12 min. Maureen and Pierre bring forward Alan Watts as a classical mind body resource. An icon of the 1960's, Alan Watts was an Episcopalian priest who is known for bringing Buddhism to the west. The double entendre of the interview is: Being in the Way. So often we spend our time trying to be somebody - the athlete, the business success, the well-liked person. Sometimes we forget to spend time being ourselves, or even finding out who we are. Join us for a brief conversation considering Being in the Way, a conversation between Ram Dass and Alan Watts.
17 mins. Learning about simple and personal applied strategies for grounded living after having spent decades looking for answers in the self-help aisles of bookstores. The quickest way to meditate is by focusing on one of the five senses. By focusing on the sense of touch, we elevate the body's signals of feelings over the mind's processing, and we ground to the present moment. When we are in the present moment, worries of the future mist over, regrets and burdens of the past fade. We can be grateful for the here and now. The Landscape for Learning is in you - Workout Within with Maureen! :-) Maureen and Pierre are talking about resources and explore the premise of this podcast, which is illuminating resources to help others. Very quickly, they discover the word "irony." Self-help is within, and they dive into the irony of self-help advice, books, resources. Is that the right path to go down? Pierre relates his hack: get out of your head and into your ass. Tim Ferris' advice per Maureen is: get out of your head and get into your body - a little more understandable. Hehe Pierre's daily prayer includes the expression: May I come to my senses. Maureen and Pierre discuss life hacks - short cuts or crutches to help us combat our cultural imbalance to brain and rational thoughts. Our culture practices disembodiment, so says Maureen. Explore with us the deeper meaning of our body's wisdom and presence. Especially, the body's wisdom to be happy. Landscapes for Learning
25 min. Maureen and Pierre discuss Elizabeth Stanley's book, Widen the Window: Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma. Long title and long book, about 450 pages. Bessel van der Kolk writes the forward and pays Elizabeth Stanley an astounding tribute saying: "I don't think I've ever read a book that paints as complex and accurate a landscape of what it's like to live with the legacy of trauma as this book does, while offering a comprehensive approach to healing." WOW. Maureen and Pierre take a deep dive into this important resource for mind body health, after previously discussing Bessel van der Kolk's ground breaking book: The Body Keeps the Score. A bit of compare and contrast discussion, in addition to bringing up other resources on the topic. These resources include: John Bowlby, a British psychologist who developed 'attachment theory.' And Amir Levine, who has updated that theory with insights into adult attachment styles. Amir Levine's book: The New Science of Adult Attachments and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love, is an accessible book with a simple, but powerful mathematical theory around partnering and co-regulating through relationships. Amir Levine is an MD, psychiatrist and neuroscientist associated with Columbia University in NYC. Widen the Window refers to widening the window of tolerance for stress in order to cope and heal. https://elizabeth-stanley.com https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/profile/amir-levine-md https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Bowlby
22 min. Maureen and Pierre introduce Bessel van der Kolk's book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. A watershed book in establishing a diagnosis around trauma and its healing. Scientific yet accessible, it was on the NYTimes bestseller list for 141 weeks - almost 3 years. Maureen relates how the book is useful as a parent, teacher and clinician / therapist. It's relevant in understanding humanity, not just traumatized individuals, but understanding how the body copes with stress - positively and negatively. Maureen and Pierre unpack a quote relating to agency and interoception, their roles in healing. The podcast highlights the changing and exploding nexus of information coming out on mind body systems.
15 min. Maureen and Pierre open up the podcast with a discussion about 'love.' Somewhere in this podcast Barry White, Eddie Murphy, the Little Rascals, Alfred E. Newman, and Forrest Gump make appearances. More to point: Amir Levine and Rachel Heller's book: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find - and Keep - Love is discussed. Popular self-help title, but real research from a Columbia University professor, Amir Levine, and co-author, Rachel Heller. Basically, great science behind a goofy title. Very accessible book propounding powerful math around adult dating probabilities given personality types around adult attachment theory. If you are looking for love as an older adult, even someone moving towards the 30 year mark, consult this book and consider its thesis. This was recorded around Valentine's Day. Maureen and Pierre consider all the rituals that our society has around loving another, and how few rituals our society has around going within to learn, honor and love oneself. Something to think about next time you are in See's chocolates. Just sayin. Amir Levine: https://childadolescentpsych.cumc.columbia.edu/faculty/amir-levine Rachel Heller: https://crediblemind.com/people/rachel-heller