The Brilliant Body Podcast with Ali Mezey

Ali Mezey
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Self-Improvement
  • Updated Bimonthly

The Brilliant Body Podcast with Ali Mezey is a forum to learn about and liberate the brilliance of your body. Join me, Ali Mezey, and other body masters to explore pioneering perspectives on what it actually means – and feels like – to be embodied. Whether you feel disconnected from your body due to trauma, shame, pain, cultural conditioning or lack of education or you already feel at home in your body but want to learn to have more pleasure, awareness and access to your body’s guidance – this is the podcast for you. Each one of my trailblazing guests will share their expertise and unique mission to thrive, as a body. Together, we’ll explore how to access and engage the vast, detailed and useful intelligence contained within our flesh. So join us and reclaim your body’s brilliance!

  1. Giving the Body Language with Personal Geometry - ALI IN THE HOT SEAT Interviewed by Lauren Gleason! REPRISED

    May 13

    Giving the Body Language with Personal Geometry - ALI IN THE HOT SEAT Interviewed by Lauren Gleason! REPRISED

    SYNOPSIS: Ali is in the hot seat today! The tables have turned as longtime friend, student and Television Producer, Lauren Gleason, interviews Ali about her body-based method, Personal Geometry® - a practice she developed to give the body a language that our cognitive minds can immediately access and understand.  Together, they explore how Personal Geometry® and body mapping techniques are used in therapeutic and clinical healing, particularly in addressing challenges related to the body, sexuality, and addiction. Ali shares how she refined her method while working in renowned rehab centres in Los Angeles, offering real-life examples of its impact and honoring the influence and her experience of Family Constellation Work. They discuss the power of mapping relational dynamics - how visualizing the roles we hold in family systems can illuminate unconscious patterns, especially in the context of addiction and trauma. Other topics explored include the common phenomenon of emotional incest, the challenges and call to work with perpetrators, sexual biases as a facilitator, and our universal need to belong. At its core, Personal Geometry® is a somatic practice that taps into the body's innate, felt-sense understanding of spatial relationships. By bypassing psychological defense mechanisms, it directly reveals how we unconsciously position ourselves in relation to others, environments, and internal conflicts. This non-verbal, embodied approach provides a clear and immediate visual representation of a client’s inner world, making it an invaluable tool for therapists, facilitators, and anyone seeking profound transformation.  PERSONAL GEOMETRY TRAININGSJoin the Next Personal Geometry® Foundations Class  (online over Zoom)Now enrolling - click here for more details. Next cohort starts February 8th, 2025.Our audience gets $250 off - just mention the show when contacting Ali.  A seven-week online class - perfect for therapists, sexologists, coaches, and healing practitioners. Foundations is the prerequisite for advanced classes on Sexuality and Addiction, and individuals seeking personal healing are welcome too!   MORE ALI MEZEY: Website:  https://www.alimezey.com Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: https://www.alimezey.com/personal-geometry-foundations Transgenerational Healing Films: https://constellationarts.com/Body work: https://www.alimezey.com/massage-body-therapy MORE LAUREN GLEASON:Instagram for Personal Geometry®: @the.unfolding.youInstagram For Entertainment & Media @gynisis.productions   BIO: Lauren Gleason is Creative and Entertainment Professional with over a decade of experience across film and television. Parallel to her career in entertainment, Lauren’s other lifelong passion has been personal development. Beginning when she was first certified in Reiki I at fourteen, she was fortunate enough to be exposed to a wide-range of mind-body wellness techniques from Family Constellation Therapy to Continuum, to Joseph Culp’s Walking In Your Shoes—finally becoming certified as a Personal Geometry Practitioner in 2025 under Ali Mezey. At their core, stories embody the human path of transformation. Lauren’s mission is to create engaging, multi-genre stories that illuminate and entertain, while helping individuals uncover and rewrite their stories along the way. Follow Lauren’s conscious media endeavors with Gynisis Productions and her Personal Geometry practice with The Unfolding You.  OTHER RESOURCES, LINKS AND INSPIRATIONS:FREE Guided Body Mapping Taster: Heart/Sexuality SplitJane PetersonBodies In Space by Jane PetersonBert Hellinger Center for Healthy SexThe Body Has a Mind of its Own by The BlakesleesProprioMassage® - Ali's massage method Jane Peterson: The Systemic Body: Navigating Relational Dynamics and Systemic Consciousness with Jane Peterson, PhD Gil Hedley: "pars intima" instead of "g******s"The Body is a Gift with Gil Hedley: A Reverential Journey into the Human Body FUNCTIONS OF ADDICTIONS: Addictions serve as adaptive strategies the body develops to regulate overwhelming emotions, trauma, and unmet needs. Addiction functions as a way to manage distress, create boundaries, or seek connection when healthier strategies are unavailable, often reinforcing cycles of disembodiment and dissociation. PROPRIOCEPTION: One’s internal sense of where one’s body parts are located in space and how they are moving. Proprioceptors are located in muscles, tendons, cartilage and joints CARTESIAN DIVIDE: The conceptual separation between mind and body, coined after René Descartes, emphasizing a dualistic view of human existence, isolating mental and physical aspects.FAMILY CONSTELLATION WORK is a global therapeutic approach that explores an individual’s emotional and behavioral challenges in the context of their family system. It seeks to uncover hidden dynamics, unresolved traumas, or entanglements in the family lineage that may influence current issues. The process often invo...

