Podcasts about playfulness

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest Rick Rubin, world-renowned music producer and author of The Creative Act: A Way of Being, and I discuss how to access creativity by noticing ideas, trusting your taste and staying fully present with the work. Rick explains the phases of the creative process and how focus, disengagement, self-doubt, deadlines and meditation can support original work. We also explore perception, pro wrestling and why remaining open to uncertainty can help anyone create more authentically. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Rick Rubin & Creativity (00:00:23) Creativity as a Dream or Cloud (00:01:53) Childhood, Openness & Originality (00:03:29) Trust Your Taste; Experiment, Don't Over-Explain (00:05:28) Announcement: Protocols Live Events (00:07:07) Creative Aperture & New Perspectives (00:07:48) External Feedback & Staying True to the Work (00:09:14) Finishing Creative Projects (00:10:35) Focus, Disengagement & the Subconscious (00:13:15) Sponsor: LMNT (00:15:04) Perception, Storytelling & Uncertainty (00:17:38) Pro Wrestling, Playfulness & Reality (00:18:59) Morning Routine & Receptivity (00:19:50) Four Phases of Creative Work; Deadlines (00:24:47) Sponsor: AG1 (00:26:08) Self-Doubt as a Creative Tool (00:27:05) Capturing Real Moments; Authenticity (00:28:10) Routines, Advice & Staying Open (00:29:45) Look for Clues; Belief & Attention (00:32:01) Staying Present in the Work (00:32:44) Meditation: Mantra, Breath & Awareness (00:34:42) Monroe Institute Surgical Support Series Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's Edgewalker card explores how playfulness is more than a moment of escape. It is a way of approaching life with curiosity, creativity, and perspective, allowing lightness to open possibilities that seriousness alone often cannot.Bring the wisdom of the Edgewalker mindset into your daily life with your own copy of the Edgewalker Card Deck: https://a.co/d/00i0R1EWStart your own journey of reflection, creativity, and intentional growth with the Create Magic at Work Journal: https://a.co/d/06N0Hypc

Rehabilitation for persistent pain often defaults to structure — sets, reps, progressions. But what happens when the people in front of you have already tried all of that? In this episode, Bart van Buchem and Tim Beames make the case for playfulness, creativity, variability, and abundance as genuine therapeutic tools. They share practical clinical examples including constraint-based learning, metaphorical movement, and using distraction to unlock different movement strategies. They explore when patients need structured programmes and when they need permission to let go, why more control doesn't always mean better outcomes, and how small shifts in context can dramatically change someone's experience — drawing on Charles Spence's perceptual experiments as a vivid example. A hands-on, clinically grounded conversation for therapists ready to move beyond the exercise sheet.

~ scroll to bottom to play Radiating Love WISDOM ~ Season 5  Episode 170 ~ The heart does not ask us to become more loving. ----more---- Love is not something we wait to receive. It is a quiet presence that already lives within us, waiting to be remembered, nurtured, and shared. This gentle meditation invites you to reconnect with your heart, allowing love to arise naturally from within and extend effortlessly into the world around you.   Perhaps love is not waiting somewhere outside of you. Perhaps it has been quietly resting within you all along.   Discover all of what is waiting for you inside Juno. ~   Namaste 

In this episode, Evan explores:Why adulthood and seriousness aren't the same thing.The hidden cost of chasing certainty.Lessons learned across corporate life, entrepreneurship and fatherhood.Why children navigate uncertainty differently from adults.The connection between curiosity, playfulness and resilience.A memorable lesson from a ninety-year-old friend who reinvented his favourite sport during COVID.How building SwiftReporter reinforced the belief that work should support life—not consume it.Why managing your attention matters more than managing your calendar.The idea that resilience is less about control and more about adaptation.Memorable Quotes"Perhaps the central question isn't how to eliminate uncertainty. Perhaps it's how to move gracefully with it.""I no longer manage my calendar. I manage my attention.""Maybe adulthood isn't about losing our playfulness. Maybe playfulness is what lets us navigate uncertainty.""Life isn't a problem to solve. It's always been a negotiation."Resources

Why We Still Need Each Other 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 169 ~ I think there are five things that happen in therapy that cannot be digitized. Not because AI isn't sophisticated. Because they emerge between two nervous systems.   In this episode of 'ask dorothy'... I explore why, even in the age of AI, psychotherapy may be more important than ever.

Kinder erleben die Welt anders als wir Erwachsene. Während wir an Termine, Uhrzeiten und To-do-Listen denken, leben Kinder viel stärker im Hier und Jetzt. Sie entdecken, staunen, erfinden Geschichten und drücken sich durch ihr Spiel aus. Genau deshalb ist Spiel weit mehr als eine Beschäftigung – es ist die Sprache der Kindheit. In dieser Folge erfährst du, warum Fantasie und Symbolspiel so bedeutsam für die Entwicklung sind, weshalb Übergänge Kindern oft schwerfallen und wie eine spielerische Haltung dabei helfen kann, Verbindung zu schaffen. Eine Folge über das Staunen, das Spiel und die Einladung, die Welt wieder ein Stück mehr mit Kinderaugen zu sehen.

~ scroll to bottom to play Embody Your Radiance The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 168 ~ Experience Remembering • Authenticity • Self-Trust • Inner Peace • Radiance This meditation invites you to... Return home to the quiet light within you, cultivating a loving relationship with yourself through presence, compassion, and authenticity. As you reconnect with your true nature, you'll discover that radiance isn't something you achieve—it's something you gently remember. Beautiful for moments when you wish to feel... • More like yourself • Calm and centred • Self-assured • Open to life • Connected to your heart You may leave feeling... A little more at home within yourself. A little more trusting of your path. A little more open to life. And a little more aware that your greatest radiance has always been your willingness to simply be yourself.----more----   Explore More Meditations on Authenticity & Self-Trust... A w a k e n Soulful Connection Affirmations For Living as My True Self   Discover all of what is waiting for you inside the Juno app. ~   Namaste 

Welcome back to another episode in the series of conversations about Attachment Play, this time with Nathalie Hendleman. Nathalie is a French-American mother of 2 children aged 5 and 3 who lives in France. She is a trained midwife, lactation consultant, Aware Parenting instructor, and is also trained in NVC and IFS. She blends all of these life experiences to support families in their transition to parenthood, and in feeling more comfortable with all of the feelings that having children bring up. In order to feel more connected to their children in the pleasant moments, but also the more uncomfortable ones! She is passionate about Aware Parenting and attachment play, and has found it profoundly liberating for both herself and her children. In this episode, Nathalie shares how she found Aware Parenting and how important it is to slow down and gently find our way when first practising this approach. We talk about re-learning how to be playful and the healing power of laughter. She shares some of her favourite ways of offering attachment play to her children and how particularly helpful she has found this play to support her children with aggression and other challenging moments. To learn more about Nathalie, to work with her 1:1 or to explore her programs and French podcast, please visit her website www.enpleineconfiance.com and follow her on Instagram @en_pleine_confiance For support with this or any other aspect of Aware Parenting, I invite you to get in touch. If you would like to receive a free copy of my Introduction to Attachment Play eBook, please email me support@awareparenting.com.au

