Hippiecritical: New Age Trends, Alternative Health and Hippie Lifestyles

Hippiecritical: New Age Trends, Alternative Health and Hippie Lifestyles

By Oz, host @ hippiecritical.orgSociety & Culture
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Hippiecritical: New Age Trends, Alternative Health and Hippie Lifestyles episodes

  • Kombucha's Weird Name (New Age Trends Edition 8)

    In this week's edition, I cover the weird origins of Kombucha and tie-dye clothing, "ethnic blankets" (like serapes), a new type of yoga called RAGE yoga and magical salamanders called axolotls. 

    You can also read this blog article at: hippiecritical.org/edition-8

    To get your weekly dose of weird, sign up for my newsletter at: Hippiecritical.org/newsletter

    16 min
  • Mushrooms Are Magical: New Age Trends Edition 7

    In this week's edition, I dive deep into the world of mushrooms. Did you know mushrooms are a superfood that now command a $50 billion industry? And that's not even including the psychedelic kind. Oz gets edumacated on the basics of shrooms, and highlights some ridiculous facts about fungi. 

    Read the visual essay here: hippiecritical.org/edition-7

    To get your weekly dose of weird, sign up for my newsletter at: Hippiecritical.org/newsletter

    Deepest thanks to Kayla Gignac. Check out her art on Instagram: @kaylove.creations

    14 min
  • Origin of "Snake Oil Salesmen" - New Age Newsletter Edition #2

    Welcome  to The Hippiecritical, your weekly dose of weird. This is a roundup of  interesting gems from the world of the weird, new age and esoteric.

    Sign up for my newsletters at: Hippiecritical.org/newsletter

    - - - - - 

    This week, I cover: LSD, Snake Oil, Flu Shot Skeptics, Peace Sign Origins, and place called Heligan.

    You can also read this blog article at: hippiecritical.org/edition-2

    Episode editing and art by Kayla Gignac, IG @creative.kale

    17 min
  • New Age Newsletter Edition 1: Ecstatic Dance, Bikram Yoga and Astrology

    Welcome to The Hippiecritical, your weekly dose of weird. This is a roundup of interesting gems from the world of the weird, new age and esoteric.

    Sign up for my newsletters at: Hippiecritical.org/newsletter

    - - - - - 

    This week, I cover: a new guide to Ecstatic Dance, the Bikram yoga scandal and why one woman quit astrology.

    You can also read this blog article at: hippiecritical.org/edition-1

    Episode editing and art by Kayla Gignac, IG @creative.kale

    12 min
  • Can you stand 10 days of silent meditation?

    Before talking to Elize Todd, I've never met anyone who's attended a 10 day silent meditation retreat. So many surprises and delights in Elize's colorful storytelling of her first silent Vipassana meditation retreat in Burma. 

    We dive into what is silent meditation, the specific benefits of vipassana meditation, and recommendations for those looking to experience a very different type of meditation. 

    Resources mentioned...

    Satya Narayan ("SN") Goenka, who helped popularize Vipassana meditation through centers around the world. More background on him here in a post-humous write up. He died at age 90 in 2013. 

    Here's a Youtube video playlist of Goenka speaking after each of the 10 days of silent meditation.

    Oz recommends first timers to try guided meditation. He uses Headspace. He also loves poetic, produced meditations like Learning to Surrender by Sarah Blondin. 

    _ _ _ 

    You can find Elize's work as a UX Designer, Educator and Career Coach at elizeuxmakeovers.com and  her Youtube channel at: youtube.com/user/weezytodd/. 

    43 min
  • Benefits of Barefoot Movement with Shoe Entrepreneur, Mountain Chang

    This episode is packed with interesting nuggets about the benefits and misconceptions about barefoot movement and barefoot shoes. I chat with Mountain Chang, a CPA turned founder of the barefoot shoe company, Carets. Carets makes classy high end dress shoes - think Allen Edmonds - but with barefoot features like a zero drop design and wider toe box.  

    (I don't receive a commission for this: you can use the coupon code 2019hippiecritical for $30 off if you shop at Carets.) 

    In this episode, we talk about...

    • The interesting origins of barefoot movement 
    • Benefits of barefoot movement and why barefoot shoes exist
    • Why the "standard" approach to shoe design - cushioning, heels, space - is not designed for the human foot to have full range of motion. (Explains why higher heels are especially bad for the foot - not just for women.)
    • Common misconceptions of barefoot running, such as blisters and places to run

      • Other resources mentioned: 

      • Book that started the barefoot running craze: Born to Run
      • POSE method of running: Youtube video and Pose Method Website 
      • Other barefoot shoe brands mentioned: Vivobarefoot, Lems, Softstar
      • Ninja shoes ("Jika-tabi") and why they're often used by Japanese construction workers
      • Upright Health Youtube Channel
      • Mark's Daily Apple - popular and super informative health blog
      • Join Carets Mailing List
      • Check out Carets' interview (blog post) with Dr Emily Splichal, creator of Naboso Insoles.
      • The Motor Quotient ("MQ")
      • Carets donates 1% of profits to Heifer International, a nonprofit that provides "livestock and training in sustainable agricultural and business practices to create the most opportunity for...communities. 

        • If you enjoyed this episode, hit the subscribe button and sign up for the mailing list on Hippiecritical.org.

        Credits:

        Intro music: "Good Tone" by Nordgroove from Fugue 

        Outro music: "Sincerely" by Kevin Macleod

        1 hr 2 min

      About Hippiecritical: New Age Trends, Alternative Health and Hippie Lifestyles

      From the publisher's feed

      Do you find yourself wondering "what's behind that weird new age trend?" Hippiecritical dives into the world of hippie lifestyles and alternative practices with balanced-but-critical eye.