Some books you read, and some books read you. The Fakir, a novel based on the life of yoga master Ramiro Calle, was both for me. It was also the first book in my life that genuinely moved me. In this episode I'm not going to summarise it or analyse it. I want to tell you why that text reached a place in me that almost nothing had reached before, and which teachings from its pages I keep coming back to — for anyone trying to walk with dignity across the tightrope of their own life.

#TheFakir #RamiroCalle #Yoga #Philosophy #Stoicism #InnerLife #Consciousness #SpanSwede #Podcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When we think of Sweden, we think of human rights, equality, and social progress. And that's real. But there's a chapter of Swedish history that very few people know about: for almost two hundred years, Sweden was a slave-trading nation that trafficked human beings, ran a Caribbean colony with its own slavery code, and compensated the slaveholders — not the slaves — when it finally abolished the institution. In this episode, I talk about that past. Without judging through the eyes of the present, but without looking the other way either.

📖 Free bilingual transcript (English/Swedish) available as EPUB — read along or use it to learn Swedish:

https://ko-fi.com/s/2903c99da0

#Sweden #Slavery #History #SpanSwede #EnglishPodcast #SaintBarthélemy #Reflection #Colonialism

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you've spent more than a decade living in a country that isn't yours, something curious happens: you start noticing changes in yourself that you never consciously chose. Habits you adopted without realising it. Words that only come to you in Swedish. A relationship with silence, with nature, and with the seasons that you simply didn't have before. In this episode I talk about how Sweden has changed me — for better and for worse — in ways I never expected.

#Sweden #Immigration #Change #Habits #LifeInSweden #SpanSwede #Podcast #Reflection

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Valborg in Sweden is more than a bonfire—it’s a ritual of renewal. In this episode, I explore its origins, meaning, and how fire marks the end of winter and the return of life. A reflection on culture, change, and human need for new beginnings.

Follow the podcast on other platforms:

YouTube: @spanswede

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Podcast in Spanish:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede-en-espa%C3%B1ol/id1869977014

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vVzU7x9YNUspFcSTdt4SB

Acast Podcast in Spanish: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

#Valborg #Sweden #Traditions #Spring #Culture #NordicLife #Reflection #Fire #SpanSwede #Podcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I reflect on how people feel about their jobs today.

I talk about something that is becoming increasingly visible: toxic work environments, companies that are more results-driven than ever, and employees who feel disconnected from their work. A growing sense of detachment that is hard to ignore.

On one side, companies have evolved into more efficient systems—but also more impersonal ones, where people are treated as “assets.” On the other side, especially after the pandemic, many individuals have started questioning the meaning of work, the balance between life and career, and the stability they once took for granted.

This episode explores that silent tension between companies and employees, the speed of change, and the difficulty of building a stable life in such an uncertain environment.

It’s also a personal reflection on something deeper: how we often look for identity, purpose, and security in work—and why that can lead to frustration.

Maybe the answer is not to change the system entirely, but to change how we position ourselves within it.

Follow the podcast on other platforms:

YouTube: @spanswede

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Podcast in English:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede/id1740094241

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37CXiQV9JQ5Edq2nsXFrxw

Acast Podcast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede

Podcast in Spanish:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede-en-espa%C3%B1ol/id1869977014

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vVzU7x9YNUspFcSTdt4SB

Acast Podcast in Spanish: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I reflect on one of the most powerful chapters of Carl Sagan’s Cosmos: “Who Speaks for Earth?”.

Written in the early 1980s during the Cold War, Sagan’s words feel just as relevant today. He describes the enormous destructive power humanity has developed through nuclear weapons, and the terrifying consequences of a global conflict.

Beyond the numbers, this episode explores something deeper: our collective responsibility as a species, the dangers of unchecked power, and the absence of a true voice that represents humanity as a whole.

Who makes decisions for the planet? Who speaks for all of us?

This is not just a reflection on the past—it’s a question about our present, and our future.

#CarlSagan #Cosmos #Reflection #ColdWar #NuclearWeapons #Humanity #Future #Awareness #SpanSwede #Podcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I reflect on the ethical use of artificial intelligence in everyday life.

I talk about how I use AI as a tool to optimize tasks, learn faster, and improve workflows—but also about the risks of relying too much on it, especially in creative processes. Where is the line between using AI as support and losing part of your own voice?

