Spirit Levels

Cold water immersion has many different faces. There’s the cold blast in the shower; ice baths; wild swimming… Which one are you prepared to look in the eye?   Frank is building an ice bath at Jenny’s house – so that he can use it when he’s there. That means he needs to convince his girlfriend of this painful practice’s benefits. Where better to start than on their holiday to the UK, where he...

ADHD coach Meghann Birks joins Jenny and Frank on the show to nut this one out. Being 'obsessive' doesn't have the most positive connotations, but our hyperfixations can also connect us to community, propel us towards goals and benefit our working life. Some people have one lifelong obsession, while for others a special interest could last an intensive few months or years before being replaced by...

Australia looks set to be the first country to run an MDMA-assisted couples therapy trial. What is it about ecstasy that researchers and couples therapists found promising back in the 70s and 80s, before it was made illegal?   Frank and Jenny talk to ‘late-bloomer Boomer’ Charley Wininger about his regular use of ecstasy in his marriage (he’s now 74 and they’ve “rolled” around 80 times, which...

Is throwing yourself full tilt into a physical activity a noble leap or a nosedive? It's marathon season in Australia, inspiring many of us to leap from 5k to much grander feats of endurance. And runners aren't the only culprits! In the recent past, Jenny has hurtled headfirst into Muay Thai fighting and competitive bodybuilding like the world is about to end, while Frank has found himself in seri...

As of 2023, the life coaching industry is worth  $1.5 billion, with almost 23,000 coaches in the US alone . In Bali that figure is unknown, but if you've been to Ubud or Canggu lately you'll know it's quite possible that life coaches outnumber bottles of Bintang.   This episode is not about any coach who has actually conscientiously trained themselves to provide a specific, solid se...

If we're going to get you throwing yourself into inspiring new pursuits every week, first we need to improve your sleep. This week's guest, Mike Toner, runs EDM/dance touring agency Thick as Thieves, so he ought to know something about hectic slumber patterns. He spent $10k fixing his wrecked sleep but he's going to give you everything he knows for free. Frank and Jenny turn Frank's insomniac daug...

"The room was like a zoo. People were jumping up, animating tigers and elephants like they were on some sort of psychedelic drug." "When you haven't slept for two days, they'll be in your face, barking: 'Come on, mate. Just give it up. Go and have a hot shower'." "Orgasm and ejaculation happens in two different parts of the brain." "We put intention into this drink, and then the property...

In this weekly Acast show, launching October 3, 2023, journalist Jenny Valentish and actor/filmmaker Frank Magree pressure test the wellness industry, from the weird to the wonderful to the WTF. Jenny is a former amateur bodybuilder and amateur Muay Thai fighter (a professional amateur, if you will), with a tendency to treat her body mean to keep it keen. Her book  Everything Harder Than Ever...