our way down the mountain. Steph Nosco: (53:28) But just really quick, just some ways that we can start working with the Po, breath work. So, this is the thing is that, yes, the lungs give us our demons or provide us with these shadows. But they also provide the exact thing that we need to kind of work through those shadows. So, breath work is incredible, absolutely incredible. Cold therapy, super good. Movement, any kind of somatic psychotherapy. I've been really into internal family systems therapy recently. Mason: (54:00) Huge, yeah. Great. Steph Nosco: (54:04) Yeah, so then being with your emotions. Like, just being with them. Like, rather than saying, classic spiritual bypass, "I'm angry, that's not good." We say, "What is my anger here to tell me?" Right? Way different. Right. Mason: (54:23) I guess the metal there. I mean, we talked about that descending, packing in, getting hard. I think about a calcification, I think about all of a sudden a metal element that's not pliable at all, that just becomes like super rigid as this shield. Steph Nosco: (54:37) Yes, inflexibility. And Lorie even says, things like unexplained lumps and bumps, like benin tumours and stuff, that's all Po stuff. Yeah, it's interesting. Mason: (54:50) Yeah. Steph Nosco: (54:51) Okay. Any questions on the Po? Mason: (54:55) So many. Let's move on. Steph Nosco: (54:57) Okay. So many. Maybe another time. Okay, then we get to the Zhi. So, the Zhi is at the bottom of the mountain. We are now below, deep into the caves. And the Zhi relates to the water elements. And it's all about our power. So, this is where our energy comes from. And it's about our aligned will or our willpower. Zhi means will. Now there's a difference between having the ego's will and working with the aligned will. So, ego's will would be like, "I want to make a million bucks just because." Okay? So, that's going to take a lot of energy because again, we're going against the stream. Maybe not, if our purpose in life is to make a million dollars, then maybe. But if we're going against the stream of our purpose, which is called ... Well, I'll just go into this now because I find it super interesting. Have you ever heard of a [Ming Man 00:55:56]? Mason: (55:57) Yeah. Steph Nosco: (55:57) Yeah, so the Ming Man, it's said that our destiny, which is like our soul's purpose, comes into the body and it's stored in the Ming Man, which is the space just right in between the kidneys on GV4. Mason: (56:10) The gate of life, right? Steph Nosco: (56:12) Yeah. Yeah. And so, it's said that there is this knowledge of why we're really here. But it's completely unconscious. Remember, lower spirits are the subconscious mind. So, when we start to work down the mountain, there's this deep listening that happens when we work through the Po spirit, when we bring the light of heaven down, there's this deep listening that starts to happen. And we start to actually touch this lower light, which is like why we're really here. Steph Nosco: (56:44) And once we align ourselves with why we're really here, it's effortless. We're in that Wu Wei, we're in that flow of our life. And it's like, we don't ... And this is really important, we don't have a choice. It's not like I decide what I'm going to do. It's like, "No, no, no. I'm listening. What is the earth telling me to do?" This is a very different thing, because in our Western analytical mind, we want to control and joystick our way through life. But it's not like that. Steph Nosco: (57:17) One of the things with Po is that we start to surrender to the mystery. And when we surrender to the mystery, we have this deep listening. And then it's like, that's what I need to do and there's no choice. It will take so much energy not to do that thing once you hear that call. And then there's this wellspring of energy and longevity that starts to arise from these kind of deeper waters. Steph Nosco: (57:41) So, again, what's interesting is again that paradox is, yes there's the light from heaven, but there's also this light from below. But we can't access that light from below unless we're willing to go down. Yeah. Mason: (57:52) Beautiful. Steph Nosco: (57:59) Yeah, so I guess that's all I have to say about the Zhi, other than if we have an imbalance, there's this forgetfulness, lack of will, wanting to cut corners in our life, kind of like a con artist would be like a Zhi disturbance. And then there's tumidity and addictions, sex addiction, being addicted to things like that. And yeah. Made it. Mason: (58:22) That external ... Like, that ... There's something beautiful, just bringing up that ... And again, the Zhi describing the spirit of all of the organs, while also Zhi being used as the name for the spirit, the will expressed for the kidneys, a little distinction there, just in case, I remember [crosstalk 00:58:41]. Steph Nosco: (58:40) Yeah, I know, it's confusing because you've got the Shen Zhi, and then