Toxic Silence

Rudolph Steiner is quoted as saying -  "For every human illness, somewhere in the world there exists a plant which is the cure.” Plants have been human’s companion since the beginning of time - providing us with everything we need to survive and thrive.  Yet in today’s modern world of instant gratification, processed food devoid of a life force, screens everywhere, all the time, all at once, and a focus on wealth, youth and beauty - many of us are feeling a deep disconnect, not just from others, but often without realising it - from nature and from ourselves.  In this time of mass confusion and disillusionment, we need great teachers who can help reconnect us to our spiritual nature and reignite inside each of us the love and compassion we once had for all of our brothers and sisters of the Earth, whether they have 2 legs, 4 or 100, feathers or scales, fins or wings. This in fact, is the first Natural Law. So it’s little wonder then that in the search for meaning, and answers to the big questions in life, that some of the most respected and revered plants have crept into the western zeitgeist as a means to reconnect us with our spirituality. There are even certain plants that are considered “power plants” - plants with super powers for healing, as well as opening spiritual portals. You’ll  often hear these power plants called “master teachers” or “teacher plants”, and are considered to be spiritual healers, as well as doctors of the flesh. But at what cost to the plants?  So, when did we start to get high? And why?  Archaeological evidence indicates that the use of medicinal plants dates back to the Paleolithic age, approximately 60,000 years ago.  Today we’re going to be talking about the 4 most popular Plant medicines in the 21st century - Ayahuasca, Peyote, San Pedro and Psilocybin.  My Guest Kerry Henwood is my guest today. Kerry has studied extensively with numerous Shamans and Yogis around the world. She is an internationally recognized intuitive healer, Author, inspirational speaker and teacher. Kerry uses ancient indigenous techniques to foster healing of modern minds and spirits. In her Shamanic work, she draws particularly on the spiritual healing traditions of Peru, which resonate strongly with her soul and have proven highly effective with her clients. www.shamanicgrace.com www.soulsoundscape.com.au

The ancient Mayan and Incan civilisations were the first to record various theories of consciousness. Since then many different definitions have sprouted up in various spiritual, psychological, medical, and moral texts in both Eastern and Western cultures. The ancient Mayans were among the first to suggest an organised sense of each level of consciousness, it’s purpose and relationship to humanity. Then about 150 years ago, Sigmund Freud, speaking to consciousness and what in the dickens it might be - suggested that psychological processes are flows of psychological energy in a complex brain. Complex is right! So then this would mean that our behaviour, our habits and actions are all essentially influenced and controlled by psychological energy, that is, our beliefs and patterns. On top of that, specific patterns, real or imagined, will be reinforced by emotional experiences, conditioning, and even psychedelic drugs. Throughout human evolution the ability to process patterns became increasingly sophisticated as the parts of our brains involved in the processing of images - the cerebral cortex, particularly the prefrontal cortex - started to expand. Recognising our patterns allows us to predict and expect what is coming. The process of pattern recognition involves matching the information received, with the information already stored in the brain. I first embarked formally on this road to self-discovery a few decades ago in my early 20’s, to start the long process to unpack my stuff. (No, we didn’t have EMDR back then.) Kinesiology was the modality where the yellow brick road took me first. When I first met Kim O'Brien for kinesiology - to start looking at some of my negative patterning, the things that were getting me unstuck, well, really ruining and ruling my life, Kim was using the Enneagram and other systems to unpack this stuff, and today we're going to hear where she has gone in this field of Patterning since then. Kim O’Brien started as a kinesiologist, then studied Applied Physiology which are both disciplines that look for, and aim to correct patterns in the body. Over several years of intense work in this area it became obvious to her that patterns manifest everywhere and the most challenging ones - which can prevent healing at all levels - are the ones buried in the subconscious.  Welcome to the podcast Kim. Its a pleasure to have yo here as my guest. I'd like to start by asking - are you still using the Enneagram as a tool, and are there any new methods or systems that you're now using in clinic, and in your own life. Books Kim referred to in the interview: The Beat of Life by Dr Reinhard Friedl Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master Kim can be reached here - kimpatriciaobrien@gmail.com Click here for the 'Toxic Silence' Playlist.

