The Conscious Conversations Podcast

In this episode we speak with Cal Thompson, the VP of Product Design and Research at Headspace , in their role they are a a driving force at making effective mindfulness and mental health tools accessible to all.  We discussed how being in service to others, creating communities and, being connected to nature is the only way in which we can solve the climate crisis.  Cal has also been teaching the...

In this episode we talk to Tarik Dervish, BA Hons in Ayurveda.  Since 2001 he has been running workshops and courses in Yoga with Ayurvedic approach and is the author of the cook Ayurveda in Yoga Teaching .   We discussed a specific part of Ayurveda called the Pancha Koshas, also known as the 5 sheaths or the 5 approaches to purifying the body.  He walked us through each level, understanding how t...

In this episode with Kemo Camara we talked about what it means to be a bicultural, simply speaking,  belonging to two cultures and how you can use this as your super power, especially when unleashed in communities.  Kemo is the founder Omek,  a community-centric platform whose mission is to amplify the talent, voices, and energy of biculturals of African descent.  Kemo believes that biculturals wi...

In this episode with Marilou van Hoek we discuss her life path in being and becoming a yoga teacher, the soul healing practice of Pranayama and the role that having a teacher plays in our spiritual practices.  With love and passion, Marilou offers a variety of yoga classes, workshops, yoga retreats and teacher teainings in the Netherlands and abroad. Her presence is fun and inspirational, allowing...

In this episode we chat with Dr. Cathy-Mae Karelse; a scholar-practitioner, changemaker and public speaker on issues of race, difference and belonging.  We discussed creating safe spaces, making deliberate joy, our respect for the natural world and the practice of tonglen.   Cathy designs and develops customised change-making strategies and trainings at multiple levels to shepherd meaningful trans...

In this episode with Steve Cole we were inspired by Steve and his ability to bring wonder and hopefulness into the world; whether that is through his Podcast, Wonder Space or through his work with the family trust Panahpur .  We discussed how we can bring the wonder of the natural world into our daily lives and how we can take learnings from how nature works.  If we can take a moment to slow down...

In this episode we speak about the need for a purpose with Eli Robinson. ⁠ ⁠ Eli Robinson is a designer, researcher, writer, teacher, futurist, and Earth enthusiast based in Santa Monica, CA. Despite having difficulty describing the meaning of purpose, she has a hunch that hers has something to do with helping people see new possibilities and create a better future through creativity and generosit...

In this episode we chat with Pam Johns about how to turn our suffering into meaning, what it means to reflect on one's life's purpose from the "third act" and also the changing purpose of motherhood over time.  Pam is a life enthusiast, and a grateful, happy mom. She and Pat, her husband of a decade live in Cannon Falls, MN on sixty acres where they share their love of nature w...

Listen as we have a thought provoking discussion with Murray Gray.  We talk about  how to find meaning in our day to day, how to adjust to our ever evolving purpose and how we can be courageous (and privileged) enough to step out of conformity and do things in such a way that only you can do. Murray spent around a decade in the creative industries representing the interests and guiding the careers...

We’re coming to you live as the same, but new, podcast: The Conscious Conversations Podcast! Acknowledging that we’re ever evolving, learning and growing; we’re taking on a new type of conversation. One that gives us purpose and fulfillment with the intention to inspire awareness and vulnerability in ourselves and others. We’ll be discussing, sometimes alone and sometimes with others what gives us...

You've all heard of your carbon footprint, but what is our Carbon Shadow?  In this episode we discuss what our carbon shadow consists of and how we can be more conscious of it. By bringing conscious awareness to our choices, our purchases and our attention, we recognize how much impact our choices actually have in daily life and realize the power that we hold in these choices. With that, we f...

Vulnerability in the workplace can often seem like it doesn't belong.  It might feel black and white; as you can either be vulnerable or be at work, but not both.  We're here to tell you that it's possible to mix them! Listen as Kat and I discuss our experience with vulnerability at work -the fear of expression, how we dealt with it, and how we felt after we expressed it.  ⁠ ⁠ Tryin...

