Heart of Connection Podcast

Connecting to Humans in Geelong  Mark [0:00] Jacqui Bennett, welcome to the Heart of Connection podcast.  I’m really pleased to be able to have the founder of Humans in Geelong in this conversation.  Humans in Geelong is part of a foundation that’s all around the world.  It was started by Brandon Stanton, who establish Humans of New York.  They probably needed to establish that in New York.  The Humans in Geelong are stories about people putting the humans back into the equation and back into action. The aim of humans in Geelong is to inspire, connect and strengthen our communities.   It’s with real pleasure to be able to welcome you Jacqui to a conversation with yourself. Jacqui [0:47] Thanks Mark. Mark [0:48] Jacqui, is there anything I missed out on in the introduction that you’d like to add to and improve? Jacqui [0:57] No your right. Connecting to the good news Jacqui [0:59] We have been sick of all the bad news.   We decided to focus on positive stories. It was amazing when we got started because there are just so many positive stories out there. We still can’t keep up.  You meet one person and hear their story and they might nominate another three or four people.  So we’ve got a long list of people that we want to catch up with tell their stories.  In the aim of hopefully inspiring others to take action and make a difference one way or another. Mark [1:35] Over the years, we’ve seemed to have lost a bit of humaneness somehow? Jacqui [1:45] Yes, and you’re bombarded by bad news from all over the world.  So we wanted to par it back and focus on locals and then get the human side.   It’s amazing what you find out about people and about community and the fabric that’s holding up our community when you start doing this. Mark [2:12] Would that be the unseen fabric that’s holding up that community? Connecting to others & the flow-on effect Jacqui [2:16] Yes.   Like someone had invited me, to your group, the World Heart of Connection Day. I thought, oh, connection, you know, our aim is to connect.  You happened to have a meeting that weekend, and I was free and I thought well, I’ll pop along and find out about this.   That’s been really interesting, just tuning up at different things and to meet the group that was there – that is really passionate about what you’re doing.  To be able to connect with you and find out a bit about your story.  Let the people of Geelong know that they can go along on Wednesday, and join together.   Hopefully, I love the whole concept of blanketing Mother Earth in kindness and love and helping her heal that way. Mark [3:10] Yeah, look at it.  It’s been an incredible shift and an incredible momentum.  It just started by having conversations like this with people like yourself, around the connection to self, others and ‘All That Is.’ When we move into the conversation about the ‘All That Is’ it just deepens and becomes universal in a way. Jacqui [3:36] It’s good for us to be brought back to that level and to be thinking of those three things. Since you invited me on to have a conversation. It made me think well, what is my connection to self and what’s my connection to others and “All That Is and helped me reconnect. My reconnection ritual is movement Mark [3:58] The reconnection with we will disconnect and reconnect, disconnect and reconnect.  Sometimes we need to disconnect to have our own space to recharge.  How do you reconnect to Jacqui? Jacqui [4:13] Well, my way of recharging is to be active, I’m a mover.  So I’ll dance or I’ll walk or swim.  This time of year, I love getting back into the ocean – for the first time. So in the first swim on Saturday.  I’d learned the

Connecting to my Heart & Spirit  Mark [0:00] Welcome Lisa to the Heart Connection podcast.  Thank you for the opportunity to have a conversation with you, on a very special day, your birthday.  I’m really appreciative of you making the time.  I’ve known Lisa, now for a number of years. Lisa in the teaching field, into art and community theatre, and has a real passion for theatre and bringing it down to a community level for the everyday person to become involved.  This involves them in creativity and theatre.  So welcome to the Heart of Connection podcast, Lisa. Lisa [0:37] Thank you.  That was the best introduction I’ve ever had. (Laughter) Mark [0:42] Is there anything further that you’d like to add to your introduction, you can give a little bit of a brief synopsis on life (laughter) events. Connecting to others is my Blessing of Life Lisa [0:56] At this point, it’s a long line a long list and I won’t bore you with it.  I think you’ve brought out there really rang true.  That my passion at the end of – I won’t say at the end of the day, I don’t like that expression.  The thing that underpins everything that I’ve sort of undertaken – is that desire to involve more than just myself.  I find I’m happiest when I’m collaborating.  That’s probably why I never really made it as a painter because it required me to be on my own.  Sort of a little bit self-indulging and I found it a little bit so I had to take myself too seriously almost.  So, I do love being amongst people and helping people to find what they have to bring to creating something like a, as a group or a whole.  I think that’s what I absolutely love about theatre.  More than any other art form that I’ve experienced so far is the necessity for people to work together on many levels to bring about one thing.  It then lives and it burns and it sparkles and then it goes again.   You start the process over.  So, it has a life of its own that’s not really containable and you can’t save it.  You can’t sell it – it just happens.  It’s absolutely the most wonderful thing when it works well and everyone has a stake in it.  It’s some something that we share, and then we let it go again.  So I think that’s what theatre, at its best brings.  It’s just a lovely platform to bring many, many people together. I find I'm happiest when I'm collaborating. Click To Tweet Community Theatre is my Connection Mark [2:58] As you’re sharing it- it sounded like there are many layers of connection through theatre? Lisa [3:07] Yes, there are.  I think there’s the creative connection where people can really feel safe to express their version of creativity in theatre.  Especially in musical theatre, which I gravitate towards.  There’s music, there’s dance, there’s acting, but then there are all the other areas.  There’s creating costumes, there’s being a coordinator, organizing, being a people person.  The director – the job of the director, who is to drive the project.  So, it is just sort of bringing people together on many levels. Mark [3:53] Great.  Do you come alive in the connection? Connecting to people thriving and growing Lisa [3:58] Yes, I think so. When it’s right.  When the connection is – when I feel that those connections are happening, and I see people thriving and growing.   I see others coming alive that’s when I feel I suppose most connected to it.  There are negative aspects to it there.   Theatre being theatre, there’s a degree of sort of ego that comes along. Lisa [4:36] The best theatre happens when the egos are absent, and good performers know that too.

