SA is part meditation, part body awareness, and part sitting with another who's attuning to, listening to, asking about, and following along with your developing experience, particularly the raw experience of arising sensation.

This practice can actuate profound changes in one's mental and physical well-being.

Sessions last 50 minutes. Payment is on a sliding scale, $75 - $125.

If you're feeling stuck, are wrestling with something difficult in your life, have a sense you've lost connection to something vital, or would like to be more in touch with your direct experience … then this work could be really good medicine.

We sit together and bring attention to what's arising. I listen deeply to you, not just to the words you're saying but to the whole experience. So much can unfold from there, it's hard to say "and then this is what happens …" but often, there are at least moments of:

• guided somatic meditation

• both of us attuning to your body's sensations

• slowing down, especially when there's a lot of feeling arising

• feedback, conversation rooted in here and now

There may be grief and tears. There may be uprisings of joy and gratitude. We don't know what to expect, but expect a dedicated, loving presence with you in that unknown. Remarkable changes can unfold from that place.

This practice as its own entity really arose out of my bodywork sessions: often, when someone would come in with a particular body ailment, the very act of describing the pain would appear to begin a healing process … if I felt that way, I note that, and say "this seems fruitful; are you open to staying with this for a few minutes (instead of just getting on the table)?" If they said yes, which they usually did as we could both feel the powerful potential here, we would simply stay with the ever-evolving sensations. This kind of inquiry would often span the entire length of the session, and we were both often surprised at the deep, radical, and permanent shifts in the pain symptoms they'd come in with, perhaps more effective than hands-on work would've been.

My guidance, listening, questioning, developing education, and ultimately Somatic Attunement as its own healing practice, has stemmed from those spaces.

So really, in short, my life's work — including tens of thousands of hours learning and teaching various mind-body modalities — has led me here.

Yes. My life was profoundly altered by sitting with my teacher regularly for many years in this way, and it all took place over the phone. To say our body of work together was life-changing is an understatement; nearly every session felt worth its weight in gold.

Yes. I am not a therapist. That said, you may seek this work for similar reasons that you would seek therapy. An example of how this is different might come from if a client says "I am so angry at my mother." If you said that, I wouldn't say "oh, interesting; tell me about your mom" and start taking notes. I might encourage you, instead, to feel the sensations in your body as you say those words, or as you respond to a question I ask you based on that statement.

The scope of practice of somatic coaching is very, very important to me, for both our sakes. If our work enters territory beyond my scope of practice, I will redirect us, and recommend a therapist if appropriate.

Sessions happen over Zoom. If you would prefer no video, we can also work together over the phone.

Wonderful. Please send me an email at liam@thebodyawake.com, and we'll take it from there.

This episode, I chat with a new teacher of mine, from a course called "Healing from Presence," Riyaz Motan. We talk about relating from an embodied, being-at-home place, and the many wonders and pitfalls of working, and ultimately being, with others.

Find Riyaz's work, and sign up for his newsletter, at his website here.

I also allude to this interview with Pico Iyer and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Birth and death: an update. Thank you for being here!

💛 Danny Schmidt "Just Wait Til They See You"

💛 Rev angel Kyodo Williams On Being

💛 David Whyte's Clear Mind, Wild Heart

Peter Levine founded Somatic Experiencing, a body-oriented approach to healing trauma. In this interview, we hear about the origins of that work, and a lot about what's now, and what's next, for this pioneer.

Find Somatic Experiencing, and more of Peter Levine's bio, at https://traumahealing.org/

Happy third anniversary, friends 💛

Links

My "how to start a podcast" guide

My interview with Donna Martin

My interview with Angelo Coppola

I started following Ryan's page on Instagram. I was nearly immediately put on edge by some of his posts. He, at least a lot at that time, was playing a bit of a villain, challenging me and anyone else reading to put ourselves out there in a way I'd been, and to a large extent still am, uncomfortable with.

This episode is really about communication, how we talk to ourselves and others alike. It's a challenge to find the passion in the work you're doing.

(There's a line about midway that's been rattling around in my heart ever since, something about "if you're not excited about what you're posting, you're not posting the right stuff" ... which sounds a bit hokey now that I put it out of context, but didn't feel hokey then and, hopefully, doesn't to you when you listen.)

