Explore SoMa

Sophie is very excited about Christmas. Making gifts for those she loves, planning a special meal, and of course, baking cookies. She is surprised that Marianne doesn't feel quite the same way about this holiday.  Yes, there are some precious childhood memories, but after studying religions of the world, it is clear to Marianne that the solstice is what was really celebrated at this time of the ye...

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...

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 unfini...

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...

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...

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 virt...

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...

https://youtu.be/x-v5FzoiG6w   IIn this special recording, Sophie and Marianne explain why they are on the platform Patreon iin addition to releasing their podcast. They also share members' podcast views and reward one lucky member for their quarterly "Giveaway".

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...

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...

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.  ...

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...

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 h...

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 el...

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...

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 wan...

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....

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 experienc...

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...

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.