Connection In Dance Flows to my Soul  Mark [0:00] Welcome, Chloe.  I’ve known Chloe Janev for many years and I felt from the time I met Chloe, that she was connected to life and the universe.  She was really switched on, I would call her quite awakened for her age.  Chloe ran a dance studio for almost 10 years and is currently a stay at home mum to a beautiful two-year-old toddler and four other lovely children.  She is a beautiful mum.  It’s a wonderful opportunity to welcome you to have a conversation on the Heart of Connection podcast. Thank you, Chloe. Chloe [0:36] Thank you so much for having me, Mark. Mark [0:39] So just by way of introduction, is there anything further that you would like to add to your introduction.  Is there something I’ve missed – that’s of significance – or importance to that I’ve missed? Chloe[ 0:51] I think that’s pretty good. Mark [0:55] The idea of the conversation, is to talk about the Heart of Connection to Self, Others and ‘All That Is.’ When you hear that, what does it – what resonates with you?  What does it and where do you go with it?  What happens to you and what do you experience when you hear that title? My Connection to Self, Others & ‘All That Is’ Chloe [1:17] I think it’s about how we connect to ourselves, firstly, and then how we relate that to the people around us and the world around us, the universe? Mark [1:27] How do you connect to yourself?  As a busy mum, sometimes mums have to let go of their needs and allow the Divine Mother energy through. Their connection to that, to be constantly getting up and meeting their needs.  In that process, how do you connect to yourself? Chloe [1:50] I think sometimes it’s just taking even a second through the day. To feel what I’m feeling, rather than what’s happening around me. That’s a kind of check in with yourself and go, I’m feeling like this right now, because of – or even maybe not knowing why, but just acknowledging that you feel a certain way. it's just taking even a second through the day.Click To Tweet Connection to My Body Mark [2:10] What do you notice in your body when you feel a certain way? Chloe [2:14] I actually feel a lot of things in my body.  So, even black blockages of energy or stored energy.  Sometimes numbness, or heavy feelings, or sometimes just lightness Yeah. I feel a lot through my body. Mark [2:32] As a dancer, you would? Dance is my Connection to flow Chloe [2:34] Yeah, I think that’s where I come from. Mark [2:38] When you connect, do you reach a point where, through the connection is this incredible flows, and it just makes life so easy? Chloe [2:50] Yeah, I do and often, it just comes from nowhere.  So it can stay around for a long period of time or it will come in short bursts and disappeared. Mark [3:01] Yeah, everything’s of impermanence. Even that we have to let go of.  It’s an amazing connection when we get that flow, isn’t it?  It’s just like, wow, it’s like all the dominoes keep toppling over. Chloe [3:15] Yes. Mark [3:17] When it gets heavy what do you notice?  Is there a disconnect from that flow in that connection? Disconnection to my Flow Chloe [3:25] Yes. There’s definitely a disconnection with me.  Sometimes my thoughts, but sometimes just like a disconnection in my body.  I don’t feel like myself or something doesn’t feel like it would if I was feeling connected. Mark [3:42] Is that a sign to let you know that something surfacing that I need to re-look at? Chloe [3:49] Yes.  There’s are emotions coming up about something.  Whether or not I know what it is at that point of time.  Sometimes that hits me a few hours later or a day later, or you feel that way for a little while?  Then you go –

