Somatic Primer Podcast

Alexander Berzin began his study of Buddhism in 1962 at Rutgers and then Princeton University, and received his PhD in 1972 from Harvard University.Inspired by the process through which Buddhism was transmitted from one Asian civilization to another his focus has been on bridging traditional Buddhist and modern Western cultures.Dr. Berzin was resident in India for 29 years, first as a Fulbright Scholar and then with the Translation Bureau, which he helped to found, at the Library of Tibetan Works & Archives in Dharamsala. While in India, he furthered his studies with masters from all four Tibetan Buddhist traditions; however, his main teachers have been His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, and Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. Practicing under their supervision, he completed the major meditation retreats of the Gelug tradition.For nine years, he was the principal interpreter for Tsenzhab Serkong Rinpoche, accompanying him on his foreign tours and training under him to be a Buddhist teacher.  He has served as occasional interpreter for H.H. the Dalai Lama and has organized several international projects for him. Dr. Berzin has published 17 books, including Taking the Kalachakra Initiation, and The Gelug-Kagyu Tradition of Mahamudra. At the end of 1998, Dr. Berzin returned to the West and created the “Berzin Archives”. There, with the encouragement of H. H. the Dalai Lama, he set out to make this material freely available to the world on the Internet, in as many languages as possible.In this episode Dr. Berzin shares:How he first was introduced to BuddhismHis days at UniversityHis first trip and traveled in India and NepalCore ideas of Buddhist philosophy Buddhism is a living traditionHow to approach dharma studyThis was a very special episode. We are very fortune to have Dr. Berzin on the show and share his fantastic journey and teachings with us. I hope you enjoy the show.To find out more please visit https://studybuddhism.com If you enjoy the program please give us a five star rating on Apple Podcasts. Thanks!Support the show

Sam F.S. Chin is the co-founder of the art, and the current gate keeper of the I Liq Chuan / Zhong Xin Dao system.Master Sam Chin grew up in Malaysia and trained martial arts since childhood with his father. He lived at the Chuang Yen Monastery in New York for the 10 years studying many different styles of Buddhism. In the ten years of working and teaching at the Chuang Yen Monastery, Master Sam Chin was profoundly influenced by Buddhist meditation and in particular meditation  on  mindfulness and awareness. Combining mindfulness and awareness with the traditional martial art his father had taught him Master Chin developed what would become I Liq Chuan.I Liq Chuan is the art of cultivating consciousness based on Tai Chi and Chan (Zen) principles of non-assertion, non-resistance, harmony of yin and yang, oneness and the present moment.Sam Chin:https://iliqchuan.com/If you'd like to know more about Somatic Primer please visit: https://somaticprimer.comPlease give us a 5 star rating on Apple Podcasts if you enjoy the episodes. Support the show

Scott Park Phillips teaches traditional Chinese Martial Arts in a non-traditional way. His goal is to access the original intent of the creators of Chinese Internal Martial Arts to get at the core of their inspiration. He is the author of two books: Possible Origins, Chinese Martial Arts, Theater and Religion, And, Tai Chi, Baguazhang and The Golden Elixir, Internal Martial Arts Before the Boxer Uprising. He lives in Boulder, Colorado and has been teaching for over 30 years.At the age ten Scott Park Phillips began studying the traditional opera style of Northern Shaolin with Bing Gong a noted disciple of Kuo Lien-ying, one of the first teachers of Chinese Martial Arts in the West. He was a disciple of the late Daoist master Liu Ming who transmitted the Orthodox Daoist methods of the Golden Elixir (Jindan), Non-conceptual Meditation (Zuowang), Daoyin (emptying and transforming), and Dreaming. Scott first studied improvisational theater at age fifteen with the legendary Keith Johnstone. In his twenties, performing modern Dance, Scott was drawn to apprentice in the exquisite high arts of North Indian Dance with Pandit Chitresh Das, and Congolese Dance with Malonga Casquelourd. Living in San Francisco during the height of the ethnic dance explosion, he danced with masters of traditions from all over the world.In this Episode we discuss:History of DaoyinHistory of Wester SomaticsTheater & The Martial Arts in ChinaRitual in Traditional Chinese Martial ArtsThe Golden ElixirPedagogy in Traditional Chinese ArtsSupport the show

Holly Sweeney-Hillman, a certified Alexander Technique teacher and biomechanics expert, shares her insights on movement and healing. She discusses the transformative power of the Alexander Technique in addressing chronic movement issues and the fascinating role of fascia in Tai Chi. Holly elaborates on the mind-body connection often overlooked in Western practices and how Tai Chi fosters mindful movement, balance, and recovery. Listeners will appreciate her unique perspective on integrating various movement arts to enhance overall health and well-being.