Blessings, LB

ps he swears a lot and I have no beep'r

Links to Ryan's work:

Unusually Focused

His podcast

you can search #randomtalkingvideo on Instagram

And, again, his page on Instagram

Patty Townsend has been teaching yoga since waaaaaay back in the day when there were only a couple yoga studios in LA. That alone would give her lots of credit to be on this show ...

And so it's such a bonus that she offers her experience with a refreshing humility and clarity. We go into what teaching yoga in the States in the early 80's was like, the distinction between purification and clarification (this one's good), even a really sweet — if not super disarming — tip for teachers on how to begin a class ... a home practice you can do to feel the buoyancy of your internal organs ... and heaps more.

I really enjoyed this one; hope you do too!

Show Notes

Patty Townsend and EmbodYoga

The YTT manual and other free resources

And here's a schematic to give you an idea of what and where the mesentery is inside you.

Welcome back 💙

In this episode, we wrap up Season 2 of The Body Awake with a mix of retrospect, looking around and some personal sharing from me.

Here's that poem I mention at the end.

With love, LB

Don Hanlon Johnson has had his interest at the intersection — or perhaps mutual expression — of "taking care of your body stuff" and "political, social and taking care of the environment stuff" for a long time now.

We cover a lot of ground. I was delighted to join him, an early pioneer of what we now consider the broad term of "embodiment" practices.

==

DHJ's new book, authored by a wide array of body types and lineages, is called Diverse Bodies, Diverse Practices: towards an inclusive somatics

Other show notes: Bone, Breath and Gesture: practices of embodiment

and his website, DonHanlonJohnson.com

This episode, after a long time considering and reckoning myself with some of this material : "Reaching for Blackness" with Aaron and Jennie of Holistic Resistance. You can find their website here. Cheers to all of our inquiries, rich and personal, on our own paths.

Love, LB

Our guest this go is David Fleming, a bright and thoughtful practitioner whose work spans bodywork, lifestyle shifts and movement, and is informed by research into fascia, bioelectricity, the healing potential of the earth and more.

 
This episode has a great big dose of little potential experiments that fall into the category of "Try this! It's cheap or free, is not complicated, has no downside and may have a huge upside in your life." One example is spending some time barefoot on the earth each day.

 
And more, always. Cheers and love from Montana, LB

SHOW NOTES

AMNA : https://www.amnacademy.com/

 
AMNA's IG page : @amnacademy : https://www.instagram.com/amnacademy/

James Oschman grounding, earthing (google this; lots of resources)

David's Mac / Apple app is "Candelight" — or search for a blue-light blocking app in whatever app store

The work of Robert Becker; right now I (LB) am reading The Body Electric and really loving it

William A Tiller : Conscious Acts of Creation

Mae-Wan Ho : Living Rainbow H2O

Rolin McCraty "The Electricity of Touch" : https://www.heartmath.org/assets/uploads/2015/01/electricity-of-touch.pdf

When teaching, "I start with science, but hopefully I end with more of the poetry of the movement."

This is one of my favorite lines from this episode's guest, Tatjana Mesar.

Tatjana is a teacher and practitioner, a smart thinker and deep feeler, like so many of you. And we dive into some big guiding questions: what is tradition, what is modern, what is fusion of ideas and, ultimately, what is outside of the erosion of time?

You can find Tatjana's school, and some of her writing, in Berlin or at https://www.zenyoga-berlin.de/

I love a good question. I also love the attentive space it evokes in me to come up with an answer.

And so with that, hopefully this is a win-win as I present to you five listener-powered inquiries, ranging across a decent spread of body-related topics, and my corresponding responses:

1. I practice massage and am "absorbing" other people's pain. What do I do about this?
   
   
2. What is embodiment? What is the biggest obstacle to being more embodied in the world?
   
   
3. I've oscillated between self-obsession and self-loathing, and am slowly finding a middle ground. What's a good way to facilitate this?
   
