Sensitive Matters • Podcast

Special Episode: Grounding meditation with Anna Fries

Inspired by the celebration of Earth Day last week, we wanted to speak to the idea of acknowledging and honoring Mother Earth as the nurturer and bearer of all life.
Earth Day is a day that celebrates and honors our planet. It brings light to the efforts and the achievements of the global environmental movement and raises awareness of the need to protect Mother Earth’s resources for future generations to come. The intention is to educate, diversify and activate. Earth Day creates visibility for projects and initiatives that support our resources and our future.
Our offering for Earth Day is to bring you and us back to our own inner earth and with this to our interconnectedness.
This Earth Day we are offering a grounding meditation to connect deeper to where we are coming from.
Start by settling into a comfortable seat, sensing into the weight of your lower body and notice your particles settle as you arrive. Make sure you are supported and able to be at ease.
Notice the way in which your weight is distributed in your seat. Take note if it is even, or if you are more inclined towards the left, the right, the front or the back and if you are able to find your center.Imagine your pelvis is an anchor - grounding you into the Earth you are sitting on.
Feel down into the base of your spine, the point that connects you to the Earth. Envision roots growing from the base of your spine, like a tree, burrowing down, anchoring so deeply into the earth, you become a part of her. Nothing can rock you, pull you out of your foundation.
Feel yourself rooted in the place that you are in now.
From these roots imagine the spine and torso as the trunk of a solid tree. Visualize its bark, the structure, texture, smell, stability - give it adjectives as you continue to give it your awareness and observations
Take the space to lean back into that which is you, that holds you.
Let your inner eye wander through the belly, through your diaphragm, the base of your heart, your heart towards your shoulders.
From the shoulders upward we imagine/feel as if we had branches extending skyward, towards the astral. Branches that make up a crown that you would wear.
Where the leaves of our tree would be, we see the benevolent faces of our loved ones, community, familial and spiritual ancestry from which we receive blessings, love and support in form of liquid light flowing down to us. The stars are woven into our branches like diamonds from the sky.
Let the light, the love from our loved ones trickle down through our branches, our trunk and roots back into the Earth.
Let the light and love be a creative intelligence that exists through you, that permeates you and passed on into the Earth itself, you are a connection point between the Earth and the heavens.
Allow yourself to bask in the sensation and support of the Earth as well as your guides. All is connected, in deep reciprocity. Our roots are like super highways that share nourishment, energy and wisdom with one another. You are not alone on this Earthly realm.
Slowly start to bring awareness back to your surroundings, notice any other sensation your senses grasp before opening your eyes slowly. Move with mindfulness and intention as you take the sensation of groundedness into your day.
 

Nancy Aronie & the healing power of writing

We are incredibly honored to speak with Nancy Aronie on the 23rd episode of our Sensitive Matters podcast. Nancy is a writing coach and workshop leader who has helped countless writers access their own unique voice and create a
safe space for self-expression. She has worked with various big institutions such as Harvard University, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, and Omega Institute, among others.
Her book Memoir as Medicine in which she shares her own moving stories invites writers to tap into the healing power of writing.
This episode covers the following points:
How to create a positive atmosphere where writers can feel comfortable sharing their work and being vulnerable by setting clear guidelines for respectful communication.
How writers can overcome their self-doubt and fear of judgment to continue on their writing journey, using her own experiences as an example.
The importance of finding the right group of writers who will support and encourage each other to grow and thrive.
The therapeutic benefits of writing, and how it can be used as a tool for self-discovery and personal growth.
Nancy shares practical advice on how writers can use writing to tap into their unique voice and perspective, and how prompts and exercises can be used to spark creativity and inspiration.
The importance of writers tapping into their unique voice and perspective to create authentic and powerful writing.
Tips on using prompts and exercises to overcome writer's block and spark creativity.
The importance of positive feedback and encouragement in the creative process, and how it can help writers stay motivated and confident.
How writing can be used as a tool to process trauma and difficult emotions, and how it can lead to healing and growth.
The benefits of creating a regular writing practice, and how it can serve as a form of self-care and self-expression.
We truly hope you love this episode as much as we do! Listen and leave us a review and your feedback below!
Learn more about Nancy Aronie here:
https://chilmarkwritingworkshop.com/nancy-aronie
Check out her new book 'Memoir as Medicine'
ABOUT OUR HOST:
Christina Zipperlen is the designer and founder of Ananda Soul, but her journey doesn’t end there. She is also a writer and counselor, helping others to heal trauma, find their authentic self, and feel safe and whole as they walk through this life. She uses a somatic approach combined with Compassionate Inquiry to form a deep understanding of how the body, mind, and soul are undeniably interwoven. Interested? You can learn more by visiting www.SensitiveMatters.com

