We discuss a social media post with 10 ideas for great habits to start. We interview thinker and author Ryan A Bush [Mental Wellness]. We discuss concepts from his upcoming book, Become Who You Are. The framework he introduced puts a strong focus on “virtue”, in the sense of admirability. Ask yourself what have I always thrived at? What do I value most in other people? What do I admire them for? The answers point the way to what you should be cultivating and exercising more in yourself. You in your actions needs to become the you in your ideals. There are a lot of people who will tell you how you should be living your life. You’ve already got the compass built into your brain on where you should be going. Have the courage to listen to pay attention to your own ideals and values and follow them wherever they lead. Starving Artist – Cameron was trading artist horror stories with his buddy Joey Vinegar. The exchanged musician horror stories, with Cameron telling us about a spooky ending to one of them. Move That Body – There are lots of reasons to exercise that have nothing to do with weight loss. We chat about a social media post listing many. Running Popup – In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Persig points out that you need to change the rationale underlying a system instead of focusing on effects. The same holds true for wellness in John’s experience. He needed a lifestyle change to make a real difference. Flipside of the Coin – We have great plans and goals to get things done to improve our wellness. We’re set up for a great week, but it never works out that way. Many things pop into our week, every week, that makes it hard to get to the wellness plans we make. It’s never under control.

On the first segment (What’s On Your Mind), it’s the last of Elise’s India travel series. They travelled in the Northwest then worked their way south. She saw architecture in Jaipur, museums in Mumbai and ended with the relaxing vibe of Kochi. We interview Spencer Delisle [Physical and Mental Wellness].⁠ Breath work and meditation can be transformative. The breath connects the outer world of dynamism and activity to the inner world of silence. The breath is connected to your thoughts and emotions. You breathe differently when your angry, happy, sad, etc. The Sky Breath Mediation technique uses very specific rhythms in the breath to help release deeper seeded emotions and traumas stuck in the past, and bring the mind back to the present moment. Some of the benefits are increased level of energy, decreased level of stress and at same time you get into a very relaxed state and a high level of focus and awareness. The founder of the Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is a yogi from. The organization’s goal is to create a stress free and violence free world. Adventures of the Starving Artist - Cameron’s has daydream venues to perform at. They’ve been different as he’s lived in different places. He took a shot as performing at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa. He scored. He performed there on November 27! Move That Body – Adding a destination is fun and helps motivate us to move that body. We took a long bike ride from Collingwood to Thornbury for lunch. It took us on a 40-kilometre fall ride through the trail system. It was lots of fun. Running Popup – John’s favourite temperature to run is in the 3-10 Celsius range. He’s enjoying his fall runs. Flipside of the Coin – We felt a bit anxious at our first very busy movie theatre since Covid began, because we’re not accustomed to being with so many people. We came to enjoy it. It was a fun social experience and we liked the movie.

We talk about the wellness check-in concept. It helps to check-in regularly and ask yourself whether you’re taking care of your physical health. The same holds true for all areas of wellness. We interview a founding co-host, Sammy Damaren. She took a break from the podcast earlier this year as her way of working towards balance, because she started new businesses, was working multiple jobs and had many balls in the air. It’s great to hear from her. She tells us about finding balance with a busy life. Starving Artist – Choir has been a part of Cameron’s life since he was young. His brother joined a choir in Ottawa. Cameron went to a rehearsal that was open to the public. It felt different to be an audience member instead of performing. Move That Body – A CBC article about “7 ways to make your walks more intense and more interesting”. Running Popup – Taking time over a coffee to enjoy seeing animal life in his own back yard, with squirrels enjoying crabapples from a tree they planted and water from a bowl they put out. Flipside of the Coin – Sheila and John have very difference concepts of what chillin’ out feels like.

Doing something nice for someone else reduces stress, helps our emotional wellbeing and even our physical health. We talk about 20 act of kindness from an article listing 50. We interview Rev. Nora Fueten in the areas of Mental and Physical Wellness.⁠ Nora has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She shares her thoughts about seeking medical assistance in death (MAID). Nora believes it gives her the opportunity to make a decision about how long she wants to live, especially if she gets to the point where the quality of life becomes significantly impaired. It provides an opportunity to take her destiny into her own hands and make up her own mind. It’s important to be able to say enough already, particularly nowadays when medicine can keep us going forever and ever. It’s not because she doesn’t love life and all its beauty, but there is going to be an end anyway. She prefers to be able to make her own decision. Starving Artist – During then long-haired Cameron’s first performance with the progressive metal group Emissivity, he learned that under the laws of physics, glasses apparently go flying when you’re doing the windmill head bang technique. Move That Body – Not letting bad weather stop us from moving that body. Enjoyed a Blustery cold day walk on the trails. Running Popup – John like the idea of trying to be childlike, not childish. He’s thinking about what that might look. Being creative? Seeing the having a feeling of wonder when we see the world around us? Flipside of the Coin – A wardrobe malfunction while Elise was emcee at a friend’s wedding.

We chat about intellectual wellness. We found an article about 4 exercises to keep your mind sharp. Elise gives them a try. It’s Part 2 our interview of former NHL player Shayne Corson, who captained two NHL clubs in his 19-season professional career. Over the course of his life, he suffered from anxiety, depression, panic attacks and more. He started to feel better when he reached out for help. Shayne tell us about things that help him to stop his mind from spinning, things like exercise, listening to music, spending time with his dog and thinking about great memories of time spent with his dad before he passed away. If he could go back and talk to his younger self, he’d say, “You can’t do this on your own. It’s okay not to be okay. There are days when you’re going to be depressed and down and feeling anxious, but there are mechanisms and coping skills.” His advice to anybody going through something like this is to go get the professional help they need, without feeling embarrassed or bad about it. It’s not a weakness. Strong people have mental health challenges. There are people who care a lot. Go get that help. Make that first step. Move That Body – We’re back to the theme of being childlike, this time in the context of exercise. We found an article, “For a Better Workout, Think Like a Kid”. It’s the attitude more than the type of workout. Be playful. Running Popup – An analogy: balance is like being in the eye of a hurricane. It’s quiet in the eye even if things are whirling around you. Flipside of the Coin – Knowing the good isn’t doing the good with healthy eating. Why do we turn our nose up at healthy food that we know we enjoy?

Art contributes to wellness. Elise is learning and enjoying pottery. It’s Part 1 of a two-part interview of former NHL player Shayne Corson [Mental Wellness].⁠ Shayne played for 5 NHL teams and captained two during his 19-season professional career. He represented Canada many times. Over the course of his life, Shayne suffered from anxiety, depression and panic attacks. He kept these conditions to himself. His coaches, general managers and agent didn’t know. During the 2003 Stanley Cup playoffs, Shayne stopped playing for the Maple Leafs in the midst of a playoff series. He had been experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety. They were so severe that he didn’t know what was happening to him. At times he thought he was dying. He started to feel better when he reached out for help. One of the best ways to break down stigma and make it easier for people to seek help for mental health conditions to hear from people like Shayne, who shares his struggles, experiences and recovery. Retired Artist – Sheila describes five life lessons dance taught her, after decades of performing and teaching: the importance of stretching; there are times you must perform; pushing through; love of all music; and listening to her body. Move That Body – 6 components of physical exercise: balance, coordination, agility, speed, power and reaction time. Running Popup – One of many examples of feeling the flow on a run – really enjoying the present. Running brings so many opportunities in life to savour the moment. Flipside of the Coin – We’re about to become empty nesters. We wonder what will happen.

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.