Free Daily Podcast Summary
Forest of Thought: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Ingrid M. Rieser
Get key takeaways, quotes, and insights from Forest of Thought in a 5-minute read. Delivered straight to your inbox.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 1 weeks ago43 min
In between worlds – on creating cultures of care after birth // OPOKUA BRITTON CAVACO
The arrival of a new baby entails an opening between the worlds. It’s a liminal in–between space, where life is vulnerable until the baby has fully arrived and the window is safely closed. All over the world, people have developed traditions, rituals and practices to care for the new baby and parents during this special time, but many of those practices are being eroded and forgotten.The conversation you’re about to hear is not just about the time after birth, but after any challenging transition in life, where we need to be held by those around us. And why is it that we find that so difficult in our culture?Opokua Britton Cavaco is a doula, nurse and author. She has written books about birth and postpartum culture, and hosts the popular Swedish podcast Okrystat with her sister Asabea. Opokua’s websiteOpokuas book on postpartum culture, co-authored by Maria Borda (in Swedish)Previous episodes in the Blood Mysteries series: Pt 1: Embracing our cyclical nature with Jenny KoosPt 2: How we honor our nervous systems and cultivate pleasure as a pathway towards health with Kimberly Ann JohnsonPt 3: Birth as a rite of passage with Kristina TurnerSHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen at stoneproduction.no. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Apr 14, 20261h 20m
40. LIVE: Is a river alive? On enlivenment, animism and nature's rights // ROBERT MACFARLANE & PELLA THIEL
What does it mean to say that a river is alive? And if a river is alive, could it have legal rights that protect it from abuse and exploitation? What kinds of practices could affirm our interconnectedness with the rest of the living world? Do our Western ideals of enlightenment need to be complemented by ideas of enlivenment?In this live podcast, writer Robert Macfarlane presents his book “Is a River Alive?” and is joined by ecologist Pella Thiel and podcast host Ingrid M. Rieser. This special episode is a collaboration between the Forest of Thought, the KTH Environmental Humanities Laboratory and the On the Rights of Nature podcast.Robert Macfarlane is internationally renowned for his writing on nature, people and place. His books include Underland, Landmarks, The Old Ways, The Wild Places and Mountains of the Mind . His work has been translated into more than thirty languages, won prizes around the world, and been widely adapted for film, music, theatre, radio and dance. He has also written operas, plays and films and collaborated closely with artists including Olafur Eliasson and Stanley Donwood. He is a Professor of Literature and the Environmental Humanities at the Faculty of English in Cambridge and is a Fellow of Emmanuel College, Cambridge.Pella Thiel is a maverick ecologist, farmer, author and educator. She has co-founded Swedish hubs of international networks, including the Transition Sweden, End Ecocide Sweden and Save the Rainforest Sweden. Her current mission is to support the establishment of an Embassy of the Baltic Sea. She and Henrik Hallgren have written the book “Naturlagen: Om naturens rättigheter och människans möjligheter” (2022, Volante).A big thank you to Robert Macfarlane’s Swedish publisher Ocean Books for making this event possible.LINKS:Video version of this talkRobert Macfarlane’s booksPella Thiel’s websiteOn the Rights of Nature Podcast with Pella ThielKTH Environmental Humanities LaboratoryOcean Books currently releasing “Is a River Alive?” in SwedishSHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.substack.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/
- Mar 24, 20261h 23m
39. Birth as a rite of passage // KRISTINA TURNER
Birth can be difficult to talk about, because it's so complex and paradoxical. It can be beautiful and traumatic, often at the same time; it’s intensely personal and highly political; it’s something extraordinary that is also entirely ordinary. You give birth to a baby and you also birth yourself as a mother.Another paradox is how birth has become much safer because of the advancements of modern medicine, and yet that very medicalisation has created new risks. Women who give birth in hospitals are more likely to have complications; the amount of women who have births without any interventions is rapidly declining.Is it possible to build a culture of birth that takes the best parts of modern medicine and combines them with a deep respect for the wisdom of women’s bodies? Instead of seeing birth as a medical event, how do we honor it as a rite of passage?In this episode, Ingrid shares some of her personal journey of pregnancy and birth, in conversation with author and birth activist Kristina Turner. They discuss how the view of birth has changed in the past centuries, and what ingredients are needed for a healthier birth culture to take root.Kristina Turner is a writer, birth activist, and women’s circle facilitator with over 25 years experience. She is the author of Natural Birth – A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Breastfeeding and Revolution i BB-fabriken (Revolution in the Birth Factory). Across her work, Kristina returns to one central thread: the sovereignty of the woman’s body — its intelligence, rhythms, rites of passage, and its ability to transform consciousness. Kristina lives between Sweden and the UK and works internationally as a writer, birth educator, and Compassionate Inquiry practitioner supporting women healing from traumatic births.LINKS:Kristina’s SubstackKristina’s book Natural Birth – A Holistic Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and BreastfeedingKristina’s book (in Swedish) written with Maria Bengtsson Revolution i BB-fabrikenMeta-study finding that births in hospitals gave more complications as compared to home births (in low-risk pregnancies)Meta-study showing that risks for babies are not higher in home-births (for low-risk pregnancies) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Mar 3, 20261h 28m
38. How we honor our nervous systems and cultivate pleasure as a pathway towards health // KIMBERLY ANN JOHNSON
What healing could be made possible if we began to work in ways that honoured our nervous systems? How could pleasure be a pathway to health? How can we have more true intimacy and eroticism in our lives?Kimberly Ann Johnson is a Sexological Bodyworker, Somatic Experiencing practitioner, yoga teacher, postpartum advocate, and single mom. Working hands-on in integrative women’s health and trauma recovery for more than a decade, she helps women heal from birth injuries, gynecological surgeries, and sexual boundary violations. Kimberly is the author of the Call of the Wild: How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Own Power, and Use It for Good, as well as the early mothering classic The Fourth Trimester, and is the host of the Sex Birth Trauma podcast.LINKS:Kimberly’s website.Kimberly’s Sex Birth Trauma PodcastTo read more about the sympathetic, parasympathetic and social nervous systems, you can download the first chapter of Kimberly’s book for free here.Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine)Organic Intelligence by Steve HoskinsonThe Erotic Mind by Jack MorinThe Wheel of Consent by Betty MartinSUBSCRIBE AND FOLLOW🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.com.💜 Support us on Patreon (per episode) or Substack (per month/year).🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Feb 11, 20261h 31m
37. Embracing our cyclical nature // JENNY KOOS [Blood Mysteries pt. 1]
From menarche until menopause, women have a rhythmical companion, whose presence or absence tells us something about our bodies. The menstrual cycle is considered by many medical professionals to be the fifth vital sign, and just like our pulse or our blood pressure, it tells us something important about our health.And yet the general knowledge about the menstrual cycle, both in the medical community and society at large, is very poor. Many women struggle with pains, mood swings, and infertility without understanding the underlying cause of these.Why isn’t the cycle considered more important? Could the disregard for women’s bodies be tied to the disregard for nature? What new possibilities emerge if we lean into the cyclical nature of bodies?Even if you're not a woman – actually, especially then - you may find this episode illuminating.Jenny Koos is an author and Holistic Reproductive Health practitioner. She has championed fertility awareness and women’s empowerment through body literacy in countless debates, lectures, client sessions and social media for 15 years. Her first book on fertility awareness was published in 2022.LINKS:Vulverine - Jenny's websiteMenstrual cycle as fifth vital signJustisse College This is the first episode of the 🩸 Blood mysteries🩸 mini-series here on the podcast. Follow us in your podcast app or sign up for our Substack newsletter so you never miss an episode!SHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.substack.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Jan 20, 20261h 9m
REPRISE: Imaginations of Control // ANDY STIRLING
A favorite conversation from the archives, with particular relevance for upcoming episodes! When our societies are faced with challenges we often call on science to provide us with the best course of action; we strive to make evidence-based decisions. But what assumptions are hiding behind this recipe for decision-making? And how can taking control of a situation reduce our capacity for responding with care? We delve back into the Forest of Thought today with Andy Stirling, Professor of Science and Technology Policy at the STEPS Centre, UK.Andy Stirling is Professor of Science and Technology Policy at the University of Sussex. He co-directs the STEPS Centre, which looks at social, technological and environmental pathways to sustainability. Andy’s research focusses on understanding science and technology in relation to issues of power, uncertainty and diversity.LINKS:A video talk and blog post by Andy on modernity, the pandemic and the futilities of control: https://steps-centre.org/news/andy-stirling-on-covid-19-modernity-and-control-video/Andy’s 4-part blog series on responding to climate disruption with caring struggle rather than technocratic control: https://steps-centre.org/blog/is-the-naming-of-climate-change-a-dangerous-self-defeat/A lecture by Andy on uncertainty and power in science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDfQ3fIKygQSHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.substack.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Dec 9, 202557 min
