Salish Wolf

My guest in this episode, Ray Zahab, is such an accomplished explorer and ultra distance runner that just listing the bulleted highlights of his accomplishments would fill an entire podcast. He has won numerous awards and honours, was featured in the documentary film “Running the Sahara” produced by Matt Damon, and risks his life each time he goes out on an expedition. But Ray does not set out on seemingly impossible journeys for accolades or social media likes. Instead, he does it to inspire others. In 2008 Ray founded the organization impossible2Possible (i2P) that aims to inspire and educate youth through adventure learning, inclusion, and participation in expeditions. Youth ambassadors are selected from around the world to participate, at no cost, in amazing and educational expeditions. Since its inception, impossible2Possible has completed 14 gruelling expeditions around the globe. I have never met anyone quite like Ray. His enthusiasm for life and passion for adventure are infectious. And his tenacity and courage are incomparable. In this episode Ray shares stories of expeditions, his challenging path to overcome addiction, and his love for his daughters, for whom he would endure anything. Ray is many things: humble, inspirational, generous, likable, and compassionate, to name just a few. He regularly pushes his body, mind, and spirit to the limits to show that no obstacle is too large, that even the seemingly impossible can become possible. I hope you are inspired by this episode of Salish Wolf with Ray Zahab. Episode Links: https://www.rayzahab.com/ impossible2Possible “Running the Sahara” documentary Anchor Point Links: Bow Building Retreat

I first met Christa and her husband Luke (episodes 9 and 10) at a fearless intimacy workshop in Colorado only a few weeks after they resurrected their marriage. It was also around this time when they led their first marriage intensive to much approbation from attendees. This is one of Christa’s many gifts to the world: turning her weaknesses and pain into strengths and offerings. Christa now leads several hundred women in her online teaching (currently iteration known as The Woman’s Circle), and many more in her in-person workshops. Her success as a mentor comes as no surprise. She has been a tour de force in virtually all she has endeavoured, including writing music and books, touring as a musician, podcasting, and perhaps most important of all, motherhood. The dialogue from Christa in this episode flows smoothly, candidly, and with great depth. She sees the world in ways that many do not and draws from her observations profound wisdom. Currently she is undergoing a deconstruction of self, a ‘falling apart’ as she calls it, and we explore what that looks like and means to her. We talk about conscious parenting, taking full ownership of her post in life, and loving herself right where she is. Christa uses all these life experiences plus her studies of energy medicine and movement to lead woman in personal transformation. Christa toured as a musician for over a decade with artists like The Jonas Brothers and Michael W. Smith. Her songs have sold millions of copies and have been recorded by the likes of American Idol winner Jordin Sparks. In 2012 and 2013, she had her first #1 hit as a songwriter when Passion’s version of One Thing Remains topped the radio charts. Every day Christa releases content that spans the globe, providing resources for those broken by the traumas of life, teaching practical steps to inner healing and giving support and encouragement for the journey. She has been impacted by more than her fair share of trauma: childhood sexual abuse, eating disorders, addictions, rejection, betrayal, depression, and the loss of her infant daughter. Her most popular works are her 2 books, God Loves Ugly and Heart Made Whole, while her podcast Head to Heart remains one of my favourites for its raw heart-centred power. Christa does not shy away from tough questions. In this episode, as in all content she produces, she is courageously transparent, wise, and deeply inspirational. I hope you find her generosity and experience useful. Enjoy this episode of Salish Wolf with Christa Black Gifford. Episode Links: The Woman’s Circle https://www.instagram.com/christablackgifford/ Head to Heart Podcast The Wild Woman’s Way by Michaela Boehm Donna Eden – Eden Energy Medicine Peter Levine Enneagram Descriptions Chicken Feather Earrings from littlehen.ca Anchor Point Links: Bow Building Retreat

