The first topic I talked about was my musical reflections from the year, with one of the primary ones being my thoughts about how psychological flow works, aka, that "being in the zone" feeling. I reflected on the following quote, which I love:

“Flow is found at the intersection of discipline and surrender”

On the theme of surrender, I also explored the topic of duende, a concept my wife Yankı read about in the Edward Hirsch book linked below on artistic inspiration. Duende introduces a mischievous, mysterious, and almost demonic force behind artistry. A quote referenced in this book is another one that stuck with me in my performances this past year:

“All truly profound art requires its creator to abandon himself to certain powers which he invokes but cannot altogether control.” —ANDRÉ MALRAUX, "GOYA"

Carl Jung

I really want to devote a whole episode series to what we've been reading and thinking about regarding Carl Jung over the past year. Perhaps that will happen. However, for this 2025 reflection episode, I introduced some of my favorite concepts that I've learned from reading Jung or reading about him.

I covered what Jungian synchronicity is and a few possible examples that happened to us this past year. I also talked about coincidentia oppositorum, the coincidence of opposites, a mystical and philosophical concept crucial to Jungian psychology and also something I've wrestled with over the past year.

I gave several Jung quotes throughout the episode, with this one probably being my favorite:

“The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me. Or, conversely, I myself am a question which is addressed to the world, and I must communicate my answer, for otherwise I am dependent upon the world’s answer.”

The Problem With Skepticism

Lastly, after probably getting a bit too wiggly in my thinking, I closed the episode with some thoughts about skepticism and how it can go too far. Being completely naive is bad, but it is also sad to have your skepticism dial turned up too much and miss out on some of the magic and "wiggles" that make life meaningful. Maybe the point is to find a balance between skepticism and the instinct to believe and to play.

Timestamps:

1. [02:55]Musical Lessons & Reflections
2. [10:07]Carl Jung, Symbols, & Syncronicity
3. [25:37]Carl Jung and Coincidence of Opposites
4. [39:13]The Problem with Skepticism

Links:

1. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Affiliate Link)
2. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's TED Talk
3. The Master and...]]>This episode is another attempt to keep the podcast on life support. Like last year, our busy musician schedules (and lack of proper planning) made it difficult to publish several episodes throughout the year. With a few free days left in 2025 before some traveling, I gathered my thoughts and reflections from the year 2025 and tried to make them into this stream of consciousness style of episode.

   The first topic I talked about was my musical reflections from the year, with one of the primary ones being my thoughts about how psychological flow works, aka, that "being in the zone" feeling. I reflected on the following quote, which I love:

   “Flow is found at the intersection of discipline and surrender”

   On the theme of surrender, I also explored the topic of duende, a concept my wife Yankı read about in the Edward Hirsch book linked below on artistic inspiration. Duende introduces a mischievous, mysterious, and almost demonic force behind artistry. A quote referenced in this book is another one that stuck with me in my performances this past year:

   
   

   “All truly profound art requires its creator to abandon himself to certain powers which he invokes but cannot altogether control.” —ANDRÉ MALRAUX, "GOYA"

   
   

   Carl Jung

   I really want to devote a whole episode series to what we've been reading and thinking about regarding Carl Jung over the past year. Perhaps that will happen. However, for this 2025 reflection episode, I introduced some of my favorite concepts that I've learned from reading Jung or reading about him.

   I covered what Jungian synchronicity is and a few possible examples that happened to us this past year. I also talked about coincidentia oppositorum, the coincidence of opposites, a mystical and philosophical concept crucial to Jungian psychology and also something I've wrestled with over the past year.

   I gave several Jung quotes throughout the episode, with this one probably being my favorite:

   
   

   “The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me. Or, conversely, I myself am a question which is addressed to the world, and I must communicate my answer, for otherwise I am dependent upon the world’s answer.”

   
   

   The Problem With Skepticism

   Lastly, after probably getting a bit too wiggly in my thinking, I closed the episode with some thoughts about skepticism and how it can go too far. Being completely naive is bad, but it is also sad to have your skepticism dial turned up too much and miss out on some of the magic and "wiggles" that make life meaningful. Maybe the point is to find a balance between skepticism and the instinct to believe and to play.

   Timestamps:

   1. [02:55]Musical Lessons & Reflections
   2. [10:07]Carl Jung, Symbols, & Syncronicity
   3. [25:37]Carl Jung and Coincidence of Opposites
   4. [39:13]The Problem with Skepticism
   
   

   Links:

   1. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Affiliate Link)
   2. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's TED Talk
   3. The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Iain McGilchrist (Affiliate Link)
   4. Man and His Symbols by Carl Jung (Affiliate Link)
   5. The Demon and the Angel: Searching for the Source of Artistic Inspiration by Edward Hirsch (Affiliate Link)
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   1. Our Website/Blog
   2. Newsletter
   3. Twitter: @EKodawari
   4. Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   5. Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>cd87149f-371f-4c14-a333-ae97f8be126fWed, 24 Dec 2025 19:00:00 -050049:58falsefull4141Lessons And Observations in 2024Well, it's been over a year since our last episode! As a COVID-19 pandemic project, sticking to a consistent publishing schedule for this podcast has been tough. But we've always said that even if our focus on it fades and drifts, we'll continue putting out content as long as we have something to say.

   So, we threw this episode together on New Year's Eve to at least say that we put out one episode in 2024. Enjoy our lessons, observations, and reflections on 2024, which includes topics we hope to cover over a few episodes in 2025.

   We talk about the value of simplicity, gratitude prayers, learning to surrender, knowledge vs wisdom, and the meaning crisis in our culture and why there are so many zombie movies/TV shows.

   2024 Quote

   "It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple." —Rabindranath Tagore

   Timestamps:

   • [01:48] Gratitude practice/prayer
   • [06:16] Earning your simplicity
   • [08:52] The value of surrender
   • [18:04] What is wisdom?
   • [22:03] Meaning of life vs. meaning in life
   • [39:24] The Greek word tonos and embracing healthy tension
   • [45:19] Thoughts on toxic compassion
   
   

   Links:

   • Overcoming Nihilism (My 2022 article)
   • Zombies in Western Culture A Twenty-First Century Crisis by John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>Well, it's been over a year since our last episode! As a COVID-19 pandemic project, sticking to a consistent publishing schedule for this podcast has been tough. But we've always said that even if our focus on it fades and drifts, we'll continue putting out content as long as we have something to say.

   So, we threw this episode together on New Year's Eve to at least say that we put out one episode in 2024. Enjoy our lessons, observations, and reflections on 2024, which includes topics we hope to cover over a few episodes in 2025.

   We talk about the value of simplicity, gratitude prayers, learning to surrender, knowledge vs wisdom, and the meaning crisis in our culture and why there are so many zombie movies/TV shows.

   2024 Quote

   "It is very simple to be happy, but it is very difficult to be simple." —Rabindranath Tagore

   Timestamps:

   • [01:48] Gratitude practice/prayer
   • [06:16] Earning your simplicity
   • [08:52] The value of surrender
   • [18:04] What is wisdom?
   • [22:03] Meaning of life vs. meaning in life
   • [39:24] The Greek word tonos and embracing healthy tension
   • [45:19] Thoughts on toxic compassion
   
   

   Links:

   • Overcoming Nihilism (My 2022 article)
   • Zombies in Western Culture A Twenty-First Century Crisis by John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>41d45cd9-175d-4746-8380-50fe81a920e3Tue, 31 Dec 2024 19:00:00 -050053:21falsefull4040Revisiting KodawariIn this episode—especially since it has been so long since our last one—we decided to revisit the concept of kodawari and how it has changed for us over the three years of doing this podcast/blog.

   Over time we encounter more knowledge and have more life experiences. And as we attempt to integrate those into a coherent life philosophy, our ideas about life change and update. I believe we have a duty to regularly bring a beginner's mind to our ideas so that we can "rediscover" them with novelty.

   There is something cyclic to the way that we descend into a more chaotic state of confusion and then emerge from it by finding once again our deep truths with freshness in the present moment. This cyclic process can subtly or drastically update our ideas, making them more personal, genuine, valuable, and "true".

   So since we are very different people than when we started the podcast three years ago, we felt it would be good to revisit the meaning of kodawari with fresh eyes. We especially lean into the uncompromising element of kodawari and why our society needs more "skillful inflexibility" to continue functioning.

   Timestamps:

   • [04:36] Why are we revisiting the meaning of kodawari?
   • [09:09] How has kodawari changed for us?
   • [12:12] What are we uncompromising about?
   • [20:41] Rethinking how perfection fits into kodawari
   • [23:11] Why humility is crucial
   • [26:32] Limitations of the intellect and Chekhov’s The Seagull
   • [32:59] Our official 2023 definition of kodawari
   
   

   Links:

   • First podcast episode on kodawari
   • Article: What is Kodawari?
   • Japanese Ramen’s Kodawari
   • The Japanese philosophy of "Kodawari"
   • Chekhov’s The Seagull
   • A Rabbi, a Priest, and an Atheist Smoke Weed Together
   
   

   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>In this episode—especially since it has been so long since our last one—we decided to revisit the concept of kodawari and how it has changed for us over the three years of doing this podcast/blog.

   Over time we encounter more knowledge and have more life experiences. And as we attempt to integrate those into a coherent life philosophy, our ideas about life change and update. I believe we have a duty to regularly bring a beginner's mind to our ideas so that we can "rediscover" them with novelty.

   There is something cyclic to the way that we descend into a more chaotic state of confusion and then emerge from it by finding once again our deep truths with freshness in the present moment. This cyclic process can subtly or drastically update our ideas, making them more personal, genuine, valuable, and "true".

   So since we are very different people than when we started the podcast three years ago, we felt it would be good to revisit the meaning of kodawari with fresh eyes. We especially lean into the uncompromising element of kodawari and why our society needs more "skillful inflexibility" to continue functioning.

   Timestamps:

   • [04:36] Why are we revisiting the meaning of kodawari?
   • [09:09] How has kodawari changed for us?
   • [12:12] What are we uncompromising about?
   • [20:41] Rethinking how perfection fits into kodawari
   • [23:11] Why humility is crucial
   • [26:32] Limitations of the intellect and Chekhov’s The Seagull
   • [32:59] Our official 2023 definition of kodawari
   
   

   Links:

   • First podcast episode on kodawari
   • Article: What is Kodawari?
   • Japanese Ramen’s Kodawari
   • The Japanese philosophy of "Kodawari"
   • Chekhov’s The Seagull
   • A Rabbi, a Priest, and an Atheist Smoke Weed Together
   
   

   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>4d4d1891-e203-4d43-a789-65e520cc6e48Sun, 05 Mar 2023 07:00:00 -050039:50falsefull3939This episode brings Exploring Kodawari back to its roots after a long time away. We revisit the concept of kodawari to understand how our ideas about it have changed over the three years of this podcast/blog.The Hedonic Treadmill: Exploring Happiness , Meaning, and Hedonic Adaptation“‘I shall take the heart,’ returned the Tin Woodsman; ‘for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.’” —L. Frank Baum

   The topic of this episode is happiness and hedonic adaptation, otherwise known as the hedonic treadmill. Hedonic adaptation is a phenomenon of our psychology and physiology that keeps us at a stable level of happiness over time. This adaptation is like an immune system that desensitizes us in relation to negative and positive experiences, making us continually find our happiness baseline.

   The Hedonic Treadmill

   The concept of hedonic adaptation dates back to a 1971 paper by Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell called "Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society", and it was made even more famous in a 1978 study called "Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?" The study compared lottery winners and paraplegics with a control group to show that both groups eventually adjusted and returned to a baseline of happiness.

   The hedonic treadmill, or happiness treadmill, is named as such because no matter how much you chase happiness and increase it in the short term, you end up in the same place continually chasing. The hedonic pathways in our brains become desensitized to pleasurable things that we encounter regularly. So after big life events like winning the lottery, getting a job promotion, getting married, etc, we will tend to settle back to our happiness set point.

   The Meaning of Happiness

   Aside from the science of hedonic adaptation, we also talked about the philosophy of happiness and whether it is a good goal in life. How is happiness different from words like joy, pleasure, tranquility, peacefulness, excitement, satisfaction, content, cheerful, or well-being?

   Is happiness something we get from the external world or does it come from within? Do we seek happiness or are we really running away from suffering? And what is the difference between a meaningful life and a happy life?

   Solutions to the Hedonic Treadmill

   “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” —Guillaume Apollinaire

   Lastly, we talked about ways to overcome hedonic adaptation so that we do not continually get caught in the same traps throughout life. Routines such as a dopamine detox and spiritual practices like gratitude and Beginner's Mind are all ways to avoid getting stuck on the hedonic treadmill.

   Timestamps:

   • [06:08] What is happiness?
   • [10:05] What is the difference between happiness and well-being?
   • [15:28] Dopamine
   • [27:57] What is hedonic adaptation?
   • [35:14] Hedonic adaptation towards negative phenomena
   • [39:23] How to combat the hedonic treadmill
   • [50:40] Why negative emotions are necessary
   
   

   Links:

   • A French poet’s beautiful advice on how to be happy (Luke's Medium article)
   • Lottery winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? P Brickman, D Coates, R Janoff-Bulman
   • Stepping Off the Hedonic Treadmill
   • Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill: Revising the Adaptation Theory of Well-Being
   • How Does Hedonic Adaptation Affect the Pursuit of Happiness? - with Joe Gladstone
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always...]]>“‘I shall take the heart,’ returned the Tin Woodsman; ‘for brains do not make one happy, and happiness is the best thing in the world.’” —L. Frank Baum

   The topic of this episode is happiness and hedonic adaptation, otherwise known as the hedonic treadmill. Hedonic adaptation is a phenomenon of our psychology and physiology that keeps us at a stable level of happiness over time. This adaptation is like an immune system that desensitizes us in relation to negative and positive experiences, making us continually find our happiness baseline.

   The Hedonic Treadmill

   The concept of hedonic adaptation dates back to a 1971 paper by Philip Brickman and Donald T. Campbell called "Hedonic Relativism and Planning the Good Society", and it was made even more famous in a 1978 study called "Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative?" The study compared lottery winners and paraplegics with a control group to show that both groups eventually adjusted and returned to a baseline of happiness.

   The hedonic treadmill, or happiness treadmill, is named as such because no matter how much you chase happiness and increase it in the short term, you end up in the same place continually chasing. The hedonic pathways in our brains become desensitized to pleasurable things that we encounter regularly. So after big life events like winning the lottery, getting a job promotion, getting married, etc, we will tend to settle back to our happiness set point.

   The Meaning of Happiness

   Aside from the science of hedonic adaptation, we also talked about the philosophy of happiness and whether it is a good goal in life. How is happiness different from words like joy, pleasure, tranquility, peacefulness, excitement, satisfaction, content, cheerful, or well-being?

   Is happiness something we get from the external world or does it come from within? Do we seek happiness or are we really running away from suffering? And what is the difference between a meaningful life and a happy life?

   Solutions to the Hedonic Treadmill

   “Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” —Guillaume Apollinaire

   Lastly, we talked about ways to overcome hedonic adaptation so that we do not continually get caught in the same traps throughout life. Routines such as a dopamine detox and spiritual practices like gratitude and Beginner's Mind are all ways to avoid getting stuck on the hedonic treadmill.

   Timestamps:

   • [06:08] What is happiness?
   • [10:05] What is the difference between happiness and well-being?
   • [15:28] Dopamine
   • [27:57] What is hedonic adaptation?
   • [35:14] Hedonic adaptation towards negative phenomena
   • [39:23] How to combat the hedonic treadmill
   • [50:40] Why negative emotions are necessary
   
   

   Links:

   • A French poet’s beautiful advice on how to be happy (Luke's Medium article)
   • Lottery winners and accident victims: is happiness relative? P Brickman, D Coates, R Janoff-Bulman
   • Stepping Off the Hedonic Treadmill
   • Beyond the Hedonic Treadmill: Revising the Adaptation Theory of Well-Being
   • How Does Hedonic Adaptation Affect the Pursuit of Happiness? - with Joe Gladstone
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>2fefe004-c48f-444d-8e6d-021037e3b648Wed, 24 Aug 2022 07:00:00 -050053:44falsefull3838Is happiness the meaning of life? In this episode, we discuss the philosophy of happiness and the psychology of the hedonic treadmill that keeps us constantly chasing new forms of satisfaction and pleasure.Chad Goodman: The Art of Orchestral ConductingIn this episode, we explore the art of orchestral conducting with guest Chad Goodman. Chad is currently the conducting fellow of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, and he has also had fellowships at Festival Napa Valley and the Atlantic Music Festival. Since 2018, he has served as an assistant conductor to the San Francisco Symphony, and he also founded Elevate Ensemble in the Bay Area.

   Chad is also a good friend of ours, and so we used this conversation as an opportunity to get a more personal take on how orchestral conducting works and how a conductor thinks about music and prepares for concerts. We talked about music interpretation, the role of a conductor, communication, and how to unify a large group. We also talked about the beauty of constantly learning and improving and how outside knowledge helps unlock the secrets within a musical score.

   And lastly, aside from the more obvious sign language elements to orchestral conducting, we also tried to touch on abstract elements such as body language, eye contact, and energy. Some musical performances capture magical energy, and we wondered how a conductor thinks about that and how they try to cultivate that energy.

   Timestamps:

   • [05:17] What exactly is orchestral conducting?
   • [10:22] At what size does an ensemble need a conductor?
   • [15:21] What makes conducting break down /not work?
   • [25:05] How is kodawari relevant to conducting and what is perfection?
   • [32:29] Why is music meaningful?
   • [38:06] How does outside knowledge affect the interpretation/conducting of music?
   • [48:52] On why learning never ends
   • [56:07] Communication and the sign language of conducting
   • [01:02:24] Bonus Questions/Speed Round
   
   

   Links:

   • Chad's website
   • Chad's Instagram
   • How to enter ‘flow state’ on command | Steven Kotler
   • Flow Profile Test from Flow Genome Project
   • What is Kodawari?
   • Kodawari and Circumambulation
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>In this episode, we explore the art of orchestral conducting with guest Chad Goodman. Chad is currently the conducting fellow of the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, and he has also had fellowships at Festival Napa Valley and the Atlantic Music Festival. Since 2018, he has served as an assistant conductor to the San Francisco Symphony, and he also founded Elevate Ensemble in the Bay Area.

   Chad is also a good friend of ours, and so we used this conversation as an opportunity to get a more personal take on how orchestral conducting works and how a conductor thinks about music and prepares for concerts. We talked about music interpretation, the role of a conductor, communication, and how to unify a large group. We also talked about the beauty of constantly learning and improving and how outside knowledge helps unlock the secrets within a musical score.

   And lastly, aside from the more obvious sign language elements to orchestral conducting, we also tried to touch on abstract elements such as body language, eye contact, and energy. Some musical performances capture magical energy, and we wondered how a conductor thinks about that and how they try to cultivate that energy.

   Timestamps:

   • [05:17] What exactly is orchestral conducting?
   • [10:22] At what size does an ensemble need a conductor?
   • [15:21] What makes conducting break down /not work?
   • [25:05] How is kodawari relevant to conducting and what is perfection?
   • [32:29] Why is music meaningful?
   • [38:06] How does outside knowledge affect the interpretation/conducting of music?
   • [48:52] On why learning never ends
   • [56:07] Communication and the sign language of conducting
   • [01:02:24] Bonus Questions/Speed Round
   
   

   Links:

   • Chad's website
   • Chad's Instagram
   • How to enter ‘flow state’ on command | Steven Kotler
   • Flow Profile Test from Flow Genome Project
   • What is Kodawari?
   • Kodawari and Circumambulation
   
   

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
   
   ]]>10a27839-1f50-4ee5-bbc1-d32421308185Sat, 11 Jun 2022 07:00:00 -050001:10:32falsefull3737In this episode, we spoke with orchestral conductor Chad Goodman about the art of orchestral conducting and the process of interpreting music.Contending With Nihilism Part 2: Meaning in the Face of Absurdity"Written fifteen years ago, in 1940, amid the French and European disaster, this book declares that even within the limits of nihilism it is possible to find the means to proceed beyond nihilism. In all the books I have written since, I have attempted to pursue this direction. Although “The Myth of Sisyphus” poses mortal problems, it sums itself up for me as a lucid invitation to live and to create, in the very midst of the desert." —Albert Camus

   This episode is part two of our exploration of nihilism and the search for meaning in life—be sure to check out the previous episode to hear the first half of this conversation. But in this episode, we try to overcome the meaning crisis induced by nihilism to find a more durable sense of meaning in life.

   We also try to figure out what meaning even is. Is it possible to define meaning? Or is it something more implicit and instinctual? And finally, we close out the episode by exploring the philosophy of Absurdism as outlined by Camus in The Myth of Sisyphus. As Camus states:

   "The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

   
   

   For a more thorough exploration of this topic, check out our article below:

   Overcoming Nihilism: Why Meaning Matters And How To Find It

   Timestamps:

   • [04:50] Why you should contend with nihilism and camp in that perspective
   • [08:20] What is meaning?
   • [12:50] The meaning of the movie It's a Wonderful Life and why it makes people cry
   • [19:00] Meaning as service to others and assuming that Being is good
   • [21:05] Meaning as a surrender of the intellect
   • [26:40] Meaning as pointing (Kevin Simler's A Nihilist's Guide to Meaning)
   • [29:19] Albert Camus, Absurdism, and The Myth of Sisyphus
   • [39:30] How to bring someone back from a nihilistic place
   
   

    

   Links:

   • The ending of It's a Wonderful Life
   • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
   • Jordan Peterson: The Meaning of Life
   
   

    

   Support Us:

   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

    

   Follow Us:

   • Our Website/Blog
   • Newsletter
   • Twitter: @EKodawari
   • Instagram: "Written fifteen years ago, in 1940, amid the French and European disaster, this book declares that even within the limits of nihilism it is possible to find the means to proceed beyond nihilism. In all the books I have written since, I have attempted to pursue this direction. Although “The Myth of Sisyphus” poses mortal problems, it sums itself up for me as a lucid invitation to live and to create, in the very midst of the desert." —Albert Camus

     This episode is part two of our exploration of nihilism and the search for meaning in life—be sure to check out the previous episode to hear the first half of this conversation. But in this episode, we try to overcome the meaning crisis induced by nihilism to find a more durable sense of meaning in life.

     We also try to figure out what meaning even is. Is it possible to define meaning? Or is it something more implicit and instinctual? And finally, we close out the episode by exploring the philosophy of Absurdism as outlined by Camus in The Myth of Sisyphus. As Camus states:

     "The struggle itself towards the heights is enough to fill a man's heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy."

