Islands of Coherence

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- Head on over to patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism and become a member. 
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This weeks episode is with Brandon Gilbert, founder of the online medicinal herb and mushroom storefront, Hyperion Herbs! In this episode we explore the ancient world of herbalism and how to integrate plants into your spiritual and wellness journeys. 

SHOW TOPICS
- Founding a Wildly Successful Herbal Business
- How to Form a Relationship with Herbs
- Integrating Herbs into your Life
- The Willingness to Forge your Own Path
- Navigating the Herbal Supplement Marketplace
- What Makes Herbs Effective?
- Sensitivity and Stimulation
- Embracing Boredom
- Medicinal Mushrooms
- Neurofeedback Techniques

LINKS
hyperionherbs.com

How to Support the Show!
- Head on over to patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism and become a member. 
- Subscribe over on YouTube
- Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
- Implement any of the topics covered on the show and write me about your experience!

Joining us on the show this week is one of the co-founding members of the widely popular electronic jam band, Lotus! Michael Rempel is a musician and mindfulness meditation coach. In this conversation, we riff on his 20+ years of touring the United States and his recently found commitment to the Unified Mindfulness system started by Shinzen Young. 

Michael was also the one to create the new theme music and is available for commission work! If you have a project that you could use some expertly crafted music on, don't hesitate to reach out to him via his website (link down below).

SHOW TOPICS

- Exploring Spirituality while being a Nationally Touring Artist
- The Potentials and Pitfalls of the American Music Festival Scene
- Making the Most Out of our Time at Festivals
- What Is Mindfulness as per the Unified Mindfulness System?
- Concentration, Clarity, and Equanimity
- Reactivity and Responsiveness
- Fundamental Wellness and Suffering
- Cultivating a Kind Heart
- See, Hear, Feel Guided Practice
- Creating Discipline


LINKS

michaelrempel.com

Support the show on Patreon!
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Joining us on the show this week is scholar, author, and Zen teacher, David Loy. In this important conversation, we talk about the path of Ecodharma, a modern approach to Buddhism which utilizes the interlocking environmental crises we're facing as an avenue to deepen our spiritual practice through service and engagement. 

SHOW TOPICS
- It's More Than Just Climate Change
- How Dualistic Perception Fuels Environmental Crisis 
- Evolution of The Illusion of Separation
- Learning How To Hold Our Grief
- What is a Bodhisattva?
- Being Service Oriented
- The Institutionalization of Greed, Aversion, and Ignorance
- Is It Enough to Just Work on Ourselves?
- The Importance of Community
- Is There Any Hope?
- How Do We Cultivate Bodhicitta?

LINKS
davidloy.org

Support the show on Patreon!
www.Patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism

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Structural Integrationist, Author, and Movement Enthusiast, Mary Bond, joins the show to help us explore her newest book and embodiment program, The Body Mandala. TBM is a comprehensive set of practices which help the practitioner develop stronger relationships between how they hold their body, where they place their attention, and the quality of their presence.

SHOW TOPICS
- Origin of the Body Mandala
- What is a Mandala?
- The Four Gates of the Mandala
- Connecting to Ground
- Connecting to Space
- Chronic Pain
- Intereoception and Intuition
- Guided Practice
- Tensegrity
- Sagittal Plane Living
- Panoramic Awareness
- Peripersonal Space

LINKS
healyourposture.com

This weeks conversation is with physical turned manual therapist, Walt Fritz. Having been in practice since 1985, Walt has gone on to create an effective and novel approach to manual therapy which seeks to incorporate clients into a process of shared decision making for their treatment plan. In this dialogue, we explore the healing properties of a therapeutic relationship and the effect our stories have on our experience of pain. 

Show Topics
- Following Evidence Based Practice
- The Power of Placebo and Nocebo
- How the Therapeutic Relationship Creates Change
- Shared Decision Making in a Therapeutic Setting
- Is Pain Neurological or Structural?
- Touch and Emotions
- Why Being an 'Expert' Might Not Be Ideal
- The Benefits of Not Knowing in a Therapeutic Setting

waltfritz.com

We're back from our brief hiatus! Kicking off this next chapter of 21CV is the Venerable Robina Courtin. Having been an ordained Buddhist nun for the past 45+ years, Robina has gone on to spread the teachings to thousands of students across the globe. Most renowned for her work in bringing spiritual practice to inmates serving life sentences through her foundation, The Prison Liberation Project; Robina has worked tirelessly to be of service to those who are willing to receive it. In this conversation, we talk about her perennial message of learning how to become your own therapist and genuinely being able to change your mind through Buddhist practice. 

