Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and Improvisation

What does it mean to be engaged?

Big news from Monster Baby land: Lisa got engaged!

For Episode, #107 she and Ted take the opportunity to explore just what that means—both in a marital sense and in an improv and mindfulness sense. They start by playfully acknowledging some technical difficulties (2:03) before Lisa tells the fun story of her partner’s proposal (3:24). The two dive into the meaning of “engagement” (13:55) and Ted wonders if getting engaged feels like being engaged with life (16:44). Lisa asks when does engagement become too much (19:43) and Ted articulates the practice of listening to inner pulls (21:02). Lisa describes engagement in improv as a heightened receptivity (28:27) and shares an inspirational quote from Brian Andreas (32:15). Ted describes engagement as conscious attention and taking action (38:58) before asking Lisa what she’s finding engaging these days (looking for purpose) (43:37). Lisa turns the tables and Ted talks about the people he’s most drawn to these days (46:44). Referring to another podcast she was on, Lisa mentions the “Curious Advantage” and defines curiosity as the willingness to be changed (49:43). The two mention the need for balance between engagement and disengagement (53:38) and, coming full circle, explore the exciting temporariness of a wedding engagement (54:51). The episode comes to a close with an acknowledgment of a Monster Baby Podcat passing and a host of upcoming offerings from both Ted and Lisa (58:31).

As always, we so appreciate your listening in. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected]. Or let others know about by leaving a quick review on your favorite podcast platform.

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

If you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection.(Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

How often do YOU hold eye contact? Why or why not?

If you’re like Ted and Lisa of the Monster Baby Podcast, there’s a lot there—for both mindfulness and improv—within the world and practice of eye contact. After a short improvisational riff on raccoons (1:32), Ted introduces his reasons for wanting to explore the topic (3:08). In that, he mentions the awkwardness of following the no-eye-contact rule on silent retreat (4:36) and what differendes show up when meditating with eyes closed or not (8:54). Ted also wonders about the impact of what we put in our visual field (10:27) before Lisa revisits her accidental experience at someone else’s silent retreat (11:06). Per usual on the Monster Baby podcast, Ted and Lisa step into the realm of paradox, first noting the vulnerability of eye contact (15:34) and then exploring the intensity and power of it (21:55). Ted introduces the difference between making eye contact and receiving it (24:52) and Lisa explains how in improv, sometimes it helps NOT to make eye contact (27:40). The pair explores what happens when we make eye contact—or don’t—with strangers (28:56) and then how much we “see” when we’re making stuff up during improv (33:41). Lisa mentions how eyes can communicate intention on stage—and what that implies for connecting on Zoom (38:45). Ted notes how eye contact can help him out of tricky situations on stage (41:30) and Lisa wonders about what it means to really see clearly (43:20). In that, she describes her larger effort to slow down in the world (46:42) and what it’s like to do improv without vision (51:56). The show wraps up with a few last musings about who we do or don’t make eye contact with (52:49) and officially closes with some reflective Outro thoughts (56:38).

As always, we so appreciate your listening in. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected]. Or let others know about by leaving a quick review on your favorite podcast platform.

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

If you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection.(Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

What’s been cooking in Ted and Lisa’s improv and mindfulness kitchen over this last while?

It’s been a few months since the Monster Baby crew gathered for an episode so it’s time to get caught up!

Ted starts the conversation off by sharing “Wordle Haiku,” a new creative delight that he and a loyal Monster Baby listener recently came up with (1:44). Lisa then shares a worldview story from her new improv class at Stanford (11:26) and Ted describes how he’s making life choices by following the fun rather than worrying so much about what other people think (16:16). Ted and Lisa both share their impressions from the California state Speed Puzzling Championship—a whole new human ecosystem!—(19:14) before Lisa shares recent mindfulness and improv musings from her role as Ramona’s parent (25:19). Ted talks briefly about looking for a new life-organizing “polestar” after leaving a relationship (35:19) and Lisa mentions what it’s like finding herself as a new person (39:23)—life changes! Lisa discusses her anticipation for the upcoming Amsterdam Improv Festival (45:48) before Ted mentions the value of continuous learning (50:35) and closes with a thought about preciousness and predictability (52:36).

As always, we so appreciate your listening in. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected]. Or let others know about by leaving a quick review on your favorite podcast platform.

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

If you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection.(Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

How does a “silly verbal tennis match” become a profound spiritual practice?

 Inspired by the intro “Clanging” game they played on the immediately previous Monster Baby episode #103, Ted and Lisa invited the game’s creators, Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor, to come on the podcast themselves—and they accepted!

