Podcast appearances and mentions of Queen Street

It's all over for Auckland's iconic department store Smith and Caughey's. Last year, the store permanently closed its Newmarket location and reduced its flagship Queen Street store to a single floor. Yesterday, the business announced it's shutting down completely after 145 years. Jessica Hopkins spoke to customers outside Smith and Caughey's who were shopping while they still can.

In this 1655th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with jazz singer Holly Cole about her career, the Queen Street scene of the 1980s, being big in Japan, Lilith Fair and more. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at mike@torontomike.com

What's in a name? For the Queen Street Hospitality Group, the restaurant, 82 Queen, and the location, 82 Queen Street, are front and center. Plus, 82 Queen was founded in 1982 – an alignment that makes things easy to remember. In this episode of Biz-eWerk, Jonathan Kish, CEO, shares his journey in the finance and restaurant industries, discussing the history of Queen Street Hospitality Group and his careerprogression from server to managing multiple restaurants. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities faced during the pandemic, as well as the importance of adaptability, hard work, and staying informed about industry trends and political factors affecting the business, Jonathan emphasizes the significance of staffing, employee benefits, and balancing expansion plans with economic factors in the restaurant industry.

On this episode of Snacky Tunes, host Darin Bresnitz sits down with two of his favorite voices in the LA restaurant scene—Ari Kolender and Joe Laraja of Found Oyster and Queen Street. They dive into the inspiration behind Queen Street, the Charleston-influenced seafood spot that's quickly become a local favorite, and what it's like running two standout restaurants at the same time.Ari also shares insights from his new cookbook, How to Cook the Finest Things in the Sea, a must-have guide for cooking seafood at home. Whether you're grilling, shucking, or just getting started, this book demystifies the process and highlights sustainability in the kitchen.Then, we dip into the Snacky Tunes archives for a special performance from Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Prima, who stopped by the studio in 2017 to play tracks from her debut EP.For those looking to support LA restaurants, check out the Snacky Tunes Substack for donation links and action items. Also, a quick note: if you're looking to support the ongoing relief efforts for the LA fires, World Central Kitchen remains one of the best places to donate.Snacky Tunes: Music is the Main Ingredient, Chefs and Their Music (Phaidon), is now on shelves at bookstores around the world. It features over eighty of the world's top chefs who share personal stories of how music has been an important, integral force in their lives. The chefs also give personal recipes and curated playlists too. It's an anthology of memories, meals and mixtapes. Pick up your copy by ordering directly from Phaidon, or by visiting your local independent bookstore. Visit our site, www.snackytunes.com for more info.

If you are a bibliophile, author, or have always dreamed of penning a book, you will love to meet Jeffrey James Higgins, host of Elaine’s Literary Salon.  This new show — live from the popular bistro Elaine's in Old Town, Alexandria VA. Our host is the restaurant's owner, Jeffrey James Higgins, a #1 Amazon bestselling author on a mission to help fellow writers share their stories. The author of The Forever Game, Furious and Unseen, Jeff has a reputation for high-stakes, no-frills drama with this taut thrillers that reviewers say do not contain an ounce of fat. Fans know every line of dialogue is a gut punch, and yet he can make a landscape come alive with a single high-impact sentence. Consider this one: “The pier was a mishmash of pulleys and taught metal lines, and it smelled of diesel fumes and saltwater.” Jeff’s 2024 novel, Forever Technology, gives us characters that are so likable, and so on the ropes, that their day-to-day fight for survival is what makes this a page-turner. There's no indication yet that Higgins is planning a series, but we would love to see one centered around this book’s main character, DEA Special Agent Adam Locke. As it stands, what separates Locke from the Jack Reachers of the literary landscape is his hearty, seemingly natural exploration of deeper themes. In this case, it's nothing less than the future of immortality. Jeff is a former reporter and retired supervisory special agent who has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents. He received both the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. Jeffrey has been interviewed by CNN, New York Times, Fox News, Investigation Discovery, Declassified, and USA Today, and has won numerous literary awards, including the PenCraft Book Awards Fiction Book of the Year and a Readers' Favorite Gold Medal. Today, Inkandescent Radio + TV producer and founder Hope Katz Gibbs, turns the mike to Jeff. We learn about his background, inspiration, and why he and his wife Cynthia (pictured above) opened a restaurant in the heart of Old Town. Don’t miss it! Check out the live Literary Salon events here. And check back for new episodes of Elaine's Literary Salon on Inkandescent.tv and listen to all the podcasts on InkandescentRadio.com. Elaine’s Literary Salon About Elaine’s: Elaine's modern Mediterranean cuisine is based on exquisite food found in Alexandria, Egypt. The unique style is best described as Middle Eastern with French, Greek, and Italian influences. Elaine's is located at 208 Queen Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314. The 1880 building, the previous home of Bilbo Baggins for 38 years, has been completely renovated with a new look and feel. The restaurant is located in the heart of Old Town's Historic District within sight of the Potomac River. Founders Park, The Torpedo Factory Art Center, and Old Town Alexandria Waterfront are only blocks away. Elaine's is named after the owner's grandmother. When the owner was twelve years old in Cairo, Egypt, she promised her grandmother that one day she would own a restaurant and name it after her. The owner is proud to share her family's recipes with the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Make a reservation today: elaines-restaurant.com.

Auckland's Council has signed off on the $15 million restoration of the St James Theatre on Queen Street. Owner Steve Bielby spoke to Alexa Cook.

Two people are recovering after being hit by falling derbis from a building on Auckland's Queen Street this morning. Both pedestrians were injured and taken to a nearby medical centre. Reporter Victor Waters was at the scene and spoke to Lisa Owen.

A large part of the footpath on lower Queen Street remains blocked off on Tuesday morning, after falling masonry injured two pedestrians on Monday. Reporter Finn Blackwell spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Main streets across New Zealand are run-down and struggling, but we can look to Oxford Street for inspirationAfter years as a 'national embarrassment', Oxford Street is thriving. The realtor behind the revamp has advice for Auckland.…Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

Hillsborough Mayor Mark Bell spoke with 97.9 The Hill's Andrew Stuckey on Tuesday, January 21, discussing town news and events. He expanded on the recent issue with vultures congregating near Queen Street, including further feedback from the community and the potential timeline for the town to take action. He also previewed the upcoming meeting of the Hillsborough Town Board of Commissioners, where they will discuss residential zoning and the importance of maintaining a zoning balance, and more.  The post Hillsborough: Vultures, Snow, Housing appeared first on Chapelboro.com.

A man who caused more than £24,000 worth of damage to a Lamborghini parked in Ashford has been ordered to pay compensation.The 49-year-old had been having a drink at the Low Key Taproom in Queen Street when the expensive car was parked nearby.Also in today's podcast, a yellow weather warning for strong winds comes into force today and lasts until 6 on Sunday morning.Storm Darragh is the fourth named storm of the season and is expected to bring damaging winds and heavy rain to some parts of the county.More than 30 people have been arrested as police crack down on county line dealers supplying drugs in Kent.Over the course of a week, £120,000 worth of illegal substances were seized - knives, knuckledusters and imitation firearms were also found.The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury has made his final speech in the House of Lords, saying it was 'clear' he had to stand down.Justin Welby is leaving over failures in the Church's handling of historical abuse cases.A group of children have recorded two, original Christmas songs to raise money for their choir.The Aylesford Community Youth Choir is struggling for funding and came up with the idea of releasing their music as a unique fundraiser. Hear from their musical director.In sport, the Kent man who has been chair of the British Olympic Association for the past eight years has told kmfm it's time London bid to host the Games again.Former Faversham MP Sir Hugh Robertson was the Olympics minister during London 2012.And in football, Gillingham welcome Salford City to Priestfield in league two this weekend.They'll be looking to bounce straight back from Wednesday night's disappointing 2-1 defeat at Bromley.

