Somatic Primer Podcast

Jeando is a master Alexander teacher and historian. He translated all of Alexanders books into French. While working on these translations Jeando discovered that Alexander had studied the Delsarte method.  Jeando focused on this early work and created his own version of the Alexander Technique called the Initial Alexander Technique.In this episode we discuss:What is the Alexander TechniqueWhy the Alexander technique is not somaticThe origins of the technique FM Alexander & the Delsarte techniqueIdentity or ethos in movementIf you’d like to find about Jeando and his work you can visit his website initial-alexandertechnique.com where he publishes an insightful blog about the work and history of the method. For classes & private lessons with me please visit somaticprimer.com Support the show

Paulie Zink began studying yoga and martial arts as a teenager. While he was in college, he met a gung-fu master from Hong Kong named Cho Chat Ling.  Master Cho taught him  the Taoist arts of yoga and Chi Kung as a foundation for his martial arts training. Master Cho taught Paulie three distinct Kung-fu styles collectively called Tai Shing Pek Kwar ( Monkey kung fu).For seven years Paulie Zink continued his daily intensive level of study with his master while he simultaneously developed his own art of Yin yoga. After ten years Master Cho declared Paulie to be his own master and his training ended. Paulie is the only westerner to be traditionally trained in the  art of Tai Shing Pek Kwar in a direct Chinese lineage from the arts’ originators.Paulie entered in the solo “Empty Hands” and “Weapons” divisions of approximately one hundred martial arts tournaments from local to regional to national levels. He won the Grand Championship in all of them, often in both divisions. Master Zink’s tournament career culminated with him winning the Grand Championship at the Long Beach International Karate Championships three consecutive years. Master Zink has been inducted into three Martial Arts Halls of Fame. Master Zink has co-authored two books on Monkey Kung-fu.As the founder of Yin yoga, he continues to evolve his Taoist art by adding postures, variations, and insights. Through many years of study, practice, and teaching he has developed the ancient Taoist tradition into his own distinctive and dynamic style.In this episode we discussHis early training with Master ChoDeveloping and teaching Yin YogaHis philosophy of movement and teachingStudying animal movement as a form of trainingAnd much moreTo connect with me please visit http://somaticprimer.com.To find out more about Paulie please visit https://www.pauliezink.com. Paulie's live competition where he preforms the money gong fu form. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOvw1y26yFchttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2NCQJqDJuI&list=PL4fGB-EUUulGArDXktmZXXtzi8fd0UJIj&index=3Support the show

Don Hanlon Johnson is a professor at CIIS in San Francisco and the founder of the first graduate degree program in Somatics. He is the author of a body of literature on the intersections among bodily experience, the natural world, spirituality, social justice, and health.After studying and practicing the work of Ida Rolf, he founded the first masters degree program in Somatic Psychology. He was a professor in that program for some 30 years. He currently is teaching in newly launched Somatics emphasis in the doctoral program of Integral and Transpersonal Psychologies. In this episode we discuss:Importance of somaticsDivisions among somatic disciplinesThe unfortunate Disembodiement of western academicsHis relationship with Thomas Hanna and creating the somatic journalSomatics and ethicsSomatics and consciousness& much more...To find our more about his work please visit https://donhanlonjohnson.com. If you'd like to find our more about my work or take lessons please visit http://somaticprimer.com. Please enjoy the show.Support the show

Des Lawton has been a practising martial artist for over thirty years. He was a close student of Master Joseph Bell who is a direct lineage descendant of Master Wang Jiu Mei. Des is now the Principal Instructor of the San Bao Martial Arts School . He  teaches Taiji and Taijiquan classes in and around the Glasgow area and has developed a diploma course in Healing Qigong. He teachies both for Community Education projects and within resource groups for people with learning difficulties and special needs. In this episode we discuss:His background in the healing artsWhat is qi and why it mattersWe try to define some of the esoteric language in the internal artsHow to approach and learn the internal artsYou can find out more about Des and take his online classes at https://sanbaoschool.co.ukSupport the show

Robert Thurman is Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University as well as Co-Founder and President of Tibet House US/Menla in service of HH Dalai Lama & the people of Tibet. A close friend of the Dalai Lama’s for over 50 years, he is a leading world-wide lecturer on Tibetan Buddhism, passionate activist for the plight of the Tibetan people, skilled translator of Buddhist texts, and inspiring writer of popular Buddhist books.He met the H.H. the Dalai Lama in 1962. After learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism he decided to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk and was the first Westerner to be ordained by the Dalai Lama. After living as a monk for several years He returned to Harvard to finish his PhD. In this episode we discuss:His time as a monk in IndiaMeeting the Dalai LamaSomatic Practices in Tibetan BuddhismTibetan YogaEnvironmental issues and how modern society is disconnected from nature Vajra Yoga Course  begins  October 22,  - January 28, at Menla Retreat Center https://thusmenla.org/p/vajra-yoga-fall-immersion-online-onlySupport the show

