Learning Conversation
183 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 months ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsJoin our conversation where we gather together to share our resources for wisdom and wellness!
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Episodes
Practice: Embodiment
December 08, 2023 15:16 - 7 minutes - 9.93 MB8 min Today's word is: Embodiment Today's Learning Practice is with Jen Bleier, a somatic educator. She offers up the perfect word! Embodiment. Join us in this exercise of practicing conversation on Learning Conversation. :-) 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: c...
Interview: Jen Bleier
December 08, 2023 15:12 - 26 minutes - 31.1 MB38 min. Interview: Jen Bleier, Somatic Educator Maureen and Pierre interview Jen Bleier, friend and somatic educator. Trained in Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis, Pilates, Somatic Experience practitioner, and small "d" dancer. Jen’s work spans different modalities, hence her self-description as a somatic educator. Jen said: “when you work with bodies, you can’t not work with emotions.” Maureen and Jen are on the same team - working to heal, working to educate, integrating Mind Body Spirit...
Practice: Happy
November 13, 2023 18:38 - 4 minutes - 6.3 MB5 min Today's word is: Happy Maureen references a documentry on Happy - 2012 movie. Is happy a good goal? Join the conversation. 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
Resource: Dr.Jordan B. Peterson
November 13, 2023 17:55 - 28 minutes - 33.7 MBResource: Dr. Jordan B. Peterson Maureen begins the pod energized having just taught a yoga class. With over 175 published podcasts on resources, practices, discussions, interviews, reflections, we've somehow not talked about Dr. Jordan B. Peterson. Peterson is a pivotal figure in 'Learning Conversation,' not just for this podcast but for so many who have followed his lead in examining what words mean and how they can be used for good or harm. Peterson's opposition to Canada's speech leg...
Practice: Suffering
November 06, 2023 14:54 - 5 minutes - 7.49 MB5 min Today's word is: Suffering 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
Discussion: Solitude vs. Isolation
November 06, 2023 14:46 - 23 minutes - 28.4 MB24 min Maureen and Pierre discuss spiritual traditions of solitude versus the disaffectation of anxiety and isolation. Spiritual practices include: Jesus in the desert for 40 days. Thoreau “On Walden Pond.” Meditative practices. John Francis - not talking for 17 years. Modern disaffection include recent school shootings, which is on Maureen's mind as a former school teacher, mother, person. It’s counter-intuitive or perhaps ‘unnatural’ that there are these traditions of finding in...
Practice: Orange
October 16, 2023 04:30 - 5 minutes - 6.93 MB5 min Today's word is: Orange Color or fruit. Double espresso's and Pierre's got hop at the buzzer + one. 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
Discussion: Crossfit
October 16, 2023 04:00 - 15 minutes - 18.3 MB15 min What does it mean to be fit? How do you stay fit? If you want to be fitter, how do you do that?What motivates you? Maureen found a gym that has been motivating her towards building strength and getting fitter. There are many elements in it and Pierre is curious. Maureen begins to explain Crossfit to Pierre, who starts to see the attraction of Crossfit in mind, body, and spirit training, with a work-out community supporting good each others good health. Maureen explains ...
Resource: Jon Kabat-Zinn
October 10, 2023 14:59 - 21 minutes - 25.9 MB21 min Jon Kabat- Zinn is today’s resource. Kabat-Zinn is a professor emeritus of the University of Massachusetts Medical School. He received a Ph.D. in molecular biology for MIT in 1971. He is one of the earlier people in the health field to recognize the adverse effects of stress on health. His book Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness (1991) leads today’s conversation into this resource. Full Catastrophe Living - the...
Practice: Message
October 03, 2023 18:27 - 5 minutes - 7.21 MB5 min Today's word is: message. 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
Resource: Coleman Hughes
October 03, 2023 18:24 - 15 minutes - 18.6 MB15 min Today's Learning Conversation is about the death of conversation. Maureen and Pierre share thoughts on the value and importance of conversation for health and wellness in a democracy . The Death of Conversation is also the title of a podcast between Coleman Hughes and Jonathan Haidt which is resourced in this episode. Coleman Hughes is a black, African-American, intellectual with a podcast called Conversations with Coleman. Check him out. https://colemanhughes.org. Jonat...