     
     

     For a more thorough exploration of this topic, check out our article below:

     Overcoming Nihilism: Why Meaning Matters And How To Find It

     Timestamps:

     • [04:50] Why you should contend with nihilism and camp in that perspective
     • [08:20] What is meaning?
     • [12:50] The meaning of the movie It's a Wonderful Life and why it makes people cry
     • [19:00] Meaning as service to others and assuming that Being is good
     • [21:05] Meaning as a surrender of the intellect
     • [26:40] Meaning as pointing (Kevin Simler's A Nihilist's Guide to Meaning)
     • [29:19] Albert Camus, Absurdism, and The Myth of Sisyphus
     • [39:30] How to bring someone back from a nihilistic place
     
     

      

     Links:

     • The ending of It's a Wonderful Life
     • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
     • Jordan Peterson: The Meaning of Life
     
     

      

     Support Us:

     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

     But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

     https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

      

     Follow Us:

     • Our Website/Blog
     • Newsletter
     • Twitter: @EKodawari
     • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
     • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
     
     ]]>0418701b-ab81-4f70-896c-f2774a6c0ae8Sat, 15 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -050043:05falsefull3636This episode is part two of our exploration of nihilism and the meaning crisis. We discuss the meaning of "meaning" and how one can overcome nihilism to find a more durable sense of meaning in life.Contending With Nihilism Part 1: The Meaning Crisis“What does nihilism mean? That the highest values devaluate themselves. The aim is lacking; 'why?' finds no answer.”                    —Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power   This episode, Part 1 of our exploration of nihilism, gets into the justifications for nihilism and why it's important to give nihilism its due as a philosophy. We discuss Nietzsche and existential nihilism as well as the playful cosmic nihilism of people like Alan Watts or Kurt Vonnegut. We also explore whether or not nihilism is on the rise, and how it might be influencing political movements around the world. In Part 2, coming out shortly after this, we talk about how to overcome nihilism to find a more durable sense of meaning to life. For a more thorough exploration of this topic, you can read our article: Overcoming Nihilism: Why Meaning Matters And How To Find It  

     Timestamps:

     • [05:15] What is nihilism?
     • [07:12] Cosmic nihilism and Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot
     • [11:57] Nietzsche and existential nihilism
     • [19:30] What is the opposite of being nihilistic?
     • [22:23] Is nihilism on the rise?
     • [26:07] Nihilism and moral relativism in social justice movements and "woke" ideology
     • [34:03] The trap of ideology
     
     

     What Is Nihilism?

     Nihilism is a philosophy that more or less states that human life has no intrinsic meaning or value. There are different forms of nihilism—moral, cosmic, political, existential, etc—that each has interesting details and histories. But since Exploring Kodwari is more about approaching self-development with the kodawari energy, we were less interested in the academic side of nihilism and more interested in the personal/psychological way that we all wrestle with nihilistic thoughts. Some people are explicitly nihilistic, but it seems more common for people to implicitly/subconsciously succumb to nihilism. Maybe it is a way to cope with the challenges of life or maybe it is a problem of the intellect and rationalism going too far. Probably, each person's struggle with nihilism is slightly different. But our claim in this episode (and Part 2) is that you can find the most durable sense of meaning in life after properly contending with nihilism.

     Links:

     • Nihilism in Rick and Morty and BoJack Horseman
     • Pale Blue Dot- Carl Sagan
     • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
     • A Nihilist's Guide to Meaning by Kevin Simler
     • The Master, his Emissary & the Meaning Crisis (Iain McGilchrist & John Vervaeke)
     
     

     Support Us:

     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media. But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website: exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

     Follow Us:

     • “What does nihilism mean? That the highest values devaluate themselves. The aim is lacking; 'why?' finds no answer.”                    —Friedrich Nietzsche, The Will to Power   This episode, Part 1 of our exploration of nihilism, gets into the justifications for nihilism and why it's important to give nihilism its due as a philosophy. We discuss Nietzsche and existential nihilism as well as the playful cosmic nihilism of people like Alan Watts or Kurt Vonnegut. We also explore whether or not nihilism is on the rise, and how it might be influencing political movements around the world. In Part 2, coming out shortly after this, we talk about how to overcome nihilism to find a more durable sense of meaning to life. For a more thorough exploration of this topic, you can read our article: Overcoming Nihilism: Why Meaning Matters And How To Find It  

       Timestamps:

       • [05:15] What is nihilism?
       • [07:12] Cosmic nihilism and Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot
       • [11:57] Nietzsche and existential nihilism
       • [19:30] What is the opposite of being nihilistic?
       • [22:23] Is nihilism on the rise?
       • [26:07] Nihilism and moral relativism in social justice movements and "woke" ideology
       • [34:03] The trap of ideology
       
       

       What Is Nihilism?

       Nihilism is a philosophy that more or less states that human life has no intrinsic meaning or value. There are different forms of nihilism—moral, cosmic, political, existential, etc—that each has interesting details and histories. But since Exploring Kodwari is more about approaching self-development with the kodawari energy, we were less interested in the academic side of nihilism and more interested in the personal/psychological way that we all wrestle with nihilistic thoughts. Some people are explicitly nihilistic, but it seems more common for people to implicitly/subconsciously succumb to nihilism. Maybe it is a way to cope with the challenges of life or maybe it is a problem of the intellect and rationalism going too far. Probably, each person's struggle with nihilism is slightly different. But our claim in this episode (and Part 2) is that you can find the most durable sense of meaning in life after properly contending with nihilism.

       Links:

       • Nihilism in Rick and Morty and BoJack Horseman
       • Pale Blue Dot- Carl Sagan
       • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
       • A Nihilist's Guide to Meaning by Kevin Simler
       • The Master, his Emissary & the Meaning Crisis (Iain McGilchrist & John Vervaeke)
       
       

       Support Us:

       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media. But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website: exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

       Follow Us:

       • Our Website/Blog
       • Newsletter
       • Twitter: @EKodawari
       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
       
       ]]>d38ee196-29a1-4d2f-bdfa-5e6e79aaf8f9Mon, 10 Jan 2022 07:00:00 -050045:31falsefull3535In this episode, we explore the roots of nihilism and why nihilistic thinking seems to be on the rise. We also discuss two related problems: those who succumb to nihilism and those who ignoreWhat Is Metacognition? Mindfulness, Meta-Awareness, and Other Metacognitive Strategies What is metacognition? Metacognition is a modern term coined in 1979 by the American developmental psychologist John H. Flavell. He defined it as “cognition about cognitive phenomena,” or “thinking about thinking”. But the concept of metacognition has been around long before that in philosophy. "Meta", meaning beyond or above, signals that metacognition is a form of thinking above our usual cognitive processes. And in this podcast episode, we work through the varying layers of metacognition and meta-awareness and how metacognitive skills can make us better learners and better people.

       Timestamps:

       • [04:45] What is metacognition?
       • [08:25] Examining how you learn
       • [12:33] The bird's eye view and how metacognitive therapy can help with depression
       • [17:07]  Metacogni-ception: the layers of metacognition
       • [19:27] Mindfulness, Meta-awareness, and mind wandering
       • [28:00]  What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
       • [30:05] Modular model of the mind and the importance of embracing contradiction
       • [40:44] Camping and de-camping between viewpoints/opinions
       • [47:39]  What is metacognition? Metacognition is a modern term coined in 1979 by the American developmental psychologist John H. Flavell. He defined it as “cognition about cognitive phenomena,” or “thinking about thinking”. But the concept of metacognition has been around long before that in philosophy. "Meta", meaning beyond or above, signals that metacognition is a form of thinking above our usual cognitive processes. And in this podcast episode, we work through the varying layers of metacognition and meta-awareness and how metacognitive skills can make us better learners and better people.

         Timestamps:

         • [04:45] What is metacognition?
         • [08:25] Examining how you learn
         • [12:33] The bird's eye view and how metacognitive therapy can help with depression
         • [17:07]  Metacogni-ception: the layers of metacognition
         • [19:27] Mindfulness, Meta-awareness, and mind wandering
         • [28:00]  What is the difference between meditation and mindfulness?
         • [30:05] Modular model of the mind and the importance of embracing contradiction
         • [40:44] Camping and de-camping between viewpoints/opinions
         • [47:39]  The Elephant in the Brain
         
         

         What Is Metacognition?

         There are multiple levels to understanding what metacognition is. On a basic level, metacognition happens anytime you assess the methods and strategies involved in your thinking processes. These lower-level metacognitive strategies occur anytime you evaluate your particular learning processes—your strengths, weaknesses, and style of learning—and use that knowledge for more successful learning. But on a deeper level, you can achieve meta-awareness (aka mindfulness), which is a true detachment from the mind. And science is increasingly showing that meta-awareness not only leads to more successful learning but that it also increases our feeling of well-being in the world.

         Metacognition And Learning Strategies

         Metacognition is an amazing tool for both students and teachers. When solving tasks and processing new information, metacognitive knowledge tells us what learning strategies are most likely to work. When teaching, you should encourage students to evaluate how their minds work and explain what learning strategies gave them the best outcomes in the past. Some people learn best visually, and some people learn best aurally. Others need to physically participate in a task for comprehension to occur. As learners, we should regularly make an evaluation of our cognitive processes, especially our weaknesses, and practice the particular strategies that are most successful. Whether you are teaching students or a learner yourself, metacognitive strategies give you the ability to control your learning and progress. Throughout the various learning contexts, watch your thinking take place from above it to find out what parts of your cognition lead to the best outcomes. And remember that metacognition is a skill, which means figuring it out will get easier the more you practice it.

         Meta-awareness And Mindfulness

         In one sense, the instruction for mindfulness and meta-awareness is pretty simple: sit down and observe your mind from a distance. Jon Kabat-Zinn, who developed mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), defined mindful awareness as the "awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally". And even though it sounds easy on the surface, avoiding mind wandering for even a few breaths is insanely difficult. Most of the time, we fail to achieve meta-awareness or mindfulness because we are lost in thought. And most students are never even taught this concept or the skills you can practice to develop meta-awareness. The first layer is to become aware of thoughts, body sensations, and emotions arising in the present moment. But on a deeper level, meta-awareness makes a lower-level object out of awareness itself. You become that which is aware. When people are taught the appropriate strategies in mindfulness and meta-awareness, they develop the ability to detach from their mental phenomena. Research by John D. Teasdale, linked below, shows that the metacognitive skills discussed in this episode allow patients to switch from thoughts like "I am depressed" to "I am aware of my depressive thoughts".

         Conclusion

         What is metacognition? Hopefully, after hearing this episode you'll realize that it is much more than a learning strategy or a trick you can use in the classroom. At a deeper level, it will allow you to get to know yourself and become a better person. Spending time in metacognitive space allows you to detach from opinions and emotions and embrace the contradictions that exist in every single mind. It will make you kinder to yourself and others! **Click here for our more in-depth article: Metacognition: The Bird's Eye View of the Mind**

         Links:

         • The Modular Mind-Exploring Kodawari
         • Have Fewer Opinions-Exploring Kodawari
         • Robin Hanson, Hidden Motives, and The Elephant in the Brain
         • Agnes Callard on The Portal: Courage and Meta-cognitive Detachment
         • What is a software sandbox?
         • Honoro Vera 2019 Garnacha wine
         
         

         What is Metacognition: Scientific Resources

         • Meta-Cognition in Mindfulness: A Conceptual Analysis-Dilwar Hussain
         • Reconstructing and deconstructing the self: cognitive mechanisms in meditation practice-Cortland J. Dahl
         • Metacognitive model of mindfulness-Jankowski, T
         • Metacognitive awareness and prevention of relapse in depression: Empirical evidence-Teasdale, J. D
         
         

         Support Us:

         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media. But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website: https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

         Follow Us:

         • Our Website/Blog
         • Newsletter
         • Twitter: @EKodawari
         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
         
         ]]>d06adf94-6f49-4bd2-a5c5-d6c528572897Fri, 08 Oct 2021 07:00:00 -050059:27falsefull3434Metacognition, or being "above" normal thinking, is the bird's eye view of the mind. And in this episode, we travel through the different layers of metacognition and meta-awareness to learn how to think more clearly and live better lives.Understanding Stoicism: Stoic Psychological Techniques for Living a Better Life"Many of us have been persuaded that happiness is something that someone else, a therapist or a politician, must confer on us. Stoicism rejects this notion. It teaches us that we are very much responsible for our happiness as well as our unhappiness. It also teaches us that it is only when we assume responsibility for our happiness that we will have a reasonable chance of gaining it. This, to be sure, is a message that many people, having been indoctrinated by therapists and politicians, don't want to hear." —William Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life

         In this episode, we dig deeper into the philosophy of Stoicism and work through some of the specific psychological techniques and exercises that will help you to adopt the Stoic viewpoint.

         We also try to connect the growing popularity of Stoicism to the rise of victimhood culture over the last twenty years. As we said in the previous episode, Understanding Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life, much of Stoicism can be summed up by the psychological difference between viewing something as a blessing or as a curse.

         Timestamps:

         • [04:18] Negative visualization: The trick for appreciating what you already have
         • [13:07] The Dichotomy of Control and how to more strategically set goals
         • [17:44] Trans Life Meditation
         • [19:14] The Last Time Meditation
         • [22:04] The Storytelling Frame
         • [22:59] The Stoic Test
         • [25:33] Prospective Retrospection
         • [29:41] Summarizing Stoic beliefs and techniques in comparison to today's growing victim culture
         • [33:18] "Tranquility in the Storm": Julius Canus and following through on your philosophy of life
         
         

         Links:

         • Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life (Exploring Kodwari's in-depth article)
         • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hays)
         • A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
         • Daily Stoic: What is Stoicism?
         • Author Terry Tucker—How to Embrace Suffering and Find Purpose in Life
         
         

         Support Us:

         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

         Follow Us:

         • Our Website/Blog
         • Newsletter
         • Twitter: @EKodawari
         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
         • Facebook: "Many of us have been persuaded that happiness is something that someone else, a therapist or a politician, must confer on us. Stoicism rejects this notion. It teaches us that we are very much responsible for our happiness as well as our unhappiness. It also teaches us that it is only when we assume responsibility for our happiness that we will have a reasonable chance of gaining it. This, to be sure, is a message that many people, having been indoctrinated by therapists and politicians, don't want to hear." —William Irvine, A Guide to the Good Life

           In this episode, we dig deeper into the philosophy of Stoicism and work through some of the specific psychological techniques and exercises that will help you to adopt the Stoic viewpoint.

           We also try to connect the growing popularity of Stoicism to the rise of victimhood culture over the last twenty years. As we said in the previous episode, Understanding Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life, much of Stoicism can be summed up by the psychological difference between viewing something as a blessing or as a curse.

           Timestamps:

           • [04:18] Negative visualization: The trick for appreciating what you already have
           • [13:07] The Dichotomy of Control and how to more strategically set goals
           • [17:44] Trans Life Meditation
           • [19:14] The Last Time Meditation
           • [22:04] The Storytelling Frame
           • [22:59] The Stoic Test
           • [25:33] Prospective Retrospection
           • [29:41] Summarizing Stoic beliefs and techniques in comparison to today's growing victim culture
           • [33:18] "Tranquility in the Storm": Julius Canus and following through on your philosophy of life
           
           

           Links:

           • Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life (Exploring Kodwari's in-depth article)
           • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hays)
           • A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
           • Daily Stoic: What is Stoicism?
           • Author Terry Tucker—How to Embrace Suffering and Find Purpose in Life
           
           

           Support Us:

           You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

           But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

           https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

           Follow Us:

           • Our Website/Blog
           • Newsletter
           • Twitter: @EKodawari
           • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
           • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
           
           ]]>c907b827-2c84-4351-b21c-f1bea4f55fc5Mon, 02 Aug 2021 07:00:00 -050039:30falsefull3333In this episode, we get into the specific psychological techniques and thought experiments within Stoicism that will help you to live a better life.Understanding Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life"Remember: Matter. How tiny your share of it. Time. How brief and fleeting your allotment of it. Fate. How small a role you play in it." —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Stoicism as a philosophy is not the same as being lowercase s stoical. It is not about blocking our difficult feelings and emotions. Instead, Stoicism is an approach to life that teaches us how to handle our negative emotions in psychologically healthier ways.

           Timestamps:

           • [04:11] What is Stoicism? Zeno of Citium and the beginnings of Stoicism to the Roman Stoicism centuries later
           • [09:12] What is a philosophy of life?
           • [16:26] The basic Stoic beliefs and assumptions
           • [26:00] Definition of Stoicism in relation to the victim culture of today's society
           • [31:40] Ataraxia/Tranquility: the grand goal of Stoicism
           • [38:19] "Remember: Matter. How tiny your share of it. Time. How brief and fleeting your allotment of it. Fate. How small a role you play in it." —Marcus Aurelius, Meditations Stoicism as a philosophy is not the same as being lowercase s stoical. It is not about blocking our difficult feelings and emotions. Instead, Stoicism is an approach to life that teaches us how to handle our negative emotions in psychologically healthier ways.

             Timestamps:

             • [04:11] What is Stoicism? Zeno of Citium and the beginnings of Stoicism to the Roman Stoicism centuries later
             • [09:12] What is a philosophy of life?
             • [16:26] The basic Stoic beliefs and assumptions
             • [26:00] Definition of Stoicism in relation to the victim culture of today's society
             • [31:40] Ataraxia/Tranquility: the grand goal of Stoicism
             • [38:19] Epictetus and the dichotomy of control
             • [45:13] Epictetus and the art of acquiescence
             
             

             What is Stoicism?

             So what is Stoicism? What are the Stoic beliefs and principles that can lead to a good life? The meaning of Stoicism can be expressed in many ways, but in essence, it is the difference between viewing something as a blessing or as a curse. It is realizing that the obstacles in life don't obstruct our path—they are the path. Marcus Aurelius, in one of his more famous Stoicism quotes, echoed this by saying the following:

             "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way".

             Author and advocate for Stoicism Ryan Holiday, founder of the Daily Stoic, wrote a book centered on this concept called The Obstacle Is the Way. Instead of victimizing ourselves when we have difficulties, we can see it as the very thing that advances us forward and makes us grow. As Marcus Aurelius says, this framing of events is what allows us to logically see challenges as blessings:

             “So remember this principle when something threatens to cause you pain: the thing itself was no misfortune at all; to endure it and prevail is great good fortune.”

             We often cannot control external events, but we can always control our internal framing of those events. Stoicism calls this the art of acquiescence, and it is how we bring ourselves into harmony with nature, with what is. While more difficult, this includes accepting the challenges and tragedies of life, even our own death. In fact, Stoic beliefs and techniques centered around learning how to reframe events that happen to you in this more positive framing of a blessing. Stoicism philosophers (so-called Stoics) include famous Greek names like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Chrysippus as well as even more famous Roman names such Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. It is the Roman Stoicism, especially the famous Stoicism quotes by Marcus Aurelius, that serve as the foundation for this episode. For a more in-depth guide to Stoic beliefs, you can read our full article that corresponds to this episode: **Stoicism as a Philosophy of Life** And look out for Part 2 for our episode that takes these Stoic beliefs and transforms them into specific techniques.

             Links:

             • Meditations by Marcus Aurelius (translated by Gregory Hays)
             • A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy by William B. Irvine
             • Daily Stoic: What is Stoicism?
             • Author Terry Tucker—How to Embrace Suffering and Find Purpose in Life
             
             

             Support Us:

             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media. But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website: https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

             Follow Us:

             • Our Website/Blog
             • Newsletter
             • Twitter: @EKodawari
             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
             
             ]]>9c025164-5ecf-408e-8f91-b4fd8c85f85fWed, 28 Jul 2021 07:00:00 -050053:03falsefull3232In this episode, we dig into Stoic beliefs and principles that can help you find tranquility and live a better life.Violinist Katherine Bormann of The Cleveland Orchestra

             This episode is our conversation with Katherine Bormann, a violinist with The Cleveland Orchestra since 2011. Katherine has degrees from Rice University and The Juilliard School and studied with Kathleen Winkler, Joel Smirnoff, and Ronald Copes.

             She has made appearances at Strings Music Festival, Mainly Mozart Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Festival, where she was also a member of the contemporary music ensemble, New Fromm Players. She was also a member of the New World Symphony for four years.

             In the episode, we talk about what it is like to be a musician in a top-tier orchestra, and how she maintains her technique, artistry, and inspiration. We also talk about the things outside of music that a musician must do to be their best self, especially the importance of being quiet and going within yourself so that you can better share your art with others.

             And of course, we talk about the grueling audition process required to get a job like this and some tips that she has for getting better at auditions and other high-pressure situations.

             It was definitely a bit of a music-geeky episode, but still, it is a conversation anyone can enjoy and get something out of, even if you're not a musician!

             **Click here to watch the Youtube video for this episode**

             Timestamps:

             • [02:08] Katherine's background and how she got started with violin
             • [04:05] The interconnectedness of all the arts and how they complement each other
             • [06:04] Was there a moment of inspiration when Katherine knew she wanted to be a musician?
             • [15:19] Why Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier Suite is Katherine's favorite piece
             • [20:10] How has Katherine's relationship with music changed throughout her life/career?
             • [24:40] The importance of establishing routines
             • [29:04] How to play emotionally and be engaged with the music while also being technically accurate
             • [34:19] The value of being well-rounded and knowing more than just your musical part
             • [40:27] The problem of hedonic adaptation, especially how it affects musicians
             • [45:45] The different personality types between instruments
             • [48:50] Audition advice
             • [53:42] Bonus questions
             
             

             Links:

             • Katherin's Bio
             • ON A PERSONAL NOTE | Cleveland Orchestra - With Violinist Katherine Bormann
             • Trumpeter Maurice Murphy playing his first notes with the London Symphony Orchestra on John William's Star Wars score
             • Beginner's Mind
             
             

             Support Us:

             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

             Follow Us:

             • Our Website/Blog
             • Newsletter
             • Twitter:

               This episode is our conversation with Katherine Bormann, a violinist with The Cleveland Orchestra since 2011. Katherine has degrees from Rice University and The Juilliard School and studied with Kathleen Winkler, Joel Smirnoff, and Ronald Copes.

               She has made appearances at Strings Music Festival, Mainly Mozart Festival, Aspen Music Festival, and Tanglewood Music Festival, where she was also a member of the contemporary music ensemble, New Fromm Players. She was also a member of the New World Symphony for four years.

               In the episode, we talk about what it is like to be a musician in a top-tier orchestra, and how she maintains her technique, artistry, and inspiration. We also talk about the things outside of music that a musician must do to be their best self, especially the importance of being quiet and going within yourself so that you can better share your art with others.

               And of course, we talk about the grueling audition process required to get a job like this and some tips that she has for getting better at auditions and other high-pressure situations.

               It was definitely a bit of a music-geeky episode, but still, it is a conversation anyone can enjoy and get something out of, even if you're not a musician!

