Explore SoMa

Both, Sophie and Marianne, decided it was time to take a break from podcasting. Sometimes, when life gets to busy, even an enjoyable thing needs to go to the back burner for a while. In this episode, mostly Sophie shares what she has been up to. Some big and exciting news for you all. Since time is limited, we are mostly going to use Patreon as our social media interaction platform. We hope to see you there to engage in conversation with us and with each other. Please join us on Patreon

Self Care   Do you like to iron? I (Marianne) do not. But Sophie finds her time at the ironing board relaxing and a form of meditation.  So, what does ironing have to do with self-care?    According to Sophie, self-care is the ability of us to be aware of our personal needs.   Sometimes, we have to decide what action brings us more peace of mind: visiting with our family or taking care of unfinished tasks.   We do talk about a mangel which actually makes ironing fun. If you have never seen one, do a search for many different models - a new model you can but today runs about $ 2,500.00.  But this photo I found online is close to what we had in our home and used for the weekly ironing marathon. When Sophie and Marianne were in Yoga Teacher training, we started a little book club. One of our favorites was Loving What Is by Byron Katie. We both highly recommend that you read this book. Please get it from your local library or support an independent bookstore! Does Self Care sometimes feel like a chore? If it does, is it still self-care?   Sophie describes the Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga. Here is a link to the Wikipedia entry. If you are knowledgeable about this subject, you can help improve the article. And while you are at it, donate to Wikipedia. Now, more than ever, we need sources of information.   Our conversation did bring us to mental self care.In particular, letting go of guilt and stopping comparing ourselves to others.   As always, our conversation takes us to many different topics. Here is one tool to calm ourselves when unhelpful thoughts are taking over: Sing a song or repeat a mantra over and over.   Join us on Patreon for many guided meditations and our Yin Yoga Series. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast BlueSky @ExploreSomaPodcast.bsky.social We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

As you know, Sophie moved across the country to an area where everything was brand-new to her. No established friends, connections, or even knowing the city,   One thing she found was that a move like that offers a chance for a new beginning.   It is easy to fall into old habits and establish what we had before.   But it is a great opportunity to sit back for a bit and think about what one really wants to do.   The world of Yoga has grown dramatically in the US and has developed in different directions.    For many, Yoga is a physical exercise - nothing more. Others only practice the meditation aspect.   Sophie is in-between.   Sophie likes to teach Hatha Yoga - each pose is held for 30 seconds or a minute. The important part is to be aware of the breath (prana). She started teaching in a new studio - every teacher is new to that particular place. She found that she felt very comfortable with all her co-workers and attributes that to the fact that they all are starting together, eager to build community. We mention Yin Yoga. Join us on Patreon for an in-depth conversation about this form of Yoga.  Join us. We are inviting our Patrons to practice Yin Yoga with us. All Patrons are invited to our first talk and craft event. We will meet via Zoom on Friday, March 7, 2025. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Bluesky Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne        

The beginning of 2024 meant moving - for both Sophie and Marianne. While Sophie had planned her cross-country move from California to Florida for several months, Marianne's from Arizona back to California was unexpected and happened quickly. The first part of this episode is a conversation recorded shortly after our moves. The second part is a reflection of how that year went for us. As always, we are honest with our listeners as to what has worked out, what hasn't, what we learned, and where we want to go from here. Sophie felt that the move to a place where she didn't know anyone was an opportunity for deep soul-searching.  Here are some of her observations. In California, she had built her life around her young children. The way she was able to teach classes and what activities to pursue.  Now, the children are adults and have gone off to school. But, after moving to Florida, she realized that she had been caught in her own life. The routine, the comfort, the familarity. The need to rebuild everything was a great opportunity to examine what she really, really wants to do in this phase of her life. Ayurveda will stay without a doubt.  Sophie will teach a hybrid in-person/Zoom Ayurveda class in January. You might want to listen to our previous episode, which explains what Ayurveda is all about. Listen here We also have a special episode for our Patreon supporters, which explains in detail how to determine what Dosha we are. Check out this episode here As always, we invite you to join us on Patreon. Our goal is to build community there and are planning another live event soon.  Maybe it will be a Laughter Yoga session again - or... Stay tuned to find out. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