   
4. What's the best way to walk: feet pointing forward or let them find their own way?
   
   
5. People involved in somatics, dance, yoga — all these people with incredible physical intelligence — are not actively engaged politically. With so much injustice in the world, how do we find ways to be actively create meaningful change?

Cheers, love, Liam

Living your body's intelligence ...

Oh, what that could mean! To get a feel for what it is, let's point to what it's not.

It's not blindly following every bodily desire that arises. (Only one donut orgy per month, alright?)

Nor is it forever perfecting your internal compass without moving in its direction, paralyzed by the potential — and inevitable — messiness of life.

It's something else, something that is both of these end ranges at the same time.

Pay attention, try, move, keep paying attention, refine, laugh and fail and fall and yet strive for a certain regality; this isn't child's play (unless, sometimes, it is) ...

We sure do hope you enjoy. Love, LB (+ BT)

PS if there's still space in our July 28 / 29 workshop in Seattle, you can find that out, and sign up, here.

This was one of those interviews where I thought we were going to talk about one thing, and we ended up talking about another. It is real, intimate (and happening in relatively real time, depending on when you listen to this) as we discuss the power of sex, touch, and being predator and prey, both in and out of the context of bodywork.

Glad to have you tuning in, as always. Love, LB

SHOW NOTES

Kimberly's website (with her latest writings, etc. also, to get her "guide to the pelvic floor" audio, sign up for her email list on the bottom of the page)

Her book, The Fourth Trimester (amazon link)

In this episode, I'm reading "The Limbic Brain and the Biology of Emotion," which is a chapter from Younger Next Year: Live Strong, Fit and Sexy — Until You're 80 and Beyond by Chris Crowley and Henry S. Lodge, M.D.

This could be a great chapter to share with parents or grandparents in your life. (My reading starts at 6m 10s.)

I was quite excited when Stanley agreed to this interview. His book on the autonomic nervous system — including but not limited to the vagus nerve — includes detailed anatomy and self-help exercises and was easily the best $20 I've spent in a long time. I loved it.

Here, I ask Stanley questions about the notion of our "social nervous system," and some detail around his self-help exercises which can be, if they work for you, an astoundingly simple way to reorient your basic sense of orientation and safety. (And, if you go lightly and pay attention, as with anything, are probably at least worth a try.)

Love, LB

Show Notes / Links

Stanley's clinic and teaching schedule

Stephen Porges' "Safe Sound Protocol" — an auditory treatment for autism — training

Stanley's book, Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve, on Amazon (affiliate link)

Join Lisa Elliott and I for a dive into the inner workings of someone who, in my experience, curates beautifully a space often known for its disembodiment and unkindness: a facebook forum.

Hers in the Vagus Study Group, linked below.

This is a great episode for anyone who curates space, whether teacher, facilitator and anyone who works with clients.

Enjoy. Love, LB + TBA

SHOW NOTES

The Vagus Study Group on facebook

"How I've Come to Think of the Vagus" (an expanded definition of the tenth cranial nerve; definitely lay-reader friendly)

Two articles on how to critically read research, for the layperson:

By listener requests, and my delight in the fulfillment, here's one of what may be a few led meditation / awareness / embodiment exercises.

Questions, feedback, requests: please do shoot me a line.

Love, LB

It used to be: good information was hard to find; good teachers and teachings were rare. The onus, in many ways, was on the teacher.

Now, of course, that's still true in a certain respect. But also true now more than ever, I reckon in this age of near-infinite material being but a click away, is the importance of being a good student.

What makes a good student?

• You are willing to learn, and also willing to stop learning and practice what you've learned.

• You don't think you know everything; you don't think you know nothing.

• You're willing to suspend belief for the sake of experiment, thought also you remain an adult, not handing over your discernment at the feet of a guru.

• You go through periods of introspection, taking the teachings in and treating your body-mind as a very precious temple. You also go through periods of expressivity and effort, inhabiting your body-mind as a hungry tiger inhabits the forest, fierce and unrelenting.

• You're willing to try new teachers and teachings.

• You're willing to dive deep into material, not stopping until you know, in your heart of hearts, that you understand what's being taught (and not merely an ability to regurgitate, verbally or physically).