A big chunk of the self-help and wellness industry runs on some core messages: you are not good enough and you need to be fixed, improved, and optimized. We disagree and hope this element of recreation (and re-creation) helps you brush off some of those false messages and return to what is already good and resilient in you.  This is also one of the three months per year (April, August, and December), where we tap more into our rest and activity cycles by doing less and nourishing more. With that in mind, we'll play some encore episodes that will help you tap into play, rest, and nourish. We'll be back September 1 with new episodes!   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab Program (get your 7-day free trial!). Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).    Listen & follow the Joy Lab Podcast on your favorite listening app:  Spotify | Apple | YouTube   Full transcript here   Sources and Notes for our Element of Confidence: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life. Start your 7-day free trial now. Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row. Eberle, S. (2014). The elements of play: Toward a philosophy and definition of play. Access here. Farley, A., Kennedy-Behr, A., & Brown, T. (2021). An investigation into the relationship between playfulness and well-being in Australian adults: An exploratory study. Access here. Halpin, M., et al. (2025). When Help Is Harm: Health, Lookism and Self-Improvement in the Manosphere. Access here. Lackey, N. Q., et al. (2021). Mental health benefits of nature-based recreation: a systematic review.  Access here. Smith, B. S. (2001) The ambiguity of play. Harvard University Press. Authenticity series: Unmasking Your True Self: Exploring Authenticity and Awe [ep. 216] Embrace Your True Self: Accepted, Connected, & In The Game [ep. 217] The Road Most Travelled: Awakening Through Suffering [ep. 218]  Follow Your Bliss: Awakening to Joy [ep. 219] The Still Small Voice: Awakening with Soulfulness [ep. 220] Align with Nature and Your & Your Rhythms (ultradian, circadian, & infradian) [ep. 139] More on inspiration and goal-setting: Inspiration: The Engine of Joy" ... gives some great basics for this element of inspiration) [ep. 10] Resolution #1: You Don't Need to Be Fixed [ep. 40] The Myths of Change [ep. 41] Five Principles for Inspired Change (or something that looks remarkably like it) [ep. 42] Harmonious vs. Obsessive Passions [ep. 43]  About turning your passions into work: When Your Life Passions Become Obsessions [ep. 208]   Common Questions: Q: Why does rest and play feel so hard to justify when there's always more to do? A: Because we've been sold the message that rest is laziness and optimization is a moral win. This episode names that cultural conditioning directly, explains the biological necessity of rest and activity cycles, and reframes play as a genuine act of wellness and even resistance.   Q: What does play actually look like for adults and why does it matter for mental health? A: This episode introduces phantasmagoria, flow, and self-forgetfulness as frameworks for understanding why play is not optional. Play helps dissolves self-monitoring, reduces stress, builds resilience and empathy, and reconnects us to intrinsic motivation. One practical strategy is to play for just two minutes per day, no devices, doing something that was fun when you were a kid.   Key moments: [00:00] Welcome to the Element of Recreation — and the shift to "re-creation," with the hyphen intentional [00:30] Joy Lab's ease-phase rhythm: August, December, April — doing less, nourishing more, honoring cycles of rest and activity [01:30] Henry: we treat bodies and minds like machines that should run at peak capacity all the time [02:00] Nature runs on rhythms — seasons, tides, circadian cycles, hormone cycles — and so do we [03:30] We were taught that resting is laziness, that not optimizing is wasting time — and it's exhausting and eventually counterproductive [04:00] When we honor natural rhythms and take real breaks, energy and creativity return [05:00] Re-creation as coming back to our foundation — no additional fixes needed; goodness is already here [05:30] The wellness industry's relentless optimization is built on a "tiny blueprint" — a marketable version of you designed to sell products. It only works if you believe you're a product, not a person [07:00] Henry: the trillion-dollar self-help industry thrives on one message — you are not good enough [07:30] The impossible standard: lose weight but have you optimized your BMI? Improve habits but have you perfected your sleep routine? [08:00] Rooted in shame and self-rejection — the core message being "you're not okay as you are"  [09:30] Roger Abrahams: we've turned building a self into a kind of religion — self-possession, self-fashioning, self-expression as sacred moral acts [11:00] Henry: authentic self-creation vs. creating a self for external approval — the difference that matters [12:00] For marginalized communities, the pull to conform is especially strong — stepping back from optimization as an act of resistance [13:30] Aimee introduces phantasmagoria — a concept from play researcher Dr. Brian Sutton-Smith [14:00] How kids play in wild, imaginative, sometimes dark ways — and why it's usually normal, not a red flag [17:30] Why kids do this: to deconstruct reality, work through feelings, explore what's unfair or scary in a complex world [18:00] Sutton-Smith and Derrida: if the world is a text, play is our response — we are both audience and co-author [18:30] Phantasmagoria as processing strategy: supports psychological resilience, empathy, curiosity, critical thinking [19:30] Dr. Fred Donaldson: "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn." [20:00] Adults do the same — we've licensed phantasmagoria into tiny socially acceptable pockets: Halloween, Burning Man, horror movies, fandom [20:30] When play is so rare, those pockets can get extreme — we need to bring play back into daily life in healthy amounts [21:00] Carl Jung: "The small child is still around and possesses a creative life which I lack, but how can I make my way to it?" [22:00] Play ideas: gardening, LARPing, woodworking, art, acting, board games, writing, cooking, music, sports with less attachment to winning [22:30] Starting question: what's one way of playing from your childhood that if you tried for two minutes today would offer some recreation? [23:30] Henry on what happens when we become adults: we lose permission to play without purpose or imagine without constraints [24:00] The playful mind is resourceful — in play, we access parts of the brain that don't activate during striving or self-judgment — not a waste of time; accessing our deepest capacities  [26:00] Re-creation is mostly social — not solitary self-optimization but self-forgetfulness and connecting [26:30] Self-forgetfulness (Ep. 270): looking up from negative preoccupation with self, going beyond ourselves [ADD LINK] [27:00] Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow: loss of self-consciousness, forgetfulness of other realities — the adult version of play [27:30] Playfulness research on adults: higher purpose in life, positive relations, resilience, more positive emotions — even when adults are forced to play [28:30] The practice: two minutes per day, no devices, authoring your own experience [29:00] Then make it a little more social: invite a friend, shoot baskets in a public park, join a club [31:30] Henry: what happens when you're truly at play — you stop thinking about yourself; the inner critic quiets, anxiety settles, you're just present   [35:00] Check in after playing: how do you feel emotionally, cognitively, physically? Identify what nourishes you [35:30] This month: replay of key past episodes; Joy Lab Program members get weekly short visualization and meditation experiments [36:00] Closing wisdom from Carl Jung: "The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect, but by the play instinct..."    Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Facebook YouTube   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

  This Is How You Make Love 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 167 ~ "Love isn't something you find. It's something you make."   In this episode of 'ask dorothy'  Extraordinary relationships are often created through ordinary moments, offered with extraordinary care.   If you would like to know when MAKING LOVE: A Collection of 'Guided Relationship Experiences' designed to help Couples reconnect ~ is available, drop me an email.  askdorothy@dorothyzennuriyejuno.com  

In this episode, Tara sits down with New York Times bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, professor, and "ray of human sunshine" Kate Bowler to explore the profound idea that joy is not a luxury reserved for perfect circumstances, but a vital force that can be discovered even in life's darkest moments. The conversation dives deep into how modern societal pressures, the American prosperity gospel, and self-improvement culture shape our often unrealistic expectations around happiness. Kate and Tara dismantle the idea that life must be flawless to be fulfilling, explaining instead how genuine moments of joy frequently emerge in the midst of adversity, illness, and crisis. They offer actionable insights into reclaiming a sense of lightness amid daily chaos. In her new book Joyful, Anyway, Kate highlights the transformative role of collective effervescence, the shared energy and connection fostered through community celebrations and mutual support. The episode provides practical strategies for  moms to intentionally weave playfulness and service into their daily routines. This conversation serves as a beautiful reminder that while joy may be fleeting, actively cultivating it through community and shared experiences is essential for building true resilience. If you are looking for that glimmer of joy, tune in to this episode, and subscribe to Modern Mom Probs today. Links: https://katebowler.com/ https://amzn.to/4pUqqE4 https://www.instagram.com/katecbowler/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How Trauma and Survival Kill the Inner Child When a child is forced to survive instead of simply being allowed to grow, something inside begins to shut down. Playfulness becomes caution. Trust becomes suspicion. Curiosity becomes fear. Feelings get buried because there is no room for them when the only goal is making it through the day. Today we'll talk about how trauma and survival mode can silence the inner child, shape our adult reactions, and leave us disconnected from joy, safety, trust, and self-worth. We'll also look at what healing can involve: recognizing what happened, learning to feel safe, setting boundaries, working through the past, and giving ourselves permission to become more than what survival required us to be. #TheDailyTrudge #InnerChild #TraumaRecovery #SurvivalMode #ChildhoodTrauma #Healing #SelfWorth #HealthyBoundaries #Recovery #EmotionalHealing