For context: Dion Flynn is a writer, keynote speaker, improvisor, stand-up comedian, actor and US Army veteran. He’s best known for playing Barack Obama and other characters with over 100 appearances on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He masterfully helps a wide range of folks connect with themselves and others through his applied work with the “Improvisor’s Mindset.” (See below for contact info).

Josh Radnor is best known for his leading role as ‘Ted Mosby’ on the CBS Emmy-nominated comedy, How I Met Your Mother. He currently stars opposite Al Pacino in the Amazon Prime series Hunters, the hilarious Hulu show Fleishman is in Trouble, and Netflix’s animated Centaurworld. And, oh yeah, he’s acted on Broadway, written and directed a Sundance Film Festival award-winner (Happythankyoumoreplease), and released a couple indie-folk albums on his own and with the duo Radnor & Lee.

All that pedigree and the guys are still just guys. The episode here starts with some musings about Dion’s Kermit-the-Frog colored green screen on Zoom (if we get the video up, you’ll see it!) (2:35) From there, he and Josh introduce how Clanging moved from a “silly verbal tennis match” to a surprisingly spiritual exercise (6:05). All four participants work through a range of Clanging metaphors—rummage party, “passing taffy,” sand mandala, Etch-a-Sketch, tides on the beach, African pepper pot soup (13:36)—and then consider how taking Clanging public changes it (23:03).

After growing anticipation, Dion and Josh demonstrate a round of the game itslef (27:10) and then respond to the joys and challenges of “being private in public.” (32:15) Ted wonders if Josh and Dion feel the need to practice Clanging monogamy (38:57) and they explain their elaborate response system for text-based clanging (41:20). Lisa notes how Clanging appears to be a great way to attend to others and be attended to (46:48) before—monogamy be damned—the group jumps into a four-person Clang (50:40). Dion invites a bit more embodiment that leads to another round of play (54:25) and the group explores the tension between exploring new territory or sticking with safer prompts (1:01:21). Before he and Josh have to leave, Dion concludes their time on the podcast by explaining how Clanging plays like jazz (1:05:09).

Ted and Lisa close out the episode with a range of reflections: more on jazz, taking care of each other, emotional reactions, staying in the present moment, improvisation as art of response and presence as act of letting go of what came before, fractal reactions, love languages, mutual delight, and more. (1:06:25)

Want to see some of Dion and Josh clanging? Check out this short video where they again explain the game’s origin and demonstrate more of its wildly delightful possibility:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-dM3SnZdfE.

For a longer example (that starts the exercise around 6:00), check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUboED5G8Q

To connect further with Dion, check out his website at TheImprovisorsMindset.com and join one of his free 30-minute drop-in sets there. For formal bookings, contact his agent Li Hayes at [email protected]. Alternatively, reach out to them directly on Twitter (@dionfly and @JoshRadnor).

As always, we so appreciate your listening in. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected].

Who are you?

Answering that question well may require more angles than we usually think of. After starting with a delightful new game (“Clanging”, introduced by Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor) (2:25), Ted and Lisa consider some of the primary lessons about identity from the world of mindfulness, including the Buddhist notion of non-self (14:06). The pair mention how identities can change from time to time (22:49) and Ted shares a potent image from meditation teacher Gregory Kramer (26:34). Lisa mentions that her sense of self has shifted as her priorities have changed (31:33) and Ted offers a few more poetic notions of this thing we call “self” (35:55). Together, they explore parallels between Walt Whitman’s “I contain multitudes” idea and Family Systems Therapy’s model of different parts—who gets the “keys to the car,” who “conducts the orchestra,” and so on (37:51). Lisa mentions how improvisation gives us the chance to step out of typical roles we play and explore unfamiliar parts of ourselves (42:57) and Ted introduces the typical conversation starter “What do you do?” as an identity question (50:55). Lisa offers a simple tip for forging new identities (think improv’s New Choice!) (55:31) and then adds a few more thoughts on identity and social media in this episode’s extended Outro (1:02:42).

As always, thanks for listening in and we wish you the best for happy holidays and a joyful end to 2022. If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected].

Want to learn more about Clanging? Check out a short video of Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor explaining the game’s origin and demonstrating its wildly delightful possibility:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-dM3SnZdfE.

For a longer example (that starts the exercise around 6:00), check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQUboED5G8Q

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

If you’d like a bit of last minute Monster-Baby-inspired holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

It’s so fun to make stuff up together!