• You can take care of yourself and you're also willing to bust your ass trying.

• You don't seek confirmation; you seek guidance in confirming for yourself what's true.

• You're not an island. You're part of an ecosystem.

You're a student. Beware anyone who isn't.

Enjoy :)

This episode is a preview of my year-long labor of love, A Creator's Companion.

Welcome back to Irene Lyon for our second chat on TBA. We pick up largely where we left off from our first interview (ep 17), namely into this question I had — and have — around okay, so we're aware of this trauma thing ... what do we do about it?

Wondrous, deep territory. Plus the pitfalls and joys of teaching online (newly on my mind as well).

Also, here's that 15-min neuroception exercise.

Love, LB. Get this, as always, on iTunes et al, or download direct here.

Gerald Pollack has spent more hours studying water and the nature of muscle contraction than you've spent doing just about anything. He's a very bright, kind and well-seasoned scientist with a lot to say about the current state of affairs in science.

We cover:

1. Water (particularly Jerry's work regarding water's "fourth phase")

2. The nature of science, and experiments

3. The nature of muscle contraction, and Jerry's work with water explaining contraction beyond the most-usually-cited actin/myosin model

4. The ways in which we use light as energy, through water and infrared

He's a gem. Enjoy.

Alexander Tsiaras is a modern-day Renaissance man who's been called the "Leonardo Da Vinci of the digital age." He's a scientist / artist behind a new look at human anatomy, and it's pretty revolutionary.

He's authored two books I adore — The Architecture of Man and Woman and From Conception to Birth: A Life Unfolds — and give away often.

That's how I found him, anyway. What unfolded was a conversation about the art and science of imaging the insides of a human being, even an embryo, and then so much about storytelling.

"Those running the healthcare industry of some of the shittiest storytellers out there." — AT

We have so many stats, and numbers and "should" in mainstream healthcare. We need, says Alexander and I am obliged to mostly agree after this talk, better storytelling, so that people are motivated to change.

For example, he's received stories from smokers who said they quit after seeing this image:

A thousand words, and more ...

Enjoy! <3 LB + TBA

Kate White is an expert in the autonomic nervous system, with heaps of experience — both intellectual and that kind of knowing that sits in your guts and is felt — in the world of being born, at first and again.

SHOW NOTES

Kate on the craniosacral podcast

Jill Miller and I range from yoga to biomechanics to humility and hubris to Jill's recent hip surgery, her old teachers and the beauty, pain and wisdom that can come from growing up. About halfway through, Jill shares a truth bomb — sprung from the question "if you could go back and had 5 minutes with your 20-year-old self, what would you say?" — that is SO beautiful, powerful, poignant.

Are less-embodied movement practices good gateways into a deeper practice, or are they doing more harm than good? Are all movement practices really created equal, or are some better than others? Is what you're doing working? What matters about a yoga posture? Should you practice yin yoga or weightlifting or contact improv or ... ?

Just a few of the deep questions, of many gems, from the chat with this show's guest, Mark Walsh.

Mark is an embodiment facilitator who's worked in war zones, in board rooms and yoga studios. And he is, I think, a sharp sword who is doing some really good work in hacking away old, stagnant beliefs from their roots. 

It's about being in the world — political, if you will — and not about isolating "the body" from our lived experienced, which very much includes one another.

Thanks, Mark. Hope you enjoy, y'all.

Here's the Embodied Yoga Principles video playlist on YouTube.

Mark's e-book Centring: Why Mindfulness Alone Isn't Enough.

Tom Myers returns to The Body Awake for our third interview. And like the other two but with new territory, Tom's experience and wisdom that came through this chat were really good nutrition for me, and now hopefully for you too.

Tom and I talk, among other things, about:

• making one's living as a bodyworker or movement teacher; the graces and pitfalls of the commercial vs academic spheres
• the full flowering, or "five fingers," of a fully integrated bodywork practice
• the disease of feeling "other," of alienation from ourselves, and what we can do about it

It's a good one.

Listen in on the TBA website or find The Body Awake on iTunes, Stitcher, etc.

