#99 Is It PCOS or Hypothalamic Amenorrhea? with Lara Briden

In today's episode, prepare to be transported into the enchanting world of herbalism as Mason sits down with the incredible Stephanie Hazel. Stephanie, a traditional Western herbalist, teacher, and earth lover, brings forth a passion for her craft that is as robust as it is poetic, inviting listeners to explore realms beyond intellectualism and linear thought.

Stephanie and Mason embark on a captivating exploration of the sensory landscapes, diving deep into topics that range from heart perception and animism to herbal dieta and apprenticeship. With each exchange, they unveil the rich tapestry of wisdom woven through Stephanie's experiences and teachings.

At the heart of their conversation lies the concept of heart perception in herbalism—an idea that transcends the notion of the heart as merely a pump. Stephanie eloquently elucidates how heart perception involves listening with both body and heart, allowing for profound insights into the healing properties of plants to emerge. Emphasising the fusion of intellectual knowledge, intuitive knowing, and embodied experience as essential components in cultivating herbal wisdom.

Stephanie generously shares her approach to teaching herbalism, highlighting the importance of reverence and respect when interacting with plant allies. She advocates for a guided process that honours the deep connection between humans and plants, ensuring a safe and meaningful exploration of this sacred relationship.

For those eager to delve deeper into Stephanie's teachings, her courses—Plant Allies and The Wild Edge of Herbalism—offer unique opportunities to engage with herbalism in a way that transcends conventional education. Each course is a doorway to a world where plants become not just subjects of study, but cherished partners in the journey of self-discovery and healing.

Stephanie's wisdom shines through as she and Mason explore the practice of embodied listening, highlighting its transformative power in fostering harmony with plants and the environment. Their conversation serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of honouring perceptive senses alongside intellectual understanding—a testament to the profound wisdom that awaits those willing to listen with an open heart.

Tune in today for a powerful and profound journey into the heart of herbalism with Stephanie Hazel—a true plant person and universal voyager whose insights will leave you inspired and enlightened.

To learn more about Stephanie and her courses, visit her website here.

Mason & Stephanie discuss:

- Heart perception in herbalism.
- The power of using single herbs over formulas.
- What it means to hold an animist worldview, in herbalism, and life.
- Plant dieta and the importance of holding reverence in herbal practice. 

Resource guide

Guest Links
Stephanie's Website
Stephanie's Podcast
Stephanie's Instagram
Stephanie's Facebook
Stephanie's Herbal Allie's Online Course
Stephanie's Wild Edge Of Herbalism Online Course

Mentioned In This Episode
Stephen Harrod Buhner
Mathew Wood Herbalist
The Emerald Podcast
SuperFeast Reishi

Related Podcasts
Wild Woman Way with Susun Weed (EP#23)
Entering The Imaginal Realms with Stephen Harrod Buhner (EP#88)
Alchemystic Fungi with Bryan & Mikaela (EP#190)

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/heart-perception-in-herbalism-with-stephanie-hazel-ep-219

Sibyl and Zoe Coldham join Mason on the show today, to share about their documentary, Journey To The West, an award-winning film that follows the journey of Chinese medicine into Western culture, exploring the roots of the profession, and the many obstacles it has faced, especially within the realm of consciousness held by mainstream medicine and allopathic thought. 

Journey to the West navigates between an in-depth exploration of Chinese medicine's struggle for legitimacy and a serene unveiling of Chinese medical philosophy. Weaving historical and contemporary plot lines, to reveal the intricacies of a profession that seeks acceptance and understanding by the Western medical model at large.

Throughout the podcast Sibyl and Zoe speak passionately from the heart, discussing the film's inception, creative process and their overarching intention; to tell the story of Chinese medicine in a way that is accessible to a wide audience.

The women express that limitations in the Western education system, including the curriculum often offered, stand as great obstacles to the continuing legacy and authentic practice of the craft. Highlighting that the methodologies of the scientific model, particularly the placebo effect as applied to acupuncture, should never get in the way of the actual medicine.

