PLAY PAUSE REPEAT podcast

In this episode Sophie chats to music manager and A&R consultant Yasmin Lajoie about her experiences of Borderline Personality Disorder. Yasmin wanted this conversation to include discussion about moments of crisis, so that people can get an understanding of the severity and complexity of the disorder, knowing that the media tends to cover the disorder unhelpfully/inaccurately, or steers away from the severe ends of Mental Health illness completely. They explore how BPD (or EUPD) can impact careers and relationships, and someone’s ability to manage certain aspects of adult life, like finances. They also discuss how childhood trauma is a risk factor, with Yasmin recalling moments that may well have contributed to her eventual diagnosis. While this chat covers very serious and sensitive subjects, there is also discussion of acceptance, how beneficial finding a good therapist is, and the positive impact sharing your story can have. (TW. Suicide, self-harm and trauma.)

In this episode Sophie chats to product maker Anastasia Tasou about when she discovered art could be therapeutic, and how useful it can be to help us get through difficult times or work through feelings. They discuss the community Anastasia and her artwork has cultivated online, and how the workshops she puts on have helped people feel confident to express important things about themselves. They tackle some of the challenges that arise when you decide to make a passion your career, and explore how Ana navigates everything that comes with having a large audience online. 

This week Sophie chats to Pete Cann the laughter man, a laughter yoga practitioner who brings the power of this practice to people daily. He talks about the method behind delivery and the benefits giggling has to your wellbeing. Sophie then has a catch up with Kelly to touch on some of the topics about the practice that came up in the interview.

In this episode Sophie chats to Sean Long, guitarist from the band While She Sleeps. Having spoken previously about anxiety, spiritualism, and other topics related to Mental Health during an interview at Reading Festival, they decided to follow up years later to see what approaches and mindsets have continued, as well as any new things that have been learned or explored. Sean share’s the importance of acknowledging feelings and manifestations of mental health, and how it can beneficial to your life when harnessed uniquely. We explore the positives that can come from working with, and through things, how his viewpoints have been effected by the last year, as well as discussing his upcoming journey with Hypnotherapy - which is being undertaken to investigate the potential causes of a tick he has been living with.

Thousands of women are expected to attend a vigil for Sarah Everard to ‘reclaim the streets and our public places’ following upsetting updates following her disappearance from Clapham Common. Sophie and kelly wanted to talk about how tragedies like this impact women, while sharing our own personal reactions, often drawing from our own experiences of being or feeling at risk. We discuss men’s roles in making us feel safe and the practical things they can do to help, as well the systemic issues that need to be addressed. This is only the start of this conversation on PPR - it warrants more conversation on this podcast moving forward. 

In this episode, Kelly is joined by Gina Friel, a life coach and PMDD warrior who is keen to spread the message of this lesser known condition which effects around 3-8% of women. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder can have severe and debilitating symptoms, Gina openly shares her experiences, the effects it has on her daily life and mental health and the work she does to support and inform others.

In this episode Sophie chats to Bury Tomorrow vocalist Dan Winter-Bates about self image and his personal experience of eating disorders. They explore the pressures of being a frontman in the metal scene, the benefits of meditation and self reflection, the impacts of social media, and many more themes related to image and mental health. With Dan's wealth of knowledge due to his many years of work with the NHS and bolstered by his passion for the subject which he shares daily via his social media, it's a deep dive on many topics related to well-being.

This week Kelly chats with Puravi Joshi, who, after working in Finance for 8 years left to pursue a career in the yoga industry, now thrives teaching children and adults alike bringing physical and emotional balance to their lives.

We cover a broad range of topics starting with her journey into Yoga, how health reasons encouraged the change, and the positive outcomes from the switch. We also discuss the difficulties faced coming up against discrimination and the importance of having a voice in a challenging scenario where self advocacy is so important. We also discuss cultural appreciation over appropriation and how Yoga studios can do more than just pledge to make positive moves forward following the spotlight on the BLM movement.

After the Government briefing on Monday about the gradual easing of restrictions and social distancing measures in the U.K from March onwards, Sophie and Kelly felt it was an important time to discuss their reactions and feelings. An initial excitement of freedom and human contact gave way to a rising feeling of anxiety about the pressures that come with social interactions. Has the pandemic changed our perception on the world we once knew? How do we move forward with healthy boundaries for our newly claimed time away from potential social pressures?

Kelly and Sophie re-visit their topic of choice by hitting SHUFFLE to give you further insight and advice on the busy epidemic. Are we making ourselves 'busy' or are we actually being 'productive' we talk about signs to look out for and ways to step back to make sure the things that are filling our time have purpose.