    1h 11m
  2. The Creative Body with GARY GOTTSELIG

    Apr 27

    The Creative Body with GARY GOTTSELIG

    SYNOPSIS:This episode explores the idea that creativity is fundamentally embodied rather than purely mental. Gary describes the body as an “interface” or instrument through which creative energy flows, emphasizing that without the body, expression itself wouldn’t be possible. Creativity is framed as a collaborative process – between body, mind, and a larger “divine” or universal intelligence – rather than something generated solely by individual effort. Gary and host, Ali Mezey, challenge the common mind-body split and reframe the body as an active participant in creative expression, not just a vessel. A central theme is the role of somatic practices (movement, breathwork, dance) in unlocking creativity. Gary shares his personal journey from disconnection and shame around the body to rediscovering it as a source of intelligence and creative flow. Through somatic work, he was able to release stored tension, trauma, and self-judgment, which had previously blocked his creative expression. The conversation highlights how presence in the body – rather than over-identification with thoughts or past experiences – can open access to what is often described as “the zone” or a flow state. The discussion also touches on identity, trauma, and how experiences are “held” in the body. While both Ali and Gary acknowledge that emotions and trauma can manifest physically, they question simplistic or overly rigid interpretations of this idea. They emphasize the importance of approaching the body with curiosity and presence rather than trying to “fix” it. The body is seen as intelligent and self-organizing, capable of healing when given the right conditions, though not everything can or needs to be resolved. Finally, the conversation addresses the practical side of creativity – discipline, skill, and sharing work with others. While creativity may flow naturally, bringing it into the world often requires structure, support, and persistence. Gary reframes discipline as something that can be supported through somatic awareness and addressing internal resistance (like the inner critic). Ultimately, creativity is portrayed as both a deeply personal and relational process – one that involves not only expression but also connection, refinement, and, for many, the courage to be seen.  MORE ALI MEZEY: Website:  www.alimezey.comBody Mapping Video Library Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: www.alimezey.com/personal-geometry-foundations Transgenerational Healing Films: www.constellationarts.comConstellation Work is a highly effective method to delve into healing transgenerational trauma, unburdening consequent generations from the influences of traumas which can be transmitted epigenetically. MORE GARY GOTTSELIG:GARY BIO: Gary Gottselig is a Creative Ignition Coach, author of #1 Amazon Best-selling poetry book, A Legacy of Rainbows and creator of Unleashed Somatic Dance. He works with writers, poets, and creatives who know they have a book inside them but keep getting stuck. Through somatic practices, breathwork, and movement, he helps them burn through self-judgment so they can finally write the book that’s been waiting to come through them. He is deeply passionate about embodied liberation and how it unlocks deeper creativity and authentic self-expression. GARY LINKS:STARTS TOMORROW (April 28th) SO JOIN NOW!Blaze Across the Page: 7 Day Challenge to Burn through Self-Judgment So You Can Start Writing(Launches Tuesday, April 28th. Doors close Friday, May 1st at midnight)Book a Creative Breakthrough Call with GaryFor writers who’ve been putting their book off and are ready to startInstagram: @garyunleashed Get a Copy of His Poetry Book If you would like to receive a link to watch/listen to Gary's guided somatic process to unleash more of your creativity, please write: connect@thebrilliantbodypodcast.com and we'll send it! Due to copyright issues, we couldn't do it otherwise. More show notes on the way!