Don't get me wrong, a new police station in central Auckland is good news, as were recent stats showing crime in the city is way down, but where are all the wackos and the nut jobs going to go next? That's my question. You know the ones I'm talking about – they strut around holding their pants up with one hand, a menacing look in their eye, shouting and ranting and raving and lunging at people. They're pissing in the middle of the street during the day or fighting each other. Once the city is secured, where do these people go next? Parnell, Ponsonby, on a bus to Westfield New Market? If the idea is to make a city feel safer for people, then more cops will help do that. What they won't do is make these intimidating people disappear altogether like some Houdini act. One of the biggest problems we have is a lack of community drug and alcohol rehab centers in this country, affordable or free ones. And our corrections system doesn't correct people – last year it spent $400 million of our money on rehab programs. Guess how much they reduced reoffending by: less than 2% on most programs. So, yes, we should celebrate the fact that we're getting more cop shops, gang patch bans, and supposedly harsher sentences for violence because the last lot went a bit soft on that. But we shouldn't kid ourselves that it'll magically solve all of our problems or those of the whack jobs on Queen Street. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Christmas tree going up in Te Komititanga Square, between lower Queen Street and the Waterfront is causing controversy due to the cost. Viv Beck from Heart of the City spoke to Alexa Cook.

In this 1568th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Adam Faux about Pigfarm, the Queen Street scene of the late-80s, and his current challenge with a Toronto university. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, The Advantaged Investor podcast from Raymond James Canada, The Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at mike@torontomike.com

Is it possible one of the great mistakes of the modern era has been made around our cities?  There are increasing areas of life in which the theory, the promise, or the dream is not only not coming to pass, but it's possible it never will  The EV industry globally is in a major state of flux. Any number of large producers have not only promised to stop selling engines by 2030-ish, they've now realised that's not real so have had to back track. But they've also realised that all the money they didn't spend on the next generation of engines has been lost and they now have to fill the gap.  Renewables are in a similar place. Larry Ellison this week told investors AI is so crazy when it comes to power consumption that they are building a data centre that will be run by three small nuclear reactors.  The world largely doesn't have such reactors right now and it certainly doesn't have the renewable capability to run data centres.  Then to downtown New Zealand. Reform of city centres was predicated on several theories; essentially, we wanted to save the planet while living like Europe.  What we have ended up with is downtown Auckland, downtown Tauranga, and downtown Wellington all, if not destroyed, certainly in a state no one is proud of.  As the bike lanes, bus lanes, and lack of parking has taken its toll, the businesses have closed, people have gone home to never come back, the malls have popped up in suburbia, and the CBD is shot to pieces.  We weren't Europe, aren't Europe, and never will be Europe.  Do we live in an age where the concept of the illusion, of what could be, is driven by the bandwagon of the day? Something the ideologues leap on board, with no real insight as to what might actually be required for it to come to pass?  It's driven by good intention but appalling planning, urged on by NGO's and the like who need a buzz phrase or agenda to keep pushing to maintain relevance and, often, funding. People who want to be on the perceived right side of the hot new trend, and it all comes at a huge cost.  These so-called downtown areas of tomorrow. Just when is tomorrow? When is Wellington going to be the pedestrian magnet, the cobbled hub?  When does Auckland wear itself out with all the new outlets opening in Queen Street?  When does Tauranga cut its umpteenth ribbon on the mecca that is the revitalised CBD, drawing fans from near and far?  Or was it simply a good picture on a whiteboard that will never in fact happen? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historic Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's is living to fight another day.   The 144 year old business announced in May it would close next year, but today revealed measures to let it stay open.  It will downsize physical trading to the ground floor of its Queen Street store, cut about 100 staff and close the Newmarket branch, and ramp up online operations.  Chair Tony Caughey told Mike Hosking that it won't be the scale it was before and it won't be the same sort of retail operation, but they think they can make a go of it.  He said they're shrinking their brick and mortar because they think it's appropriate for the market, so they'll see how the balance with online retail plays out.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Historic Auckland department store Smith & Caughey's is living to fight another day. The 144 year old business announced in May it would close next year - but today revealed measures to let it stay open. It will downsize physical trading to the ground floor of its Queen Street store, cut about 100 staff and close the Newmarket branch, and ramp up online operations. Chair Tony Caughey says the reality is fewer people shop in the city and they must adapt. "There'll be different ways of doing things - and I think it will evolve. We won't see the old days of how it was, but we'll see a new, different sort of Queen Street." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Black Caps Great Kyle Mills joins ACC Head G Lane & Manaia Stewart live from Hallensteins on Queen Street to rake over the coals of a disappointing T20 World Cup including where it all went wrong and who we should get in behind now that our team is out (0:00). Plus Kyle shares a couple of war stories from his playing time including Shane Bond's biggest regret and an ill-fated hunting trip on Heath Streak's farm (25:54)...Brought to you by Export Ultra - The Beer For Here!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The imminent closure of Queen Street's landmark department store, Smith & Caughey, Simon discusses the issues, which have led to this. 

Precinct Properties plans to funnel over $300 million into housing in Auckland CBD. The company has announced it'll build student accommodation of 500 units on Queen Street, to boost housing in the city centre. CEO Scott Pritchard says moving toward residential property is a natural next step. "For a long time now, we've been developing commercial office - and in the last few years, we've sort of moved into mixed-use development where you add retail and other uses to offices." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aucklands oldest department store Smith and Caughey's is set to close in 2025. The retail store on Queen Street has been a fixture for 144 years Jesse speaks with CEO of Auckland's Heart of the City; Viv Beck.

Flagship Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's will close down next year, after 144 years. This closure comes off the back of a 40 percent drop in revenue drop across their Queen Street and Newmarket stores in the past five years. Chair Tony Caughey says they tried to find a way through the rough patch two years ago - but there was no solution. "We really turned over every stone we could find to see if we could see a way through it. We had independent professional advisors in, we really worked hard to find a solution - we couldn't find one." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast for Wednesday, 29 May 2024, Te Kāhui Raraunga Chair, Rahui Papa unpacks the new Census data revealing nearly one million Kiwis identify as Māori. Flagship Auckland department store Smith and Caughey's is set to close in 2025, following a five-year rough patch. Chair Tony Caughey justifies the decisions he needed to make for the business. The Commerce Commission's Vhari McWha also warned that households could expect an increase in their power bills by next year.  Plus, the Huddle debates what the closure of Smith and Caughey's means for the state of the economy - and Auckland's Queen Street. Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this caffeine-loaded episode of The Common Creative podcast, hosts Chris Meredith and Paul Fairweather explore the stimulating connection between caffeine and creativity with guest Dean Merlo, the founder of Merlo Coffee. The discussion brews with insights into the impact of coffee culture on business innovation and how simple changes revolutionise consumer experience. Dean shares his journey from the practice of law to pioneering café culture in Australia, highlighting the importance of staying ahead of the crowd, As a young man, Dean spent some time in California and was inspired by the quality of the American service model. With restaurants well and truly in his genes, he followed the footsteps of both his father and grandparents and launched his first coffee shop on Queen Street. A little while later, frustrated with the quality of coffee he was sourcing, he decided to give roasting his own a crack. The rest, as they say, is history. LINKS: Dean Merlo- Special Guests Instagram  - http://www.instagram.com/merlocoffee Facebook  - http://www.facebook.com/merlocoffee YouTube    -https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQycAuGuuwBJtpfnMqpIBXA Website     - https://www.merlo.com.au/ Paul Fairweather - Co-host https://www.paulfairweather.com Chris Meredith - Co-host https://www.chrismeredith.com.au Two Common Creatives https://www.twocommoncreatives.com/podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready to dive into the world of comedy with us on the latest episode of The Wolf of Queen Street podcast! This week, I had the pleasure of hosting Edd Rivera, a Mexican comedian who's making waves in the NZ comedy scene. Join us as we unravel Edd's hilarious journey through comedy in NZ, from his best to his most brutal jokes. Get ready for some laughs as we discuss why people need to loosen up and embrace the humour around us. We'll also explore the differences between Mexico and New Zealand, how lucky we are to be in New Zealand, and much more. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation. Hit the 'Subscribe' button to stay tuned for more uplifting stories and insightful conversations!

