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Hyppolite Ntigurirwa is an artist, activist, and founder of Be the Peace, an organization focusing on the use of art to halt the intergenerational transmission of hate and to promote the power of cross-generational healing. A child survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, Hyppolite continues to promote reconciliation and peace throughout Rwanda.  He joined Yale University as a Greenberg World Fellow in 2020 and continues as a Research Fellow at the Schell Center for International Human Rights.  He is also the author of the new book A Boy Called Hyppo. In the beginning of our conversation, Hyppolite talks about his experience of living through the genocide in Rwanda when he was only 7 years old.  He and his family were forced to hide and survive every second of the day for months.  He witnessed so many atrocities, including the murder of his father.   At one point, he even became a child slave for the killers.  After the genocide, he lived in a refugee camp for three months. Hyppolite explains that it was pure hatred that was driving this killing.  And this hatred was taught for generations from adults, media and the government.  It’s hard to comprehend but many of these killers were former family friends and neighbors: “Everyone I knew, they were being taught to hate us, they were being taught that one day they’d have to kill us, because they were taught that peace for them was to kill the Tutsis.” After the genocide, Hyppolite continued with his schooling even though his mind was filled with the horrors of what he had witnessed.  When he wasn’t able to afford the transportation fees for school, he had to drop out.  He talks about his mindset at that time: “I started thinking the only option that is left is to become a killer and do revenge.” Around this time, he visited a church near where his dad was murdered by the Hutu. In a spiritual conversation, he told his father of his plans to seek revenge against the killers; however, his dad would not give him the go-ahead permission. One day, while wandering around the church, a miracle happened: Hyppolite met a Congolese doctor who helped him pay for school and supported him throughout his three years of high school. Hyppolite says that healing and forgiving were a process that happened over time. During this process, he thought back to so many powerful acts of kindness, such as the Congolese doctor and his Hutu Godparents and other Hutu people who risked their lives to hide innocent people during the genocide. He also began to realize that if he sought revenge, he would be continuing this cycle of killing and hatred.  That is when he made the decision to forgive and “be the peace” that he wanted to see in the world. Once he decided to forgive the killers, he felt energy, joy and empathy.  The power of forgiveness renewed his spirit to do his work in the arts and to promote peace in his country and throughout the world.   Hyppolite talks about his organization Be The Peace that started as a theatre project to help people tell their stories.  It worked together with the families of survivors and perpetrators, so they could come together, work on a project like building a garden and planting trees, and tell their stories to one another. For Hyppolite, the way to peace is clear: you must BE THE PEACE.  He says, “Live by giving, not by receiving, because by giving, you get a lot more.” In the end, whatever is happening in the world, Hyppolite always asks this powerful question: “what’s my role?”  What can I give to the world?  What can I do to be the peace?  “When I see anything, any good news, any bad news, I say ‘what’s my role.” You can learn more about Hyppolite and his 100 day walk across Rwanda here: https://www.bethepeacewalk.net/ You can also read his brand new book A Boy Called Hyppo here: https://www.amazon.com/Called-Hyppo-Genocide-Against-Rwanda-ebook/dp/B08X69RHRM     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Matt Walker is a world class mountain climber and psychologist.  He’s also a sought after coach, speaker and professional facilitator.  His Seattle based company Matt Walker Adventure facilitates once in a lifetime adventures, coaches individuals to reach their personal and professional goals, and offers professional team development workshops.  Matt is also the author of the book Adventure in Everything.  For Matt, the current pandemic qualifies as a unique, unpredictable and wild adventure.  He says: “we are all on an expedition that none of us signed up for, and we can’t get off.” Many people might define adventure as climbing to the top of a mountain or trekking through a jungle.  But for Matt, it’s much deeper: “it’s a way of being in the world.” Matt challenges us to find adventure in the everyday, even in our backyards, neighborhoods and hometowns.  In this way, adventure is a daily practice of slowing down and seeing things in a new way.  He gives the examples of baking cookies with his kids or taking a walk in his neighborhood. Adventure isn’t just about where we go and what we do, but rather it’s a “subtle mind shift.”  We allow ourselves to release judgement about our situation, become more comfortable with uncertainty and engage the world with curiosity. Matt says that when you push through the judgement and embrace the way things are, you find the gift of being present to the moment, present to those around us and present to the curiosity. So much of Matt’s work is about identifying personal values and making sure that they are in alignment with one’s actions.  He also encourages people to become more aware of how they spend their time and whether that time lines up with their energy and their values.   Later, Matt dives a bit deeper into the five (5) elements of adventure.  He says this was born out of a series of trips to the Himalayas.  He came to realize that adventure wasn’t based solely on the summit experience, but rather it was a way of being. The five elements of adventure are: High Endeavor; Uncertain Outcome, Total Commitment; Tolerance for Adversity; and Great Companionship.  He says that we want to tap into all five for a full breadth of experience and life. Matt shares some of the morning practices that keep him centered and grounded.  These days, he gets up a little early with a cup of coffee and does some morning breath work for about 10 minutes.  This is followed by a 10 minute walk outdoors in Nature.  Carving out this 20 minutes of fresh air and space help to give him a little more resiliency with his kids and his workday. When it comes to dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed, Matt finds two strategies very helpful: releasing and expressing anger and releasing and expressing gratitude! In the end, Matt’s advice to his younger self: chill the fuck out.  He says: worry less, breathe more, laugh more, smile more, and even say YES more. You can learn more about Matt Walker, his book and his work here: https://mattwalkeradventure.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Stig Severinsen has a PhD in Medicine and he is also 4x Freediving World Champion and Multiple Guinness World Record Holder.  