Connection Matters Podcast

What You’ll Discover
Join Leona and herbalist Jane as they explore the inspiring journey from speech therapy to a soul-led life of plant medicine, self-trust, and deep nature connection. Discover how everyday herbs, intuitive practices, and simple living can support personal growth and healing.
Key Themes and Topics
Jane’s transition from speech therapist to herbalist and entrepreneur

Early inspirations and her grandmother’s rose gard...

In this heartfelt episode, I share my personal journey through breakdown and the four essential practices that became my lifelines, helping you build your own resilience toolkit for life's inevitable challenges.

Key Themes and Topics
Join me as I explore the counterintuitive wisdom that our most painful breakdowns often contain hidden gifts, if we have the courage to move through rather than around our pain. I'll guide you through fo...

In this soul-nourishing episode, I share personal stories and practical wisdom for anyone feeling alone in their passion for connection, nature, and spirituality. You'll discover four powerful approaches to honor your path while navigating relationships with loved ones who may not understand your practices or interests.

Key Themes and Topics

Explore how to practice nature connection and everyday spirituality purely for yours...

We explore the four essential elements of sacred space - intention, connection, presence, and evolution - and I guide you through practical, heart-led ways to declutter, create meaningful rituals, and invite beauty into your home, no matter the size or stage of life you’re in.

Whether you're a soulful entrepreneur, a busy parent, or someone craving more everyday spirituality, this episode offers grounded inspiration and gentle pract...

Join me in exploring how simple intentional shifts can transform ordinary gatherings into powerful spaces of genuine connection and growth.

 In this warm and engaging episode, we dive deep into the elements that make gatherings meaningful—whether in your home, community, or workplace. You'll learn how to create safety and structure, incorporate beauty and gratitude, and cultivate authentic sharing. Drawing from personal stories, eve...

Ever wondered what exactly "Cultural Emergence" means, and how it could make a tangible difference in your daily life? Join me, Leona Johnson, as we dive deeply into this powerful practice, exploring how intentional culture-making influences everything from our personal well-being to collective transformation. You'll learn about the essential role of vision, discover practical tools and principles for communicating authentically, a...

This episode explores the transformative practice of connected self-leadership through journeying through the elements of presence and self-awareness as foundations for authentic leadership. Discover how to distinguish between the voice of fear and your inner wisdom, and learn how nature connection can strengthen your self-leadership practice. We explore the research behind mindful awareness, discuss how everyday choices become spi...

Through storytelling, science, and practical wisdom, we’ll uncover:

✨ The unique lessons and energies each element offers
✨ Simple, everyday practices to integrate elemental connection into your life
✨ How tuning into the elements can bring clarity, balance, and renewal
✨ Why nature-based wisdom is essential for heart-centred living

By the end of this episode, you’ll have a fresh perspective on how these fundamental forces shape your pe...

By the end of this episode, you’ll walk away with fresh strategies to bring ease and clarity into even the busiest days.

Plus, don't miss the  Flow with Nature: Daily Guide to Expanding Time and Focus . It's a FREE Nature-Based Time Management Guide to help you start a nature-connection practice that can reshape your days. 

Check out the full write-up, blog post and show notes here.

Thank You for Listening!

I am so grateful to you f...

To dive deeper into these themes and explore detailed podcast notes inclduing more about Manda's new novel Any Human Power, check out my latest blog post here. 

More about Manda Scott

Manda Scott is an award-winning novelist and host of the acclaimed Accidental Gods podcast. Best known for the Boudica: Dreaming series, her previous novels have been short-listed for the Orange Prize, the Edgar, Wilbur Smith and Saltire Awards and won ...

In this episode you’ll learn practical tools like journaling prompts, nature-based practices, and rituals for release—all designed to help you navigate and transform inherited patterns with compassion and intention. We also explore ways to tap into the strengths and wisdom of your lineage, turning ancestral connection into a source of healing.

Tune in for an inspiring conversation that invites you to reconnect with your roots and st...

To read more about the episode read the full blog post here.

• Jon Young’s personal journey into nature connection and cultural mentoring
• The influence of Indigenous communities like the Bushmen of the Kalahari
• The impact and legacy of Jon’s mentor, Tom Brown Jr., and his teachings on peace, love, joy, and purpose.
• The role of sensory integration and emotional regulation in human wellbeing
• Community gatherings as a pathway to building...

In this inspiring and enriching conversation Leona and Looby talk about the Model of The Eight Shields and how following the natural patterns of flow from daily and seasonal, to life stages and their corresponding energies, can create the optimum conditions for connection, healing and growth. Using this model powerful fields of connection and emergence can occur. They discuss how entering these environments where encouragement, aut...

Things we talk about in this episode

• Working with Men, We can be vulnerable, i can thrive in relationships,
• Boarding school trauma
• Life in a monastery- Falling apart and putting self back together again
• Mens work- Andy’s man club- it's ok to speak.
• The Work- Folsom Prison-
• Vulnerability is a super power.
• By talking we give permission for others to talk.
• Initiation
• Robert Blye- manhood doesn’t happen by itself.
• Mankind Project- Charity- R...

Things we talk about in this episode

• How the mainstream medical establishment is opening to integrative medicine
• 5 Ways to wellbeing- New Economic Foundation
• Phil Hammond-What causes your health issues.
• CLANGERS Connect-Learning-Active-Noticing-Gratitude-Eating well-Resting-Sleeping
• Nature as a way to better health
• Green social prescribing
• Psychedelics- history
• Psychedelic assisted therapy
• Psychedelic well-being retreats

Connect wit...

Things we talk about in this episode

Many different ways to breath

Breath as a way to access pure presence and consciousness.

Many health and wellbeing benefits to breathing

The rise in awareness due to breathwork and technology and lockdown

A way to help us come back to our essence and connect to ourselves as natural beings, one with life.

Out of body experiences.

Creative collaborations of breath and music- drum and bass.

Trauma release.

...

Things we talk about in this episode

• Living at Earth worm- radical routes housing co-op.
• Humans as interdependent beings.
• Radical Routes- National Network of intentional communities.
• The importance of supportive Networks
• Mother Nature Project- International Project- Mother Nature Card Decks and Mother Nature Circles- Personal growth.
• A global need for gathering on circles for connection, healing and growth.
• Mother Nature Journey Cours...

• What is NVC?
• A consciousness, a mindset, way of being
• Compassion and connection
• Pactical tool- listening, open questions
• Clear and simple structure to help us communicate with curiosity and compassion
• Marshall Rosenburg talked about it as a spiritual practice
• A choice a way I live life
• Ahimsa- sanscrit- non-violence - a=absence of -violence
• NVC a tool of social change
• NVC being used in Bosnia, Palestine, Israel, Prisons, Rwanda.
• National...

Things we talk about in this episode

• Everyone has what it takes inside them to become a song sharer
• The realisation that everyone can sing including me
• Singing needs to be for everybody
• Vision for a world in which everybody sings
• What a singing circle is like
• The voice- X factor gives us the idea we are or not a singer
• The power of the effect on children
• Sense of unity thats created by groups
• Word magic in song
• Sue Heart- Baka Beyond- si...