Hippocrates once said - A physician without a knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician. And many centuries later - super psychologist Carl Jung made this comment - We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born. Jyotish is the traditional Hindu system of astrology, originating in ancient India - it’s found to date back to around 10,000 BC. Based on The Vedas - the oldest sacred text of Hinduism -  it sees the stars and planets as having a powerful influence on our lives, and these planetary influences are considered the ‘fruit of karma’, or past actions. In many mythological stories, Mercury is often referred to as The Messenger Of Gods, as it is the planet of expression and communication. So what happens when it’s not in such a benefic (or beneficial) position? Well, you guessed it - there’ll likely be difficulties with self expression, speech, and communication in general. Apart from communication, Mercury also governs the way we speak, and our intellect, so a ‘weak’ Mercury can lead to difficulties in expressing oneself effectively.   My Guest Geoff Rupp has spent the last 10 years studying with Masters in India, gaining insight in Ancient practices from the East, with the desire to integrate these teachings into our lives back here in the West.  After 30+ years in the corporate sector in television, Geoff gazed within, seeing that there was more to life (and beyond that), so enrolled himself in the study of the cosmos by undertaking serious studies in Vedic astrology, Vedic Meditation, Sattva Yoga, Himalayan Breath-work, Kriya yoga, and other modalities all designed to enliven our potential, to be the best version of us we can be.  www.geoffrupp.com  Book Vedic Astrology Reading www.geoffrupp.com/jyotish

The word 'Yoga' is derived from the Sanskrit root 'Yuj', meaning 'to unite; ’to join' or 'to yoke’. So yoga means union, but we don’t see a lot of uniting going on with trikanasana these days do we?   Have we lost the point of yoga, or have we never found unity to be the point?  As per Yogic scriptures, the authentic practice of Yoga leads to the union of Individual consciousness - The Self, with that of Universal Consciousness - also referred to as God.  The desired outcome is to achieve perfect harmony  between the mind and body, humans and nature, heaven and earth. In other words - it all becomes whole again. And Wholeness is in fact the true meaning of healing - to ‘return to wholeness’.  So, back to the word ‘yoke’ and unity. In Hinduism yoga leads to oneness with all that is, non-duality, Self-realisation. Yet, how many of us are really, truly surrendering to the union of Mind, Body and Soul, irrespective of our spiritual or religious leanings.  From what we see at an average yoga class, and there are many, I think perhaps the Soul has been mostly left out of the trilogy. For those cultures and religions devoted to and practicing the true art of yoga, it must be very frustrating to see what’s been going on here in the west with this ancient and sacred practice over the past 50 or so years. “Om shanti shanti shanti” are often chanted during yoga classes as a call to peace. In the Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the word “shanti” repeated three times represents peace in body, speech and mind. Here today to help us to find peace in body, speech and mind, by using ancient practices appropriate for most of us today is Brad Hays.  Brad has been a dedicated student and practitioner of Ayurveda, Yoga and Tantra for more than three decades. He has devoted over 4000 hours to formal training in acclaimed institutions and with highly recognised teachers in the US and Australia. His website says his mission and passion lies in imparting the most relevant, powerful, and practical life skills from the ancient Vedic Sciences of Ayurveda, and Tantra Yoga. His niche is making these powerful, ancient, esoteric teachings highly accessible to modern life and real situations.  Brad says these 5000-year-old Vedic Sciences continue to change his life for the better – and intends for us to experience the same.