They go to share why energetic medicine can not be accurately measured in the same way as a pharmaceutical drug, where the placebo is a dead entity, and results against an active constituent will never compare.

Western medicine's political terrain is also covered, particularly within the context of the UK's National Health Scheme, who's views on Chinese medicine differ greatly from those here in Australia. An aspect of the conversation that allows us to understand the influence of social ideology on the integration of Chinese medicine and acupuncture into mainstream systems of healthcare at large. 

The duo emphasise the importance of understanding the philosophy and principles of Chinese medicine and the need for practitioners to continue their work with patience and perseverance.

An illuminating chat today, offering many thought provoking concepts for us all to marinate on.

Dive in and enjoy.

Sibyl, Zoe & Mason discuss:

- The challenges Chinese medicine faces in the West.

- The scientific model and its limitations when applied to Chinese medicine.

- Where Chinese medicine fits within an allopathic system.

- Why Chinese medicine can't change to appease the limitations of the education system. 

Resource Guide:

Film Links
Journey To The West Website
Journey To The West Instagram

Related Podcasts
The Body Electric and Chinese Medicine with Dr. Daniel Keown (EP#150)

Check Out The Transcript Below:

 https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/journey-to-the-west-with-sibyl-zoe-coldham-ep-218

Today, Tahnee welcomes Naturopath Jennifer Ward of Halsa Health onto the show. Jennifer specialises in women's health, particularly in preconception, pregnancy and postpartum care.

The women share a beautiful conversation surrounding preconception, what it is, what it entails, the role diet, lifestyle and stress play in hormonal health and why both women and men need to share the load when it comes to fertility and conception.

Throughout their chat, Tahnee and Jennifer explore the intricacies of preconception, delving into the many elements that are involved on the journey of preparing the body and psyche to carry and birth a child. 

Jennifer, through her extensive work within a holistic and clinical setting, emphases the importance of an individualised approach, one that involves simple, sustainable, daily health practices to create an environment in which the body feels safe to host a growing child.

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/preconception-naturopathic-care-with-jennifer-ward-217

Mason, and long time SuperFeast friends, Dan Sipple and Marcus Pearce join forces today for an insightful conversation around diet, lifestyle and longevity in the world's Blue Zones, and how the quality of life experienced by the individuals living in these areas is cultivated through joy, community, resilience and pace.

The tread that weaves itself so gracefully throughout this conversation is one of unbridled self expression, of the value in allowing ourselves the freedom to include and relish in the aspects of our lived experience that we most enjoy, those feel like a balm not only to our bodies and hearts, but our souls as well.

We're given insight on these musings as Marcus shares from his experiences spending time with the people of Ikaria, an island located on the coast of Greece in the Eastern Aegean Sea. Here the people live slow and in community, moments are savoured and enjoyed, alcohol is commonly consumed but rarely in excess, the same goes with meat. Things get done in the time it takes to do them and deadlines are not really a thing.

The pace and the variants considered essential for life are vastly different to those that we are indoctrinated to esteem through the Westernised systems that the majority of us are engaged in, with motivation for "success" often derived from pursuits laced in capitalism.

Listening to Marcus, Dan, and Mason discuss research on the factors that contribute to wellbeing and longevity in the Blue Zones worldwide, we can identify that it is not the frantic striving for shinier, more, better, higher, younger, that enables a human to flourish, it is in fact the very essence of the dutiful notion of chop wood, carry water, and not duty as in oppression, more so an agreement with what is, carried forward allowing space to enjoy the simple yet enriching facets of life that can only be accessed in the present with presence.

We're introduced to the fact that when measuring the two separately, social connection has a more potent positive influence on health than diet, and those that have the most abundant sense of health are embracing both in equal measure.

In the field of wellness individual's are so often told (and sold) that health is something that can only be accessed on the other side of "clean" living, and that longevity is derived from the perfect morning routine, nutrient intake, exercise and supplement regime. However in reality often the people that live the longest (and happiest) lives are those that are living in joyful communion with the things that they enjoy, vices included.

