EZ Conversations Furkhan Dandia

In this week's episode, I am excited to welcome my friend Sohayl Bhatti. Sohayl is an accomplished engineer working on healthcare projects in the construction industry. He is keenly interested in the nature of consciousness and reality and its intersections with mental health and building a meaningful life. Sohayl's approach to spiritual practice comes from self-discovery and exploration, including travel, immersion in nature, and meditation. He is also interested in using psychedelics as a therapeutic tool.



In this episode, Sohayl shares his ayahuasca journey and explains how he prepared for his trip to the Amazon. He initially talks about attending a silent meditation retreat before deciding to travel to Peru for the full ayahuasca experience. Sohayl also shares how the shamans prepared him for the journey and all the little things he had to do to ensure he was ready. We also discussed what Sohayl got from this experience and everything that came up for him. I really enjoyed recording this episode with Sohayl because it was immersive. It gave me a first-hand understanding of what an ayahuasca journey looks like from someone who experienced it.




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In this week's episode, I am excited to welcome Rita Bozi. Rita is a multidisciplinary Somatic Relational trauma-informed facilitator and psychedelic therapist, author and podcast co-host. With twenty-eight years’ experience in the healing arts, she is the director of Brilliant Healing Inc. She works with individuals, couples and groups, leading unique, experiential and creative healing retreats. She is training individuals in her 3 Module program: Somatic Relational Trauma-informed Practices for Medicine-Assisted Therapy and was guest faculty at The Synthesis Institute.



Rita is a colleague of Dr. Gabor Maté and studied his "Compassionate Inquiry” model as an advanced student while on retreat in Mexico. She was mentored by the late visionary Carol-Anne Bickerstaff and is an advanced graduate of Sharon Stanley’s Somatic Transformation method. She has a passion for Attachment Theory, Polyvagal Theory, Authentic Movement, Feldenkrais, Craniosacral Therapy, and self-responsible communication. She is a Consultant Facilitator of the One Brain System, a Certified BodyTalk Practitioner, has a Diploma in Shiatsu Therapy and is a former instructor at Mount Royal College in Calgary and Langara College in Vancouver.



Though she is now a retired dancer and actor she will always be a creator and performer. Her first novel, When I Was Better is in the running for the 2022 Goethe Prize for Late Historical Fiction. Her co-hosted podcast, PUNK Therapy: Psychedelic Underground Neural Kindness, draws on her clinical work with psychedelic medicine in combination with somatic relational trauma-informed practices. She is currently working on a new book, PUNK Therapy; in it, she documents the often complex yet always deeply rewarding journey of client and medicine facilitator and their parallel journeys in healing. Born to Hungarian refugees who fled during the 1956 Revolution, Rita honours and remembers the long line of serfs and peasants who are her ancestors. She is devoted to the work it takes to become a kind and wise human, decolonizing the body and cultivating cherished and cooperative communities.



Rita has found her private practice and creative endeavours to be mutually complementary. She brings love, commitment and curiosity to both, inspiring others to live embodied, creative, trans-parent and soulful lives.



In this episode, Rita and I discuss psychedelic assisted therapy and the benefits this form of therapy can offer. Rita and I explored the difference between the notion of drugs and medicine. We walked through the risks associated with psychedelics and how caution must be exercised with doses, setting, environment and ensuring there is someone who can guide an individual embarking on a journey. We also covered the spiritual aspect of psychedelics as a ritual or ceremony.



Rita can be found:

brillianthealingsystems.com

linktr.ee/ritabozi

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6hN0cXnROdCeExH8ZT737C


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In this week's episode, I am honoured to welcome Dale Borglum. Dale is the founder and Executive Director of A Living/Dying Project. He is a pioneer in the conscious dying movement and has worked directly with thousands of people with life-threatening illness and their families for over 30 years. In 1981, Dale founded the first residential facility for people who wished to die consciously in the United States, The Dying Center. He has taught and lectured extensively on spiritual support for those with life-threatening illnesses, caregiving as a spiritual practice, and healing at the edge of illness, death, loss, or crisis.

Dale has a BS from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Stanford University. He is the co-author of Journey of Awakening: A Meditator’s Guidebook, Bantam Books and has taught meditation for the past 35 years. He has intensively immersed himself in the practices of devotion, meditation, and contemplative prayer for over forty years, studying with many of the greatest masters of the last century, including Neem Karoli Baba, Suzuki Roshi, Ananda Mayee Ma, Kalu Rinpoche, the 16th Karmapa, Dilgo Khyentse, Mahasi Sayadaw, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Trungpa Rinpoche, Goenka, Dudjom Rinpoche and HH the Dalai Lama. Dale has taught with Ram Dass, Stephen Levine, Joan Halifax, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Rev. Wayne Muller, and many others. His life’s work and passion have been and continue to be the healing of our individual and collective relationship with death and using our mortality to inspire spiritual awakening.