I also share thoughts on the future impact of AI, the lack of regulation, and how, like with previous technologies, we may be moving faster than we truly understand its consequences.

In the end, it comes down to one thing: it’s not the tool—it’s how we use it.

Follow the podcast on other platforms:

YouTube: @spanswede

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Podcast in English:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede/id1740094241

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37CXiQV9JQ5Edq2nsXFrxw

Acast Podcast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede

Podcast in Spanish:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede-en-espa%C3%B1ol/id1869977014

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vVzU7x9YNUspFcSTdt4SB

Acast Podcast in Spanish: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

#ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Ethics #Technology #Reflection #Creativity #Future #SpanSwede #Podcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded in the middle of the night, alone in a dark forest somewhere near Stockholm, this episode is a raw and personal reflection on time, distraction, and the search for clarity in a world that never slows down.

After returning to full-time work, I started to feel how little time we truly have for ourselves. Not because time disappears—but because it gets taken, fragmented, and consumed by constant demands and distractions.

In this episode, I reflect on the speed of modern life, the role of technology and AI, the pressure of work, and the growing difficulty of keeping our minds in order. Inspired by thoughts from Seneca and Carl Sagan, I explore how we’ve built a world full of information and noise, yet struggle to find stillness and meaning.

Sometimes, it’s in the quietest and darkest places where we finally see things more clearly.

Follow the podcast on other platforms:

YouTube: @spanswede

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Podcast in English:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede/id1740094241

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37CXiQV9JQ5Edq2nsXFrxw

Acast Podcast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede

Podcast in Spanish:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede-en-espa%C3%B1ol/id1869977014

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3vVzU7x9YNUspFcSTdt4SB

Acast Podcast in Spanish: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

#Clarity #Mindfulness #ModernLife #Distractions #Stoicism #CarlSagan #MentalHealth #Reflection #SpanSwede #Podcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the ancient Norse imagine the origin of the universe?

In this episode, I explore the creation of the cosmos according to Norse mythology. Long before the world, humans, or even the gods existed, there were only three things: fire, ice, and the vast empty void known as Ginnungagap.

From the clash between the fiery realm of Muspelheim and the frozen world of Niflheim, the first being emerged: the primordial giant Ymir. Soon after appeared Audhumla, the cosmic cow whose milk nourished the first life, and from the ice eventually emerged Buri, ancestor of the gods. From his lineage came Odin, Vili, and Vé, the first Norse gods who would shape the cosmos.

This episode tells the story of how the Viking-age peoples of Scandinavia imagined the birth of the universe, based on ancient oral traditions later written down in Iceland in texts such as the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda.

Beyond gods and giants, these myths reflect a universal human question: where did everything come from?

Follow the podcast on other platforms:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Listen to the podcast:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede/id1740094241

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37CXiQV9JQ5Edq2nsXFrxw

Acast Podcast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede

Acast Podcast en Español: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

#NorseMythology #Vikings #NorseCosmology #Odin #ScandinavianHistory #Mythology #VikingAge #SpanSwede #HistoryPodcast #MythologyPodcast

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, I explore 19 very common Swedish idioms that you will hear again and again in daily life. Idioms exist in every language, but their literal meaning often makes little sense when translated word for word. That’s exactly what makes them interesting.

I break down each expression by explaining its literal meaning, what it actually means in real life, and I give a simple example to make it easier to remember. Many Swedish idioms follow a rhythmic structure with two words connected by “och” (“and”), which gives the language a very characteristic sound.

If you’re learning Swedish, living in Sweden, or simply curious about how language reflects culture, this episode will help you understand everyday conversations more naturally.

If you enjoy this content, make sure to follow the podcast and connect with me on social media:

YouTube: @spanswede

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanswede

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/spanswede/id1740094241

Spotify Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/37CXiQV9JQ5Edq2nsXFrxw

Acast Podcast: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede

Acast Podcast en Español: https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

See you in the next episode.

This podcast shares personal reflections on life in Sweden, culture, philosophy, and much more.

Also in Spanish: feeds.acast.com/public/shows/spanswede-en-espaol

YouTube: youtube.com/@spanswede

Follow me:

Instagram: @spanswede

TikTok: @spanswede

If this podcast adds something to your day, you can support it at ko-fi.com/juansweden — you'll also find the free bilingual transcripts for each episode there.

If you enjoyed the episode, a rating goes a long way. Thanks for listening!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.