               **Click here to watch the Youtube video for this episode**

               Timestamps:

               • [02:08] Katherine's background and how she got started with violin
               • [04:05] The interconnectedness of all the arts and how they complement each other
               • [06:04] Was there a moment of inspiration when Katherine knew she wanted to be a musician?
               • [15:19] Why Richard Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier Suite is Katherine's favorite piece
               • [20:10] How has Katherine's relationship with music changed throughout her life/career?
               • [24:40] The importance of establishing routines
               • [29:04] How to play emotionally and be engaged with the music while also being technically accurate
               • [34:19] The value of being well-rounded and knowing more than just your musical part
               • [40:27] The problem of hedonic adaptation, especially how it affects musicians
               • [45:45] The different personality types between instruments
               • [48:50] Audition advice
               • [53:42] Bonus questions
               
               

               Links:

               • Katherin's Bio
               • ON A PERSONAL NOTE | Cleveland Orchestra - With Violinist Katherine Bormann
               • Trumpeter Maurice Murphy playing his first notes with the London Symphony Orchestra on John William's Star Wars score
               • Beginner's Mind
               
               

               Support Us:

               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

               Follow Us:

               • Our Website/Blog
               • Newsletter
               • Twitter: @EKodawari
               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
               
               ]]>c1ca4936-039e-482d-ba0e-0934e4feb530Mon, 17 May 2021 07:00:00 -050001:06:59falsefull3131In this episode, we speak with Katherine Bormann, a violinist in The Cleveland Orchestra since 2011. We talk about music, life, and what it's like to be a musician in a top-tier orchestra.Chaos and Order, Yin and Yang—The Ultimate Mental Model of RealityWe recently published a new page on our website organizing all of our mental models (aka mental frameworks) into one place. We explain what a mental model is and how you can use them to better understand the world.
               • Mental Frameworks: Your Toolbox For Thinking More Clearly
               
               

               In short, mental models are ways of thinking that help to simplify the world. They block out the noise so that we can better pay attention to the signal. And the most fundamental mental model—the most fundamental way of categorizing and understanding the world—is understanding the dichotomy of chaos and order.

               Episode Timestamps:

               • [04:00] Mental frameworks/models and how they help us think and understand the world
               • [05:15] Why chaos and order is the ultimate mental framework
               • [09:47] What is a good definition or some examples of chaos?
               • [14:48] The duality of life and death
               • [18:30] The light vs. the dark in storytelling (Star Wars, Marvel movies, Harry Potter, etc)
               • [23:42] The delusion of anger and the hemispheric structure of the brain
               • [31:57] Why chaos is represented by serpents and why a garden is the perfect balance of chaos and order
               • [41:53] Why is chaos mythologically feminine and order masculine?
               • [54:24] The big five personality traits (OCEAN) and political orientation (aka why the left fears pathologies of order and the right pathologies of chaos)
               • [01:05:21] Chaos and time: Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Mahler's 5th Symphony, and why the crocodile in Peter Pan swallowed a clock.
               • [01:09:45] Why the ideal musical performance involves one foot in order and one in chaos.
               
               

               
               

               Chaos and Order:

               When we analyze reality, we differentiate it into categories—we put boundaries between things. And making a division between chaos and order is the most fundamental categorization that we can make—it is the highest level of abstraction that you can represent reality with.

               When we are in order, things are happening as we expect. The car starts when we turn the key, our bodies stay healthy, and the people you know behave as they should. In order, we have low anxiety because we are in the domain of the known. Our models of reality are matching up with what we see in the environment.

               When we are in chaos, however, we get hit with the unexpected. Things around us aren't working as we thought they should, and the complexity of the world comes flooding in. In chaos, we are in the domain of the unknown, and it gives us high anxiety that our model of reality must be wrong/too simple.

               And this dichotomy between chaos and order is even mirrored in the hemispheric structure of our brains, as outlined in Dr. Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. Generally, the right hemisphere deals with chaos(the unknown/the exception to the rules) and the left hemisphere with order (the known/the rules).

               And of course, mythologically, the chaos and order duality is represented by the famous Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang.

               
               

               Yin and Yang:

               In this famous symbol, the white snake represents order while the black snake represents chaos. In mythological terms, order is represented as masculine (father culture) while chaos is represented as feminine (mother nature).

               The key takeaway from the Yin and Yang symbol is that, like all dualities, both parts require the other to exist. If there was no contrasting black color, you could not even see the white snake (and vice versa). Many forms of spiritual awakening, like the Alan Watts video linked below, hinge on the realization that these dualities...]]>We recently published a new page on our website organizing all of our mental models (aka mental frameworks) into one place. We explain what a mental model is and how you can use them to better understand the world.

               • Mental Frameworks: Your Toolbox For Thinking More Clearly
               
               

               In short, mental models are ways of thinking that help to simplify the world. They block out the noise so that we can better pay attention to the signal. And the most fundamental mental model—the most fundamental way of categorizing and understanding the world—is understanding the dichotomy of chaos and order.

               Episode Timestamps:

               • [04:00] Mental frameworks/models and how they help us think and understand the world
               • [05:15] Why chaos and order is the ultimate mental framework
               • [09:47] What is a good definition or some examples of chaos?
               • [14:48] The duality of life and death
               • [18:30] The light vs. the dark in storytelling (Star Wars, Marvel movies, Harry Potter, etc)
               • [23:42] The delusion of anger and the hemispheric structure of the brain
               • [31:57] Why chaos is represented by serpents and why a garden is the perfect balance of chaos and order
               • [41:53] Why is chaos mythologically feminine and order masculine?
               • [54:24] The big five personality traits (OCEAN) and political orientation (aka why the left fears pathologies of order and the right pathologies of chaos)
               • [01:05:21] Chaos and time: Beethoven's 5th Symphony, Mahler's 5th Symphony, and why the crocodile in Peter Pan swallowed a clock.
               • [01:09:45] Why the ideal musical performance involves one foot in order and one in chaos.
               
               

               
               

               Chaos and Order:

               When we analyze reality, we differentiate it into categories—we put boundaries between things. And making a division between chaos and order is the most fundamental categorization that we can make—it is the highest level of abstraction that you can represent reality with.

               When we are in order, things are happening as we expect. The car starts when we turn the key, our bodies stay healthy, and the people you know behave as they should. In order, we have low anxiety because we are in the domain of the known. Our models of reality are matching up with what we see in the environment.

               When we are in chaos, however, we get hit with the unexpected. Things around us aren't working as we thought they should, and the complexity of the world comes flooding in. In chaos, we are in the domain of the unknown, and it gives us high anxiety that our model of reality must be wrong/too simple.

               And this dichotomy between chaos and order is even mirrored in the hemispheric structure of our brains, as outlined in Dr. Iain McGilchrist's book The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World. Generally, the right hemisphere deals with chaos(the unknown/the exception to the rules) and the left hemisphere with order (the known/the rules).

               And of course, mythologically, the chaos and order duality is represented by the famous Chinese symbol of Yin and Yang.

               
               

               Yin and Yang:

               In this famous symbol, the white snake represents order while the black snake represents chaos. In mythological terms, order is represented as masculine (father culture) while chaos is represented as feminine (mother nature).

               The key takeaway from the Yin and Yang symbol is that, like all dualities, both parts require the other to exist. If there was no contrasting black color, you could not even see the white snake (and vice versa). Many forms of spiritual awakening, like the Alan Watts video linked below, hinge on the realization that these dualities can are mutually dependent.

               And of course, the other takeaway from the Yin and Yang symbol is that the white snake's eye is black and the black snake's eye is white. This represents the possibility of transformation—inside order is the potential for chaos and inside chaos the potential for order.

               
               

               Conclusion:

               We will be expanding this mental framework into a full article in the future. But for now, enjoy this more conversational style exploration about chaos and order, the most fundamental mental model of reality.

                

               Links:

               • Alan Watts Explains What Awakening Means
               • Jordan Peterson | "Redefining reality in 6min" | TEDx
               • The Master and His Emissary: A Conversation with Dr. Iain McGilchrist
               • The Divided Mind: A Conversation with Iain McGilchrist
               • The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World by Dr. Iain McGilchrist
               • Roger Sperry’s Split Brain Experiments
               • Video of Split-brain patient 'Joe'
               
               

               
               

               Support Us:

               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

               
               

               Follow Us:

               • Our Website/Blog
               • Newsletter
               • Twitter: @EKodawari
               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
               
               ]]>3cf74b6c-ab72-4e18-9d02-7c4c0642eca1Sat, 01 May 2021 07:00:00 -050001:13:30falsefull3030What if you could summarize reality in two words? In this episode, we examine the ultimate mental model of reality, chaos and order. Also known as Yin and Yang, this framework is the most fundamental categorization we can make in the world.Author Terry Tucker—How to Embrace Suffering and Find Purpose in LifeIn this episode, we speak with author and motivational speaker Terry Tucker. Terry has lived all over the country and worked in many different fields. After playing NCAA Division I basketball in college, he worked in a marketing department and as a hospital administrator. After that, he worked as a police officer, both as a SWAT Hostage Negotiator and an undercover narcotics investigator.

               But in 2012, Terry began a very different path when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma. To this day he continues his intense battle with cancer—most recently while in the hospital to amputate his leg they discovered tumors in both of his lungs. Unfortunately, his doctors don't really talk about a cure but about buying more time.

               But despite the hell that he's been through, Terry has somehow found a way to embrace his suffering to learn from it. Not only does he continue to fight on, he also does so with a remarkably positive and motivating energy. He's one of those people that have learned how to take their suffering and turn it into some deep life wisdom.

               And he shares that wisdom on his blog Motivation Check as well as in his newly published book titled Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life.

               So in this episode, we talk about his life story, his book, and many other topics. We talk about suffering, love, religion, Stoicism, and the other fundamental truths that he lives his life by. We especially got into the topic of resentment—that is how can one avoid becoming resentful towards life, even in the face of extremely unfair suffering.

               Stoicism and Life Philosophy:

               I was recently reading William Irvine's book about Stoicism (A Guide to the Good Life), and he commented that most people don't really have a philosophy of life but instead live out a kind of enlightened hedonism—distractedly moving from pleasure to pleasure. He stressed how important it is, whether it be Stoicism or something else, that people embrace a philosophy of life to guide them.

               This is what I find most inspiring and powerful about Terry's message. His philosophy of life has been tested to the extreme by reality and he still follows it and learns from it. It's one thing to believe in life rules/principles in the abstract, but it's entirely different to truly live them out no matter what.

               Overall it was a really inspiring conversation, and we hope everyone can learn something from it!

               **Click here to watch the Youtube video for this episode**

               Timestamps:

               • [02:40] Terry's background and his battle with cancer
               • [08:21] Nietzsche: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how" and Terry's motivation for living and bearing his suffering
               • [12:33] The importance of failing: why you're either going to win or learn
               • [21:48] Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism, and the importance of going within.
               • [23:53] Terry's philosophy of "win the day" and the other fundamental truths that he lives his life by
               • [28:53] The two different ways to address suffering: inner peace/acceptance mentality vs. the Navy Seal/warrior mentality
               • [35:24] The growing resentment in today's society and how Terry, despite his suffering, avoids resentment
               • [39:46] Is religion or a belief in a higher power necessary in order to battle the suffering in life?
               • [49:59] Why is love the most important word in any language?
               • [56:41] The importance of having your life philosophy tested by reality
               • [01:03:23] Bonus Questions
               
               

               Links:

               • Terry's website Motivational Check
               • Terry's book: Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon And...]]>In this episode, we speak with author and motivational speaker Terry Tucker. Terry has lived all over the country and worked in many different fields. After playing NCAA Division I basketball in college, he worked in a marketing department and as a hospital administrator. After that, he worked as a police officer, both as a SWAT Hostage Negotiator and an undercover narcotics investigator.

                 But in 2012, Terry began a very different path when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Acral Lentiginous Melanoma. To this day he continues his intense battle with cancer—most recently while in the hospital to amputate his leg they discovered tumors in both of his lungs. Unfortunately, his doctors don't really talk about a cure but about buying more time.

                 But despite the hell that he's been through, Terry has somehow found a way to embrace his suffering to learn from it. Not only does he continue to fight on, he also does so with a remarkably positive and motivating energy. He's one of those people that have learned how to take their suffering and turn it into some deep life wisdom.

                 And he shares that wisdom on his blog Motivation Check as well as in his newly published book titled Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles to Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life.

                 So in this episode, we talk about his life story, his book, and many other topics. We talk about suffering, love, religion, Stoicism, and the other fundamental truths that he lives his life by. We especially got into the topic of resentment—that is how can one avoid becoming resentful towards life, even in the face of extremely unfair suffering.

                 Stoicism and Life Philosophy:

                 I was recently reading William Irvine's book about Stoicism (A Guide to the Good Life), and he commented that most people don't really have a philosophy of life but instead live out a kind of enlightened hedonism—distractedly moving from pleasure to pleasure. He stressed how important it is, whether it be Stoicism or something else, that people embrace a philosophy of life to guide them.

                 This is what I find most inspiring and powerful about Terry's message. His philosophy of life has been tested to the extreme by reality and he still follows it and learns from it. It's one thing to believe in life rules/principles in the abstract, but it's entirely different to truly live them out no matter what.

                 Overall it was a really inspiring conversation, and we hope everyone can learn something from it!

                 **Click here to watch the Youtube video for this episode**

                 Timestamps:

                 • [02:40] Terry's background and his battle with cancer
                 • [08:21] Nietzsche: "He who has a why to live can bear almost any how" and Terry's motivation for living and bearing his suffering
                 • [12:33] The importance of failing: why you're either going to win or learn
                 • [21:48] Marcus Aurelius, Stoicism, and the importance of going within.
                 • [23:53] Terry's philosophy of "win the day" and the other fundamental truths that he lives his life by
                 • [28:53] The two different ways to address suffering: inner peace/acceptance mentality vs. the Navy Seal/warrior mentality
                 • [35:24] The growing resentment in today's society and how Terry, despite his suffering, avoids resentment
                 • [39:46] Is religion or a belief in a higher power necessary in order to battle the suffering in life?
                 • [49:59] Why is love the most important word in any language?
                 • [56:41] The importance of having your life philosophy tested by reality
                 • [01:03:23] Bonus Questions
                 
                 

                 Links:

                 • Terry's website Motivational Check
                 • Terry's book: Sustainable Excellence: Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon And Extraordinary Life
                 • Terry's Twitter
                 • Navy Seal Jocko Willink's "Good" motivational video
                 • Navy Seal David Goggins motivation
                 
                 

                 Support Us:

                 You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                 But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                 https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                 Follow Us:

                 • Our Website/Blog
                 • Newsletter
                 • Twitter: @EKodawari
                 • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                 • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                 
                 ]]>1724de85-83dc-411b-8a9a-71030eb8bf11Mon, 05 Apr 2021 07:00:00 -050001:10:51falsefull2929In this episode, we speak with author and motivational speaker Terry Tucker. Despite going through hell in his continuing battle with cancer, Terry has found a way to embrace suffering to find meaning and purpose in life.Music and Life Wisdom with Trumpeter Scott MooreFor this episode, we were joined by trumpet player Scott Moore, who has been principal trumpet of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 1988. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony. He has also recorded and performed with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, and with I Fiamminghi, the Orchestra of Flanders.

                 As a teacher, Scott has served as a Mentor with the Hot Springs Music Festival (which is where I met him) and on the faculties of the Sewanee Summer Music Center and the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts.

                 In the episode, we talked about his life in music and the wisdom he's acquired along the way. While we do geek out about specific aspects of trumpet playing and musician life, I think a lot of the wisdom and life advice can apply to all sorts of situations. The topics we cover include performance anxiety, audition advice, quieting the inner critic, golf, and other advice that I picked up from Scott back in 2014 when I was at the Hot Springs Music Festival. In particular, I remind him of the advice he gave me of "nobody is shooting at you" which 7 years later I still use pretty much every day.

                 **Click here to watch the Youtube video of this episode**

                 Timestamps:

                 • [02:18] Scott's background
                 • [05:22] Why do trumpets get associated as being the meatheads of the orchestra?
                 • [10:03] Performance mindset vs. audition mindset
                 • [15:23] Audition fatigue and the differences between the early music world and the modern music world
                 • [17:03] The Dunning–Kruger effect and why having self-awareness can be both a blessing and a curse
                 • [23:36] How to dial down the inner critic
                 • [25:20] Geeking out on trumpet sound production (finding the sweet spot of a note, letting the trumpet resonate, etc.)
                 • [31:53] What cocktails we're drinking!
                 • [35:49] Running into playing problems and what to do about it
                 • [42:42] Violin technique/sound production, ColourStrings violin method, and why we flinch away from difficult music
                 • [46:28] Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella and how to achieve peak performance
                 • [49:33] Overcoming performance anxiety and Scott's advice of "nobody is shooting at you".
                 • [55:39] Bonus Questions
                 
                 

                 Links:

                 • Scott's Bio
                 • Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella
                 • Scott's Youtube Channel
                 • The Dunning–Kruger effect
                 • Colourstrings violin method
                 
                 

                 Support Us:

                 You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                 But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                 https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                 Follow Us:

                 • Our Website/Blog
                 • Newsletter
                 • Twitter: @EKodawari
                 • Instagram: For this episode, we were joined by trumpet player Scott Moore, who has been principal trumpet of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 1988. He has performed with the Chicago Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the National Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony. He has also recorded and performed with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, and with I Fiamminghi, the Orchestra of Flanders.

                   As a teacher, Scott has served as a Mentor with the Hot Springs Music Festival (which is where I met him) and on the faculties of the Sewanee Summer Music Center and the Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts.

                   In the episode, we talked about his life in music and the wisdom he's acquired along the way. While we do geek out about specific aspects of trumpet playing and musician life, I think a lot of the wisdom and life advice can apply to all sorts of situations. The topics we cover include performance anxiety, audition advice, quieting the inner critic, golf, and other advice that I picked up from Scott back in 2014 when I was at the Hot Springs Music Festival. In particular, I remind him of the advice he gave me of "nobody is shooting at you" which 7 years later I still use pretty much every day.

                   **Click here to watch the Youtube video of this episode**

                   Timestamps:

                   • [02:18] Scott's background
                   • [05:22] Why do trumpets get associated as being the meatheads of the orchestra?
                   • [10:03] Performance mindset vs. audition mindset
                   • [15:23] Audition fatigue and the differences between the early music world and the modern music world
                   • [17:03] The Dunning–Kruger effect and why having self-awareness can be both a blessing and a curse
                   • [23:36] How to dial down the inner critic
                   • [25:20] Geeking out on trumpet sound production (finding the sweet spot of a note, letting the trumpet resonate, etc.)
                   • [31:53] What cocktails we're drinking!
                   • [35:49] Running into playing problems and what to do about it
                   • [42:42] Violin technique/sound production, ColourStrings violin method, and why we flinch away from difficult music
                   • [46:28] Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella and how to achieve peak performance
                   • [49:33] Overcoming performance anxiety and Scott's advice of "nobody is shooting at you".
                   • [55:39] Bonus Questions
                   
                   

                   Links:

                   • Scott's Bio
                   • Golf is Not a Game of Perfect by Bob Rotella
                   • Scott's Youtube Channel
                   • The Dunning–Kruger effect
                   • Colourstrings violin method
                   
                   

                   Support Us:

                   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                   Follow Us:

                   • Our Website/Blog
                   • Newsletter
                   • Twitter: @EKodawari
                   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                   
                   ]]>3150c3a0-2408-4e51-a771-7d5b97d420c9Thu, 18 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -050001:11:34falsefull2828This episode is with trumpet player Scott Moore, who has been principal trumpet of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra since 1988. We talked about all things music, trumpet, and life while having a few cocktails!Robin Hanson, Hidden Motives, and The Elephant in the Brain“At every single stage [of processing information]—from its biased arrival, to its biased encoding, to organizing it around false logic, to misremembering and then misrepresenting it to others—the mind continually acts to distort information flow in favor of the usual goal of appearing better than one really is.” —Robert Trivers

                    

                   In this episode, I speak with author and intellectual Robin Hanson. Robin is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. Robin has a bachelor's and a master's degree in physics, a Ph.D. in social science, and he has also researched artificial intelligence at Lockheed and NASA. 

                   The topic of conversation for this episode centered around a recent book of his, one which he co-authored with Kevin Simler, titled The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life.

                   What is the Elephant in the Brain?

                   Basically, it is a blindspot about how our minds work. As social creatures, we are wired to greatly care about what others think of us. And like all primates, our complex social behavior involves the politics of coalitions and norm enforcement—although grooming does serve a hygienic purpose, primates like chimpanzees use grooming for political purposes as well.

                   Human beings don't groom each other this obviously, but we are constantly judging each other. We are watching each other to make sure that our social norms are being followed and to judge whether people will be good allies. And we are worried about them judging us the same way. So in this desire to look good, we often downplay our more selfish motives and amplify our more altruistic ones. And the disturbing thing is that our brain does this unconsciously, keeping “us” in the dark. 

                   To quote from the book:

                   "We, human beings, are a species that’s not only capable of acting on hidden motives—we’re designed to do it. Our brains are built to act in our self-interest while at the same time trying hard not to appear selfish in front of other people. And in order to throw them off the trail, our brains often keep “us,” our conscious minds, in the dark. The less we know of our own ugly motives, the easier it is to hide them from others."

                   
                   

                   When it comes to choosing who we want in our social circles, we tend to want teammates who value the group over their selfish desires. And we rely on social signals to get this information and to make sure the signals are honest. But lying is a cheap signal—a strategy that allows one to reap the benefits without paying the price. And this setup created an evolutionary arms race between lying and lie detection.

                   George Costanza's Lying

                   While we may think that the contents of our minds are private, we signal much more than we realize. And people monitor each other closely. So it turns out that the best way to lie is to follow George Costanza's advice: "Remember—it's not a lie if you believe it."

                   Because of this, our selfish motives remain hidden away in our subconscious so that our conscious minds can believe—and thus convincingly communicate to others—our nicer sounding and more group-oriented motives.

                   And the same goes for our institutions, which are often acting out secret agendas alongside the accepted and better sounding official agendas. Another quote from the book:

                   “And they aren’t mere mouse-sized motives, scurrying around discreetly in the back recesses of our minds. These are elephant-sized motives large enough to leave footprints in national economic data."

                   
                   

                   Red Pill or Blue Pill?

                   It can be disturbing to get into the workings of the mind like this—it is a brutally honest view of human beings and our institutions. It means you have to get rid of the nicer and more prosocial explanations for...]]>“At every single stage [of processing information]—from its biased arrival, to its biased encoding, to organizing it around false logic, to misremembering and then misrepresenting it to others—the mind continually acts to distort information flow in favor of the usual goal of appearing better than one really is.” —Robert Trivers

                    

                   In this episode, I speak with author and intellectual Robin Hanson. Robin is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. Robin has a bachelor's and a master's degree in physics, a Ph.D. in social science, and he has also researched artificial intelligence at Lockheed and NASA. 

                   The topic of conversation for this episode centered around a recent book of his, one which he co-authored with Kevin Simler, titled The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life.

                   What is the Elephant in the Brain?

                   Basically, it is a blindspot about how our minds work. As social creatures, we are wired to greatly care about what others think of us. And like all primates, our complex social behavior involves the politics of coalitions and norm enforcement—although grooming does serve a hygienic purpose, primates like chimpanzees use grooming for political purposes as well.

                   Human beings don't groom each other this obviously, but we are constantly judging each other. We are watching each other to make sure that our social norms are being followed and to judge whether people will be good allies. And we are worried about them judging us the same way. So in this desire to look good, we often downplay our more selfish motives and amplify our more altruistic ones. And the disturbing thing is that our brain does this unconsciously, keeping “us” in the dark. 

