Dakota considers himself a religious traveler who explores the taboo and nature of human expression. He essentially is a documentary filmmaker who travels around the world to the strangest possible nooks and crannies on this planet, spending time with some of the most fascinating individuals – from Hindus and Christians to cannibals and Satanists, and people who live in caves.
In this episode, we dive into the experiences he has had and the wisdom he has cultivated from the vast groups of people he has documented.
To learn more about Dakota...
Instagram: @dakotawint
Podcast: A Place for Humans
YouTube: dakotawint
Merch Website: stayhappystayweird.com
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Dr. Chris Ryan is the writer of the best-selling book 'Sex at Dawn' and the soon to be best-seller 'Civilized to Death'. He is one of my absolute favorite thinkers on all things anthropology, sexuality and the this strange human experience. Visit him at https://chrisryanphd.com/ Enjoy!
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Can psychedelics really be the future of medicine? What is ketamine-assisted therapy? What are energetics? What can you start doing today to properly energize your body?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Kien Vuu and I discuss psychedelics and how they are used in modern medicine. An up-and-rising form of psychedelic therapy used is Ketamine-assisted therapy sessions. This gives us the potential to deal with our thoughts by dissociating different parts of the brain, which allows us to silence our ego and see ourselves from a higher perspective. This permits us to see our own thoughts in a different light, which can then be discussed with a therapist to help integrate whatever our findings were in our journey, into our lives.
Dr. Vuu also talks about energetics and the pillars of health. In his opinion, a low-hanging fruit that we can almost all consider picking to improve our health is to monitor and adapt our cell phone usage. This is the catalyst to many physical and mental ailments that we experience in western culture, such as poor posture, back pain, depression, loneliness, and more.
Dr. Kien Vuu is one of the most sought-after anti-aging physicians in the country. He’s also a health media personality, appearing on national TV shows such as The Doctors and Access Hollywood. As someone who has overcome two chronic diseases himself, Dr. Vuu is passionate about empowering people to reclaim their health and live with fulfillment, abundance, and purpose.
To learn more about Kien:
Website: kienvuu.com
Instagram: @kienvuumd
Book:Thrive State
Podcast: Thrive State Podcast
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www.magbreakthrough.com/alignpodcast and use ALIGN10 during checkout to save 10 percent.
When is it “acceptable” to surrender? How much impact does the vocabulary you use to have on the situation? How does trauma pass down through our chemistry?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Sah D’Simone and I discuss difficult passages in life and how we can navigate those challenging times. Above anything else, being aware of the present and taking the opportunity to pause and ask yourself WHY you are experiencing this situation and then, HOW can you change that is the key to healing.
Plus, Sah talks about surrendering. Life is not what it is, it is actually what we make it to be. If we are holding on to a certain type of feeling or things as part of our routine, we will create a life that is destructive for ourselves. That’s why when it’s necessary and there is nothing to be gained through resisting a situation, it’s time to accept and surrender.
Sah D’Simone is the new teacher in town: synergizing spirituality with sass, and delivering heart wisdom with the warmth of your best friend. His life’s mission is to serve as a spiritual guide, meditation teacher, transformational speaker, and author. He’s leading a heart-based healing movement rooted in tried-and-true ancient techniques, allowing joy and authenticity to illuminate the path to enlightenment.
To learn more about Sah:
Website: sahdsimone.com
Instagram: @sahdsimone
Book: Spiritually Sassy
What is fear? Why do we hold on to it? What does the process of letting go of fear look like? What do we actually have control over? Are we pushing something too much? When can we make the decision to let something go?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Light Watkins and I discuss a subject that we experience often but that we dread, which is fear. When we experience fear, most of the time we fabricate this intense feeling in our own minds, which explains why we all have different fears. But when we allow curiosity to overtake our fear, that’s when it becomes an opportunity for growth. In fact, gaining control over how we feel about fear will allow us to stay present at the moment long enough to make better choices at that moment that we are fearful.
Plus, Light also talks about how his lifestyle allowed him to become resilient to change. Eventually, when we are faced with one too many events where uncertainty is high, we become capable of letting go of the little things and taking ownership of the bigger things. In other words, we become capable of knowing when it is necessary to be actively engaging and working towards something great VS simply being patient and waiting for that something to come along, in its own time.
