Landscapes For Learning

5 min Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS

25 min Eckhart Tolle’s video:  Excess baggage.  How we think of life’s struggles causes unnecessary suffering.  The second arrow analogy in Buddhist tradition. Tolle says life is one’s response to circumstances, not the collection of circumstances.  Maureen and Pierre resource an outstanding light in the modern field of spiritual awakening: Eckhart Tolle. The assumption that people shouldn’t face difficulties or suffer is delusional.  Struggling, suffering is one way to grow. Tolle calls thinking we should be free of struggle a dysfunctional use of  mind.   Maureen and Pierre spend a fair amount of time discussing the role of struggle.  Also discussing how struggling to avoid struggling can be counter productive - the second arrow. Marueenism No. 101:  Check yourself before you wreck yourself. Work out within.  What’s on my side of the street?  Another of Maureen's lessons from Landscapes for Learning - let life be your teacher and you'll be destined to thrive!   Check out Tolle’s 11 minute video interview: 

40 min Maureen and Pierre revisit Eckhart Tolle to explore his life's story.  Follow-on conversation from the first podcast on Eckhart Tolle. Before revisiting Tolle, Maureen mentions  people are actually listening to these podcasts.  Wait, what?!  They are???  WOW!  Cool!  Maureen says someone mentioned liking ‘Pierre’s voice and playfulness.’  Pierre loves the playfulness comment, and riffs on his relationship with his voice.  Many years ago in a used book store, Pierre found the book:  Change Your Voice, Change Your Life, by Morton Cooper. It was indeed, a life-changing book. Speaking of life changing books, Maureen and Pierre revisit Eckert Tolle’s work and his life.  Tolle self-educated himself from about the age of 13.  His life story is remarkable.  Learn more here:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eckhart_Tolle  He taught, studied and dealt with bouts of depression until one day, in the depths of a depression he had a spiritual experience. Overnight, he awakened to the beauty available in the present m

10 min. Maureen wants to talk about Deb Dana. Pierre and Maureen begin by laughing and laughing some more about their efforts to explain polyvagal theory. A mind-body resource, Deb Dana, a psychologist teaches people how to recognize their physiological states.   If you understand the ladder of stress and relaxation, high regulation or low, she says there are 3 distinct states. Prior paradigms of physiological control focused on the mind controlling the body.  But Deb Dana and Stephen Porges show through polyvagal theory that communication is a two-way street - body to brain, brain to body.   Recognizing when your brain is triggered by the body’s reaction can help provide perspective and provide therapeutic benefits, traction.   Come join us explore Deb Dana as a resource in this exploding universe of mind body knowledge.  Check her out at these links: Deb Dana & Stephen Porges at the Polyvagel Institute https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org Rhythm of Regulation https://www.rhythmofregulation.com And books:

20 min Maureen and Pierre reflect on a year of podcasting trying to learn conversation.  Yes, ironically that’s the title of our podcast:  Learning Conversation. Join us as we consider "the shit that comes out of our mouths."   We skip over the structure of our podcasts, listed below, and dive into the speaking / listening duality. We consider Socratic dialogue.  We explore having a 6th form of conversation.  Maureen provides a 411 - information please - on Socratic dialogue.  How does it work? We agree that in most conversations statements are made and accepted without exploration or question.  The conversation then proceeds along.  How different would conversation be if we truly considered each statement and resolved meaning?   In Socratic dialogue, it’s almost as if we start with a statement and go backwards. We consider the source and truth of statements.  In normal conversation, we start with statements and move forward from their foundation.  How different is conversation that looks at foundations and s

15 min After a weather report comparing morning temps in MA and CA, both 58 degrees, Maureen introduces Professor John Vervaeke as a Learning Conversation resource. He is an award winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.   Vervaeke’s academic interests include wisdom, mindfulness, meditation....  Wait, what?  Pierre comments those subjects were not available when he went to school.  How times have changed.   A reason the Learning Conversation podcast started is the exploding amount of literature in the field of psychology, mindfulness, somatic health, meditation, yoga, and on and on knitting elements of cognitive science , brain / body science, neurology, ophthalmology all intersecting and illuminating traditional spiritual pathways as developed through meditation, yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong, not to mention ancient wisdom through philosophy.   Vervaeke says we (the West) are suffering from a wisdom famine. Parenthetically, Maureen sent Vervaeke a copy