                   To quote from the book:

                   "We, human beings, are a species that’s not only capable of acting on hidden motives—we’re designed to do it. Our brains are built to act in our self-interest while at the same time trying hard not to appear selfish in front of other people. And in order to throw them off the trail, our brains often keep “us,” our conscious minds, in the dark. The less we know of our own ugly motives, the easier it is to hide them from others."

                   
                   

                   When it comes to choosing who we want in our social circles, we tend to want teammates who value the group over their selfish desires. And we rely on social signals to get this information and to make sure the signals are honest. But lying is a cheap signal—a strategy that allows one to reap the benefits without paying the price. And this setup created an evolutionary arms race between lying and lie detection.

                   George Costanza's Lying

                   While we may think that the contents of our minds are private, we signal much more than we realize. And people monitor each other closely. So it turns out that the best way to lie is to follow George Costanza's advice: "Remember—it's not a lie if you believe it."

                   Because of this, our selfish motives remain hidden away in our subconscious so that our conscious minds can believe—and thus convincingly communicate to others—our nicer sounding and more group-oriented motives.

                   And the same goes for our institutions, which are often acting out secret agendas alongside the accepted and better sounding official agendas. Another quote from the book:

                   “And they aren’t mere mouse-sized motives, scurrying around discreetly in the back recesses of our minds. These are elephant-sized motives large enough to leave footprints in national economic data."

                   
                   

                   Red Pill or Blue Pill?

                   It can be disturbing to get into the workings of the mind like this—it is a brutally honest view of human beings and our institutions. It means you have to get rid of the nicer and more prosocial explanations for human behavior and replace it with the hidden selfish motives that actually drive us. And while this might be easy to do on other people, it's quite difficult to do on yourself. 

                   In this way, it is sort of like the choice of taking the red pill or the blue pill in The Matrix. The red pill will wake you up to some of the uglier aspects of human behavior and the blue pill will keep you happily playing along with the social games around you.

                   I personally tend to prefer honesty over feeling good, which is a challenge because evolution did not design us to be totally honest with ourselves. But even if you take the red pill, it doesn't mean that human beings become selfish liars, end of story. Human beings are complicated and we have many motives for our actions. And many of these motives are altruistic and fueled by love. 

                   This is not necessarily a dark view of humans, just a brutally honest one. But as Robin says in the podcast, we might all have an honesty budget and can only afford to take on some of the red pill. So perhaps you can just dig deeper into the human motives that are relevant to you and your institutions and leave the rest for someone else.

                    

                   **Click here to watch the Youtube video for this episode**

                    

                   Timestamps:

                   • [06:36] Origin story of The Elephant in the Brain
                   • [12:36] Why you're not the president or CEO of your mind, but instead the Press Secretary
                   • [14:36] Norms, motives, and cheating
                   • [18:40] The evolutionary arms race between lying and lie detection (Robert Trivers: "Self-deception—hiding the truth from the conscious mind—evolves the better to fool others."
                   • [21:02] Why we collectively look the other way with certain norm violations
                   • [23:36] Signaling, counter signaling, and group bonding exercises like initiation rituals
                   • [32:31] Body language, implicit status moves, and the kayfabe layers of dishonest signals during conversation
                   • [38:14] Can learning about your hidden motives help with self-improvement?
                   • [42:51] Curb Your Enthusiasm, Larry David, and the anonymous donor
                   • [45:18] The hidden motives behind charity
                   • [50:05] The hidden motives behind our political behavior (the "Do-Right" vs the "Apparatchik")
                   • [55:05] Covid-19 and the politicization of mask-wearing
                   • [59:52] Why institutions secretly support our faults
                   • [01:02:02] What do we do about the elephant in the brain and the elephant in the institutional design?
                   • [01:08:50] Why it's important to have an honesty budget
                   
                   

                    

                   Links:

                   • The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life by Robin Hanson and Kevin Simler
                   • The Age of Em: Work, Love, and Life when Robots Rule the Earth by Robin Hanson
                   • Robin's TEDx Talk: The Elephant in the Brain
                   • Overcoming Bias (Robin's blog)
                   • Hidden Motives: A Conversation with Robin Harris (On Sam Harris's Making Sense Podcast)
                   • The Bowerbird's Grand Performance! (BBC Earth)
                   • The Null Hypothesis: Why we should all have fewer opinions
                   
                   

                    

                   Support Us:

                   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                   Follow Us:

                   • Our Website/Blog
                   • Newsletter
                   • Twitter: @EKodawari
                   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                   
                   ]]>ec0089a0-e2f7-4fa6-95ed-1ef6e5d76a48Tue, 09 Mar 2021 07:00:00 -050001:15:02falsefull2727Just how often are you less than honest about what you do and why you do it? Do you even know why you do what you do? In this episode, we speak with author Robin Hanson about his book The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life.Communication And The Origins Of Language"Any model of communication is at the same time a model of trans-lation, of a vertical or horizontal transfer of significance. No two historical epochs, no two social classes, no two localities use words and syntax to signify exactly the same things, to send identical signals of valuation and inference. Neither do two human beings [...] Thus a human being performs an act of translation, in the full sense of the word, when receiving a speech-message from any other human being. [...] 'Translation,' properly understood, is a special case of the arc of communication which every successful speech-act closes within a given language. [...] In short: inside or between languages, human communication equals translation."  

                   —George Steiner from After Babel

                   

                   In this episode, we explore the concept of communication from a few different angles. We start with the mind-blowing idea from the above quote that all communication—whether it's between two different languages or within the same one—involves a translation. And all translations involve, no matter how subtle, a loss or change in the original information. In this sense, languages are approximations of ideas that are themselves approximations of reality. While this may seem obvious to some, I only fully connected to the depth of this concept after I began learning Turkish.

                   In addition to this zoomed-out concept of communication/translation, we also explore a few different theories about how our human ancestors may have acquired language—from the universal grammar of Noam Chompsky to the idea that language grew out of collective rituals like grooming, music, dance, or other symbolic representation.

                   There is a lot of debate on that front, but however language appeared, it is unique to humans and is probably why we so quickly out-competed the other non-Sapien homo species. In short, language allowed for the creation of shared myths—metaphorical truths—that could organize Homo-sapiens into much larger groups. Unlike physical characteristics, which are beholden to the slow evolution of genes and biology, stories and culture can adapt very quickly to meet the changing demands of the environment.

                   And then after we zoom out on the history of language like that—and since Yankı is over six years into learning English and I've been learning Turkish for about 4 years—we finished by talking through what it's like to learn a second language and all of the funny situations that it causes, especially in our own relationship.

                   Timestamps:

                   • [03:20] When communication fails
                   • [09:47] Communication between different languages
                   • [14:24] Why all communication is a translation
                   • [18:14] Did language come from music?
                   • [22:22] Language and the cognitive revolution
                   • [27:38] Inventing words in order to encapsulate concepts
                   • [34:20] Noam Chomsky's universal grammar vs. other "continuity theories"
                   • [38:55] My personal journey of learning Turkish
                   • [46:26] Dialogue and conversation as an aid for thinking
                   • [51:19] How language affects our view of the world and the geographic languages like Guugu Yimithirr that don't have left and right
                   • [55:23] Words and concepts that don't translate between languages
                   
                   

                   Links:

                   • Lost In Translation: The Power Of Language To Shape How We View The World by NPR's Hidden Brain
                   • Manolis Kellis on human communication and language (from Lex Freedman Podcast)
                   • This Is Your...]]>"Any model of communication is at the same time a model of trans-lation, of a vertical or horizontal transfer of significance. No two historical epochs, no two social classes, no two localities use words and syntax to signify exactly the same things, to send identical signals of valuation and inference. Neither do two human beings [...] Thus a human being performs an act of translation, in the full sense of the word, when receiving a speech-message from any other human being. [...] 'Translation,' properly understood, is a special case of the arc of communication which every successful speech-act closes within a given language. [...] In short: inside or between languages, human communication equals translation."  

                     —George Steiner from After Babel

                     

                     In this episode, we explore the concept of communication from a few different angles. We start with the mind-blowing idea from the above quote that all communication—whether it's between two different languages or within the same one—involves a translation. And all translations involve, no matter how subtle, a loss or change in the original information. In this sense, languages are approximations of ideas that are themselves approximations of reality. While this may seem obvious to some, I only fully connected to the depth of this concept after I began learning Turkish.

                     In addition to this zoomed-out concept of communication/translation, we also explore a few different theories about how our human ancestors may have acquired language—from the universal grammar of Noam Chompsky to the idea that language grew out of collective rituals like grooming, music, dance, or other symbolic representation.

                     There is a lot of debate on that front, but however language appeared, it is unique to humans and is probably why we so quickly out-competed the other non-Sapien homo species. In short, language allowed for the creation of shared myths—metaphorical truths—that could organize Homo-sapiens into much larger groups. Unlike physical characteristics, which are beholden to the slow evolution of genes and biology, stories and culture can adapt very quickly to meet the changing demands of the environment.

                     And then after we zoom out on the history of language like that—and since Yankı is over six years into learning English and I've been learning Turkish for about 4 years—we finished by talking through what it's like to learn a second language and all of the funny situations that it causes, especially in our own relationship.

                     Timestamps:

                     • [03:20] When communication fails
                     • [09:47] Communication between different languages
                     • [14:24] Why all communication is a translation
                     • [18:14] Did language come from music?
                     • [22:22] Language and the cognitive revolution
                     • [27:38] Inventing words in order to encapsulate concepts
                     • [34:20] Noam Chomsky's universal grammar vs. other "continuity theories"
                     • [38:55] My personal journey of learning Turkish
                     • [46:26] Dialogue and conversation as an aid for thinking
                     • [51:19] How language affects our view of the world and the geographic languages like Guugu Yimithirr that don't have left and right
                     • [55:23] Words and concepts that don't translate between languages
                     
                     

                     Links:

                     • Lost In Translation: The Power Of Language To Shape How We View The World by NPR's Hidden Brain
                     • Manolis Kellis on human communication and language (from Lex Freedman Podcast)
                     • This Is Your Brain On Communication by Neuroscientist Uri Hasson
                     • Languages That Don't Use Left or Right
                     
                     

                      

                     Support Us:

                     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                     But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                     https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                     Follow Us:

                     • Our Website/Blog
                     • Newsletter
                     • Twitter: @EKodawari
                     • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                     • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                     
                     ]]>acb767d7-1fda-48af-9d1d-6da212dcd4d0Sun, 28 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -050001:07:17falsefull2626In this episode, we explore the concept of communication from many different angles including how human beings evolved language and why all communication is ultimately a translation.Behavioral Scientist Dr. Kurt Nelson—Why We Do What We DoWhy do people do what they do? This fascinating question is the foundation of behavioral science, and in this episode, we speak about exactly that with behavioral scientist Dr. Kurt Nelson.

                     Kurt has a Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and is the founder of The Lantern Group, which uses behavioral science to help optimize companies and organizations. He is also the co-host of the podcast Behavioral Grooves where he—along with his co-host Tim Houlihan—interview experts in psychology and behavioral science.

                     So in this episode of Exploring Kodawari, we used Kurt's expertise to have a conversation about human behavior and psychology. We speak about the psychology of quarantine, mask-wearing, and other aspects of COVID-19 life. We also speak about stress, psychological priming, cognitive biases, the subconscious, and weird ways that the brain lies to itself.

                     And finally, we speak about a really important issue of modern life, the effect that social media is having on our psychology. While both Yankı and I have noticed for years how social media negatively affects our psychology, watching the recent Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma confirmed for us just how messed up social media can be.

                     Overall, it was a really great conversation and we're so happy that Kurt was able to join us. Enjoy!

                     **This episode includes a video on Youtube, click here to watch!**

                     
                     

                     Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                     • [01:40] Kurt's background
                     • [03:43] What is behavioral science?
                     • [07:25] The psychology of COVID-19
                     • [12:33] The Wim Hof Method
                     • [16:49] The psychological effects of how governments handled covid-19 lockdowns
                     • [23:23] Cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and other ways that the subconscious affects behavior
                     • [27:40] Psychological/behavioral priming
                     • [38:08] Cognitive/perceptual biases and political orientation
                     • [42:13] The importance of zooming out and finding metacognition in politics
                     • [45:20] The Social Dilemma and the ways that social media affects our psychology
                     • [56:59] Bonus Questions
                     
                     

                     
                     

                     
                     

                     Links:

                     • Behavioral Grooves Podcast
                     • The Lantern Group
                     • Kurt's Twitter
                     • The Social Dilemma
                     • Behave: The Biology of Humans At Our Best And Worst by Robert Sapolsky
                     
                     

                     
                     

                     
                     

                     Support Us:

                     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                     But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                     https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                     Follow Us:

                     • Our Website/Blog
                     • Why do people do what they do? This fascinating question is the foundation of behavioral science, and in this episode, we speak about exactly that with behavioral scientist Dr. Kurt Nelson.

                       Kurt has a Ph.D. in Industrial & Organizational Psychology and is the founder of The Lantern Group, which uses behavioral science to help optimize companies and organizations. He is also the co-host of the podcast Behavioral Grooves where he—along with his co-host Tim Houlihan—interview experts in psychology and behavioral science.

                       So in this episode of Exploring Kodawari, we used Kurt's expertise to have a conversation about human behavior and psychology. We speak about the psychology of quarantine, mask-wearing, and other aspects of COVID-19 life. We also speak about stress, psychological priming, cognitive biases, the subconscious, and weird ways that the brain lies to itself.

                       And finally, we speak about a really important issue of modern life, the effect that social media is having on our psychology. While both Yankı and I have noticed for years how social media negatively affects our psychology, watching the recent Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma confirmed for us just how messed up social media can be.

                       Overall, it was a really great conversation and we're so happy that Kurt was able to join us. Enjoy!

                       **This episode includes a video on Youtube, click here to watch!**

                       
                       

                       Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                       • [01:40] Kurt's background
                       • [03:43] What is behavioral science?
                       • [07:25] The psychology of COVID-19
                       • [12:33] The Wim Hof Method
                       • [16:49] The psychological effects of how governments handled covid-19 lockdowns
                       • [23:23] Cognitive dissonance, confirmation bias, and other ways that the subconscious affects behavior
                       • [27:40] Psychological/behavioral priming
                       • [38:08] Cognitive/perceptual biases and political orientation
                       • [42:13] The importance of zooming out and finding metacognition in politics
                       • [45:20] The Social Dilemma and the ways that social media affects our psychology
                       • [56:59] Bonus Questions
                       
                       

                       
                       

                       
                       

                       Links:

                       • Behavioral Grooves Podcast
                       • The Lantern Group
                       • Kurt's Twitter
                       • The Social Dilemma
                       • Behave: The Biology of Humans At Our Best And Worst by Robert Sapolsky
                       
                       

                       
                       

                       
                       

                       Support Us:

                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                       Follow Us:

                       • Our Website/Blog
                       • Newsletter
                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                       
                       ]]>492d1e0d-6a43-4163-9e0c-61ef5f5fa762Fri, 12 Feb 2021 07:00:00 -050001:06:55falsefull2525In this episode, we speak with behavioral scientist Dr. Kurt Nelson about the fundamental question in behavioral science: why do people do what they do?The Psychology of New Year's ResolutionsWe are finally back! Sorry for the delay in getting episodes out—we just moved from New York to Florida and couldn't find the time to podcast. But we are settled in now, and for our first episode of 2021, we decided to tackle the psychology of new year's resolutions.

                       Why do we make new year's resolutions, and why do so few of us actually keep them? Statistically, 80 percent of people will drop their resolutions by February, and the exercise app Strava has deemed January 19th "Quitter's Day" because of how many people stopped logging their exercise by that date.

                       But there is value in using the fresh start of a new year to change yourself for the better. It seems to highlight a delicate tension between discipline and hard work on the one hand versus enjoying life in the present and having self-compassion on the other hand. As the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire says: “Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”

                       But knowing when to pause and be happy and when to dig in and be disciplined can be difficult, especially because we are so good at lying to ourselves.

                       So in this episode, we talk through new year's resolutions and where they go wrong. And digging deeper, we also zoom into the psychology of sacrifice and discipline. Making sacrifices in the present in order to have a better future seems obvious, but when we view it through the evolutionary lens it is really quite an amazing discovery.

                       **Click below to read our blog post that integrates a core concept from meditation with the topic of New Year's resolutions:

                       • The Power of Begin Again
                       
                       

                       
                       

                       Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                       • [04:20] Our New Year's Resolutions
                       • [12:50] Yearly question to check in with: What is the meaning of life?
                       • [18:44] Beautiful Anonymous and the best new year's resolution: making the perfect pancake
                       • [22:05] The Marshmallow Experiment and how gratitude can help us to foster more discipline.
                       • [30:24] Jordan Peterson's Bible lectures, Garden of Eden, and the psychology of how humans discovered the future
                       • [40:55] Cain and Able and the concept of sacrifice
                       • [52:45] Philosopher Alan Watts on "prickly" people vs "gooey" people
                       • [56:54] The power of opposites in finding a balance between discipline/sacrifice and compassion/happiness.
                       
                       

                       
                       

                       Links:

                       • Manolis Kellis on Lex Fridman Podcast—The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
                       • The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So Well by Lynne A. Isbell
                       • Beautiful Resolutions for 2021 by Beautiful Anonymous
                       • Where Gratitude Gets You by NPR's Hidden Brain
                       • Stanford marshmallow experiment
                       • Jocko Willinc's videos "Good", Sisyphus, and Discipline
                       • We are finally back! Sorry for the delay in getting episodes out—we just moved from New York to Florida and couldn't find the time to podcast. But we are settled in now, and for our first episode of 2021, we decided to tackle the psychology of new year's resolutions.

                         Why do we make new year's resolutions, and why do so few of us actually keep them? Statistically, 80 percent of people will drop their resolutions by February, and the exercise app Strava has deemed January 19th "Quitter's Day" because of how many people stopped logging their exercise by that date.

                         But there is value in using the fresh start of a new year to change yourself for the better. It seems to highlight a delicate tension between discipline and hard work on the one hand versus enjoying life in the present and having self-compassion on the other hand. As the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire says: “Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.”

                         But knowing when to pause and be happy and when to dig in and be disciplined can be difficult, especially because we are so good at lying to ourselves.

                         So in this episode, we talk through new year's resolutions and where they go wrong. And digging deeper, we also zoom into the psychology of sacrifice and discipline. Making sacrifices in the present in order to have a better future seems obvious, but when we view it through the evolutionary lens it is really quite an amazing discovery.

                         **Click below to read our blog post that integrates a core concept from meditation with the topic of New Year's resolutions:

                         • The Power of Begin Again
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                         • [04:20] Our New Year's Resolutions
                         • [12:50] Yearly question to check in with: What is the meaning of life?
                         • [18:44] Beautiful Anonymous and the best new year's resolution: making the perfect pancake
                         • [22:05] The Marshmallow Experiment and how gratitude can help us to foster more discipline.
                         • [30:24] Jordan Peterson's Bible lectures, Garden of Eden, and the psychology of how humans discovered the future
                         • [40:55] Cain and Able and the concept of sacrifice
                         • [52:45] Philosopher Alan Watts on "prickly" people vs "gooey" people
                         • [56:54] The power of opposites in finding a balance between discipline/sacrifice and compassion/happiness.
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • Manolis Kellis on Lex Fridman Podcast—The Meaning of Life, the Universe, and Everything
                         • The Fruit, the Tree, and the Serpent: Why We See So Well by Lynne A. Isbell
                         • Beautiful Resolutions for 2021 by Beautiful Anonymous
                         • Where Gratitude Gets You by NPR's Hidden Brain
                         • Stanford marshmallow experiment
                         • Jocko Willinc's videos "Good", Sisyphus, and Discipline
                         • How to Have a Life Worth Living - Jordan Peterson
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Support Us:

                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                         Follow Us:

                         • Our Website/Blog
                         • Newsletter
                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                         
                         ]]>f33c9ddc-ee80-4ae6-89e4-acdd14f865a2Tue, 26 Jan 2021 07:00:00 -050001:19:12falsefull2424In this episode of the podcast—our first of 2021—we discuss the psychology of new year's resolutions as well as the concepts of discipline, sacrifice, and bargaining with the future.Holiday Bonus: The Psychedelic History of SantaThis bonus/end of the year holiday episode is a looser and more fun episode all about the psychedelic mushroom history of Santa Claus. According to this theory, our modern Santa is based on ancient shamans in the Scandinavian and Siberian regions who would pass out hallucinogenic mushrooms on the winter solstice.

                         While it is just a theory, it does explain many of the weird traditions around Christmas—the red and white outfit, putting presents under a conifer tree, entering through the chimney, etc. It especially explains why humans might have believed that the reindeer pulling these old bearded shamans around the forest were flying. Maybe the reindeer themselves even thought that they were flying since they love to eat the Amanita muscaria mushroom.

                         Whatever the real history, this version is fun to think about and served as our excuse to have a few beers and make a fun bonus episode. And we invited our good friend and homebrewing expert Johnny back on—he was on previously to talk about the craft of craft beer—since he has an impressive knowledge of weird history on topics like this.

                         And since he's a beer guy, we also talked about the role beer played in the old pagan solstice celebrations (aka yule feasts) in Scandinavia and other parts of Russia.

                         Enjoy, and thanks for being a part of Exploring Kodawari in 2020. We'll be back with new episodes in 2021!

                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • The Magic Mushroom Christmas Theory
                         • Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom
                         • 8 Ways Magic Mushrooms Explain Santa Story
                         • The True Meaning of Christmas (beer history)
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Support Us:

                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                         Follow Us:

                         • Our Website/Blog
                         • Newsletter
                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                         
                         ]]>This bonus/end of the year holiday episode is a looser and more fun episode all about the psychedelic mushroom history of Santa Claus. According to this theory, our modern Santa is based on ancient shamans in the Scandinavian and Siberian regions who would pass out hallucinogenic mushrooms on the winter solstice.

                         While it is just a theory, it does explain many of the weird traditions around Christmas—the red and white outfit, putting presents under a conifer tree, entering through the chimney, etc. It especially explains why humans might have believed that the reindeer pulling these old bearded shamans around the forest were flying. Maybe the reindeer themselves even thought that they were flying since they love to eat the Amanita muscaria mushroom.

                         Whatever the real history, this version is fun to think about and served as our excuse to have a few beers and make a fun bonus episode. And we invited our good friend and homebrewing expert Johnny back on—he was on previously to talk about the craft of craft beer—since he has an impressive knowledge of weird history on topics like this.

                         And since he's a beer guy, we also talked about the role beer played in the old pagan solstice celebrations (aka yule feasts) in Scandinavia and other parts of Russia.

                         Enjoy, and thanks for being a part of Exploring Kodawari in 2020. We'll be back with new episodes in 2021!

                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • The Magic Mushroom Christmas Theory
                         • Santa Is a Psychedelic Mushroom
                         • 8 Ways Magic Mushrooms Explain Santa Story
                         • The True Meaning of Christmas (beer history)
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Support Us:

                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                         Follow Us:

                         • Our Website/Blog
                         • Newsletter
                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                         
                         ]]>8e0197b3-12c1-4f4a-86af-8d26674dab21Mon, 21 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -050001:28:45truebonusAccording to one theory, part of the Santa tradition comes from the ancient shamans in the Scandinavian and Siberian regions who would pass out hallucinogenic mushrooms (the psychedelic Amanita muscaria) on the winter solstice.Brandon Dicks—Social Media, Composition, and Making Music OnlineIn this episode, we speak with composer, arranger, and trumpet player Brandon Dicks. Brandon is currently pursuing a doctorate in Trumpet Performance at Arizona State University, but he caught my attention with his impressive videography skills on his Youtube channel.

