Instead of the usual conversation between Brooke and Ben, today's episode is simply a reading of the final ever edition of The Tortoise newsletter. Take a listen, and please know that it has been an absolute pleasure to be heard by you over the years. https://brookemcalary.substack.com/p/sometimes-life-surprises-us Much love and thanks for listening, Brooke and Ben xx Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Aug 18, 2024•9 min•Ep. 17
A more accurate title for this episode might have been: The Myth of Work-Life Balance, because both Ben and Brooke think it’s fundamentally BS, but that was too long a title, so Balance it is. In this episode, they look at the idea of balance through a post-lockdown, new-workplace lens, in an effort to make sense of why it feels harder to achieve now, and what we might be able to do to create it. They dig into their own definitions of balance, the pros and cons when it comes to self-employment, ...
Jul 17, 2024•54 min•Ep. 16
In this month's episode, Brooke and Ben dig into the topic of body image. How do we see ourselves in the world? How does that inform our choices and beliefs? What inputs have the most impact on our self-image? What began as a conversation about "hot rodent men" became an exploration of how we take up space in the world, the comments, trends, beliefs and expectations we internalise, how those things impact our behaviours and the role that media and marketing play in all of it. Brooke shares how h...
Jun 19, 2024•55 min•Ep. 15
Pleasure. Just the word brings a little shiver to the spine, doesn't it? Defined as “ a feeling or experience that involves enjoyment or satisfaction,” in today’s episode, Brooke and Ben dig a little deeper into what pleasure is in real terms, what it means to them personally and why expanding our individual definitions might be the key to unlocking a whole new way of experiencing life. For Brooke it relates to not only her word of the year (joy) but also the theme she's currently exploring over...
May 15, 2024•59 min•Ep. 14
If you spend any time on TikTok, you've probably seen the #softlife trend pop up over the past couple of years. Brooke and Ben aren't on TikTok, so are late to the party as usual, but wanted to dive into the sister movement of slow living anyway. In today's episode, they look at what soft living is, where it began, how it relates to slow living, and why it's following a similar trajectory as that of self-care, slow living, and other counter-cultural movements. (ie. becoming increasingly mainstre...
Apr 17, 2024•58 min•Ep. 13
You know the feeling. Life is motoring on in much the way you expected it to, you’ve got plans, you’ve got goals and then — BAM — a curveball gets whacked your way. Suddenly the plans, the goals, the vague idea of what we thought life would look like are shaken. In this month's episode of The Tortoise, Brooke and Ben are talking curveballs, trying to answer the question of how to navigate the unexpected challenges life can throw in our way. In this conversation they look at what defines a curveb...
Mar 20, 2024•56 min•Ep. 12
Today’s episode is all about joyful living. What it is, what it isn’t , how to get more of it and how it differs from happiness. Stemming from Brooke's intention to try and find more joy in 2024, this conversation is delightfully and unexpectedly wide-ranging, and in it Ben and Brooke explore: the definition of joy, and why it means so many different things to so many different people why much of the literature around joy is religious or spiritual how joy differs from happiness and how it is sim...
Feb 14, 2024•58 min•Ep. 11
Welcome to Episode 10 of The Tortoise - the p(l)odcast all about the possibilities of slow. In today's show — the final one for 2023 — Brooke and Ben look back over the year that was and walk through their personal Top Ten list. That is, their favourite: TV show Small detail Movie New destination Book (you know I failed to limit this one) Discovery Album New listening (podcast or otherwise) Meal Experience It’s a fun thing to do together, and they'd love to hear your Top Ten list for 2023. Head ...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 10
This month's episode digs into the topic of addiction (and more broadly, obsessive behaviour) for things like tech-use, busyness, food and consumption. If you need help with addiction or mental health, there's a list of resources over at The Tortoise . In today's show, Ben shares his experience with tech over-use and the links he sees between it and the hustle-grind-capitalism-productivity culture, and he and Brooke look at how the proliferation of tech (especially smart phones and social media)...
Nov 15, 2023•53 min•Ep. 9
Today Brooke and Ben are talking about hard times. Or more specifically, how to deal with the emotional heaviness that comes from living through really difficult things. Digging into this feeling of heaviness, they discuss how they're trying to acknowledge and accept the challenges, as well as the tools they use to help them move forward. They also talk about practical ways to protect ourselves when things feel hard, why limiting social media is a powerful way of drawing boundaries, the impact o...
