Matt Venuti

What a joy to talk with Matt Venuti, one of my musical heroes, and all-around fantastic human being. Matt’s musical journey intertwines with his spiritual growth and he speaks with honesty about the joys and challenges of his life–revealing a powerful moment when he learned to choose empowerment over embitterment.

Also:

  • His tour cut short by the pandemic
  • The story of his beautiful song, “Rise”
  • The EVI
  • The “Hang”

To download his music, visit mattvenuti.com

“The Coronation” Contemplation and Conversation

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Edgetalkers is back, landing like the rest of us in the middle of Coronavirus. We use Charles Eisenstein’s essay, “The Coronation” as a centerpiece for a conversation with Rachelle GoeringRobert Bengtson and Jesse Blazo. Enjoy this freewheeling, somewhat rabbit-hole-laden journey in the time of Covid. Is this really a pandemic? What’s the larger picture? What’s more fear-mongering than telling people to stay home or die?

Julia Plevin | The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing

Linda Lombardo, of Voice of Evolution Radio, joins Todd Lejnieks on Edgetalkers to welcome Julia Plevin.

Julia is the creator of The Forest Bathing Club and author of The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing (Ten Speed Press, Spring 2019).

“I used to think there was something wrong with me because despite having a B.A. in History from Dartmouth College, an MFA in Products of Design from The School of Visual Arts, and experience working with design luminaries at IDEO, SYPartners, and fuseproject, I could never quite fit into any of the boxes that I was supposed to go in. I felt that my purpose was to offer my creative gifts to the world but that this world was not made for me.” – Julia Plevin

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Shawnrey Notto | Embodiment, Dance and Mindfulness

Shawnrey Notto transforms the world, leadership and team-building by teaching people how to be fully engaged, productive, and alive in their work and their lives. She is an Engagement and Productivity expert, Singer-Song Writer,  and Dancer-Choreographer and has facilitated for Banc of California, EQ Schools, The Culture Conference, The Passion Summit, Design Your Destiny Live, and more.  She successfully leads hundreds of business conference attendees to be empowered, energized, and embodied, sometimes dancing in a conga line and having fun. Clients say to her, “This was the best conference I have ever attended because of your energy.”

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Mattias Olsson | Campfire Stories

“Imagine you’ve left the old story behind. You know, the one that takes for granted that earth belongs to humans to exploit at will. You’ve started a hike into the unknown. There’s no map and for all you know you could be going in circles. When you turn around and see the smog hanging over the world you left behind, you realize that even if you’re lost and without a map, you’re still on the right track.

“Campfire Stories is a platform for film that aims to bring the root cause of our global issues to the collective attention.”

-Mattias Olsson

The films we discuss in the podcast

If you’d like to check them out, are An UnlearningMorphic Resonance and Vaccine: a conversation.

 

https://campfire-stories.org/

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Mattias Olsson

 

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Dimitry Vishnevetsky | From Oxford Capital to Oxford Prison

On Edgetalkers, we’re trying to reach out to a diverse group of people and find out what it’s like to be them. Dimitry Vishnevetsky presents a variety of identities–from Russian-born immigrant to wildly-successful entrepreneur and financial wizard, Dimitry tells his story here, of riches, the difficulties and opportunities of being an immigrant in America and a tragic detour through the United States federal prison system.

Now bootstrapping a media company, “The Vish” is also a change agent for prison reform, based on his first-hand witnessing of the inequity of the system.

Continuing a conversation with Dimitry Vishnevetsky, when he enters the prison system, where he spent 6+ years.

Jesse Blazo | Finca La Frecuencia

Jessie Blazo is a friend that lives on the other side of the world. Mostly, we keep in touch on Facebook and I have been so impressed by his efforts to create a wellness retreat, as well as personal knowledge I have of his healing abilities that I invited him into a conversation on Edgetalkers. It was great to catch up and I’m so happy to introduce you to Jessie and his beautiful projects.

Finca La Frecuencia is a wellness center located on 10.8 hectares of gently sloping mountain. They have a sweet little creek, hiking trails, birds, butterflies, honeybees, a kind staff, delicious food and permaculture projects aplenty. Begun in August of 2017 they will continue creating forever.