The power of Now with Kat Dawes

She was our number one guest on the Sensitive Matters podcast. And we are so happy to have her back again, for episode 22.
If you haven’t met her yet, Kat Dawes is a performance philosopher, author, spiritual coach, and creator of the practice of Nowism.
As a Now-Ninja she challenges us to be in the present moment and to fall deeper in love with our "mindfulness muscle" in our ever distracting distracted world. Kat made it her calling to teach people to use their superpower and what it means to audaciously invest in the higher vibrations for the purpose of activating our inherent potential. 
This brand new episode covers the following topics:
Kat Dawes' background as a performance philosopher, author, spiritual coach, and creator of the practice of Nowism
The importance of being present in the moment and flexing our "mindfulness muscle" in a world full of distractions
Kat's discovery of the power of taking a vow to now and reframing negative thought patterns into positive manifestations
The idea that the quality of the present moment flavors our future manifestations
The creation of Nowism as a game to make mindfulness practice engaging and compelling
The role of thoughts and vibes in shaping our character traits and patterns, and how to catch ourselves before reacting and choose a higher response
The need for commitment and discipline to create a higher response to life and break free from negative patterns
Answers to the questions: How can we stay present in the face of distractions? What is the power of manifestation? How can we break free from patterns of negative thinking and feeling?
We truly hope you love this episode as much as we do! Listen and leave us a review and your feedback below!
Learn more about Kat Dawes and Nowism here:
https://www.katdawes.com/
Kat's favorite Ananda Soul Jewelry:
Shine Necklace: https://anandasoul.com/products/shine-necklace
Into the Light Necklace: https://anandasoul.com/products/into-the-light-necklace
ABOUT OUR HOST:
Christina Zipperlen is the designer and founder of Ananda Soul, but her journey doesn’t end there. She is also a writer and counselor, helping others to heal trauma, find their authentic self, and feel safe and whole as they walk through this life. She uses a somatic approach combined with Compassionate Inquiry to form a deep understanding of how the body, mind, and soul are undeniably interwoven. Interested? You can learn more by visiting www.SensitiveMatters.com

Tara Judelle on living life in flow

Our latest guest to the Sensitive Matters Podcast is joy, embodied wisdom and curiosity in one. Tara Judelle, a full time yoga teacher for over 20 years is actually a lifelong student of spiritual practice, meditation and our connection to our bodies through Hatha yoga, contemporary somatic theory and the philosophy of Non-dual Kashmir Shaivism.  
She merges her knowledge and experience in her very own School of Embodied Flow, a school of yoga and movement reconnecting body, mind and spirit. Movement, asana, meditation, visualization, philosophy, psychology, verbal expression, and science are technologies she merges to acquire a deep sense of strength, ease and connectivity.
Listen to this episode as we walk our way through the following points:
 How Tara Judelle became a full-time yoga teacher and a lifelong student of spiritual practice, meditation, and embodied practices
What embodiment is and why it's important
How our minds and our bodies work together to help further our journey of self-inquiry
How yoga is a balance of steadiness and ease and how we can cultivate that for ourselves
How Tara uses the philosophies of non-dualism and Buddhism to bring about oneness within our practices and our bodies
The mechanics and how to hone in on specific parts of the body
Working with the axis of our bodies, working with the backbody, and finding our anatomical centerline of our bodies
The body's connection to our emotions, society, our ancestors and how we’re all intrinsically connected
Working with inquiry and how we experience different emotions within the body and bringing our awareness into those experiences
We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do! Listen and leave us a review and your feedback below!
Learn more about Tara Judelle and The School of Embodied Flow here:
http://tarajudelle.com
https://www.embodiedflow.com
Tara’s next offering begins on February 23rd and is an online-only immersion into the art of Embodied Flow. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to study with her.
 
