Episode 97 - Conversations With Russell Delman Round 2

Today's conversation is with Russell Delman.Russell has been on a path of awareness for more than 50 years.His teaching, and his life, are an integration of Zen meditation, Feldenkrais Movement, Compassionate Communication and Focusing. He credits profound teachers, especially his wife of 52 years Linda and his daughter Liliana, as the great gifts in his life.In today’s conversation, Russell reflected on embodiment and presence as lived experience rather than something to be achieved. We explored how slowing down allows habitual, fear-based patterns to recede into the background, making space for a deeper field of awareness to come forward. Russell spoke about presence as a practice of sensing before reacting, and how embodiment offers a direct path back to authenticity, trust, and immediacy in daily life.Throughout the conversation, we returned to resonance—how the body and nervous system communicate truth beyond concepts, and how relational attunement shapes what feels safe, real, and alive. Rather than offering techniques, Russell emphasized creating conditions for awareness to emerge, inviting a continual return to humility, vulnerability, and presence as the ground for connection, relationship, and meaningful change.You can learn more about Russell at https://www.russelldelman.com/If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Dr. David Vago.David is a leading neuroscientist and advisor within the mindfulness, digital health, and psychedelic research communities. He currently serves as President of the International Society for Contemplative Research and holds academic affiliations with Harvard Medical School and the University of Virginia. With training from Vanderbilt, Harvard, Weill Cornell, and the University of Utah, Dr. Vago has held key research and faculty positions, including Associate Professor at Vanderbilt and Research Director at the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine. His background spans cognitive neuroscience, neuropsychiatry, and contemplative science, with postdoctoral fellowships in biological and social psychiatry, neuroimaging, and mind-body medicine.Dr. Vago’s research explores the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms linking mind, brain, and body in mental health, chronic pain, and wellbeing. Through a combination of neuroimaging, cognitive-behavioral, and phenomenological methods, his work bridges basic neuroscience with clinical application. As a scientific advisor and Research Lead for RoundGlass, he advances evidence-based innovation in digital health and wellbeing. A prolific author with over 100 publications and more than 15,000 citations, Dr. Vago is a recognized thought leader whose research has shaped the emerging field of contemplative science and continues to inform modern approaches to mindfulness and integrative health.In today’s conversation, David shared how neuroscience, phenomenology, and contemplative practice converge in understanding embodiment. We explored his Spacer Model, which traces experience from bodily sensation through perception, cognition, meta-awareness, and action—revealing how identity continually re-forms moment by moment.David spoke about interoception and the neural basis of felt experience, highlighting how awareness of internal states shapes behavior, emotion, and selfhood. He also introduced emerging research in bioenergetics, linking the brain’s energetic and glymphatic systems with traditional ideas of qi, prana, and subtle energy.Throughout, he emphasized that awareness itself is medicine—that small embodied shifts ripple through our biology and relationships. His work invites us to see embodiment as a living dialogue between brain, body, and world—a path toward a more conscious and compassionate way of being.You can find out more about David at https://contemplativeneurosciences.com/If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today’s conversation is with Aline Newton and Rebecca Carli-Mills.For nearly forty years, Aline Newton has worked with dancers, athletes, engineers, trauma survivors, and anyone seeking greater ease, resilience, and connection to their body. Drawing on decades of experience as a Rolfer and movement educator, and insights from yoga, tai chi, Pilates, craniosacral, and visceral work, her approach blends science, somatic practice, and human curiosity. Her new book, Reimagining the Body, invites readers to understand the living, moving body not as a machine of bones and muscles, but as a sensing, adapting, meaning-making whole. She maintains a practice in Cambridge, MA, chairs the Rolf Movement Faculty at the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute, and teaches experiential anatomy at the Boston Conservatory’s Alexander Technique Teacher Training.More at ⁠alinenewton.com⁠.Rebecca Carli-Mills is a Certified Advanced Rolfer®, Rolf Movement® Instructor, and ISMETA-Registered Master Somatic Movement Therapist with over three decades in somatic education. With a background in dance performance and choreography (B.A., M.F.A.), her work bridges expressive and functional movement. A longtime student of Hubert Godard, she integrates insights on gravity, perception, and coordination with training in craniosacral, visceral, neural, and energetic osteopathy. A former Chair of the Rolf Movement Faculty and ISMETA board member, she teaches internationally and maintains a private practice in Bethesda, MD, supporting clients and students in discovering greater ease, agency, and enjoyment in movement and daily life.Contact: ⁠[email protected]⁠.In today’s conversation, Aline and Rebecca discuss their forthcoming book Reimagining the Body: Somatic Practice, Embodiment, and the Science of Movement, published by Handspring. The book draws on their decades of study with Hubert Godard, exploring how movement, perception, and gravity intertwine to shape human experience. Aline describes it as a “long walk through a landscape,” blending neuroscience, client stories, and experiential practices to help readers not only understand but feel embodiment and tonic function.Together they reflect on Godard’s concept of tonic function, which reframes alignment from stacked mechanical “blocks” to a dynamic coordination with gravity—linking posture, emotion, and relationship. Their book bridges scientific clarity and somatic depth, inviting practitioners and lay readers alike into a living understanding of how we inhabit our bodies. Rebecca notes that the text meets readers at many levels, offering insight for beginners, practitioners, and scientists while maintaining a deeply human tone.Aline and Rebecca also share their belief that movement itself is education—a process that empowers clients to participate in their own healing and awareness. They announced plans for slow reading groups in 2026, where readers can explore the book chapter by chapter, integrating the material into both practice and daily life. At its core, the conversation is a call to rediscover the body not as an object to fix, but as a living, sensing system through which we learn, relate, and become.Reimagining the Body: Somatic Practice, Embodiment, and the Science of Movement is available from Singing Dragon, Amazon, and wherever books are sold.If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we’d appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at ⁠andrewrosenstock.com⁠ and ⁠rolfinginboston.com⁠.Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song “All In” from their majestic album Spheres. Check them out here.