the Zhi itself, which is like the Zhi. I know. It's really ... It's really confusing. One more thing I want to say about the Zhi is, that's where wisdom is. So again, this is kind of the problem I find with these ascension traditions. If we aren't willing to go into the mud and to do our work and to go through that fire of transformation, wisdom and knowledge are two very different things. Wisdom arises, right? True creativity, true inspiration, our true work arises from the light of that deep listening. Mason: (59:22) Thank you very much for taking us down the mountain. Steph Nosco: (59:24) Yeah, you're welcome. Mason: (59:25) That was really beautiful. Steph Nosco: (59:26) It was a long journey. Mason: (59:28) Not really, put so succinctly. And I mean, delivered with ... Again, the storytelling is something I feel Western thinking and science has been trying to belittle and just rub on the top of the head of animism and these stories and scrub, "Oh, how naïve," you know? "Oh, off you pop." Steph Nosco: (59:51) Yeah, "Oh, that's cute." Mason: (59:52) "That's very cute of you. Off you go. Leave it to the big boys and girls though to actually do the real healing." Whereas, going just very simply telling the story and taking us through that journey like that, all of a sudden, it gives me this invisible access once again of accessibility, decentralised, non-theoretical. It gives me an ease that I don't have all this stuff to remember. And if I don't remember, I'm bad and naughty. It's just a terrain in order to explore. I really appreciate the way you did it. Steph Nosco: (01:00:26) Yeah. Well, thank you for listening. It's such a pleasure to talk about quite an obscure topic that does take time to explain. So yeah, I really appreciate having the platform to share. Mason: (01:00:40) Just quickly, through bringing this in, you know? Like, we love Sarah Power. Again, Tahnee's studied with her. I've had her. I think I was a Yin yoga teacher in another life before I started SuperFeast. And had her books. But through the Yin yoga, through bringing it into the teaching, what have you seen as being ... And maybe not obvious ones, but major benefits to yourself, students, maybe just people in their everyday life who are turning into your Instagram? Like, what has been the main benefit of engaging with this way, this medicine? Steph Nosco: (01:01:21) Yeah. That's a really great question. One of the biggest things I've seen, and this happens to me a lot is people will change, often, not always. But there's many people who change the entire course of their life, because again, when we work our way down the mountain, any kind of life misalignments that are highlighted are brought to the surface. And so, I just had a girl the other day saying, "Hey, I'm leaving my job to go to acupuncture school." Or, "I've signed up ..." This often happens, "I've signed up for X, Y, Z course. I'm now ..." Or, "I've divorced my partner." That's happened to me too. Steph Nosco: (01:01:56) So, it's like these things where it's like, okay, I see it, and I can't not see it. And I have to take action. And then, after that change happens, this girl's like, "Oh, my frozen shoulder is gone. That's weird." Or, "My irritable bowel syndrome is gone. That's weird." So, it's that, as we start to make those life alignments or those life changes, as we start to live out our Dao, it just flows, health flows, right? Steph Nosco: (01:02:24) And so, yeah, that's one of those things, if people come to by Yin yoga teacher training, they're like, "Oh, I'm going to be a great Yin teacher." And sometimes they are. But sometimes they change the whole course of their direction of where they're going in their life. And that's what matters, right? I mean, I want people to be good teachers. But really, we're practising Yin yoga as a tool to be better people. Mason: (01:02:45) That's really beautiful, especially the way you're teaching it. You can't just go and live this on the surface. This needs to be embodied if you're going to be an effective teacher or human. Steph Nosco: (01:03:01) Yeah. And I mean, my Yin classes, I tell stories. Like, I tell tonnes of stories, like very intricate stories, metaphor. And so, what I do is, I get people to come to my class and then I give them a practise. Okay, so this week, you're working on X, Y, Z. Like, I don't teach drop-in classes anymore, just registered programmes and series because I want this information to land and then actually be integrated. And so, that's kind of where I'm going right now in my work
En este episodio nos acompaña Ignacio Puig Moreno, fundador de Acamica, una academia de tecnología con gran crecimiento en latinoamérica. Nos va a estar comentando sus experiencias con el libro "Jitterbug Perfume" de Tom Robbins. Va a ser un episodio super interesante ya que nos va a estar comentando sus experiencias con un libro que no es de negocios, sino que es de ficción.
