Sentient Trails Podcast

Gilian Jansen is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) black belt, with a judo and kick boxing background and he coaches also Mixed Martial Arts athletes.

He is has been a martial artist for sixteen years and his journey is very inspiring on how to embody the virtues of a good life.

We visited themes of how mixed martial arts and BJJ as a door to a good life. What is the difference between an athlete and a martial artist? We talk about how he addressed bullies, healthy masculinity, discipline, training smart, graduation rite of passage, his passion for scuba diving and travels.

And you? What art of skill or craft makes you feel at home in your body and soul? Let me know in the comments, as I would like to hear from you!

Next episode due mid-November, I will be talking to Fer Rodil. A screenwriter, a storyteller, stand up comedian, an acting coach to talk about his journey into storytelling and his latest stand up show.

Track: Elder - Dead root stirring

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

02:50 Journey in martial arts

09:29 Requirement to be an MMA athlete

11:16 Teaching MMA and BJJ

12:18 Teaching to understand

15:06 Gi vs. No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu

17:57 Why people quit martial arts

21:43 BJJ as base for other martial arts

22:35 Andre’s journey

28:44 What is success while learning a new martial art

36:03 Discipline as homecoming

39:53 Athlete vs. Martial artist

45:55 Pro MMA Athletes as entertainers

57:02 UFC and Amateur’s leagues

1:03:26 Martial arts’ community

1:08:50 Survival vs. Defending

1:20:20 Shut up and train … smart!

1:26:56 The virtue in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

1:42:12 The accessibility of BJJ

1:54:46 Traditional vs. Mixed Martial Arts

1:59:29 Ecological approach to BJJ

2:03:17 Scuba diving

2:14:13 Sublime in Nature

2:18:46 Meaning of life

2:22:00 Mystery and irony of life

2:27:05 Ambitions

2:30:02 Grief and sacrifice

2:35:00 Final thoughts

2:37:57 Track: Elder - Dead root stirring

Even if We Lose is Post-Metal band from Eindhoven, Netherlands writing about the human experience coming from different backgrounds of extreme music. The band members are from Greece and Hungary and find themselves inquiring what are they yearning and willing to fight for. Recently they were part of the line up of dutch metal hardcore festival Jera on Air and won a competition Guts & Glory.

Their haunting melodies entwined in their drones and atmospheric soundscapes paint a beautiful and dark canvas. A deep metaphor of what life can feel at times and serves as catharsis for expressing deep buried emotions not always accepted not well understood by modern society.

We visited themes of anguish, grief, melancholy, death but also creativity, hope, courage, beauty, music and the human experience.

Even if We Lose - Bandcamp

Even if We Lose- Facebook

Andre Antunes - Skat GPT

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Timestamps:

00:00: Intro

04:00 Origin of the band’s name

34:43 Attunement and Comfort in society Longing

41:45 Communicating as a band

52:13 Lyrics : “Those who believe”

55:53 Lyrics of : “Tuari”

58:11 Grief as catharsis and preparation for life

1:08:36 Comfort as the enemy

1:10:54 The Dommel river

1:12:14 Music influences

1:41:18 Track: Xenos

1:46:10 Meaning of life

1:52:00 Mind opening experiences

2:05:03 Final thoughts

2:09:55: Track Find a way by Modern Life is war

If you liked this story and if like me it changed you in a positive way, please join me in making a donation to Survival International or/and Junglekeepersto protect tribes from deforestation and all the abuses of modernity. Whether it’s a one time, or give for a bit longer it can make a ripples.

Donate to Survival International

Donate to Junglekeepers

And if you think you want to hear original stories from around the world that speak to our universal human nature and hear deep liminal conversations in the outdoors, I would suggest subscribe to my podcast, either here or wherever you get your podcasts from.

Subscribe now

Happy trails and hopefully we’ll catch each other on the next one!

In Philia!

Andredge

\m/

Emerald Wilkins is an artist, facilitator, an a life coach through Shadow work. We met recently in north Florida and had an open conversation on what is Authenticity and why it can be so challenging to express our true self.

