Podcasts about Yin

Episode 110: Hello, hello, babes!

durée : 00:54:02 - Very Good Trip - par : Michka Assayas - Guitares solaires, cumbia hypnotique, psyché anatolien : Michka Assayas tisse ce soir une toile sonore entre deux rives. Des Hermanos Gutiérrez à Altin Gün, en passant par Yin Yin, le groove n'a pas de frontières. - réalisation : Vincent Godard Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France

Just like Yin and Yang Qi and Blood, it's the kind of thing where you can't really talk about Chinese Medicine and explain what's happening without using this framework and guide of the Five Element Theory. On this episode, I really focus my lens on what this theory is and why anyone would want to use it in their life. The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. Within each elements we get into the following categories:- Nature and Environment- Sensory and Ascetic- Body and Organs- Mind and EmotionsIf you've ever felt like your body was speaking a language you couldn't quite translate, the Five Element Theory might be the key you didn't know you were looking for. This framework dissolved the illusion of separation I felt between myself and the natural world, helped me feel more connected to the cycles and seasons I'd always lived inside, and gave me the confidence to finally be the authority of my own health. Support this podcast and listen to the rest of this episode by signing up for my Patreon by clicking here. Related Episodes: Whispers of Five Spirits of Chinese Medicine p. 1Whispers of Five Spirits of Chinese Medicine p. 2Whispers of Sleep from a Chinese Medicine Perspective Whispers of Digestion and Food Therapy from a Chinese Medicine PerspectiveWhispers of Qi and Blood Whispers from Your HerbalistWhispers of Clarity p. 2: Qi Gong Learn more about the School of Whispers: www.schoolofwhispers.comIf you'd like to learn more about working with me, click here. Sign up for the monthly newsletter to receive a free e-book on the Five Element Theory and to stay up to date on podcasts, retreats, workshops, and more. Contact me hereConnect:Instagram- @schoolofwhispersInstagram (personal)- @__steef___FacebookYoutubeDISCLAIMER: This podcast is presented for educational and exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for diagnosing or treating any illness. Those responsible for this show disclaim responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information presented by Stephanie or her guests.

In this special Pride Month episode, Yvonne Lau and Skye Sturgeon continue their exploration of Yin and Yang by examining one of TCM's most foundational principles through the lens of diversity, biology, and clinical practice.Together, they discuss why Yin and Yang are not rigid opposites, how spectrum and variation exist throughout nature and human experience, and why thoughtful, individualized assessment remains central to effective Chinese medicine care.See our Monthly Practitioner Discounts https://www.mayway.com/monthly-specialsSign up for the Mayway Newsletterhttps://www.mayway.com/newsletter-signupFollow ushttps://www.facebook.com/MaywayHerbs/https://www.instagram.com/maywayherbs/

Send us Fan MailDas ist die letzte Folge unserer sechsteiligen Serie rund um Menopause, Perimenopause, Wechseljahre und Postmenopause dieses Mal als Solofolge und mit dem expliziten Blick des Yin-Prinzips.Denn es geht mir hier nicht mehr um Hormone oder Symptome. Es geht um das, was diese Jahre wirklich mit uns machen. Als Frau ab 50, ab 60 sowohl  gesellschaftlich und innerlich auch.Ich rede offen darüber, dass mich eine gewisse Unsichtbarkeit trifft. Auf Bühnen, in Medien, auf Bilddatenbanken ... ältere Frauen existieren kaum. Und ganz ehrlich: manchmal kränkt mich das. Ich möchte mir das nicht schönreden.Aber ich frage mich auch: Wo machen wir uns selbst unsichtbar? Wo rutschen wir, oft ganz unbewusst,  zurück in die alte Rolle der Stütze im Hintergrund? In die Care-Arbeit, in die emotionale Verfügbarkeit, ins Funktionieren für andere. Und was hat das mit dem Yin zu tun?Das beschäftigt mich in dieser Folge. Zusammen mit der Frage, was Selbstverwirklichung für Frauen in der Postmenopause wirklich bedeutet– und was TCM und Taoismus über die weibliche Energie nach der Menopause sagen.Älterwerden als Frau muss kein Rückzug sein: Das Yin reift. Und diese Folge ist eine Einladung, genau das zu spüren.Ich freue mich, wenn du mir schreibst ! Meine WhatsApp-Nummer und E-Mail findest du hier in den Show Notes.00:00 – Willkommen02:27 – Älterwerden als Frau: was Wechseljahre wirklich mit uns machen04:46 – Unsichtbarkeit ab 50/60: auf Bühnen, in Medien, im Alltag07:10 – Yang vs. Yin: Wofür werden Frauen eigentlich gesehen?09:27 – Das alte und das neue Rollenbild der reifen Frau11:56 – Care-Arbeit & die Stützen-Falle: warum Frauen unbewusst zurückrutschen13:56 – Die ungelebte Größe  und warum Funktionieren einfacher scheint18:03 – Die reife Frau als Quelle  nicht als Stütze21:11 – Wie Frauen ab 50 ihre eigene Sichtbarkeit gestalten können25:28 – Unsere inneren Bilder vom Älterwerden hinterfragen27:23 – TCM & Taoismus: was nach der Menopause energetisch möglich wird32:03 – Aus innerer Autonomie heraus ins Außen treten: das Yin-Prinzip35:16 – „Ich weiß nicht, womit ich mich zeigen soll" – was dann? Meine Links für dich: Free WebinarYin-Prinzip, Seminare, Retreats + CoachingsInstagramFacebookBuch Das Yin-PrinzipMöchtest Du mehr zu einem bestimmten Thema hören, soll ich einen bestimmten Gast einladen oder möchtest Du selbst zu Gast im Yin-Magazin sein – dann schick mir gerne eine Nachricht per E-Mail an info@danielahutter.com oder via WhatsApp: +436642250429.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit returntoyin.substack.comThank you for attending this live class. Continue learning more about body-based healing, somatic mindfulness and Chinese Medicine by watching the replay or other courses as a paid subscriber on Substack.Stay tuned with the upcoming events happening in Yin Circle:If you'd like to learn more about how to nourish Yin in your daily life, I recommend diving into these articles:'Join in the June events happening in Yin Circle. In addition to becoming a paid subscriber, you'll have access to the private community space with access to exclusive courses, programs, community chat, events + more. Visit www.returntoyin.org to learn more.

What if manifestation has nothing to do with trying to “get” something… and everything to do with who you become in the process?In this episode, Kate is joined by Farhad Khan for a powerful conversation about the deeper truth behind manifestation - beyond vision boards, affirmations, and trying to force life to go according to plan.Together, they explore how real manifestation happens through identity shifts, embodiment, self-trust, and becoming the version of yourself who is aligned with the life you desire.This conversation challenges the fantasy-based approach to manifestation and invites a more grounded, expansive way of creating your life.In this episode, Kate and Farhad discuss:Why manifestation is really about becomingThe difference between fantasy and true alignmentHow desperation, attachment, and “trying to manifest” can block what you wantThe identity shifts required to create a new realityWhy your external world can only meet the depth of your internal expansionLetting go of timelines and trusting the unfolding of lifeHow self-worth, embodiment, and nervous system safety change what you attractThis episode is for anyone who feels exhausted trying to “make” their dreams happen - and is ready to step into a more aligned, authentic, and expansive way of living.Because manifestation isn't about convincing the universe or trying to control your path - it's about becoming open to the life that is meant for your soul.Journey To Japan - A Sacred Retreat Guided by Farhad Khan · Kate Harlow · Akiko Shirai Experience the beauty, culture, and wellness traditions of Japan while connecting with an incredible community. Learn more and reserve your spot at https://www.studio11wellness.com/japan2027Join our complimentary Journey to Japan Information Session - Sunday June 14 • 9:00am PST Register HEREAbout The Guest:With a deep passion for sound healing, Farhad Khan brings a truly devotional and expansive healing quality to his work and performance. Using sound healing as a wellness therapy tool, Farhad's intuitive way of weaving all that he has learned on his path is memorable and leaves your mind elevated and your heart full of joy.Farhad's journey with yoga began in 2001. The profound impact of yoga on his well-being led him to fully embrace its principles and philosophies, making it his life's purpose. Having studied with various teachers from around the world, Farhad teaches from his heart and welcomes everyone to bask in the many gifts this practice offers. He has over 10,000 hours of Yoga Alliance certifications, skilled in a variety of styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Restorative, Yin, Somatic, Nidra, and Kundalini. His extensive training includes time spent in ashrams in India, where he deepened his understanding of yoga and meditation.Farhad founded a Yoga & Wellness Studio in North Vancouver in 2007, where his dedication to the essence of yoga and sound healing flourished. After 15 successful years, he sold the studio to focus on meditation and sound healing, inspired by their profound effects on the brain and nervous system. Since then, he has facilitated workshops, sound baths, and teacher training sessions across Vancouver and abroad, integrating Eastern wellness practices into modern life.Farhad is also a certified yoga life coach, meditation teacher, and sound healing practitioner. He has worked with various sound healers over the years and continues to offer his transformative services to elevate spirits and support healing. Having personally battled anxiety and depression, Farhad shares tools and practices from his own journey, aiming to offer peace, empowerment, and joy to all those who attend his teachings. His mission is to elevate the spirit through sound and experiential journeys.Additionally, I've created the Farhad Khan Wellness line, a collection of therapeutic, all-natural, cruelty-free products crafted without synthetics and infused with the healing vibrations of crystal sound frequencies. Each product is thoughtfully made in small batches in Vancouver, BC, designed to bring nourishing, transformative energy of sound healing into your daily wellness rituals. Through this line, I aim to help you experience the calming and restorative benefits of sound therapy as part of your everyday self-care.Upcoming Retreat Schedule: https://www.farhadkhansound.com/retreatsFarhad Khan Wellness: https://www.farhadkhansound.com/farhadkhanwellnessSound Healing Course: https://www.farhadkhansound.com/sound-healing-courseWhispers for the Heart And Soul - Card Deck: https://www.farhadkhansound.com/farhadkhanwellness/p/whispers-for-the-heart-and-soulInstagram: @farhadkhan @farhadkhanwellness @farhadkhansoundExpanded Love Masterclass - June 19-21st, 8-10am Pacific Dailyhttps://www.theunscriptdwoman.com/expanded-love-masterclass-3-dayThe 3 Day Expanded Love Masterclass is a fully immersive week long experience that will help you understand your patterns and more importantly, how to transform them.Your desire for love is actually your desire to meet the deepest and truest parts of yourself that get activated 'through' love.Let me show you a new way to create healthy love, thriving relationships in your life and a life that lights up your soul.About the Host:Kate Harlow is the founder of The Unscriptd Woman, the creator of The Expanded Love Coaching Method, and host of The New Truth podcast - ranked in the top 1.5% globally. With over 15 years of experience teaching, coaching and facilitating transformational retreats worldwide, Kate has helped hundreds of thousands of women break free from outdated relational patterns, old patriarchal ways of thinking and unspoken rules to live by.Her infallible methods guide women to release the deeply ingrained scripts that keep them stuck- empowering women to step into their highest, most magnetic, and fully expressed selves. Through her coaching, retreats, podcast and upcoming book The Unscriptd Woman, Kate is redefining what it means to be an empowered woman in today's world, showing women how to stop waiting for permission and start creating a life and love that aligns with their deepest truth.Known for her rare ability to see exactly where women are out of alignment with themselves, Kate offers a path back to unwavering self- trust, meaningful joy and true fulfillment. Her work is a revolution - one that liberates women from societal expectations and invites them into a life of radical authenticity, thriving relationships and unshakable self-worth.Website: https://www.theunscriptdwoman.com/Thanks for listening! It means so much to us that you listened to our podcast! If you would like to continue the conversation with us, head on over to our Facebook group, the New Truth Movement at https://www.facebook.com/groups/209821843509179/With this podcast, we are building an international community of The New Truth Movement.If you know someone who would benefit from this message or could be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page.Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode?Leave a note in the comment section below!Follow the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can follow the podcast app on your mobile device.Leave us a reviewWe appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value-adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from our listeners not only help us improve, but also help others find us in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on Apple Podcasts goes a long way! 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Click here to send me a quick message :) Traditional intact cultures, and systems like Ayurveda and TCM, all include not only physical and emotional healing but also speak to how the energetic layers of our beings impact our healing, too.Whether it's tuning into the medicine of the wheel of the year like Summer Solstice (the expansive, invigorating sunlight) or the harmonious dance of Yin and Yang or the subtle energies from the Vedic lens of Sattva, Rajas and Tamas, every system holds its own wisdom. What matters most is how these subtle energies truly impact us, what we notice, what we feel affinity towards and what works for each of us as unique individuals.The dance of light and dark, contraction and expansion, the underworld and above world, are part of the necessary path to healing. Without one we cannot have the other. I explore all of this in depth and share some reflective prompts and share some examples of herbs and foods that can help you cultivate some of the subtle energies as well. This was a total riffing episode, so I hope it offers some little gems for at least one of you since it just sort of flowed through!Resources:Today's shownotes: Subtle energies on your path to radiant wellbeingFree guide to Gardening for Your Hormonal HealthEpisode 172: What is vibrational medicine? Flower essences & mantraIf you loved this episode, share it with a friend, or take a screenshot and share on social media and tag me @herbalwombwisdomAnd if you love this podcast, leave a rating & write a review! It's really helpful to get the show to more amazing humans like you.  ❤️DISCLAIMER: This podcast is for educational purposes only, I am not providing any medical advice, I am not a medical practitioner, I'm an herbalist and in the US, there is no path to licensure for herbalists, so my role is as an herbal educator. Please do your own research and consult your healthcare provider for any personal concerns.

by Rebecca Conran CHHCJune 2026 has many astrological peak moments: Chiron entering Taurus, Jupiter entering Leo, Mercury Retrograde and much, much more. This month revolves around the tension between fear and possibility: where we close down versus where we remain open, where we spiral mentally versus where we consciously choose growth. With major healing transits activating throughout the month, many people may feel emotionally exposed, uncertain, or confronted with long-standing wounds around identity, safety, love, and purpose. Yet beneath the intensity is an opportunity to rebuild from a more conscious foundation. SKY CIRCLE:I don't know about you, but I really miss working in groups rather than in isolation, and as such, I've recently ended the current format of my energy report subscriptions and am opening up SKY CIRCLE. The roots of my sharing astrology and healing come from the many moon circles I used to facilitate, beginning in 2013. These were held spaces where I discussed the astrology, but we also got a chance to share with each other and be together. I used to love seeing how everyone who was called to join in was interconnected. Sky Circle aims to recreate this intimate and life-affirming dynamic. All being well, meaning if there are enough people to participate, I will be starting Sky Circle in June. We will meet online via Zoom twice a month on Sunday. These 1.5-2 hour online sessions will include the following: Discussion of main astrology transits coming in, full/new moon themes & intentionsBi-weekly transit notes PDF (similar to my former Energy Report format)Personal sharing & community support, including personal astrology insightsGuided meditation & grounding for the energies Video replay access My intention is for this to be an interactive and facilitated space, not just a lecture. Members can submit any questions in advance regarding personal astrology (or anything healing related), which will be discussed in the group. Sky Circle will be facilitated in 3-month-at-a-time containers. The pricing is £180/$240 total for the 3 months. Timing would be Sunday's at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm LONDONThe upcoming dates would be: June 14th & 28thJuly 12th & 26thAug 9th & 23rdPlease let me know if this is something you would like to join by JUNE 5th by emailing me directly at Rebecca@RebeccaConran.com Sign-ups registered by June 5th then will determine if I go ahead with Sky Circle this summer. I have not listed this offering on my website, so you'll need to reach out directly to join. If you cannot join the Summer Sky Circle but would like to join in September, please reach out!I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope to see some of your beautiful faces soon! About Rebecca Conran CHHCRebecca Conran is a certified holistic health coach, astrologer, energy healer, and published writer on the subject of spirituality and esoteric arts. She previously founded the meditation space YIN in upstate New York and spent over a decade working as a practitioner in New York City before returning to her home country of England. Rebecca's work blends intuitive healing with holistic, grounded, practical tools and a focus on subconscious reprogramming and energetic alignment. She supports individuals in breaking generational patterns and creating lives rooted in clarity and self-trust. Her work has been featured in outlets such as Bust, Nylon, and Teen Vogue. WORK WITH REBECCA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