Light Watkins is a bestselling author, an accomplished meditation teacher, founder of The Shine Movement, and an inspirational keynote speaker and workshop leader. He has delivered over 500 wellness-themed talks around the globe since 2007.
To learn more about Light:
Website: lightwatkins.com
Instagram: @lightwatkins
Book: Knowing Where to Look
Podcast: At the End of the Tunnel
Are you bullshiting yourself? Did you give yourself permission to want what you REALLY want, or do you want what society says you should? How can you be a more effective participant in this life experience you were given?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Lauren and I chat about the important relationships we have in our lives, such as with our intimate partner, with our friends, with our family members, and most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves. In fact, when we start thinking about our aspirations and what our dreams are, most of us bullshit ourselves. While society has been working very hard to make us want things that don’t align with what we TRULY want for ourselves, we shouldn’t beat ourselves over it. As long as we take the time to learn more about ourselves and figure out what we truly want, we can still experience the lives we were given the way we want to live.
Plus, Lauren talks about how horrified we humans are about the ways that we act and the lies that we tell. In fact, if we were to ask someone right now to write down a list of all the lies that they ever told, they would be too ashamed to do so. Except in the case where abuse and trauma come into play, most of us feel ashamed because we deserved it. So why do we lie to start with, but most importantly, why can’t we admit to our wrongdoings?
Lauren Zander is the Co-Founder and Chairman of Handel Group®, an international corporate consulting and life coaching company. Her coaching methodology, The Handel Method®, is taught around the world. She has spent nearly 20 years coaching thousands of private and corporate clients, including executives at Vogue, BASF, and AOL.
To learn more about Lauren:
Website: handlegroup.com
Book: Maybe It's You: Cut the Crap. Face Your Fears. Love Your Life
Program: Inner.U Program
Instagram: @handelgroup
What does it take to thrive in business? How can you start thinking like a disruptor? Can you take control over your destiny or is that something you should leave to the Universe?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Miki Agrawal and I discuss how we all have complete control over our destiny and how we can succeed in our endeavors if we give ourselves permission to see things differently. In fact, when it comes to business, Miki was able to test her own thesis when it came to being successful. In order to create a winning product in today’s market, it needs to challenge the ordinary and everything we take for granted as “ normal”. Through innovation, an artful design, and communicating in an accessible language, your disruption will make you a success.
Plus, we also talk about how tenacity is essential to being successful in both business and in life. Miki swears that being tenacious played an immense role in her success and that she can say, without a doubt, that without tenacity, her vision wouldn't have stood a chance.
Miki Agrawal is a social entrepreneur who uses creativity and disruptive innovation to challenge the status quo and change culture. Miki is the founder of several acclaimed social enterprises, such as TUSHY, THINX, & WILD.
To learn more about Miki:
Website: mikiagrawal.com
Instagram:@mikiagrawal
What did you learn from the challenges you surpassed? Do you think that self-confidence is key to “winning” or thriving in life?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Chris Duffin and I chat about the challenging and uncomfortable situations that we may face in our lives and how surpassing those is the only way for us to grow both mentally, but physically too. In fact, the same can be said about your muscles.
We also talk about Chris’ impressive training techniques that have been tested and clinically proven to get the results most people are looking for when weight lifting, but with less weight and less training time. Known as the BFR (blood flow restriction) method, this allows your body to actively flush your body’s toxins and forces both lymphatic and blood drainage. In fact, this method reduces the blood flow in your body to an area, provoking deep muscle fatigue sooner. This causes hypertrophy, which is an increase and growth of your muscle.
Chris Duffin is an inventor, thought leader, and serial entrepreneur in Health and Fitness. He has Co-Founded multiple prominent brands the largest of which, Kabuki Strength. Chris has invented multiple ‘game-changing’ products improving human biomechanics under load, as well as systemized approaches to assessing and correcting human movement dysfunctions.