Oct 18, 2023•1 hr•Ep. 8
In this month's episode, Brooke and Ben dig into the topic of seasonal living. Not only the calendar kind of seasonal living, but also the other seasons that exist in life too. The ones that don’t change every three months. The internal seasons, the life seasons, the in-built cycles and rhythms that — whether we realise it or not — have a profound impact on how we live, how we grow, how we show up in the world. They begin with a pretty traditional look at what seasonal living means — that is, ho...
Sep 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 7
For a term we throw around a lot, self-care is not all that well defined. It’s attached loosely to the ideas of wellness, self-help, relaxation and mindfulness, and so often comes to us packaged, commoditised and ready to be bought/sold. Ben and Brooke start today’s episode by trying to define self-care, and eventually land on one that is as broad and inclusive as possible: Self-care can be anything that leaves us feeling cared for or supported from within. From there, they dig deeper into their...
Aug 15, 2023•57 min•Ep. 6
For our kids (and adults as well), there is barely a part of life that isn't somehow connected to smartphones, social media or screens, and they're starting to feel the effects of being constantly connected. In today's episode, Ben and Brooke talk about their experience raising two high school-ages kids (12 and 14) and the constant negotiations around tech boundaries. They also talk about the broader impact that high levels of screen time are having on kids in general, the challenges that are be...
Jul 19, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 5
It's a phrase we hear a lot about — the mental load — but what does it actually mean? And how can we navigate life while carrying it? Brooke and Ben discuss their differing definitions of mental load and how it plays out for them personally. They also dig into the broader conversation (Is a heavier mental load a gender issue or one of personality? Is it about convenience? Does it differ across generations?) and look at suggestions on how to make changes that could help lessen or even out the loa...
Jun 14, 2023•59 min•Ep. 4
If you're feeling squashed between competing needs - raising kids and caring for parents while trying to work/live/look after yourself, for example - then this episode is for you. Brooke and Ben talk about what it means to be a part of the 'sandwich generation', and why, for them, it represents a transition rather than a challenge to be overcome. They discuss what being sandwiched could look like, why the additional pressures of caring so often fall to women, how they manage expectations, why th...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 3
What exactly is "wellness" anyway? We hear it tossed about as an umbrella term covering health and fitness and diet and mental well-being and any number of topics, but what does it mean to try and achieve wellness? And what does any of it have to do with slow living? In today's episode, Brooke and Ben dig into wellness and social media - the good, the bad, the quackery, the evidence-based and the liver-eating diets - exploring the messy mixture of influencers, algorithms and genuine well-being t...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 2
Welcome to the first episode of The Tortoise - a podcast that digs deep into the power of slow. Brooke and Ben are back with the first full episode of The Tortoise, and it's a good'un. They start by talking about what you can expect from the ploddie, and then dig in to today's juicy topic: is a four-day work week feasible? This is a hot-button issue right now, as many companies around the world look to the results of a recent six-month four-day working week trial. Ben talks through his own exper...
Mar 22, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 1
We're so excited to introduce you to The Tortoise - a podcast (plodcast!) that digs deep into the power of slow. Ben and Brooke are back with a new iteration of their slow living conversations, and the first full episode will be released very shortly. Until then, take a few minutes to get reacquainted, learn why The Slow Home Podcast is no more (RIP) and hear a little about what's in store for The Tortoise. If you haven't already, be sure to subscribe to The Tortoise in your favourite podcast ap...
Mar 20, 2023•5 min
After 8 years and 400 odd episodes Brooke and Ben discuss closing the door on the Slow Home Podcast and announce an exciting new iteration...The Tortoise Links Subscribe to The Tortoise for weekly slow-living blog posts and newsletters Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Feb 15, 2023•58 min•Season 10Ep. 2
Brooke and Ben check-in and provide a quick update on the year that was, as well as what Brooke is working on and plans for the podcast in 2023. Links Subscribe to The Tortoise for weekly slow-living blog posts and newsletters Love Slow? Support the show! Buy us a coffee and share the love Looking for more? Follow Brooke on Instagram @brookemcalary Or leave a rating or review in iTunes Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...
