"Fandabi Podcast" with Tom Langhorne

Join my resilience school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/More about Ben's work "Deep Roots" here: https://deeprootsalba.org/You can support this podcast by becoming a Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TomFandabidoziMy guest today is Ben Reid Howells. Ben is a Canadian facilitator and teacher of grass-roots leadership and community resilience strategies. He has led and been part of many community resilience projects all over the world and has some valuable insights into how to heal ourselves, our communities and our culture in the modern age.#resilience #grassroots #culturalregeneration #communityresilience #scotland #fandabipodcast

FREE Journaling course here: https://www.tomlanghorne.com/4-days-to-focusJoin my school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/If you want to SUPPORT my work and help keep it going, then Patreon is the best place for that: https://www.patreon.com/c/TomFandabidoziThe modern world is filled with unlimited easy access to cheap & quick pleasures, so why don't we all feel great all the time? Well it comes down to a neuro transmitter called dopamine. Modern science now shows how dopamine is the currency of our motivation and that our pleasure and our pain are inseparably connected. But way before science knew about this, the wise old poet Kahlil Gibran writing about this in finely crafted words which still send chills down my spine when I read it. So, in this ponder I want to share a passage from Gibran and show the overlaps with what we now know about the science of dopamine. Enjoy#deepdive #philosophy #kahlilgibran #rewildyourlife #natureconnection #simplifyyourlife #dopaminedetox #resilientroots

If you want to download my guitar music then follow this link- Its just £5 and helps fund human creativity: https://www.patreon.com/posts/147642951or listen to the Youtube playlist here (without bonus track): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHLpk2hRsXftSsHAw1I0DQ8sd0DRMfrMXIf you want to join my school were we are exploring what it means to be human and how to be self-reliant in our basic needs, then here is a link to that: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/In a world where artificial intelligence can generate “perfect” music, art and poetry in seconds, what becomes valuable? In this pondering, I explore creativity as something that doesn’t come from algorithms, but from lived experience, from wild places, and from what I can only describe as a conversation with the creative muse.I’m also sharing music I recorded 12 years ago, imperfect, raw, and inspired by time spent in forests, by streams, and on solitary adventures. This music I was once too self-conscious to release, but now... funnily enough I feel its time to share some real human creation.Maybe in an age of machine perfection, authentic human imperfection matters more than ever.Let me know in the comments: where does creativity come from for you?

Link to my school: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Is poo the future currency? This video explores my personal journey with gut health and how learning about the human microbiome reshaped the way I think about value, diversity, and resilience. A healthy gut and healthy poo is becoming increasingly rare in the modern world, and that loss of inner biodiversity mirrors what is happening to the living systems around us.Inspired by a conversation on ‪@TheDiaryOfACEO‬ this reflection draws a line between caring for our inner ecosystems and relearning how to value the outer ecosystems we depend on.Credits:Clip referenced from The Diary of a CEO podcastOriginal episode:    • The No.1 Poo & Gut Scientist: If Your Poo ...  Channel: @TheDiaryOfACEO#GutHealth #Microbiome #Ecosystems #Biodiversity #ModernHealth #SystemsThinking #HumanNature

My work relies on patronage- So if you enjoy my content, please consider supporting me via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TomFandabidoziYou can join my survival school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/My guest today is Roddy McLean, a Gaelic speaking ecologist, author and expert in Gaelic place names. I filmed with Roddy in summer of 2025 as part of my 3 part "How did Highlanders Navigate Series" where I edited our conversation down to a more digestible video. But I thought there was still so much interesting knowledge shared that I have decided to put the full conversation into a podcast.I hope you enjoy it!Watch my shortened version of this conversation here: https://youtu.be/BZegPgwyHeU#GaelicPlaceNames #AncientNavigation #Highlanders #ScottishHistory #NaturalNavigation #livinghistory #indigenous #language

You can support my "context" creation work here: https://www.patreon.com/c/TomFandabidoziOr Join my community led survival school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/We are drowning in "content", but starving for meaning. We have completely forgotten the "context"- which originally means: "that which is woven together".This video explores what happens when life is stripped of context, in our media, our economies, and our relationship with the living world. It is a reflection on how meaning is not something we consume, but something that emerges from connection, place, and attention.I also share a simple outdoor awareness practice for remembering the wider weave we live inside.

