Have you ever sensed something when you engage with another individual and you can’t really pinpoint what it exactly is? This could be in the relationships you have in your life, communities you engage with or at work. When you have two people in the mix interacting with each other, dynamics occur - which basically is a pattern of behaviour between two people that impact the way they interact and relate.  Now, looking at dynamics in organisations specifically, academic researchers and authors Hans van Dijk and Stefan Cloudt have written a comprehensive book identifying 9 destructive dynamics in organisations. I really enjoyed reading the book, learned how to make sense of those dynamics and it gave me a language and tools for congruent interventions. This book has been written in Dutch and I genuinely think a wider audience can benefit from its learnings. So, in this episode Hans and I unpack those destructive dynamics for you to benefit from.   Show notes: Hold me tight by Sue Johnson

There is a lot said about gender in its broadest sense in society. Specifically here, the focus is on what it takes to be a woman in this world in the first place? When do you know whether it is your intuition guiding you or a voice in your head being comfortable with what is familiar to your nervous system? A lot to cover, so tune into this conversation where holistic coach Valentina and myself unpack and explore the topic of womanhood. 

This episode is part of a 3-episode special, dedicated to a sex education topic that has been and remains a taboo or even unknown amongst many people: the topic of vaginismus. In this short series of three episodes, you will learn about this psychological condition which contracts pelvic floor muscles in the vagina so that absolutely nothing can enter the vagina - or it can in a very painful way. You will learn what the impact of it is, and most importantly this series will give you hope on how you can overcome it.  The third episode of this special is a conversation with sex educator and expert by experience who overcame vaginismus and is coaching women to do the same: Amirah Zaky.

This episode is part of a 3-episode special, dedicated to a sex education topic that has been and remains a taboo or even unknown amongst many people: the topic of vaginismus. In this short series of three episodes, you will learn about this psychological condition which contracts pelvic floor muscles in the vagina so that absolutely nothing can enter the vagina - or it can in a very painful way. You will learn what the impact of it is, and most importantly this series will give you hope on how you can overcome it.  This second episode of the special is a conversation with gynaecologist and sex therapist dr Wafaa. We unlock what vaginismus is from a medical point of view, the myths and contradictions and what you can do to overcome it. 

This episode is part of a 3-episode special, dedicated to a sex education topic that has been and remains a taboo or even unknown amongst many people: the topic of vaginismus. In this short series of three episodes, you will learn about this psychological condition which contracts pelvic floor muscles in the vagina so that absolutely nothing can enter the vagina - or it can in a very painful way. You will learn what the impact of it is, and most importantly this series will give you hope on how you can overcome it.  This first episode of the special is a conversation with Hans van Dijk, one of my uni Associate Professors who I always knew had totally different subject matters, mostly on dynamics and diversity in organisations. I found out he did a longitudinal study amongst Christian students about their sexuality. This intrigued me to find out more about sex education in religious communities and what possible relationship there is with vaginismus. 

Normaal gesproken wordt deze podcast in het Engels gemaakt. Dit keer een uitzondering, omdat het een authentiek gesprek is tussen 3 bekenden, die al jaren zich hard maken voor een eerlijke transitie om klimaatverandering tegen te gaan. De aanleiding voor dit gesprek is dat één van de drie (Ralien), recentelijk een boek heeft geschreven over het thema en wat er nodig is voor échte verandering richting een duurzamere wereld.  Het gesprek is met Marjan Kloosterboer, Ralien Bekkers en mijzelf. Vanaf 2011 kennen we elkaar via de NJR (nationale jeugdraad). En binnen die organisatie hebben we naast onze studies ons ingezet om campagnes en acties op te zetten voor meer bewustwording over klimaatverandering.  Nu, 12 jaar later, reflecteren we op de afgelopen jaren en maken de balans op. Hoe duurzaam zijn we nu en wat hebben we nodig voor de toekomst? Luister verder voor een open gesprek tussen Marjan, Ralien en mijzelf.  Boek Ralien Bekkers: ⁠Zo kan het niet langer⁠ Boekentip Ralien: ⁠All we can Save⁠ en ⁠De Patriarchen⁠ Boekentip Marjan: ⁠Kracht van kwetsbaarheid⁠ Boekentip Anissa: ⁠Quiet⁠

In this episode we will be talking about everything hormones focused on female physiology. I’m joined by Holly Dunn (hollydunn.co.uk), who is a clinical nutritionist and specialist in amenorrhea (a term for missing periods), hormones and mental health. Over the years I’ve come to year more and more about my hormones and the female physiology in general, and yet feel like there is SO much to educate myself on, on what is known about the female hormones today. The reality is that the female physiology is less stable, and more complex compared to male physiologies; which is why research has been dominated by running experiments on men - pursuing stable and predictable subjects. To give you some context: it’s relatively recent that women, or people who identify as female, have been allowed in medical research by law.  So, with the knowledge available today, Holly shares facts and misconceptions about hormones, how they affect you day to day and what you can do to understand them better and let them work for you.

In this episode we will be talking about tea. Not just any type of tea, but specifically the story of the blush Pink-coloured Kashmiri Chai. Joined by London-based Pink Tea Cafe founder and owner Tabassum, we dig into the different layers and depth of Chai. She covers so many aspects of its rich history and legacy, in the midst of the, in the West, normalised Chai Latte beverages you are probably familiar with. So, if you get the chance: pour yourself a decent cup of tea, at home or to go, and let’s get that real conversation started, shall we? Website: https://pinkteacafe.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pinkteacafe

In this episode we will be talking about Black hair. With loads of insightful events that have been organised during Black History Month, I ended up at a presentation and Q&A on the book Hairvolution, specifically about black hair. The authors Saskia Calliste and Zainab Raghdo were keen to join me in this conversation to share their own stories as well as the common thread from all the black women and people who identify as female that they have interviewed for their book. This conversation is relevant and important to all genders and people with different hair structures to become aware of the history and struggles regarding Black hair, why Black hair has been and still is policed and what you can do to appreciate and celebrate Black hair.

In this episode we will be talking about food. But not any random type of food. We will dig into African food and how a Londoner took the initiative to roll up her sleeves, educate herself as well as others to bring this food and its well deserved appreciation to the masses. And with masses I’m talking: supper clubs, kitchen residencies, a restaurant, a successful cookbook, podcast.  I want to find out how this journey came about and  how the African heritage is kept real in the process - conscious of how quick initiatives can fall into a cultural appropriation rabbit hole. I am joined by Zoe Adjonyoh, author and founder of Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen. She will elaborate on her journey to revolutionise african food. She’s sharing how she is staying true to her heritage whilst at the same time creating her own and unique flavor. More info on Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen: Website: www.zoesghanakitchen.com Podcast: Cooking up consciousness *Second book mentioned by Zoe: Audre Lord’s book - The Master’s tool will never dismantle the master’s house