A chat about an article on health benefits of deep breathing. We interview trainer Andrea Lee [Physical Wellness].⁠ Andrea talks about incorporating breathing technique into weight training. John was wondering how to do this and learned that he had been doing it incorrectly. Focus your breath behind and below the belly button. Inhaling stabilizes the spine. Inhale as you lower the weight. Exhale as you lift the (when exerting). Exhaling also helps you focus on the mind muscle connection. A big takeaway is to keep breathing. Don’t hold your breath while lifting weights. Starving Artist – A delay on a first flight had Cameron racing back and forth and then to a gate in the Airport. He barely made his connecting flight by keeping a cool head and by bookin’ it. Move That Body – Sheila and Elise get past the thought that they fail or they’re weak if they modify exercise. It’s not at all like that. Modifying exercise is good for you at times. Running Popup – It was an “everyone is looking at me” morning. The reason is often not the negative one we imagine. Fiipside of the Coin – John overcomes his litigation lawyer’s instinct to not admit anything. Sheila was right – one time (okay, maybe twice).

Isabelle and John are “to do list” people. They believe being organized and keeping on track is an important aspect of overall wellness. It’s Part 2 of our interview of Reverend Nora Fueten.⁠ She received a terminal cancer diagnosis. Once Nora stopped being able to be a Minister and a choral director (and to do other things), she wondered “who am I then?”. She started to let go of all that. You let go of the ego stuff and recognized that you’re cared for and loved. There’s beauty all around you and every moment is precious. She’s happy she had a chance to have a bonfire by a lake with her grandchildren. She talked about the circle of life, that every life comes to an end, and that we celebrate what was good about the person’s life. She believes it’s important to share our common experiences. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a matter of expressing how it feels and being thankful for the wonderful things we’ve had in our lives. Retired Artist – You never know what will happen in a live show. During a year-end dance recital, a 3-year-old student broke free of the pig pen. What happened next was anybody’s guess. Move That Body – Noura Saad loves long hikes in nature, usually alone. It’s great to get into the forest, enjoy the quiet and wildlife, and get some grounding. Running Popup – I didn’t feel like going out for a run in the rain. I did it anyway, then felt great after an interval run session. So worth it! Flipside of the Coin – Elise and Stephen have different spins on the saying, the more we learn, the more we realize what we don’t know.

We start with a bullet point list about a social wellness activity – ways to make connections with other people. Part 1 of our interview of Rev. Nora Feuten in many areas of wellness. Nora received a terminal cancer diagnosis. She shares her impressions and experiences as she faces the situation. She knows that death is part of life, even though we like to pretend it isn’t. Every moment is precious, as is every person you and every experience you have. You keep that in mind. Life probably has more to do with the quality of our witness than achievement – the way we express in our lives a kind of creative hopefulness. A kind of morality is important, but not the strict kind of morality – a morality that’s based on a care and concern for the other, whether it’s another person or the earth. We need to have that. Starving Artist - Cameron is mostly over Covid and feeling better. He’ played serious catch-up with work and headed to Colorado for a wedding. Move That Body – Sheila quizzes Elise about the six major muscle groups in a weights workout. Running Popup – Seeing someone making running movements while moving at a walking pace. Why it was great to see. Flipside of the Coin – an analogy: finding balance in life is kind of like getting the chemicals balanced in a swimming pool.

Back to Elise’s India travel experiences – Taj Mahal. It’s breathtaking. We interview Nour Saad in the area of Social Wellness.⁠ Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region wraps survivors of sexual and gender-based violence in community care. They provide a safe place. They walk beside survivors. Noura tells us about what women experience, how they find SASC and how SASC supports them. The work SASC does is profound and carries a lot of value in our community. Starving Artist - Cameron finally got a bit of down time, just before his birthday. Drat, enter Covid stage left. Move That Body – Andrea Lee is getting back into running. Running Popup – Wow. All 8 wellness categories aligned on the same day. Flipside of the Coin – We have difference perspectives (i.e., a lighthearted argument) on who did what for whom.

We revisit our discussion about hustle culture and university students (flowing from an earlier one on Episode 79). We interview professional trainer Andrea Lee. The mind muscle connection is deliberately focusing on the feeling of the muscle contracting. You want to be very aware of how the muscle is moving as you go through a weight training exercise. It helps to maintain form and to increase the effectiveness of weight training. You get a deeper connection and contraction of the muscle when you feel the muscle tightening, or lengthening or shortening. Your movement quality improves. Starving Artist – Cameron is grinding out paperwork related to the music business. His load is lightened by a new song by a group he likes – Vildhjarta. Move That Body – A lingering injury is tough on Sheila. Thoughts on recovering while injured. Running Popup – It’s not all or nothing with our goals. When the primary goal looks out of sight, accomplish something. Flipside of the Coin - We came up with a new toast to remind us of the thought “life in every breath”. It’s “chaque souffle”, which we believe is French for every breath.

