Explore every episode of the podcast The Kay Manby Podcast - Guided Meditations and Gentle Conversations
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 - Mimi Kuo-Deemer - Practising Lightness, Lineage and Living Wisdom | 10 Dec 2025 | 01:01:27 | |
Today, I’m joined by someone whose teachings have deeply shaped my own path — author, teacher and martial artist Mimi Kuo-Deemer. From Beijing rooftops to English meadows, from the Shaolin Temple to Zoom classes during lockdown, Mimi’s journey weaves together Qigong, Taiji, Buddhism and embodied philosophy with grace and authenticity. We explore what it means to live a life of practice - one rooted in balance, humility, and connection. Mimi opens up about the loss of her mother, the medicine of movement, and the joy of learning from masters like Liu Xuyang, Matthew Cohen, and Martin Aylward. We talk about lineage, grief, creative expression, and what it means to show up with kindness for ourselves and others, even in the hardest seasons. Mimi’s wisdom is deep, grounded and playful - an invitation to meet life fully. In this conversation we touch on:
Mimi refers to: Connect with Mimi: I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 14 - Gilly Charters - A Quaker Life of Peace, Purpose and Quiet Courage | 10 Nov 2025 | 00:57:56 | |
In this episode, I sit down with the wonderful Gilly Charters - someone deeply rooted in her local community and even more deeply rooted in her Quaker faith. Gilly has been a teacher, a probation officer, a volunteer with mental health charities, a musician, and a proud grandmother. She’s also stood as a Green Party candidate, bringing her values of integrity, peace, and environmental care into the public space. Together we explore what it really means to live as a Quaker - not just on Sundays, but every day. Gilly shares the story of how she first encountered Quaker silence as a child, what the "inner light" means to her, and how silence, simplicity, and kindness have shaped her life’s path. We also talk about justice, music, activism, and how her spiritual journey has supported her work with vulnerable communities. This is a conversation about stillness, strength, and how living your values quietly can echo far and wide. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 05 - Grief, Growth and Gong Baths - Jules Cooper’s Journey Through Love and Loss | 27 Jun 2025 | 00:37:06 | |
In this heartfelt episode, I’m joined by Jules Cooper - yoga teacher, gong therapist, Akashic Records reader and mother of four. Jules shares her story with openness and grace, beginning with life as a footballer’s wife and unfolding through the unimaginable loss of her son, Finn. We speak about motherhood, grief, spiritual awakening and the healing power of sound, energy and community. From tearful moments in Shavasana to life-changing retreats and unexpected guidance from spirit, Jules’ path is a testament to strength, surrender and sacred transformation. This is an episode about holding space when you’ve walked through fire. About rebuilding from the heart outward. And about how sometimes, our deepest pain can become the root of our most powerful purpose. Connect with Jules Cooper:
I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 04 - Summer Solstice - A Meditation for Light, Power and Renewal | 25 Jun 2025 | 00:19:11 | |
In this special solstice episode, we honour the longest day of the year with a guided meditation to help you reconnect with light, inner power and the quiet strength of the heart. Through gentle breath, radiant visualisation and affirmations, you are invited to explore your own inner sun, the sovereign centre of love and personal power, and set heartfelt intentions for the season ahead. Let this be a sacred pause. A place to rest, renew and rise into the light of your fullest self. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 03 - The Magic of Kalkan: A Meditation on Presence | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:22:20 | |
The Gift of Kalkan - A Guided Journey into Stillness and Beauty In this episode, I share a quiet reflection inspired by an unexpected invitation to the coastal town of Kalkan, Turkey - a place that reminded me how healing it is to pause, to breathe, and to simply be. Through soft storytelling and gentle visualisation, I invite you to walk sun-warmed cobbled streets, breathe in the scents of jasmine and rose oil, and feel the kindness of strangers and the wisdom of slowness. This isn’t a travel story. It’s a meditation on presence, peace, and the beauty of unexpected stillness. Let this episode be a gentle reset - a return to yourself through scent, sound, colour and calm. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 02 - The Rainbow Within - A Chakra Meditation for Balance and Light | 31 May 2025 | 00:22:11 | |
