Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and Improvisation

Rhythm and improvised poetry can lift the highs and heal the lows. For Monster Baby Podcast episode #99, Ted and Lisa link up with San Francisco freestyler, improvisor, music-maker, comedian, actor, Larry martial artist, activist, spiritual practitioner, and all-around good guy, Larry Dorsey, Jr. Larry starts the conversation explaining the history behind the “Junior” in his name (2:10) and then muses on his path to “fame,” noting the importance of intention behind attention (8:43). The trio considers the improvisational lifestyle and letting go of wanting (15:55) before Larry defines the term freestyle (improvised poetry) in more detail (19:45) and traces back the tradition’s roots in African spirituality (23:36). Ted asks how Larry manages the teacher’s paradox of having a standard for authenticity while reassuring new students that what comes through them is good enough (30:36) and Lisa wonders how Larry got his start with freestyle (as it turns out, from rhyming in the car with Dad, Mr. Gamble’s invitation for 10-year-old Larry, a challenge about profanity, and seeking a path out of trouble) (36:44). The three play a fun game of “We’re talking about…” (45:28) and note some similarities between the fun of freestyle and the writing of Shakespeare (54:30). Larry shares about his big opportunity with the touring company of the Broadway show Freestyle Love Supreme (56:20) and talks a bit about becoming “a pond in the forest” through the meditative practice of freestyle (1:06:03). Lisa invites a few last reflections on redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation (1:10:04) before Larry closes the episode with a fun bit of freestyle—and even gets Ted and Lisa to join in! (1:22:20). Please note: This episode runs longer than usual so feel free to split it up as needed. Also please note: the episode includes some sensitive language (including Larry mentioning the “n-word”) and a story about connecting with someone who considered himself a white supremacist. If you’d like to reach out to Larry, you can find him on most social media handles as “@larrydorseyjr”. Alternatively (and if you’ve got any question for us!), you can send a note to Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com. If you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired springtime reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)   TAKE NOTE…next episode will be our 100th Monster Baby Podcast and we’d like to invite you to be a part of it! If you’ve got a minute, record a short little audio file (please make sure to include your name and location!) and send it to us via email by March 31st, 2022 at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. You can say whatever you’d like but if you need a prompt or two, try one of these: What was one of your favorite Monster Baby episodes and why? Where and how do you listen? How has Monster Baby impacted your life? Anything else you want to share with Ted and Lisa! We’ll gratefully harvest the responses and may even include a few of them in the next episode itself. It’ll be a fun party—thanks in advance for joining!   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired springtime reading or need a great gift for a loved one, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #99 Freestyle Life Supreme (A Conversation with Larry Dorsey, Jr.) appeared first on Anima Learning.

What makes a home “home”? Sparked by Lisa’s move into a new apartment, she and Ted consider the many elements that go into feeling at home. The two warm up with a playful new spontaneity game called “A or B” that you can play right along with (1:35) and then explore what’s making Lisa’s new flat as homey as it is—and so quickly (9:07). Lisa wonders to what extent people make up the feeling of home (19:45) and Ted describes home as a safe place to launch from…and return to (23:22). After a short, tragicomic diversion about literal nests (26:00), Ted suggests that mindfulness teaches us how to come home to ourselves: with breath, with alignment, with finding a calm place inside (28:07). The two explore how effort helps build a feeling of home (34:14) and Lisa shares how, in improv, it’s the people you play with who make the safety net (36:25). Improv kicks up another (contradictory?) lesson about the goodness of getting yourself off-balance (43:14) which leads to a consideration of the benefits of international travel and the challenges of living away from a native land (47:58). Lastly, Lisa considers how moving to a new space can be like growing out of an old shell (52:00). We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy in this holiday season. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading or need a great gift for this time of year, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #98 Coming Home appeared first on Anima Learning.

Kat Koppett, an Applied Improvisor, joins Ted and Lisa to discuss the 'Inside Out' exercise, exploring inner voices. They demonstrate the exercise with an improvised scene and reflect on its impact. They delve into the implications of saying 'yes, and' to inner offers and how it can generate insights for non-improvisors. They also explore the practice's freeing nature and the potential trouble of opening our gates to inner voices.