We start with a topic we come back to – what are the energy givers? What are the energy takers? A social media posts lists many. It’s part 2 of our interview of Jodi Skeates, whose husband died unexpectedly at age 52 in a scuba diving accident. As she works through her grief, Jodi is giving back and helping other widowed people, including through Soaring Spirits Canada and Camp Widow Toronto. She’s tells herself and us to “keep breathing and make each of those breaths count”, which is similar to our goal to “live life in every breath”. Starving Artist – Cameron spent some time in his hometown, Cambridge, then headed to the Toronto Air Show. Move That Body – A study shows that any amount of walking can help. It doesn’t need to be 10,000 steps a day. More walking means more health benefits. Running Popup – The humble people John knows are strong. Humble is strong, not weak. Flipside of the Coin – Elise and Stephen experienced a scare when the house beside their’s caught fire.

A study identified two traits shared by people who live more than 100 years (centenarians). What are those traits? We interview Jodi Skeates, whose outlook changed in an instant in 2017. Her husband Scott was enjoying a hobby he loved - scuba diving. He suffered an anoxic brain injury from which he did not recover. They were in a remote area, with Jodi far from the incident. It took nine hours to reach Scott’s bedside, by which time he was in a coma. He never woke up. Jodi faced a number of decisions, while being confronted with traumatic events. Starving Artist – the artist becomes a tourist in his own city, when Cameron hosts out of town guests. Move That Body – What is “diet culture” and why is it harmful? We found an article with helpful insights. Running Popup – John will be doing a presentation to lawyers about his approach to wellness and balance. Flipside of the Coin – A great quote by Carl Young about being with other people.

Elise and Sheila are energized by being with friends. They discuss and article that reviews many healthy benefits of friendship. We interview Mike Kienapple, who got into CrossFit when he turned 50 [Physical Wellness]. He can do exercises and movements that he never imagined were even possible at his age. He trains hard during the year to prepare for the CrossFit Open. Mike tells us how the competition works. He tells us about another annual event called Murph. Retired Artist – Sheila has been teaching dance for many years. She believes extra-curricular activities are very important to kids, especially in the arts. She’s seen children gain so much. Move That Body – A tough lesson to hear in the article, “Obesity changes the brain, with ‘no sign of reversibility,’ expert says”. Although it’s tough news, knowing it might help. Running Popup – John thinks about a Pablo Picasso quote, “Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” So true. Flipside of the Coin – Trust is so important in relationships.

Isabelle joins us to discuss a social media post about things we should stop assuming about ourselves and other people. We interview Joe Ashley in the area of Mental Wellness.⁠ Joe experienced symptoms of depression while he was young, but he did not recognize what it was. He had no coping mechanisms to alleviate symptoms. He started a long stint of travel at 21-years-old. He recognized, then accepted what he was experiencing. The travelling community is a very open one. There were times he felt very down and struggled with his mental health. He was encouraged to join conversations He felt safe to express himself. He learned about different cultures and different ways of approaching problems. If he could talk to his younger self, he would say to forgive himself for not being the person he wanted to be in every moment, and to accept what was happening to him in that moment. From that point the journey can begin. Starving Artist – Cameron is getting more comfortable in his new role, which is opening up time for him to do new things. For example, he’s heading to Collingwood to see the band Big Tobacco and the Pickers. Move That Body – Liz Bellingham got into mountain biking 5 yeas back. She loves the exercise, the challenge and being in nature. Running Popup – John often thinks about a saying by Martin Yelling of Marathon Talk podcast: Running serves you in different ways at different times in your life. Flipside of the Coin – The library is amazing. It offers so much.

We start with sunsets – seeing something as beautiful and awe-inspiring as a sunset can have a positive impact on your frame of mind and mental health. It’s part 2 of our interview of Stefanie Costi, who experienced bullying in a toxic workplace (Mental Wellness).⁠ Last time she described what it felt like. This week she talks about breaking free and starting to feel better. She took time off to recharge, reboot and build her confidence. She founded an organization to help others who experienced what she did, and to educate workplaces about bullying and the impact of harbouring bullies. She discovered she still wanted to be a lawyer, then thought about the characteristics of a law firm that would help her achieve a work life balance. Starving Artist – Cameron’s been telling us about all the different hats he wear as an artist. He just added a new one. He’s writing a best man speech. Move That Body – We’re feeling great from weight training. We chat about an article that says “People Who Do Strength Training Live Longer — and Better”. Running Popup – John felt like a kid while riding his bike. He remembered the feeling of freedom it gave him when he was young. Flipside of the Coin – Meal planning makes a big difference from Elise and Stephen. There are lots of advantages.