SKY CIRCLE:I don't know about you, but I really miss working in groups rather than in isolation, and as such, I've recently ended the current format of my energy report subscriptions and am opening up SKY CIRCLE. The roots of my sharing astrology and healing come from the many moon circles I used to facilitate, beginning in 2013. These were held spaces where I discussed the astrology, but we also got a chance to share with each other and be together. I used to love seeing how everyone who was called to join in was interconnected. Sky Circle aims to recreate this intimate and life-affirming dynamic. All being well, meaning if there are enough people to participate, I will be starting Sky Circle in June. We will meet online via Zoom twice a month on Sunday. These 1.5-2 hour online sessions will include the following: Discussion of main astrology transits coming in, full/new moon themes & intentionsBi-weekly transit notes PDF (similar to my former Energy Report format)Personal sharing & community support, including personal astrology insightsGuided meditation & grounding for the energies Video replay access My intention is for this to be an interactive and facilitated space, not just a lecture. Members can submit any questions in advance regarding personal astrology (or anything healing related), which will be discussed in the group. Sky Circle will be facilitated in 3-month-at-a-time containers. The pricing is £180/$240 total for the 3 months. Timing would be Sunday's at 10am PST / 1pm EST / 6pm LONDONThe upcoming dates would be: June 14th & 28thJuly 12th & 26thAug 9th & 23rdPlease let me know if you would like to join by JUNE 5th by emailing me directly at Rebecca@RebeccaConran.comSign-ups registered by June 5th then will determine if I go ahead with Sky Circle this summer. I have not listed this offering on my website, so you'll need to reach out directly to join. If you cannot join the Summer Sky Circle but would like to join in September, please reach out!I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope to see some of your beautiful faces soon! About Rebecca Conran CHHCRebecca Conran is a certified holistic health coach, astrologer, energy healer, and published writer on the subject of spirituality and esoteric arts. She previously founded the meditation space YIN in upstate New York and spent over a decade working as a practitioner in New York City before returning to her home country of England. Rebecca's work blends intuitive healing with holistic, grounded, practical tools and a focus on subconscious reprogramming and energetic alignment. She supports individuals in breaking generational patterns and creating lives rooted in clarity and self-trust. Her work has been featured in outlets such as Bust, Nylon, and Teen Vogue. WORK WITH REBECCA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A big part of the court are the actual court nobles, so this episode we are taking a look at some of the ones mentioned in the Chronicles for this reign. For more, check out https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-150 Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 150: Nobles of Jitou Tennou's Court   Maro donned his light blue robes and made his way to the court.  As he arrived, the sun was just peaking over the horizon, and as it bathed the court in the golden morning light the dark shadows were dispelled, leaving in their wake a colorful scene, as various court officials headed this way and that, gathering in their offices to pick up on the work that they had left unfinished the day before. As an ohotoneri, Maro was often sent to and fro between the offices of the different departments. As such, he was able to see how they worked, and he wondered to himself which department would have the best opportunity for advancement.  His family had connections over at the Department of Prisons, and it was definitely a place he could make a name for himself, especially if he attached himself to one of the newly minted magistrates.  On the other hand, the Jingikan, the Ministry for Kami Matters, had some of the most important and sought after positions.  After all, no matter what the secular administration did, when there was no rain for the fields, it was the kami to whom the court turned.  And the members of the Jingikan who helped make those ceremonies happen were known to be well rewarded for their troubles. Perhaps he would be better off taking a more modest position, such as with the Jibu-sho, the Department of Civil Administration.  It was mostly focused on the maintenance and execution of the bureaucracy, and wasn't necessarily a place to seek the limelight, but perhaps that also offered some opportunity.  Do well in one position, and who knows what that could open up to you in the long run?  Maybe one day Maro could make it up to become a Nagon, a Counsellor, or even one of the Daijin, the great ministers at the very head of the council of state.Maro almost laughed at the thought, but he didn't put it aside entirely.  After all, as impossible as it might seem now, the world was still changing, and who knew what opportunities might be waiting just around the corner?   This episode continues our look at the reign of Uno no Sarara, aka Jitou Tennou.  I would note that we have now reached the last chapter of the Nihon Shoki, which ends with the end of Uno no Sarara's reign in 697.  In this chapter, we have not quite 11 years to cover, and we've already talked about the first three of those years, which featured succession issues and a long mourning time for Uno's husband Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, culminating in the sudden death of her only son, the Crown Prince and heir apparent, Prince Kusakabe, in 689.  We also went over what was happening on the continent, with powerful women like Uno no Sarara either on or behind the throne in Silla and the Tang dynasty.  To quickly recap the succession issues: When Kusakabe died, tthat left the throne in a somewhat tenuous position.  There were two other male heirs that would seem to have a claim on the throne as well.  The first was Prince Takechi, who was technically Ohoama's eldest son, but the Chroniclers claim that his late mother was not sufficiently royal for him to have a serious claim.  Then there was Prince Karu, the only known son of the late Crown Prince Kusakabe, and had been born 6 years earlier, in 683, to the Crown Prince and his wife, Princess Abe.  Princess Abe was a daughter of Naka no Oe, and a half-sister to Uno no Sarara.  She was actually a year older than Kusakabe, and would continue to look after the young Prince Karu.  So, Prince Karu was only about 7 years old when his father passed away: much too young to be taking the throne, let alone a firm hand in the politics of the time.  And given the mortality statistics of the time, there is so much that could happen to him before he reached the age of majority.  And remember, there were already some questions about legitimacy, and we already discussed the fact that about 30 nobles had gathered in support of Prince Ohotsu right after Ohoama's death.  Uno no Sarara had that whole issue quashed and Prince Ohotsu had died, but it was nonetheless a stark reminder that things could change quickly. So at this point in Uno no Sarara's reign, there is a great deal of uncertainty afoot, and there are quite a few individuals named in the Chronicles who stand to benefit from sticking their fingers into politics in one way or another.  This episode, we're going to look at some of those individuals, their roles in the court, and the effect they had on Yamato.  Some of those people named are particularly interesting in that they were involved in the conspiracy with Prince Ohotsu, and would continue to be highly influential in the government.  For example, Iki no Hakatoko, Nakatomi no Omimaro, and Kose no Tayasu, and Yakuchi no Wotokashi are all name-dropped, which we'll get into more later.  It feels significant, however, that there were some 30 nobles all told, and beyond these four and the apparent ringleaders, we don't learn anyone else's names.   The importance of prominent individuals in the court has been a constant theme in the Chronicles and in this podcast, so getting to know the court is definitely important. Moreover, during this time period as we get more and more written sources from which to work from we will see more and more information on individuals.  Some of that will come from the Nihon Shoki and the records that come after—the Shoku Nihongi.  Others, however, are from sources like the Man'yoshu, where bits of biographical data are found about the authors that they mention.  There are also family diaries and later genealogies.  Some of these sources are a bit more trusted than others, especially when they were compiled centuries later and we don't exactly know what sources they, themselves, were working on.  Still, even if it isn't 100% accurate, it does give us a picture of what was going on beyond just the royal family. I think it is also helpful to understand some of the overall court dynamics.  If you are familiar with the Heian period, especially around the time of things like the Tale of Genji, you are probably well acquainted with the Fujiwara family—I'll probably need to do an entire episode just on them at some point.  Essentially, there would come a time where almost the entire court was made up either of royals or of members of the Fujiwara clan, or uji.  In fact, even that distinction wasn't really accurate as the Fujiwara family had so intermarried with the Royal family that every sovereign—every Tennou and even most of their consorts—were directly related to members of the Fujiwara.  Not only that, but members of the Fujiwara family held the position of regent—whether the sovereign was of age or not—and effectively ruled the country, with the Tennou being largely relegated to a mouthpiece with ceremonial duties.  It would get so bad that we would see the splitting of the Fujiwara uji into smaller households, and the political fights were often between members of the different households of the same family.  There is a reason that a good portion of the Heian period is sometimes called the Fujiwara period. However, now during the late Asuka period, we see something a little different.  The marriage politics of the Soga had been violently suppressed about a half century earlier, and a lot of different names flourished in the Yamato court, as youmay have noticed any time I've rattled off a bunch of names and your eyes started crossing because of it.  But that's the reality we see: there were a lot of different families, and individuals, all jockeying for influence.  And they were in a period of disruption, where lots of change was happening.  That change meant there was also a lot of potential. And I hope you don't mind if I take a quick time-out here, but so often we read history and we forget to learn lessons from it, and one overarching lesson is:  if you are a part of an organization—a company, a club, government, school, or anything like that—one thing you are going to have to deal with is change.  It comes in many forms and happens whether or not you personally agree with it. It can be destructive and it can be frightening, because we often don't know what is on the other side of it, but it also presents opportunities.  After all, if you don't know what comes next it probably means other people don't, either.  And if you can be the one to provide direction you can have a huge influence on what comes next.  And change has been a constant theme in this period of Yamato history, in so many ways.  Take the reorganization of the government as one example: they had introduced these 8 departments, which had names and were set up in various ways, but it wasn't like you had experienced people to run them as they had been on the continent.  So you had names and the forms of things, but there were a lot of people figuring out just how to actually put this new structure into practice, and leverage them to do what they were supposed to do.  In the process, there were a lot of opportunities to innovate and figure out how to do it within the cultural milieu of the archipelago.  So all of these individuals, from these various families, all had opportunities staring them in the face.  They just had to figure out how to make the best of it. Now, don't get me wrong:  Those with the money, the connections, and the influence still had a leg up, and this was still a hierarchical society, where your family dictated, to some extent, your position in society.  The introduction of individual court rank, as opposed to just the kabane that ranked uji, was pushing against that, and had already caused a reformation that flattened a lot of the previous kabane into just eight distinctions, but those distinctions still existed.  Even had they not, simple matters of inherited wealth and the value of goods produced in a family's home territory would still have provided tremendous advantages.  But there isn't an indication of the kind of large-scale consolidation of resources that we will see in later periods, such as the Fujiwara example that we were just discussing.  Oh, sure, we aren't going to see a farmer suddenly make it big at court in some kind of rags-to-riches story, but at the upper end of society we still have a lot of apparent diversity. And so, let's get to know some of these individuals that the Chronicles tell us about.  Before we do that, though, let's recap a little bit about how the court worked. Every member of the court was effectively employed by the State.  They had an official job with duties they were supposed to oversee.  In the case of lower level functionaries, they were likely expected to actually do most of the work, while at the top of the hierarchy you had nobles who were more likely decision-makers, who would approve or disapprove of the work and direct strategic resources. Those working in the court had official uniforms—the round-necked garments of the continent.  What would be called a "caftan" farther west.  These were based on the foreign garments popular in the Tang court and elsewhere. The color and pattern of official clothing appears to be something that goes back to early in this new continental style government, and we see suggestions of color schemes from a relatively early age.  However, in 690 we see the clearest such outline of just what everyone was wearing. As a reminder, the court rank system of the day was made up of a Princely and a Commoner system.  Princely ranks originally included two ranks of the Myo class, and four of the Jou class, each rank divided into either "Great" or "Broad", for twelve Princely ranks, though honestly we only ever really see the four Jou class of ranks in use. Below that were the ranks for the common nobles—those with family names who did not have any kind of royal claim.    For them there were six classes of rank—Shou, Jiki, Gon, Mu, Tsui, and Shin, in that order.  Each class was made up of four ranks, which were further divided into upper and broad categories, creating 48 total ranks. Your rank determined your precedence at court—where you were sat, what jobs you were allowed to take on and, most importantly, the amount of money that you could expect to receive as part of a stipend.  Naka no Oe had previously consolidated the land-holdings and asserted claim over all of it.  The taxes from the households on the land went to the government to pay the stipends of the nobles in the court, who were, ostensibly, employees of that same government.  Your rank determined what you were owed, though this could also be augmented by various edicts. So there you go: rank in the court was tied to many of the things that the elites wanted, from wealth to status and access to various opportunities. The color of official clothing followed the rank system.  So Princes of the first two ranks of the Jou class were given robes of dark purple, and the third and four ranks were given robes of bright purple, which they shared with highest class of rank of the common nobles, the Shou rank class. Below that, nobles of the Jiki class would wear robes of dark red, and those of Gon would wear dark green.  The Mu rank class, the next down, was Light Green, and then Tsui was Deep Blue and Shin was Light blue. So in order you would see robes of Dark Purple, Bright Purple, Dark Red, Dark Green, Light Green, Deep Blue, and Light Blue.  The color gave you a certain indication of where the person sat in the overall hierarchy of the court, and provided you clues as to how you should address them, who would give deference, etc.  In later centuries, we are even told that deference was given in meetings, which is to say that once a person of higher rank provided input on a topic, nobody of lower rank was able to contradict them for fear of the consequences.  So it also told you who got the last word. This then was the world that the nobles of the court inhabited.  As we've seen in previous episodes it wasn't just bureaucratic work, but also banquets, archery contests, and Buddhist congregations and sutra readings.  There were rituals, dances, and diplomatic embassies—not to mention all of the ceremonies around the death or ascension of the sovereign.  In this world, one's reputation was everything.  You wanted to be seen as good at your job, but also, just like today, people were more likely to promote and support those they knew, and so it helped to have friends.  However, there were also a limited number of top spots, and so every promotion would have likewise meant plenty of disappointed nobles who didn't get the job.  But that is enough background.  Let's take a look at some of the nobles themselves, starting with the four from the Prince Ohotsu conspiracy.   The first name in the list is perhaps the least interesting.  His name is Yakuchi no Wotokashi.  Although he was the highest ranking of the four, he is also the least mentioned in the Chronicles and elsewhere, and we know very little about him.  So we'll talk about him later on, for completeness, but for now it may be best to skip him until we have a better handle on others in the court. In contrast, we know a bit more about his co-conspirators.  In fact, we've already talked about one of them at length:  Iki no Hakatoko.  We first heard about Iki no Hakatoko when talking about the Tang dynasty, and discussed him at length in Episode 123.  He was one of the members of the embassy to the Tang dynasty back in the early 660s that got delayed on account of Tang Gaozong initiating the war against Yamato's ally Baekje.  The fact that the Nihon Shoki directly pulls from Hakatoko's work, known to us, today, as the Iki no Hakatoko Sho, makes it one of the few early named written works that we know about.  Unfortunately, it is no longer extant except for what is preserved in the Chronicles, but it is still incredible that we have essentially an eyewitness account of what happened.  He would later be one of the escort envoys for one of the Tang embassies during the reign of Naka no Oe.  That he was then embroiled in the conspiracy with Prince Ohotsu would seem to be at odds with his standing, and yet after his pardon he eventually got back into the court's good graces.  In 695, about 9 years after the incident, he was assigned as an assistant envoy to Silla.  By that point he was of Mudaini rank, which was only about 35th in the overall scheme of things.  Later on we know he would work on the famous Taiho code, which was published in 701, and enacted a couple of years later.  It was here that he worked with the famous Fujiwara no Fubito—about whom we will discuss more, later—and although he would pass away in 703, this may be how his own writings came to find their way into the Chronicles, since Fubito is said to have had a large influence on them—as he had on many of the court's projects. Overall, Iki no Hakatoko may not have been the one in charge, but we see in his life an incredible career, much of it spent on multiple voyages across the ocean, whether on an embassy or as an escort.  He likely was highly proficient in the language of the Tang court—what we typically refer to, broadly, as Middle Chinese.  He also had direct experience with the Tang court and system, and so it makes sense that he was one of those helping to build an administrative state based on that system. If we were to imagine Hakatoko in the court of the day, at least in 695, he would have likely had light green colored robes, indicating that he was of the "Mu" class of ranks.  He would have worn the black gauze cap of the court and worn white hakama, or trousers, underneath.  His long, continental style, round-necked robes—likely relatively slim, with overly long, but narrow, sleeves—would have been tied closed in the front with a braided silk cord.  He likely worn black leather boots, covered in a light lacquer to protect them from the elements, with cloth insoles and perhaps a hint of brocade along the top.  He likely kept with him a ruler, and perhaps a few slips of paper or even just wood on which to take occasional notes.  A mid-level functionary of the court. We can compare and contrast Hakatoko to two other co-conspirators:  Nakatomi no Omimaro and Kose no Tayasu. We are given neither Omimaro's rank nor Tayasu's at this time.  It is interesting that they listed after Hakatoko, who is actually listed as having "Lower Shousen" rank—an older rank that was no longer in use at this point in time.  Also, both Nakatomi and Kose were Ason level families while Iki no Hakatoko is listed as being merely "Muraji".  So it seems that the Chroniclers were probably pulling from what they could find elsewhere, although where they found that Wotokashi had Jikikwoshi rank I have no idea, as we don't have any other record for him.  And it is possible that deference to Wotokashi and Hakatoko are as much a nod to their age as anything else, though probably not by much. Of four co-conspirators mentioned here—and I'm leaving out the two who were exiled or banished, as they were clearly not hanging around the court later—Nakatomi no Omimaro and Kose no Tayasu were probably from the most established families.  Indeed, we see both of their names show up multiple times in the record, giving us a better idea of who they might have been. Of the two, the name Nakatomi probably is more likely to ring a bell, as that as the surname of the famous Nakatomi no Kamatari—as well as the later Nakatomi no Kane.   Nakatomi no Kamatari was the head of court ritual when he and Naka no Oe kicked things off with the Isshi Incident and the Taika reforms, at which point he became the "Inner Prime Minister", or Naidaijin. Much of what we know of Omimaro comes from outside of the Chronicles themselves.  For instance, we are told that he was the son of Nakatomi no Kunitari, a cousin to the famous Kamatari, at least according to the 10th century Engi Shiki.  However, we have no other records of Kunitari, and so there is more than a little doubt cast as to whether or not that was actually the case.  Similarly, we are told that Omimaro married one of Kamatari's daughters, and was eventually adopted by Kamatari. Once again, the evidence for this is pretty thin, and it is unclear to me just how adoption worked at this point.  Certainly in later periods, adoption was often a way to ensure that a family had a male heir to ensure the family's continuity, and marrying someone's daughter and being adopted into the family is an age old tradition in the archipelago and Japan more generally.  At the same time, give some thought to what we know about this period: male primogeniture was not exactly the norm, although Confucian values had definitely made inroads into court.   The family headship often went to the eldest—or most prominent—family member.  This wasn't necessarily a son and often was a brother, a nephew, or even a cousin.  We have a few famous Nakatomi at this point in time, and all I can say for certain is that they were part of the same family.  Later traditions would make things a bit more clear. Whatever his parentage, our first encounter with Omimaro appears to be in the Ohotsu conspiracy, when he was arrested and then pardoned.  He shows up again in the record just three years later, along with Kose no Tayasu, as both were made judges, along with Fujiwara no Fubito—Nakatomi no Kamatari's biological son and eventual heir. In fact, there were nine judges, or magistrates, made that year, and they are listed in rank order.  The first is Prince Takeda, said to be a great-grandson of Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou.  He was Joukwoshi rank, meaning he wore bright purple court robes, sitting in the lower half of the princely ranks.  He had been quite prolific ever since 681, when he was one of the Princes called to help bring together the Chronicles.  After being made a judge, he would continue in that position, it seems, and by 708 he would become the head of the Ministry of Prisons. After him we have Haji no Nemaro, in the dark red robes of the Jiki rank class.  Though someone of rank, less is known about Nemaro.  His father is said to be Haji no Mi, who was part of the forces that set out to Yamada-dera to capture—and likely kill—Soga no Kurayamadera.  Haji no Nemaro's son is Haji no Oi, who was sent to the Tang court but returned in 684, along with several repatriated soldiers.  Oi would assist with the Taihou code, but little more is said about him or his father. Other judges were Ohoyake no Maro, Fujiwara no Fubito—also of the Jiki class rank. Maro would go on to take a job as a jusenshi, responsible for minting coins, and Fubito would go on to reach the highest levels of government. Then there was Tahema no Sakurawi, Hodzumi no Yamamori, Nakatomi no Omimaro, Kose no Tayasu, and Ohomiwa no Yasumaro.  They were all Mudaishi rank at this point, wearing dark green.  Sakurai would go on to become the governor of Ise in 705, and then the governor of Musashi in 708.  Hodzumi no Yamamori we don't have as much information on, other than that he kept climbing the ranks, by 704 he had made Junior 5th rank, lower grade in the system that replaced the cap-ranks, and by 712 he made it to the senior fifth rank, lower grade. Ohomiwa no Yasumaro, on the other hand, would make it to the Senior 5th rank, lower grade by 707, and the upper grade by 708, when he was made the Dayu—the high minister in charge—of Settsu.  He would eventually make it into the Junior Fourth rank, upper grade, as the Minister of the Military Department, or Hyobu-sho. So this gives you an idea of the people with whom Nakatomi no Omimaro and Kose no Tayasu were rubbing elbows.  That they were made judges, responsible for justice, seems to say something as that would seem to be a powerful position.  At the same time, they are both lower ranked than the much younger Fujiwara no Fubito—but once again, he was the direct son of Nakatomi no Kamatari.  He also seems to have avoided any unpleasantness from the Jinshin no Ran as he was only 14 at the time, and though it does seem that the Nakatomi were generally knocked down a peg or two in court—thanks in large part  to the fact that Nakatomi no Kane had been one of the leaders of the Afumi court.  That and the whole thing with Prince Ohotsu may be why Omimaro was not exactly in the top ranks, but his appointments weren't nothing, either.  By 693, Omimaro would be granted the rank of Jikikwoshi, the lower fourth rank of the Jiki class.  In that entry he is recorded as Fujiwara no Omimaro.  I believe we discussed this a few episodes back, but the Fujiwara name was still new.  It had been granted to Nakatomi no Kamatari on his deathbed—or possibly even posthumously—by Naka no Oe, and to his family.  So technically that would seem to extend to the entire Nakatomi family.  And with Nakatomi no Kane having been one of the main figures on the losing side of the Jinshin no Ran, it was no doubt a savvy political move for Nakatomi courtiers to lean into the Fujiwara name, and they seem to have done just that.  It wouldn't be until later, in the reign just following this, that a new decree would straighten everything out, such that only the actual descendants of Fujiwara no Kamatari, such as Fujiwara no Fubito, would be allowed to use the Fujiwara name. Throughout this, I have focused mostly on Omimaro, but Kose no Tayasu was in the mix as well.  He, too, was made a judge and in 693 he would also be awarded the same Jikikwoshi rank.  In addition, in 689, he was made a "commissioner of good words", along with the Royal Prince Shiki and others.  This seems to be a singular position, and Aston suggests that it was their job to figure out the kind of auspicious language that should be used in the court.  What kind of language should be used by the sovereign and the courtiers in drawing up official edicts.  I imagine that they were figuring out the form to give to formal court documents as well as the kinds of titles and honorifics to use for the sovereign and the state more generally.  Of course, that is just an assumption based on Aston's understanding of what is, ultimately, a single line.  Still, it is clear that Tayasu was helping to make things happen. Tayasu would eventually go on to become the Minister of the Department of Ceremonies, the Shikibu-sho, and would later serve as a secretary to the Viceroy in Tsukushi—the Dazai Daini.  He would pass away in 710, one year before Omimaro. Before leaving Tayasu behind completely, I would like to point out his family name:  Kose.  The Kose family were one of the families granted the kabane of Ason, or Asaomi.  They had previously been known as the Kose no Omi, and had a long history in the court, claiming descent from the famous Takeuchi no Sukune, legendarily known as the first Oho-omi of Yamato.  Kose no Tokuda had been a supporter of Soga no Iruka, but after the Isshi Incident he supported Naka no Oe and eventually replace Abe no Uchimaro as Sadaijin—Minister of the Left.  Another Kose, Kose no Hito, would also rise in the government, becoming one of two Goshi-daibu made when Prince Ohotomo was appointed Dajodaijin.  The other was Ki no Ushi.  They were both in attendance and counted among the six who swore to protect and support Ohotomo, along with Nakatomi no Kane and others.  So they, too, found themselves on the wrong side of the Jinshin no Ran. In this case, however, it is unclear how much Tayasu was impacted by that.  He may have been the son of Kose no Shitano, brother to Kose no Hito, but the Kose were prolific in the court, with many people of the name.  The family would continue going through the Heian period.  Their fortunes ebbed and flowed, as did so many families, but they would eventually find themselves as Hatamoto to the Tokugawa shogun, so they never actually disappeared. Finally, let's talk about Yakuchi no Wotokashi.  As I mentioned earlier, he is actually one of the first names mentioned in the list of co-conspirators with Prince Ohotsu, suggesting that he outranked others in the group.  Indeed, he is noted as being of Jikikwoshi rank—fourth lower Jiki rank.  The bottom of the Jiki class, but that was still the third class from the top.  However, despite this, very little is actually said about him.  In fact, this is the only instance I could find of the name Yakuchi in the Nihon Shoki, at least in that spelling—there is also a Yakuchi no Uneme, but it is spelled differently and is probably not related.  It is also the only evidence of the name Wotokashi.  That means we don't even see him in the list of names being granted Ason in the first place. It is quite possible that Yakuchi was a name he took later and that he was from another family.  Indeed, there are a couple of traditions around Wotokashi that suggest he was the founder of the Yakuchi family in Shinano.  Indeed, there is a Yakuchi family that comes out of Shinano, near Adzumino.  And Shinano was one of the places that Ohoama had sent people to examine as another site for an alternative capital, and Prince Mino and others had gone to check it out.  So maybe Wotokashi headed out there—or his descendants, anyway—and decided to try and make a go of it.  Proponents of this theory also connect Wotokashi to a line descended from the Soga family, which would certainly explain his prominence.  There are others, however, who claim that the Yakuchi family out of Shinano is actually descended from the Otomo, suggesting that the similarities in the name are just coincidental, which is also possible.  Ultimately, our sources fail us here, and so we just have speculation.  It is possible that even with the pardon, Wotokashi was just never able to regain the trust of the sovereign or his position in court, and so whether he took a hike for the hinterlands or just faded from the picture it is hard to say. With that, let's take a look at just two more courtiers, and what kinds of lives and careers they had at court, at least from what we can see.  These two we've also mentioned in passing:  Fuse no Miushi—whom Aston transliterates as Miaruji—and Ohotomo no Miyuki. Fuse no Miushi and Ohotomo no Miyuki were both mentioned as performing eulogies for Ohoama, though there is more to them than just that.  We'll start with Fuse no Miushi, who is said to have been the son of none other than the Taika era Sadaijin, or Minister of the Left, Abe no Uchimaro.  You may recall that Abe no Uchimaro was the Sadaijin under Karu no Ohokimi, aka Koutoku Tennou, along with the Udaijin, Soga no Kurayamadera.  They were both supporters of Naka no Oe, though much of the Chronicles focus appeared to be more on Kurayamadera than on Uchimaro. We don't know when Miushi was born, nor when he received the name "Fuse", the name by which he is known when we first meet him in the Chronicles.  That family name only shows up two other times in the Chronicles.  Based on other sources, it seems that the Abe family was divided at some point into the Fuse and the Hikida, likely because it became too large and they needed to distinguish the different parts of the family.  It is said that Fuse no Miushi served as a retainer to Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran.  That, along with his family connections, helped secure him a good place in the government.  By 686, we see him pronouncing the eulogy for Ohoama's funeral on behalf of the Dajokan, the Counil of State.  He was already Jikidaishi, one rank above the standard Jikikwoshi, but still clothed in the same dark red robes.  In 687, he is again pronouncing the eulogy, but this time we are told that his a Nagon, or councilor, a rather prestigious posting that would later get broken up into three different levels:  Dainagon, Chunagon, and Shonagon.  For my Heian fans out there, that last is the same Shonagon as in the name of the famous poet, author, diary-keeper, and all around queen of snark, Sei Shonagon.  By 688, pronouncing the Eulogy seems to have become an annual event for Miushi, only this time he teamed up with Ohotomo no Miyuki.  The two of them seem to have had similar careers, and would, for a time, come up together through the ranks. Ohotomo no Miyuki is said to have been born in 646, though that isn't recorded in the Nihon Shoki and comes from other sources.  The Ohotomo family goes back quite a ways, and we are told that his father was Ohotomo no Nagatoko, who served as Minister of the Right under Naka no Oe.  However, in 672, the Ohotomo, including Miyuki, sided with Ohoama in the Jinshin no ran.  In 675 he was made Tayu while Prince Kurikuma was made Director of Military Affairs.  He then drops out of the narrative until 688, when he is pronouncing the eulogy with Fuse no Miushi. Miushi would go on, two years later, to present the formal congratulations from the court to the Queen upon her ascencion to the throne, and then the following year, 691, both Miushi and Miyuki were granted the rank of Jikidaiichi, the highest rank in the Jiki class, along with 80 households to support them and their families.  This brought both of their stipends up to roughly 300 households each.  Then, in 694, they were both raised in rank again, this time to Shoukwoushi.  Only one rank up, yet they went from the top of the Jiki class to the bottom of the Shou class.  They would have gotten new robes of Bright Purple to indicate their new status, and they each had their stipends increased by the taxes of 200 households each.  At the same time, they were also acknowledged as senior members of their houses.  That means that Miushi was considered the head of the Fuse branch of the Abe family and Miyuki was now acknowledged as the head of the entire Ohotomo family. Two years after that, in 696, they were each given 80 retainers to support them.  Fuse no Miushi is actually mentioned at that time as Abe no Miushi.  That same year, we again see Fujiwara no Fubito show up, but with only 50 retainers.  Fubito would eventually rise to the top of the court food chain, but at this point, it was still in the hands of courtiers like Fuse no Abe no Miushi and Ohotomo no Miyuki. Fuse no Miushi would go on to have an incredible career.  He would become Dainagon and eventually he would become the Udaijin, the Minister of the Right, one of the highest positions anyone could hope to achieve at court. Ohotomo no Miyuki would not make it quite so far.  Like Miushi, he made it to Dainagon, but he died in the first month of 701, just 55 years old.  He had made it to the third rank, and he was posthumously granted the title of Udaijin—the position was vacant at the time—and granted second rank.  His colleague, Abe no Miushi, would go on to take the position only four months later and serve for a couple of years before passing away himself. These two would have worked closely together throughout their careers, and the fact that they were raised in rank and position on similar timelines suggests to me that they ran together in very close circles.  They would have been working in similar positions, at the same levels of the government.  They would have been going to the same parties and partaking in the same banquets and entertainments.   They were no doubt rivals, in a sense, but also equals.  Both families would go on, even as the Fujiwara clan came to dominate the politics of the era, the Ohotomo and Abe would continue to hold power in the court during the Nara period, though eventually it would decline.  The Ohotomo would eventually become just the Tomo, to avoid conflicting with the name of a slater sovereign, and the main house would eventually decline, though branch families would continue to claim descent from the Ohotomo into to the Edo period. The Abe would continue, similarly pushing against the Fujiwara.  The most famous Abe was probably Abe no Seimei, who became known for his skills as an Onmyouji, or master of Yin-yang divination and magic.  The Tsuchimikado branch of the Abe family would continue that tradition, and it would come to largely define the main branch of the family. I hope that gives a bit of an idea of what was going on in the court and the kinds of careers that people were looking at and what was happening.  We cannot get into every single person, but I'm going to try and note some of the more prominent courtiers and what they were doing.  It isn't always clear from the Chronicles what was going on between the various houses, but one can largely assume that the court was highly political.  Different factions were vying for power and position.  Sitting atop all of it, Uno no Sarara would have to perform her own kind of balancing act, doling out rewards and punishments as necessary, and ensuring to place the right people in positions of power and authority.  On the one hand, that ambition was a motivating factor, keeping the people of the court focused on the tasks at hand and ensuring that the court was running smoothly.  On the other hand, too much power in the hands of any one individual could cause them to get ideas that they should have even more.  The main bulwark against this was everyone else in the system—the checks and balances were literally the other court nobles, who weren't going to just let someone  take power unless there was something in it for them as well.  More on that as we watch this reign unfold. But for now, thank you so much for listening and downloading the podcast.  If you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.

