Bowing To Elephants Podcast

In her international bestseller, Bowing To Elephants, Mag Dimond travelled the world in search of timeless wisdom to find healing, connection & meaning. In the Bowing To Elephants podcast, she brings that wisdom to you. Join Mag in conversation with masters of all kinds to help you live a mindful, meaningful life.

033 - Letting Go, Celebrating, and Moving On 01/26/2022

033 - Letting Go, Celebrating, and Moving On Welcome to the final episode of the Bowing to Elephants Podcast. It is with bittersweet feelings that I announce I'm discontinuing the podcast, just for the time being. Life is calling me to address different creative work right now. I appreciate all of you who have steadfastly listened to the show. Here today to help me reflect on the last six months and discuss my next adventure is my friend and cohort, Ben Gioia. What You Hear/Learn/Discover [1:40] Mag explains why she started the podcast in the first place. [03:08] Mag talks about her successes and disappointments with the podcast and what she learned along the way. [4:48] Ben and Mag discuss the array of guests that joined the show. [8:53] Mag shares her next steps now that the podcast is on pause. [11:16] Mag answers the question, “If you could have one more person on your podcast, alive or deceased, who would it be?” [13:05] Ben and Mag discuss the recent death of Thich Nhat Hanh, his life, his legacy, and his poetry. [14:46] Mag talks about her food memoir and how she’ll now have the time to complete it. [15:42] Mag invites her listeners to stay in contact with her. [17:19] Ben talks about the bittersweetness of ending the podcast and his anticipation for Mag’s upcoming book. Quotes “I wanted to showcase human beings’ sense of adventure and curiosity, their endurance, and their innate wisdom. So I went looking for wise, compassionate, interesting, and creative souls to join me in the conversation.” “I'm pausing [the podcast] so that I can read more books, and more importantly, so I can complete my food memoir,…so I can travel,…and complete an intensive training to be a meditation leader.” Resources Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you haven't already, come join the community! Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/21899513

