
The Practical Stoic
The Practical Stoic is a podcast by Australian poet, musician, philosopher and founder Simon J. E. Drew. Originally started in 2017, The Practical Stoic Podcast became widely known as a valuable resource for those who were interested in finding practical, down-to-earth wisdom and easily-appliable explanations of the writings of ancient Stoics like Seneca the Younger, Marcus Aurelius and Epictetus. In 2021, Simon changed the podcast name to "The Walled Garden" in order to make way for the founding of The Walled Garden Philosophical Society - a global community of philosophers and students dedicated to sharing the philosophical path together. Now, in 2023, Simon is revamping The Practical Stoic podcast with new insights, lessons, and interviews.
Latest episodes

Apr 5, 2021 • 10min
Seneca on Balancing Work and Rest
In this episode Simon discusses Seneca's epistle 3, verses 5-6 where Seneca suggests a more harmonious balance between work and rest. To get coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ To support the podcast go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 28, 2021 • 1h 13min
Sharon Lebell | Deeper Wisdom, Amor Fati & the Power of Art
In this episode Simon Drew and Sharon Lebell have their monthly conversation, discussing topics such as the deeper wisdom of the cosmos, the principle of amor fati, and the power of art. To get coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ To support Simon's work go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 22, 2021 • 1h 19min
Steve Karafit | Seneca on Practicing What You Preach
In this episode Simon speaks with Steve Karafit from the Sunday Stoic Podcast about Seneca's 20th letter - On Practicing What You Preach. Listen to the Sunday Stoic Podcast here: https://www.sundaystoicpodcast.com/ Support the Practical Stoic here: patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Get coaching with Simon here: simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 15, 2021 • 30min
Thoughts on Meaning and Where to Find it
In this episode Simon shares a portion of a Patreon meetup recording from this weeks meetup on the topic of meaning and where to find it. He offers his thoughts on what meaning looks like, how to recognise it in your life, and what you might do in order to move closer towards more meaningful experiences in life. To support the podcast or attend future meetups, go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ To get coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 8, 2021 • 16min
Seneca on Trust and Friendship
In this episode Simon Drew discusses Seneca's thoughts on trust and friendship, derived from Seneca's Epistles 3:2-4. For coaching with Simon Drew go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ To support Simon's work go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 28, 2021 • 52min
Ryan A. Bush | The Principles of Psychitecture
About the guest: Ryan A Bush is the founder of Designing the Mind LLC, a self-development organization focused on providing wisdom education and expanding human potential beyond the norm. Ryan’s background is in the design of systems – he works with tech startups to design and develop everything from patented physical products, to software, to buildings, to business models. But his most relevant credential is a lifelong appetite for introspective investigation, ravenous reading, and obsessive self-optimization. For more than a decade, he has been studying the insights of ancient teachers, practical philosophers, and cognitive scientists. In his first book, he aims to assemble these puzzle pieces to form a new vision for psychological growth and self-mastery. Ryan's Links: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designing_the_mind/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designingthemind Twitter: https://twitter.com/Designing_Mind Website: https://designingthemind.org Coaching with Simon J. E. Drew: simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Support the podcast: patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 22, 2021 • 1h 2min
Sharon Lebell | Lessons Learned in 2020 (Part I)
In this episode Simon has a conversation with Sharon Lebell about various lessons learned in 2020. Sharon Lebell is a writer, speaker and author of “The Art of Living – A Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness”, a collection of her own interpretations of Epictetus’ best writings. You can buy the book HERE. To support the podcast go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ For coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 14, 2021 • 1h 29min
Steve Karafit | Seneca on Philosophy as the Guide of Life
In this episode Simon speaks with Steve Karafit from the Sunday Stoic Podcast (https://www.sundaystoicpodcast.com/) about Seneca's 16th epistle "On Philosophy as the Guide of Life". Support the podcast on patreon: www.patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Get coaching with Simon: www.simonjedrew.com/coaching/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 8, 2021 • 16min
Seneca on Desire, Wealth and Gratitude
In this episode Simon breaks down the important lessons on desire, wealth and gratitude found in verse 6 of Seneca's second epistle. For coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ To support the show on Patreon go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 1, 2021 • 15min
Seneca's Daily Learning Habit
In this episode Simon reflects on one of Seneca's daily learning habits which can help any student of philosophy to better digest specific lessons and ideas. Quote mentioned in the episode: Epistle 2:4-5 For coaching with Simon go to simonjedrew.com/coaching/ To support the show on Patreon go to patreon.com/simonjedrew/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices