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Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #107 Getting Engaged
What does it mean to be engaged?
Big news from Monster Baby land: Lisa got engaged!
For Episode, #107 she and Ted take the opportunity to explore just what that means—both in a marital sense and in an improv and mindfulness sense. They start by playfully acknowledging some technical difficulties (2:03) before Lisa tells the fun story of her partner’s proposal (3:24). The two dive into the meaning of “engagement” (13:55) and Ted wonders if getting engaged feels like being engaged with life (16:44). Lisa asks when does engagement become too much (19:43) and Ted articulates the practice...2024-05-101h 07Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #106 The Eyes Have ItImage created with Dall-E. What do you think?
How often do YOU hold eye contact? Why or why not?
If you’re like Ted and Lisa of the Monster Baby Podcast, there’s a lot there—for both mindfulness and improv—within the world and practice of eye contact. After a short improvisational riff on raccoons (1:32), Ted introduces his reasons for wanting to explore the topic (3:08). In that, he mentions the awkwardness of following the no-eye-contact rule on silent retreat (4:36) and what differendes show up when meditating with eyes closed or not (8:54). Ted also wonders about th...2023-12-131h 00Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #105 Kickin’ It Back Up!Photo courtesy of Marco Verch Professional https://www.flickr.com/photos/30478819@N08/51596599927
What’s been cooking in Ted and Lisa’s improv and mindfulness kitchen over this last while?
It’s been a few months since the Monster Baby crew gathered for an episode so it’s time to get caught up!
Ted starts the conversation off by sharing “Wordle Haiku,” a new creative delight that he and a loyal Monster Baby listener recently came up with (1:44). Lisa then shares a worldview story from her new improv class at Stanford (11:26) and Ted describes how he’s mak...2023-11-1457 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #103 You Contain Multitudes (Considering Identity)“We Contain Multitudes”–image courtesy of Whiskey Monday on Flickr
Who are you?
Answering that question well may require more angles than we usually think of. After starting with a delightful new game (“Clanging”, introduced by Dion Flynn and Josh Radnor) (2:25), Ted and Lisa consider some of the primary lessons about identity from the world of mindfulness, including the Buddhist notion of non-self (14:06). The pair mention how identities can change from time to time (22:49) and Ted shares a potent image from meditation teacher Gregory Kramer (26:34). Lisa mentions that her sense of self has shifted as her priori...2022-12-211h 08Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #102 The Joy of Collective Imagination: A Conversation with Dan Klein
It’s so fun to make stuff up together!
That’s one of the truths that Ted and Lisa uncover in conversation with their dear friend, Dan Klein, master teacher of improvisation in the drama, Graduate School of Business and the Hasso Platner Institute for Design (“d.school”) at Stanford University. (He’s also the same Dan perilously mentioned in Monster Baby episode #58, “Ted’s Harrowing Tale”!)
Ted and Dan start the episode by playfully getting Lisa up to date on her Star Wars references (2:06) and then consider a smorgasbord of ideas from that prompt: wha...2022-11-0155 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #101 RE: RelaxationImage courtesy of Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
What if we put relaxation first?
Inspired by mindfulness practitioner Bill Morgan’s book, “The Meditator’s Dilemma,” Ted and Lisa explore the value of putting relaxation in front of other forms of meditation, improv included. They start by musing about Lisa’s recent time in Paris and the value of French croissants (2:06), after which Lisa acknowledges that her days of jetsetting may be drawing to a close (6:33). She questions the value of “culmination experiences” (12:02) and then Ted introduces this episode’s main topic, whether relaxation follows as a by-product of m...2022-08-1758 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationCelebrating the 100th!Time for a celebration and retrospective—Monster Baby reaches 1oo episodes!
Welcome to the party, people—Monster Baby has reached a milestone! In honor of this, the 100th episode of Ted and Lisa’s “curious romp through the worlds of mindfulness and improvisation,” the pair takes a look back to remember and to give thanks for the good times. They start with the fun of realizing that the episodes could cover a round-trip cross-country drive (2:35) and then cover a few up-to-date Monster baby stats (7:16). Lisa asks Ted what he thought Monster Baby would become when they started (10:40) and then a...2022-05-191h 00Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #99 Freestyle Life Supreme (A Conversation with Larry Dorsey, Jr.)
Rhythm and improvised poetry can lift the highs and heal the lows.
For Monster Baby Podcast episode #99, Ted and Lisa link up with San Francisco freestyler, improvisor, music-maker, comedian, actor, Larry martial artist, activist, spiritual practitioner, and all-around good guy, Larry Dorsey, Jr. Larry starts the conversation explaining the history behind the “Junior” in his name (2:10) and then muses on his path to “fame,” noting the importance of intention behind attention (8:43). The trio considers the improvisational lifestyle and letting go of wanting (15:55) before Larry defines the term freestyle (improvised poetry) in more detail (19:45) and traces back the...2022-03-061h 38Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #98 Coming Home
What makes a home “home”?
Sparked by Lisa’s move into a new apartment, she and Ted consider the many elements that go into feeling at home. The two warm up with a playful new spontaneity game called “A or B” that you can play right along with (1:35) and then explore what’s making Lisa’s new flat as homey as it is—and so quickly (9:07). Lisa wonders to what extent people make up the feeling of home (19:45) and Ted describes home as a safe place to launch from…and return to (23:22). After a short, tragicomic diversi...2021-12-2259 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #97 Inner Voices (a conversation with Kat Koppett)
Making friends with inner voices can be fun—and healing.
For Monster Baby episode #97, Ted and Lisa are joined by fellow Applied Improvisor Kat Koppett to discuss (and play!) her mindfulness-and-improv-blending exercise, “Inside Out.” Lisa starts by asking about Kat’s inspiration for exploring mindfulness (2:12) and about how mindfulness has affected her life so far (8:01). Kat then describes the Inside Out exercise, a tool for increasing awareness of what’s happening with our inner voices (13:43). Ted, Lisa, and Kat together demonstrate the exercise with an improvised scene (21:28) and take some time to debrief the ways in which i...2021-10-301h 13Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #96 Ensemble! A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part Two
Good ensemble members make great humans.
Continuing a conversation from the previous Monster Baby episode, Ted and Lisa chat more with improvisor and author Dan O’Connor, discussing his new book (co-authored by Dr. Jeff Katzman), Ensemble! Using the Power of Improvisation and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World.
This episode starts with a new game from Dan, giving Ted a new perspective on an earlier time in his life (1:24). From there, Dan describes the power of special experiences for forming ensembles (7:40) and relates a story from San Quentin prison about ho...2021-08-2445 min
Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #95 Ensemble! A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part One
A good ensemble can cure the loneliness blues.
For Monster Baby episode #95, come join Ted and Lisa for Part 1 of their conversation with improvisor and author Dan O’Connor, celebrating the release of his new book, Ensemble! Using the Power of Improvisation and Play to Forge Connections in a Lonely World.
Dan starts with a nod to his co-author, the incredible Dr. Jeff Katzman (“one of the nicest human beings on the planet”) (1:37) and then shares the basic lowdown on Ensemble! (4:48). Ted wonders about how hermits fit in to the notion of humans-in-groups, which...2021-08-2441 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #94 Your Story, Well Told: A Conversation with Corey Rosen, Part Two
You’ve got great stories to tell—want some tips for sharing ‘em?
In part two of his conversation with Lisa and Ted, improvisor, storyteller and author Corey Rosen dives deeper into the craft and skill of telling great stories.
Corey starts by noting how stories change over time (1:37) which leads into Ted’s sharing a story that has recently become both cringe-inducing and meaningful (5:58). Corey articulates the tension between improvisation and careful craft in storytelling (14:33) and wonders about preparation rituals before we tell stories in public (19:35). Ted asks Corey to share his exercise...2021-07-3145 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #93 Your Story, Well-Told: A Conversation with Corey Rosen, Part One
What’s more compelling than a well-told story?
For Monster Baby episode, #93, Ted and Lisa join improvisor, storyteller, and recently published author Corey Rosen for Part One of a super-fun conversation exploring the many facets of his new book, Your Story, Well-Told.
The episode kicks off with some musings on the old camp favorite “rest hour” and who Corey is (1:48) before the trio considers whether you need to have cool experiences to tell great stories (10:53). Ted wonders how you can help people uncover the stories they don’t even recognize that they have (12:30) and Core...2021-07-3148 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #92 Lisa Had a Baby!
Things are different now.
It’s been a while since the last Monster Baby Podcast episode but we had good reason for the delay: Lisa had a baby! In Episode #92, Ted and Lisa take stock of the mindfulness and improvisation ramifications of Lisa’s new life as a (gulp!) mom.
Ted cheekily starts the episode by noting that things have really changed for him after getting vaccinated (1:20) before Lisa introduces Ramona Mackenzie Rowland (3:42). Ted asks about Lisa’s pre-birth tale of getting locked in a closet when on the cusp of going into labor...2021-06-1654 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #91 The Joy of Little Things
Good things come in small packages.
That’s especially true if we pay attention to their beauty and impact. In Monster Baby Episode #91, Ted and Lisa explore the many delights of tiny choices.
Lisa starts the episode with a check-in on the imminent birth of her first child (3:11) and Ted reports the great fun he’s having taking a new improv class in Magical Realism (8:57). Lisa kicks the topic off (13:00) and Ted mentions the power of a small shift carried out over a long stretch of time (16:04). The pair discusses BJ Fogg’s Tiny H...2021-03-1354 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #90 Gettin’ Comfortable with DiscomfortPhoto by Mihai on Flickr Licensed through Creative Commons (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode)
What to do with discomfort?
We all feel stress sometimes. A little noodge. A joint out of whack. A bump in the wheel. In Monster Baby episode #90, Ted and Lisa explore what mindfulness and improvisation have to teach us about gettin’ (at least a bit more) comfortable with that discomfort.
The pair kick off by discussing the “elephant in the room” of Lisa’s upcoming birth (2:14). Lisa shares what brought her to the topic of discomfort (7:46) and then explores...2021-02-2652 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #89 Talkin’ ‘Bout a Resolution
What does it mean to make a resolution?
Happy New Year Monster Baby fans! Maybe you’re a person who makes resolutions, maybe you’re not. But we bet you’ll think about ‘em differently if you listen in.
Ted starts the podcast thinking about change in the air (note: when we recorded, we had just gotten first word of the uprising/insurrection/coup attempt in Washington, DC so we weren’t responding so much to that) (2:06). Ted then introduces a new game, “If I Googled You,” in which Lisa talks about majesty and an odd, cru...2021-01-121h 03Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #88 Hello Humility
If you’re looking for a holiday dessert, how about a taste of humble pie?
It’s Episode #88, and Ted and Lisa are thinking about all the ways they just don’t know.
After a fun prompt from Ted and a few rounds of syllable-at-a-time-three-things (2:36), Ted shares what led him to this episode’s topic (9:12). Lisa recognizes the way she’s been feeling humbled by social justice issues and Ted acknowledges the same in the face of wise young people (12:19). Lisa (re-)considers what makes for good improv and Ted mentions “I” language (17:34) before the pai...2020-12-1657 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #87 November 2020 Grab Bag: Election Day, Lisa’s Big News, and Memory IssuesA few tasty chestnuts for a warm November—plus some exciting news!
In Episode #87, Ted and Lisa consider a little bit of this and a little bit of that. They start in the not-knowing between Election Day and when results got announced (1:45) before getting to Lisa’s big news (10:11). They discuss the dynamics of being on the brink of big changes and seeing new roads ahead (14:32) and consider a batch of new names (21:28). The pair considers how to make sense of changes coming from inside (23:14) and an invitation from Lisa gets the pair considering different approaches to new...2020-11-0853 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #86 What’s Your Strawberry?
Simple stories can give a sweet taste of wisdom.
Cued by a compact wisdom tale passed on by friend and colleague William Hall, co-hosts Ted and Lisa wonder about purpose, sweetness, and gratitude in the midst of certain danger. The episode starts with a game that Ted created a while back but hasn’t gotten to play much and a Monster Baby milestone (2:51) before moving on to some quick life updates. Ted recounts his tale of vaccination and shares that he might be heading out of the country for a bit (7:30) before Lisa explains the rol...2020-09-291h 03Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #85 All in the Timing
When is the right time to act or to speak?
So much of being skillful with life is getting in rhythm with one’s self and one’s surroundings. In Monster Baby #85, Ted and Lisa explore bunches of angles on timing. The episode starts with a game Lisa recently learned (3:06) and a recap of the recent apocalyptic day in the San Francisco Bay Area (8:04). Lisa wonders about the timing of all these grand large-scale happenings (13:33) and Ted notices that they all have to do with being able to breathe (15:39). Drawing on one of his hobbies, Ted...2020-09-121h 17Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #84 Oh, Those COVID Doldrums!Hmm. Things seem somewhat muted these days.
How do you dance with your doldrums?
Yup. We’re still in a pandemic and it looks like we will be for quite a bit longer. In this episode, Ted and Lisa take stock of that fact and look to transform their feeling a bit down…by acknowledging that they feel down.
Ted starts things off with a check-in about some health-related news and rumination (2:57). Lisa wonders if coronavirus times are real life—or are they just fantasy? (8:04) Lisa shares what she’s thinking about most these da...2020-08-0251 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #83 Find Your FocusWhere’s *your* focus? Where do you want it to be?
Spurred by a suggestion from a Chicago-based listener, Ted and Lisa gallop into a conversation about focus. They start with a rousing round of the new game “D’jever?” (1:54) before Ted kicks off the topic by mentioning the simultaneous different focus tracks in his brain (6:32). Lisa wonders about the difference between laser focus and soft focus (concentration vs. mindfulness?) (11:23) and then the two try to distinguish between attention and focus (17:18). Ted asks what the ideal focus point for doing improv would be (19:07) and describes how focus represen...2020-06-0345 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #81 Improvisationally Speaking (Part 1 of a Conversation with Matt Abrahams and Adam Tobin)Screenwriter, Improvisor and Stanford instructor, Adam Tobin
Communications expert, author and Stanford GSB instructor, Matt Abrahams
Speaking on the spot can be tough. And you can get better at it!
In the first part of a two-episode conversation with Stanford colleagues Matt Abrahams and Adam Tobin, Lisa and Ted dive into the details of “Improvisationally Speaking.” We get to meet Matt and Adam (2:32) and then hear Matt’s stress-filled public speaking origin story (11:26). Ted shares some of his battle scars in return (15:22) and both Lisa and Adam report that their beginning stories were m...2020-05-1152 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #80 Let go. Appreciate more. Use everything. (And happy birthday, Monster Baby!)