Practice: Opportunity
September 11, 2023 15:08 - 4 minutes - 6.75 MB5 min Today's word is: opportunity 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
Resource: Vivekananda
September 11, 2023 14:58 - 17 minutes - 21 MB17 min Listen to Maureen and Pierre podcasting from their less than professional sound studios! Pierre introduces a resource that Maureen has not heard of, read about, or taught. Wow! Score one for Pierre. Pierre brings forward a resource: Vivekananda. Called the ‘Messenger of Indian Wisdom to the Western World,’ Vivekananda was the first person to come to America and teach yoga and Indian spiritual philosophy. Only in the United States for four years, Vivekananda had a profoun...
Discussion: Work and Retirement
September 05, 2023 14:38 - 31 minutes - 37.3 MB30 min Pierre is retired and working. Wait, what? Why? What does retirment mean? What does work mean? Work and retirement are the subjects of today’s podcast. The action of leaving one’s job: retirement. Is this a good thing? Work life balance. What does that look like in different stages of life. What does work look like in a capitalist society? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? The amount of physical labor has lessened over the years, so does that change work and re...
Discussion: Exercising Inquiry
August 28, 2023 16:14 - 15 minutes - 18.4 MB15 min Health and fitness questions from Pierre. Answers from Maureen. Or is it questions that answer from Maureen? This is a pretty hilarious account of Pierre’s inquiry into how to use a gym. Maureen knows gyms inside and out. Pierre’s set up to this podcast is classic Pierre mumbo jumbo, until Maureen sends the strike missile! Yup - laser guided question: why do you think you want to do this? What’s your motivation - strike missile is at the 7 min mark. Maureen explains the ...
Practice: Radical
August 21, 2023 13:56 - 5 minutes - 7.52 MB5 min Today's word is: Radical 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
Resource: Yuval Noah Harari
August 21, 2023 13:42 - 18 minutes - 22.2 MB18 min Pierre and Maureen introduce a resource: Yuval Noah Harari. Listen to the end of the podcast and find out why Pierre is so happy. :-) This podcast veers from Learning Conversation’s usual resources in physical, mental and spiritual health to consider human behavior from the beginning of time. Yup - big subject! Yuval Harari takes on the history of humans masterfully. A professor at Hebrew University, Harari received his PhD from Oxford University in history and social...
Practice: Pushing
July 31, 2023 06:36 - 4 minutes - 6.47 MB5 min. Today's word from Maureen is: Pushing. Maureen wants to move away from nouns. Her word pushing, pushes Pierre right into Forumla 1. Push, push, push. Hilarious practice where Pierre speaks so fast to get in all he wants to say about F1, that he leaves Maureen with 9 seconds! Enjoy. 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...
Discussion: Narratives' Power
July 31, 2023 06:24 - 25 minutes - 30.3 MB25 min Maureen and Pierre wander a bit off the road of spiritual mind body health by discussing “narratives.” Pierre’s been wondering about the term “narrative.” He is a little hesitant to express himself, lest Learning Conversation lands in the quagmire of politics. His insight to the word narrative - stories with a moral, a teaching moment - considers moral stories previously emanating from trusted sources, like parents, grandparents, teachers - and they tended to shape lives f...
Practice: Creative
July 24, 2023 13:28 - 4 minutes - 6.61 MB5 min Today's word is: creative 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 See ya around the corner. :-)
Resource: Dr. Peter Attia
July 15, 2023 13:36 - 24 minutes - 28.7 MB24 min Attia's newsletter and podcast is: The Drive. Dr. Peter Attia is a physician with degrees in engineering and mathematics. An authority on longevity and healthy lifestyles. Lifespan vs. Health span Maureen & Pierre discuss Attia's book, Outlive: the Science and Art of Longevity. In addition to the main themes in the book, Attia self-reveals his own drive and inability to self-care, which led him to crisis. Driven to point of working and almost missing his wife giving birth ...