Connection to my Inner Spark & Flow Mark [0:00] In today’s podcast, on the Heart of Connection podcast, I’d like to welcome Niki Humm. Niki is the author of a wonderful book called. Autism Superheroes – The Spark Within.  It’s a lovely book and beautiful graphics and was published by White Light Publishing.  It’s their journey, in nurturing her eldest son who has an Autism diagnosis.  Niki is a psychic medium and it has another son and is currently studying spiritual life coaching and finishing her certificate 4 in Disability services.  We met through gathering to bring together the World Heart of Connection Day ~ September 4th. Welcome, Niki to the Heart Connection podcast. Niki [0:33] Thanks for having me, Mark, Mark [0:34] Just by way of introduction, do you want to give a brief synopsis on your life, where it’s been?  What’s going on? How’s life for you? Connection First to Soul Niki [0:46] I generally, I like to start off with is when the first thing we think of when we are asked to tell people about ourselves is what our life has involved so far.  I like to start off with, I am a Soul because that reminds me that, I’m a soul, your soul and it starts from there. So that’s kind of how I live through connecting with other people and myself is just starting off by remembering, I am a soul.  Firstly, I am a Soul and as you said, a mother of two children.  I’ve basically had a history with spiritual stuff, so psychic mediumship, just the journey, and how that’s brought about some concepts in my book and everything like that.  Lots of inner work and it’s led me on a bit of a path, so to say. Mark 1:15] Well done. In terms of connection to yourself, how do you connect to that soul?  How do you connect to yourself?  What’s your process?  Do you have a process of rituals?  What’s a day look like – to do that to remind yourself? Connecting to My Inner Spark Niki [2:00] Well, after a long time of having some darker times, when you really struggle to find that part of yourself.  I basically got it down to something very simple, which is, connecting with the inner Spark, sort of just in the third eye area.  So I tend to feel from there and connect with myself that way.  So, if you think of the sun, and a light shining all the way through, so it goes through the third eye and into the heart. That’s kind of how I find my connection and really get nourishment from that.  From there, I also see a connection with other people through that ‘third eye’ area.   I basically got it down to something very simple, which is, connecting with the inner Spark, sort of just in the third eye area. Click To Tweet Noticing my Embodied Disconnection Mark [2:42] When you are connected to notice a difference in the flow in your body? Niki [2:46] Absolutely yes. Sometimes, when you just feel so pent up and disconnected, that it sometimes takes a little bit longer to get that back, to connect to yourself better.  Once you do it you sort feel so much more relief.   Also, I think a lot of the tension in your neck and your shoulders and your jaw kind of drops away.  You’re able to connect with other people easier.  We always have times where we have trouble connecting with ourselves.  I find, if I’m having trouble connecting with myself, my children start playing up.  Other people around, you start picking up on that vibe.  So my first point of call when my children are acting up is to check in with myself and think well okay.  I better reset, zone back in, so to speak. When you disconnect from Disconnection and connection to my anxiety Mark [3:39] When you disconnect yourself, what do you notice happens for you? Niki [3:43] Lots of anxiety.  I kind of feel like, it’s almost like your

Connection to Self Creates my Flow States  Mark [0:00] Natalie, welcome to the Heart of Connection Podcast.  I’m your host, Mark Randall.  I’ve known Natalie Hodgen for a number of years.  I met Nat as a psychologist, many moons ago, in another lifetime that she had in Geelong Victoria.  Natalie was a psychologist in psych disabilities and then moved from there, through connexion to young people.  She has worked for many years now in adolescent and with young adults.  She is now working over in Western Australia in Perth, in Psychology on Welwyn.  Nat, welcome to the podcast. Natalie [0:38] Thanks, Mark. It’s good to be here. Mark [0:40] Cool. Natalie do you want to give the listeners our like-minded listeners, the dear Souls that listen to the podcast, a little bit of a synopsis of your kind self, please. About me Natalie [0:51] Sure.  So my name is Natalie. I am a mother of two lovely daughters and living here in WA and working part-time, in private practice in psychology.   Working with predominantly adolescents and young people also with adults too. Yeah, that’s about me. , that’s me. That’s you in a nutshell. Mark [1:23] That’s you in a nut shell and how old are you two daughters now?  They would be getting close to their teens? Natalie [1:31] Yeah, close to that. So 10 years old and 12 years old. Growing up very quickly. Mark [1:39] How have they integrated and connected into the shift from Geelong to Perth? Connections and Resilience of my Children Natalie [1:47] They really l really underestimated them I think, in terms of how well they’d adjust. They just and I think to that says a lot about how they were at the age where they were grade 1 & 2 and probably don’t have so much of the old stories, and cognition that goes on as adults.  They just get on and embrace things and experience it.  That’s what they did.  So they just settled in beautifully. Mark [2:21] It just shows how resilient children can be, doesn’t it? Natalie [2:26] Yeah, it really does.  Once they – I noticed that they were settled, it was sort of been an indicator for me to start to settle a bit too.  As that was my main priority was them and I think they actually taught me something there (laughter). Connection to Self & Others Mark [2:49] In terms of connection to Self, Others and ‘All That Is’ – we generally start with the first part of the process is connecting to self.  Once your children were settled in Perth, did enable you them to connect? Obviously, we’re connected to yourself through that process but once they’d settle more, did you notice a difference in your connection to yourself, settling in Perth?   Natalie [3:14]Yeah, I felt that I was able to, I guess it explores a bit around me in terms of and I guess I do that through my surroundings in nature.  Also looking for networks, where I can start to make those external connections with other people, too.   Which is where I find that sense of that balance of being able to connect to myself on my own, and ways to do that.   Also what’s really important to me is other people.  Whether that be looking at what might be potentially really close friendships and supportive, close supportive friendships down the track.  Whether it’s a local cafe, where you making that daily connection with the barista and the meaning and connection behind that.  So, yes, that’s what I started to do when I noticed the kids were settled? Connection to self my life flows Mark [4:25] When you?  What do you notice as you’re connecting more to yourself?  What do you notice transpires in your body and your being as you really connected to yourself? Natalie [4:42] It feels, I noticed that life is I guess less, effortful.  There’s this sort