It’s a Monster Baby birthday: time to consider some improv wisdom!
On the 4thanniversary of Monster Baby’s first episode, Lisa and Ted celebrate by going through a recent blog post from their mentor, Patricia Ryan Madson. They start with the obligatory COVID check-in—we are going through a world-changing pandemic after all (2:10). Lisa makes reference to some help she got from Brené Brown’s image of “settling the ball” (7:11) and Ted mentions a great micro-blessing image he got from a business school classmate (11:02). They get into Ryan Madson’s take on Robert Poynton’s three principle...2020-04-1945 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #79 Half-Baked IdeasPhoto by Mohamed Hassan from pxhere.com.
That’s the thing about half-baked ideas: they could be gems; they could be duds.
In a bit of frivolous departure from their usual deliberations, Ted and Lisa take up the fun task of considering a few half-baked ideas for coronavirus-inspired potential new products. Ted kicks off the episode with a couple rants and Lisa gives a lockdown update (1:53). They introduce the notion of half-baked ideas, acknowledging Ted’s advantage in this episode’s format, and considering Lisa’s first stab at a half-baked idea: sex robots (12:40). Ted conjures...2020-04-1553 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #78 Extroversion Introversion
Are you an extrovert or an introvert? Are you sure?
In their continued adjustment to living with the reality of a world-sweeping pandemic, Ted and Lisa turn their attention to one of their most noticeable differences. They start the episode by acknowledging the challenging circumstances of the time (1:49) and then begin by introducing the very concepts of extroversion and introversion (11:36). Ted offers a few clarifications for other types that overlap with introversion (17:38) and asks Lisa about the downsides of extroversion (25:51). Naturally, Ted offers his perspective on the downsides of introversion (27:51). The pair then makes some...2020-04-0556 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #77 Living Under Lockdown
How do you make sense of living under lockdown?
As citizens of the San Francisco Bay Area, Ted and Lisa have been holed up in their respective homes as the coronavirus crisis continues to unfold. Recorded over Zoom, they start this episode by considering their usual tolerance for germs (2:01) and then check in about their latest thoughts and feelings on the upheaval (5:10). They then discuss how living in lockdown is like virtual reality or the Twilight Zone where we’re really off the map now (12:11). Ted jokingly opines that someday he’ll go to Costco agai...2020-03-2558 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #76 Coronavirus Takes HoldWith good reason, everybody’s talking about the coronavirus. We are too.
In the midst of the growing global coronavirus pandemic, Lisa and Ted take a few moments to reflect on the impacts of rapid change and uncertainty. Well, actually, they start by reviewing Ted’s mouse-in-the-house scenario and setting up a Table of Contents for the episode (2:01). They review a listener’s response to “What hooks you about mindfulness and/or improv?” (7:26) and play a short round of the game “Tell That Story!” (20:39). The pair dives into the coronavirus topic by acknowledging the need to flush feelings throu...2020-03-1259 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #75 Sorting Through Super TuesdayWhich way to go? (Thanks for the image, Robin Higgins!)
Presidential Primary season’s swirling into hurricane mode: how do we make sense of it all?
Just before the big Super Tuesday Democratic Primary elections, Ted and Lisa take stock of their feelings and leanings. The episode begins with Lisa’s excitement about her new position as the Artistic Director for BATS improv (3:12), including some musings about a tarot card that suggests leadership possibilities for us all (12:04). Ted mentions a cool project he’s just about to take on (20:23) and the pair dive into the state...2020-02-271h 09Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #73 Thunderbolt Moments
What are your “thunderbolt” moments of insight from mindfulness and improvisation?
Inspired by a listener’s question, Ted and Lisa consider particular moments of clarity and insight from their long experience in the worlds of mindfulness and improvisation. The episode starts with Ted recalling a recent “prince and the pauper” travel experience (3:09) and Lisa sharing about her highs and lows managing a just-finished project management effort (12:31). They bring in listener Jeremy’s question and his response (24:17), play another response submitted by a second listener (28:25), and then offer their own reflections in return (31:40). Lisa introduces the notion of me...2020-01-2655 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #72 Waking Up to the Gifts
What gifts do mindfulness and improv bring to your season of light?
It’s the season of giving and Ted and Lisa are musing on the life-shifting gifts of their shared practice.
They start the episode with an invitation for responses and then take a few moments for a warm-up game of “Three Things.” (4:11) The pair introduces the topic and Lisa explains the practice of Naikan as communicated by Patricia Ryan Madson (8:13). Lisa notices how improv teaches both gratitude and sincerity (14:58) and Ted acknowledges his own judgmental (rather than grateful) side. (22:39). Both Ted and Lisa...2019-12-2350 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #71 Attention to Tension
How can you play if your string is too tight or too slack?
Finding the right amount of tension matters hugely: in improv, in mindfulness, and in life. Along those lines, Ted and Lisa mine a moment of tension from the last podcast episode (1:48) before drawing on some wisdom from the worlds of astrology and Buddhism (8:09). Lisa explains how her impulse to preserve freedom and protect love have helped her deal with tension with a performer colleague (10:57) and we get the first of several banana bread interludes in this episode (15:51). Ted revisits the Matrix Leadership...2019-12-141h 07Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #70 What’s Your Story?Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons
Should you tell your story—or step out of it?
Storytelling: it’s a topic that lies at the center of both improvisation and mindfulness practices. After recognizing that this episode has been a long time coming (2:14), Ted and Lisa dive into how foundational stories are, starting with the example of the stories we tell in relationship (7:18). Lisa describes her own brand of storytelling and offers a bread-related example of the mind as lightning-quick storyteller (15:02). She then posits that perhaps improv and mindfulness help us transcend human nature by helping us l...2019-11-301h 13Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #69 The Dish–Insights from Improv at Stanford (and other goodies)!Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons
What can you learn from improv without ever taking an improv class?
After catching up a bit after a long stretch away from the podcast, Lisa and Ted reflect on a recent article in the Stanford alumni magazine that quotes each of them.
Ted starts the episode with some thoughts on his recent trip to Maui and the curious “Aloha spirit” (1:45) and Lisa follows that up by musing on her experience officiating a friend’s wedding (11:06). Ted talks about the new student in his course who’s 86 years old (16...2019-11-1656 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #68: Best Day Ever (A Monster Baby Grab Bag)Lisa Rowland and Ted DesMaisons
What if this (and every day) were the best day ever?
Finding inspiration from their everyday interactions with others, Ted and Lisa offer up a Monster Baby grab bag of musings and insights.
After opening up with a rousing game of Convergence (2:19), Lisa starts the conversation off by wondering about discipline in her life (8:03). Ted mentions Stanford author BJ Fogg’s notion of “tiny habits” (16:46) and Lisa introduces the idea of “start anywhere”—which then leads to some wondering about responders vs. intiators (19:51). Ted discusses how the PBS Country Musi...2019-10-1755 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #67 Under a Mango Tree: A Conversation with ThiagiSivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan, renowned facilitator, game maker, and general wizard.
“You don’t solve problems in life. You keep reconciling paradoxes.” –Thiagi
Every now and then—if you’re lucky—you get to spend time “under a mango tree” in the presence of a true master. For Monster Baby Episode #67, Lisa and Ted had such a treat: chatting with experiential learning guru Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagaragan.