In this episode, you are learning about Laughter Yoga and a bit of Sophie and Marianne's history with this practice. Sophie wrote an excellent article explaining the practice and the benefits of Laughter Yoga, which you can find on our Patreon Page.     Please join us there, read all about it, and become part of our community.   Great news!   You all can laugh with us. We are offering a free virtual Laughter Yoga session on November 23, 2024 at 10 AM Pacific Time.   Find details on how to join on our Patreon Page.    The session has limited participants. Please make sure to secure your reservation.   Sophie and Marianne both learned Laughter Yoga as envisioned by Madan Kataria. Here is his website with lots and lots of information.    Linda Leclerc is a well-known Laughter Teacher presence, and Marianne had the pleasure of interviewing her for her former podcast. Linda is very active in the World of Laughter, and we encourage you to check her out.    If you are inspired to give a Laughter Club a try, you will find many in person Laughter Clubs all over the world, as well as a large number of online opportunities.   We hope to see you on the 23rd of November at out Laughter gathering or, if that date doesn't work for you, that you laugh with any laughter friend anywhere in the world.   Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha.   Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

Come and join our  Explore Soma Patreon community to take part in further conversations about the topics we discuss on the podcast - or whatever is on your mind.   AND! We have free memberships. Of course, there are more perks to all who support us but plenty of fun to be had for our free members.   In today's episode, we start in the world of knitting and end up exploring the meanings of symbols and how much power we give them - or maybe we shouldn't?   Tell us what you think!   And if you are wondering about the Placebo Effect we are referring to, join us on Patreon and listen to that part of our convo.   Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

Did you know that you could be the proud owner of a  pair of hand-knit socks simply by supporting us on Patreon? We are holding a raffle on June 12th and one lucky winner will get a pair of awesome socks made to order. Not into Patreon? You still can get a raffle ticked. Contact as at exploresomepod @ gmail.com to find out how. In this episode, Sophie tries to find out why Marianne loves knitting so much. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

Hope and Fear Quote by Maya Angelou: "Hope and Fear can not occupy the same space. Invite one to stay."   Before we dive into the content of this episode - we are having a raffle on Patreon for all of our supporters! This time, the prize will be a custom hand-knit pair of socks!  Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/who-wants-pair-99863064     Sophie asked Marianne why this quote is resonating with her at this time.   Marianne speaks about her feelings and fear regarding the climate crisis, which is manifesting in many unusual and often dangerous weather events, and her anger that most everyone doesn't seem to care.   Sophie shares that she saw an almost identical quote in a book about Ayurveda she recently read.   Sophie emphasizes that we can only impact the present moment and need to do the best we can without any expectations.   We touch on many examples of how behavior impacts others. How to deal with it - or not. Quite a few times, we disagree as well.   Many topics SoMa are touching on in this conversation were also explored in depth in this episode: Find Good News   Sophie reminds Marianne of a time when they studied the methods of Byron Katie. Here is a link to her website.  One of the questions we have for you, our listeners, is this. How do you deal with frustrations in your life? What helps you to find inner peace? You can email us at ExploreSomaPodcast@gmail.com or meet us on the following platforms Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

Sophie has studied Ayurveda for many years now and has a website all about the art of living the Ayurvedic way. On this website, she has a link to a test Marianne took. In this conversation, Sophie is going over some of the basics of Ayurveda and how to apply the principles to our daily lives.   You can find the test here if you are curious about your doshas.   Sophie explains what Doshas are.   If you are interested in a detailed example of how the results can be interpreted - or, for that matter, how to determine your answers to the question, we have a detailed analysis of Marianne's results on our Patreon page. And good news for all Patrons supporting us on any level - Sophie offers a 20% discount on her online course. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne   Join us and be part of a beautiful community on Patreon. We have many plans for this year.

Learn something new no matter your age.   Sophie's friend had a drum and it was love at first sight. Before you know it, Sophie also had a drum.   This is the story of a girl and her drum lol   After exploring the usual channels we learn these days - YouTube and other internet resources, Sophie decided to find a teacher.   As with everything, practice is the most important way to improvement. But a drum is loud and when your partner works from home, other places must be found to get the daily 15 minutes of practice in.   Where there is a will - there is a way.    Marianne shared how she made a drum many years ago, and you will hear that drum while she tells you about it. Then, we get into the joys of knitting and how Ravelry changed her knitting life forever - and for the better.   We talk about the different positive impacts of knitting - it can be a mindless activity to keep the hands busy and the mind free to concentrate on a lecture, or anything we want to take in - or, it can be a complicated thing that requires our full attention.   Sophie and Marianne's Yoga teacher Sashi always said that any activity can be a meditation as long as we fully concentrate on what we are doing.   Sophie points out the similarities of such different activities as drumming and knitting.   Having a passion is very important in our lives and gives us a feeling of wholeness.   Sophie's recipe to open yourself to new experiences. Anything you are interested in and have thought or are thinking now that it is too complicated - just add to the end of the thought - until now.   Now, it is different, and the new thought can be, let's give it a try. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne  