In this fun fast moving spiritual episode, we discuss the true meaning of wellness for anti-aging, love, self-healing and spirituality. Hear how the book, Jitterbug Perfume changed Gabe's life and ignited his road to discovery through yoga, the Vedas*, the Sutras* and around the world. He shares intimate details from his childhood in Israel, to becoming an international teacher, trainer and wellness expert. Listen and find out what the one thing is that everyone can and should be doing for a healthier life and why we both lost God as children and then found our way back. If you like this episode, please subscribe/download and help spread the word by sharing it with your friends and on social media. The more light we can get out into the world, the better it will be. Favorite guest quote: “..we are all connected in love, and in light, and in God.” We will also mention: What meditation and falling in love have in common Tips for Anti-aging and stress release True meaning of Namaste Om Weekly Mantra: “I am that which I seek.” Resources: My Guest http://www.gabeyoga.com (www.gabeyoga.com) IG @gabe_yoga https://www.gabeyogaacademy.com/for-teachers (Yoga Courses for Teachers, Gabe Yoga) https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5-reasons-know-patanjalis-yoga-sutra (https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/5-reasons-know-patanjalis-yoga-sutra) Host Michelle Schoenfeld https://michelleschoenfeld.com/ (https://michelleschoenfeld.com/) * Vedas: the most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion. Believed to have been directly revealed to seers among the early Aryans in India, and preserved by oral tradition, the four chief collections are the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda, and Atharva Veda. *Namaste: [SHORT] “The Soul [divine] in me, bows to the soul in you.” A beautiful salutation in the ancient language of sanskrit to say, “I see you.”
Maya Contreras interviews political wonk Stephen Robinson. Stephan is a writer and social kibbitzer based in Portland, Oregon. He's on the board of the Portland Playhouse theater and writes for the immersive theater Cafe Nordo in Seattle. "Wonkette is an American online magazine of topical satire and political gossip, established in 2004 by Gawker Media and founding editor Ana Marie Cox. The editor since 2012 is Rebecca Schoenkopf, formerly of OC Weekly. Wonkette covers U.S. politics from Washington, D.C. to local schoolboards. Taking a sarcastic tone, the site focuses heavily on humorous breaking news, rumors, and the downfall of the powerful. It also deals with serious matters of politics and policy, producing in-depth analysis". Stephen is also a playwright. Last year, he cowrote the world premiere adaptation of Tom Robbin’s JITTERBUG PERFUME for the immersive theater, Cafe Nordo, in Seattle's Pioneer Square. He’s excited to collaborate again with co-artistic directors Erin Brindley and Terry Podgorski for CURIOUSER AND CURIOUSER, a modern take on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass. This production is an ambitious multi-story, multi-room musical experience with a six-course tasting menu included with admission. Cafe Nordo is not just a great theatre space. It’s also one of Seattle’s best bars and restaurants all in one. He’s thrilled to add his own style of humor to an evening of eat mes and drink mes. The play runs from April 2 to May 31. Go to rabbithole.art for details. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How do we make society use technology better?OreosThe importance of mindfulness practicesepisode 6 with AJHow many of our elected officials are evil?Understanding bad peopleTeaching critical thinking in schoolsThe changing tides of social mediaThe issues and manipulation of the public through social mediaThe flaws in educationMeasuring success of educationAlternative educationMisallocation of resources in educationWe imagine what it would look like to wear suspenders without pantsShould women be charged more for health care?Meditation book tik nat honthe invisible man ralph elision Should you feel have children if you care about the environment?rituals and small talkJitterbug perfume!Jen’s favorite compliment is “thank you for being so persistent”episode 8 with tashiFull Episode Notes: http://www.occasionallyinteresting.com/episode-21-dan