    1h 22m
  3. A 'Good Death’ with Karen Bellone, Death Doula: Embracing Life & Mortality PART TWO

    Apr 22

    A 'Good Death’ with Karen Bellone, Death Doula: Embracing Life & Mortality PART TWO

    THIS IS PART TWO - Listen to part one here CONTENT HEADS UP:  This episode contains discussions of death, dying, end-of-life care, and sensitive topics related to mortality, including chosen suicide and medicalization of death and illness. Listener discretion is advised, especially for individuals who may find these topics distressing or triggering. Please prioritize your emotional well-being while engaging with this content. Also, Ali wants to note that when she asks Karen about her thoughts on suicide, she meant to make a disctinction between “chosen” suicide (when someone wants to live but they are in too much physical pain/their body is too deteriorated without hope of recovery) and “suicide under duress” (meaning due to emotional/psychological/spiritual pain, that may or may not be accompanied by an unavoidably dying body, the person does not want to live). Of course facing a death someone does not want can also be considered duress!    SYNOPSIS: What does good acting and dying have in common? In this episode, Ali discusses all things death, dying, and living as bodies with Karen Bellone, Certified End-of-Life Doula and Death Educator. They focus on the interconnectedness of life and death, the significance of conscious living, and the complexities of end-of-life care. Karen shares her experiences working with dying individuals, highlighting the challenges of the dying process, including issues related to dementia and Alzheimer's. They discuss the importance of compassionate and holistic approaches to end-of-life care, emphasizing the need for conscious decision-making aligned with personal values to achieve a good death without regrets. Throughout the conversation, they reflect on the essence of embodiment and the importance of being present in the moment, trusting the intelligence of the body to embrace a richer life and ultimately a better death.   ALI & KAREN EXPLORATION POINTS: -  The concept of a 'good death,' this discussion emphasizes the significance of conscious decision-making and holistic approaches to end-of-life care, challenging societal norms and perceptions surrounding death.    -  The complexities, ethical considerations and medicalization surrounding end-of-life decisions, highlighting the need for open dialogue and support for individuals facing such choices. -  The role of a Death Doula, illuminating the profound support and guidance provided by these compassionate professionals in assisting individuals and families through the dying process, fostering a sense of empowerment and comfort. -  How our physical and emotional bodies communicate and play integral roles in the dying process, highlighting the importance of listening to and honoring the body's wisdom.  -  Insights into embracing conscious living, pursuing meaningful experiences, and aligning actions with personal values to cultivate a sense of fulfillment and purpose. -  Sensory experiences shape our perception of life and death, emphasizing the significance of sensory elements in the dying process and fostering connections with loved ones. To be an angel to the podcast, click here:  To read more about the podcast, click here:  MORE ALI MEZEY: Website BODY MAPPING VIDEO LIBRARY Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information Transgenerational Healing Films MORE KAREN BELLONE: Film Website:  Website: The Seventh Sense  BIO: Founder, Doula, Educator: Karen Bellone, MFA, is a Certified End-of-Life Doula and Death Educator. She is the founder of The Seventh Sense in NY’s Hudson Valley, where she is an integral part of a worldwide community that is reigniting the wisdom of death within our modern lives. She is also founder of Exit Strategy for Dying, a monthly Death, Arts and Culture Readers supporting a resource hub to educate and refocus the narrative around death and grief through the lens of arts, culture, storytelling and innovation. Prior to embracing her passion for end-of-life work, Karen has had a long career as an award-winning filmmaker and internationally collected photographer. She received a BFA in Film Production from New York University, and did graduate work with the world-renowned Actors Studio, through their inaugural program at the New School for Social Research. After training and becoming certified with INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association), Karenworked with an innovative hospice in Los Angeles where her skills as a death doula were developed and broadened. In addition to working with patients in various stages of their life journeys, she was responsible for training the volunteer staff, nurses and other hospice and medical professionals to bring more understanding, humanity and compassion into their work with the dying. She spoke regularly with groups, such as the Alzheimer’s Project, about the role of the doula at end-of-life, and the space that can be held to bring about ‘a good death’. She believes strongly in the ability to demystify and assuage the fear that surrounds death in our culture and to foster safe passage for the dying, as well as to aid the families and loved ones through grief and bereavement. As a visual artist and storyteller, Karen acquired a multitude of skills throughout her career that unlocked a deep passion for the healing power of visual and auditory perception on human consciousness. She integrated these strengths and resources into tools to bring aid and comfort for those imminently facing their mortality. Working with somatic and sensory awareness, Karen utilizes visual, sound and meditation therapy, personalized guided imagery, and commemoration of the sacred in the form of ritual, legacy and memory work, in order to bring comfort - physically, emotionally, spiritually to celebrate and commemorate the life of the individual. In addition to her ongoing private practice, Karen is currently directing a feature film about living American artist Michelle Stuart, whose work also engages with the elemental and ineffable nature of existence. RESOURCES: Edgar Allan Poe Erik Erikson Exit strategy for dying (Karen’s monthly newsletter) Omega Home Network All...