ABOUT OUR HOST:
Christina Zipperlen is the designer and founder of Ananda Soul, but her journey doesn’t end there. She is also a writer and counselor, helping others to heal trauma, find their authentic self, and feel safe and whole as they walk through this life. She uses a somatic approach combined with Compassionate Inquiry to form a deep understanding of how the body, mind, and soul are undeniably interwoven. Interested? You can learn more by visiting www.SensitiveMatters.com

Dr. Anita Johnston & how to eat under the light of the moon

"Belonging is when you stay connected to your authentic self as you connect with others. Fitting in is when you have to abandon your authentic self to try to look like, act like, think like, feel like how you imagine others want you to look and act as, think and feel." -Dr. Anita Johnston
Our 20th episode is dedicated to Dr. Anita Johnston, a licensed clinical psychologist, pioneer in the field of disordered eating psychology, and author of Eating in the Light of the Moon and a true storyteller. She has dedicated her career to helping people recover from disordered eating and the relationships we have with food, with our bodies.
Having suffered – like many other young women – from disordered eating in her teenage years herself, Christina explores in her usual sensitive manner together with Dr. Anita Johnston the complexity of disordered eating and human sensitivity and what ways are available to us to address eating disorders.
This episode guides us through the following points:
Exploring the prevalence of disordered eating and its relationship to diet culture.
Examining the sensitivity and intuition of individuals with disordered eating.
Investigating the use of storytelling and metaphor as a way to address disordered eating.
The commonalities of those with disordered eating in regard to sensitivity
How we can limit external influences that may affect our body image 
How  underlying societal stereotypes of gender roles and the expectations we have around those roles can contribute as cofactors
What it actually means when people say they are in recovery for disordered eating
We hope you enjoy this episode! Listen up and leave us a review and your feedback below!
Learn more about Dr. Anita Johnston here: 
https://dranitajohnston.com
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ABOUT OUR HOST:
Christina Zipperlen is the designer and founder of Ananda Soul, but her journey doesn’t end there. She is also a writer and counselor, helping others to heal trauma, find their authentic self, and feel safe and whole as they walk through this life. She uses a somatic approach combined with Compassionate Inquiry to form a deep understanding of how the body, mind, and soul are undeniably interwoven. Interested? You can learn more by visiting www.SensitiveMatters.com

Special Episode: Free Yoga Nidra with Kamini Desai

Following the podcast episode with Kamini Desai, in which she introduces us to the art of Yoga Nidra, we are now superexcited to share with you a free Yoga Nidra gift from Kamini Desai as a special treat for you this holiday season. If you are in need to slow down, take a break from the ongoing festivities or upgrade your resilience – here is your perfect how to.
What is Yoga Nidra?
Yoga Nidra, known as the 'Yogic sleep' is an ancient practice that invokes deep relaxation and calmness of the heart, mind and soul. In our latest podcast episode with Kamini Desai we have been introduced to the beautiful art of Yoga Nidra and what makes it a spiritual practice.
As the year is drawing to a close we are offered with opportunities to stand still and allow ourselves the space for contemplation of what was, what is and what will become.
The benefits of Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra is a wonderful tool to support us through these times of digestion and processing.
Originally a nyasa meditation practice (the practice of moving of consciousness through the different body parts retaining prana) from traditional Tantra Yoga, it has profound healing effects on the body, mind, and soul.
Yoga Nidra guides practitioners into a deep state of relaxation putting the practitioner into a space between the alpha and theta state. This allows us to rest in deep relaxation, a state between waking and sleeping, a state that calms the autonomic nervous system that we need to regulate our body's processes and that take place without a conscious effort. In addition, it puts the parasympathetic nervous system into a deeper resting state.
A calm nervous system is the state we want to act and live from at all times.
Yoga Nidra offers a great variety of benefits that we have listed for you below:
Improved thought patterns and reduced stress
Enhanced cognitive performance and memory
Improved self-esteem and confidence
Better sleep
Improved waking mindfulness
Diminishes symptoms of anxiety and depression
Treats chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder
Lowers blood pressure
Reduces addiction
Enhances creativity
Reduces PTSD
Strengthens immune system
Recharges vital energy
Strengthens the endocrine system
Reduces the need for pain medication
...and many many more
Weaving Yoga Nidra into our every day over a certain period of time helps us greatly to meet the external and internal challenges of life from a space of calm, hope and ease, allowing us to look at the bright side of life rather than through a sense of stress and contraction.
Kamini Desai is offering us a beautiful Yoga Nidra practice to enjoy in the safe environment of your home. Enjoy!

