Sophie is very excited about Christmas. Making gifts for those she loves, planning a special meal, and of course, baking cookies.

She is surprised that Marianne doesn't feel quite the same way about this holiday.

Yes, there are some precious childhood memories, but after studying religions of the world, it is clear to Marianne that the solstice is what was really celebrated at this time of the year.

To our long term listeners, it will be no surprise that the consumerism of this season does not sit right with Marianne as well.

As always, our conversation takes us to many places and we are curious what you all think about this season.

Do you celebrate?

Do you have traditions you follow during this time? Or are you creating your own?

Join us on Patreon and let us know what you think.

Psst. If this is a stressful time for you, Sophie got you with tips on letting go of stress and of course, with her meditation and Yin Yoga series.

Wishing you the best

Marianne and Sophie

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Blue Sky

and please subscribe to our podcast via your favorite podcatcher.

Both, Sophie and Marianne, decided it was time to take a break from podcasting.

Sometimes, when life gets to busy, even an enjoyable thing needs to go to the back burner for a while.

In this episode, mostly Sophie shares what she has been up to. Some big and exciting news for you all.

Since time is limited, we are mostly going to use Patreon as our social media interaction platform.

We hope to see you there to engage in conversation with us and with each other.

Please join us on Patreon

Self Care

Do you like to iron? I (Marianne) do not. But Sophie finds her time at the ironing board relaxing and a form of meditation.

So, what does ironing have to do with self-care?

According to Sophie, self-care is the ability of us to be aware of our personal needs.

Sometimes, we have to decide what action brings us more peace of mind: visiting with our family or taking care of unfinished tasks.

We do talk about a mangel which actually makes ironing fun. If you have never seen one, do a search for many different models - a new model you can but today runs about $ 2,500.00.

But this photo I found online is close to what we had in our home and used for the weekly ironing marathon.

When Sophie and Marianne were in Yoga Teacher training, we started a little book club. One of our favorites was Loving What Is by Byron Katie. We both highly recommend that you read this book. Please get it from your local library or support an independent bookstore!

Does Self Care sometimes feel like a chore? If it does, is it still self-care?

Sophie describes the Ayurvedic practice of Abhyanga. Here is a link to the Wikipedia entry. If you are knowledgeable about this subject, you can help improve the article. And while you are at it, donate to Wikipedia. Now, more than ever, we need sources of information.

Our conversation did bring us to mental self care.In particular, letting go of guilt and stopping comparing ourselves to others.

As always, our conversation takes us to many different topics. Here is one tool to calm ourselves when unhelpful thoughts are taking over: Sing a song or repeat a mantra over and over.

Join us on Patreon for many guided meditations and our Yin Yoga Series.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast

and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast

BlueSky @ExploreSomaPodcast.bsky.social

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne

As you know, Sophie moved across the country to an area where everything was brand-new to her. No established friends, connections, or even knowing the city,

One thing she found was that a move like that offers a chance for a new beginning.

It is easy to fall into old habits and establish what we had before.

But it is a great opportunity to sit back for a bit and think about what one really wants to do.

The world of Yoga has grown dramatically in the US and has developed in different directions.

For many, Yoga is a physical exercise - nothing more. Others only practice the meditation aspect.

Sophie is in-between.

Sophie likes to teach Hatha Yoga - each pose is held for 30 seconds or a minute. The important part is to be aware of the breath (prana).

She started teaching in a new studio - every teacher is new to that particular place. She found that she felt very comfortable with all her co-workers and attributes that to the fact that they all are starting together, eager to build community.

We mention Yin Yoga. Join us on Patreon for an in-depth conversation about this form of Yoga.

Join us. We are inviting our Patrons to practice Yin Yoga with us.

All Patrons are invited to our first talk and craft event. We will meet via Zoom on Friday, March 7, 2025.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on

Bluesky Explore Soma Podcast

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne

The beginning of 2024 meant moving - for both Sophie and Marianne.

While Sophie had planned her cross-country move from California to Florida for several months, Marianne's from Arizona back to California was unexpected and happened quickly.

The first part of this episode is a conversation recorded shortly after our moves. The second part is a reflection of how that year went for us.

As always, we are honest with our listeners as to what has worked out, what hasn't, what we learned, and where we want to go from here.

Sophie felt that the move to a place where she didn't know anyone was an opportunity for deep soul-searching.

Here are some of her observations.

In California, she had built her life around her young children. The way she was able to teach classes and what activities to pursue.

Now, the children are adults and have gone off to school. But, after moving to Florida, she realized that she had been caught in her own life. The routine, the comfort, the familarity.

The need to rebuild everything was a great opportunity to examine what she really, really wants to do in this phase of her life.

Ayurveda will stay without a doubt.

Sophie will teach a hybrid in-person/Zoom Ayurveda class in January. You might want to listen to our previous episode, which explains what Ayurveda is all about. Listen here

We also have a special episode for our Patreon supporters, which explains in detail how to determine what Dosha we are. Check out this episode here

As always, we invite you to join us on Patreon. Our goal is to build community there and are planning another live event soon.

Maybe it will be a Laughter Yoga session again - or...

Stay tuned to find out.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast

and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne

In this episode, you are learning about Laughter Yoga and a bit of Sophie and Marianne's history with this practice.

Sophie wrote an excellent article explaining the practice and the benefits of Laughter Yoga, which you can find on our Patreon Page.

Please join us there, read all about it, and become part of our community.

Great news!

You all can laugh with us. We are offering a free virtual Laughter Yoga session on November 23, 2024 at 10 AM Pacific Time.

Find details on how to join on our Patreon Page.

The session has limited participants. Please make sure to secure your reservation.

Sophie and Marianne both learned Laughter Yoga as envisioned by Madan Kataria. Here is his website with lots and lots of information.

Linda Leclerc is a well-known Laughter Teacher presence, and Marianne had the pleasure of interviewing her for her former podcast.

Linda is very active in the World of Laughter, and we encourage you to check her out.

If you are inspired to give a Laughter Club a try, you will find many in person Laughter Clubs all over the world, as well as a large number of online opportunities.

We hope to see you on the 23rd of November at out Laughter gathering or, if that date doesn't work for you, that you laugh with any laughter friend anywhere in the world.

Ho Ho Ha Ha Ha.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast

and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne

Come and join our Explore Soma Patreon community to take part in further conversations about the topics we discuss on the podcast - or whatever is on your mind.

AND! We have free memberships. Of course, there are more perks to all who support us but plenty of fun to be had for our free members.

In today's episode, we start in the world of knitting and end up exploring the meanings of symbols and how much power we give them - or maybe we shouldn't?

Tell us what you think!

And if you are wondering about the Placebo Effect we are referring to, join us on Patreon and listen to that part of our convo.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast

and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne

Did you know that you could be the proud owner of a pair of hand-knit socks simply by supporting us on Patreon?

We are holding a raffle on June 12th and one lucky winner will get a pair of awesome socks made to order.

Not into Patreon? You still can get a raffle ticked. Contact as at exploresomepod @ gmail.com to find out how.

In this episode, Sophie tries to find out why Marianne loves knitting so much.

Patreon: Explore Soma

You can also find us on Instagram Explore_Soma_Podcast

and on Facebook Explore Soma Podcast

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Sophie & Marianne