36. Thinking with plants – on Hildegard of Bingen’s ecological theology // MICHAEL MARDER
What can we learn from plants? In Western thinking, plants have usually been seen as the most lowly beings, fixed in one place and without capacity for thinking. But many cultures have known – and modern science is confirming – that plants carry their own kind of vibrant intelligence. They communicate, interpret and elaborate – could it be that we humans are more plant-like than we tend to believe? In the 12th century, the mystic Hildegard of Bingen wrote about viriditas, a kind of capacity for self-renewal and vitality expressed most clearly in the vegetal realm. In today’s episode I speak to philosopher Michael Marder about Hildegard’s ecological theology and what we might learn from plants. Michael Marder is Ikerbasque Research Professor of Philosophy at University of the Basque Country, and his work spans the fields of environmental philosophy and ecological thought, political theory, and phenomenology. LINKSMichael Marder website (free articles, book overviews)Green Mass: The Ecological Theology of St. Hildegard of Bingen Pyropolitics: Fire and the political Michael’s SubstackSHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.substack.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
- Nov 25, 20251h 2m
35. Walking for peace and learning with head, heart & hands // SATISH KUMAR
If you’d prefer to watch the episode, it is available here on Youtube. In 1962 , a young man named Satish Kumar set out with his friend Prabakhar Menon on a pilgrimage for peace that would take him around the world, forever changing the course of his life. Later on, Satish dedicated himself to the work of making peace with nature, as the editor of the ecological magazine Resurgence, and in helping to found Schumacher College, a school for transformative learning. We first met when I did my master’s at that college more than a decade ago. In this conversation we talk about the power of walking and of pilgrimage, about the kind of education we are in need of today, and about whether working for peace means the same thing today as when Satish was young. Peace-pilgrim, life-long activist, and former monk, Satish Kumar has been inspiring global change for over 50 years. He undertook a pilgrimage for peace, walking for two years without money from India to America for the cause of nuclear disarmament. Now in his 80s, Satish has devoted his life to campaigning for ecological regeneration and social justice. He is a world-renown author and international speaker, founder of The Resurgence Trust and Editor Emeritus of Resurgence & Ecologist – a change-making magazine he edited for over 40 years. LINKS TO THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT:Satish Kumar’s autobiography No Destination – autobiography of a pilgrim.Satish's mentor Vinoba BhaveSatish’s peace pilgrimage – if you’d like to hear more details about his trip, I can recommend this episode of Follow your Blissters. Schumacher College – support the college here.Resurgence magazineSHARE AND SUBSCRIBE🎙️ The FoT Substack is now live! Become a free or paid subscriber and receive newsletters direct to your inbox.🎧 All episodes and more at forestofthought.substack.com.💜 Support us on Patreon or Substack.🎵 Our theme music is by Christian Holtsteen. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit forestofthought.substack.com/subscribe
Get Forest of Thought summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
REWILD + FREE
Nicole Pasveer
Mind, Body, and Soil
Kate Kavanaugh
ReConnect with Plant Wisdom
Tigrilla Gardenia
WeBeTheChange: Conversations with Evolutionaries
Colleen Akiko
Hearts Rise Up Podcast
Hearts Rise Up
Stars and Destruct.
Juliana Spicoluk, Mark Spicoluk
Mind & Life
Mind & Life Institute
In Right Relationship
Liz Chernett, Lily Eggers
Everyday Spirituality
Monique Lindner
Futuresteading
Jade Miles
On Being with Krista Tippett
On Being Studios
Your Radiant Spirit
Heather Eck
About Forest of Thought
Conversations that explore the ideas we live by – re-examining the familiar and catching glimpses of the new. forestofthought.substack.com
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from Forest of Thought in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's Forest of Thought daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of Forest of Thought as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the Forest of Thought podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official Forest of Thought product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by Ingrid M. Rieser.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
What topics does Forest of Thought cover?
Forest of Thought covers topics including Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality, Philosophy, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting Forest of Thought summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.