Kamini Desai & the art of Yoga Nidra

We are back with an exciting and at the same time somehow relaxing episode of the Sensitive Matter Podcast. This months guest is Kamini Desai, author, yoga teacher and master of Yoga Nidra.
In this episode Kamini introduces us to the art of Yoga Nidra, what she means by saying it is ‘meditation made easy’ and how she encountered Yoga Nidra in her own life and practice.
This brand new episode will guide us through the following points:
What Yoga Nidra is as a spiritual and meditation practice
How Yoga Nidra is different from other meditation and yoga asana
Kamini’s journey and the foundation that shaped her spiritual journey, career and practice
The benefits that Yoga Nidra brings as a practice.
How can we integrate our spiritual connection for those that are busy and have a hard time finding space for a practice
Some resources and practices to help us all stay centered in our ever-changing world
We hope you enjoy this episode! Listen up and leave us a review and your feedback below!
Learn more about Kamini Desai here:
https://www.kaminidesai.com/
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About our host:
Christina Zipperlen is the designer and founder of Ananda Soul, but her journey doesn’t end there. She is also a writer and counselor, helping others to heal trauma, find their authentic self, and feel safe and whole as they walk through this life. She uses a somatic approach combined with Compassionate Inquiry to form a deep understanding of how the body, mind, and soul are undeniably interwoven. Interested? You can learn more by visiting www.SensitiveMatters.com

Processing pain & addiction with Sat Dharam Kaur

This newest episode is with Sat Dharam Kaur, Kundalini Yoga teacher, naturopath, co-creator of the Compassionate Inquiry therapeutic approach with Dr. Gabor Maté's and a great inspiration in my own life.
Throughout this episode Sat Dharam allows us a peek into the world of Kundalini Yoga and her life with it; she shares about her Beyond Addictions program as well as the work with Dr. Gabor Maté's Compassionate inquiry program.
This brand new episode guides us through the following points:
The benefits Sat Dharam experiences with Kundalini Yoga, what the practice entails, how mantra revels itself to us and how it enables her intuition becomes clear to her allowing her to hear her soul’s purpose
*The underlying reason people struggle with addiction and how some parts of ourselves that are unexpressed result in many people creating patterns to self-sooth.
Sat Dharam’s Beyond Addictions program and how it teaches learning to have compassion and acceptance for ourselves in a safe space to build connection to our true selves, change those patterns and process our pain.
Sat Dharam’s role in how Compassionate Inquiry with Dr. Gabor Mate was created and their collaboration teaching and formulating the method, the components, skills and line of inquiry that comprise the program.
Christina and Sat Dharam model Compassionate Inquiry to showcase the approach and how it’s practiced.
Christina vulnerably shares a situation that’s brought stress within her life
They work together identifying feelings within the body and what comes up when discussing the inquiry
Sat Dharam and Christina get to bottom of when she first felt this way, and the core memory that this feeling stems from
They find a parallel within Christina’s life to understand the experience of anyone in this situation, how they would cope, grow and how this feeling or experience would shape them
Christina and Sat Dharam discuss how anyone in this situation could be supported and what that support would look like
They conclude by identifying how Christina would have felt if she were supported within the situation at the time, what she would like to say to that part of herself she still carries with her and what in return that self needs to feel safe moving forward
What Sat Dharam has coming up in both her offerings with Beyond Addictions, Compassionate Inquiry and joyfully within her personal life
We hope you enjoy this episode! Listen up and leave your feedback below!
Learn more about Sat Dharam here.
Learn more about Ananda Soul Jewelry: https://anandasoul.com/
Learn more about our host Christina Zipperlen: https://www.sensitivematters.com/about