    1h 4m
  4. A 'Good Death’ with Karen Bellone, Death Doula: Embracing Life & Mortality PART ONE

    Apr 15

    A 'Good Death’ with Karen Bellone, Death Doula: Embracing Life & Mortality PART ONE

    CONTENT HEADS UP:  This episode contains discussions of death, dying, end-of-life care, and sensitive topics related to mortality, including chosen suicide and medicalization of death and illness. Listener discretion is advised, especially for individuals who may find these topics distressing or triggering. Please prioritize your emotional well-being while engaging with this content.  SYNOPSIS: What does good acting and dying have in common? In this episode, Ali discusses all things death, dying, and living as bodies with Karen Bellone, Certified End-of-Life Doula and Death Educator. They focus on the interconnectedness of life and death, the significance of conscious living, and the complexities of end-of-life care. Karen shares her experiences working with dying individuals, highlighting the challenges of the dying process, including issues related to dementia and Alzheimer's. They discuss the importance of compassionate and holistic approaches to end-of-life care, emphasizing the need for conscious decision-making aligned with personal values to achieve a good death without regrets. Throughout the conversation, they reflect on the essence of embodiment and the importance of being present in the moment, trusting the intelligence of the body to embrace a richer life and ultimately a better death.   ALI & KAREN EXPLORATION POINTS: -  The concept of a 'good death,' this discussion emphasizes the significance of conscious decision-making and holistic approaches to end-of-life care, challenging societal norms and perceptions surrounding death.    -  The complexities, ethical considerations and medicalization surrounding end-of-life decisions, highlighting the need for open dialogue and support for individuals facing such choices. -  The role of a Death Doula, illuminating the profound support and guidance provided by these compassionate professionals in assisting individuals and families through the dying process, fostering a sense of empowerment and comfort. -  How our physical and emotional bodies communicate and play integral roles in the dying process, highlighting the importance of listening to and honoring the body's wisdom.  -  Insights into embracing conscious living, pursuing meaningful experiences, and aligning actions with personal values to cultivate a sense of fulfillment and purpose. -  Sensory experiences shape our perception of life and death, emphasizing the significance of sensory elements in the dying process and fostering connections with loved ones. To be an angel to the podcast, click here:  To read more about the podcast, click here:  MORE ALI MEZEY: Ali's Website BODY MAPPING VIDEO LIBRARY Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information Transgenerational Healing Films MORE KAREN BELLONE: Film Website:  Website: The Seventh Sense  BIO: Founder, Doula, Educator: Karen Bellone, MFA, is a Certified End-of-Life Doula and Death Educator. She is the founder of The Seventh Sense in NY’s Hudson Valley, where she is an integral part of a worldwide community that is reigniting the wisdom of death within our modern lives. She is also founder of Exit Strategy for Dying, a monthly Death, Arts and Culture Readers supporting a resource hub to educate and refocus the narrative around death and grief through the lens of arts, culture, storytelling and innovation. Prior to embracing her passion for end-of-life work, Karen has had a long career as an award-winning filmmaker and internationally collected photographer. She received a BFA in Film Production from New York University, and did graduate work with the world-renowned Actors Studio, through their inaugural program at the New School for Social Research. After training and becoming certified with INELDA (International End of Life Doula Association), Karenworked with an innovative hospice in Los Angeles where her skills as a death doula were developed and broadened. In addition to working with patients in various stages of their life journeys, she was responsible for training the volunteer staff, nurses and other hospice and medical professionals to bring more understanding, humanity and compassion into their work with the dying. She spoke regularly with groups, such as the Alzheimer’s Project, about the role of the doula at end-of-life, and the space that can be held to bring about ‘a good death’. She believes strongly in the ability to demystify and assuage the fear that surrounds death in our culture and to foster safe passage for the dying, as well as to aid the families and loved ones through grief and bereavement. As a visual artist and storyteller, Karen acquired a multitude of skills throughout her career that unlocked a deep passion for the healing power of visual and auditory perception on human consciousness. She integrated these strengths and resources into tools to bring aid and comfort for those imminently facing their mortality. Working with somatic and sensory awareness, Karen utilizes visual, sound and meditation therapy, personalized guided imagery, and commemoration of the sacred in the form of ritual, legacy and memory work, in order to bring comfort - physically, emotionally, spiritually to celebrate and commemorate the life of the individual. In addition to her ongoing private practice, Karen is currently directing a feature film about living American artist Michelle Stuart, whose work also engages with the elemental and ineffable nature of existence. RESOURCES: Edgar Allan Poe Erik Erikson Exit strategy for dying (Karen’s monthly newsletter) Omega Home Network All the Little Deaths Rabbi Leder's book, The Beauty of What Remains Allen Ginsberg Henry Firsco Weiss The Rites of the Dying Philip Shepherd This one is for you, Pop: April 12, 1931 - April 15, 2015With my deep love - AM

