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3 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
3 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
2 episodes with Nimbin
Send Me a Message! I'm back! It's been a little while between episodes, but in this check-in, I bring you along for the ride—literally. I talk about my recent solo road trip to the Gold Coast (via the very chill detour through Nimbin) to watch my beloved Newcastle Knights take on the Titans. The trip was meant to help me slow down and de-stress... but let's be real, it didn't quite go as planned.From battling anxiety on the open road to grappling with post-trip blues (and watching the Knights cop a flogging), this episode unpacks how even our best intentions to rest can get derailed by a dysregulated nervous system. I also touch on CBD oil, the struggle of feeling anxious before and after the trip, and how this lingering anxiety has been nudging me toward a depressive episode I'm now trying to fight off.This one's raw, reflective, and full of the honesty you've come to expect from The Dysregulated Podcast. If you've ever tried to give yourself a break and still ended up overwhelmed, this one's for you.--Follow my journey living with mental illness and the hard-fought lessons learned along the way. Lived experience is the driving force of this podcast, and through this lens, my stories are told. This is a raw, honest, and authentic account of how multiple psychological disorders have shaped my past and continue to influence my future.Support the showTo support the show, CLICK HEREYou can follow me on Instagram: @elliot.t.waters
Today on the podcast. Buster and Gibbo join the boys from the Two Flogs podcast and holy shit - my head hurts. 3 - How’d you get into this podcasting lark? 5 - The world's worst sports podcast. 6:30 - The two flogs racehorse. 8:40 - Hosting a mental health day. 11:40 - The great beer heist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnUe_8WS7xo 15 - Everything in Queensland can kill you. 17 - Hose up the freckle. 19 - New Zealand Airports/Air New Zealand. 21:30 - NZ Itinerary. 23:30 - Podcast recording. 24 - The sky tower. 25 - Haircuts. 27:40 - Hare Krishna comedy bit. 32 - Town of Nimbin. 34 - Air bnb weed plant/horticulture. 36 - Panic attacks / medical marijuana. Give us a follow if you haven't already ~ Jay and Dunc. Want to get in touch? Hit us up, here: https://linktr.ee/notforradioSupport the show: https://plus.rova.nz/
Zach's Million Dollar Idea We give away the rights to Gym Generator How well do Bunnings employees know their stores? Dom's found a new job opportunity in Nimbin Looking into phone charging with an exercise bike Rant Roulette Make My Day See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Melbourne's multi-talented singer/songwriter Miguel Rios talks about his latest release “Innocent Man” along with his albums “Slaughterhouse Road” and “Running Blue”! Miguel grew up in a far North Queensland alternative community and a talented story-telling songwriter, has appeared in numerous festivals with a dedicated following on YouTube, Spotify and many social media platforms, plus shares the stories behind the music including “Narcissist”, “Black Dog”, “The World is Spinning Faster”, “Road to Nimbin”, “Chase the Hour” and more! Check out the amazingly multi-talented Miguel Rios and his latest releases on al major platforms and www.miguelriosmusic.com today! #miguelrios #australiansingersongwriter #melbourne #northqueensland #innocentman #slaughterhouseroad #runningblue #alternativecommunity #narcissist #blackdog #theworldisspinningfaster #roadtonimbin #chasethehour #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnermiguelrios #themikewagnershowmiguelrios --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themikewagnershow/support
Melbourne's multi-talented singer/songwriter Miguel Rios talks about his latest release “Innocent Man” along with his albums “Slaughterhouse Road” and “Running Blue”! Miguel grew up in a far North Queensland alternative community and a talented story-telling songwriter, has appeared in numerous festivals with a dedicated following on YouTube, Spotify and many social media platforms, plus shares the stories behind the music including “Narcissist”, “Black Dog”, “The World is Spinning Faster”, “Road to Nimbin”, “Chase the Hour” and more! Check out the amazingly multi-talented Miguel Rios and his latest releases on al major platforms and www.miguelriosmusic.com today! #miguelrios #australiansingersongwriter #melbourne #northqueensland #innocentman #slaughterhouseroad #runningblue #alternativecommunity #narcissist #blackdog #theworldisspinningfaster #roadtonimbin #chasethehour #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnermiguelrios #themikewagnershowmiguelrios --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/themikewagnershow/support
Melbourne's multi-talented singer/songwriter Miguel Rios talks about his latest release “Innocent Man” along with his albums “Slaughterhouse Road” and “Running Blue”! Miguel grew up in a far North Queensland alternative community and a talented story-telling songwriter, has appeared in numerous festivals with a dedicated following on YouTube, Spotify and many social media platforms, plus shares the stories behind the music including “Narcissist”, “Black Dog”, “The World is Spinning Faster”, “Road to Nimbin”, “Chase the Hour” and more! Check out the amazingly multi-talented Miguel Rios and his latest releases on al major platforms and www.miguelriosmusic.com today! #miguelrios #australiansingersongwriter #melbourne #northqueensland #innocentman #slaughterhouseroad #runningblue #alternativecommunity #narcissist #blackdog #theworldisspinningfaster #roadtonimbin #chasethehour #spreaker #iheartradio #spotify #applemusic #youtube #anchorfm #bitchute #rumble #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnermiguelrios #themikewagnershowmiguelriosBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-mike-wagner-show--3140147/support.
Sam and Max get right into the big issues, figuring out why people don't like Coldplay, and run through a list of Sam's very first big tracks of 2024 (in June). Then, they look into the Bigsound line up that dropped this week ahead of Brisbane's most exciting week in September.For the interview, they head to the Triffid to chat backstage with NZ indie rockers Park Rd as they travelled across Australia with The Rions. They cover how their album came together, the pipeline of Kiwi artists coming over the ditch, and when they might be back on our shores.In Vinyl Club, it's a look back at Searows sad EP, balanced by a look forward to FIDLAR's third album as Sam's homework for next week. Maybe we'll invest in a record store too...?Connect with Park Rd on Instagram and Facebook, and listen to their debut album, "The Novel" on Spotify and Apple Music. Discover more new music and hear your favourite artists with 78 Amped on Instagram and TikTok.
Jeremy Buckingham was elected as NSW's first Legalise Cannabis Party Member at the 2023 NSW State Election. He is an experienced MP who has spent over two decades passionately advocating for community, the environment and what he calls common-sense laws that serve the people. In his current term Mr. Buckingham is committed to bringing about progressive drug law reform, legalising cannabis, fixing the broken Roadside Drug Testing system and growing the hemp industry. In this episode: Nimbin (1:00) Legalise Cannabis Party (3:30) Growing up a “Hippie Kid” (6:00) A Working Class Drug (8:00) Adult Use in NSW (10:50) Establishing a Viable Hemp Industry (23:10) No Skunk on a Dead Planet (25:00) Metal Band Origins and AC/DC Quiz (27:00) The end of Prohibition? (32:00) Legalisation around the world (37:00) Roadside Drug Testing (41:40) This episode is presented by Planted. Use code ‘GIVETOKE10' at www.planteducation.net.au to save 10% on paid courses. Visit www.jeremybuckinghammp.com.au Follow @cannabisjeremy on Instagram Follow @buckinghamJN on Twitter/X Visit www.giveandtoke.com.au Follow @giveandtoke on Instagram Email giveandtoke@gmail.com
With Buster away at a nudist retreat in the hills of Nimbin the boys have called in the ultimate bench warmer Beetle to the run on squad. Gibo trys his best to piece together his foggy memory of Magic Round and Beetle discuss how he's been in hibernation since going a little to hard at the Podcast Royal. With some cracking fessholes and flog calls, strap yourself in for a YABBA DABBA DOO of an episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
(keywords) (slightly edited version) Christian monk, prayer, induction and instruction, catch a cold, Ajahn Chah in US, pariyatti, Nimbin, do's and don'ts, discipline attention, walking meditation, there's just-knowing, calm, changed the course of my life, possibilities, 1970's, questioning, initial inspiration, identity, forms, intoxicated by outer appearance, Vakkali, overly enamoured, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches and mental impressions, false identity, wound on your forehead, approximation, restless, virtuous struggle, synthetic security, daring, taking risks, precepts, spiritual companions, letting go of the initial good feeling, downloading an app.
Really Interesting Women - the podcastEpisode 118Tana DouglasTana Douglas is acknowledged throughout the global music industry as a pioneer. She was the first female 'roadie' (road crew for rock bands). The first woman in a testosterone fuelled world. You talk about challenges. There's one. It was a rocky start. She ran away from an abusive childhood and found herself in the early 70's in Nimbin (the hippie capital of Australia) where a chance meeting with... a tightrope walker of all things, changed her life. For example, soon after that, she walked into a downtrodden home in Melbourne to meet with a band who needed a roadie. She was 16 and stood in the living room looking at a bedraggled group of young men who weren't that much older than her. They hadn't even put out an album yet. But there was something about them. Tana reckons there was an energy that they seemed to just exude. It was AC/DC. She lived with them for over a year while they put their first album together. That then started a chain of events that led to her touring the world and working with bands such as Status Quo, The Who, Ozzy Ozborne, Iggy Pop, Elton John, INXS, Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers...the list is endless. ...and so are the fabulous stories. Imagine throwing down shots with Bon Scott backstage at Wembley before he went out in front of 80,000 people. She did that!Have a listen to this podcast - head to the link in my bio. The book isLoud: A life in rock'n'roll by the world's first female roadie Visit instagram @reallyinterestingwomen for further interviews and posts of interesting women in history. Follow the link to leave a review....and tell your friendshttps://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/really-interesting-women/id1526764849If you know of a potential guest or interesting woman in history, email me atreallyinterestingwomen@gmail.com
(keywords) (slightly edited version) Sangha gatherings, kathina, Elders' Council Meetings, burden of suffering, reaping rewards, old pain, criticism, cynicism, unmet pain, DDB, denied dukkha backlog, solitary practice, a right pickle, lost in samsara, reconfigure views, reading Braille, raw data, ouch, intense illness, heavenly messengers, assailed, ICU, capacity of heart, nivarana, anger, vibhava-tanha, rage, feel fully offended, feel accurately, daring, momentum, overwhelmed, loathing washing dishes, avoid using force, assertive, standing in ma bu, spick-and-span, Morrinsville, open-hearted awareness, allowing the native sensitivity, let rip, passionate rage, contraction in my guts, affluence, entertainment, incremental moments, cleaning our teeth, hunching our shoulders, heart wide open, 50 years, Nimbin.
Get to know and keep up-to-date with the Gold Coast Triple M's Flan, Ali and Spida: Serenity Safe-Harbour is Byron Bay's original hippie and over the weekend was a top biller at the Nimbin Roots Festival! the Tim Tszyu fight happened on the Gold Coast yesterday - Ali was there and observed something that got her think: there's an inequality that needs to be exposed. Spida is sick of drivers who do this - they copped a Spida Spray this morning! Casey Barnes is a Gold Coast Country Music Star and a good friend of the show and he joined Flan, Ali and Spida this morning with a big announcement! The world's greatest radio trivia quiz is Name That Year - can Ali and Spida catch Rod? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, Jinxy has an important correction that sends us down a very Nimbin path, and BL is doing her best to avoid CCD and missing BravoCon in the process. Last night BL was getting botox and now she's in Sydney, meanwhile Jinxy is about to choof off to Venice, London and New York. She explains Don't Look Now, revisits the Brideshead and fills BL in on the brain worms story. We've been watching Minx, Only Murders, Sex and the City, and the Adam Sandler Nepo Baby movie. And RHONY, which we debrief on in great detail and put some vicious rumours to bed, finally.Also: Alsos!ICYMI: We're doing our first ever live show! See Also Live will be happening at the Wheeler Centre on 10 October and is on sale now. Use the code SEEALSO for 15% off your ticket to our show. Chic.Also AlsosREAD ALSO: Ann Patchett's piece in British Vogue: What I Learnt From Giving Up Shopping For A YearWATCH ALSO: Telemarketers on BingeDRINK ALSO: Spritz Veneziano by GrupettoSKIN ALSO: Felicity West Skin AestheticsNAIL ALSO: J.HannahWATCH ALSO: Sick of Myself out in Australia on October 5Find us on Instagram @seealsopodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The team are back from holidays which can only mean one thing... it's time to share tales from Gina's trip to Gympie and Rabbit's holiday right here at home. Plus, Rabbit shares with the team an AI generated cover of Dua Lipa's 'Dance The Night' and the team story about some Nimbin... 'fun pants'. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Psychiatrist Dr Harry Freeman on the memorable patients, LSD, and medical epiphanies from his 50 years in psychiatry
Psychiatrist Dr Harry Freeman on the memorable patients, LSD, and medical epiphanies from his 50 years in psychiatry
In this episode, I chat with Hanna Navara, regenerative Hemp farmer, activist and permaculture enthusiast. Hanna, with her partner Leon, runs Hemp Threads, a licensed industrial hemp company offering natural hemp based food products regeneratively farmed using sustainable principals in Kyogle, NSW. It was a Permaculture course held at Mullumbimby community gardens alongside a Diploma in Organic Farming that really sparked Hanna's interest in the plant world in a deeper way. Hanna had been heavily involved in environmental activism and had a passion for growing food and plants and found she really wanted to positively contribute to the solution of a healthy future for the people and our planet. This passion to contribute, led her and her partner Leon towards an interest in growing hemp, which was inspired by the MardiGrass Festival in Nimbin, NSW. It was here,that she first got her hands on a jar of hemp seeds… In 2018, Hanna and her partner Leon, with their jar of hemp seeds, engaged in a share farming journey in Broadwater on the Richmond river. The land was sandy flat swampland- and with neither her or partner hailing from a farming background, there were lots of lessons learnt. Solum farm in the Clarence valley, a working Organic medicinal herb farm run by Cheryl and Mike Smith provided the next opportunity for Hanna and Leon. Here they spent, nearly 3 years, learning alongside Cheryl and Mike and planting out 3 hemp crops on about an acre of land. Hanna speaks of the many lessons learnt during this time, from inviting herbal allies like Calendula, Tulsi and Mugwort into her days, to the importance of having robust systems in place for harvesting, drying and packaging plant material. Hanna and Leon now share farm in Kyogle, near the Border ranges where they have a little more space for their hemp and have this year planted out a 5 acre hemp crop. During our chat, Hanna brings an interesting perspective to the concept of self care. Rather than focussing on the individual practices that nourish her, Hanna zooms out and looks at self care from a very broad level. She talks about bringing in the systems thinking from her permaculture training to help her mind map out all the areas of her life and the balance she'd like to achieve- a mix of practical, spiritual and body care. Hanna was in the late stages of pregnancy when we chatted and was really enjoying leaning into herbal allies to support her- she speaks of her connection with blood building and nutritive Nettle, creating herbal elixirs and nourishing molasses based herbal syrups. We also explore all of the wonderful ways Hemp can be used for self care, both nutritionally and topically- from delicious salad dressings to bliss balls and nourishing herbal balms and oils. I think you'll really enjoy hearing Hanna's unique approach to self care, I certainly learnt a lot! You can connect with Hanna via her website Hemp Threads, or on Instagram. To find out more about The Elder Tree visit the website at www.theeldertree.org and donate to the crowdfunding campaign here. You can also follow The Elder Tree on Facebook and Instagram and sign up to the newsletter. Find out more about this podcast and the presenters here. Get in touch with The Elder Tree at: asktheeldertree@gmail.com The intro and outro song is "Sing for the Earth" and was kindly donated by Chad Wilkins. You can find Chad's music here and here.
Aine's in town! In honor of friend of the pod/friend of us as actual people, today's episode is all Australia, all the time! There's Corn Thins! Mike invented them! There's Tim Tams! Some saint or another invented them! And there's research that yields phrases like “singer Paul Joseph, Donny McCormack (ex-Nutwood Rug Band), The Larrikins and Ian Farr!” Former Nutwood Rug Band members infested the Nimbin Aquarius Festival, a surprisingly thoughtful invasion of a small town in New South Wales during the sixties; decades earlier, significantly less thought was given to the entire enterprise known as the Emu War, which you may know by now was not won by non-Emus. Join us, won't you?
Join us for this week's episode of our cannabis podcast as we dive into the latest cannabis news and events from around the world. In this jam-packed episode, we cover a wide range of stories that are sure to pique your interest. First up, we discuss the legal complications surrounding seed sales in Connecticut and the challenges faced by cannabis growers. Macky sheds light on the potential for the legal cannabis industry in the UK to create an astounding 100,000 new jobs. Macky also has abit of a rant about the correlation between cannabis use and an increase in school exclusions. Bubble takes us to the vibrant Nimbin, where thousands gather for the MardiGrass festival in 2023. Experience the sights, sounds, and unique cannabis culture of this renowned event. Finally, TG explores the fascinating world of classic cultivars and the impact of the THC obsession. We delve into the potential consequences and the importance of preserving traditional strains. Join us for this captivating episode filled with cannabis news, thought-provoking discussions, and intriguing events. Don't miss out on the latest insights and updates from the ever-evolving world of cannabis. Tune in now! Come and join in the discussion about any of these news articles on our cannabis growing forum, Discord server, or any of your favourite social networks. Visit our website for links. Website: https://highonhomegrown.com Discord: https://discord.gg/sqYGkF4xyQ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/highonhomegrown Thank you for downloading and listening to our cannabis podcast! I hope you enjoy this episode.
I visited Rob at his home in 93 acres of rainforest not far from Nimbin far northern NSW. Rob tells some wild stories about his time in the late 1990's studying Shamanism in the Amazon, before the tourist hoardes had arrived. As well we talk about eastern mysticism, the state of the world and generally shoot the shit. https://rblobetree.bandcamp.comhttps://rblonetree.com.au/
Free Julian Assange...Spotify Subscribe here!Twitter: https://twitter.com/5thanddribbleInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/5thanddribble/Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@5thanddribble
OZAI Ozai Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozai.rap/ ONE TWO MANY SOCIALS Vlog Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCW-7... Follow us on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0qFhbc6 Follow us on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast... One Two Many Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onetwomanypod/ Zac's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zac_armitage/ Aaron's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aaronperera/0:00:00 INTRO 0:04:34 BLUE FLAME 0:07:11 MUSIC BACKGROUND 0:09:17 FINDING HIS SOUND 0:14:04 KING STINGRAY 0:16:40 TROMBONE OR RECORDER 0:18:14 BEAT BOX 0:20:46 FRENCH 0:23:18 BUSKING 0:25:09 ROLE MODELS 0:28:31 INTERNATIONAL HIP HOP 0:31:36 GROWING UP IN NIMBIN 0:38:33 420 SUPERSTORE 0:40:19 VAPING 0:42:47 RAP BATTLES 0:44:51 TNS 0:45:41 ANIME 0:48:24 BRONCOS/DOLPHIN 0:50:38 NO1 NETWORK CYPHERS 0:52:09 BRISBANE MUSIC SCENE 0:55:02 FREESTYLE
Considering a career as a Private rural psychiatrist but not sure about the pathway? A/Prof. Mathew Coleman explores the practicalities with Fellows working in rural private practice, to answer many common queries.The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists has received Australian Government funding under the Specialist Training Program to deliver this activity. Associate Professor Mathew Coleman is a consultant psychiatrist with the WA Country Health Service, Clinical Director for the Great Southern and Midwest Mental Health Service and Clinical Academic with the Rural Clinical School of WA. He is a qualified child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatrist and has experience and qualifications in health service management. He just recently completed two terms as a Commissioner with the National Mental Health Commission.Dr Tristram Duncan graduated with his medical degree from the University of Newcastle. He has over sixteen years of experience in the psychiatry field. Dr Duncan uses a variety of approaches to medication, neurostimulation, and psychotherapy management of psychiatric disorders. He practices at Dudley Private Hospital, which is located in the heart of Orange in regional NSW. Dr Tristram Duncan also participates in outreach clinics through the MSOAP program to various rural and remote locations.Dr Rodney BlanchBSc (Hons), PhD (Chemistry), MBBS, FRANZCP, Cert Adult PsychClinical Director Murrumbateman Specialist CenterGrowing up in a Central Queensland mining town and having been a Chemistry academic with UNSW@ADFA he developed a passion for both rural and military mental health. Dr. Blanch continues to be active in his engagement with the college as the Rural Representative for the ACT Branch.Dr Therese Mary Grotowski is a psychiatrist who completed her training in rural NSW 24 years ago. She has worked in private practice in Ballina since then, as well as a variety of roles within the local area health service including acute inpatient and community mental health covering Lismore, Ballina, and Nimbin for 20 years, and more recently with the Disaster Recovery Team. She has also worked with the local Aboriginal Health Service for several years. Her interests are in working with people living with psychotic conditions, and intellectual disability and mental illness. She has been Site Co-ordinator of Training for more than 10 years and has enjoyed mentoring registrars continuously during that time. She has a keen interest in rural psychiatry and has participated in a number of projects and committees at the state and national level aimed at advocating for service development and improved access for people living with mental illness in rural areas.Feedback:If you have a topic suggestion or would like to participate in a future episode of Psych Matters, we'd love to hear from you.Please contact us by email at: psychmatters.feedback@ranzcp.orgDisclaimer:This podcast is provided to you for information purposes only and to provide a broad public understanding of various mental health topics. The podcast may represent the views of the author and not necessarily the views of The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists ('RANZCP'). The podcast is not to be relied upon as medical advice, or as a substitute for medical advice, does not establish a doctor-patient relationship and should not be a substitute for individual clinical judgement. By accessing The RANZCP's podcasts you also agree to the full terms and conditions of the RANZCP's Website. Expert mental health information and finding a psychiatrist in Australia or New Zealand is available on the RANZCP's Your Health In Mind Website.
Leisel is back/Pathetic Excuses Jimmy Maher Dodgy Cabs Matt Acton Defending yourself in court Triple Header Dobbo's New Driver Rugby League World Cup See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Michael Balderstone is the leader of the Hemp Embassy in Nimbin and one of the foremost voices in the fight against the war on drugs. Michael tells us about how he got involved in politics and how and why the hemp embassy got started. He talks about the struggles in getting cannabis legalised and the trials and tribulations over the years of trying to get it legalised. Michael gives his thoughts on why cannabis was made illegal in the first place and what benefits, from taxation to medical, social costs to law and order would be gained from making it legal. Michael discusses the best ways to monitor and legalise cannabis and dispels some of the common myths around its use. A really interesting and thought-provoking chat with a knowledgeable character. To learn more about this podcast and everything else Beernuts Productions has to offer, please go to https://beernutsproductions.com/ today.