He is the Founder of Breatheology and author of the best selling book, “Breatheology- The Art Of Conscious Breathing.” In the beginning of our conversation, Stig talks about his record breaking dive in the ocean, swimming with fins underwater, on just one breath, for 202 meters (662 ft 8.7 in). He wanted to end 2020 on a positive note, as the dive was meant to give people hope and inspiration, since “people were thirsting for some positive news, not just the scare campaigns all of the time.” Stig explains that breaking these records is much more mental than physical.  It starts by having a clear vision of what you want to achieve, followed by steps of action. For Stig, breathing is the perfect antidote to all of the fear in the world today. There are so many challenges in life.   “Breathing gives you the ability to take the power back to yourself.” Even more overlooked than breathing is relaxation.  He says you can actually train yourself to relax.  For example, when you breathe with a slow, controlled exhalation, you trigger the vagus nerve and an automatic relaxation response.  “With breathing, you have an incredible tool right under your nose.”  It’s a switch you can flick – what he calls Relaxation on Demand! Whether you are competing in sports or just living your life, you can take advantage of moments during the day to check-in with your breathing.  This is what Stig refers to as finding “the break in the break.” In other words, you take little moments or “breaks” in the day to check-in with your breath and breathe in a more conscious and controlled way. According to Stig, your breathing is your life.  He says that you can’t fake your breathing, it’s a truth-tester.  He continues: “Your breathing is a reflection of your state, physical, mental, maybe even spiritual.” Bad breathing habits produce various downstream negative health consequences.  In fact, this is a major reason why so many people struggle with sleep apnea and poor sleeping patterns. During Stig’s research over the past 20 years, he’s been surprised that no one is talking about breath-holding and its benefits.  In his recent TED TALK, he calls “breath-holding the new black.”  Breath-holding goes hand in hand with conscious breathing; it’s the Yin to the Yang or Light to the Dark ~ and you can’t have one without the other. Stig says breath-holding offers tremendous potential for PTSD.  In his work, he teaches people to “become comfortable in an uncomfortable situation.”  Even in the chaos, one can still find that place of inner quiet and peacefulness, like the eye of a hurricane.  Incredibly, breath-holding allows us to get to know ourselves from a new perspective: “With breath-holding you have this amazing opportunity for an inner journey.” Although you can’t change your nervous system overnight, if you are willing to take baby steps, over time you can re-condition it.  Not to mention these breathing techniques can also improve mental health and rejuvenate the body. You can learn more about Stig, his book and his Breatheology programs right here: https://www.breatheology.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Dr. Terry Wahls is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years.  Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is also the author of numerous books including The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine.  In the beginning of our conversation, Terry tells her story of being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis back in 2000. She was eventually forced to do her hospital rounds in a wheelchair and was headed for a fate of being bedridden and possibly demented. All of the medical experts told Terry that recovery was impossible.  And yet, she never lost hope.  Every night, she continued to dive into the research. It wasn’t until Terry applied everything she learned from the medical literature, the Institute of Functional Medicine and her knowledge of the Hunter-Gatherer diet that her health finally began to turn around. For Terry, “disease (and health) begins at the cellular level.”  She recognized that she needed to design a diet for healing her cells, in particular her Mitochondria, the energy factories inside her cells. The foundation of her diet is to cut out sugar and processed foods and replace them with leafy green vegetables as well as other colorful veggies.  She says: “The average American has less than 2 servings of vegetables a day.  We are clearly starving ourselves for nutrition.” Unprocessed fat is also incredibly important for the body and the brain.  She says: “When we went on the low fat craze for heart disease, we inadvertently started starving our brains of the fats we need to make myelin [insulation of nerves in the brain and spinal cord].  And that may be part of why there is such a dramatic increase in anxiety, depression, learning disorders and cognitive decline.” Terry also recognizes the role of gut health in her autoimmune disease, in particular the community of trillions of microorganisms dwelling in her bowels.  She says that “we depend on the microbes to help us run the chemistry of life.”  The overuse of antibiotics, plus a high sugar and low fiber diet, contribute to an imbalance or dysbiosis in the gut.  Thus, we are missing many of the important microbes needed to produce optimal health, energy and vitality. In her book The Wahls Protocol, she writes this empowering message: “Your doctor cannot cure your autoimmune disease.  Your medication can only ease your symptoms, sometimes with side effects that make you feel even worse… The power of healing is within you.”  According to Terry, “The first thing we have to do is make the decision that I’m worth the effort, that I’m important and it’s worth it to me to take better care of myself.” Terry offers the reminder that even during her darkest days when her body was steadily deteriorating, she realized that her young children were still watching her, and she could model resilience for them.  This gave her the meaning, purpose and motivation to keep going. Back in 2007, it was assumed that Terry would never get better from her disease, because it had never been done before.  However after redesigning her diet and lifestyle, she transformed her health and did what all of the “experts” considered to be impossible. Dr. Terry Wahls’ story has inspired people all over the world.  I hope you enjoy our wonderful conversation! You can learn more about Dr. Terry Wahls and her inspiring work here: https://terrywahls.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Over the past 45 years, Bob Roth has taught Transcendental Meditation to thousands of people all over the world, and is the author of the 2018 New York Times bestseller, “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.” As CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, Bob has helped bring meditation to more than a million students in underserved schools in 35 countries, to military veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. In the beginning of our conversation, Bob talks about the path that led him from politics and working for Bobby Kennedy to transcendental meditation.  During his college days at Berkeley in the 60’s, Bob recognized that politics would never heal the soul of a deeply divided nation. Bob explains how the practice of Transcendental Meditation (TM) works and how it varies from other forms of meditation.  He says that TM recognizes “deep within every one of us right now is a level where your mind is perfectly settled, calm and wide awake.” In the words of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who developed TM and brought it to the world 60 years ago: “do less, accomplish more; do nothing, accomplish everything.”  