Dynamic and collaborative experiences to develop connected presence and response-ability.
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The waters of wisdom run deep within you. Draw from the well.
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What would you learn if you knew you could not fail?
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A moment’s pause, a ‘yes’ to invitation, the angle in a gesture—one small shift can release a cascade of positive change.
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Within you lie great powers. Find them. Feed them. Free them.
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A spark. A breath. An intention.
Something brought you into being. Will you honor its call?
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Anima, n. (Latin): the breath, vital energy, or creative principle; the soul.

Monster Baby
A curious romp through the worlds
of mindfulness and improvisation.

Playful Mindfulness
For confidence, calm, connection and joy.

Growth Mindset
How we think about learning directly determines what we can learn. Challenge, effort and even failure can become friends. Change your mindset. Change what’s possible.
Contemplative Practice
Every moment contains the wisdom we need. Stop. Take a breath. Come back to your body, your knowing, and your ability to connect with others. Take your learning deeper.
Applied Improvisation
The same skills that make great on-stage improvisors — spontaneity, courage, focus, humility, and playfulness — make for resilient and creative teachers and learners as well.
Positive Reinforcement
“Reward movement toward the behavior you want—and ignore the rest.” It’s a simple principle with profound implications for how we best approach any learning relationship.
Recent ANIMA Blog Posts

Monster Baby Episode #109 A Story for Everything with Corey Rosen
What if storytelling isn’t about performance—but about helping meaning emerge? Monster Baby co-hosts Ted and Lisa welcome back dear friend, storyteller, and teacher Corey Rosen to discuss his new book, A Story for Everything. The trio starts the conversation by taking a brief review look at his first book, Your Story Well Told (1:24), before [more…]

Monster Baby #108 Saying Yes to Shanghai — Saying Maybe to AI
What do we gain, and what do we lose, when we say yes? After a long Monster Baby stretch apart, Ted and Lisa begin by catching up and acknowledging the recent loss of two dear Podcats (2:46). Ted then shares the story of his move to Shanghai (6:09), describing how an improvisor’s mindset helps him [more…]

Monster Baby #107 Getting Engaged
What does it mean to be engaged? Big news from Monster Baby land: Lisa got engaged! For Episode, #107 she and Ted take the opportunity to explore just what that means—both in a marital sense and in an improv and mindfulness sense. They start by playfully acknowledging some technical difficulties (2:03) before Lisa tells the [more…]