In this week's podcast we chat with Dr. Jamie Rickord, GP & Founder of Ananda Clinics about:The endocannabinoid systemCannabis DosingCannabis prescribing patternsMDMAPsilocybinAlternative medicine stigmaAnada Clinics: https://anandaclinics.com.au/ Altmed: https://altmed.com.au/
What's it like to explore the world by yacht? In this episode, I speak with extreme world traveller Juana Flores Vegas who discovered her love for sailing in 2010 after travelling every corner of the globe both on foot and by bicycle. Since then, she has crossed the Atlantic five times, and in 2017 decided to sail around the world starting from Malaga to the South Caribbean and Panama, crossing the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia and onto New Zealand returning via Papua New Guinea and Indonesia until the pandemic stopped her. Juana discusses how she decided the route, the logistics of arranging the trip, the risks sailing brings, and gives tips and advice for those wanting to start sailing.Juana Flores Vegas was born 1975 in Malaga, South Spain. She's a Shiatsu massage therapist. Her travels include hitchhiking around Europe, and Honduras and Nicaragua in the 1990s just after the war. She's also worked as an NGO in India, Guatemala and Nepal, and lived in an environmental community in Nimbin, Australia. She has cycled Spain, The Canal the Midi in France, Danube River in Germany, Switzerland, New Zealand and Nepal. She has sailed extensively including starting a round-the-world sailing trip in 2017.For more information about Juana's work: www.shiatsujuana.comAnd her travels: https://www.instagram.com/rolandomundotravel/https://www.youtube.com/c/RolandoMundoFind out more at www.ruthmillingtonauthor.comDon't forget to RATE, REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE on your podcast app. It means you will be the first to hear when new episodes come out and it will help others to find this podcast!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ruthmillingtonauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/RuthMillington1Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.millington.52/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ruth-millington-54915b24/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSShare Your Story Have an extreme travel story to tell? Contact me at: https://ruthmillingtonauthor.com/contact/Support the ShowSupport the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/ruthmillington)SponsorA huge thanks to today's sponsor HelpYouFind.Me a secure - yet simple - way to share private data for use in emergency situations that is end-to-end encrypted and accessible only by you and the people you choose to share it with. Perfect for the extreme traveller! Find out more at https://helpyoufind.me/Extreme10 and get a 10% discount when you sign up! Production (for this episode)Creator, producer, writer and host: Ruth MillingtonMusic credit: Epic Orchestra - Blockbuster Adventure Music by JuliusHAdditional Music: Waves from Piano and Sea by Julius H
This week I'm talking a big announcement, photos dumps, seeing Tim Dillon, going to Nimbin, a surprise party and some fun fears. New Episode every Thursday! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJscnfTTW_-aO5D81Xi22yw? Facebook: www.facebook.com/billydarcy1 Instagram: www.instagram.com/billy.darcy Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillyDArcy Music: 'In the Clouds' by RENNAN https://open.spotify.com/artist/6YTfkm9OLnkyN6SOBF74ot
Today on the podcast, we have the performer stand-up comedian, author, and Love Your Diagnosis podcaster Lainie Chait (more famously known as Electro Girl) sharing her incredible story, wisdom, and revelations from more than 20 years living symbiotically with Epilepsy. Lainie's journey with what they call 'the invisible illness' (Epilepsy) is a testimony to intuitive holistic healing and the power of transmuting trauma into something beautiful. Diagnosed with Epilepsy at the age of 19, Lainie suddenly found herself in the depths of managing an illness that her teenage self wasn't ready to accept. What followed; An integrative journey spanning over two decades of denial, rebellion, acceptance, and the birthing of a phenomenal woman dedicated to inspiring others. Lainie has written and self-published a book, Electro Girl (2017), performed a one-woman stage show, done stand-up comedy, and now hosts a podcast dedicated to sharing the stories of people like herself, who have defied the odds of their diagnosis. There is no doubt that Lainie has taken the road less traveled with her approach to living with Epilepsy. Not willing to accept a lifetime of prescribed pharmaceutical medication, she thrust herself into the throes of trauma healing, alternative medicine, research, visceral guidance, and lots of trial and error. Almost 300 tonic clonic, grand mal seizures (aka the big ones) later, she is here with a message for anyone who's had a dire diagnosis to jump in the driver's seat, direct their journey, and believe in the power to heal; However that may look. This is a truly inspiring episode laced with comedic cure and a potent message of why we need to handle our brain, nervous system, and ourselves with care. Tune in. "You've got a choice when you walk out of that doctor's office; Are you going to let someone else take charge of your life? Or are you going to be in the driver's seat? If you have to use the medicine, great, but I encourage people through my experience and other people's stories to be back in the driver's seat of this. And research, that's been the message so far from everyone. At the end of each podcast, I ask everyone to say a little tip for someone going through it. And it's always research, go and get second opinions and be in it. Be right in it, right in it. Don't let anyone control how you look at your health and how you heal". - Lainie Chait Mason and Lainie discuss: Trauma and Epilepsy. Understanding Epilepsy. What triggers seizures? Healing through comedy. Over-prescribed pharmaceuticals. Allopathic vs holistic healing approach. Lainie's healing protocols and supplements. Lainie's diet; What she avoids and what helps. Taking care of the brain and nervous system. Who is Lainie Chait? Lainie Chait is an author, performer, podcaster, and stand-up comedian. Lainie is a big advocate for people treating themselves holistically, and exploring healing modalities outside of allopathic diagnosis/treatment. In 2017 Lainie self-published her autobiography, ‘Electro Girl', a story of her journey living a symbiotic existence with Epilepsy for 16 years. In 2021 Lainie started a podcast called Love your Diagnosis, which takes a weekly look into the lives of people who have been diagnosed with a condition/illness. The interviews find a flow and dialogue around the choices and changes people start to make in their lives when they learn that they have to live with dis-ease, partially brought about by their choices. Lainie believes a diagnosis can be seen as a gift if you look at it as a second chance to get to know and treat yourself in a more loving way. If you would like to connect or work with Lainie, please explore the links below. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN ON APPLE PODCAST Resources: Electro Girl Book Electro Girl website Lainie Chait Twitter Lainie Chait Linkedin Love your Diagnosis podcast 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 :)! Plus we're on Spotify! Check Out The Transcript Here: Mason: (00:00) Hey, Lainie. Lainie Chait: (00:01) Hi, Mason. Mason: (00:02) We're back. Lainie Chait: (00:02) We are, we are. Mason: (00:04) We tried again, but it was retrograding too hard that day. Lainie Chait: (00:08) For both of us. My little thing that I'm going to bring out, malfunctioned, but I fixed that because of retrograde, which is good. Mason: (00:15) I had, I think, for the first time ever not... I hit record, and then I'm going to blame the laptop and the fact that that just didn't record. All right, but good. We're off and running again. Lainie Chait: (00:27) We are. Mason: (00:29) You're just an interesting person. I mean, everyone's had a little bit of an intro, but do you want to just get everyone caught up on who you are and what you're working on? Lainie Chait: (00:40) This book is part of a bigger... Well, this was actually the start of it. I wrote this book, because I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 19, and I just wasn't prepared to accept that I had it. I was just not interested in knowing that my brain was going to work against me to live a normal life. Yeah? This is like a dialogue around my journey and of basically how I came to deny it, rebel against it, accept it, and then use supplementation and even products of yours, which is why I want to... been so interested to talk to you, about how to control and manage the seizures and the brain farts with a holistic approach, not just throwing pills into my face. Mason: (01:32) How long did you get swept up in the, this is your new normal? Lainie Chait: (01:37) I hid it for the first four years, in my teenage years. I was too afraid to tell anyone about it. At that stage, I had the seizures that were just kind of jerking, and just like jerks, and maybe hiccups and things like that, but I hadn't had any tonic-clonic seizures, the big fall to the ground seizures. The scary ones that people are often scared about. It was only when I started drinking and dating, and introducing teenage stuff into your life that you're just not prepared for really, that the big seizures started to happen. At 19, my mum saw that going on and then it was seven years of doctors. Mason: (02:24) What's the... Okay, because you call it, it's like the silent... Lainie Chait: (02:27) The silent disease, I think they call it. Mason: (02:29) Disease. Yeah. I mean, I was like is disease even there, but yeah, that's I guess, kind of appropriate based on the west. Lainie Chait: (02:34) Oh, no. Invisible illness. Mason: (02:35) Yeah. The invisible illness. Yeah. It's a little bit more gentle. Lainie Chait: (02:38) Yeah, it is. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (02:43) You were bringing it up in reading your email. I was like, "Yeah," and I know maybe a couple of people that have told me, in the past, how they dealt with their epilepsy, but just the walking around while you have a sign, that did like you, that you have a sign on telling people, any point you're going to be going into a fit. You can't do that, so how is your life get affected? Lainie Chait: (03:05) Well, I guess for me, luckily, because there's 40 different types of epilepsy, right? Which I didn't know that at the time. I just thought there was the small ones called absence seizures, where your brain just shuts down for a second, and you have like a minute, maybe two minutes where you're just out, but you're not jerking or you don't drop or anything like that. They're called absence seizures. I did have a few of them when I was younger, but for me, it's all been about the grand mal, the tonic-clonic ones. Lainie Chait: (03:36) I saw my first seizure in hospital when they did all the tests and I had to stay inside and get my head all... They had a big turban with EEG and I was hooked up to a machine, so I was about 19 when that happened, and I saw and heard my first seizure from someone else in hospital doing the same thing. From that moment on my ego and myself went, "Oh, there's no way, there is absolutely no way I'm going to let anyone see me like this, no way. It's too scary. Mason: (04:07) So you just stopped heading out. Lainie Chait: (04:09) No, I just hid it. If I felt like I was going to have one I'd fuck off and do it alone, Mm-hmm (affirmative). Or, risking death. My ego was stronger than my logic to get help or tell people, or... Yeah, and the fact that I kind of intuitively knew that it was an emotional... That I'd created it. I know that's weird to say, because it developed at 14 when my parents got divorced, it's not really in my family history, and the triggers that still align now are still about stuff to do with abandonment, stuff like that. Lainie Chait: (04:55) If I'm in certain situations that trigger me, there's still wired in there somewhere, even though as an adult I've totally dealt with all of that logically and done cathartic everything's, but somewhere in the wiring, there's still that little faded memory of something to do with what triggers them. That I still find really hard to break. Yeah. It's really interesting. Mason: (05:25) That still set you off? Lainie Chait: (05:27) Yeah. But it's not everything, it's just certain things. Like flashing lights, that's not my type of epilepsy. Mason: (05:34) Yeah, right. Lainie Chait: (05:35) I myth bust in this as well. I do comedy about epilepsy. I know you do comedy. One of the reasons I started to do stand up was that I wanted to do a 45 minute show on making epilepsy funny, because when you're living it, that was the way that I found that I could get over it. Understand it, break through it, because otherwise it will destroy you actually. It's a pretty shit condition. Mason: (06:07) Did you, within yourself, you made it funny or did you make it like, "If I'm going to embrace it, so it's not embarrassing. I'm going to like tell everyone, in a comedic way, that I'm dealing with this"? Lainie Chait: (06:19) Okay. Here's a joke I made up. "Why did the epileptic chicken cross the road?" Mason: (06:25) It's already funny, yeah. Why? Lainie Chait: (06:27) "Because it couldn't fit on the sidewalk." I mean, it's not funny, but it's funny. Anyway, therefore I think that's it. Yeah. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (06:40) Do other people that have the epilepsy get offended by you taking the piss out of it, or have you got a hall pass? Lainie Chait: (06:46) I think, in this world of PC, way too PC, I've definitely got a hall pass. I got a hall pass as a comedian, to being a woman, so I can say anything I like about being a woman, epilepsy, and being Jewish. Mason: (07:00) Are you Jewish as well? Lainie Chait: (07:01) Yeah. Mason: (07:02) Gosh. Yeah. Lainie Chait: (07:02) I've got passes in comedy that... Mason: (07:04) It's like what Lee, the dentist in Seinfeld, going for complete immunity, complete comedy immunity. Yeah. And becoming a Jew was the last one, I think, for him. Lainie Chait: (07:18) That's right. I remember that. I remember that. Yeah. I don't know. I think the hall pass is out of respect, because I'm allowing people to understand it rather than be scared of it. The jokes that I make about it is more about looking at it from a perspective of, "Oh, I don't need to be scared of that then. Okay." All the things, that you can swallow, that there's a stigma or a myth that you can swallow your tongue, bring light to that, because it's so not... That's just impossible. To swallow a tongue. It's connected. The myth is to swallow the tongue, but actually, because it falls back into the mouth it blocks the airways and that's when the trouble can happen, so just will, as a muscle that's limp, block the airway. Mason: (08:13) What about treatment-wise? What were you told the rest of your life was going to look like after you got diagnosed? Lainie Chait: (08:20) Medication for ever. No late nights, no parties. Mason: (08:27) Is this at 14? Lainie Chait: (08:30) No, I hid it. Mason: (08:32) You hid it from like everyone even- Lainie Chait: (08:33) Everyone. Mason: (08:33) Yeah, right, medical profession. Lainie Chait: (08:35) Everyone. It was my little dirty little secret, but I didn't know what was going on. It's in the book though. Mason: (08:43) Yeah, okay. Lainie Chait: (08:43) Very interesting. Mason: (08:50) Everyone listening, we've gone live on Instagram as well. The book we're referring to, I know I've already mentioned it, but it's Electro Girl, but yeah, if you hear us talking to the viewers. Lainie Chait: (09:01) Yes. We've got two sides. Yeah. It was the doctors. It was lots of tests all the time. Yeah, it was pretty grim, and I guess being quite a stubborn personality in myself, when I was diagnosed, I just kind of went, "Oh, I'm caught, I'm caught. I've got no choice. I'll just sort of bend over for a little bit," and then the medicine, it just kept being thrown one on top of the other, because one wasn't enough and then another wasn't enough, and so there was a cocktail. That was creating all these co-morbidities of depression and I'm like, "Fuck, do I really actually want to live like this when I think that it's emotional?" So I brought that to the doctor's attention and they're like, "Nah, it's not. It's something in your brain." Mason: (09:51) Do doctors know what emotions are? Lainie Chait: (09:53) I don't know. Any doctors out there? Just text in. Mason: (09:59) But, I mean, that's a common theme. I think everyone listening to this, not just on this podcast, probably everything that everyone's listening to, just realising there's that crusty institution that's so good at particular things, but then stepping outside and acknowledging, even when... I don't know whether you're an example of this, you may just say you go back to that doctor and say, "Hey, dead set, look at this. This happens, epilepsy happens, because of emotions, and then I deal with those emotions down the track, and I see symptomatology go down." I'm just kind of like putting words in your mouth, and I'll let you tell the story of what actually happened. Mason: (10:33) Or it's the same, I've got friends with cancer all of a sudden coming back and the tumor is halved in size and they go, "Oh gosh, whatever you're doing," it's the same thing, "whatever you're doing, keep on doing it." "Do you want to know what's happening?" "No, absolutely not. You're an outlier. You're a bloody miracle, but I don't want to tell anyone about that miracle, because..." I don't know. It's one problem. Lainie Chait: (10:56) Well, it's about trials you see, and in a world of being sued, they have got the blinkers on a little bit. I mean the involvement of CBD, maybe some doctors have gone, "Oh, okay. I'll just, maybe 45 degree my blinkers a little bit," because there is some evidence around that, but even with what you do and making claims, and I worked for the Happy Herb Company for many, many years and I mean, it's all just about claims, and what you can and can't say, and what you can and can't... Yeah. Claim that works or doesn't work, it's so individual. Yeah. My doctor still kind of says to me that whatever I'm doing, it's sort of like, he humours me. It's like "Great, great. That's really good." Yeah, exactly the same sort of thing, but he won't kind of give it a lot of merit. Mason: (11:55) I guess, it's not his problem either. He works within an institution that's effective in some capacity and that's like all doctors. They're not revolutionaries. If you're revolutionary, you don't go into one of the most stagnant institutions that you can possibly go into. Lainie Chait: (12:13) Yeah. Mason: (12:13) You just hope sometimes they're not bought into the religion of it, and they're at least realise, "Yeah, this is the way we do things over here, and I hope that everyone else has the capacity to go and evolve along with us, for our collective intention of keeping humanity healthy." Lainie Chait: (12:28) That's right. I suppose they're very, fix the symptom, and alternative medicine are, look at where the problem's coming from. That's kind of, intuitively, what I decided, that that's the approach I wanted to take. Seven years I gave it a go and I became a zombie, and started smoking a lot of gunjah to balance out the fact that I felt like a zombie and that just made me more zombie. At 28, I just woke up and went, "Oh, fuck I can't do this anymore at all," so I did that classic, stereotypical, Saturn return. Quit the job, left the boyfriend, bought a Kombi, drove up to Nimbin. Mason: (13:09) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Nice. That's fitting. Lainie Chait: (13:12) Yes. You've been wanting to say that, haven't you? Mason: (13:17) Oh, that was 10 seconds ago, I was like, "All right, all right, I've got one." Lainie Chait: (13:21) You've been dying to say it. Mason: (13:22) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Lainie Chait: (13:25) Yeah, I just thought there's got to be people that understand that there's another way to do this, and there was. Not long after that, I met Ray and Eliza from Happy Herbs, and it was that fate thing. Yeah. Oh, look, there's just so many incarnations of it, because I was then so committed and so obsessed with healing it. Curing it though, instead of... I went all the way over the other side. I went, "All right, fuck you medicine. I'm going to go over here and completely just immerse myself in everything, and I want to cure this. I want to be the first girl to cure her epilepsy," because I kept using that word cure. Cure, cure, and that was a big mistake. Mason: (14:15) Was the mistake... I mean, because there is an initiation period where the way you approach it, if you come from a colonised Western medical mind set, you have to use the word cure to even get... but then I think we see it a lot in the health scene as people just hang on too long in being a patient. You're trying to work with the natural, but with the kinds of conversation of the synthetic Western model, and you hang in there too long. Is that what you mean? Lainie Chait: (14:47) Yeah. I hung in there a bit, but I think the dialogue should have been more about how can I treat and manage this, because there is a part of my brain that has got a low seizure threshold. Yeah? Mason: (14:58) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Lainie Chait: (14:58) That part is the part of science, and genetics and chemistry that I'll never cure. Yeah? Mason: (15:07) That was being off in never-never land a little too much thinking, "All that data doesn't apply to me." That's how I was with my mum when my mum had an aneurysm. It ripped me down emotionally, because I was like, "Nah, we're going to defy the odds here," and you probably did, and we did as well, but when you're that out of reality, and pie in the sky, and looking for miracles, it just doesn't help that much, does it? Lainie Chait: (15:33) Yeah. Well, I would pay someone to heal me. That was the other thing, I'd be like, "Here, take the money that I really should be paying rent for or buying some very healthy food for. Take this because wow, I've read your thing and it said, 'you can perform miracles,'" so I would pay, just a shit tonne of healers, of every different modality. Moxa sticks. I mean, who the fuck can cure epilepsy with a moxa stick? Tell me. Mason: (16:02) It depends on whether they've looked at the classics. The classic Chinese texts maybe have some secret little formula there. Lainie Chait: (16:08) Well, it didn't frigging work. Mason: (16:10) No, I imagine it wouldn't. It doesn't feel like it's in the ballpark of moxa. Lainie Chait: (16:17) But I was a little bit obsessed to do it that way, so I went all the way over that side and things were working, but there's still the underlying problem, and the story that was in my brain, and the neural pathways that were leading to the seizures were still in place. You can't outsource that. You can't outsource how your brain is wired. That's the work you have to do yourself, and that's what I didn't realise in my twenties and early thirties, is that I actually had to go deep into the ugliness of when they started, why they started. I created a journal for about four months in my late twenties to document everything around what was happening. Lainie Chait: (17:13) I started to go, "All right, maybe moxa sticks, won't cure it. Let's see what actually else is going on here," so I wrote down what I ate, what I drank, who I'd slept with. Did I fight with anyone? What supplements was I taking? Everything, and then got a list of actually, "Oh, there's a bit of a pattern occurring here," and then started to really appreciate what I was bringing to the table. How I was making myself an epileptic. How I had created this, and so I've been on a journey ever since to just go from total denial and rebellion to now preaching a message of personal responsibility and what you bring to your conditions. That's why I wrote that. You don't have to have epilepsy to get messages from this. It's actually quite across the board, but it does, obviously, specify my journey with epilepsy. Mason: (18:18) That personal responsibility one, and I think that freaks people out. We just came out with a little... We're testing out having a line of apparel called Sovereign, and essentially exploring that. I think there's a lot of people looking at the common law kind of sovereignty, kind of side of things that's been hijacked over there versus the sovereignty of your greatest capacity to take on responsibility for your reality. I think people get confused, because just if you start taking on extreme personal responsibility, especially in a healing sense, does that mean you don't go and interact with particular institutions sort of thing? Not the case. Lainie Chait: (19:00) Not the case. I think you need guidance, mentors and all that sort of stuff as well, because also again, you can over heal. You can get into that space where you're not living life anymore and you're just like going, "Oh, I shouldn't eat that because it might do this," you know? Mason: (19:19) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Lainie Chait: (19:19) It's this fine balance of what personal responsibility looks like to you and how you can still enjoy your life. I don't wear a halo. I know that there's stuff that I do now that potentially will bring on some electrical unrest, but I go, "Well, you know what? I've done really well to be alive." I've had nearly 300 grand mal seizures. Most of which were on my own. There is a thing called SUDEP. Have you heard of SUDEP? It's an acronym, it's sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy, and it happens around that age group where I chose to have just a lot of seizures. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (20:04) Okay. When you're taking personal responsibility, is that in the fact that I'm inside my body, I'm going to be ultimately the one that's going to be able to put this much time and understanding what's emotionally triggering me or what environmentally was doing it? Lainie Chait: (20:18) What foods you're eating that might be contributing to the way that your body functions. Mason: (20:25) Do you talk about what you found the pattern to be? Lainie Chait: (20:28) Yeah. Mason: (20:29) Can we get a snippet of it? Lainie Chait: (20:32) I should have got a few chapters- Mason: (20:34) A few excerpts. Lainie Chait: (20:34) ... a few paragraphs ready. I found that, what was diet related, yeah? Was obviously sugar and too much alcohol. The way I was thinking about relationships, because it all stemmed from when my parents got divorced, there was all this abandonment story in there about men, so I would attract that in my life. Then when I would attract men that would show kind of abandonment behaviour or things that would trigger that, that would just set me off incredibly. There's a type of epilepsy now, called catamenial epilepsy, which I used to bring to my doctor and say, "It's really weird. I just keep getting a seizure a couple of days before I get my period," and they're like, "Yeah. Okay. Well, it's probably not related." Now, it's an actual... It is a particular type of epilepsy that's related to hormones. Mason: (21:41) Mm-hmm (affirmative). But it wasn't in the textbook at the time. Lainie Chait: (21:50) It wasn't. It wasn't. Hormones. Yeah. I didn't know it then that you could supplement certain parts of your body to compensate for that hormone change, at the time that happens just before you... Mason: (22:03) Supplement even particular hormonal cascades, you mean? Or... Lainie Chait: (22:06) Yeah. There's so much around now that I don't particularly take anymore, but at the time there was like perhaps... Can't even think of the herb that I was taking just before I got my period, just to sort of balance out that oestrogen, progesterone sort of imbalance that might then set... Also, internal temperature. If you're internally hot, and that's a Chinese thing as well, if you're hot inside, then that can trigger it as well. Mason: (22:42) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah. You could almost like pinpoint what kind of symptomatology, and excess heat, and excess liver heat, and all those kinds of things. Lainie Chait: (22:56) All that. Mason: (22:56) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Lainie Chait: (22:56) Unless you find the right practitioner at the right time, which I did, because when I moved here, I saw a lady called Ann-Mary. She was working in the Integrative Mullum, which doesn't exist anymore, her and her hubby, and she just was spot on. She did all the tests. She worked with me. I trusted her completely. We were doing collation and she got me starting to think about magnesium. She got me starting to think about there's too much copper in my body and all the- Mason: (23:28) Oh, what a legend. Lainie Chait: (23:29) Yeah. It was like this amazing epiphany to find the right practitioner, who just guided me in the right way to actually start balancing out what was going on. At the time, also, CBD wasn't even on the radar, because this is nearly 20 years ago, so I had to go looking for little backyard people to... Mason: (23:54) Yeah. There were a few around back then. Lainie Chait: (23:55) Back then, there was a few around. Yeah, I tell you, they lived in squalor, but it's not about their lifestyle, but the thing is- Mason: (24:05) And look at them now. Look at them. Lainie Chait: (24:09) Palaces. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (24:10) Yeah. Lainie Chait: (24:15) But the one thing about that was there was not so much information. I couldn't get the dose rate. I was experimenting, big time. It backfired for me. Mason: (24:26) In what way? Just the non-standardisation? Lainie Chait: (24:29) Yeah. Backfired in the fact that I was probably taking a strain of CBD that didn't... That I was taking too much. There were no dose rates. It was kind of like, "Here, take this bottle and see you." No consistency in the medicine, obviously, because it wasn't really a medicine at the time. It was just, "Here's some..." So I overdosed. Not that you can overdose, it's a really shit word. Mason: (24:53) Saturated? Lainie Chait: (24:53) I saturated myself to the point where it was the wrong strain for what I needed, and it made me more depressed and more anxious. Then, because of that, that was the catalyst to go back to Melbourne after being here for quite a few years. Go back, and sort some shit out, because it was too unpredictable. Yeah. Lots of amazing stories. Mason: (25:26) It's like the wild west of treating yourself naturally back then. It's kind of on a platter. I wonder how many people though, because epilepsy doesn't... I mean, I just haven't thought about epilepsy, but is it one of those ones that at the moment where people are... One of the ones, I know that's insensitive, but are people immediately thinking, "Right. I'm going to go and get a naturopath here. I'm going to get my minerals tested, get my hormone panels." Is there any correlation there, do you think at all, in the wider population? Lainie Chait: (25:53) Definitely not. It's fear-based, because of the stigma around it. It's, my neurologist knows better than me. There's a lot of fear, because to have a seizure takes... They say that the impact on your body of the seizures that I have, the tonic-clonic ones, is like running a 14 kilometre marathon in that two to three minutes that you're on the floor. People don't want to experience that. It's also hard for the people watching, because I've also had experiences where people watching me, there's not much they can do, and so they go internal and it becomes about them, so they get post-traumatic kind of like stress, not a disorder. Just at the time, they're just like, "Fuck, that was intense, and I couldn't do anything to help, and I don't want to see that again." Mason: (26:48) It's like they get victimised, based on their own lack of capacity to do anything. I wouldn't say incompetence, but ... Lainie Chait: (26:59) It's just lack of knowing, I think, and having faith in themselves, because there are people that would just be all over it, be like, "Yep. Okay. I've got this. She'll come around in a couple of minutes. It'll be fine. Start watching, fuck off." Yeah, and others are like, "Oh my God, what do I do? Ring the ambulance. Oh, I can't deal with this," and then outsource it, but you don't actually need to do that. That's part of what my work now is about. Is just to educate so that... Because I believe, Mason, seriously, through what's going on, on the planet now, and how fragile the brain is. Anyone can have a seizure. Anyone with a brain, any mammal, animal, human, warm-blooded can have a seizure in the wrong environment, and at the moment what's happening is the very wrong environment in the world. You are considered an epileptic if you have two seizures, that's it. If you have two seizures in your life, you are then claimed by the epilepsy people. Mason: (28:04) Are there lots of different types of medication or is it just kind of like a few standards? Lainie Chait: (28:10) There's a few standards that they rely on. There's a lot more than when I was treated 30 years ago. They're not designed specifically for epilepsy, so it's a massive guessing game. They've got their like, "Okay, you're displaying with these kinds of things, so we'll try this." Yeah? "And if not, we'll throw that on top." Yeah. I mean, I've heard about lots of people. I mean, I, myself was on 1500 milligrammes of different drugs at one stage, but that was just way too much. People are on 3000 milligrammes of drugs. I mean, that may not actually, in this conversation, mean anything, but it's a lot, it's a lot. Mason: (29:01) Yeah. I mean, it's slightly... I mean, I have a friend at the moment, she was having... Well, she didn't know what was going on there for a few weeks and then got the diagnosis of been a brain tumour and then was told that she was having these little fits, and now she's been diagnosed as epileptic, and that's the one medication that she's on while she's trying to find her way around that whole conversation and getting on. Are you on medication at the moment? Do you mind me asking? Lainie Chait: (29:32) I had a hip replacement this year and it was advised that I go back on, what they call a small dose, but what I call big enough. Yeah? For someone that wanted to do it without it, but actually, because it was the unknown, and because I've been fighting the medical industry for so long, and pharmaceutical industry, and going... This time, it was all just about yes, because this was all foreign to me. To be cut open and things that I hadn't experienced, so I didn't know how my brain was going to... Mason: (30:06) Acute times like that, Western medicine comes in. Lainie Chait: (30:08) Yeah. That's right. Mason: (30:10) Just like a little bit of padding. That's like what I'm watching my friend go through just trying to have, cool, get that little bit of padding, get that diagnostics. Utilising it appropriately, and then for the fits are one thing and then the tumour is another, but the... Lainie Chait: (30:26) But they all stem from the same thing, which is abnormal electrical activity. That's really all it is. That's all epilepsy is. It's abnormal electrical activity that is fueled by fuck, who knows, everyone's different. I think there's a lot of people with epilepsy that are living lives that bring them on. That are just ignoring stuff that they've been maybe just too hard trauma. There's big dialogue around trauma at the moment. Mason: (30:59) Huge, isn't it? Yeah. Lainie Chait: (31:00) Yeah. Mason: (31:00) That's great. Lainie Chait: (31:00) It's really interesting. Really interesting. Yeah, the trauma's just too deep and too dark to go into, and too painful, and so it represents in abnormal electrical activity that perhaps could be padded with dealing with some of that. Mason: (31:17) What have you found has been effective for you? To go into the trauma into the dark places? Lainie Chait: (31:26) Well, no one would ever let me do an Ayahuasca journey because the facilitators were too nervous, I suppose, is what has been reflected back to me. I haven't been able to journey in that way, so it's all had to be talking, experiencing, watching, observing, understanding, and kind of making peace with writing this book, I suppose. Yeah. I think I went to a hypnotist once and this past life... Depending on who you talk to, this past life stuff coming for me to fix it, and find peace. It was a test, it was a fricking good test, I tell you. Mason: (32:28) Yeah. It's like, "Yeah, thanks for that." Lainie Chait: (32:33) But, it's been such a gift. Such a gift, because I have a really big understanding of how you create your reality. Yeah. When I didn't, I would be on the floor convulsing, if I went against that. Mason: (32:58) I was going to ask you about neurofeedback and that's the neurofeedback, I guess, right there for you. It's like a giant neurofeedback machine, which the brain is at all times, but whether you've been intentional about the way that you're creating your life or not, for you to go to have that much of it extremely thrown in your face. Lainie Chait: (33:17) Well recently, what was interesting is that I was seizure free for a while, and then I had to move house. I had to move house four times within a year. Each time, of those four times, two weeks after I'd moved in, I had a seizure. When I looked and analysed, and maybe had a look into that, what was happening, it was more about coming back to that place when my home was torn apart at 14, and I didn't know, and I didn't feel safe, and I didn't have a base. That made heaps of sense to me. Why would it happen every time I moved two weeks after? It's this feeling of just instability. Mason: (34:08) Yeah. That wouldn't be, because I think they say that moving house is in the top two most stressful things you can do, but if it was cortisol level related, that would most likely be during the move, but no. Lainie Chait: (34:21) No. No, it was kind of when I was just feeling a little bit settled, and then I would wake up and within... Mine usually happened in the morning, so I would... Yeah, it would happen. I'd get warning, and now I know to brace myself. I used to just go, "No, I'm going to win this, not you, brain." That could be a good time to bring out... Oh, so me and my brain have a dialogue. Mason: (34:54) [crosstalk 00:34:54]. Lainie Chait: (34:54) This is going to be hard for people listening, but ... Mason: (34:58) It's okay. Let's get some fun voices. Lainie Chait: (35:02) I turned this book into a stage show, and the best way that I could explain about the dialogue between me and my brain, and the relationship, was to actually get a puppet made of my brain. So if you could see it, "Hello, I'm Norah, how are you? Named after Bloody Norah, which if you're an Australian, it's very easy." We did a show together at the Melbourne Fringe Festival, and I got her in... I had different LED lights put in her. "Yeah. One's really exciting. Look at this one. Whoa, that's like..." Mason: (35:43) I'm looking at Lainie's purple brain. The brain's got her hand up the clacker, and there's some big, bright, fantastic lipstick, and now it is lit up like a Christmas tree. Lainie Chait: (35:55) Yep. This is the explanation of what happens in the electrical storm, during a seizure, because there's no pathways that it can relate to. Right? Then this one, you can explain that one. Mason: (36:09) Well, it's all looking connected. We look like we got some flow electrically. Lainie Chait: (36:15) There's a little bit of flow. This is more about trying to find, after a seizure, just trying to find the pathways back to what normal is. Yeah? What a functioning... This is just kind of going, "Oh yeah. Okay. What's that one. Where can I find out my arm moves?" Mason: (36:36) What colour are we there again? Lainie Chait: (36:36) This is just normal. "Normal. That's what you call yourself. Huh? Normal. I don't think so." This is just a normal brain. "Hello?" Yeah, so- Mason: (36:51) Okay, [inaudible 00:36:51] the back. Lainie Chait: (36:51) Okay, [inaudible 00:36:51] the back. Yeah. Mason: (36:51) When was the fringe show? Obviously it was 2019, maybe? Lainie Chait: (36:56) Yeah. Mason: (36:57) Was it? Yeah. Lainie Chait: (36:57) Certainly was. Mason: (36:57) Thought it [inaudible 00:36:59] been on before? Lainie Chait: (37:00) Yeah. I'll leave her, this one's the nice one. I'll leave it on that. Yeah, it was 2019, and not only made her Scottish, I don't know why, because you're a comedian so you push yourself, I suppose. Never been a puppeteer, so I was struggling with so many firsts. So many firsts. Using a puppet, being on stage and learning my lines for a one hour show with dialogue between me and her. It was amazing, amazing. Used lots of lion's mane, Mason, during that time. Mason: (37:37) Did you? Yeah, cool. Lainie Chait: (37:38) Got off the booze. Yeah. Used a shit tonne of lion's mane around then. Yes. It just worked incredible. Yeah. Mason: (37:48) I mean, she is wonderful. May I say so? Lainie Chait: (37:51) Do you want to feel her? Mason: (37:51) Absolutely. Lainie Chait: (37:51) Do you want to put your hand in the clacker? Mason: (37:54) I do want to put my hand in her clacker. Lainie Chait: (37:56) It doesn't... Oh, you did. You changed her. Mason: (38:00) Oh, I changed her. Oh, wow. Oh whoa. Oh, now we're on. Lainie Chait: (38:02) "Oh, he's turning me on. He's turning me on.I don't think I've ever had a man's hand in my clacker." Mason: (38:08) Well. Oh no. I turned her off. Lainie Chait: (38:12) Yeah. Mason: (38:12) God, I have. Oh yeah. Oh gosh. Well, yeah, you got to be on. You need nimble fingers. Lainie Chait: (38:24) Yeah. Just, yeah, you... She gives me a lot of shit, so I tell a story and she's like, "That's not how it actually went. You drank too much and you fucked too many guys." Anyway... Oh, sorry. Mason: (38:39) That's okay. So she's cheeky? Lainie Chait: (38:41) She's really cheeky. She's sassy. Mason: (38:47) I understand, comedy for me has been healing. It's been a way for me to reclaim parts of myself, which I'd allowed to be swallowed up by my egoic pursuit to be something else, and also, getting swallowed up by my own stage persona, and comedy was my way to take the piss out of myself and come back down to earth. I can imagine for you, this on a whole nother level. Lainie Chait: (39:10) It is. Mason: (39:11) Do you get that stage clarity when you're up there? It's like when you're in your zone, it's like a professional tennis player, the ball slows down and all of a sudden you can be in your show, and you can be in your lines, and you can be fretting about what line's coming up, but then you go above yourself and you start doing... You've got some kind of healing and observation about what's actually... Making connections that are beyond... You couldn't have done it anywhere else, except on stage and in the middle of a show. Lainie Chait: (39:39) Well, that's where I plan to get to. The director that did the first run with me, she was amazing. She was very lines based and I'm on stage, when I can riff a bit and I can get off that script. I work so much better like that, but with this particular first run of the show, and if anyone's a director out there I am looking for one, because I'm looking for... to bring this back to the stage. It's a fantastic show actually. Yeah. I'm looking for a way to be able to have a little bit of fun with it, but a little bit off script as well, but still knowing what I want the message to be, but having a bit more of a riff with her, because she's talking for all brains. She's sitting on her pedestal talking for all people's brains saying, "Take care of us, just take care of us. We're everything" Mason: (40:49) Before we go, where are you at in practical terms? What are your favourite little brain healing activities and supplements, or whatever it is? Lainie Chait: (41:01) It's a good question. I'm taking some CBD, and I am also taking lion's mane. I am taking vitamin B, B12. Very good for... and magnesium. Now, I kind of let the supplement call me. It's like, "Okay, well, you need a bit more of this, or your adrenals are a bit low, so I'll go for the Jing. Mason: (41:30) Then you go intuitive after a while, don't you? Lainie Chait: (41:33) You do, you just do. I mean, supplements or vitamins are a bit... The same with any kind of medicine. It's like, you don't want to rely too much on any one thing. You want your body to sort of like get a big hit of it and then see what it can do itself. In the work that I'm doing now, can I just plug my podcast? [crosstalk 00:41:55] one. Mason: (41:55) Yeah, absolutely. Lainie Chait: (41:56) I now do a podcast called Love your Diagnosis, and what that is celebrating, is every week that I have a person that's been diagnosed with something, that they've found the light. They've gone on the allopathic journey and gone, "Oh, this might not be everything that I need," and they've done exactly what I did, and have just gone and riffed with the rest of the world and alternative medicines, and found ways to treat and manage, not cure, but treat and manage the stuff that's going on for them, so they can live a really fun, healthy lifestyle. Yeah, if you've got a story like that, please hit me up. I'd love to have you on the podcast. Mason: (42:38) I mean, that is fascinating, because that's a dark night of the soul sometimes. Like a lot of people, it's too scary to go into that darkness, to go off on your own. Yeah. I mean, especially if you think that it's one or the other. You just said allopathic going, "Okay, maybe that's not everything, and I need to make some other considerations," but that's you. Again, I'm watching a friend go through that at the moment, going, it's either open up your brain, they take your skull off and cut out this tumour, or go down your own route for however long. It's that moment, those crossroads, I guess. You talk about those crossroads a lot. Lainie Chait: (43:15) Totally. Yeah, and all sorts of different diagnosis, and some really slips of gold in there for people, because I think when you get diagnosed with something like this. Lainie Chait: (43:39) You've got a choice, when you walk out of that doctor's office, am I going to let someone else take charge of my life? Or am I going to be in the driver's seat of it? If I have to use the medicine, great, but I encourage people through other people's stories to be back in the driver's seat of this. Research, that's been the message so far from everyone at the end, because I ask everyone to say a little tip for someone going through it. Research, don't take your first... Always go and get second opinions and be in it, be right in it, right in it. Don't let anyone control how you look at your health and how you heal. Mason: (44:27) That's where Western, I guess, comfort path of least resistance, automation. That's where it can come and bite you on the arse. If you've been living that life of just cushy Western life, and you get that first diagnosis and you go, "Cool, got no choice. This is what you do." Right? It's a shame, just how much we've given away that power. Not to say that we don't make a choice fully to go allopathic or whatever. Lainie Chait: (44:58) Right. Yeah. But I think there are also a lot of people that are like, just give me the magic pill. I want to forget about it. I just want to get back to normal. I mean, we're seeing that today, still. It's fear-based. It just requires a lot less time to maybe take the pills, but I think at the end of the day, there's a sacrifice that you give over when you have that mentality of just throw the pills down. There is a sacrifice, whether it's stated or not, I believe there's a sacrifice your handover when you say, "Give me the pills," to your overall life on this planet and living to its fullest. Mason: (45:46) Mm-hmm (affirmative). It is confronting. I can see why it's a very confronting thing, because if you do take responsibility and say, "I'm fully going to make this decision," you then have to acknowledge all the other decisions that you possibly could have made, and that you don't know what the outcome is going to be, so it's not just the way that it's presented now, when you go, "Look, your only choice right now is whatever, chemotherapy." That's your only choice, and so people go, "Okay, cool. It's my only choice. I do it." Then whatever the outcome is, they're like, "Oh, well, wouldn't have turned out any other way. That was the only choice." Very easy. Although it's hard going through something like chemo, it's a very easy way of approaching something, which is... and I get it. I haven't had to be... I've watched lots of people go down that route. Mason: (46:36) It's nice, even those friends that have gone for chemo, they've gone, "I know all my other options, and I'm the one... I'm not doing this because the allopathic doctors are getting their kick back, and all they can do is say, 'This is what you need to do, and anything else is unethical.'" They're like, "I'm making that decision fully, because I know." Then also, that gives them the opportunity to go, "Well, I'm not just going to play their game. I'm actually going to be engaged with my treatment and make sure that I come out the other side of life," but it can be harrowing to take that responsibility. Lainie Chait: (47:05) Very, and the guy that I just did a podcast with, with colorectal cancer, he has some incredible information about his journey. Yeah, I recommend it to everyone, Love your Diagnosis. This last one, he had just incredible stuff that he... He's not saying chemo's a bad thing. He's just saying, "In my case, I did this, this, this, and this, and I cured it." Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (47:33) Sounds like a legend. Lainie Chait: (47:34) Amazing. So, yeah. Mason: (47:39) Yeah. I wonder if your podcast will start getting featured in little doctor's Facebook groups. Lainie Chait: (47:48) As don't listen? Mason: (47:49) Yeah. Yeah, you're a quack. Lainie the quack. Lainie, thanks for coming along and sharing your story. Lainie Chait: (47:57) That is my pleasure, and we're giving away a book? Mason: (48:00) Yeah. We're giving away a book. Hopefully you guys are up to date. Hopefully you're up to date on the podcast schedule, and you're in time for you to go over to the SuperFeast Instagram and go in the draw right now. You guys, you're onto it. Look at you guys. Thank you so much for hanging around and watching the live. That's like... Lainie Chait: (48:24) It's amazing. Thank you. Mason: (48:25) That is amazing, and thanks for everyone for listening. What's the best place for everyone to find you? Lainie Chait: (48:30) Well, Electro Girl Productions is on Facebook, and just lain_star on Insta, I suppose that's probably the... Then private message me if you want to be part of the podcast, or if you just want to talk epilepsy, because I know it, so if you're out there, the invisible illness, it doesn't have to be so invisible. Talk to me. Mm-hmm (affirmative). Mason: (48:50) Thanks so much. Lainie Chait: (48:52) Thanks. Dive deep into the mystical realms of Tonic Herbalism in the SuperFeast Podcast!
In this week's podcast we chat with Andrew Kavasilas of Medical Cannabis Limited & Vitahemp about historical cannabis policy, Nimbin, hemp vs. cannabis and hemp as food.Medical Cannabis Limited:https://www.canngloballimited.com/medical-cannabis/medical-cannabis-limited/Vitahemp:https://www.vitahemp.com.au/Alt Med:https://altmed.com.au/#cannabis#hemp#policies
(keywords) (approx. 32 mins. - this talk is slightly edited.) Advantages of being older, memories, living in the ‘now', bad press, disoriented, Jesus, questioning, Prof. C. G. Jung, hope, Alan Watts, The Way of Zen, enquiring, inspiration, commune, idealism, Hamilton, naive, disillusioned, bearings, motor-bike accident, Ram Dass, ‘Be Here Now', diet, hatha yoga, mantra yoga, macrobiotics, 1972, Byron Bay, Australia, Mullumbimby, Nimbin, meditation retreat, Woodstock, hope, faith, discipline of attention, delight, delusion, Paul Breiter, spiritual companions, Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Sumedho, Bill Hamilton, Samanera Dhammiko, humour, Ajahn Chah, Ajahn Thate, suffering, indictment, judgement, message, disappointment, signpost, bitter endurance, feeling challenged, a good wicket, overwhelm, backlog, pioneer days, holy cow, equanimity, selfless just-knowing awareness, goal, foolishness.
The Reefer Reporters May 6th with Kim & CindyThis weeks stories include:Sundial LP buys Inner Spirit, Greg Engel steps down from Organigram, Quinte west submits feedback to Health Canada, Ontario's Sunnybrook Hospital providing cannabis on site, Skittles owner sues Zkittlez, Edibles seized in raid of North York dispensary, Quebecers are smoking more cannabis, Cannabis Tax revenue surpasses alcohol in Illinois, Thousands of sober stoners march for drug law reform in Nimbin, Taste the terpenes with a dry haulTY Dr. Buck CTSCampbellford Lifestyle Shop Bma Hydroponics Legacy420.com#ReeferReporters #PACEradioNetwork
When the potions from Nimbin are no longer trustworthy and safe, the Firebreathing Kittens guild sends a team to investigate the problem. Dr. Crud III, Olive, and little Tangible venture north by train and cart to see what is amiss.