We expanded on what is Shadow Work in general. We talked about the advantages and the caveats of working with psychedelics as a tool to heal and integrate the shadow.

The Diamond Net

Shadow Integration webinar

1-1 Coaching

Sentient Trails podcast is part of my Contemplations blog. To receive new posts and support my ever dedicated craft, consider becoming a subscriber.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

02:39 Authenticity

41:33 Longing

49:55 Peak and challenging states

1:04:00 Lessons from Shadow Work coaching

1:08:36 Non-psychic Tarot and Art

1:16:50 Lady Ragnell

1:36:00 Culture vs Shadows

1:52:00 Psychedelics

2:00:30 Integration

2:08:00 Meaning of Life

2:17:26 Shadow in content creation

2:26:07 Cover of TOOL / Song: 46 & 2

Time stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:05:01 Francesca on Intimacy

0:14:46 Trio of women on Vulnerability

0:22:47 Anna on Power

0:30.47 Contemplations

Wisdom begins with wonder! But do you have to be a philosopher to engage in philosophy without feeling like an impostor? Can the Liminal Web and its practices be applied to people from all walks of life without fearing that it could get messy or that you have to over correct and enforce a specific outcome?

Of course, behind these practices you will find everyday people. I wanted to test for myself again what would happen once I stepped out of my intellectual bubble and tried to meet people where they were, and still be left wondering. Or would something still be missing because of the lack of experience in the practice?

In this new episode of Trailing Wisdom, we have deep conversations with random people wandering through London’s Royal Botanical Gardens and ask them for their personal definition of Intimacy, Vulnerability and Power. And what’s peculiar is that this time I only had women taking up the challenge, so here it is for a feminine perspective.

This is a bit of a vlogging episode or a podcast-on-the-go style, i have never done that before so this is an exploration. The end result is a mysterious and a humbling one for me, and I think you will enjoy this one and would love to hear your impressions.

Otherwise, let me know in the comments your own definition of Intimacy, Vulnerability and Power, so we can keep exploring the notion without trapping it!

I find with this practice that the more one explores a notion, the more we embody it, and the more we can witness it in our lives, staying primed for when it next ambushes us and breaks the script of the mundane.

May this be a beacon of wonder in this life!

Happy trails!

Andredge

0:00 Intro

0:05:01 Francesca on Intimacy

0:14:466 Trio of women on Vulnerability

0:22:47 Anna on Power

0:30.47 Contemplations

.

If you liked this story and if like me it changed you in a positive way, please join me in making a donation to Survival International or/and Junglekeepersto protect tribes from deforestation and all the abuses of modernity. Whether it’s a one time, or give for a bit longer it can make a ripples.

Donate to Survival International

Donate to Junglekeepers

And if you think you want to hear original stories from around the world that speak to our universal human nature and hear deep liminal conversations in the outdoors, I would suggest subscribe to my podcast, either here or wherever you get your podcasts from.

Subscribe now

Happy trails and hopefully we’ll catch each other on the next one!

In Philia!

Andredge

\m/

Wisdom begins with wonder!

But do you have to be a philosopher to engage in philosophy without feeling like an impostor? Can the Liminal Web and its practices be applied to people from all walks of life without fearing that it could get messy or that you have to overcorrect and enforce a specific outcome?

Of course not, behind these practices you will find everyday people. But I wanted to test for myself what would happen once I stepped out of my intellectual bubble and tried to meet people where they were, and still be left wondering. Or would something still be missing because of the lack of experience in the practice? Or because my composure would break outside of a zoom-call setting?

My intuition was that, just as parents gain marvelous insights from interacting with their children, a certain openness combined with the right environment and intention would be enough.

In this episode, we have deep conversations with random people wandering through London’s Hampstead Heath and ask them for their personal definition of wonder. This is a bit of a vlogging episode or a podcast-on-the-go style. You get to hear me struggling to find someone to engage with, but did manage to find people to play with. The end result was simply wonderful for me, and I think you will enjoy this one.