Reconnecting to my Heart through transformation Mark [0:00] I just want to welcome Bill Hunter to the Heart of Connection Podcast.  I’ve known Bill for many years and Bill’s an engineer.  He was doing some amazing medical research for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.  In almost, what I’ve seen of it nearly two years of incredible research into developing a medical piece of equipment to help people in the third world countries.   I’m just really pleased to be able to have this opportunity to sit with Bill and have a conversation with him about the Heart of Connection to Self, Others and ‘All That Is.’   Welcome, Bill. Thanks, Mark.  Do you want to just elaborate a little bit more on the brief bio, the brief introduction to your kind self? Developing Medical Testing Equipment for Developing Countries Bill [0:52] So this was back when I was probably over 15 years ago that I started work, or in this particular area. It was really about trying to deliver developing countries with particular items of equipment for pathology and for making health diagnoses for people.  We wanted it in a way that was more affordable and better able to be more widely disseminated in developing countries.  Where problems like malaria, and Dengue fever and so on, were pretty endemic.  It was very hard for people to get access to testing to proper testing, which would confirm, whether they in fact, had this disease or not.  So I was in a sort of a vanguard of engineers, I guess, at the time that was spearheading this development of what I’ll call small and low-cost technology.  This would be able to be widely delivered to all sorts of different remote parts of the world, and enable people to have access to better healthcare.   It was a very long journey, a lot of that equipment is now starting to find its way out into the world.  So now there are there have been 10s of thousands of these instruments sold, and many millions of tests performed.  With some amazing outcomes, with things like tests for river blindness and so on, that have come from this technology.  Yes, it was a very interesting, very rewarding, and very, very long journey, shall I say? Mark [2:37] Can I, as you sharing, watching your laugh there, would you do it again? Medical Technology takes Energy, Time & Money Bill [2:43] Well, I would if I had the energy, but I’m now 57. So, one thing people don’t realize with medical technology development is just the amount of time and humongous amounts of money that it costs.  So it frequently takes 15 to 20 years to get something to market and often 10s, if not hundreds of millions of dollars.  So, at 57, I really just run out of time to probably do it again. Mark [3:13] Coming back to the conversation, the Heart of Connection to Self, Others and ‘All That Is,’ I remember yesterday, at the World Heart of Connection Day gathering.  You raised the question about, there weren’t too many men sitting with the group.  There may be three of us. Yourself, myself and Stuart and John.  The Heart of Connection to Self, Others, and ‘All That Is,’ is there a difference from your experience between men and women’s connection at the heart level? Men Connect to Ego Driven Pursuits Bill [3:47] Yes, I think so.  I think women intuitively are able to make those kinds of heart to heart connection. Women are intuitive, I think I won’t say in all cases, but frequently less ego-driven, and more in touch with their, their Soul and their self than men are. Bill [4:14] Whereas many men get caught up being ego-driven pursuits that end up just taking over their lives.  As a result, they – it becomes difficult for them to relate to other men on anything else other than on an ego level.  So, on that sort of level that says, what I’ve

Connecting to my Inner Still Voice & my Dreams Mark [0:00] Good morning Lynette Fox, it’s lovely to be able to welcome you to the Heart of Connection Podcast conversation.  I’ve known Lynette for many years and Lynette was a wonderful trainer in Transpersonal and Emotional counselling.  It’s now changed its name to the Association of Transpersonal and Experiential Psychotherapists (ATEP).  Lynette had been a trainer from Queensland and would come down for nearly two years for 10 day blocks over that two year period. There was a break in between and it was an amazing commitment that Lynette gave to 10 of us to train us in transpersonal and emotional release counselling.  So I’d like to thank you Lynette for that.  Lynette by way of introduction, would you mind offering listeners a little bit of a synopsis on your kind self? Lynette [1:00] Thank you. Connections from Primary School Teaching to Jungian Psychotherapist Lynette [1:03] Well, originally I was a teacher, a primary school teacher.  I became more interested in in-service training. I worked on a really interesting program called the ‘early illiteracy in-service course,’ which is a national program helping and training early childhood and early primary teachers in early literacy strategies.  That’s when I started to work with adults more, and I really enjoyed that.  I also really loved working with children and then at some point, I changed over, I heard a call from within me to leave teaching, but I didn’t know what else to do.  So I resisted leaving teaching at first and finally, I found there was no more energy to be in teaching.  So I developed chronic fatigue and as I result I took a few months off and then my energy didn’t still didn’t come back so I took some more time off.   Then I started to do in that time, just be interested in a range of different interests that I had.  So I started investigating those.  I went off and did a one day programme called emotional release for children.  It was while I was doing that, by the end of the day, I thought, this is the work I want to do.  I started training with Mark Pearson, and his Emotional First Aid for children course – it was a 15-day course at that time.  I then decided to train as a counsellor in order to put that into action.  So that’s how I found my way into Transpersonal and Emotional Release Counselling. Connection to Mark Pearson & Patrica Nolan Mark [3:21] Was Patricia Nolan involved with Mark back in those days around the Emotional First Aid for children? Lynette [3:26] Yes, that’s right.  She was Patricia Nolan and Mark they were actually developing all their ideas and strategies.  They worked in a particular orphanage I think.  They were working in children’s home or orphanage, where they develop their attitudes and work with the children that had all sorts of emotional issues in the home.  Mark was moving to start working in Toowoomba, with Pat Quinn at the Portunicla centre.   When he was working at the Portunicula centre, that’s where I met him as he had put a flyer out for this one day program.  I went along to it.  I lived in Brisbane, but I traveled Toowoomba.  That opened up to eventually I did all of Mark’s training and I trained as a Transpersonal and Emotional Release counsellor with Pat Quinn in Toowoomba, and Mark.  After this, Mark and Helen Wilson started their own business and at that point, Pat was looking for staff members. I applied actually to be an apprentice trainer and I worked there on a part-time basis for 10 years, roughly.  During that time was when I took a break and was working in Melbourne with you, Mark at that point.  So, there was a period where I wasn’t working in Toowoomba because it was a bit much being away so of