Links for this show: Tom's "Anatomy 101 For Yoga Teachers and Students" / TBA listeners use discount code TMYERS100 to save $100 off tuition

Housekeeping

💛 a new home for my writing: the written word right here at TBA

💛 notes on my physical training, and follow up from the 50K race

💛 the trajectory of the show, both big picture and a list of future interviewees! weeeeeeee!

Links

• my now-old blog at Dynamic Alignment Bodywork
• my now-new blog right here
• seth godin's phenom daily blog

What a joy to get to chat with Brooke Thomas, whose latest project, the Liberated Body podcast, may be familiar to some listeners here. Brooke and I talk about the subject/object paradox of both having and being a body, using felt sense as a navigation to begin and end projects, and a whole host of other topics we might camp under something like "embodied spirituality." Or maybe "spiritual embodiment." Whatever we call it, I think Brooke is a joy to listen to! Hope you enjoy <3 LB @ TBA

"Posture" is such a loaded word for so many of us. It often evokes a sense of not "doing it right" —> lazy shoulders, computer slouch, etc. This kind of thinking might be useful in some circumstances, but in many people it just adds another layer of guilt — and yes, tension — onto an already tense situation.

I love how Ruthie breaks down the infinitely expansive terrain of "inhabit your body" into little bite sized nuggets. She does it in her book Stack Your Bones, and with us on the show.

I so enjoyed this one, and hope you do too :)

Can body-based material be taught online?

Can a somatic curriculum be shared with a decent felt sense, something other than the feeling of not quite being as good as the real thing?

We're back! Here's a 20-min intro to Season 2 of The Body Awake. 

So lovely to be back with you; thanks for being here.

This episode — in honor of wrapping up Season 1 of The Body Awake — the tables turn on your host and Liam gets interviewed. It's a peek behind the scenes, both of the show and of the heartmind of its host.

I hope you enjoy, as always, and see you back in the autumn for Season 2 of TBA 💛

This episode On iTunes   ///   Download Direct

SHOW NOTES

STAY IN TOUCH : follow my writing on facebook or on my writing page

Some of my poetry, online

My article "Fascia, Fluids, Nervous System: Past, Present, Future"

Sam Harris interviews Yuval Harari

* and for those who track this, the quote I mentioned at the beginning belongs to Dwight D. Eisenhower: "In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable."

Since the show's earliest inception, I knew I wanted to interview Lauren for The Body Awake. When the time was right, I asked, so glad she agreed. Lauren was my main teacher in helping me understand the many layers and types of fluids, bone rhythms and subtleties of working with a body in my care.

She's a rare gem.

We talk about so much ... transmission of information, concurrence of multiple views emerging simultaneously, how to answer the "what's the best treatment here?" question without being too general and without being flippant.

And for the last 20 minutes, she reads poetry and I cry.

So, so enjoyed this talk. I hope you do too. Love, LB

SHOW NOTES

Crafted Touch, Lauren's bodywork and teaching homepage.

Integrative Pain Management, in which Lauren and her husband, Richard, co-author a chapter.

"Too often we have the industrialized, mechanical model applied to a body. It's too reductive for something that's really a streaming ..."

We're so blessed to have Susan Harper as our guest for this episode. I met Susan several years ago as her student in a weekend workshop, and was very affected by the material, and so impressed with her as a facilitator.

I've been wanting to have this conversation for a long time.

We talk about ...

- "functional" beyond human function

- some "how to" instruction on helping yourself and others open up perceptual possibilities in movement, bodywork or any kind of dedicated awareness

- the beauty and potential of vibrant language

- the body as a summation of trillions of tiny verbs, of processes

... and more :)

Enjoy!

SHOW NOTE

Susan's website: Continuum Montage

An anatomy lesson with an immediate application, if you want to look for it, around earlier / deeper barriers.

We look briefly at the 3 primary embryological layers and their respective tissues and functions, some of the anatomical layering of the body, and from there how we can work with that information, especially for those wanting to know their bodies in a deeper way.

I mean that both energetically, but also just in a straight up anatomical sense.

