Finding Your Right Mind — with Vanessa Potter

Vanessa Potter
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

Join my 'consciousness road-trip' where I delve into the many ways we can help ourselves live less frenetic and stressed-out lives. With regular guests, I'll discuss different 'mind practices' from mindfulness, yoga, compassion, bodywork, forest bathing psychedelics — no practice is off bounds. I'll talk about the science behind each practice, what it's really like to experience, the pitfalls and challenges and how we can discover our own wisdom. If you want to find out what made me quite so curious about mind and body practices, check out my book "Finding My Right Mind: One Woman's Experiment to put Meditation to the Test", (Welbeck 2021) Got questions or topics you'd like me to cover? contact me at www.vanessapotter.com

  1. Go Jauntly: Walking a different path...

    06/12/2022

    Go Jauntly: Walking a different path...

    In this interview I talk to Sage from Go Jauntly (which is a walking App) about the different ways we can walk - whether it's alone or with friends or family. Go Jauntly is a start up, providing tons of digital mapped walks via their App. We found huge crossover with what we do at ParkBathe - their members experience some of the clarity and calming nature of forest bathing too. Check out their nature notes and Green Care Code, which are really great ways to discover and bring nature into your life. You may already do something like this. If you do, let us know !  Go Jauntly offer food tours, shopping tours, street art walks - fun games and family adventure walks so there is something for everyone. You can connect with other walkers too through their online community. If you like the episode and found it useful do leave us a review and share it with friends and family. Maybe there is someone you know who is sceptical of 'walking for wellbeing', but who would enjoy a street art tour or a pub walk?  Support the show

    46 min
  2. Street Wisdom: Take the first step...

    05/21/2022

    Street Wisdom: Take the first step...

    This episode is a real treat. I had an inspiring chat with Rachel Crowther from Street Wisdom, the social movement, that gets people from all around the world walking, looking at and experiencing their local streets in a whole new way.  Have you ever taken yourself off the beaten path - just to see what you might find? If not, try it sometime. If you'd like some hints on how to do this, you can use the short audio prompts provided by Street Wisdom. The idea is that the 'idea' (or whatever solution or inspiration you are looking for) is likely to be found on your doorstep. That might sound a bit wild or silly - but think about it. How many times have you taken a walk to clear your head, work through a problem or come up with a new approach? Street Wisdom follows this principle, with a whole host more.  And...as we discovered has many overlaps and parallels with the ParkBathe project.  https://www.streetwisdom.org Support the show

    55 min
  3. Lil Stevens: Casting light on fossils, ferns and the prehistoric legacy of Dino Island.

    05/07/2022

    Lil Stevens: Casting light on fossils, ferns and the prehistoric legacy of Dino Island.

    Welcome to another ParkBathe conversation where we dig down (literally) into nature and conservation. This episode features Dinosaur island and a fascinating area of research, namely,  paleo planting. I talk to Dr Lil Stevens from the National History Museum about the ancient-looking ferns found on "Dino island" inside Crystal Palace park. Dino Island got its name because it is found in the middle of the lake and is surrounded by famous (and super cool) dinosaur monuments. It's pretty hard to visit Crystal Palace and not be steered in the direction of these famous concrete beasts. Lil is the Collections Task Force Manager at the National History museum and is a paleo botanist who volunteers with the Friends of Crystal Palace Dinosaurs. That means Lil has lots to say about fossils, plants and "palaeoenvironments".  She starts by telling me the story of a rare fossil tree she found near her home. I loved chatting with Lil, she manages to bring prehistoric environments to life with passion and vigour. If you'd like to visit the park and see the dinosaurs (and ferns) up close check out the next open day talk hosted by https://cpdinosaurs.org and support their important conservation work. If you enjoyed this episode why not leave us a review and check out the other interviews in the ParkBathe series. Presented by Vanessa Potter, Edited by Melissa Green. Support the show

    47 min
  4. Joanna Bristow-Watkins: The inside scoop on Forest Bathing

    04/25/2022

    Joanna Bristow-Watkins: The inside scoop on Forest Bathing

    This week I am sharing a fascinating chat with Joanna Bristow-Watkins, a forest bathing guide based in Surrey. We talk about what it's like to be a guide and what benefits there are to be gained from forest bathing in an ancient woodland - from evoking childhood memories via the limbic system to why rain is just SO awesome. Joanna and I get into the science of forest medicine and also some of the common experiences reported by people who have gone on her walks. Some of which might surprise you. If you've ever toyed with becoming a forest bathing guide yourself, you might find this very useful. Joanna Bristow-Watkins, Reyad Sekh Em® (Egyptian Alchemy Healing) Practitioner & Teacher www.harmonyhealing.co.uk Produced & edited by Vanessa Potter Support the show