15 min Maureen and Pierre share their daily weather report, and then pod their way into the subject of atttention.  Then, Maureen tells Pierre about the workshop she is giving on attention and love at Yoga Studio Y in Danvers, MA, where Maureen has opened a Wellness Resource Center.  The Wellness Center at Studio Y is designed to create community by expanding offerings of the yoga studio.  Think of it as ‘yoga off the mat.’ Maureen explains she is giving a series of weekend lectures focused on the question:  what is wellness?  Illness, wellness and fitness.  How do they all go together?  Let Maureen explain.   Attendance is free for members.  Check it out if you are in the Danvers area.  And check out this pod discussing the expanding resources of Maureen's world:  Landscapes for Learning.

13 min   Maureen talks about a course she took from a resource called:  Embodied Philosophy.   Pierre, who knows nothing about polyvagal theory, plays the part of the ventriloquist dummy trying to understand what polyvagal theory is all about.  Maureen explains.   Put on your safety belt for a zoom down the steep part of the roller coaster.  Maureen recaps: Polyvagal Theory Neural Exercises for Safety and Connection.   Dr. Stephen Porges who discovered an interesting medical fact / theory related to the polyvagal nerve explains what he found in the medical world.  He is speaking with Deb Dana.  Deb Dana, a psychologist, sees Dr. Porges’ medical information and constructs a theory around behavioral health related to neuroception.   Three tiers of the nervous system are explained here.  Once we understand what tier our nervous system is in, our self-awareness allows us the opportunity to manage affect.  Game changer. Ok - we told you, strap in.  There are even dinosaurs in this one! Enjoy

5 min Today's word is:  resourceful. Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS

13 minutes Lately, Pierre's been obsessed with the title of our podcast, Learning Conversation - see prior Reflection podcasts. He is enjoying learning about learning through conversation, and improving conversational skills.  Wait, what? Listening is involved? Who knew? On that note, Maureen tells Pierre about a book she used with her students to teach the skill and importance of listening. The book emphasizes listening's role in creating authentic relationships.  It's called Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World by John Francis.  It's the latest MindBody Resource that we want listeners to know about! Here are a few gems from the book: -In the context of solving problems, not speaking precludes argument -From a place of silence new understandings emerge -Inability to listen suppresses opportunities to learn. The book is based on John Francis’ experiment in not speaking for 17 years!   Join us to explore John Francis unique experiment in listening.  17 years my friends, 17 years! Enjoy.  

20 min After beginning with disclosures about their espresso fixations, Maureen and Pierre jump into a reflection on conversation.  Going beyond reflections about their podcasting, this reflection considers the nature of conversation itself -  balancing speaking and listening.  The art of conversation. Elevating curiosity, holding space to listen and consider other people’s ideas, Maureen brilliantly explains the negotiation of social meaning through dialogue. The process of making, confirming, changing, and passing on culture - norms, values, processes. The process of building relationships that in effect underly culture and functioning social interactions. Explore dialogue as a key component of human beingness. The ability to regulate one’s nervous system to effectively engage in dialogue is critical to highly functioning societies. And not just functioning societies, but functioning personal relationships.  Maureen points out that mental health counseling is often about being there for people who don’t fee

5 min. Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS

30 min What started as a Resource podcast on Ido Portal, an Israeli therapist viewing life as flow and movement, turns into a Discussion podcast on non-movement, grounding and touch as contrasted to flow and movement.   Maureen and Pierre discuss grounding to touch and contrast that movement therapies. Begin your morning with Pierre’s sigh - an appreciation of morning in Sonoma - and Maureen’s comments on gratitude.  "I get to do what I do." Later dive into Ido Portal’s classic - worth the price of admission - response to Andrew Huberman’s interview questions:  “I am going to try very hard this morning to not answer any of your questions.”   Oh my goodness gracious!  Have you ever heard such a terrific answer to a professional interviewer asking questions?! Ido Portal is about play and movement, which he feels expresses meaning beyond words.  He feels play is spontaneous and messy.   In some ways, this podcast is spontaneous and messy.  Enjoy it.   Dive in! Resources mentioned and linked are: Ido Portal: http