We have a young producer working on this show called Jack, who's recently moved over from London. He asked us today why we're all so worked up about this one shooting on Ponsonby Road - and why if you open any of the local newspapers' websites today, it's right there at the top of the front page.As Jack says, this happens all the time in London, it's no big deal. He even watched a guy get knifed in a park in front of him while he was out having a durry not long before he moved here. He then went back inside to work at the radio station - and the knifing wasn't even worth putting in the bulletin.I can answer that question for Jack - the reason we are so worked up about this is because this is still new to us. We can all remember a time when this kind of thing didn't happen in nice places like Ponsonby. And it wasn't that long ago - five years ago, maybe?But then in the last few years, there was the shooting in Dr Rudi's on the Viaduct in Auckland, and the shooting in the Sofitel lobby in Wynyard Quarter, and there was the guy on the scooter who shot the other guy on Queen Street, and then the guy who took a gun to work and shot his co-workers on the construction site in Auckland CBD.And it's still rare enough that the significant shootings in Auckland can still be recalled and counted on a hand - but I think we suspect that those, by contrast, innocent days are over. We now have guys going out for a drink on a Sunday night with a firearm in a Guess manbag draped over their shoulder.And I think we know why this has happened - because the Australians have deported hundreds, if not thousands of criminals, that are way harder and way more trigger happy than the ones we've gotten used to. And unfortunately for us, they like going to the bars we go to. Nice people go to those bars - and so do these guys with the guns in their manbags. It's a bit freaky, isn't it? And the most honest amongst us will admit it's probably only a matter of years before we have the same reaction as Jack - and don't find it scary or interesting anymore. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Step into the world of Will Fleming with us on the latest episode of The Wolf of Queen Street podcast! This week, I was honored to host Will Fleming, an absolute legend and OG in the world of podcasting in NZ. Join us as we uncover Will's journey through his early podcast fame, trying to become a vlogger and he shares his riveting run in with Jordan Peterson. We delve into the power of talk therapy through podcasts. He shares a heartfelt story of recording his late mother's legacy with AI, known as ‘Ghost Mum' and how to make your loved ones go viral within your family for generations to come. Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation. Hit the 'Subscribe' button to stay tuned for more uplifting stories and insightful conversations!

This week, I'm thrilled to welcome JP Robertson to The Wolf of Queen Street podcast! JP is the creative genius behind Word On The Street, known for his random public interviews, and part of the team at Matai Watches, offering a fresh perspective on marketing. Join us as we dive into JP's fascinating journey, from the inception of Word on the street to his innovative approach to marketing with Matai Watches. Tune in to discover how he got started, invaluable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and a whole lot more! Don't miss out on this inspiring conversation. Hit the 'Subscribe' button to stay tuned for more uplifting stories and insightful conversations!

Let the legacy live one! New owner buys Queen street's Black Bull Tavern, a historic part of Toronto that was set to close for good just a few weeks ago. Host Alex Pierson speaks with Mitch MacDougall, director operations for the Score Pub Group. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ben is hungover after a mini housewarming jam seshIone embraces her new role as the Queen of Queen Street, the Woollahra Dostoyevski.To hear the rest of this episode, support our Substack for only $5/month!https://weirdertogether.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ReadThe Maidens by Alex Michaelides is An explosive combination of Greek Mythology, murder, history, and academia. I devoured this book. Also by Alex Michaelides The Fury and The Silent Patient. Read them all. The Women by Kristin Hannah. Set during the Vietnam War, The Women tells the story of an army nurse, her training, friendships, and—what I found fascinating—PTSD. It is wonderfully written. I loved it. The Oceans & the Stars by Mark Helprin. I love nearly everything Helprin writes, and The Oceans & the Stars doesn't disappoint. It is a magical love story with depth, charm, honor, and duty. Absolutely wonderful. Read it slowly and savor every word. Pre-ordered: Table for Two. Amor Towles. I'll let you know the second I finish. And, Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz. Can't wait! WatchI watched The New Look and The Feud, and they left me totally blah. Yes, the acting is superb, especially Tom Hollander as Truman Capote, and the settings are impeccable, but I didn't love either of them. The Durrells in Corfu. PBS Charming doesn't even come close to describing this series. I finally watched all the chapters. It's so English (in a good way). It just makes me feel good, sort of like… it is all good in the world. Home Fires PBS. There are only two seasons… so the stories are still hanging…. The third and final season was canceled as they started production… even so, it was well worth watching. Superb. The Dynasty, New England Patriots, Apple TV—now we are talking. Men in tight pants. Seriously. I don't know anything about football, but I loved to see the camaraderie, the aim to win, the ambition, and how they all supported each other. There is a lesson here. Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Collect As I continue to curate my closet, I have added a few flowery dresses this spring. I am going to the Feria in Sevilla, a week-long event involving black-tie, evening, and day parties. I am mixing old (or should I say vintage) and new… with orange, white, and navy as the base of it all. Essential for all these events is a mantón de Manila, a silk-embroidered shawl worn over the shoulders. Mine is ivory with red and pink flowers. These mantones are a true collectible. (The one I am using was my mother's) In Charleston, I did some damage at Julep, an adorable boutique on Queen Street that carries those just-perfect clothes. Eat Revisiting the Portuguese Cream Cakes available at Trader Joe's as the perfect dessert for lunch. I warm them in the oven and serve them with powdered sugar and cinnamon. CookAll the ingredients are from the freezer and pantry, yet this recipe is fresh and flavorful. Make it as a 10-minute weeknight supper, as part of a buffet or, in my case, when I am absolutely famished and need immediate satisfaction. Serves 2 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 Can garbanzo beans, rinsed12 medium shrimp (frozen) 2 large tablespoons pesto Sea salt and ground pepper to tasteIn a sauté pan over medium heat, heat the chickpeas and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer until they are cooked and pink. Add the pesto sauce, stir to combine well, and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot. And with this, I leave you.SincerelySerial Hostess Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Diary of a Serial Hostess is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.From the Archives Thank you for subscribing. Leave a comment or share this episode.

Step into the world of wrestling with us on the latest episode of The Wolf of Queen Street podcast! This week, I was honored to host Sam "Spartan" Black, the IPW Heavyweight champion and a true icon in New Zealand's wrestling scene. Join us as we uncover Sam's remarkable journey, from secretly watching the WWE as an 8-year-old to rising through the ranks to become one of New Zealand's finest wrestlers.

Join Steve as he sits down with a few of the Lowcountry's best small business storytellers -- Liza Vilnitz of Beyond Trending, LaCrystal Robinson of Cre8orZone, and Michael Gasser of Squeeze Marketing.

Hannah Evans is a 17-year-old artist who's already had three solo exhibitions and is the youngest professional members of the Scottish Artist Union. She is neurodivergent, visually impaired, and has communication difficulties but loves expressing herself through her art. We join her and her mum Carol at her fourth solo exhibition named ‘My Colour Expression' in CASS Art Glasgow. Amelia visited the exhibition and talked to Hannah and her mum Carol about Hannah's inspiration and hopes for the future. The exhibition is on at 63-67 Queen Street, G1 3EN, Glasgow. The opening times are as follows: Wednesday 28th - 9.00 to 18.00 Thursday 29th - 9.00 to 17.15  Friday 1st - 9.00 to 18.00 Saturday 2nd - 9.00 to 19.00 Sunday 3rd - 11.00 to 18.00 Image shows Hannah standing in front of a white gallery wall her brightly coloured artwork of bays, meadows and abstract images behind her in white frames. She is a white girl with brown curly hair and wears a hammered silver necklace and earrings with purple detailing, which are her own designs. She wears glasses with black frames, a black cami top with white floral detailing, a pink cardigan and white trousers. 

Last week, the Town of Lunenburg voted to rename Cornwallis Street to Queen Street. Following public criticism, the mayor says council is revisiting the decision. We'll hear from Mayor Jamie Myra and Margie Knickle, who was on the anti-racism committee involved in bringing forward a list of names.

