Mind, Body, and Soil

Episode 110. In this conversation, Kate sits down with author Bonnie Tsui to talk about her new book On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters. This episode explores themes of strength, resilience, and the interplay between the physical and the philosophical. Kate and Bonnie have a wide ranging discussion that spans the metaphor and biology of muscle, how death brings us into the present, and the joy found in movement and play. They touch on how strength is also about what moves us, not just physically, but socially, touching on the importance of collective movement and community resilience. It’s an exploration into how physical activities can foster connection and healing. They also delve into the science behind movement, the significance of finding connection in everyday life, and the power of incremental change in personal strength. The conversation concludes with a light-hearted discussion about whales, joy, and the connections we share with nature.Find Bonnie: Instagram: @bonnietsui8WebsiteOn Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It MattersSarah and the Big WaveWhy We SwimAmerican ChinatownSupport Kate: PatreonSubstackPayPal-Leave a One Time TipBest of Movement Focused Episodes:Episode 94: An Ecology of Movement with Katy Bowman Episode 109: We Can Pick Up and Carry Heavy Loads: Exploring Movement in Context with Kate KavanaughEpisode 64: One Foot in Front of the Other with Kate KavanaughEpisode 77: Our Relationship to Resources with Kate KavanaughEpisode 54: Staying Human is the Greatest Skill with Daniel VitalisEpisode 22: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Ashleigh VanHoutenEpisode 2: The Strenuous Life with Ed RobersonSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.lifeAffiliates:FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

Episode 109. In this episode, I (Kate Kavanaugh) reflect on my personal journey with movement from a practical and philosophical standpoint all while weaving it into some of the bigger themes that we’ve been exploring on the podcast around how we move resources to our bodies and how that itself changes our movement. I start out with some historical context of movement and resources, the impact of sedentarism on our bodies, and the concept of shifting baselines in understanding how our bodies work. I share my experience with chronic illness and how movement has been a source of strength and resilience and how I’ve navigated continuing to move even, and especially, when it feels really hard. This is about the transformative power of physical activity–mentally, physically, and socially. I talk about my movement why–including health, aging, enjoyment, and, yes, even vanity. I talk a little about my home gym, scaling movement, and some tips for making yourself move when it feels hard. It’s a lot of fun, it’s thoughtful, a little heavy at times, but we can carry the load together!Find Kate: Instagram: @kate_kavanaughSupport Kate: PatreonSubstackPayPal-Leave a One Time TipResources Mentioned:On Muscle: The Stuff that Moves Us and Why It Matters by Bonnie TsuiLizette PompaSteph Rose, Phase 6Ben BrunoKara Duval, RangeDr. Susie Spurlock, Supple StrengthBest of Movement Focused Episodes:Episode 94: An Ecology of Movement with Katy Bowman Episode 68: One Foot in Front of the Other with Kate KavanaughEpisode 77: Our Relationship to Resources with Kate KavanaughEpisode 54: Staying Human is the Greatest Skill with Daniel VitalisEpisode 22: Building Strength from the Inside Out with Ashleigh VanHoutenEpisode 2: The Strenuous Life with Ed RobersonSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALT: Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off at Redmond.lifeAffiliates:FIELD COMPANY CAST IRON: fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEAR: Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. HOME OF WOOL: 10% off Home of Wool using code KATEKAVANAUGH

Episode 108. (note: recorded Fall of 2024) This conversation with Alice Driver about her book Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company delves into the often unseen and harsh realities faced by workers in the meat industry. The discussion highlights the dangerous working conditions, the isolation and fear perpetrated by meatpacking plant owners, and the challenges workers face in organizing for better labor rights. It also touches on the broader implications of the true cost of food. Find Alice: Life and Death of the American Worker: The immigrants Taking on America’s Largest Meatpacking Company by Alice Driver WebsiteBest of Exploring Labor and Working Conditions:Episode 92: NAFTA is in All of Our Bodies with Alyshia GálvezEpisode 90: Sh*t, Shipping, and Blood: Exploring the Ignored and Unseen with Rose GeorgeEpisode 82: Dust: Salvage, Water, and Hope with Jay OwensEpisode 81: The Tapestry of American Manufacturing with Rachel SladeSupport the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time Tip