For Bob, doing less and accomplishing more are like those times when you are in a flowing, relaxed state and everything just falls into place.  He compares it to what athletes call “being in the zone.”  According to Bob, TM gives access to your deepest, quietest inner nature which is in alignment with the larger Nature as a whole. The motto of the David Lynch Foundation is “change begins within.” Bob elaborates: “Start with healing the individual…and that’s how I see transcendental meditation, a medical intervention, just like any medicine but much healthier, and give everybody those tools to heal their trauma and also to actualize the full potential of the brain.” For Bob, if we want to disrupt the current health care or disease care system, then we must give people the tools to prevent illness and allow them to become resolutely and powerfully healthy. While we can’t always control the stressors that come from outside, like losing a job or a loved one. We do have the ability to choose how we respond to that stress.  In fact, so much of the stress response depends on how we take care of ourselves.  For example, are we eating healthy foods, exercising, and meditating twice a day? Later, Bob shares two poignant stories of individuals who have utilized the power of transcendental meditation to help heal their pain and trauma. In the end, Bob says that it is no longer a luxury to bring powerful tools like transcendental meditation to people, particularly young people.  He reminds us that suicide is now the number two cause of death among teenagers in America: “We’ve got to bring these interventions, violence interrupters, brain awakeners, stress reducers to everybody, but particularly children.  We are in danger of losing an entire generation.” You can learn more about Bob, the David Lynch Foundation and Transcendental Meditation right here: https://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Dave Romanelli is a #1 best selling author, international speaker, and a guide to bringing old wisdom and ancient healing practices to modern life.  His books are Happy is the New Healthy and Life Lessons from the Oldest and Wisest. In the beginning of our conversation, Dave shares an incredible story from his childhood about why it’s so important to show up fully in life.  He says: “it’s a reminder that we are missing the important moments in our lives,” mainly because we are all so distracted and pulled in so many directions. Dave finds meditation to be a game-changing tool for becoming more present.  It allows the mind to unhook itself from all of the stimuli in the world.  He also speaks to the immense power of gratitude: “To me, that’s the number one: how deep is your level of gratitude?”  He also says you need to be a “bad-ass” to be grateful.  It’s so much easier to focus on problems and what’s wrong with our lives. According to Dave, there’s a difference between “being happy and doing happy.”  He says it’s about turning happy into an action, doing a good deed and helping to bring out joy in someone else. His best selling book Happy is the new Healthy was inspired by a one hundred and eleven year old woman that Dave befriended for the last three years of her life.  When Dave asked her about the secrets to her long healthy life, she attributed it to three things: sex, vodka and spicy food. That joie de vivre and taking time to enjoy life are common themes for all of these super long-livers.  In fact, this attitude of appreciation can be a skill that one can develop.  Dave says to remind yourself each day: “When you put your head on the pillow to go to sleep at night, do you have one moment that you remember from the day gone by that you cherish and treasure…” Dave talks about his early morning meditation where he takes time to clear his mind, look up at the stars and reflect on what’s great in his life.  This helps him re-charge and experience pure joy. Later, Dave speaks about some of the life lessons he learned from interviewing elders for his last book, Life Lessons from the Oldest and Wisest.   He says that they have a sense of humor and appreciation and gratitude for all of life. In the end, Dave offers this simple advice: trust your journey.  He says: “take your hands off the brakes and enjoy these times in life,” even if you don’t see how all of the pieces fit together. You can learn more about Dave, his meditation programs and his books right here: https://davidromanelli.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

James Nestor is an author and journalist who has written for Outside Magazine, The Atlantic, National Public Radio, The New York Times, Scientific American, Dwell Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, and more.  Nestor’s new book, Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, was released in May of 2020 and was an instant bestseller in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Los Angeles Times, and Sunday London Times. In his new book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, James conducts one of the great experiments of all time.   He blocks up his nose and breathes exclusively through his mouth for ten days.  During this time, James chronicles how his health deteriorates: elevated blood pressure, snoring, sleep apnea, fatigue and diminished athletic performance.  These results bolstered decades-worth of scientific studies. James explains why nose breathing is so powerful for optimizing human health.  The nose is perfectly designed to filter, clean, humidify, pressurize and heat the air.  He says it’s also far more efficient: “we get 20% more oxygen breathing through our noses than we do equivalent breaths through our mouths.” Another key element of nose breathing is that it increases levels of Nitric Oxide (NO).  In fact, the nose produces 6x the amount of NO as opposed to breathing through the mouth.  This is important because there is research showing that NO has a powerful effect on circulation, and it’s shown to prevent stroke and heart attack.  Furthermore, NO possesses powerful antiviral properties to help defend the body against pathogenic viruses. Fascinatingly, breathing also relates to longevity.  James points to research from the Framingham Heart Study, a cardiovascular study that has been going on for 70 years.  He says that in the study, the best indicator of life span wasn’t genes, diet, or exercise, but rather lung capacity.  Lung capacity was basically the same thing as living capacity! James also touches on the phenomenon of mask breathing during this most recent pandemic. He says people assume that they aren’t getting enough oxygen, but after reviewing lots of the latest research, he says that there isn’t so much a drop in Oxygen, but rather a rise in C02 levels. But interestingly, the more C02 in a healthy person can actually have some advantages, such as increased circulation.  Similarly, this increase in CO2 also happens when we breathe slowly.  James explains: “I take mask wearing as an opportunity to focus on my breath, to breathe more slowly, and to gain a little more CO2 in my body.” Bottom line: whether you are wearing a mask or not, the key is to breathe through your nose, since this is our first line of defense.  