In ‌‌the latest ‌episode of the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, Sean Murphy joins me to explore the benefits of meditation. Sean is a fully authorized Zen teacher in the American White Plum lineage and an award-winning author.

He's also the founder and director of the Sage Institute in Taos, New Mexico, which hosts an innovative meditation and mindfulness training program.

Sean’s the author of One Bird, One Stone: 108 Contemporary Zen Stories, as well as three novels with another one in the works. He also teaches creative writing, meditation, and literature for the University of New Mexico in Taos. 

Listen to this episode today, and join us as we discuss:

• The joys of teaching 

• The amazing work going on at the Sage Institute and why meditation is the best tool for evolving human consciousness

• How Zen embraces the mystery of life

• Sean’s novel-in-progress, Wilson’s Way

• How even children can benefit from mindfulness

Discover more about Sean Murphy during her interview on the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show, and let me know what you think!

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My deepest gratitude to you.

Mag

P.S. In case you missed it, check it out at bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate, and leave a comment!

In the latest episode of the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, award-winning filmmaker Judy Irving (Sundance and Emmy Awards) joins me for a conversation about everything from nuclear power to pelicans!

Judy’s groundbreaking film, Dark Circle, exposes the links between nuclear power and weapons. Over time, Judy’s films have evolved to reflect her love of nature, especially birds. The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill is a love story about a homeless street musician’s connection with a flock of wild parrots. Pelican Dreams is about California brown pelicans. Her next film, Cold Refuge, will be about swimming in San Francisco Bay. (It’s definitely not warm water.)

Listen to this episode today, and join us as we discuss:

• Judy’s powerful documentary, Dark Circle, and the dangers of nuclear power

• Prioritizing pictures over people: critical when Judy is editing her films 

• The love of birds 

• The one thing you must have to observe nature and its inhabitants 

• How to love swimming in the San Francisco Bay!

• Her upcoming film, Cold Refuge

• What drives Judy and motivates her

Discover more about Judy Irving during her interview on the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show, and let me know what you think!

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My deepest gratitude to you.

Mag

P.S. In case you missed it, check it out at bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate, and leave a comment!

In this episode of the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, I introduce my lifelong friend, Susan Keegin.

We explore the power of art and the intersection of emotion and creativity as we discuss her art and her evolution as an artist.
 

In this episode, we talk at length about: 

• How Susan didn’t consider herself a true artist until well into adulthood

• Susan’s evolution as an artist from photographer to designer to finally painter

• Self-discipline and scheduling time to “create” each day.

• How creating art boosts our mood...plus the connection between art and emotional well-being

• The joys of parenthood, mindfulness, and witnessing all the little moments of life

• How art has the power to calm and soothe us during times of crisis

I met Susan when we were about four years old, which makes her my oldest friend. Susan grew up eating and breathing her mother's Italian food and her parents’ art. Today, Susan is an accomplished and talented painter.

Discover more about Susan Keegin in the full Bowing to Elephants Podcast episode, which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show, and let me know what you think!

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My deepest gratitude to you.

Mag

In case you missed it, check it out bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate and leave a comment! 

On the most recent episode of the Bowing to Elephants Podcast, I host Barbara Linn Probst, a fellow She Writes Press author.

Barbara recently published her second novel, The Sound Between The Notes. We discuss the writing process, the relationship between novel and memoir, and the effect of music on our lives.
 

In this episode, we talk at length about:

• How music transcends culture, place, and time

• How playing the piano compares to writing a novel

• The importance of having a mentor to inspire and challenge you

• How artists borrow from one another’s work

• The motivations of the heroine in The Sound Between The Notes

• What Barbara has learned as her writing has improved

• Why Barbara advises to let go of the reins where your characters are concerned

• The benefits of using a hybrid press to publish your book

A serious amateur pianist and a nonprofit organizer, Barbara is a woman of many talents. She is also a teacher, a therapist, and a researcher. And, on top of that, she’s a phenomenal writer!

Discover more about Barbara Linn Probst in the full Bowing to Elephants Podcast episode, which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show, and let me know what you think!

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My deepest gratitude to you all! 

Mag

In case you missed it, check it out bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate and leave a comment! 

On the most recent episode of Bowing to Elephants, I am joined by Rose Gordon, an old friend and former student. Rose discusses how her life is based on a “Call & Response” pattern. 

Like the singers who echo one another, the first step is being open to the call. As Rose explains, a calling doesn’t have to be a big, heroic thing. But, your response to that call connects you to something larger than yourself and imbues you with a higher purpose. 

Rose offers spiritual care and bereavement services to hospice families in Taos, New Mexico. She has made it her life’s work to ease the suffering of others and help them unearth their own natural resilience.

In this episode, we also talked at length about:

• Rose’s thoughts on dying and meeting the end of life with dignity and hope

• How Rose deals with suffering and how she helps her clients deal with suffering and grief

• Mag and Rose’s mothers and the gifts they inherited from them

• Dreamwork and Rose’s dream group

• How you can invite dreams into your life

• Something no one else knows about Rose

Discover more about Rose Gordon in the full Bowing to Elephants podcast episode which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show and let me know what you think!

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My deepest gratitude to you all! 

Mag

In case you missed it, check it out bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate and leave a comment! 

The greatest travel stories focus on the little moments ‒ a chance encounter or a frozen moment in time that forever changes your perception. 

In the latest episode of Bowing to Elephants, I’m joined by fellow writer, Lavinia Spalding. A repeat editor of The Best Women’s Travel Writing, Lavinia shares with us her thoughts on what separates truly great travel writing from the mediocre. Lavinia and I both have an insatiable wanderlust. Join us as we discuss our mutual love of travel and how journaling has helped us record our travels. 

In this episode, we talked at length about:

• How journaling while travelling helps us capture our initial impressions and increases our recall

• How journaling can be a form of meditation

• The most unusual thing Lavinia has learned about herself through journaling

• Lavinia’s thoughts on what makes a strong travel essay

• Curiosity and why it’s essential to travel writing

• The people who influenced our love of food and our writing

• Lavinia’s own podcast, There She Goes

Discover more about Lavinia Spalding in the full Bowing to Elephants podcast episode which you can listen to here.

Enjoy the show and let me know what you think!

Follow, Like, and Subscribe:

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My deepest gratitude to you all! 

Mag

My eternal thanks and deepest gratitude to you all! 

Mag

In case you missed it, check it out bowingtoelephantspodcast.com and follow, rate and leave a comment!