Join Resilient Roots Survival School here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Many people want to feel more prepared for uncertain times, but fear-driven prepping often leads to paranoia, isolation, and a narrower way of living. In this pondering video, I explore why that approach usually fails, and how a fun, curiosity-led, community approach builds far deeper resilience.Drawing from my survival training background and the conversations happening inside the Resilient Roots community, I look at why the indirect approach to preparedness works so well: simple monthly learning prompts, hands-on skills, shared adventures, and practical ways to build resilience together rather than alone.Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/HQo5APleGfQ?si=6eF3J_lo70CY2Cyt

FREE Journaling course here: https://www.tomlanghorne.com/4-days-to-focusJoin my school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Have we grown too comfortable for our own good?Kahlil Gibran warned that “the lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul and then walks grinning in the funeral.”In this Deepdive, I explore what Gibran meant, why wilderness living feels so alive, and how we can rewild our houses so they nourish the spirit instead of dulling it.If you’ve ever felt modern life slowly numbing your senses… or sensed the forest creature in you wanting to wake up… this one’s for you.I read the full poem “On Houses” from The Prophet, unpack some of its most powerful passages, and share how discomfort, wilderness skills, and resetting our “baseline” can renew our connection to the world and to ourselves.If you want to learn the practical side of this — building your resilience rucksack, resetting the baseline, and living closer to the land — come join us in Resilient Roots.May the morning mist always be your doorway,and the songs of the night your windows.

Join the tribe here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Do you wake up in the morning with that dreadful feeling of "productivity debt"? For many years I did and I realised that I could be labelled - in psychological terms- as an "insecure overachiever". Inspired by the author Oliver Burkeman and his book "Meditations for Mortals" I decided to make a pondering video about this feeling and share 4 things we can do to combat it. If its true that AI will eventually take most of our jobs, then maybe this is an opportunity for all humans to find other ways to feel self-worth beyond just productivity.

Join my school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/After my last pondering episode, someone from the Resilient Roots community got in touch asking how we can stay informed with whats going on in the world without losing our inner peace and becoming hopeless. So I pondered about it for a while and found some useful ideas from looking at the origin of the word "media" as well as Buddhist philosophy.if you want to support my work in general then consider becoming a Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TomFandabidozi#InnerPeace #StayInformed #TheMediumIsTheMessage#StillnessInTheStorm #FandabiDeepdive #ResilientRoots

Join my Survival School here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Last week I saw some of the latest examples of AI created video making our already confusing and divided world even more confusing. While in a bit of a depression about it all, I pulled out some positivity and thought of 4 action points that we can all implement as individuals to help us stay grounded in this age of illusion. Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas on how we can stay connected and sane too?If you'd like to support my work, consider becoming a Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/TomFandabidoziYou can watch the video version of this ponder here: https://youtu.be/mjOuFxhzCF0

Join My School here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Watch video version here: https://youtu.be/TvyMnoTZ_IsFor years I thought winter itself was the problem.But I realised the real struggle came from trying to live by an industrial calendar and 9-to-5 rhythm that’s out of sync with the natural seasons.In this pondering I share why our ancestors in Scotland once marked Samhain (1 November) as the turning of the year, how shifting our sense of time can make the dark season easier, and some practical winter-resilience strategies that help us live in rhythm with the land.I you want to SUPPORT MY CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/TomFandabidoziListen to the audio version here: #WinterResilience#SeasonalLiving#RejectIndustrialCalendar#LiveWithTheSeasons#Samhain#CelticWisdom#MentalHealthInWinter#DeepdivePondering#ResilientRoots#SurvivalSkills

Join the tribe: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/In this weeks pondering I share some ideas from the recent Resilient Roots gathering, where we lived for a few days around the basic foundations of life: Attention, Breathing & Circulation (ABC). This included creating barriers to habitual smartphone checking which some people said was the highlight of the whole weekend. Watch the video version of this here: https://youtu.be/2ULQ1vLbCK8?si=65R21WQx6UdX3vql

Join the tribe here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Watch the video version of this here: https://youtu.be/vKSxtOENXic?si=MKiwkV3KmpkyHiSvIn this weeks pondering I am reflecting on the recent Resilient Roots gathering. On the last night of the gathering we had an old school Highland Ceilidh, which is simply a sharing of creative expressions (music, stories, songs, poems, jokes etc). A common response to this is people feel very nervous about sharing anything, which I think is a real shame and is partly due to our culture of "talent- shows" which I fell have put the feel into people sharing their creative expression. But in a world increasingly dominated by AI, perhaps expression of genuine lived experience will be the future currency, the very thing that separates us from machines is our imperfect- perfection. So don't be scared to share whats in your soul!

