Compass Conversations Podcast

Drought is an overabundance of scarcity. Every situation has two sides. What happens when we choose to view the life unfolding in front of us from a different perspective? What might it teach us to step away from judgement and into acceptance of what is? Learning to look through the lens of curiosity opens the door for creativity to emerge. We create our lives by the thoughts we choose to focus on...

Children naturally operate from a place of knowing, questioning everything else but rarely questioning what they know to be true. By honoring this innate wisdom, we empower them to maintain a strong connection to their intuition. This changes our role. We shift from authority figure to facilitator of self-discovery. The journey of reconnecting with intuition is a constant weaving and unweaving. It...

How do we build a new world together - within ourselves, for each other, and for the future? What does it look like? What does it take? What is in our hearts? Most of us in western societies have silenced our innate sense of self and surrendered our power to cultural norms, structures, and values. This override of our natural state begins unconsciously at a very young age and continues for some of...

At some point along the way, many of us come to a point where we ask ourselves, who am I? Who am I really, under all the layers of protection I’ve built - who is under there? Why do I do what I do? Where does my inspiration come from, and what along my path is guiding me toward that awareness. And why horses? For many of us, horses are the ones who guide us into this journey of self inquiry Most o...

In her book, The Tao of Equus , author Linda Kohanov shares her personal journey, revealing that it wasn’t until she fully embraced the wisdom of the horse that she finally felt comfortable being human. With this revelation as a springboard, Episode 22 weaves together, strand by strand, a beautiful story of what it means to be human. As humans, each of us has the innate capacity to sense truth. In...

Consider, for a moment, what it might be like to be truly competitive, but without a combative edge or drive to dominate. Is it possible? Competition can give us so many great things: community, physical and mental challenges, and goal posts by which to measure our progress - it can bring out our best and showcase our preparation, dedication, and talent. The darker side of competition is when we a...

Episode 20 is our Volunteer Episode! It’s a very special conversation among the dedicated hearts who have been working behind the scenes for many months to coordinate the Compass Conversations podcast and who are now working to breathe life into the Intuitive Learning Foundation. The volunteers considered the following paragraphs and seed question, and the rest, as is our custom, was organic: We a...

A book falls open on a page with a relevant, resonating message - a breadcrumb, perhaps. A heart-shaped leaf lands in your hand on your way into a job interview. You enter a room full of people and immediately feel a brace in your body. Are these signs or coincidences? How do you know? Today’s conversation explores questions around intuition and intuitive learning. How can you tell the difference...

In this discussion, we explore the flow state, how it feels, and the ancient gifts of self knowledge and awareness that it brings. When we tap into the deep, stabilizing rhythms of nature, we find stillness, peace, love, and coherence with all that surrounds us - like the slow, quiet, and timeless suspension we might feel in the depths of the ocean.  It’s easy to get complacent about our everyday...

What is it about our connection with horses that inspires so many to get curious about ourselves? Many of us place all of our focus on the horse - we put equipment on the horse, do things to the horse, try to get something from the horse, look for problems to fix within the horse. In all of this doing, we forget to include ourselves in the relationship. We may fall into dominating patterns, applyi...

Episode 16 explores the topic of patience. In today’s kinetic, frenetic world, instant gratification can be very appealing - we want our food fast and our information even faster. We are in a hurry to become “experts” in areas of our interests and passions.  But what do we lose when we rush? We may skip steps and miss pieces in our understanding, and we’ll almost certainly diminish the wonder and...

 What does it mean to love horses, but struggle to have the same empathy and love for people? Today’s episode touches on a challenge that many in the horse profession face. People who love animals and care so deeply for the environment and the land have a tendency to grapple with conflicting feelings toward humanity, often seeing the very best and the very worst of people in the same day.  Is it e...