Connecting to the Divine Core of Self Mark [0:00] It’s a real honor today to be able to have a conversation with Corrie van den Bosch. I met Corrie many, years ago when I came back from Perth.  I was starting my inner journey and Corrie was ERC (Emotional Release Counselling) back in those days, which now called ATEP (Association of Transpersonal & Experiential Therapies).  Corrie trained with Pat Quinn in Toowoomba, up in Queensland.  They are both Missionary of Sisters of Service.  Corrie has journeyed with me and been a teacher for many years and it’s a real honor a privilege to be able to sit here today and have the Heart of Connection Podcast conversation with her, so welcome, Corrie. Corrie [0:51] Thank you, Mark and a lovely title for your series Heart of Connection. Mark [0:58] The Heart of connection to me is really important, in terms of our connection to our self, others and all that is.  I’m not sure where I got the idea.  It just came to me the idea.  My experience of the inner work, for me, the inner work has been about healing a lot of the wounds that the childhood wounds, all the wounds that we accrue.  I guess, metaphorically, they sit in the heart and prevent people from going there and connecting there.  Having done the inner work, it’s such a gift to be able to connect – heal those wounds, to be able to open my heart and connect much deeper to my heart, so thank you. Connected to own heart in an intimate way Corrie [1:51] Yes and if you’re not connected to your own heart, in a really intimate way, you don’t connect to others in an intimate way either.  We become defended.    I don’t want you to touch my broken heart or the wounds in my heart. So I just keep you at that bit of a distance, no matter how nice I am to you.  Once we really get to know our own hearts and realize that alright, they might have carried wounds, but they’re still our hearts.   That’s the core of my life is the core of my vitality, and the capacity to really relate to life. Mark [2:33] Corrie, can you let listeners know?  Would you mind, it might be a rude question to ask, but the vitality and the energy that is still with you, at this stage in life, how do you do it?  How do you?  How do you get that vitality, and that energy, that flow?  Is that from connection to yourself, connection to the universe, how do you do it? If you're not connected to your own heart, in a really intimate way, you don't connect to others in an intimate way either. Click To Tweet Connected to my Flow more than ever through God Corrie [2:58] I think in some ways I am more in the flow now than I’ve ever been.  It seems strange, at this stage of my life.  I think for me, it’s like living my life against the big horizon.  The big horizon for me, is, first of all, God. Corrie [3:21] God who is present in the whole of the universe in every being, whether it’s the plants in the garden, or whether it’s the people I know, or whether it’s the morning light, and as I sit here every day and do my morning meditation, and the dawn comes.  The dawn is on the kitchen side.  On the opposite side, which I face, there’s a house and it’s got windows, so I can always look up and see ‘aahh’ – there’s the dawn reflected in those windows. Connected to my Vitality ~ being in the Present Moment Corrie [3:59] So for me, vitality comes when we are really present in the moment, present to whatever is there, or whoever is there.  With, and that’s why I like the Heart connection with our heart open.  So that, when that presence is of someone who is in pain, your heart is open to connecting with that. Corrie [4:31] Basically, it’s love, really.  It’s love, and are more than ever in love with