Marianne is sitting on the sofa with her foot up, looking at a mess all around her.   Why, oh why, is she just sitting there?   Because she didn't listen!! Didn't listen to her body.   While packing the car for a trip, she dropped a full metal water bottle on her foot. While it hurt like hell in the moment, she soon forgot about it while sitting in the car, not using her foot at all, and filling her mind and soul by drinking in the beautiful countryside.   A week spend with family, friends, walking, talking, and being happy added to suppressing the memory of that heavy bottle falling on her foot.   Yes, there was pain - but first, she was too busy ignoring that pain. Then, her mind went to exploring (and getting paranoid about) the different possible causes of said pain.   Back on the Rez, on her way to the doctor, the water bottle incident came back to her.    The cure the doctor recommended was elevate, ice, compress - stay off your feet for a week.   Hence, Marianne is sitting on the sofa with her feet up, waiting for better days.   Sophie, timely as ever, just read a book on how sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. In this case, Marianne did not listen to her body telling her to take care of that foot, which made the situation worse.   As always, Sophie has pearls of wisdom to share.   We create our own stress in our mind If the house gets cleaned later, it is not that much more work. Adjust the mind to make healing the first priority, and such make peace with everything else that will have to wait.   And let's be honest. The minute something was cleaned, it gets dirty again….   Adjusting your mental agitate is not a one-time thing. We have to remind ourselves over and over again what we want to think and feel instead of the negative thoughts that pop up.   While Marianne came back full of energy to jump into action to reorganize and adjust life for another year away from home - only to find herself on the couch, Sophie invites her to use that time for planning, clarity work, and of course, some knitting.    A Sophie wisdom: All experiences are there for us to grow.   We are working on some awesome rewards for our Patrons on Patreon!   Make sure to check that out! Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne    

Marianne is sharing with Sophie how a change of weather seems to impact her mood and even her body. She gets very tired and runs out of energy.   Sophie explains some of the theories of Ayurveda. For example, if a person has a lot of air element and a strong wind is blowing, maybe some grounding is in order. That can be as simple as placing feet firmly on the ground.    People with lots of air element also tend to be cold. So, keeping warm and drinking warming drinks is important.   Did you know that even hot mint tea is cooling?   Try a mixture of cumin, coriander, and fennel instead. Or ginger tea is always a delight.   Our conversation touches on macrobiotics, fermenting and more.   If you search for Sandor Katz, many articles on fermentation and his journey will pop up. I highly recommend his books. You probably can get them at your local library. Or purchase them from an independent book store.   This is an excellent article comparing different fermentation lids for mason jars.  https://www.makesauerkraut.com/fermentation-lids/   If you search for Gärtopf, many beautiful examples will come up for your viewing pleasure. Many articles are in German  and of course, in the US the usual online order business comes up. The pot comes in handy if you have a huge garden and eat lots of fermented products. For purchase, I highly recommend buying from a smaller company.   An example of preserving food. Marianne was gifted a full bag of small, unripe peaches. She made different variants of green peach preserves with vinegar. In a month, we know how it turned out and will talk about it then. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne  

Sophie hadn't been feeling well and allowed herself to completely rest for a while - physically and mentally.    She emphasizes that we have to let go of expectations - the musts we created for ourselves.   Marianne shares that she is having a hard time with letting go of projects she has invested a lot of time in even though they aren't fun anymore. An example is her Daily Writing Prompt, which she had published for well over 2000 days on a Social Media Platform called Hive. (The Daily Prompt is still being published if you want to join the writing fun.)    Sophie: It takes a while to get clarity and make a decision, but implementing the decision can be very fast.   Sometimes, we also can be clear on what we want but don't know how to best reach our goals.   Sophie wants to build an intentional community based on kindness and similar interests but does not know where to start.   Our podcast is one tool to create such a community and we are hoping to utilize Patreon as a platform to host virtual get-togethers.   We are discussing how often are we doing things because we truly want to or because we perceive that it is expected of us.   Sophie attends a weekly meditation group. They pick a monthly topic to meditate on. The theme of this month is death - that really seems to be on our minds right now.   While some are contemplating physical death, others the death of an idea or circumstance in life, all agree that if we want a peaceful death, it is essential to be mindful in our daily lives.   We have some homework for you: Write down what no longer serves you. What kind of courage it will take to let go?   Reflect on how you show up in the world. What do you like about it?  What do you not like? Please share your thoughts with us. Find us Patreon: Explore Soma  Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast Facebook: Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

