Julie Leoni - What's Your Thing

How supporting our health also supports the planet's health.  Simple changes you can make.

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It is so easy to feel helpless and overwhelmed by the enormous threat that is climate change and so we tend to tip into denial rather than action but we have more power and influence than we think.  Here's how you can leverage your individual and our collective power to bring about the changes we need to make to secure the health of the planet and future generations.

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We have known since the 80s that climate change was in need of our attention and yet, we have either ignored it or tinkered around the edges of the massive changes that need to be made.  As elders it is our roll now to support the younger generations in any way we can in order to ensure that future generations survive and thrive.  Here's how.

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Are you over 50? Did you do your degree for free? Are you looking forward to retirement? Are you financially secure? Then imagine if you could use some of your skills and experiences to support younger people in tackling some of the challenges that our generations have created.

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When we think about wealth as something more than just money, we can start to live more and more in line with our values in a way which makes us happier, healthier and lighter on the planet.

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Cognitive dissonance and denial and how to stop them holding us back from making the changes we want to make.

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It isn't always easy to build a life on your terms, but here's what I've learned from some of the blocks I have faced.

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Rather than fitting your life in around work, here's how it is possible to tweek and change your work so it fits in with what you want and what suits you, rather than the other way around.

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Lots of people find it hard to say 'no' but here's how to do it and why you should.

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Sophie Lambert is a literary director and agent who started her career as a bookseller on Charing Cross Road, and became a buyer for Blackwell and later Foyles. In this conversation we talk about the publishing industry and how risk taking can lead you to just the right place.

What goes on behind closed doors?  How do we open doors?  What assumptions do we make?  A simple conversation about Sharon's photographs of doors takes us into community, connection, creativity and the big issues that as a world we are grappling with.

Join me in conversation with Julian Stokes as he describes the visceral experience of analogue (old fashioned, with film and shutters) photography.  In it we explore just exactly what it is the photograph captures and the role of intention in creation.

Join me in coversation with Gary MacGowan who has built his life around cycling.  Not only has Gary cycled through 117 countries but he also brough the Tour De France to London, improved cycle routes in London and inititated the free bike scheme in the capital.

Here is the information Gary shared while we were talking:

Dr Carol Shepherd is a global expert on bisexual Christian identities. As well as Bi: the Way, Pastoring Bisexual Christians in Europe, she has published a monograph with Palgrave Macmillan in 2018, The Damage of Silence: Bisexuality in the Western Christian Church. She also has chapters in several academic bisexual anthologies. As well as writing and researching on bisexual intersectional identities, Carol is an active member of the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups and a Sociology and Access to HE lecturer. She lives just outside of Edinburgh and is a mother of three.

Pete Mosely is a life coach and maker who has written books and works with creative people who are quiet.  Join us in conversation about why both quiet people and creativity are so important for human beings, now, more than ever.

You can find Pete at these places:

Treflach Farm in Shropshire has been in the family for generations, but Ian Steele is trying to farm differently.  Ian aims to nurture healthy soil, animals and people using regenerative agriculture.  In this conversation Ian covers everything from cattle fodder, economic systems, community and the need to find a different way to feed ourselves.

I had never heard of archaeotherapy until this conversation with Harriet Sams so join me in learning about how connection to our ancestral land can bring back our sense of wholeness, healing, belonging and connection.

Dr Jane F. Wilkinson is an accredited Menopause Specialist and an experienced GP of over 20 years. She has a particular interest in women’s and sexual health, menopause and lifestyle medicine.

Dr Wilkinson has an advanced level Special Skills Certificate in Menopause Care from the Faculty of Sexual & Reproductive Health Care, for whom she is a Diplomate and Trainer. She is a member of the British Menopause Society, serving on their Medical Advisory Council for 3 years. She is also a member of the International Menopause Society. She is Wirral GP Champion for Sexual Health and previously worked for West Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group as GP Clinical Lead for Maternity.

Dr Wilkinson has lectured to fellow health care professionals for the British Menopause Society and the British Medical Association. She has also provided menopause training for medical professionals in various organisations. Through her training and education company, Menopause Wellbeing, Dr Wilkinson provides a range of training and education events aimed at supporting women through their menopause transition and educating all those with an interest in menopause, both professional and non-professional.

Join me in a conversation with her about the menopause; signs and symptoms, HRT, life style changes and sources of support so that women can thrive at this stage in our lives.  