‘Destiny is not a matter of chance, it's a matter of choice. It's not a thing to be waited for, it's a thing to be achieved’. I had this quote by William Jennings Bryan stuck on my fridge for decades, as I've often thought about the difference between fate and destiny. Maybe we can control our destinies, but not necessarily our fate. And the difference is what? Some would say that destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left along the path, but fate on the other hand is a one way. So is my fate predetermined then, but the stops along the way are up to me? These are some of the questions that many thinkers throughout history have also asked themselves. Medical astrology was used by our elders to help decode this existential angst.  Astronomy and astrology were combined with medicine for thousands of years, beginning in Mesopotamia about 4,000 years ago, the oldest recorded civilization in the world, now modern Iraq, and continuing well into the 18th century. In fact, ancient physicians were required to pass astrological exams within their medical training as physicians.  Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, based his medical theories on the relationship between the heavenly bodies and human bodies, stating, as a physician without a knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician. Likewise, Galen, the Greek physician, writer and philosopher agreed, further developing Hippocrates’ work.  Medical astrology however, came later, reaching its epitome in Europe about 500 years ago. Part art, part science, and not without controversy, the use of astrology in medicine was by no way fringe. It was prominent in the training of physicians and lay practitioners alike by the end of the Middle Ages.  This fascinating and ancient science illustrates centuries of connections between astrology, human personality, and health. Medical practitioners used astronomy and astrology as a key part of diagnosis and prescription. It's an ancient branch of astrology based mostly on the idea that various parts of the body, diseases and medicine, have an association with the nature of heavenly bodies, such as the sun, moon, planets, and the 12 astrological signs. It associates each sign of the zodiac with parts of the body, from head - Aries, to toes - Pisces, and everything in between. These associations and the impact of the heavens on the earth of us humans were believed equally by both the educated elite, and average working class folk for millennia. Centuries later, we're once again starting to study plants and their own individual embodiment of the planetary forces which are uniquely expressed in them. Once this plant to planet relationship was reintroduced to us, it enabled us herbalists and astrologers to not only better understand the plant, but helped us to understand how to strengthen its medicine and therefore healing capabilities on a profound level.   To get a better understanding of all of this and how to relate it to Toxic Silence, I'm so pleased to introduce Naturopath, Herbalist and Medical Astrologer, Elizabeth Cowley. Elizabeth has been working with plants and planets for over 20 years so she knows this stuff on a deep level, and I'm thrilled to be allowed to pick her Mercurial brain. Yep she's got a Gemini sun.  Elizabeth Cowley Elizabeth is a highly experienced Naturopath and Medical Herbalist with over 20 years clinical experience. She combines herbs, flower essences, nutrients and her keen intuition to help re-balance her clients.  Elizabeth can be reached here - 0409 336 922 @naturolizzy Click here for the Toxic Silence playlist.

For many thousands of years ancient sages and enlightened communities have understood the significance of sound as a sacred instrument of immense power and potential, not only for healing but also for spiritual development. All tribes throughout history have been working in harmony with sound, and weaving it into their rituals, ceremonies, rites of passage, meditations, celebrations and healing philosophies as far back as the dawn of humanity.  Ancient civilisations revered sound so deeply that they believed it called the universe into creation. Indeed Om is known as the original vibration of the universe. This sacred sound is composed of three fundamental syllables – A U M, which represents the various states of awareness. Of all the forms of energy, sound is perhaps one of the more powerful manifestations. Sound energy is intricately connected with the human experience and the naturally spiritual side of humankind. Sound influences not just the mind, but also the emotions, and is known to alter the life force of a person, with its healing capabilities. Shamans, priests, priestesses, and medicine men and women have always worked with sound in sacred ways since ancient times and have created many sound instruments to assist them. These are things like crystal singing bowls, gongs, drums, tuning forks, and many more. The ancient Egyptians had a deep understanding of sound's healing properties. They believed that specific tones and rhythms could affect the body's energy centres and promote healing. Instruments like the sistrum, harp, and voice were used in rituals and ceremonies to invoke healing energies. It is only in the last few decades that ancient sound wisdom of the past has been rediscovered. With a deep understanding of the potency of vibration and sound - my guest today is one those people bringing sound healing back into mainstream consciousness, and making it safe and accessible in everyday life.  Seriya Cutbush is an Australian yogini, who grew up between the Byron shire and the Ashrams of India. his human is very impressive, and is strongly pulled to sharing her knowledge and being of service.  Seriya was the Experiences Coordinator at The Crystal Castle, in the Byron Hinterland for 6 years. That led her in 2016 to co-found Sound Healing Australia with her partner in life, Matty Rainbow. Together, they have offered transformative Sound of Being™ experiences to tens of thousands of participants worldwide. Based on Vedic and Shamanic teachings, it weaves sound therapy, breath-work, energy medicine, and meditation. To learn more about what Seriya offers as the founder of Akshaya Healing visit www.akshayahealing.com.  To read more about what Seriya offers as Co-Founder of Sound Healing Australia visit www.soundhealingaustralia.com