032 - Cultural Lens Shapeshifter 01/11/2022

031 - A Gourmet Destination on the Northern California Coast 01/04/2022

030 - The Writer and Her Hammock 12/28/2021

029 - Becoming a Scholar 12/21/2021

028 - In The Shadow of Poets 12/14/2021

027 - The Seasons of Life 12/07/2021

026 - Burma & Bodhisattva Vows 11/30/2021

025 - The Art of Storytelling 11/23/2021

024 - Feeding, Healing, & Loving The Soul 11/16/2021

023 - Rites of Passage and True Feminine Power 11/09/2021

022 - Courage and Healing Through Memoir 11/02/2021

021 - Murder, Mystery, & Literary Escapism 10/26/2021

020 - Perpetual Gift of the Dharma 10/19/2021

019 - Your Message And Your Life 10/12/2021

018 - Looking At Acupuncture As Healing Art 10/05/2021

017 - For Love Of The Baroque 09/28/2021

016 - Running For Her Life 09/21/2021

015 - Writers Finding Community During The Pandemic 09/14/2021

014 - A Buddhist Teacher Considers Social Justice & Enlightenment 09/07/2021

013 - Zen & The Evolution of Human Consciousness 08/31/2021

012 - Seeing/Telling the Truth about Nuclear Power & Pelicans 08/24/2021

011 - Two Old Friends Talk about a Life in Art 08/17/2021

011 - Two Old Friends Talk about a Life in Art In this episode, 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. Susan grew up eating her mother's Italian food and surrounded by her parents’ art. Today, Susan is an accomplished and talented painter. Join us for this lively discussion! What You Will Hear/Learn/Discover [0:23] Mag introduces the guest, Susan Landor Keegin. [2:00] Susan answers the question, “When did you first know you were an artist?” [7:55] Susan talks about her transition from photographer to designer to painter. [10:00] Susan and Mag discuss self-discipline and scheduling time to “create” each day. [12:50] Mag and Susan explore the connection between art and emotional well-being. [17:19] The ladies talk about how their art and writing have evolved. [20:46] Susan answers the question, “Looking back at raising your children, what was the most important thing you wanted them to learn?” [27:55] Susan explains her life philosophy and how it’s all about the little things for her. [32:00] Mag and Susan discuss mindfulness and being a witness to the wonders of life. [35:50] Susan talks about her mother who was born during the Spanish flu pandemic and how art can calm us during times of crisis. [40:05] Susan and Mag plan an imaginary dinner party and talk about who they would invite if they could invite absolutely anyone. Quotes “[I had to learn] the discipline of creating work on a daily basis, and that was probably the most valuable lesson … that, you know, you get up every morning whether you feel like it or not, and you go to work. You sit down, and you do the creative work. And, that was a great discipline for me to learn, and it has really served me well.” “Being in the studio absolutely changes my attitude. It changes my frame of mind. It changes my mood. And, it’s not about the finished product, but about the making of it. [It’s about] mixing paint and seeing it come alive.” “My art is now just a process of exploring, and I am often doing things that I’ve never done before … But there’s no judgment about it. I always feel like it’s going to work out in the end. Because oil paint is a very forgiving medium. There’s no such thing as ruining something. You can always go over it.” Connect with Susan Landor Keegin Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you haven’t already, come join the community! Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/20156225

010 - All the Stories Between the Notes… 08/10/2021

010 - All the Stories Between the Notes… Today's honored guest is Barbara Linn Probst. Barbara is a fellow She Writes Press author and a bit of a Renaissance woman. I've discovered that she's a teacher, a therapist, and a researcher. She's also a serious amateur pianist and a nonprofit organizer. And, on top of that, she’s a phenomenal writer! Join us as we discuss the process of writing a novel, the relationship between novel and memoir, and the effect of music on our lives. What You Hear/Learn [0:24] Guest Introduction [03:00] Barbara talks about the universality of music and the difficulty in writing about music. [12:50] Barbara answers the question, “How would you compare playing the piano to writing a book?” [18:30] Mag and Barbara discuss the importance of having a mentor who encourages you to push past your limitations. [22:01] Mag and Barbara talk about how artists of all types borrow from one another’s work. [24:15] Barbara talks about the driving force behind the protagonist in her novel, The Sound Between The Notes. [27:58] Barbara explains how her writing has developed and what she's learned along the way. [32:31] Find out why Barbara feels you have to let go of control to let your characters unfold. [35:27] Mag and Barbara discuss the benefits of a hybrid publishing house. Quotes On Music: “Every culture has music. Every era has music. Sound is one of the first things that a newborn responds to. I mean, it's just so universal.” On Writing: “What I've learned at this stage is that if you dwell with your characters … that it unfolds along the way. The more you kind of dwell, learn, and let your characters sort of breathe … the middle keeps unfolding.” “Often you have to give up a plan or give up a scene that's not working. Give it up [even though] you've invested in it. You know, it's the whole thing when you have the car and you keep putting more and more money into repairing it, so you can't get rid of it … But, [eventually] you just have to let it go.” Resources Barbara’s books: Connect with Barbara Linn Probst Website: Instagram: Facebook: YouTube: Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you haven’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19982081

009 - A Call & Response Life 08/03/2021

009 - A Call & Response Life Today’s honored guest is Rose Gordon, an old friend and former student of mine who has dedicated her life to serving and healing others. In years past, she worked for the New Mexico office of the medical investigator. She was director and faculty member For Being with The Dying Project at the Upaya Institute and Zen Center. And, she now offers spiritual care and bereavement services to hospice families in Taos, New Mexico. She's led retreats on death, dying dreamwork, and connecting to the creative sources of our resiliency. Today, she joins us to share her wisdom and knowledge. What You Hear/Learn [00:24] Guest Introduction [02:26] Rose talks about the “Call and Response” pattern and how it relates to her life. [08:32] Rose shares her thoughts about dying and her experiences tending to people as they near the end of life. [24:02] Rose talks about equanimity and how she deals with suffering through her spiritual practice. [34:17] Mag and Rose talk about their mothers and the gifts that they’ve received from them. [39:45] They talk about dreams and Rose’s dream group. [41:39] Rose shares how you can invite dreams into your life. [50:31] Mag asks the question, “Is there anything about you that people don't know?” Quotes “Tending people who are dying brings me into the present in a way that I treasure ... I have to be able to sit in silence. And, I'm reminded every day how precious and beautiful our life is ‒ not as something to guard and hold tightly in our hands.” “You take the precious things in your life. You have them in your hands and then you open your palms, so that they become an offering to the world.” “The dream is a bit like a feral cat or dog. And, you put out food for it, but you don't rush and grab it, right? A dream is not something to own or grab ahold of. But you develop a relationship with it as you coax it to come closer. And, then when it does, you respect it.” Resources Connect with Rose Gordon Website: Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you haven’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19981982