Alex Pierson speaks with Sheryl Genser, who's dubbed herself the last vendor on Queen Street. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Town of Lunenburg is one of several municipalities in Nova Scotia that has decided to drop the Cornwallis name from its landscape. The street formerly known as Cornwallis will now be known as Queen Street. Host Jeff Douglas spoke with Ed Halverson, the deputy mayor, about how the decision was made.

Hey everyone! This is a bit unusual, but we wanted to share a cool event happening in Toronto on November 16 and 23, and if you stick around to the end of this, you'll get to hear a teaser for the next episode of Hi Nay - 34.2, Kapitbahay (Neighbor). Stay tuned!-Infidelity, sibling rivalries, undercover aliens—nothing says ‘luxury space travel' like a ‘fairly minor workplace accident'

“ … it's really fascinating actually like the human, at the biological level at the psychological level, we are built to tolerate pain, and we're built to grow stronger from enduring difficulty, we're actually made for it. That's like how it works. Joy matters too - don't get me wrong, you know, but the difficult stuff is always there. So, we might as well get good at utilizing that end of the spectrum as well.” Ralph De La Rosa   Music with kind permission from Krishna Das https://www.krishnadas.com/ Gathering in the light-Om-Narayani. Krishna Das. https://krishnadasmusic.com/collections/music/products/gathering-in-the-light   What is this and why read or listen? What follows is an exploration of my journey of living with chronic pain and accompanying mental health challenges. I now understand, the experience of mental ill health has contributed to the degree and severity with which I have felt this pain.   I started collating my thoughts around the idea of exploring chronic physical pain, and how meditation might help as an intervention to assist people living with these conditions, to experience less suffering. As we will discuss in a bit, pain, whether is physical, emotional, or social, is experienced in similar parts of the brain. So is you know someone who experiences any of these challenges, there may be something in here that might help.   So primarily, we will look at how using a meditative practice might help to reduce suffering, reclaim access to moments of joy and openness and foster the ability to be able to pursue a life worth living, in the presence of pain. Someone once sent me a post on social media with a picture and a quote saying “Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.” I was near vomiting with a migraine at the time, so there was no dancing to be done and the message was not received with the love it was sent with.   I think it's important to mention that there is no part of my life that living with chronic pain has not affected. I remember sitting in a psychologist's office on the North Side of Brisbane, and I was quiet for quite a while, trying to curate the thoughts so that I could adequately relay how desperate I felt, but not so much so that I have a short involuntary time in hospital. The words that came out of my mouth spoke to the total sense of loss that I felt as a result of living with chronic pain and the ‘things' that I was not able to do or participate in as a result – “Am I even lovable?” I choked out, in tears. I am not sure what my psychologist answered.   In mental health circles they often talk about the biopsychosocial contributors to understanding mental ill health, and that a clear understanding of these can be the bedrock to solid recovery. It's fair to say and not at all dramatic to say that living with chronic pain for the last 14 years has nearly cost me my life, my marriage, and my grip on sanity. So, the fact that I am writing this, and that this episode is being produced is testament to the fact that recovery is definitely possible.   Recovery as I've come to understand it is a concept which is defined by each person as to how they might like to live despite the challenges they face, be they mental health, chronic physical health or other challenge.   Having a living experience of chronic and persistent pain, has also come with many gifts. This is one of the reasons for this episode - I would like to be able to pass these gifts forward so that hopefully, wherever you are on your journey, whether it's living with chronic pain, mental health or other challenge, that you may find a point of resonance here and maybe a tool that you can add to your toolkit. The second reason is that this forms part of an assessment for an advanced diploma in meditation. Having skin in the game as it were, I feel like I may have a bit of an advantage, by way of lived experience. However this works meets you, may you be well, play be happy may you be safe and may you live at ease of heart with whatever comes to you in life.   “What counts in battle is what you do when the pain sets in.” John Short   The quote above comes from a book that I read about 14 years ago from Dean Karnases called Ultra Marathon Man. In the book Dean talks about nearing the end of one of the ultra marathons, that he ran, with several injuries and nothing left in the tank. Dean's dad offers some advice and empathy, but as he's about to walk away he says “what counts in battle is what you do when the pain sets in”. This has become somewhat of a guidepost for me,  as I explored the terrain chronic physical and emotional pain.   Towards the end, I will include a selection of resources and links. In hosting the Don't Quit on Me podcast, I have spoken with a variety of subject matter experts, in an effort to understand ways to navigate intense stress and pain, in the most intelligently, i.e with the least amount of suffering possible.   A key point from the show comes to mind, talked about by Dr Dan Harvey and Insight Meditation teacher Sebene Selassie, about the experience of emotional, social pain and physical pain being processed in similar parts of the brain. In my very limited understanding, this means that tools that help to reduce suffering for physical pain, may also be useful for the experience of social and emotional pain.   Skin in the Game   “It is indeed a radical act of love just to sit down and be quiet for a time by yourself”. Jon Kabat-Zinn   It's just after 4am and the birds are starting to sing. First one … then another… during the dawn chorus their songs seem louder, livelier and more urgent than during the day. Maybe they seize this space to sing, before the noise of the day can interrupt their beautiful, melodic songs that call each day in to being.   I am awake at this time most mornings. This morning a sequence of experiences; a conjoined blur - pain from a decent tension headache that has been hanging around for days, coupled with pain from fibromyalgia, panic and it's cousin a dense cognitive fog – the residue of a nightmare – I still sense, something dark, very close, too close to see, temporarily I can't move.   As consciousness returns, and with-it, limited movement, I go through the morning ritual, an attempt to ease the pain and fog, and see how much I am able to function and extract from the day. Off to the loo, two bottles of water and then into a portable infrared sauna, to warm up the heaviness living in the muscles and connective tissue, and with any luck subdue the constant companion. Infrared Sauna is also starting to be looked at as a tool for living with chronic pain conditions. (Tsagkaris et al., 2022)   I have a living experience with chronic migraines, tension headaches and fibromyalgia, something that has been around for roughly the last 14 years. Each day is a balancing act between the pain, the anxiety caused by the pain, my energy levels, and as I am beginning to understand and will touch on later, any sense of imminent danger that I may perceive. Each day, an attempt to balance accomplishment without overtaxing a system in survival mode, so much that I pay for it for the coming days.   There are a couple of reasons why the pain may have become such a permanent fixture in my life, and I'll explore them briefly, but one thing I have noticed, is that focusing on why is nowhere near as helpful as what now. If I look back for a point of origin with the physical pain several things happened around the time it started; my mom's passed away, I also trained for a marathon, before which I came down with a respiratory virus. Post race I had blood work done which showed Ross River virus and another virus had been present in my system but were not currently active. I am also a survivor childhood trauma which in and of itself heightens someone's baseline perception of threat and as we'll explore can accentuate and amplify the body's attempt to report pain signals. There is also a strong correlation between trauma survivors and chronic pain sufferers (Asmundson, PTSD and the experience of pain: Research and clinical implications of shared vulnerability and mutual maintenance models).   In 1994 Dr Paul brand wrote the book Pain the Gift That Nobody Wants, describing his work with leprosy patients in India, and the essential role that pain has in keeping us safe. Without , he argues, we would be exposed to an unacceptable level of danger, leaving us devoid of mechanisms to warn us of impending threat.   If I think about my own experience, this is certainly a truism - pain by its very nature, and the way we experience it, is deeply unpleasant, very real, and is designed to get our attention and cause us to recoil. It is a message for us to act, to protect ourselves from the perceived threat. What happens through, when these signals fall out of calibration, when they report pain too loudly or for too long - when there is no longer a present threat that requires us to act, or the message we are receiving is disproportionate to the threat?   This is something I have sat with and worked through for many years, leading to this exploration of how the practice of meditation may be helpful to those, like me, who live with chronic pain.   As I said earlier, through hosting the Don't Quit on Me podcast I have had the opportunity to ask many people for their insights about the nature of pain, and why creating mental space around the experience of pain can reduce suffering. I have also looked at the links between how we experience physical pain and emotional pain, and how they are felt in similar parts of the brain.   