If you wear a mask and breathe through your mouth, this can lead to lot of health problems and can even make you more susceptible to viruses. In the book, he profiles a fascinatingly eccentric group of Pulmonauts, from the chorus director Carl Stough to the hair dresser in his 90’s Maurice Daubord and the Ice Man Wim Hof.  Many of these pioneers in the world of breath discovered something extraordinary but over time, much of their research was forgotten. Regarding the power of the breath, James says: “It just shows you that the human body is amazingly adaptable depending on how we treat it, depending on how we hone it, and breathing is just a great way, a good foundation of health to start with.” While writing the book, James had the opportunity to explore many pre-industrial skulls and modern skulls.  What he found is that most of the modern skulls had crooked teeth and most of the ancient skulls didn’t: “Why are we now the only species on the planet with chronically crooked teeth?  Why did our ancestors all have perfectly straight teeth?” In short, Nestor points to industrial processed foods which have caused our mouths to shrink very quickly, and so our teeth had nowhere else to grow.  Smaller mouths mean smaller airways, which is why so many of us are suffering from chronic respiratory issues. Nestor writes in his book that “just as we’ve become a culture of overeaters, we’ve also become a culture of over-breathers.”  He says the first step is to become more aware of your breathing.  Then you can focus it and breathe in healthier ways. Nestor dives into some of the similarities between breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya and Wim Hof.  In both cases, you breathe really fast and then you slow down your breathing: “It’s basically interval training for breathing.” He says they are all doing the same thing: working out the body; allowing more control over the nervous system, immune system and overall stress levels. His advice to anyone looking to improve the quality of their life and health is to “shut your mouth”…and breathe through your nose.  Beyond that, he encourages people to have “breathing awareness.”  Nestor says if you don’t believe him about the power of nose breathing, just look at the hundreds of scientific studies – he has posted many of them on his website: https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath You can learn more about James and his work here: https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/about     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Robert Gerzon is the author of the groundbreaking book Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety. A Boston-area psychotherapist and life coach, he draws upon a diverse background in holistic medicine, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality. Robert just released a new book called Human Earth Awakening. In the beginning of our conversation, Robert talks about the decision to sell his home, put his things in storage and become a nomad in Europe, along with his wife.  He reflects on lessons he learned from his travels. In 1997, Robert wrote the groundbreaking book Finding Serenity in the Age of Anxiety.   He says that he’s been fighting anxiety his entire life.  However over time, he learned that the better solution is to make friends with it: “Anxiety is a form of life energy and I’d be much better off if I learned to dance with it, rather than being afraid of it and trying to get rid of it, medicate away, suppress it, or let it dominate me and drive me crazy.” Instead of wrestling with anxiety, Robert learned to dance with it.  He realized that anxiety could actually be a friend as well as a foe.  He says there are three (3) types of anxiety: toxic, natural and sacred anxiety.   Toxic anxiety drives us crazy and serves no useful purpose; natural anxiety helps to keep us alive and warns us of danger; sacred anxiety is derived from the deeper questions in life, such as purpose, life, and death.  He says: “I learned to change that toxic anxiety into natural and sacred anxiety, so it became a fuel for my own growth.” Robert also explains into the power of our inner talk.   He says that the first step is to become curious about our self-talk and to pay attention to that voice in our head.   For example, if I’m feeling anxiety, what is the inner talk in my head that is making me feel that way.  Or if I’m feeling happy, what inner talk is making me feel that way. Paying attention to that inner talk helps to bring some of the subconscious stories, beliefs and programming to the surface.   “Once I became aware of that inner talk, I realized that I had a choice about it, and I could choose my own inner talk rather than repeating things that had been told to me by authority figures in the past.” Robert says that if you don’t like the inner talk that you are hearing, the next step is to ask yourself this simple question: what would I rather be hearing right now?  It’s important to identify whether your inner talk is draining your energy or increasing it.  Is it healthy and life affirming or is it sending you in the wrong direction? Robert talks about his new book Human Earth Awakening, in particular the role of story in our lives.  Stories help us make sense of the world, and we make decisions based on those stories.  Every culture has its origin stories and we also have our personal stories. Unfortunately, most of our stories are out of date and often times, negative and disempowering.  Robert says: “We are running on a confusing mishmash of stories that’s really getting in the way of seeing clearly.” Robert reminds us that if you think back to the role of story in traditional cultures, these stories were life affirming and designed to help us navigate the different phases of life.  “We need more of a global story that can bring us together as homo sapiens, as a species, and help us meet the challenges that are there today.” For Robert, the pandemic has the potential to serve as an incredible wake-up call.  It’s given us an opportunity “for deep radical self-reflection.”  We can use this time to ask some important questions, like “what is our life about, what is our purpose here on earth.  And on a larger level, as human beings, what kind of planet do we want to have.” Robert says that what’s happening today is really big because every system we depend on is in a state of crisis.  He explains why it’s helpful to look at the the current crisis as an apocalypse.  Interestingly, the word apocalypse means an “uncovering.” Despite the challenges we face, Robert finds hope in the image of the tree of life. Every culture has this universal image for the divine and the transcendent: “My future starts with this next second, and this next second, so I’m not really thinking too far into the future these days even though I have wonderful visions of the future.”  Each day, Robert takes time to nourish his tree of life.  He says:  “It’s a very exciting time because so many things are ripe for change.” Lastly, Robert offers a powerful message of self-love. He says that when you love yourself just the way you are, things begin to shift and the boulders become stepping stones and the problems become opportunities. You can learn more about Robert’s new book Human Earth Awakening here:  www.humanearthawakening.com  You can also find the book on Amazon and most other places where books are sold: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08MBGKD5Q/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