Today's conversation is with Will Johnson.Will received his B.A., magna cum laude, in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University in 1968. After graduation, he worked for several years as an art critic in New York before moving to the west coast of North America where he began actively exploring gazing, moving, and sitting meditations. He became a Buddhist practitioner in 1972 and was trained as a Rolfer™ in 1976. He began the formal sharing of the practices of Embodiment Training in 1995. he’s the author of 15 books (two of which won awards as “Best Spiritual Book of the Year.”) on the role of the body in spiritual awakening which can be ordered through your local bookseller or online at Will Johnson's Books .He and his wife (and partner in the practices) Coco live in Delicias, Costa Rica, just outside the little bohemian town of Montezuma at the southern tip of the Nicoya peninsula where they have created Bambu Hueco, the Hollow Bamboo Retreat Center where they welcome serious meditation students to enter into intensive 7-21 day self retreat. During these retreats, people have the opportunity to work closely with Will in their meditation practices and receive deep bodywork and dream sessions as support for their intensive practice.In today’s talk we explored the lesser-known tributaries of Dr. Rolf’s vision — what Will calls the “mystery school” of evolutionary transformation. He spoke about the line not only as structural balance, but as a doorway into profound states of awakening, breath, and spontaneous movement.Will also reflected on the role psychedelics have played in his own path, describing them as catalytic allies that can accelerate openings into these deeper states.Looking ahead, Will has announced a gathering in Costa Rica in February 2026, where practitioners will explore line states in community through hands-on work, spontaneous movement, and entheogenic support. His hope is to reawaken this dimension of Rolf’s teaching and invite others into its transformative potentialYou can learn more about Will at https://www.embodiment.net/If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's conversation is with Michael SheaMichael is one of the preeminent educators and authors in the fields of somatic psychology, myofascial release and craniosacral therapy. He leads seminars throughout the U.S., Canada and Europe.Dr. Shea received his master’s degree in Buddhist Psychology at Naropa University, and a doctorate in Somatic Psychology at The Union Institute. In 1986, he was certified as one of the first Full Instructors of CranioSacral Therapy by the Upledger Institute.Dr. Shea has been a Florida Licensed Massage Therapist since 1976, and was an Advanced Rolfer for 20 years. He is a founding member of the International Affiliation of Biodynamic Trainings and the Massage Therapy Body of Knowledge task force (MTBOK).Dr. Shea brings a unique cross-cultural perspective to teaching health and healing, with a teaching style grounded in a spiritual practice of developing compassion with the use of manual therapy.He is a formal student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and past apprentice with a medicine man on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.Because of the influence of the Dalai Lama, Dr. Shea’s clinical focus is on treating infants and children with neurological problems and developmental delays. This also includes teaching clinical skills for adults that carry pre and perinatal trauma.In today’s conversation, Michael Shea spoke about his new book, The Biodynamic Heart: Somatic Compassion Practices for a Clear and Vital Heart, and how it brings together his biodynamic work, Tibetan medicine training, and a call for deeper heart connection in what he calls “the era of grief.”He shared how heart health, metabolism, and spiritual well-being are deeply linked, introducing his biodynamic cardiovascular therapy—combining touch, primary respiration, and the five heart colors from Medicine Buddha practice. These visualizations, he explained, can help unblock pathways, support healing, and lead into dynamic stillness.Michael reminded us that stillness itself is medicine, and that healing is always here—what we meet in practice is not just tissue, but the living mystery of being.One of the things you’ll notice early on in this call was of a poor audio connection at times. Unbeknownst to me, my offices internet company was having area outages that day. I was also just back from time overseas and I was a bit jetlagged and you may be able to detect my presence being not as fully present as well as my speech a bit different.‌You can find his new book The Biodynamic Heart: Somatic Compassion Practices for a Clear and Vital Heart at https://amzn.to/3Uq4zFDYou can also find more about Michael here at https://sheaheart.com/If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