Can meditation really help with pain? An article published in May 2023 on Healthline.com, looked at exactly this, Meditation for Chronic Pain Management and, spoiler alert, they found, amongst other things, the following three key points:   “A 2018 study of meditation, mindfulness, and the brain suggested that in the long term, meditation can change the structure of your brain. The resulting change in cortical thickness in some brain areas makes you less pain-sensitive. The neural mechanisms meditation uses to modify pain are different from those used by other techniques. For example, a 2012 studyTrusted Source determined that meditation promoted cognitive disengagement and an increased sensory processing of the actual pain. Meditation also induces the body's own opioid system. A very small, randomized, double-blind study from 2016 used the opioid blocker naloxone or a placebo and studied pain reduction with meditation. The group with the placebo experienced significantly less pain than the group that had the opioid blocker. Research is ongoing to look at the exact physiological mechanisms involved with meditation.” (Hecht, 2020)   That Sounds Painful   What is Pain?   Dr Dan Harvey is a Lecturer in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy and a pain scientist at the University of South Australia.  Along with Dr Lorimer Moseley, Dan is an author of the book 'Pain and The Nature of Perception: A New Way to Look at Pain' which uses visual illusions to describe features of perception that are relevant to understanding and treating pain. Dan holds a Masters of Musculoskeletal and Sports Physiotherapy, a chronic pain focussed PhD, and serves on the education committees for the Australian Pain Society and Pain Revolution. Below is and excerpt from my interview with Dan (Coriat, Dr Daniel Harvey - The path through pain 2022): I asked Dan about his preferred definition for pain. Dan said “ the official definition from the international association for the study of pain, “Pain is an unpleasant, sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.”” He went on to say: “... I prefer a simpler definition, which is just something that's unpleasant that has a location to it. The location part is what distinguishes pain from other unpleasant experiences. I guess anxiety for example is very unpleasant, but you can't point to it. You know, you could simplify my definition even further … It's (pain) something unpleasant you can point to. Because it's certainly unpleasant, but it's unique from other unpleasant experiences, in that it actually has a location, usually in the body, but obviously the exception to that is something like phantom limb pain. You can still point to the pain, but you are effectively pointing in mid air. Because you're experiencing it in a location of the body which no longer exists.”   The Mental and Psychological Experience of Pain   I asked Dan about the similarities between psychological and physical pain. “There's a lot of overlap. … one of the early discoveries when we started using imaging techniques to see what was happening in the brain of people in pain, was that we discovered that there is no one pain area, but rather it's many different areas that seem to be active. And there's something about that combination of brain areas that gives rise to the experience. Many of those areas that are active overlap with areas associated with anxiety and fear and other unpleasant experiences. And I guess that's one reason why we might see a higher prevalence of persistent pain problems in people who tend to be higher in trait, anxiety and depression, and maybe even have clinical levels of anxiety and depression. We think there's some sense in which brain areas that are active, and resulting in anxiety, facilitate the networks associated with pain and sort of have this facilitating effect.   On this point, when I spoke with much loved Insight Meditation teacher Sebene Selassie, I asked her the following question (Coriat, Dr Daniel Harvey - The path through pain 2022):   Nick: “I've heard you say in an interview. You were talking about the pain you experienced during cancer, and how it started to become a predictive response, you would feel some pain and you would assume that that would continue, and it would be without break. However, when you deepened your practice, you discovered that you could find spaces between the pain. Could you talk about this. And also, I think if there's a link to how many of us are experiencing pain, and when we do feel pain, obviously there's an instinctual response to assume it's going to be ongoing and be to kind of self-medicate...”   Sebene: “I could talk about physical pain, and just to name that this is true for social pain as well, because actually, our brains process them in the same way. So physical pain and social pain are processed in the same parts of the brain. So, you know, our perceptions of them are really similar and so predicated on what's happened in the past. You know, we build kind of our perceptual reality based on what we've seen before. So, you know, I have a mic in front of me, if I've never seen a mic before, you know, but then I learned what it is every time I see something shaped like this, I'm going to assume it's a mic, and I don't have to kind of go through the relearning process to figure it out. Our brain kind of builds up that knowing something, and that's useful for a lot of things, but it's not very useful in kind of a moment-to-moment sensory experience of a sensation or emotion, or, other people's emotions or speech or relationship with us. And so again, whether it's physical pain or social pain, like our interactions with others, we really want to develop, through this capacity of mindfulness, of embodied awareness of what's happening, the capacity to sense what's happening moment to moment. Instead of, you know, I see Nick and the last time Nick and I met, you know, we had a little bit of a misunderstanding, and now I'm going to interpret every different look of his as some kind of critique of me. Rather than meeting you fresh and deciding, you know, Nick has bad days too, and I'm gonna see what today brings rather than the assumption of, you know, what my experience has been in the past.  And that's what I experienced with physical pain that I went through some periods of really, really painful surgeries or treatments or emergency conditions that emerged in my body and even lying in the hospital or at home experiencing this pain, I could kind of predictably assume, oh, there's that sensation in my belly. I know what that's going to lead to. And so, start to kind of almost anticipate and tense and create more tension and pain and not really have a moment to moment kind of intimate experience of what was happening. And when I could slow down, actually connect to this embodied awareness, feel the sensation in my belly, I could see that, Oh yeah, it's this throbbing strong pain, but now it's actually dissipated.  When I breathe really deeply, actually it creates some space there and now my foot's going numb. I actually don't even really feel this pain in my belly right now. So, rather than having kind of this fixated fear, tense attention to things there internally our own physical or emotional experience, or externally what's going on with someone, we kind of create more spaciousness, create kind of more awareness, bring some relaxation and ease to what's happening, and that can often change everything for us.”   The Mechanisms of Pain   Back to the chat with Dan, I asked him if there was a simple way to understand the mechanisms that drive or report the experience of pain. “I'm not sure if there's a simple way, but a way we like to break it down in the physio program is thinking about inputs, processing and outputs. So, what this does is just let you think about the different components that might be happening in the background that lead to an experience of pain. The input is (comprises) the information that arrives at the brain, so some of that information comes through nerves in the body. Some of it also comes through our eyes and ears, because our brain is always gathering data, about what's happening in our bodies and what's happening in the world. So, we can refer to those things as inputs. Of course, information from the body is really important, particularly in acute pain. But the other inputs are also really important. I could give an example there. A paper cut might hurt extraordinarily, but someone could actually fracture a bone in their foot, in a football game and not notice it. So, there's something about the totality of data, not just the information itself from the body, but what it's combined with at a given time. So that's the inputs. The processing is about what's happening in the brain. So, how is the brain interpreting that data, and how's it making sense of it. In order to make sense of it, the brain considers not just the inputs, but also, what those inputs mean with respect to information that's already stored in the brain, from past experience, from knowledge, from what the doctor told you, from what you read on a scan, all of these things are also influential, when the brain is interpreting what's happening in the body. So, all of those things can potentially have an influence as well. So that's inputs and processing. Then we can think about outputs. And these days we actually think about pain as an output because anatomical textbooks used to describe pain as an input from the body in the quote unquote pain nerves, which we now call nociceptors or danger detectors. But the pain isn't pain until we experience it. And so, because of that fact, we tend to think of it as an output. My physio students always say an output to where though? And I think that the best way to phrase that is it's an output from our brains into our conscious awareness -  and that's much more philosophical than it is scientific, but I think we know so little about the brain that sometimes philosophy is the best way to explain and articulate these sort of things. You know, pain exists amongst a range of outputs. So often when you have pain, you also have some level of fear about it. You might have muscle tension associated with it, along with stress responses, go hormonal responses like cortisol, and then that can interact with the immune system. And so what's happening there can then feed back into the system in a sort of circular way.”       Reality leaves a lot to the imagination.   