We cover:

- layers of all-pervasive anatomical tissue

- layers of the "energetic body" (present in different traditions in different ways)

- a brief tour of embryological development, how those processes express in the adult body, and correlations to ayurveda's map of the doshas

- what "fluid alignment" or "electrical alignment" might look like

- plus some updates of what's up and coming with Embodied Anatomy

CORRECTION: at 8:30 I mention the 3 layers covering the brain and spinal cord — dura mater, meninges and pia mater. I misspoke and said they are collectively called the dura. They are collectively called the meninges. (And only the dura mater is called the dura for short.)

SHOW NOTES

The "First Barrier Yoga" video: https://youtu.be/hLN3N1iZHK0

Radiolab: search for "The Primitive Streak"

James Hamblin, MD, is a writer and senior editor at The Atlantic magazine. His writing and videos have been featured in The New York Times, Politico, NPR, BBC, The Guardian, Elle, Mother Jones, and New York, among others. Time named him among the 140 people to follow on Twitter, Greatist named him among the most influential people in health media, and BuzzFeed called him "the most delightful MD ever."

I reached out to him because I'd read his book, If Our Bodies Could Talk, and enjoyed it a ton, much more than I thought I was going to! I was drawn in by his writing, and that he's not only an intelligent guy, but has a good sense of humility and insight both ... a potent mix.

We talk gluten, statins, multivitamins and eggs. Also research and implicit biases, promises and expectations and their relation to health outcomes, knowing what we don't know, and the bodymind as one integrated whole.

Here's our conversation.

SHOW NOTES

James' book, If Our Bodies Could Talk (I've read it, and loved it)

The Atlantic's page of James' writings

James Hamblin .com

The Louis CK skit I mentioned early in the interview, about the 1st-world horrors of waiting on a runway

By popular demand, and my own great interest, Tom Myers returns to The Body Awake for a second interview.

In this second round — see episode 5 for the first — we cover:

• the nature of fascia as the body's very under-mapped "biomechanical autoregulatory system" 
• how "you" could be seen as a vessel for your digestive system to get around (at 36 min)
• do we know what "trauma is stored in the body" means? what is memory? (at 39 min)
• Tom's story of his own birth, and experiencing liberation from a traumatic event many, many years later (50 min)
• a look into Tom's 1-on-1 work as a bodywork practitioner (this was of particular interest to me)
• even a PG-13 Robin William's joke you can tell at your next cocktail party (at 35 min, 20 sec)

SHOW NOTES

Anatomy Trains, Tom's main website

In vivo videos from French hand surgeon Jean-Claude Guimberteau

Sign up for the Fascial Dissection Lab for Feb 2018

Somatic Experiencing is, in some ways, just like it sounds: a direct experiencing of the body and its sensations. Where the magic of this work comes in is experiencing layers of sensation and reaction that have been long covered up — perhaps early life trauma. What can follow from "digesting" this childhood trauma can be monumental in one's now-adult life.

(And there is even research — brought to life in like this Scientific American article, and this one in Nature revealing how trauma that happened well before you were born could be impacting your life now.)

Irene Lyon is a practitioner of SE, and a thinker and healer regarding helping people unwind old trauma patterns. She was a well of insight for me in this talk. I hope you enjoy; you can check Irene's work out via her link below.

SHOW NOTES

Irene's website, including resources, teaching dates and online programs

Amanda Ford's blog: Movement Muse

Wikipedia article on Polyvagal Theory (the dorsal/ventral vagul, which is of course just two branches but are contained within this theory of how works this branch of the Autonomic Nervous System)

Peter Levine's Somatic Experiencing work

Here's the breakdown for my first, signed-up-on-a-whim 50 kilometer mountain run training plan:

*** This should be fun. (If it's not, it's time to modify accordingly.) ***

*** I want this to increase my overall vitality, mobility, strength and tissue hydration. (Decreasing some or all of those is a common strategy, however unknowingly employed, on service of achieving training goals.) ***

1. Train to run in a way where force translates the easiest way possible through my hips. (This is a deep, deep world for me, relevant and apparent in weightlifting, downward dog, tango, capoeira, running, sitting, meditation, to name a few.)

2. Via these "training regimes" — all subject to change: capoeira (twice a week), some kind of structured partner dance (once a week), strength training (1 - 4 times a week, depending on my energy levels), yoga (daily), and running twice a week: one hill interval, metabolic conditioning type run; and one longer run.

