Mind, Sex & Spirit Podcast

Ever had a 'dark night of the soul' ? Or go through 'dark' periods? The darkness is not really what you think it is...We have a tendency to try to escape the dark. We’ve been taught to go toward the light, ascension, and upward growth. We tend to fear decay, destruction, and aging. We talk about the ‘dark’ and dark times as if it’s something to be feared. We run from the dark.There is a difference between dark, evil, and shadow... The true ‘sacred dark’ is highly misrepresented and misunderstood.It's actually a core and sacred part of nature and feminine power. The denser vibrations of matter is sacred. It’s not to be feared. Opening into the dark is the key to feeling truly grounded, whole, ecstatic, and joyful. It's the other side of the Yin & Yang circle and it's essential in order for us to return to wholeness.Discussing everything from how to relate to depression and untangle darkness and heavy emotion, grounded spirituality, spiritual bypass, Donald Trump, and womb wisdom, Janine Ma-Ree, ISTA Lead Facilitator and founder of the Red Earth Temple, guides us through the land of the dark in this episode.

Our entrepreneurial climate encourages us to ‘make it happen’, achieve, and ‘be the best you can be’. This gets tiring! Can our creativity and projects feel more effortless and joyful? How do we collaborate with the Universe, rather than push, push, push?Komala Lyra, ISTA Lead facilitator, Ayurvedic Doctor, author and filmmaker, is a master at allowing AND being really creative and productive. In this episode Komala shares about how to let life live through you, rather than try to control and manage every detail of life to feel some semblance of safety. This includes how to trust life, the keys for tuning into your inner compass, and dropping veils that obscure who you really are and what’s really possible. This conversation is really inspiring and will help you breeeathe and tap into your natural, effortless way.

We’re born with far more than our five dominant senses. Beyond our cultural allergy to anything that seems on the fringe of science, we have our INTUITION as an evolutionary capacity of intelligence. A sixth-sense, if you will. Intuition is power. Being able to follow our internal GPS means we’re able to make good life choices that genuinely expand and nurture us. We know if we should stay in this job / if this partner is really right for us / how to move forward in our life and lots more! This power awakens us who we really are.With a basis in quantum physics and modern science, Ricci Jane-Adams, Ph.D. the principal of the Institute for Intuitive Intelligence, speaks with us about how to understand and engage our intuition in the 21st century.In this episode, we cover:• Ways intuition speaks to us and how to recognize it’s voice• How to know the difference between fear, fantasy, imagination, and intuition• How to take action rather than go into self-doubt or people-pleasing• Ways to live in your intuitive power all the time (including building heart-coherence)• How to trust your body as the barometer of your soul and bring the mind on board as an ally• The importance of radical acceptance and receptivity in living an intuitive and fully embodied life• Understand why things don’t work out the way you anticipatedABOUT RICCI JANERicci-Jane Adams, Ph.D. is the principal of the Institute for Intuitive Intelligence.She trains women globally as clinically qualified Intuitive Guides. Ricci-Jane supports her students to increase their power to serve by activating the archetypal energy of the priestess, mystic and leader within them. Ultimately, Ricci-Jane’s work reminds women that they are infinite, unlimited, non-local God/dess consciousness.Ricci-Jane is an award-winning writer, and author of bestselling Spiritually Fierce. Ricci-Jane has a doctorate from the University of Melbourne in magical realism.Sign up for her Third Level course here: https://instituteforintuitiveintelligence.com/third-level/