That’s one of the truths that Ted and Lisa uncover in conversation with their dear friend, Dan Klein, master teacher of improvisation in the drama, Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Platner Institute for Design (“d.school”) at Stanford University. (He’s also the same Dan perilously mentioned in Monster Baby episode #58, “Ted’s Harrowing Tale”!)

Ted and Dan start the episode by playfully getting Lisa up to date on her Star Wars references (2:06) and then consider a smorgasbord of ideas from that prompt: what moments would get memorialized in the musical of our lives, people who make spreadsheets, and new punk rock band names (6:17). The three acknowledge their shared heritage as Stanford improvisors and wonder if Dan sees himself as a torchbearer for Patricia Ryan Madson’s approach to improv (8:42). Generosity comes to mind as Dan mentions Rebecca Stockley’s “more improv means more improv” mantra (15:10) and Ted asks how Dan would characterize his particular flavor of improv teaching—spoiler alert, Dan mentions building community, engaging an audience, and the joy of collective imagination (18:27). Dan nods to the influence of Dungeons and Dragons on his worldview (22:55) and describes how he’d like to bring some of that creative design spirit to his current endeavors teaching at Stanford’s business school (28:42). All three mention how they’ve still got something to learn (31:50) and Dan describes his experience of mindfulness and meditation (35:55). The trio closes the conversation by questioning the improv mantra of “it’s not about you” (44:35) and noting how helpful it is to rely on familiar buddies when facing the uncertainty of a performance (48:10).

If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected].

Want to learn more about Dan Klein? Watch one of his videos on YouTube:

Designing the Future with Improvisation

Rapid Bonding through Improvisation

Going Beyond “hello”: Dan Klein at TEDxStanford

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired cozy Autumn reading or you’re doing some early holiday shopping, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

What if we put relaxation first?

Inspired by mindfulness practitioner Bill Morgan’s book, “The Meditator’s Dilemma,” Ted and Lisa explore the value of putting relaxation in front of other forms of meditation, improv included. They start by musing about Lisa’s recent time in Paris and the value of French croissants (2:06), after which Lisa acknowledges that her days of jetsetting may be drawing to a close (6:33). She questions the value of “culmination experiences” (12:02) and then Ted introduces this episode’s main topic, whether relaxation follows as a by-product of mindfulness or whether it’s a necessary prerequisite (15:49). The pair inevitably wonders about the role of relaxation in improv (21:49) and considers the value of consciously tensing up before relaxing (24:39). Ted mentions teacher-author Gregory Kramer’s notion of “Relax” as a fundamental principle for Insight Dialogue (28:51) and wonders whether there’s such a thing as relaxing too much (31:16). After Lisa considers whether she even knows how to relax (33:12), the conversation turns to the improvisor’s need to recharge with a group and to relax into chaos (35:47). Lisa wraps up the topic with some irreverent questions for Bill Morgan (44:48) and Ted closes with two new versions of the classic game, Sound Ball (49:53).

If you’re inspired by what you hear and you’d like to let us know about it, please send a note to Ted and Lisa at  [email protected].

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading or need a great gift for a loved one, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

Time for a celebration and retrospective—Monster Baby reaches 1oo episodes!

Welcome to the party, people—Monster Baby has reached a milestone! In honor of this, the 100th episode of Ted and Lisa’s “curious romp through the worlds of mindfulness and improvisation,” the pair takes a look back to remember and to give thanks for the good times. They start with the fun of realizing that the episodes could cover a round-trip cross-country drive (2:35) and then cover a few up-to-date Monster baby stats (7:16). Lisa asks Ted what he thought Monster Baby would become when they started (10:40) and then a few listeners chime in with their experience of the ‘cast (15:11). Ted notices how many of the episodes shared stories from their lives, including Lisa’s becoming and being a Mom (27:27) before the pair revisits the great conversations they’ve had with other folks along the way—and imagines what it would be like to talk with the Buddha (33:17). Ted mentions how so many of the patterns get into paradox, play and joy (46:08) and Lisa adds a few other observations and additions from their time together (47:35). The episode concludes with a moment of feeling proud and grateful (54:35).

A sincere thank you goes out to all who contributed to this episode—Diana Hart, Shannon Hughes, Juan Rios, and Kay Ross, we send big hugs!—and to the whole Monster Baby lifetime. Some of those thanks go especially to YOU, our listener. We so appreciate your tuning in and hope we can keep offering conversations that bring you at least a little mindful, improvisational boost for your day.

Here’s to the next 100!

 

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired springtime reading or need a great gift for a loved one, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.

