In Difficult Times

Welcome to episode 6 and the final episode in this series of In Difficult Times

In this show, the hosts Paul Read and Anthony Guilbert look bak over the mini-series and see what can be learned from the insightful conversations with each of the guests and discuss, how the last 18 months have affected out expectations for meaningful change in the wider world. 

Thanks for giving us your time over this series . Let us know what you thought by visiting the web site of In Difficult Times -  where you can leave a comment. 

Welcome to episode 5 of In Difficult Times and todays guest JT Turner

JT is an actor, a director, a tai chi and qigong instructor, a stage combat choreographer, and a meditation teacher. Since the beginning of the pandemic JT has offered free sessions on social media with the aim to share his insights and skills with an audience across the world.

His approach to the arts is mixed with a blend of charismatic presentation skills and, a refreshing honesty in the field. 

In this episode, he he talks about his own challenges over the last year.

JT can be found on

Welcome to episode 4 of In Difficult Times

Born very young in Los Angeles in the late 1950s, Mark escaped at 19 to become a marine biologist. However, the big energy had other plans. He He became a writer/journalist and moved to Boulder, Colorado for grad school... married, divorced, lots of jobs, many of careers ... until he got whopped upside the head by the cosmic 2x4 of a prostate cancer diagnosis. 

He now dedicates his life to living with purpose and value and sharing that vision with others.

Mark has written two Amazon best sellers on prostate Cancer. he is the Co-founder of CorSanitas: a company that provides heart disease (atherosclerosis) screening for adults.

He is in the process of healing from mold poisoning/CIRS.

More on Mark Saunders

Welcome to episode 3 of In Difficult Times

Josie Weaver is a meditative movement teacher of twenty-one years with multiple certifications in Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, and body work. 

After fifteen years as a successful manager in the Silicon Valley software industry, she became a full-time teacher of mind-body practice, senior trainer and curriculum developer for the Institute of Integral Qigong and Tai Chi and is certified to teach Chen Tai Chi by Master Wong Wai Yi of the Chen Qingzhou lineage. 

She currently serves on the boards of two 501c3 nonprofit organizations dedicated to educating the public about Qigong: The Healer Within Foundation and The Qigong Institute. 

Josie has a degree in cognitive science and has applied her knowledge of neuroscience in teaching Qigong and Tai Chi for chronic pain at two functional restoration programs in the San Francisco Bay Area for the past seven years. Her research interests in meditative movement, pain physiology, interoception, and self- and co-regulation have led Josie to concentrate on sharing meditative movement with clients and audiences that experience chronic pain. The depth of healing and awakened sense of freedom she has witnessed in people with chronic pain who practice meditative movement are a source of constant inspiration.

Welcome to In Difficult Times - and in todays episode we talk to Rod Fergueson

Rod is based in Australia and has been a full-time professional Tai Chi and Qigong teacher for over 45 years. He not only has a deep knowledge of these arts but has an infectious enthusiasm that emerges in an ‘easy-to-understand' exploration of practical techniques. Rod’s emphasis on teaching in a way that really makes sense to ordinary people, distinguishes him from many in the mind/body community.

Rod has lectured and taught not only in Australia but also in the United States, South Africa and New Zealand.

He has been a driving force to ensure that both Traditional and Applied Tai Chi and Qigong are accessible to people of all abilities from Olympic athletes to the frail elderly in aged care.

What comes over in this illuminating interview is Rods approach, his commitment to community care and his work with local and state governments in securing funding and promotion to provide free and low-cost classes. Rod is truly an ambassador of the art.

So, sit back and enjoy a talk with Rod Fergueson.

Rod Ferguson

Senior Tai Chi Master & National Chief Instructor

Australian Academy of Tai Chi & Qigong

Trailer episode 

In the desert of the real, whose got time for fake authorities and mindless chatter?

Meeting with curious, inquisitive, and occasionally transcendent souls from across the globe, "In Difficult Times" is a series of digital-discussions that explores how folks are sustaining themselves through the current global crises, and deeply considers what happens next. In these jargon-free, authentic talks, hosts Paul Read & Anthony Guilbert share with their listeners the practical and inspiring stories of those making their way through these difficult times.

New Episodes coming shortly. Questions or Suggestions can be mailed to address below.