Following few moments to settle in after a slight delay (2:54), Thiagi outlined his understanding of the three types of joy (4:54). Ted asked Thiagi about his keynote presentation on paradox (7:24) and Thiagi...2019-09-1253 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #66 Accountability Buddies“Check here if you got it done.”
Who holds you accountable?
Even just a little addition of accountability can make a huge difference in the behavioral choices we make. What the heck makes that work?
Given an unexpected gift of time and inspired by an agreement Ted has recently made with a buddy of his, Ted and Lisa dive into Monster Baby episode #66 to explore this very question. They start by musing on their initial lack of a topic (2:41) before Ted explains the Accountability Agreement he just stepped into (5:23). The pair consider why we n...2019-09-0648 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #65 Joy ConspiracyImage courtesy of publicdomainpictures.net.
What happens if you conspire for joy?
Joy’s a huge part of improv—and hopefully, a huge part of life. On Monster Baby #65, Ted and Lisa explore the ins and outs of this delicious emotion. They start with a laugh-worthy warm-up game of “Convergence” (2:03) and a recap of Lisa’s great day (7:55). Ted distinguishes between improv and not being prepared (10:35) before Lisa shares her inspiration for this episode’s topic (14:36). The pair consider joy as both input and output—on stage and in life—(17:52) before Lisa muses on what makes for...2019-07-2554 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #64 Yes and No
When to say yes and when to say no—how do we know?
Both improv and mindfulness teach us to say yes to the unfolding story of life. But is that the whole story? On this, Monster Baby podcast episode #64, co-hosts Lisa and Ted explore the tension between the poles of yes and no, starting with Lisa’s recent thinking on the subject (1:40). The pair discusses the specific ways improv promotes the tenet of “yes, and” (7:06) and then also introduce the notion of the cheerful “Nope!” (11:02).
Ted wonders if there is any “no” within mindfulnes...2019-06-2947 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #63 Simmer Down, Inner Critic (A Conversation with Denise Jacobs)
Can you quiet your Inner Critic and nourish your Inner Coach?
Few things block your creativity more than the nastiness of the voices inside your own head. And it’s true for all of us. On episode #63 of the Monster Baby podcast, Lisa and Ted sit down with creativity evangelist, Denise Jacobs, to explore insights and recommendations from her book Banish Your Inner Critic: Silence the Voice of Self-Doubt to Unleash Your Creativity and Do Your Best Work. The trio starts by introducing Denise and the idea of a “creativity evangelist” (1:43), moving from the good news t...2019-05-271h 15Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #62 The Uniqueness Paradox
You are truly special. As is everyone else.
Once more, the Monster Baby Podcast shows its affinity for paradox, this time diving into the topic of uniqueness. Ted and Lisa open with a check-in: Ted’s got lottery tickets for Hamilton and the pair struggles for Greek mythological references to describe their state of being (2:26) They continue their warm-up with a few tongue twisters that you can play along with (7:28) before fully entering the realm of this episode’s topic (8:56). Lisa considers whether she’s a unique improvisor and whether it makes sense to purse unique...2019-05-1158 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #61 Parenthood without Partnership? Lisa considers motherhood on her own
Some family stories are unconventional from the start.
Stepping into a vulnerable arena, Lisa shares her consideration of having a child on her own. Ted and Lisa start with an insight about improv and love from Lisa’s recent class (1:59) and note the ways that our environments help shape who and how we are (8:07). Lisa speaks openly about how her different sides and feel about the possibility of being a single parent from the start and then reflects on the power of owning and sharing what’s really going on (9:37). Ted asks how mindfulness and impr...2019-04-1641 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #60 “Congrats…it’s a BOOK!”
Have you ever wanted to get a creative vision into the world?
In Monster Baby episode #60, Lisa and Ted celebrate the release of Ted’s new book, Playful Mindfulness into the world! The conversation starts with some reflections on Ted’s current voice and presence class (2:14) before Ted describes the error-finding process of bringing the book to completion (5:15). Lisa asks about the arc of Ted’s creative journey, including finding a title, getting helpful advice from outsiders, and identifying the book’s “brand” (10:58). Lisa then offers two ‘interview’ questions: 1) what was the low point of the process? (18...2019-03-2056 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #59 Redefine the Ding: Playing with Positive Reinforcement
What behavior do you really want to encourage?
Today’s episode starts with the mind-blowing wonder of Lisa’s recent night out at a magic show (1:41) before Lisa and Ted together jump into the realm of positive reinforcement (11:30). Ted helps clarify some commonly misused terminology (17:59) before sharing some thoughts about the game “Dolphin Training” (21:00). The pair considers the importance of timing when offering feedback, either on- or off-stage (26:36), which leads to Lisa wondering if positive reinforcement screws up improv scenes (27:49). The pair explores more nuances of the subject and question when does paying attention to positive...2019-02-101h 05Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #58 Ted’s Harrowing Tale
Nothing like a near-disaster experience to get you thinking.
Lisa and Ted return to the ambient sounds of the Stanford University campus to share Ted’s frightening story of almost taking his friend Dan’s life (3:15). Our intrepid pair again dive into the topic of vulnerability, especially as amplified when we’re stepping out into the world (11:10). Per usual, they explore the mindfulness and improv ramifications of the harrowing scenario (20:29) and in particular consider how improv helps in times of c0mmunity crisis (23:02). Lisa and Ted close with a laugh-worthy riff on the ways in which...2019-02-0139 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #57 Filter-ama
Want to know what you let in and what you let out? Time to check your filters!
For the first episode of another new year, Ted and Lisa lean under the hood to check the topic of filters. Per usual, they start with why the topic interests them (1:25) and then move onto identifying those filters that get in the way of our creative output (4:58). Some filters—like Buddhist Right Speech—help us make better choices before speaking up impulsively (8:34) and if they weaken or fall away, sometimes we move into reactivity or lashing out (15:10). The pair...2019-01-1746 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #56 V is for Vulnerability
Does our humanness lie within our tenderness? Let’s dive into the topic of vulnerability and see what we find!
Lisa’s back from her month-long junket to Europe and Ted’s got a Thanksgiving tale or two (1:37) before the pair explains why they wanted to explore the topic of vulnerability (11:25). Ted introduces Brené Brown’s definition of the term (15:47) and both Lisa and Ted explore how improv and mindfulness classes can stir that feeling right up (22:09). Lisa asks if the vulnerability comes in noticing our feelings or in sharing them (27:35) and Ted offers a few insig...2018-12-0857 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #55 A Grand Experiment
Why not just try some s**t out? In Episode #55, Ted and Lisa extol the virtues of bringing a spirit of experimentation to all of life.
The pair starts by catching up on Lisa’s improv exploits over in Germany (2:26) and by articulating the differences between Halloween rituals there in Deutschland versus those here stateside (7:52). Ted gets the topic going in earnest, considering how experimentation shows up in both mindfulness and improvisation (11:11). Lisa then wonders whether experiments require commitment of sorts (15:09). Ted talks about experimenting in dating and Lisa reminds him of recent efforts in th...2018-11-0146 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #54 Life Unscripted: A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part 2
Improvisation takes care of all of who we are. In this episode, Lisa and Ted continue their two-part conversation with longtime improv stalwart and new author, Dan O’Connor. (If you haven’t heard Part 1, you might want to start there.)