Find out more about Chris:
Website: christopherduffin.com
Book: The Eagle and the Dragon: A Story of Strength and Reinvention
Instagram:@mad_scientist_duffin
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Amen and I discuss the stigma towards mental illness and how it makes those who are suffering feel ashamed, which can worsen their symptoms and conditions. While most doctors might look at mental illness as a simple diagnosis, Dr. Amen was thought to think of people going through these health conditions not as someone with a diagnosis, but as a whole by considering the four circles of life; biological, psychological, social, and spiritual.
Plus, we also talk about how to deal with negative thoughts and a negative mindset. The first thing is to be able to detach ourselves from our thoughts, so we can deeply question them. Then, it is important to live with the end, meaning death, in mind. This way, we are much more likely to be present and take advantage of the now.
Dr.Daniel Amen is one of America’s leading psychiatrists and brain health experts. Dr. Amen has helped millions of people change their brains and lives through his health clinics, best-selling books, products and public television programs.He has appeared on numerous television shows including Dr. Phil, Larry King, Dr. Oz, The Doctors, and The View.
To learn more about Dr. Amen:
Website: danielamenmd.com
Book: Change Your Brain Change Your Life
Podcast: The Brain Warrior’s Way
Instagram: @doc_amen
What is embodied cognition? How do our senses help us process our reality? How can psychedelics help us let go and surrender?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Kyle and I discuss psychedelics. Kyle narrates his 17-day experience with a medicine known for allowing its users to continue living through the experience during their sleep, with one single dosage. Further on, we also discuss depression and what is currently going on in the world.
Another interesting subject we cover is the value of intentionality. We are intentional about certain things, such as a business. but then we can be completely unintentional about other things, such as a geographic location. However, having acceptance and love for whatever your answers are to what you are intentional and unintentional about is essential. There’s no answer to what is the right or wrong way to live a life, but you must have the awareness to be able to engage with the choices you make.
Kyle Kingsbury is the host of the Kyle Kingsbury Podcast, is an optimization expert, everyday shaman, full-time coach on the Fit For Service Fellowship, and a former UFC fighter.
How important is blood sugar stability to your overall health? What happens if we don’t have that? How should we be eating for optimal energy, brain function, and to achieve satiety?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Will Cole and I discuss how exactly fasting affects our levels of hunger and our health. In fact, fasting in a ketogenic diet, where most of the diet is plant-based, is a proven and effective way to help stabilize blood sugar, if done consistently.
Plus, Will discusses the benefits of eating and living intuitively and why he supports this lifestyle, beyond what the medical data says. He encourages people to check within themselves; check on their sleep quality, their energy levels, their brain functions, and to learn to listen to what feels better for themselves. This is the best way to achieve optimal health; by simply listening to your body.
Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional-medicine expert. Dr. Cole was named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation and is a health expert and course instructor for the world’s largest wellness brands such as mindbodygreen and goop.
To learn more about Dr. Will Cole:
Website: drwillcole.com
Instagram: @drwillcole
Podcast: The Art of Being Well with Dr. Will Cole
Book: Intuitive Fasting
Are you sleeping enough, eating enough, hydrating enough, or socializing enough? What happens if the answer is “no”? At what point will efficiency become a burden to our biology?
In this Episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Ruscio and I talk about how the answer to our health issues often lies in the foundational layers of our health. Too often, we have the initial reaction to look beyond those layers, when the answer to our conditions or disease lies in what we nourish and treat our bodies on a daily basis.
Plus, we talk about how moderation is key to everything. We all have different bodies, so we must all make use of measures on a moderate basis, such as dieting and exercising, as all of our bodies will respond in their own unique way. Lastly, stress isn't always a hazard. When loaded properly, stressors help our organisms become more resilient, every time we recover.
Dr. Ruscio is a Doctor of Natural Medicine, Doctor of Chiropractic, clinical researcher, and author. His book, Healthy Gut Healthy You, has helped countless patients regain their health even when numerous doctors have been unable to.
What we discuss:
02:19: At what point can efficiency become a burden to our biology?
05:22: Under what circumstances is stress beneficial?
06:31: Gut health issues and how they manifest in the US population
08:59: How Dr. Ruscio got into this field
13:23: How can we determine the likelihood of an issue coming from the gut?
14:43: What is an effective way to determine a gut-joint-related issue?
17:07: What are FODMAPs and how do they work?