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Become an Edgetalkers Patron

As a writer, podcast host/producer and volunteer for the Pachamama Alliance, where I facilitate “Awakening the Dreamer” symposiums and moderate “Game Changer Intensives”, and as a human being, I have a longing to share my gifts with the world. That part is easier than receiving. So, I am almost forcing myself to ask for gifts in return.

I am committed to bringing about, as Pachamama Alliance says, an environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling human presence on planet Earth. I am also deeply into the work of Charles Eisenstein who writes about creating the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible. and works for “the evolution of the deep narratives, the invisible mythologies, that run our civilization.”

I am currently enrolled in his “ Living in the Gift” course and am exploring ways to share my gift(s) in new and truly giving ways, as well as learning how to receive.

One of my gifts is my podcast, “Edgetalkers”, where I get to practice one of the true joys in my life: conversations. Deep, meaningful, fun, confusing, and, yes, “edgy” conversations. I will continue to offer that freely with no paywalls or subscriptions or advertisements. This Patreon page is not a barrier, it is an invitation. Any and all content I create will always be given freely:  no “bait and switch”, no “free for today but costs money to listen tomorrow” pitches.

What I want to practice here is giving and receiving without expectations. To quote Charles Eisenstein:

“I operate as much as I dare in gift economy, following an impulse that I share with many artists, musicians, healers… in fact anyone whose work is sacred to them. We don’t want to withhold our creations in search of a payment, and we don’t want money to limit who receives them. Therefore, the proper price is zero. On the other hand, we hold those gifts as valuable and precious, and prefer not to reduce them to a fixed price. Therefore, the proper price is infinity.”

So, as with his Patreon page, I have decided to offer this podcast and associated Patreon content as a gift, letting you decide what your return gift might be. Let your feelings of gratitude and desire guide you, not what you think my offerings are worth in monetary terms.

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Anything offered here will be offered whether you pay zero dollars or $10,000 per month. That is not to say that your financial contributions are not appreciated…they are! But I will also appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my writing, listen to the podcast or consider what my guests might offer with no regard for compensation. I will also be posting ways to support them with your gifts.

To those who can contribute financially, know that I honor that commitment and support of what I offer. The money I receive will defray expenses for podcast equipment, web hosting and other costs of doing business online. It will also go to contributing to my partner Rachelle, my community and my work with Pachamama Alliance–allowing me to do the things so important to me in making a difference in the world.

I also welcome gifts of other kinds than money. Would you like to be a guest on “Edgetalkers”? Can you gift your time or other resources? Can you “pay it forward” and share “Edgetalkers” with your family and friends? Can you give me a rating on Apple Podcasts and write a review? I believe that what goes around, does indeed come back around, in one way, or in many others.

I thank you deeply for what you contribute to me, just by listening and allowing me to be in a relationship with you and our beautiful living Mother Earth.

-Todd Lejnieks

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Mike Hackett – Saving The Napa Valley Watershed

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Mike Hackett is a passionate advocate for the Napa Valley Watershed and has faced the big business interests who desire more land for vineyards, hotels, golf courses and restaurants at the peril of the very water necessary to sustain those interests. It is a story that could be called a metaphor for our worldwide climate crisis–except it is not a metaphor, it is the crisis. Mike has fiercely stood up to those agribusiness and developmental giants across board of supervisors meetings, in the media and at the ballot box. Despite some setbacks, including a dirty doublecross that affected the “Yes on C” campaign in the last county election, he continues his joyous activism, calling upon the strength he derives from Buddhism, his family and the community working to save the Napa Valley for future generations.

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Linda Lombardo – “In The Souls Waiting Room”

Linda Lombardo of Voice of Evolution Radio is a renaissance soul. She brings her diverse background, including acting, producing radio dramas, blogging, being a forest therapy guide and a purpose coach together in her new book, “In The Souls Waiting Room: A spiritual awakening through radio drama”, available on Amazon. Listeners of Edgetalkers will recognize her as a frequent co-host, and she also has a podcast of her own, also named “In The Soul’s Waiting Room”, on which the book is based.

In this interview, Linda discusses some key concepts of her podcast and book, including the “3 lenses” of the Human/Soul connection, the environment and evolution, and how they interact with each other to create the ever-evolving list for the “Keeper of Souls Purpose”.