The Architecture of Contemplation Hardeep Kaur

"I find walking and contemplation go together like peanut butter and jelly."

This is a Contemplation Capsule.

A distilled moment, to step inside Kevin Kelly's places of rest, respite, and contemplation.

Happy listening.

H

To support this podcast:

- Share it, leave a review, show someone a little grace;

- Join in @thearchitectureofcontemplation;

- You can treat a coffee over at Patreon @hkaur (this is copiously consumed during a conversation; if I'm feeling particularly loquacious, I'll hit the matcha or cha).

"Don't aim to be the best, aim to be the only."

Today I am speaking with Kevin Kelly. If one were to enter Kevin's name into the Google-o-meter, much material would surface. He is known as founding executive editor of Wired Magazine, a technologist, a photographer, a writer, and, an optimist. The list runs on. But Kevin self-identifies as a 'packager of ideas'.

This conversation is a little different in that Kevin shares many gems from his upcoming book, Excellent Advice for Living, Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier (launches May 2nd). Kevin provides some direct readings, which contain sonorous truths, interlaced with humour and a whisper of irreverence.

Each episode I find a word emerges from the conversation. Here, for Kevin, it is elegance. There is a certain poise, and coherence, in both Kevin's outlook, and self-expression. With elegance, the content of Kevin's words ease with grace into one's mind's eye, allowing a certain effortless interaction with ideas that are profound yes, but utterly actionable, too.

Without further ado I bring you Kevin Kelly.

H

"These environments, the ones that speak to me deepest, usually have trees."

This is a Contemplation Capsule.

A distilled moment, to step inside Adam Gazzaley's places of rest, respite, and contemplation.

Happy listening.

H

To support this podcast:

- Share it, leave a review, show someone a little grace;

- Join in @thearchitectureofcontemplation;

- You can treat a coffee over at Patreon @hkaur (this is copiously consumed during a conversation; if I'm feeling particularly loquacious, I'll hit the matcha or cha).

"I have gotten incredibly comfortable with being uncomfortable, and stepping into new territory."

Today I have the pleasure of speaking with Adam Gazzaley. Amongst many other titles, Adam is  the Founder & Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience centre engaged in using technology to fundamentally enhance our cognition, refine our behaviour, and ultimately to improve our minds. "Our" here being the human animal, of course.

We cover Adam's ground-breaking work in experiential medicine, recent forays into psychedelic research, evolving into a leader at scale in parallel to recent fatherhood, being intrepid in the pursuit of new frontiers, and the power of being in quiet within nature.

The word for me that washes upon the shore of this conversation, is mastery. Adam is positively enlivened by following his curiosity into new and known fields, in mastering these domains, synthesising his learnings, and in turn creating tools that offer hope, and lend dignity, to the lives of millions of people.

We of course, also cover rest, respite and contemplation and it shall be of no surprise, that Adam is as intentional about instilling his life with restorative moments, as he is the pursuit of meaningful, life-ennobling work.

Without further ado I bring you, Adam Gazzaley.

H

"Nature was always the escape."

This is a Contemplation Capsule.

A distilled moment, to step inside Xavi Bou's places of rest, respite, and contemplation.

Happy listening.

H

To support this podcast:

- Share it, leave a review, show someone a little grace;

- Join in @thearchitectureofcontemplation;

- You can treat a coffee over at Patreon @hkaur (this is copiously consumed during a conversation; if I'm feeling particularly loquacious, I'll hit the matcha or cha).

"I am always looking to create a new technique to reveal new things."

Photographer Xavi Bou's aim is to make the invisible, visible. This may sound cryptic, and perhaps it should be, a little at least. Starting from but a few feet above our human heads, there is a whole other reality unfolding - that of the intricate intelligence and often elegant, flight paths of birds.

Xavi's journey has been a gradual one. In this conversation we talk about the ten year journey which has now resulted in Xavi's first book, Ornithograhpies, coverage in National Geographic, solo exhibits and teaching. Fortune favours the prepared, is a saying that comes to mind as being perfectly aligned to Xavi's recent, meteoric rise.

Xavi is an enchanting communicator about the marvels of the natural world. For me, graciousness is the word that feels most true of our conversation. There is an ease, and purity to Xavi's work and mission, and the gratitude he feels for being able to engage in such meaningful work. This conversation is wide-ranging, meditative and full of wisdom. As for rest, respite and contemplation, nature of course plays a massive part in the places, and spaces, that Xavi actively seeks out.

Without further ado I bring you Xavi Bou.

H

To support this podcast:

- Share it, leave a review, show someone a little grace;

- Join in @thearchitectureofcontemplation;

- You can treat a coffee over at Patreon @hkaur (this is copiously consumed during a conversation; if I'm feeling particularly loquacious, I'll hit the matcha or cha).