Jen Segger has traveled the globe competing as a world-class adventure racing athlete. She has, year after year, for nearly 2 decades, pushed her body to the extremes of what the human body is capable of enduring. And now, on the brink of 40, she is showing little sign of slowing down or becoming sedentary. Jen is my sister-in-law and partner to paddleboarder Norm Hann who I interviewed in episode 1. I interviewed her in my recording studio shortly after she and Norm paddled 250 km in 6 days from near their home north of Vancouver to my hometown of Victoria. Even in what was meant to be a getaway and chance to unplug, Jen still managed to push her body, and at some points her mind, to the edge – an edge that is far more remote than most people have ever dared to push near. Although Jen now focuses a great deal of her time on coaching others to explore their physical extremes, when she races, she still strives to cross the finish line first, as was her goal heading into last year’s Eco-Challenge in Fiji, dubbed the “World’s Toughest Race” and the race that originally inspired Jen nearly 20 years ago.  Her racing resume boasts a staggering list of accomplishments that date back to 2003 with only a single year of downtime to give birth to her son Kiel. Through a remarkable visioning technique, Jen manages to delay her awareness of pain until a more opportune time, i.e. after the race has ended. Jen’s feats are extraordinary, and her story is full of life lessons and sheer awe. You probably want to listen to this one with your headphones while pushing toward your physical limits.  Episode Links: jensegger.com Jen’s Instagram ecochallenge.com Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race Norm Han Expeditions Sunova Norm Hann Eco Expedition Board Salish Sea Marine Trail Anchor Point Links: Bow Building Retreat

For this second installment with Luke Gifford, we continue with the conversation we began in the previous episode. If you have not listened to that conversation, you should not have too much trouble following along, but listening to Episode 9 first will give you greater context for what we discuss here. Luke is a dear friend who has come into my life to be a confidante and guide. In this episode he guides me through his excruciating experience of losing his first daughter and then losing what had been his only construct of God. His life fell apart, piece by piece, to the point that his loved ones worried that he might not make it through. But in the darkest hour, Luke managed to find the willpower and spirit to gather and rebuild. Through a position of radical responsibility, he took control of his life and found new love and commitment for his wife. Luke is a leader and teacher of men and an innovator of masterful, heart-centred curriculum. By leading retreats for men (and couples along with his wife Christa), online programs, and 1-on-1 coaching, Luke guides men to into emotional shadows and pain to unlock the pathway to personal growth. Luke’s brilliant intellectual and intuitive gifts, fierce work ethic, and passion to help others grow make him an incomparable ally for men. Hope you enjoy this episode with Luke Gifford. Episode Links: https://masterheart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/iamlukegifford/ Head to Heart Podcast Anchor Point Links: Bow Building Retreat

Occasionally a person enters my life who I know almost instantly is going to have a profound impact on my personal journey. My guest in this episode, Luke Gifford, is one of those people. From our ‘non-chance’ encounter almost 2 years ago at a personal growth event, we immediately began a relationship of mutual support and challenge in which we settle for nothing but the best that each of us has to give. I firmly believe that every man would benefit by having a Luke-type friend to nudge, or bludgeon, him back on the track of integrity when circumstances derail him. This episode is only the beginning of the conversation that Luke and I intend to have, and yet we already reached such depth. Together we explore the concept of shadow and how some of Luke’s shadows sabotaged his marriage and threatened to undermine his entire life as he knew it. We also discuss a near-fatal childhood trauma that led him along an 8-year journey as a man to process the resultant psychological scars. In that journey he went blind, lost a daughter, and shattered his wife’s trust in him. Luke is a leader and teacher of men and an innovator of masterful, heart-centred curriculum. By leading retreats for men (and couples along with his wife Christa), online programs, and 1-on-1 coaching, Luke guides men to into emotional shadows and pain to unlock the stairway to personal growth. Luke’s brilliant intellectual and intuitive gifts, fierce work ethic, and passion to help others grow make him an incomparable ally for men. This conversation with Luke was thoroughly enjoyable and inspirational for me to take part in, and I hope you enjoy the beginning of this ever-evolving dialogue. Episode Links: https://masterheart.com/ https://www.instagram.com/iamlukegifford/ Head to Heart Podcast Dr. John Amaral Micaela Boehm Robert Bly Braving the Void by Dr. Michael Greenwood