The Rainbow Within - A Chakra Meditation for Balance and Renewal In this second episode of The Kay Manby Podcast, we explore the beauty and symbolism of the rainbow - as hope, as harmony, as a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. Through gentle storytelling and guided meditation, you'll be invited to journey through the seven chakras. Each colour and centre brings a message of grounding, creativity, empowerment, love, truth, intuition and connection. Blending myth, poetry and presence, this meditation is a soft return to balance — a reminder that, like the rainbow, you are whole, vibrant and made of light. Let this time bring you back to yourself. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 01 - Relax and Restore: A Gentle Journey to Inner Peace | 18 May 2025 | 00:21:15 | |
Episode 1: Relax and Restore - A Gentle Journey to Inner Peace Welcome to the very first episode of The Kay Manby Podcast. In this opening offering, I share a little of my story and the journey that brought me here - from deep loss to the healing power of stillness. You’ll then be guided through a peaceful meditation designed to help you settle your body, soften your thoughts, and return to the calm that lives within you. This is a space to rest, to breathe, and to remember that you are held. Let this be a gentle start or end to your day. Or simply a pause in the middle of it all. You are warmly invited in. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 13 - The Earth Within - A Journey Round Windermere | 20 Oct 2025 | 00:22:27 | |
In this deeply grounding episode, Kay invites you to journey into the heart of the Lake District — a landscape of still waters, ancient hills, and poetic spirit. Inspired by the words of Dorothy Maclean, John O’Donohue, and Wordsworth, this episode is a gentle exploration of balance, belonging, and the timeless bond between the human heart and the earth itself. Through vivid imagery and calm narration, The Earth Within – A Journey guides you to reconnect with the natural rhythms that live within your own body — your breath, your heartbeat, your clay. It’s a soulful reminder that we are never separate from the world around us; the earth moves through us as we move through it. Find your stillness, breathe with the land, and return home to yourself. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 12 - The Joy List and the Power of Choosing Love with Ali Mortimer | 07 Oct 2025 | 00:59:46 | |
Today I’m joined by the radiant Ali Mortimer - global life coach, speaker and guide for women ready to reclaim their joy. Ali’s story weaves together threads of high-flying corporate success, deep personal loss, and the transformative power of choosing love. We explore burnout, body image, grief, feminine leadership, and the courage it takes to rebuild your life from the ground up. Ali shares her “joy list,” a deeply personal story of rising through challenge, and how the teachings in A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson helped guide her. We also talk about the incredible Karen Heras-Kelly — a soul-led leadership coach whose presence and work has influenced us both. This conversation is filled with heart, humour, and hope for anyone navigating change or looking for permission to begin again. Connect with Ali Mortimer Mentioned in this episode I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 11 - Breath, Body and the Beauty of Not Striving with Dan Peppiatt | 25 Sep 2025 | 00:46:21 | |
What Happens When You Let Go of the Shoulds? A Gentle Conversation with Dan Peppiatt In this special episode, I’m joined by teacher, thinker and seeker, Dan Peppiatt. We talk about what happens when we stop striving and start listening - not to the noise of the world, but to the quiet, honest voice within. We explore the winding path that led Dan away from traditional yoga teaching and into a more intuitive, playful relationship with the body and spirit. Along the way, we touch on the meaning of presence, why stillness can feel unsafe, and how we might begin to trust ourselves again. This is not a conversation full of answers. Instead, it’s an invitation to unlearn, to soften, and to return - gently - to what truly matters. Let this be a moment to sit with your own truth. Brew a tea, take a breath, and come join us. If you’d like to explore more of Dan and Gemma’s work, CLICK HERE - they offer a range of Yoga Like Water courses and trainings. These include:
Visit their site to learn more and see which offering might support your path. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 10 - Lunar Eclipse: A Visualisation for Letting Go and Beginning Again | 09 Sep 2025 | 00:18:24 | |