We've all seen or heard the stories of the 100+ year old woman or man who attributes their longevity to their daily cigarette, coffee or can of coca cola.

Centenarians are not exclusively green juice drinking yogini's or those who engage in a multifaceted wellness routine, Many are those that live simply, at natures pace, in community with purpose and without too much stress. Those who are culturally rich.

How your life looks is not nearly as important as how your life feels, for you, regardless of the thoughts/opinions of an external audience.

It is not always accessible for those living in the psyche of the Western grid to live like the inhabitants of the Blue Zones, however what is accessible is the knowledge of a different way, and the inspiration to include more of what and who you love in your days, and that that is often more powerful than any perfected way of living.

Mason, Dan & Marcus discuss:

- The Blue Zones diet controversy.

- Adapting Blue Zone lifestyles to a modern setting. 

- Traditional lifestyle and its influence on health. 

- Social life over diet for longevity.

- Authenticity and success, what it is and how you measure it.

- The power of adopting an individualised approach to health. 

Resource guide

Guest Links
Dan Website
Dan Facebook
Dan Instagram
Marcus Website
Marcus Longevity Podcast
Marcus Facebook
Marcus Instagram
Marcus Youtube
Marcus Linkedin
Marcus X

Mentioned In This Episode
Dan Buettner
Graham Hancock
Weston Price
The China Study Book
Dan Sipple's Netflix Blue Zone Documentary Instagram Post

Related Podcasts
Moving Towards Destiny with Harmony with Marcus Pearce (EP#181)

Connect With Us:

SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Today Mason welcomes the remarkable Peter Galle onto the show. Peter is a practitioner of true Classical Chinese medicine, one of many exceptional individuals keeping the practice of this lost healing art present and alive in the current diluted culture of Westernised appropriation.

Peter and Mason go deep in this episode, inviting us to acknowledge with gravity, the enormous value the sensory faculties of sight, smell, taste, touch and perception hold in the fruitful practice of healing, regardless of the modality.

Both men share their knowledge and insights passionately, many of which are heavily influenced by the Huang Di Nei Jing, The Yellow Emperor's Classic Of Internal Medicine, a seminal text on Chinese medicine that captures the root intention of the Classical approach.

Peter speaks from the heart, with care and diligent reverence for those who walked before him, whose path of mastery was apprenticed in alignment with the original guidance of this ancient craft.

Covering all manner of topics; including the challenges practitioners face when working to harmonise complex pathologies, the importance of honouring lineage and working with classical texts, why self-cultivation and self-care are crucial aspects for the longevity of the healers' practice, developing perceptual sensitivity and the acuity and discipline that is required to accurately read the body and its subtle cues, plant medicine and the indigenous use of Cannabis in China and so much more!

This episode is rich and valuable, a truly insightful listen for all, especially those in communion with the practices of Chinese medicine. 

Peter & Mason discuss:

- The difference between commercialised Chinese medicine and true Chinese medicine.
- The challenges faced by practitioners in treating complex illness.
- The magic and interconnectedness of plants in healing.
- The importance of self-cultivation for practitioners.
- The layers of the body and disease in Chinese medicine.
- Honouring the lineage and working with classical texts in Chinese medicine.

Resource guide

Guest Links
Peter's Website
Peter's Instagram

Mentioned In This Episode
Stephen Harrod Buhner Books

Related Podcasts
Qi Cycles And The Dao with Jost Sauer - Acupuncturist (EP#48)
Lifestyle Medicine with Acupuncturist Jost Sauer (EP#63)

Connect With Us:

SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/chinese-medicine-beyond-the-surface-with-peter-galle-215

In today's episode Mason shares the mic with Logan Christopher founder and CEO of US company Lost Empire Herbs. The gents discuss performance based herbalism, the power of spagyrics and the Taoist approach to health, all the while sharing deep camaraderie around what it's like to grow through an evolving family owned business.