23:09: Diets, food sourcing. and quality ingredients
27:53: Scientific research behind the cellular impact of feeling connected to something greater than yourself
34:36: Is sun exposure dangerous?
37:06: Vitamin D: supplements for the microbiota
38:16: Why is there an epidemic of undiagnosed sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome?
45:57: What is bloating and how can we use probiotics to reduce bloating?
53:09: What is the gut, actually?
56:27: The gut-brain relationship
58:56: The detrimental effects of excessive exercise
1:07:08: The ultimate balance in medicine
To learn more about Dr. Ruscio:
Instagram: @drruscio
Website: drruscio.com
Book: Healthy Gut, Healthy You
Where did COVID come from? What can you do right now to make sure you can fight the virus, if you are ever infected? Should you get vaccinated?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Steven Quay and I discuss how the Coronavirus has been able to develop so quickly in the human body, the mechanisms of it, and how our immune system works to fight it. We talk about how exactly vaccines act to help our body fight viruses and how the antibody-dependent enhancement’s (ADE) unpredictability can affect people of different ages.
Plus, Dr. Quay points out how the posture that we tend to hold during the day causes us to lose lung capacity. With our lungs and intercostal muscles being primordial to effectively fight the hazards of COVID, he suggests a yoga-based practice to help us develop both of these capacities.
Dr. Steven Quay has over 360 published contributions to medicine, placing him in the top 1% of scientists worldwide. He holds 87 US patents and has invented seven FDA-approved pharmaceuticals which have helped over 80 million people. He is the author of the best-selling book on surviving the pandemic, Stay Safe: A Physician's Guide to Survive Coronavirus.
What we discuss:
03:58: How can we train our body to help combat COVID and other respiratory diseases?
06:09: Aaron’s symptoms when he was infected with COVID
08:04: What does Dr. Quay recommend you do to fight Covid?
09:20: Supportive breathing practices you can start today
10:27: Where does the virus originate from?
15:19: What kind of repercussions has Dr. Quay faced for his scientific opinions?
17:59: What will the world be like post-vaccination?
19:06: Should young and healthy people take the vaccine?
20:35: The race between covid-2 vs the immune system
21:42: Are masks effective?
27:39: What does the future of the coronavirus look like?
30:41: The antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE)
32:28: What is the virus’ infection mechanism?
34:39: Describing the 3 phases of the virus
36:09: The burden of COVID in our world and political implications
40:56: Physiologic response to the vaccine Vs developed immune response
47:03: Why did Dr. Quay write his book?
48:50: What can we do to protect ourselves if we suspect we were exposed to the virus?
49:55: Why does it turn into pneumonia?
52:31: The issue with western medicine not looking at the importance of nutrition
57:52: How the metro transport system could have been the conduit to spreading COVID in major cities
Learn more about Dr. Steven Quay:
Website: drquay.com
What is the cure to pain? What are we supposed to do with the learnings we gain from going through painful experiences? What does holding space actually mean? What happens when we withhold our own truth?
In this episode of the Align podcast, Stefano shares with us why and how he hit rock bottom, how he expressed his addictions to sex, alcohol, physical extenuation, materialism, status, and how someone living through a similar passage can find peace with their story.
Plus, we explore the reality that most of us act according to what people feel is “normal” and expected by our society, which results in us feeling ashamed of expressing what we truly want and suppressing our own fantasies.
Stefanos Sifandos is a relationship alchemist, international speaker, and author who facilitates transformational growth through neuro-empowerment practices to help evolve and enhance relationships.
What we discuss:
06:03: Stefano’s 10 day fast in the wild
12:50: What does ‘holding space’ actually mean?
14:27: How to cultivate depth within ourselves in order to be of supportive of others
15:28: Stefano’s story of learning through pain
20:04: How does one acknowledge their own story in order to re-write it?
24:50: Are there any 'neuroses' that can't be healed by love?
28:34: Is it possible to re-parent ourselves?
29:30: What shame feels like to Stefano
35:55: How to come to peace with your own story
37:00: More about relationships
40:00: Thriving in familiarity Vs novelty
46:13: Masculine and feminine energy - how does polarity work?
51:33: How can we relate to each other effectively?