John Bagnulo is a naturalist, nutritionist, farmer, and professor who teaches courses at universities and wellness centers.  He also co-hosts The Health Edge podcast with Dr. Mark Pettus. In the beginning of our conversation, John talks about the role of fear in our lives.  A certain amount of fear is healthy, but it can become a problem when it starts to paralyze people and prevents them from achieving “full participation in life.” Living in a state of chronic fear can be very damaging to many systems in the body.  Ultimately, John reminds us that this is “not a risk free world” and to some degree, we need to accept and embrace a certain amount of risk if we want to thrive, and not just survive. John speaks about why it’s so essential that we have exposure to Nature and microorganisms in our environment: “One thing people need to understand is that we all have this genetic blueprint that has worked really well for thousands of years.  And built into that genetic blueprint is a certain…criteria that we must live within.”  John says that: “we have this unwarranted fear of the sun, the soil, and different aspects of nature… that really help our genes work for us and not against us.” John explains that in many cases, our microbiome may be even more relevant to health than our genes: “For the most part, genes can be turned on or off, if you are missing certain families of microbes than the deck is really stacked against you.” John dives into why the overuse of hand-sanitizers and other cleaning chemicals may actually turn up the risk of chronic disease.  And why “this can be a recipe for disaster, particularly in early childhood.” In terms of diet, John recommends the daily inclusion of fermented foods.  In fact, he puts yogurt at the top of the list.  “All of us hear about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables…but when you compare these statistical protections that a population gets from any one food, yogurt is hands down the most protective food anybody can eat when you look at what it does for risk reduction for just about every chronic disease.” Whether it’s homemade or store bought, yogurt offers a number of powerful protective benefits for our health. According to John, a truly nourishing diet includes plenty of healthy, unprocessed fats: “people really need to wrap their heads around is that fat and cholesterol are actually really important for the human body, especially as we get older as well as when we are developing during childhood.”  He gives some examples of healthful, nourishing fats like full fat fermented dairy products, coconut oil, avocado, olive oil, butter and eggs. John speaks to the critical importance of going outdoors and getting sun exposure.  Beyond Vitamin D, sunlight exposure helps thin the blood, improve circulation and promotes better overall cardiovascular health. Finally, John offers a few simple steps to transform your health and life, such as going outside and sweating every day; drinking enough fluids; and adopting a higher fat and low carb diet. You can learn more about John right here: https://jbagnulo.com/      APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Sally Fallon Morrell is best known as the author of Nourishing Traditions®: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats. She is also the founding president of the Weston A. Price Foundation and editor of the Foundation’s quarterly magazine. In the beginning of this episode, Sally talks about her health challenges as a child and how she discovered the healing power of food.  Her lifelong passion for nutrition started in the early 1970’s when she read Weston A Price’s book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. Sally explains why it’s so critically important to eat an abundance of saturated fat and cholesterol, like so many of our ancestors.  In addition, fat soluble vitamins like A, D and K derived from animal fats are also essential for strengthening the human immune systems and many other systems in the body.  She reflects upon the work of Dr. Weston A Price who found that traditional cultures were eating nutrient dense foods like organ meats, fermented foods, bone broth and raw dairy. For anyone feeling as though they are breaking down physically and mentally, they may want to consider the work of Dr. Price along with Sally’s Nourishing Traditions approach to eating.  These are the nutrient dense foods that our ancient ancestors have been eating for millennia. Sally challenges the idea that eating a nourishing traditions diet is too expensive.  She explains that  “In 1920, Americans spent 20% of their budget on food and 5% on medical care.  Today we spend 10% on food and 15% on medical care, so it works out the same.  Wouldn’t it be better to just spend that money on having a good quality diet and not have to have all the medical care?” Sally dives into her new book called The Contagion Myth that she wrote with Dr. Tom Cowan. She argues that bacteria and viruses do not make people sick.   What does make us sick are poor nutrition and toxins – in other words, an unhealthy inner terrain!  With regard to vaccines and pharmaceutical medications, Sally tells us that we are going down the wrong road because they are not addressing the root problem. Sally also explores the dangers of 5G technology – she says it was tested back in the 1960’s to be used as a weapon, since it caused everything from infertility, irregular heartbeat, and blood clots.  Similarly, she says that the 1918 Spanish Flu was never shown to be contagious; rather it coincided with the roll out of radio worldwide.  She says millions of people got sick because the human body wasn’t used to it. Sally reminds us that we used to think bacteria were harmful, but now we know that we have a symbiotic relationship; in fact, without bacteria we would be dead.  And it’s the same with viruses: “we need a paradigm shift that viruses are not evil, they are our friends, just like we’ve seen a paradigm shift with bacteria.” Sally is also a farmer and she talks about the healing power of nature in her life.  It’s so important to take a break from technology and get outdoors.  Cooking is another healing practice that helps Sally stay grounded and centered.  In fact, she says: “cooking is a kind of meditation for me.” Sally reflects on her childhood and how she was addicted to sugar.  However, one important lessons she’s learned is that if you eat a nutrient dense diet, you won’t crave that sugar. You can learn more about Sally Fallon Morrell and her work here: https://nourishingtraditions.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Dr. Jerry Lynch has been recognized as one of the top 5 in his profession nationwide.  He has worked with teams, coaches and athletes in the NFL, NBA, MLS, men’s and women’s basketball, lacrosse, and soccer at many of the top universities across the country.  He is the author of 14 books on coaching, leadership, spirituality of sport and peak performance.  He is also the founder and director of WAY OF CHAMPIONS, a human growth and performance consulting group to help others master the mental and spiritual game in sports. Dr. J starts by speaking about the power of the heart in his work.  Consumed with fear and worry, people are playing out lots of “what-if” scenarios during this current pandemic.  He encourages us to consider moving from the head into the heart.  