Follow @MichaelTrainer and @JamieWheal and tag us #peakmind #stealingfire with your thoughts on the episode! PEAK MIND brought to you by: http://www.foursigmatic.com/PEAK for 15% off http://www.organifi.com “PEAKMIND” for 20% off 4:00 Jamie Wheal introduces flow 5:40 Being deeply connected to the present moment 6:00 What is flow state? 7:00 What are the ways everyday people can access flow? 7:15 Sleep, quality food, movement, and embodied cognition EAT, REST, MOVE, BREATHE 8:00 Virtue of oxygen in shifting stage of awareness - self-aware breathing 8:55 Control of respiration key to flow 9:11 Olympians and their tools in breathing and visualization 9:46 Wim Hoff - episode coming soon :) 10:23 Big wave surfing and flow state 11:18 Vagal nerve, and coherence affect through breath control - cascade of effects 11:49 If there was one thing you could add to your life and one thing you could take away to have the greatest effect, what would it be? 12:45 Virtue of Deep focused breathing and focused reflection/gratitude 13:25 Neuroscience of gratitude - and keeps us in the present moment 14:00 “Take the hit as a gift” 14:50 Challenge of traditional morning routine 15:50 Keep phone in airplane mode 16:11 Don’t think or say anything that you don’t want to be more true 17:20 Personal recipe for flow 17:50 Hire to cover your weak spots 18:40 What is the Flow Dojo? 20:00 How to upgrade 21:29 Flow state is accessible to all of us, mindset is the key 21:46 Difference between fixed and growth mindset 23:18 Always do the hard thing, the obstacle is the way 28:00 Training the muscle of your brain to create more space between 29:25 How to be at cause rather than at affect - watch your energy 30:00 Focus on the levers that have the greatest consequences for you 32:20 9 Trillion dollars into the church of the ecstatic - to get out of ourselves 32:25 Energy spent on state shifting activities 33:00 The agony of being 35:22 Ecstacies 38:20 Virtue of weekend to a productive week 28:30 Hedonic scheduling - how to organize your pleasure 38:50 Sex, drugs, and rock and roll - fastest route with lowest success route 39:00 Sabbath practice - schedule blow outs 39:50 What is the game? 40:00 Periods of forced abstinence 4-6 weeks off pleasure seeking behaviors 40:20 Fallow the Field 41:30 Middle structures and the “middle path” 41:46 Practice partners are essential 41:50 Many of the most liberating partnerships are based in expansive journeys - virtue of couples on the path 42:30 “There are no single presidents” 43:03 Ecstatic states give you access to the data all the way down 43:30 Paradox on ecstaies, not going too far 23:50 “Summiting is optional, getting home is mandatory” 45:00 Variety of options on bests - Jitterbug Perfume, Led Zeppelin 3 side B, 45:50 "We are not expected to finish the work, nor are we excused from it” - Talmud 46:55 Advice to self 47:30 Advice to self 15 years from now, legacy question - keep moving, keep writing 50:00 Legacy and Family
Full Episode Notes here: http://www.occasionallyinteresting.com/episode-9-ryanIn this episode we discuss:What happens during anesthesia Skin bleaching and beauty standards Is it a good thing to be a bullshitterDo authenticity and bullshitting go hand in hand?Life as a magician and the lessons magic has taught himRyan quit his job when he was 24 to live in a van, chasing summer and telling jokes and doing magicIs it super cool and groovy to be enthusiastic? We think so!What it means to be a nerdHow growing up with the internet enables you to find your tribe The relativity of time to ageThe further now and the way back there now His story of heartbreak that brought him to Pai
We definitely paired an interesting book with perhaps our most interesting cocktail yet... This was also the first episode we recorded in two separate locations! Perfume, immortality, mythology, adventure &... beets? Hope you all enjoyed Jitterbug Perfume and let us know your thoughts or book suggestions! @dps_podcast drunkpoetssocietypodcast@gmail.com --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app
Full Episode Notes: http://www.occasionallyinteresting.com/episode-8-tashi/Basing his life around a book - Jitterbug Perfume How and why Tashi moved from a tiny mountain village in Nepal to Los Angeles and backTASHI FOR PRESIDENTTashi’s epic love story of meeting his wifeBuddhism Tashi's future book - The Manual for how to LiveWhat makes one person inspired and one person jealous from witnessing the same eventCultural Misappropriation The concept of personal space doesn’t exist in nepal
Bookhouse Kids in the building, and we hope you can smell what we are cooking. This weeks episode we discuss a true epic, Jitterbug Perfume.From Bohemian times to modern day this is an episode you will not want to miss.