                         Brandon arranges just about any type of music for trumpet ensemble—for example, he has arrangements of Vivaldi, Mozart, Super Mario, Zelda, Jurassic Park, etc—and then performs all of the parts separately before editing it all together into the final product.

                         Especially during these COVID-19 pandemic times, having the skills to make music online is a huge advantage. So we asked him how he got so good at making videos and what tips he had for other people wanting to experiment with making music online. And since he's also a performer and educator, we also talked more generally about life as a performer and different teaching philosophies.

                         Definitely check out Brandon's links below, and enjoy the episode!

                         Timestamps:

                         • coming soon!
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • Brandon's website
                         • Brandon's Youtube Channel
                         • Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
                         • Trumpeter's Multi-Track Competition and Seminar
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Support Us:

                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                         Follow Us:

                         • Our Website/Blog
                         • Newsletter
                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                         
                         ]]>In this episode, we speak with composer, arranger, and trumpet player Brandon Dicks. Brandon is currently pursuing a doctorate in Trumpet Performance at Arizona State University, but he caught my attention with his impressive videography skills on his Youtube channel.

                         Brandon arranges just about any type of music for trumpet ensemble—for example, he has arrangements of Vivaldi, Mozart, Super Mario, Zelda, Jurassic Park, etc—and then performs all of the parts separately before editing it all together into the final product.

                         Especially during these COVID-19 pandemic times, having the skills to make music online is a huge advantage. So we asked him how he got so good at making videos and what tips he had for other people wanting to experiment with making music online. And since he's also a performer and educator, we also talked more generally about life as a performer and different teaching philosophies.

                         Definitely check out Brandon's links below, and enjoy the episode!

                         Timestamps:

                         • coming soon!
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • Brandon's website
                         • Brandon's Youtube Channel
                         • Social Media: Instagram and Facebook
                         • Trumpeter's Multi-Track Competition and Seminar
                         
                         

                         
                         

                         
                         

                         Support Us:

                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                         Follow Us:

                         • Our Website/Blog
                         • Newsletter
                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                         
                         ]]>fb0f7449-3115-409c-9dba-43bf8e949a29Tue, 15 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -050001:04:52falsefull2323In this episode, we speak with composer, arranger, and trumpet player Brandon Dicks about videography and making music online.Is the Self an Illusion?The answer to whether or not the self is an illusion is tricky—it really depends on what you mean by both self and illusion.

                         In this episode, we challenge the sense of self that we all feel from the first-person subjective experience. We all feel like we are riding around inside of our heads looking out at the world. We don't feel like we are identical to our bodies, but instead that we have bodies—we look down at them from up here inside of our heads.

                         Nondualism:

                         Most people would say that they are behind their eyes in the center of consciousness. But neuroscientifically there is no place in the brain for such a self to exist. And we know from optical illusions that the brain can be easily fooled.

                         It is in this sense that the self can be shown to be an illusion because like all illusions, it disappears when you examine it more closely. This experience is known as nondualism or non-dual awareness, and it is when the sense of subject and object—of you in your head and the world out there—merge into one unified experience.

                         But this is not to say that you aren't real or even that the self isn't real. Illusions can be like any emergent phenomena—on one level of analysis they don't exist but on another level, it makes perfect sense to talk about them.

                         Temperature, for example, is an emergent phenomenon. Temperature is the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. So it does not make sense to talk about the temperature of one atom, but that does not mean that it never makes sense to talk about temperature. I think of the self—the concept of being an "I" or a subject—in the same emergent way.

                         There are times when you can look closely and realize that you are not a separate subject. This experience of nondualism is beautiful and worth exploring. Sometimes it happens on accident—you've probably even had such a self-transcending moment without realizing it—and sometimes you can induce it through the practice of specific techniques (linked below).

                         But the fact that the self is an illusion doesn't mean that you have to experience the non-dual emptiness of consciousness all of the time. And it doesn't mean that you have to completely dispense with the concept of self. Most of the time it is perfectly valid to be a separate subject who has a name and an identity.

                         What's the point?

                         For me, the point of nondualism and of practicing non-dual awareness is just to be able to see this deeper reality whenever I want. Because it is the sense of being a separate self that creates most of our suffering in life, and it can be an immense relief to let go of it—to realize that there is nobody inside of your head to experience the suffering. Suffering doesn't go away, but the sufferer can.

                         So with a meditation practice to give you some concentration, you can get underneath the many layers of the mind to realize that there is nobody inside of your head—there's no experiencer having the experience.

                         There's just consciousness and its contents.

                         
                         

                         Timestamps (clickable on website):

                         • [03:50] What is consciousness?
                         • [07:03] The mind-body problem
                         • [17:10] The problem of personal identity
                         • [25:35] The illusion of the self and why there isn’t a center to consciousness.
                         • [33:36] What is the point of discovering the illusion of the self?
                         • [46:06] Why having a self makes us suffer more
                         • [52:05] Kalu Rinpoche and Jack Kornfield on the fear of being nothing.
                         
                         

                         Links:

                         • Taming the Mind: A conversation with Dan Harris
                         • The answer to whether or not the self is an illusion is tricky—it really depends on what you mean by both self and illusion.

                           In this episode, we challenge the sense of self that we all feel from the first-person subjective experience. We all feel like we are riding around inside of our heads looking out at the world. We don't feel like we are identical to our bodies, but instead that we have bodies—we look down at them from up here inside of our heads.

                           Nondualism:

                           Most people would say that they are behind their eyes in the center of consciousness. But neuroscientifically there is no place in the brain for such a self to exist. And we know from optical illusions that the brain can be easily fooled.

                           It is in this sense that the self can be shown to be an illusion because like all illusions, it disappears when you examine it more closely. This experience is known as nondualism or non-dual awareness, and it is when the sense of subject and object—of you in your head and the world out there—merge into one unified experience.

                           But this is not to say that you aren't real or even that the self isn't real. Illusions can be like any emergent phenomena—on one level of analysis they don't exist but on another level, it makes perfect sense to talk about them.

                           Temperature, for example, is an emergent phenomenon. Temperature is the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. So it does not make sense to talk about the temperature of one atom, but that does not mean that it never makes sense to talk about temperature. I think of the self—the concept of being an "I" or a subject—in the same emergent way.

                           There are times when you can look closely and realize that you are not a separate subject. This experience of nondualism is beautiful and worth exploring. Sometimes it happens on accident—you've probably even had such a self-transcending moment without realizing it—and sometimes you can induce it through the practice of specific techniques (linked below).

                           But the fact that the self is an illusion doesn't mean that you have to experience the non-dual emptiness of consciousness all of the time. And it doesn't mean that you have to completely dispense with the concept of self. Most of the time it is perfectly valid to be a separate subject who has a name and an identity.

                           What's the point?

                           For me, the point of nondualism and of practicing non-dual awareness is just to be able to see this deeper reality whenever I want. Because it is the sense of being a separate self that creates most of our suffering in life, and it can be an immense relief to let go of it—to realize that there is nobody inside of your head to experience the suffering. Suffering doesn't go away, but the sufferer can.

                           So with a meditation practice to give you some concentration, you can get underneath the many layers of the mind to realize that there is nobody inside of your head—there's no experiencer having the experience.

                           There's just consciousness and its contents.

                           
                           

                           Timestamps (clickable on website):

                           • [03:50] What is consciousness?
                           • [07:03] The mind-body problem
                           • [17:10] The problem of personal identity
                           • [25:35] The illusion of the self and why there isn’t a center to consciousness.
                           • [33:36] What is the point of discovering the illusion of the self?
                           • [46:06] Why having a self makes us suffer more
                           • [52:05] Kalu Rinpoche and Jack Kornfield on the fear of being nothing.
                           
                           

                           Links:

                           • Taming the Mind: A conversation with Dan Harris
                           • Sam Harris: The Self is an Illusion
                           • Is Your 'Self' Just an Illusion? by Robert Lawrence Kuhn
                           • Drugs and the Meaning of Life by Sam Harris
                           • Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
                           • On Having No Head: Zen and the Rediscovery of the Obvious by Douglas E. Harding
                           • Jill Bolte Taylor: My Stroke of Insight
                           • Kanizsa Illusion
                           • The “Laurel” vs “Yanny” audio illusion
                           
                           

                           Related Exploring Kodawari Articles:

                           • What is Consciousness?
                           • What is Meditation?
                           • The Modular Theory of Mind
                           
                           

                           
                           

                           Meditation Resources:

                           • Busy Life, No Self by Joseph Goldstein
                           • Looking for the Self- A guided meditation by Sam Harris
                           • Waking Up meditation app by Sam Harris
                           • Stepping into the Void by Richard Lang
                           • The Headless Way: Being All Things
                           • The Headless Way: Creating from Emptiness
                           • Two Experiments-Richard Lang
                           
                           

                           
                           

                           Support Us:

                           You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                           But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                           https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                           Follow Us:

                           • Our Website/Blog
                           • Newsletter
                           • Twitter: @EKodawari
                           • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                           • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                           
                           ]]>3190b531-eb17-4861-9ea9-177f2709d11dTue, 08 Dec 2020 07:00:00 -050001:05:27falsefull2222In this episode, we talk about consciousness and the illusion of the self by exploring the concept of nondualism.The Art of the Short Story with Joe Labriola“The well-told story seems to answer something very deep in our nature as if, for the duration of its telling, something special has been created, some essence of our experience extrapolated, some temporary sense has been made of our common, turbulent journey towards the grave and oblivion.” —William Boyd

                           
                           

                           Our mission for this episode was to capture the beauty and art of the short story. And to help us out with this we were joined by author and writing professor Joe Labriola.

                           Besides speaking more generally about what makes flash fiction and short stories so powerful, we specifically analyzed two stories that were short enough to read on the podcast. The first was Sticks by George Saunders—probably my favorite story ever—and the second was ”Coloring In” by Joe Labriola himself.

                           Both of these short stories share the ability to gesture at truths about life—you could definitely say uncomfortable truths— in less than 400 words.

                           And speaking of truth, there is an anecdote that we mentioned in the episode about the writer John Updike. When asked something like: "Why is it that you write about fiction, why don’t you write about the truth?" Updike answered something like: "My good man, what is it that you think great fiction is?"

                           And I think that is what is so compelling about great fiction. While it is literally false—the characters and events can be completely made up—what it gestures at is often hyper-true. This is certainly the case with a story like ”Sticks” by George Saunders, and every time I read it I feel as though I temporarily remember a deeper truth about life that had left my mind. Even if it is a sad truth, I think we humans just enjoy being in the presence of truth.

                           The writer Virginia Woolf, when speaking about photography said: “Isn’t it odd how much more one sees in a photograph than in real life?” I think this is also true of short stories—they are like mirrors that reflect back at us something more true than what we tend to notice in everyday life.

                           Thanks for listening, be sure to check out the linked stories below, and enjoy the episode!

                           Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                           • [04:10] John Updike and the truth in fiction
                           • [06:43] Flash fiction, short stories, novellas, novels, and the distinctions between them
                           • [15:45] A Short History of the Short Story by William Boyd and Edgar Allan Poe’s definition of the short story
                           • [20:13] Comparing the writing process with the music composition process
                           • [24:11] Kurt Vonnegut quitting his job at Sports Illustrated
                           • [32:20] The mythological roots of great story telling
                           • [37:48] Reading “Sticks” by George Saunders
                           • [53:56] Does analyzing great text or music take away from the magic?
                           • [01:04:09] Reading “Coloring In” by Joe Labriola
                           • [01:17:35] Virginia Woolf on photography and William Boyd on how short stories are “snapshots of the human condition” that allow to to “see in them more than in real life.”
                           
                           

                           
                           

                           Links:

                           • “Sticks” by George Saunders
                           • “Coloring In“ by Joe Labriola
                           • A short history of the short story by William Boyd
                           • Joe analyzes Ursula K. Le Guin's...]]>“The well-told story seems to answer something very deep in our nature as if, for the duration of its telling, something special has been created, some essence of our experience extrapolated, some temporary sense has been made of our common, turbulent journey towards the grave and oblivion.” —William Boyd

                             
                             

                             Our mission for this episode was to capture the beauty and art of the short story. And to help us out with this we were joined by author and writing professor Joe Labriola.

                             Besides speaking more generally about what makes flash fiction and short stories so powerful, we specifically analyzed two stories that were short enough to read on the podcast. The first was Sticks by George Saunders—probably my favorite story ever—and the second was ”Coloring In” by Joe Labriola himself.

                             Both of these short stories share the ability to gesture at truths about life—you could definitely say uncomfortable truths— in less than 400 words.

                             And speaking of truth, there is an anecdote that we mentioned in the episode about the writer John Updike. When asked something like: "Why is it that you write about fiction, why don’t you write about the truth?" Updike answered something like: "My good man, what is it that you think great fiction is?"

                             And I think that is what is so compelling about great fiction. While it is literally false—the characters and events can be completely made up—what it gestures at is often hyper-true. This is certainly the case with a story like ”Sticks” by George Saunders, and every time I read it I feel as though I temporarily remember a deeper truth about life that had left my mind. Even if it is a sad truth, I think we humans just enjoy being in the presence of truth.

                             The writer Virginia Woolf, when speaking about photography said: “Isn’t it odd how much more one sees in a photograph than in real life?” I think this is also true of short stories—they are like mirrors that reflect back at us something more true than what we tend to notice in everyday life.

                             Thanks for listening, be sure to check out the linked stories below, and enjoy the episode!

                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                             • [04:10] John Updike and the truth in fiction
                             • [06:43] Flash fiction, short stories, novellas, novels, and the distinctions between them
                             • [15:45] A Short History of the Short Story by William Boyd and Edgar Allan Poe’s definition of the short story
                             • [20:13] Comparing the writing process with the music composition process
                             • [24:11] Kurt Vonnegut quitting his job at Sports Illustrated
                             • [32:20] The mythological roots of great story telling
                             • [37:48] Reading “Sticks” by George Saunders
                             • [53:56] Does analyzing great text or music take away from the magic?
                             • [01:04:09] Reading “Coloring In” by Joe Labriola
                             • [01:17:35] Virginia Woolf on photography and William Boyd on how short stories are “snapshots of the human condition” that allow to to “see in them more than in real life.”
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Links:

                             • “Sticks” by George Saunders
                             • “Coloring In“ by Joe Labriola
                             • A short history of the short story by William Boyd
                             • Joe analyzes Ursula K. Le Guin's “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”
                             • Joe's Youtube Channel
                             • Joe's Instagram
                             • Joe's previous episode with us about beach cleaning
                             
                             

                             Reccomended Short Stories:

                             • “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas“ by Ursula K. Le Guin
                             • “The Last Question“ by Isaac Asimov
                             • “HARRISON BERGERON” by Kurt Vonnegut
                             • “The Egg“ by Andy Weir
                             • “The Distance of the Moon” by Italo Calvino
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Support Us:

                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                             
                             

                             Follow Us:

                             • Our Website/Blog
                             • Newsletter
                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                             
                             ]]>d951ad15-3bb3-4bef-8bdc-7ed7a69bf035Tue, 17 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -050001:24:06falsefull2121With author and writing professor Joe Labriola, this episode tries to capture the beauty and art of the short story. We analyze Sticks by George Saunders and Coloring In by Joe Labriola himself.The Meaning of MarriageThe first evidence of marriage ceremonies dates back to 2350 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, and since then cultures around the world have had their various interpretations of this practice.

                             So in this episode, we (Luke and Yankı) have a conversation about the meaning of marriage—both specifically for us but also more generally as a cultural phenomenon.

                             We talk about marriage rates, divorce rates, and how the general view towards marriage has changed in our cultures over time. We also wondered what the definition of marriage is and just how strict the marriage vows should be.

                             What does it mean to make an oath that you can never leave? Is it good or bad to be stuck in a marriage? And when is it morally okay to leave? Also what role should love play in a marriage?

                             Those questions don’t have definite answers, but they are great jumping off points to explore the psychological, spiritual, and evolutionary aspects of marriage.

                             Thanks for listening, and enjoy the episode!

                             
                             

                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                             • [02:30] What is the definition of marriage?
                             • [11:40] The spiritual aspect of marriage and the tradition of two people holding a candle above their heads
                             • [20:29] Heraclitus: “The only thing constant is change” and how marriage can provide a stability in this constantly changing life
                             • [25:24] Marriage and divorce statistics
                             • [34:49] The pros of making a vow/oath to force oneself to stick to one’s principles
                             • [45:59] Meet the Patels, a movie about the Indian-American Ravi Patel on his search for a wife
                             • [53:05] “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain
                             • [57:15] The biological and evolutionary aspects of marriage
                             • [01:03:06] What is love and what role does it play in marriage?
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Links:

                             • Marriage and Divorce Statistics
                             • Are Any Animals Truly Monogamous? by MinuteEarth
                             • Game of Thrones Philosophy: Oaths, Honor, Duty, and Love
                             • Human progress data
                             • The Real Reason for Marriage - Prof. Jordan Peterson
                             • Meet The Patels
                             • Alan Watts—Falling into Love
                             • Tara Brach’s Radical Acceptance
                             • The Value of Beginner’s Mind (This is an article on our website that works nicely for maintaining appreciation in relationships.)
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Support Us:

                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our...]]>The first evidence of marriage ceremonies dates back to 2350 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, and since then cultures around the world have had their various interpretations of this practice.

                             So in this episode, we (Luke and Yankı) have a conversation about the meaning of marriage—both specifically for us but also more generally as a cultural phenomenon.

                             We talk about marriage rates, divorce rates, and how the general view towards marriage has changed in our cultures over time. We also wondered what the definition of marriage is and just how strict the marriage vows should be.

                             What does it mean to make an oath that you can never leave? Is it good or bad to be stuck in a marriage? And when is it morally okay to leave? Also what role should love play in a marriage?

                             Those questions don’t have definite answers, but they are great jumping off points to explore the psychological, spiritual, and evolutionary aspects of marriage.

                             Thanks for listening, and enjoy the episode!

                             
                             

                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                             • [02:30] What is the definition of marriage?
                             • [11:40] The spiritual aspect of marriage and the tradition of two people holding a candle above their heads
                             • [20:29] Heraclitus: “The only thing constant is change” and how marriage can provide a stability in this constantly changing life
                             • [25:24] Marriage and divorce statistics
                             • [34:49] The pros of making a vow/oath to force oneself to stick to one’s principles
                             • [45:59] Meet the Patels, a movie about the Indian-American Ravi Patel on his search for a wife
                             • [53:05] “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” ― G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain
                             • [57:15] The biological and evolutionary aspects of marriage
                             • [01:03:06] What is love and what role does it play in marriage?
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Links:

                             • Marriage and Divorce Statistics
                             • Are Any Animals Truly Monogamous? by MinuteEarth
                             • Game of Thrones Philosophy: Oaths, Honor, Duty, and Love
                             • Human progress data
                             • The Real Reason for Marriage - Prof. Jordan Peterson
                             • Meet The Patels
                             • Alan Watts—Falling into Love
                             • Tara Brach’s Radical Acceptance
                             • The Value of Beginner’s Mind (This is an article on our website that works nicely for maintaining appreciation in relationships.)
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Support Us:

                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                             Follow Us:

                             • Our Website/Blog
                             • Newsletter
                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                             
                             ]]>7dbbf1e6-0592-4bf5-9618-082bb14b77bfTue, 03 Nov 2020 07:00:00 -050001:12:58falsefull2020In this episode, Luke and Yankı discuss the meaning of marriage, for themselves and more generally. What is an oath? Is it good to be stuck together? When is it okay to leave?Stephen Hill on Addiction, Speak Sobriety, and His Journey to RecoveryThis episode is our conversation with the speaker, author, and advocate for sobriety Stephen Hill. Stephen suffered from addiction for over a decade and his life was out of control.

                             But in 2012 he began a journey to recovery, and on September 30th 2020 he celebrated eight years of sobriety. He also started an organization called Speak Sobriety where he spreads his message and life lessons at schools, community events, conferences, etc. He says this in his memoir:

                             "After several years of drug use, illegal activity, and unsuccessful stays at a multitude of rehabilitation facilities, I have emerged as a proponent of sobriety instead of another deadly statistic. I believe that my rise from the abyss to the surface will resonate with people who can learn from my mistakes. My story has already affected the lives of thousands of people. For me, this memoir is a sojourn of the heart. This is the story of my journey to recovery."

                             Stephen's story is really inspiring, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast!

                             **This episode also contains video which you can watch on Youtube**

                             
                             

                             Timestamps(clickable on website):

                             • [03:30] Stephen's background
                             • [05:11] Stephen's book A Journey to Recovery
                             • [11:43] Why the blame game doesn't work with addiction
                             • [19:00] The Purdue Pharma lawsuit
                             • [20:53] What is the definition of addiction
                             • [25:18] Gabor Maté and how addiction comes from pain and fear
                             • [31:50] The problems with prescribing opioids after surgery and the psychological addictions they can cause
                             • [42:30] Should you regret the past or embrace it?
                             • [53:45] How COVID-19 affected Speak Sobriety
                             • [59:37] What does it mean to be clean and sober?
                             • [01:03:00] What are the problems with the zero-tolerance approach
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Links:

                             • Stephen's Website
                             • His book, A Journey To Recovery on Amazon
                             • His social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
                             
                             

                             
                             

                             Support Us:

                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                             Follow Us:

                             • Our Website/Blog
                             • Newsletter
                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                             • Instagram:...]]>This episode is our conversation with the speaker, author, and advocate for sobriety Stephen Hill. Stephen suffered from addiction for over a decade and his life was out of control.

                               But in 2012 he began a journey to recovery, and on September 30th 2020 he celebrated eight years of sobriety. He also started an organization called Speak Sobriety where he spreads his message and life lessons at schools, community events, conferences, etc. He says this in his memoir:

                               "After several years of drug use, illegal activity, and unsuccessful stays at a multitude of rehabilitation facilities, I have emerged as a proponent of sobriety instead of another deadly statistic. I believe that my rise from the abyss to the surface will resonate with people who can learn from my mistakes. My story has already affected the lives of thousands of people. For me, this memoir is a sojourn of the heart. This is the story of my journey to recovery."

                               Stephen's story is really inspiring, and it was a pleasure to have him on the podcast!