I asked Dan about a quote that iI heard him make in a lecture “Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. ” I think some background to this is that the brain is bombarded with so much sensory information at a given time, that it needs some sort of method to make sense of all that data, because there remember what comes to the brain from our sensors is merely electrical impulses. It's  (the brain's) task is to filter out the irrelevant ones and make sense of the relevant ones. What seems to seems to be happening is the brain uses its past experience and knowledge that it already has stored to determine what's the irrelevant information that it can filter out, and how it might make sense of the relevant information and give us feelings and perceptions that help us make sense of the world and our bodies and help to guide our actions in a way that you know, helps us to flourish and promotes our survival and all that. So again, it's quite, it's quite philosophical … I think there's still a lot to be drawn out of that way of thinking that can help people with pain. I think we are really just at the start of that. I guess it's only fairly recently that we've moved from continuing to look for some ‘Magic bullet' or some specific problem in the body. We've started to open our minds to looking more broadly about what's happening in the immune system and in the brain and our perceptual system more broadly.”   A New Reality? Based on what Dan was saying it's interesting to also note that a study in 2018 at Harvard showed that short daily doses of meditation can literally grow the grey matter in the areas of the brain associated with self-awareness and self-compassion, and can reduce the grey matter in the parts of the brain associated with stress. This to me and, obviously to the researchers is incredibly promising for those who are walking a path accompanied by pain of any kind - that a no/low cost intervention, that is simple to instigate, with little known side effects, can have this profound an effect. (Powell, Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients 2018) What is Meditation?   Meditation sort of hit me in the face in the late ‘90s. I was working at a bank at the time, as a technical writer, and was experiencing what I have now come to understand as early signs of a severe depression episode. I wondered up the Queen Street mall in Brisbane, and there was a Virgin Music Store off to left. In there they had listening stations with a selection of some of the newest CDs to have a listen to. This lunch break I felt like I was about to break. I made my way in to the classical room which was sectioned off from the rest of the store by a glass wall. On one stand was a CD by a fella called Robert Gass, singing, with his choir, Om. The primordial syllable over and over for about 30 minutes. As I pushed passed the initial boredom, I was transported to a world where things were calm, still and all that was present was this moment. What is meditation? Well, it depends on who you ask. After having asked many people for definitions of what meditation and mindfulness are one definition of Mindfulness shared by Dr Christine Runyan I loved for it's simplicity and humanness. Christine is a clinical health psychologist, Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and the Co-Founder of Tend Health. Christine is also a mindfulness teacher at the University of Massachusetts Centre for Mindfulness. I asked Christine during the show how she defines Mindfulness, and what it meant to her: (Coriat, Dr Christine Runyan - Mental Health and covid - On Forgiveness and Healing 2021) Christine: “So, I define mindfulness both as present moment awareness, but I add the quality of compassion, if you will. You know compassion is often a term we think of around the presence of suffering.  All our present moment experiences don't include suffering, so in moments where there are, I would say present moment with awareness with compassion, and maybe if there's not suffering, present moment awareness with kindness. I think that standard Jon Kabat-Zinn definition is without judgment. I find that whether you're parenting a child or sort of teaching an animal something, offering something to do rather than not to do can be a little more helpful right? So instead of don't do this, rather offer an instruction of something to do, and I've really come to that. And in my work, MBCT is a treatment for people who have recurrent depression and there is amount of judgment and self-judgment that comes alongside recurrent depression and experiencing that phenomenon. And so it can be a hard stop, cause it's sort of like they don't have a frame for how to be in a way that doesn't include self-judgment, so instead kind of an invitation to sort of have that present moment awareness with kindness can be an invitation of something to add rather than something not to do, because as soon as you sort of have that without judgment and people notice that they judge, you know then you start down the rabbit hole of judgment. So that's how I define it.”   Another description about what meditation is, comes from one of my favourite Buddhist teachers Pema Chodron. “Meditation is a process of lightning up, of trusting the basic goodness of what we have and who we are, and of realising that any wisdom that exists, exists in what we already have. We can lead our life so as to become more awake to who we are and what we're doing rather than trying to improve or change or get rid of who we are or what we're doing. The key is to wake up, to become more alert, more inquisitive and curious about ourselves.” There are a couple of points that I particularly like about what Pema said: 1)     We are already wise, despite what our inner monologue may tell us, and the limitations that the experience of being in pain has led us to believe. 2)     Many of us are sort of asleep to what's going on in our lives. This is understandable in the presence of persistent pain. One of the initial ways to deal with the constant onslaught of noxious stimuli is to literally disassociate from what's going on in the body. A critical part of the healing journey Is to become aware of the sensations in our body and learn to meet them with curiosity instead of an inbuilt narrative and catastrophizing. 3)     Curiosity and not self-condemnation is one of the keys to loosening the shackles of self-imposed suffering.   And lastly, I feel that no discussion on a definition of meditation would be complete without a word from one of the founders of insight meditation in the West. Sharon Salzberg is a meditation pioneer, world-renowned teacher, and New York Times bestselling author. She is one of the first to bring mindfulness and lovingkindness meditation to mainstream American culture over 45 years ago, inspiring generations of meditation teachers and wellness influencers. I spoke with Sharon in November of last year and asked her what is the invitation that meditation offers.   “Well, right from the beginning, I am going to introduce the idea of meditation as a skills training.  And the first night of the first retreat, (that Sharon attended) which is 10 days long, he said, the Buddha did not teach Buddhism. The Buddha taught way of life. And that's exactly what I was looking for. You know, he said, this is open to anybody. Maybe you belong to a different faith tradition. Maybe you don't really, feel drawn to faith traditions. Doesn't matter, it's a practice and, and it's like a muscle group. You exercise, you know, So the first skill is really concentration or stabilizing attention somewhat. Most of us would say we're kind of all over the place. You sit down to think something through, and you're gone, you're just gone. And our minds jump to the past, or the future and we're anxious and we're just all over the place. And what we do in concentration training, as we gather our attention, we bring it together and we rest, we settle. So, there's a very different sense of centeredness and settledness and just kind of stability in awareness. And then there's mindfulness training, which is kind of like the word of the hour, which can mean many different things. It does mean many things. And I like to think of mindfulness as a quality of awareness where our attention to what's happening in the present moment, our perception of what's happening in the present moment is not so distorted by bias, like old fears - I should never let myself feel this thing. Or many times something happens, especially let's say, it's discomfort in the body, or we feel a shattered expectation, or we feel disappointment, or heartache. We start projecting it into the future. Like, what's it gonna feel like tomorrow? It'll be even worse. What's gonna feel like next week? What's gonna feel like next month? And before we knew it, we've got like a whole lifetime of anticipated struggle as well as what's actually going on right now - that makes it of course, much harder. So, there are a lot of ways in which we have filters or we have distortions of our perception and what we learn to do is relinquish the hold of those things so we're left with what's actually happening and that's why mindfulness is set to be the vehicle for inside understanding. You know, instead of being all caught up in like fighting our experience or being overwhelmed by our experience, we can take a look at our experience and have a very different view of it and mixed up in there always both as a kind of a constituent element and later as a fruition or a benefit is loving kindness or kindness. I don't think you can actually do these practices well without, in a sneaky way, developing some loving kindness, even if it's never talked about. It's like, the fundamental exercise in many systems. Even if they grow and they change and it becomes a much more elaborate kind of practice. The foundational note, which we keep coming back to again and again, is usually choosing an object of awareness, like I'd say the feeling of the breath, the sensation of the in and out breath, resting our attention on that object, and then when our attention wanders, which it will, learning how to gently let go and come back. That sounds easy. Isn't that easy? You know? Because the great temptation as soon as we realize, oh, I'm not with the breath, is to judge ourselves and be down on ourselves, and berate ourselves and feel like a failure. You know, to actually let go and start over means there's a good degree of self-compassion that's developing also, even if we never name it that, even if we didn't even realize that it's happening, and so, to do any of these things well means that's cooking also. So, it will be there, it has to be there. And then of course it is like a fruition because the more we see, yeah, this is not just me, you know, it's like that sense of isolation was another addon. There was something else I plopped on top of what was going on. I don't need to do that. The more we see this is the human condition we're all trying, we're all kind of a mess, you know? Uh, and we wish ourselves well. We wish others well. That starts to get more and more natural.”   