Connection to my Flow-States and Creativity Mark [0:00] Lisa, welcome to the Heart of Connection podcast. I’m your host, Mark Randall. It’s lovely to have this opportunity to sit here for the next 20 to 30 minutes and having a conversation with you about the Heart of Connection and what it means to you. By way of introduction, would you mind letting listeners know who you are? What your role and what is Lisa all about? Lisa [0:20] Sure, thank you so much for having me, Mark. My name is Lisa Hein, I am the owner of a design agency in Geelong called Evolution Design Agency.   World Heart of Connection Day meeting Mark [0:25] How did we meet? We met through the World Heart of Connection Day idea – that’s how we were first connected? Lisa [0:30] Yeah. So you came to have a chat to me about how to take that idea to the next level? And what it could be. Mark [0:37] The connection was through your friend, mutual friend now, Trish. Lisa [0:50] Yes, beautiful Trish. Lovely person. Mark [1:00] So, The World Heart of Connection Day was an idea that I found through the podcast conversations with people. Is when we have a connection and particularly a connection – not just to self, others, and ‘All That Is.’ When it gets into the “All That Is,” it goes very deep. There’s just so much beautiful energy there in people. I wonder whether we’ve all just got that natural energy, of loving-kindness and compassion to give to Mother Earth, to give to each other, to give to the world basically. Lisa [1:49] I love this. Connecting to our Vulnerability we find Love Mark [1:52] I really have hope that we all do. I think a significant percentage of us do, in the world. I think that a lot of us – we touched on vulnerability before. I think a lot of us, it is part of being vulnerable, putting that loving, caring, and trusting side out there into the world. It’s something that is the most rewarding thing that you can do. I think that only through vulnerability, we can find love. Connection with Mother Earth. Something that he said to me – really just got me, Mark. It was when you said, you related it back to the incident of the tragic tsunami and how the world just stood still. We all, our hearts just went out to those affected. It really made me think, why is it that it takes something like that for us to send our love, and now hearts out into the world? Why is that? It is a really great example. I mean, it’s beautiful that it happens but it is in also another tragedy that it takes something so devastating for that really occur. Mark [3:24] Speaking with Janine at the National gathering. We talked about tragedies, and she mentioned the boys in the cave. The divers and how the whole world all came together, connected together to help with the expertise and how to get the divers down and how to get the boys back. All the mothers, all the community, we just came together and there is that heartfelt sense of love and compassion. Mark [4:00] I am wondering, do we turn it on and off as a race of people? I don’t think we do turn it off, I think it’s always still there. How do we – What do we need to do to keep to make it change in it? So that we can be okay with that vulnerability. We can be more mindful, every day of our lives, in the heart of connection to Self, Others and ‘All That Is.’ What do we need to do you think to perhaps create that space? Connecting to & needing mindfulness Lisa [4:38] I think being mindful is a really important word to think about. I think in our daily lives, we might get well I can only speak for myself. We get caught up in daily life in our own worlds and now our minds and what’s going on in the world, it doesn’t really matter. To you know what I mean? Like it just doesn’t matter at all. It just seems as though it does at the moment. In reflection and years have gone by, especially whe

Connected Mother, Business Women & Naturopath  Mark [0:00] Welcome to the Heart of Connection Podcast, I’m your host, Mark Randall and it’s a wonderful opportunity to sit and have a conversation with you about what the heart connection to self, others and ‘All That Is’ means to you.  Just by way of intro, could you give a brief introduction to your kind self? Connected to Anglesea where ‘Bush meets the Sea.’ Bree [0:17] Yes. Hi, thank you, Mark, thanks for having me.  My name is Bree, I’m a mother, business owner, and naturopath.  I have two little boys and I own Great Ocean Road Wellness. I also have another manufacturing company Iris practice and I live here in Anglesea. Mark [0:38] Lovely place to live in isn’t. Bree [0:40]  It is a beautiful place. Mark [0:42] The bush meets the sea. Bree [0:43] Completely. Mark [0:44] And it’s actually bush here (Laughter). Bree [0:47] Exactly and beautiful oceans, rawness, and openness. Mark [0:52] You connected to it? Anglesea’s My Hearts Home Bree [0:53] Completely. Yeah, I moved down Anglesea when I was 21.  Had a New Year’s resolution was to learn how to surf and it’s been my heart home ever since. Mark [1:06] I believe it’s my heart home too but I’m not here and I’m finding the disconnection from the place really painful.  Got to move on.  The heart of connection – How do you – what does it mean to you? How important or unimportant could that concept of Heart of Connection to you? Connection to Heart is Essential Bree [1:29] I feel that’s everything.  If there’s no connection with the heart, you have no connection with self. No connection with what is around you.  I feel that, as mentioned briefly, we were talking about before we started was – the seat of the emotion.  I feel if we’re not connected with that – we don’t really understand ourselves or others.  There is a lack of compassion, lack of understanding, everything that goes with a heart.  If it is lacking this particular sadness that comes in people, as well.  So I feel, yes – it’s just – it’s what we are missing.  There is a huge link with heart. I feel there’s great sadness because of that.  There’s also a lot of sadness within the heart that people don’t want to necessarily feel.  So it’s quite an interesting thing – Is it the lack of connection that is bringing the sadness?  Or, is their sadness in the heart that people – it’s too deep to feel and to work through and to understand. It could be from this lifetime, it could be from our families and we don’t quite understand it. So, yeah I feel if there’s a lot of depression and around and if there’s lack of connection of heart, and if you don’t feel safe in it – then there’s you’re not really understanding what is happening with yourself.  Hence, connection with self and then comes anger and projection and so on.  So, then that’s lack of connection with others that come from if – we’re not sitting within the heart space. If there's no connection with the heart, you have no connection with self. No connection with what is around you. Click To Tweet Disconnection From the Heart Mark [1:34] The disconnection from the heart – Is that or could that be from your perspective, because of the sadness or because of the hurts that reside or manifest in there? Bree [3:23] I feel it’s both, to be honest.  I feel, yeah – there is if it’s too sad to sit in the heart – because – as the heart of the emotion, that it’s our life force, it’s our vitality, it’s everything.  So energetically, yes, I feel that a lot of people struggle with that but I also feel