Join me for a gentle visualisation inspired by the recent lunar eclipse and the golden light of late summer. Together, we'll reflect on what’s come to fruition in your life, gently release what no longer serves you, and plant new seeds of intention into the fertile soil of change. With a nourishing reading by Nadine Stare and grounding imagery from the Qigong tradition, this episode invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and honour the beauty of both endings and beginnings. Whether you're feeling the shift of the season or standing at the threshold of something new, this practice is here to hold you. Let it be a soft place to land and a reminder that change can be kind. Settle in. Take a breath. And let the eclipse energy guide you home to yourself. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 09 - Soften into Summer: A Guided Meditation and Poem by Lizzie Rosewood | 20 Aug 2025 | 00:20:33 | |
In this special summer episode, I invite you into a gentle, sensory-rich space for rest, reflection, and stillness. We begin with a tender poem titled Summer by Lizzie Rosewood, a long-time student and supporter of our yoga and Qigong community. Her words are a golden thread through this practice - a meditation on presence, softness, and the subtle joys of the season. What follows is a guided relaxation designed to help you soften the body, settle the mind, and welcome a moment of calm. With imagery of butter mountains, creaky doors eased by warmth, and crumpets kissed by summer light, this episode blends poetic language with grounded mindfulness. Perfect for winding down, recharging, or simply reconnecting with yourself in the quieter corners of your day. 🌼 Features: Thank you for being here. To explore my online and in-person yoga and Qigong offerings (resuming September 3rd), visit www.lovekay.co.uk or email me at kay@lovekay.co.uk. If this episode resonated with you, I’d love to hear your reflections—and feel free to share it with anyone who could use a little softness today. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 08 - Love Beyond Limits - Georgie Ogden on Parenting, Dravet Syndrome, and Finding Light in the Dark | 05 Aug 2025 | 00:40:56 | |
In this deeply moving episode, I’m joined by Georgie Ogden - a qualified naturopath, certified Gut Restore Practitioner, and mother to Archie, who lives with Dravet Syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy. Georgie’s story is one of resilience, heartbreak, healing, and hope. Together we explore the emotional and practical realities of raising a child with such high needs, and how this experience has shaped Georgie’s family, her identity, and her work. She shares with extraordinary honesty what it has meant to walk through trauma, find presence in chaos, and create joy even in the darkest of times. Our conversation touches on:
Georgie’s personal and professional journey has led her to become a passionate advocate for family health — particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities. Her work is already making a difference in the lives of many. 🌱 Resources Mentioned: I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 07 - The Tree Retreat: A Journey to Stillness and Sanctuary | 23 Jul 2025 | 00:24:11 | |
The Tree Retreat: A Journey Into Stillness, Healing, and Home In this gentle visualisation, Kay invites you to experience The Tree, a deeply nourishing retreat centre nestled in the North Yorkshire Moors. Inspired by a recent visit with her son, this episode is an immersive journey into rest, reconnection, and the quiet beauty of simply being. You’ll be guided through a sensory-rich exploration of this sacred space - from forest paths and flickering candles to yoga nidra, gongs, and the warmth of shared meals. Let the peaceful rhythm of the retreat carry you home to yourself, wherever you are. This is a practice in presence. A gift of peace. A reminder that healing begins when we allow ourselves to pause. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||
| 06 - A Conversation with David Billington - Funeral Director | 10 Jul 2025 | 00:49:22 | |
Young, Brave, and Beside the Dying: A Funeral Director’s Unexpected Journey In this special episode, Kay is joined by David Billington, a funeral director who found his calling at an unusually young age. With warmth and honesty, David shares the story behind his vocation, the emotional depth of his daily work, and what it means to walk alongside others in their moments of deepest loss. Together, they explore the quiet humanity of funeral care, the misconceptions people often carry, and the unexpected beauty that can be found in grief. This is a conversation about purpose, presence, and finding meaning in the spaces we often avoid. Whether you're navigating your own grief or simply curious about the life of someone who works so closely with death, this episode offers tenderness, insight, and a deep respect for the sacredness of saying goodbye. I would be so grateful if you could buy me a coffee using THIS LINK. This helps me fund the podcast and keep it going 🙏 | |||