Logan takes centre stage as he narrates his personal journey through the herbal landscape, shedding light on the significant role herbs play in bolstering vitality and well-being. The duo examine how herbal tonics, with their multifaceted properties, can be strategically utilised to cultivate distinct levels of health and performance, while providing a holistic approach to personal wellness.

Logan shares his insights on spagyric tinctures, and the transformative experience's he's faced while working with them, offering us a glimpse into the alchemical intricacies and multidimensional nature these meticulously crafted elixirs can embody. 

We're introduced to the concept of "health beyond danger" and reminded of the Taoist principals surrounding balance and moderation.

Mason and Logan share candidly about the challenges and rewards that come with owning a herbal business, both reflecting on what's involved in their roles as founders and CEO's. From the nuances of decision-making to the art of team-building, the men emphasise the importance of building a cohesive team that aligns with the company's overarching vision. Both sharing anecdotes and lessons learned from their journey's at the helm of a burgeoning herbal empire.

Tune in for more.

Logan & Mason discuss:

- Logan's introduction to tonic herbs and his journey in the health industry. 
- Herbal spagyrics and their metaphysical nature.
- Performance and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT).
- Herbs and business; going from founder to CEO.
- Tonic herbs for hormonal/sexual health.
- Lost Empire Herbs latest product range. 

Resource guide

Guest Links

Lost Empire Herbs Instagram
Lost Empire Herbs Facebook
Lost Empire Youtube
Lost Empire Herbs Website
Legendary Strength Website
Logan's Substack

Mentioned In This Episode
School Of Evolutionary Herbalism

Related Podcasts
Mind & Body Peak Performance with James Newbury (EP#106)
Herbs For Performance and Dì Dào (地道) with Mason Taylor on The Awoken Athlete podcast (EP#130)

Connect With Us:

SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/high-performance-herbalism-with-logan-christopher-ep-214

Tahnee speaks with the phenomenal Yolande Norris Clarke. Yolande is a birth liberation activist, birth-witness, spell-breaker, way-shower, childbirth educator, midwifery teacher, and mother of 9 (soon to be 10) beautiful children.

In this juicy episode with Tahnee, Yolande shares her birth stories and the powerful insights she's gained both working and being in the free birth space. 

The women speak to the growing awareness and education surrounding free birth, sharing thought-provoking dialog around the impact of subconscious programming and the role manifestation plays in creating one's reality, inviting us to question beyond the “traditional” institutionalised approaches women are most often sold as gospel, and consider the power of choice in shaping an individual's birthing experience. 

Yolande shares her love of German New Medicine, celebrating its holistic mind-body approach and the positive implications it has had for her own healing and parenting. Passionately encouraging mothers to embrace and trust in their children's innate ability to heal, emphasising that love, support, and validation are the most essential elements on the parenting journey. 

This beautiful conversation serves as a catalyst for reflection, inviting individuals to consider their choices, to embrace the power of surrender, and recognise the profound impact the mind has on the birthing experience and beyond. 
We’re left with a rich tapestry of insight into the realms of birth, motherhood and self-healing, reminded that the human organism has the innate power to self organise, and is coded to reproduce as nature intended, in a wild, unfiltered and undomesticated way.

Yolande & Tahnee discuss:

- Free birth, Yolande's birth stories and surrender as a discipline.
- The "perfect pregnancy" and the myths surrounding it.
- Birth as an initiation and spiritual experience.
- Reclaiming the joy of motherhood.
- Creation, manifestation and commitment.
- German New Medicine.

Resource Guide:

Guest Links
Yolande's Website
Yolande's Courses
Yolande's German New Medicine Salon
Yolande's Book
Yolande's Instagram
Yolande's Facebook
Yolande's TikTok

Mentioned In This Episode
Free Birth Society
Ina May Gaskin Books
Janine Parvati Baker Books
Jane Hardwicke Collings

Related Podcasts
Birth Is A Body Based Event with Clancy Allen (EP#79)
Birth Work, Ceremony, and Rites of Passage with Caitlin Priday (EP#148)

Connect With Us:

SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/orgasmic-birth-mothering-with-yolande-norris-clarke-ep-213

Phytality founder Mark Pages, joins Mason for an illuminating conversation around the profound health promoting benefits of marine phytoplankton and other plant based sources of omega-3. The pair discuss the history and resurgence of marine phytoplankton as a life giving superfood, its primordial origins, and its potential as a sustainable dietary replacement for other more commercialised, processed and anti-environment sources such as those derived from fish and krill oils.