Dan discusses two of the “stickiest” concepts from Life Unscripted (1:09) and the trio discusses how to move into the value of “cynical benevolence” and inquiry when people rub us the wrong way (10:32). Dan introduces Buddy, the inner judge (17:45) and mentions the Jesuit concept of cura personalis, or Taking Care of the Whole Body (22:52). Ted asks more ge...2018-09-2940 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #53 Life Unscripted: A Conversation with Dan O’Connor, Part 1
How do we break free from the stale scripts we’ve been living by? Lisa and Ted have a two-part conversation with longtime improv stalwart and new author, Dan O’Connor, to find out.
Ted and Lisa welcome Dan by showing him a fresh version of his hot-off-the-presses book, Life Unscripted (1:57) and learn how he got connected with his co-author, Dr. Jeff Katzman (5:13). Dan shares what he learned about the “stillface experiment” and whether we’re born with a “yes/and” default (9:02) and the conversation moves to the importance of feeling seen and heard (14:30). Dan offers his tak...2018-09-2945 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #52 Lisa Goes to Clown Camp
What did Lisa learn at clown camp? Still a bit hazy from her experience off in the woods of Northern Ontario, Lisa reports back in on her experiences training to clown.
Ted and Lisa start by acknowledging the typically chilly conditions of late-summer San Francisco (2:14) before Lisa jumps into explaining the basics of “Baby Clown” (4:45). Lisa tells some stories from her time on the Clown Bus (9:04) and considers the valuable gifts of not knowing what’s coming (13:20). Ted asks if we could consider clowning a mindfulness practice—and the answer might surprise you (14:39). Lisa talks a bit ab...2018-09-1852 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #51 Insights On- and Off-Stage: A Conversation with Joe Bill, Part 2
The conversation with Joe Bill goes wider and deeper. When legendary improvisor Joe Bill arrived in San Francisco to teach and perform, Ted and Lisa seized the opportunity and wrangled up a whirring, stirring conversation about improv, psychology, surviving childhood—and a whole lot more. Listen in for Part 2 of their Monster Baby cup of Joe.
(If you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, you may want to start there: https://animalearning.com/2018/08/09/monster-baby-50-a-buddhist-atheist-conversation-with-joe-bill-part-1/) .
Part 2 starts by asking if the improv approaches articulated in Part 1 make sense off the stage as well (1:12) and by c...2018-08-1049 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #50 A Buddhist Atheist: A Conversation with Joe Bill, Part 1
Joe Bill’s an improv luminary with a brilliant mind that careens joyfully between gutter-level explicitness and spiritual truth—oh wait, are they different? When Joe came to San Francisco to teach and perform, Ted and Lisa cranked up the podcast for a two-part conversation that runs the gamut.
Part 1 of the conversation starts with the story of Joe and Lisa meeting in Germany (2:34) before digging into Joe’s psychological and spiritual approach to improv, including his atheism, Buddhism, Catholic upbringing, and drug exploration inspired by early improv great Del Close (5:55). The three discuss the roles...2018-08-0957 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #49 Speak Up!
Speaking up is one of the most natural—and most frightening—things we humans do. With Ted back from a month-long voice and speech training in Manhattan and Lisa back from a few weeks at summer camp, Episode #49 takes on the topic of stepping up and speaking out. Ted opens the conversation with his reasons for proposing the topic and why speech represents a fundamental human expression (2:20). Lisa discusses when and where she’s comfortable and not comfortable speaking up (6:45) and initiates some musings on how improv training helps us jump into getting our voice into the world...2018-07-2858 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #48: Be Specific!
The devil may live in the details—but’s that’s probably because he likes the magic there. In Monster Baby Episode, #48, Ted and Lisa discuss the challenges, joys, and benefits of getting specific. They start with a few leftovers from last episode’s discussion on Emotions (2:20) and a new version of the old-standby warm-up game, Three Things (12:01). The pair notes how paying close attention brings out life’s details, develops care for the world, and helps us “wake up to the gifts” (20:45). Lisa introduces the notion of “magic space” from the world of clowning and Ted notes how specific...2018-07-0355 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #47 Why Are You So Emotional?
Pull out the pillows and the tissue paper—Monster Baby Episode #47 gets emotional. Or, more accurately, gets into emotions. Lisa and Ted start with some reflections on Lisa’s end of term teaching improv at Stanford (2:27) and working through some “leftovers” from last episode—including how do you stay calm when performing I front of a room (6:28) and how the Monster Baby image connects to creativity (14:45). They dive into today’s topic by considering their own default emotions (21:59) and then by parsing out the emotions as distinct from identity and from “fact.” (28:09) They name the five core emotions—at leas...2018-06-221h 15Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #46 Playing with Creativity
What does it mean to be creative? Do you qualify? In Monster Baby #46, Lisa and Ted mix it up with the muses, exploring the boundaries and qualities of this thing called “creativity.” They start with a riff on poinsettias and mouth noises—hint: Lisa likes the former and hates the latter (1:08)—and acknowledge their entry into the discussion is a bit of a fly-by-night operation (4:11). Ted offers his answer to the question of “Why even talk about creativity?” (6:56) before Lisa chimes in and raises the question of whether are not certain people are truly “creative.” (11:23) The pair wonder if we’re...2018-05-2753 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #45 Gettin’ Some Action
If you’re looking for some action, you’ve come to the right place! In Monster Baby Episode #45, Lisa and Ted consider the many ramifications of action in a life of mindfulness and improvisation. They start by considering what associations the word brings to mind (1:58) and then describe where action shows up in each of their lives—including a mention of the academic notion of “praxis.” (6:08). The pair distinguishes between stillness and being stuck (11:31) and Ted explains how mindfulness can include movement and makes for important prep for real-life action (14:07). They bring in the Taoist concept of Wu Wei to...2018-05-071h 03Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #44 What’s Your Status?
Ted and Lisa are working the levers of status: who’s got it, how it’s communicated, how we get good at playing with it—and more. On this, the Monster Baby Podcast’s 2nd birthday, our intrepid pair starts by giving away a scholarship slot for their upcoming Mindful Play, Playful Mind retreat (1:43) and then by getting into Keith Johnstone’s work around status (4:13). Lisa makes sure to counter the notion that “high status equals good status” (9:36) and the two play a game of one upsmanship and one downsmanship as an example (11:47). Lisa brings in a provocative qu...2018-04-271h 07Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #43 Let’s Get Physical
There’s wisdom in them thar’ bodies—so it’s time to get physical! Lisa and Ted open Episode #43 with an audacious shot at a free slot in their upcoming Mindful Play, Playful Mind retreat (3:37) and a bit of a juicy story (6:31). Lisa wonders if mindfulness can ever be robustly physical (8:58) and if it, counter to common understanding, actually pulls you out of “the zone” (12:56). The pair consider how to prepare yourself to hear the body’s wisdom (19:24) and agree on the importance of physically showing up (21:34). Ted asks Lisa about Clown Camp which leads to her ‘golden sparkle c...2018-04-1300 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #42 Beyond Beliefs
Limiting beliefs get into us from a young age—how the heck can we undo or at least disarm them? In this Monster Baby episode, Ted and Lisa play with some tools and generate some hacks from the worlds of mindfulness and improvisation. The episode begins with a check-in from Lisa’s recent junket to Singapore (1:39) and a warm-hearted invitation to the Mindful Play, Playful Mind retreat coming up in June in Santa Cruz (5:12). They introduce the topic of the day (9:44) and reintroduce the notion of growth mindset, a foundational belief about learning (10:55). Ted and Lisa each shar...2018-03-3159 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #41 What’s Love Got to Do With It?
