bend. the podcast

Sound Unbound.

Join us for an amazing chat about music therapy with Rebecca Worden BMT, RP, MTA, co-hosted by Haley Bowes from Aruma! 

We discuss the intoxicating quality of music and what we can experiencing by immersing ourselves in the experience. 

Rebecca discusses the power of imagery, and explains music’s ability to be a metaphor for us, packed full of meaning, and leads us through a lovely guided practice. The intersection of science and the creative arts is paving an exciting future for mental health care, and music has a lot of value for our own mental health and wellbeing. 

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we do! 

Find out more about Rebecca at https://wordenrebecca.wixsite.com/website 

*the song shared by Rebecca is: La fille aux cheveux de lin “The girl with the flaxen hair” By French composer Claude Debussy Licensed to share through Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/legalcode

Right Livelihood, Mighty Coffee. Join us for our season 2 finale as we engage in a very big chat with Jarred Lee & Dr. Josie Wittmer of Mighty Valley Coffee. Find out more about each of them, how this work evolved and learn about the social welfare and environmental principals that have informed their business. We dig in and discuss how coffee, politics, environmentalism, Buddhism, academia and feminism intersect and talk about how and why wellness is political. You won't want to miss this one. Brew up a hot mug and tune in. Find Mighty Valley Coffee online at: www.mightyvalleycoffee.com IG: @mightyvalleycoffee

The Other Side of Life This episode of the podcast sees us having an intimate conversation about death with a beautiful guest. Christiane Zeithammel of Death Doula Ottawa walks us through what it means to be a Death Doula, what drew her to this work, and why she feels it is so important. Christiane shares about her work, coaching dying persons and their families through the phases of dying, emotionally, spiritually & physically. She discusses how a big part of her job is just to be there; to listen with an open heart and give people her time and attention. This work, she says, makes her aware just how precious life it. Tune in to hear about this fascinating work, why she sees herself as a pioneer, and to find out what the dying have to teach us all about living. To find out more about Death Doula services in Ottawa visit : www.deathdoulaottawa.ca

Choosing You ✨ In this weeks episode we chat with Haley Bowes, co-owner of Aruma: A Place for Heath and Happiness. We discussed how her and her team have led Aruma through the pandemic so far by shedding old layers and growing new ones along the way. She talks about how through this pandemic she has learned the value of surrendering, and letting be what will be. Through Haley’s work as a counsellor and the work done at Aruma by all their practitioners, a main goal she said, is to help people learn to thrive, not just survive. She talks about the importance of good communication, choosing yourself first & taking care of your whole being; physical, spiritual, emotional & mental. We hope you enjoy this chat with Haley. To find out more about her and Aruma check out: www.aruma.ca IG: @haleybowes IG: @arumaplace This episode marks the end of season 1! Thanks for tuning in 🎤 Bend. The Podcast

Shulamit Ber Levtov Completing the stress cycle: soothe, nourish, discharge. In this conversation with Shula she reminds us of the importance of a pause, going slowly, & the importance of having faith that everything will be ok. We dive into the stress cycle discussing why it so important to fully metabolize our stress and understand the difference between stress and stressor. We discus why burn out & pandemic fatigue are effecting women at a higher rate than men, what the term “she-session” means and what the 6 month wall is. When asked what wellness means to her, she states: “Taking the next right action with an open heart, with as little clinging to the fruits as I can, is the best way to be well”. For more information on Shula and her offerings visit https://www.shula.ca Thanks for listening. For more information on topics covered: https://brenebrown.com/podcast/brene-with-emily-and-amelia-nagoski-on-burnout-and-how-to-complete-the-stress-cycle/ https://www.selahcounseling.cloud/blog/the-threshold-theory-of-embodied-experience?fbclid=IwAR3ySW1te7n8FfZDLnJCA0VHMims5EO7pdNm7hf9cw1MrdvpbRo1NyypSbM https://www.minlodge.com/ https://legacyofhope.ca/ https://parents-together.org/these-tweets-about-pandemics-6-month-wall-are-exactly-what-we-all-need-to-hear-right-now/

A Monkey On My Back ADHD: challenges, gifts & chasing the mirage. Join us for an honest conversation with someone who has lived experience with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). He talks honestly about his struggles, how he manages his symptoms and discusses why it took him about 47 years to be diagnosed. He describes his experience as feeling like he was always chasing a mirage in the desert, trying to solve his own puzzle with a monkey on his back. He discusses how ADHD lives in the both the body and the mind, showing up as hyperactivity or hyper-focus, which can often be misunderstood. He describes the challenges he has experienced because of ADHD, and also the many gifts it has given him. Challenge your ideas about what it means to be well and find inspiration in his story.