The thinking mind is often “the cause and genesis of so much of our pain.” For Jerry, the current pandemic is a spiritual crisis.  Interestingly in Chinese, the word crisis means both danger and opportunity.  Jerry says: “Yes there’s a lot of fear but also there’s a lot of opportunity.” Jerry distinguishes between mind-set and heart-set.  When we are up in our heads all of the time – in our thinking minds – we can get caught up in fear.  Our focus is on getting and the fear of not having, which causes lots of pain. However, the heart is a source of faith, strength & courage.  In fact, the French word for heart is “Coeur” and it is the root of the word “courage.”  Lao-Tzu also reminds us that “from caring comes courage.” Jerry talks about his new book The Competitive Buddha.  The title may sound paradoxical, but he explains that the Buddha was a competitive student athlete who competed in wrestling, archery and horse riding.  He learned many of his most valuable lessons from sports, such as letting go, detachment, compassion, selflessness and integrity. Win The Day is a powerful concept in Dr. J’s work.  He explains that there are two ways to show up each day in life.  The first way is to try to control the outcome and win a result.  But here’s the downside: “what happens is you get tight, tense and tentative.”  This cuts off circulation to the brain, so you don’t think as clearly.  In turn, you lose confidence, and your performance suffers. However, the other way to show up in life is to win the day.  In this way, you focus on “the little things” that you can control.  And big things come from these little things.  Focusing on the little things also helps you stay calm and focused, which ultimately increases confidence and improves performance. For anyone feeling powerless and hopeless about their life and future, Jerry suggests giving up three things: #1 Give up judging events and circumstances. #2 Give up controlling others or outcomes. #3 Give up trying to be right. Looking back on his many years of writing books and teaching athletes and coaches all over the world, Jerry shares this lesson: “Back 50 years ago, I was too concerned about doing.  We’re human beings not human doings… too concerned about doing this and doing that, instead of being present, being in the moment and being yourself.” You can learn about Dr. Jerry Lynch and his work here: https://www.wayofchampions.com/       APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Rolf Potts has reported from more than sixty countries for the likes of National Geographic Traveler, The New Yorker, Slate.com, Outside, the New York Times Magazine, The Believer, The Guardian (U.K.), Sports Illustrated, National Public Radio, and the Travel Channel. Potts is perhaps best known for promoting the ethic of independent travel, and his book on the subject, Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel. According to Rolf, vagabonding isn’t just about travel, it’s a mindset.  Even in the midst of the pandemic, Rolf talks about “maintaining that vagabonding attitude… even when travel isn’t literally what you are doing.” In our conversation, Rolf talks about what it means to be wealthy in time versus wealthy in things.  He offers these inspiring words about what it means to “live richly.”  Rolf says: “Life is of a short duration and so make sure that you are making decisions that don’t put off what is important, be it travel or your family or your community, I think there are a lot of ways to our detriment we’re encouraged to live less richly than we could be, when in fact it doesn’t cost that much to live richly.” Rolf also talks about the ancient wisdom that inspired his book as well as his life.  Influenced by the Stoic philosophers, he says that you may not be able to control events, but you can control how you react to these events.  “You can choose to be rich in time instead of rich in things.” Unfortunately, many people are addicted to their electronic devices and the latest news.  Rolf gives this simple advice: just take a walk and explore some new street, neighborhood, wherever you happen to be.  He says: “Go for a walk anywhere in a new city and have your mind blown.  Well, you can do that at home too.”  During the pandemic, Rolf spends time hiking and exploring his hometown in rural Kansas. The poet Rilke once wrote: “the only journey is the one within.”  And Rolf echoes this “inner journey” concept in his work.  He says: “If you realize that the inner journey is what counts, then you get a little less inquisitive and competitive about the outer journey and you realize that those rewards can be found even in very humble and close to home trips and adventures.” How do you live the life of your dreams?  Rolf says that this begins by simply “giving yourself permission.”  Rolf explains that we often put off our travels because of these pretexts like money.  When in reality what we really need to do is just give ourselves permission to do something we dream about, like travel. Rolf often says that “Vagabonding in its purest is a letter to my 17 year old self.”  He talks about all of the great lessons that he’s learned from his travels all over the planet: “I think of my very anxious and nervous 17 year old self… because he’d be so happy with what I’ve discovered since then just because I was willing to put myself out there in the world to make mistakes and learn as I go and that’s advice I’d give to anyone.” You can learn more about Rolf and his work here: https://rolfpotts.com/     APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years, and is the founder and executive director of the Bionutrient Food Association, an eight year old non-profit educational organization whose mission is to increase quality in the food supply. Nature can be a powerful probiotic. Dan reminds us that our microbiome is an ecosystem of diverse species. This diversity makes our immune system stronger.  We acquire this diversity through contact with Nature. In fact, Dan explains that walking in the forest and working in the garden will build your microbiome. Dan tells us that if you build your body out of food stuff that are devoid of nutrition, you should not be surprised when your body falls apart Dan relates how intimately connected soil health is to the health of plants, animals and all human beings: “What we understand is that there’s a very deep connection between the level of vitality and life in the soil and the health of the plant growing in the soil and the nutritional value of the food that plant produces and the health of the animal that eats it.” Dan talks about why he became an organic farmer: “One of the reasons that I realized I needed to be a farmer when I started my family was because I knew it was critically important that I feed my children well and that it was very difficult to get access to high quality food by buying it.” Dan also says the sooner we can check-in to nature the better.   “We evolved to be in close proximity to natural environments.”   Living closer to nature can help us reduce stress and pressure:  “I think this whole epidemic dynamic is an opportunity in disguise where we are forced to look at these things and deeply reconsider our priorities both personally and culturally.” Dan talks about running his business the Bionutrient Food Association from his organic farm.  The mission of the BFA is to increase quality in the food supply.  