Mark and Mason cover the controversy surrounding marine phytoplankton and the importance of ensuring its purity and quality. Mark breaks down the manufacturing processes used at Phytality to ensure the finished product is both highly bioavailable and nutritionally rich. Emphasizing the vital need for a balanced intake of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, especially when aiming to reduce inflammation and support cardiovascular health. Mark draws our attention to the potential risks of consuming excess dietary omega-6, highlighting the importance of mindful choices for overall well-being.

The antioxidant properties of phytoplankton are also spoken to, particularly the benefits of zeaxanthin and lutein, and their impact on eye health. With an overall emphasis on the necessity for high-quality, bioavailable sources of omega-3 in the daily diet.

An incredibly informative chat today.

Mark & Mason discuss:

- The history and resurgence of marine phytoplankton as a superfood.

- The primordial origins of marine phytoplankton.

- The health benefits of marine phytoplankton.

- The importance of purity and quality when sourcing phytoplankton.

- Phytoplankton, plant protein & nutrient bioavailability.

- The importance of maintaining a balanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio when consuming omega rich foods.

Resource guide

Guest Links
Phytality Website website
Phytality Instagram
Phytality LinkedIn

Mentioned In This Episode
Phytoplankton Introduction from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Marine Planktonic Cyanobacteria Origin
World’s Biggest Oxygen Producers Living in Swirling Ocean Waters 
Study: Appearance of Fatty Acids In Human Plasma
Study: Maintaining Low Omega-6/Omega-3 Ratio for Reducing the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases, Asthma, and Allergies
Study: Benefits of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids on Human Health: An Update for 2021
What Impacts The Conversion of Alpha-linolenicacid (ALA) To DHA and EPA?
How Industrial Agriculture Affects Our Soil
Phytality Phytoplankton Growing Process
Phytality Production Facilities
The Biochemistry Of Fats Youtube
Rhonda Patrick On The Benefits of Omega-3s
Superfoods Book, David Avocado Wolfe

Related Podcasts
A Plant Based Approach That Works with James Newbury & Matt Legge (EP#187)

Connect With Us
SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/phytoplankton-superfood-of-the-sea-with-mark-pages-ep-212

Mason welcomes nutritionist, author, actor, podcaster, yoga teacher and public figure, Lola Berry, on to the show today, for a grounded and insightful chat on the art of failure, and how to repurpose the energy behind adversity and loss into the creation of something beautiful, purposeful, and close to your heart.

Having ventured into the world of acting from the tender age of 18, Lola is no stranger to rejection. Anyone who operates within an industry where the stakes are high and the failure rate is about 99%, has to have thick skin. Lola has just that. 

As a hard working triple Virgo, and self proclaimed A type personality, Lola always digs deep, choosing to fuel her pursuits through embodied optimism, a stance that allows her to embrace personal setbacks with the gumption of the phoenix rising; the one who recognises that renewal and rejuvenation can be found in the fiery ashes of the alchemical process. 

It's refreshing to hear Lola speak to failure as something that is workable, a medium that is malleable and open to interpretation, especially as the fear of failure is so often associated with people not taking action on the dreams and visions that lay dormant inside them, waiting to be birthed and appreciated by the world at large.

Lola teaches us that with an open and hopeful heart, diligent gestures of effort, and an unwavering belief in the infinite possibilities available to those who try, success is always an option, no matter what that may mean to each individual. 

Mason and Lola speak to the value in consistently seeking support, celebrating therapy as an integral component to self evolution, grace and forward momentum.