Gabriel Tavera is Mexican yogi, home grown in Texas. Gabe put himself through the advertising program at UT, started his agency career at age 20, earned an MBA from UTSA at age 22, and was managing multi-million dollar ad campaigns by age 23. When he found yoga at age 24, he immediately turned away from his business endeavors and material possessions. Six years later, Gabe moved back to Austin, TX with nothing to his name and went on to found Yoga East Austin in 2013. Ever since, he has been doing everything possible to help others help themselves unplug and follow their hearts. In this episode, you'll hear from Gabriel on: The lifelong path of self-correction through listening to the quiet voice inside How to get comfortable with fear and use it to catapult you forward The three-phase process inherent to facing and surpassing all inevitable conflicts in life Giving yoga away for free and Gabe's vision for the future Announcements: Join me for an upcoming workshop at Three Jewels NYC: henrywins.com/events Enroll in the upcoming 200-hour Teacher Training or 30-hour Immersion at Lighthouse Yoga School. Enter referral code HENRYWINS on your application for $100 OFF or 10% OFF your tuition, respectively: henrywins.com/events Links from this episode: Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins — Grab a copy of Gabriel's recommended book Get in touch with Gabriel: YogaEastAustin.com — see what's happening at Gabriel's studio, and stop in for free yoga in the new year Follow @yogaeastaustin on Instagram Follow @yogapostle on Instagram
Yogapodden #36 The Yoga Radio Sessions New York tour. From big business yoga at Y7, already on 12 locations in New York and counting, with lots of merch (after all Americans are experts in the field of merchandise…), hip-hop, Slow Burn and Flow Hard (whoops almost forgot the ™-symbol!), to the psychedelic experience of Woom via Yoga To The People, the latter an old donation-based favourite. Yoga Radio Sessions goes to New York to take the pulse on yoga, a city where there are probably most yoga studios per capita in the world. Three takes on yoga. Woom integrates vinyasa, ashtanga, taoism, dance, chinese medicine, iyengar yoga, sacred geometry, myofascial release - and more - into their very own blend. And don´t forget the visuals, from fireplaces to geometrical patterns all over the room, excellent sound system added. On the Woom menu there´s also special classes with sound experiences. Inspired by Dr. Stanislav Grof’s Holotropic technique, students practice a powerful form of breath that enables to disconnect from the “monkey mind” and reach heightened states of awareness and a deeper state of meditation. A variety of overtone-emitting instruments are played, including gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, tuning forks, bells, chimes and more. In the future, with a more lax jurisdiction towards psychedelic substances, they hope to add various types of mind-expanding, self-exploring medicines to the practice. In other words: a fully equipped multi-sensory psychedelic yoga studio. And the music? Yes. Guns ´n Roses too. Meet the founder of Woom Elian Zach-Shemesh in an inspiring talk about yoga, life and the art of keeping keeping on in a highly competitive scene. Thanks to my daughter Valerie for the tips about these studios. • www.y7-studio.com • https://yogatothepeople.com/ • https://www.woomcenter.com Elians favourite books: “Conversations with God Volume One” by Neil Donald Walsh “Jitterbug Perfume” by Tom Robbins “The Holotropic Mind” by Stanislav Grof Other stuff mentioned in the pod: "Isle of Dogs" by Wes Anderson & Roman Coppola "DMT - The Spirit Molecule" by Rick Strassman "How to change your mind" by Michael Pollan PS: We tried to meet the founder of Yoga To The People and Sarah Larson Levey who created Y7 Studios, but did not succeed. This time. …and, if you´re interested in another way of integrating powerful sound with yoga, visit this webpage: • www.yogadjsessions.com Reach us on info@yesyoga.se We´re on the web, Instagram and Facebook. See you there and on the frequenzies. Soundtrack: “Consciousness” by DJ Food All suggestions, opinions and pecan fudge pies can be directed to info@yesyoga.se Keep track on what´s going on in the yoga world in Sweden on www.yogatrender.se (you have to handle Swedish though). Wonderful yoga mats in cork at www.naturligyoga.se
Here at Church Drunk, we are big advocates of words. In fact, we use them regularly. However, we are first in line to admit that we don't have all the best words. That honor, in our humble estimation, goes to Tom Robbins. And if you want to explore some of the best words that Mr. Robbins has to offer, then we strongly advise you to pick up a copy of Jitterbug Perfume, a book about perfume and time travel and immortality and falling in love and pagan gods and so much else. Or just listen to Episode 47 of the podcast. Dizzy & Ges will fill you in!