I fell in love with researching business strategy and innovation because it felt serious. It felt rational. It felt like it mattered.But when I entered the profession, I realized something uncomfortable. The conversation is almost always about how to get ahead. How to get the next publication. How to rationalize performance. How to land the mythical job.That seriousness becomes problematic. We become fixated. We lose sight of what it means to live a good life.Over the last five years, I have become convinced that we need more play. Less seriousness in a healthy way. Not less rigor, but less fixation.There are two ways to escape the cycle. You can get angry and leave. Or you can make fun of it in a healthy way. Laugh at the farcical nature of the front stage. Recognize the backstage. Add play.When I do that, research becomes sustainable. It becomes joyful. And suddenly, I see the world differently.

Self-Forgiveness Meditation The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 165 ~ Your journey into self-forgiveness begins here.     We meet each Saturday inside the Juno app. for guided practice. I recently featured this Self-Forgiveness for our practice as we rounded out a Week of teachings, meditations, and beautiful resources all to encourage Forgiveness & Freedom.   ~   + Join us inside The JUNO app for: 

For this week's episode, we're revisiting a Save The Date conversation that feels perfectly timed for summer. We unpack why fun, humor, and playfulness are essential parts of building romantic connection. In a dating culture often dominated by checklists, expectations, compatibility interviews, and pressure to define the outcome immediately, it can be easy to forget that dating should also include joy. This episode explores how simple experiences—playing cards, going bowling, grabbing pizza or ice cream, visiting a park, playing miniature golf, exchanging memes, or just being silly together—can help people relax and reveal who they really are. We also talk about authenticity, vulnerability, embracing your quirks, and why being a little awkward or corny may create more connection than trying to appear perfectly polished. A memorable date is not always the most expensive or impressive one. Sometimes it is the date where you laugh, let your guard down, and realize you genuinely enjoy someone's company. As summer invites us back outside, this replay is a reminder to stop treating every date like an evaluation and start making room for curiosity, ease, and real fun. What is your ideal fun summer date? #SaveTheDatePodcast #SummerDating #FunDates #AuthenticConnection #ModernDating

When you stop needing to be right and the other person wrong? Theresa and Ann Marie share personal stories — including Theresa's practice of sending this very Rumi poem as a peace offering to others. They discuss the cost of staying stuck in blame, how removing certain words from our vocabulary can shift everything, and why playfulness and self-compassion can crack open even the most stubborn conflicts. If you feel stuck in a push-pull with someone you care about, burnt out from defending your position, or yearning for a softer way to reconnect, this conversation is for you.⏱️ Timestamps 0:00 — Welcome & Introduction to Deeper Discussions 2:28 — Rumi's Poem Recited: "Out Beyond Ideas of Wrongdoing and Rightdoing" 5:15 — The Tug of War: Dropping the Rope 7:40 — Removing Blame, Guilt & Entitlement from Our Vocabulary 9:50 — What's the Cost of Staying Stuck? Investing in Care & Repair 11:09 — Sending the Rumi Poem as a Softening Signal 13:25 — Playfulness, Humour & The Paddle That Says "This Is Humour" 15:05 — Closing Reflections: One Small Act of CourageDisclaimer: These podcast episodes and podcast meditations are designed for relaxation, stress reduction, and personal growth. They are for educational and informational purposes only and are not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. These podcasts are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.Please ensure you are in a safe, comfortable place and never listen to this podcast while driving or operating machinery.

Why Women Need 7-20 Minutes to "Warm Up", And Why That's Normal | FT: NikkiCONNECT WITH CHARLENEOn Instagram @mscharlenebyars([https://www.instagram.com/mscharlenebyars]On YouTube @chosentraining(https://www.youtube.com/@lovestorieswithcharlenebyars))Work with me HERE([https://charlenebyars.com/](https://charlenebyars.com/))In this candid conversation, desire coach and sexuality educator Nikki joins the podcast to break down the anatomy and psychology of female arousal, information most women were never taught growing up.The episode covers the truth about clitoral anatomy (including why the "G-spot" debate is more nuanced than most people realize), the concept of "tenting" and why arousal needs time to build before penetration, and why the widely cited 7-20 minute warm-up window varies so much from person to person.TIMESTAMP:00:00 — Intro: Meet Nikki, Desire Coach & "Sextainer"02:15 — Nikki's Story: From Closed Off to Owning Her Pleasure04:30 — The 73-Year-Old Client Who Changed Everything07:00 — Why We Never Learned About Female Anatomy09:45 — Clitoris vs. G-Spot: The Real Statistics Explained13:00 — What "Tenting" Means & Why It Matters16:30 — How Arousal Physically Changes the Body19:00 — Why 7-20 Minutes to "Warm Up" Is Normal21:15 — Responsive vs. Spontaneous Desire23:00 — Homework: The Memory Exercise for Couples25:30 — How Pregnancy, Perimenopause & Menopause Change Desire28:00 — Medications That Affect Libido (Antidepressants, Semaglutide, Antihistamines)30:15 — Sexual Trauma & When to Seek Additional Support32:00 — Why Desire Changes as Women Age34:00 — Pillar #1: Agency — Reclaiming Choice37:00 — Pillar #2: Context — Setting the Right Environment40:30 — Pillar #3: Permission — Affirmations for Pleasure43:00 — Pillar #4: Sensation — Blood Flow, Hormones & Vasodilators47:30 — Testing Hormones the Right Way (Optimal vs. "Normal")50:00 — Pillar #5: Energy — Why Timing of Day Matters53:00 — The "2 PM vs 8 PM" Concept & App-Controlled Toys56:00 — Pillar #6: Mindset — Getting Out of Multitasking Mode59:00 — Why Desire Doesn't Have to Come First1:01:30 — Understanding Sexless Marriages & How Habits Form1:02:00 — The Importance of Non-Sexual Touch1:03:00 — Why Orgasms Matter for Mental & Physical Health1:04:00 — A Word on Men's Sexual Health1:06:00 — Lubricant 101: What to Look For & Why It Matters1:08:00 — Teaching Daughters About Their Bodies1:0900 — Where to Find Nikki + Free Resources1:10:00 — Closing Thoughts: "Happy Humping"The conversation also explores responsive versus spontaneous desire, how major life changes, postpartum, perimenopause, medication side effects, and past sexual trauma, can shift how the body experiences pleasure, and practical communication exercises couples can use to reconnect.Nikki introduces her "6 Pillars of Playfulness" framework (agency, context, permission, sensation, energy, and mindset) as a roadmap for women who feel like their desire has faded in long-term relationships, along with simple, low-pressure homework couples can try together.This is an educational, relationship-focused conversation aimed at demystifying female sexuality, encouraging open communication between partners, and helping women reconnect with pleasure without shame.

