The Embodiment Coaching Podcast

Martial arts teacher Roy Dean joins me today to discuss combat sports and personal growth. We talk about early training in Japan as a teenager, why he started martial arts, how training morphs from self defence to personal growth, martial arts categories, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, ranges, MMA and the UFC, how it's not like the movies, the reality choice point, how different martial arts build different personal growth aspects, evolution and devolution of martial arts, self discovery and expression, how to maximise the personal growth benefits of martial arts, intentionality and reflection, mixing with different types of people, tribalism, social media and relearning to read! https://www.roydean.tv/

Biodanza teacher Julia Hope Brightwell joins us today. We talk about the trap of trying to transcend the body with spirituality, seroc, butoh, 5Rhythms what Biodanza is and what a class looks like, life force, connection, sexual energy and sexual repression, creativity, the South American feel, how we lose our life force, self control, the pleasure principle, Emotional Guidance System and getting the message of emotions, feedback and reciprocity, new age dangers in dance, being careful of our weaknesses as teachers, why we don't like certain kinds of music, working on own vs pairs and groups, masculine and feminine energy, relational and environmental aspects of embodiment, how to know if you're embodied, embodying your soul, people pleasing, becoming boring and archetypes and mythology. https://www.joysofdance.co.uk https://www.biodanzaassociation.uk/ http://www.dancebiodanza.co.uk/

Skinner Releasing dance teacher Polly Hudson joins me to discuss her art. We talk life in a dance conservatoire, somatic practices in dance and acting and the advantages of using this approach, being available and compelling through embodiment, embodiment becoming implicit, the use of language in teaching, the birth of Skinner Releasing, the purpose of the art, the difficulties of form, Siobhan Davis studio and Charley Morrissey, training in SR globally, why various forms take root in different countries, dance and boundaries/ethics, putting one's ego aside when dancing, the exhaustion of holding space, art projects, slow movement, gardening as embodied art, the slow movement generally, workaholism, the currency and status of space and the breath as companion. A pleasant British walk through the gardens of embodiment! https://www.bcu.ac.uk/conservatoire/acting/further-info/tutor-list/polly-hudson http://www.pollyhudson.com https://pollyhudsonblog.wordpress.com/

Creator of Ancestral Movement Simon Thakur joins me to talk monkeys, martial arts and humans. We chat Asian martial arts, the Indian spiritual look, the pros and cons of the life of a traveling student, evolutionary theory, Flow states in nature, primate movement, movement from other stages of our evolution, why we should reclaim our evolutionary movement, the limitations of movement, movement in tribal dance, doggy style, healing the disconnect from nature, the dangers of idealising tribal cultures and pretending you're other animals, the healing properties of movement, how to choose a practice as a mature mover, having integrity as an embodiment trainer and opening up of worlds by humbling oneself. An amble through evolution. http://ancestralmovement.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/954751214582008/

Trauma expert David Berceli joins me to discuss TRE - Trauma / Tension releasing Exercise - and his experiences with this work across many domains. A real authority in this now popular field and a bloody nice bloke! https://traumaprevention.com/

Trauma sensitive yoga teacher Sarah joins me form Vancouver to discuss her start in yoga as a sick teen and how a sexual assault led to an interest in the trauma informed approach to yoga. We look at the benefits of yoga for traumatised people, positive social aspects of yoga, self care how yoga isn't trauma sensitive, opt out vs opt in, consent card, agency, the importance of relationship, tips for teachers of all kinds, what trauma responses look like, our "scope of practice", our motivation for teaching, staying embodied with technology, quick win trauma tips, making yoga accessible for conservatives and being able to stay in the conversation. https://doyogawithme.bandcamp.com/album/yoga-classes-with-sarah-holmes-de-castro http://www.finebalanceyoga.ca/portfolio/sarah http://www.traumasensitiveyoga.com/ http://www.yogaoutreach.com/

Lizzie joins us to discuss being a sick child, having a liver transplant, Rolfing, relationships with pain, body dialogue, types of bodywork, functional vs structural vs political approaches, what yoga really is, inculturation, embodied narrative, "ego", US vs UK bodies, embodied climate and norms, relationship to illness, what illness can teach us, gratitude and the importance of nature connection. Some new ground here. http://freeliz.com/

Contact dance teacher Arye joins me from Tel Aviv. We discuss what can be researched within contact dance, being a contact pioneer in Israel, Judaism and contact, dancing across international borders, what "embodiment" means, "deep embodiment", judo vs dance vs somatics, body as use vs experience, gestalt therapy, how we're busy NOT being in contact, anger and sadness, cutting off from ourselves, getting the message from the body, working w/ actors, the language of embodiment, how we're always dancing, the elusive obvious, circumcision, body as taboo, subtle body shame, hiding being tired and how we as teachers are just reminders of the obvious magic. A slow winding beautiful conversation. https://youtu.be/P5KmnaeOqUo

Highly experienced and innovative yoga teacher John Stirk joins me to talk yoga in the 70s, Vanda Scaravelli, osteopathy, form vs somatic yoga, skin and sensuality in yoga, how skin on the whole body helps us stretch, the mind and emotions in yoga, trust, presence, unfinished sentences, the somatic nature of love, primal movement, LSD, "undoing" the spine, free movement, RD Laing, the breath pause and treating the body with respect. Wise words. http://johnstirk.com/

Sexuality workshop leader Ruby May joins us to chat burlesque, sexological bodywork, where to start with sexuality work, Togetherness, Explore and Angsbacka festivals, Berlin kink, authentic relating, open space, sex geeks, compartmentalising sex, Eros, flirting, goal-orientation in sexuality, communicating in the age of offence, victim blaming, trans issues, feminine leadership, hormone cycles, activism, top down living, eco-sexuality, masculine and feminine, Genia Pauli Haddon, "bitches and bastards", and putting people in boxes. A well lubed slide through some potentially controversial topics. https://www.authentic-eros.com/ http://www.alchemy-eros.com