Sam Cutler is an Honors Graduate in Contemporary History  and a qualified teacher  from the University of Cambridge. Cutler worked for Blackhill Enterprises as stage manager and master of ceremonies on a series of 1960s gigs in the U.K. and Europe with such artists, as Pink Floyd, Eric Clapton, and The Rolling Stones. In 1969, he acted as master of ceremonies at the Rolling Stones concert in Hyde Park London. Following the Hyde Park show, Cutler was asked to be the personal road manager to The Rolling Stones during their 1969 Tour of America.Following that tour Cutler was befriended by Jerry Garcia and so stayed in the U.S.  and was subsequently hired by the Grateful Dead as their tour manager and agent. Cutler organized the Grateful Dead's appearances at a number of memorable events including: the 1970 Festival Express Tour of Canada, The Summer Jam at Watkins Glen  and the 1972 European Tour of the Grateful Dead, the results of which can be heard on the Dead's triple live album Europe '72. Throughout his rock and roll career, Cutler was around and was agent for some of the largest rock and roll shows in history. Sam wrote a book commemorating his time with the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead titled You Can't Always Get What You Want: My Life with the Rolling Stones, the Grateful Dead and other Wonderful Reprobates.  Sam now lives a more contemplative life in Australia practicing dharma. In this Episode we discuss:Sams early interest in BuddhismMetta and non-violenceHis daily  Buddhist practiceThe Grateful Dead's interest in BuddhismKindness as a daily practice For more information & upcoming courses please visit https://somaticprimer.com  Thanks for listening and enjoy the show.Support the show

Livia Kohn is an emeritus professor of Religion and East Asian Studies at Boston University, specializing in studies of Daoism. She graduated from Bonn University, Germany, in 1980. She then spent six years at Kyoto University in Japan, before she joined Boston University as Professor of Religion and East Asian Studies in 1988.  She is a long term practitioner of Taiji qua and medittiaton. Her specialty is the study of the Daoism and Chinese long life practices. She has written and edited 35 books and over 100 articles.She retired from active teaching in 2006 but continues to write books, serves as the executive editor of the Journal of Daoist Studies, and manages Three Pines Press, the Western voice of Daoism . She leads Daoist qigong and Core Health workshops worldwide, and is the lead organizer of a series of major international conferences on Daoism: In this episode we discussHer background in DaoismHistory of Daoyin, Tai Chi and QigongThe Shaolin templeBuddhist influences on DaoismWestern Somatics and Chinese healing practices   Three Pines Press link https://threepinespress.comIf you enjoyed the show please give us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Please visit https://somaticprimer.com Thanks for listening!Support the show

Jeffrey Hopkins is Professor Emeritus of Tibetan Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia where he taught Tibetan Buddhist Studies and Tibetan language for thirty-two years from 1973. He received a B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1963, trained for five years at firewood acres Buddhist Monastery  in New Jersey with Geshe wangyal. He received a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Wisconsin in 1973. He served as His Holiness the Dalai Lama's chief interpreter for ten years. He Founded the largest academic program of Tibetan buddhist studies at the University of Virginia. He served as Director of the Center for South Asian Studies for twelve years. He has published thirty-nine books in a total of twenty-two languages, as well as twenty-three articles.His most prominent books are the trilogy Emptiness in the Mind-Only School of Buddhism; Reflections on Reality: The Three Natures and Non-Natures in the Mind-Only School; and Absorption in No External World: 170 Issues in Mind-Only Buddhism.In this episode we discussDr. Hopkins upbringing and background in buddhismHis travels and early meditations of sky gazingLiving at Freewood acres and studying with Geshe WangyalLiving and studying in IndiaMeeting H.H. Dalai LamaTonglen and compassion meditation If you enjoyed the show please give us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Those of you interested in studying with me or taking private somatic lessons please visit  https://somaticprimer.com/study-at-vidya-method/Support the show

This is Part Two of my interview with Dr. Bennett. In this episode we discuss:Hanna Somatics & Tai ChiHanna Somatics & Feldenkrais MethodForceful & gentle application of SomaticsImportance of a daily practiceand much more...If you'd like to find out more about Brad's work and read his article "The Somatic Work of of Thomas Hanna, Tai Chi & Kinesiology" please visit his website at https://www.westeastsomatics.comYou can find out more about me and my classes at https://somaticprimer.com/study-at-vidya-method/If you enjoy the episode please consider giving us five stars on the Apple Podcast App. Thanks for listening.Support the show

BRADFORD C. BENNETT, PHDDr. Bennett’s  formal somatic education began in 1985 when he began studying Tai Chi with Hubert H. Lui. For the next ten years Mr. Lui helped Dr. Bennett become both more relaxed and more biomechanically sound in movement.  He continued to explore methodologies to improve neuromuscular control and studied with several teachers including; Yochanon Rywerant, Ruthy Alon, Llana Rubenfeld, Charlotte Selver, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Dean Juhan, Gaby Yaron, and Giora Pinkas. Following a knee injury a Feldenkrais teacher referred him to Thomas Hanna. One session with Dr. Hanna convinced Dr. Bennett that Dr. Hanna was doing something quite unique and in 1990 he participated in Dr. Hanna’s first and only training in what he called Hanna Somatic Education. Dr. Bennett later became a Charter Member of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education®. In 1993 Dr. Bennett left his position at as a Senior Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center to focus on somatic education. He was soon recruited to teach at Sonoma State University and then San Francisco State University in the Dept. of Kinesiology. During these studies Dr. Bennett continued studying with H. H. Lui, combining his insights from the Western “somatic education” with his Tai Chi practice. In this episode we discuss:His background in SomaticsMeeting Thomas HannaHanna Somatic Training CourseSimilarities of Somatics & Tai chi ChuanIf you'd like to find out more about Brad's work and read his article "The Somatic Work of of Thomas Hanna, Tai Chi & Kinesiology" https://www.westeastsomatics.comSupport the show