This is Forgiveness 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 165 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' Forgiveness is healing. When you are choosing forgiveness, you are also choosing to heal.   Forgiveness isn't something that you have to work at. It is something you become 'ready' to do. The readiness invites the forgiveness to happen intentionally and for you to experience the brilliance of what healing is possible.   Resources for your Forgiveness Journey i. What Are You Ready to Forgive?  ii. I Forgive Myself: A Prayer of Self-Healing iii. Return to Wholeness ~ A Healing Soundbath iv. Forgiveness is Freedom  v. Return to Love  This is just the beginning... Let your forgiveness and healing journey begin.

~ scroll to bottom to play Sleep Science Wisdom The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 164 ~ Whether you're seeking emotional resilience, sharper thinking, better physical health, increased creativity, or simply more energy, the path to each of these begins each night.   Here we're exploring the science of sleep wisdom: what happens while we sleep, why so many people struggle with optimal sleep and the evidence-based practices that create deep restorative rest. Discover all of our Sleep Meditations and Restorative Practices to give you a great night's sleep. Find them here inside the Juno app.   ~   Namaste 

Emotional Intelligence for Dads Are you running yourself ragged trying to provide for your family, only to realize you're too exhausted to actually enjoy them? Dads, let's be honest. Somewhere between rushing to sports practices, managing screen time, and surviving the daily grind, the joy of parenting can get swallowed up. We want to build an incredible legacy, but chronic stress can make us reactive, frustrated, and disconnected. In this episode of The Impactful Parent, host Kristina Campos sits down with author, dad, and CPA Brian Gray to discuss his game-changing book, "Suck Less, Laugh More: A 4-Part Formula for Being a Great Dad." Brian opens up about his raw, personal journey of rebuilding his family from scratch when it was on the brink—not by following impossible parenting theories, but through the hard, rewarding work of emotional intelligence. Kristina and Brian break down the four core archetypes that live inside every father:

Welcome to Country Proud Living "Where Nurturing Spaces Empower Your Life and Everyday Feels a Little More Like Home." When was the last time you laughed until your cheeks hurt or did something simply because it brought you joy?In this uplifting episode of Country Proud Living, LoriLynn explores how to rediscover joy in midlife through playfulness, gratitude, meaningful connection, and creating a home that supports the life you truly want to live. Drawing on research in positive psychology and her own experiences, she shares why joy isn't something we wait for—it's something we intentionally notice and choose.If you've been longing for a slower, lighter, more joyful season, this episode is your invitation to embrace the ordinary moments that often become life's most treasured memories. Because a beautiful life isn't built through extraordinary moments—it grows from ordinary moments filled with joy.

~ scroll to bottom to play ~   r e s t o r e ~ A Guided Restorative Meditation with Progressive Muscle Relaxation 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 163 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' Restorative meditations are designed to shift your nervous system into a parasympathetic state, actively unwinding stress and tension.  These practices focus on deep, conscious breathing, mental release, and body awareness. Instead of requiring active focus or concentration, restorative meditation involves lying down completely supported, scanning your body for tension, and 'letting go of effort' to achieve deep physical and mental renewal. This style is highly beneficial for individuals dealing with chronic stress, anxiety, or burnout. It is also widely used as a sleep aid or an afternoon reset, making it ideal for those who struggle with traditional, active meditation techniques.

~ scroll to bottom to play 'Abundant Summer' A Guided Self-Love Meditation The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 162 ~ Enjoy this peek inside one of our recent livestream events and a beautiful visualization practice. Discover all of our live events + our Saturday live Meditation series inside the Juno app.   ~   This summer, I choose to celebrate who I already am. I welcome beauty. I welcome playfulness. I welcome abundance. I welcome love for myself. Let this magical season be a reminder of all that is abundant within and of you. Namaste 

~ scroll to bottom to play ~ Healing The Mind: Cognitive Priming for Lasting Resilience 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 161 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' People experiencing mental ill health frequently engage in a style of thinking called “Repetitive Negative Thinking.” This style of thinking involves the tendency to have negative thoughts about the future (worry) or about the past (rumination), and these thoughts can feel uncontrollable. In the absence of a cure or effective treatment for dementia, attention has shifted towards identifying risk factors for prevention.   Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) describes self-perceived worsening of cognition despite unimpaired performance on neuropsychological tests. SCD has been associated with an increased dementia risk and steeper memory decline.   Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process that manifests across several mental health disorders associated with increased vulnerability to dementia. RNT has thus been proposed as a candidate marker of risk for dementia and, relatedly, could contribute to the manifestation of SCD.  The best measures if you are looking to support optimal cognitive functioning is to begin with your daily thoughts and the underlying beliefs that influence the thoughts you hold.

Yoga Nidra ~ Sound Garden for Healing The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 160 ~ ~ scroll down to play   Find a greater collection of Yoga Nidra practices inside the Juno app.   ~ Yoga Nidra, often translated as "yogic sleep" or "sleep with awareness," is a  guided, restorative meditation technique. It brings you into a state of consciousness between waking and sleeping, allowing your nervous system to transition from a "fight-or-flight" state into deep, restorative relaxation. In this sacred healing garden, experience your 'sankalpa' or heartfelt intention for this practice, the sound garden itself, the traditional rotation of awareness, the breath as it becomes music, the healing fountain, the singing flowers, the tree of resonance, the temple bell and resting in spaciousness, golden healing light ~ all to support your healing journey. 

  ~ scroll to bottom to play ~ What Do You Overshare? 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 159 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' We've all done it. Perhaps when you've been excited to be speaking with someone, perhaps you notice that you enjoy the attention when all eyes in a group are focus on you ~ maybe its when you have that special someone's undivided attention - or maybe you've overshared as the result of having a certain affinity towards a person you've just met - or someone in a trusted long term relationship.   To overshare is to disclose an inappropriate amount of highly personal, sensitive, or confidential information. It can be to the wrong people - for example to your boss or a work colleague, in the wrong setting, - in the middle of a job interview, at a friend's party perhaps as you find yourself the center of attention yet you don't really know anyone at the party - or disclosing too much, too early as you are starting to get to know someone in a relationship. 

Aaron Shamy has an inspiring story: he won the X Games in the ‘90s, took a 15-year hiatus from climbing, got out of shape, and then began a 6+ year comeback that culminated in sending the hardest route of his life. We talked about his early climbing and hiatus, the turning point, Project 127, living in the crescendo, balancing family life, his 33 days on Flight of the Conchords, the tactics that helped him send, and much more. Free Masterclass (Unlock Your Full Potential in Climbing)

Transmuting Trauma Into Peace The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 158 ~ ~ scroll down to play ~ listen to the audio here   Find this Spiritual Healing Talk and an abundance of Spiritual Wisdom inside the Juno app.   ~ Choose for the physical manifestations of healing in thoughts and perceptions, beliefs, positive feelings, forgiveness of yourself and others ~ and as you hold privilege in knowing this is possible. This realization and the infinite knowing that every moment lived through the eyes of spiritual wonder ~ holds light and the real world presence of each glorious moment and the next.  The present moment is your healing space. It is also not without needing to address what physical manifestations of trauma have impacted you. You may have careful, sacred healing work in your outer life to accomplish, yet remember it always stems from the inner state of peace and love that you must choose to live from. This is not dependent on others, nor their treatment of you - your inner state of peace and love is based on your free will to choose that for yourself. If you would like my help in transmuting past trauma into peace, please reach out to me: 