Connection to Self through Meditation Mark [0:00] Hello Mary, thank you for being a guest on Heart of Connection podcast.  I’m your host, Mark Randall and it’s always a pleasure to have guests on the podcast.  Just by way of introduction, would you mind giving a brief introduction to yourself please for people who are listening? Somatic Psychotherapist & leads Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Mary [0:17] Sure, really glad to chat with you again, Mark.  I live in Brisbane, and I am a somatic psychotherapist.  I am also a mindfulness stress reduction meditation teacher.  I’ve lived in Australia for 14 years.  I’ve been doing this work for about 11 years.  I’ve always had an interest and have always pursued for a very long time, my late 20s meditation.  I also co-lead meditation retreats, silent retreats, and the insight system and love them.  We do a few of those every year. I do that with Timothea Goddard and the Mindfulness Training Institute here in Australia.   Another part of my work is that I support people who are wanting to teach mindfulness and so they can really understand this process from the bottom up and how can impart this in an authentic way.  I love that work as well, supporting people committed in the journey of finding more about it. for themselves personally, and then how they carry it into the world.  I  am an expressive arts therapist and I  love sand-tray and symbol work.  And that covers a part of what I’ve been doing for the last 10 years or so. Mark [1:50] When you’re teaching up and coming mindfulness teachers, from the bottom up – are you teaching them to connect to themselves first? Connection to the self – Meditation offers Mary [2:03] Very much so.  I see people at actually the stage where they’ve already done some preliminary training.  I’m supporting them as both admissions and program advisor.  I’m not actually at the training but I am kind of holding people’s hands for a year, and I speak to them as they come into it.  So I do notice that it really is important that people turn up to themselves and to what their motivation is:  why am I interested in bringing this to others?  That in itself is a huge area of exploration because we can get very excited about something personally for ourselves, and we can often go too quickly.  We can evangelize about this and want to share it with “everyone”.  So it is important to keep coming back to,  what motivates me?  What is inside me?  Kind of really connecting to themselves first otherwise it won’t be authentic when people are sitting in front of us and we’re sitting and breathing in silence with them; one can feel that. Mark [3:13] What was your connection to meditation?  What took you back there many years ago to check in with yourself? Mary [3:23] Oh, yeah – it is a bit of a story. I’ll try to do this short version of it. Interested in Abstract & different religions Mary [3:32] I was always interested in the abstract unseen world as I was raised as a Catholic.  I began to suspect around as a teenager that there was a lot more out there.  I was really interested in other religions but wasn’t living in a context (where I grew up in America)  of being able to be exposed to that diversity.  I ended up going to high school on a sailing ship— my parents sent me off to a private school that travelled on a ship around Europe.  I remember going port to port in Africa, Greece, all sorts of countries.  I was exposed to different kinds of people, different colors, and different fates obviously.  It really crafted me.  So I started reading up on different religions and faiths. Then I would say fast forward to ten years later when I ended up livin

Mark [0:00] Hello, Margie.  Welcome to the Heart of Connection podcast.  I’m your host, Mark Randall and it’s a real pleasure to be able to sit with you for the next 30 minutes to have a conversation about the heart connection.  Just by way of getting started, would you mind giving a little bit of an introduction to your kind self?  My Connection Story ~ Margie’s Introduction Margie [0:19] Hi Mark and thank you for having me.  I’m a mother of three.  That’s I guess my purpose in life is a mother and that comes first with everything.  I’m a nurse by trade I guess.   I worked in many areas of nursing, but I keep going back to mental health and I have a passion for perinatal area of mental health and substance use. Mark [0:53] Is there a connection to it? The Empowerment of Mothering Margie [0:56] I think so.  I guess I’m a mother, so for me, you know, there’s a bit of a mothering thing, but in mothering, what I really value about mothering is empowering.  I think it’s really important to empower yourself and your children and family.  To be able to take control and decide what they want to do with their life and how they want to get there.  I think that’s really important, and I guess that’s why I keep going back to mental health. Mark [1:33] And when you step away, what draws you back? Margie [1:38] So – It’s that I can sit and be with people.  It is not task oriented as in other areas of nursing.   It’s just – it’s being with people. They allow you to come into their lives and they trust you and they value you and you see people change.  Even if it’s just the slightest little bit, by helping them to empower themselves that change occurs, it’s rewarding. Mark [2:13] As you’re sharing that with me, is there a connection in that process of change between you and the client or you and the person you’re working with? Connections Help Understand Who We Are Margie [2:23] Yes, there is because those connections are about helping them to understand who they are.  I try to do that just through my observations and getting to know them.  It is helping them to develop their awareness of themselves and how they react, how they respond, how they think about what’s happening in their world.