                               **This episode also contains video which you can watch on Youtube**

                               
                               

                               Timestamps(clickable on website):

                               • [03:30] Stephen's background
                               • [05:11] Stephen's book A Journey to Recovery
                               • [11:43] Why the blame game doesn't work with addiction
                               • [19:00] The Purdue Pharma lawsuit
                               • [20:53] What is the definition of addiction
                               • [25:18] Gabor Maté and how addiction comes from pain and fear
                               • [31:50] The problems with prescribing opioids after surgery and the psychological addictions they can cause
                               • [42:30] Should you regret the past or embrace it?
                               • [53:45] How COVID-19 affected Speak Sobriety
                               • [59:37] What does it mean to be clean and sober?
                               • [01:03:00] What are the problems with the zero-tolerance approach
                               
                               

                               
                               

                               Links:

                               • Stephen's Website
                               • His book, A Journey To Recovery on Amazon
                               • His social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
                               
                               

                               
                               

                               Support Us:

                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                               Follow Us:

                               • Our Website/Blog
                               • Newsletter
                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                               
                               ]]>159731a4-0086-454d-8121-1a657d6a8a4cTue, 20 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -050001:10:40falsefull1919This episode is our conversation with the speaker, author, and advocate for sobriety Stephen Hill. Although Stephen suffered from addiction for over a decade, he is now sober and spreads his message of sobriety at schools, community events, and conferences.Software Engineer Drew Shapiro—Understanding the Technology of Sound (Part 2)This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with software engineer Drew Shapiro. If you stumbled into this episode before hearing Part 1, I recommend going one episode back and listening to that one first...it will be kind of hard to connect the dots of where we land in this episode without hearing Part 1 first.

                               In this part, we continue to analyze the magic (aka science) of how sound technology works. We continue the meta journey of how my voice is reaching your ears, and talk about how digital compression works. We even played a few examples to demonstrate compression, including playing the Bach violin solo of our intro at different bit rates to hear the effect that removing data has on music.

                               Enjoy!

                               
                               

                               **This episode contains video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                               
                               

                               Timestamps (Clickable on website):

                               • [03:15] Sampling and sending information in packets
                               • [07:15] Continuing the podcast journey of how our voices reach your ears
                               • [12:22] A wav file becoming an mp3 and a side by side comparison to show what frequency removal does to sound
                               • [17:05] Our Bach violin partita intro music side by side at different compression levels
                               • [28:15] How our ears pick up sound
                               • [30:53] How you download a podcast and convert the digital information back to analog sound waves
                               • [33:30] A summary of the podcast journey from our voices to your ears
                               • [37:30] "Perfect is the enemy of good enough" —Balancing the quest for perfect sound with pragmatism
                               • [41:32] Closing thoughts
                               
                               

                               
                               

                               Links Discussed:

                               • Veritasium anechoic chamber
                               • Barbershop pole visual illusion
                               • Shepard Tone audio illusion
                               • Can You Trust Your Ears? (Audio Illusions)
                               • Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
                               • Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP
                               • The Truth About Vinyl - Vinyl vs. Digital
                               
                               

                               
                               

                               
                               

                               Support Us:

                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                               Follow Us:

                               • Our Website/Blog
                               • Newsletter
                               • Twitter: This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with software engineer Drew Shapiro. If you stumbled into this episode before hearing Part 1, I recommend going one episode back and listening to that one first...it will be kind of hard to connect the dots of where we land in this episode without hearing Part 1 first.

                                 In this part, we continue to analyze the magic (aka science) of how sound technology works. We continue the meta journey of how my voice is reaching your ears, and talk about how digital compression works. We even played a few examples to demonstrate compression, including playing the Bach violin solo of our intro at different bit rates to hear the effect that removing data has on music.

                                 Enjoy!

                                 
                                 

                                 **This episode contains video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                 
                                 

                                 Timestamps (Clickable on website):

                                 • [03:15] Sampling and sending information in packets
                                 • [07:15] Continuing the podcast journey of how our voices reach your ears
                                 • [12:22] A wav file becoming an mp3 and a side by side comparison to show what frequency removal does to sound
                                 • [17:05] Our Bach violin partita intro music side by side at different compression levels
                                 • [28:15] How our ears pick up sound
                                 • [30:53] How you download a podcast and convert the digital information back to analog sound waves
                                 • [33:30] A summary of the podcast journey from our voices to your ears
                                 • [37:30] "Perfect is the enemy of good enough" —Balancing the quest for perfect sound with pragmatism
                                 • [41:32] Closing thoughts
                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 Links Discussed:

                                 • Veritasium anechoic chamber
                                 • Barbershop pole visual illusion
                                 • Shepard Tone audio illusion
                                 • Can You Trust Your Ears? (Audio Illusions)
                                 • Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
                                 • Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP
                                 • The Truth About Vinyl - Vinyl vs. Digital
                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 Support Us:

                                 You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                 But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                 https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                 Follow Us:

                                 • Our Website/Blog
                                 • Newsletter
                                 • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                 • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                 • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                 
                                 ]]>1f1bd8d4-03e6-420e-ad1e-0c4927597ea6Fri, 09 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -050046:11falsefull1818This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with software engineer Drew Shapiro about the technology of sound, including a meta-analysis of how you're hearing this very podcast.Software Engineer Drew Shapiro—Understanding the Technology of Sound (Part 1)This episode can be summed up with two competing quotes:

                                 “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

                                 "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science!”

                                 The first quote is by the famous science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The second quote is unknown, but points out that the spell books for such magic are to be found in the methods and tools of science.

                                 So how does sound work? What is the difference between analog and digital audio? How does a computer store an audio file and then rebuild it into sound waves that you can hear? What is the journey that this podcast took to get from our voice boxes into your headphones?

                                 We answer those questions and more in this episode all about the technology of sound with software engineer Drew Shapiro. While studying electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, Drew also had a minor in music, making him a perfect guest for this episode.

                                 This episode is the first half of our conversation, with Part 2 dropping in a few days. Enjoy!

                                 **This episode contains video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                 Timestamps:

                                 • 02:30 Drew's background
                                 • 13:17 What is analogue sound
                                 • 18:30 The Barbershop pole illusion and Shepard tone illusion
                                 • 22:09 Psychoacoustics and the "Laurel" or "Yanny" phenomenon
                                 • 25:48 Arthur C. Clarke quote on the magic of technology
                                 • 34:40 How speakers transform electrical signals into sound waves
                                 • 43:03 What is information
                                 • 55:05 Why a microphone is a reverse speaker
                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 Links Discussed:

                                 • Veritasium anechoic chamber
                                 • Barbershop pole visual illusion
                                 • Shepard Tone audio illusion
                                 • Can You Trust Your Ears? (Audio Illusions)
                                 • Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
                                 • Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP
                                 • The Truth About Vinyl - Vinyl vs. Digital
                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 
                                 

                                 Support Us:

                                 You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                 But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                 https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                 Follow Us:

                                 • Our Website/Blog
                                 • Newsletter
                                 • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                 • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                 • Facebook: This episode can be summed up with two competing quotes:

                                   “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

                                   "Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science!”

                                   The first quote is by the famous science-fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. The second quote is unknown, but points out that the spell books for such magic are to be found in the methods and tools of science.

                                   So how does sound work? What is the difference between analog and digital audio? How does a computer store an audio file and then rebuild it into sound waves that you can hear? What is the journey that this podcast took to get from our voice boxes into your headphones?

                                   We answer those questions and more in this episode all about the technology of sound with software engineer Drew Shapiro. While studying electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, Drew also had a minor in music, making him a perfect guest for this episode.

                                   This episode is the first half of our conversation, with Part 2 dropping in a few days. Enjoy!

                                   **This episode contains video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                   Timestamps:

                                   • 02:30 Drew's background
                                   • 13:17 What is analogue sound
                                   • 18:30 The Barbershop pole illusion and Shepard tone illusion
                                   • 22:09 Psychoacoustics and the "Laurel" or "Yanny" phenomenon
                                   • 25:48 Arthur C. Clarke quote on the magic of technology
                                   • 34:40 How speakers transform electrical signals into sound waves
                                   • 43:03 What is information
                                   • 55:05 Why a microphone is a reverse speaker
                                   
                                   

                                   
                                   

                                   Links Discussed:

                                   • Veritasium anechoic chamber
                                   • Barbershop pole visual illusion
                                   • Shepard Tone audio illusion
                                   • Can You Trust Your Ears? (Audio Illusions)
                                   • Do You Hear "Yanny" or "Laurel"? (SOLVED with SCIENCE)
                                   • Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP
                                   • The Truth About Vinyl - Vinyl vs. Digital
                                   
                                   

                                   
                                   

                                   
                                   

                                   Support Us:

                                   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                   Follow Us:

                                   • Our Website/Blog
                                   • Newsletter
                                   • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                   • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                   
                                   ]]>14e257d4-3464-4988-8473-e6cb99b4e65dTue, 06 Oct 2020 07:00:00 -050001:03:05falsefull1717In this episode, we chat with software engineer Drew Shapiro about the technology of sound, including a meta-analysis of how you're hearing this very podcast.Trumpeter Chris Coletti (Part 2)This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with trumpeter Chris Coletti. If you haven't already, you can listen to Part 1 of the conversation here.

                                   In Part 2, we get a bit more geekier about trumpet specific topics. We talk about sound production, flexibility, and the difficulties of teaching trumpet.

                                   But if you're not a trumpet player, don't worry! We also talk about the mentalist Derren Brown, consciousness, whistling, Buddhism, spaceships, and many other random topics. Enjoy!

                                   **This episode includes video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                   
                                   

                                   Timestamps (Clickable On website):

                                   • [02:57] Teaching flexibility on trumpet
                                   • [06:42] Chris teaching his wife how to ride a bike
                                   • [13:02] Charlie Porter trumpet basics
                                   • [15:57] The concept of less being more
                                   • [20:36] Chris being a professional whistler
                                   • [24:48] Chris's most memorable concert experience
                                   • [31:27] A fact that Chris thinks everyone should know
                                   • [39:22] "Yanny" or "Laurel" and the bias of perception
                                   
                                   

                                   
                                   

                                   Links Discussed:

                                   • Chris's website/blog
                                   • Chris's Instagram
                                   • Paul Rudd surfing lesson (do less)
                                   • Charlie Porter: How to form a trumpet embouchure
                                   • World Champion Whistler Sean Lomax
                                   • Derren Brown: Tricks of the Mind
                                   • Derren Brown: The Push
                                   • Canadian Brass on Hunan TV (Chris's operatic high C)
                                   • "Yanny" or "Laurel" explained
                                   
                                   

                                   
                                   

                                   Support Us:

                                   You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                   But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                   https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                   Follow Us:

                                   • Our Website/Blog
                                   • Newsletter
                                   • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                   • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                   • Facebook: This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with trumpeter Chris Coletti. If you haven't already, you can listen to Part 1 of the conversation here.

                                     In Part 2, we get a bit more geekier about trumpet specific topics. We talk about sound production, flexibility, and the difficulties of teaching trumpet.

                                     But if you're not a trumpet player, don't worry! We also talk about the mentalist Derren Brown, consciousness, whistling, Buddhism, spaceships, and many other random topics. Enjoy!

                                     **This episode includes video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                     
                                     

                                     Timestamps (Clickable On website):

                                     • [02:57] Teaching flexibility on trumpet
                                     • [06:42] Chris teaching his wife how to ride a bike
                                     • [13:02] Charlie Porter trumpet basics
                                     • [15:57] The concept of less being more
                                     • [20:36] Chris being a professional whistler
                                     • [24:48] Chris's most memorable concert experience
                                     • [31:27] A fact that Chris thinks everyone should know
                                     • [39:22] "Yanny" or "Laurel" and the bias of perception
                                     
                                     

                                     
                                     

                                     Links Discussed:

                                     • Chris's website/blog
                                     • Chris's Instagram
                                     • Paul Rudd surfing lesson (do less)
                                     • Charlie Porter: How to form a trumpet embouchure
                                     • World Champion Whistler Sean Lomax
                                     • Derren Brown: Tricks of the Mind
                                     • Derren Brown: The Push
                                     • Canadian Brass on Hunan TV (Chris's operatic high C)
                                     • "Yanny" or "Laurel" explained
                                     
                                     

                                     
                                     

                                     Support Us:

                                     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                     But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                     https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                     Follow Us:

                                     • Our Website/Blog
                                     • Newsletter
                                     • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                     • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                     • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                     
                                     ]]>1c5d42b9-20c3-4039-a61c-764c9878463dTue, 29 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -050050:22falsefull1616This episode is Part 2 of our conversation with internationally acclaimed trumpeter and former Canadian Brass member Chris Coletti.Trumpeter Chris Coletti (Part 1)For this episode, we were joined by internationally acclaimed trumpet player Chris Coletti. Chris is most well known for his ten years of playing with the famous Canadian Brass which he left in 2019. More recently, he has become an Assistant Professor at Ithaca College School of Music.

                                     In the episode, we discussed many topics music and otherwise. We talked about what it was like performing and touring with Canadian Brass as well as teaching life in his new position at Ithaca College. But Chris is also geeky about tons of other topics, so we also talked about astrophysics, specialty coffee, quantum mechanics, consciousness, and many other areas of interest to us.

                                     Because this episode was so long, we separated it into two parts. Be on the lookout for part 2 next week where we go into more detail about trumpet playing and trumpet pedagogy.

                                     **This episode includes video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                     Timestamps:

                                     • [03:09] Juggling Canadian Brass with his new teaching position at Ithaca College
                                     • [07:53] How Chris has adapted to COVID-19 life
                                     • [13:01] Chris's telescopes and his Hawaii star-gazing experience
                                     • [18:12] The rabbit hole of specialty coffee
                                     • [25:25] Chris's favorite part of being in the Canadian Brass
                                     • [35:26] Sean Carroll and the Hugh Everett many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
                                     • [43:41] The hard and easy problems of consciousness
                                     • [44:56] Sean Carroll, David Chalmers, and the question of whether or not we have free will
                                     
                                     

                                     
                                     

                                     Links Discussed:

                                     • Chris's website/blog
                                     • Chris's Instagram
                                     • World AeroPress Championships
                                     • Sean Carroll: Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
                                     • What is Consciousness?
                                     • Sean Carroll's book The Big Picture
                                     • Sean Carroll: The Search for Meaning
                                     
                                     

                                     
                                     

                                     Support Us:

                                     You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                     But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                     https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                     Follow Us:

                                     • Our Website/Blog
                                     • Newsletter
                                     • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                     • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                     • Facebook: For this episode, we were joined by internationally acclaimed trumpet player Chris Coletti. Chris is most well known for his ten years of playing with the famous Canadian Brass which he left in 2019. More recently, he has become an Assistant Professor at Ithaca College School of Music.

                                       In the episode, we discussed many topics music and otherwise. We talked about what it was like performing and touring with Canadian Brass as well as teaching life in his new position at Ithaca College. But Chris is also geeky about tons of other topics, so we also talked about astrophysics, specialty coffee, quantum mechanics, consciousness, and many other areas of interest to us.

                                       Because this episode was so long, we separated it into two parts. Be on the lookout for part 2 next week where we go into more detail about trumpet playing and trumpet pedagogy.

                                       **This episode includes video which you can watch on our Youtube Channel**

                                       Timestamps:

                                       • [03:09] Juggling Canadian Brass with his new teaching position at Ithaca College
                                       • [07:53] How Chris has adapted to COVID-19 life
                                       • [13:01] Chris's telescopes and his Hawaii star-gazing experience
                                       • [18:12] The rabbit hole of specialty coffee
                                       • [25:25] Chris's favorite part of being in the Canadian Brass
                                       • [35:26] Sean Carroll and the Hugh Everett many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics
                                       • [43:41] The hard and easy problems of consciousness
                                       • [44:56] Sean Carroll, David Chalmers, and the question of whether or not we have free will
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Links Discussed:

                                       • Chris's website/blog
                                       • Chris's Instagram
                                       • World AeroPress Championships
                                       • Sean Carroll: Many-Worlds Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics
                                       • What is Consciousness?
                                       • Sean Carroll's book The Big Picture
                                       • Sean Carroll: The Search for Meaning
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the PayPal buttons on our website:

                                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                       Follow Us:

                                       • Our Website/Blog
                                       • Newsletter
                                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                       
                                       ]]>f9a960d9-3263-4674-9c36-9b530bc1ea70Tue, 22 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -050055:41truefull1515In this episode of Exploring Kodawari, we had a great conversation with internationally acclaimed trumpeter and former Canadian Brass member Chris Coletti.Game of Thrones Philosophy: Oaths, Honor, Duty, and LoveWhen is it okay to break an oath? How do we deal with the tension between honor and duty on the one hand versus love and doing the right thing on the other?

                                       This episode is essentially a conversation about life philosophy, and we tried to answer difficult questions such as those. Specifically, we did this by examining the concepts of oaths, honor, duty, and love in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones.

                                       If you have not seen Game of Thrones and don't plan to, this should still be an interesting conversation about some deep life philosophy.

                                       However if you do plan on watching Game of Thrones, **THIS IS YOUR SPOILER ALERT** . We do spoil many plot points in our discussion, so go finish the series first and then come back and listen!

                                       Thanks to our guests Joe Labriola and Stephen McLean for coming on to help us with this episode! Valar morghulis...

                                       
                                       

                                       Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                                       • [06:06] Why it is worth reading the books
                                       • [09:16] Oaths, honor, and other philosophy covered in Game of Thrones
                                       • [13:42] Hierarchies and the role of self-preservation
                                       • [16:52] The Marcus Aurelius quote that explains Jon Snow, and why "love is the death of duty".
                                       • [23:56] The problems with the last season, especially the battle strategies in The Long Night episode
                                       • [28:56] Our favorite character arcs
                                       • [39:56] What is honor?
                                       • [52:54] Who was the most honorable character in Game of Thrones?
                                       • [01:01:15] The very first episode and how it opens with an oath-breaker (Will) being punished
                                       • [01:03:59] Letter of the law vs. Spirit of the law
                                       • [01:07:34] Why honor codes are often purposefully vague—we must take on the burden of doing the right things to ourselves, like Jon Snow did.
                                       • [01:11:30] What Game of Thrones has to say about nature vs nurture
                                       
                                       

                                       Links Discussed:

                                       • Luke's Medium article: Oaths, Honor, and Duty: The Best Scene from Game of Thrones Final Season
                                       • Tamler Sommers: Why Honor Matters
                                       • Game of Thrones episode 1: Will is executed for deserting the Night's Watch ("The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword")
                                       • Jon Snow and Maester Aemon ("Love is the death of duty")
                                       • Season 3 Episode 5: The Kingslayer comes clean to Brienne about the circumstances surrounding the Mad King's murder.
                                       • The best scene from Game of Thrones: Jon and Tyrion speak about Daenerys
                                       • Joe Labriola's previous appearance on Exploring Kodawari (#5—Beach Cleaning)
                                       • Stephen McLean's previous appearance on Exploring Kodawari (#7—Music, Meaning, and Mindfulness)
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a When is it okay to break an oath? How do we deal with the tension between honor and duty on the one hand versus love and doing the right thing on the other?

                                       This episode is essentially a conversation about life philosophy, and we tried to answer difficult questions such as those. Specifically, we did this by examining the concepts of oaths, honor, duty, and love in the hit HBO series Game of Thrones.

                                       If you have not seen Game of Thrones and don't plan to, this should still be an interesting conversation about some deep life philosophy.

                                       However if you do plan on watching Game of Thrones, **THIS IS YOUR SPOILER ALERT** . We do spoil many plot points in our discussion, so go finish the series first and then come back and listen!

                                       Thanks to our guests Joe Labriola and Stephen McLean for coming on to help us with this episode! Valar morghulis...

                                       
                                       

                                       Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                                       • [06:06] Why it is worth reading the books
                                       • [09:16] Oaths, honor, and other philosophy covered in Game of Thrones
                                       • [13:42] Hierarchies and the role of self-preservation
                                       • [16:52] The Marcus Aurelius quote that explains Jon Snow, and why "love is the death of duty".
                                       • [23:56] The problems with the last season, especially the battle strategies in The Long Night episode
                                       • [28:56] Our favorite character arcs
                                       • [39:56] What is honor?
                                       • [52:54] Who was the most honorable character in Game of Thrones?
                                       • [01:01:15] The very first episode and how it opens with an oath-breaker (Will) being punished
                                       • [01:03:59] Letter of the law vs. Spirit of the law
                                       • [01:07:34] Why honor codes are often purposefully vague—we must take on the burden of doing the right things to ourselves, like Jon Snow did.
                                       • [01:11:30] What Game of Thrones has to say about nature vs nurture
                                       
                                       

                                       Links Discussed:

                                       • Luke's Medium article: Oaths, Honor, and Duty: The Best Scene from Game of Thrones Final Season
                                       • Tamler Sommers: Why Honor Matters
                                       • Game of Thrones episode 1: Will is executed for deserting the Night's Watch ("The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword")
                                       • Jon Snow and Maester Aemon ("Love is the death of duty")
                                       • Season 3 Episode 5: The Kingslayer comes clean to Brienne about the circumstances surrounding the Mad King's murder.
                                       • The best scene from Game of Thrones: Jon and Tyrion speak about Daenerys
                                       • Joe Labriola's previous appearance on Exploring Kodawari (#5—Beach Cleaning)
                                       • Stephen McLean's previous appearance on Exploring Kodawari (#7—Music, Meaning, and Mindfulness)
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                       
                                       

                                       Follow Us:

                                       • Our Website/Blog
                                       • Newsletter
                                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                       
                                       ]]>0ef50a68-b588-406e-bbc4-156d9f0e1a19Tue, 15 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -050001:23:11truefull1414In this episode, we examine the concepts of oaths, honor, duty, and love through the lens of the hit HBO series Game of Thrones. Valar morghulis...Violinist Emre EnginIn this episode, we sat down with Turkish violinist Emre Engin.

                                       Emre is the recipient of many awards and he's an active soloist in both the US and Turkey. Although we both come from Turkey, we did not actually meet officially and become friends until meeting at Stony Brook University in New York, where he and I are both completing doctorate degrees in music.

                                       In the episode we talked about his music career as well as his experience living in Turkey, the UK and the US. In the US he was a student of the famous violinist Pinchas Zukerman and his assistant Patinka Kopec, and had lots of interesting things to say about that style of teaching.

                                       Emre also had some interesting insights into how he deals with nerves while performing. This is especially difficult as a soloist, who is under the spotlight at the front of the orchestra and has to play some of the most difficult music in the violin repertoire.

                                       Timestamps (clickable on Webpage)

                                       • [01:45] How Emre began playing the violin
                                       • [05:55] Growing up in Turkey and the U.K.
                                       • [09:30] Why Emre moved to the United States
                                       • [13:11] Yankı and Emre's favorites parts of Turkish culture
                                       • [19:15] How Emre has been dealing with the challenges of COVID-19
                                       • [24:17] Emre's online concert series "Musik in the Air"
                                       • [32:30] Playing concertos (being a soloist) and how Emre deals with the nerves of being under that kind of pressure
                                       • [39:50] Pinchas Zukerman and Patinka Kopec's approach to violin teaching
                                       • [51:22] Emre's favorite composer
                                       • [01:01:17] Bonus Questions
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Links:

                                       • Emre's Instagram
                                       • Emre's website
                                       • Emre's brand-new online concert series "Musik in the Air"
                                       • Emre playing Bach solo Sonata No. 2 in A minor
                                       • Emre playing Vivaldi Violin Sonata in A Major
                                       • Alan Watt's describing Joker
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                       
                                       

                                       Follow Us:

                                       • Our Website/Blog
                                       • Newsletter
                                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                       
                                       ]]>In this episode, we sat down with Turkish violinist Emre Engin.