8 min Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   Maureen's description of this podcast:  Pierre goes nuts about skiing! If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS  

22 min Maureen and Pierre are going to dive into a Learning Practice - the 3 minute drill talking about a single word.  But they don’t!   They get into a Reflection on how the podcast started, and its various forms.  It’s about Learning Conversation's one year anniversary. When we started podcasting, we had no idea how long our podcasts should go:  1 hour, 30, min, 20 min, 5 min, 3 min?   In early podcasts, we talked over one another. We were trying to figure out what to talk about, how to talk about it.   Maureen’s website envelope, Landscapes for Learning, which holds Learning Conversation’s podcasts is a key part of Pierre’s participation.  When this started, Maureen was reading about 5x to Pierre.  Pierre felt:  hey, I can’t keep up with all this. And Maureen felt:  hey, I want to share this stuff with others.  And the pod Learning Conversation began.  Unedited - Maureen and Pierre stumble around, and appreciate the gritty real nature of what they do, and how they do it.  They remind listeners that the po

4 min. Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS

14 min Pierre's off the slopes in Utah to talk about mindbody and spirit-focused podcasting with Maureen.  In vacation mode, he and Maureen reflect on happy places - ski slopes and mountain tops, tennis courts and flat spots. After breaking down happy places, Maureen and Pierre reflect on their Learning Conversation podcasting journey. Where did the idea come from? What went into the decision to podcast?  What’s cool about podcasting?  Before podcasting together, Maureen and Pierre talked about their post yoga training interests and Maureen introduced Pierre to 4 books that he had not read. She thought he might have read them.  The idea arose that shared interests are not identical to shared experiences, and both need exploration.  Reflecting further on overlaps and gaps in their mutual interests and experiences in mind, body, spirit, they recognized that at this moment in history there is an explosion of information in this genre.  It’s coming from many sources, traveling many channels.   There are books.  T

5 min. Pay attention! Learning Practice features a 3-minute conversation about a single word.  Unrehearsed, without forethought of the word to be discussed, we practice the art of Learning Conversation.   If you want to practice with us by supplying a word and joining us:   contact us through our websites. Landscapes for Learning YogaHEALS

15 min Resource:  Tara Brach Tara Brach and radical acceptance.   Tara’s life’s trajectory in the ’60’s was to go from college and then spend 10 years in an ashram.  She along with other resource figures like Jack Kornfield, Alan Watts, Sam Harris, were attracted to Eastern wisdom during the 50's, 60's and 70's - periods of change and questioning. Now many years later, figures like Tara Brach have risen in our culture to be influencers.  She has 3 million podcast downloads per month.   Maureen and Pierre have about 3 podcasts downloads per month.  Be the fourth!   Together, Tara Brach and others like her who, Maureen and Pierre are exploring in this podcast, are changing the landscape of learning in the spiritual realm.  Applying learned disciplines in Western science and secure in decades of practice and teaching, Ms. Brach's ideas are joining others like rivulets forming a stream.   American psychologist and proponent of Buddhist meditation, Ms. Brach is associated with Jack Kornfield in working to train an

25 min. Jack Kornfield is one of those ‘cross-over’ figures from the 50’s and 60’s, that grew up in Western society and embraced Eastern wisdom.   A Buddhist philosopher who started centers in the United States for practicing meditation.   Learn about Jack Kornfield’s journey as a young peace corp representative in Thailand in the ’60’s to the founding of Spirit Rock in Woodacre, CA in 1987, to his work in virtual spaces with Tara Brach, introducing a training and certification program for meditation leaders. Join us. Jack Kornfield:  After the Ecstasy, the Laundry.  JackKornfield.com