Lawrence Gold is a Hanna Somatic Educator. Initially Lawrence begin studying physical therapy before being drawn to the work of Ida Rolf following an injury. Impressed with the structural integration he was taught he wanted to find out more and eventually began studying Rolfing with Emmet Hutchins, Ida Rolf's first appointed teacher.He was part of the first and only Hanna Somatic Education Training Course taught by Thomas Hanna. Having completed the course he was asked to continue on as an instructor on the Hanna Somatic Education Training course in Novato California. In this episode we discuss:How he discovered somaticsIda Rolf's structural integrationPandiculation The first Hanna Somatic Education Training Course and his Experience on itThe etymology and meaning of SomaticsTetraseed awareness practiceTension pattersLawrence  has created an advanced handbook of practice for professional practitioners and continues to develop the technique.Links:Lawrence Gold's Website: http://somatics.comPandiculation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUHwNbR7qYYThomas Hanna's "Clinical Somatic Education" article: https://somatics.com/hannart.htmSupport the show

Ryan is a Feldenkrais teacher from Texas now living in Mexico. He’s been studying and teaching the method since the early 2000’s. He is a long time meditation practitioner having studied with Thích Nhất Hạnh, the Vietnamese monk who founded Plum Village.  Ryan uses Feldenkrais as a way to develop awareness. He uses the sensory motor learning process as a way help students organize their physical movements to discover their own ease and freedom.  In this episode we discuss:How he discovered FeldenkraisHis background in meditationHis time as an academicThe importance of embodiment Pros and cons of certification programsThe similarities of various somatic modalities You can visit Ryan's website ryannagy.com where he publishes his Feldenkrais lessons and an insightful blog about the work and history of the method.Support the show

On this episode I had the pleasure to discuss the Alexander Technique with Jeando Masoero. Jeando is a master teacher and translator of F.M. Alexander's work, having translated all of Alexander's books into French. While working on these translations Jeando discovered that Alexander had studied and was a teacher of the Delsarte Method of Movement which is remarkably similar to Alexander's early approach to his Technique. Realizing this connection Jeando focused on this early work and created his own version of the Alexander Technique the Initial Alexander Technique. His special interests are:1.teaching Conscious Control of the postural mechanism,2.studying self-speech (instructions or orders) as a means to develop the executive functions and the higher mental functions,3.experimenting how using a conception (a psycho-mechanical representation) can change the use of the self. If you’d like to find about Jeando you can visit https://www.initial-alexandertechnique.org In this episode we discussWhy his method is challenging for new practitioners How habits play a role in the use of the selfA new way of moving through directing the bonesCreating experiments to discover new movementsHow the hyoid bone affects breathing and the use of the thoraxRemember to subscribe to the Somatic Primer Podcast  for more engaging conversations. Please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show. You can find out more about Jeando  on our website somaticprimer.com. Thank you!Support the show

Georges Dreyfus is  Professor of Religion at Williams College, Massachusetts. His focus is in the fields of Tibetology and Buddology, with a particular interest in Indian Buddhist philosophy, philosophy of mind, and cognitive processes. At the age of 20, Dreyfus left his native home of Switzerland and backpacked across Eastern Europe through Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan to India. He traveled to Dharamsala where he first encountered Tibetan Buddhism. Captivated by its philosophy, he entered a monastery and began the studies that lasted for 15 years. In 1985 he would be the first Westerner to receive the Geshe Lharampa degree, the highest available within the Tibetan scholastic tradition.He is author of several books including, The Sound of Two Hands Clapping: The Education of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk, and Recognizing Reality: Dharmakirti's Philosophy and Its Tibetan Interpretations.Dr. Dreyfus and Bryson discuss:His journey from Switzerland to IndiaHow he came to be a Buddhist monkThe daily life of a Buddhist monkThe Philosophy of Conscious in BuddhismMeeting the Dalai LamaThe Path of Meditation vs. ScholarshipTibetan Debating Systemand much more...Remember to subscribe to the Somatic Primer Podcast  for more engaging conversations. Please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show. Thank you for listening!Support the show

This episode of the Somatic Primer Podcast features Tim Cartmell. Tim  has over 30 years of experience in martial arts including Kung Fu San Su, Xing Yi Quan , Ba Gua Zhang, Tai Ji Quan, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Tim is the author of the best selling book "Effortless Combat Throws," and "Passing the Guard." He is the translator of the several books including  "The Method of Chinese Wrestling" and "Chin Na Fa: Traditional Chinese Submission Grappling."  He teaches full time in Huntington Beach CA, where he has combined the stand-up fighting of Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, and Taijiquan with the ground work of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to create his Shen Wu curriculum.Tim and Bryson discuss:History and development of health concepts and traditional marital arts in ChinaTim's studies in China Biomechanics in the martial arts and the similarities to Western Somatic practicesTraditional approaches to teaching and studying different disciplinesThe interconnectedness of meditation and somatic practices Remember to subscribe to the Somatic Primer Podcast  for more engaging conversations. Please give us a 5-star rating in Apple Podcasts if you enjoy our show. You can find out more about Tim at http://www.shenwu.com/index.html. Thank you for listening!Support the show

Eleanor Criswell is emeritus professor of psychology and former chair of the psychology department, Sonoma State University. Founding director of the Humanistic Psychology Institute, she is editor of Somatics Magazine, the magazine-journal of the mind-body arts and sciences, and director of the Novato Institute for Somatic Research and Training. Her books include Biofeedback and Somatics: Toward Personal Evolution, How Yoga Works: An Introduction to Somatic Yoga, and she is editor of Cram's Introduction to Surface Electromyography. She is past president and board member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists, president of the Somatics Society.  She is the originator of Somatic Yoga and Equine Hanna Somatics. Her research interests include biofeedback/neurofeedback, psychophysiology, yoga, mind-body practices, somatics, and meditation.To find out more about Dr. Criswell's work please visit, somaticsed.comDr. Criswell and Bryson discuss:The life of Thomas HannaHanna's introduction to the Feldenkrais Method and working with MosheHow he developed Somatic EducationDr. Criswell's interest in EmbodimentWhat is Somatic AwarenessHow to live an embodied lifeSupport the show