A single moment can last forever in our memory, yet research has shown us that perhaps our memories are less than accurate.   Which begs the question - if the average person has approximately 60,000 thoughts per day, and 75% of these thoughts are negative, and 95% are repetitive - what would happen if we consciously changed or ‘reprogrammed’ our traumatic memories? It’s a traditional Lakota belief (these are the Sioux people of North American Indian tribes of the Midwest) that our healing reaches both forward and backward for seven generations. If you’re one of the billions of human that feel no matter the efforts you have gone through to shake off your trauma, it still feels like a traumatised child is living inside of you - then you’e going to love this interview with Prof. Felicity Grace.  Enter Pesso Boyden System Psychomotor (PBSP), created in 1961 by Albert Pesso and Diane Boyden-Pesso - it’s one of the most advanced therapeutic system available to us for emotional re-education or reprogramming.  It’s been repeatedly said - If you want to really learn how to work on family of origin issues, and how to use body information in your therapy, go straight to PBSP. My Guest Dr Felicity Grace works as a Mental Health Social Worker in private practice, as well as facilitating the Australian training in PBSP Psychomotor. Leading her to this work as a popular therapist and teacher were undergraduate studies in law, economics and government, a PhD in politics and financial security for women, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work, and studies in Feminist Theory, Gender Studies and Queer Theory. Dr Felicity has trained in many different forms of therapy and counselling including Holistic, Art, Mind-Body psychotherapies, couples, Family Constellations, and Interpersonal Therapy. At the time of recording, Felicity is about to become Australia’a first fully qualified practitioner of Pesso-Boyden System of Psychomotor (PBSP) artofhappiness.com.au

There was a time, and not so long ago, that matriarchal -or Mother-centred societies were the norm, and within this system there was Goddess worship - known as The Triple Goddess. During these times, especially in modern Pagan traditions, the Triple Goddess was said to represent the cycle of a woman’s life. Honouring the Maiden, Mother and Crone, and is often associated with Artemis - the Maiden, Selene - the Mother, and Hecate - the Crone. The Triple Goddess can also be represented by a full moon, waxing crescent moon and a waning crescent moon because the rhythm of the moon and the female body both typically work on a 28-day cycle.  The Maiden— represented by the waxing moon, is the symbol of girlhood, freedom of expression, purity and untamed wildness. It is the Springtime of our lives.  The Mother— around 25yo- is represented by the full moon and being the symbol of love, fertility, growth and caregiving. Mother, the Summer. The Crone—around 75yo, represented by the waning moon, the winter of our lives. She is the wise, more mature woman that embodies all of the women she has been before this phase.  So what happened to the period between 45 and 75 yo? Recently the gap was noticed by wise women Cedar Barstow and Jane Hardwicke Collings. They saw that Autumn was missing! The Autumn Queen ws missing. So why should we care about these phases in our lives anyway, and the Rites of passage that in yesteryear punctuated them. And what have been the obvious consequences of living without this reverence towards tradition in the modern patriarchal society we have lived in over the past few thousand years? Kamya is a women’s rites of passage guide and mentor. She tends the thresholds of life's transitions by creating handmade transformative rites of passages for girls, women, mothers, and elders that acknowledge and celebrate the significant cycles and stages of our lives. www.kamyaokeeffe.com