Want to join in these ponderings live? Join my school here: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/In this weeks pondering I share a question I asked the Resilient Roots tribe on this months call: "where would you like to rot?" Its these sorts of deep questions that break your normal pattern of thinking that I live for! Whats your answer?WATCH VIDEO VERSION HERE: https://youtu.be/r3nupkKnKhA#resilientroots #philosophy #rot #connectiontoland #natureconnection #nature #lifeanddeath

Join my survival school: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/In this weeks Deepdive video, I share one of the foundational lessons from my online survival school -Resilient Roots- which first introduces the learning map for the course called: "The Tree of Needs". I wanted to share this lesson here on the channel so I can start referring to it in future Deepdive videos.WATCH VIDEO VERSION OF THIS HERE: https://youtu.be/58TFJT8wHAg#survival #philosophy #psycholog y #wildernesspsychology #maslows_hierarchy_needs #resilientroots #fandabidozi #wilderness #wildernesstherapy

In this "Pondering" episode I ask whether humans are parasites or partners to the forest? I share a bit of my 4 year journey managing a woodland in the Scottish Highlands and the effects i've seen on biodiversity. I walk through real examples of things I have done and reflect on shifting the mindset from “human = problem” to “right relationship.”The VIDEO VERSION for these can also be found on my 2nd channel here: https://youtu.be/IjyAHEedMyY?si=Myv4tJCL_vhtY-8H

My guest today is Tristan Gooley – a world-renowned expert in natural navigation and bestselling author. We explore how to read nature’s signs to navigate both land and life, tracing his journey from sailor and explorer to “The Natural Navigator.” Along the way, we dive into the deeper philosophies of finding “the way” — in the wild and within ourselves.🌍 Find out more about Tristan’s work:https://www.naturalnavigator.com📺 Watch the video version on my 2nd YouTube channel:Fandabi Deepdive – https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDeepdiveWatch my Highlander navigation documentary with Tristan here (out 29th Aug):Fandabi Dozi – https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDozi💚 Support the show & get extra content:Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/fandabidozi🌱 Learn more with my online survival school:Resilient Roots – https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com

In this video I discuss the human story and how it has shaped our brains and how by understanding this we can better navigate the 21st century.I also share part of a lesson from my online school "Resilient Roots". If you want to check that out here's a link: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Watch video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDeepdive

What are we losing as we humans become more "domesticated"?In this video, I share a story about a fiercely aggressive Chihuahua that made me rethink what it means to be human — and what happens when we tame our wild side too much. From the psychology of our primal "shadow" to the cost of modern comfort, let's explore how we can find balance in the process of Human domestication.If you're curious about deepening this journey, check out Resilient Roots Survival School — an online learning community where we explore survival skills, rewilding, and the mindset needed to live closer to nature.: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Watch video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDeepdive

Welcome to the first pondering in the "pondering series". In this one I briefly explain why I have made a 2nd channel and this podcast stream and then introduce two recuring themes/ methods I'll keep referring to which I believe will be essential for humans to stay sane in the 21st century. Want to dive deeper into learning? Check out my school: https://www.resilientrootssurvival.com/Watch video version here: https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDeepdiveSupport my mission and get extra content here:   / tomfandabidozi  Find out all about my work: https://www.tomlanghorne.com/#psychology #survival #philosophy #fandabideepdive #ai #regenerativeliving #fandabidozi

My guest today is Ryan Dziadowiec- a researcher and Gaelic speaker. Ryan has just completed a PhD - writing over 100,000 words to describe just one Scottish Gaelic word- "Dùthchas".In our conversation we discuss a bit about Ryan's journey as a researcher and how this word can teach us a lot about Scottish history & responsibility for our land and our ancestors. I hope you enjoy it! You can find the video version of this Podcast on my second Youtube channel "Fandabi Deepdive" here:https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDeepdive For wilderness survival and history adventures, check out my main Youtube channel "Fandabi Dozi" here:https://www.youtube.com/@FandabiDozi This Podcast is made possible from the support of my wonderful patrons! If you want to support my work, consider becoming a Patreon. You get access to extra content & have your say on future episodes. Link Here:https://www.patreon.com/TomFandabidoziFind out all about my work on my website: www.tomlanghorne.com