Before the Jade Rabbit became the dominant symbol of the moon, another creature occupied the lunar imagination of ancient China—the mysterious Three-Legged Moon Toad. In this subscriber-only episode of Living the Tao, Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod explores one of the oldest and most overlooked symbols associated with Yin. Beginning with the children's tale of Jip Jip, the moon toad who gradually consumes the moon before laying an egg and beginning the cycle anew, the discussion expands into classical Taoist symbolism, lunar mythology, fertility, regeneration, and the evolution of religious storytelling. Along the way, listeners will discover: The myth of Jip Jip and the Three-Legged Moon Toad Why the moon became one of the primary symbols of Yin The relationship between the Moon Toad, Chang'e, and the Jade Rabbit How myths change as cultures and religions evolve The role of historical context in understanding Taoist texts Classical perspectives on regeneration, fertility, and cyclical existence Blending mythology, history, symbolism, and Taoist philosophy, this episode reveals how a forgotten lunar creature can illuminate some of the oldest ideas in the Taoist tradition. Unlock the full episode now on Supercast.  Subscribe now at  https://living-the-tao.supercast.com

Författaren Ulf Peter Hallberg vandrar genom Tiergarten i Berlin, minns sina möten med Allen Ginsberg och känner hur livet måste förändras. Lyssna på alla avsnitt i Sveriges Radios app. ESSÄ: Detta är en text där skribenten reflekterar över ett ämne eller ett verk. Åsikter som uttrycks är skribentens egna. Essän sändes första gången 2021.Den här berättelsen utspelar sig under den så kallade coronakrisen år 2020, när du som lyssnar hör den så befinner du dig kanske i någon mutation av samma kris eller så har den avlösts av en helt ny. Kanske upplever du någon form av lättnad, en lite ljusare tid. Vår tillvaro är en pendel mellan dessa poler som inte kan existera utan varandra. En oväntad händelse utlöser en kris, hela planeten ligger i spasmer. Hur ska vi höra ihop, om allt är kaos? Vi drar i nödbromsen, resten beror på oss.Lärdomarna i denna berättelse är inte nya, de är alla erfarenheter som många gjorde detta år: Vi behöver våra minnen, vi behöver poesin – och vi behöver träden. Men varje människa har sina egna hågkomster, dikter och parker. Detta är mina.När president Macron släckte ner Paris på kvällen torsdagen den 12 mars 2020 kände jag mig som den amerikanske poeten Allen Ginsberg. Denne var överallt när han levde, över hela jordklotet, och han tyckte om att undervisa. Och så älskade han livet. Jag identifierade mig med honom som lärare och författare. Därför var jag på Sorbonne, mot alla odds.Trots varningar från omvärlden hade jag tagit mig till Paris och mådde som alltid bättre än de flesta, den vita yang-pricken i den svarta yin-halvan, det är Pariseffekten. I Luxembourgträdgården, min viktigaste plats på jorden, höll jag och mina elever på med ett skrivprojekt som var en reaktion på situationen, smittan: hur man berättar en historia när allting är hotat, när allt står på spel, när man inte kan tro på nånting längre. Undantagstilltåndet! Plötsligt var grindarna till parken låsta. Alla kaféer och mötesplatser – ja, hela staden! – nedstängd. Ett enda tal från Macron till franska nationen; alla hade förstått, det är sista chansen.Ginsberg hade sprungit omkring i Luxembourgträdgården 1957-58 när han bodde på The Beat Hotel. Sommaren 1980 besökte jag honom några dagar i Boulder, Colorado, där han undervisade om de engelska romantikerna för unga studenter som ville lära sig skriva. Han lärde mig något som han kallade ”negativ kapacitet”. Hur man kommer vidare med det osäkra, mysteriet. I mars 2020, stod vi plötsligt inför ett osynligt virus, en kallhamrad egoist. Covid-19, partikeln utan spegelbild, en trojansk häst på bröstet till varje människa.Några dagar senare kom jag iväg från Paris med ett av de sista planen som lämnade staden just då, mot Berlin. Paris var stängt, Luxembourgträdgården stängd. Jag sökte mig till Berlins stora park, Tiergarten och började gå runt en timme före mörkrets inbrott. Nästa dag gjorde jag samma sak och nästa samma igen. Det skulle pågå hela året och fortsätta nästa.Tiergarten skapades som jaktmark 1527 och när jag går där så tänker jag på allt de här träden har sett sedan 1945. Äldre än så är de inte. Vid andra världskrigets slut fälldes nämligen nästan alla träd och förvandlades till ved; av 200 000 praktfulla träd på 210 hektar återstod 700 ensamma, brandskadade små dvärgträd lite här och där.Tanken på att träden i Tiergarten planterades och växte ur ruinstaden Berlin hjälper mig. Om jag inte går dit varje dag känner jag mig sjuk.Jag har upptäckt att jag inte är ensam. Bland de många träd som talar till mig finns också människor som lyssnar till samma budskap, bara en bit bort, vid nästa träd. Efter några veckors kringströvande urskiljer jag återkommande par och enstöringar som jag, på samma platser, unga människor som tränar, gör gymnastiska övningar, vid ett speciellt träd, varenda dag. Barn som följer sina föräldrar genom parken på väg hem. Alltid samma väg.När jag går på gångarna hör jag hela tiden fragment av samtal mellan vänner och kärlekspar, om ditt och datt. Dessa samtal återskapar betydelsen av vänskap, promenader, förtroende och förhoppningar. Det låga ljudet av två vänner som samtalar förtroligt om någon detalj i livet på en av parkens gångar talar samma språk som Allen Ginsbergs poesi.I Colorado 1980 deklamerade Ginsberg Shelleys ”Hymn to Intellectual Beauty” för att lära oss att älska konsten och livet. Vi pratade om allt under sena eftermiddagar i hans trähus i Boulder.När han talade lät det som dikten Sång i ”Howl och andra dikter”, här i översättning av Per Planhammar:Världens tyngd är kärlek.Under ensamhetens börda,under missnöjets börda så är tyngden,tyngden vi bär kärlek.Beatpoeten Allen Ginsbergs poesi var uppmärksamhet på livet, utvecklad ur inre osäkerhet, ”nederlagets vrål” som William Carlos Williams skrev i förordet till ”Howl”.I den mediokra aggressionens tid, när existensen har satts inom parentes och allt präglas av sönderfall, ensamhet och skyddsanordningar, då går jag bland de kraftfulla trädstammarna i Tiergarten och tänker på vad Allen Ginsberg sa på verandan till trähuset i Boulder 1980:”Det som gör en till författare är förmågan till inlevelse i chocktillstånden. Som Virginia Wolf skrev: konsten är ett dolt mönster, vi är alla delar av ett konstverk. Hamlet och Beethovens stråkkvartetter är sanningar om det vi kallar världen. Det finns ingen Shakespeare, ingen Beethoven, och ingen Gud; vi är orden; vi är musiken; vi är tinget i sig.”Sen satt vi tysta och rökte, och så sa Allen:”Det bästa i oss uppstår ur vår sårbarhet.””Ingen vila utan kärlek – ”Jag tänker i Tiergarten:Katastrofen är att historien förlorar sin mening om var och en bara arbetar på sin historia,söker kontakt utan förpliktelser –Beatpoeterna ville se allt i den amerikanska natten, ingen människa var för liten –Deras anslag var gemenskap, visioner, Baudelaires korrespondenser:Deras store fotograf och filmare Robert Frank sa att han kunde se Big Ben i London från Coney Island.När han var ung kunde han se timvisarna också.Ferlinghetti vill som poet rädda alla bortsprungna katter, han säger att poesin är det sista fyrtornet på ett stormigt hav.Krisen är uppfostraren, utvecklaren av det nya jaget.När Allen Ginsberg fick reda på att han hade kort tid kvar att leva ville han bygga en inspelningsstudio i sin lägenhet så att hans vänner Bob Dylan och Paul McCartney skulle ha professionell utrustning att spela på när de kom förbi.När min mamma fick en inoperabel hjärntumör så sa hon:”I det mörkaste finns bättringen. Jag tar operationen.”. Vad menade hon? Ginsberg visste.Han gjorde t'ai chi i sitt kök och tackade gud för att poeten Rimbaud blickade ner på honom från ovanför diskbänken.Min mamma levde elva år till efter operationen.När de sista solstrålarna får Victoria att lysa klart i guld över mig och alla andra som släntrar genom Tiergarten, deklamerar jag för träden och de förbipasserande en rad skriven av Lawrence Ferlinghetti till vännen Allen Ginsberg, och lovar mig själv att bli en bättre människa:”Poesin är själens energi, om själen existerar.”Då hör jag plötsligt någon säga:”Du glömde oss.”Så jag tillägger:”Träden är livets energi, och ni existerar.””Danke!” säger träden Yin och Yang, med en och samma röst.Ulf Peter Hallberg, författare och översättare

In this episode, Dr. K is joined by his wife, Kruti (Mrs. K), for a special Call-In style Q&A to celebrate Mental Health May. Together, they discuss the launch of the new Guide to Love, Sex, and Relationships and take a deep dive into community questions regarding attachment styles, the neurobiology of love, and the practical hurdles of modern "adulting". What to expect in this episode: The Yin and Yang of Partnership: Dr. K and Kruti reveal how their vastly different personalities—extroverted vs. introverted and material vs. spiritual—create a balanced relationship through shared accountability and a similar moral compass. The "Adulting" Burden: A look at why modern life feels so overwhelming and why the amount of responsibility carried by individuals today has "ballooned disproportionately" compared to previous generations. Self-Worth and the Playground Shadow: An analysis of how childhood bullying creates a primitive drive for conflict avoidance that can sabotage adult self-esteem until you learn to "hold your ground". "Dark Magic" vs. "Pink Magic": Why using professional "map-hacking" communication skills (dark magic) can actually backfire in romance, and why new daters should instead embrace "pink magic"—the playfulness and boyish joy of being in someone's presence. The Neurobiology of Love: A technical breakdown of the four-part equation for sustainable love involving passion (dopamine), bonding (oxytocin), comfort (serotonin), and sacrifice. Escaping the "Match Made in Hell": How anxious and avoidant partners can navigate gridlocked conflicts by quantifying their needs on a scale of 1 to 10 and recognizing that their tensions are often a "karma" designed for spiritual growth. The Hybrid Build Advantage: Why being a "jack of all trades" is a major competitive advantage in a late-stage capitalist economy and how "wasted time" on diverse skills often leads to the most successful career paths. Action vs. Outcome: Why the quickest way to suffer in life is to focus on outcomes you cannot control rather than the internal actions that you can. Dr. K's NEW Guide to Love, Sex, & Relationships is here! Order now: https://bit.ly/4dO3x0VHG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3SztHG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Enter The Arena of Death on Episode 206 of The Bulletproof Podcast! Join Chris the Brain and "The Toyman" Chris DePetrillo as they dissect and discuss 1994's Cage II. Reb Brown's Scott using woman as a human shield, Lou Ferrigno's Billy and his hate for blue drink, a very talkative James Lew, the feature film debut of Shannon Lee, the unexpected return of James Shigeta's Mr. Yin, To McBee or Not to McBee?, the multi-tasking Dr. Wu (Gerald Okumura), the Big Blue Cage, the dogshit announcer, Tadashi Yamashita popping up twice, Leo Fong's sweet hair, and the movie's ability to make Lou Ferrigno unlikable are among the talking points! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think AI will have an impact on science? You are wrong. It will not–it already does. The annual International Conference on Information Systems received over 1,000 more paper submissions this year. Our main journals report a 20%, 40%, or even 100% increase in submission numbers. This could be great if these papers were good, if we simply saw more and better research being produced. Problem is: We don't. What we see is an AI slop tsunami of less readable papers, hastily produced, with marginal insights if any. How should we handle this situation? We discuss a few possible levers on the supply and demand side of research that we as a field could implement. References Gartenberg, C., Hasan, S., Murray, A., & Pierce, L. (2026). More Versus Better: Artificial Intelligence, Incentives, and the Emerging Crisis in Peer Review. Organization Science, 37(3), https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2026.ed.v37.n3. Ho, S. Y., Recker, J., Tan, C.-W., Vance, A., & Zhang, H. (2023). MISQ Special Issue on Registered Reports. MIS Quarterly, https://misq.umn.edu/call_for_papers/registered-reports. Liang, W., Zhang, Y., Cao, H., Wang, B., Ding, D. Y., Yang, X., Vodrahalli, K., He, S., Smith, D. S., Yin, Y., McFarland, D. A., & Zou, J. (2024). Can Large Language Models Provide Useful Feedback on Research Papers? A Large-Scale Empirical Analysis. NEJM AI, 1(8). https://doi.org/10.1056/AIoa240019 Saunders, C. (2005). Editor's Comments: Looking for Diamond Cutters. MIS Quarterly, 29(1), iii–viii. Tyner, A. H., Abatayo, A. L., Daley, M., . . . Errington, T. M. (2026). Investigating the Replicability of the Social and Behavioural Sciences. Nature, 652(8108), 143–150. Dennis, A. R., Valacich, J. S., Fuller, M. A., & Schneider, C. (2006). Research Standards for Promotion and Tenure in Information Systems. MIS Quarterly, 30(1), 1–12.