Elen Jones is the successful business owner of both Happy High Herbs Nimbin, and Nimbin Herbs. Elen joined Nathan and Melissa from The Journey Podcast Live to dive into everything from mushrooms, spirituality, Nimbin, the UK, and that time a local gave her a special cookie... @thejournepodcastlive on the socials. Elen Jones | The Journey Podcast Live 007
Mason welcomes Nicole Bijlsma onto the podcast today. Nicole is building biologist who single handedly established the building biology industry in Australia. After 15 years of clinical practice as a Naturopath and Acupuncturist, Nicole switched things up, changing her career pathway after noticing a strong correlation between the ill health of many of her patients and the health hazards they were exposed to in their homes. Nicole is a ball of passion, knowledge and insight, delivering the cold hard facts about environmental hazards such as 5G, EMFs, mould and more! Truly a woman on a mission, Nicole has great zeal for raising awareness and educating individuals on how they can create health in their body, homes and general environments. Mason and Nicole discuss: Building biology, what it is and what a building biologist does. The concept that the home or building we spend our time in, being like a third layer or extension of our skin. New home technology and exposure standards; human safety vs profit. The health impacts of EMF exposure. The relationship between immune deficiency and mould, EMF, chemical sensitivity. The importance of taking a full case history when working to identify the root of chronic disease, and how the mainstream medical system fails us in this regard - "taking a thorough environmental exposure history is the most important thing a doctor can do, and none of them were trained to do it" 5G and why the configuration of the network is problematic for health. The origin of 5G technology, why it was developed and what it was used for. The data on heavy metal load and electromagnetic sensitivity in humans. Identifying health risks in the home. The myths around EMF shielding equipment and technology. The importance of a healthy lifestyle and home environment in cultivating resilience against EMF exposure. Who is Nicole Bijlsma? Nicole Bijlsma is a woman of passion, and her passion lies in environmental medicine. Nicole was a former naturopath and acupuncturist with 15 years of clinical experience who changed her career pathway to become a building biologist after noticing a strong correlation with many of her patients illnesses and health hazards in their home. Nicole is the author of the best seller Healthy Home, Healthy Family, was a columnist for Body+Soul (Herald Sun) and is frequently consulted by the media to comment on health hazards in the built environment (The 7PM Project, Sunrise, The Today Show, The Circle, Channel 7 News, Today Tonight, Channel 74, ABC radio, Fox FM, numerous webinars and podcasts). Nicole has thirty years experience lecturing at tertiary institutions in nutrition, Chinese Medicine and environmental medicine, and has published in peer-reviewed journals. Nicole's extensive knowledge in environmental medicine has seen her speak at various conferences both in Australia and abroad (USA, Thailand and New Zealand). Nicole single handedly established the building biology industry in Australia, was the former President of the Australasian Society of Building Biologists and established the Australian College of Environmental Studies in 1999 to educate people about the health hazards in the built environment. The college is the only institution in Australia to provide nationally accredited training in Building Biology and Feng Shui. Nicole is currently completing her PhD investigating health hazards in the built environment under the supervision of Professor Marc Cohen at RMIT. Resources: Nicole's Website Nicole's Book Australian College Of Environmental Studies Website 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 :)! Plus we're on Spotify! Check Out The Transcript Here: Mason: (00:00) Nicole, thank you so much for joining us. Nicole Bijlsma: (00:02) Good to be back, Mason. Mason: (00:04) Yeah, it's been about three years. We're on the SuperFeast Podcast and well it's been three years since you were on the Mason Taylor Show. Now we're on the SuperFeast Podcast, really stoked to be introducing to a much wider audience at this point. So I'm just really excited to share the work around Building Biology, the amount of people who have given me feedback around your book, and just how much it's become a staple for them, and just with really great grounded information. I really want to get this whole community and crew onto it. So let's just dive into it. It's a crazy time in the world. What's taking up a lot of your world and your focus at the moment? Nicole Bijlsma: (00:54) Well, mould and electromagnetic fields take up most of my time, but I'm currently in the last year of my PhD, and I'm doing a randomised, controlled crossover study that's double-blind, which involves exposing 14 healthy adults to a baby monitor for two weeks. So it's second and fourth week during the intervention weeks, and they don't know if it's on or off, and seeing if it has an impact on their brainwaves, their heart rate variability and their sleep function. So we're currently crunching the numbers as we speak and hopefully by the end of the year there'll be a paper out of it. Mason: (01:30) So immediately what I'm thinking is, "How long have baby monitors been a thing?" Here's a technology that was willy-nilly introduced and allowed and encouraged to be put next to newborns. Yet how many decades are we down the track, and have there been many studies like this that have been double-blind placebo and empirical? Nicole Bijlsma: (01:51) Very little. Very little like this. Mason: (01:54) So I mean this immediately throws us into a huge conversation around, as you were saying, being the focus of EMF. Everyone's in their home and that's why I wanted to have this conversation. A Building Biologist locally in the area, Rhys, when he first came to our place and we were dealing with some mould. That was four years ago when he came and chatted to us about the house being that third layer of skin and he was teaching us about Building Biology a little bit more. Since then he's come and done an audit of our new warehouse in Mullumbimby in- Mason: (02:25) Definitely recommend people tune in with a qualified Building Biologist for commercial reasons as well. But it is a third layer of skin, our skin, our clothes, and then our house. And everyone's in the home right now and everyone's looking around and everyone's trying to rest and relax and finding there's some blockages in their way, and looking, "Oh wow, we're living in this plethora of technology." Yet, you're talking about something as simple and as innocent as a baby monitor, and yet there's a reason for you to be studying to see if it has ill effect on an adult and their brainwaves, and I'm sure in other variables. What's going on here with the need to review a technology decades down the track, rather than there being a watchdog or an Ombudsman to ensure that this technology isn't detrimental as it's being rolled out? Nicole Bijlsma: (03:20) Well, that's a good question in relation to exposure standards. Exposure standards are not health-based standards. They're developed in compromise with industry to see what's practicable in a work place. There are no standards for residential settings because you can't suit yourself living in your own home. So unfortunately consumers wrongly assume when they go to the Telstra stores, Optus stores, et cetera, that because it's on the shelf it must have been tested, when in fact that couldn't be further from the truth. The way in which exposure standards are developed is manufacturers can put, whether it's telecommunications or agriculture, pharmaceuticals, not so much pharmaceuticals. But chemical industries can put products onto the supermarket shelf with very little testing because the burden of proof isn't on them to prove its safe. It's on researchers like me to spend their life to prove if it's dangerous. Nicole Bijlsma: (04:14) And of course we have lots of examples in history where public health doesn't exist. Asbestos. We had potters from hundreds of years ago, with lung related diseases, exposed to asbestos because it's naturally found in the ground when they were cobbing, you know, using pottery et cetera. Whitman was a good example, where people were exposed to all of these asbestos fibres. And of course the latency period is 37 years or so. So it's the same with electromagnetic fields. We actually know how electromagnetic fields affect the human body at a cellular level, but we don't know what it is about the field that's triggering this type of reaction. Nicole Bijlsma: (04:55) So with exposure standards, they're not health-based. Public health in this arena does not exist. They are waiting to see, and this is where they hide, that, "Until it's conclusive we're not going to do anything about it," because there's too many trillions of dollars to make. And that's the problem. Consumers probably think, "Oh, it must have been tested and it must be safe before it's there." In fact, it's the opposite, and that's why I set up the Australian College of Environmental Studies, a registered trading organisation, to train people to educate the masses that they can't make informed choices because they don't understand that these exposure standards are developed in consultation with the industry that's selling the product. Mason: (05:37) So where do you focus in Building Biology and for yourself now? Here and now, what are you focusing on in the house? Some staples to ensure that we're at least not overly exposing ourselves. What's in our control? Nicole Bijlsma: (05:54) Yeah, so basically if anybody just goes in and identifies other hazards in a built environment that are affecting their health. The first thing a Building Biologist is trying to do is to take a thorough exposure history, an environmental exposure history. So we look at the client's symptoms, and the symptoms will guide us as to what to look for in the house. So we know, for example, with asthma and allergies we're looking at dust mite load, we're looking for cockroaches, we're looking for rodent droppings and urine. We're looking for the pets. We're looking for things like mould, which is one of the biggest triggers for asthma and allergies. If they've got fatiguing syndrome, autoimmune disease, it is again mould. It's huge. I think at least 40% of the housing stock in Australia has some degree of water damage, whether it's a smaller degree of water damage being small risk, higher degree of water damage means high risk. So, yes, this is a huge part. Nicole Bijlsma: (06:46) With electromagnetic fields I expect to see symptoms of specific headaches, palpitations, awareness of the heart beating, inability to sleep is a big one, fatigue, fibromyalgic type of symptoms. You know, these are the common symptoms. And ironically, once someone becomes mould sensitive, more often than not they become electrically sensitive. Once they become chemically sensitive they become more electrically and mould sensitive. I actually don't see the three of them as different because they all perpetuate each other. So the Building Biologist might be called in because a client has a concern about the smart metre, but we'll go in and see the visible mould, smell the damp odour, and we know that's going to affect their immune response to such a degree that they'll become more sensitive to other hazards like chemicals, electromagnetic fields from wireless technology, and of course, mould. Mason: (07:39) With electromagnetic fields, is this at all creeping into the mainstream, or are you finding resistance to your work? Just for instance, like Lyme disease, right. You might go to a hospital in Sydney, someone will laugh you out and just say, "It's in your head." Here in Byron Bay, going to a hospital that will give you Doxycycline because they'll be able to recognise the eschar. So it's creeping up in the awareness and the acknowledgement. Do you know where the acknowledgment is at within the, for lack of a better word, mainstream medical system? Nicole Bijlsma: (08:15) Well, they're not taught to take an exposure history, so if you don't ask the right questions you're never going to get the answers. And this is the problem. I published a study a couple of years ago with Professor Marc Cohan, interviewing the top environmental doctors in Australia and New Zealand who specialise in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and environmental sensitivities to see what are the best tests to identify toxic load. And the only thing they agreed on was that taking a thorough environmental exposure history is the most important thing a doctor can do, and none of them were trained to do it. They had to develop it themselves as a result of listening to their patients over many decades, to come up with their own exposure history. Nicole Bijlsma: (08:55) And what we find with people, by the time they're diagnosed with an environmental sensitivity like Chronic Fatigue Syndrome... MS, I would say a lot of the patients I see with MS have significant mould related issues and biotoxin issues from Lyme disease et cetera, or stealth infections, is to take a proper, thorough history. And this takes 90 minutes. Now the medical system isn't geared to actually doing that. So for them to do it they could risk being deregistered because Medicare, really, they're geared in their trade to deal with acute diseases, which is great. But when it comes to chronic illnesses it's failing miserably, as everyone knows. And even across health industries, whether it's Naturopathy, Kinesiology, Chiropractics, we're not training them to take an environmental exposure history, so we don't understand that a lot of fibromyalgia and fatiguing syndrome we see is actually due to health hazards in the built environment. Mason: (09:51) I mean it's such a symptom of our reductionist mentality that we're not a part of the environment that we live in. And it's one thing to be like what the medical system would see as just being a hippy, thinking you're going to be connected to the natural environment around you. But just the concept that you're not even going to be affected, no way, by the environment of the room that you're sleeping in every night, it gets a little bit ludicrous. And to think that that could be a mentality and that could be a way that you see the world. But it's understandable, as you say. They just don't get taught it. It's just not in their training, is it? Nicole Bijlsma: (10:24) Well, that's the thing. A lot of the data on electromagnetic fields, mould, and chemicals is actually not in medical journals. When I went to publish this study about how the doctors assess toxic load, it was rejected by the medical journals as not relevant. So it got published in an environmental journal, where the doctors don't read it. This is the conundrum. They're not interested in getting to the root cause of the illness because it doesn't provide dividends for shareholders. And unfortunately, the longer I'm in this industry the more I realise it's about money. Mason: (10:59) Absolutely. It is about money. So the big topic going around at the moment is 5G. And I feel pretty cruisy. We did a podcast about it recently and the one thing I share about most of these things is I like keeping a level head about my reaction and the way that I'm relating to EMF in my environment, or if there's going to be toxic exposure. As long as I can be really level and cool and chill about it so I'm not causing more endocrine and nervous system stress through my reaction. Then I'll kind of go forth and start considering. So I like having level conversations about 5G because it seems like in the extended internet world or Murdoch press world, is if you even mention it in any kind of questioning of 5G, then immediately you're in the camp of thinking that 5G causes COVID and all that kind of thing, which I just don't even want a part of that conversation. Mason: (12:02) The part of the conversation I'm really interested in is in the context of what's going on now with yourself studying baby monitors, rather than testing 5G layered on top of 4G, or just for that matter, any new technology. How about we just slow down, think of a way, test it on humans, get it greener if possible. As you said, I know that's not a realistic thing to ask of a big conglomerate because all they want is money. Nonetheless, just to kind of reiterate, or I'd like to hear from your perspective. What is the stance of Building Biology, or the request or where you're trying to move in the direction of as these new technologies get introduced into the environment? Nicole Bijlsma: (12:57) Yeah, well, 5G of course is very different to the other four generations because it's going to involve near instant connectivity, ultra low latency, so there's virtually no lag. I mean because who doesn't want to download 600 feature films a minute? Sarcastically. Mason: (13:18) Yeah. Oh, yeah. Nicole Bijlsma: (13:21) You know, 50 times bandwidth compared to the 4G, and connects billions of devices on the internet of things. The problem is that this generation is very different to the previous four insofar as that the infrastructure's very different. You need antennas every 50 to 200 metres from your home, because they're using millimetre wave radiation, which is incredibly small waves. And the reality is I don't even think it's going to work in Australia because a Eucalyptus tree will block the frequency. So unless you have a direct line of sight it's going to be difficult. And if you've got a lot of metal in your home that could reflect it as well, which could be a good thing, providing you don't have internet connection inside. Nicole Bijlsma: (13:58) In terms of health effects, this is the contention. It's because it's high millimetre wave radiation, it's a different frequency, and that means there's actually very little data on its impact on health. The research that has been conducted has shown that it affects the skin temperature. It does alter gene expression. It does promote oxidative stress, which is what we know about all the other forms of electromagnetic fields, whether it's AC magnetic fields from current or radio frequencies from all your wireless devices. It causes oxidative stress. It acts on voltage-gated calcium channels, results in calcium influx in the cell, which results in all these free radicals. And once that overwhelms the cell, and there's not enough antioxidants then the mitochondria become affected and eventually the cell dies. Nicole Bijlsma: (14:44) But in terms of the physical diseases, only the research that's conclusive says that it causes eye damage and cataracts. That's been really thoroughly studied in rodent studies since the 1960s, that it causes cataracts, because it hits... Because the eyes lack sufficient blood flow they can't dissipate the heat quick enough so it causes oxidative stress and cataracts. It also acts on the sweat ducts in the skin. And this is why it was developed by the military for crowd control. When you have 5G or high millimetre wave radiation projected towards a human it affects the sweat ducts because they act as helical antennas. It vibrates the two to five million sweat ducts and causes to heat from the inside out, which is really uncomfortable, which is why when you use it for crowd control people disperse very quickly. Mason: (15:34) Wow. And that's like an actually proved in-use measure for crowd control? Nicole Bijlsma: (15:42) Yeah, and that's what it was developed for. It was a [inaudible 00:15:46] device for the military. Absolutely. That's the problem. So long term exposure, we're not really sure, because this is the thing. We introduce a product like asbestos and we go, "There's no side effects." It's the poor dog defence. "My dog doesn't bite. 5G doesn't bite." You telecommunications say to us, "You prove it's dangerous, but we're going to keep it and expose it to the population for decades until you prove conclusively." That's freaking ridiculous. Mason: (16:15) Yeah. Nicole Bijlsma: (16:15) They should be required to prove conclusively that it's safe. And yet this is not the way capitalist society works. And unfortunately that's the problem. So there isn't a lot of data. I hear there's some coming out more and more, certainly in related studies, that it has significant adverse health effects at an animal study level. But of course the telecommunications will use animal studies to prove that something is safe for them, but then dismiss it when you show that it's dangerous. So that's the problem. Nicole Bijlsma: (16:44) Now, as I mentioned, with existing radio frequencies in our wireless devices we know how they affect the body at a cellular level. You know, they suppress melatonin from the blue light. They increase oxidative stress. They cause permeability of the blood-brain barrier, et cetera. That's really well established. They increase the risk for glioma and acoustic neuroma brain tumours if you use them on one side of the head for five years for two hours or more a day. That's really well established and we've all moved on from that. The problem is that we're introducing millimetre wave radiation that was developed by the military for crowd control. There is quite a bit of study since the 60s on rodents and the impact on skin and of course cataracts and eyes. Nicole Bijlsma: (17:28) And the problem with skin is that it's so high in mast cells. Olle Johannson was one of the first researchers to show that exposure to VDUs of computers in the 80s in Sweden causes this skin rash, because there's so many mast cells in the skin, because that's your immune system. It's that line of defence. This millimetre wave radiation stimulates the degranulation of our cells and a sympathetic nerve response, which is your body going, "Oh my God, something's attacking me. Quick, fight or flight." So we do know that that's how it reacts. But unfortunately we need a lot more research on this, which is why they should be delaying the roll out until they prove conclusively that it is safe, which they won't be able to do. Mason: (18:10) You see, this is the funny backwards propaganda driven brainwashing that occurs. And you bring up the fact of asbestos a couple of times, and I had an uncle who passed away from a proven asbestos-based lung cancer through working on the brakes of jets. And it got to that point where it was like, you know, and a bunch of his buddies as well that were working on the tarmac as well, they went down. And so you go to try and get a little bit of cash to help you support your family from a particular airline and they've got a whole sector of lawyers within the company just ready to defend themselves to make sure that they're not going to have to pay out one iota to any of these people. They're just trying to find anything to prove that they're not the ones that need to be held accountable, when it's quite obvious. Mason: (19:05) And that kind of thing has impacted many people, whether it's DDT, it's lead paint, whatever it is. It's cigarettes being promoted to pregnant women. Whatever it is, the company is just able to go ahead with it. And everyone can look back into the past with now 20/20 vision and see that, "Yes, that was probably something we should have curbed and maybe got a little bit proven before we'd just given free rein to the marketers." But just here in Mullumbimby it's been interesting with the 5G going up. Mason: (19:35) There's of course a part of the population, you know the ones, which people would label as the trippers who, you know, they can go out there. They're imaginative and they're trying to be off in their mind trying to pull all the different, the web of things that are going on in the world, but they're going and they're doing their thing. They're a small part of the community that's been standing up against 5G rollout, and we were lucky enough to have one of the shires that said, "You know what, Telstra? No." There's been so much backlash of people just requesting, "Hey, can you prove this technology is safe before you roll it out?" because, as you were saying, like many things, we don't want decades down the track to have to roll that back. Now in order to- Nicole Bijlsma: (20:20) Thank God for the people like you and a minority of the population who are actually making informed choices and taking the time to actually critically think and question what they've being fed, and look at the data and the research. Mason: (20:34) Well, what's very sad is that if you oppose it, immediately what you're going to get painted as is an absolute paranoid tripper that thinks 5G is causing COVID-19 and you're off on another planet and you're just a basic scallywag and you're a dirty hippy, is the way that it's literally being painted here.. I feel like it's the design, right. It makes people scared to stand up and just say, "Hey, excuse me, I've got a reasonable request here," as our council did, and then I think on a federal level it got overrun. Mason: (21:11) So surprise, surprise, Telstra just shows up and goes, "We're putting it up." And thankfully we've got a crew that really got onto the ground quickly. And we're starting to talk about PR wise, "Hey, guys, what are we actually talking about here?" Exactly what you're saying. "Listen, please just prove your technology that you're going to make billions of dollars out of is really safe. That's all." That's all. Prove us wrong. It would be amazing, which they won't be able to do, as you said. It's interesting how that very grounded request, there's enough brainwashing to make people think that you're absolutely batshit crazy for doing what should have been done with asbestos, right. Nicole Bijlsma: (21:54) Oh, absolutely. Look, and in terms of the relationship to COVID, look there's very little data to support at this point. Maybe there is. I haven't seen it, and I haven't really got a comment on it, because I haven't read or seen anything credible that I can comment on the relationship between exposures to COVID-19 and electromagnetic fields. What does concern me is that we know people sensitive to electromagnetic fields have more metal in their body. Now where does the metal come from? It comes from amalgams and dental work. It also comes from eating high levels of fish, and aluminium and Thimerosal from vaccines. So it's interesting that a lot of these people, like kids on autism, have very high levels of aluminium in their body. A recent paper showed very high levels. And it isn't coming from their deodorants because they're only four when they're diagnosed. So where is it coming from? This is what we need to start thinking about. Nicole Bijlsma: (22:48) For me the most important thing we can do as consumers moving forward is to keep as healthy as possible. Get out into the sunshine. Keep your house as clean as possible insofar as fresh air. A healthy home smells like fresh air. It's devoid of any artificial fragrances and smells, that you live in a bushy environment. Your house is like a dry mediterranean environment, so there's no moisture or dampness in the house, and that you have a healthy, preferably organic, diet, that you know your farmers. You know where the food is coming from so it's as clean as possible. Regular exercise, good mental outlook. I mean that's what health is. You don't need to wait til you're sick to get all this other stuff. I mean nature cure has been around a long time, and I think if people just follow basics. And they know in terms of their diet if they're crap or not. They need to act on that. They need to do exercise, et cetera. Keeping healthy is the most important way to reduce your exposures to infection and of course to deal with environmental changes in your environment, whether it's electromagnetic fields. Nicole Bijlsma: (23:51) I want to make a point about EMFs. Certainly 5G, I'm completely anti because I can't prove it's safe. I get it. And the infrastructure is really concerning. But what we find, as Building Biologists, is that exposures happen the closer they are to the body. So people might have an issue about something outside of the house, but the reality is their highest exposures happen from devices inside the house closest to their person. That's the cell phone. That's the digital device. People often don't want to hear that. They're too busy wanting to blame someone for something else when in fact their exposures are happening in the highest power output from their cell phone, from their iPad, from their wireless device, from their speakers, from their printers right on their workstation. Nicole Bijlsma: (24:32) So as Building Biologists, 95% of our role is to educate people. Yes, that is an issue, the smart metre, but look at the power output. It's very low at your favourite couch or in your bedroom. What's very high here is that you've got your phone under your pillow at night time and this is what it's doing. And that's going to have a far greater impact on your health than what's happening outside of your house. So let's start with common sense, what's closest to your person, and work our way out, because that's where the greatest harm is going to happen. Mason: (25:06) I love it so much. I love that you focused on your health and your sun exposure and your great diet and all the things. Hydration being the number one place where you're actually going to be able to make a difference in your own life, rather than going, "Which EMF blocking device do I need to go out and buy in order to block me?" I like that as a fun extension and cherry on top when you can be kind of speculative, because from what I understand it's very speculative, that field at the moment, of what's- Nicole Bijlsma: (25:37) Oh my God, there's so many people out there. Big rule of thumb. If someone comes to test your house and shield, don't do it. They might only charge $200 and have all the fandangled equipment, but they'll charge you thousands in shielding that you probably don't need. That is a massive conflict of interest for someone to come in, test your house for EMFs, and then con you into tens of thousands. We find this all the time. There's a company out there doing four-day courses and now everyone's an EMF expert, using instruments that aren't actually that great. And then testing for electric fields, which aren't even a problem, and conning people to spend $20,000/30,000 on shielding. Shielding is a disaster. Shielding is a last resort. And the reason is because when you start using shielding paint to attenuate radio frequencies you will often magnify the electric field. With people with electrical sensitivity, that's going to make them worse. Nicole Bijlsma: (26:29) I find many of these people have spent thousands of dollars with this company and all their graduates, and they can't live in their house anymore. That is the big problem. So shielding doesn't work effectively 100%. Certainly, it often makes other things worse. So that's a problem. And that's why you always, whoever's testing your house should never be the one selling you the shielding stuff, because then you'll get an independent opinion and the $600 or $800 you spend on testing properly could save you tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary shielding. Mason: (26:59) That's