                                       Emre is the recipient of many awards and he's an active soloist in both the US and Turkey. Although we both come from Turkey, we did not actually meet officially and become friends until meeting at Stony Brook University in New York, where he and I are both completing doctorate degrees in music.

                                       In the episode we talked about his music career as well as his experience living in Turkey, the UK and the US. In the US he was a student of the famous violinist Pinchas Zukerman and his assistant Patinka Kopec, and had lots of interesting things to say about that style of teaching.

                                       Emre also had some interesting insights into how he deals with nerves while performing. This is especially difficult as a soloist, who is under the spotlight at the front of the orchestra and has to play some of the most difficult music in the violin repertoire.

                                       Timestamps (clickable on Webpage)

                                       • [01:45] How Emre began playing the violin
                                       • [05:55] Growing up in Turkey and the U.K.
                                       • [09:30] Why Emre moved to the United States
                                       • [13:11] Yankı and Emre's favorites parts of Turkish culture
                                       • [19:15] How Emre has been dealing with the challenges of COVID-19
                                       • [24:17] Emre's online concert series "Musik in the Air"
                                       • [32:30] Playing concertos (being a soloist) and how Emre deals with the nerves of being under that kind of pressure
                                       • [39:50] Pinchas Zukerman and Patinka Kopec's approach to violin teaching
                                       • [51:22] Emre's favorite composer
                                       • [01:01:17] Bonus Questions
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Links:

                                       • Emre's Instagram
                                       • Emre's website
                                       • Emre's brand-new online concert series "Musik in the Air"
                                       • Emre playing Bach solo Sonata No. 2 in A minor
                                       • Emre playing Vivaldi Violin Sonata in A Major
                                       • Alan Watt's describing Joker
                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                       
                                       

                                       Follow Us:

                                       • Our Website/Blog
                                       • Newsletter
                                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                       • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                       
                                       ]]>7e667256-8f6d-462f-be0c-afbcd0534eeeThu, 03 Sep 2020 07:00:00 -050001:20:30falsefull1313In this episode, we sat down with Turkish violinist Emre Engin. We talked about his life in music and the challenges of being a violin soloist.Dr. John Sarno, TMS, and the Psychological Roots of Chronic Pain

                                       The topic of this episode is the work of Dr. John Sarno and his theory of TMS or Tension Myoneural Syndrome. This is a diagnosis for people with chronic pain, especially lower back pain, for whom no physical cause or explanation of their pain could be found.

                                       The concept is basically that unconscious emotional issues, primarily anger, manifests itself through the autonomic nervous system to create psychosomatic pain. The research is controversial, but there are many who swear by its effectiveness, including our cohost Yankı.

                                       Yankı has suffered for many years with varying forms of chronic pain, and she found that reading Dr. Sarno's books and following his journaling techniques resulted in a lot of her pain disappearing.

                                       Anyways, it's a fascinating topic, and if you or anyone you know is looking for lower back pain causes or relief from chronic pain, this is definitely worth checking out.

                                       **We are not medical professionals, and the content in this episode is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of a doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always consult a doctor for medical advice.**

                                       Timestamps

                                       • [02:54] Disclaimers
                                       • [06:52] Defining TMS and its different names
                                       • [09:49] The Divided Mind (conscious vs. subconscious) and how TMS could be an evolved mechanism
                                       • [12:58] The branches of the autonomic nervous system
                                       • [16:45] Implicit vs. explicit memories and repressed anger
                                       • [21:00] Experiencing pain can become a learned habit
                                       • [24:40] How Yankı found Dr. John Sarno
                                       • [36:00] Why you shouldn't automatically associate abnormalities (for example in an MRI) with pain.
                                       • [39:11] The rubber hand experiment
                                       • [43:46] Subjectivity vs. objectivity (is pain without a physical cause real?)
                                       • [52:37] Chronic pain and inner peace
                                       • [01:00:00] Phenomenology
                                       • [01:12:09] Dr. John Sarno's symptom imperative and how pain can change locations.
                                       • [01:15:33] Treatments
                                       • [01:18:40] Summary
                                       
                                       

                                       Links Discussed:

                                       • Dr. John Sarno & Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) Explained
                                       • Interview with Dr. John Sarno on his book The Divided Mind
                                       • Alan Gordon's TMS Recovery Program
                                       • Dr. Howard Schubiner, Neural Pathways, and Mind-Body Syndrome
                                       • Dr. John Sarno Methodology Lecture
                                       • Rubber hand experiment
                                       
                                       

                                       Support Us:

                                       You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                       But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                       https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                        

                                       Follow Us:

                                       • Our Website/Blog
                                       • Newsletter
                                       • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                       • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                       • Facebook:

                                         The topic of this episode is the work of Dr. John Sarno and his theory of TMS or Tension Myoneural Syndrome. This is a diagnosis for people with chronic pain, especially lower back pain, for whom no physical cause or explanation of their pain could be found.

                                         The concept is basically that unconscious emotional issues, primarily anger, manifests itself through the autonomic nervous system to create psychosomatic pain. The research is controversial, but there are many who swear by its effectiveness, including our cohost Yankı.

                                         Yankı has suffered for many years with varying forms of chronic pain, and she found that reading Dr. Sarno's books and following his journaling techniques resulted in a lot of her pain disappearing.

                                         Anyways, it's a fascinating topic, and if you or anyone you know is looking for lower back pain causes or relief from chronic pain, this is definitely worth checking out.

                                         **We are not medical professionals, and the content in this episode is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of a doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always consult a doctor for medical advice.**

                                         Timestamps

                                         • [02:54] Disclaimers
                                         • [06:52] Defining TMS and its different names
                                         • [09:49] The Divided Mind (conscious vs. subconscious) and how TMS could be an evolved mechanism
                                         • [12:58] The branches of the autonomic nervous system
                                         • [16:45] Implicit vs. explicit memories and repressed anger
                                         • [21:00] Experiencing pain can become a learned habit
                                         • [24:40] How Yankı found Dr. John Sarno
                                         • [36:00] Why you shouldn't automatically associate abnormalities (for example in an MRI) with pain.
                                         • [39:11] The rubber hand experiment
                                         • [43:46] Subjectivity vs. objectivity (is pain without a physical cause real?)
                                         • [52:37] Chronic pain and inner peace
                                         • [01:00:00] Phenomenology
                                         • [01:12:09] Dr. John Sarno's symptom imperative and how pain can change locations.
                                         • [01:15:33] Treatments
                                         • [01:18:40] Summary
                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • Dr. John Sarno & Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) Explained
                                         • Interview with Dr. John Sarno on his book The Divided Mind
                                         • Alan Gordon's TMS Recovery Program
                                         • Dr. Howard Schubiner, Neural Pathways, and Mind-Body Syndrome
                                         • Dr. John Sarno Methodology Lecture
                                         • Rubber hand experiment
                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                          

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our Website/Blog
                                         • Newsletter
                                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                         
                                         ]]>de8d3e3f-1196-47e0-b281-d709db06394aThu, 27 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -050001:21:31falsefull1212In this episode, we discuss the work of Dr. John Sarno and his theory of TMS (tension myoneural syndrome) which has cured many people of lower back pain and other chronic pain issues.Dr. Justin Waller on Musician Identity, COVID-19, and Finding Purpose in LifeOur guest for this episode was Dr. Justin Waller, a fantastic trombone player based in the Southeastern United States. He is currently serving as the Lecturer of Trombone at East Tennessee State University, and has performed and recorded with such groups as the American Brass Quintet, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, the Chattanooga Symphony, and many others.

                                         My co-host Yankı and I also went to graduate school with Justin, so it was great to have this conversation and catch up. We talked about adjusting to teaching online, the importance of having a purpose in life, musician injuries (and the identity crisis that can cause), education philosophy, and so much more.

                                         Thanks for listening and enjoy!

                                         Timestamps (clickable on website)

                                         • [02:27] Justin's background
                                         • [12:14] Adjusting to COVID-19 life
                                         • [21:06] The Stoic practice of negative visualization
                                         • [27:14] The importance of having a purpose to your life mission
                                         • [31:15] Understanding sadness through music
                                         • [43:31] Vitamin D levels
                                         • [52:33] Why teaching and socializing online isn't the same
                                         • [57:13] COVID-19 anxiety fatigue
                                         • [01:03:06] Adjusting to teaching at the college level
                                         • [01:07:50] Justin's philosophy of education
                                         • [01:15:30] Playing injuries and the musician identity crisis
                                         • [01:30:26] Bonus Questions
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • Justin's website
                                         • One of Gustav Mahler's last photographs, taken a month before he died.
                                         • Dr. Rhonda Patrick on Vitamin D and COVID-19
                                         • Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield on honoring you grief and tears
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our Website/Blog
                                         • Newsletter
                                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                         
                                         ]]>Our guest for this episode was Dr. Justin Waller, a fantastic trombone player based in the Southeastern United States. He is currently serving as the Lecturer of Trombone at East Tennessee State University, and has performed and recorded with such groups as the American Brass Quintet, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, the Chattanooga Symphony, and many others.

                                         My co-host Yankı and I also went to graduate school with Justin, so it was great to have this conversation and catch up. We talked about adjusting to teaching online, the importance of having a purpose in life, musician injuries (and the identity crisis that can cause), education philosophy, and so much more.

                                         Thanks for listening and enjoy!

                                         Timestamps (clickable on website)

                                         • [02:27] Justin's background
                                         • [12:14] Adjusting to COVID-19 life
                                         • [21:06] The Stoic practice of negative visualization
                                         • [27:14] The importance of having a purpose to your life mission
                                         • [31:15] Understanding sadness through music
                                         • [43:31] Vitamin D levels
                                         • [52:33] Why teaching and socializing online isn't the same
                                         • [57:13] COVID-19 anxiety fatigue
                                         • [01:03:06] Adjusting to teaching at the college level
                                         • [01:07:50] Justin's philosophy of education
                                         • [01:15:30] Playing injuries and the musician identity crisis
                                         • [01:30:26] Bonus Questions
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • Justin's website
                                         • One of Gustav Mahler's last photographs, taken a month before he died.
                                         • Dr. Rhonda Patrick on Vitamin D and COVID-19
                                         • Meditation teacher Jack Kornfield on honoring you grief and tears
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our Website/Blog
                                         • Newsletter
                                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                         
                                         ]]>046c9f89-414a-4112-9cac-f448e46a72a8Tue, 18 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -050001:41:09falsefull1111In this episode, we spoke with trombonist Dr. Justin Waller about adjusting to teaching online, the importance of having a purpose in life, musician injuries (and the identity crisis that can cause), education philosophy, and so much more.The Craft of Craft Beer with Johnny LabriolaIn this episode, we talked about the science and art of craft beer with our good friend and home brewer extraordinaire Johnny Labriola.

                                         Johnny got into craft beer and home brewing around 5 years ago, and since then he has fallen headfirst into the craft beer rabbit hole. We talked about the science of brewing—malt, hops, fermentation—as well as the creativity of inventing new recipes. We also explored some of the rich history that human beings have with beer.

                                         Lastly, we all bought the same beer—Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA—so that we could learn how to do a formal beer tasting. We definitely had a silly beer buzz going by the end, so it was a really fun episode.

                                         
                                         

                                         Timestamps (clickable on website):

                                         • [02:50] How Johnny got into craft beer
                                         • [08:20] Why yeast is what really makes the beer
                                         • [10:10] How to define craft beer
                                         • [19:45] Getting started with home brewing
                                         • [21:52] What is unique to beer culture
                                         • [26:35] The formal education of becoming a brewer
                                         • [30:48] An introduction into the history of beer
                                         • [48:40] We work through our formal beer tasting
                                         • [01:12:05] Understanding the bitterness in beer
                                         • [01:18:26] Is brewing a science or an art?
                                         • [01:29:07] Bonus questions
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our Website/Blog
                                         • Newsletter
                                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                         
                                         ]]>In this episode, we talked about the science and art of craft beer with our good friend and home brewer extraordinaire Johnny Labriola.

                                         Johnny got into craft beer and home brewing around 5 years ago, and since then he has fallen headfirst into the craft beer rabbit hole. We talked about the science of brewing—malt, hops, fermentation—as well as the creativity of inventing new recipes. We also explored some of the rich history that human beings have with beer.

                                         Lastly, we all bought the same beer—Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA—so that we could learn how to do a formal beer tasting. We definitely had a silly beer buzz going by the end, so it was a really fun episode.

                                         
                                         

                                         Timestamps (clickable on website):

                                         • [02:50] How Johnny got into craft beer
                                         • [08:20] Why yeast is what really makes the beer
                                         • [10:10] How to define craft beer
                                         • [19:45] Getting started with home brewing
                                         • [21:52] What is unique to beer culture
                                         • [26:35] The formal education of becoming a brewer
                                         • [30:48] An introduction into the history of beer
                                         • [48:40] We work through our formal beer tasting
                                         • [01:12:05] Understanding the bitterness in beer
                                         • [01:18:26] Is brewing a science or an art?
                                         • [01:29:07] Bonus questions
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our Website/Blog
                                         • Newsletter
                                         • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                         • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                         • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                         
                                         ]]>42f55251-158c-4d0a-8251-f0b4c04e7bc4Tue, 11 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -050001:46:32truefull1010In this episode, we talked about the science and art of craft beer with our good friend and homebrewer extraordinaire Johnny Labriola.John-Thomas Burson—Being a Musician During COVID-19Our guest for this episode was Los Angeles based trumpet performer, composer/arranger, and teaching artist John-Thomas (“JT”) Burson. JT has collaborated/performed with Chicago’s Fulcrum Point New Music Project, the Flauto d'Amore Project, Festival Napa Valley, Aspen Music Festival, Sunset Blvd Brass, and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.

                                         In the episode, we talked about JT's philosophy of practicing and teaching, and how he has adapted to musician life during COVID-19. We also talked about his more recent interest in composing music and how he approaches the concept of creativity.

                                         Overall, it was a good episode and it left me with a more hopeful mindset about the future of art, music, and creativity, and how we can all adapt to the weird times that we're in.

                                         Timestamps (clickable on webpage)

                                         • [05:32] What it's like to live in different areas of the country/adapt to new situations.
                                         • [09:59] Musicians adapting to COVID-19
                                         • [12:47] JT's philosophy of always practicing with a purpose and moving away from the aiming at technical perfection.
                                         • [21:15] How JT began his musical path
                                         • [25:22] JT's teaching experience
                                         • [30:19] JT'S philosophy of teaching music
                                         • [39:19] How did JT get into composition
                                         • [41:47] A short clip of a new composition that features a sample taken from a previous episode of Exploring Kodawari!
                                         • [49:34] Meditation and sensory deprivation
                                         • [55:32] The Westworld Scoring Competition
                                         • [01:06:29] Bonus questions
                                         
                                         

                                         Links Discussed:

                                         • JT's Youtube Channel
                                         • JT's TEDx Talk: Finding Musical Inspiration Through Poetry
                                         • JT's Westworld Scoring Competition
                                         • The concept of "constrained creativity"
                                         • Paul mcCartney's 2018 Grand Central Station concert
                                         
                                         

                                         JT's Music/Social Links:

                                         • Website
                                         • JT on Spotify / Apple Music / iTunes / Tidal
                                         • Twitter/Instagram: @JTBtrumpet
                                         • Facebook
                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         
                                         

                                         Support Us:

                                         You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                         But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                         https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                         
                                         

                                         Follow Us:

                                         • Our guest for this episode was Los Angeles based trumpet performer, composer/arranger, and teaching artist John-Thomas (“JT”) Burson. JT has collaborated/performed with Chicago’s Fulcrum Point New Music Project, the Flauto d'Amore Project, Festival Napa Valley, Aspen Music Festival, Sunset Blvd Brass, and the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.

                                           In the episode, we talked about JT's philosophy of practicing and teaching, and how he has adapted to musician life during COVID-19. We also talked about his more recent interest in composing music and how he approaches the concept of creativity.

                                           Overall, it was a good episode and it left me with a more hopeful mindset about the future of art, music, and creativity, and how we can all adapt to the weird times that we're in.

                                           Timestamps (clickable on webpage)

                                           • [05:32] What it's like to live in different areas of the country/adapt to new situations.
                                           • [09:59] Musicians adapting to COVID-19
                                           • [12:47] JT's philosophy of always practicing with a purpose and moving away from the aiming at technical perfection.
                                           • [21:15] How JT began his musical path
                                           • [25:22] JT's teaching experience
                                           • [30:19] JT'S philosophy of teaching music
                                           • [39:19] How did JT get into composition
                                           • [41:47] A short clip of a new composition that features a sample taken from a previous episode of Exploring Kodawari!
                                           • [49:34] Meditation and sensory deprivation
                                           • [55:32] The Westworld Scoring Competition
                                           • [01:06:29] Bonus questions
                                           
                                           

                                           Links Discussed:

                                           • JT's Youtube Channel
                                           • JT's TEDx Talk: Finding Musical Inspiration Through Poetry
                                           • JT's Westworld Scoring Competition
                                           • The concept of "constrained creativity"
                                           • Paul mcCartney's 2018 Grand Central Station concert
                                           
                                           

                                           JT's Music/Social Links:

                                           • Website
                                           • JT on Spotify / Apple Music / iTunes / Tidal
                                           • Twitter/Instagram: @JTBtrumpet
                                           • Facebook
                                           
                                           

                                           
                                           

                                           
                                           

                                           Support Us:

                                           You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                           But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                           https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                           
                                           

                                           Follow Us:

                                           • Our Website/Blog
                                           • Newsletter
                                           • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                           • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                           • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                           
                                           ]]>928e6a51-bfb7-45ed-a892-d699a1764ff6Tue, 04 Aug 2020 07:00:00 -050001:13:16falsefull99In this episode, we spoke with Los Angeles based trumpet player and composer JT Burson about music, creativity, and being an artist during the challenges of COVID-19.Bassist Keenan Zach—A Conversation About Jazz, Meditation, and EnlightenmentOur guest for this episode is the double bass player Keenan Zach. We've known Keenan for years, and we've seen him perform countless times—he's a fantastic musician and an overall inspiring person.

                                           Keenan plays both jazz and classical music, and he's currently pursuing his doctorate at Stony Brook University. So we begin the conversation by asking some deep questions about jazz, especially the features that fascinate our classical musician brains: what is groove and how does it work? How do jazz musicians improvise and how can one practice that skill? We also talked about the differences between jazz and classical music training, and how each side can be helped by the other.

                                           But the meat of the conversation centered around one of my favorite topics, meditation. Keenan has had a disciplined meditation practice for many years, and had lots of wonderful things to say about mindfulness, enlightenment, and the value of letting go. These concepts help all three of us to be better people and musicians.

                                           Timestamps (clickable on webpage)

                                           • [06:32] The differences between jazz and classical training, and how they influence each other.
                                           • [13:27] What is groove and how does it work?
                                           • [21:27] How to practice improvising, and the approach of teacher Ray Anderson.
                                           • [25:42] How Keenan got started with a meditation practice.
                                           • [28:32] Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery, a must read for any musician, about learning to integrate your inner critic and perform in a flow state.
                                           • [32:32] The "waking up" moment of a meditation practice.
                                           • [41:32] What is progress in meditation?
                                           • [47:08] What is enlightenment?
                                           • [55:14] The value of being able to let go of things and its relationship to fulfillment—what meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg calls "the letting go muscle".
                                           • [01:08:19] Bonus Questions
                                           
                                           

                                           Links Discussed:

                                           • Enlightenments by Jack Kornfield
                                           • How to Punctuate Your Busy Life With Small Tastes of Enlightenment by Luke (that's me!)
                                           • Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner
                                           • Stefan Jackiw play Bruch Scottish Fantasy (amazing performance!!)
                                           • How Do I Love Myself? A video of meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
                                           • The Vipassana Facelift by Luke (that's me again!)
                                           • Peter Seidler's "Before and After", a photo series taken before and after a meditation retreat.
                                           • Drugs and the Meaning of Life by Sam Harris
                                           • 10 % Happier by Dan Harris
                                           • Our guest for this episode is the double bass player Keenan Zach. We've known Keenan for years, and we've seen him perform countless times—he's a fantastic musician and an overall inspiring person.

                                             Keenan plays both jazz and classical music, and he's currently pursuing his doctorate at Stony Brook University. So we begin the conversation by asking some deep questions about jazz, especially the features that fascinate our classical musician brains: what is groove and how does it work? How do jazz musicians improvise and how can one practice that skill? We also talked about the differences between jazz and classical music training, and how each side can be helped by the other.

                                             But the meat of the conversation centered around one of my favorite topics, meditation. Keenan has had a disciplined meditation practice for many years, and had lots of wonderful things to say about mindfulness, enlightenment, and the value of letting go. These concepts help all three of us to be better people and musicians.

                                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage)

                                             • [06:32] The differences between jazz and classical training, and how they influence each other.
                                             • [13:27] What is groove and how does it work?
                                             • [21:27] How to practice improvising, and the approach of teacher Ray Anderson.
                                             • [25:42] How Keenan got started with a meditation practice.
                                             • [28:32] Kenny Werner's Effortless Mastery, a must read for any musician, about learning to integrate your inner critic and perform in a flow state.
                                             • [32:32] The "waking up" moment of a meditation practice.
                                             • [41:32] What is progress in meditation?
                                             • [47:08] What is enlightenment?
                                             • [55:14] The value of being able to let go of things and its relationship to fulfillment—what meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg calls "the letting go muscle".
                                             • [01:08:19] Bonus Questions
                                             
                                             

                                             Links Discussed:

                                             • Enlightenments by Jack Kornfield
                                             • How to Punctuate Your Busy Life With Small Tastes of Enlightenment by Luke (that's me!)
                                             • Effortless Mastery by Kenny Werner
                                             • Stefan Jackiw play Bruch Scottish Fantasy (amazing performance!!)
                                             • How Do I Love Myself? A video of meditation teacher Thich Nhat Hanh
                                             • The Vipassana Facelift by Luke (that's me again!)
                                             • Peter Seidler's "Before and After", a photo series taken before and after a meditation retreat.
                                             • Drugs and the Meaning of Life by Sam Harris
                                             • 10 % Happier by Dan Harris
                                             • When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron (Keenan's favorite book)
                                             
                                             

                                             
                                             

                                             Support Us:

                                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                             Follow Us:

                                             • Our Website/Blog
                                             • Newsletter
                                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                             
                                             ]]>46849cff-fd7b-4047-a392-38274f5d5987Tue, 28 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -050001:17:45falsefull88Keenan Zach is a double bass player who plays both jazz and classical music. He is also a highly experienced meditator. So in this episode, we discuss jazz music, classical music, and the meditation concepts of enlightenment and letting go.Stephen McLean—Music, Meaning, and MindfulnessIn this episode, we talk to friend and trumpet colleague Stephen McLean. Stephen is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University, and he's also beginning his teacher certification for Alexander Technique this year.

