Existential Adventures with Scott Alfonso

Special guest Stephanie Robinson, former world and Euro jiu jitsu champion, talks about the pressures of competing on an elite level and the challenges her and other women face in the sport of competitive jiu jitsu.

Kindness is not just a polite way of being, it is an integral part of what makes us human. In this episode we look at the science and the benefits of kindness not just for those who receive but for also for those who practice it.

It's a weird and challenging time we are all living through and like so many others I have been struggling to cope with the growing emotions I am experiencing with each day.In this episode I take a deep dive into anger and frustration offering up simple ways we can start to process and manage these emotions during these times.

S3xual and mental health are directly linked through a bidirectional relationship. Each one has the ability to impact the other with profound results. In this episode I am joined by s3xologist Gabriella, founder and facilitator of Empowered Intimacy, to explore the relationship between mental and s3xual health.

1 in 5 people over the age of 40 report living with chronic pain. This results in a susceptibility to a host of other mental health and cognitive issues for these individuals. In this episode we talk about how chronic pain can adversely impact the quality of a person's life and the ways they can cope with and mitigate it's affect.

Mindfulness and meditative practices are a big part of the work I do in my own life and with my clients. One bit of consistent feedback I get from my clients after guided meditation is that they usually ask for a recording. This is just a short 15 min practice that can be done at the beginning or end of the day. It's a great opportunity to check in with yourself to see what you may be carrying and what you can let go. Enjoy!

This week on the pod I'm joined by special guest Shana Hussain as we talk about the importance of ritual in both personal, communal and cultural practice. Shana is a body work practitioner, shibari performer, and workshop facilitator. She draws on her cultural heritage and current practices to help explore the role ritual and ceremony can play in our modern day lives.

Breaking down the evidence based benefits of authentic living and examining the ways we can foster this sense of authenticity in our lives.

This week I'm joined by former Olympic Athlete and silver medalist Rach Taylor. We talk about the pressures of competing on the world stage and learning to manage life in the aftermath of a professional sporting career.

We often hear the phrase "try to soften" in yoga, mostly referring to recognizing and softening parts of the body where you hold tension. In this episode I talk about my hard learnt lesson in learning how to soften my heart and my mind. Thanks for tuning in.

What does it mean to choose a response over a reaction? Is there actually a difference and will it result in anything new? In this episode we discuss why learning to respond rather than react can have a serious benefit in your life.

Learning to forge your own path in life is a challenge for all of us. We are all prone to outside pressures and expectations and these can be even more of a factor when you come from lineage such as today's guest, CJ Heske. CJ is a martial artist, competitive jiu jitsu practitioner and coach. In today's episode he speaks of what it's like to grow up as the son of a well respected and renowned martial artist, Habby Heske, and how he this influences his determination to create his own legacy.

Like so many people out there I am prone to burning myself out. In this episode we explore the different ways you can help to mitigate the stress in your life and hopefully avoid burning yourself out.

A brief chat about all the ways in which we can create the realities in which we live. No sorcery required.

In this weeks episode we explore the benefits of curiosity. Could this be the super power none of us realized we had?

This episode is a share of a chat I had with my friend Cherry Pearce on her Podcast This is Yoga. Cherry is a yoga teacher, friend and all around great human who wanted to chat about work ethic and managing injuries while teaching. Check out her podcast below and be sure to give a follow. Hope you enjoy! https://open.spotify.com/show/0ohYK1ziquLNXOH4VeCSvy?si=b0d9ec246b8d45ac

Beginners Mind is a phrase that is used extensively in philosophy to describe a certain type of approach to life. In this episode we break down what this mindset looks like and how we can apply it in our every day lives.

In this episode we explore the importance of nourishing the important connection in our lives and how this impacts our mental and physical health. If you are curious to know more about this topic I will be hosting a series of workshops with my good friend Shana Hussain in Perth area of Western Australia so feel free to hit me up on the socials for more details.

Spending two decades working in kitchens all around the world has provided me with some incredible experiences and some vitally important lessons. In this podcast I breakdown how some of these lessons can be applied to each and every day life bettering what you do and how you do it.

This episode was a live recording of a discussion I facilitated discussing the Yamas from the Yoga Sutras. The episode concludes with a short guided meditation so sit back, get comfortable, and get weird.

What does it feel like to truly listen to others in a world where everyone is trying to be heard? In this episode we cover the importance and benefits allowing yourself to be fully present in listening to others.

Uncertainty in life is inevitable and inescapable. In this episode we explore a few ways that can help us cope with a manage uncertainty in our lives.

Imposter Syndrome is something that affects so many people (myself included). In this episode we look at the possible origins, benefits and methods to cope with this in your life.

This episode explores the impact of nutrition on our mental health. There is a wealth of studies that can be accessed on this topic and and I only cover a small amount of them in the episode. I would encourage those who are interested to do some research of their own to see how simple changes in your diet may benefit your mental health and well being moving forward.

An episode about why making mistakes is an important and inevitable part of our lives.

An episode about the benefits of practicing gratitude in your daily life with some helpful tips on ways you can incorporate it into your routine.

In this episode I consider what it means to be normal in todays world. How can we understand this concept and apply it to creating a healthy and supportive live for ourselves and the world around us?

In a society where we emphasize comfort, so many of us will shy away from doing hard things. This episode will cover the benefits that come from trying to tackle challenges in our lives.

A brief introduction of myself to the audience to give you a sense of who I am and what this podcast is all about.