Resource: Rich Roll
July 15, 2023 13:20 - 8 minutes - 11 MB8 min Rich Roll has an iconic intro sound to his podcast: a bicycle wheel freely spinning and clicking. An early podcaster, Roll's open question style where he lets guests freely spin their stories can be a beautiful thing to listen to. It's beautiful because his research is thorough, but he doesn't answer questions for guests, but leads with genuine curiosity and lets guests speak. Refreshing. Results are impactful when a guest, given the time, comfort and challenge of Roll's questi...
Discussion: Mom & Kids Workout Within
July 15, 2023 12:59 - 10 minutes - 12.9 MB10 min Maureen shares a very personal story about yoga teacher training. With 2 children in high school and twins in college, Maureen travels to Thailand for 9 weeks to become a yoga teacher. Pierre asks Maureen about leaving kids 'alone.' Maureen responds that her four children were raised as responsible children (response - able). In pursuing yoga teacher training in Thailand, Maureen also wanted to set an example that women, and specifically 'moms,' can be independent people. M...
Practice: History
July 10, 2023 03:16 - 5 minutes - 7.12 MB5 min Today's word: history Humans as storytellers and the long arc of history: his-story. 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
Practice: Smashed
July 10, 2023 03:10 - 4 minutes - 5.68 MB5 min Today's word is: smashed! An onamatopoeia!! Pierre and tennis (of course) come up. Maureen muses on the difference of whacked and smashed, and a discussion of words in different languages winds up the pod. 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 o...
Reflection: Making "Good" and "Bad" Podcasts
July 10, 2023 03:03 - 33 minutes - 39.2 MB33 min. Reflection: Making Good and Bad Podcasts Maureen and Pierre discuss their podcast journey. No editing. Cleaning up speech patterns. Sharing resources. Sharing dialogue with a friend. How did this adventure start? Pierre revisits the early beginnings when Maureen met Pierre at Bikram Teacher Training 2015, Khao Lak, Thailand at the 10 min mark. Yoga training was 9 weeks of transcendental hell camp. In this reflection, at different times Maureen and Pierre raise the need...
Discussion: Maureen's Tough Mudder
June 27, 2023 15:14 - 18 minutes - 22.5 MB18 min Maureen does a Tough Mudder. Don't you just love that name? The way it sounds? Tough Mudder. Ok, so what is a Tough Mudder? It's a national phenomenon now for some time where people challenge themselves with an obstacle course. And yes, the obstacles are "tough" and some involve mud. Maureen hits the podcast after teaching a 6:30 AM Bikram hot yoga class and munching on breakfast tells a hilarious story about the legacy of tough mudding she discovers. Worth a listen. ...
Resource: Anonymous' Cloud of Unknowing
June 27, 2023 15:02 - 13 minutes - 16.6 MB14 min Yes, you read that right. Today's resource podcast is "anonymous." Not just any anonymous, but a famous anonymous. Well as famous as an anonymous person can be. That is because, he - fairly certain of that gender - wrote a book of some fame. The book is titled: The Cloud of Unknowing. A resource podcast is where we pick a person, a podcast, a book and bring it forward for consideration as a mind, body, spirit health resource. This relatively obscure little book is today's re...
Practice: Labor
June 20, 2023 12:56 - 4 minutes - 6.53 MB5 min Today's word is: Labor Labor is life, says Maureen. 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
Practice: Alert
June 12, 2023 14:29 - 4 minutes - 6.27 MB5 min. Today's word is: alert. 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
Discussion: Existential Humanist Psychology
June 12, 2023 14:23 - 20 minutes - 24.7 MB20 min Existential Humanist Psychology - well that’s a mouthful. Maureen is as geeky and deeply interested in psychology as anyone, says Pierre. The two of them go down a rabbit hole of discussion kicked off by Dr. David Puder’s podcast. A bit of a banter fest here. What was going to be a Resource pod on Dr. Puder's podcast crumbles into a discussion. Dr. Puder’s podcast with Dr. Kirk Schneider of the Existential-Humanist Institute, where he is a co-founder, launches this discussio...