It’s getting hot all over the world. We talk about 14 ways to stay cooler even if you don’t have air conditioning. We interview Stefanie Costi, an Australian lawyer who found herself in a toxic work environment [Mental Wellness]. She began withdrawing into herself and experiencing imposter syndrome and PTSD. She tells us what it felt like. Her message to other people going through this is that you are worthy and you’ll flourish when you find a workplace that celebrates you and what you have to offer. Starving Artist – Cameron noticed something interesting about the Oppenheimer movie score. He sees things us non-musicians don’t. Move That Body – Mike Kienapple tells us how he started into CrossFit 9 years ago, and how much he enjoys it. Running Popup – Seeing plays at Stratford, Ontario has an unexpected effect on John. It opens doors of creativity in his mind. Flipside of the Coin – We were hoping for more listener interaction when we launched the podcast. Maybe someday (fingers crossed).

We continue Elise’s India travel series, this time visiting an ancient and holy city – Varanasi. We interview an active volunteer, Kate Flanagan [Social Wellness]. Kate helps a broad range of people. She describes what she does, how she heard about and connected with volunteer groups, and what training looked like. There are many opportunities, from supporting the homeless, to giving those in need access to food and supplies, to connecting people to resources, and more. She gets as much out of it as she gives. Starving Artist – Cameron’s teaching job is transitioning to more of a managerial position, which is something he never expected. Move that Body – Enjoyable pool activities other than swimming. Running Popup – What makes John feel alive changed after he started exercising and eating better. What made him “feel alive” before seems artificial now that he can actually feel his body coming to life during and after exercise. Flipside of the Coin – Sheila had concerns about the impact of fireworks on the environment and on animals. We got even more concerned after reading articles that told us more about the dangers. As much as we love a great fireworks show, we think it’s time to transition to something else.

University students and co-hosts Isabel and Ciara discuss the hustle culture trend, which is on the rise. Are there pros and cons? We interview Mike Kienapple [Environmental Wellness], who enjoys portage canoe tripping in remote norther locations in Ontario, Canada. He feels at one with nature. Pictures never do it justice. It’s that lived experience in that environment at that time. He wouldn’t trade the feeling of being alone in that environment with no people and no cell phone service for anything. Starving Artist - Cameron can finally share news that he is the metal vocals in the theme song to the new Rick and Morty animé spinoff series being launched up on Adult Swim network. How fun is that?! Move That Body – Liz Bellingham and work colleagues meet at lunch once every couple weeks to walk together. They enjoy being outside. It’s refreshing. It’s a reset and it’s community building in the office. Running Popup – We’re affected by outside forces such as nature and nurture. Even so, we can choose to believe and act as though we have choice in how we respond to what people do to us and say to us. Flipside of the Coin – Sheila saw a thought-provoking post about a Buddhist monk suggesting to children that they help their

We discuss the importance using words and language in ways that are more inclusive and considerate, with a focus on mental health and stigma. Language can be reframed to be person-first, rather than identify first. We interview Liz Bellingham in the area of Environmental Wellness.⁠ Liz co-chairs an office Green Committee. She organized a commuting challenge. Participants biked, walked, carpooled or took public transit, rather than driving to work by themselves. They measure how much greenhouse gas emissions (C02) they prevented from entering the atmosphere. Participants really enjoyed the challenge. Starving Artist - Cameron is finally able to announce a cool new project he contributed to. His is the “death voice” in an intro song for a new animé spin off from the cartoon Rick and Morty. The song’s called “Love is Entropy”. He's Move That Body – Joe Ahsley tells about hiking and how he enjoys it. Running Popup – It’s a reminder of one of our key themes – John’s three-step approach to wellness. Flipside of the Coin – The process was grueling and challenging when Elise and Stephen bought their first house in a sellers’ market. They learned to make compromises together, including dropping what started as “must have” items.

Elise has been journaling. We chat about her experience and an article summarizing benefits of journaling for mental health. We interview Joe Ashley about travel and wellness. At 21-years-old, Joe left for an extended trip abroad. Travel helped him grow as a person. He gained a sense of freedom by overcoming challenges. He learned different perspectives and approaches to universal challenges. He recognizes a connection between travel and wellness. Starving Artist – Cameron is self-taught on the bass. He had an a-ha moment while having fun with a bass and playing fun songs. Move That Body – Sheila plugged “move that body” into an internet search. It was amusing. Running Popup - The bike commute puts John in a good frame of mind to start and end his workday. Flipside of the Coin – in the old days, everything was closed on Sundays and there were no cell