Otherwise, let me know in the comments your own definition of being in wonder, so we can keep exploring the notion without trapping it!

I find with this practice that the more one explores a notion, the more we embody it, and the more we can appreciate it in our lives, staying primed for when it next ambushes us and breaks the script of the mundane.

May this be a beacon of wonder in this life!

Happy trails!

André

Time stamps:

0:00 Intro

0:02:41 First wave of rejections

0:07:41 Samuel and Vincent

0:16:05 French young woman from the mountains

0:23:27 Aguette and Justine

0:31:51 Friend trio (Grace, Alex, and … for the life of me, I cannot recall the other name, I am so sorry.)

0:44:00 Contemplation

Mike Harhangi is a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, bodybuilder, and host of a YouTube channel dedicated to empowering people to transcend themselves and cultivate discipline that brings meaning to their lives. We've both practiced Jiu-Jitsu at the same gym for years and finally found the opportunity to go deeper into topics we both hold dear and share notes on our journeys.

Sentient Trails podcast is part of my Contemplations blog. To receive new posts and support my ever dedicated craft, consider becoming a subscriber.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

0:01:15 Greeting the land

0:02:00 Power

08:00 Experience of the Transcendent

0:16:30 Logos

0:27:12 Intuition

0:44:32 Fear

0:47:55 Odysseus

0:48:59 Children

0:53:10 Waking up from the Matrix

0:59:13 Vassalisa the Beautiful

1:09:27 Witchcraft and words

1:19: 07 Future

1:34:30 Fitness and Nutrition

2:04:00Final thoughts

2:07:00 Song: Spirit Bird by Xavier Rudd

Nathan Hayes is a martial artist, philosopher, a Dialogos, Authentic relating, Circling and breath work facilitator. He is the host of Choose Your Chaos YT channel and he works in a underage residential care in Sligo, Ireland. He is also busy writing a futuristic novel.

Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

0:02:15 Greeting the land

0:07:00 The Celts

0:14:41 Hawthorn bush

0:16:10 Birds chirping interjecting

0:18:23 Grief and Love

0:21:33 Love

0:24:23 Ireland’s Celtic spirit

0:39:52 Song: I caught her eye | Bog Bodies

0:51:40 Asking the ancestors

1:00:17 Reborn our of the cairn

1:09:15 Grappling with fatherhood and boundaries

1:19: 07 Irish language

1:28:30 Meaning and pragmatism

1:30:39 Technology, Harmony and Hardship

1:41:04 Idealist contemplations

1:44:17 Foraging and nutrition

1:49:50 Ubermensch

1:59:15 Story: The Pedlar of Swaffham / a.k.a John of the dream

2:13:55 Recurring dreams

2:25:05 Psychedelics

2:48:09 Higher-Self and the Meaning crisis

3:04:13 Contemplations on leaving of the land

3:10:46 Building and fostering community

3:15:12 Digital Monasteries

3:22:35 White paper for Community 3.0

3:34:49 Beautiful Chorus

3:38:00 Final thoughts

3:41:00 Song: Pachamama by Beautiful Chorus

Resources:

* Poem Inversnaid by Gerard Manley Hopkins

* Song: Pachamama | Beautiful Chorus

* Song: I caught her eye | Bog Bodies

Sentient Trails podcast is part of my Contemplations blog. To receive new posts and support my ever dedicated craft, consider becoming a subscriber.

As I dig deeper into the art of storytelling, I joined a three-day workshop to confront my practice with other students and learn more about the art from professionals.

The experience was amazing and I learned a lot about how creating from scratch doesn’t have to be a painful and lonely process. On the contrary, this felt fun and well-crafted, with incremental steps that made the final piece so very personal, sincere, authentic, and true for each and all of us participating.

I will likely take part in what they do, as I understand that Mezrab is becoming a hub for storytelling in my part of the world.

Until then, happy trails and I wish you a lovely time with your loved ones for this end-of-year celebration

In philia

André

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