Practice: Water
June 05, 2023 05:09 - 4 minutes - 6.1 MB5 min Today's word is: water. Pierre immediately goes to Jesus. Ut oh. Maureen sees Shirley Winters floating by in her nightmares. 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
Practice: Slowly
June 05, 2023 05:02 - 5 minutes - 7.58 MB5 min Today's word is: slowly. Maureen says: no more nouns, kids! Let's get action oriented! Ok, so the word is slowly?????? Yup, the word is slowly. Check out Maureen and Pierre practicing how to speak to one another. Check out "Learning Conversation." 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...
Resource: James Clear
June 05, 2023 04:53 - 14 minutes - 17.6 MB15 min. James Clear, Atomic Habits, ducks Wikipedia. What? Maureen wants to talk about James Clear, Atomic Habits: Small Changes Make Big Differences. Pierre explains that there is no Wiki entry for James Clear. Has he somehow taken control of the Internet? Good for him! His book sold 10+ million copies. 3 key points in Atomic Habits, according to Maureen: Small changes make a big difference. Just 1% improvement compounding over days, months, years makes a big change. Forget...
Practice: Woke
May 30, 2023 00:29 - 4 minutes - 6.39 MB5 min Today's word is: woke 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
Practice: Virtue
May 30, 2023 00:26 - 4 minutes - 6.47 MB5 min Today's word is: virture 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
Resource: Jonathan Haidt
May 30, 2023 00:24 - 33 minutes - 39.2 MB33 min. Maureen wants to talk about Jonathan Haidt. He is a resource teaching about regulating nervous systems in the midst of social fragility and political brittleness. He's a guy who is in the forefront of calling out aspects of popular culture which he believes are well intentioned but misguided. Jonathan Haidt’s article in Atlantic Magazine, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” more or less went viral as a result of calling out teaching practices which insulate children, and young a...
Discussion: Yoga, Strength, Outer Space, Inner Peace
May 22, 2023 14:40 - 33 minutes - 38.9 MB33 min Fitting for a “Learning Conversation,” this discussion covers a lot of ground. Maybe it’s like your conversations? Those conversations when you are learning, listening, sharing, discovering? This podcast covers: Whoop (fitness bit) > 90-min hot yoga > strength training > spirit training > Hubbell telescope > science > out space > inner space > a cloud of unknowing > tolerance for ambiguity > self-regulating in challenging situations through mind body spirit disciplines / prac...
Resource: Omid Safi & Radical Love
May 13, 2023 19:49 - 19 minutes - 23.6 MB20 min Hold the presses! Pierre knows what he’s talking about? Wait! What? Well, let’s qualify that. Pierre knows what he wants to talk about. We’re not saying Pierre actually knows what he is talking about. Let’s be clear about that! Pierre wants to talk about a book: Radical Love, by Omid Safi. The book was given to Pierre by his good friend Manish. Hat tip to Manish with a riff on his special friendship. The book, Radical Love, is a compilation of poems from Sufi m...
Practice: Gentle
May 13, 2023 19:36 - 4 minutes - 6.16 MB5 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
Resource: Eckhart Tolle
May 06, 2023 16:54 - 25 minutes - 29.8 MB25 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 c...
Resource: Eckhart Tolle v2
May 06, 2023 16:52 - 39 minutes - 45.8 MB40 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 boo...
Resource: Deb Dana, Polyvagal Theory
April 24, 2023 04:33 - 10 minutes - 13.1 MB10 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 Step...
Reflection: 1 Year of Podcasting Redux
April 17, 2023 16:36 - 20 minutes - 24.1 MB20 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 do...
Resource: Professor John Vervaeke
April 09, 2023 04:55 - 14 minutes - 17.3 MB15 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 Le...
Resource: Studio Y Wellness Center
April 09, 2023 04:35 - 15 minutes - 19 MB15 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 fo...
Resource: Porges' & Dana - PolyVagal Theory
April 04, 2023 05:13 - 17 minutes - 20.7 MB13 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 /...
Practice: Resourceful
April 04, 2023 04:55 - 4 minutes - 6.05 MB5 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
Resource: John Francis
March 27, 2023 09:27 - 13 minutes - 16.4 MB13 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 E...
Reflection: Regulation & Humility for Listening
March 27, 2023 09:03 - 21 minutes - 25.4 MB20 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, co...