The Art of Alchemy

In this weeks Art of Alchemy podcast Jamie talks about film making with his spiritual teacher Ram Dass and how he desired to be anointed, wasn’t his best self when making the film and yet how his heart was fully open whilst being in the creative process.

Jamie Catto is a musician, teacher, writer and film maker (who also created the film ‘one giant leap’).

Whilst working in the creative industry Jamie soon realised that everyone was hiding huge parts of themselves which made it impossible for people to thrive and reach personal and professional success - it was this that led him to creating trainings and workshops around ’the shadows".

Natasha and Jamie have a fun and engaging conversation about shifting perspectives and exploring the hidden aspects of oneself, often called the ’shadow’, and why people have fears around exploring these shadows - and what gems are hiding in the parts of us we have edited, disregarded, rejected and ignored.

They also discuss topics such as sexual kinks and the ‘king/queen’ dynamics in a relationship and the mistreatment of women and the planet. 

They touch on shame, authenticity, and the desire to have a positive impact on the world. 

If you are interested in exploring the hidden parts of yourself Natasha has a 4 day event where she will be sharing ’shadow games’.  You can find that info HERE.

About Jamie:
Jamie Catto is an author, film-maker and musician running transformational workshops and events to reclaim all the treasure we edited away into the shadows and facilitate everyone daring to be more real, more fallible, more tender, more intimate. 

His mission is to create a world full of ‘walking permission slips’ where we all lighten up and enjoy the unpredictable human path together with humour, playfulness and a healthy dose of irreverence. Jamie’s workshops and 1-1s provide a refreshing approach to inner work with the right dose of playfulness and depth. 

He facilitates these professional, personal and creative breakthroughs by drawing from his own processes in ground-breaking film production, philosophy voyages and music career. Evolution and enlightenment happen a lot quicker and easier when we treat the whole process as entertainment instead of ‘working on ourselves’.

“I’ve noticed longer lasting, healing trajectory changes happen when we curiously snorkel around the edges of our edges, not over-boldly plunge ourselves into deep cold water.

Patient, caring and tending heals more sustainably than heroic pushing. I believe in making every step consensual with my fragile inner characters.

I believe in the treasure of low-hanging fruit and heart-opening, playful intimacy, not stoic reverence and unworthiness before ‘more advanced beings’ dressed as faux-humility.

The huge, sexy river of creativity and wisdom is available to everyone in every moment - even this one right now - but it's through melting and opening not generating and do-ing. It's not a Yang act of will. It’s our yielding Yin that allows us to be guided and filled by Life’s Genius.

The core of melodrama is based around something being 'at stake’ but with our awakening there is literally nothing at stake. There's nothing to do but listen and open and be moved - our souls are plotting our pathways, and we are mostly passengers. That's what 'letting go' is all about. Trusting that river is real. Do you?

Genuine healing changes happen when we remove the over-importance or agenda to transcend this glorious, messy human experience and instead, be thoroughly entertained by our fallible, slapstick genius, tripping over our heart strings and spilling the wine, falling on our arses again and again as a given and each time treating it as one of our most illuminating and liberating spiritual practices.

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Starling is a pop princess who was discovered by Massive Attack and signed by Zero Seven. She is the ICON for self belief. In this weeks podcast you'll hear two friends talking about the music and the wellbeing industry - discussing the commonalities in both. Natasha and Starling talk  about monetizing talent, pricing, self value and their own inherited and created mindset stories around money.

They discuss the importance of not falling into the struggling artist or healer stereotype and the misconception that putting a price on healing or coaching is not spiritual. They also share deeply personal experiences and reflections on money, worthiness, legacy, self-expression, and overcoming huge challenges.

Natasha and Starling have both personally done shadow work and gone deep into their own personal growth journeys which they chat openly about. There are tips inside the episode to help you shift beyond your own limitations.

Mentioned in today's episode:
Dr Sarah Madigan
Suzy Ashworth
Gabor Mate

About Starling:
Starling was discovered by Henry Binns of Zero7 in a soho bar she worked in and from there ended up in sessions with Massive Attack. She sings about courage, darkness and coming through every fire stranger than before. With several strings to her bow, Starling also has a pas cast 'Starlinworld'  discussing the process o f creativity, and this has now been turned into a live event by Soho House. She founded The Platform, a series of mentoring programmes born out of her passion to 'be to others what I had needed'. The Platform helps creatives emotionally and strategically turn their dreams into reality.
Instagram https://instagram.com/starlingsworld?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA==

In this episode of "The Art of Alchemy" podcast, Natasha de Grunwald shares her personal experiences of surrendering control and being present, which has brought her a feeling of expansiveness. She discusses the challenges and benefits of letting go of control, including expanding self-awareness and building confidence. Natasha invites listeners to join her in exploring their own expansiveness and embracing their edges in her upcoming workshop. She also reflects on areas of her life where she is learning to let go of control and emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between action and surrender. Natasha encourages listeners to question their conditioning and explore their edges.

Join Expansive AF by clicking here.