Today's Conversation is with the amazing and lovable Gil HedleySince 1995, Gil Hedley, Ph.D., has been teaching “integral anatomy” in the dissection laboratory, via keynotes and speaking tours, online via his extensive website and membership portal, www.gilhedley.com and via his YouTube channel, "Somanaut." He is the producer of The Integral Anatomy Series, the Anatomy from A to Z Project, and The Nerve Project, as well as being the author of several books. He is based at the Institute for Anatomical Research in Colorado Springs, CO, where he teaches, films, and serves as Board President.In today’s conversation, we explored how Gil’s decades of dissection and inquiry into the human form have led him toward a deeply relational, perceptual approach to embodiment. We spoke about the evolution of his work, the ethics of language in somatics, and the importance of curiosity over certainty—especially when teaching or touching the living body.Gil reflected on the metaphorical nature of fascia, the seduction of technique, and the spaces in between structures where life often reveals itself most honestly. We also touched on his recent nerve tour—a unique journey through the often-overlooked pathways of the nervous system—and how it invited both reverence and humility.Together, we explored the interplay between anatomy and awareness, the practitioner as witness rather than fixer, and how real transformation requires not control, but presence. Gil’s work reminds us that what we touch isn’t just tissue—it’s mystery, history, and life unfolding.You can find out more about Gil at https://www.gilhedley.com/If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

It was a pleasure to be Conversation today with Jussi PellonpääJussi is a certified Rolfer, physiotherapist, massage therapist and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner who specializes in looking at how the person’s deeply rooted “attitudes” manifest in all levels of body (-mind) functioning. And in using that understanding to guide interventions aimed at improving the client’s goals with the most precision possible.In today’s conversation, we explored how Jussi’s path bridges Rolfing®, physiotherapy, and Somatic Experiencing® into a deeply embodied, process-oriented approach to healing. We discussed the pacing of structural integration, the difference between neurophysiological and biological adaptation, and how true change often requires time, space, and surrender. Jussi reflected on the interplay between posture, safety, and pre-movement—the subtle ground where psychological and physiological patterns converge. Together, we examined the challenges of working with high-performing yet dysregulated clients, the ethics of force in bodywork, and the importance of practitioner clarity. Jussi’s work invites us to honor transformation not as something to impose, but as something to meet—slowly, relationally, and with deep respect for the body’s timing.You can find and contact him at, http://www.rolfing-helsinki.fi .If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support.You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.comMany thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