In this episode, Dale shares his journey of finding meditation and how he was able to calm his mind and get his ego to be less intrusive. Dale and I also discuss what conscious dying looks like, how people can come to terms with death, and why there is fear when one contemplates death. Dale also explains what the living/dying project is based upon. 

Please check out more Dale's work: www.livingdying.org


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In this week's episode, I am excited to welcome Aly Bird. Aly and I discussed her new book, Grief Ally, which was released recently. Aly shares why she was motivated to write this book and believes that allies during grief are crucial. Aly and I discuss a couple of chapters in her book and highlight key things to be mindful of when supporting people experiencing grief. 

Since her husband’s untimely death, Aly Bird has poured her heart into helping those who feel helpless during an unexpected crisis. Her extensive study of grief psychology and culture, combined with her devastating first-hand knowledge, led her to create a roadmap for the courageous and dedicated individuals willing to show up for the people they love with unconditional love, empowerment, and reverence. A speaker and workshop leader, Aly shows a clear path to those who dare to take on the vital role of being a grief ally.

Recognizing that there must be a change in how our culture handles grief, Aly is committed to building a support and educational network for those who have experienced an earth-shattering loss and the people who are often overlooked: the grievers loved ones and trusted support system. Aiding in her mission, Aly is pursuing a graduate degree in counselling psychology and a career in grief therapy.

Aly Bird is a coach and author with a BA from Carleton University and MSc in Social Planning from the University of Toronto. She is a Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association member and the Bereavement Ontario Network.

Keeping her life in balance, Aly is passionate about taking long walks with her dog, creating art, and singing at the top of her lungs whenever possible.

Learn more at www.alybird.com. Or find her on social media @thealybird.


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In this week's episode, I am excited to welcome Will Spencer. Will is an entrepreneur, traveller, and storyteller. His path has taken him from Stanford University to the Dotcom Boom and through 33 countries on six continents. Along the way, his passion for personal growth led him into the exciting world of men’s personal development and transformation. Today he hosts a podcast called The Renaissance of Men, where he conducts extended interviews with thought leaders, both men and women, working towards a "great reconciliation" of the sexes. Will also hosts weekly online men's groups and offers a 12-week mentorship program where men can make their principles real in their lives. 

In this episode, Will shares why masculinity is on the rise again. He walks through a brief history of the decline of masculinity and why he believes men embody masculinity traits again. Will also explains the difference between masculine and feminine traits and why he believes men cannot have both. We also discuss the transformation men go through to step into their masculinity. While I do not agree with everything Will shares, mainly due to our belief systems, I truly value Will's perspective, and I learned a lot from him in this episode. I also enjoyed our conversation because we need to have more of these discussions.  

Please find Will on Instagram @renofmen. On Twitter @renofmen and his website: www.renofmen.com. You can also check out his podcast, The Renaissance of Men. 


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In this week's episode, I am excited to welcome Jill Drader. Jill is a renowned public speaker, award-winning entrepreneur, and professional mentor based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. With over two decades of experience in the personal development industry, Jill has become a trusted advisor and spiritual director to countless individuals and organizations seeking to transform their lives and achieve their goals.

Jill is known for her dynamic and engaging speaking style, and she has delivered keynote speeches and workshops to audiences of all sizes across North America. She has also worked with various clients, including corporations, non-profits, and individuals.

Jill founded OwlSeek in 2022 to bring back her retreats, workshops, digital courses, and spiritual direction work.

Jill is an active member of the Calgary community and has been involved with several charitable organizations. She is co-founder of Struggle Is Your Success, a Calgary non-profit teaching youth entrepreneurial mindset skills to improve their lives.  She is passionate about supporting causes related to mental health and wellness and has been recognized for her contributions to these areas by the provincial government, Distinguished Alumni by the University of Calgary (2016), and awarded Top 40 Under 40.

Jill is a firm believer in the power of connection and community and is dedicated to helping others build meaningful relationships in their personal and professional lives. Whether speaking to a room of hundreds or working one-on-one with a client, Jill’s mission is always the same: to help people live their best lives and reach their full potential.

I have previously talked about the Hero's journey we must embark on and go through various stages. In this episode, I wanted to highlight Jill's journey. 

In this episode, Jill and I discuss her journey through life and some of the choices she made early in life, which ultimately led her to realize the changes she needed to make, especially after some frightening situations. Jill then talks about some of the entrepreneurial ventures she went on while believing in her vision. We then talk about how Jill now mentors others and gives back to the community through her work. 

You can find Jill on Instagram @jilldrader and @owlseekmethod, and www.owlseek.ca


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