    39 min
  5. The Expanded Body with Sexual Healer & Writer, ARIEL SZABO

    Mar 24

    The Expanded Body with Sexual Healer & Writer, ARIEL SZABO

    In this deeply intimate and thought-provoking episode, Ali sits down with somatic sex educator and healer Ariel Szabo to explore the intersection of sexuality, power, trauma, and transformation. The conversation opens with a bold question: Why has human society been shaped by domination – and what does that have to do with our relationship to sexuality? From there, Ariel and Ali unpack how systems of control – historically rooted in conquest and oppression – extend into our bodies, our relationships, and especially our sexual lives. Ariel shares her personal journey through early sexual trauma, sex work, and being trafficked, revealing how shame and vulnerability can be weaponized to maintain control. Yet, rather than remaining trapped in that paradigm, she describes a path of reclamation – one grounded in embodiment, agency, and the rediscovery of sexual energy as life force. Together, they explore how shame functions both as a necessary human signal and a powerful tool of suppression, particularly around sexuality. They discuss how many people dissociate into “performative” sexuality – shaped by media and conditioning – leaving them disconnected, unsatisfied, and emotionally unfulfilled. A central theme emerges: pleasure as a gateway to connection. When experienced consciously and embodied, pleasure becomes a pathway to self-awareness, intimacy, and even spiritual awakening. When disconnected, it becomes escapism – mirroring addictive patterns rather than nourishing the soul. Ariel also introduces practical insights into working with sexual energy, including how to build capacity for sensation, move energy through the body, and shift from fear or overwhelm into grounded presence. The episode culminates in a powerful reflection on healing and purpose. Ariel recounts her transition out of exploitation, a life-altering health crisis that catalyzed her spiritual awakening, and her eventual integration of sexuality, psychedelics, and embodiment into her current work. Ultimately, this conversation is both a personal testimony and a cultural critique – arguing that sexual healing is not just individual, but collective. A more embodied, liberated relationship to sexuality, they suggest, could fundamentally reshape how we relate to power, connection, and each other. To be an angel to the podcast, click here To read more about the podcast, click here MORE ALI MEZEY: Website:  www.alimezey.comBody Mapping Video Library Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: www.alimezey.com/personal-geometry-foundations Transgenerational Healing Films: www.constellationarts.comConstellation Work is a highly effective method to delve into healing transgenerational trauma, unburdening consequent generations from the influences of traumas which can be transmitted epigenetically. MORE ARIEL SZABO:Website: SacredMoonflower Author, Substack: TheEroticFrontier Women's Retreat in Peru - April, 2026 Ariel's beautiful article on Sex Magic Ariel (and Rahi) on Clare Sente's Permission to be Enchanting podcast: "The Art of Extended Pleasure and Lovemaking for Couples" ARIEL'S BIO:Ariel Szabo is a writer, somatic sex educator, sexological bodyworker, and psychedelic medicine practitioner based in Los Angeles. Her work weaves sacred sexuality, nervous system repair, relational healing, and plant medicine traditions shaped by years of study with Indigenous wisdom keepers in Peru. She works with individuals, couples, groups, and practitioners in deeply embodied spaces of transformation. Ariel writes on sexuality, power, and liberation through her body of work, The Erotic Frontier, devoted to shifting how society relates to sex, power, and healing, and positioning erotic awakening as a force for personal and collective transformation. ALI NOTE: To clarify, sexual violence is not always sexual, and perhaps is infrequently about sex; however, it is always about power. I did not mean to imply otherwise. RESOURCES, LINKS AND INSPIRATION: Chimps and Bonobos - videoMantak Chia Philip and Allyson ShepherdCervical awakening: https://arielszabo.substack.com/p/my-cervix-taught-me-im-safer-seenAriels' partner, Rahi Chun DEFINITIONS: Dharma - The definition of Dharma is cosmic order or law. Dharma can best be explained as conduct that upholds universal natural laws, and when humankind follows these laws, it allows them to be happy and prevent suffering. It's a combination of morality and spiritual discipline that guides one in living one's life. Heteronormative paradigm - refers to the Western social norm, or assumption, that the overwhelming majority of sexual relationships in society are heterosexual. Vagus nerve -  is the longest in the body, containing both motor and sensory functions in afferent and efferent regards. The nerve travels widely throughout the body, affecting several organ systems and regions of the body, such as the tongue, pharynx, heart, and gastrointestinal system. Our first brilliant guest on the podcast, brilliant Integral Anatomist, Gil Hedley explains HERE Hedonism - the pursuit of pleasure; sensual self-indulgence. Objectification - being treating or being viewed by someone in a way that disregards their indiv...