57:36: How a female embodies feminine elements to attract a masculine figure
1:04:49: Will society erupt?
1:05:39: Is equilibrium even sustainable?
1:10:31: Modern use of psychoactive substances to address trauma and wounds
To learn more about Stefanos:
Website: stefanossifandos.com
Instagram: @stefanossifandos
Can the dietary choices we make right now affect how we feel later in the day? What’s the difference between “doing” health and creating health?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Drew and I discuss how the food that we consume can impact our mental health both in a positive or negative way. For example, incorporating brain food such as omega-3 fatty acids and leafy greens are proven to help promote healthy brain functions and keep your mood stable.
Plus, we talk about how individuality is not something that is taken into consideration on social media when advice is shared in regards to health and diets. We all have different genetics and needs in terms of nutrition and following a cookie-cutter rule for nutrition can lead to unintentional malnutrition.
Drew Ramsey, M.D. is a psychiatrist, author, and farmer. He is a clear voice in the mental health conversation and one of psychiatry's leading proponents of using nutritional interventions. He is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.
What we discuss:
03:26: The 6-week anti-depressive timeframe
04:21: Why Drew decided to focus on anxiety and depression
07:43: The impact on the health care system when the health care providers' mental health is not taken care of
11:28: Being in the cycle of nature
15:24: Bacterial exposure in nature and how it relates to mental health
20:29: How are bugs controlling us?
24:24: A prediction on the effect on young people being hindered from facial expressions due to the current mask usage
28:47: What is nutritional psychiatry?
34:06: How does social media influence our choices and the dangers of not considering our individuality
37:53: Why some patients might feel worse in their first psychiatry appointment
40:51: Are we at an inflexible point in the masculinity shift?
50:53: How will the world be after COVID in regards to social and sanitization matters
55:24: Discussion on labeling people with a certain pathology
57:23: What can awareness actually do?
1:01:22: Drew's Ramsey book
1:07:55: What’s next in medical research?
1:18:26: Olive oil; why it should be the main fat we consume
1:19:26: Top foods that might cause depression from a nutritional standpoint
More about Drew:
Website: drewramseymd.com
Instagram: @drewramseymd
For some of us, we tend to say yes to any opportunity that comes our way. For others, we just aren't able to say no to favors that are being asked of us. But why is that? Why do we say YES when we want to scream NO?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Christine Hassler and I define issue-based relationships, how to build a proper foundation for opening up to relationships, and what type of people should be staying single at certain points in their lives.
Plus, we cover how compensatory strategies are formed in childhood as coping mechanisms that are later reflected throughout our adult lives.
Christine Hassler is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, master coach, and podcast host who is committed to guiding people and organizations into their highest potential.
What we discuss:
02:00: Christine's process in saying “no”
05:04: Where does the fear of saying “no” come from?
08:34: How can someone recognize their own compensatory patterns? What is the expectation hangover?
11:16: Why are we here?
12:54: Does the ideal mate exist?
17:25: How to create a foundation in order to open up space for a relationship
20:42: What are issue-based relationships?
23:02: Can a relationship just be easy?
25:02: Can we create a healthy foundation by examining our childhood?
28:48: how to connect to ourselves as a child
30:59: Christine's first deep inner child meditation
42:34: Who should stay single?
45:59: How does Christine define God + her religious upbringing
1:03:44: How are our outer experiences a reflection of the inner reality?
To learn more about Christine:
Website: christinehassler.com
Instagram: @christinehassler
Podcast: Over It & On With It
What is a thought? Where are our thoughts located? What weight do our thoughts have?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Caroline Leaf and I discuss what defines the concept of thoughts and how exactly they affect our body and our DNA. In fact, the human brain is capable to identify toxic and negative thoughts and treat them as foreign invaders, similar to how our bodies react to foreign invaders that attack our immune system.
Plus, Dr. Leaf shares with us a proven 5 step process that is designed to help us overcome trauma, depression, anxiety, and more.
Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. She has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. Dr. Leaf is also the bestselling author of Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, and many more.
What we discuss:
02:02: What is a thought? Where are thoughts located? What weight do our thoughts have?
06:12: How much control do we have over our entire thought process?
08:01: Dr. Leaf’s path to engaging in the knowledge of the mind
14:4: How do we experience things through our mind?