3. Continue to noodle around, beyond everything above, as per my interest level.

4. When running: run-walk cycling as per what feels like elastic capacity of my tissues. When I feel like I'm starting to thud, or losing my resilient form, I'll walk til I regain it.

I am really curious to see how this training philosophy plays out in such an athletic environment!  I'll keep you posted :)

Thanks for being here, LB

Donna Martin came highly recommended to me from several Body Awake listeners. She's deeply trained, and trains others, in the realm of Hakomi, an approach to psychotherapy that's rooted in mindfulness and body awareness.

In this interview, Donna and I dive into what felt like, for me, the heart of connecting with another human being.

The first 23 seconds of the show gives you a taste of that.

Enjoy, and do keep your recommendations coming; thank you!

SHOW NOTES

Donna Martin's website

Hakomi Institute

Donna's retreat on Hawai'i, June 2017

"Whole-Hearted Embodiment," a retreat at Hollyhock, BC in May 2017.

Books mentioned on air (unlinked, but of course any of these available by searching Amazon)

The Brain's Way of Healing and The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge

Mindsight by Daniel Siegel

Buddha's Brain by Rick Hanson

Start Where You Are by Pema Chödrön

 "The Coronation" essay links: in print, in iTunes, and other audio options.

Charles' website, which includes links to his podcast, workshops, essays and more.

This episode we get to spend time with someone who's dedicated a lot of her life to the study of Body Awareness, and how this awareness can — really, actually, empirically — heal the body, heal old trauma, and do all around good work.

Cynthia lays out her approach at 45 minutes into the show — really how to do it — which I wanted to offer as a reference point, for applying this to your practice, work or life.

SHOW NOTES

The Center for Mindful Body Awareness

Upcoming CMBA trainings for practitioners

My article on Interoception (a good primer)

Cynthia's interview with the Liberated Body Podcast, i.e. part one

This episode came with a little note through the airwaves that said: "Get this one out there, right now."

And so I heed.

Tias Little is an extraordinary yoga teacher, and you'll get a feel for him right away.

Interview starts at 8:08.

SHOW NOTES

Prajna Yoga — Tias' school in Sante Fe, NM

Yoga of the Subtle Body on Amazon

Tias' classes on YogaGlo

"My Stroke of Insight" — a Ted Talk by Jill Bolte Taylor

This episode is a shorter, in-between-isode where I share some thoughts on an oft-heard term in functional fitness circles everywhere: the "neutral pelvis" and "neutral spine."

The gist is: it can be a good idea! And I think it's used too much as the holy grail, and I lay out my reasons why. They're probably not what you think they are.

Also, I have a question for you, dear listener! I ask it right near the end, at 24:03; would love to have your input.

Also in this episode:

What makes a good movement? (5:40)

Our "Structural Immune System" (9:45)

Neutral in relation to what? (13:54)

Can someone with a scoliosis ever be in "neutral"? (15:10)

How tissue change happens: Wolff's and Davis' Law (16:00)

How to find your own neutral hips (internal/external rotation) in a squat (18:26)

Straight spine and still out of whack (20:03)

If it requires sustained effort, that's not neutral (20:54)

SHOW NOTES

"What makes a movement better?"

and

"Your Structural Immune System"

both articles written by Yours Truly.

David Cates is a tantra teacher ... sort of. (That's actually the first thing we get into in the interview: defining terms.)

What that means for YOU, whether bodyworker or yoga teacher or curious bodymind looking to apply what we talk about here on the show into your life, is a deep inquiry about: the 2nd chakra/sacrum/sexual-creative center of the body, healing sexual trauma of many shapes and sizes, what we can learn from observing the natural world and, in many ways the thing I found the most useful, just hearing David's take as a long-time teacher of an art, a practice, that keeps evolving on its own terms.

Hope you enjoy, as always!

SHOW NOTES

The Radiance Sutras, on amazon

David's interview with Garrison Cohen, "Looking for You: Activating the Animal Body"

The website of Peter Levine (also check out his many books)