In interviewed Estera Saraswati, sacred sexuality teacher Tantric Buddhist mystic, on the great wounding and resentment between men and women. It’s a vicious circle: who is the first to say sorry? Both sides feel hurt and wounded. Both sides demand respect. We stand in front of each other with closed and wounded hearts, so there is no resolution.It’s easy for women to see how we’ve been wronged my patriarchy. It’s tangible with salary gaps, domestic abuse, sexual pressure. It’s visible. But we lack compassion for men. Men are under huge oppression under patriarchy too.Let’s redefine what patriarchy is: It’s not about men oppressing women only, it’s about a system of domination and control of fear. The fear is of the unknown. It’s the same for men and women alike, though it’s expressed differently. Patriarchy allows us to be aggressive and blame and project onto others. We feel victimized and privileged to say THEY are wrong.It’s impossible to bring peace through war! Even if I have a good intention, I create war if I fight.So how do we go beyond the gender war and #metoo us/them abuse, victiming and blaming?This episode is so ESSENTIAL for every man, women, gender fluid, single, partnered person to listen to.We coverHow patriarchy is produced and reproducedAs above so below; as within so without: how I contribute to this gender war.We cannot find answers to our current issues by operating at the same level of consciousness. We need to upgrade our consciousness.Women need to address their inner masculine: If we want to heal our connection with the other gender, we need to find connection with our own inner self.Whatever’s triggering us on the outside, we need to address inside: You are Donald Trump too. Taking self-responsibilityWhy it’s so essential not to remain neutralHow to go beyond social conditioning of dos and don’ts.Tender power: a new way of engaging with powerFemale predators: own that you’re a predator, not just men!We also talk about parenting, the privatization of children, education, fostering inner curiosity, and creating a new approach for society.

Got questions about tricky, sticky things in life? The Egyptian mysteries may have just the remedy. Each Egyptian ‘god’ and ‘goddess’ figure are like medicines in a medicine cabinet, with specific wisdom and help for our current lives… Whether it’s relationships, sex, money, or art, there’s epic wisdom if you look.In this episode, Jasmeen Hana, an Egyptian Mysteries and Sacred Sexuality facilitator shares with us about the contemporary use of ancient Egyptian wisdoms. We also hear about Jasmeen’s personal and spiritual journey where leaving her highly religious Islamic home to discover her own truth, conscious sexuality and new depths of Egyptian cosmic wisdom.Resources:Magdelen Manuscript book by Judi Sion and Tom Kenyon

Pain and suffering are not the same thing. Pain is energy. It’s natural and okay! It’s our mind’s resistance to it that’s where the suffering comes in. The level to which we numb and resist pain also blocks our pleasure… Both pain and pleasure have immense gifts when we surrender to them. They’re power.Beyond the fluff and love-and-light type stuff, we talk with Chantelle Raven, a FIERY Tantra teacher, about how to consciously go into pain without getting lost in its stories. We learn how pain is a doorway to genuine pleasure: why you can’t experience peace and bliss without looking pain in the eye. We also discuss why stillness meditation is not enough to heal, how to get off the merry go round of striving to be better or perfect, finding genuine power and joy beyond stale positive affirmations, and lots more.Buckle up, this is a gritty, grunty and powerful episode!

Grégory Puente, a Nima (a consecrated shaman), talks with us about the plant medicine iboga and Bwiti initiations. In this episode, we explore what iboga is and how it’s used for medicine journeys. We also find out what happens to you in an iboga experience? What is Bwiti and how does iboga factor in with Bwiti? Is iboga a hallucinogen and is it like other psychedelic substances and medicines? One of the things I really loved talking about is the role of the medicine and initiation in not only helping our personal problems and our personal growth, but also how it can help to solve our big environmental and social problems we’re currently facing on the planet.

In this episode, I’m joined by Patrik Olterman, a Christian pastor, ISTA facilitator, Bhakti Yogi, and Enneagram practitioner. I’m deeply fascinated with his quite radical, autonomous and authentic journey through spirituality and faith and in today’s show we talk about that. We discuss The difference between religion and spirituality, the six stages of faith (from literal to personally integrated), Sex positivity and queerness in Christianity, spiritual autonomy and deconstruction and how to safely explore spirituality without the fear of being duped. This conversation is a deep healer for anyone with religious wounds! Having an alive spiritual and sexual life is our birthright and Patrik shows us how they can come together. So to speak.

Self-pleasure is a core spiritual practice, just like meditation, yoga or prayer. It’s an avenue to bring you closer to yourself, the Divine. Self-pleasure is also key for emotional, mental and physical health. It’s foundational in the way we can detox our system, fill our being with literally good vibrations, practically self-love and become self-activating, rather than relying on others. In this way, is also a golden remedy for co-dependency in relationships because we start to tune into the inner union within ourselves. Self-pleasure is power, it’s medicine. That’s what Baba Dez Nichols, founder of the International School of Temple Arts talks to us about in this episode.Baba Dez is an internationally renowned speaker and teacher, daka, author, singer-songwriter, and transformational guide, who’s been featured in numerous radio and TV shows for his contribution in the healing arts and evolving human consciousness. He’s a global networker and seeder of loving freedom who teaches the sacred temple arts to share, inspire, and support others in the activation and integration of life force energy.