Psychologist Carl Jung called the energies that reside within us archetypes, and one of the primary archetypes we all possess is that of the Inner Child. The inner child is the part in our psyche that retains its innocence, creativity, and sense of wonder and awe - irrespective of our actual biological age. The Wounded IC feels that in the deepest parts of their being, there is something terribly wrong with them. In this episode we’ll discuss what it looks like to be an adult who in childhood was silenced, leaving a huge gaping wound in the psyche, often masterfully repressed by us as adults – yet its impacts are deep AND far-reaching.  Most of us will likely have been shaped and moulded to some extent, but here we’re taking about when this kind of abuse is extreme and is now controlling your adult Self, most of the time.  These adults feel confused, guilty even about their true purpose, and on an even deeper level - who they actually are. This particular wound makes us question our instincts, by not listening to our gut feelings / our own inner guide - and then our entire being. It destroys our self-confidence, eventually leading us to sometimes abandoning our own Inner Child, to varying degrees.  As children when our wings are clipped we can’t fly, so it’s kind of hard to get off the ground to fully take flight to discover who we are.  This episode is not about blame, but how to heal to WIC once we’ve recognised the pattern in ourselves. Hāweatea Bryson is a Māori healing practitioner, Psychotherapist, Nature-based therapist, and Rite of Passage guide. Committed to the resurgence of rites of passage, she co-leads global trainings in rites of passage and eco-therapy. She is the founder of Nature Knows, specializing in trauma, transition, and transformation. This includes early childhood or adult trauma, existential crisis, spiritual emergency, family and relationship counseling. Ngāi Tahu & Waitaha are her tribes. www.natureknows.co IG: @nature_knows

EMDR is a psychotherapy treatment that was originally designed to alleviate the distress associated with PTSD. In other words, it enables clients to heal from the emotional distress and physical symptoms that are the result of difficult life experiences.  The Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho has a quote that goes something like this - ‘To heal a wound you must stop scratching it.’ He’s likening healing to a scar. There is something uniquely beautiful about all scars. They say the pain is over, the wound is closed and the healing has happened. This sentiment is repeated by my poet crush - Lebanese-American artist, and writer Kahlil Gibran - ‘Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.’ But how do we heal our wounds so that all we have left are the scars?  It’s widely assumed that severe emotional pain takes years of therapy to heal, but what we’re now learning is that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma in much the same way as the body recovers from physical trauma.  When the system (us) is blocked by the memory of a disturbing event, the emotional wound festers - and can cause intense suffering. Once the block is removed, healing resumes. Exciting right?  What we want is to stop poking 'The Pain Body', as Erkhart Tolle calls it. And this is where EMDR can help. EMDR therapy sessions can help us activate our own natural healing processes by creating the conditions where re-processing (or re-framing) the event can help heal.  Simon Dubois is a highly experienced Psychologist at The Health Lodge in the Byron Bay Shire. Simon works with medical doctors and naturopaths in the centre, using a range of evidence-based therapeutic approaches including Internal Family Systems therapy, and EMDR - for the treatment of trauma based distress. See Simon Dubois' work here.

PTSTD or Postnatal Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder could in many situations be avoided if the mother had been heard. Instead we have too many women being diagnosed with PTSTD, stemming from a less than ideal birthing experience.  PTSTD is a type of anxiety disorder, also known as birth trauma, with symptoms including vivid flashbacks - feeling that the trauma is happening right now, not being able to show affection to your baby, feeling isolated and blaming yourself for what happened, and terror around the thought of going through labour again.  Not so long ago, birthing our children looked very different to how it does today - in a hospital, in some cases with a midwife - you’re only just meeting for the first time, and a team of other professionals - strangers - coming and going, often taking the baby away from the mother soon after delivery. Never addressing the often hellish events that have just occurred.  Shhhhh new mum. Now go home and look great, have an abundant flow of milk, and do not complain about pain or sleeplessness, about potentially not bonding with your newborn, and make sure you’re feeling and looking pretty goddamn sexy very soon as otherwise your partner may take a new lover. Oh my goodness, the pressure! The fear. Sequoila Glastonbury is co-mother of the Not For Profit Hygieia Health  - a charity she co-founded with 3 like-minded women focusing on preventing and healing birth trauma, by supporting gentle births. Their highest vision is to create a private birthing sanctuary open to the birth choices of all mothers, creating a system that supports not just mothers and their babies, but also their families and care providers. Sequoia holds the vision of the Healed Sisterhood. Over the past 14 years she has been a teacher at the School of Shamanic Womancraft, having apprenticed and co-taught with Jane Hardwicke Collings. Sequoia teaches the school’s 4 Seasons Journey in Byron Bay and is the hearth keeper (or operations queen!) at the school. Sequoia Can be reached at School of Shamanic Womancraft. Click here for the Toxic Silence Playlist.