Good ensemble members make great humans. Continuing a conversation from the previous Monster Baby episode, Ted and Lisa chat more with improvisor and author Dan O’Connor, discussing his new book (co-authored by Dr. Jeff Katzman), Ensemble! Using the Power of Improvisation and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World. This episode starts with a new game from Dan, giving Ted a new perspective on an earlier time in his life (1:24). From there, Dan describes the power of special experiences for forming ensembles (7:40) and relates a story from San Quentin prison about how improv ensemble can help reduce discrimination (10:39). Recognizing the massive changes happening at Impro Theater in LA and BATS Improv in San Francisco, Ted asks about how Dan and Lisa recommend bringing new folks into previously well-established ensembles (15:04). That leads to an intriguing philosophical question (27:26) that leads Dan and Lisa to articulate the value of high-quality followership as they consider their lives, post-Artistic Directorship (30:44). Dan mentions the power of realizing that we always have agency (34:51) and closes with some final thoughts about improv, ensemble and being a good human, noting that we all can be factories of joy (38:11). Please note: If you didn’t get to listen to Episode #95 first, you might want to head over to that one before listening here. But it’s up to you! If you’d like to get a copy of Ensemble!—and we bet you would—visit www.northatlanticbooks.com and enter “monsterbaby35” to get a 35% discount (!!!) on your order, good til September 30, 2021. Thanks, Dan, and thanks, North Atlantic! We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #96 Ensemble! A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part Two appeared first on Anima Learning.

A good ensemble can cure the loneliness blues. For Monster Baby episode #95, come join Ted and Lisa for Part 1 of their conversation with improvisor and author Dan O’Connor, celebrating the release of his new book, Ensemble! Using the Power of Improvisation and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World. Dan starts with a nod to his co-author, the incredible Dr. Jeff Katzman (“one of the nicest human beings on the planet”) (1:37) and then shares the basic lowdown on Ensemble! (4:48). Ted wonders about how hermits fit in to the notion of humans-in-groups, which leads to a distinction between loneliness and solitude (11:53). The conversation leads to the value of listening without needing to find similarities with the speaker (15:03) and Dan articulates the ways in which “ensemble” can become a verb and a practice (16:21). Lisa wonders how writing the book impacted Dan’s life (22:45) and Ted asks about using ensembling as a way to build bridges across divides of difference (27:36). Dan describes how connecting to groups can improve human longevity (32:46) and differentiates between “apart from” and “a part of,” noting the ways in which we need to be strong in ourselves before joining with others (36:23). Part One of the conversation ends with a note about building an ensemble with the many different parts of ourselves (38:51). Make sure to continue on to Episode #96 for the remainder of our conversation with Dan! If you’d like to get a copy of Ensemble!—and we bet you would—visit www.northatlanticbooks.com and enter “monsterbaby35” to get a 35% discount (!!!) on your order, good til September 30, 2021. Thanks, Dan, and thanks, North Atlantic! We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.     And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #95 Ensemble! A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part One appeared first on Anima Learning.

You’ve got great stories to tell—want some tips for sharing ‘em? In part two of his conversation with Lisa and Ted, improvisor, storyteller and author Corey Rosen dives deeper into the craft and skill of telling great stories. Corey starts by noting how stories change over time (1:37) which leads into Ted’s sharing a story that has recently become both cringe-inducing and meaningful (5:58). Corey articulates the tension between improvisation and careful craft in storytelling (14:33) and wonders about preparation rituals before we tell stories in public (19:35). Ted asks Corey to share his exercise “Explode the Prompt” (24:44) before Corey encourages Lisas’ new baby to utter her first word-at-a-time story (31:20). Corey shows how “yes/and” feedback can make stories even better (32:13) and offers final encouragement to Monster Baby listeners to get out their and tell their own stories (41:49). If you haven’t yet, you might want to first check out the previous episode for Part One of the conversation with Corey. But this one can stand alone if you like! If you’d like to order his book—and we bet you would like to order his book, visit www.mango.bz and enter “monsterbaby10” to get a 10% discount on your order. Thanks, Corey, and thanks, Mango! We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com.   To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com. If you’d like to order his book—and we bet you would like to order his book, visit www.mango.bz and enter “monsterbaby10” to get a 10% discount on your order. Thanks, Corey, and thanks, Mango! We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com.   To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #94 Your Story, Well Told: A Conversation with Corey Rosen, Part Two appeared first on Anima Learning.