As Dan reminds us, “The equation is simple: Healthy soils = healthy food.” Dan challenges us to consider certain important questions like what is success?  Is success money, power, fame or is it quality of life?  “Why not live that quality of life now, why not aim for it now.”  He says it all starts by having a “vision” for where you can want to go. Dan offers this advice: “If we can be present with how each thing in our life makes us feel, that can guide us.”  He says: “we all have that in built capacity for discernment.”  And then we can use that capacity to discern between that which energizes us and that which drains us and then make thoughtful decisions accordingly. You can learn more about Dan and the Bionutrient Food Association right here: https://bionutrient.org/site/   APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Sandor, winner of a James Beard Award and New York Times bestselling author, whom Michael Pollan calls the “Johnny Appleseed of Fermentation” is a self-described fermentation revivalist.  He is perhaps best known simply as Sandorkraut, which describes his joyful and demystifying approach to making and eating fermented foods, the health benefits of which have helped launch a nutrition-based food revolution. Sandor begins our conversation by explaining how he got started eating fermented foods.  His love affair with fermented foods started with pickles in the family fridge.  When he moved from New York City to Tennessee and started a garden, he began experimenting with his own ferments. Sandor discusses the ways fermented foods can impact our health.  “As the role of these bacteria in our physiology is investigated more and more, we are increasingly recognizing that every aspect of our health and wellbeing is related to these bacteria.”  These foods have shown the potential to increase immune function, improve digestion and alter our brain chemistry. All multicellular life depends on bacteria and other microbes.  We could not survive without these microorganisms.  Sandor explains: “there is a broad consensus in evolutionary biology that all life is descended from bacteria.”  The more diverse our microbial ecosystem, the better: “In general, biodiversity enhances our wellbeing and does not threaten it.” Sandor discusses the difference between commercial store bought ferments versus homemade ferments.  One advantage of homemade is that you incorporate your environment into your food, such as the unique bacteria of your garden, kitchen and hands. If you want to start fermenting foods at home, Sandor recommends starting with fermented vegetables.  Fermented veggies are safer than raw veggies, because the lactic acid generated by the bacteria in this process will destroy pathogens. Fermenting foods at home have given Sandor new appreciation for the unseen world of microbes all around us and inside us.  It’s helped him to tune into Nature in a much deeper way. Regarding the healing power of fermented foods, Sandor says: “I have heard from literally thousands of people that when they began to incorporate these kinds of live fermented foods into their diet their digestive problems that they had suffered from for years and years improved.” Later in the episode, Sandor talks about the importance of self-care for anyone feeling a little hopeless and powerless.  And finally, he shares words of wisdom from his current self to his younger self. You can learn more about Sandor, fermentation and his books here: https://www.wildfermentation.com/   APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Erica Ferencik is the author of the best selling thrillers The River at Night and Into the Jungle.  She is a graduate of the MFA program in creative writing at Boston University. Her work has appeared in Salon and The Boston Globe, as well as on NPR. Erica talks about her 30 year journey to overnight success.  The artist’s journey is a marathon, not a sprint.  She says: “But the other thing that’s super important is how much do you love it. Does it make you happy, whatever it is you are doing, do you love it enough to continue doing it no matter what.” Rather than focusing on success and failure, Erica explains the importance of setting goals and taking the small steps necessary to achieve those goals. Erica says: “I’ve always been a renaissance person, pretty unemployable.”  She describes her journey from painter, dancer, stand-up comedian, even doing construction to finding her bliss as a novelist for the past 30 years. Why don’t people follow their passion, their bliss?  One of the biggest reasons is fear. For Erica,  “I believe writing a book is an act of generosity, it’s an act of love.”  Even though her writing wasn’t perfect in the beginning, she persisted and kept going. Erica talks about the challenges of staying true to one’s creative vision while achieving success in the marketplace:  “You are trying to find the intersection between the Muse, what you love to do and how you love to it creatively and the Marketplace.  You are trying to understand where those two circles intersect.” She explains that “For 30 years, I wrote books that did not meet at that intersection between my muse and the marketplace, they were somehow askew, they didn’t quite fit.”  And this led her to her 1st best seller The River at Night. One of Erica’s healing practices is taking a walk in the woods every day.  Nature has been her anchor for the past 20 years. Erica shares some of the lessons she’s learned over the past 30 years of writing: “Just looking at some writing I did 25 years ago, I remember being angry at myself because it didn’t sell.”  She says you are a different artist at each stage of the journey and you have love and forgive yourself at each stage.  “I think I would have been a much healthier person if I accepted myself a little bit more for who I was then.” And she offers these inspiring words to anyone trying to find their artist’s voice: “All art comes from your life.  Feel free to live your life.  Don’t lock yourself in a room for 20 hours a day, unless you want to.  Take that vacation, go to that crazy party, get the experiences you need… that’s where art comes from.” Lastly, she talks about her journey into the rainforest in South America when she was researching her book Into the Jungle: “there’s a lot to be said for taking the journey, we don’t know how long we are going to be here.” She ends with these powerful words: Don’t put off joy! You can learn more about Erica and her books right here: https://ericaferencik.com/ APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Sean Brawley has dedicated the past 25 years to helping people from all walks of life elevate their performance and unlock their potential.  As a facilitator and coach, he has custom designed highly unique, experiential programs for many well-known organizations such as GE, ITT, the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and the U.S. Tennis Association.  Sean was also the primary mental coach for the USC football team for 9 years and helped Pete Carroll and the Trojans win 2 national championships. In episode 10, Sean starts by explaining the power of our attention.  It’s critically important to pay attention to how we pay attention.  He says: “how you pay attention and where you pay attention is determining everything that’s happening in your life.” Although the mind is easily distracted, the art of paying attention is a skill that can be improved through practice.  