In honor of Valentine’s Day, Lisa and Ted dive into the topic of love in its many forms. They start by checking the legendary history of St. Valentine (1:45) and wonder if maybe St. Patrick is deserving of similar attention (3:19). They ask what the word “love” really means anyway (5:56) and then consider overlaps between love and mindfulness (8:17). Ted wonders if love is why we’re really here on the planet (14:00) and the pair consider the roles of attachment and mutuality in love (16:15). As per the podcast’s mandate, they explore the overlaps between love and improv (23:37) before introducin...2018-02-1452 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #40 Great Expectations
Responding to a listener question (thanks, Shannon!), Ted and Lisa start to explore the world of expectations. Some initial responses (1:56) give way to another question: if we don’t have expectations, can we be disappointed? (6:04) Lisa delineates between expectations of what—as in, the end results—vs expectations of how—as in, the process (9:00) and the pair discuss the importance of making expectations conscous and explicit (14:30). Ted wonders what the best way of figuring out your own expectations is (18:33) and the pair parse out how to question the bad feelings that arise when we don’t meet our expect...2018-02-0549 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #39: Facebook Fasting Results
How did the Monster Baby Facebook fast go? Lisa starts with her results and notices the power of habit, voyeurism and what it means to think in status updates (5:03). Ted reports about noticing loneliness and boredom but also renewed mental clarity and lessened need for comparison (7:58). Lisa mentions how Facebook serves as a space-filler and how she’s like a shark in water so she won’t end up drooling on the couch (11:11). Ted wonders if constitutional preferences make a difference on one’s relationship to social media (15:39) and the pair discuss what happens when we release oursel...2018-01-2342 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #38: What’s on Your Mind?
For this more free-form episode, Ted and Lisa share what’s been on their minds recently. Ted starts by considering how his relationship to technology has been affecting his sense of presence (2:21). That leads to a discussion of the addictive nature of Facebook, its effect on the experience of community (6:20) and a commitment to try a Facebook fast (12:22). Lisa mentions how she’s been feeling emptied out—in a good way—and how she’s been trying to watch more TV (18:04). The pair discuss the difference between openness and emptiness and consider why ending suffering might prove a better c...2018-01-1147 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #37: A New Start
On the eve of a New Year, Lisa and Ted consider the value of fresh starts. They begin with some numerical musings (2:29) and warm up with a round of the classic improv game “New Choice.” (7:21) They explore how New Year’s resolutions and how improv heightens our awareness of newness in any given moment (13:35) before discussing how “imprinting” can make it tough to ever wipe the slate clean (19:22). Ted mentions some ways in which mindfulness invites us back to each moment (21:28) and they each share a target theme word for the year (22:14). They distinguish between everyday changes and moment...2017-12-3155 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #36: Less is More
Just in time for a holiday season that so often leads to excess, Ted and Lisa return to extol the virtues of “Less is More.” They revisit an old standby version of Word-at-a-Time for a warm-up (1:39) and consider some general thoughts about how improv draws from life (5:42). Ted shares a few stories from the rustic portion of his childhood (10:16) and the pair recount humorous tales of Christmas past (15:09). They dig into the episode’s topic in full earnest when Lisa describes the value of staying with offers in improv, including examples from her recent “Bechdel Test” run in LA (19...2017-12-2150 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #35: On Aging
It’s Lisa’s birthday and Ted’s about to turn 50—time to talk about aging! Our Monster Baby duo starts with a challenging warm-up game of “Fifteen Things!” to keep their brains youthfully invigorated (2:07) and then chat about how age has affected their respective memories (9:47). Ted and Lisa consider the dating ramifications of getting older and why a Saturn return might represent an important marker of maturity (11:53). Lisa explains why and how she wears her age proudly (19:06) and then the two dig into the heart of the episode, exploring how age and aging show up in the worlds o...2017-12-0158 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #34: Listen Up!Listen up, people! In Monster Baby #34, Ted and Lisa dig in to the nitty gritty of the world of listening. They start by defining the word itself and noticing how listening is like receiving (2:09) and then brainstorm ways to increase listening bandwidth (6:30). Lisa wonders if attention is a finite resource (9:32) and together they wonder what good listeners actually do (11:03). Ted introduces the notion of open, honest questions (14:12) and raises the idea of cultural and topical variations in listening style (19:12). The pair revels in the ambient sounds offered when recording outside (21:06) and how noticing the quality of those sounds links...2017-11-1650 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #32: Press Play
Regular Monster Baby listeners know that Ted and Lisa love to play. In their latest episode, you learn why. The intrepid pair discuss play as a connector (1:43), whether it makes sense to be playful in such tough times (5:02), and different types of play (7:49). They consider the impacts and qualities of a playful attitude (10:27) and how play evokes the sacred and creates intimacy (15:18). Ted acknowledges that he sometimes resists play (20:24) before exploring how play shows ups in mindfulness practice (26;42). Lisa and Ted consider how it might be worth prioritizing play in one’s life (31:12) and how the Universe in...2017-10-1351 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #31: Find the Flow
Glide down a river of insight as the Monster Baby podcast takes on the topic of flow. Despite her uncertainties, Lisa offers a great San Francisco-based analogy before Ted brings in the Buddhist image of the Windhorse (1:45). The two distinguish between autopilot and flow (9:26) and then dive into three main questions for the remainder of the episode (10:53). They ask “Where can we experience flow?” (11:43) and “What keeps us from flow or knocks us out of it?” (21:08) before riffing on the discipline of clearing such blockages (29:39). They get to their third inquiry, “What promotes flow or resets it?” (40:56) and close wi...2017-09-2758 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #30: Handling Heartbreak: A True Story
Coping with a wounded heart can be tough, but mindfulness and improvisation principles and practices can help. In this episode, Ted and Lisa process Ted’s meteoric rise-and-fall romantic connection (2:33), preparing with a little levity in an opening game of Three Things (6:28). Ted recounts the good times and the stunning news of reversal (9:56) before sharing his cycle of five feelings while waiting for further clarity (18:30). The pair discuss Kahlil Gibran’s image of joy and sorrow (23:09) and ask what’s the wise best choice to make when we get attached to someone (26:31). Ted briefly outlines four helpful questi...2017-09-121h 01Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #29: It’s Not About You
How does yielding at the right times serve creativity and collaboration? Ted and Lisa start with a game of Sound Ball (1:49) and catch back up after a summer apart (3:47) before jumping into this episode’s topic of “It’s Not You.” (11:02) They explore the connections between humility and humus (14:59) and delineate the difference between the Ego Self and the Eco Self (20:25) Lisa notes that a focus on others might actually be a self-focus in disguise (24:08) and Ted asks how power and privilege play into the topic (30:27). A discussion of the non-personal nature of mindfulness instruction generates a new term...2017-08-311h 02Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #28: Dig Deeper
Lisa and Ted reach across the country to dig deeper into life’s offerings. Lisa shares some perspective from her time at Girl Scout camp and Ted relays a story or two from his trip across country on his way to a training program in Manhattan (1:56) and then the pair get into the topic of the day (8:27). They generate some perhaps forgettable quotations about savoring each moment (14:51) before exploring how mindfulness can help us dig deeper (16:51). Ted shares an example of working with poetry as a way of examining our lives more fully (21:08) and Lisa explains how th...2017-07-2749 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #27 Speaking of Spirituality or Why Lisa Might Be Going to Hell
What’s spirituality got to do with it anyway? Ted and Lisa take on the thorny task of exploring the realms of spirit and what they have to do with mindfulness and improv. Lisa starts by explaining the Double Bounce Theory and why her coffee and exercise routine might play out in the episode (2:50). Ted shares his individually designed spiritual background (5:03) and Lisa explains how as a kid she thought she might be going to Hell (10:49). The two get into notions of unity and interdependence (18:00) and take a stab at defining the word “spirituality” (22:29). They wonder if improv...2017-06-161h 06Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #26 Isn’t That Curious?