Liza Gregoire; on being brave, funny & new ✏️ Art & the Creative Process Recently we had the privilege of chatting with award winning writer, Lisa Gregoire. Our conversation explored her creative process and art as a way to shift our perspectives and illuminate meaning. We discussed her transition from journalist to writer of fiction and she shares why she thinks humour is important to thread throughout her work; now more than ever. Lisa also tackles the question, is there really such a thing as a true fiction story? Some of her publications mentioned are Agnes and True ( https://www.agnesandtrue.com/the-leave/ ), Ecology issue of Qwerty magazine (out of UNB: https://www.qwertyunb.com/) and Issue #74 of Calgary's filling Station magazine (http://www.fillingstation.ca/)

Lynn Keane
On courage & resilience. “You must do the thing you cannot do” Lynn is a mother, speaker, advocate for mental health, youth suicide prevention and racial justice. She is a marathon and iron man completer, and all around a wonderful woman.    Since losing her son Daniel by suicide in 2009, Lynn has dedicated her life to sharing his story. Lynn has turned her son's story into a call for action to re-examine how we view and treat mood disorders, as well as challenge the long believed myths about addictions and disorders of the brain. 

In the conversation we talk to Lynn about her journey through grief, and the role of courage, resilience and hope.  She shares the importance of movement, speaking, writing and talks about how they became powerful tools for her healing process.

You can find out more about Lynn at www.lynnkeane.ca or on Instagram @lynnkeane_7

Amy C. Willis On sobriety, addiction, & drinking culture. In this episode of Bend, we chat with Amy C. Willis, sobriety and mindset coach and owner of Hol and Well, tackling the controversial topic of alcohol. We discuss the culture of drinking, what being sober curious means, and how alcohol has made its way into mainstream culture specifically the wellness industry. Amy talks about addiction as a house with many doors. She talks openly about her own journey to sobriety offering insight into the language used in addiction such as the term “alcoholic”, the use of the disease model in addiction, and the importance of connection and community. Perhaps this conversation will cause you to pause and question your own relationship to alcohol and ask yourself why how and why this substance has become such an ingrained part of our culture. Listen until the end for a special offer from Amy. You can find out more about Amy and her mission at: www.holandwell.com IG: msamycwillis Happy listening.

Alexis Officer : Art & Science- On movement, our bodies response to pain and the connection between art & science as it relates to our wellness. In this week episode we talk with Alexis, owner of Art & Science Physiotherapy & Pilates to chat with her about movement, our bodies response to pain and the connection between art & science as it relates to our being. We talk about what it means to be a physiotherapist, how Alexis got to where she is, owning a business, how she helps people with their pain, and integrating Pilates into her work. The conversation touches on wide ranging topics including posture, the role of breath in our overall health, the history of Pilates, and why women’s bodies crave different types of movement & exercise at different times. Find out more about Alexis and the services she offered locally in Smiths Falls, Ontario & Virtually at: www.artandsciencephysio.com IG: @artandsciencephysio

Jennifer Baron 🍂 our latest podcast guest. A teacher, environmentalist, and outdoor education enthusiast and expert. This woman is helping change the future by teaching her students about our interconnectedness to nature and the world around us. Taking her classroom outside, she teaches her students how to learn from nature & respect the land through environmental and Indigenous lenses. In a time when we are being told that outdoor air is better than indoor air, and leaves and pine cones are less of a threat than Lego blocks and shared pencil crayons, she’s stressing the importance and value of getting kids outside. One of the best things we can do for the future of our planet is to educate the next generations from an environment lens, to show them that we are all connected, that caring about the environment and our planet is as important as caring for ourself. Thanks Jennifer for being on the front lines and tackling this head on. You can find Jennifer on Instagram @ecoinquiry and read her recent article on ETFOVoice.ca entitled “Math on the Land”.

Dan de Luis! We sat down for a conversation with Wim Hof Expert Dan de Luis for a conversation about stress, the power of our own breath, cold therapy and why it’s important to have a growth mindset Dan is a stress reduction specialist, mindfulness, meditation and yoga teacher, Wim Hof Method instructor and studio owner in Brockville, Ontario. Dan has taught all over the world, including work with professional athletes and government organizations. In this conversation Dan takes a dive into the Wim Hof Method and how it works to help us reduce stress & inflammation in the body. Listen to our conversation and check Dan out at: @dan_deluis www.subramanyayoga.com www.wimhofmethod.com www.onlineyoga.com

Erin McCarthy joins us for a conversation on mindfulness, the philosophy of happiness, concussion recovery & being your own best friend Our conversation was full of inspiration & knowledge touching on who she is and what led her to where she is now. She discusses mindfulness and philosophical counselling and explains how they can help shift our lives and perspectives. Erin is also a teacher of mindful self compassion and speaks to the power of being our own best friends. Check out Erin’s website for her new concussion recovery program or to grab "The Calm Concussion Recovery Tracker" made to support people in their healing journey. Find out more about Erin on her social media pages (IG: @erinmccarthymindfulness) or website including her individual coaching services & upcoming programs; www.erinmccarthymindfulness.com