    1h 5m
  6. BODY MEDITATION: The Pearl of Awareness with ALI MEZEY

    Mar 17 ·  Bonus

    BODY MEDITATION: The Pearl of Awareness with ALI MEZEY

    SYNOPSIS:In this guided body scan, listeners are invited to shift their awareness from the busy cognitive mind into the full, three-dimensional experience of the body-mind. Beginning in the head and slowly moving downward, the meditation uses the imagery of a glowing sphere of consciousness traveling through the throat, heart, solar plexus, belly, and pelvic floor. As attention illuminates each area, participants are encouraged to notice sensations, emotions, breath, and subtle impulses without judgment, allowing awareness itself to soften tension and deepen embodiment. The practice concludes by resting awareness at the base of the body and reflecting on how the experience has shifted one’s sense of awareness, presence, connection, inner calm - and love. MORE ALI MEZEY: Website:  https://www.alimezey.comInstagram:  ali_body_brilliance Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: https://www.alimezey.com/personal-geometry-foundations Transgenerational Healing Films: https://constellationarts.com/If you have any questions, email Ali at: ali@alimezey.com

    14 min
  7. Walking Somatic Empathy with JOSEPH CULP: The Mind-Body Process of Walking-In-Your-Shoes

    Mar 12

    Walking Somatic Empathy with JOSEPH CULP: The Mind-Body Process of Walking-In-Your-Shoes