Ted and Lisa get curious about curiosity in Monster Baby Episode #26! They laugh their way through the opening challenge of a few Line-at-a-Time Limericks (1:48) and then enter their topic in earnest around the five-minute mark (5:29). They ask whether curiosity is fundamental to effective improv even though most teachers don’t talk about it explicitly (7:45) and then muse on the virtuous cycle of noticing and accepting (10:25). Lisa considers whether it’s possible to be both hostile and curious (15:28) and the two compare their relative skill with curiosity in regular life (21:18). Lisa brings in the example of the Beautiful Anon...2017-06-0555 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #25 Be Average
In Episode #25, Ted and Lisa dive into the paradoxical wisdom in the Improv maxim “Be Average.” They start with a chat about the San Francisco production of Hamilton and time they each spent with Moms (1:53) before introducing the subject of the day (6:48). They explore the value of just mucking about and the need to better “understand the stones” (13:43) and then ask in what situations this advice holds true (16:43). Together, they discuss if beginners can be as successful as long-time practitioners (18:32) and Lisa details how she takes specific comfort in the maxim (21:57). As devil’s advocates, they ask if there’s al...2017-05-1651 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #24: Get Presence
Time to get present, y’all! Celebrating the one-year anniversary of the first Monster Baby podcast, Ted and Lisa offer Episode #24, a deep dive into presence and its role in our lives. A new warm-up creates some crazy acronyms (1:14) before the co-hosts check in about their prior commitment to try a gratitude practice (5:48). They soon take on this episode’s topic more directly (10:40), exploring the difference between “having presence” and “being present.” (13:41) Ted talks about his recent experience with Patsy Rodenburg’s three Circles of Presence (18:48) with Lisa noting a curious phenomenon in the English language along the way (26:48...2017-04-2659 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #23: Attitude of Gratitude
Episode #23 finds Ted and Lisa taking on an attitude of gratitude. A humorous warm-up (1:46) gets the ball rolling before the co-hosts start to clarify how gratitude differs from simply acknowledging what we like (6:18). They touch on gratitude’s relationship to vulnerability (12:34) and whether we can ever offer enough thanks for some of the gifts in our lives (17:17). They discuss how gratitude can serve as a tone-setter or lens-shaper (21:46) and consider the problematic implications of the common aphorism “Everything happens for a reason.” (24:57) Ted hearkens back to an old New Age standard when considering synchronicities and whether believing in luc...2017-04-0259 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #22: A Cup of Courage
In Episode #22, Ted and Lisa share a conversational cup of courage. A brief and playful check-in (1:59) leads to defining what they mean by courage (4:27) and together, they wonder if Lisa’s courageous to do improv (8:52). Ted considers the last time he felt particularly courageous (11:51) and Lisa shares some stories about dating and nervousness of performing guitar in public (17:42). They both consider how improv games can build courage muscles (21:14) and then explore how mindfulness de-fangs the cobra of fear so we can dive deeper into our daily experience (30:37). Ted introduces the connection between courage and tenderness and the im...2017-03-1059 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #21: Puzzle Nuzzle
Ted and Lisa welcome special guest (and Jeopardy contestant-to-be) Troy Steinmetz for a conversation about the wisdom of puzzles. They enter a warm-up game midstream to consider different kinds of puzzles (3:47) before Troy gets the group talking about flow and ideal challenge levels (13:37). Lisa introduces the notion of “futzing about” and puzzling for the puzzle’s sake (20:08) which reminds Ted of Karma Yoga—which then gets the group thinking about fundraising, Burning Man, and sand mandalas (23:40). Troy wonders about the Quantified Self and how we measure the success of different types of mindfulness (31:59) and the trio discusses when it’...2017-02-0558 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #20: Adventure Time!
For their first podcast of 2017, Lisa and Ted venture into the world of adventure. They demonstrate an adventurous improv game of “What Comes Next?” (1:43), define what they mean by adventure (6:59), and describe why a Keith Johnstone quote (10:07 ) and an exercise called “The Quest” (13:08) get them jazzed about the topic. They explore how adventure can generate both mindfulness and affection (19:43) and whether you can prepare for adventure (21:37) before Lisa describes her exploits in an Argentina night club (26:47). Ted gets personal, sharing how he brings adventure into his life (32:38) and how therapy, tackle football and Carol Dweck taught him about res...2017-01-0559 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #19: The Monster Baby Mailbag!
In the inaugural Monster Baby Mailbag episode, Ted and Lisa (and Lisa’s cats) take questions from a few loyal listeners. They wonder whether Monster Baby friendships are different from other connections (3:49), explore the tension between discovery and invention in both improv and mindfulness (15:32), celebrate an adventurous attitude for choices both large and small (25:28), and marvel at ways in which such approaches can help transform decades-old difficult experiences (31:59).
As always, please send a note, question, or comment if you feel so inspired: info@monsterbabypodcast.com. Thanks so much for listening—we love you all!
To su...2016-12-1546 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #18: Harmony
What is harmony and what the heck makes it so delicious, both literally and metaphorically? Ted and Lisa start with a modified round of “Three Things!” (2:34) and then explain what made them chose today’s topic (7:08). Ted shares his impressions of Lisa’s erstwhile musical improv group, Lombard Street Experiment (12:06) and the pair considers whether some people just don’t care about harmony. (14:30). They explore how we can expand our ears to include new and unexpected sounds (17:39) and delight in the magic moment of separate parts coming together for the first time (20:19). They consider how harmony relates to mindfuln...2016-12-0358 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #17: Post-Election Reflections
After a world-changing, head-spinning Election Day outcome, Lisa and Ted turn to each other to process their emotional turmoil. Lisa relays the experience of her first post-result class at Stanford and asks, “How can we play or teach when we’re in the face of a devastating loss?” (2:28) They discuss how mindful sharing offers one path to integration and healing (14:17) and how leaning on the practices of mindfulness or improv can help during times of intense disappointment (16:06). Ted wants to acknowledge the trouble with the meant-to-comfort phrase “Everything happens for a reason” (22:54) and Lisa wonders if we’re all still...2016-11-1252 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #16: A Conversation with Patricia Ryan Madson (Part 2)
Chillin’ with Patricia in El Granada.
Lisa and Ted continue their conversation with teacher and mentor, Patricia Ryan Madson, drama teacher and author of the acclaimed Improv Wisdom. In this segment, Patricia explained how she first learned to say “Yes, and” from impro master Ketih Johnstone (1:09) and how one can approach improv games from multiple angles (5:06). The three discuss whether Reality has a design and the value of liking and not liking our circumstances (7:25) before moving on to Patricia’s most helpful improv maxim (10:40) and most challenging one (16:04). Ted and Lisa acknowledge their favorite maxims from Patr...2016-11-1041 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #15: A Conversation with Patricia Ryan Madson (Part 1)
Chillin’ with Patricia in El Granada.