008 - Travel Becomes Story 07/27/2021

008 - Travel Becomes Story Are you hoping to turn your travel adventures into captivating stories? Wondering how mindfulness relates to being a writer? In this episode, writer and editor, Lavinia Spalding, joins me as we explore these intriguing questions. Lavinia and I have a lot in common, least of all our name. Mag is actually a nickname, while my real name is Lavinia Dimond. The two of us are also both world travelers, diehard foodies, and avid journalers. I see my fellow namesake, Lavinia, as a guide to navigating the world of the mysterious and the unknown. What You Hear/Learn [00: 24] Guest Introduction [02:32] Mag and Lavinia talk about having an exotic name and how they felt about their name growing up. [09:54] Lavinia shares her thoughts on keeping a journal while travelling, how it’s a form of meditation, and how it helps her remember all of the details about her travels. [12:53] Lavinia answers the question, “What is the most unusual thing you've learned about yourself by journaling?” [18:03] Lavinia shares her thoughts on what it takes to write a compelling travel writing piece. [22:00] Mag and Lavinia talk about curiosity and how it relates to travel writing. [30:40] Mag and Lavinia discuss writing about food and the people who have influenced them and their writing. [38: 49] Lavinia shares how the pandemic affected her reading. [40:53] Lavinia answers the question, “When did you know you’d be a traveler?” [47:00] Lavinia talks about her podcast, There She Goes. Quotes “I think that having a journal with me when I travel and making a commitment to keeping it up is a way of giving deeper attention to a place. And, it goes much deeper than just taking photos. I feel like it's sort of a way for me to really slow down and have kind of a different relationship with the place in which I'm traveling.” “When I taught writing, I always tried to remind students that you don't have to tell these big, epic things. You can just start small, because in the small is the wonderful, the rich, and everything else.” “I feel like if this time of isolation has taught us anything, it's how important it is to feel connected. And, podcasts are a way to feel connected.” Resources Books Connect with Lavinia Spalding Website: Instagram: Facebook: Twitter: Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you aren’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19911854

007 - Two Musicians get inventive during the Pandemic 07/20/2021

007 - Two Musicians get inventive during the Pandemic Today, I have two guests: Dan Turkos and Gail Hernandez Rosa, two special young musicians who recently formed the core of a group called Beneath A Tree - Baroque to Folk. This group is unique and inspiring because of the inventiveness with which these musicians mix and weave the classical and folk voices in their interpretations. They're about to release a groundbreaking recording called “My Cup of Tea.” What You Hear/Learn [01:15] Guest Introduction [03:56] Gail talks about her experiences as a musician traveling in different countries. [15:15] Learn how they fundraised to record their album in the midst of the pandemic. [16:36] They share the concept of their album and how it evolved through time. [26:50] Gail and Dan answer the question, “What are the perks and challenges of working together as a couple?” [29:52] Dan talks about the importance of having individual identities. [32:52] They talk about trusting the process and how avoiding perfectionism is the largest challenge as an artist. [39:18] Find out Gail’s advice to young students who want to become a musician. [48:54] We discuss our favorite musicians like Bach, Mozart, and Willie Nelson and how their music makes us feel. [52:28] Dan and Gail talk about their views on improvisation and creativity. Quotes “It also feels to me that if you're an artist, you shouldn't have to beg. You shouldn't have to beg to be heard.” “Recording an album just like any piece of art whether it be a book or painting is really a reflection of the time in which it's made. “ “The most beautiful thing about art is that with every single project or every piece of art that one creates, it's not only a reflection of that specific time but it's also something that evolves and changes.” “And, it takes many, many hours to master your music, so you just have to be patient and enjoy the process of just making music at the point in time where you're at. Because in a week, you will have improved. In a year, you will have improved. And, in another 10 years, you will have improved. Every step of the way is a moment of growth.” “To me, the root of all music is Baroque music. I don't see where the divide is. I mean, music is music. It's a language. It's a way of communicating.” Resources Connect with Dan Turkos and Gail Hernandez Rosa Website: Youtube: Instagram: Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you aren’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19856318