Dec 15, 2022•27 min•Season 10Ep. 1
Brooke and Ben are back for this season's hostful where they discuss teens and tech, Brooke's new hobbies and provide an update on her Dad's health and so much more. Links Head to slowyourhome.com/season9 for the complete show notes and links to everything mentioned in today's show Love Slow? Support the show! Subscribe to The Tortoise for weekly slow-living blog posts and newsletters Buy us a coffee and share the love Looking for more? Follow Brooke on Instagram @brookemcalary Or leave a rating...
Mar 30, 2022•52 min•Season 9Ep. 8
Today's guest is the wonderful Mary Beth Larue - a yoga teacher whose soulful, deep-diving brand of slow flow yoga is 100%, completely and utterly Brooke's jam. Mary Beth shares her yoga origin story and why she now focuses so much of her teaching on slow flow yoga. She and Brooke then dive into a beautiful exploration of how to practice embodiment not only through yoga, but probably more importantly, how to practice in the mundane moments of life. They also discuss: Mary Beth's journey to mothe...
Mar 23, 2022•52 min•Season 9Ep. 7
Tricia Walker has inspired a lot of people. From her decade-long work blogging about sustainable living, to her more recent role of nature connection facilitator, she is leading the way in what it looks like to live a truly nature-connected life. Recently returned from what she calls a ‘midlife gap year’, in today's episode, Tricia talks about the potency of stepping back from the status quo of life, and how to do that even when our circumstances won’t allow a full gap year. Brooke and Tricia th...
Mar 16, 2022•56 min•Season 9Ep. 6
If you’ve spent any time in the permaculture and climate activism spaces online over the past few years, you’ve no doubt come across the work of illustrator and permaculture educator, Brenna Quinlan. Brenna takes complex, overwhelming topics (think decolonising permaculture, doughnut economics, privilege and regenerative disobedience) and presents them in a simple, accessible and - most importantly - positive way. This conversation lands at such an opportune time, as so many of us are feeling ov...
Mar 09, 2022•54 min•Season 9Ep. 5
There’s little doubt the world is undergoing significant changes right now. Pandemic, war, the climate crisis - it’s all impacting our visions of “normal” and, for many of us, prompting an uncomfortable amount of reflection. What is important? How can I have a positive impact? Is the way I’ve been living in alignment with those things? If you’re feeling overwhelmed or wondering just how the hell to start making changes when it feels like the system isn’t set up for you to change, then today’s ep...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Today’s guest, the effervescent Amanda Ewin, has arrived on the pod at precisely the right time, as so many of us settle in to the year's new normal and (if you're anything like Brooke) the struggles of maintaining those rhythms, goals and rituals. In this episode Amanda shares her story of overwhelm, loss, grief, reflection and transformation, and through it all weaves the thread of mornings. First as the overwhelmed mother and business owner who found mornings chaotic, through to the woman who...
Feb 23, 2022•49 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Today's episode is, at its heart, about change. And if there’s something we’ve all experienced over the past two years, it’s been change. Specifically for our listeners, many of us find ourselves having to reframe our definition of "simple living" as the world has changed and so too our vision of slow or simple. Clare Reilly knows exactly this tension. After advocating a slower, simpler, more local life for many years, everything was turned on its head when she was diagnosed with multiple sclero...
Feb 16, 2022•45 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Welcome back to another year of the Slow Home Podcast! Never before has slow living felt so relevant to so many people, as we grapple with the question of what we want life to look and feel like as we head in to the third year of the pandemic. Today's guest is the perfect person to begin this exploration with, as she's spent many years experimenting and, quite literally, practising simplicity. Jodi Wilson is an author, risk-averse adventurer, mother, photographer, yoga teacher and all-round thou...
Feb 09, 2022•56 min•Season 9Ep. 1
We have reached the last episode of this year's Summer Series/Winter Warmies and Brooke takes us through her (one of) favourite episodes of the past 7 years featuring Katie Bowman on nutritious movement and couchless living. Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2022•48 min
The 3rd instalment in this year's Summer Series/Winter Warmies includes an episode recorded in 2019 with Beth Kempton. Join The Tortoise Community: https://brookemcalary.substack.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 19, 2022•50 min