Relationships can be incredible avenues to self-discovery, expansion, fun. One of the significant parts of a relationship where we can learn, grow, be confronted, feel the depths of vulnerability and intimacy, is BREAKING UP. Lilli Morgan loves break-ups (I do too!). As much as they hurrrt, they can be golden. I talk to her about how she started unpicking the fear around break-ups, how to survive break-ups, and the gems in endings and beginnings. Lots of super personal stories, tips and laughs. Excellent conversation!!

There’s a myth that Tantra has to be done between a cis-man and cis-woman. Is Tantra for non-cis-gender and/or non-heterosexual folks too? Are all bodies, identities, relationships and expressions welcome? YAAASSSS. We dive into Queer Tantra with Rainbow Advocate, Sally Goldner. With personal stories of our own adventures in Tantra as queer people, we explore Tantric concepts of polarity (masculine/feminine), sex-positivity and inclusion, language, healing body-image, communication, consent and calling out and how to have the kind of sexual and Tantric experiences you want, no matter what body you’re in or with.

Sometimes, things change. Your body, curiosities, health, abilities and attractions shift and to stay sexually alive and happy, you have to navigate new sexual territories. This can be scary though! There are unknowns, fears, what ifs… Victoria Cullen—sex geek and sexual re-navigation guide—shares stories and tips about the tools, strategies and skills to help you have the kind of sexuality adventures you’ll die smiling about.

With birth educator, doula, life coach and counsellor Erika Munton we explore cultural stories and myths about birthing, talk about what supports great birthing experiences in a practical and grounded way, hear realistic expectations for birth and find out about things like ecstatic birth. And as relationships and birthing experiences can take all shapes and colours, this episode is gender-inclusive and supportive to people who have all kinds of birth experiences.

Physical touch is fundamental to human existence—we physiologically and emotionally _need_ touch. And romantically, it’s one of the big ways we give and receive love and pleasure. How can we maximize pleasure and relaxation, and give and receive the most delicious touch experiences? Myotherapist Clare MacDonald shares science about nerves, sensitivity, pressure, timing, flow and the mind to help you give the most pleasurable, relaxing and healing touch yet.

Which authors, artists, and musicians inspire you? Friends, entrepreneurs, actors? Lauren Howard-Tripp, entrepreneur, yoga teacher and founder of NamARTste, talks to us about how to access your full power, inspiration, creativity, and confidence through smart archetypes and ancient goddesses. Lauren has geeked out on the Goddesses for a number of years and will share with use who they are and how to utilise them in your everyday life.

Ever feel like you’re constantly _doing_ ? Like you’re constantly grasping for the next thing, never safe to relax or just be ‘here’? Mindfulness expert Jossy Jimenez shares the nuances of mindfulness and practical ways you can bring mindfulness into the way you relate to your to-do lists, career, goals, body, and relationships. I felt immediately relaxed and hopeful at every moment of this discussion. Listen and relaaaaax xxx

Curious about polyamory or opening up your relationship? Not sure how to do it without making yourself crazy with jealousy and angst? With personal and honest stories, sex educator Euphemia Russell talks about what polyamory and open relationships are, why you may want (and not want) to explore it, and tried and tested ideas for how to do it well. For many of us this is new territory, so stories and tips are essential!

Natasha —with a medical background focussing on the science of sex—shares how the way we think about our genitals (particularly vulva) can affect our pleasure, confidence, health and relationships. With plenty of stories from our own experiences, we also dive into the science behind how our awareness during sex affects anxiety, confidence, pleasure, satisfaction sexually and in life.

Music and dance are a powerful tool for focusing attention, releasing and generating energy, healing and more. In this debut episode, we speak to Ruby Brown, artist and Founder of Nanny Match, about her personal experiments in ecstatic dance. We share our personal stories in discovering WTF ecstatic dance is, how movement and tunes became meditation and the self-awareness, -acceptance, -love, and playfulness that emerged.