Ariana Victor is an investigative filmmaker whose first decade in this work has been one long act of refusal — at twenty, inside a treatment program for eating disorders, when a therapist took notes on her late-night creative sparks and reached for a bipolar diagnosis, she walked out and started asking harder questions. That refusal became a method: Carey Gillam's Whitewash, the Bayer-Monsanto courtrooms, five years inside geoengineering territory, and Just Look Up, a documentary that just won Best Feature Documentary at the Santa Monica International Film Festival. The conversation lives in the territory underneath the film. Ariana names the activist's trap directly — how unrelenting attention on the shadow can poison the nervous system of the people most committed to waking others up — and offers the mantra that kept her in the fight without destroying her: play is protection. We talk about the nocebo as placebo's evil twin, nervous system regulation as the actual dividing line between healthy advocacy and ideological self-destruction, the ego path versus the soul path, and why she eventually laid down the sword and let the softness return. Underneath all of it is the simple truth she keeps coming back to: truth feels good. It doesn't feel heavy.(00:00) Cold Open(00:36) Opening Conversation(03:06) Show Start (Health Awakening & Medical Doubts)(06:53) From Medicine to Filmmaking(08:38) Monsanto Roundup Trials Story(10:55) Corporate Capture Explained(20:08) Why the World Feels Inverted(24:57) Nocebo and Truther Burnout(31:36) “Playfulness is protection…”(42:02) “Just Look Up” Documentary(47:33) Meeting Filmmaker w/ Same Birth Chart(51:00) Geoengineering Explained (Contrails)(59:26) Whistleblowers & Fuel / Cloud Seeding & Fires(01:08:51) Intuition Over Certainty(01:13:24) Film Reception and Release(01:19:37) Next Film on CleansingGUEST LINKSWebsite: https://justlookupfilm.com/Instagram: @arianavictorfilm — https://www.instagram.com/arianavictorfilm/CONNECT WITH USStart the Free 7-Day Self-Esteem Reset → https://selfesteemreset.com/Watch Our Episodes → https://hereforthetruth.com/episodes/Join our free Telegram community → https://t.me/areyouhereforthetruthJoin our membership Friends of the Truth → https://hereforthetruth.com/fott/

What does it mean to connect with mind and space without the typical baggage of contemporary meditation trends? In this episode of the New Books Network, Matthew Joseph O'Connell sits down with author and practitioner Ronald E. Purser to discuss his timely new book, Mind Space: Discovering Meditation Without the Meditator (Dharma Publishing, 2026). Drawing from his decades-long engagement with Tarthang Tulku's seminal 1977 work, Time, Space, and Knowledge, Purser offers a refreshing, experimental, and surprisingly playful guide to understanding our structural realities. Rather than preaching a prescriptive self-help routine, Mind Space serves as an experiential commentary that invites readers into a radical, non-dualistic inquiry of how we inhabit our lives. Key Themes from the Episode Beyond McMindfulness: How Mind Space transitions away from corporate, present-moment-focused trends and pivots toward a deeper, more expansive territory of human freedom. The Anatomy of Mind and Space: An etymological and philosophical breakdown of mind as our generative source of knowledge, and space not as a passive, empty container, but as an active, alive, and accommodating dimension. The Myth of the Inner Manager: A critique of the reflexive, modern impulse to over-manage every facet of our internal lives, and how to cultivate a state of un-management. Digital Colonization: Confronting the psycho-physical compression, social comparisons, and anxiety induced by modern screens, and how the acceleration of time flattens our capacity for deep meaning. The Playfulness of Inquiry: Why true contemplative practice thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and humour rather than rigid, sombre discipline. "Space is not a thing. It is what permits experience to be experienced at all. When we realize space is projecting space into space, our rigid focal settings begin to thaw." — Ronald E. Purser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

What does it mean to connect with mind and space without the typical baggage of contemporary meditation trends? In this episode of the New Books Network, Matthew Joseph O'Connell sits down with author and practitioner Ronald E. Purser to discuss his timely new book, Mind Space: Discovering Meditation Without the Meditator (Dharma Publishing, 2026). Drawing from his decades-long engagement with Tarthang Tulku's seminal 1977 work, Time, Space, and Knowledge, Purser offers a refreshing, experimental, and surprisingly playful guide to understanding our structural realities. Rather than preaching a prescriptive self-help routine, Mind Space serves as an experiential commentary that invites readers into a radical, non-dualistic inquiry of how we inhabit our lives. Key Themes from the Episode Beyond McMindfulness: How Mind Space transitions away from corporate, present-moment-focused trends and pivots toward a deeper, more expansive territory of human freedom. The Anatomy of Mind and Space: An etymological and philosophical breakdown of mind as our generative source of knowledge, and space not as a passive, empty container, but as an active, alive, and accommodating dimension. The Myth of the Inner Manager: A critique of the reflexive, modern impulse to over-manage every facet of our internal lives, and how to cultivate a state of un-management. Digital Colonization: Confronting the psycho-physical compression, social comparisons, and anxiety induced by modern screens, and how the acceleration of time flattens our capacity for deep meaning. The Playfulness of Inquiry: Why true contemplative practice thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and humour rather than rigid, sombre discipline. "Space is not a thing. It is what permits experience to be experienced at all. When we realize space is projecting space into space, our rigid focal settings begin to thaw." — Ronald E. Purser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/buddhist-studies

What does it mean to connect with mind and space without the typical baggage of contemporary meditation trends? In this episode of the New Books Network, Matthew Joseph O'Connell sits down with author and practitioner Ronald E. Purser to discuss his timely new book, Mind Space: Discovering Meditation Without the Meditator (Dharma Publishing, 2026). Drawing from his decades-long engagement with Tarthang Tulku's seminal 1977 work, Time, Space, and Knowledge, Purser offers a refreshing, experimental, and surprisingly playful guide to understanding our structural realities. Rather than preaching a prescriptive self-help routine, Mind Space serves as an experiential commentary that invites readers into a radical, non-dualistic inquiry of how we inhabit our lives. Key Themes from the Episode Beyond McMindfulness: How Mind Space transitions away from corporate, present-moment-focused trends and pivots toward a deeper, more expansive territory of human freedom. The Anatomy of Mind and Space: An etymological and philosophical breakdown of mind as our generative source of knowledge, and space not as a passive, empty container, but as an active, alive, and accommodating dimension. The Myth of the Inner Manager: A critique of the reflexive, modern impulse to over-manage every facet of our internal lives, and how to cultivate a state of un-management. Digital Colonization: Confronting the psycho-physical compression, social comparisons, and anxiety induced by modern screens, and how the acceleration of time flattens our capacity for deep meaning. The Playfulness of Inquiry: Why true contemplative practice thrives on curiosity, experimentation, and humour rather than rigid, sombre discipline. "Space is not a thing. It is what permits experience to be experienced at all. When we realize space is projecting space into space, our rigid focal settings begin to thaw." — Ronald E. Purser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/spiritual-practice-and-mindfulness

Welcome to 5 Minutes of Peace, a moment to reflect, recharge, and renew.In this episode, writer and creativity guide Lisa Tener invites listeners into the playful and spacious world of poetry.Lisa shares two original poems that explore very human experiences: exhaustion and the deeper questions we carry through life.The first poem uses simple, rhythmic language and wide spaces between words to capture the feeling of being worn out — and the natural cycle of rest, reset, and renewal. Through playful imagery of a dog chasing and rediscovering a bone, the poem gently reminds us that renewal often begins when we pause, release, and allow ourselves to start again.Her second poem turns toward deeper territory, reflecting on the emotional and spiritual “bones” we inherit from our ancestors — beliefs, wounds, and questions that can linger across generations. Rather than offering easy answers, the poem invites curiosity and compassion as we explore the patterns and stories that shape us.Lisa closes by encouraging listeners to approach poetry as an experiment in awareness and creativity. Whether through journaling, writing a poem, or simply sitting with a question, creative expression can become a pathway to insight and healing.You can learn more about Lisa Tanner, her writing programs, and her creative writing groups at lisatener.com, where she also offers resources for those interested in starting their own nonfiction books or exploring mindful writing practices.Thank you for listening — and thank yourself for taking five minutes of peace.