Lisa and Ted welcome their teacher and mentor, Patricia Ryan Madson, drama teacher and author of the acclaimed Improv Wisdom, for a two-part Monster Baby conversation. They explore how mindfulness and improv first joined together in Patricia’s work (3:21) and how the Stanford Improvisors first came into being, both as a learning/performance group and as an ongoing supportive community. Patricia notes how she was able to leverage Stanford’s status to helpful effect (17:36) and shares a surprising note about how she feels about performing improv (20:14). Ted and Lisa ask abo...2016-11-0852 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #14: Silence, Please
What happens when you talk about silence? In this episode, Lisa and Ted offer a short check-in (1:43) and get some questionable advice from their respective tea bags (5:21). They first focus on how silence can affect improv experience (9:31) and then turn their attention to the empty spaces of art and music (21:20). They discuss how some experience silence as a negative and what “strong silence” might mean (24:23), introduce the notion of stillness and a silt-based metaphor (28:18) and explore Ted’s experience of silence in Quaker practice (31:44). The conversation closes with an extended consideration of the different levels of restorative silence, i...2016-10-2854 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #13: Ch-ch-ch-changes
A recent loss gets Ted and Lisa reflecting on how best to relate to change. They start with a playful word-at-a-time school announcement (1:45) and some early reflections on change in general (3:54). From there, they consider what improv has to say about change (7:15) and when it might make sense to resist some shifts (11:28). They explore how mindfulness leads to insights about impermanence and non-self (14:20) and then, moving from the abstract the real, consider whether Lisa’s current grief comes from resisting change (17:43). Ted acknowledges that he gets the “suffering equation” intellectually (21:27) but remains slow to hop on board with c...2016-10-0455 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #12: Meta-tation: This is a Subtitle
Lisa and Ted return from their most recent retreat to share a few meta-level insights. After a storytelling warm-up game (1:27) and a check-in about Ted’s trip to Europe (7:51), the duo introduce the perspective of the Observer in meditation and improv (19:25). They consider fellow improvisor Ben Johnson’s approach (25:23) and recognize that sometimes we need to make several meta-jumps (28:58). We hear from Lisa’s elderly internal observer (34:20) and about getting out of the “current” (41:02) before considering the comic value of making such changes in perspective (44:07). Ted and Lisa conclude the episode by considering whether everyone can learn to reap th...2016-09-1457 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #11: Passing the Bechdel Test: On Gender in Improv and Facing Old Demons
With Ted finally back from a month in Europe, he and Lisa explore the ramifications of her recently directed run of “Bechdel Test” improv shows.* After a playful warm-up game of Finish the Word (3:23), Lisa and Ted recount their performer and audience perspectives on the show’s portrayal of stories about women (16:12). Eventally, they connect explorations of gender to those of racism and other opressions (33:23) and to recent developments around sexual harassment in the national improv community (37:07). Ted shares some recent heartbreaking news from a past employer and acknowledges one of his own skeletons (44:38). The pair close the ep...2016-09-0259 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #10: Chaos Theory
Finally back from a month-long hiatus, Lisa and Ted get into their different preferences around chaos and order. They open with a ribald riff on unicorns and rainbow prisms (really, see 2:34) and then explain what happened with the delay between podcast episodes (5:45). Together, Ted and Lisa try to determine what makes for a healthy amount of chaos (13:28) and wonder if they’re as fixed in their preferences as they might have led us all to believe (23:52). They explore how stillness can help with chaos (38:21) and wonder whether schedules make for effective teaching (41:03). Lisa recalls an inspirational character fro...2016-07-281h 04Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #9: The Monster Baby Retreat–An Interview
Toward the end of their recently concluded Mindful Play, Playful Mind retreat, Ted and Lisa sit down for an interview with David Treadwell, a writer from Brunswick, Maine. Ted and Lisa get into why they offer such retreats (2:46), what the weekend usually covers (6:03), and how improv skills can lead to a better life (9:03). They also consider what keeps people from such ways of being in their normal lives (14:26) and when they themselves can get into the “no” mode (21:34). David asks about how the retreat can help teachers (23:41), business professionals (26:50), and those in personal relationships (29:28) before getting into the r...2016-06-3055 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #8: How About Healing?
Responding to their first ever Monster Baby listener letter, Ted and Lisa explore the healing powers of mindfulness and improvisation. They warm up with a rousing game of 3 Things! (1:38) and then start digging into their topic (6:25), noting that healing can be like rinsing the bad or filling in the good (11:45). They work to make sense of a sound interruption—mistakes are gifts!— (17:00) and then parse out ways in which mindfulness and improv differ with regards to healing. A second interruption leads Ted to share how he first developed mindfulness in response to a food sensitivity (28:00) and Lisa prop...2016-06-2052 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #7: Playing with Rules
Emboldened to try an outdoor “studio”, Ted and Lisa dive into a conversation about rules and who they’re meant for (7:02), whether there are rules in mindfulness (13:06), and how rules provide structure for games, play, and community (20:29). Lisa explains improv’s “CROW” principle and introduces the Awkwardness Clause (26:59) and together with Ted wonders what rules should guide us through the thorny terrain of stereotypes and accents (36:02). They close with an affirmation of how you, too, are an expert (43:53) and with a second sighting of a magical bunny. Whether you’re listening at home, at work, in the car or elsewher...2016-06-0258 minMonster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #6: The Power of Positivity
Inspired by a new workshop they led in western Massachusetts, Ted and Lisa explore why we should talk about positivity (1:25) in improv and mindfulness, how one of Lisa’s improv groups has learned to make positive starts (16:05), and how beginning from gratitude lays the groundwork for transformation. (22:50). They also wonder about the perils that James Bond always has to face right off the bat (27:58) and introduce the Story Spine (28:48) and their new Positivity Spectrum exercise (34:33). Ted shares a helpful cloud image from the mindfulness world (46:07) and they close with an examination of the many stories we tell ou...2016-05-241h 10Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #5: Aspiration and Acceptance
In Episode #5, Ted and Lisa play with the tension between accepting what is and aspiring to excellence, starting with a game of Clover (3:19) and exploring whether mindfulness and improv are easy or hard—and how “hard” often leads to feelings of “not good enough” (7:02). They discuss the importance of a strong biochemical foundation (15:33) and what else gets in the way of our best selves (18:39), ultimately asking if desire to do well actually helps us do well (23:05). Using a Zen koan about picking and choosing (28:17) and a quotation from Alan Watts (47:28), they discuss their own aspirations and why process go...2016-05-121h 00Monster Baby: A Curious Romp Through the Worlds of Mindfulness and ImprovisationMonster Baby #4: Shared Control
Fresh off a trip to Phillips Exeter Academy, Ted and Lisa hop on the ‘cast to explore the fun and reward of sharing control in improvisation (5:53), Line-at-a-Time Drawing and what it has to do with Lisa’s trip to Buenos Aires (11:21), sharing control with life itself (15:58) and whether this approach is an elaborate excuse for a lack of discipline (20:49). They close by circling back to the notion of living life one line at a time and delighting in that precarious space between life’s trapeze bars (33:18). Join the Monster Baby community by subscribing at the link below and pl...2016-04-2742 min