Katharine teaches yoga, flies planes and works in the wind power industry.  Join us in my conversation with her as we talk about perfectionism, learning and the problems with labels.

You can find out about Katherine here:

A conversation with Gill Evans who, along with other social work colleagues, set up the first women's refuge in Newtown.  Gill set up the refuge in her spare time with no funds.  Later in her later career working in mental health, Gill met some of the same children again. We talk about what these families, children and young people need in order to recover.

Join us as Steve Jones takes on his journey from a small farm, through an economics degree to Africa where he found permaculture which has changed his life and thousands of lives globally.

Join me for this adventure into black holes and super novas with Rob Jones, a physicist and astronomy enthusiast.  Rob's passion, clarity and curiosity is contageous. 

Join me as I listen to Nadine's amazing story of determination, commitment and support.  Nadine talks about swimming in the cold, in the dark, through jelly fish for hours and hours.  She also talks about how to manage the gremlins we all have in our minds which tell us we can't, shouldn't, aren't good enough.  The thing that touched me in this conversation was not only her strength of focus, but also the centrality of the support boat and Nadine's loved ones who helped her from coast to coast.

The places who helped Nadine are:

Join me in conversation with with Eamonn Kelly as we talk about how he went from working in a record shop in Dublin a career in radio working on  National stations such as Capital Gold and Smooth.  Eamonn's positive philosophy of saying 'yes', taking chance, persevering and not over-thinking is contageous and energising.

You can find out more about him here:

Join me in conversation with Lilith Flanagan as we talk about intuition, nature and coaching.

Manda Scott; former vet, author, shamanic practitioner, activist and visionary talks us through how to re-imagine our world into being more connected and regenerative.  In this conversation we move from climate change to new economic and agricultural models, from imagining to acting.

Colin Tucker's life has been shaped by the steam trains of north Wales.  It was on a family holiday as a young teenager that he first fell in love with the engines and the mountains and later, it was through the same tracks, that he found his wife and his future career.  Colin is the Nuclear Safety Group Head at Sizewell B, and which includes the role of Station Reactor Physicist. He is also an old school friend who helped me understand my physics O' Level without making me feel stupid.  In this conversation his passion for the subject is clear, as is his awareness and concern for safety and environmental impacts.  For me, one of his key talents, is that he can explain even the most complex ideas in simple and clear ways. 

Join us for a conversation about intuition, magic and how we are never alone, even as we die.  

Carol's background is in motivational psychology, goal setting, Indian head massage, sacred space clearing, natural healing, Reiki, intuitive healing and other modalities. She is also a qualified NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) Practitioner, having trained with co-founder, Richard Bandler. Nowadays she runs a holistic health center in the Welsh hills and offers sessions that  include hands on healing, the use of crystals in healing and  psychic sessions.

Rhian is a social worker and an academic. Her love of writing and passion for social issues and change led her to write the young adult novel Fosterboy. In the podcast we talked about how she created her characters and her journey into the publishing world.

Pete's been a ref, a fire-fighter, he's worked in the City and has a son with autism and now he's training to be a celebrant and a counsellor.  Join us in conversation about masculinity and sensitivity, alcohol, climate change and what leaving a legacy means. (Ps...there are adult language and themes used in this conversation!).

Did you ever want to do a long walk, go exploring, but never feel you have the time, the money or the courage?  Charlotte will inspire you as she shares word pictures of her many walks alone, with just her hammock, her boots and a map, taking long trails in small chunks, then returning to family life. 

Lin is a triathlete, a singer, a mountain biker, walker, and isn't slowing down at all at 66.  In this episode she tells us how to build our own endorphins so that we can feel good, for free, every day. 

This is the charity that Lin supports if you want to donate: https://www.lingendavies.co.uk/

Here are a couple of the people Lin sings with:

https://www.patreon.com/Mary_Keith

http://www.harmonyjunky.co.uk/

Join me in hearing Deborah's amazing story of how a piece of land and a course on water led her to a new life in Portugal where she is re-wilding the land while it re-wilds her.  You can find more about Deborah, the project and her coaching work work below.

Jock Tyldesley plays fiddle and banjo, specialising in the old-time and cajun music of the southern United States. He has been a professional musician since 1990 and toured all over the world with various international artists. He also makes rather good hot sauce…so join me in conversation with him this week. 