~ scroll to bottom to play ~ The Art of the Right Answer: A Guide to Making Confident Decisions 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 157 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' Your decisions are going to be difficult at times, Your truth is not found in the promises of others nor the hopes that your ego mind gives you. Your truth is in the honest listening within and the knowing that says: "I'm going to be okay. This decision, made in the best interests of me is going to allow me to find my happiness again, to continue to live in my happiness and to trust that happiness will be existant in a new relationship if I choose it." *The names of my client and her partner and some details have been changed to aid with confidentiality. Their story is absolutely real.

1. The BackstoryHow Shlomo first heard about Rabbi Dov Ber CohenTheir first meeting and the memorable “Dov Bear foot” story2. A Journey of SeekingRabbi Dov Ber's spiritual path before JudaismWhat he was searching for and what he's doing today3. Self-Mastery Over CircumstanceChoosing your inner state instead of letting the external world dictate itPersonal responsibility and emotional sovereignty4. The Search for TruthAsking the fundamental question: How do we know Judaism is true?Why logical evidence ultimately outweighed mystical experiencesExploring different faith traditions and what made Judaism uniqueHow this search led him to Aish Jerusalem5. Meditation Meets ChassidusThe role of meditation and mindfulness in spiritual growthLiving with da'as and yishuv ha-da'as—clarity and a settled mindViewing life from the perspective of the soul rather than the ego6. Developing Spiritual SensitivityThe difference between holy sensitivity and ego sensitivityLearning to perceive reality with greater awareness and balance7. Beyond Peak ExperiencesWhy chasing spiritual highs isn't enoughBuilding lasting spiritual stability and consistency8. Simcha and Serving HashemWhy joy is essential in serving GodCultivating an inner state that isn't dependent on circumstances9. Flexibility, Playfulness & HealingReleasing unhealthy pressure and tensionEmbracing flexibility in routinesThe difference between being childish and childlikeCuriosity instead of compulsive fixingSeeing challenges as opportunitiesWhy genuine playfulness flows from inner security10. Chabad Wisdom in PracticeStories and lessons from the RebbeThe role of niggunim (wordless melodies) in opening the heartClosing with singing one of the Rebbe's niggunimhttps://www.rabbidovber.org/books

What A Father Needs to Be The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 156 ~ ~ scroll down to play   Read/Listen to the WISDOM Audio BLOG inside the Juno app.   ~ The 8 Lessons of What a Father Needs to Be Life Rules for Fatherhood for all of Mankind If you've been challenged as a father; if you have conflict with any of your children or if perhaps you don't understand or agree with your children's decisions and actions, it may be useful to embrace this list. Here, I explain the most important and necessary aspects of fatherhood. This may shine ample light on why you have been struggling ~ why it has not been as easy as it could be ~ and how to have a far more loving and respectful relationship with your child ~ regardless of their age ~ and yours.

Start your day with a dose of positivity! Tune in to Morning Affirmations for an inspiring way to kick-start your day!

When was the last time you let yourself be bad at something… and enjoy it?Jenn Lee is a swing dancer and teacher based in the US, and we recorded this episode together during Minor Swing Festival in Sweden.This conversation is about learning, letting go, and remembering why we dance in the first place.We talk about:​Starting dance later in life and being a student for a long‑time (not giving up!)​The courage to be bad and how that leads to growth​Why joy and humour matter on the dance floor​Switching roles and finding new perspectives in partner dance​Building community through inclusivity and creative projects​How light, movement, and connection inform one otherThis episode reminds me that dancing does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. If you have ever felt not good enough, or unsure where you fit in, this conversation will meet you there.This episode is for you if you want to feel more free.Links to what has been mentioned:A nonprofit event and initiative Jenn runs: www.therrealjenniferlee.com and www.swingartsfoundation.com A performance project done by her sister: ⁠www.susiejlee.comA shout-out to Minor Swing Festival:This episode has been recorded in the beginning of May 2026, during the Minor Swing festival at Gothenburg, as a collaboration with the festival. Thank you for supporting me and giving me the time and space to talk to such lovely talented and dedicated people. _______________________________________________​Subscribe & review the podcast to help me grow

~ scroll to bottom to play ~ Self-Regulation for Your Nervous System 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 155 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' When we speak about regulating the nervous system, we are talking about the ways in which you can intervene when you feel anxious, stressed, sad, or any other uncomfortable emotion - to create relief, comfort, safety and presence. One of the true mechanisms of regulating the nervous system is to bring the mind's attention to the present.   Here I'll show you how to create your own unique way of self-regulating using breath coupled with another sensory organ. This helps to keep the mind focused in the present moment and it has the additional benefit of actively creating calm for the nervous system. Let's practice together!   + Join us inside The JUNO app for: 

A Promise of Peace Guided Meditation The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 154 ~ ~ scroll down to play   Download the Juno app for more Mindfulness best practices. I host 'live' Meditation practice each Saturday inside the Juno app.  Join us! All are welcome!   ~ Our Saturday 'live' Meditation Series is a personal space for you to be guided in gentle, intentional practices that nourish you.  After practice, there is always time to ask questions, share your experiences and to simply enjoy the beautiful sacred space we hold. ~ A promise of peace is the committment that you make to yourself to live a peaceful existence ~ one breath, one moment, one smile, one kind word ~ and the next...   This prayer meditation is your self-affirming commitment to walk in peace, to live a more peaceful life by choice, to embody peace when it can be a challenge ~ and of course to remember that you embracing peace is going to have a wonderful ripple effect for others as well.   Be amazed at how easy it can be to choose peace. ☮️

In this episode, co-host and National Board-Certified Positive Psychology & Mindfulness Coach Danielle Palli shares why playfulness, curiosity, and wonder aren't just "nice-to-haves" but essential components of a happy, healthy, and thriving life. She explores the science-backed benefits of play, and she and Dr. Roger Landry, MD, MPH, guide the audience through several play-inspired activities. Learn about metaphorical games, micro-moments of connection, an exercise in time travel, and how to create a play bank.Resources:Secrets of a Happy Person: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e114-the-secrets-of-a-happy-person--69846227Mindfulness: More Than Just Meditating: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e80-mindfulness-more-than-just-meditating--51103682Enhancing Relationships Throughout Life: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e106-enhancing-relationships-throughout-life--64475740The Power of Storytelling: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e100-the-power-of-storytelling--60075696Building Better Relationships and Being Other Centered: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e86-building-better-relationships-and-being-other-centered--52960360

~ scroll to bottom to play ~ Change Your Thoughts: Rule Your Life 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 153 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' - we dive into: What is a thought?  How thoughts drive and create what we feel. The four steps for changing your thought in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) A simple experiential practice to observe how you can choose how you (want to) feel.     + Join us inside The JUNO app for: 

Gentle Noticing A Mindfulness Practice The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 152 ~ Download the Juno app for more Mindfulness best practices. I host 'live' Meditation practice each Saturday inside the Juno app.  Join us! All are welcome!   ~ Our Saturday 'live' Meditation Series is a personal space for you to be guided in gentle, intentional practices that nourish you.  After practice, there is always time to ask questions, share your experiences and to simply enjoy the beautiful sacred space we hold. ~ 'Gentle noticing' is the mindful practice of paying attention to your present experiences, thoughts and surroundings as they are (without judgment or the urge to change or fix them.) 'Gentle noticing' shifts you out of autopilot, helping you observe the minutiae of daily life and defuse difficult emotions through simple, compassionate awareness.   This particular practice is about giving your complete attention to life before you. Your full and complete attention - nothing spared. Your whole heart ~ your whole being.  Be amazed at what you notice.