In this episode of Bookclub, we take a deep dive into Dr. Seuss's sex-filled piece of capitalist propaganda entitled One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. Did you know Dr. Seuss advocated the enslavement of the denizens of Whoville? It's true, we swear. Next book: Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins
In this Episode CoCo and Chicken interview Alchemist and Aromatherapist Allison Stillman about Time Travel and Jitterbug Perfume plus an update on CoCo's Confessional!
Tom Robbins, author of nine novels including "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Jitterbug Perfume" appears on the About the Books broadcast to discuss his newest book, "Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life." Robbins, who taught a master class in creative writing at the WordSmitten Writing Conference, talks with Kate Sullivan about his life, his novels, and his around-the-world travels. Tune in to the fun and listen to this literary rock star discuss his creative life. Kate Sullivan interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, debut novelists, publishers, and editors. The broadcast airs on Sunday afternoons at 5 PM EST. Recent guests include Johnny Temple (Brooklyn's Akashic Books), Dani Shapiro (Still Writing), Pulitzer Prize winning authors Gilbert King (Devil in the Grove), Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge), Geraldine Brooks (March), and Edward P. Jones (The Known World). The host and producer of the WordSmitten About the Books broadcast is Kate Sullivan, jounalist, editor, publisher, and creative writing instructor with WordSmitten Media, Inc. in the seaside town of St. Petersburg, Florida.The WordSmitten broadcast ("About the Books") airs Sunday afternoons at 5 PM EST from NYC and features recent interviews with bestselling authors, editors, and literary executives.Visit our company's distinctive sites:About-the-Books.comWordSmittenMedia.comWordSmitten.com © 2014 WordSmitten Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. WordSmitten® is a registered trademark of WordSmitten Media, Inc., a Florida Corporation.
Tom Robbins, author of nine novels including "Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" and "Jitterbug Perfume" appears on the About the Books broadcast to discuss his newest book, "Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life." Robbins, who taught a master class in creative writing at the WordSmitten Writing Conference, talks with Kate Sullivan about his life, his novels, and his around-the-world travels. Tune in to the fun and listen to this literary rock star discuss his creative life. Kate Sullivan interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, debut novelists, publishers, and editors. The broadcast airs on Sunday afternoons at 5 PM EST. Recent guests include Johnny Temple (Brooklyn's Akashic Books), Dani Shapiro (Still Writing), Pulitzer Prize winning authors Gilbert King (Devil in the Grove), Elizabeth Strout (Olive Kitteridge), Geraldine Brooks (March), and Edward P. Jones (The Known World). The host and producer of the WordSmitten About the Books broadcast is Kate Sullivan, jounalist, editor, publisher, and creative writing instructor with WordSmitten Media, Inc. in the seaside town of St. Petersburg, Florida.The WordSmitten broadcast ("About the Books") airs Sunday afternoons at 5 PM EST from NYC and features recent interviews with bestselling authors, editors, and literary executives.Visit our company's distinctive sites:About-the-Books.comWordSmittenMedia.comWordSmitten.com © 2014 WordSmitten Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. WordSmitten® is a registered trademark of WordSmitten Media, Inc., a Florida Corporation.
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