Episode 107. In this conversation, Kate sits down with Matt Skoglund of North Bridger Bison to have a wide-ranging conversation about agriculture, community, the meaning of work, and what it means to teach about death. Together, they reflect on the complexities of efficiency in food systems, the yearning for simplicity in a complicated world, and the values that guide their lives and work. Matt discusses the importance of pragmatism in environmental work, the need for tangible solutions on the ground and in policy, and the impact of commodity agriculture on communities and how to be more involved. They also explore the role of death in food systems, reflecting on their personal experiences with grief and gratitude. The conversation also touches on the cognitive dissonance surrounding food production and the need for businesses to be resilient and regenerative, ultimately advocating for a deeper connection to the land and the hands that tend it. Find Matt: North Bridger BisonInstagram: @northbridgerbisonResources Mentioned:Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon ChouinardIn Pusuit of the Unknown by Ian StewartBest of Regenerative Agriculture Focused Episodes:Episode 27: Building Resilient Communities with Will Harris of White Oak PasturesEpisode 53: Leaving Our Children Shade with Katie Collins of Force of NatureEpisode 55: Cook Your Way to an Economy of Peace with Cate Havstad-Casad of Range RevolutionEpisode 74: The Gravity of Risk and the Potential of Opportunity with Robby Sansom of Force of NatureEpisode 75: Building an Agriculture We Can Live in with Cole Mannix of Old SaltSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!Redmond.lifeAffiliates:FIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 106: In this conversation, Kate Kavanaugh and Kurt Gray--whose book, ‘Outraged!: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics’ is out today--explore the themes of human nature, exploring the idea of humans as prey animals and how this evolutionary bent shapes our understanding of threats in modern society. It’s an episode about how we view harm and threat in a modern social media era, how much divisiveness this has fostered, and how we might have conversations that bridge those divides. In it, they discuss the importance of storytelling in bridging divides and fostering empathy, as well as the vulnerability paradox that arises when trying to connect with others who hold differing views. They also explore Kurt’s CIV framework (Connect, Invite, Validate) as a method for fostering meaningful dialogue. It’s also a conversation about how much humans like going deep with one another–even if they think they don’t. Last, and certainly not least, they ponder paradox themselves, and why humans might be prone to more binary thinking from an evolutionary standpoint. Find Kurt: Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics The Mind Club: Who Thinks, What Feels and Why It MattersOutraged! Book GuidesCenter for the Science of Moral UnderstandingInstagram: @kurtjgrayX: @kurtjgrayResources Mentioned:John Sarrouf / What is Essential Guide for talking politicsKurt and Ben Klutzy Interview for DiscourseSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!Redmond.lifeAffiliates:FIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 105: In this conversation, Kate sits down with author and entrepreneur Paul Hawken to explore the multifaceted role of carbon in life and talk about his new book, ‘Carbon: the Book of Life’. It’s an episode challenging the conventional narrative that reduces carbon to an errant molecule within the atmosphere and connects it back to the molecule that flows through 99% of all substances on earth. Paul and Kate discuss the importance of recognizing the complexity and interconnectedness of life–encouraging a shift from reductionist thinking to a more holistic understanding of our relationship with the environment, advocating for transformative actions rooted in compassion and connection while recognizing humanity’s role. They also discuss the power of language, the potential of possibility, and some of the incredible innovations we’re embarking on. This is an episode for the curious!Find Paul: Carbon: the Book of Life by Paul HawkenRegeneration by Paul HawkenDrawdown by Paul HawkenBlessed Unrest by Paul HawkenInstagram: @paulhawkenWebsiteResources Mentioned:Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? by Frans de WaalThe Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist Related Episodes:Episode 67 with Dan Egan on Phosphorous Episode 87 with Ferris Jabr on Earth’s InterconnectionsEpisode 76 with Melanie Challenger on the Human AnimalEpisode 58 with Fred Provenza on Embracing the Unknown and AweEpisode 72 with Ben Goldfarb on Circular EconomiesSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 104. In this episode, Kate sits down with author Will Bardenwerper to talk about baseball. Now, before you think this doesn’t tie in to some of the major themes we’ve been exploring on the podcast—think again. Will’s new book ‘Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America’ is a love letter to small towns, communities, and coming together to build friendship and camaraderie across generations, political ideologies, and classes in “third places” like small town baseball stadiums. Will lays out what is happening to minor league baseball and the small towns that have housed teams for decades as private equity firms gobble them up, what happens when AI takes over scouting, and when concessions are just a click away on an iPhone. Kate and Will tug at themes around community, efficiency, and loneliness. This story of consolidation and small town triumph will be familiar to listeners who have found similar themes across agriculture, manufacturing, and so much more. Find Will: Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America by Will BardenwerperInstagram: @willbardenwerperX: @wbardenwerperWebsiteResources Mentioned:Bowling Alone by Robert PutnamFront Porch Republic Related Episodes:Episode 75: Building an Agriculture We Can Live In with Cole MannixEpisode 88: Weaving a New Vision for American Manufacturing and Small Town Resilience with Steven KurutzEpisode 96: The Complexity of Simplicity with Jill WingerSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 103. In this episode of the podcast, Kate sits down with author Chloe Dalton to discuss her memoir Raising Hare. Chloe is a political speechwriter and advisor who during the pandemic finds herself caring for a hare in the English countryside. In rich and textured detail, Chloe shares her transformative relationship with the hare. The episode touches on themes around domestication, freedom, intimacy, and wonder and what it might mean to be of place throughout the candid conversation. Chloe and Kate explore the intimate relationships between humans and the human animal. Chloe brings a stunning sense of wonder and awe, tugging at how nature welcomes us however, and whenever, we come to it. Find Chloe (and the hare): Raising Hare, a Memoir by Chloe DaltonInstagram: @chloedaltonukWebsiteRelated Episodes:Episode 76: How to Be Animal with Melanie ChallengerEpisode 56: Becoming Edible with Andreas WeberSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 102. In this episode, Kate sits down with Mary-Frances O’Connor to talk about her new book The Grieving Body (a follow up to the Grieving Brain). This is an episode for anyone to deepen their understanding and literacy of grief—grievers, grief supporters, caregivers. In the episode, they talk about attachment and what it is to form an “us” and the some of the science behind love and bonding before diving into the deep emotional and physiological impacts of grief and understanding and normalizing the grieving process.  At the heart of the episode is a discussion about the role of community in grief and loneliness and how we might support those around us that are grieving. Find Mary-Frances: The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for HealingThe Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn From Love and Loss Instagram: @doctormfoconnorWebsiteOther Episodes on Grief:Embracing the Darkness with Francis WellerBringing Death Home with Heidi Boucher Sponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off. Support the Podcast:SubstackLeave a one-time TipConnect with Kate:Instagram: @kate_kavanaugh