It's the final phase of the Spiral of the Work; Going Forth.  This phase is when we start to feel our inner power to be able to take forward all that we've learned and apply our understandings to our work for social change, whatever that may be. Sarah and I discuss how this phase has manifested itself in our lives and how we experience it within the context of the full spiral.  What phas...

This is the third phase of the Spiral of the Work: See with New Eyes.  This is a turning point of the spiral when we know more genuinely our relatedness to all that is.  In this episode we discuss our own experience of what it feels like and what we encounter in the world when we see with new eyes.  Are our senses spiked?  Do our bodies give us hints?  At this point we feel the excitement and ecst...

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Isn't it?  Sarah and I love the holidays as much as the next person, but we're also conscious that it can also come with lots of stress, pressure and feelings of obligation or loneliness.  In this episode we discuss our experiences with the pressures that holiday times can bring and how we deal with that. It's no surprise that self love...

In this episode we discuss In this episode we discuss the second phase of the Spiral of Work : Honoring Our Pain.  What does it actually mean to honor our pain? And how is it feasible in every day life to do that? ⁠ It takes practice and doesn't always feel like the first thing we want to do, but when we do it can be a beautiful experience. How do we learn to be softer with ourselves? ⁠ ⁠ Hav...

In this episode we will be discussing the first phase of the Spiral of Work : Coming from Gratitude.  Gratitude is a practice that can have huge positive effect on our life.  The Spiral of Work starts with gratitude because it quiets our mind and brings us back to source which stimulates our empathy and confidence.   Being grateful for this life and this planet is a true expression of love for our...

"The Spiral of Work" brings us back into relationship with each other and reconnects us to life. 🌳 💚⁠ ⁠ We really enjoyed contemplating this concept and talked about what this process has looked like in our own lives, and at what stage we think we are currently in. We would love to know what perspectives you have, please leave us a comment once you have listened and share your thoughts...

In this episode, we reflect on something that was said by the author Paul Hawken at the launch of the Dutch translation of his new book Regeneration . He said "People will fight for what they love and not what they fear".    We discussed how we both fall in love with nature over and over again and how we believe that this practice will help us get a broader awareness of how we can be mor...

In this episode we discuss how we can cultivate joy.  For both Sarah and I, the beauty that we see in the simplicity of life is something that gives us a feeling of joy, especially when in nature.  Taking a moment to appreciate the clouds or the trees or the subtle breeze can change our mentality to a more grateful and joyful outlook.  Do you ever feel like you are the odd one out when you're...

Being Present. ⁠ ⁠ Being present with ourselves, holding space for others, being silent. These are all some of the things that we discuss in this episode about being present. How do we get to this space? Sarah and I discuss our processes on coming back to our breath in order to stay present; especially amidst the challenges in the world. ⁠ Eco-Curious Conversations is a podcastwhere we discuss all...

How do we listen with compassion? And what does it mean to listen with compassion? In this episode, Sarah and I discuss our experiences with listening.  How we practice compassionate listening and how we can learn to become better listeners.  We believe that only when we are present with ourselves can we be present and listen to another. We discuss three kinds of listening; listening to ourselves,...

In this episode Sarah and Kat reflect on the week long "Wake-Up" meditation retreat that Kat participated in at Plum Village in early July at the Plum Village Mindfulness Training Center in the South of France. Plum Village is the largest international practice center in the Plum Village (Zen Buddhism) tradition, and the first monastic community founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh (Tha...

In this episode we discuss how we can be mindful, healthy and sustainable while eating on holiday and while traveling.  It can sometimes be a challenge to balance the desire to remain healthy but also enjoy the local cuisine and splurge a little.  Sarah and I love traveling, but we mostly love food so this topic is top of mind for us when we travel! We'll share our tips on how we remain mindf...

The goal of this podcast is to inspire vulnerability along the path to sustainability; to do that we need to understand what vulnerability looks like and feels like for us.  What does it look like when we are being vulnerable?  How do we overcome the fear of being vulnerable?  We hope that this episode inspires you to reflect on these questions for yourself and share with us if you feel willing. ...