Yolanda Lynes is an actress and performer and in this conversation she tells us how, by having a go and having fun, she made her way from a small market town on the Welsh borders to a Marvel film.

Yolanda would like to dedicate this conversation to her mum about whom she says; 'I owe a lot of my career to my mum who ensured that I go to ballet and martial arts and taught me about a strong work ethic and always believed in me.  She is very independent and girl-power, probably my biggest feminist influence'

Use the links below to find out more about Yolanda's work

In this conversation Steve Watts, actor, musician, father, teacher sheds all these roles to share his experience of how the work of Ekhart Tolle has helped him heal from pain and create joy in his life.

The podcast Steve mentioned is Rick Archer’s 'Buddha At The Gas Pump'.

Join us in conversation about what travel has meant to us but also how we struggle with the moral conflict of about getting on a plane in these times of climate crisis.  

Join us meandering through parenting, bereavment and the power of nature as John discusses the difference between self-worth and self-esteem, guilt and shame and the power of awe walks.

John Perry (MA, MA, MA, MSc, FHEA) is an award-Winning Wellbeing Consultant, Coach, Speaker, Facilitator, Supervisor and BACP Registered Counsellor.  He was a Principal Teaching Fellow in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton; and is a Freelance Coach, Trainer & Wellbeing Consultant. He has a background in Teaching, Counselling, Coaching, Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy; and has particular interests in Psychological Resilience and in Coaching & Psychotherapy Integration. John holds four Masters degrees and over a dozen Professional Diplomas.

Here are some links to John:

Join me in a conversation where Rosie explains how Equine Facilitated Learning helps you connect with your true intentions, feelings and inner wisdom in the presence of horses. Horses just are. They communicate through subtle language and energy and can help you to honour your own vulnerability. Simply being in a horse’s presence can show us how to listen to ourselves and relax into a similarly calm state of mind. Discover how horses can help you feel clearer in mind and purpose and better able to develop meaningful, healthy relationships.

Join me for this conversation with Iain as he not only talks about what Dungeons and Dragons has added to his life, but how its depth and complexity create a space for re-imaging ourselves and how we show up in the world (whilst having a lot of fun).

Here are some links for you to explore:

You might know Susan Earl from her roles in Red Dwarf, So Awkward, Reggie Perrin or as Christopher Dean's mum in the Christmas special of Torvill and Dean.  She is a comedian, actress, writer, single mother and my friend.  In this conversation we talk about parenting, feminism, writing, misogyny and holidays and how, through comedy and laughter, we can find connection and comfort through even the hardest of times.

When Gemma turned 40 she decided that she wanted to change her life, even though she wasn't sure she could.  Slowly she built up to triathalons and in the winter, when most of us are struggling to get out of bed, you might find her paddling along the canal, in the dark, terrified, determined and  jubilant.  Listen to hear her story and if you want to find out more here are two sites she recommended.

This week's conversation is with Michael Sclater who has just written a book on how love can cure depression.  Michael is a psychotherapist who has worked privately and within the NHS. Join us for this deep dive into depression, Indian psychology, western psychology, drug treatments, CBT and the art of playing tennis.  You can contact Michael at: michael@sclater.co.uk 

Hi, I'm Julie Leoni and this is the first podcast in a series where I find out about what people love to do, what the 'thing' is that matters most to them, how they got into it and what it means to them.

I should have declared at the start of this episode that Ceri is the person who got me into yoga 4 years ago.  She inspires me, not just in how she teaches but how she lives.  In this podcast she tells us about what yoga means to her, how it has changed her life over the years she has practiced it and what it might offer at this time.

Welcome to What's your Thing' A new podcast about people's passions, ideas, passtimes, missions or life-styles to inspire us.

Death, divorce, separation; any kind of ending can lead us to feeling bereaved.  

At this covid time we are all facing bereavements, losses and mourning.  Here is what I know based on my hospice work and also my own experience of grief.

There is more to help you below:

Hi, I'm a secondary school psychology teacher with two teenage sons adapting to these weird covid days and wondering what I can contribute to the world at this time.  

I first meditated in India when I was 23 and have practiced mindfulness and mediation in a number of traditions.  I have taught meditation in schools for over 30 years and now I teach yoga as well to people of all ages.  I am a life coach and writer and I regularly blog and am featured in Psychologies Magazine.