This episode wanders and flows gently through two interconnected topics: risk and relationship.  Do connection and relationship alter our perception of risk? When you truly know another being for who they genuinely are, beyond their labels, can you have more trust in that person or animal? Would you put your child on a “dangerous” off-the-track thoroughbred? Sleep outside in an area known to have...

What is your spontaneous reaction to the word, “Joy”? Does it evoke emotions within you? Where in your body do you feel it? What words come to the forefront to describe it? How do you know it? In this episode, our guests endeavor to articulate the essence of Joy, while also pinpointing aspects of our humanity and culture that impede our ability to embrace it. Joy is found through a way of being -...

What is rest? With everyone seemingly “hair on fire” busy these days, the idea of rest can be really elusive to many of us. But what does it even mean? Sleep? Relaxation? Peace? Meditation? Does the body need to be still to rest? What about the mind? In this episode, we have a lovely discussion about how we define and feel rest. While each of us is a little different in how we find relaxation, one...

Episode 11 begins with a question around how change is born and the tipping point upon which thoughts, concepts, or ways of being (and the people who carry these ideas forward) transform from the fringe to the mainstream. These evolutions in human consciousness climb toward a critical mass of acceptance until they become normalized. The people responsible for shepherding some of these changes are...

How can we help fear become a recognizable stepping stone to curiosity and courage? Stepping into fear is a courageous act of embracing the unknown and acknowledging discomfort. While avoidance may provide temporary relief, it also limits our personal growth and development. When we face our fears, we often discover inner strength, resilience, and a sense of empowerment. In both the horse and huma...

This episode is all about the synchronicities many of us recognize in our lives. Little (or big!) signs can feel like delivery of deeply meaningful messages for our path in life, or simply nudge us gently toward our gifts and passions. Sometimes the universe screams, other times, there are whispers. How can we learn to tune in and allow this wisdom, these responses to our deeply felt questions? Ho...

This episode was fun for all of us. . . The word “energy” means a lot of different things to different people. In today’s episode, we explore how each of us uses energy in our work and in our teaching. Some of us interact with energy and observe what changes physically; others work with what’s tangible and observe what shifts energetically. When we shift matter, energy changes; when we shift energ...

Episode #7 explores the challenging, beautiful, and mysterious topics of death and grief. Guests on the podcast share their experiences through the transitions of loved ones with vulnerability, gratitude, and curiosity.  Many of us in western cultures are taught to fear death and dread grief. But when we have a deep knowing inside of us that death is not the end (and birth is not the beginning), t...

Episode #6 explores the suggestions that get in the way of clarity, receiving and enjoying relationships.   This episode examines a set of questions that many people grapple with: Am I a bad person for asking for something I want? Do they genuinely want to connect with me? What does it mean if they say no? How can I interpret if the “no” is specifically relating to the task, or more generally to m...

Episode #5 explores depths of self-awareness.   This fundamental question - who am I because of my relationship with horses? - drives the conversation, exploring the limitless depths of our idea of “self,” awareness, and how we relate to all other beings. Opening the door to health and healing clears a path to empowerment, confidence, and connection that only strengthens in the face of hardship an...

We begin and end this conversation with the topic of happiness.  In our culture, we’re taught that happiness is the pinnacle of life, and when we aren’t happy, we have somehow failed. But what if life is meant to provide more than just happiness? What if it’s the view of the hills and valleys, the experiences of our journey that make up the rich tapestry of feelings and experiences that constitute...

Different Paths To The Same Place In this episode, we come together to explore questions about the ways horses and their people learn to better serve one another.. Starting with a touching and insightful journey into the experience of autism, we learn that there is healing in movement, relaxation through the breath, and connection through touch. Through tales of the group’s varied experiences and...

Episode #2 reflects on each person's personal journey with “change,”  what that process looks like and evolves into. The conversation rolls in  waves, exploring mutual curiosity with the feeling that ‘change is in  the air’.  We talk about how we go about searching for and  recognizing clarity and guidance, and how we each have our way of  choosing words to describe our feelings. We dive deep...