We all will experience grief many times throughout our lives. Sophie recorded a meditation designed to help us move through the phases of grief and is making it available to our Patrons.  Join our Patreon community here.   Sophie took an unexpected trip to France. Her brother in Law had suddenly died. First, she felt resistance to traveling with her husband until she realized that she didn't want to relive the grief she felt when her mother passed six years ago. Once in France, she felt that her presence and the emotional support she could give to her in-law family was not only supportive to them but also freed her husband to deal with his emotions. Many years ago, Marianne's mother died, and she had to make a similar decision - to go or not to go. She is glad she went and had the chance to say goodbye.  Also, coming together with her siblings and making a pact to get along was a healing experience for the family. While there, she attended a workshop on death and dying and came out with a death-positive attitude. Some of the things she learned: Dying people like a firm touch. A light touch feels irritating. The Living sometimes need to give permission to the dying person to leave. Sophie mentioned this book she had just read.    The Need of the Dying by David Kessler   Please support your independent bookstores. If you don't, they will be gone. If you want to know how Marianne feels about the easy order solution that most people use,  listen to  Episode #4 - Find Good News.   Marianne recalls her own cancer experience and realizes that her current struggle is not with the fact that our lives have an end date but rather with the question of whether she is living her life well. During the same time Sophie was mourning her brother-in-law, Marianne had to make the decision to end the life of her very sick dog. SoMa explore how grief impacts our lives and what we can do for ourselves to help us move to a happier space. Sophie asks herself, if she died today, did she do everything she wanted to do? Have you asked yourself that question? Please share your experience with us.   Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram: Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook: Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne  

Marianne feels reflective and a little sad that so many things she has worked for are still the same - nothing has changed. She is questioning if it is a function of getting older to question if what we have done with our lives was a big waste of time. Sophie responds with the example of raising children. That we try our best and are coming from a place of love - but we can't control the outcomes. She gives the example of doing her best to raise her children with a healthy diet. She feels that she did a good job when she sees her oldest son cooking for himself and making good food choices. Marianne comes back to her favorite topic - the environment and the impact of our actions. She quotes some numbers from memory but is not certain about the accuracy. One thing she is sure about. The population of the US consumes way more than any European Country, which consumes way more than any less industrialized country. Here is an interesting links US Environmental Footprint Fact Sheet: https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/sustainability-indicators/us-environmental-footprint-factsheet That led to Marianne's other - or related pet peeve topic. Amazon and the out-of-control consumerism that supports one person getting very rich who does not spread the wealth to his employees. Sophie relates how difficult it is to escape the unnecessary packaging of just about every item we buy. We dive deep into our feeling around that subject and are probably depressing each other a bit. One of Sophie's suggestions is to seek a positive News source on days when the world seems a bit bleak. While we touch on many subjects, don't worry, not all are depressing. Sophie shares Yoga wisdom from a meditation she taught in a recent Yoga class   Join us on Patreon and find the Yoga Wisdom waiting for you - free, of course.   Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne  

Marianne took her dog, BB, to her Vet thinking that she had an abscessed tooth, only to find out that we were dealing with a cancerous tumor. In this episode, Marianne shares the feelings an impending death bring up for her. Also, the mental dilemma of figuring out when is the right time to ease her dog and end her suffering. Here is little Miss BB when she was younger. Please share your experiences with us. We love for you to join us on Patreon. Our intention is to create a mindful community where we can support each other. Patreon: Explore Soma You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast We are looking forward to hearing from you. Sophie & Marianne

It took us a while to get started with our podcast. You will hear mentions of winter weather - yes, we know it is summer now. A move into a new area brings about a certain amount of loneliness Sophie shares strategies her son used when moving to a new city. Sophie's wisdom: Do what you love  - even if you have to do it alone. Waiting for someone to show up to do it with you is a sure way to feel lonely. Self-care helps We can be lonely in the middle of a lot of people if we don't have the same interests. Here is a link to a podcast dealing with loneliness. Hidden Brain  Even small daily interactions can make a difference. Marianne used to have a small store, and many customers came to talk. Shoutout to small businesses everywhere.  Sophie shares that one way to counter loneliness is to use touch - like playing with your hair, taking a hot shower, using essential oils, or even wearing clothing or accessories that bring up happy memories. Oiling the body on a regular basis has so many benefits. Marianne learned that she should be using sesame oil since she tends to feel cold very easily.  Coconut oil is great for people who feel hot most of the time. Oil before a shower, but be careful since things can get slippery. Please join us on Patreon  and request to take part in the 3-Day  Challenge Sophie is offering. Give us feedback there, and tell us what topics interest you.

In this, our very first episode, we explain why we sound as we do. We also reminisce about the time we met, and what Yoga meant and means to us. You will hear that we aren't so sure about podcasting and where that will take us but are willing to give it a try. 

Marianne is telling you a little bit about what shaped her life.