Join storyteller and author Corey Rosen, an improvisor who captivates audiences with his storytelling skills. In a lively chat, he shares that compelling stories don't require extraordinary experiences—just curiosity and reflection. Corey introduces a fun storytelling game, 'That Reminds Me Of,' to help uncover everyday anecdotes. He delves into the importance of emotional depth in storytelling and highlights a technique that enhances connection with the audience. Plus, learn why preserving family stories is essential and how tools like StoryWorth can aid in that journey.

Things are different now. It’s been a while since the last Monster Baby Podcast episode but we had good reason for the delay: Lisa had a baby! In Episode #92, Ted and Lisa take stock of the mindfulness and improvisation ramifications of Lisa’s new life as a (gulp!) mom. Ted cheekily starts the episode by noting that things have really changed for him after getting vaccinated (1:20) before Lisa introduces Ramona Mackenzie Rowland (3:42). Ted asks about Lisa’s pre-birth tale of getting locked in a closet when on the cusp of going into labor (7:20) and Lisa describes the ways that giving birth offered a new experience of presence (11:40).  Lisa articulates the ways that she served as a midwife for her own body and how that raises questions of “self” (14:30) and continues on to share how birth was also a spiritual experience (20:30). Ted wonders—probably prematurely—if she’d want to go through the process again and notes the difference between pain and suffering (26:10) before Lisa shares more of what’s different now and how she’s joined the unofficial Club of Moms (28:58). Ted wonders if any new improv lessons have shown up (37:10) and we learn a little more about this new Ramona creature (41:06) To close, Lisa offers a generous invitation to any other (potentially) single moms out there in Monster Baby Podcast land. (50:20). We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com.   To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #92 Lisa Had a Baby! appeared first on Anima Learning.

Good things come in small packages. That’s especially true if we pay attention to their beauty and impact. In Monster Baby Episode #91, Ted and Lisa explore the many delights of tiny choices. Lisa starts the episode with a check-in on the imminent birth of her first child (3:11) and Ted reports the great fun he’s having taking a new improv class in Magical Realism (8:57). Lisa kicks the topic off (13:00) and Ted mentions the power of a small shift carried out over a long stretch of time (16:04). The pair discusses BJ Fogg’s Tiny Habits approach to behavior change (18:34) and Lisa describes how she’s learned that many big leadership decisions are best thought of as combinations of lots of little steps and choices (24:07). The conversation challenges the familiar guidance not to sweat the small stuff—maybe we should? (26:27)—and asks how we can enjoy steps along the way, even if we never reach our intended destination (31:44). Ted introduces the notion of “joy dots” (36:20) and asks Lisa about how the joy of little things shows up in improv (40:21). From there, Lisa describes one way we might be small-thinging our way to a type of enlightenment (44:58). We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy. If so and you’d like to share that positivity—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’re needing a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading or you’re looking for a perfect holiday gift, slide on over to www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)         Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #91 The Joy of Little Things appeared first on Anima Learning.

Photo by Mihai on Flickr Licensed through Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode) What to do with discomfort? We all feel stress sometimes. A little noodge. A joint out of whack. A bump in the wheel. In Monster Baby episode #90, Ted and Lisa explore what mindfulness and improvisation have to teach us about gettin’ (at least a bit more) comfortable with that discomfort. The pair kick off by discussing the “elephant in the room” of Lisa’s upcoming birth (2:14). Lisa shares what brought her to the topic of discomfort (7:46) and then explores whether there’s a sweet spot for a level of discomfort—and whether improv helps us find that spot (12:57). Lisa mentions her default response to discomfort on state (16:57) and Ted chimes in with his—and also recounts when he most often feels uncomfortable (19:43). They note together that sometimes there’s not a fix for what ails us (23:02) and Ted shares an interesting activity for finding resourcefulness we may already have within (26:35). Lisa finds it can be helpful to imagine a worst-case scenario and Ted notes that, even then, we still have choice in the matter (32:02). After remembering the useful tool of “this is just a chapter in a longer story,” Lisa recounts a visit with her future self (35:13). The episode closes with a note how both improv and mindfulness teach us to focus on the “how” and not the “what” when resolving discomfort (40:44) and with a silly new improv game that Ted came up with recently (43:53). If there’s something in the episode that brings you particular joy—or raises a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at info@monsterbabypodcast.com. To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.   And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading, slide on over to www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)       Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.   The post Monster Baby #90 Gettin’ Comfortable with Discomfort appeared first on Anima Learning.