  🎧 Podcast Update: A New Chapter for Touching Into Presence   Hi everyone, Andrew here with a quick update from behind the scenes.   Over the next few weeks, Touching Into Presence will be transitioning from Podbean to Spotify for Podcasters. This change is all about sustainability—making sure the podcast can keep growing without unnecessary overhead.   👉 During the move, you might notice: Slight delays in episode availability A few hiccups with older episodes on some platforms   If anything seems off, no worries—things should settle soon. You can always check the [Facebook page] or message me directly if you can’t find something.   ✨ I’m also excited to announce: I’ve been building a Patreon page to help support the show. Through it, I’ll be offering transcripts and other resources to make the conversations more accessible and meaningful.   If the podcast has supported you in any way, Patreon will be a lovely way to give back and help sustain the work.   And—if you have energy for things like social media, marketing, or just spreading the word, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.   Thanks for listening. Thanks for being here. Your presence truly shapes this space.   Much more to come.   — Andrew  

It was a pleasure to be Conversation today with Dr. Mark Olson.   Mark holds an M.A. in Education and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Illinois, specializing in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuropsychology and Neuroanatomy. His research focused on memory, attention, eye movements, and aesthetic preferences. Dr. Olson is also a NARM® practitioner, aquatic therapist, former massage school director, and published author on chronic pain and trauma-informed care. He offers a variety of courses at http://Dr-Olson.com that provide neuroscientific insights into the human experience and relational skills training for professionals and curious laypersons.   In today’s conversation, we explored how Mark’s path weaves together neuroscience, bodywork, and a deep inquiry into what it means to touch, heal, and relate. We discussed how his early fascination with human behavior led him to neuroscience, and how a later immersion into massage revealed dimensions of psychological and relational change that traditional explanations couldn’t fully capture. Mark shared insights on interoception, the role of C-tactile fibers in creating felt safety through human touch, and how neuroscience reframes concepts of trauma, posture, and therapeutic presence. Together, we questioned common narratives around “deep pressure,” “releasing trauma,” and “letting go,” highlighting the need for more nuanced, embodied, and trauma-informed approaches. Mark’s work offers a bridge between hard science and heartfelt presence—a call to understand the nervous system not as a mechanical system to be fixed, but as a dynamic expression of relationship, history, and possibility. A thoughtful and integrative teacher, he invites us to move beyond surface models and into a richer, more compassionate way of seeing and supporting human experience.   You can find out more about Mark at http://www.Dr-Olson.com   If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support. You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g

It was a pleasure to be Conversation today with Konrad Obermeier. Konrad is a Certified Advanced Rolfer™ and Rolf Movement™ Practitioner based in Munich, Germany, where he also teaches anatomy for the Rolf Institute and offers advanced training in visceral and neurovascular work. Deeply influenced by the developmental movement of the embryo, Konrad’s approach blends structure, intuition, and a reverence for the body’s formative intelligence. He has spent over 25 years immersed in the work of Erich Blechschmidt, including a decade-long friendship with Blechschmidt’s widow, Traute, who entrusted him with access to the original scientific writings. In today’s conversation, we explored how embryology has shaped Konrad’s way of seeing—less as a set of techniques and more as a perspective on life, development, and relational presence. We discussed how environment—not just genes—guides growth, the philosophical roots of structural understanding, and how concepts like pressure, tension, and form help reframe what it means to touch another human being. Konrad shared his views on morphology, modern science, and the joy of being in lifelong study. A humble and passionate teacher, he offers a way of thinking about structure not as fixed anatomy, but as movement shaped by relationship.   You can find out more about Konrad at http://www.konradobermeier.de   If you are enjoying and getting something out of these talks, we'd appreciate it if you would leave a positive review of the podcast and subscribe to it through the platform of your choice. When you do this it really helps other people find us, and we greatly appreciate your support. You can find more about Andrew at http://andrewrosenstock.com and http://RolfingInBoston.com Many thanks to Explorers Society for use of their song " All In" from their majestic album 'Spheres' Please check them out here https://open.spotify.com/album/1plT1lAPWEQ1oTRbWOiXm3?si=eAL08OJdT5-sJ6FwwZD50g