18:29: An explanation to why we don’t have a negative bias
19:18: Why are our brains drawn to the negative?
23:16: What is consciousness and unconsciousness? How do they relate to each other?
36:55: Where does shame come from?
43:27: Breaking down the NeuroCycle
51:55: The advantage of multi-perspective
To learn more about Dr. Leaf:
Website: drleaf.com
Instagram: @drcarolineleaf
Podcast: Cleaning Up the Mental Mess
We often feel that the career choice we made years ago is permanent, that we are hostages of a degree we earned or a couple of decades of experience that we accumulated. But that isn’t true.
In this episode of the Align podcast, Ashley Stahl and I discuss the 9 core skill sets that you should develop if you are contemplating switching careers. Plus, Ashley explains how the skills that you naturally have are more important than the interests you have.
Lastly, we get to hear all about how Ashley’s impressive background in counterterrorism helped her develop soft skills that are essential for the career choice she made after leaving the Pentagon.
Ashley is an angel investor, writer, career coach, podcast host, and an ex-counterterrorism professional for the Pentagon. Her leadership firm, Ashley International Inc., offers private coaching and unparalleled online programs to empower Millennials to find their purpose, land more job offers, and increase their income.
What we discuss:
04:26: Ashley's creative process for writing her new book
08:36: Expanding options vs going unidirectionally in a career
12:56: Making core skill sets relevant
16:22: Ashley's background in counter-terrorism
22:39: How Ashley incurred a loss in her business
24:41: What brought Ashley to her current formula?
29:25: Why did the Senate get raided?
32:22: Ashley's day to day working in counter-terrorism and international development
35:57: How are skill sets becoming obsolete in the workforce
40:01: What was Ashley's relation to Al-Qaeda in her professional role?
41:51: Ashley's experience as a female in her previous field
44:42: Developing self-awareness to determine our own hardness
47:00: Making career choices based on past wounds
48:46: What are the required skills of a good spy?
52:37: The power of being good with words
55:16: How did Ashley's perception of death evolve throughout time
01:03:05: The value and disadvantages of the current educational system
01:05:42: Changing careers at a mature age
To learn more about Ashley:
Website: ashleystahl.com
Instagram: @ashleystahl
Podcast: Your Turn Podcast
How many of you experienced bullying in your childhood? How did that experience shape the person that you are today? Is self-love all that you need to get through difficult times?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, we get deep and personal with Justin Wren. From bullying to self-sabotage with addiction, we discuss the importance of learning self-love and how expressing kindness towards yourself and others is the key to healing.
We also get a very intimate insight into Justin’s darkest thoughts and moments and how he overcame them. Plus, a message is given to those going through dark times.
Justin Wren is a former heavyweight division fighter, holding an MMA record of 15-2. After overcoming depression and addiction, Justin took the decision to step away from MMA, seeking out a purpose and passion for his life. He then founded Fight For The Forgotten initiative, where he now fights for those who don’t have a voice.
If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Call 1-800-273-8255 to talk.
What we discuss:
02:26: Justin's relationship with his mom
05:30: What do martial arts teach you?
07:11: What makes a bully?
11:18: Justin's experience with bullying
24:50: Learning how to love yourself
29:17: Discussing suicide ideation and attempt: Justin's experience
01:08:44: How kindness can help you
01:17:47: Self-sabotage with addiction
01:22:58: A message for those going through dark times
01:34:10: More about the Fight for the Forgotten initiative
To learn more about Justin:
Website: fightfortheforgotten.org
Instagram: @fightfortheforgotten / @thebigpygmy
Podcast: The Justin Wren Podcast
Are you honest with yourself? Do you have realistic expectations of how your body can perform? What thoughts are you using to fuel your body and optimize its performance?
In this episode of the Align podcast, Steven Kotler and I discuss how understanding our own human biology is the most important thing we can do for ourselves in order to properly pursue and attain our goals. In fact, knowing how to make biology work for us and not against us is the secret of many successful people.
We also talk about the crucialness of honesty, and how we must accept that we can only work with what we have. Steven recommends how we should feed our pattern recognition system properly and on a daily basis to help us reach peak body and brain performance.
Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. His nine bestsellers are praised all around the world and by industry leaders such as Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and more.
What we discuss:
02:56: Discussing Steven's religious upbringing
08:42: How peak performance and honesty related to each other
10:00: Changing a child's direction through parenting
12:20: How praying is great training for peak performance
14:36: How evolution has been shaped by the force of innovation
16:31: What is the general thinking of flow?
18:13: Drivers of evolution: more food and better health
22:36: Why long-term planning and flow are dissociated
26:03: Kotler's Art of Impossible book
28:26: Motivation, learning, creativity and flow
To learn more about Steven:
Website: stevenkotler.com
Book mentioned: Art of Impossible
Instagram: @kotler.steven
Podcast: Flow Research Collective Radio
If time is relative, how can we dilate it to live presently? How can you improve your focus to bring more time, energy, and money into flow? What does a monk think of money and what financial advice does he give?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a conversation with Pedram Shojai, a.k.a. The Urban Monk, about the very fundamentals of meditation, how to be present and mindful, and how you can go as far as you can with the means you have today.
Plus, we talk about the concept of identity and how so many of us nowadays find our identity structure through ideology groups. We also discuss the value of rites of passage and the importance of wilderness, which often seems to be a missing component in urban life.
Pedram is a master herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, and wellness consultant. He is a dynamic teacher, Taoist minister, and lifelong student of various Alchemical Traditions. Pedram is also a Filmmaker and author, father, and husband.
What we discuss:
03:55: Pedram’s experience of studying with the Dalai Lama
04:47: Explaining educational and philosophical differences between Tibetans and Westerners
06:51: How and why Pedram became a Taoist monk
10:16: How to self-reconcile
12:53: Best practices for optimal focus
14:55: Why do we spend so much time online and how can we stop doing that?
20:08: The value in rites of passage
26:41: Money is trade
29:28: Financial advice from a monk
33:15: Being able to re-write our own story
38:42: Can meditation have different forms?
40:32: How to meditate effectively
44:17: Dissecting the perception of time and how to dilate it
:51:44: Dealing with imposter syndrome
53:55: Transitioning to a bigger game in life
To learn more about Pedram Shojai:
Website: theurbanmonk.com
Instagram: @official_urbanmonk
Book: The Urban Monk
Podcast: The Urban Monk Podcast
What is thyroid disease, exactly? What causes it? Can we even reverse thyroid disease? If so, how can we do that?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a conversation with Alan Christianson, where we discuss how the foods we choose to fuel our body can actually help reverse thyroid disease and how a healthy thyroid contributes to our immune system, our mental health, and our physical health. We then break down what is iodine, what are the optimal levels for human consumption, and what are the best resources we can refer to in order to ensure we are intaking the proper and recommended amount.
We also pick Alan’s brain about emotions and how they can impact our overall wellbeing, his own personal practices of meditation and journaling, and we even touch upon epistemology!
Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) who specializes in natural
endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders. He is the author of The Metabolism Reset Diet
and the New York Times bestselling book The Adrenal Reset Diet. He has been named a Top Doctor in Phoenix Magazine and has appeared on national TV shows and in numerous print media.
Website: https://www.drchristianson.com
Instagram: @dralanchristianson
Book: https://www.drchristianson.com/thyroidresetdiet/#Bonus
What we discuss:
[00:02:46] Christianson's new book on thyroid disease research
[00:04:26] The value in making our own food
[00:06:54] What is Iodine?
[00:09:47] The repercussions of iodine deficiency and excess
[00:11:52] What are the optimal levels of iodine?
[00:13:12] What causes thyroid disease?
[00:15:59] Can thoughts and feelings affect the functioning of the thyroid?
[00:18:45] What is the thyroid and how does it work?
[00:20:10] How emotional states contribute to your physical health issues
[00:22:50] Do we have free will?
[00:26:01] Alan’s biggest challenges
[00:32:09] How do we know we know?
[00:36:30] A guide to mediation and journaling practices
[00:38:37] Alan’s thoughts on God
[00:40:19] What are signs of an underlying thyroid issue?
[00:41:26] Can all diseases be reversed and what be the root cause for it?
[00:43:10] How does toxic fat develop?