Embodied Pathways

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Embodied Pathways, I had the pleasure of speaking with Fernanda Gebara, affectionately known as Fe, a Brazilian scientist, writer, and lecturer with a profound connection to the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous cultures. Fe's extensive experience living and working with the Yawanawá people has deeply informed her work, culminating in her forthcoming book, C...

Send us Fan Mail It has been a great personal pleasure to welcome Graham Harvey to Embodied Pathways . I first met Graham in 1994, when I was one of the organisers of a Magical Conference in London—a fundraising event for the eco-pagan group, Dragon . That magical encounter ultimately led to Graham inviting me to speak at the first-ever academic conference on Paganism later that year. He would go...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Embodied Pathways, I had the immense pleasure of welcoming two remarkable guests: John Seed, a pioneering figure in the Deep Ecology movement, and my dear friend, Karin Raven Steininger, an Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker and Deep Ecology  facilitator. Together, we explored the profound connections between humanity and the natural world, delving into the the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Peter Cow, a passionate advocate for nature connection and community living. Peter's work integrates permaculture design, rewilding, and the wisdom of the Eight Shields model, emphasizing the importance of both human and nature connections in our lives today. We began our conversation by reflecting on our shared experiences...

Send us Fan Mail At Autumn Equinox I attended the final workshop of a year long process called Seasonal Alchemy . The weekend included nature connection, meditation, ritual, breathwork, dance and teaching about the Wheel of the Year. I was already familiar with most of these aspects but I was struck by how they were woven together. I was also reminded of the richness of the Wheel of the Year. I’ve...

Send us Fan Mail Thirty years ago I gave a presentation that would change my life. I was a Pagan environmental activist and had been invited to deliver a talk at an academic conference at Newcastle University. The event, ‘Paganism in Contemporary Britain’, was the first international academic conference on the subject of Pagan studies and they wanted a Pagan perspective on the environmental crisis...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m privileged to speak with three Indigenous spiritual leaders. In the first interview I talk to two members of the Willkasara Medicine Family, who have been leading Plant Medicine Ceremonies and Retreats for 50 years. Wachan Bajiyoperak is from a lineage of Peruvian Medicine People. His partner Martika Gomez is a descendent of the Kogi people. They live with the...

Send us Fan Mail This is the third and final episode in a series where I explore embodiment with key thinkers in the field. In this episode, I speak to Lisa Blackman and Glen Mazis, two established and very embodied academics. Professor Lisa Blackman is a researcher in body studies, media, and cultural theory, with a particular interest in subjectivity and embodiment. Lisa is involved in mental he...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I continue my exploration of embodiment by interviewing two prominent figures in the field. First, Philip Shepherd, an actor and creator of the Embodied Present Process , shares his views on how embodiment involves joining the world through feeling and bringing the whole of one's intelligence into coherence with the present. Philip discusses how modern cultur...

Send us Fan Mail Join me on a transformative journey as we explore the multifaceted realm of embodiment with insights from thought leaders in the field. Mark Walsh opens the discussion with his nuanced definitions of embodiment, illuminating its role in our identity and relationships. Mark explores various definitions of embodiment, from the subjective study of the body to an intelligence that enc...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode, we step back and take a wider overview of what I call the embodied pathways: What connects diverse practices like Focusing, Rolfing, Authentic movement and meditation? Our guide on this exploration is Don Hanlon Johnson, who has spent over half a century studying how transformative body practices can enhance personal and social change. Don’s work takes cutting-ed...

Send us Fan Mail Focusing is a powerful way to access the wisdom of the body. It was identified by Eugene Gendlin in the 1950s and is widely used in therapy.  In 2009 Alicia Danforth suggested that Focusing could be a valuable tool in psychedelic-assisted therapy, but João da Fonseca is one of the few people in the world who have explored this possibility. João is a Clinical Psychologist and Psych...

Send us Fan Mail In this fascinating discussion, I have the pleasure of chatting with Jennifer Tantia, a Somatic Psychotherapist and Dance Movement therapist based in New York City. Jennifer shares her unique journey from being a professional dancer to becoming a therapist. She discusses her time in the East Village, working in gyms as a personal trainer, and her deep dive into somatic psychology...

Send us Fan Mail Dr Sam Gandy is involved with cutting-edge research into psychedelics and nature connectedness. He's worked with the Beckley Foundation, Onaya Science and the Centre for Psychedelic Research at Imperial College London. In this conversation, Sam explores the capacity of psychedelics to influence human relationships with nature. The research suggests that the psychedelic experi...

Send us Fan Mail Claire Thompson is the author of Mindfulness and the Natural World and The Art of Mindful Birdwatching. She takes mindfulness practice back to where it works best - the natural world. In this very personal interview, Claire considers the power of awe, enlightenment and the way that nature can be both deeply holding and liberating. Hear tales of mystical enchantment, spiritual insi...

Send us Fan Mail Stephanie Gottlob is an improvisational movement artist who takes her work into the wild. Stephanie has spent extended periods living and dancing in different biomes across North America: rainforest, swamp, freshwater lake, arctic tundra and many more. Stephanie talks about the profound nature connection that emerges from this kind of deep engagement with place. We explore art, em...