something that's always evident. I've chatted to yourself and had interactions with Rhys and then my friend, Damien, over in WA, and SuperHealth is a big promoter of Building Biology as well. And the ethics are through the roof. It's something I've been having a conversation about a lot in different fields, in different expertise and in businesses, and definitely in government, the voidance of ethics, because when you're in like a quick fix you want systemic change and you can project your apathy onto your desire and your blame of everyone else because you need systemic change. And you know unless that happens then you're going to be a victim. "Poor little me," versus going, "Well, yes, I'm going to work for that, but I'm also going to work for that personal change massively and start actually taking responsibility for this." There's a huge difference there. Mason: (27:54) And I think it's sometimes boring for people to hear that the onus is on yourself and the biggest thing is that you can go and whinge about 5G all you want. And I am definitely not saying that because you use technology you don't have a right to say, "I think we should improve things a little bit." I think that's not a valid conversation. But nonetheless going, "How about I learn how to responsibly use the technology that's in my house," and acknowledge the fact that it is probably going to be causing more damage than that that's outside systemically. Nicole Bijlsma: (28:33) Oh, absolutely. Definitely. And that's a hard one for some people to swallow. Like I have my cell phone and I love my cell phone, but I know how to use it and reduce my exposure. So I will never put it near my head per se when I'm making calls. It's always arm's length away, normally with the earpiece, for example, loudspeaker and text as often as I can, because there's no way I'm going to put high frequency radio frequencies right near my head, for that reason. Nicole Bijlsma: (29:03) So I'm making an informed choice, and that's the thing I train my Building Biologists in the Advanced Diploma is that, "Your role is to educate people. What they do with that information is up to them. If they don't want to follow it that's not your business. They're paying you for your time. You give them the information. Now they can make an informed choice." If they continue to use their devices, like me, I love this, that I don't have to be in my office. I can be from home to work et cetera. I love it. But that's an informed choice. I dye my hair. That's an informed choice. I know exactly what risks are involved. Nicole Bijlsma: (29:35) So that's really ultimately what my goal is when I set up the college and the Building Biology industry, is to help people make informed choices because most people can't even do that because they don't understand the system is flawed. The exposure standards, which we started with, are not health-based standards. And that's why it's important that a lot of the work we do is to actually educate people. And simple things like move furnishing around. If you have to have a wireless router, let's put it in the room that's not being used and attenuate it by reducing the radiation by 95%, by getting onto the manufacturer's website and this is how we can reduce this. Yeah, you've got a wireless router, and use it in a way that you can use the internet on two or three rooms in the house so it's not bathing the whole house. Nicole Bijlsma: (30:20) So we look at what the client's lifestyle is and go, "Okay, what are you willing to accept as a risk? This is what the hazards are. Now let's work together to reduce your risk in light of what you've just told me." It's not saying, "Slap on the wrist. Everyone get to Nimbin in a hamtent with bare feet and that's all you've got. There's no other choice." No, of course not. I choose to live with risks, get in a car knowing that it could be a coffin on wheels, et cetera. But at least I make an informed choice. That's what consumers don't understand is, most of them can't make an informed choice because they don't understand that the system's flawed and it's certainly not geared for public health. Mason: (30:55) Absolutely not. And it's funny because I feel like it's quite common knowledge and everyone knows that a huge business only gives a shit about its profits, and the government isn't there to keep you really safe. I feel like it's an increasingly small, baby boomer kind of portion of the population that still really full-heartedly believes that the government's there to really keep you safe with integrity. Yet, this hasn't clicked over. And I feel like we're getting there, the fact that there are no standards for health here. And I think something you bring up, sometimes people just don't want to hear it. It's a little bit too much. I think that's a huge part of it as well. Acknowledging the fact that there's no standard for the fact we're heading towards smart cities. We're heading towards these huge technological rollouts and hey, we haven't paused and actually checked whether these are safe, and maybe they don't care and you've got to burden that. That's a huge one. Mason: (31:57) And then your distinction, I think, is something for everyone to take here today, is like informed consent. At least when I know that I go in my car, if I take my phone off aeroplane mode I'm in a big metal box, and just having Rhys explain that all that is, is it's just bouncing around inside. And that's okay, but I'd probably recommend you don't stream YouTube or podcasts if you go in there. Huge. Huge thing. And I don't find myself being hypocritical if I'm doing it and I'm still asking for upgrades, and for everyone to slow down. But if I'm not comfortable with the decisions I'm making and I don't have integrity with my own decisions and I'm complaining externally, it definitely lands the responsibility back on my shoulders. Nicole Bijlsma: (32:52) Absolutely. You mentioned a confined space like a metal carriage - tram, bus, truck, car. Imagine that as a house. You've built an energy efficient house with a metal roof, metal cladding around the side and a steel concrete slab. There's no way you should have wireless technology in there because it creates, like you said, the microwave oven effect. So it's reflecting and refracting off all those surfaces. So how you build that house is really important. That's why Building Biologists can be very useful. There's only a handful of Building Biologists that actually have the skills because it's an elective in the course on how to build healthy homes and work with architects. Nicole Bijlsma: (33:33) But if you've got a lot of metal in the house then you should not be having any wireless device in that home because it will be bouncing off and creating hotspots in that space. So hardwired would be your best option. So understanding the interaction between the built environment and its impact on the electro climate of the house is really important. And that's something that we think about at the design stage, based on the client's lifestyle, whether they're willing to have hardwired or whether they only want wireless devices. That's fine but then it comes at cost. And that's what we educate them so they can make an informed choice. Nicole Bijlsma: (34:03) And that's the thing. It's the synergistic impact. And, as I said, when people are in a damp environment, mould, now they could become more electrically sensitive, more chemically sensitive. So this is why we have to integrate. Well, you shouldn't be using pesticides in the house because you're exposed to a lot of that, that you've got to get rid of it and dry up that mould and get to the source of the moisture and get rid of all that fungal particulate, that exposure to that EMF. Nicole Bijlsma: (34:27) So more often that not it's this accumulation effect over a lifetime, whether it's a combination of a tick bite early on in life, very poor diet throughout their teens or recreational drugs, and things like being exposed to high levels of electromagnetic fields because they're an electrician and then they go into a damp house and now they're sick. Well, that threshold has built up over years. And that's typically what happens before people are actually diagnosed with environmental sensitivity. So as Building Biologists, even though we say we can do an EMF audit, a mould audit, the reality is we could come in with the whole toolbox because the client doesn't know what they don't know. So when we walk in, based on their symptoms I know what to look for that I need to exclude, and it could be any one of those issues. Mason: (35:10) It makes sense. It makes absolute sense. It's annoying when you're in a western go, go, go, go kind of way of living to be like, you know, all that stress you're going to accumulate and potentially... Of course, we know stress and pathogens and mould infection and that kind of stuff is going to eventually cause compromisation within the immune system and the endocrine system. And if you've got that from a robust teenager, 20-year old, don't really notice it. A little bit more when you're in your 30s, 40s, oh, it's getting a little bit harder. All right, now we start. Nicole Bijlsma: (35:49) Oh, 40s and 50s it catches up with you, all the stuff from your 20s and teens. Mason: (35:52) Got to pay your debt, yeah. Nicole Bijlsma: (35:58) Pay your debt. Exactly right. Exactly right. But the more you can address those issues the more resilient you'll be for the environment. Now the environments change enormously because of the EMFs. We've talked about mould potentially. Chemical exposures, with each generation it's just worse and worse. Our immune systems are getting really bogged down with a lot of these hazards, which is why we have all these autoimmune diseases, fatiguing syndromes, et cetera. But the message is always to go back to basics, which is what I've mentioned before in terms of your stress, lifestyle, good diet, good attitude, and a relatively dry and healthy home that's free of chemicals. Mason: (36:33) The dry and healthy home, I think, is the one that doesn't land on that. "You guys know how to stay healthy. Drink your water, get lots of sunlight, have a dry home." That's like- Nicole Bijlsma: (36:44) Healthy home. Filtered water, very, very important. You don't want chlorine in your gut microbiome. Yeah. You could do a whole podcast on water, Mason. Mason: (36:54) Well, I've actually got a water series coming up and that's something that I [crosstalk 00:36:58] Nicole Bijlsma: (36:57) Oh. Mason: (36:58) And I thought about you. So I will. We'll book in another podcast and we can go all through that because I think water filters is a thing you get 10 experts and you get 12 answers as to what the best filter is going to be. So I mean having a podcast where our aim isn't to give the recommendations, just to give all the knowledge, so then they can take that and run with it. Nicole Bijlsma: (37:20) Yes. Mason: (37:20) And what you're saying, hydration, sunlight, a dry... What was it? A dry, cool home? Nicole Bijlsma: (37:26) Mediterranean-like environment, yeah. Mason: (37:28) Mediterranean-like environment. What I like about that distinction of you're going to accumulate that, whether it's the permeability of the brain barrier, I think you were saying, through EMF exposure is one of these things. And let's try and get these studies in the show notes as well so people can go and cross-reference them themselves. Just like that exposure being accumulative and immunosuppressive potentially, or definitely, on the other side of the coin you get to accumulate all those benefits with all those exposure to the natural elements and all that you're doing for your health. What I like about this approach is that it's always going and then you can head in this direction, and it's just as good as it gets just as bad over there. Nicole Bijlsma: (38:21) And how amazing is the body? It's so resilient to deal with all these onslaughts. So by the time it hits that threshold there's been a lot of onslaughts. And of course with genetics that does play a role. But we now know, since they've mapped the human genome in 2002, that genetics loads the gun but the environment pulls the trigger. Most SNPs and gene variants some people have and MTHFR would be completely irrelevant if they weren't exposed to toxic environments, because they've been in the gene pool for thousands of years. So that's the thing. It's the environment that's changed that's brought it out. Oh, you've got SNPs, heterozygous SNPs or homozygous SNPs in these detoxification pathways, so you're far more susceptible to these chemicals. But three generations ago no one was exposed to those chemicals so it wasn't important. Do you know what I mean? So that's why you've got to reduce the exposures to the electromagnetic fields and the mould and the chemicals and the perfumes and the air fresheners and the pesticides and plastics and the four Ps, which I talk about in the book. Mason: (39:22) Yeah, I was just going to say, I was going to have the book to hold up, but someone had checked it out of the SuperFeast library, which is good. It's one of the ones that yeah, healthy home, healthy family- Nicole Bijlsma: (39:32) I think another one for your library. Mason: (39:32) Yeah. Nicole Bijlsma: (39:32) I think it's through Booktopia. Yep. Mason: (39:32) Booktopia? Nicole Bijlsma: (39:32) Or my website. Mason: (39:38) I'm going to get another one because I need one for my house as well as in the office. It's one of those ones. It's one of those ones, guys, that's like mandatory reading and presence. And it's one of those fun ones as a coffee table book because it's not paranoid. It's just practical. And so it's a really good gift as well for someone that's just opening up. It's just calling a spade a spade, which is what I like about your work, I like about Building Biology, I like about the book, because it's approachable. So thanks for that. Nicole Bijlsma: (40:10) Thank you. Thank you. I'm currently developing a Healthy Home short course for the public, so videos and things like that. It will be very reasonably priced and it will be your room by room analysis of how to create a healthy home, room by room. So it's going to be a very practical series that will enable people to digest what I've got in the book, because you know this is quite evidence-based and there's quite a bit of scientific research on EMFs. I like the text but I'm going to simplify that and do it as a room by room analysis to help people with videos. Okay, how do we actually have food packaging that's healthy and drinking water and things like that? So that will come out within the next six months. Mason: (40:52) Okay, cool. Where's the best place to get on a newsletter list so they can be informed as soon as it's out? Nicole Bijlsma: (41:00) My website, buildingbiology.com.au. Lots of videos, lots of good content there that's very- Mason: (41:07) Yeah, and it's a good site. I haven't been on for about a year or so. But yeah, it's like super, super rich with resources. The interesting thing is that there's like, you don't have to invest anything to start out with this kind of stuff. Nicole Bijlsma: (41:24) No. Mason: (41:24) You don't have to go out and buy the $2,000 device in order to be doing the right thing, blocking EMFs. Nicole Bijlsma: (41:32) Absolutely. Absolutely. Knowledge is key. Absolutely. Mason: (41:35) Amazing. Are you, yourself, Building Biology, on any social media platforms as well? Nicole Bijlsma: (41:43) Well, I have a Facebook site where I post things from time to time, bit slack on that. And of course the Australasian Society of Building Biologists has a Facebook site for the public as well. And of course the college, I've got quite a bit of information there as well and the Australian College of Environmental Studies where people can do individual courses. Like there's this fabulous subject called Children's Environmental Health and it's really good. If you're really loving my book then it's like a snippet of everything, the Building Biology course, like allergens, electromagnetic fields, all of that sort of thing. So that's a really good place to start for people who actually want to get more detail and videos and things like that. Mason: (42:21) I think it cut out just a tiny bit there. Is there a college website that people can check out? Nicole Bijlsma: (42:26) Yeah. Mason: (42:26) Because if you want to do this as a career, if you're young and listening to this or want to consider this kind of path, this is on. This is a legit career path. Nicole Bijlsma: (42:39) Yeah, yeah. Mason: (42:39) So where are they going to get that information? Nicole Bijlsma: (42:42) So it's called the Australian College of Environmental Studies and the website is aces.edu.au. It's an Advanced Diploma of Building Biology, two years full-time, four years part-time. But there are individual subjects people can do. Like if you want to come here as a mould testing technician, that's one subject, four days, 12 weeks online, and you're earning up to a $1,000 a day. So that's amazing compared to what most naturopaths earn doing a $60,000 degree. It's the same with electromagnetic field testing technicians. Four days on campus, 12 weeks online, [inaudible 00:43:17]. And Children's Environmental Health, a great subject on looking at the health hazards in your home thoroughly in order to make informed choices about what's going on. Mason: (43:26) And it's been cool to see so many practitioners branching out and making that a part of their expertise as well. It makes sense. As you're saying, it makes sense to be able to like get into the home. A lot of the time the practitioner in that really comprehensive 60 minute/90 minute consult isn't going to be able to actually tell you what's actually going on in their environment. Nicole Bijlsma: (43:44) No. Mason: (43:44) So I love it. I appreciate your work, and I'm really excited we've connected on the water thing. So we'll have you. Yeah, that should just be a month or two. Phone wants you so I'm going to let you go. Nicole Bijlsma: (43:55) Thank you. Mason: (43:58) Yeah, thanks so much. We really appreciate you. Nicole Bijlsma: (44:00) Thank you so much for having me on.
Zac Efron Byron Bae Watch | Floor Is Lava | Gawndy's Nimbin Trip On today's show: Gawndy spent his holidays in Byron, unfortunately for him a solid part of it was spent looking for Zac Efron We want people to convince us that the floor is lava is a good tv show, one listener got pretty dark with this one. Gawndy popped up to Nimbin to see what all the fuss was about and it was pretty stock standard of what you'd expect Ash went on a babymoon that wasn't relaxing in the slightest Gawndy's wife Jaimee sent some pretty inappropriate content to his Nan Ash had a huge saga after she dropped keys down an elevator shaft The Central Coast is a toilet paper hoarding hot spot All of this & more
Epic Yarn About Gawndy's Big Nimbin Trip
Today on The Natural Birth Podcast we have Dana Dana is a mama of one from Nimbin, Australia. She is a healer, breath worker and singer. Today you're invited to the rolling hills around Nimbin, to listen to Dana telling her natural birth story. Dana's birth was so quick that her midwife didn't make it. She states the birth of her baby was her greatest achievement. Join in and listen to Dana as a young first time mama and her journey through a very fast labour and birth. Curious about Dana? Find her on Facebook as DanaLee Mynard.
In 1998, 39-year-old Lois Roberts disappeared from Nimbin, New South Wales and was later found murdered. Then in 2013, 24-year-old Monique Clubb vanished into thin air from Brisbane, Queensland and no sign of her has been found. These are just two missing and murdered indigenous women from Australia. They are 2 out of… who knows how many cases. We don’t know because most states in Australia aren’t even keeping count.
Pat and Allie talk about Pat bombing at Magic Mic Comedy in Sydney, Allie crushing at her panel discussion, hippies and their 1 dimentusional character traits, Nimbin bums and Vanlife diaries meetup. Follow on insta: @workourway Email: workourwaypodcast@gmail.com Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk30ifmQP98K8S1cgUEF0nw
Today on the pod, we're joined by Jost Sauer. Jost Sauer is an author, acupuncturist, therapist and all round legendary character who has a deep passion for health and fitness. Jost's loves to share his ongoing discoveries about making lifestyle your best medicine through his books, blogs, articles, workshops and retreats. Jost share's his experience using the principals of the Tao to create health and vigour in the body, mind and spirit. Jump in folks, it's a fascinating, mind expanding ride. Jost and Mason explore: Jost's journey from drugs to the Tao. The power of the Taoist practices. The importance of integration when "enlightened" states are experienced. Yin and Yang theory. The TCM body clock. The matrix of the Qi cycle. Herbal alchemy and personal practice - "I use my practice to correct symptoms, and I'd do the herbs to nourish my soul." Who is Jost Sauer? Jost (aka the lifestyle medicine man) was born in Germany in 1958 and is an ex-hippie, anarchist and drug runner turned acupuncturist, popular author and healthy lifestyle expert. His background includes competitive skiing, body-building, and ironman training, but after post-drug suicidal depression led him to martial arts and the study of TCM, he discovered the power of Qi, the cycle of Qi of Chinese medicine and that a natural rhythmic lifestyle holds the secrets to anti-ageing, health and success. Jost has been using lifestyle therapeutically for his clients for over 20 years. Jost is an expert in Chinese Medicine, which he lectured in for over a decade at the Australian College of Natural Medicine, he has been running successful health clinics since 1991, initially specialising in addiction recovery, and has treated tens of thousands of clients. His passion is sharing his ongoing discoveries about making lifestyle your best medicine through his books, blogs, articles, workshops and retreats. Resources: Jost Website Jost Facebook Jost Instagram Jost Youtube 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 :)! Plus we're on Spotify! We got you covered on all bases ;P Check Out The Transcript Here: Mason: (00:00) Jost, thanks so much for being here, man. Jost: (00:01) Thank you. It's amazing. Mason: (00:02) It's so good to meet you man. And it was so cool. Everyone here might be a little bit of a gap between the interviews, but I've just had Nick Perry on the podcast this morning and I know I've already told you, but he really wanted me to tell you he's a massive fan of yours. He was- Jost: (00:15) It's awesome to hear that. Mason: (00:17) Yeah. And I am as well. Let's jump in, in where you first started getting your fascination with Chinese medicine and Taoism. You were just 10 years old, were you saying? Jost: (00:27) Yes. It was back in 68. I was just 11 years old and I was fascinated into China. China was on my mind, on my radar, and the cultural revolution was big. So, I started writing letters to the Chinese committee and- Mason: (00:41) Well, what was the Chinese committee? Jost: (00:44) There was the public affairs committee in which we are running the cultural revolution. They were communists big time. Yeah. And I started expressing my interest and what an amazing philosophy that is. Obviously, I had no idea that cultural revolution and China's philosophy actually got nothing in common. Mason: (00:58) Yeah. Jost: (00:59) And I talked about Yin and Yang and all that kind of stuff and how fascinated I am by the magic of it. Mason: (01:07) How did you learn about Yin and Yang? Jost: (01:08) Not by these sort of interplay of forces. I was already fascinated by it, because I mean kung-fu started to evolve and came to the West. And so, the whole idea of Yin and Yang, sort of I saw those symbols already, but I didn't really know what it meant but I was drawn to it intuitively. So, some people would say, "It must be past life," whatever. "It most likely is the case, because why would you be interested in it?" Yeah? Mason: (01:36) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Jost: (01:36) Because I wasn't really interested in the mundane world. And I grew up in Germany, in Western Germany when post war economy was peaking and everything was about working hard to succeed to get the house and the cars and the prestige. And I said, "No, I don't want this." Mason: (01:52) Yeah. And you were young, when you got that. Right? Jost: (01:55) Yeah. I didn't want it. I just always already was dreaming myself being on top of the mind, the magic and the sorceress and evolving the forces from the cosmic and doing sort of martial art fairytales, like what you see this day in crouching tiger. This sort of stuff I dreamed about over and over. But every time I mentioned that to people, obviously everyone said, "Oh, you're just a dream." And so, I realised I can't really talk much about it. And, yeah. I mean, I was 14 and someone gave me hashish, very good quality from Amsterdam, because I lived only one hour away from Amsterdam. Mason: (02:33) Yeah. Jost: (02:34) So, I had drugs and then I realised, "Oh, it is a reality." So, obviously I started to explore the drugs. And I got into university, I studied social work, but I also love that psychedelic aspect more and more and more. I moved to Amsterdam when it was 19, 20. And so, I worked there for a while. I did my experience year in social work there in Amsterdam in the Milky Way. Mason: (03:00) [inaudible 00:03:00]. Nice. Jost: (03:01) The classic Milky Way where they sell hashish on the ground floor, and then they do counseling on the top floor. It's like the- Mason: (03:08) ... the whole package. Jost: (03:10) Yeah, the whole package. Amsterdam in those days, whatever your interest is, there's a business. Mason: (03:16) Yeah, right. Jost: (03:17) Whatever you want, someone sells it to you. Mason: (03:19) Yeah. Okay. Jost: (03:22) And there were some straight people in those days, but they lived outside Amsterdam. And even the cops, the police, [inaudible 00:03:30] had red hair, henna in there hair, they had earrings. One day we were smoking hashish in the car in my really bumped out VW van and we were in the stop sign and smoking. We couldn't even look through the windows. And we heard a knock at the window. We put the window down, and there was a cop there. And he said, "Hey guys, you can't park here." "Okay, man." So, we kept driving in Amsterdam. So, everything went down. You just do it. So, you explore the psychedelic on every level. So, I really went with it and I wanted more of it. But, exploring more by drugs doesn't work. That was the big learning curve. Mason: (04:15) How long did it take you to learn that? Jost: (04:17) I was 22, 23 by the time I realised, "I can't get more on drugs." Mason: (04:23) Well, it's something to get. That's interesting to even ever be able to catch that and get that. Is that because you had an intention? Jost: (04:30) I was a drug dealer by then. I was organized. I always loved the entrepreneurship, so I had access to quantities big time, which is all in my books. I talk about it in my books. Mason: (04:43) Especially in high- Jost: (04:43) Higher and Higher, Drug Repair That Works, fully describe the stories. Mason: (04:45) Oh man, I'm really looking forward to reading this. Jost: (04:48) Yeah. It's full, it's incredible really. Great stories like dealing with Chinese people in Amsterdam, with opium and things like that. In those days it was pretty hardcore. Mason: (04:58) Did they have genuine Chinese opium den's? Jost: (05:02) Yeah. Full on. It had everything. You had an underground scene. So, it was like the Chinese were running the drugs. They were just like the Hell's Angels were running the drugs. The had Hell's Angels cafes. It was enormously multicultural. But for some reason, it all worked. They knew their territory and everyone kept sort of by the boundaries very well. Mason: (05:26) Yeah. Okay. Jost: (05:27) But because I had access to so many drugs, I could have what I wanted. And I had access to really the best mescaline. I mean, I'm talking to serious quality in those days, and LSD as much as I want. I actually came to Australia with a bottle of LSD liquid. And I actually took it with me to Nimbin in 1981- Mason: (05:49) And became the king of the town. Jost: (05:50) I was in the pub one day, in the middle of Nimbin. Mason: (05:55) Yeah. Jost: (05:56) We're talking '81 Friday night pub. And there was a guy, I was beside this guy at the counter. And I asked him, "Do you want some LSD liquid?" And he looked at me if asking me a thirsty man in the desert, "Do you want some water?" Mason: (06:09) Yeah, right. Jost: (06:11) And I said, "Yeah, of course." So, I gave him two drops in the scooner. And within half an hour, he was just like going all over the place. It was serious stuff. Mason: (06:20) That was good. Jost: (06:20) Yeah. The whole pub suddenly knew, there's this German guy who's got a bottle of LSD liquid, the real thing. So, there were 50 people in the pub, so I put everyone two drops in. The whole pub, off their face. So, some people- Mason: (06:37) And Nimbin has never been the same again. Jost: (06:38) ... have never had that quality. Mason: (06:39) Yeah, right. Jost: (06:40) Because, we told them serious quality. It was pure. Three drops would've burnt to your brain. So, I made sure everyone only two drops. But a lot of people, in that center of Nimbin, they couldn't... they were going in circles and couldn't hack it. It was just too much. Mason: (06:56) Who are you? Jost: (07:01) So, I had an incredible introduction to Nimbin, because within three weeks the whole bottle went that night and everybody knew me. But I lived in Nimbin for the whole year, and I survived on jobs. One day I went to the job vacancy board, end up with a job there. And there was helping the artist to upgrade the murals, all the pictures of Nimbin. Mason: (07:26) Oh, nice. Jost: (07:26) And I got this beautiful job, for six months paid, to, to work on the murals and all those pictures. Mason: (07:32) Yeah. Jost: (07:33) And people came up, "How did you get the job?" Mason: (07:36) Yeah. Jost: (07:36) I said, "I went to the job vacancy board." There was only one job on that job vacancy board in 20 years. Mason: (07:45) I mean, there's some kind of flow there. Jost: (07:47) Yeah, it's sort of faith, yeah? Mason: (07:48) Yeah. Obviously, there's some kind of faith. I mean, like some kind of, you bring in the lady sky dancer kind of energy as well. You would have been like, yeah, you're cruising on some kind of etheric reality. Jost: (07:58) Yeah. Mason: (07:59) And so, the whole time, did you maintain your interest in Chinese medicine and Taoism during this? Jost: (08:05) Yes. All along. Because, always when I was doing the drugs, it always is working with Yin and Yang symbol that came to me all the time. Mason: (08:12) In artistry? Jost: (08:13) Yeah, in artistry. Yeah. I just saw those symbols all the time. And I did the Chinese philosophy. Every poetry I could get, I was putting down. I was looking for the Chinese artists books. Obviously, when I lived in Nimbin, I lived in [inaudible 00:08:28] and I lived with someone who introduced me to the macrobiotic cooking, the Chinese cooking. And then, I learned about Tai chi, I learned about Qigong. I mean, I came