    CONTENT HEADS UP: This episode may inspire you to give the practice of “Walking-In-Your-Shoes” a go on your own. We waive all responsibility for any ensuing mishaps of cramped spaces, being near stairs or inspired bouts of wild and/or naked abandon. On a more serious note, we do discuss heavy subjects like trauma, armoring, drowning, rape and PTSD. But predominantly, we delve into the healing power and intelligence of the body invited into highly conscious motion and given free-reign and guidance to express all that it knows. Also, Walking-In-Your-Shoes can be done just as effectively from a wheelchair or with the capacities of any perambulatory disability. You just have to be a body with the desire to follow how it’s guiding you to feel, see and know. This episode presents a departure from our previous episodes. As in some of our upcoming episodes, we focus here on a specific practice and its transformative techniques aimed at unlocking conscious awareness of the body’s intelligence. While past episodes delved into the philosophical underpinnings of embodiment, this installment offers practical guidance on tangible methods to access your inner knowledge as an opportunity for revelation and growth. SYNOPSIS: Ali discusses a movement-based mindfulness practice called “The Walking-In-Your-Shoes” (WIYS) mind-body process with one of its co-founders, actor and director, Joseph Culp. WIYS is a process that allows the practitioner, in partnership with a facilitator, to address questions or needs through an intuitive questioning of the body-mind through movement. The applications of the questioning process are quite broad and can be applied to everything from healing trauma and managing addiction, to business development or a more organic method of acting. This is another means of “knowing” through your body. Ali and Joseph discuss the overlap between WIYS and Family Constellation Work and how both practices allow others to help take on and process trauma or healing on the behalf of another person.  EXPLORATION POINTS: - Joseph & Ali discuss the intersections between the Walking-In-Your-Shoes (WIYS) body-mind process and Family Constellation Work. The episode explores how both practices facilitate the process of addressing questions or needs through intuitive questioning of and attention to the body-mind through movement. - The episode highlights Joseph Culp's personal growth as an actor through his involvement in WIYS. Culp discusses how this movement-based mindfulness practice has contributed to his development as an artist, providing insights into the transformative power of the practice. - Joseph Culp and Ali discuss the concept of "Walking for Others". The exploration involves understanding how facilitators can embody and navigate the experiences of others through movement, emphasizing the empathetic and therapeutic aspects of Walking in someone else's shoes. -  Joseph and Ali explore the therapeutic potential of WIYS for individuals grappling with severe trauma or PTSD. Discussing how the intuitive questioning of the body-mind through movement, coupled with the empathetic support of a facilitator and sometimes a group, offers a unique avenue for addressing and healing deep-seated traumas.  - Joseph offers insights into how Wilhelm Reich's ideas have shaped WIYS, contributing to its foundation, while also exploring how Alexander Lowen's contributions informed the practice of following the body towards liberation. This exploration provides a comprehensive understanding of the historical and theoretical roots that form the intellectual, and practical, lineage of WIYS. To subscribe now, click hereTo be an angel to the podcast, click here To read more about the podcast, click here FOR MORE ALI MEZEY: Ali - Website: Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: Transgenerational Healing Films: FOR MORE JOSEPH CULP: BIO: Joseph Culp is an actor, director and filmmaker, working in theater, film and television for over 40 years. He is known to many audiences for playing Don Draper’s father in the hit series Mad Men, and as the first Doctor Doom in Marvel’s The Fantastic Four.  In addition to producing several independent films, he notably wrote, directed, and co-starred in Welcome to the Men’s Group, a comedy/drama about a men’s support group, available on Amazon Prime. In addition to his work as a performing artist, Joseph has been involved for many years in the world of self-psychology and personal development. Joseph co-founded the Walking-In-Your-Shoes® body/mind process with psychologist John F. Cogswell, Ph.D during the late 1980s.  The method known as “Walking” combines somatic empathy with movement, mindfulness, and the facilitated inquiry processing of the bodymind. Joseph formed the Los Angeles-based Walking Theatre Group in 1992 to explore the use of the WIYS method in dramatic arts. Together with Dr. Cogswell, he continued to develop WIYS for use in psychotherapy, coaching, trauma recovery, creative and performing arts, business and community for the next 20 years.  Joseph has introduced hundreds of people to WIYS, in both performing and the healing arts, and trained many therapists and facilitators who have made Walking-In-Your-Shoes® part of their practice and life work. He founded the WIYS Institute of America and regularly gives workshops, seminars, and trainings in both the U.S. and Europe. WIYS COMMUNITY MONTHLY MEETING (Free community sessions with Joseph Culp)  WIYS ONLINE CERTIFICATION TRAINING WIYS MESSAGE FROM JOSEPH CULP WIYS SOMATIC EMPATHY PROCESS IMDB Actor’s CV MEDIA:  Joseph’s film, “Welcome...