Special Episode: How to regulate our nervous systems with the practice of pranayama

In the past years, this world has been an awkward place. Beautiful. Eye-opening. Heart-widening. At the same time, the landscapes society walked through offered edges, cliffs, cracks, crevices – in short, many occasions to trip and to fall.
Our realities are informed differently now than they have been in recent years. I found myself dealing with a lot of fear and anxiety grounded in the unknowing of all that life was throwing at us, besides personal battles, wins and losses that all happened in the shortest period of time.
The main questions I sat with was
How do I stay the most present, grounded, calm and authentic in an ever-changing, swirling world? How can I keep my breath fluid and gentle, my feet down and my heart beating strongly in its center at all times?
In order to not get too overwhelmed as an HSP in an ever-busy, ever-changing world routines and regularly practiced tools can be of sustainable support.
On another note: This post isn’t exclusive to HSPs only.
Whether you are an HSP or not – we all have experienced some form of fear and anxiety in recent years and can benefit of the tools shared below.
As an HSP myself, over the years I’ve been experimenting and practicing with techniques that have been supportive in times of anxiety and overwhelm.
Coming back to breath
Breath is one of the few tools that we have to easily alter our nervous system and the states it may find itself in when overwhelmed or agitated.
The art and practice of pranayama is a yogic practice that regulates the flow of our life force (= prana) throughout the body. Yama translates from Sanskrit as ‘gaining control’.
In this special episode, we will do 3 breathing practices:
1. Sama Vritti or Box breath
Sama Vritti is known as equal breath or box breath and is a powerful tool that can help clear your mind, slow down your heart rate, relax your body, and allow you to increase your focus.
2. Nadi Shodana or Alternate Nostril breathing
This intermediate practice involves breathing through one nostril at a time. It is a powerful way to bring harmony and balance to the energy pathways.
3. Bhramari or Bee breath
A breathing technique that helps to block out distractions and soothe the nervous system with the support of a humming sound. When we hum, we are happy. Calling in a buzzing hum creates a sense of safety for our nervous systems.
May this serve you, may this support you.
Learn more about Pranayama: https://anandasoul.com/blogs/blog/hig...
About Christina Zipperlen: https://sensitivematters.com/

Shining her light on Mental Health with Maxene Magalona

This month's guest is a very special and bright light in this world: Maxene Magalona, Filipino actress and Mental health advocate in the Philippines shares with me close and upfront her inspiring and very personal story as her, 'Maxene'.
She grants insights into her struggles with her own mental health, losses and wins in life, her path towards spirituality and what her soul deeply yearns for – for the world, her surroundings and herself.
This brand new episode guides us through the following points:
Her personal journey of growing up in the spotlight and how fame shaped her life in the Philippines
How Maxene used to manage stress and how in hindsight we can all recognize how our past behavior was our ability to handle trauma with the tools and resources available to us at that time
The importance of mental health and how it effects our physical health
The stigma around mental health in the Philippines and how the pandemic started to shift that
The importance of seeking professional support in Maxene’s own words
What spirituality and her connection to God and spirit means to Maxene, and how she follows her soul’s desire
The mantras that Maxene loves to sing and chant that bring her strength
How The Soul Space was created and the reason why Maxene shares her very own practices and wisdom she’s learned along the way
The intuitive way that Maxene selects her jewelry and what Ananda Soul pieces bring her into alignment giving her grace in her day-to-day life
Christina shares some spiritual practices of cleansing your jewelry and energetically recharging your Ananda Soul pieces
What offerings Maxene will share when she returns to the Philippines
You can also watch the video of our conversation here:
https://youtu.be/3i6bl74BjTs
We hope you enjoy this episode! Listen up and leave your feedback below!
Learn more about Maxene Magalona via Instagram at @maxenemagalona and her projects @bekind.ph and @thesoulspaceph
Learn more about Ananda Soul Jewelry: https://anandasoul.com/
Learn more about our host Christina Zipperlen: https://www.sensitivematters.com/about