SHOW TOPICS

- Our Role in Creating Suffering
- Navigating Anger
- The Buddhist View of Trauma
- The Role of Meditation in Changing your Mind
- The Three Poisons
- Desire and Attachment
- Emptiness and Compassion
- Karma

LINKS/SUPPORT
If you resonate with this conversation, consider following her on social media or checking out the amazing documentary on her life, 'Chasing Buddha' which is free on YouTube. 
robinacourtin.com

If you want to support this show, consider leaving a donation on YouTube, subscribing on Patreon or simply liking/subscribing to the relevant channels and pages to keep up to date on new episodes!
patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism

***Big thanks to Michael Rempel for creating the wonderful new intro music. If you want to commission a piece for your project, I highly recommend it. Check his website out for more awesome music and his contact link! http://michaelrempel.com/ ***

To support this show: subscribe over on YouTube, follow us on Instagram, and like us on facebook. If you want to go further, you can leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and consider signing up for our patreon @ patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism

Today's episode is all about using yoga as a vehicle to age more gracefully. Joining us to explore this topic is the internationally recognized yoga teacher, Desiree Rumbaugh. Creator of the Wisdom Warriors yoga program for students over the age of fifty; Desiree has been practicing for over thirty years in the Iyengar and Anasara traditions. In this conversation, we explore the different factors that contribute to aging well - from physical to the mental and spiritual. 

You can virtually train with Desiree over at desireerumbaugh.com

SHOW TOPICS
- A New Way to Age
- Strength Training and Aging
- Mind Muscle Connection
- Dealing with Injury, Tightness, and the Aging Body
- Finding New Roles for Older Generations
- Importance of Staying Inspired as you Age
- Learning New Skills 
- Function of Wisdom as we Age
- Compassion for the Older Generations
- How does Wisdom Operate?
- Retirement Pros and Cons
- The Dangers of Growing Old Alone

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This weeks conversation is with University of Massachusetts Amherst professor and author, Allison Butler Ph.D. In it, we talk about her work with critical media literacy and how learning it can improve our ability to navigate the deceptive media landscape of the 21st century.

SHOW TOPICS
- What is Critical Media Literacy?
- How does power affect information dissemination
- The effects of the profit motive in our media
- The difference between pundits and reporters
- What is a digital footprint?
- Getting trapped in the algorithm
- Finding quality independent journalism
- Focusing on local news
- Creating healthy boundaries for our media intake


If you want to continue learning about critical media literacy, check out Allison's new book, 'The Media and Me: A Guide to Critical Media Literacy for Young People' and listen to some of her other podcast episodes!

University of Toronto professor, Dr. John Vervaeke joins the show to talk about his work in exploring one of the most profound crisis facing us in the modern age, the meaning crisis. We discuss what meaning is, how we can cultivate it through body based practices, and what awaits us on the other side.

If you wish to explore Dr. Vervaeke's work further, I highly encourage checking out his 50 part lecture series, 'Awakening From the Meaning Crisis' over on YouTube. You can also find his new series, 'After Socrates' airing weekly on that same channel. 

If you wish to support this show, subscribe over on YouTube, Follow us on Instagram, and Like us on Facebook. Also consider becoming a patron over at patreon.com/21stcenturyvitalism. 

Thank you and enjoy!

SHOW TOPICS

- What is Meaning?
- Addressing Self-Deception
- Cultivating Virtue
- Committing to Truth
- Working with Neuroses
- Does Pure Evil Exist?
- The Role of Embodiment in Connecting to Meaning
- The Different Kinds of Knowing
- Where Have the Shamans Gone?
- Love and Compassion

Founder of Lotus Nei Gong International school for Internal Arts, Damo Mitchell joins the show! In this conversation we set the stage for what it means to engage with the practice of Nei Gong, which is a system of cultivation and self-realization through the lens of Taoist wisdom.

Show Topics
- Importance of Working with a Teacher
- The Stages of the Path
- What is Nei Gong?
- Cultivating the Dan Tian
- Working with Qi
- A Sense of Humor
- Ethical Conduct
- The Taoist View of Being

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- Follow us on Instagram for show updates and additional content.
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- Leave a review wherever you listen
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If you wish to follow Damo Mitchell
- lotusneigong.com