Extraterrestres, despertar espiritual e expansão da consciência.Neste vídeo você vai entender como a possível aproximação extraterrestre pode estar ligada à transformação energética da humanidade, ao despertar coletivo e às mudanças espirituais que já estão acontecendo no planeta. Uma reflexão profunda sobre consciência, evolução espiritual, dimensões superiores, frequência vibracional e o novo ciclo da humanidade. ---------------------------------------------------

In this episode, Janet Borges explores the clinical applications of Tian Ma Wan and Zhi Bai Di Huang Tang in supporting perimenopause and menopause-related patterns. She discusses common presentations including hot flashes, headaches, dizziness, irritability, sleep disturbances, and Liver Yang rising with underlying Yin and Blood deficiency.Through both formulas, Janet offers practical insight into pattern differentiation and herbal strategies for supporting patients through hormonal transitions.Read the articles here:Tian Ma Teapills - Perimenopausal Formula: https://www.mayway.com/blogs/articles/tian-ma-teapills-good-perimenopausal-formulaZhi Bai Di Huang Tang for Hot Flashes: https://www.mayway.com/blogs/articles/zhi-bai-di-huang-tang-for-hot-flashesSee our Monthly Practitioner Discounts https://www.mayway.com/monthly-specialsSign up for the Mayway Newsletterhttps://www.mayway.com/newsletter-signupFollow ushttps://www.facebook.com/MaywayHerbs/https://www.instagram.com/maywayherbs/

Send us Fan MailHeute habe ich eine Pionierin und langjährige Freundin im Gespräch: Stefanie Arend. Wir kennen uns seit 2010, damals hat sich jede für sich für das Thema "Yin" auf den Weg gemacht.  Yin Yoga war im deutschsprachigen Raum noch kaum bekannt. Stefanie hat das erste deutschsprachige Yin-Yoga-Buch veröffentlicht, das zum „Besten Yogabuch des Jahres" gewählt wurde. Ihr aktuelles Werk heißt: „Hormone in Balance mit Yin Yoga"  und ist einzigartig in dieser Kombination auf dem deutschsprachigen Markt.Denn dieses Buch ist kein Wechseljahresbuch. Es begleitet Frauen hormonbewusst durch ihr ganzes Leben  von PMS, PMOS und Endometriose über Kinderwunsch bis zu Perimenopause und Wechseljahren. Mit Yin-Yoga-Sequenzen, TCM-Hintergrund, Ernährungsimpulsen und Selbstreflexionsfragen.Was uns in dieser Folge bewegt:Wie Yin Yoga den Parasympathikus aktiviert  und warum das für deine Hormone entscheidend istWas Cortisol mit Schlaf, Stress und Hormondysbalance zu tun hat Der Unterschied zwischen Yin Yoga und Hormonyoga nach Dinah Rodrigues Warum Fühlen lernen eine der wichtigsten Übungen innerhalb der Übungen ist Stefanies persönliche Geschichte: Eierstock-OP, Burnout und der Weg zurück in die Balance Wie du mit nur 5–20 Minuten täglich eine wirksame Yin-Praxis aufbaust  Warum Schlaf der wichtigste Hormon-Regulator ist und was ihn wirklich stört Der „Rebound" in der Yin-Praxis: warum das Nachspüren heiliger ist als die Übung selbstFür alle Frauen, die ihrem Körper wieder vertrauen wollen,  statt irgendwie einfach weiter zu funktionieren. Buch: Hormone in Balance mit Yin Yogamehr über Stefanie ArendStefanie Arend auf Instagram Stefanie Arend auf YouTube Meine Links für dich: Free WebinarYin-Prinzip, Seminare, Retreats + CoachingsInstagramFacebookBuch Das Yin-PrinzipMöchtest Du mehr zu einem bestimmten Thema hören, soll ich einen bestimmten Gast einladen oder möchtest Du selbst zu Gast im Yin-Magazin sein – dann schick mir gerne eine Nachricht per E-Mail an info@danielahutter.com oder via WhatsApp: +436642250429.

sarahcarinaschaefer.de | Geht er wirklich zu weit oder wird in dir eine alte Wunde berührt, die gesehen und in die Heilung gebracht werden will? Dein Körper spricht, lange bevor dein Kopf die Antwort kennt. Diese Folge lädt dich ein, deine Signale ernst zu nehmen und im bewussten Fühlen deine Wahrheit zu finden.  Eine geführte Yin Meditation zu genau diesem Thema findest du ab sofort im feel & love HOME. - - - - - - - - Mein Angebot im Überblick:  Für die Frau, die wieder bei sich ankommen und in ihre Energie kommen möchte:  Starte jetzt im feel & love HOME Für die Frau, die Beziehung tiefer erleben und verstehen will - die Dynamik von Polarität: Starte jetzt in den Yin meets Yang online Kurs Für die Frau, die eine persönliche Begleitung möchte, ohne Umwege, mit absoluter Klarheit: Jetzt 1:1 Coaching buchen - - - - - - - - Folge mir jetzt auf Instagram - - - - - - - - Sonnige Grüße, deine Sarah https://sarahcarinaschaefer.de

Is the world fair? How do you find your true purpose in business? In this episode of the BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech Podcast, Jeremy Au shares his deeply personal journey into the cancer diagnostics space following a tragic loss. He breaks down the crucial difference between "problem-market fit" and "founder-problem fit," the reality of life's unfairness, and why you must play to your unfair advantages to succeed in the hyper-competitive tech ecosystem. Whether you are a founder in Singapore or an aspiring entrepreneur anywhere in Southeast Asia, these insights will redefine how you view marketing, leadership, and resilience. Tune in to discover the "Yin and Yang" of marketing, why good things don't always happen to good people, and how to harness your unique strengths to build something that truly matters. 00:00 - The Yin and Yang of Marketing 01:09 - The Importance of Founder-Problem Fit 02:07 - Jeremy's Personal Mission to Fight Cancer 04:13 - Breaking the Fairytale: The World Isn't Fair 06:47 - How to Find Your Unfair Advantage 07:46 - Outro & Community Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/find-your-unfair-advantage Audio Description Watch, listen or read the full insight at  Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at https://www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter X : https://x.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

In dieser Episode spreche ich mit Melanie Engelmann und Nina Sonnhalter – zwei Frauen, die ihren ganz eigenen Weg durch die verschiedenen Yin Ausbildungen gegangen sind und sich darüber auch gegenseitig begegnet sind.Wir sprechen über Mutterschaft, Selbstwahrnehmung, innere Veränderung und darüber, wie Yin Yoga weit über die Matte hinaus in den Alltag hineinwirkt.Es geht um das Zuhören, um Authentizität, um den Mut, sich selbst ehrlicher zu begegnen – und darum, wie Heilung oft in den kleinen, wiederkehrenden Momenten des Lebens geschieht.

In this episode, Rebecca sits down with clinical hypnotist, author, and educator Shauna Cummins to explore the power of the mind, the role of inner dialogue in shaping our reality, and how hypnosis can be used as a practical tool for transformation. Together, they unpack how subconscious patterns influence our lives, why manifestation requires deeper clarity than we often realize, and how we can begin consciously “rewiring” the narratives that guide us.In this episode: The role of inner dialogue in shaping our reality—and why it sits at the foundation of intention and manifestationDeveloping discernment: distinguishing between supportive thoughts and limiting or conditioned beliefsHow hypnosis works to “rewire” the mind: what's happening beneath the surface when beliefs and behaviors begin to changeShauna Cummins is a clinical hypnotist, author of Wishcraft: A Guide to Manifesting a Positive Future, and founder of The Divine Feminine School of Hypnosis. She is also the co-founder of The Hypnotist Loft in NYC. Her work integrates hypnosis, ritual, and imagination into grounded, accessible practices for subconscious healing and transformation. She has been featured in Harper's Bazaar, The Independent, and Business Insider and has led experiences at global wellness and cultural spaces, including The Ace Hotel NYC and Obonjan Island, Croatia. www.shaunacummins.com Instagram @thewishcraft Rebecca Conran is a certified holistic health coach, astrologer, energy healer, and published writer on the subject of spirituality and esoteric arts. She previously founded the meditation space YIN in upstate New York and spent over a decade working as a practitioner in New York City before returning to her home country of England. Rebecca's work blends intuitive healing with grounded, practical tools, with a focus on subconscious reprogramming and energetic alignment. She supports individuals in breaking generational patterns and creating lives rooted in clarity and self-trust. Her work has been featured in outlets such as Bust, Nylon, and Teen Vogue. www.RebeccaConran.com Instagram @RebeccaConran The Astrology of Uranus in Gemini: Uranus recently entered Gemini. This placement is fundamentally about disruption and innovation in the realm of the mind, communication, and perception. Gemini rules thinking patterns, language, and the constant “mental chatter.” Questions about discernment and awareness of inner dialogue sit right at the heart of Gemini themes. Uranus is associated with breakthroughs and sudden insight. When Uranus (planet of awakening and disruption) moves through Gemini, it tends to shake up habitual thought patterns and push people to question the narratives they've always believed.At its lowest, Gemini can be scattered or reactive; at its highest, it becomes consciously selective about which thoughts to engage with. Uranus entering Gemini amplifies the need to choose thoughts intentionally, because the volume and speed of ideas increase dramatically. Hypnosis fits well with Uranus in Gemini. Gemini governs the conscious and subconscious bridge through language. Uranus governs the nervous system and rapid re-patterning. So hypnosis helps by updating mental code, which is exactly what Uranus in Gemini is about on a collective level.The invitation of Uranus in Gemini: Question your thoughtsBecome discerning about inner dialogueConsciously rewrite mental patternsUse tools (like hypnosis) to harness the processIf you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe and stay connected with New Story with Rebecca Conran on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you stream your podcasts. Or, if you're ready to go deeper, explore Rebecca's weekly energy report subscription and private astrology readings for more personalized guidance and support. https://rebeccaconran.com/wellness-subsciptionshttps://rebeccaconran.com/astrology-readings-uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ghosts of all kinds – wandering spirits, water ghosts looking for substitutes, mountain demons, and many more; welcome to the strange supernatural world of Taiwan. Eryk and John, fortified with protective amulets and holy mantras, bravely step into the murky shadowlands of Taiwanese ghost lore and modern supernatural encounters. For this episode, they draw heavily on anthropologist Lin Mei-rong's collection of more than 150 ghost stories from across Taiwan. You've probably heard of water ghosts. But have you heard of the mysterious “Little Girl in Red” who lures hikers deep into the mountains? Or paper funeral dolls that come alive? How about “Yin” temples dedicated not to gods, but to wandering spirits? Lock your doors and windows, light some incense, and prepare to be spooked (and amused).

Three thousand years ago, Odysseus tied himself to a mast to resist the Sirens.  He didn't trust his willpower, so he removed the choice entirely.  Today, Owain Service, co-founder of the Behavioural Insights Team and CEO at CogCo, calls that a commitment device.  And modern evidence shows it works for everything from saving money to staying married. --- Owain's book: https://amzn.to/4smVtrP  Owain's company CogCo: https://cogco.co/  Unlock the Nudge Vaults: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/vaults⁠ Join 11,626 readers of my newsletter: ⁠https://www.nudgepodcast.com/mailing-list ⁠ Connect on LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/phill-agnew/⁠ --- Today's sources:  Asch, S. E. (1951). Effects of group pressure upon the modification and distortion of judgment. In H. Guetzkow (Ed.), Groups, leadership and men (pp. 177–190). Carnegie Press. Ashraf, N., Karlan, D., & Yin, W. (2006). Tying Odysseus to the mast: Evidence from a commitment savings product in the Philippines. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 121(2), 635–672. Behavioural Insights Team. (2013). New BIT trial results: helping people back into work. https://www.bi.team/blogs/new-bit-trial-results-helping-people-back-into-work/ Gollwitzer, P. M., & Brandstätter, V. (1997). Implementation intentions and effective goal pursuit. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(1), 186–199. Gollwitzer, P. M., & Sheeran, P. (2006). Implementation intentions and goal achievement: A meta-analysis of effects and processes. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 38, 69–119. Milkman, K. (2021). How to change: The science of getting from where you are to where you want to be. Portfolio/Penguin. Olson, R. (2014, October 10). What makes for a stable marriage. http://www.randalolson.com/2014/10/10/what-makes-for-a-stable-marriage/ Read, D., Loewenstein, G., & Kalyanaraman, S. (1999). Mixing virtue and vice: Combining the immediacy effect and the diversification heuristic. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 12(4), 257–273. Service, O., & Gallagher, R. (2017). Think small: The surprisingly simple ways to reach big goals. Michael O'Mara Books.

"Should I be on HRT?" is the number one question I'm asked today, especially since the FDA removed the cancer warning from many hormone products in late 2025. While hormone therapy can be a life-changing intervention for some, it is often a "band-aid" that ignores the foundational failure of nutritional deficiencies and chronic stress. In this episode, I share the protocols I use in my clinic to help men and women reclaim their libido, clear brain fog, and lose stubborn weight by honoring the body's natural design. We examine the critical difference between bioidentical hormones (structurally identical to the human body) and synthetic formulations that often come with higher risk profiles. Dr. Axe details the "Survival vs. Reproduction" hierarchy, explaining how high cortisol and insulin resistance act as the primary "thieves" of your sex hormones. Drawing from ancient medical wisdom and modern clinical studies, we break down the Astrobolom (the gut's role in estrogen metabolism) and the use of Yin-boosting foods like duck eggs and yams to naturally "cool and moisten" the body to stop hot flashes. We also dive into the tactical use of peptides like Kisspeptin and BPC-157 to restore cellular communication between the brain and reproductive organs. Sponsors: Sunlighten Sauna: https://get.sunlighten.com/axepodcast Manukora Manuka Honey: https://manukora.com/axe Caraway Home: carawayhome.com/drjoshaxe (Use code DRJOSHAXE) for an exclusive discount Watch The Dr. Josh Axe Show every Monday & Thursday on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@drjoshaxe?sub_confirmation=1⁠ 

Hey, everyone, Sheevaun here driving for your success. And I wanna talk a little bit about the yin and the yang of success and business and operations and soul and spirit and, and being in the stratosphere of energy and being grounded because it is a fine, fine line. And when you have a business, it's really easy to be in the yang, to be in the tents, to be in the push, to be in the drive, and to be in the achieve and not wanna miss one opportunity because there's so many that are gonna come. And, uh, that's what a client of mine has said recently. And uh, he said that, I don't wanna miss anything. So many cool things have been happening since we've been doing all this work yet. Uh, the challenge is to stay in the y for a moment and get back into the yin. 'cause if you don't have enough blend of the yin, the love, the heart, this heart, this heart, then you end up pushing opportunities away. You end up actually having kind of like sand in the gears of your marketing. That's kind of what happens. And it's a really fascinating thing if you're not paying attention to this too much because things will start breaking. So, so you can step back a little so you can learn to breathe a bit so that you can learn to allow things to expand. Because if you continuously and consistently push, push, push without the yin, you think about the push, push, push like the engine and you forgot to put gas or oil in the car. I did that one time when I was, when I had my first car. And it was so funny because the car just stopped and I was in the middle of the night. I was driving home from college and it was stuck. I was stuck. And, and, you know, payphones then and uh, ended up having to walk home. And funny thing I said to my dad, I was like, I didn't know. You didn't tell me that I needed to put gas or oil. I mean, seriously, he never told me that. They just told me how to drive. So sounds like a blonde moment, doesn't it? But, uh, the, the yin and the yang is about you need both. You need the push, you need the engine, you need the stuff that goes in the engine. And if you think about yin and love and heart and kindness and generosity and contribution, if you think about those, those are the yin. If you think about breath and you pause at the top and you exhale, if you think about breath, That's yin. That's actually not y unless you're gonna do some sort of karate breath or you're gonna do some aikido breath. Those are unique, specific fighting breaths. Uh, but still breath is a yin kind of thing. It gets you to breathe into your heart, into the depths of your lungs. And so young is about, it's not as about creation, it's about push and hard and harsh. So I get that you're getting what I'm talking about. And so consider where you are in your process and consider that maybe you are being too forced and pushed too much y in your business. Uh, 'cause yen is the thing that kind of gets the air under the wings that gets things to soar and gets things to magically occur. I always say that when I lived in the South for a very tiny amount of time that it was, uh, it was like love was encased in everything, even if they were being very forceful and very intense. And you can hear that in their accents. So think about that in your day, your week, your life. And if you wanna get back into your yin, I've got some solutions and some suggestions. My name's Shavonne Moran, my company's Energetic Solutions, and you can find me@sheevaunmoran.com, S-H-E-E-V-A-U-N-M-O-R-A N.com, to having a beautiful in-between Yin and Yang Day. ✨ FREE GUIDEBOOKS FOR GROWTH & PROSPERITY✨ → Wanna learn how to GET your Epic Life and Prosper more Easily?! Get my FREE Viral Epic Life Toolkit: http://epiclifetoolkit.com Fastest path to prosperity: http://UnleashYourProsperity.com 

South Korea is most famously known as the “Land of the Morning Calm.” This poetic nickname is a back-translation of the ancient name Choson (or Joseon), where cho means “morning” and son means “fresh” or “bright.” Starting around 1000 years ago during the Goryeo Dynasty, Korean herbal medicine — known as Hanbang — began to distinguish itself from Chinese traditions by focusing on indigenous flora. This era saw the compilation of the Hyangyak Gugeupbang (Emergency Remedies using Native Drugs), the oldest surviving medical book in Korea.It shifted the focus toward Hyangyak, or “homegrown medicine,” ensuring that the common people had access to local herbs like mugwort, garlic, and wild ginseng rather than relying on expensive imported Chinese ingredients. This period established the philosophical foundation that the human body is a miniature universe, where health is maintained through the balance of Yin and Yang and the smooth flow of Qi. Monasteries and government-run dispensaries became hubs for refining these botanical formulas, treating everything from seasonal fevers to digestive issues.Around 1000 years ago during the Goryeo Dynasty, the “Land of the Morning Calm” began weaving a sophisticated tapestry of mental health care through the lens of Hanbang. In this era, the mind and body were viewed as an inseparable unity; mental distress was not seen as a purely “brain-based” issue but as a disharmony of the Five Viscera. For example, excessive grief was linked to the lungs, while anger was tied to the liver. To treat the “afflictions of the spirit,” Goryeo physicians utilized Hyangyak (native herbs) like Baekbokryeong (Poria cocos), a fungus found on pine roots known to “calm the heart and soothe the nerves.” This holistic approach was revolutionary because it focused on restoring the flow of Qi (energy) to alleviate symptoms of what we now call anxiety or depression. Rather than isolating the patient, herbal concoctions were used to stabilize the internal environment, allowing the spirit to return to a state of “Morning Calm.”The evolution of mental healing reached its sophisticated peak during the Joseon Dynasty, particularly with the 17th-century masterpiece, the Dongui Bogam. The physician Heo Jun documented extensive treatments for Hwa-byung (fire-illness), a unique Korean psychosomatic disorder caused by suppressed emotions. The primary herbal strategy involved “cooling the fire” of the heart. Formulas such as Cheongsimhwan (Clear Heart Pill), containing a complex blend of herbs including wild ginseng and dried ginger, were used to treat palpitations and emotional instability.

The team continues their plan to free Yin ho. https://linktr.ee/clashofkrits   Support us on https://patreon.com/ClashofKrits to get access to our after show "Late Night Traffic" and More!

Most of us have been taught that growth means pushing through, figuring it out, or getting it “right.” What if real growth comes from learning how to stay present at your edge?In this powerful conversation, host Elizabeth Mintun sits down with Jaye Marolla to explore a very different approach to leadership, growth, and self-awareness. Drawing from over a decade as a bodywork practitioner, Jaye shares how working with the body can expand our capacity to hold uncertainty, navigate conflict, and move through life with greater presence and resilience. Together, they unpack the concept of yin-led leadership, challenge common cultural narratives around power and safety, and introduce the idea of edge mapping, a practice of meeting ourselves at the boundary between the known and the unknown.Key TakeawaysGrowth happens at the edge, through presence. Real transformation comes from staying with discomfort, curiosity, and the unknown rather than bypassing it.mYin leadership is deeply attuned and responsive. True leadership arises from listening, receiving, and being in relationship with what's happening, rather than controlling it.Edge mapping expands your capacity. By gently exploring your edges (instead of pushing past them), you can build resilience, awareness, and flexibility.Yin and yang are not opposites - they are interdependent. True power comes from their integration: grounded, rooted yin giving rise to clear, intentional yang.Fulfillment is a natural part of life cycles. Knowing when something is complete (and having the awareness to release it) is essential for growth and new emergence.I'd love to hear what stood out to you in this conversation.What edge are you noticing in your own life right now?You can email me at elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.com - I always love hearing what's resonating.Resources Jaye's website: https://www.thebodyinnate.com/Jaye's IG: https://www.instagram.com/thebodyinnate/Learn more about 1:1 Coaching with Elizabeth Mintun here Contact Elizabeth: elizabethmintun@thecalmingground.comFind Elizabeth on Facebook & IG @thecalminggroundSubscribe to The Calming Ground Podcast so you never miss an episode. If you loved this conversation, please share it with a friend!