from Amsterdam heavy on drugs, addicted to speed and every possible drug known to man, I came to Nimbin and I got off drugs. Mason: (08:50) Yeah. I mean, yeah, that's very interesting. Jost: (08:50) So, I went to Nimbin to get off drugs. Mason: (08:52) Yeah. Jost: (08:54) And, so actually I didn't do much drugs in Nimbin. Mason: (08:57) What was it about where you were at? Jost: (08:59) Because, I arrived really broken from the drugs, because I tried to get the Tao on drugs. Mason: (09:05) Interesting. Jost: (09:06) I tried to reach that consciousness on drugs. I tried to reach it. And because I had access to as many drugs as I wanted, there was no limitations to how much I could explore. And I realised very quickly, it will not work. I realised by then, "Okay, it shows me what I need and what I want, but it will not deliver." Mason: (09:29) And so, okay, let's talk about that peak experience, because that's something that comes up again and again. How do you see the relevance of using these psychedelics now in the search for the Tao. And then there's one thing I've said there, there's a bit of contradiction there in terms of searching for the Tao in the first place. Jost: (09:50) I've done the drug, so I can't really judge drugs. So, it would be hypocritical. My personal experience is you don't need the drugs to find it. Mason: (09:59) Yeah, right. Jost: (10:01) I actually haven't done drugs for over 35 years. Not because I shouldn't have drugs, it's because I write books about it. I actually don't want, because it just takes me backwards not forwards. So, because I studied under that Chinese master, I studied in all kinds of Chinese martial art practices and meditation practices and I've explored really good revenues with them, with all kinds of avenues with masters I met in my time. And I was explored to cosmic. I was introduced to cosmic consciousness via techniques. And that took me further as on the drugs. I couldn't go further. Then, I met those techniques, and in particular with under [inaudible 00:10:40], who run the transcendental meditation with the Maharishi in the '60s. I met him and he was my main... the main guru I followed. And he was a friend of Osho. We're talking back obviously 25, 30 years when it all started. And so, he introduced me to the cosmic consciousness via a meditation technique that took the next level from the transcendental meditation to the spontaneous expression that the transcendental meditation only you could do in a contained form by sitting down. Mason: (11:11) Yeah. Jost: (11:11) So, they had this big fall out in the '60s. [inaudible 00:11:16]... that you actually need to learn, make the body stand up to express your energies more effectively so you can actually open up all the [inaudible 00:11:22] channel and all the other points. So, the water [inaudible 00:11:25] points that all lead up to the brain to hold them up for this aspect of the cosmic consciousness that's all within us. According to my personal experience in having studied both modalities, like the cosmic consciousness of walking by the meditation and having done LSD and mescaline and etc, and all the mushrooms, there start on the same pathways. There start there. But, the technique goes further, simply because when you take a drug, you've got a chemical running through your system and it directs you what to do. Whereas, if you don't have a chemical, you're spontaneous. You can take it to a level where you're not subject to the chemical. Jost: (12:08) So, the chemical can take you to say to step eight, but it may leave you at step eight. So, you start at step one, bang straight to step eight. It can do that within 20 minutes, but then the chemical may leave you there, because you got a software now running through your system. Mason: (12:26) Well, this is the whole nature of having a complete system that through antiquity right has been proven and in its holistic nature can work in moving a human forward verse the Western what we do is we'll take one particular meditation technique out of a very advanced system, and then apply that, and then sit there excessively with it. And you see like with transcendental meditation, right? Jost: (12:46) Yeah. Mason: (12:47) So, how did you complete the system? Obviously, you've just moved through different techniques and adopted what you need out of them. Is that something that just happened for you through your will or intention or subconsciously? Or, did you purposely go and look for that? Jost: (13:01) Because, I want more. Mason: (13:02) Yeah. Okay. Jost: (13:04) I want more. I'm the classic definition of an addict. I want more. Mason: (13:06) Does that still motivate you? Jost: (13:10) I search. Mason: (13:11) Are you still searching, or is that- Jost: (13:14) I've got really good techniques now, because I'm 61 years old. So, I've obviously have found my ways, my techniques I can work with. But there are those techniques I work with, firstly of all this, the cosmic consciousness via the meditation technique derived from the Vedas, which is the VC environment cosmic meditation. Which Is spontaneous expression. So that is the equivalent in the Taoist tradition, is the yuanyou meditation, the ecstatic travel. So, that's spontaneous. But then, I also study the lineage of the Tai Chi, of the Chen family. So, the Chen family, has got an enormous, powerful way to get to your right up to the top, but it's way of the body. Mason: (14:01) Who's the Chen family? Jost: (14:02) The Chen family started from the Chen village. They're the ones who started Tai chi in the 1600s. Mason: (14:07) Wow. Okay. Jost: (14:09) We're talking 1640 when the general in that Chen village introduced the first form that is now in the West, known as Tai chi. It wasn't martial art, but he took it from the Buddhist and from the Taoist. So, there's a taoist cultivation principle in there, the Buddhist transcendence and the ability to generate your energy so you can fight and be a victor, so you can win. So, it's martial art. So, it's a combination of a longevity of strengths, of power, martial art, but also transcendence way, the Buddhist view. And so, that form was fiercely guarded for 400 years by the Chen family. Because in those days, when you develop a form, you don't show others, because it's your livelihood of survival. Because, your form gives you the strengths over others. Which is why in the 1800s, all the bodyguards for the caravans would travel the country and to protect the cars off the bandits, they used Chen fighters that are cheap people from the Chen village, because they were the best fighters. Jost: (15:22) And so, the Chen Tai Chi utilizes this opening up the cosmic consciousness in a massive, in an extremely grounded way. So, you become very, very solid. Really so solid, you can't move a Chen fighter. It's just bang, you're solid like a pyramid. You just root yourself into the ground. You're trying to move like a Chen fighter, it's not possible. You can take a big Mack, truck, not possible. And they're doing all kinds of experiments and presentations and demonstrations on YouTube, where those 10 fighters can't be moved by 100 people. So, you developed this enormous solidity, this enormous power that is incredible. And it's all in the body. Mason: (16:05) Yeah. Jost: (16:05) And there's always the Jing. And the Jing, then to the Shen, and then obviously the Qi. And/or Jing, Qi, Shen, whichever way you want to put first, but it's works via what we've given. Because, the strengths, the power that the Chen family tapped into and developed over the hundreds of years, based on the Taoist principle, but is now available to people. That allows them to utilize this in order to deal with obstacles in life, in order to become strong, in order to become fit. Jost: (16:35) So, what I learned with my cosmic consciousness techniques, especially with my hippie life and things like that back in the... 40 years ago- Mason: (16:42) Yeah. You got to really explore. Jost: (16:43) Yeah. You go right out there, but not grounded. Mason: (16:49) Yeah. That sounds familiar. Jost: (16:51) So, I went right out there. So, when I was 22, 21, 19 with all the drugs, I was just so out there. I could see the whole creation of the universe. I was as ready to tell God what to do. Mason: (17:04) Yeah. I hear you. Highly existential. Jost: (17:09) Boom! Mason: (17:09) Yeah. Jost: (17:11) So out there, and understanding everything. I even could've looked at a quantum mechanics formula and, "Yeah. I get this." It's unbelievable. Mason: (17:23) Well, that's like there is a somewhat reality to whether you can intellectually ground in and an apply something being tapped into that source field where all information comes from. Jost: (17:34) Yeah, that's it. You tap into it. It's like, it's all there. And the drugs take you there, but they don't teach you how you get there, and they don't tell you and they don't teach you how to return. Yes. Mason: (17:46) And then, how to take any kind of any kind of... how to realise and form anything in reality with what you've tapped into as well. Jost: (17:56) Yeah. It's called to integrate it. Mason: (17:57) Yeah. Jost: (17:58) And most importantly, how to tell others what it is. You can't communicate with others. Mason: (18:03) Yeah. Jost: (18:03) So, I went right out there and I realized very quickly when I expressed my position, which was totally removed from the local point that other people were operating on. If I then reflected my perception of reality from my point of view, the people at the local point couldn't find... they couldn't get me. And as I more and more realized, it's not of any use. Mason: (18:31) That's a harrowing realization when you find that no longer... that's not useful. Jost: (18:37) Yeah. So you see it, but you don't know what to do with that. Mason: (18:40) Yeah. Okay. Jost: (18:41) Yeah. Mason: (18:42) And so, that was a catalyst for you whenever you want more. You got frustrated. Jost: (18:45) First of all, it made me angry. Mason: (18:46) Yeah. Well, was that because you've done so much? You've done so much work and you'd realized so much and yet you couldn't... Was that what was frustrating? Jost: (18:54) Yeah. First of all, what happened to you, first, I couldn't express. I could say, but I couldn't express it suitably nor effectively. Mason: (19:01) Yeah. [inaudible 00:19:02], I kind of get that when you're like, "Hey, I experienced this." And people go, "Oh yeah, no, I know what you mean." You're like, "No, you don't." And that frustration that you can't actually communicate who you are genuinely as a person, right? You don't have the stamina, or the... You don't have the ability to slow down and consciously, consistently communicate who you are with the world, right? You need to do everything right- Jost: (19:28) Not slow, not consistent, all over the place, because obviously that what held my perception together is Yin. So, whatever I perceived, it didn't have a connection. For me, it was obvious, but for others who are trying to observe, they couldn't follow. That's classified as psychosis. Mason: (19:49) Yeah, absolutely. Jost: (19:50) So, I developed all kinds of various levels of psychosis. Which was very interesting once again, because by being right out there and actually unable to integrate, you get an incredible insight into how society works, because you an outsider looking in, Timothy Leary. Yeah? So, suddenly I was out there watching in, but couldn't go in. And first of all that made me angry, because if the organism can't express itself, that other people want to listen to and follow, the Yang rises. That means the Yang and the liver rises, and it's anger. So, which means in those days it translated, I became an anarchist. So, from the hippie, I became an anarchist. Now, I become angry with society, so I started to blame society. Mason: (20:40) Which is the classic pattern. Jost: (20:41) Yeah. I told people, "Society is fucked. We are going to fucking blow this all up." Mason: (20:45) Well, that's somewhat even the, as you come back down, it's almost a search for identity. You need something to oppose in order to get some formation for yourself, right? And who you are and what you stand for. Jost: (20:57) Yeah, because you need to be integrated. Mason: (21:00) Yeah. Jost: (21:00) The thing is we, this is the thing as being in this physical form of being here in this world is we need to be working with others. At the soul, we are united with everyone. But when we incarnate into this world, we feel separation. And then, we open up with drugs. We're going to back to the cosmic consciousness, where everything's united. But now, I can't integrate that. Which is why it made me angry. And everyone that was with me in my times, or my hippy buddies, we all became anarchist. Jost: (21:31) So, we started getting very violent with these cops and demonstrations. And yeah, it became dark. It became very, very dark. And so, it was more a means of trying to make sense of myself, as you said. It's right. And then, I had this opportunity back in, we're talking... just in the turn of 1980 to 1981, I had an opportunity to escape, because by that time the police was after me, the army was after me, the drug bust went bad, the drug dealers were after me, the bikers were after me. It was a little too much. Mason: (22:07) That screw your head just a little bit too much. Jost: (22:10) So, I lived illegal already in the underground. But if the bikers are also after you, it's like, "Get out." Mason: (22:19) That's when it's real. Yeah. Jost: (22:21) And, on this Sunday night, someone offered me to go to Australia on a plane to be a translator. And within three days, I was on the plane. I had no idea what I was doing. This is one of the things you go with the flow. So, I landed in Sydney in 1981, and I landed... So, that was in Sydney. And obviously, in those days the plane flew four days. And four days in a plane as a drug user, my God, you'd have to take a lot of drugs with you. Yeah? So, obviously I had packs of, stacks of gear with me. When I arrived in Sydney, I realized that I had a big block of Lebanese hash in my pocket I forgot to smoke. And when I was in the queue, I thought, "I'd better go to the toilet to destroy the evidence." Because I thought, "If they're going to find this, it's not a good way to start my journey in Australia." Obviously I looked very suspicious. Long hair, bare feet, green pants, purple jacket. I didn't look quite normal. Mason: (23:17) Yeah. The whole look, yeah. Jost: (23:21) So, I went off to the toilet to destroy the evidence, but a custom officer followed me. And I thought, "Oh shit, I can't destroy it." And I thought, "Okay, maybe they haven't noticed me. Maybe everything's got to be fine." So, I got to the custom, to the queue, and obviously straight they took me into the room and searched everything. And they found the hashish. And they said, "What's this?" And I said, "Look, I forgot to smoke it." And they looked very, very puzzled and the found all the amphetamine pills, I had a lot of drugs with me. And they said, "What's this?" And I said, "I'm a junkie. I need it to stay calm." They found the bottle with the LSD liquid which was in a nose drop bottle. This guy says, "Nose drop." So, they didn't look at that. They didn't taste it for some lucky reason. And then they told me to fuck off. And I thought, "gee this is a very rude country." Mason: (24:10) Yeah. Jost: (24:11) It was like, Australia, my God, different to Amsterdam and Germany where they don't swear. And I said, "Where should I go?" And they looked at me and said, "You go to Nimbin." Mason: (24:21) No way. Jost: (24:23) So, I've never heard of Nimbin. So, I got out of the custom, I asked him, "Can I get my hashish back? And they said, "No, fuck off." So, for some reason I didn't get thrown in jail. Nothing. One of those weird stories. It wasn't that much in hindsight, it was only about five grams. But it was good block of beautiful Lebanese red hashish. And anyway, I got out of the airport and hitchhiked north, for Nimbin. And I arrived. I'll never forget that. All the cars until Lismore looked ordinary. Mason: (24:59) Yeah. Jost: (25:00) Then hitchhiking from Lismore to Nimbin, everything changed. Cars stopping with three wheels and three different wheels and the goat in the back and weird looking people. I said, "This is my world." Mason: (25:12) Yeah, I hear you. All right. So then you land and... Okay. So, we've kind of almost gone from that, from the void comes the one, the Tao, and then the two, the Yin and Yang. Jost: (25:22) Yes, correct. Mason: (25:23) So, the Yin and Yang is a continuing concept for you and obviously a reality and continues to be today. Where have you from that period to now, how have you related to Yin and Yang in life? And I know this is a huge conversation, but especially for people listening who haven't quite understood the realities and intricacies and all of Yin and Yang dominating and being the reality of their body and the universe, where are you now in terms of communicating in Yin Yang in your relationship with it? Jost: (25:56) Yeah. Obviously, I understand that everyone of us is on a journey here. And obviously in Chin... In the taoist philosophy, they call it, your contract with heaven. So, the highest form of medicine in Chinese Medicine is nourishing your destiny. Because I've been using Chinese Medicine for 30 years now, and as a registered acupuncturist I obviously work with all kinds of people from all different walks of life, but I never ever used the herbs to treat a symptom. I always identify the person's destiny first. Mason: (26:36) Dude, yeah. Speaking our language. Jost: (26:38) Yeah. Because, everyone, it's just like the universe. Everything is created with a purpose, and that's the Tao. The Tao runs everything. So, we know this purpose, but not so much on conscious level we can feel it, but very, very difficult to put into words. And so, Yin and Yang, the fluctuation between the polar forces guides me along this journey. That means I get drawn to an absolute. Then, I realize it's not me, but it shoots me to the next absolute, which is the opposite. And then, it's not me either, then it shoots me to the next absolute. So, it's like a process. So, between Yin and Yang. Jost: (27:16) So, obviously for me it was like, first of all, getting involved with the cultural evolution back in '68 when I realized it had nothing to do with Taoism. And so, I was always exposed to communism. Then, I actually realized, I found the real modality, which is why the Tao isn't, but that took me to the drugs. The drugs then took me to the anarchism, to violence and pain, which then led me to the realization it's within. And that led me to the meditation, which, so that was the Yin aspect. And then from the Yin aspect, I realized I need to strengthen myself, otherwise I can't express what I see. So, if I'm weak and I can't fulfill my destiny. So, in order to fulfill my destiny, in order to live my destiny, I have to go Yang. And that took me to Chinese martial art. And Chinese martial art, well, we're talking now 35 years ago, my first exposure was kung-fu. And I practiced very hard. Jost: (28:13) And that then led me to the Chen family, the Chen Tai Chi, which is not the Tai chi that you see people do in parks. You got to look that up on YouTube, Chen Tai chi, C-H-E-N, the origin Tai Chi. It's a different world. It's very, very intense, very powerful, incredibly expressive, but it's hard to learn. It's really hard on your body. You have to work very hard. So, from the Yin, the hippie aspect of going to the cosmic consciousness, which is like without the effort, I then was taken to the Yang with a lot of effort. So, for me, the Yin Yang is always the mix between receiving, perception and having a mental idea, "oh gee I love this." And then the yang, the effort to integrate that. So, which is Gongfu, effort over time. That's the classic translation of Kung-Fu, effort over time. Jost: (29:09) So, that means I constantly get the idea what I want, the vision, the beauty via poetry or via music or via meditation or even via sexual practices, I get the idea, but then the Yang via the effort, I moved towards it. So, this is one thing that I've never really discovered in the Western world, the perfect blend between your vision, your idea and the effort. So, in the West, we see success strategies, but they don't integrate with your heart so much. Because in order to integrate your heart, you need to feel it. So, now you need a practice that actually takes you into feeling. And so, this is where meditation, cosmic consciousness meditation come in too. That's where sexual practices come in. That's alchemy. So, I need to feel it, because if I put into word what I think my destiny is, then it's concept. Then, it's most likely based on a conditioning and an upbringing from a previous time or parents or I follow security principles. It's based on all kinds of other values. It's interfered with values. Jost: (30:16) But if I go alchemically into it, that means via practice, and the Tao is alchemic. Alchemy is the way of the body. So, by working with the body, I then can actually feel it. And once I feel it, I then moved towards it. And that feeling is what they call the Yuanyu, is the ecstatic travel. So, that's where the drugs come into. So, the drugs can show you, but unless you put the effort in, the Gongfu, which is the Yang, it will not work. So, to me that's the Yin and Yang. Mason: (30:49) Yeah. And then almost, the whole idea behind the drugs and the plant medicines is you become externally reliant on something to be able to show you that vision, which is innately in there rather than a daily practice being... that tune in and feel. Jost: (31:03) Yes. In Chinese medicine we always say, "Don't think, feel." Mason: (31:09) Okay. Jost: (31:10) The whole training and the Tai Chi, "Don't think, feel." So, we've constantly like every morning and we go first into, into feeling. So, I never start the day with thinking. So, this is where I work with Yin and Yang, because the thinking takes me into the Yin not into the Yang. And so, I need to start the day with going into Yang first. And that means I'm not thinking. So, I'm actually moving. So, of course when we wake up, we want to think about all kinds of stuff, but the idea is to shut up. I spend a lot of time in, having studied under the masters, and personally direct the training under them. It was every morning. You just don't think. Mason: (31:53) Yeah. Jost: (31:54) You don't think. Mason: (31:54) Which is the practice. Jost: (31:56) Yeah. Which I explained in that book Clock on to Health in the large intestine chapter. Because, when we wake up, the energy, you see the Tao is very, very intelligent. Yeah? The Tao has given us everything what we need in order to fulfill our destiny. But in order to find our destiny, first of all, we need to feel not think. Mason: (32:21) Yes. Jost: (32:21) Yeah? Mason: (32:22) Yes. Jost: (32:22) And in order to feel, not think, the Tao has given us the uniform, and the Qi starts with Large Intestine and Lung, Lung and Large Intestine. And the Large Intestine is the organ that lets go off negative thinking. Mason: (32:38) Yes. Jost: (32:39) So, every morning we got the opportunity to let go of thinking. Because, forgetfulness is the highest form in Taoism, the art of forgetting. But what they mean with the art of forgetting is not to think about it, to feel. But that's something you can't put into words. You try to do, and I would say we tried to do, but you can't really do it. Because, I wake up and I think about a certain area. I'll wake up immediately and think about my books, my business, what I need doing, but I can't make sense of my thoughts. Obviously, I can make sense of my thoughts, but they don't suit me. So, as soon as I get up and go into my practice, I go into feeling. Large intestine takes over, and then it delegates my thoughts into the direction that they need to go, so they're not a hindrance to me. Mason: (33:31) Yes. Jost: (33:31) So, that's where the Tai Chi goes into. That's why it's a martial art. When you go in front of an opponent and you start thinking, you get wrecked. It has to be spontaneous. Because, if you don't think, then you've got the highest response. And then it's always correct, because then you don't have an opinion about your opponent, nor do you have a judgment, nor do you have a feeling about any criteria. So, you are in a perfect state of neutrality. Mason: (34:07) And you're in reality. Jost: (34:09) Yes. You are. You're real there, you're right at the moment. And you actually look at that person as what the person is, not what you think it is. So, you're not using judgment, you're not using analysis. And then, you realize there's no need to fight that person anyway. Mason: (34:25) Yet. Jost: (34:25) which is why Tai Chi, this is the interesting thing, it's so Yang, but it takes you so Yin. Mason: (34:33) In original. You're talking about original Tai Chi. Jost: (34:35) Yeah. They are the most peaceful people I've ever met. It's makes you totally peaceful, because you actually don't see the point to fight. But, you are a little better. You can immediately change the situation, but there is no interest. Mason: (34:51) Well, that's the irony and the cosmic giggle of the universe, right? Jost: (34:56) Yeah. That's the Yin and Yang. So, you are in the state of Yin, but you're very Yang. When you meet those masters, they're so compassionate. They don't have an issue with you. They don't judge you. It doesn't matter what you do. Whatever habits you have, it's irrelevant, because there's not thinking. It's pure feeling. It's just like goes back to the old days when people met in the park and hit a few joints. You just feel with each other. Mason: (35:21) Yeah. Jost: (35:21) Yes. Mason: (35:22) Yeah. That's the peak experience to what- Jost: (35:24) Yeah, the peak experience, just feel with each other. In the morning have a joint, the day is your friend. Yeah? So, it's like all this hippie festivals I went into. Have a joint and straight away you communicate what you're feeling not thinking. Mason: (35:36) And then having the, I don't know whether it's the practice or the ability or just getting to the point where you're so frustrated that you need to constantly go to something external to get that experience, even just going and having the intention. This is why I want to talk about the day plans and clock... Jost: (35:52) Yes. Mason: (35:52) Because, for me that fits, that slides into the lifestyle design based on the reality of how Qi transforms in our body. And it's obviously a very ancient system. It's one I feel has become, if you look at the TCM body clock and the organ clock, it's become something that... everyone's like, "Oh yeah, no, I've seen that before. This times that, this times that," and there's this like breadth of awareness but not that much depth of actually being to able to know what's going on in our organs at that time. Jost: (36:23) Yeah. Mason: (36:24) But, what I'm thinking is just like, with that having a joint in the morning with mates and just getting into that connection, then being able to go like those masters you're talking about at 80, at 90 years old, "What does my whole life and my lifestyle and my practice needs to look like in order to embody that, and not only feel this level of connection and compassion and love for everyone, but be transcending even what I'm feeling here on this substance and embody that and then share that with the world," that takes serious consideration. And that's kind of what I feel, for me, that's what I kind of get in... I've gone through Clock On. I've got my copy at home, and been going through it. You know what I mean? Mason: (37:04) Like, "Yeah, I'm going to really consider this organ clock more than I have in the past and really give this a few years to permeate me and allow me to understand [inaudible 00:37:13], allow me to understand my own Qi and my own wu-xing five element phase transformation. That's what I see as the point of this, is designing a day where we can tonify from the two things, the three things, the Jing, Qi, Shen, so that then we can do exactly what you're saying in terms of being able to embody these things. So, I don't know if that's got a correct assessment, but that's been my takeaway so far. But, is that kind of fair in to what the intention is behind clocking on to this? Jost: (37:47) Yeah. What happens is that, okay, in a Taoist tradition, our information of who we are, our true nature is energetic. Mason: (37:56) Yeah. Jost: (37:56) And the structure is, of our nature, is structured by meridian systems. So, before we incarnate in this physical form, we are meridians. And we actually, the energy organs exist before we incarnate. Mason: (38:12) And the embryology is kind of proving that as well, right? Jost: (38:17) Yeah. In Chinese medicine, we have an energy organ and a physical organ. Which is why scholars all over the world, the academic agreement is, "Let me talk Chinese, spleen. We have to write the spleen in upper cases." So, when we talk spleen in Chinese Medicine, we have spleen and Spleen. The upper case spleen is different to the lower case spleen. The lower case spleen resembles Western medicine. The upper case spleen is Chinese medicine. And Chinese medicine has identified that this energy organ exist before we are born in physical form, and it will stay with us when we leave. Mason: (38:59) And it's referring more so to the Qi. Jost: (39:03) It's an energy. So, what happens is that each... in order to structure this body, in order to structure the soul, which is a complex entity anyway, we are really complex beings. And, I mean, the whole of creation is very complex. But in order to hold this unity together, it's run by 12 organ systems. And that's why the 12 [inaudible 00:39:23] universe. 