I recorded this episode beneath a waning crescent moon, on the threshold of the winter solstice, reflecting on the many ways humans mark light and darkness across cultures. And among my many readings in this reflective season, I find and offer a reading of Alan Watts’ parable The Second Immortal, as a meditation on the quiet holiness of ordinary life. May it be an invitation to notice that what we’re seeking may already be living itself through us.

Connect with me by visiting stephenghenning.com. Here, you can:

• Sign up for Transcript Plus+ editions for each Two Steps episodes
• Subscribe to the One Step Back newsletter posted on each New Moon
• Get in touch with me by replying to any email, once subscribed
• Find social links for Instagram, Threads, Goodreads, and Spotify

Mentioned in the episode:

• The Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Devotions by Mary Oliver
• Awareness by Anthony De Mello
• The Bhagavad Gita, translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Become Who You Are by Alan Watts

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Opening
• 05:06 - The Second Immortal

May you gaze softly at the sky. May you breathe deeply, sleep soundly, and have courage to take your next Two Steps.

Welcome to Two Steps with Stephen Henning! This is the inaugural launch of my “contemplative audionaut series”. An experimental podcast style where I invite you to listen in a contemplative sit.

My two definitions of this term I coined, contemplative audionaut, are as follows:

1. An explorer of inner and outer worlds of experience through sound, guided by reflection, curiosity, and deep listening.
2. A sonic adventurer charting the infinite cosmos between the ears.

Most podcasts offer a wealth of information. I’d like us to consider a new approach of inner formation.

Connect with me by visiting stephenghenning.com. Here, you can:

• Sign up for Transcript Plus+ editions for each Two Steps episodes
• Subscribe to the One Step Back newsletter posted on or around each New Moon
• Get in touch with me by replying to any email, once subscribed
• Find social links for Instagram, Threads, Goodreads, and Spotify

Timestamps:

• [5:34] - Body Scan
• [10:00] - Audionaut Launch
• [20:37] - Walk Out

May you gaze softly at the sky. May you breathe deeply, sleep soundly, and have courage to take your next Two Steps.

Welcome back to Two Steps with Stephen Henning! On this episode, I tell a story about a failed experiment, a friend to introduce, and a set of words that have unlocked all sorts of possibilities for my soul.

Connect with me by visiting stephenghenning.com. Here, you can:

• Sign up for Transcript Plus+ editions for each Two Steps episodes
• Subscribe to the One Step Back newsletter posted on each New Moon
• Get in touch with me by replying to any email, once subscribed
• Find social links for Instagram, Threads, Goodreads, and Spotify

Mentioned in the episode:

• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring full soundtrack by Howard Shore
• Erika Musser on Know Normal People podcast
• The Secret Life of Freelancers - Erika's newsletter
• Bhagavad Gita translated by Stephen Mitchell
• Tao Te Ching: A New English Version translated by Stephen Mitchell
• The Truth Podcast

Timestamps:

• [0:00] - Introductions
• [2:02] - A Failed Experiment
• [5:41] - My Friend, Erika
• [7:07] - Multi-Passionate People
• [9:40] - A Charcuterie Board of Future Topics
• [22:44] - The Invitation

May you gaze softly at the sky. May you breathe deeply, sleep soundly, and have courage to take your next Two Steps.