Lola's enthusiasm, unapologetic passion and grounded authentic nature are such a balm, her welcoming, encouraging and inspiring presence reminding us that failure need not be an obstacle in the pursuit of our passions, more so a stepping stone that enables us to reimagine our trajectory with humility, patience and a willingness to prevail. 

Lola & Mason discuss:

- Embracing failure as a tool for self evolution.
- The brutal nature of the acting industry.
- Trusting the unknown & feeding your soul fire.
- The power of living in alignment with your personal truth.
- Mental health and the value in seeking the support of a therapist. 
- Being an open vessel for spirit to work through.

Resource guide

Guest Links
Lola's Instagram
Lola's TikTok
Lola's Facebook
Lola's Linkedin

Mentioned In This Episode
Fearlessly Failing Book
Fearlessly Failing Podcast

Related Podcasts
Moving Towards Destiny with Harmony with Marcus Pearce (EP#181)

Connect With Us
SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/failing-forward-with-lola-berry-ep-211

Tahnee sits down with the formidable and incredibly inspiring, Kimberly Ann Johnson, for a raw and potent chat about the feminine experience. The women explore the role of archetypal rites of passage; birth, menarche, menopause, death, and the unique, nuanced and powerful technology that female physiology inherently embodies.  

Informed by her work as a Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, author, yoga teacher, mother and postpartum advocate, Kimberly speaks with true reverence for the cyclic nature of womanhood, expressing that the faculty of listening, witnessing and holding space for the processes that are forever unfurling themselves within the body, mind and spirit of women is one of the most nurturing acts that women can offer both themselves and others.

When we give our deep attention to the beauty, wildness and non linear nature of the feminine experience we agree to a rebellion against the rigid societal structures that feel as though they are designed to keep women confined to an existence that is far too small for the raw force of their intrinsic nature. 

Kimberly shares her work with people in trauma, defining trauma as the outcome of an incomplete cycle, an event that because it has gone unwitnessed and unacknowledged in its full, lingers as injury in the body and psyche. Here we are introduced to the profound impact of circle work, of sitting in the presence of and holding space for the buoyancy and the dullness that colour the spectrum of human experience. 

As Kimberly speaks she allows herself to feel and express emotion as it arises, her voice at times choked by the acknowledgement of grief, joy, love and despair, and it is truly freeing to receive. The courage of heart, the embodiment of all she teaches and practices is a breath of fresh air, a humbling gesture of solidarity to the part in all of us that longs to feel safe within the full scope of our somatic experience.

I loved this one, I hope you do too. 

Kimberly & Tahnee discuss:

- Kimberly's origin story.

- Community and what women really need postpartum.

- The power of witnessing and circle work.

- Feminine trauma, what it is and how it presents in the body.

- Archetypal rites of passage.

- Menopause & not giving a f#ck.

- Kimberly's work with Stephen Jenkinson and the  value of wisdom and eldership in our society.

Resource guide

Guest Links
Kimberly's Website.
Kimberly's Instagram.
Kimberly's Facebook.
Kimberly's YouTube.
Kimberly's Linkedin.

Mentioned In This Episode
Mother Circle Online Course
Kimberly's Books
Second Spring Book - Kate Codrington
Jane Hardwicke Collings Website
Jane Hardwicke Collings Four Seasons Journey
Jane Hardwicke Collings Autumn Woman Harvest Queen Workshop
Uma Dinsmore-Tuli Yoga Nidra

Related Podcasts
The Power Of Menopause with Jane Hardwicke Collings (EP#77)
Only Living People Die with Stephen Jenkinson (EP#203)
Sexual Activation and Feminine Embodiment with Eva Williams (EP#144)

Connect With Us
SuperFeast Instagram
SuperFeast Facebook
SuperFeast TikTok
SuperFeast Online Education

Check Out The Transcript Below:

https://www.superfeast.com.au/blogs/articles/trauma-the-feminine-experience-with-kimberly-ann-johnson-ep-210