What if the source of your best writing isn't something you control — but something you learn to collaborate with? How can ancient ideas about the muse, the daimon, and creative genius transform the way you approach your work? And what might happen if you stopped fighting the silence and let it become your greatest creative ally? With Matt Cardin, author of Writing at the Wellspring. In the intro, thoughts on bookstores and Toppings; 20 ways authors can signal humanity and build reader trust [Wish I'd Known Then]; Learning from Silence – Pico Iyer; ProWritingAid spring sale; Bones of the Deep – J.F. Penn. Today's show is sponsored by Draft2Digital, self-publishing with support, where you can get free formatting, free distribution to multiple stores, and a host of other benefits. Just go to www.draft2digital.com to get started. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Matt Cardin is the multi-award-nominated author of eight books at the convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. His latest book is Writing at the Wellspring: Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius, which is fantastic. I actually blurbed it as follows: “A guide for writers who welcome the dark and hunger for meaning. . . . If the page is a threshold, this book will show you how to cross.” You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How Matt balances a full-time academic career with his creative writing life The ancient concept of the genius, the muse, and the daimon, and why creativity is about collaboration with something beyond yourself Why the silences that come into our creative lives, including writer's block and inertia, might actually be gifts rather than obstacles The stages of the creative process Living into the dark, and embracing uncertainty How Substack and blogging can organically grow into books You can find Matt at MattCardin.com or www.livingdark.net. Transcript of the interview with Matt Cardin Joanna: Matt Cardin is the multi-award-nominated author of eight books at the convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. His latest book is Writing at the Wellspring: Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius, which is fantastic. I actually blurbed it as follows: “A guide for writers who welcome the dark and hunger for meaning. . . . If the page is a threshold, this book will show you how to cross.” It is a great book. So welcome to the show, Matt. Matt: Well, thank you, Jo. It's really a pleasure to be here, especially since, as you and I were briefly acknowledging before we started recording, we have overlapping interests to a great degree. So it's really great to make official contact with you. Joanna: Indeed. So, first up, before we get into the book itself— Tell us a bit more about you and how you got into writing. Matt: Well, I'm one of those people whose story is probably typical in some ways, in that I really wanted to do it from the time I was a child. My father was a great writer, although he was an attorney. He wasn't a professional writer. Something about books and reading when I was a child really seriously enchanted me. I was very frustrated when I was so young—and I vividly remember this—that I couldn't read, because I loved the books that were read to me. I craved being able to read them for myself. So as soon as I gained that ability in school, it was off to the races, so to speak, and for some reason, a desire to tell stories myself came along with that. Being a “writer” was one of the earliest life desires, job or career desires, that I expressed. I was one of those young people really into fantasy, horror, and science fiction. So I was reading a lot of it and trying to emulate it and write a lot of it. There was a cinematic component—I was a movie fanatic as well. I won a local Authors' Guild short story writing contest when I was a senior in high school and began trying to write stories seriously in college. Then my interest in horror and religion became dominant over time, and that's what I ended up writing about. Joanna: Has your interest turned into paid work? That's the other thing, because there's an interest and then there's making writing more of your income and your business. Matt: Right. Well, actually, although I have made and do make money from my writing, it has always, always, always remained on the side. My main career, as far as my moneymaking life, first started off in video and media production, which is formally what I got my undergraduate college degree in. Then I switched into education. I taught high school for some years, and then now for the past, good Lord, 18 years, I have been in higher education. First as English faculty who also taught some religion courses, and then now for the past several years in the administration. I'm Vice President of Academic Affairs at a college. My writing has been something that I pursued as an avocation. As far as earning money from it, that didn't happen even with my first publication, which happened on the internet in 1998, I believe, with a horror story titled “Teeth.” It was just free—I didn't get paid. That led to paid publication of that story three or four years later, when it appeared as my very first print publication in a Lovecraftian horror anthology from Del Rey titled The Children of Cthulhu. It appeared as the final story, and that was the first time I had received a paycheck. It was a professional per-word rate. Since then I've had several books published and more stories and essays and that kind of thing. I've had income sometimes from writing and sometimes I haven't. My first book came out of that story. I attended the World Horror Convention in 2001, actually before that Lovecraftian anthology was published, but it had been placed. At the World Horror Convention, which was in Seattle that year, I met one of the two editors of that book, and that led to me having my first short story collection, Divinations of the Deep, which was not for much money, but it attracted a lot of good attention and some good reviews. So it's been like that all along. I mean, I've made a couple of runs at saying I would love to just be an author, as it were, but that doesn't seem to be in the cards for me. And honestly, I'm glad it's not. I have made the most money from some academic editing projects that I've done. I created and edited a two-volume encyclopedia of the history of horror literature, for instance, for a big academic publisher. Those are work-for-hire projects that I get paid for. Making money on my own creative vision and my own creative work has been intermittent. It really has proven over time that not having my primary creative, spiritual, and philosophical drive hooked to what I earn my bread by has been a blessing. I don't want to take this thing I love and make it be how I have to grind to earn my money. I want to keep it in a protected space. That has been spontaneously what's happened with my writing career. Joanna: Yes. I think as you say, there are a lot of benefits of that, especially where you are writing at this convergence of horror, religion, and creativity. Your writing is very deep. I would say it's on the edge of academic. I don't want to say it's completely academic, because a lot of people will find that difficult. But I think Writing at the Wellspring goes very deep while still being open to non-academic readers. As you say, I think if you had wanted to make a living with your books, you would've had to have gone in at a lighter level, perhaps. Do you think that makes sense? Matt: Yes, I know what you mean. I want to specify, I know that neither you nor I are saying anything about this as any kind of criticism or condescension to anyone who does make their living as a writer. I mean, I believe you do. Joanna: Yes, exactly. Matt: And that's fine. There really are people who have had significant commercial success from books or other things they've written that don't appear to be making huge concessions to being commercial. You can make a living as a writer, I think, and really follow your muse and not feel like you have to pander or cater or cheapen it. Then there are people who have perfectly happily decided to commercialise their work and tune it in whatever way is currently popular. That's fine. Every writer, every creative person should do what is right for him or her, in my opinion. In my particular case, I think what you said is right. I do think that I might have needed to change some things, to back off, to word them differently. Whenever I've tried to exert deliberate control like that, it just turns out that it's not something that my creative spirit wants to do. I don't really feel like I'm in contact with the work anymore. I'm fine with that. I don't think I'm doing a sweet lemons type thing. It really is the way it just needs to be. If it ever proves that me doing it strictly the way I want to do it, going however deep I want regardless of trying to appeal to a paying readership—if it turns out that at some point aligns with boatloads of money coming in, that's fine. That's perfectly fine. I'd be open to that. Joanna: Yes. Matt: I would be open to that. Joanna: You mentioned muse there, and with Writing at the Wellspring, the subtitle is “Tapping the Source of Your Inner Genius.” So I think this is a good place to talk about it. As you mentioned, you are leaning into your muse and your inner genius, and you use other terms—daemon or daimon. I think sometimes people find the word “genius” particularly very difficult because it has the connotation of brilliance in some form. So how can people think about this? How can we lean into this [genius] side of ourselves? Matt: Honestly, one thing that I would suggest people do is I would refer them to the TED Talk that Elizabeth Gilbert gave some years ago—was it 2009, 2010, 2011? It's one of the more popular TED Talks. Elizabeth Gilbert spoke about. I think it's sometimes given the title “Your Elusive Creative Genius” or something like that. Her whole talk is about the way in her own creative life, and as she recommends to others, it has been very important for her to seize on the older model that we're talking about. The most clear articulation of it is that it used to be the case—and we're talking about in ancient Western history, back to the Romans and even earlier to the Greeks—that genius was not something that you identified a person as being. It was something that a person had. And I would also say importantly, maybe had them too. In ancient Roman culture surrounding art and poetry and that kind of thing, the genius was the spirit that might, say, live in an artist's studio and would provide the same service to that artist as the Greek muses provided to someone who was writing epic poetry or history or something like that. That understanding of it has continued in various ways down through history. But there was a fateful transition as Western culture went through what we commonly call the Enlightenment and the Renaissance as well. This was where the term “genius,” while it didn't lose all those connotations of being an inspiring spirit—something that a person both has and maybe has hold of them—did become internalised to the point where we speak of people as being geniuses., which is exactly what you're talking about. I agree, some people listening to this probably have some reservations about this. They don't want to call themselves a genius because we tend to mean that's a super brilliant person, some kind of prodigy who is possessed of amazing artistic, creative, or intellectual skills. Again, that is the result of a cultural, philosophical, psychological, historical transition that occurred several centuries ago. And you still see the older meaning of it being attached sometimes. You think of people who we call geniuses being touched by something. Well, the older version—where you think of the genius, which in the way I use it in this book and also in my first book on creativity, A Course in Demonic Creativity—the genius is equivalent to the muse, which is equivalent to that other figure that you mentioned, the daemon or the daimon. It refers to a separate—what seems for all the world to be a separate—centre of intelligence or entity or influence. The thing that gives you both your creative drive and also your ideas, and serves as the source of what comes to you naturally to write. It's more than just ideas. When you talk about the ancient Greek daimon, there was a whole well-developed tradition of that in ancient Greek philosophy and religion. A daimon was, in one famous sense, a spirit that you were born with, that the gods had given you. It was like your double, your higher self. It was the thing that represented your character, your interests, the blueprint and the outline that your life was supposed to follow. There are great books written about that. There's a book by the psychologist James Hillman titled The Soul's Code. A lot of people have read it. It lays out the daimon theory and gives it application to modern instances. The idea is that everybody has a genius or has a muse or has a daimon. For writers, my recommendation is to say, whether you believe it or not, whether you take it as a metaphor—which is fine—or whether you want to get somewhat mystical and delve into the idea that maybe there's really a spirit or something, it doesn't matter. Productively, with practical, measurable results, you can learn to relate to your creative impulse as if you are collaborating internally with someone else. It's the centre of why you're interested in writing what you want to write, why you want to write the way you want to write, and even the types of things that unfold in the course of your career—both your creative career and the rest of your life, in the mould of the ancient daimon. I have found that to be a vein of great power and meaning in my own life. I do it exactly the way I'm describing. I don't actually believe it, but I don't disbelieve it. I find that in experience, it really doesn't matter. It works and it may as well be true. Joanna: I mean, obviously the book has a whole load of ways we can tap into that, but I did like that you talk about stillness and silence, because I feel like that is actually increasingly difficult as authors. Obviously it's noisy online and we're meant to be doing things like social media or interacting with people online. And then the world is just noisy. The news is noisy. There's lots of things. How can we use this idea of stillness and silence? Also, any other ways we can practically tap into this side? Matt: Sure. One thing that wanted to say itself in this book was some things I had been thinking and feeling about silence for a long time. As you say, it can be difficult these days to find what feels like the silence that we need to even get our work done. We're talking about the muse or the genius. How can we even hear it when it seems like the clamour of all the pulls that we have on our outward attention has become truly a cacophony? We have opted for this in many ways through our engagement with social media or other things, but in other ways seems like it's been thrust upon us. What I want to point out, that has been of extreme importance to me, is that many silences come into our lives as creatives that we resist. It's not just that we can't find the silence and the space that we feel like we need so as not to drown out our creativity. It's that we have unwanted silences come in, like writer's block. Or even if it doesn't feel like a block, just inertia. Just stasis. I don't know about you, but I have many, many times found myself grappling with what, for all the world, feels like a totally natural, organic sense of wanting to slip into complete inertia, just total stillness. And that feels like it has been in conflict with my creative drive. It's like I have this residual desire and also a sense of duty that I really should be writing. Maybe I have an idea in mind and I'm just not working on it. Or maybe I'm in the middle of a project and I feel like I'm abandoning it. Or maybe nothing's coming up, but I feel like it should be. I'm pushing myself, but there's a division in me where I also just want to leave it alone. Whether that means actually just sitting there silently at my writing table or in meditation, or maybe just going about regular daily life and forgetting about trying to fulfil this creative calling. I really think there's a vein of gold to be tapped in the silences that come to all of us. Because as I said, that can be in the middle of daily activity. We have this kind of franticness, some of us, about our creativity. We get wrapped up in it. We feel bound to it. The thing that so much of the time we want to think is a gift—we're proud of it, we cherish it, we like our writing—also becomes a burden. This fantasy of just chucking it all, of just saying, “I would love to be free of it. It's like something that's weighing me down. I'm sorry that I roped myself into it. I would love to just sink into complete silence.” This sort of meditative thing, or just muteness—hey, that is valid to hear. That's valid to heed when it comes up. I mean, sometimes we have gotten ourselves into situations where we have external responsibilities and deadlines, and it's important to try and honour those and not be a bad person on the level of just fulfilling practical obligations. It's also important to recognise you've got silence offering itself to you in all kinds of ways. The more important silence is paradoxically the one that we so often resist if we're creative people and feel like we have to be making. The more important silence is not whether or not your outward conditions seem like they're a clamour and they're chaotic and they're distracting and they're full of pressure. It's that inner silence. So I recommend paying attention to when it comes up. And for practical ways—they are endless. Take advantage of early mornings. A lot of people have found great value in getting up earlier than they are used to and making a practice of that, and either just meditating or free writing. Maybe using, for example, Julia Cameron's famous practice of morning pages, which has been valuable to me sometimes. Or doing things like—as I've said about the muse and the genius and the daimon—personify your unconscious mind and maybe write down a dialogue between yourself and your creative spirit, whether about your current project or just about your life and your creativity as a whole. There are various tricks to get in touch with this unconscious part of you, and I really am convinced out of practical personal experience that it's not necessary to have outer silence and outer spaciousness when you can find it within yourself. You can find it through some of these exercises for getting in alignment with what your creativity wants to do. You can get in touch with it if you're paying attention to what you might not recognise as a gift—offering it to yourself. If things go quiet and you think, “Oh no, I should be doing something”—why not let that be a place where things can germinate? Why not let that be the silence that you might not be able to find on the outside? Joanna: Yes, and I'm feeling guilty here because of course we are producing a podcast episode for people to listen to. I find personally that one of the places I can find silence is when I walk. It's not obviously silent outside, but I am definitely guilty of always listening to podcasts, often at very fast speed as well. Sometimes when I go for a walk, I just deliberately do not listen to anything—don't listen to an audiobook, don't listen to a podcast—and a lot comes up there. I have my phone with me, and when I get back from those walks and jot down things that come up in my mind, I will have so many notes of things that have come up in my brain during the walk. It's really difficult, isn't it? Because I know you also love input. You do a lot of research. As I said, your books have a lot of research in them, and so we both like doing the research. But also I definitely find that has to be balanced with the time for letting it come out again in some form, with that mental silence. You also talk about being uncomfortable, and I feel like sometimes that silence can be uncomfortable as well. Matt: Yes, it can be. There's no telling what might come up when you are faced with silence. Again, it's one of those things—even the outer kind that we think we crave. Sometimes it's a bit frightening when it comes up, which is why we try to fill it with things, like this podcast episode for example. There's a threshold that you can notice you cross sometimes, where what was a natural desire to connect with something that you heard about and found interesting becomes a bit frantic. Where now, really, what might be good is if you shut off—didn't go for the next podcast episode or didn't go for the next click to the website—if you just shut the browser and just sat there and did something else. You're kind of, with a little desperateness, trying to fill the void. What you described about needing to get quiet and let things happen—yes. I love reading and research, but the classic stages of the creative process—first codified, I think, by Graham Wallas, if I remember correctly—they still work. It's really good sometimes to have a model and understand how it works. You have what's sometimes called the preparation stage. All the input, all the research, all the brainstorming, all that kind of thing. Then the incubation stage can be vastly important. That can get frightening, both because the silence seems somehow threatening, like something about you is going to be exposed. Or maybe that you're going to lose the thread of whatever it was and it's never going to come out. But really, if you just stop and let your muse, let your genius do its thing, let your unconscious do its thing, it will suggest itself again. It will come up on its own. Ideas will come back. You'll realise, “Oh, I didn't know what I was going to do with that character. I didn't know how these ideas were going to come together. I didn't even know what this idea for a story, a book, or an essay was going to be.” It comes back up, and with you working with it, it shows what it wanted to be all along. This whole thing about doing the preparation and then allowing it to incubate and germinate and then sprout when it wants to, that still works. Part of the reason that we're scared of the silence, I'm convinced, is because each of us operates in our psychological selves as a closed system. It's like we each comprise our own cosmos, so to speak. I know you know that I have worked in horror literature, the literature of cosmic fear. In cosmic horror, as laid out by the likes of Lovecraft and others, the basic effect has been analysed as constituting a disturbance of the universe. That's the horror of cosmic horror—the world is transformed into this nightmarish thing in a cosmic horror story, where there's a haunting, threatening presence that's out of the ordinary and it's somehow bound up with the narrator's interior world. Life reveals itself as supernaturally or ontologically something nightmarish—there are awful forces that are about to erupt all the time. And whether anybody's into cosmic horror or not, I think it's pretty accurate to say that we each constitute our own world, our own cosmos. A lot of the noise that we make—the mental noise and the complications we introduce into our own lives—is, usually unconsciously, trying to stave off confrontation with the otherness that is outside the barrier of our personal sense of self. The weird thing is that that otherness is actually in us, and in fact, we can approach it in the figure of the daemon or the daimon or the muse. So creativity is fraught. You're dealing with something that you might want to think, “Oh, this is great, it's going to be the source of my ideas, it's going to fulfil my creativity.” Well, yes, but it is frightening to think about the fact of something about yourself being beyond yourself and perhaps being out of your conscious control and somehow guiding your destiny. A lot of people have trouble getting along with their own unconscious, which is another way to put it. There's a horror, a fear, a dread effect that comes when we feel like we are out of control. We all face that ultimately—when it comes to our death, for example. There are some spiritual traditions that talk about dying before you die, that being basically the way to enlightenment in those traditions. Recognising and coming to terms with the fact that this thing that is you, that you call yourself, is transitory. It is only there by being enclosed within and swamped from without by this thing that is not you, which is a sort of void to which you'll return. In the book, I deal with some of that, and I talk about it from a non-dual spiritual viewpoint, because ultimately for me, these creative questions have become inseparable from spiritual questions. Joanna: Yes. And obviously people know about my book Writing the Shadow, which is how we really connected around this Jungian idea of the shadow and the darkness. I agree with you—there's some really interesting things at the juxtaposition of all of these topics, which we could talk about for a long time. I do want to ask you around your idea of “living into the dark.” Because I feel like you do take things beyond just the writing into this idea of living into it. So maybe talk a bit about that. And obviously synchronicity, which is a Jungian psychology concept. Matt: Living into the dark is the thing that forms the overarching ethos or perspective for me of all this. I got the term from “writing into the dark,” which actually comes from the American science fiction and fantasy author Dean Wesley Smith. He wrote a book titled Writing Into the Dark, subtitled “Writing Without an Outline.” It's a great book. I recommend it to anyone. It is about forsaking and foregoing the felt need to outline writing in advance and trusting your creative mind to be able to make up a story in real time. That draws on the deep nature of storytelling to come out right. Therefore you write into the dark, as if you're walking down a road where you have a lantern and you can only see one step ahead. You haven't mapped out the territory. It was a great metaphor. I had already been thinking in that direction about life and about creativity for some time when I first came across that book. I devoured it and recognised it described how I had already been writing anyway, which is one reason it was so powerful for me. Then it edged out into a broader understanding for me that I had also been coming up with, that I just ended up calling “living into the dark.” None of us knows where anything is going, that much is obvious. But living into the dark goes farther than that, to embrace this understanding. I think of this in connection with what so many people, either personally or because of jobs they have where they're required to think like this. I think of this in terms of the famous five-year plan that so many of us want to draw up. There's nothing wrong with a five-year plan or a ten-year plan or a one-year plan. You can come up with that for practical purposes and try and chart where you're going, but we too often forget that that's just a fantasy exercise. We are not actually thinking into the future, nor are we ever actually thinking into the past. Remembering the past, predicting or projecting the future—both are events that are happening right now, in this moment, which is always now. It's no less now than it was when you and I first started this conversation. Past and future are projections—mental projections right now. And everything is unfolding in the present in real time, which effectively means what's going to come next is coming out of—well, we don't know where it's coming out of. Darkness. Living into the dark is living with full-on contact with, and awareness of, and embrace of this fact that we don't know what's coming up. That encompasses all of life and all of creativity. That same darkness, if it's helpful for you to take on this emotional tenor—which it is for me—can relate to the darkness in cosmic horror fiction, or to some of the rich traditions of darkness, like in Daoism with the yin contrasted with yang. Yin is the dark, moon, feminine aspect of things—the receptive source of the universe. This idea of living into the dark, of just accepting that we're all on this journey on a path where we can only see one step ahead, even if that far, has been meaningful to me. It's been meaningful to my creativity, and I recommend it to anybody to whom it appeals. It takes a lot of pressure off. I think that's a guiding meta-theme for me—trying to take the pressure off us from trying to control things that can't be controlled, and more stepping into that flow of understanding: what's going to come to me is going to come to me, and my posture toward it, whether I align with it or not, is what's going to determine my experience of it. You mentioned synchronicity. It's interesting. It's verifiable. I know a lot of people have verified it for themselves. Maybe some people listening to this have too. It's verifiable that when you really get in tune with this present-moment thing and get in tune with your creativity—and you can tell when you're aligned and not, when you feel blocked or when you feel resistance or not—when these things align on their own sometimes, strange coincidences do happen. Jung talked about synchronicity as an acausal connecting principle. That was probably due to the fact that the psyche is not separate from the fabric of the world that gives rise to it, so that we might have subjective things—impressions, fantasies, dreams—that we rather uncannily see mirrored in objective events. Like the famous thing that clarified and coalesced that for him: a psychotherapy session with a patient who was describing a dream she'd been having about a scarab beetle. Then he heard a tapping at the window of his office and he went there and opened it, and there was a European beetle—a kind of scarab beetle, much like the Egyptian scarab—that was there. He held it up and said to the woman, “Is this your beetle? Here is your beetle.” It just blew her mind. It opened new levels of the therapy that she was receiving. Those kinds of things happen. I've had them happen. Joanna: Me too. Matt: If you're a long-time writer or reader, you're familiar with the library genie—the library daemon, we sometimes refer to it as—the book that, just at the moment you think of it and realise, “Oh yes…” You're doing your study, and it doesn't have to be a library, it could be on the web or whatever. You finally realise what it is that you need, what you've been looking for, and in some cases it literally falls off the shelf onto someone's head. What do you make of those when they happen? At the very least, it rattles your cage. You might enter a state of suspended judgement about whether we really are living in a kind of magical cosmos full of real correspondences. It's a bit like the daimon or the muse: is it a metaphor? Is it just an interpretation, or is it something real? Probably the best place is one of profoundly, actively embraced agnosticism, and just take it for what it is. Joanna: Yes, and leaning more into your intuition. I think you definitely demonstrate that in the book as well, really exploring a lot of very interesting topics. Now, we are almost out of time, but you do have a Substack, The Living Dark, where you publish essays, and you've also got all kinds of really interesting books. I want people to go have a look at some of the other stuff you've written, especially if you enjoy horror and religion and all of that kind of thing. So just to ask, how do you decide when something is an essay on The Living Dark, and how do you decide when you are going to put it in a book or in some other way? I feel like a lot of authors are thinking about Substack but don't necessarily know what to put on it. I think I first connected with you on your Substack, where I was like, “Oh, this guy's writing interesting, weird stuff.” How do you use Substack as opposed to writing for your books? Matt: Sure. Let me answer by first talking about what happened previously with that first book on creativity that I mentioned, A Course in Demonic Creativity. I had all kinds of thoughts and ideas coming up, seeded over many years of practice and reading about the daimon and the daemon and the genius and the muse. In 2009 I founded a blog—it was just a WordPress blog—and I titled it Daemon Muse. I attended to it for two to three years. A lot of people ended up reading it. I really did not have any plans, not even any back-burner plans, of taking the material that I published in posts there about this way of creativity and making it a book. I did realise about a year and a half in that essentially I had a book I had already written in those posts. So it took some work, and I spent six months making it all into a coherent book. By the way, that book was only ever published as a PDF, which is still free on my website, MattCardin.com—although plans for the first-ever print edition of it are in motion right now. That was published in 2011. When I went to Substack and started my newsletter there in 2022—and by the way, it wasn't originally called The Living Dark; my first title was “Living Into the Dark,” and then I changed it about a year, year and a half in—I kind of am doing the same thing. It's been a while since I took anything and thought, “I'm writing a book with it.” I write what comes to me to write. You know how Substack Notes is Substack's own version of social media, kind of like Twitter used to be or like X kind of is now. It happens all the time that I write things that just stay in contact with people as a Substack Note—some short thing. And then I realise I wanted to say more about that. Or you have what happened just this morning. Three or four hours before you and I were talking, I started writing a Substack Note and it got so long I realised I had something that could be a post to The Living Dark. So I switched over and finished it that way. The book Writing at the Wellspring came together after I had written things for a couple of years at The Living Dark and realised that I could trace a path through about a third of the posts that I had ever published there, and had the makings of a book. So that, plus other material from earlier in my life—there are things from my private journals from years ago in Writing at the Wellspring—plus some new material, ended up turning into that book. So I'm not thinking about the difference, is what I'm saying. I find writing at my Living Dark newsletter to be a needful and enjoyable creative outlet, partly because I have some 3,800 readers now and it feels good to be in contact with them and to have that audience and to know that there's that eye on what I'm writing. That's partly because I just have the freedom to work it out to my satisfaction and publish it there. I'm already halfway forming another book that will be of a different focus, to come from things that I have published there. So for me, there's an organic relationship between Substack writing, or any kind of blogging, and the writing of books. If people haven't thought about that, they might want to consider it. If you have one already or if you're thinking of starting a blog on Substack or anywhere else, maybe you have things that can guide you to a book that already exists and you just haven't realised it. Joanna: So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Matt: Well, The Living Dark that we're talking about is at www.livingdark.net—and it does require the three Ws at the beginning to get there. Then my author website is MattCardin.com, and you can go to the books page there to get a link to all the books I've published and read about them. Joanna: Great. Well, thanks so much for your time, Matt. That was fantastic. Matt: Thank you, Jo. I really appreciate the invitation.The post Writing At The Wellspring: Tapping The Source Of Your Inner Genius With Matt Cardin first appeared on The Creative Penn.