12 hours in the day, 12 months in a year. And the Chinese and Western philosophers agreed on the 12th. 12 months and 12 years, because they work with the yearly cycles and monthly cycles. And 12 hours in the day, by two makes it 24 hours. So, it's all held together by time. And as quantum mechanics has identified, space is in time. So, in order for the physical to exist, first of all it needs time. So, as soon as you take time out of the equation, the physical collapses. It can't exist. Mason: (39:57) Yeah. Jost: (39:57) So, what it means to be in the physical world rather than the spiritual world is, here in the physical world, we have time, in a spiritual world, we don't have time. So, when this organ system now goes into the physical system, now it's regulated by time. And the Taoist already tapped into that 5,000 years ago for some reason. Without them having a perception of a clock, they knew that it's time that holds it all together. Which is why so many quantum mechanics look at Chinese Medicine, which is why Niels Bohr, used the Yin Yang, as his logo as a symbol, when he did his coat of arms. Mason: (40:38) Yeah. Right. Jost: (40:39) And so, it's all done. If you put it up on internet, it all comes up. Niels Bohr, Yin and Yang, coat of arms. Because, he understood what quantum mechanics is trying to say. The Tao has already tapped into it many thousands of years before them. And I realized that you'd never be able to put two things together, as Heisenberg uncertainty principle says, "One cannot know the velocity of a particle and not the direction of the particle at the same time." So, you cannot be Yin and then Yang. It's always happening at the same time. So, it's Yin and Yang. That's why it never says anywhere, Yin or Yang. Mason: (41:19) So, is this the concept that they don't, they cannot exist without each other? Jost: (41:23) Yes. But it never is, like you can't understand who you are and the direction at the same time. Which is why thinking about your destiny will never work. It's based on the uncertainty principle, Heisenberg uncertainty. So, "One cannot know the velocity of the particle and at the same time know the direction of the particle." So, you can't know who you are and know the direction you go by knowing, you need to feel it. Because then, Yin and Yang becomes one. Jost: (41:48) So, when people do drugs, Yin and Yang become one. When we observe, academically or intellectually a situation, it's a Yin or Yang. But once you take a joint, it's all one. Which is why when you're with people, it becomes like, you feel with each other on a... You know each other. Mason: (42:09) Yeah. Jost: (42:09) You can go into other experience that, you can go with people you don't speak their language and you smoke hashish and you suddenly connect, unite. Yeah? Mason: (42:18) Mm-hmm (affirmative). Jost: (42:19) So, there's a lot going on. So, Yin and Yang is really exemplifying what that all is. And the Qi cycle put the whole complexity together via time. Because if you take time out of the equation, it will collapse. These days, people live, make up their own times, which is why they got all kinds of symptoms. Mason: (42:39) Yes. Jost: (42:40) 5:00 AM is different to 12:00 PM. 12:00 PM is different to 5:00 PM. And it has got a totally different influence on your body. If it has a different influence on your body, that means there's a totally different velocity and a different direction. It means there's a different feeling. So, how you feel at 5:00 AM is different to how you feel at 5:00 PM, but that feeling is essentially in order to understand who you are. Jost: (43:02) So, the Qi cycle gives you the matrix of how to tap into these incredible complex information that your soul is, structured via the meridians and the 12 energy organs. So, each energy organ has got a very specific information. And the Taoists called it the orbs. The orb of the Spleen, which is the heavenly messenger. So, each organ has got a very specific information about who you are as your soul. There's all your akashic record is in each of the organs. You can tap into anything. So, the Spleen knows exactly when it comes about your intellect. Your Kidney knows everything about who you are in terms of your willpower. The Liver knows exactly when it comes in terms of your direction. But, putting that into words is not possible. So, we need to feel it. Feel, don't think. Jost: (43:52) So, by living the Qi cycle, we tap into this different time zones, which then creates a sink into this energy organ. And now, it's almost like you open up a gateway. And every two hours, there's a different gateway to perceive a different perception about who you are, what you're feeling. If you integrate that now with action, which is doing, which is now you give the particle its direction, first of all, when you zone in to the time zone, it's a velocity. Now, you give it its direction by doing according to what it needs to be done at this time. You actually feel what you're supposed to be doing. Mason: (44:31) Yeah. Jost: (44:32) It's absolutely magic. So, suddenly life gets mystical and rather than mundane. Mason: (44:40) I like that. I can do a little bit more mystical. And quite often something that's occurring in the West, is reverse in the East, is the East is, it is a reality and a fabric of society that... Let's just make it really obvious one. Qi exists, verse in the West where something that... sometimes just even talking about the Qi cycle to someone off the street, it's known as a bit of a, it's interesting like a mystical Chinese concept, a Chinese medicine concept. And quite often, I'm just curious as to your experience and really... And likewise, we're educating people about the reality of Qi and Taoist theory, so I can relate. But, how are you going about teaching people about this Qi cycle to Western reductionist minds that almost need to go like, "well, what are you talking about? What?" What is the Qi?" Jost: (45:39) It's very, very simple. That's why I use archetypes in my book Clock on. I don't talk about the large intestine Qi. I talk about the cleaner. Okay. What I'm saying here is, you can't put into words what Qi is. Mason: (45:51) Yeah. Jost: (45:52) Because the definition of Qi is information, energy and consciousness. Quantum physics can measure the impact consciousness has on matter, but it can't measure consciousness. So, you will never be able to put Qi into words. So, in China, over the thousands of years, everyone has developed an association with Qi. So, you go into a village and you talk with an 80 year old man, and it's, "Oh, the Qi is very good here." The association is on common ground. Everyone has got no association with that word. In the Western world, there's not association with that word yet. So, when you talk to someone Qi, if they have an association, it's most likely so removed from what it is, because they don't have the experience in it yet. It will take a few generations for us to actually have an association. Jost: (46:40) So, at this stage, in the Western world, most people don't have enough association in their unconscious about the word Qi. So, when they hear the word Qi, they don't know what to associate with it. So, it goes mental. So, once you've got mental there, it's not Qi. Mason: (46:56) Yeah. I mean, once you try to intellectualize the concept- Jost: (46:59) You can't. Niels Bohr already realized you can't put it into words. The quantum mechanics already understood it's not possible, because you've got consciousness. Once you gone into consciousness, you've got all kinds of dilemmas, because you get the double slit experiment, where the particle goes through both slits at the same time, but only one particle arrives at the wall. And kind of like quantum mechanics full of paradox. And that's Chinese Medicine. So, when you talk Qi, you're always with a paradox, because you've got the Yin and Yang at the same time. But when you talk, it's Yin or Yang. Jost: (47:30) So, you will never be able to put Yin and Yang and Qi into words. But, because I've worked with so many people and I did so many talks in my time, I understand the dilemma of, "okay, how can you create an association in people?" Which is why this book, Clock on, I worked with, "okay, what is an association?" Instead of me talking about large intestine Qi, I talk about the cleaner. Instead of talking about the Spleen, the energy Spleen, I talk about the builder. Instead of talking about the Small Intestine Qi, I talk about the judge. Because, Chinese medicine started with archetypes and storytelling and poetry, not with the textbook. Chinese medicine didn't start at a textbook. It started with storytelling. The shamans told stories. It had beautiful feelings. It evolved the feeling in people. And that feeling then got ingrained and now develop an association. When they heard the word, it brought the feeling up. So, in Chinese Medicine, you always have to work with both. You have to bring the word to arise a feeling, otherwise it will not work. It's not based on science. Mason: (48:42) Well, and then people are trying to lay them over each other. Jost: (48:45) They can't. Mason: (48:45) And they can't, right? Jost: (48:45) No. It's a fairy tale. Mason: (48:48) I mean, and that's the interesting in what you were just saying about if you say Spleen, and in conversation, you almost need to say Spleen earth in order to... because you can't go capital S spleen. Jost: (49:04) Upper case spleen. It just goes on and on and on. Mason: (49:10) And that is the interesting thing in terms of, I feel like most Westerners learning these concepts is arriving in an acceptance and acknowledges... And a feeling state rather than a thinking state when tuning in to this Qi. And rather going, "Okay, what time is it? Oh, okay, I'm waking up at Liver time. Maybe physiologically something is happening to my Liver." And feeling like that possibly could be, and there is probably a reality to that. Jost: (49:40) Which is there in the correlation, the correspondence to that Liver time isn't actually in the large intestine time. It's never at the time. Mason: (49:45) Well, that's the interesting thing. You can't think about the physiology necessarily. That's where I've tripped up, years ago when I was starting out, it's where I kept on tripping up. And probably when I talked to most young acupuncturists not getting taught the reality of not trying to fit this Qi model or like this reality, this gigantic system into Western pathology. Although there can be crossovers, that's fun and interesting, but you need to stay within that system that's respecting the classics, right? Jost: (50:21) Yeah. My observation is they work very well together as long as you don't try and explain with Western words what Chinese phrases are. Mason: (50:30) I think that's the distinction. Yeah. Jost: (50:30) And you can use a Chinese to explain the West. I believe that both work very well, because I work with supplements which are based on Western sciences, I work with all kinds of Western science principles, but that's a different approach. It's Yin and Yang. You can't explain Yin with Yang. They are a totally different approach, but if you put the two things together, that's what I believe the future is. Mason: (50:56) Absolutely. Jost: (50:56) Chinese Medicine is fairytale. It's magic, it's psychedelic. It takes you into feeling, and it shows you your potential. It's power, it's magic. It makes you strong, incredibly powerful. And, it's longevity. I mean, at my age of 61, I can't relate to men of my age, because- Mason: (51:18) Too much Jing. Jost: (51:19) Yeah. I relate more to the 30 year old, because when I work out, I work out more on the 30 year olds level, not the 61 year old level. So, obviously I go into the Qi. If you go into chi, you always rectify symptoms. You always rectify symptoms. So, that's why I talk in my book Clock On, how to direct it. You wake up to a symptom for a reason, and Large Intestine is designed to move the symptom. So, if you use the Western signs and use Chinese lifestyle, medicine lifestyle, wow that's the potency. And I believe this is where we moving towards. And it was prophesied by Waysun Liao, a famous Tai chi master in 1974, when he wrote that book treatise of Tai Chi, and you talked to the Chen family. He talked about the Chen Tai Chi. Jost: (52:12) I need to say there are a lot of people have a misconception of Tai chi, because what we see in the West, old people in the park is not Tai Chi. It's like saying a skateboard is a Lamborghini. Mason: (52:21) Yeah. I mean, I think that's something that's happened in a lot of these traditional. If you look at yin yoga, then practices like restorative yoga just flopping into a position verse of very active intentional five minute hold in a position that is designed to completely transform and open a meridian, it's a very different concept. So, it's hard fucking work. And that's what Tai Chi being, "Well, this nice. I'm just going with the energy of the universe without going through the methodical work of learning to engage the [crosstalk 00:52:57]. Jost: (52:58) And your legs, and you burn your legs, it's so intense, so painful, so incredible, intense. But then, you just, you can see your direction. You can see your purpose. So, while you do the move, it's enormously intense, but you can see who you are and it moves you. So, it puts you in an altered state immediately. But Waysun Liao prophesied in the 1970s, that what the Chinese started, this [inaudible 00:53:30] and the whole Tai Chi, the Supreme ultimate, not the Tai Chi, the form, but the the supreme ultimate, the yin yang, "What they're tapping to is profound." But he said, it will be completed in the West. Mason: (53:43) Yeah, and well, that integration model is, and that's I think there's this distinction, because this is where it's such... it's slippery. Of course, this is always going to remain slippery. The distinction to not try and layer these two systems over each other, but allow them to sit side by side and work together- Jost: (54:03) If you're trying to sort out Chinese medicine and Western medicine, it's like giving a male, trying to sort out hormonal problems with a woman. Mason: (54:12) Yeah. Jost: (54:12) Or, a woman telling a man what ejaculation should be about, or a man telling a woman how she should psychologically feel. It doesn't work. It's asleep, doesn't work in harmony. Mason: (54:23) Where can I just leave them to be who they are. Jost: (54:27) Work in harmony. You can't understand day, when you're at nighttime. You won't say, "we're getting sick of wet. We need from now only to have dry," or, "we don't need cold anymore. We only have hot," or, "we don't need men anymore, we only have women." It's just bullshit. Mason: (54:50) Yeah, man, sing it. Before we go, for some people that aren't aware of that organ clock, can you run us through kind of an example? A very general, because obviously this is a huge conversation. You've got two books really tapping into it, but can you run us through an example? Jost: (55:15) Yes. It's very simple. Mason: (55:16) Yeah. Okay. Jost: (55:16) Yeah. You wake up today to let go of the previous day. Mason: (55:19) Yes. Jost: (55:19) So, you wake up to Large Intestine time. That means, Large Intestine is you go to the toilet. Mason: (55:24) Yeah. Jost: (55:25) You clean out your system. That's your cleaner. Before you start the day, you clean out your unit. You clean your apartment, you clean everything out. That means Large Intestine gets rid of negative thoughts. If you start the day without cleaning, the negative thoughts of yesterday will dominate you today. So, in the Qi cycle lifestyle, we always start with letting go of the old first, because it's a new day. So, we do these via Qi practices. We do this with yoga, with core training, but we don't engage with the work yet. We don't engage with talking to people. We don't engage with having breakfast yet. First of all, detox the system. And that's what pretty much like all of Western medicine cancer researchers revealed, you want to get rid of the bad cells. You want to eliminate toxins and you want to get rid of waste products, because if the bad cells, negative cells go, the good cells can flourish. Jost: (56:29) So, in order to be healthy, first of all, we need to let go. So, that's like Large Intestine. Let go. Because if it goes, bang, then you can come in. So then, because we let go, the next thing is, we're working with the peacemaker, which is stomach Qi. And that means after we have cleaned out everything, we now sit down and have a mindful breakfast. So, we have nice, we've got to be aware we're not getting up and have breakfast. We clean out first, detox. Then, whatever time it's required to do that. Then, when we finish, we move into sitting down mindful and eating a warm breakfast. The happiest people I've met in my time in all the East, the happiest and happy, really strongest people all have cooked warm breakfast. But they do practice beforehand. So, I never have fruit juice and stuff like that. Mason: (57:25) You don't go in and dampen the stomach. Jost: (57:26) No. You start with warming. So, the reason why the stomach is called, why I call the stomach the peacemaker is, because the stomach is in fact your system in order to negotiate with other people in harmony. So, if you start the day correctly by going into mindfulness, you then have the ability to engage with others in a peaceful intent. So, it becomes natural. So, you have this 20 minutes where you sit and eat and go mindful and you don't multitask. If you don't, , and you multitask and you stand up and rush around, you're not the peacemaker. You're a troublemaker, because now you get to reactive throughout the day. Because, you didn't let go of your negative thoughts through your practice. You didn't have the peacemaker. You didn't settle in the morning with breakfast. Now, you've got too much negativity and you got to dump it on others. Road rage, anger, telling other people what they should be doing, getting judgemental, critical and things like that. Jost: (58:34) The peace maker means, you're not judgemental. You just going through the day, whatever it is, but you know exactly who you are, so you keep moving. Then after that, after the peacemaker, after a beautiful peaceful breakfast, you go hard. Work very hard. And that's the builder and the emperor and that Spleen and Heart. So, you work very, very hard on your journey, on your job, on whatever needs to be doing. You know who you are, because you have seen who you are and you felt who you are during your morning practice. It was all downloaded via the breakfast. The breakfast gave you the piece, now you work hard. So, it's you start with the Yang, breakfast at Yin, then you go Yang. Then, about one o'clock, it's Small Intestine time and it's now judgment. So, that means you need to sit back and allow the whole day to be looked at. So, you stop rushing. You're in front of the judge, and the judge will look at your case, because you've done already a major part of your day. Because really when you look at, you started the day about by transforming negativity into positivity. You did the detox, you then had peaceful intent set at breakfast. You then worked very hard in your destiny. Then at one o'clock, or 1:30, you sit down... And then you sit down and you have a meal, lunch. Jost: (59:56) And then, in the afternoon you go more into the Yin mode. And then, at five o'clock you go into Kidney time. It means you switch off from the day. And at switch off time, between 5:00 and 7:00, you're actually switching off from the day. Jost: (01:00:13) [inaudible 01:00:13]. Mason: (01:00:16) Jake, you can edit that part, yeah? Jost: (01:00:18) Yeah. [inaudible 01:00:18]. Jost: (01:00:27) So then, this is another important part, between 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM is exactly the same importance as between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM. That sometime in the time, you need to switch off from the day, because the Yang phase is moving into the Yin phase. So, the Qi side is all about Yang, Yang, Yang, Yang, going to mid time. And then, from the afternoon it goes into Yin phase. But then, between 5:00 and 7:00, we need to consciously switch off. Once again, we work with the practice, a little bit of Chi Gong, a bit of yoga and it takes us away from thinking into feeling. But because it's supported by the Kidney, and the Kidney is the puppeteer. And the Kidneys are another of Yin and Yang. You actually have a direct access to the scene behind the curtain. Actually you feel mystical in that moment. Jost: (01:01:19) So, the switch off practice, when you look at the ancient cultures, between 5:00 and 7:00, the farmers, everyone, the workers came into the village, into the center and played bowls. They're switching off from the day. Mason: (01:01:32) That's the same with the Italians playing dominoes at the day. Jost: (01:01:34) Yeah. Domino, connecting, not via work, connecting via play. Mason: (01:01:44) Yes. Jost: (01:01:44) So, if you connect via play, you work with Yin and Yang. So, that means you're actually letting go of the day. At the same time, you're embracing the joy of being in the company of others. So, this is all ancient cultures follow the Qi cycle. Mason: (01:02:00) Yeah, you're right. Jost: (01:02:01) And then, between 7:00 and 9:00, they all go home and then you're just by yourself, with your family, with your loved ones, and you go completely into yourself. And that's when you have another meal and a glass of wine. And it's completely just cut off from the day. It is like, now you had security at home. And Pericardium time between 7:00 and 9:00 is actually being at home. And, it's called the bodyguard in my book, because if you get this right, you will actually guard the heart off cardiovascular disease and anxiety and all kinds of other stuff. Because the Pericardium channel is the channel that got discovered in the 1600s hundreds, and it's the main channel used in order to treat CVD, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, etc. And, that you regulate that simply by between 7:00 and 9:00 PM, you're just going into yourself and being with loved ones and you're not doing anything in order to project outside. You guard your heart. It's your body guard. You got your heart. It's like the body guard in front of the prime minister, it ushers all the journalists the way. Mason: (01:03:08) Yeah. Jost: (01:03:09) So, by seven o'clock you're going into your own world. So, it is the pajamas, whatever, cross fitting, whatever. It's irrelevant, as long as you're completely calm. And then, usually, if you follow the cycle so far, at nine o'clock, the energy goes into San Jiao, which is a mystical organ. And I call it in the book the ferry man, because it's actually involved with the lubrication. It's like a ferry man in Venice. And what it is, it's
Fleta joined Jonny and Oscar for the first Australian perspective on the Professionally Cannabis pod! Steering forward the ship at Little Green Pharma, Fleta discusses topics like: their inaugural shipment of GMP grade flower to Germany; the types of product LGP produce; the political & regulatory landscape in Australia; and even a look a cannabis culture down under (like that experienced in Nimbin)!
Godfreys - that bloke has done more for Vacuums than Dyson - you think? Bowen reviews the Nissan Navara N-Trek, Trev takes a look at the subscription news service Apple News Plus and reckons it's actually well worth a look - we discuss Melbourne going smoke free, and frankly everywhere going smoke free, legalisation of Canabis, Nimbin and how it got started, we call a random listener and talk about choosing a Servo - who knew Mobil was back!
Godfreys - that bloke has done more for Vacuums than Dyson - you think? Bowen reviews the Nissan Navara N-Trek, Trev takes a look at the subscription news service Apple News Plus and reckons it's actually well worth a look - we discuss Melbourne going smoke free, and frankly everywhere going smoke free, legalisation of Canabis, Nimbin and how it got started, we call a random listener and talk about choosing a Servo - who knew Mobil was back!
Godfreys - that bloke has done more for Vacuums than Dyson - you think? Bowen reviews the Nissan Navara N-Trek, Trev takes a look at the subscription news service Apple News Plus and reckons it's actually well worth a look - we discuss Melbourne going smoke free, and frankly everywhere going smoke free, legalisation of Canabis, Nimbin and how it got started, we call a random listener and talk about choosing a Servo - who knew Mobil was back!
Nick and Ash discuss the week in drug policy news and events. SEGMENTGreg Denham from Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) Australia talks about law enforcement's role in drug policy, accompanied by Will Tregoning (UnHarm) and Dr. John Jiggens.MUSICHugo the Poet - ResponsibilitySEGMENTNick was recently in Nimbin for the annual Mardi Grass protestival, speaking about the rise of novel psychoactive substances, especially 'synthetic cannabinoids'.
Before taking you to MardiGrass in Nimbin we have some interesting confessions to share. Boundaries, body hair and breaking rules. Listen to our Mardi Grass adventure. Do we get arrested, stoned, educated or all of the above. MardiGrass is a cannabis law reform rally and festival held annually in the town of Nimbin, in north east New South Wales, Australia We wrap up with our top tunes of the week as we share our Weekly Obsessions
Recorded live at Nimbin Town Hall Saturday 4th May for the 2019 Mardi Grass HemposiumDrug Testing Driver Saliva: Safer Roads or Bigger Brother?Panel Discussion: Roadside saliva drug testing is an increasingly commonplace strategy used by police to apparently address road safety issues. However, there is very little research concerning the effectiveness is a zero tolerance policy of traces of cannabis in saliva and reducing harm on the roads. After many years of rigorous research, an agreed limit of allowable alcohol and safe driving was agreed upon. Why can’t the same be done for cannabis? What’s happening in Australia, and around the world?NSW’s controversial Roadside Drug Testing scheme has come under increased scrutiny. The RDT program was first rolled out in Victoria in the early 2000’s, with tests for cannabis and methamphetamine, and a promise of increased road safety. The scheme continues to be promoted as a road-safety initiative similar to breath-testing for alcohol. Each year it costs tens of millions of dollars and leads to thousands of lost licenses. All of this would seem justifiable if each driver removed posed an increased risk on the roads. The problem is that the Securetec Drugswipe devices used by police across Australia do not distinguish between impairment and detection. And research shows that being able to detect whether or not someone uses cannabis has nothing to do with whether or not someone is currently impaired by cannabis.3CR’s Enpsychedelia explores issues at the intersection between drugs and society. Nick Wallis from Enpsychedelia will be hosting a panel exploring this issue of incomplete science leading to expensive policy, sold on a shaky road-safety rationale.Facilitator: Nick WallisSpeakers: Steve Bolt [Solicitor]Adela Falk [Pow420]Andrew Katelaris [Medical Cannabis Advocate]Andrew Kavasilas [HEMP Party]Sally McPherson [Solicitor] Fiona Patten [Reason MLC Victoria]
A scene at the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY-SA, CC BY-SAToday, Trust Me, I’m An Expert brings you a special episode carried across from another Conversation podcast, Essays On Air. In the north-east corner of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales is a small former dairying and banana farming community. Today, however, that village is unrecognisable. Nimbin is now widely acknowledged as Australia’s counter-cultural capital, a sister city to both Woodstock in New York State and Freetown Christiania in Denmark. Among Nimbin’s tourist attractions today are its Hemp Embassy and the annual Mardi Grass festival in early May, which argues for the legislation of marijuana for personal and medicinal use. The village’s transformation from a rural farming community to its present form can be traced to 1973, when Nimbin became the unlikely host of the Aquarius Festival – a counter-culture arts and music gathering presented by the radical Australian Union of Students. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/harryws20/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY Why is Nimbin the way it is? These social and political origins of the commodified hippie culture on display today in Nimbin have become less apparent to visitors and more recent migrants to the region. Visitors, especially those arriving on bus tours, tend to shop, buy coffee and leave again. To counter this, the Nimbin Tourism Office commissioned me in 2016 to produce an app-based audio walk to promote a deeper engagement for tourists with the town and help answer the question: why is Nimbin the way it is? Here’s a snippet: Local voices on how the 1973 Aquarius Festival changed Nimbin forever. Jeanti St Clair, CC BY2.44 MB (download) The audio walk, an adapted version of which features on today’s episode of Essays On Air, was published onto the GPS-enabled mobile phone app Soundtrails. Soundtrails is owned by The Story Project, an Australian organisation focusing on oral history-based audio walks and they’ve published more than a dozen such walks in regional Australia. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith/harryws20, CC BY Anyone with a smartphone can access it by downloading the app and the Nimbin audio walk and following the route through the village’s streets and parklands. Headphones provide the best experience. The stories I share with you today are excerpts from the Nimbin Soundtrail and are drawn from consultations and interviews with more than 60 Nimbin residents, Aquarius Festival participants and Indigenous elders. Here, I’ve tried to reconnect the past and the present to make clear how Nimbin became the counter-cultural capital that it is. And the caveat is that many of the events in this documentary walk happened more than 40 years ago. I’ve recognised that memories have merged with other retellings that evolved over the years and the definitive truth is perhaps unavailable. Any version of Nimbin’s counter-culture will be an incomplete history. The nine months it took me to gather these stories and make some sense of how they fitted together were rewarding. And while there are some who might dispute the accounts of what happened in these stories, others agree that it’s a fair record of Nimbin contemporary history. The full Nimbin soundtrack can be heard by downloading the Soundtrails app and listening here. And if you are ever in the area, I invite you to take a day out, visit and listen to the stories in town. A crowd at the Nimbin Hotel during the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY New to podcasts? Podcasts are often best enjoyed using a podcast app. All iPhones come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed, or you may want to listen and subscribe on another app such as Pocket Casts (click here to listen to Essays On Air on Pocket Casts). You can also hear us on PlayerFM or any of the apps below. Just pick a service from one of those listed below and click on the icon to find Essays On Air. Additional audio Recording and editing by Jeanti St Clair from Southern Cross University. This podcast contains excerpts from the Nimbin Soundtrail, used with grateful permission from The Story Project/Soundtrails. See the app for the walk’s full credit list. Selections of original music from the Nimbin Soundtrail by Neil Pike. Excerpt from Deke Naptar’s Culture, Culture from Necroscopix (1970-1981), Free Music Archive Fair Use Excerpts: Nimbin Mardi Grass 2018 parade ABC, Vietnam Lottery, 1965 Pathé Australians Against War 1966 ABC, This Day Tonight, anti-Vietnam War Moratoriam, 1970 Gough Whitlam policy speech, 1972 It’s Time, ALP campaign song, 1972 Snow by David Szesztay Jeanti St Clair would like to again thank Lismore City Council and Nimbin Tourism for commissioning the Nimbin Soundtrail, and all the many contributors to the audio walk. Additional reading/listening Nimbin Soundtrail Image Lead image from Flickr/harryws20/Harry Watson Smith/, published under Creative Commons. Correction: An earlier version of this article included a caption that described the 1973 Aquarius Festival as the “first”. In fact, it was the first Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, and followed other Aquarius festivals that had taken place on university campuses. Jeanti St Clair has consulted in the past for Soundtrails as an associate producer. She was paid by Lismore City Council to produce the audio walk. She does not have any ongoing financial benefit from Soundtrails or Lismore City Council.