The interaction between the mind and body was first put forward in the west about 500 years ago by the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes. Descartes believed that the mind was non-physical and permeated the entire body - interacting via the pineal gland, (also known as the ‘third eye’). And indeed we now know that the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis is stimulated via the Vagus Nerve through its different fibres, kind of like octopii tentacles- to release cortisol by the adrenal glands. Um… this last piece of information has already sent my mind into a new place of wonder and a thousand questions - so imagine how we’re all going to be feeling after an hour with Dr. Camilla? The pineal gland/ third eye bursting wide open I imagine. Vagus is the latin word for wandering, due to its meandering nature, as it travels from the brainstem down to the abdomen, reaching into most of the body, including our throat, lungs, heart, stomach, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidney, and gut (both the large and small intestines), and is the largest organ in the body’s autonomic nervous system. It has also been described as the Home of the Soul, or SOUL NERVE. My guest today Dr Camilla Cameron is the only Japanese Acupuncturist in Australia who is also trained in non-invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation. Dr. Camilla is the founding Director of Happy Healthy Clinic, an allied health clinic based in Brisbane. She has 23 years experience as a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, coupled with 6 years expertise in vagus nerve stimulation. With a remarkable track record, Camilla has administered over 30,000 Japanese Acupuncture treatments and 9,000 Vagus Nerve Stimulation Treatments. Camilla truly believes VNS is the missing link in many patients’ health recovery. VNS has become her ultimate passion, and has developed a comprehensive at-home VNS system, which has been utilised by over 500 patients worldwide. Camilla is one of Australia's most experienced & respected natural Women's Health experts. Visit Dr Camilla's website: happyhealthyclinic.com.au/vns-home-program/ Click here for the Toxic Silence playlist.

Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and direct your attention to your neck area, especially around the base of your throat. How does it feel? Does it feel like there’s something stuck in there? Or is it swollen or painful? So now imagine speaking your truth, an absolute free- flow of your self- expression. Expression without fear is liberating, right? And a bit scary too, for sure. So does expressing our truth need always to be verbal, as in the spoken word? Do we have to get it off our chest! It seems not… Vishuddha, the Sanskrit word for ‘pure’- here is referring to the Throat Chakra - the 5th of 7 chakras in an ancient Hindu system. It’s function - I speak.  It’s of course so relevant to this podcast Toxic Silence - as the throat chakra is the gateway for clear and truthful communication. It demands we stay true to oneself, to articulate thoughts and feelings with honesty, authenticity and integrity. It represents expression of our truth without fear of judgment or punishment.  When it’s out of whack however, it can show up as throat and neck-related problems and blocked creativity. Gossiping - yep, another huge imbalance in this chakra. So let’s dive in and discover more about the Gateway for Authentic Communication - with Kinesiologist and Transformational Coach Joanne Farrell. After over 2 decades working as a solicitor specialising in medical law, she quit the law to answer her call to help others discover why they were getting sick in the first place, and to guide them to their own True North, to help them improve their lives from the inside out. She is a committed seeker and has spent decades training with energy healers, masters, and shamans around the globe. Joanne practises from her hometown of Byron Bay, in person and on-line; and also at many retreats internationally.  Joanne has kindly shared with us a pdf of the chakras, so please enjoy.  Visit Joanne: The 7 Chakras | http://www.joanne-farrell.com/

Janella Purcell is a pioneer of the Natural Health industry. Her role as a respected and awarded Naturopath, Herbalist and Nutritionist with almost 25 years clinical experience, and a whole-food chef with 5 best selling books, has shaped the way Australians view the connection between food and healing of the body-mind. We'll discuss the root of individual disease, how it can and does attach to different places in our body-minds, and discuss with experts how my guest's symptoms can be traced to a specific trauma and/or conundrum they’ve lived with, after choosing attachment over authenticity. Click here for the Toxic Silence Playlist.