    1h 11m
  8. The Colonized Body with Professor MATTHEW BEAUMONT

    Mar 6

    The Colonized Body with Professor MATTHEW BEAUMONT

    In this episode, Ali speaks with Professor Matthew Beaumont, an English literature professor at University College London, who has just published his book, How We Walk: Frantz Fanon and the Politics of the Body about how the body reflects political and social oppression. They delve into topics such as the impact of racial oppression on physical movement, the cultural significance of walking, and how both personal and societal factors influence and restrict body expression. The conversation also touches on the influence of climate change on mental and physical health, the body's experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the intersection of dance, religion, and bodily freedom. To be an angel to the podcast, click here To read more about the podcast, click here MORE ALI MEZEY: Website:  www.alimezey.com Personal Geometry® and the Magic of Mat Work Course information: www.alimezey.com/personal-geometry-foundations Transgenerational Healing Films: www.constellationarts.comConstellation Work is a highly effective method to delve into healing transgenerational trauma, unburdening consequent generations from the influences of traumas which can be transmitted epigenetically. MORE MATTHEW BEAUMONT:Instagram: @matthewhbeaumontUCL Website Publisher WebsiteBOOKS:How We Walk: Frantz Fanon and the Politics of the Body (London: Verso, 2024)The Walker: On Losing and Finding Oneself in the Modern City (Verso, 2020)Lev Shestov: Philosopher of the Sleepless Night (Bloomsbury, 2020)Nightwalking: A Nocturnal History of London, Chaucer to Dickens (Verso, 2015) BIO:Matthew's research interests centre on various aspects of the metropolitan city, especially London. He is currently writing a history of literature about London for Cambridge University Press. He is also working on a book-length project about the role of insomnia in nineteenth and twentieth-century literature, painting and philosophy.  His most recent books are The Walker: On Losing and Finding Oneself in the Modern City (Verso, 2020), a series of chapters on writers including Chesterton, Dickens, Ford, Wells and Woolf, all of whom have placed the experience of walking in the metropolis at the centre of their attempts to understand and represent modernity; and Lev Shestov: Philosopher of the Sleepless Night (Bloomsbury, 2020), a book that revives the reputation of a neglected early twentieth-century Russian thinker by placing him in dialogue with Adorno, Benjamin, Deleuze and other continental philosophers. LINKS, RESOURCES & INSPIRATION:Wilhelm Reich Alexander Lowan  Frantz Fanon  HG Wells   Marcel Mauss, French Anthropologist “Technique du Corp” essay 1935Charlie Hertzog Young: SPINNING OUT: Climate Change, Mental Health and Fighting for a Better Future Sigmund Freud  The Polyvagal Theory/Stephen Porges The Ecstasy of Saint Theresa by Gian Lorenzo Bernini Walking Somatic Empathy with Joseph Culp: The Mind-Body Process of Walking-In-Your-Shoes DEFINITIONS:Cartesian Divide: The conceptual separation between mind and body, coined after René Descartes, emphasizing a dualistic view of human existence, isolating mental and physical aspects. The Window of Tolerance article HELP US SHARE OUR MESSAGE Our resources remain free as part of our mission to awaken people to the boundless potential of our bodies, inviting them to explore the profound knowledge, memory, brilliance & capacity within. By delving into the depths of our bodily intelligence as a healing resource for not just ourselves, but as a part of the larger, global body, we have the potential for meaningful change and experiences as bodies. Join us in this journey of transformation as we redefine our understanding of the human body and its infinite capabilities. While our events remain free, any contributions are deeply appreciated and are seen as a generous gesture of support and encouragement in sharing our messages with the world.

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About

The Brilliant Body Podcast with Ali Mezey is a forum to learn about and liberate the brilliance of your body. Join me, Ali Mezey, and other body masters to explore pioneering perspectives on what it actually means – and feels like – to be embodied. Whether you feel disconnected from your body due to trauma, shame, pain, cultural conditioning or lack of education or you already feel at home in your body but want to learn to have more pleasure, awareness and access to your body’s guidance – this is the podcast for you. Each one of my trailblazing guests will share their expertise and unique mission to thrive, as a body. Together, we’ll explore how to access and engage the vast, detailed and useful intelligence contained within our flesh. So join us and reclaim your body’s brilliance!

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