Be the pond – a Zen Den Youtube video for children about a mindfulness strategy. You (and your mind) are a pond. Your feelings are represented by fish. You can observe all the fish, without having to be one of them. We interview Jacqueline Armstrong Gates about the rewards of mentoring [many categories of wellness]. She was fortunate to have mentors in her life. She received advice, guidance, exposure and experiences. There’s a nice cycle. Jay pays it forward to the next generation, who will in turn pay it forward in the future. Starving Artist - Cameron enjoyed collaborating with Matt, who plays the vibraphone. They’re working on a jazz piece. He also had a gig with his rock group, Shy Harry. Move That Boy – There are lots of social medial post about replacing some habits with better ones. We talk about one, focusing on exercise and healthy eating. Running Popup – John was zoned out and missing the scenes around him on a run, then used a trick to get into the moment. He imagined what he’s focus on if it was his last moment. Flipside of the Coin – It’s sad to hear about and be affected by the forest fires raging in Canada. It’s a sign of the times. If we want to be environmentally friendly, then we must be environmentally friendly. Maybe this is a big eye-opener for us.

Isabelle had people call her wishy-washy for changing programs at university. She’s moving past that and staying positive. Journaling helped in the process. We interview Ross Earnshaw on initiatives aimed at alleviating the homelessness crisis [Social Wellness].⁠ We hear about sanctioned outdoor encampments, consumption treatment services sites (some with attached wrap-around services), and supportive housing. Starting Artist – Cameron is waiting to hear back on a number of projects and auditions. It feels like hurry up and wait. He heard back on one of his contributions. Check out WDYTMF [What do you take me for] by the Silvertone Hills. Move That Body - Sheila’s motto./ advice is not to be discouraged when you’re feeling discouraged. Running Popup – It’s “Rebirthday” number 7. This year was the toughest. It felt good to keep a streak alive to get to another rebirthday. Flipside of the Coin – Please don’t wear your shoes in Sheila’s house. It creates stress and anxiety.

How do you recognize anxiety in yourself and in others? We found a post that showed us many signs. Realtor Lynne MacDonald is back [Economic Wellness].⁠ This week she provides introductory information for home sellers. When people call to list their home for sale, the first question she asks is “why?”. The answer helps direct how she proceeds with the sale. Lynne talks at high level about the process, staging and more. She notes that it’s a very personal relationship. You’re together a lot, sometimes for a long period of time. A realtor really needs to build a relationship with the client, and there’s a lot of trust involved. Starving Artist - Cameron played around with AI, using ChatGPT to see what chord progressions it would come up with using different prompts. Move That Body – Elise came across an article on ten different activities to mix up your summer workout routine: gardening; swimming; hiking; yard yoga; paddleboarding; kayaking; disc golf; cycling; tossing a ball and meditation. Running Popup – After kicking himself for letting him get into a position he said he’d avoid, John came up with a positive affirmation to help make positive changes. Flipside of the Coin – Elise and Stephen are passionate about board games. It’s something they share and have always enjoyed and brings them together.

Signs of burnout - if we recognize them in ourselves, we can introspect and figure out whether we feel burned out. We interview Shereen Samuels Social Wellness].⁠ An article about the word “woke” got us thinking, and concluding that something has changed. It feels like a moment in history of generational shift. Some people imbue “woke” with absolute fury, but if you ask why then it’s not clear. There are many differences in the way Millennials and Gen Zs grew up believing how the world works, compared to Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. With new generations there’s also a next level sophistication about how they judge what and how things are done. The word “woke” is being used as a way to shut down conversations. It’s being used by people who don’t want to think about what might lie underneath “woke”. It’s frustrating, because the word that has such meaning to the black community. To have it co-opted in that way is painful. Starving Artist - Cameron got a dose of small world syndrome, with several coincidences happening at the same event. Move That Body – Laurie Flanagan is getting into Pilates. She’s having lots of fun and getting great workouts. Running Popup – John loves music and how much it helps him. On this occasion, it swept frustration away. Flipside – A meme hit home: I’m stuck between “I need to save money” and “You only live once”. It’s so true in life.

Elise and Sheila reminisce about hiking in the Himalayas - altitude sickness, riding a donkey, hoarding toilet paper, being surrounded by sheep, cougar warnings, flying eggs and more. We start an ongoing discussion on the many elements and moving parts associated with homelessness [social wellness]. We ask Cambridge City Councillor Ross Earnshaw about the types of people who find themselves homeless and challenges they face. How people become homeless depends on circumstances, and no two stories are the same. There is a continuum: shelter, supportive housing, affordable housing and fully integrated into society housing. People who are homeless need to work their way through those levels if they wish to integrate back into society. People who have friends or family affected by addiction seem more open to helping the homeless. Retired Artist – Sheila tried new activities after selling her dance studio. She recently met Cameron unexpectedly at a wedding. Move That Body – What is NEAT: Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis? How do you increase your NEAT? Popup - John finds running outside mentally easier and physically harder, with running on a treadmill the opposite. Flipside – how do sex and cooking and adapting and communicating intersect?