For Sean, meditation is a powerful tool he uses every day to help control the mind. Many people struggle with getting in their own way, even self-sabotage.  Sean explains that often times, this is rooted in early developmental trauma.  He tells us to be gentle with ourselves: “when you get to that place where you can bring loving presence to some of the most difficult feelings and emotions we have like shame and guilt, the whole inner world changes completely.” Sean believes that much of this inner work requires a support system.  He says he couldn’t have done it on his own: “there’s hope in reaching out.” At the end of our conversation, Sean shares some beautiful honesty about his own journey: “Life is not easy, it’s filled with suffering, it’s filled with problems.   The key is developing the capacity to not get knocked off balance in the first place.  You can learn it.  I’m living proof.” You can learn more about Sean and his powerful work here: https://seanbrawley.com/home/  APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Dr. Thomas Cowan MD has spent the last 40 years as a medical doctor treating patients, including in the ER.  Tom has studied and written about many subjects in medicine, including nutrition, homeopathy, anthroposophical medicine and herbal medicine. In the beginning of our conversation, Tom explains the important distinction between Germ theory and Terrain theory.  Each human being is home to trillions of microorganisms.  Our health depends upon the terrain or environment that these microbes are living in. Tom talks about the importance of spending plenty of time outdoors in Nature.  He says: “Humans need to be in the sun, they need to be doing things on the earth, they need to be in connection with other people and other animals and other plants… the more diverse the better.” Tom discusses the Nourishing Traditions ancestral diet that he has eaten for much of his life.  He explains what it is and why humans have thrived on this way of eating for millennia. Tom examines the power of fear and why it’s so harmful to our health:  “Fear is a disease causing energetic emotion that is wreaking havoc right now and will sicken millions of people unless we get a handle on it. It’s fascinating to know that by weight, our cells are 70% water and 99% of the molecules making up those cells are water molecules.  Tom discusses the amazing healing properties of water, including how water is the medium that accepts all invisible energetic impulses.  He points to the research of Dr. Masaru Emoto and his hidden messages in water experiments.  . You can learn more about Tom and his fascinating work here: https://www.drcowansgarden.com/ APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Don Miguel Ruiz Jr., is a nagual or shaman, a Toltec master of transformation, and a direct descendant of the Toltecs of the Eagle Knight lineage.  He is the author of many books, including The Five Levels of Attachment, Living a Life of Awareness, The Mastery of Self, and The Don Miguel Ruiz’s Little Book of Wisdom. He also co-authored the book, The Seven Secrets to Healthy, Happy Relationships with his dear friend, HeatherAsh Amara. Miguel begins our conversation with a powerful story about the impact of fear in our lives.  It was a story originally told to him by his uncle, and it’s called Hercules and the Plague. Miguel says that respecting fear helps us find peace.  To do this, it’s critical to distinguish between the concept of fear and the function of fear.  The function of fear is clear: “Fear protects you and takes care of you when there’s a real danger.” Later, Miguel offers the profound teaching that “today is the youngest day of your life.”   He reminds us that as long you are alive, you can still transform your life.  As he says: “I am still the infinite possibility because I’m alive” For Miguel, it’s never too late to change your life: “I’m the youngest I will ever be, how do I want to live this life, how do I want to engage it.”  And he adds: “This is an opportunity right now to let go of that which does not serve me and find the thing that does. You can learn more about Miguel, his books and his powerful work right here: https://www.miguelruiz.com/don-miguel-ruiz-jr APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Rollin McCraty, Ph. D. is the Executive Vice President and Director of Research at the Institute of HeartMath, and has been with the organization since its inception in 1991.  Rollin has also been featured in many documentary films, including I AM, The Power of the Heart, and The Living Matrix among others. Rollin begins by talking about how the power of the heart can help with stress.  If anyone is feeling lost or off track, he explains why he calls the heart our “Inner GPS” and how it works much like a cell phone. Rollin explains that when the heart is in a coherent state, we have “access to a field of information outside the bounds of time and space.” In fact, we are able to discover our larger, higher self or energetic self: “When we’re able to get into that coherent heart rhythm state, that opens up that channel to our non-local intuition, our larger self.” Many people describe this state as if their intuition is on steroids! Rollin says we should ask ourselves this powerful question: “What are we feeding the field?”  In other words, if everything is energy, what kind of energy are we projecting into the world?  Are we sending out fear, hate, anger or are we sending out love, peace, compassion and appreciation? Rollin leads us through a heart meditation technique called “Shift and Lift.” When we practice these HeartMath techniques, we make choices that are better for ourselves, others and the planet as a whole. You can learn more about Rollin and his life-changing work at HeartMath right here: https://www.heartmath.org/about-us/request-a-speaker/rollin-mccraty/ APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS

Emma Seppala is a Lecturer at the Yale School of Management and Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program.  She is also Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education and the author of the best selling book The Happiness Track. Emma starts by discussing the trauma in her own life that led her on a path to learning a powerful, ancient breathing techniques called Sudarshan Kriya.  Although most of us have never learned to control our emotions, breathing is an immensely powerful tool for helping to achieve this. Emma explains how breathing can be integral for healing: “It makes sense for the healing process to begin at the level of the body, of the nervous system, and that’s where breathing really can help.”  Then, she talks about her work with veterans struggling with PTSD.  While counseling and pharmaceutical interventions were often ineffective, the breathing techniques proved to be largely transformative. Finally, Emma dives into the power of self-love: “I teach a lot of women leaders.  A lot of women, maybe 90% of women and maybe all people, suffer from a lack of self-love.  And there’s really nothing that can heal that gap and wound within yourself.” And she adds: “If more people lived in a way that was harmonious with their own needs, then they would also have more harmonious relationships with others.” You can learn more about Emma and her fascinating work on her website: https://emmaseppala.com/ APPLE PODCASTS SPOTIFY STITCHER YOUTUBE GOOGLE PODCASTS