My Journey with Meditation    I first started a meditation practice through attending a yoga class. I was having a chat with the teacher at the end of the class, and I asked her for some tips on navigating the pain and suffering that I was going through, without overdoing it. She asked if I had experienced Kirtan before. I hadn't but heard in her explanation the word meditation, and this was something I wanted to explore more, as my sister had sent me a copy of the Jon Kabbat Zin book Full Catastrophy Living a few years earlier and the promise of stillness or calm inside stressful moments was very appealing. At the time I had an orange VW bus which I drove up to a yoga school just on the outskirts of Eumundi and enjoyed one of the strangest and yet most profound evenings that I've ever had. I was both fearful and intrigued, and at one point was wondering whether it should be experienced closed or eyes open, so as not to miss what was going on. As I closed my eyes, I could see a white light connecting all of our foreheads together. Powerful and strange. Given that this was my first ‘go' at it, I made my excuses and jumped in the van to go home, a little bit freaked out but pleasantly so. In retrospect I wonder what might have happened if I'd stayed. However I listened to a CD that I had bought from the studio at the beginning of the chant, all the way home and was instantly hooked. I bought a couple of yoga magazines and found out that Krishna Das was coming to Australia, immediately booked in for a workshop and Kirtan on two separate days at Palmwoods on the sunshine coast in QLD. Again I started the weekend in a decent amount of pain and experiencing very high levels of anxiety and severe depression, however by the end of the weekend I was beaming and felt such a strong bond to the people who I had been chanting with. It was quite unfathomable. I have a beautiful picture of myself with Krishna Das at the end the weekend. For many years mantra repetition became my default meditation. Something that I could pull out of my back pocket whether I was at work at home or out and about, a non pharmaceutical intervention that helped to center me and bring me out of the tyrany of cascading thoughts and more in to this moment – the only moment in which we have any say about what goes on. Many years later I interviewed KD for a book and he mentioned a quote by the Indian sage Ramana Maharishi; He said ‘“The only freedom we have is in the moment. How we meet each moment, how we meet each experience.” All the practices we do, bring us more into the moment, give us more of a sense of confidence in ourselves, and in just being. And from that deeper place, we can meet all the difficult things that come to us in life and all of the wonderful things that come to us in life, without being totally washed away by them or absorbed in them or lost in them. We can enjoy the beautiful things and we can allow the unhappy things to exist and pass away again.'   Now it's probably imprtant to clarify, mostly for my own understanding as I mix the two up, the difference between Kirtan and bhakti. Kirtan and bhakti are both related to the devotional singing of mantras, sacred names or praises of the divine. However, they are not exactly the same.   Kirtan is a form of call-and-response chanting that involves a leader and a group of participants. The leader sings a line of a mantra, and the group repeats it back. Kirtan is usually accompanied by musical instruments such as harmonium, tabla, mridanga, etc. Kirtan is a way of expressing love and devotion to the divine through sound and music. Kirtan can also help to cut through the illusion of separation and connect to the heart and the present moment.   Bhakti is a Sanskrit word that means “love, devotion, faith, loyalty, attachment”. Bhakti is one of the paths of yoga that focuses on cultivating a personal relationship with the divine through various practices such as kirtan, bhajan, japa, puja, etc. Bhakti is also a philosophical and theological concept that describes the nature of devotion and surrender to the supreme reality.   One of the differences between kirtan and bhakti is that kirtan is a specific practice or technique of bhakti, while bhakti is a broader term that encompasses various forms of devotion. Another difference is that kirtan is usually performed in a group setting, while bhakti can be practiced individually or collectively. A third difference is that kirtan follows a structured format of call-and-response, while bhakti can be more spontaneous and creative in expressing one's feelings and emotions.   KD also says of chant more generally ““It's like an older, deeper, bigger being. It's a space, a presence, a feeling. These names are the names of that place inside of us that is love, pure being, pure awareness, pure joy.” Kirtan—and other forms of mantra practice, such as seated meditation—help us uncover that place inside of us, he says: “our true nature.” (Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health, 2021)     Over the follwing years I have adopted a fluid approach to meditation, utilising practices from Vedic, Buddhist and some secular Mindfulness traditions, and varying types of breathwork grounding and awareness of sound meditations. The important point to mention here is, I feel that, as a person living with pain, the last thing you probably need in your life is another stick to beat yourself with about what you should be doing. I think if the promise of a clamer mind, less catastrophising and less pain resonates with you, look for and try something that makes sense, or feels good you. Or more eloquently from the Buddha's teachings: “Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”     Self Compassion   Before we have a go at a practice to draw this to a close, it's essential to add a point that I touched on very briefly before, and that's the point of self-compassion. The most succinct way I've heard described, was by Liz Stanley: “I would just say it's really important (for listeners) to recognize that one of the ways we actually make things worse for ourselves, is when we let our thinking brains judgments about what might be going on in our mind and body, kind of get stuck because those judgements actually make things worse. So, to give an example, if somebody is experiencing chronic pain, and they're feeling self-judgment, or shame, or impatience, or anger, about the fact that they are feeling chronic pain, that kind of judgment and any narrative that the thinking brain might be kicking up around it ‘it shouldn't be this way', you know it was doing better, I should have done my exercises, any sort of stories that might be there, when the thinking brain does that, the survival brain perceives those thinking brain judgements as threatening. And so, it turns on even more stress arousal. So, if someone's experiencing discomfort and then they're judging it, they're actually making that stress arousal. Likewise, we often have habits to compare what's going on in us with someone else. Like we might experience a wave of anxiety about an upcoming test or something. And then the thinking brain's like, well, I shouldn't be anxious about that, that's not really a big deal. You know, this other person, well, they're dealing with this and this and this and this in comparison, what I'm dealing with is really not a problem. You can hear the judgment in that. And when the thinking brain starts, those kinds of comparing thoughts that devalue what's going on in our body, again, the survival brain finds that challenging, and it will turn on more stress arousal. So as much as possible, if someone is experiencing a wave of emotion or a wave of stress or defaulting to engage in a coping mechanism that they might not want to be engaging in, a habit they wish they could break - as much as possible just meet that experience with some kindness, and see if you can set that judging aside, because the judging is only making it worse. It's only making the, the survival brain that much more amped up.” (Coriat, Dr Christine Runyan - Mental Health and covid - on forgiveness and healing 2021)   That's the last thing I really wanted to say, Nick, because I know it's something I really struggled with”   Practice     References   Music throughout the podcast Das, K. (2007). Gathering in the light-Om-Narayani. Krishna Das. https://krishnadasmusic.com/collections/music/products/gathering-in-the-light   Other References Haggai et al, S. (2016, July). Mindfulness meditation modulates pain through endogenous opioids. The American Journal of Medicine. https://www.amjmed.com/article/S0002-9343(16)30302-3/fulltext Zeidan et al., F. (2023, February). Disentangling self from pain: mindfulness meditation–induced pain relief is driven by thalamic–default mode network decoupling. Journal for the International Association for Pain. https://journals.lww.com/pain/Fulltext/2023/02000/Disentangling_self_from_pain__mindfulness.8.aspx Powell, A. (2018, August 27). Harvard researchers study how mindfulness may change the brain in depressed patients. Harvard Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/04/harvard-researchers-study-how-mindfulness-may-change-the-brain-in-depressed-patients/   Tsagkaris, C., Papazoglou, A. S., Eleftheriades, A., Tsakopoulos, S., Alexiou, A., Găman, M.-A., & Moysidis, D. V. (2022, March 14). Infrared radiation in the management of musculoskeletal conditions and chronic pain: A systematic review. European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8946909/   Hecht, M. (2020, September 4). Meditation for pain relief: What to know & how to try it. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/meditation-for-chronic-pain   Asmundson, G. J. (2022, December 2). PTSD and the experience of pain: Research and clinical implications of shared vulnerability and mutual maintenance models. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12553128/   Coriat, N. (2022, October 20). Dr Daniel Harvey - The path through pain. Don't Quit on Me. https://www.podpage.com/dont-quit-on-me/dr-daniel-harvey-the-path-through-pain/   Coriat, N. (2021, March 11). Sebene Selassie - belonging in an age of disconnect. Don't Quit on Me. https://www.podpage.com/dont-quit-on-me/s1e3   Coriat, N. (2021, December 31). Dr Christine Runyan - Mental Health and covid - on forgiveness and healing. Don't Quit on Me. https://www.dontquiton.me/dr-christine-runyan-mental-health-and-covid-on-forgiveness-and-healing/   Center for Yoga and Health, K. (2021, July 11). The Beginners' Guide to Kirtan and Mantra. Kripalu. https://kripalu.org/resources/beginners-guide-kirtan-and-mantra