 

 

Rhythm and improvised poetry can lift the highs and heal the lows.

For Monster Baby Podcast episode #99, Ted and Lisa link up with San Francisco freestyler, improvisor, music-maker, comedian, actor, Larry martial artist, activist, spiritual practitioner, and all-around good guy, Larry Dorsey, Jr. Larry starts the conversation explaining the history behind the “Junior” in his name (2:10) and then muses on his path to “fame,” noting the importance of intention behind attention (8:43). The trio considers the improvisational lifestyle and letting go of wanting (15:55) before Larry defines the term freestyle (improvised poetry) in more detail (19:45) and traces back the tradition’s roots in African spirituality (23:36). Ted asks how Larry manages the teacher’s paradox of having a standard for authenticity while reassuring new students that what comes through them is good enough (30:36) and Lisa wonders how Larry got his start with freestyle (as it turns out, from rhyming in the car with Dad, Mr. Gamble’s invitation for 10-year-old Larry, a challenge about profanity, and seeking a path out of trouble) (36:44). The three play a fun game of “We’re talking about…” (45:28) and note some similarities between the fun of freestyle and the writing of Shakespeare (54:30). Larry shares about his big opportunity with the touring company of the Broadway show Freestyle Love Supreme (56:20) and talks a bit about becoming “a pond in the forest” through the meditative practice of freestyle (1:06:03). Lisa invites a few last reflections on redemption, forgiveness, and reconciliation (1:10:04) before Larry closes the episode with a fun bit of freestyle—and even gets Ted and Lisa to join in! (1:22:20).

Please note: This episode runs longer than usual so feel free to split it up as needed.

Also please note: the episode includes some sensitive language (including Larry mentioning the “n-word”) and a story about connecting with someone who considered himself a white supremacist.

If you’d like to reach out to Larry, you can find him on most social media handles as “@larrydorseyjr”. Alternatively (and if you’ve got any question for us!), you can send a note to Ted and Lisa at [email protected].

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com. If you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired springtime reading, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

TAKE NOTE…next episode will be our 100th Monster Baby Podcast and we’d like to invite you to be a part of it! If you’ve got a minute, record a short little audio file (please make sure to include your name and location!) and send it to us via email by March 31st, 2022 at [email protected].

You can say whatever you’d like but if you need a prompt or two, try one of these:

* What was one of your favorite Monster Baby episodes and why?

* Where and how do you listen?

* How has Monster Baby impacted your life?

* Anything else you want to share with Ted and Lisa!

We’ll gratefully harvest the responses and may even include a few of them in the next episode itself.

It’ll be a fun party—thanks in advance for joining!

 

And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired springtime reading or need a great gift for a loved one, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection.

What makes a home “home”?

Sparked by Lisa’s move into a new apartment, she and Ted consider the many elements that go into feeling at home. The two warm up with a playful new spontaneity game called “A or B” that you can play right along with (1:35) and then explore what’s making Lisa’s new flat as homey as it is—and so quickly (9:07). Lisa wonders to what extent people make up the feeling of home (19:45) and Ted describes home as a safe place to launch from…and return to (23:22). After a short, tragicomic diversion about literal nests (26:00), Ted suggests that mindfulness teaches us how to come home to ourselves: with breath, with alignment, with finding a calm place inside (28:07). The two explore how effort helps build a feeling of home (34:14) and Lisa shares how, in improv, it’s the people you play with who make the safety net (36:25). Improv kicks up another (contradictory?) lesson about the goodness of getting yourself off-balance (43:14) which leads to a consideration of the benefits of international travel and the challenges of living away from a native land (47:58). Lastly, Lisa considers how moving to a new space can be like growing out of an old shell (52:00).

We hope the episode brings you a small measure of joy in this holiday season. If so and you’d like to share that joy—or if you’d like to raise a question—feel free to write Ted and Lisa at [email protected].

To subscribe so you receive immediate notice of future Monster Baby releases, head over to: http://monsterbabypodcast.com.

 

And lastly, if you’d like a bit of Monster-Baby-inspired reading or need a great gift for this time of year, visit www.playfulmindfulness.info to pick up a copy of Ted’s book Playful Mindfulness: a joyful journey to everyday confidence, calm, and connection. (Ted will surely sign it for you if you like!)

 

 

 

 

San Francisco improvisors Ted DesMaisons and Lisa Rowland explore the beautiful, surprising and unruly intersections between mindfulness and improvisation as they seek to befriend that oft-hidden and sometimes scary part of all of us that can lead to a life well-lived.