A scene at the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY-SAIn the north-east corner of Australia’s most populous state of New South Wales is a small former dairying and banana farming community. Today, however, that village is unrecognisable. Nimbin is now widely acknowledged as Australia’s counter-cultural capital, a sister city to both Woodstock in New York State and Freetown Christiania in Denmark. Among Nimbin’s tourist attractions today are its Hemp Embassy and the annual Mardi Grass festival in early May, which argues for the legislation of marijuana for personal and medicinal use. The village’s transformation from a rural farming community to its present form can be traced to 1973, when Nimbin became the unlikely host of the Aquarius Festival – a counter-culture arts and music gathering presented by the radical Australian Union of Students. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/harryws20/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY Why is Nimbin the way it is? These social and political origins of the commodified hippie culture on display today in Nimbin have become less apparent to visitors and more recent migrants to the region. Visitors, especially those arriving on bus tours, tend to shop, buy coffee and leave again. To counter this, the Nimbin Tourism Office commissioned me in 2016 to produce an app-based audio walk to promote a deeper engagement for tourists with the town and help answer the question: why is Nimbin the way it is? Here’s a snippet: Local voices on how the 1973 Aquarius Festival changed Nimbin forever. Jeanti St Clair, CC BY2.44 MB (download) The audio walk, an adapted version of which features on today’s episode of Essays On Air, was published onto the GPS-enabled mobile phone app Soundtrails. Soundtrails is owned by The Story Project, an Australian organisation focusing on oral history-based audio walks and they’ve published more than a dozen such walks in regional Australia. A scene from the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith/harryws20, CC BY Anyone with a smartphone can access it by downloading the app and the Nimbin audio walk and following the route through the village’s streets and parklands. Headphones provide the best experience. The stories I share with you today are excerpts from the Nimbin Soundtrail and are drawn from consultations and interviews with more than 60 Nimbin residents, Aquarius Festival participants and Indigenous elders. Here, I’ve tried to reconnect the past and the present to make clear how Nimbin became the counter-cultural capital that it is. And the caveat is that many of the events in this documentary walk happened more than 40 years ago. I’ve recognised that memories have merged with other retellings that evolved over the years and the definitive truth is perhaps unavailable. Any version of Nimbin’s counter-culture will be an incomplete history. The nine months it took me to gather these stories and make some sense of how they fitted together were rewarding. And while there are some who might dispute the accounts of what happened in these stories, others agree that it’s a fair record of Nimbin contemporary history. The full Nimbin soundtrack can be heard by downloading the Soundtrails app and listening here. And if you are ever in the area, I invite you to take a day out, visit and listen to the stories in town. A crowd at the Nimbin Hotel during the Aquarius Festival, Nimbin, 1973. Flickr/Harry Watson Smith, CC BY New to podcasts? Podcasts are often best enjoyed using a podcast app. All iPhones come with the Apple Podcasts app already installed, or you may want to listen and subscribe on another app such as Pocket Casts (click here to listen to Essays On Air on Pocket Casts). You can also hear us on PlayerFM or any of the apps below. Just pick a service from one of those listed below and click on the icon to find Essays On Air. Additional audio Recording and editing by Jeanti St Clair from Southern Cross University. This podcast contains excerpts from the Nimbin Soundtrail, used with grateful permission from The Story Project/Soundtrails. See the app for the walk’s full credit list. Selections of original music from the Nimbin Soundtrail by Neil Pike. Excerpt from Deke Naptar’s Culture, Culture from Necroscopix (1970-1981), Free Music Archive Fair Use Excerpts: Nimbin Mardi Grass 2018 parade ABC, Vietnam Lottery, 1965 Pathé Australians Against War 1966 ABC, This Day Tonight, anti-Vietnam War Moratoriam, 1970 Gough Whitlam policy speech, 1972 It’s Time, ALP campaign song, 1972 Snow by David Szesztay Jeanti St Clair would like to again thank Lismore City Council and Nimbin Tourism for commissioning the Nimbin Soundtrail, and all the many contributors to the audio walk. Additional reading/listening Nimbin Soundtrail Image Lead image from Flickr/harryws20/Harry Watson Smith/, published under Creative Commons. Correction: An earlier version of this article included a caption that described the 1973 Aquarius Festival as the “first”. In fact, it was the first Aquarius festival in Nimbin, and followed other Aquarius festivals that had taken place on university campuses. Jeanti St Clair has consulted in the past for Soundtrails as an associate producer. She was paid by Lismore City Council to produce the audio walk. She does not have any ongoing financial benefit from Soundtrails or Lismore City Council.
Highlights Include:Tom's Tassie Trip, Nick Goes to Nimbin, Nude Paris Cafe, The Chip Thief, VIRAL, PDA, Crying For Different Reasons Tom's MONA Visit and CueVillains. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
CBD: Cannabis Beyond Dope offers Business Bragging. This podcast is all about Star 21 - Nimbin - and West Seattle Marijuana Mart, three stores all located on one block in South South Seattle.
Welcome to Get Up in the Cool: Old Time Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends! This week’s friend is Craig Woodward! We recorded this in front of a live audience at the Nimbin Roots Festival. Tunes we’ll play: Ladies on the Steamboat Roscoe Fishin’ Without Permission Cuttin’ at the Point Breaking Up Christmas Bonus Track: Old Sledge This episode is sponsored by Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan—my goto for traditional instruments and accessories. Next time you want to upgrade your instrument or you run out of strings, or lose your favorite pick, or your tuner breaks, go stock up at https://www.elderly.com/. Come out to the weekly old time jam in Brunswick (Melbourne) at the Charles Weston Hotel every Saturday 2-5pm Go see Flying Engine Stringband and Johnny Can’t Dance at Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival! Flying Engine Strinband on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Flying-Engine-436009906507910/?eid=ARAwMpIeqf5ozJ9Pay1IqOghujbyk_IXKIbpp2evoV9gxWppbnUhRC0lO3X95o28Ys5nyobEAVYQU6Kv Johnny Can’t Dance on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Johnny-Cant-Dance-Cajun-Band-1486791288217988/ Johnny Can’t Dance on Reverbnation: https://www.reverbnation.com/thejohnnycantdancecajunband Contact Craig Woodward to buy his albums (including Flying Engine Stringband's new self-titled album): craigfwoodward@hotmail.com Get Up in the Cool Vol. 2 is now available: https://camerondewhitt.bandcamp.com/ Get Up in the Cool's website: https://getupinthecool.com/ Support Get Up in the Cool on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getupinthecool Support Get Up in the Cool a year at a time: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/store Buy a Telegram to be read on Get Up in the Cool: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/store Like and follow Get Up in the Cool on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getupinthecool/ Join Get Up in the Cool's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/getupinthecool/ Cameron DeWhitt's website: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/ Cameron DeWhitt's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/camerondewhitt?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to Think Outside the Box Set: http://boxset.website
Welcome to Get Up in the Cool: Old Time Music with Cameron DeWhitt and Friends! This week’s friend is Gareth Bjaaland, with special guest Nara Demasson on guitar. We recorded this on his family’s land in Barkers Vale NSW, outside of Nimbin. Tunes we'll play: Magpie Henty Man There Goes Ollie Up the Stairs Sarah Armstrong’s Tune Lonesome John Bonus Track: Johnny Cope This episode of Get Up in the Cool is brought to you in part by Kauai Old Time! They have a special message for Old time musicians and dancers, Music lovers and travelers. Aloha y’all. Tickets are on sale for the 2nd Annual Kauaʻi Old Time Gathering taking place this November 16-18. Workshops and performances by Foghorn Stringband, Cajun Country Revival and lots of local Hawaiian artists. Head over to kauaioldtime.com for more information and to reserve a bed or a campsite in the beautiful mountains of Kauai. Lot’s of music and lots of dancing with Cajun two-step, Puerto Rican kachi kachi and old time square dancing. Learn more at https://www.kauaioldtime.com/. This episode is also sponsored by Elderly Instruments in Lansing, Michigan—my goto for traditional instruments and accessories. Next time you want to upgrade your instrument or you run out of strings, or lose your favorite pick, or your tuner breaks, go stock up at https://www.elderly.com/. The Pitts Family Circus: https://www.thepitts.com.au/ Like and follow their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/thepittsfamilycircus/ Like and follow The Barkers Vale Brothers on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Barkers-Vale-Brothers-142213279155096/ Pitts Family Circus film: https://the-pitts-circus.com/ Like and follow the film on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePittsCircus/ Hire Gareth for old time and circus performances at your festival: https://www.thepitts.com.au/contact Visit the Sphinx Rock old time session every Tuesday 9:30am-12:30pm: https://www.facebook.com/groups/163191544030321/ Get Up in the Cool Vol. 2 is now available: https://camerondewhitt.bandcamp.com/ Get Up in the Cool's website: https://getupinthecool.com/ Support Get Up in the Cool on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/getupinthecool Support Get Up in the Cool a year at a time: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/store Buy a Telegram to be read on Get Up in the Cool: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/store Like and follow Get Up in the Cool on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/getupinthecool/ Join Get Up in the Cool's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/getupinthecool/ Cameron DeWhitt's website: http://www.camerondewhitt.com/ Cameron DeWhitt's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/camerondewhitt?sub_confirmation=1 Listen to Think Outside the Box Set: http://boxset.website
Reanna uncovers the disappearance of Lois Roberts, who went missing from the Nimbin area in 1998. The case is still unsolved!
Nick, Ash and Emily discuss the week in drug news.Myz Guidance from the Nimbin Hemp Embassy recently finished up this year's Mardi Grass festival and reports in. Tom Marrat from SSDP University of Adelaide talks to us about his piece for SSDP Australia's website, 'Dependence on War on Drugs', about the SA government's plan to introduce sniffer dogs into schools.Adriana Buccianti joins the program to talk about her recent trip to Canberra to present the Change.org petition.
Patrick is riding back from the Nimbin MardiGrass festival in Australia with a carload of comics. Justin Jones, Lachlan Brooks and Kyle Legacy join in this show during our nine hour trek from Nimbin back ...
Australian heavy music fans have finally scored another large scale music festival following the demise of **Soundwave** and **Big Day Out** in the form of **Download Festival** which made it's debut in Melbourne on March 24th, 2018 (our coverage [here](https://wallofsoundau.com/2018/03/27/download-festival-melbourne-flemington-racecourse-24-03-18/)). **Wall of Sound** were invited along to have a chat to some of the bands on the line up including **Sabaton, Arch Enemy, Northlane, Of Mice & Men, Ocean Grove, Amon Amarth, Clowns** and **Bad Cop/Bad Cop**. Join podcast host **Browny** and **Wall of Sound** writer/interviewer **Todd** **Gingell** as they get you up close to your favourite acts and ask the hard hitting questions like which musician **Nic** **Pettersen** of **Northlane** can't fuckin' stand, the audition process to get into Sabaton or if **Clowns** remember ANYTHING from their epic show in Nimbin alongside **The** **Bennies** and how **Bad Cop/Bad Cop** taught them how to draw a vagina… yes, we know, all the hard questions no one else will ask. At just over two hours in length, you'll be remembering all the fun from the first **Download Festival** in Australia (or kicking yourself for missing out on all the fun), but don't stress, it's [coming back](https://wallofsoundau.com/2018/03/28/download-festival-returning-in-2019-and-including-sydney/) again next year and expanding to Sydney too. Until then, wrap your ears around **_Wall of Sound: Up Against The Wall 'The Download Edition'_** **_Interview Times_** _Ocean Grove – 8:16_ _Clowns – 21:34_ _Bad Cop/Bad Cop – 35:13_ _Of Mice & Men – 47:18_ _Northlane – 1:04:19_ _Arch Enemy – 1:18:40_ _Amon Amarth – 1:34:46_ _Sabaton – 1:45:07_ #WoSUATW #DownloadFestival #DLMelb2018 #DownloadFestAU #Podcast #MusicPodcast #OceanGrove #Clowns #BadCopBadCop #OfMiceAndMen #OMandM #Northlane #ArchEnemy #AmonAmarth #Sabaton #Korn #LimpBizkit #Gojira #AustralianBands #Punk #PunkRock #HeavyMetal #Metalcore #Metal #Hardcore #PowerMetal #WallOfSoundAU
Whitby, Ontario's Tom Meikle is the man behind Mappe Of, but the members of his other band, art rockers Common Age, come on tour with him. I hung out for a bit with Tom in the band tour van and we drank tea while the rest of the band smoked outside. They were touring this project's debut record, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone--available on Paper Bag Records. It was Halloweekend 2017 and this folk band went as a death metal band for Halloween. The past few years have been an interesting journey for Tom. When he discovered that a journalism degree wasn't for him, he took off for Australia and found the sound that would become Mappe Of. Why wasn't journalism the right path for Tom? What unexpected Canadian bands did Tom play while busking on the streets of Australia? Is Tom secretly a metal head? And what kind of metal guy is he? How does Tom feel about Bon Hiver and Fleet Foxes comparisons? Which song on the record was inspired by the video game Zelda? What special kind of tea does Tom drink? You'll have to listen to find out! Tracks played on the radio edit of the show... 1) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Nimbin" 2) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Unfounded" 3) Alexisonfire, Crisis (2006) "This Could Be Anywhere In The World" (background/snippet) 4) City and Colour, Sometimes (2005) "Save Your Scissors" (background/snippet) 5) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Peaceful Ghosts" 6) Opeth, Ghost Reveries (2005) "The Grand Conjuration" (background/snippet) ** 7) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Kaepora" ALL songs CANCON except **
Whitby, Ontario's Tom Meikle is the man behind Mappe Of, but the members of his other band, art rockers Common Age, come on tour with him. I hung out for a bit with Tom in the band tour van and we drank tea while the rest of the band smoked outside. They were touring this project's debut record, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone--available on Paper Bag Records. It was Halloweekend 2017 and this folk band went as a death metal band for Halloween. The past few years have been an interesting journey for Tom. When he discovered that a journalism degree wasn't for him, he took off for Australia and found the sound that would become Mappe Of. Why wasn't journalism the right path for Tom? What unexpected Canadian bands did Tom play while busking on the streets of Australia? Is Tom secretly a metal head? And what kind of metal guy is he? How does Tom feel about Bon Hiver and Fleet Foxes comparisons? How is Mappe Of similar and different from Fleet Foxes? Which song on the record was inspired by the video game Zelda? What special kind of tea does Tom drink? You'll have to listen to find out! Tracks played on the podcast edition of the show... 1) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Nimbin" 2) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Unfounded" 3) Alexisonfire, Crisis (2006), "This Could Be Anywhere In The World" (background/snippet) 4) City and Colour, Sometimes (2005) "Save Your Scissors" (background/snippet) 5) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Peaceful Ghosts" 6) Opeth, Ghost Reveries (2005) "The Grand Conjuration" (background/snippet) ** 7) Mappe Of, unreleased single "Pleasure" (Feist cover) 8) Mappe Of, A Northern Star, A Perfect Stone (2017) "Kaepora" ALL songs CANCON except **
RoB - Reiseblog ohne Bilder - Podcast über Reisende und digitale Nomaden
Byron Bay hat viele Namen: Aussteiger-Paradies, Surferdorf, Mekka der Alternativkultur, Hippie-Town, … Und jeder einzelne trifft zu. In den 70er Jahren sind viele Aussteiger nach einem Musikfestival im nahen Nimbin in dem 5.000-Seelen-Ort am östlichsten Punkt Australiens geblieben, um ihre Vision von einer besseren Welt zu leben. Und das ist auch gelungen. Denn obwohl pro Jahr etwa 1,5 Millionen Touristen den Küstenort besuchen, hat er bis heute nichts von seinem ursprünglichen Charme eingebüßt.Und jetzt stehe ich hier am Strand und sauge dieses unvergleichliche Lebensgefühl lange in mich auf. Aus bunten Bullis ertönt chillige Reggae-Musik und mit dem wunderbar entspannenden Sound im Ohr sehe ich das wohl berühmteste Wahrzeichen der Stadt: Den Leuchtturm.Der Cape Byron Leuchtturm1901 erbaut, ist der Leuchtturm von Byron Bay das absolute Wahrzeichen des Küstenortes. Damals sollte der Leuchtturm den Schiffen, die die Küste passierten, sicheres Geleit geben. Wenn du in Byron Bay bist, willst du garantiert auch hoch zum Leuchtturm. Schon vom Strand wirkt er unglaublich faszinierend und der Aufstieg mit Blick aufs offene Meer gehört zu den schönsten Erlebnissen, die ich bei meinem Roadtrip hatte. Du kannst mit dem Auto rauffahren oder einen der zahlreichen Wanderwege wählen. Übrigens lohnt es sich besonders, kurz vor Sonnenaufgang oder -untergang zum Leuchtturm zu gehen, denn dann ist das Licht absolut atemberaubend. Und morgens bist du so früh in der Regel alleine
Caffeine Mark The politically incorrect way to love your coffee
Budz & Beanz #3 OG Greatwall VS Strawberry Sour Diesel Skip the 420 Kangaroo and Caffeine Mark review Australian grown strains of cannabis. Skip enjoys some OG Greatwall Mark vapes on some fruity Strawberry Sour Diesel (Purple Bud) In this episode, we discover there is a flower/cafe in Gordon, Sydney that shares the same name as this podcast… They have been around a wee bit longer than our show, but none the less, there can be only ONE! and we will need to take care of this situation… Not sure how, but we will. I (Caffeine Mark), review a lovely Ethiopian coffee run through an aeropress with the talent and delicate touch of a gorilla with roid rage! We then move on to the herbicule part of the show, reviewing 2 more strains grown right here in Australia. OG GREATWALL & STRAWBERRY SOUR DIESEL (Purple Bud!!!) A little tale of my weed shopping in Nimbin. More laughs and shout outs! SAFE Clothing Glassbongs.com.au Caffeinemark.com Thank you to Sunnyside Creative for the music! Thank you to Alann Ulises for his beats! and a Shout out to Kevin MacLeod MASSIVE SHOUT OUT TO UNCLE TODDS SECRET GARDEN!!! Support me on Patreon: Caffeine Mark Follow me: on Instagram: Caffeinemark on Twitter: @Caffeinemark on Facebook: CaffeineMark You can also support the show by donating with Paypal on this link: paypal.me/caffeinemark We love you all folks. Blaze Safe!
SEGMENTMiss Guidance from the Nimbin HEMP Embassy joins the program to talk about her recent trip along with HEMP Embassy president Michael Balderstone to the United States and Canada, to see how their medical and recreational cannabis markets are operating.SEGMENTComedian Anthony Jeannot joins the program to talk about his show for Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2017 'Just Like Buddha'. We also gave away five double passes to Anthony's show. You can read a review written by Chris Mac from SSDP Australia and see some clips from the show at the Enpsychedelia website.MUSICStaunch - Alpha Mode [Feat. Kash]SEGMENTMelbourne University SSDP chapter president Nick Kent recently returned from a whirlwind trip to the US for the SSDP International Conference. SSDP Australia President Penny Hill also chats with us about what the organisation is up to internationally.
Steve and Leah talk about seeing their first opera (a classic battle of good and evil), getting offered drugs on the street, and learn they will be rich in the future, like super rich.
Segments Include:- Ex-soldier working as a carpenter- Animals on weed- Jonesys Big Fact- Judge Judy pays out all claims on the show- "Extreme Tightarse" We take your calls- We speak to Tim Ferguson- Mike the Web Guy in the papers flipping the bird at Mick Ennis- Andrew Mercado's TV Wrap- Warning in Nimbin about weed- We talk about Survivor in New Idea- GooliesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Recorrimos el pueblo Nimbin, al este de Australia. Se trata de un lugar que perdió su normalidad en 1973, cuando un festival alternativo de música tuvo como consecuencia que muchas personas decidieran quedarse a vivir allí y llevar un estilo de vida diferente. Un lugar muy curioso que no nos arrepentimos de conocer.
Chelsea hit a new low by losing to newly-promoted side Bournemouth, Manchester United produce yet another superbly dull scoreless draw, and Liverpool get played off the pitch by Newcastle. Mike & Paul arrive back from Nimbin, Australia, absolutely exhausted and without their luggage. Link to EPLpod twitter 2. Link to Mike’s book 3. Link to Mike’s book tour
Leicester City's Jamie Vardy continued his goal-scoring ways against a dull and uninspired Manchester United squad, Diego Costa petulantly tossed his training bib in frustration at Chelsea manager, Jose Mourinho, and Mike & Paul get packed for their long-haul trip to Nimbin, Australia. Link to EPLpod twitter 2. Link to Mike’s book 3. Link to Mike’s book tour
James and Nick are joined this week by Michael Hing. They discuss preparations for the G20 in Brisbane, smuggling eccies in your undies, and slightly tangentally debate whether Nimbin is truly a hippy paradise. Recorded at 2SER, produced by Bryce Halliday.
Experiential journalist Rak Razam hosts a provocative panel discussion from the 2012 Nimbin Mardi Grass on strategic responses to the War on Nature's ally, marijuana. In 1973, almost 40 years ago, the laconic Australian town of Nimbin was first “occupied” by the Aquarius Festival, and twenty years later in 1992, Bob Hopkins heralded the next “occupy” cycle with his one-man protest-surrender at Nimbin police station. Where are the politics of change in 2012 - locally, nationally and internationally? What has evolved, for the better or the worse, over the last four decades? Is 2012 the beginning of a new wave of drug law reform activism? Is there anything to learn from the successes of other political/social movements who have also struggled for fairness and justice? This special 2-hour panel is for organisations and individuals to share their plans, visions and information about their activities, as well as providing an opportunity for seeding synergies and alliances. With PANELISTS: Graham Askey [Help End Marijuana Prohibition Party], Stephanie Barlow [Happy Herb Company], Paul Cubitt [Law Enforcement Against Prohibition], Mamakind [Cannabis Campaigner, Journalist and Author], Annie Madden [Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League], Steve McDonald [Psychedelic Research in Science & Medicine], Moose [Cannabis Campaigner], Jim Moylan [Civil Liberties Observer Group], Matt Riley [Independent Activist], Ann Symonds [Founder, Australian Parliamentary Group on Drug Law Reform], Dr Alex Wodak [Australian Drug Law Reform Foundation]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.
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