In 1976 near the ruins of the ancient capital Yin, archaeologists rediscovered the tomb of Fu Hao and it transformed our understanding of the Shang Dynasty. Most royal tombs were ravaged by looters, but the final resting place of Fu Hao remained perfectly preserved. Now we know in addition to her duties as queen, she was also a military general, priestess, and she managed lands of her own. For Women's History Month, learn about the life of this legendary figure through the contents of her tomb. From bronze Yue axes symbolizing her military authority to the world's oldest jade archery ring to trade goods from far off lands, learn about some of the artifacts that helped us rediscover a warrior queen from the first dynasty of Ancient China. Offline Sources Cited: Chinese Academy of History. 2025. Rituals of the Xia and Shang Dynasties (c. 2070–1046 BCE). In: A Concise History of Chinese Civilization. Springer, Singapore.. Kwok, Kian-Chow. 1984. The Tomb of Fu Hao. Thesis, University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Science (Ed.). 2003. Zhongguo kaoguxue, xiashangjuan [Chinese archaeology, Xia and Shang dynasties]. China Social Sciences Press. Schwartz, Adam C. 2019. The Oracle Bone Inscriptions from Huayuanzhuang East: Translated with an Introduction and Commentary. De Gruyter. Links See photos related to episode topics on Instagram Loving the macabre lore? Treat your host to a coffee! Video | China's Forgotten Warrior Queen - Fu Hao by Xiran Jay Zhao Video | Historical vs modern archery by Blumineck Video | Onsite-Anyang Yinxu Museum by PaTh ArchPodNet APN Website: https://www.archpodnet.com APN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/archpodnet APN on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/archpodnet APN on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/archpodnet APN Shop Affiliates Motion Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Do you ever wish you were more grounded, had stronger boundaries, felt more clear and aligned in your purpose, and could powerfully ask for what you want and need?If so, then you might resonate with Nice Guy Synrdome, and you probably want stronger YANG energy (as opposed to YIN energy). Here, Luke breaks down the mind-body connection through the lens of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). explaining how unspoken resentment, chronic worry, and swallowed boundaries don't just affect your relationships — they show up in your immune system, your gut, and your posture.Meanwhile, we get real about what women actually feel in the presence of a man who's either checked out of his power or swinging it around like a wrecking ball (spoiler: neither feels safe or sexy).The good news? Yang energy can be rebuilt — and faster than you think, especially in community. We dig into why breathwork and meditation are such powerful tools for men ready to stop walking on eggshells and start showing up fully. If you've ever wondered why you're so tired, why you can't seem to ask for what you want, or why something just feels stuck — this one's for you.---Memorable quotes from this episode:"The yuckiness that I'm not stating, I will produce and absorb. I'll swallow it, put it down into my own system, and then I will digest that angst, that resentment, that grief, that sadness.""The state of mind that brought on the disease cannot be the state of mind that cures the disease. Don't change who you are — and the disease has no choice but to remain the same.""When I — or my women friends — can feel that a man is deeply present, and that he has the capacity to stand up for himself… that is sexy.""When you watch another man break through — you feel proud, and you feel: if he could do it, I can do it. Because I relate to him and his pain and his story. I know his story, because it's my story.""Let's get on with the business of living! Who knows how much time we have?"---Work with usReady to go deeper than the podcast and take action? Jason and I will help you break old patterns and transform your sex & love life for good. To see if you're a fit for our flagship program, Pillars of Presence, book a call here. Start anytime. (https://evolutionary.men/apply/)

¿Y si la mayoría de enfermedades no empiezan en el cuerpo… sino en tus emociones? En este episodio con el Dr. Julián Hernández, exploramos la diferencia entre la medicina occidental y la medicina china, y cómo este sistema milenario entiende la salud desde una perspectiva completamente distinta.En este episodio aprenderás:- Diferencias clave entre medicina oriental y occidental- El verdadero origen emocional de las enfermedades- Cómo eliminar el dolor en segundos (acupuntura y puntos clave)- Las claves de la medicina china para vivir más de 100 años- Cómo usar el reloj biológico chino para mejorar tu salud- La relación entre estrés, pensamientos y enfermedad- Hábitos simples para optimizar tu metabolismo y energíaShownotes00:00 - La responsabilidad de sanar: El primer paso para la cura.01:22 - ¿Quién es el Dr. Julián Hernández? Medicina Holística y China.02:56 - Vivir en orden: El secreto de una vida con propósito.03:48 - Por qué la medicina occidental estudia cadáveres y la oriental la vida.05:22 - El mapa de tus emociones: ¿Qué órgano se daña cuando sientes ira o tristeza?08:28 - El equilibrio del Yin y Yang: Calor vs. Frío en la enfermedad.10:06 - Ciclos de la naturaleza: Cómo los elementos gobiernan tu salud.11:35 - Los primeros 7 años: Por qué tus traumas infantiles dictan tu salud actual.15:34 - Causas externas vs. internas: Lo que realmente te enferma.17:14 - Diferencias clave: Medicina Oriental vs. Occidental.19:50 - Reloj biológico chino: El horario exacto en que tus órganos se reparan.22:10 - ¿Vivimos mejor que nuestros ancestros? El reto de la era digital.25:20 - El impacto del abuso y el conflicto emocional en la vista y el pulmón.28:05 - Cómo eliminar el dolor en 10 segundos con una aguja (Demostración).30:20 - ¿Funciona la acupuntura si no tengo fe? La verdad científica.32:53 - El experimento de 6 semanas: Por qué no puedes sanar donde te enfermaste.36:06 - El volante de las emociones: Cómo tus pensamientos cambian tu bioquímica.40:27 - Por qué te despiertas a las 3:00 AM: Significado emocional del insomnio.47:45 - La verdadera grandeza: Vulnerabilidad y renuncia a las creencias.51:01 - Sanando la relación con los padres: La raíz de toda patología.55:27 - Cómo saber si estás en incoherencia emocional (Señales del cuerpo).59:12 - ¿Existen las emociones negativas? La función de la ira y el miedo.1:01:12 - Claves para vivir 120 años: Longevidad y energía vital (Jing).1:05:10 - Fundamentos de la alimentación: Comer con los 5 sentidos.1:08:58 - Las 3 leyes del pensamiento: Cómo dominar tu mente.1:12:01 - Por qué no eyacular: El ahorro de energía vital en hombres.1:15:01 - Tipos de metabolismo según tu personalidad y emociones.1:19:19 - ¿Puede la medicina china curar el cáncer y enfermedades terminales?1:27:36 - El mensaje final: Hazte cargo de lo que te sucede.Si te gustó este episodio, te recomendamos ver:- https://youtu.be/1Lr90wz7fKY- https://youtu.be/HBlq73DzAPE- https://youtu.be/Bg0_zMYSdSM- Recibe acceso gratuito a mi lista de los 100 libros que transformarán tu vida aquí: https://www.creadores.co/newsletter- Únete a nuestra Escuela de Creadores, un programa de 12 semanas para transformar tu cuerpo, mente y negocios: https://creadores.co/escuela- Invierte en bienes raíces en EE. UU. con nosotros en Creadores Capital y genera retornos promedio del 20% anuales. Aplica aquí: https://www.creadorescapital.com/Invitado- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjulianhdz/- Sitio Web: https://revolucionemocional.com/- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drjulianhdz/Creadores- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/creadorespodcast- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/creadorespodcast- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chelozegarra- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marcelozegarrac- Twitter: https://twitter.com/chelozegarrac- Email: https://www.creadores.co/contacto#CreadoresPodcast #SaludIntegral #MedicinaChina #BienestarHolístico

This week we finally reach the end of our first pass on everything new included in the Thunder's Edge expansion! Only about six months to talk about everything. We've been very specific about it to, I think we've saved the best for last. The Firmament is far from the greatest faction but I think what they bring to the table is so fresh that it's just too exciting to ignore. So sit down with Me and Blasto as we wax poetic on what works and what doesn't and remember to keep an open mind, there was a time that factions like Arborec and Yin were considered bad and then as our understanding evolves we realize that they aren't bad, they're just mid. Maybe that will be the case here! The Old King's Crown Campaign page: The Old King's Crown Second Printing and New Songs of Home Expansion Music provided by Ben Prunty. Find more at benpruntymusic.com or benprunty.bandcamp.com Additional Music and Sounds by Brian Kupillas. https://wanderinglake.bandcamp.com/ Art by Sun Sanders  To learn more about our Discord, Patreon, Merch, and more, visit https://spacecatspeaceturtles.com/

In this episode of The Anthony Thomas Podcast, we dive deep into breathwork, personal growth, and living with purpose with Jon Paul Crimi.

For episode 374 we are delighted and honored to welcome our teacher Katherine Metz back to the show for a deep conversation about the Wood Element. We explore the energy of Wood and its connection to spring — growth, expansion, creativity, and new beginnings. We talk about the yin and yang qualities of Wood, and reflect on how imbalance can show up as either rigidity or frustration, and how important it is to cultivate harmony. We also discuss the symbolism of bamboo as a teacher of humility and resilience — strong yet flexible, open yet grounded.This episode is an invitation to recognize the Wood energy within yourself, nurture your growth, and embody strength with compassion in your daily life.What we talk about in this episode:-Wood's association with spring and growth-The Yin and Yang qualities of wood -Wind as a symbol of the gentle influence of wood energy-Bamboo as a representation of strength and humility in wood energy-Balancing wood energy with other elements for harmony-Listening to the wind for wisdom and insight…and much moreMentioned in this episode:Katherine Metz2026 Feng Shui Amulet for Protection and LuckOur Feng Shui Energy Map EkitRegister for our free & on-demand Feng Shui plant workshop, available for a limited timeHarmonize your Home with Feng Shui PlantsEnhance your qi, prosperity and wellnessThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.Time stamps for this episode:[2:30] Introduction to the Wood Element[05:30] Understanding the Wood Element in Feng Shui[11:05] Yin and Yang Qualities of Wood[16:29] Recognizing Wood Element Traits in Yourself[22:00] The Role of Bamboo in Feng Shui[27:21] Practical Applications of Wood Element[32:25] Humanity and the Wood ElementMORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE

Die traditionelle chinesische Medizin (TCM) hat einen ganz anderen Blick auf die Wechseljahre als unsere westliche, moderne Medizin. Diana im Gespräch mit Ernährungswissenschaftlerin und „TCM-Wechseljahreberaterin“ Dr. Antonie Danz über unsere körpereigenen Kerzen und Kochtöpfe (als Modelle für Yin und Yang und den Magen) und was sich daran ab ca. 35 Jahren verändert; warum Porridge und Suppen super Lebensmittel für mittelalte Frauen sind und darüber, wie heilsam es ist, beim Essen einfach danach zu gehen, was einem guttut – und nicht danach, wo ein Mangel sein könnte.Hier geht es zur Rabattaktion aus unserer Eigenwerbung – zum Weltfrauentag gibt es 20 Prozent auf ausgewählte Kurse der BRIGITTE-Academy, und speziell für MENO AN MICH-Hörerinnen sogar 22 Prozent (Rabattcode MENO-22). www.brigitte.de/meno-weltfrauentagINFOS ZUR FOLGE:Hier geht es zu Dr. Antonie Danz im Internet.Hier geht es zu ihrem Insta-Account.Hier geht es zu ihrem Buch "TCM-Ernährung für die Wechseljahre", und hier zum "Kochbuch für Frauen ab 40" (beide sind bei TRIAS erschienen).Hier geht es um die Studie zum Intervallfasten, von der Dr. Danz spricht.Hier geht es zum Newsletter "Saisonwechsel" von der BRIGITTE.Hier geht es zum meno_brigitte-Insta-Account.Hier geht es zu Dianas Instagram.Hier geht es zu Julias Instagram.+++ Weitere Infos zu unseren Werbepartnern findet Ihr hier: https://linktr.ee/menoanmich +++ WEITERE ANGEBOTE aus der BRIGITTE Redaktion:Masterclass Finanzen (aus unserer Eigenwerbung in dieser Folge, der Early Bird Rabatt gilt bis zum 8. September): academy.brigitte.de/masterclass?utm_source=menoanmich&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=mcf-premium-kh11&utm_term=shopSkin-Code-Kurs mit Dermatologin Dr. Yael Adler: brigitte.de/meno-skinKrafttraining-Kurs 50 plus der BRIGITTE: Forever Fit On Demand Kurs von BRIGITTE ACADEMYOn Demand Video-Kurs "Wechseljahre: Wissen, was hilft": https://academy.brigitte.de/course/wechseljahre?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=meno&utm_campaign=wechseljahreKostenloses Webinar Rentenlücke berechnen: https://academy.brigitte.de/webinar-aufzeichnung-rentenluecke-berechnenETF Kurs: https://academy.brigitte.de/course/etf-kurs?utm_source=menoanmich&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=etf-kurs-m Ihr habt Anregungen, wollt uns Eure Geschichte erzählen oder selbst bei uns zu Gast im Podcast sein? Dann schreibt uns beiden persönlich, worüber Ihr gern mehr wissen würdet, was Euch bewegt, rührt, entsetzt und Freude macht an podcast@brigitte.de. Wir freuen uns auf Euch! Und bewertet und abonniert unseren Podcast gerne auch auf Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music oder Audio Now. Noch mehr spannende Beiträge findet Ihr zudem auf Brigitte.de sowie dem Instagram- oder Facebook-Account von BRIGITTE –schaut vorbei! +++Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html +++Wir verarbeiten im Zusammenhang mit dem Angebot unserer Podcasts Daten. Wenn Sie der automatischen Übermittlung der Daten widersprechen wollen, klicken Sie hier: https://datenschutz.ad-alliance.de/podcast.html Unsere allgemeinen Datenschutzrichtlinien finden Sie unter https://art19.com/privacy. Die Datenschutzrichtlinien für Kalifornien sind unter https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info abrufbar.