Are you ready to live an expansive life?

My upcoming online event, "Expansive as F*CK," aims to help people overcome self-doubt and limiting beliefs and discusses exactly how these really impact our lives.

In this episode, I share my personal journey of overcoming self-doubt and encourage listeners to embrace all parts of themselves. I believe that many of our limiting beliefs come from childhood and societal conditioning, and it's important to question and challenge them to live a more expansive and happy life.

I emphasize the importance of growth and evolution, and how limiting beliefs can hold us back from experiencing joy, love, and freedom. I invite you to join me in my four-day event, where we can explore our own limiting beliefs and have a laugh at them. I believe that embracing our authentic selves fearlessly is the key to coming alive and experiencing joy and vitality. So, are you ready to break free from a life of anything less than extraordinary? Join me in my journey of self-discovery and embrace your authentic self fearlessly. Don't miss out on this opportunity to live an expansive life.

Join me by clicking here: https://natashadegrunwald.co.uk/expansive-af/

In this podcast episode of "The Art of Alchemy," I am talking about a highly unusual experience I had, a meditation about death. But, as you will hear this was no ordinary meditation but one curated by an artists and pathologist.

I discuss the significance of having new and mind-altering experiences to broaden one's perspective. This unique experience I had was part of the  research for my book "Thai Massage Dissected,” and described in detail what would happen to the body after death. 

I emphasize the importance of stepping out of one's comfort zone and trying new things to expand one's understanding of the world and oneself. The episode ends with me inviting listeners to join my upcoming online event for new experiences and expansion, called E X P A N S I V E  A F.

The meditation art experience was a piece called Afterlife, it is by two artists French & Mottershead (Rebecca French & Andrew Mottershead). http://frenchmottershead.com/

In this episode of "The Art of Alchemy" podcast, I am talking about why working with fascia in clinic is a key component to transformational and quantum healing potential - with a strong link to the psycho-somatic approach I'm so fond of.

I share insights about the power of touch and how it can help clients open up and share their deepest thoughts and feelings - and how I have observed the deepening of this when working with the layers of fascia.

As I delve deeper into the topic, I explain the intricacies of the fascia layer, an incredible, continuous fabric that surrounds and interweaves through every structure in the body. I explore my belief that the intelligence and wisdom of the fascia layer hold memories and experiences that can be released through minimal touch and pressure, leading to profound healing.

In this podcast episode, I talk about something super important - getting comfortable with discomfort. I share some personal experiences of dealing with uncomfortable situations and triggers, and I really emphasize the importance of finding alignment and resourcefulness within ourselves. 

We also chat about how discomfort can pop up in business and relationships, and I give some tips on building up your "rejection muscle" and finding inner guidance to deal with those tough moments. 

I really encourage you to take a look at where you might be holding yourself back and start taking small steps towards growth and expansion even if it feels stretchy and uncomfortable, because on the other side of this is the good stuff.

In this podcast episode, I'm sharing with you my personal experience of slowing down and being present in my life and the positive impact this has had personally and professionally.  

As someone who's always incredibly busy (single mum, entrepreneur - you know the deal)  I never realized how important it was to become still, for days, to slow down at home for days. 

After experiencing a death in my family, it was yet another wake up call, a reminder of how short life is and how important it is to me to leave something positive as a legacy to this world. What became clear in the stillness I finally gave myself was how much potential there is in that still space and how - even if there is fear around this change of pace, it actually is a gift.

So this week I am emphasizing the importance of slowing down and how to bring this into your every waking moment. 

It's amazing how much we can connect with our inner wisdom and inspiration when we take the time to be present. 

And trust me, I know it can be tough to slow down when it feels like there are a million things to do. But I encourage you to make it a practice, even if it's just for a few minutes a day. You'll be surprised at how much it can positively impact your life. So let's slow down together and notice the breath and see what unfolds from this spaciousness. 

In this podcast episode, I discuss the absolute Head F**K of pricing your treatments and sessions especially when new opportunities arise.

I share personal experiences and insights on how to approach this challenge, emphasizing the importance of being clear about what needs to be earned to cover costs and make a profit. 

However, this is certainly not the only consideration by any stretch of the imagination and in this episode I go into much more depth 

I advise against pricing on what others are doing or what we think people can afford, and instead encourage listeners to tap into their own inner guidance system and get clear on what feels good to them in their body. 

I also highlight the importance of connecting with your nervous systems and breath to access your inner wisdom and guidance.

In this weeks"Art of Alchemy" podcast. I talked about how important it is to breathe properly for both our physical and mental health.

Did you know that the way we take our first breath at birth can affect our breathing for the rest of our lives? Crazy, right?

But don't worry, I've got some tips for improving your breathing through a functional breathing exercise Ill share with you

It's a simple exercise for you to try out, and let me tell you, it's a game changer. 

Proper breathing can even help with a multitude of health issues, so for many reasons you should give it a try. 

So, if you're ready to take a deep breath and learn more about the power of breathing, give this episode a listen. And don't forget to share it with your friends and family!