006 - On Language & Being Labeled ‘Bad-Ass’ 07/13/2021

006 - On Language & Being Labeled ‘Bad-Ass’ In this episode, I have my fellow prose writer friend, Kim Addonizio, who is a teacher and an author of a dozen books of poetry and prose. She has also won awards which include two fellowships from the NEA, a Guggenheim, two Pushcart Prizes, and other honors. Kim’s most recent book of poems is, Now We’re Getting Somewhere, published by W.W. Norton and her memoir, Bukowski in a Sundress: Confessions from a Writing Life, published by Penguin. What you will Hear/Learn [00:24] - Guest introduction [06:44] - As an award winner Kim shares with us elements of good poetry. [11:58] - Why I find poetry intriguing. [14:19] - Kim’s thoughts on whether poetry is something that is cultivated from the early age and shares on how she found her footing on poetry. [19:20] - My light bulb moment with meditation. [20:27] - We discuss how readers judge writers without first understanding their writing. Kim talks about her experience with this. [36:18] - Kim talks about her teaching techniques, what she looks for before enrolling her students and why the willingness to put in the hard work is the main factor to being a successful writer. [42:40] - Why I see writing as a very much of a mindfulness activity. [48:32] - Kim talks about her books and poetry, the idea, inspiration, and coincidental timings. [55:10] - Why it’s okay not to have everything figured out. Quote: Poetry is the use of language as a means to get to something else, that all arts kind of partake in, whether that's music or a good novel, or a dance performance. I remember, when I first started teaching, I was terrified. And then I realized that I didn't have to know everything. And it was okay, as some students knew more than I did. And I could use them to teach the class as well. Resources Books: https://www.kimaddonizio.com/books Connect with Kim Addonizio https://twitter.com/kim_addonizio https://web.facebook.com/kim.addonizio?_rdc=1&_rdr Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you aren’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19676849

005 - Finding Focus in Making Art 07/13/2021

005 - Finding Focus in Making Art My Guest, Sas Colby is a visual artist with over 5 decades of creating, exhibiting, and teaching experience. Sas has lived in Berkeley since 1975. Her artistic practice has included textile art, collage, photography, and artists books - with words interlaced throughout. A member of the Bay Area Women Artists Legacy Project, Colby attended Rhode Island School of Design. Sas has had her work included in the collection of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. What you will Hear/Learn [0:55] - Guest introductions [2.10] - Sas tells us of unique materials that people use to create art, her advice to her students on this, what is the strangest material she has ever used to create art. [6.58] - How creating art through a symbolic rabbit helped Sas in a trying moment of her life. [10.49] - Find out about a Line Drawing Exercise which is a form of meditation. [15.04] - Sas and I share our thoughts on situations where artists are not willing to share the ideas/visions behind their work. [24.49] - Sas' feelings about the relationship between making art and bringing about social change in the world. Sas also talks about her projects and projects by other artists that bring about social change. [37.15] - Sas advice to students who are aspiring to make art. [40.03] - Why Fear is about the future and not the present. [43.23] - Sas's answer to the question: What do you want people to remember you for in terms of what you've made in your career? [44.14] - We wrap it up by talking about my reason for starting this podcast, lessons drawn from the pandemic on human connection and communication. Quote You know more than you think you do. It's like when you write if you have a prompt, if you're given a phrase, and you go from there, well, I guess I could say in this drawing practice, my prompt was the rabbit. That is the biggest gift that we can give ourselves, being in the present and paying attention only to what's there. The class would be finished with these drawings. And some people would be transcendent because the experience had brought them into this closeness to themselves in a way that other things hadn't. Again, they let everything go, they were there in the present. Resources Natalie Goldberg Book Art & Fear: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Fear-Observations-Rewards-Artmaking/dp/0961454733 Connect with Sas Colby Appreciation From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for being here. If you aren’t already, come join the party over on: Instagram: Website: If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to rate and review this podcast. /episode/index/show/bowingtoelephants/id/19791662

004 - Opening the Door to the Silence 06/29/2021

Bowing To Elephants Podcast

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