~ scroll to bottom to play ~ The Balanced Ego 'ask dorothy' The WISDOM podcast  Season 5  Episode 151 ~   In this episode of 'ask dorothy' - we dive into: What is the ego in Psychology ~ and what is its function?  What does an unbalanced ego looks like (whether inflated or fragile) ~ and what does a balanced ego feel like? What are ego defense mechanisms (do you recognize any from this list of 10?) and how can you improve your ego?   Take the Ego Spectrum Assessment Quiz here Take this quick quiz to discover if your ego is balanced, riding a little too high, feeling a bit fragile, or beautifully in progress.   + Get started on the ways in which you can gain self-control and a balanced 'in check' ego.     + Join us inside The JUNO app for: 

When we scramble too sharplyout of steeping,we may stumble.It takes patienceto refresh ourselves.Let us committo moving at our own pace,to treating ourselves with love.Let our devotionforge a compassionate path forward,one that nourishes and restores,one that inspires and transforms.Happy Beltane and welcome to this week's Rituals of Returning newsletter! Today is the official publication date of my newest book, Thunder and Roses, which becomes available worldwide today on Amazon! Orders from the Etsy shop also include special bonuses only available directly from us. And, for the first time ever, we also have one-of-a-kind (OOAK) Bast goddesses in the shop!This week's magic:18 minute mini ritual video: Beltane ritual and May's alliesAdditional video: letting your heart be your compassTwo minute video: unboxing March's Magic MailFree mini zine: A Festival of WonderMay's practice update for #30DaysofGoddess!Live activation ritual for May is on May 4th at 3:00! Book party for Thunder and Roses is on May 11!We've started a new newsletter for Gaea Goddess Gathering! Coming up in September right here in Missouri.Earthprayer!My special offering for May is an Earthprayer series unfolding via the Goddess Magic Mystery School. This series includes weekly live practices, daily posts, inspiring rituals, and FOUR printable card decks for exploring our daily themes.Life's Bits and Pieces:May I remember I am not here to watch from the edges, but to co‑create in the ceremony of life's unfolding.May I choose with wise discernment what I will tend in my cauldron of creation.May I return, again and again, to my own sacred center.And, may I trust that some wishes are meant to wander on the wind,carrying my magic farther than I can see.reading: (to self) Living in Process—while I have a couple of complaints about this book in terms of what feels like missing information/explanation, I am really enjoying the exploration of living in process, remembering the this earth, this world, this life is not static, it is an unfolding and each of us has a process to live and explore.(to kids) Aenir, book three in the Seventh Tower series—I actually finished the second book, The Castle, in between April's newsletter and this one. I'm still enjoying this series, in which everything the main character has thought to be true about his life and world unravels as he discovered how much more lies outside the shadowy boundaries of his life. (listening to with Tanner): Brian's Hunt—the final book in the survival classic series that developed after Hatchet. Since I last wrote, we also listened to The River, Brian's Winter, and Brian's Return. We also continued our Gary Paulsen festival by listening to Northwind, which is about a Viking-era type of boy who has to survive alone on the sea.(listening to by self): Sisters in the Wind—I've barely begun this one, as I only recently finished listening to Warrior Girl, Unearthed. This is the third book following Firekeeper's Daughter, but it actually takes place temporally between the events of Firekeeper and Warrior Girl. I actually liked Warrior Girl, Unearthed more than Firekeeper's Daughter overall, but I was really left frustrated by the many holes in the ending. Each of these books is a 12+ hour listen, so be prepared!Note: I am on Fable if you want to follow along with what I read there!Resource Reminders:Intro audio about the Goddess Magic Mystery SchoolI've started to add our monthly activation replay videos for this year's #30DaysofGoddess practice to the homepage! Scroll past the “2026 Practice Updates” section to access the videos. Note: Live monthly activations are available to any member of the Goddess Magic Mystery School Patreon community free and paid both!Free Everyday Magic series!6. Awe and Ecstasy5. Freedom4. Innerstanding3. Sacred Yes and Holy No2. Storied Realities, Magical Awareness, and Goddess Creation1. Awakening BeautyPast Resources:Womanrunes Immersion seriesJourneying with InannaFREE class:forty week Intro to Goddess Studies class! Gift a Goddess Magic membership to a friend!Playfulness, Sweetness, and Heart-HealingHappy May! Marshmallow and Raspberry are our herbal allies for May—soft, spiky, sweet, and resilient.In this month's video, we embark on an exploration of Beltane, centered on the Egyptian cat goddess Bast (Bastet). We weave together goddess wisdom, plant medicine, crystal allies, and animal guidance to support a season of love, playfulness, and heart-healing.May you be playful this month. May you pause to listen to your heart. And, may you savor sweetness in the ordinary momentsReminder: I do create monthly handbooks for members of our Goddess Magic Mystery School community and May's handbook is available here.Expanded post available here. And, bonus affirmation set for paid subscribers is included at the bottom of this newsletter (scroll down).Questions to explore:Do you know how to play as you are now (at this age, in this season of life)? What does play mean to you today?Where might you be trying to “straighten” what is meant to be delightfully cattywampus? What would it feel like to bless the imperfect instead of fixing it?Where can you soften in your life—physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually?What rough edges are currently rubbing at your spirit, and how might you soften them?Where do you feel “thin,” leaky, or drained in your life or energy body right now?What fears or resentments are hurting you from the inside out? What would it look like to begin releasing even a little of that today?If your heart could speak freely, what would it say it needs in order to remember how to be whole?What idea, project, or dream are you ready to make manifest in this season?Affirmations:I allow playfulness to enrich my life.I find pleasure in the small moments.I follow what pleases me.I am rich in so many ways.I understand the sacred nature of the cattywampus way.I embrace the tender beauty in imperfection.I am playful.I dance in the love light of a benevolent Mother Goddess.I am rooted in love.I pause and return to center.I breathe deep and listen.I allow myself to delight in the sweetness of life.I am open to ease in the present.I soften and rediscover sweetness.I remember I am already whole.I am fierce and wild.Inhabiting the crossroads…I watch the orioles,orange and black embersagainst a backdrop of green.They do not know what is on my lists.Standing under this sky,this day,I remember:when we let the litany of the undonerun away with us,we forget to inhabit the real.The orioles are here today.Tomorrow is still only a rumor.Sometimes I feel like I've been “camping out” at a long, extended crossroads—combination of midlife re-evaluation, changing family constellations and needs, and simply living in the in‑between on a changing earth.Midlife invites us to recognize and hold the reality that we can't live every possible life and can't say yes to every shimmering door.But you can:+Listen for your own full yes from the wise guide within. +Make peace with the paths that must pass you by.+Trust that new doors appear because you let others close.A mini blessing for today:“May I choose with wise discernment, even when it means letting good things go.”Embodying the Goddess: Guest Video about BeautySo pleased to share this guest video from Cynthia Abulafia, the author of Embodying the Goddess with you as a special subscriber bonus this month!Where the magic is…This is where the magic is, right where we are, where we touchthe mighty mystery,step into the sacred, and ease into the boundless, right where it touches us.Gently, now, we invite ourselves to remember.Bravely, now, we invite ourselves to reclaim.Firmly, now, we invite ourselves to return.We need not seek the absolute or long for the holy,we need only to open our eyes and reach out our hands, right here,right now, we have already arrived.Sending love to all of you.Keep living your magic, Molly, Mark, + Family This is a public episode. 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This week, we're revisting one of our favorite episodes from last year, focusing on the role of play at work. All children play but, over time, that instinct goes away. We don't lose it, we don't forget. Instead, we get taught to stop. For author and toy designer Cas Holman, that's a problem. With a very real impact on business performance. In this episode of The Mindtools L&D Podcast, Cas joins Ross G and Gemma to discuss: how traditional workplaces surpress play the business benefits of play at work how to encourage play when your organization won't tolerate it. You can find out more about Cas and her book Playfulness at casholman.com/book. You can also see her in the Netflix series Abstract: The Art of Design. In 'What I Learned This Week', Ross discussed peculiar experiments involving moths, via The Economist. For more from Mindtools Kineo, visit  our website mindtools-kineo.com. There, you'll find out how we can help your organization build AI skills, and how our Skills Practice scenarios help build human skills. Connect with our speakers If you'd like to share your thoughts on this episode, connect with us on LinkedIn: Cas Holman Ross Garner Gemma Towersey