Mark [0:00] Hello Daniel, welcome to the Heart of Connection podcast. I’m your host, Mark Randall and it’s lovely to be talking to you all the way from Australia to San Diego.  How is it over there on this lovely Saturday morning day morning here, Friday afternoon your time. Daniel [0:16] Yes, San Diego is going through like a revolution.  We used to be 70 degrees all the time.  Now to this morning, we woke up with 39 degrees. That is cold for us. Normally, when it’s 69 we put on our parkers and think, there’s global warming effecting us. (Laughter)…..We’re supposed to have this level weather but it’s gone bonkers disasters but it’s beautiful.  The sun is out, ocean few blocks away, just having you know, we just need something to mess ourselves up with, right? Mark [0:49] Are you well connected to San Diego? A Hermit By Nature Daniel [0:54] I am a hermit by nature.  So I’m connected but I also am very secluded.  If you think about a person who should write a book called, The Mosaic on connection, I would be the least likely person to write that book.   Had I had my druthers, I would be sitting in a cave in the Himalayas.  I would just be spending the rest of my time meditating and enjoying the rest of my life with a vertical relationship to God.  For some reason, God decided to play a big joke on me. Mark [1:37] So if you’re not connected to, if you’re more of a hermit, would that then suggest you’ve got a more of an introverted connection to yourself, or a connection to self, rather than others? Daniel [1:51] I think I have a great connection to people when I go out there and do it.  It’s just like the other day we went and did a book club.  They invited us to come, my wife and I to the book club and present on The Mosaic.  We had a fabulous time.  We were there a few hours we had a great time people were moved, everything was great.  Given my own druthers, my space would be internal rather

Mark [0:00] Hi Tracey, welcome to the heart connection podcast.   I’m your host, Mark Randall and it’s lovely to the in downtown Koroit having a conversation with you.  Just by way of introduction would you mind giving a brief introduction to who you are and what life’s like for you? Tracey [0:16] No worries.  I am Tracey Mahony I was born Tracey Whitehead in Port Fairy a small town in Victoria.  Here, I  am not far from where I was born.   I’ve traveled lots and lots of places all over Australia and done many jobs.   Here I am back near home.   I have my four grandchildren in my care now and that is what I do by way of work.  Although I’ve done many things I’m very passionate about music, culture, and spirituality. My Affinity to the Region I Was Born In Mark [0:44] Cool.  Being raised in Port Fairy, traveled the world, now back in Koroit.  Is there a connection and affinity to this region, is this home? Tracey [0:55] Definitely, this is home.  I am quite passionate about the fact that people do need to go home.  Even if it’s just to revisit as far as go ‘back to country’ and then they can continue with their life. Mark [1:07] Tell me, the Heart of Connection when we’ve had this conversation, we had it a while ago.  When you think about or feel, what happens for you with that concept, the Heart of Connection, what comes up in your mind? Spiritual, Physical & Mental Health Are All One Tracey [1:23] I like the idea that our spiritual health, physical health, and mental health are all just one.  That is health. So if something’s a little bit amiss, that disrupts the conduit – the connectivity.  We can become less efficient and I like to help people to be efficient with their words and their mindfulness. Mark [1:50] How do you connect. What and how do you connect to yourself?  What do you notice and what’s your process to connect to Tracy? Tracey [1:58] I love to be on my own.   I find one of my favorite things that I do, is I either go to the ocean, which is only five minutes from here. That’s a really big thing for me, which frees my mind and that’s how I connect to the real me.  It is not about, “did I get milk and bread for tea or whatever.”  The deeper thing – the other thing I love to do, is in my garden, so I’m very big on nature.  Nature’s my connectivity.  Nature is my God. Nature’s my connectivity.  Nature is my God.

Mark [0:00] Thank you, Frank, for being a guest on the Heart of Connection podcast.  I am your host Mark Randall.  It’s lovely to have an opportunity to sit with you and have a conversation, about the Heart of Connection – to self, others or All That Is. Frank [0:13] Absolutely pleasure, Mark I’m looking forward to it. Mark [0:17] Just by way of introduction can you give a brief story on and not that too many of us in Geelong need a story of who you are (laughter). Frank’s Story Frank [0:26] I am a Geelong born and born and bred boy.  I can only praise this rices tan up to the highest. The people that came before us that worked hard and contributed to making Geelong what it is today.  It has been a boon for all families coming into this town.   I’ve always said, that it was Australia’s best-kept secret, Geelong.  Our lifestyle living here and the ease of raising a family, the lower cost of housing compared to Melbourne. The quality of education in Geelong from primary school right up to tertiary.  The wonderful health services we’ve got at all levels, the recreation facilities, everything that goes to make up Geelong. This means for the family they want to raise their children and educate them here and perhaps get them into lifetime employment, you want to find a better place in the country, any country for that matter.  So, you know absolutely dyed in the wool Geelong ite. I've always said, that it was Australia's best-kept secret, Geelong. Click To Tweet Well Connected in Geelong Mark [1:23] And you’re well connected to Geelong? Frank [1:25] Absolutely. Started off that way. I was born to parents that ran a business right in the centre of Geelong.  A fruit and vegetable business.  We were living upstairs in a five-bedroom apartment on top of the shop. So I got connected with people very early in my life.  Through all the shops around us, with the suppliers coming in, with the customers. The most important asset any organizations ever got, whether it was from family through the business, through the sporting activity, or community activity, the most important asset is not the money or the buildings or the…