    47 min
  5. Emily Finch: Using Art to see the Wood from the Trees

    04/12/2022

    Emily Finch: Using Art to see the Wood from the Trees

    Today I’m sharing a poignant and at times, emotive interview with Emily Finch as she describes her deeply personal and intense relationship to trees. London-based artist, Emily has always had an affinity to the natural world, but this took on a new meaning when she experienced an unexpected tragedy.  Here at ParkBathe, we know that trees are amazing (check out our dedicated TREE EPISODE in series 3 called Geeking out on Trees) but we can all gain an additional layer of insight when we listen to other people's stories of how nature - and trees - can heal us.  Its another interview that mentions lockdowns which feels so old now -but you'll hear how Emily's story is just as relevant now as ever.  Remember to SUBSCRIBE and drop us a line at parkbathe@gmail.com or tag us on social media.  www.emzfinchart.co.uk Produced by Vanessa Potter, edited by Melissa Green.  Photography by Joanna Nicole. Support the show

    39 min
  6. Louise Montgomery: Digging into our relationship with nature

    03/27/2022

    Louise Montgomery: Digging into our relationship with nature

    I really wanted to share this  interview. Although it was recorded just after the last lockdown, so much of what Louise talks about is relevant today. We discuss plant blindness - how 'not noticing' the evidence of nature around us renders us blind to the natural world. If we can learn to notice our local trees or wallflowers - even a hedge on the walk to work -  we start to forge a relationship with nature, which leads to pro-conservation behaviours.  We discuss the relationship children have to nature and how critical it is to introduce them at an early age and how that changes from culture to culture and from exposure at a young age. Packed full of thoughtful insights and information I promise you will feel inspired and hopefully motivated to get out into your local park :) Do subscribe and connect with us on social media, email us on parkbathe@gmail.com and leave us a review !  https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/natural-england Produced by Vanessa Potter and Edited by Melissa Green. Support the show

    53 min
  7. Stefan Batorijs: The language of nature and a cathedral made of trees.

    03/12/2022

    Stefan Batorijs: The language of nature and a cathedral made of trees.

    Welcome to series 4! We are kicking off this series with a thought-providing conversation with Stefan from Nature and Therapy UK, where he combines a mixture of ancient wisdom with modern science to help people navigate their lives more effectively.  Stefan and I talk about the language of trees, how sometimes they give us the words we can't find for ourselves and how nature reflects our own inner landscape far more than we realise. This interview was one of the many we used for series 3, but like so many experts I spoke to, I felt you should hear everything Stefan had to say. http://natureandtherapy.co.uk/ Support the show

    1h 5m
  8. ParkBathe: Rewilding, conservation and thinking like an Environmentalist.

    02/19/2022

    ParkBathe: Rewilding, conservation and thinking like an Environmentalist.

    Welcome to the episode 7 of our ParkBathe podcast, getting our hands dirty as we dig into conservation, environmentalism and giving back to nature.     What is conservation? What is ReWilding? Kirsten and I shed some light on these topical themes and ponder if activities like forest bathing encourage pro-environmental behaviours.     We hear from conservationists, environmental and re-wilding experts at Rewilding Britain, and Trees for Life and find some helpful ways to best support nature, whether that’s in our gardens, allotments, in our kitchens, online or on a larger scale. We hear from Gonzovationist Ceri Levy and author of the Joyful Environmentalist, Isabel Losada along with a host of nature experts - we've left no rotting log unturned ;)  We promise you'll discover something new and you might find you understand the nuances of the conservation battle a little bit more too - and even feel inspired to take action. We have tips on where to start green volunteering locally. There are TONS of links in today's show notes too and check out the BONUS.  Remember to subscribe and share this episode to anyone else who might like to listen. Connect with us on social media too :)   Show notes links: https://www.tcv.org.uk/greengym/ find a green gym https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk Richard Bunting, Press & Media, Rewilding Britain https://eu-citizen.science/projects join a citizen science project https://treesforlife.org.uk/support/plant-a-tree/ Donate to plant a tree Kat Murphy Education Manager, Trees for Life https://earthwatch.org.uk/get-involved/tiny-forest Tiny Forest link up landowners/funders/volunteers who want to grow a Tiny forest  https://earthwatch.org.uk/get-involved/naturehood Naturehood offers weekly tips on Facebook to help wildlife https://gimletmedia.com/shows/howtosaveaplanet Conservation podcast https://www.isabellosada.com https://www.triodos.co.uk Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lucysinvitation Website: www.lucysinvitation.ca Lucy Szczesniak Forest Bathing guide https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6176042/ https://www.powerforconsciousliving.com/empathy-with-naturehttps://gonzovation.com/ https://invisiblepalace.org.uk https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/great-north-wood https://hughwebsterauthor.wordpress.com/blog/ Hugh Webster Conservationist https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/geography/staff/1013/dr-steve-carver Dr Steven Carver, Senior Lecturer, University of Leeds   Written by Vanessa Potter and Kirsten McEwan and edited by Melissa Green.  Support the show

    55 min
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About

Join my 'consciousness road-trip' where I delve into the many ways we can help ourselves live less frenetic and stressed-out lives. With regular guests, I'll discuss different 'mind practices' from mindfulness, yoga, compassion, bodywork, forest bathing psychedelics — no practice is off bounds. I'll talk about the science behind each practice, what it's really like to experience, the pitfalls and challenges and how we can discover our own wisdom. If you want to find out what made me quite so curious about mind and body practices, check out my book "Finding My Right Mind: One Woman's Experiment to put Meditation to the Test", (Welbeck 2021) Got questions or topics you'd like me to cover? contact me at www.vanessapotter.com

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