                                             And like us, Stephen is also an avid meditator and is geeky about philosophy and psychology. So our conversation centered around the intersection of music, meaning, and mindfulness. What makes music meaningful? Does examining the meaning of music spoil the magic of how it works? And why does music uniquely affect our psychology?

                                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                                             • [06:00] Relationships, Dating, and Mindfulness
                                             • [09:56] Curb Your Enthusiasm and getting to know your inner Larry
                                             • [11:30] Stephen's background
                                             • [16:56] Introducing Alexander Technique
                                             • [31:20] What does Alexander Technique have to say about body tension and walking properly.
                                             • [47:36] What is the meaning of music?
                                             • [55:03] Jordan Peterson and Iain McGilchrist on the left/right brain balance and why music is meaningful to us
                                             • [01:04:42] Growing up in music with the conservatory mindset, competition pressure, etc, and how that affects your relationship to music.
                                             • [01:08:00] The challenge of being a musician during the coronavirus pandemic.
                                             • [01:11:00] Getting the chills while listening to music: this is how how our nervous systems are wired towards meaningful things—it's our bodies signal that we are in the presence of something deep and true.
                                             • [01:19:16] Bonus Questions
                                             
                                             

                                             
                                             

                                             Links:

                                             • Alexander Technique
                                             • Music, Mind, and Meaning
                                             • The Master and His Emissary: A Conversation with Dr. Iain McGilchrist
                                             • The Flinch by Julien Smith
                                             • Ego and Archetype by Edward F. Edinger
                                             
                                             

                                             
                                             

                                             Support Us:

                                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                             Follow Us:

                                             • Our Website/Blog
                                             • Newsletter
                                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                             
                                             ]]>In this episode, we talk to friend and trumpet colleague Stephen McLean. Stephen is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Stony Brook University, and he's also beginning his teacher certification for Alexander Technique this year.

                                             And like us, Stephen is also an avid meditator and is geeky about philosophy and psychology. So our conversation centered around the intersection of music, meaning, and mindfulness. What makes music meaningful? Does examining the meaning of music spoil the magic of how it works? And why does music uniquely affect our psychology?

                                             Timestamps (clickable on webpage):

                                             • [06:00] Relationships, Dating, and Mindfulness
                                             • [09:56] Curb Your Enthusiasm and getting to know your inner Larry
                                             • [11:30] Stephen's background
                                             • [16:56] Introducing Alexander Technique
                                             • [31:20] What does Alexander Technique have to say about body tension and walking properly.
                                             • [47:36] What is the meaning of music?
                                             • [55:03] Jordan Peterson and Iain McGilchrist on the left/right brain balance and why music is meaningful to us
                                             • [01:04:42] Growing up in music with the conservatory mindset, competition pressure, etc, and how that affects your relationship to music.
                                             • [01:08:00] The challenge of being a musician during the coronavirus pandemic.
                                             • [01:11:00] Getting the chills while listening to music: this is how how our nervous systems are wired towards meaningful things—it's our bodies signal that we are in the presence of something deep and true.
                                             • [01:19:16] Bonus Questions
                                             
                                             

                                             
                                             

                                             Links:

                                             • Alexander Technique
                                             • Music, Mind, and Meaning
                                             • The Master and His Emissary: A Conversation with Dr. Iain McGilchrist
                                             • The Flinch by Julien Smith
                                             • Ego and Archetype by Edward F. Edinger
                                             
                                             

                                             
                                             

                                             Support Us:

                                             You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                             But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                             https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                             Follow Us:

                                             • Our Website/Blog
                                             • Newsletter
                                             • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                             • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                             • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                             
                                             ]]>6a35a984-d874-4036-bd1b-1becda363a1cTue, 21 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -050001:33:07falsefull77In this episode, we talk about the intersection of music, meaning, and mindfulness with trumpet player Stephen McLean.The Wim Hof MethodWim Hof, also known as "The Iceman", is a Dutch man who's set many world records in the area of cold exposure. These include swimming under the ice of a frozen lake 57.5 meters, running a half marathon on ice and snow without any shoes, and climbing Mount Everest in nothing but shorts.

                                             And through his method, he has taught thousands of other people to accomplish similar feats. In fact, he claims that we all have this potential inside of us, but that our modern life styles prevent us from accessing these deep parts of our minds.

                                             After seeing a documentary on Wim, we here at Exploring Kodawari (Luke & Yankı) have been experimenting with the Wim Hof method for over 5 months, and we absolutely love it. So in this episode, we explore the psychological and physical benefits that we've noticed through trying his techniques.

                                             **Disclaimer: Especially if you have a heart condition, be smart and consult your doctor before taking cold showers or trying any of these other Wim Hof practices**

                                             Time Stamps (clickable on website page)

                                             • [05:05] The "woo" or "woo woo" that exists in the world of self help and why it doesn't quite apply to the Wim Hof method.
                                             • [17:05] Blood oxygen levels and pH while practicing Wim Hof breathing routine.
                                             • [19:20] Dr. John Sarno and Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and how it's helped Yankı reduce her pain.
                                             • [23:00] Doug Steiny being cured by the Wim Hof method and Jordan Peterson's first rule about our serotonergic systems that trace back to lobsters.
                                             • [28:10] Anxiety and balancing the two branches of the autonomic nervous system.
                                             • [32:12] The psychological benefits of cold showers.
                                             • [35:20] The fear of the cold and Julian Smith's The Flinch
                                             • [40:27] The poem "Yo Soy no Yo" ("I am not I") by Juan Ramón Jiménez. The link for this is below. It's a deeply beautiful way to express that deeper presence to consciousness, the quiet and still place that knows what is right and isn't stirred by seeking short term pleasures or avoiding short term displeasure.
                                             • [42:43] Another quote from Julian Smith's The Flinch about people who are unwilling to face their fears and what is does to their minds and bodies.
                                             • [44:55] How cold water training helps with the meditation/mindfulness goal of responding to things and not just reacting to them.
                                             
                                             

                                             Scientific Links

                                             • Dr. Rhonda Patrick interviews Wim Hof
                                             • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24799686/
                                             • Endotoxin Study
                                             • Brain over Body study of autonomic function during cold exposure
                                             
                                             

                                             Other Links

                                             • Luke's article: Learn to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone With Cold Showers
                                             • Wim's website
                                             • The Superhuman World of Wim Hof: The Iceman (Vice documentary)
                                             • Wim Hof Breathing Tutorial
                                             • Wim Hof, also known as "The Iceman", is a Dutch man who's set many world records in the area of cold exposure. These include swimming under the ice of a frozen lake 57.5 meters, running a half marathon on ice and snow without any shoes, and climbing Mount Everest in nothing but shorts.

                                               And through his method, he has taught thousands of other people to accomplish similar feats. In fact, he claims that we all have this potential inside of us, but that our modern life styles prevent us from accessing these deep parts of our minds.

                                               After seeing a documentary on Wim, we here at Exploring Kodawari (Luke & Yankı) have been experimenting with the Wim Hof method for over 5 months, and we absolutely love it. So in this episode, we explore the psychological and physical benefits that we've noticed through trying his techniques.

                                               **Disclaimer: Especially if you have a heart condition, be smart and consult your doctor before taking cold showers or trying any of these other Wim Hof practices**

                                               Time Stamps (clickable on website page)

                                               • [05:05] The "woo" or "woo woo" that exists in the world of self help and why it doesn't quite apply to the Wim Hof method.
                                               • [17:05] Blood oxygen levels and pH while practicing Wim Hof breathing routine.
                                               • [19:20] Dr. John Sarno and Tension Myositis Syndrome (TMS) and how it's helped Yankı reduce her pain.
                                               • [23:00] Doug Steiny being cured by the Wim Hof method and Jordan Peterson's first rule about our serotonergic systems that trace back to lobsters.
                                               • [28:10] Anxiety and balancing the two branches of the autonomic nervous system.
                                               • [32:12] The psychological benefits of cold showers.
                                               • [35:20] The fear of the cold and Julian Smith's The Flinch
                                               • [40:27] The poem "Yo Soy no Yo" ("I am not I") by Juan Ramón Jiménez. The link for this is below. It's a deeply beautiful way to express that deeper presence to consciousness, the quiet and still place that knows what is right and isn't stirred by seeking short term pleasures or avoiding short term displeasure.
                                               • [42:43] Another quote from Julian Smith's The Flinch about people who are unwilling to face their fears and what is does to their minds and bodies.
                                               • [44:55] How cold water training helps with the meditation/mindfulness goal of responding to things and not just reacting to them.
                                               
                                               

                                               Scientific Links

                                               • Dr. Rhonda Patrick interviews Wim Hof
                                               • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24799686/
                                               • Endotoxin Study
                                               • Brain over Body study of autonomic function during cold exposure
                                               
                                               

                                               Other Links

                                               • Luke's article: Learn to Step Out of Your Comfort Zone With Cold Showers
                                               • Wim's website
                                               • The Superhuman World of Wim Hof: The Iceman (Vice documentary)
                                               • Wim Hof Breathing Tutorial
                                               • Yes Theory Documentary
                                               • Doug Steiny cured his autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome in 8 months
                                               • Dr. John Sarno and Tension myositis syndrome (TMS)
                                               • The poem "Yo Soy no Yo" ("I am not I") by Juan Ramón Jiménez
                                               • The Flinch by Julien Smith
                                               
                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>dca0ad8b-bc35-4ce1-b0e2-4a31053e07c0Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -050049:31falsefull66In this episode, we talk about the basics of the Wim Hof method along with the psychological and physical benefits that we've personally noticed over the last 5 months of trying it.Beach Cleaning with Joe LabriolaOur guest for this episode is our good friend Joe Labriola. His main job is teaching writing and rhetoric at Stony Brook University, but he also spends countless hours walking up and down the local beaches to pick up trash.

                                               This type of beach cleaning is helpful to the local environment and to ocean health in general, but it also fits in perfectly with the ethos of kodawari. This is because no matter how much garbage you pick up there will always be more.

                                               So we get into the specifics of why he beach cleans, what types of garbage he tends to find, and how it helps the environment.

                                               And more spiritually/personally, we tried to dig under the service to figure out what motivates people to help out in this way, especially considering that it's a very Sisyphus like struggle because no matter how much you clean there is always more garbage.

                                               Joe's Links:

                                               • Twitter
                                               • Joe's Beach Cleaning Book on Amazon
                                               • Website
                                               • Joe's Podcast
                                               
                                               

                                               Links discussed:

                                               • Joe's TEDx Talk
                                               • Garret Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons"
                                               • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
                                               • Ray Anderson: Don't Mow Your Lawn
                                               
                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               

                                               
                                               

                                               ]]>Our guest for this episode is our good friend Joe Labriola. His main job is teaching writing and rhetoric at Stony Brook University, but he also spends countless hours walking up and down the local beaches to pick up trash.

                                               This type of beach cleaning is helpful to the local environment and to ocean health in general, but it also fits in perfectly with the ethos of kodawari. This is because no matter how much garbage you pick up there will always be more.

                                               So we get into the specifics of why he beach cleans, what types of garbage he tends to find, and how it helps the environment.

                                               And more spiritually/personally, we tried to dig under the service to figure out what motivates people to help out in this way, especially considering that it's a very Sisyphus like struggle because no matter how much you clean there is always more garbage.

                                               Joe's Links:

                                               • Twitter
                                               • Joe's Beach Cleaning Book on Amazon
                                               • Website
                                               • Joe's Podcast
                                               
                                               

                                               Links discussed:

                                               • Joe's TEDx Talk
                                               • Garret Hardin's "The Tragedy of the Commons"
                                               • Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus
                                               • Ray Anderson: Don't Mow Your Lawn
                                               
                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               

                                               
                                               

                                               ]]>91ec9a6b-47bd-4b38-915a-533b7dcc3251Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:00:00 -050001:13:38falsefull55Exploring the ethos of beach cleaning with writer and professor Joseph Labriola.The Perfect CocktailIn this episode, we were joined by our good friend Kevin. Kevin is one of those people that gets good at pretty much whatever he puts his mind too. He's an amazing jazz saxophone player, he roasts and sells coffee from his garage, and he cooks insanely delicious food.

                                               But his main endeavor for the past number of years has been craft cocktails, and he's become quite the expert at it. So we picked his brain about how cocktails work. What makes craft cocktails special? What kinds of details go into building a recipe and keeping it consistent? And how do you infuse liquor with things like jalapeno, pineapple, mint, or whatever else, in order to get even more unique flavors out of your recipes.

                                               And since we are all musicians, we kind of connected the flavor balance from the cocktail world to the balance of musical harmony. We talked about the main notes, or flavors, in a cocktail that work in harmony to create a delicious drink. Seriously, before I had a fancy cocktail, I had no idea what went into it and how amazing they could be. The intensity of flavors and the way they can achieve balance is both scientific and artistic.

                                               Enjoy the episode, and get in touch if you need any tips on how to get started with craft cocktails at home!

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Hey Bartender documentary
                                               • Cocktail Kingdom (for equipment)
                                               • Jeff Morgenthaler's website (recipes)
                                               • Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails
                                               • Dale Degroff: The Craft of the Cocktail
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>In this episode, we were joined by our good friend Kevin. Kevin is one of those people that gets good at pretty much whatever he puts his mind too. He's an amazing jazz saxophone player, he roasts and sells coffee from his garage, and he cooks insanely delicious food.

                                               But his main endeavor for the past number of years has been craft cocktails, and he's become quite the expert at it. So we picked his brain about how cocktails work. What makes craft cocktails special? What kinds of details go into building a recipe and keeping it consistent? And how do you infuse liquor with things like jalapeno, pineapple, mint, or whatever else, in order to get even more unique flavors out of your recipes.

                                               And since we are all musicians, we kind of connected the flavor balance from the cocktail world to the balance of musical harmony. We talked about the main notes, or flavors, in a cocktail that work in harmony to create a delicious drink. Seriously, before I had a fancy cocktail, I had no idea what went into it and how amazing they could be. The intensity of flavors and the way they can achieve balance is both scientific and artistic.

                                               Enjoy the episode, and get in touch if you need any tips on how to get started with craft cocktails at home!

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Hey Bartender documentary
                                               • Cocktail Kingdom (for equipment)
                                               • Jeff Morgenthaler's website (recipes)
                                               • Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails
                                               • Dale Degroff: The Craft of the Cocktail
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>a7c37fb4-d276-4f47-b24d-3599122807e0Tue, 30 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -050001:30:53truefull44A conversation with an expert about the world of craft cocktails.Baroque Trumpet Specialist Kris KwapisOur guest for this episode is someone who definitely exudes the kodawari energy. Her name is Kris Kwapis, and she is an expert in early music and the baroque trumpet. She appears regularly as a soloist and principal trumpet in period-instrument ensembles across North America, and she teaches baroque trumpet at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Her bio is way too long for these episode notes, so I encourage you to check it out on her website.

                                               In this episode we talk about many things, including what it means to be an artist, how to prepare for concerts, and how to balance technique and artistic expression. In other words, how do we transcend technique and just surrender to the artistic expression of being a performer.

                                               And we also talk about life philosophy more generally. It was a fun and meaningful conversation, and we hope you enjoy it!

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Kris's website
                                               • Kris's encaustic paintings
                                               • Kris introduces the baroque trumpet on Portland Baroque Orchestra's Youtube channel
                                               • Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shoshin)
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>Our guest for this episode is someone who definitely exudes the kodawari energy. Her name is Kris Kwapis, and she is an expert in early music and the baroque trumpet. She appears regularly as a soloist and principal trumpet in period-instrument ensembles across North America, and she teaches baroque trumpet at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music. Her bio is way too long for these episode notes, so I encourage you to check it out on her website.

                                               In this episode we talk about many things, including what it means to be an artist, how to prepare for concerts, and how to balance technique and artistic expression. In other words, how do we transcend technique and just surrender to the artistic expression of being a performer.

                                               And we also talk about life philosophy more generally. It was a fun and meaningful conversation, and we hope you enjoy it!

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Kris's website
                                               • Kris's encaustic paintings
                                               • Kris introduces the baroque trumpet on Portland Baroque Orchestra's Youtube channel
                                               • Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind (Shoshin)
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>5a3867d6-f871-4fe0-a5df-b5ceb0de45ffSun, 21 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -050001:12:54falsefull33An interview with baroque trumpet specialist Kris Kwapis.Composer Nathan HudsonIn this episode, we were joined by our good friend and accomplished composer Nathan Hudson. He holds a BM in Trumpet Performance from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, an MA in Composition from Stony Brook University, and a PhD also from Stony Brook University (read his full bio here).

                                               We talked about what it means to major in music composition, and how a composer goes about finding their voice. We also talked about the creative process—where do ideas come from—and how he develops those ideas into full compositions.

                                               And since Nathan is also knowledgable about the worlds of specialty coffee and craft beer, we also talked about the art of those two worlds, and what it means to pursue the ideal.

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Nathan's Website
                                               • God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee
                                               • Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian (aka banana taped to wall)
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>In this episode, we were joined by our good friend and accomplished composer Nathan Hudson. He holds a BM in Trumpet Performance from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, an MA in Composition from Stony Brook University, and a PhD also from Stony Brook University (read his full bio here).

                                               We talked about what it means to major in music composition, and how a composer goes about finding their voice. We also talked about the creative process—where do ideas come from—and how he develops those ideas into full compositions.

                                               And since Nathan is also knowledgable about the worlds of specialty coffee and craft beer, we also talked about the art of those two worlds, and what it means to pursue the ideal.

                                               
                                               

                                               Links

                                               • Nathan's Website
                                               • God in a Cup: The Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Coffee
                                               • Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian (aka banana taped to wall)
                                               
                                               

                                               

                                               Support Us

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>c8592d52-3622-4a53-ac55-81f43e0ebf0aSat, 20 Jun 2020 07:15:00 -050001:19:20falsefull22We are joined by our good friend and accomplished composer Nathan Hudson. We talked about what it means to major in music composition, and how a composer goes about finding their voice. We also talked about the creative process—where do ideas come from—and how he develops those ideas into full compositions.What is Kodawari?Welcome to the very first episode of Exploring Kodawari!

                                               In this particular episode, we work through the definition of kodawari and our motivation for starting a podcast. The short version is that coronavirus rendered us stuck at home , and as classical musicians, all of our concerts and performances were canceled. It's now three months later and it's still unclear when we will get to perform again. So this left us feeling stuck, unmotivated, and frankly somewhat depressed.

                                               We decided that we needed something to keep us moving forward—something to challenge us to help us stay on the path of growing, both as musicians and as people.

                                               And the concept of kodawari sparked my motivation to start this podcast and blog. Most of our other episodes will be interviews, but we wanted the first one to be just us—a kind of meta episode about why we're here and what we're doing.

                                               Thanks for checking us out, and I hope you enjoy it!

                                               Links:

                                               • Peter Giuliano on Joe Rogan (talks about kodawari)
                                               • Bear Pond Espresso
                                               • Eleven Madison Park
                                               • Ben Morrow latte art
                                               
                                               

                                               Articles:

                                               You can learn more about us by heading over to our about page. Or you can read our first two articles which explore the meaning of kodawari more deeply:

                                               • What is Kodawari?
                                               • Circumambulation and the Kodawari Approach to Life
                                               
                                               

                                               Support Us:

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us:

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>Welcome to the very first episode of Exploring Kodawari!

                                               In this particular episode, we work through the definition of kodawari and our motivation for starting a podcast. The short version is that coronavirus rendered us stuck at home , and as classical musicians, all of our concerts and performances were canceled. It's now three months later and it's still unclear when we will get to perform again. So this left us feeling stuck, unmotivated, and frankly somewhat depressed.

                                               We decided that we needed something to keep us moving forward—something to challenge us to help us stay on the path of growing, both as musicians and as people.

                                               And the concept of kodawari sparked my motivation to start this podcast and blog. Most of our other episodes will be interviews, but we wanted the first one to be just us—a kind of meta episode about why we're here and what we're doing.

                                               Thanks for checking us out, and I hope you enjoy it!

                                               Links:

                                               • Peter Giuliano on Joe Rogan (talks about kodawari)
                                               • Bear Pond Espresso
                                               • Eleven Madison Park
                                               • Ben Morrow latte art
                                               
                                               

                                               Articles:

                                               You can learn more about us by heading over to our about page. Or you can read our first two articles which explore the meaning of kodawari more deeply:

                                               • What is Kodawari?
                                               • Circumambulation and the Kodawari Approach to Life
                                               
                                               

                                               Support Us:

                                               You can always support us by leaving a rating or review in your podcasting app. You can also share our episodes with friends on social media.

                                               But it does take a lot of time to put together a podcast, maintain a website, and write new content every week. So if you would like to support us in a more substantial way, consider making a donation through the Paypal buttons on our website:

                                               https://exploringkodawari.blog/donation/

                                               Follow Us:

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>18e7b42c-a4e2-4436-9a02-313757f618daSat, 20 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -050001:10:39falsefull11The concept of kodawari sparked my motivation to start this podcast and blog. Most of our other episodes will be interviews, but we wanted the first one to be just us—a kind of meta episode about why we're here and what we're doing.Welcome to Exploring KodawariWelcome to our new podcast Exploring Kodawari! We are two classical musicians, and we feel that the open conversation style of a podcast is the perfect way to think out loud, make new connections, and continue on the path of self development.

                                               We will be deep-diving into various topics as well as interviewing others who approach their life with the kodawari energy.

                                               Kodawari is a beautiful concept word from Japanese, and although difficult to translate succinctly, it essentially means pursuing perfection in a craft. It is the pursuit of an ideal even though you realize you can’t arrive there.

                                               But it is so much more than that, and on a zoomed-out level, it is an approach to life. It is being the best you can be, even if nobody else will notice.

                                               Articles

                                               You can learn more about us by heading over to our about page. Or you can read our first two articles which explore the meaning of kodawari more deeply:

                                               • What is Kodawari?
                                               • Circumambulation and the Kodawari Approach to Life
                                               
                                               

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>Welcome to our new podcast Exploring Kodawari! We are two classical musicians, and we feel that the open conversation style of a podcast is the perfect way to think out loud, make new connections, and continue on the path of self development.

                                               We will be deep-diving into various topics as well as interviewing others who approach their life with the kodawari energy.

                                               Kodawari is a beautiful concept word from Japanese, and although difficult to translate succinctly, it essentially means pursuing perfection in a craft. It is the pursuit of an ideal even though you realize you can’t arrive there.

                                               But it is so much more than that, and on a zoomed-out level, it is an approach to life. It is being the best you can be, even if nobody else will notice.

                                               Articles

                                               You can learn more about us by heading over to our about page. Or you can read our first two articles which explore the meaning of kodawari more deeply:

                                               • What is Kodawari?
                                               • Circumambulation and the Kodawari Approach to Life
                                               
                                               

                                               Follow Us

                                               • Our Website/Blog
                                               • Newsletter
                                               • Twitter: @EKodawari
                                               • Instagram: @exploringkodawari
                                               • Facebook: facebook.com/ExploringKodawari
                                               
                                               ]]>bd8c8fdd-d451-4055-b029-b729d39a197aSat, 13 Jun 2020 07:00:00 -050001:43falsetrailerA preview of our new podcast, Exploring Kodawari!