I first sat down with my guest in this episode, Pacific Rim College faculty member and herbalist Peter Conway, to record for my other podcast, Pacific Rim College Radio. However, I knew once the interview was over that I also needed to publish it here as, among other assets, Peter is freakishly intelligent and deeply committed to his purpose. He has lived in a van and a teepee, has fought for the preservation and dissemination of herbal medicine knowledge, and generally follows in life a punk rocker ethos. Listening to him talk about plant-spirit medicine is like listening to a living mystic – I actually think Peter is a living mystic – and his knowledge extends vastly beyond the bounds of herbal medicine. We touch base with myriad topics including chaos theory, inner reflection during Covid, punk rock, spirituality, and nature. Here are some more commonly known bits about Peter. He graduated from the College of Phytotherapy in the UK in 1995. Prior to joining Pacific Rim College in 2015, Peter taught for many institutions and co-wrote the BSc Degree course in Herbal Medicine at Napier University in. He served as president of the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy for 12 years and is a former director of the European Herbal and Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association. Peter is the author of “The Consultation in Phytotherapy” textbook that he is now revising for its second edition. Peter currently lives in Victoria, is one of 9 distinguished faculty members of Pacific Rim College Online’s renowned Home Herbalist and Community Herbalist programs, and is working on an online project that will address “deep herbalism". Speaking of deep…that’s Peter. This guy has so much wisdom that you might want to listen to this episode more than once. Episode Links: https://twitter.com/conwayherbalist School of Western Herbal Medicine at Pacific Rim College Online Community Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online Online Home Herbalist Program at Pacific Rim College Online Touch the Earth by TC McLuhan The Complete Herbal Handbook for Farm and Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy Green Pharmacy by Barbara Griggs Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy by Simon Mills and Kerry Bone Medical Nemesis by Ivan Illich Spell of the Sensuous by David Abram Thus Spoke the Plant by Monica Gagliano Plants as Persons: A Philosophical Botanyby Matthew Hall Plant-Thinking: A Philosophy of Vegetal Life by Michael Marder The Enchantment of Western Herbal Medicine by Guy Waddell

I first showed up at the dojo of Hastings Martial Arts looking for a Karate class. A beginner one was not available at that moment, but Sensei Cory Hastings invited me to join a Jujitsu class that was starting in 15 minutes. So I did. Both Jujitsu and Sensei Cory were exactly what I needed in my life at that time, and now Cory also teaches karate to me and my 2 children. In this episode, Cory and I peel back the layers of his knowledge of martial arts: from Karate and Jujitsu to Muay Thai and Japanese archery. We talk about his persistent drive to perfect his craft, and how that drive led him to give up a lucrative job in pursuit of his heart’s yearning. Cory also shares many of the life lessons that he has gleaned from his teachers and martial arts and how he carries forward in his dojo the legacy of the respectful, holistic martial artists. Cory began his martial arts training 30 years ago in the same dojo that he only recently left to create his own dojo. He currently holds the rank of 4th degree Black Belt in both Shotokan Karate and Daiwa Ryu Aiki Jujitsu. Cory has also trained Muay Thai Kickboxing in Thailand and won the Canadian Muay Thai Association Super Middleweight British Columbia Title in 2011. Cory likely could have gone on to win other championships, but, as he shares, both he and his sensei were cognizant of the head injuries he had already sustained and how future fighting could have precipitated more injuries. As a husband and father of 2 children, the steward of his family farm in North Saanich on Vancouver Island, and a sensei who is benefitting his community, this is a risk Cory could not justify. It is true that Sensei Cory is the only sensei my kids and I have ever had, yet experience and intuition tells me we could not have found a better teacher for us. I hope you enjoy this episode with Cory Hastings. Episode Links: Hastings Martial Arts YouTube Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Online Qi Gong courses at Pacific Rim College Online

If you take only one thing from this episode, hopefully it is powerful enough to keep you moving forward, even when it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. My guest in this episode, Zat Baraka, has carried that weight, even through the most painful times when he had considered giving up. It was through that pain that he discovered his own inner strength and greatness. He also discovered that, as people, we never really put down the weight. We just grow stronger and better equipped mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to turn the burden into opportunity. Our greatest gifts, says Zat, come from our deepest wounds. Zat is a leader and teacher of men. He has been and continues to be one of my teachers. He understands that, like me, and probably you, he will never reach the so-called place of arrival, but he will always journey with the intention of keeping his heart wide open to what the universe presents him. In this episode, Zat sheds light on the burden he has carried – from divorce and bankruptcy to deep loss and self-sabotaging – and how he has used these life traumas to hone his craft and help men. Zat Baraka is a renowned teacher, coach, and speaker in the men’s personal growth and spiritual development movement. His radical approach empowers men to live high performance lives, improving the quality of their sex lives, careers, relationships, and parenting. He coaches men into their deepest experience of integrity, helping them to understand the mature masculine, not as an abstract philosophy, but as an embodied knowledge. Zat’s training includes more than 25 years of spiritual growth work with an emphasis on intimacy and relationships, comprehensive Tantric Buddhist training, and a Master’s in Spiritual Psychology. He has more than 20 years of intensive men’s group work, cathartic therapy, men’s rite of passage, and men’s personal development work. Despite Zat’s expertise in men’s work, this episode is not just for men. Rather, it is for any human who has ever faced adversity and wondered if there is daylight on the other side. Episode Links: https://www.zatbaraka.com/ https://www.menswisdomwork.com/ Podcast with Allan Isbell of Men’s Wisdom Work – Episode 13 of Pacific Rim College Radio Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions

Fritzi Horstman is a rare, beautiful individual with a selfless passion to transform lives. As a Grammy-award winning producer for her work on the “The Defiant Ones”, Fritzi is not resting on her laurels. Nor is she coasting through Hollywood, lapping up the limelight. Instead, she is focusing on spending as much time as possible in prison, supporting incarcerated men and women. Fritzi believes wholeheartedly in an urgency to bring humanity and compassion to prisoners to transform their lives and ultimately society. I invited Fritzi onto the podcast after seeing a 7-minute clip of her forthcoming documentary “Step Inside the Circle”, a riveting examination of the role that childhood trauma plays in the lives of the incarcerated. Within the first minute, I knew I wanted to help share Fritzi’s story and work. I felt chills throughout my whole body and still do each time I watch it. If you have not seen this powerful video, I urge you go to the link for “Step Inside the Circle” in the show notes, watch the video, and then listen to this podcast. It will give you greater context for the dialogue that Fritzi and I share. It is remarkable, in a sense, that Fritzi escaped a life of crime and addiction. Many who suffer the degree of adverse childhood experiences that she did do not rise above a life of shame, blame, and fear. With courageous transparency, Fritzi shares with us some of her most intimate childhood experiences and how they still impact her today. With her message “There is no shame,” she wears her heart on her sleeve, which helps those around her find inner strength and forgiveness. Until there is forgiveness, there can be no healing. Until there is healing, as a race we will continue to perpetrate acts of violence against all life. Fritzi is the founder and Executive Director of the Compassion Prison Project, which, through compassion, childhood trauma awareness, and creative and educational programs to uplift humanity, aims to catalyze prison reform and end recidivism. Fritzi knows firsthand the trauma that many incarcerated men and women have experienced in life. Having found her path, she is now helping many who are most lost to find theirs. Episode Links: “Step Inside the Circle” video https://compassionprisonproject.org/ The Body Keep the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk Russel Brand Dr. Gabor Mate Charles Eisenstein Wim Hof Lynne Twist Nadine Burke Harris– California Surgeon General Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Episode 3– Shea Boland on Overcoming Addictions, Finding Purpose, and Serving Others

I had a blast recording this episode with Janne Robinson. Janne is a 21st-century feminist beat poet, a personal development coach, a surfer, a beacon of inspiration, and so much more. With her raw, unabashed style, Janne takes us on a journey of her pursuit of personal truth. This journey weaves through recalcitrant body shame, the lightness and heaviness of impacting legions of women, and her passion for empowering others. Janne is a master of heart-centered connection, and she has built a career around her gift. Through her writing, she shares her heart with immense vulnerability and intimacy. Her first book of poetry, entitled This is for the Women Who Don’t Give a Fuck, is soon to be followed by an equally provocative second release. Janne’s self-care routine includes writing and other loves: surfing and nature. Through each she can disconnect from the daily grind and connect directly to spirit. She yearns to be more self-reliant, especially in this uncertain time. Whether that means hunting for food, growing a garden, crafting natural medicine, or living off the grid, each conscious step can lead to greater resiliency. (Listen all the way through to the end of the interview for a special discount code for Pacific Rim College’s incredible online herbal programs to help increase your resiliency!) Janne’s authenticity has emerged as a powerful tool that has helped her guide countless individuals through her coaching and retreats. Learn more about her work and opportunities for your personal growth on her website, jannerobinson.com. To conclude this episode, Janne begins the beautiful account of searching for her father, whom she had never met or heard from and knew nothing of his whereabouts. It is a moving tale that involves global travels, letters, journals, and so much more, and one that will be further explored and concluded in an upcoming episode with Janne. Grab a hot drink and relax while Janne brings you into to the extraordinary world that is her life and helps you find the value in your personal truth. Episode Links: https://www.jannerobinson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jannerobinson/ https://www.facebook.com/jannerobinsonauthor/ Esther Hicks The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot Boyd Varty, Life Coach, Lion Tracker Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Online Herbal Programs at Pacific Rim College Online