Join Steve as he sits down with 3 local business leaders WAY smarter than he is -- Crys Smalls (Business Analyst at Metanoia), Meaghan Frost (Lead Business Intelligence Agent at Interloop), and Kevin Flounders (CEO at SIB) -- as they discuss how their Lowcountry-headquartered organizations make data-backed decisions that positively impact clients and community. This episode is made possible through a partnership with the College of Charleston MBA program and Ohm 96.3FM.

Join Steve as he sits down with Chris Amato (Indigo Road), Vaughn Postema (Chs Wine & Food), and Taylor Gates (Stay Duvet) as they discuss what it's like to lead some of the Lowcountry's hottest hospitality businesses and brands. This episode is made possible through a partnership with the College of Charleston MBA program and Ohm 96.3FM.

Simon looks at recent sport in the City of Sails. He says Auckland's all excited with the Warriors in the top 4 in the NRL, although it's unclear if they'll be able to play at their home stadium, Mt Smart. Up the Wahs fever has hit town. Simon also talks to Kathryn about the impact the FIFA Women's World Cup has had on the city, and how Auckland Transport coped with the influx of fans. And the bus driver shortage is no longer, but there are still major issues with the ferries. He also gives an update on how Queen Street's facelift is going and why some residents affected by Cyclone Gabrielle are still in limbo.

Our conversation today for Tourism Tuesday - Shenandoah County edition - featured Drew Gruber, Executive Director for Civil War Trails. Drew gave us an update on two new signage upgrades that recently happened in Shenandoah County. We talked about where the signs were (and are now) as well as the reasons behind the upgrades. He explained the tourism value civil war signs provide to the localities where they're located. From their recent press release: Late last month two of Strasburg's Civil War Trails sites received significant upgrades. The new stories dovetail with the Historic Downtown Walking Trail and two hikes associated with Signal Knob. The project will bring new travelers to Strasburg and encourage them to stay longer as they lace up to take a historic hike. The project was the result of work between Shenandoah County Tourism and Economic Development, The Town of Strasburg, Shenandoah County Library and Virginia Civil War Trails, Inc. The two new signs are located at the Strasburg Museum at 440 E. King Street and the Strasburg Town Park at 295 Park Rd. off E. Queen Street.  Each Civil War Trails site is networked together with over 1,400 others across six states and are marketed internationally by state, regional, and municipal tourism offices. This means that the signs, while educational, are part of a much larger economic development mission.  The Strasburg Museum is the first stop along the Historic Downtown Walking Trail. The 1.6 mile-long trail winds you easily through the beautiful town as you explore each of the ten sites. A great resource for families or older travelers, you will get a slice of local history alongside great restaurants, shops, and more. For a bit more of an off-road, yet easy stroll the new Civil War Trails site at Strasburg Park is located along the Riverwalk trail. This crushed gravel path follows the North Fork of the Shenandoah River for approximately one mile. For the more adventurous, the new Signal Knob Civil War Trails sign offers directions to the Signal Knob trailhead. This 10.5-mile loop is strenuous but offers unparalleled views of the Shenandoah Valley as you stand in the footsteps of Civil War soldiers who used the same vantage point to spy on the opposing army.  For more information about visiting Strasburg or taking a historic hike of your own contact the Strasburg Visitor Center at 540-465-5884. Snap a #signselfie when you visit. For more information about Shenandoah County visit their website: VisitShenandoahCounty.com  Civil War Trails® has been working with communities since 1994 to share their stories and connect visitors with small towns and big stories across a network that now spans six states. Travelers look to Trails to put them in the footsteps of the generals, soldiers, citizens, and the enslaved who found themselves in the midst of this Civil War. Learn more on their website: https://www.civilwartrails.org/ 

Summer hiatus is outta here, so Jordan and Shapiro are back to answer audience questions and it's all Paris and San Sebastian reccommendations, Papa Cristos gyro, 818 Kismet Rotiss, coffee is healthy and Max doesn't care, Poltergierst at Button Mash, IG food reviewers, Michelin talk, the post-Animal tres leches game, weight loss and gain, more Beverly Center slander, L.A. sushi talk, Found Oyster vs. Queen Street, and the five hour boozed out Gjelina brunch.

For the 13th episode of 400 Floor we talk to Nina co-founder Eric Farber (Truman Peyote, Cellphone, EZB) and Josh McIntyre (Little Girls, Prince Innocence, Thermal), two old friends and collaborators. We talk about the virtues of Windows Sound Recorder, the bohemian charm of Queen Street and perhaps the greatest club trick of all time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Police say the two people killed in the Auckland CBD shootings were men in their 40s. A scene examination has continued at the site at the bottom of Queen Street today, in an unusually quiet city, still shocked with the terrifying events of yesterday. Post mortems are expected to be completed in the coming days, and the police say their priority is the men's formal identification. Jemima Huston and cameraman Sam Rillstone have more. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6331590044112

Workers who'd come face to face with the gunman who's killed two people and injured five at a downtown Auckland construction site say they had a narrow escape. There was chaos in the CBD area around Commercial Bay, when gunshots were heard around 7.20 am, after a man had entered the building at number 1 Queen Street and started shooting. Our reporter Lucy Xia was at the scene. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6331516232112

Police are responding to a serious incident on Auckland's Quay Street. RNZ understands the situation involves an active shooter. The police say the serious incident is contained to a building in lower Queen Street which is under construction. RNZ reporters at the scene have heard about 8 gunshots at the scene on Quay and Lower Albert street. Police have asked members of the public to avoid the lower Queen Street area and those already in the area to stay inside. For the latest, Kathryn speaks with RNZ's Felix Walton / Jeremy Rees.

Auckland, Dunedin, and now Wellington – does pedestrianisation solve problems, or create them?

MERCH FOR THE HOLIDAYS!  https://www.bonfire.com/store/morningcupofmurder/  Our New Website: https://morningcupofmurder.com/ December 8th: Frank Vitkovic Kills (1987) When the perpetrator of a crime dies before being taken into police custody, it becomes impossible to answer the millions of questions that are left in their wake. On December 8th 1987 a man walked into an office building and began a shooting spree that ended only when he fell from an 11th floor window. In his wake he left question upon question that will never be answered much to the dismay of those affected by his crime.  Join the Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/morningcupofmurder Listen to The Cryptid Catalog: (Scary stories for kids) https://open.spotify.com/show/7vwn8JNkTPOmxwRoHsVDc1 Follow Morning Cup of Murder on Twitter: @cupofmurder Follow MCOM on Instagram: @morningcupofmurder Have a Murder or strange local true crime story you want to share, or you just want to say hi? Email the show here: morningcupofmurder@gmail.com Morning Cup of Murder is researched, written and performed by Korina Biemesderfer. Follow Korina on Instagram: @kbiemesderfer Morning Cup of Murder is Edited and Produced by Dillon Biemesderfer Follow Dillon on instagram: @dungeonsanddillons Information for this episode collected from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Street_massacre, https://amok.fandom.com/wiki/Frank_Vitkovic, https://murderpedia.org/male.V/v/vitkovic-frank.htm, https://au.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/7-scariest-killers-australia-6492/frank-vitkovic-6506/