In this windy Pentecost episode of Holy Shenanigans, Tara Lamont Eastman reflects on the simple childhood joy of flying a kite and how it connects to spiritual renewal, communion, and the movement of the Holy Spirit.Through stories, scripture from Acts 2, prayer, and poetry, Tara explores what it means to lift up our hearts, release burdens that weigh us down, and open ourselves to bold new directions inspired by God's Spirit. Like a kite carried by the wind, Pentecost invites us to trust, let go, and move forward in love.This episode offers: A reflection on Pentecost and the Holy Spirit as wind  A kite-inspired spiritual practice and prayer  Connections between playfulness, faith, and renewal  Encouragement to embrace new beginnings with courage and joy  An original Pentecost poem celebrating freedom, wonder, and grace So grab your metaphorical kite string, step into the wind, and discover how the Spirit may be calling you toward something new.Send Tara a Text MessageSupport the showRev. Tara Lamont Eastman is a pastor, podcaster and host of Holy Shenanigans since September of 2020.  Eastman combines her love of ministry with her love of writing, music and visual arts. She is a graduate of Wartburg Theological Seminary's Theological Education for Emerging Ministry Program and the Youth and Theology Certificate Program at Princeton Seminary. She has served in various ministry and pastoral roles over the last thirty years in the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) and PCUSA (Presbyterian Church of America).  She is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Warren Pennsylvania. She has presented workshops on the topics of faith and creativity at the Wild Goose Festival. She is a trainer for Soul Shop Suicide Prevention for Church Communities.

Burnout and stress don't just drain energy, they drain connection. If you're in burnout, it can spike stress & anxiety and create real conflict & repair work at home. And here's the part most people miss: sometimes burnout isn't solved by “pushing harder” or even taking a break. Sometimes it's about play. Not childish, silly, or irresponsible play. But a playful mindset—curiosity, experimentation, levity—that changes how you experience your real life, in real time. In this conversation, I'm joined by Piera Gelardi to talk about burnout recovery through a lens most people never consider. Piera is a creative entrepreneur, artist, and the co-founder of Refinery29 and 29Rooms, and her work is all about helping people reconnect with joy, creativity, and aliveness. Together, we explore what happens when life gets so serious, so scheduled, and so responsibility-heavy that you lose touch with the parts of yourself that feel light, open, and fully alive. We talk about “play deprivation,” the difference between having fun and living playfully, and why recovery from burnout often has less to do with escaping your life and more to do with changing your relationship to it. You'll hear why humor as a coping mechanism can be surprisingly healing, how playful curiosity can shift conflict, and why the quiet boredom in relationship can sometimes be a sign that something important has gone missing. This is a warm, honest conversation about stress, connection, resilience, and what helps people feel like themselves again. We also get practical. Piera shares simple ways to bring more play into ordinary life, from finding the funny in hard moments to remixing daily routines, noticing beauty, and experimenting with small changes that make life feel less heavy. As you listen, I'd love for you to consider: What has gotten so serious lately? Where have you made joy conditional? And what might change if play was not something you earned after everything else was done, but part of how you cared for yourself all along? Episode Breakdown: 00:00 Why Play Matters for Adults 09:08 What Play Deprivation Really Looks Like 21:21 The Different Ways Adults Experience Play 30:11 How Humor Can Help You Cope 39:13 Wonder Wandering and Everyday Joy 41:16 Playfulness in Relationships 44:46 Why Play Is Fuel, Not Frivolous If you're noticing that stress has taken over your mood, your relationships, or your ability to enjoy your own life, this might be a good time to get support. You can book a free consultation with me or a member of my team, and we'll talk about what's been feeling hard, what you want to change, and what kind of support would actually help. We'll help you find the right counselor or coach so you can feel more grounded, more connected, and more like yourself again. xoxo, Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby Growing Self Upwork — and it's a sponsorship I said yes to because I actually use it. When you need specialized talent fast, Upwork gives you access to vetted professionals across 125+ categories, from marketing to web development to operations support. No long recruiting cycles. No guesswork. Just the right person, when you need them. Check it out at upwork.com — posting a job is free. Shopify — The all-in-one platform for building and growing your online business. Visit shopify.com/lhs to explore their tools and access exclusive listener discounts.OSEA - Amazing, clean, science-backed skincare made with the power of the sea. Use code LHS at oseamalibu.com for 10% off your first order

In this episode, we step into the often-invisible world of cultural scripts—the unwritten rules that shape what we see, what we ignore, and even how we work and create. We begin with the unforgettable story of world-class violinist Joshua Bell playing incognito in a D.C. metro station, and explore why only children stopped to listen.Our first guest, Oliver Sweet, head of ethnography at Ipsos and author of The Rules That Make Us, reveals how culture acts like an unseen operating system, shaping everything from our decision-making to organizational hierarchy and political divides. He guides us through the idea of the "cultural trinity"—identity, community, and belief system—as a tool for both diagnosing and transcending cultural divides.Next, Piera Gelardi, co-founder of Refinery29 and author of The Playful Way, describes her journey from childlike creativity to stifling seriousness—and how reclaiming playfulness became essential to her creative leadership. We unpack the tension between “the serious suit” and the playful mind, exploring practical ways to reignite curiosity and courage in ourselves and our teams.Whether you're a leader looking to shift the patterns of your organization or a creative feeling trapped in invisible routines, this episode offers a non-obvious playbook for noticing (and re-writing) the unwritten rules—without slipping into cliché or oversimplification.Five Key LearningsInvisible scripts govern not only our personal habits but also the way organizations function—most unconsciously inherited, rarely challenged.Cultural evolution now favors what's memorable and emotionally charged, rather than what's logical or true, shifting how influence and persuasion work in a social media-driven world.The "cultural trinity"—identity, community, and belief system—provides a framework for leaders to map and understand the real sources of alignment or division in teams and organizations.Playfulness is a resource, not a reward. Reintegrating play into serious work—in the form of curiosity, experimentation, and permission to make mistakes—is a non-negotiable for creative breakthroughs.Awareness precedes change: Only by noticing which rules we're following—by choice or by inheritance—can we begin to reclaim openness, creative potential, and genuine leadership.Get full interviews and bonus content for free! Just join the list at DailyCreativePlus.com.Mentioned in this episode:To listen to the full interviews from today's episode, as well as receive bonus content and deep dive insights from the episode, visit DailyCreativePlus.com and join Daily Creative+.The Brave Habit is available nowMy new book will help you make bravery a habit in your life, your leadership, and your work. Discover how to develop the two qualities that lead to brave action: Optimistic Vision and Agency. Buy The Brave Habit wherever books are sold, or learn more at TheBraveHabit.com.