Episode 101: In this episode, I reflect on my journey over the past three years of podcasting, It’s about being a human in process. It’s about taking moments to let ourselves be fallow, to stop along the journey, lay out a blanket, and watch the clouds go by. I also discuss a concept I’ve been exploring for myself where “Ease = Effort + Flow” and how a little friction and push in life can give us the active ease we’ve been seeking. Ultimately, it’s about the interconnectedness of existence and what it might mean to embrace aliveness and fun. It’s short and sweet and I honestly have no idea what I’m doing in these solo episodes. Find Kate: Instagram: @kate_kavanaughLinked InSubstackSponsored By:REDMOND REAL SALTMine to Table Salt from Utah, Redmond Real Salt is packed full of 60+ Trace Minerals and is a staple in my kitchen. Find their salt, Re-Lyte Hydration Powder, and so much more here. Use code MINDBODYSOIL_15 for 15% off!redmond.lifeFIELD COMPANY CAST IRONUSA made cast iron. Light, thin bottomed, and smooth - just like vintage cast iron. My go to for everything from small skillets to big dutch ovens. fieldcompany.com/kate_kavanaughBAHÉ FOOTWEARBarefoot, zero-drop, gorgeous running shoes, sandals, and hiking boots that are grounded. Meaning you can reap all the benefits of the electron flow from earth to your body while you’re getting in your steps. Use the code ‘Kate10’ for 10% off.