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Thunder Beneath the Water's Edge moves through late‑winter's deep Yin — the dragon coil, the Worm Moon stirring, and Lilith's refusal to remain unconscious — and grounds it all through the lens of aromatherapy. This episode traces the first subtle movement before emergence: the soil softening, sap rising, worms shifting underground, and the psyche waking from within. It's a moment of instinct, intuition, and inner truth, and the aromatic plants we explore are chosen not for activation, but for holding space for dream‑life, rest, and the slow gathering of healthy yang.You'll hear how archetypes like Lilith, the dragon, and the ouroboros map onto this seasonal threshold, why sleep and dreams matter so profoundly right now, and how forcing outwardness too soon disrupts our ecology. Then we turn to the botanicals that support this moment — Lavender, Roman Chamomile, Vetiver, Valerian, Spikenard, Mugwort, and Sweet Gale — each offering grounding, clarity, or dream‑support in their own way. This is aromatherapy as a companion to emergence: spacious, protective, and attuned to the subconscious.The episode closes with a new poem written during this Worm Moon season — a reflection on pressure building beneath the surface and the quiet truth that stirs inside.Links:Free Online Library: Articles & CoursesEssential Oils for Enhancing Sleep eBook

This episode we'll be looking at a bunch of different references referring to the various provinces, particularly those on the far edges of the archipelago. For more, check out:  https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-144   Rough Transcript Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua, and this is episode 144: On the Edge The ships sat low in the water, bobbing gently against the docks at Naniwa.  The captain eyed them warily as the officials went over the manifest.  The Seto Inland Sea was generally calm and smooth sailing—at least compared to the open ocean, anywhere else -- and yet, as he looked, he could only think of how sluggish these ships would be.  They were laden down with cargo—silk, cloth, thread, and of course provisions for the men accompanying them.  But more than that, they were laden down with iron.  Tons of iron ingots, destined for the far reaches of the archipelago.  First to Suwa, but then on to the Dazai on Tsukushi, no doubt to be forged into weapons for the defense of Yamato. But that wasn't the captain's concern.  He just needed to make sure that the ships weren't weighed down too much:  as long as they remained buoyant, they would make the journey, even if they had to travel at a snail's pace to do it.  But if the ships sat too low in the water, then all it would take was some uncooperative waves and the ships, crew, and cargo, would be sent straight down to the palace of the dragon king, beneath the waves. Fortunately, with enough ships, it looked like that wouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as the goods were properly spaced out.  Now to just hope that the weather cooperated.  Even in the relatively safe waters of the Seto Inland Sea, you never know what could happen…     So last episode we talked about two large projects that Ohoama is said to have started.  First was the history project, which likely led to the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki.  Second was the start of a brand new capital.  This episode, we are going from the macro, down to the micro—smaller events that just weren't covered in previous episodes.  For the most part the next few episodes are going to be a grab bag of various items, but I'm going to try and put some semblance of cohesion to this.  Next episode we'll be looking at some of the laws that they made, including the law code and examples of the kinds of punishment—and forgiveness—that the court could bestow.  This week, however, we are going to cover a bunch of stories focused on the areas outside of the Home Provinces.  We'll look at the Dazai in Tsukushi—and elsewhere.  We'll talk about how the provinces were governed, and what concerned them.  Granted, a lot of what concerned them, at least from the Chroniclers point of view, were taxes and economic production.  So we see recorded concern with taxes and with what was there—the land and the people that worked it.  Also with natural events, like droughts and tsunami, which would affect that same economic production.   We're starting off with the Dazai, and the person in charge there.  The Viceroy, as it is often called in English. The Dazai appears to have started off with something of a military purpose.  It was a gathering place before ships would sail off to the Korean peninsula, raiding up the rivers, or trading with their allies.  As the archipelago began to be more embroiled in the wars of the peninsula, it was that much more important.  And when Yamato's ally, Baekje, fell, and it looked like Silla and the Great Tang might turn their attention to the islands that had been a thorn in their side for so long, it became a bulwark against potential invasion. However, it also had another function.  It was the jumping off place for warships, but also for embassies and trading missions.  It was also the primary destination for most ships approaching Yamato.  They would take a route through Tsushima island, and then Iki island, and continue to the main coast of Tsukushi—Kyushu, and up and around to the sheltered waters of Hakata bay.  At some point they would even move that initial contact farther out, to Tsushima island itself.  Ships would dock on one side of the island, and transport their goods to a Yamato ship on the other side, with a pilot who knew the waters.  The local island officials could then send word ahead to the Dazai that they were coming.  No surprises, and nobody jumping the gun thinking that a fleet of warships was on their way. The Dazai played a key role in defense, trade, and diplomacy.  When the embassies arrived, they were entertained at the Dazai while word was sent to the court.  If the court deemed it appropriate, then they might have the ambassadors take the journey the rest of the way.  Otherwise, the court at the Dazai would stand in for the sovereign, and receive the messages, and various diplomatic gifts that were sent along. This was a powerful and also highly lucrative position, and it is reflected in the people who were granted the title.  This was the Dazai no Sochi, or Oho-mikoto-mochi no kami. We see the post held by Soga no Himuka in  649, during the Taika era.  Then we see Abe no Hirafu in the reign of Takara Hime, 655-661.  Hirafu would go on to become the Minister of the Left.  Then we see Prince Kurikuma. We talked about Prince Kurikuma before—he was Ohoama's ally in Tsukushi who refused the Afumi court's request for troops during the Jinshin no Ran.  He is one of the few figures that we have more than just a bit of information on.  For one thing, we have two different appointments to his position as viceroy in Tsukushi—there is one in 668, and another in 671, with Soga no Akae being given the post in between.  There are some questions about whether or not those were different people—the first one might have been someone named "Kurisaki" or "Kurimae", but it is generally assumed that was just misspelled, and it may be that there were just some questions as to when he was appointed.  We also know that he was a friend to Ohoama.  The Afumi court said as much, and in the Jinshin no Ran, when he and his sons stood up  to the Afumi court's request for troops, he came down heavily on Ohoama's side.  It is no wonder that he would have still been in such a powerful position.  His sons, by the way, are named as Prince Mino and Prince Takebe; we've seen what appears to be different Princes named Mino, but it is possible that this is the Prince Mino mentioned elsewhere in this part of the record. Sources suggest that Kurikuma was a descendant of the sovereign Nunakura, aka Bidatsu Tennou, and that he was an ancestor of the Tachibana clan.  There were stories about him in Tsukushi, beyond those in the Nihon Shoki, and while he isn't always named explicitly, one can infer that he hosted a number of embassies and ambassadors in his time.  In fact, in his position as head of the Dazaifu in Tsukushi, he was in what was perhaps the most lucrative post outside of Yamato.  In addition to being in charge of trade, diplomacy, and military readiness, the Dazaifu oversaw all of Tsukushi—the island of Kyushu, and was like a miniature representation of the central government. I suspect it is the military responsibilities that saw Kurikuma being appointed to the post of Director of Military Affairs—Tsuwamo-no-Tsukasa-no-Kami, or Heiseikan-cho. That was in the 3rd lunar month of 675, just a few years into Ohoama's reign. This would later be known as the Hyoubu-shou, or Ministry of War.  The appointment would not last long, however.  A year later, Kurikuma would pass away from disease.  Prince Kurikuma is one of those enigmatic and yet somewhat exciting individuals that exists beyond just the Nihon Shoki.   The Shoku Nihongi and later sources give us additional details, which may or may not be accurate.  Even moreso, there are stories in modern Nagasaki prefecture about Prince Kurikuma helping to regulate the animals that lived in the waters surrounding Kyushu.  According to the Shoku Nihongi record, he was reportedly granted the 2nd princely rank upon his death—which, if true, would seem to say a lot about how he was viewed at the time. Moving into the year 676, we see an edict that restricted governorships to individuals of the rank of Daisen and below.  The exceptions to this were the Home Provinces, Michinoku, and Nagato, and let's explore why these areas were excepted. Home Provinces make sense, as that is where the capital is and this more prestigious area was therefore deserving of a higher ranked noble.  Michinoku was the opposite geographically: it was the general wilderness of Tohoku, and the land of the Emishi.  It was also the farthest east of the capital, so I suspect they wanted someone of rank to handle that.  The governor of Nagato, however, is interesting.  Nagato is part of Honshu, the main island, just north of Kyushu, across the Shimonoseki strait.  Similar to Michinoku, Nagato was one of the most remote provinces on Honshu.  It was also an important province for potential defense and trade, and often coordinated with the Dazaifu in Tsukushi, to the south.  As such, it was also considered a more prominent posting than other governorships. It is somewhat interesting that the Dazaifu is not mentioned, but I suspect this is because the head of the Dazaifu was not, in fact, a governor, but more akin to a viceroy.  After all, they had to be entrusted with a certain amount of authority to be able to conduct military, trade, and diplomatic business without constantly sending back to the Yamato court for instruction.  We've already seen that there were Princes and other men of wealth and status who had been given that posting. Interestingly, in this reign we see at least one other viceroy—one other Dazai, or Ohomikotomochi—and that is in Kibi, of all places.  From what we can tell Kibi was one of the main rivals for power and authority in the prior centuries.  It has come up again and again in the stories.  Unfortunately, most of the stories only hint at what we think actually happened.  Today, when we talk about *the* Dazaifu we are almost exclusively talking about the one in Kyushu.  Besides being far flung from the center of power, it had huge responsibilities. Comparatively, though perhaps not as directly involved with trade, the rulers of Kibi were important figures, as demonstrated by the amount of manpower they were able to leverage for building their large, kingly tombs.  We talked somewhat about that back in Episode 48, looking at Tsukuriyama Kofun, one of the largest in the archipelago.  Furthermore, Kibi was well-placed on the Seto inland sea to be able to control the passage of ships.  The Kibi Dazai appears to have been established around the time of the Taika reforms, though it is only mentioned once in the Nihon Shoki, and I don't see any other examples of it.  There is also evidence that it was given authority over not just Kibi, but also the neighboring province of Harima.  Eventually, however, Kibi would be broken up into the three provinces of Bizen, Bitchu, and Bingo, and it would no longer need to be aggregated under a single administration.  Rather, each province would get its own governor, overseeing a much smaller part of the whole.  From this I can only assume that there may have been other, similar situations, prior to the various provinces being broken up like that. A couple months later, in the 5th month of 676, we are once again discussing governors.  First was a decree about governors who weren't paying their commuted taxes on time.  Aston goes on to note that non-rice taxes were due in the middle of the 8th month—at least for the home provinces.  Near provinces—a little farther away—taxes had to be received by the end of the 10th month, and for those a bit farther away—in the middle distance—they had to be there by the 11th month.  Finally,  the taxes from the farthest provinces were due by the end of the 12th month.  This would have given officials time to collect the taxes and to transport them all the way to the capital.  So when the chronicles talk about governors not paying on time, not keeping to this schedule may have been what the court was getting at—or at least some kind of similar schedule with deadlines, since it might have been modified over time.    Another record, that same month—actually a few days later—concerns specifically the governor of Shimotsukenu—or Shimotsuke, on the other side of Honshu.  He sent in a report that that province had been hit pretty hard that year with a poor harvest.  In fact, it was so bad that many peasants were seeking permission to sell their children.  The court ultimately denied the request, but this does speak to a rather disturbing—yet not exactly uncommon—cultural practice.  I don't think we need to get into the different nuances here, beyond a look at the fact that this was likely not a new practice, but it does seem that the appeal to the government for permission to sell one's children was something new.  Perhaps this came with all of the records and registrations that the government had undertaken to know who was in what household.  Regardless, one can hardly imagine that most parents would willingly take this option unless they had no other choice, and I suspect that it is meant to show both the desperation of the people in Shimotsuke, as well as the harsh benevolence of the sovereign, who would not permit the children to be separated from their families.  Of course, we aren't told how the court otherwise ameliorated the situation, since moral righteousness is tremendous, but doesn't suddenly fix the problems with the harvest or cause food to appear out of nowhere.  One hopes that the court at least sent some amount of rice or other provisions to help the people. Although it was Shimotsuke in the 5th month, in the 6th month we see a more general report of a large drought.  Messengers were sent throughout the land to get people to donate cloth, and make prayers to the kami, while Buddhist Priests called upon the power of the Three Precious Things.  It was all to no avail—the usual rains didn't come, so the wugu, the five grains didn't grow, and peasants starved.  The five grains per se are  rice, soybeans, wheat, and two types of millet, but in this case the term is just a stand-in for all types of agricultural produce. Possibly unrelated, but somewhat telling, two months later we see a record of the court granting sustenance-fiefs of all Royal princes and princesses down to the high ministers and female officials at the palace down to the rank of Shoukin.  So only two months after the peasants of Yamato were apparently starving, the court is handing out stipend increases to the elite.  So… yeah…. We do see a focus in the 8th month on an Oho-barai, or Great Purification.  I'm going to talk about this more in a future episode, though, so just noting here that they seem to have been working to purify the land and that may have been part of ongoing spiritual attempts to request the support of the kami in what appear to be difficult times.  There were also plenty of examples of attempts to make merit by demonstrating righteousness and reading various sutras. Moving on to the events of 677, things seem to have been going better than the previous year, so maybe all that merit-making had an effect?  Either way, we don't see any mention of droughts or famines this year, and we make it to the ninth month, when we see a notice that any vagabonds who returned after being sent back to their hometown would be set to forced labor.  Vagabond, in this case, is "furounin", or "person who floats on the waves".  This appears to be the origin of the term "Rounin", which would later refer to masterless samurai.  At this point it seems to refer mostly to commoners who were expected to work the land—and when workers abandoned the land that had implications for the government's tax base system.  So the State was invested in ensuring that people didn't just move somewhere else—at least without asking permission and being properly registered.  This does seem different from an actual fugitive, such as someone who was banished who tries to leave their place of banishment. The following month, the 10th month of 677,  we see that Kawabe no Omi no Momoye was appointed head of the Minbukyo, the Minister of the Interior.  In addition, Tajihi no Kimi no Maro was made a Daibu, or high official, of the province of Settsu.     The term "daibu" could just refer to high ministers of the court, but the "daibu" of a province appears to be similar to a governor, but with more expansive and comprehensive authority.  Settsu is one of the five home provinces, and as such an important part of the geographical heart of Yamato.   So we have the local chieftains, the governors, the viceroys at the Dazai, and also, apparently, a "high official" in some regions, each with what appear to be overlapping but slightly different portfolios. The next month we see that the Viceroy of Tsukushi—whoever had taken the place of Prince Yagaki—had his officials present a red crow to the court.  The person who caught the crow was granted five steps in rank—not a small reward.  Also, local officials had their own rank raised, and taxes were remitted to the peasants of that district for a year.  Finally, a general amnesty was announced across Yamato. We talked in Episode 141 how something like a red crow would have likely represented either the three-legged crow in the sun or the legendary Suzaku, the fiery bird of the south.  Either way, it was clearly an auspicious discovery.  It is interesting that we don't see any names at all associated with this event.  We do, however, see that people were no doubt incentivized to report such things up to the court.  Whoever found such a curiosity would likely have been celebrated by all of those around given the court's broad show of appreciation.  No doubt the local officials were more than pleased given that they were also likely to receive some of the benefits that accrued if the court was well pleased. As far as the type of events I'm focusing on this episode, there isn't much recorded between the red crow of 677 and a few years later in 682. Picking up in the 3rd month of that year, we get a record of the Emishi of Michinoku being granted court rank, incorporating them further into the growing Yamato polity.  As I talked about a little earlier, Michinoku on the other side of the archipelago, so this event really shows expansion of Yamato and solidification of its power over the rest of Honshu.  It is easy to forget that much of the Tohoku region was not firmly under Yamato control at this time.  They may have claimed it, but the people and culture there were still considered distinct and not a part of Yamato, proper.  But they were making inroads. In the following month, the 4th lunar month of the same year, 682, we are back on the west coast and see Tajihi no Mabito no Shima as the latest Viceroy of Tsukushi, sending as tribute a large bell.  It is somewhat interesting that, compared to the past few viceroys, Shima is actually a member of a noble family and *not* a Prince.  Of course, there was no requirement that the Dazaifu be overseen by a Prince—that certainly wasn't the case for Soga no Akaye, but it is interesting given how Ohoama had been making appointments, so far.  Even if they weren't princely, it is clear that this was an important posting, which says a lot for Tajihi no Shima, even if we didn't know anything more about him.  Fortunately, there are a few clues. For one thing, there are records that claim he was descended from one of the previous sovereigns, but he did not hold the title of "Prince".  That is reflected in his family's kabane of "Mabito", however, or "True person", which seems to indicate at least a nominal descent from a previous ruler.  Shima would continue to rise in the government, and would eventually serve as the Minister of the Right and then Minister of the Left, and at one point he would be the highest ranking noble in the government—though that was still a ways off.  All of this speaks to the importance of the position of viceroy, and probably gives us a clue as to why the Chroniclers were so interested in someone sending a bell, large as it might be, to the government. A day after the bell tribute arrived, Emishi of Koshi, including Ikokina and others, requested 70 households of prisoners of war to create a new district.  While we've talked about the Emishi of Koshi, before, what is particularly interesting is the request for prisoners of war—captives.  Were these Wajin, or Japanese, who had been captured by the Emishi and they were requesting permission to resettle them?  Were they asking for 70 households of people being held captive by the Yamato government?  It isn't clear.  It also isn't clear if "Ikokina" is the name of an individual or of multiple individuals.  Aston originally translated it as Itaka, Kina, and others, while Bentley's more recent translation suggests it is one name.  However, given that this is an Emishi name, being transliterated in Kanji through a Japanese translator, it is hard to know without further sources. From the fourth month to the 7th month of 682, we see a small entry that presents were given to men from Tanegashima, Yakushima, and Amami no Shima.  This simple entry is important mostly just because of its mention of continued contact with these islands south of Kyushu.  This helps us maintain some idea of the extent of Yamato's influence. In the late summer of 683, we once again see a drought.  It began in the 7th lunar month and lasted until the 8th.  A priest named Douzou prayed for rain and eventually obtained it. Douzou is said to have been a monk from Kudara, or Baekje.  Aston suggests that this means he was a priest of Kudaradera, but it isn't really clear to me.  In the early 8th month, we also see that there was a general amnesty ordered throughout Yamato, which I suspect was connected with the disaster of the drought and an attempt to help build merit and otherwise strengthen the state in the face of natural disaster and potential unrest. At the end of 683, we see a survey team being sent out.  The sovereign sent Prince Ise along with Hata no Kimi no Yakuni, Ohoshi no Omi no Homuchi, and Nakatomi no Muraji no Ohoshima with clerks and artisans to tour the realm and determine the border of the various provinces, but they were unable to determine them all in a year. This really must have been quite the task.  Certainly, the provinces were the ancient lands which people had been living in for some time, but there was never really a need for political lines on a map to determine where the boundaries were.  People generally knew if they were in one or the other, and unless there was a very contentious piece of property, mostly you didn't worry about which exact land or province you were in.  Now, however, the court was in the midst of trying to lock down all of the data about the land, including what was where and how much there was.  After all, their entire tax base was built on arable land, so they had to know where it was and what to expect.  There is no way that such a project was going to be completed in a single year. I would also note that Aston has this particular record misplaced.  He seemed to think it was on the 23rd day of the month, but it is then followed by the 17th.  It seems that Aston just got his dates wrong, and can you blame him?  There was a lot that he was dealing with. We do see, almost a year later, in the 10th month of 684, Prince Ise and others are once again sent to determine the boundaries of the provinces.  Second time's the charm, maybe?  Evidently not, because we then see another mention in the 10th month of 685, where the court gave them gifts of robes and trousers as they headed back out to the Eastern Countries one more time. In the 11th month of 684 we are given a small report of a huge disaster.  The governor of Tosa reported that a great tide had risen high, with an overflowing rush, and destroyed many of the ships used to convey tribute. Tosa is on Shikoku, facing out to the Pacific Ocean.  It is the first piece of dry land just past the continental shelf.  As such, a quake just off shore could create conditions not dissimilar to the 2011 disaster in Fukushima, and send a tsunami wave flooding the coastline.  It looks like that is what happened, which would have devastated the fleet.  Since Shikoku was an island, they relied on those ships to get taxes and tribute conveyed up to Yamato.  So this was Tosa letting the court know that the "sea ate my homework." I can't help but wonder if this tsunami wasn't related to an earthquake recorded for the month earlier, which we mentioned back in Episode 139.  It was a huge earthquake that seems to have had a tremdous impact.  Much of it was mentioned as being focused on the Toukaidou region, but that region still lies along a related fault line all the way down through Shikoku.  It may be that it took a while for the two events to be reported, and there may not have been an understanding that the event in one place could have had an impact elsewhere. I don't know if they had yet connected that earthquakes could cause tsunami or not.  On the other hand, it could be that it was a separate, but related quake, or even an aftershock, which caused the tsunami. Overall, the year 684 does not appear to have been the best.  We are told that in the lower district of Katsuraki, there was reported a chicken with four legs.  Then, in the district of Higami, in Tanba province, there was a calf born with twelve horns.  These don't sound like great omens, and given the tsunami, and the earthquake, and other such things, I can perhaps understand why the court focused on trying to do some merit-making towards the end of the year.  For instance they pardoned all criminals except those guilty of capital crimes.  And we are also told that Iga, Ise, Mino, and Wohari were notified that in future years, if they were paying commuted taxes—that is taxes other than rice, in lieu of service—that force labour would be remitted, and vice versa.   That is, if it was a year where they would pay in corvee labour, the commuted taxes would be remitted instead.  In other words, they didn't need to do both in one year.  Similarly , in the 7th lunar month of 685, we are told that the Provinces on the Tousandou, east of Mino, and the Toukaidou, east of Ise, were all exempted from sending in conscript laborers as part of their taxes. We aren't told exactly why any of this was done, but I suspect that it had something to do with either construction going on in those regions, or just needing to have people to work the fields.  Labor could always be remitted just because of something good like a good omen, but in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, I wonder if there wasn't a lot of rebuilding that had to take place, and maybe the court just wanted to make sure those regions had the people they needed for those projects. The Tousandou and the Toukaidou were just two of the 7 official circuits around the archipelago.  In this case, the Toukaidou hugged the coastal areas, heading from Ise out to modern Tokyo.  Meanwhile, the Tousandou would have cut through the mountains in the middle of that area of Honshu, passing north of Fuji and through modern Gunma.    The other circuits were the San'youdou, the San'indou, the Nankaidou, the Hokurikudou, and Tsukushi, which was considered its own "circuit".  The San'youdou and San'indou were the Yang and Yin roads, going through the western part of Honshu. The San'youdou was along the Seto Inland Sea, while the San'indou was along the Japan sea.  The Nankaidou, or South Sea Road, was the Kii peninsula and Shikoku.  The Hokurikudou went north on eastern Honshu, through the Koshi region. Finally, Tsukushi, which would also be known as the Saikaidou, or Western Sea Road, was its own circuit In the 9th lunar month of 685 we see Commissioners or Royal Messengers appointed to six of the seven circuits, the Hokurikudou being the one left out.    The commissioners were to tour and inspect the provincial and district offices and make sure they were good.  Each person took a facility manager and a secretary to assist them.  Bentley notes that there is, in later legal codes, a role of "Inspector", who was similarly expected to tour and inspect the various provinces – but these were assigned on an as needed basis, so it wasn't a permanent position. Along with the inspection of the government offices, there was one other edict that same day in the 9th month of 685: the court ordered that male and female singers, as well as pipers/flute-players should pass down their skills to their descendants and make them practice singing and the flute.  Thus they effectively created hereditary musicians which, at the time, was how you made sure that you had the different professions and skillsets you needed to run the State. Then, in the 11th month of 685, we see a bunch of iron sent to the General Magistrate of Suwa.  How much is a bunch?  10,000 kin, which is thought to be equivalent to roughly 6.6 tons.  That is a huge amount of iron, assuming the record is true.  At the same time, the viceroy of Tsukushi requested 100 bolts of coarse silk, 132 pounds of thread, 300 bundles of cloth, 4000 feet of labor tax cloth, 6.6 tons of iron, and 2,000 sets of bamboo arrows.   And by all accounts, the court sent it all out.  No idea why—but there we go.  Presumably it was to make things—probably clothing and weapons. We see something similar in the 12th month, when the ships carrying the newest border guards out to Tsukushi were battered by bad seas and, eventually, they were left adrift in the water.  They were rescued, but lost all of their clothing, so rather than sending clothes, the court sent cloth.  450 bolts of cloth were sent, to be made into new sets of clothing for the soldiers.  Sending raw materials makes sense.  After all, there were likely artisans all over the place who just needed them.  Furthermore, that way you could customize the equipment to the people who would be using it, rather than shipping off finished goods. And with that, I think we are going to call it.  Next episode will be a similar overview, but we'll take a look at some of the laws that were passed, as well as how they dealt with law and order in the archipelago. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

In our fast paced world it is easier than ever to be burned out. High testosterone and motivated individuals like myself are more susceptible to burning the candle at both ends and wearing ourselves thin. In this episode I share what I am doing to recover from three years of unrelenting nonstop stressors. I don't talk about the details of my personal life because people use that as ammunition against me, but you can read between the lines when I talk about my experiences. For the first half of the show I focus on the scientific studies regarding ascorbic acid (vitamin C), magnesium, zinc, melatonin, and sodium chloride for recovering from burnout and staving off depression, anxiety, and other mental states that can manifest from burnout. I skim over the foundational stuff like going outside and getting sunlight because thats all most people are talking about. I do share why its important to get in enough calories and the liquid meal that I'm consuming when I don't have an appetite. I talk a little about traditional chinese medicine, why its crucial to restore your Yin energy, and the chinese herbs I'm taking everyday to assist with that. I pay respect to Ray Peat and appreciation of his focus on handling stress using bioenergetics and improving cellular health. Tools that I use are shared including the Apollo Neuro device and the two peptides I'm currently on.  My website: www.matt-blackburn.com Mitolife products: www.mitolife.co Music by Ryan Parr: www.huemanpictures.com Studies I mentioned: Vitamin C and the brain: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8783887/ Magnesium and brain function: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/6/1661 Zinc reduces fatigue: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8133867 Low caloric diets increase cortisol: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2895000/ https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/10253890.2015.1121984 Melatonin protects hippocampus from long term stress: 36162616

In this episode we answer listener questions covering emergency funds for higher and additional rate taxpayers, and inheritance tax considerations around beneficiary SIPPs. We also discuss whether couples should rebalance pension contributions, the key steps to take before retiring abroad, and what to know about DB pension transfers. Finally, we look at cross-border pension taxation using the UK–Denmark double taxation treaty as an example. Shownotes: https://meaningfulmoney.tv/QA40    01:20  Question 1 Hi Pete & Roger, Thanks for all your helpful and easy to understand information. I have only been on my financial wellbeing journey for a year.  I work in the NHS and am in a higher tax bracket. I am fully enrolled in the NHS pension, more out of previous disinterest than any actual action on my part. I am single and currently saving up for a down payment on a house in about 4/5yrs. I maxed out my ISA last year and expect to do the same this year; this includes money for the down payment. I also took out a SIPP which I only recalled last year; I took it out 20+ years ago. However I am still waiting for a statement from the pension office before my accountant can work out how much more I can add to the SIPP.  In the interim I have my emergency fund in a premium bond (20k) but am worried it's being eroded by inflation. I expect to be an additional tax payer in the next few years. Where should I keep my excess cash? More in premium bonds with no tax but erosion by inflation; or open GIA or more in high interest savings account and pay the tax? Or is there another option you would recommend? Btw I have £600 in crypto (Coinbase and Etherium) but don't plan to put more than £400 more in then plan to forget about it. It's a tiny fraction of what I put in my ISA. Thanks, Joy   04:46  Question 2 Dear Pete and Roger. Love the podcast. I think it is essential listening for those wanting to elevate their knowledge of the incredibly important subject of financial planning and it also highlights the value add that financial professionals can provide. My mother is 79 and has a comfortable guaranteed inflation linked income via state and civil service pension, which is supplemented by savings (maxed premium bonds & healthy cash savings) and investments held in ISAs and a beneficiary SIPP from my late father who passed before 75yrs old (therefore the assets are income and CGT free). My mother is keen to minimise the IHT on the estate both her and my father worked so hard to create. Despite her comfortable situation, I still have to encourage her to spend and use your very helpful '40% off sticker' analogy on a regular basis. It is my understanding that SIPPs will be subject to IHT and income tax from 2027. As my sister and I are both additional rate taxpayers, we will potentially be subject to 67% tax on any assets remaining in the SIPP if the estate is above £1m IHT threshold. While the '67% off sticker' analogy is even more helpful to encourage her spending, it has triggered some planning. We are drawing down the beneficiary SIPP to fund ISA each year for my mum – keeping the income and CGT tax benefits for my mum while removing it from the double income and IHT tax on death. As part of the IHT planning we are now considering regular gifts from surplus income. When combined with her guaranteed income, the assets in the beneficiary SIPP are more than sufficient so sustain her lifestyle until her age would be well into three figures. Based on my reading, it appears any drawdown from SIPPs are considered 'income' for gifting purposes, regardless of if they come from capital or income. Therefore she could start to draw more 'income' from the SIPP and gift this surplus which could be considered IHT free. Are there any limits to how much or how quickly she could reasonably drawdown from a SIPP so that it would no longer be considered 'income' by HMRC for IHT purposes? i.e could she empty the SIPP over a 5 yr period, gift that as excess income, then reduce the gifts to reflect a different income and or expenditure? While all the drawdown from SIPPs is considered 'income' for IHT purposes, the treatment of withdrawals from ISAs or other investments are distinguished between whether they are actually capital or income. Therefore, we have the added complication of needing to balance the 'income' drawdown from the beneficiary SIPP to make sure she doesn't eat into 'capital' of the ISAs and savings which would then mean the gifts from regular surplus income would then be considered part of the estate again. Our circumstances mean my mum feels slightly trapped between keeping the SIPP (so it is considered income for gifts from regular income but gets IHT taxed at 67%), continuing to use the beneficiary SIPP to fund ISAs (reduce IHT liability but lose flexibility to gift it as income), maybe change the investment engine of the ISAs from a lower yielding balanced solution to something with a higher natural yield, or do something else altogether (lump sum gifts and hope to survive 3yrs for taper or 7yrs). Any thoughts or suggestion would be appreciated. While there are some relatively niche circumstances, I think it covers two more broadly applicable IHT planning considerations SIPPs v ISAs under the new rules and regular gifts from surplus income. Thanks in advance Stephen   17:06  Question 3 Hi Pete and Roger Thank you both for your continued help in navigating the financial maze and I am enjoying the listener questions. My wife works part time and is a basic rate tax payer. She pays into her workplace pension and contributes an additional 15%. Her pension provider receives 20% tax relief on these contributions. I am a higher rate tax payer and I make contributions to a SIPP. My pension provider receives 20% tax relief and I claim an additional 20% directly from HMRC. As a couple, we could stop making the additional contributions to my wife's pension and instead make them into my SIPP. This would give us an additional 40%, rather than 20%. Mathematically this makes sense. We haven't done this so far, as I like the idea that we are equally contributing to both of our pensions, for the future. It also helps keep things simple. I am mindful that one day, we may kick ourselves for not making this simple switch which may leave us with a significantly bigger pot, when we need it. What options would you consider in this decision of splitting pension contributions. Many thanks, Rob 20:17 Question 4 Dear Pete & Rog, I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for your podcast and the incredibly valuable information you share. Your conversations are not only insightful but also reassuring as I start to think more seriously about my own retirement planning! One of the things I'm considering is retiring abroad (somewhere sunny!) Spain most likely, and I wondered if you might explain the process you go through with such clients. Specifically, do you have a checklist, or a list of key questions, that you typically ask clients to work through before moving overseas? For example, I've learned that ISAs are not recognised in many EU countries (so it may be better to sell before leaving), and I imagine there are similar considerations around SIPPs/UK DC pensions and other investments. Do you also tend to liaise with financial planners or accountants based in the EU when helping clients prepare for such a move? I would be very grateful for any wisdom you could share. Thanks again for all the work you put into the podcast, it really does make a difference. Warm regards, Chloe 24:55  Question 5 Hi Pete, Love the podcast.  Very informative and user friendly. I have a question, once popular but maybe not so much now and one that will make advisers sweat again! I'm a sophisticated investor (so to speak!), I manage my own SIPP etc and I'm an accountant so I guess I have a head start over most people.  I have a net worth excluding my house of circa £2.5m spread across a SIPP, ISA, FIC and GIA. I also have an old DB pension.  I'm 59.  It pays out circa £6,500 from the age of 65.  My dad died aged 63.  Given my circumstances I want to transfer the DB scheme into my SIPP.  I have two children so would like them to get it rather than die with me so to speak.  The last transfer value I got was pre covid at circa £100k which I know isn't a brilliant multiple but I'm happy with that.  I'm fit and healthy but I'm not relying on the guaranteed pension given my other pension provisions. So, firstly is it likely the transfer value would have gone up or down given the increase in interest rates and secondly do you think I could get a positive recommendation from an adviser? Thanks, Oscar 31:35  Question 6 Dear Pete and Roger, Love the podcast. I'm a bit more of an adventurous investor than you usually caution, but you provide a certain "passive-tracker-Yin" to my "property-investment-Yang". Given your backlog I'm going to ask you a pension question that I probably don't have to think about for 20 years, so you have time to get to it. I worked in Denmark for several years and paid into a pension scheme while I was there. I believe it is structured similarly to a UK DB pension scheme. There is an initial lump sum plus an income for life.  This pension fund is not covered by QROPS, so there is no transferring my way out of this complexity. The Danish pension fund thinks I'll be paying Danish income tax (presently 37-38%), Chat GPT is adamant that I'll be paying UK Tax. Who's right? If taxed in the UK I can imagine getting the tax free cash allowance right might be complicated. Is there anything else I should be considering? Best Wishes, James

Solana's Lu Yin discusses the shift to Internet Capital Markets and how the network is scaling to bridge global finance with the APAC region. Solana Foundation's Head of APAC, Lu Yin, joins CoinDesk Live at Consensus Hong Kong to break down why Solana is the emerging infrastructure for global finance. In this interview, Yin explores the transition toward Internet Capital Markets, where global assets and payments settle natively on-chain. From navigating Asia's complex regulatory landscape to scaling for 3,000+ builders, discover how Solana is bridging the gap between Wall Street and the APAC region. - This episode was hosted live by Jennifer Sanasie at Consensus Hong Kong 2026, presented by Hex Trust.

In this episode of the Holistic Spaces podcast, we share our Qi forecast for March 2026 and explore the energy unfolding this month, including the key solar terms and what's shifting in the lunar calendar. We reflect on themes of awakening and emerging potential, and the gentle dance between Yin and Yang as spring energy begins to rise.We also offer some practical feng shui tips and pull an I Ching reading to help you align with March's momentum—so you can nurture your own growth while staying connected to and supported by your community.What we talk about in this episode:March as a threshold month, transitioning from winter to springThe solar term 'Awakening the Insects', signifying the stirring of lifeMarch as an invitation to clear stagnation and welcome new beginningsMarch's full moon, known as the 'Worm Moon'Rabbit month bringing supportive energy for certain zodiac signs…and much more!Mentioned in this episode:2026 Feng Shui Amulet for Protection and LuckOur Feng Shui Energy Map EkitThanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!-Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! -Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.-Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.-Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.Time stamps for this episode:[04:47] Understanding the Energy of March[09:06] Exploring Lunar and Zodiac Influences[13:19] I Ching Reading for March[17:32] Harnessing Potential Energy[21:55] Balancing Yin and Yang in Feng ShuiMORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HERENEW EPISODES OF THE HOLISTIC SPACES PODCAST BY MINDFUL DESIGN ARE AVAILABLE EVERY MONDAY.Thanks so much for listening to the Holistic Spaces Podcast brought to you by Mindful Design Feng Shui School!Sign up for our newsletter for exclusive complimentary special workshops and offers for our newsletter subscribers ONLY! Make sure you're following us on Instagram for feng shui tips and live Q&A's.Learn about our courses and certification on our website at: Mindful Design School.Check out our older episodes on our Holistic Spaces Podcast archive.MORE QUESTIONSHire one of our Mindful design school Grads for a 1-1 consultation. We know so many personal questions come up. That's why you need a 1-1! Laura and Anjie offer all these freebies, but if you want to learn more it's time to ask a professional. learn more HEREORDER OUR NEW BOOK HERE

Today's guest is Dan Cleather. Dan Cleather is a sport scientist, author, and lecturer specializing in biomechanics and strength training. He has worked across elite sport and higher education, helping coaches apply research to real-world performance. Dan is the author of The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom and The Little Blue Book of Training Wisdom, known for challenging conventional ideas and promoting evidence-informed coaching. If you search the internet for training methods and advice, you'll invariably get a “do this, not that” mentality woven in your brain. The mark of true progress over time, and reaching athletic potential, is more about principles and management than it is picking all the “S-Tier” exercises. Being able to balance paradoxes, hone belief, refine movement and hone the dance of capacity and output defines the training of elite athletes and Olympians. In this episode, Dan discusses everything from developing exercise devices for astronauts in microgravity to the deeper philosophy of how performance truly evolves. We discuss Easy Strength, capacity versus skill development, fatigue as a motor learning constraint, and why adaptation is something we cultivate rather than force. The conversation weaves biomechanics, Tai Chi, Olympic lifting, and the yin-yang rhythm of training into a broader theme: great coaching isn't about imposing perfection, but creating environments where flow, resilience, and high performance can naturally emerge. Today's episode is brought to you by Hammer Strength. Use the code “justfly20” for 20% off any Lila Exogen wearable resistance training, including the popular Exogen Calf Sleeves. For this offer, head to Lilateam.com Use code “justfly10” for 10% off the Vert Trainer View more podcast episodes at the podcast homepage. (https://www.just-fly-sports.com/podcast-home/) Timestamps 0:00 – Researching Exercise Countermeasures for Microgravity 2:51 – Recent Publications and the Learning Process of Writing 8:01 – The Science of Change and the Hierarchy of Coaching Skills 12:39 – Lessons Learned from Applying the Easy Strength Method 22:06 – Balancing Skill Building and Capacity Building in Strength Training 32:28 – The Benefits of Traditional Tai Chi Conditioning and Static Holds 45:22 – Historical Wisdom and Experiential Learning in Performance 1:02:15 – Leveraging Fatigue and Constraints for Relaxation and Flow 1:13:59 – The Yin and Yang of Accumulation and Intensification in Training 1:21:06 – Viewing Training as a Sustained Conversation with the Body About Dan Cleather Dan Cleather is a sport scientist, author, and lecturer specializing in biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and performance analysis. With a background in both applied coaching and academic research, Dan has worked extensively in elite sport and higher education, bridging the gap between theory and practice. He is the author of The Little Black Book of Training Wisdom and The Little Blue Book of Training Wisdom, where he challenges conventional thinking and promotes evidence-informed coaching. Dan is known for his clear, analytical approach to training science and his ability to translate complex biomechanics into practical strategies for coaches and athletes. Zac currently treats clients and consults internationally, while continuing to produce educational resources aimed at elevating the standard of movement practice in both clinical and performance settings.

Why does early breastfeeding position matter? Nancy and Barbara discuss one of their favorite topics with friend and colleague, IBCLC Rene Fisher. Whether you are talking about the starter position, laid back breastfeeding, or biological nurturing from Suzanne Colson, they all mean the same thing. Relax, lean back at a comfortable angle (not flat on your back), and place the baby tummy-to-tummy on the parent’s body. When this is done suddenly, the baby can move their body more easily, and many infant feeding reflexes are triggered, ensuring that at least one person knows what they are doing. Nancy discusses her experience improving breastfeeding practices at a Chicago-area hospital, and Rene shares her experiences with her own grandson, which made her a firm believer. Rene took this simple, time-saving technique back to her hospital on the East Coast, where it was a great success. Nancy’s ideas of adjusting your body, adjusting the baby, and adjusting the breast make it even easier to help families nurse easily and comfortably. As is known, changing hospital practice is not easy. Nancy and Rene share their wins and hurdles. There are three studies discussed in detail, which are listed below. Enjoy! Milinco 2020 (RCT): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32248838/ Yin 2021 (RCT): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33913745/ Wang 2021 (Meta-analysis): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33761882/ The post All Things Breastfeeding Episode 107: Why Early Breastfeeding Positions Matter appeared first on The Breastfeeding Center of Ann Arbor.

In this episode, Dr. K is joined by Qigong Master Lee Holden to explore how ancient energy practices can be used to treat modern mental health struggles like burnout, anxiety, and distraction,. They bridge the gap between Eastern concepts of "Chi" and Western medical science, debating whether "aliveness" is a mystical force or simply advanced physiology and bio-electricity,,,. What to expect in this episode: • The Power-Up Sequence: A guided five-minute practice designed to clear stagnant energy and provide an immediate boost for those feeling sluggish or physically stuck after sitting too long,,. • Building Emotional Immunity: Dr. K and Lee discuss "heart chi deficiency" and demonstrate a routine to protect sensitive individuals from absorbing the stress and negativity of the world around them,,. • The Earth Center for Focus: A deep dive into "student syndrome" and how to use grounding movements to overcome brain fog, rumination, and the constant pull of digital distractions,,,. • The Science of Sleep: An analysis of why it takes significant energy to fall asleep and how balancing your internal "Yin and Yang" throughout the day determines the quality of your rest,,,. • Systemic Fixes vs. Behavioral Change: A candid discussion on why modern institutions—from schools to big pharma—often reward quick-fix results like grades or medication over the deeper, more effective path of learning and habit change.HG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3SztHG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices