How often do we extend the effort to connect with our parents as the humans they truly are? Do we really know who they were before their parent roles and who they are beyond?
This episode is truly special: My mother, Tina Louise Thomas, and I have a deeply intimate and vulnerable conversation that we initially were hesitant to release. Although, we decided if it helps even just one person connect more deeply with their parents or child, it's worth it.
We talk about holding in emotions (and why my mother felt the need to hide her emotions during my upbringing), accepting aging and death, dealing with regrets, navigating forgiveness, moving forward after divorce and so much more.
This has been a beautiful moment in which we felt deeply connected to each other, and probably one of the most important moments of my life.
What we discuss:
My mother is a brilliant and very musician and artist, former Miss Pennsylvania and Miss America scholarship pageant national talent winner and runner-up.
This to her music here: https://soundcloud.com/tina_louise_thomas
Do you wonder how your sex life can improve our relationships– with others and with yourself–either in a monogamous, a polyamory, or an open relationship?
In this conversation with Whitney Miller, we talk about the dynamics of monogamous vs. polyamory relationship, we go deep into details of sexuality within relationships and we discuss a very interesting pleasure exploration technique of the vulva: the vulva mapping.
In her past polyamory experience, she shares what she learned about herself to be able to thrive in it, namely understand why she got jealous, why she got sad, and how she was able to cultivate meaningful relationships with women by having to constantly have vulnerable conversations which allowed her to truly love the other women.
Often, relationships help us to open up a part of ourselves that needs to be exposed in order to heal and to know ourselves better: our thought processes, our patterns, and how we respond to challenges. Whitney tells us how deeply transformative this process was in her open relationship with Audrey Marcus and how that forced her to profoundly dive into herself.
She shares with us intimate details of her preferences with candid honesty, so if you are dating or looking to date women this could be a key to understanding what might arouse and please a woman before and during sex. And it’s not at all just about sex: asking the other person meaningful questions is likely to be a skill that enables them to open up. Whitney also tells us what are her own favourites questions, what she finds attractive in a man, and how playfulness is so important.
Whitney is a love, sex, and relationship coach: an expert in the realm of union between partners and sexuality. Former Miss United States and sports anchor Whitney Miller has found her true calling helping individuals and couples. Her experiential journey to self-mastery started 5 years ago with her well-publicized open relationship with her fiancé, Aubrey Marcus. Whitney has since joined forces with some of the leading scientists and researchers in the field, and now hosts talks and workshops around the world.
What we discuss:
[00:04:47] Letting go of how Whitney thought life should be has been making her more open to change.
[00:05:50] Where Whitney's need for protecting herself comes from.
[00:07:09] What permitted the sensation of safety to let people in Whitney's life.
[00:08:34] Why the relationship with Aubrey was fundamental to Whitney's self-discovery.
[00:09:09] How we receive superpowers and faults from our parents and our relationships.
[00:10:42] Why Whitney thinks there is usefulness in suppressing emotions.
[00:11:48] Whitney's latest Ayuashca experience showed her to go over one fear in particular.
[00:14:39] Making it through life instead of living life: "If you let out what is within you, it will heal you. If you hold it in, it will destroy you".
[00:15:57] Qualities in a man that are attractive to Whitney.
[00:17:18] What was attractive in Aubry from Whitney's perspective.
[00:19:06] Why Whitney and Aubrey were sincere about the constraints of their polyamorous relationship.
[00:20:31] What Whitney feel she learned from her experience in a polyamorous relationship
[00:21:39] Is polyamory sustainable and does it have longevity?
[00:24:27] Whitney's present terms of relationship preferences.
[00:29:38] How does a man show he holds the qualities of stability and safety?
[00:32:11] Is it possible to hold a certainty about the relationship course?
[00:33:21] What is the process of stepping back and re-access in a relationship?
[00:35:59] Whitney's experience in relationships in which one partner goes through change and the other isn't
[00:38:07] What good sex means for Whitney.
[00:46:14] How does a woman want a vulva massage?
[00:46:55] What is vulva mapping and how to do it.
[00:48:25] Butt play and anal sex.
[00:51:45] What is the perfect set up for sex?
[00:54:12] How does Aaron creates contact?
[00:56:01] How to ask meaningful questions about the other person.
Find more from Whitney:
Instagram: @whitnlove
Website: https://whitnlove.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-sex-wild-love/id1472061802
Relationships are complicated, no matter what kind of relationship you are in–whether it's with your partner, your family, your friends, or your co-workers. The biggest issues that arise within relationships stem from our attachment to needing others to validate us and make us feel whole, our inability to communicate what we are feeling and holding onto attachment, and struggling to stay deeply connected in a society that is built to pull us apart.
In this episode of the Align Podcast, I'm joined by the beautiful and dynamic couple, Miki Agrawal and Andrew Horn, who share insight into navigating through these issues and how they personally keep their relationship alive, happy, and healthy.
This episode is somewhat of a couples counseling session that Andrew guides us through and I'm simply just a fly on the wall.
Miki is a social entrepreneur who uses creativity and disruptive innovation to challenge the status quo and change culture. She is the founder of several acclaimed social enterprises: WILD, THINX & TUSHY (collectively valued at over $200 million).
Andrew Horn is a also serial social entrepreneur, speaker and writer based in Brooklyn, NY who is a frequent contributor to media outlets like MindBodyGreen, HuffPo and TheMuse. He focuses his writing on “The Art of Meaningful Conversation” – How to overcome anxiety, ask better questions and connect with anyone.
Find more from Miki:
Website: www.mikiagrawal.com
Instagram: @mikiagrawal
Find more from Andrew:
Website: www.itsandrewhorn.com
Instagram: @itsandrewhorn
Did you know nitric oxide plays a fundamental role in the optimal functioning of your body? Nitric oxide not only has an anti-microbial effect (it kills bacteria and viruses), but also has a series of preventive functions, such as hypertension, inflammation, and coronary-artery disease and heart attack.
Dr. Louis Ignarro is the 1998 Nobel Peace price winner in Physiology Medicine for discovering nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. And in this episode, he shares the knowledge he has cultivated from his 50 years of research on the topic.
So how can we boost this important molecule in our bodies? It’s surprisingly easy: by intaking antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and breathing through our nose! As Dr Louis said, inhaling has been thought of for thousands of years as being important, especially by yogis, but only about 15-18 years ago the physiological significance was discovered: as we breathe through our nose Nitric Oxide is carried to the lungs.
What we dicuss:
Find more from Dr. Louis Ignarro
Website: http://www.drignarro.com/
Instagram: @dr.louisignarro
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrIgnarro
Have you ever heard the term ‘humiliatrix’?
It might ring a bell and you can probably guess in which industry this profession belongs to. But the contours of it might surprise you!
In this episode, guest Ceara Lynch discusses her career: a niche in men’s fantasies and needs. She calls herself a Humiliatrix where she humiliates men, by request, in the most different ways.
During her career she has worked with all sorts of men and perhaps contrary to what many would think, there isn’t exactly an obvious pattern of men who seek to be professionally humiliated, which led her to gain a non-judgmental view of people. We also talk about Ceara plans for the future as a means to fulfillment and learning and how achieving life goals can have us spin into existential crises.
Overall, this was a fascinating conversation about the intricacies of being human.
Ceara Lynch works as a humiliatrix and had a curious start in the industry at only 17 years old. She is also the host of the Standard Deviation Podcast and an executive producer and actress on the fictional documentary ‘Use Me’.
What we discuss:
[00:03:01] What a Humiliatrix is
[00:04:31] How Ceara got into this line of work
[00:08:20] Is there a type of man that seeks this service?
[00:09:23] Do certain kinks come from trauma?
[00:11:21] How does usually one online session go?
[00:13:10] A client's fetish that surprised Ceara
[00:17:11] What Ceara has learned from her work that she applies to her daily life
[00:19:38] How Ceara sees her future
[00:21:41] How reaching one big goal led Ceara to a small-scale existential crisis
[00:23:18] Is the sensation of helping people the solution to an existential crisis driven by having enough money?
[00:24:20] Is Ceara's work in the line of pornography?
[00:25:12] What are Ceara's friends like?
[00:25:52] Are the common stereotypes about pornstars true?
[00:26:48] Ceara's talks about her documentary 'Use Me'
[00:27:27] How is the internet changing things for pornstars?
[00:29:05] Is Ceara an entrepreneur?
[00:30:02] How Ceara started to manage money differently throughout her career
[00:32:23] The key to be successful in the industry
[00:34:10] What Ceara's parents think about her profession
[00:35:50] Is Ceara's job an issue to her relationships?
[00:37:13] Is it fair to expect monogamy from most people?
[00:39:04] Standard Deviation: Ceara's podcast
[00:45:23] Are some exceptional individuals just products of their environment?
Find more from Ceara Lynch:
Website: https://www.cearalynch.com/
Instagram: @cearalynch
Podcast: https://standardpodcast.com/
Film: https://www.facebook.com/usememovie/
Is the lymphatic system the missing link in your healing? In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Perry Nickleston guides us through the vital role of the lymphatic system in the functioning of our entire body.
In western medicine, we often use a bandaid to cover the symptoms that possibility are trying to make us aware of a larger, underlying issue. And by treating symptoms in isolation, without considering the entire system as a whole, it often results in long-term chronic pain and fatigue, a compromised immune system, and cancer.
Plus, Dr. Nickleston discusses our mental and lymphatic health in-depth, why he thinks of the human body as an aquarium, and the correlation of the body-mind relationship by showing how trauma and physical and emotional stress can manifest in our health
Perry Nickelston, DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA, is a Chiropractic Physician with a primary focus on Performance Enhancement, Corrective Exercise, and Metabolic Fitness Nutrition He is the author of the “Stop Chasing Pain” program, combining his expertise in myofascial, orthopedic, medical and trigger point soft tissue therapy. He uses programs designed to find your source of painful dysfunction.
He is an absolute wizard on functional medicine, functional movement, and the works of the lymphatic system.
What we discuss:
Find more from Dr Perry Nickelston:
Website: https://www.stopchasingpain.com
Instagram: @stopchasingpain
Are you ready for anything life throws your way?
In this episode of the Align Podcast, guest Kelly Starrett discusses how putting ourselves in physically stressful situations prepares us for the mentally stressful situations life throws our way. The example he shares is how the risk he emersed himself in doing high-level white water kayaking mentally prepared him for the risk he took to start his own business.
We dive into why taking risks and breaking ourselves against our fear doesn't make us more reckless, but actually makes us more responsible in the decisions we make in our lives.
Kelly is a physical therapist, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, the founder of The Ready State, and to be honest, my preferred human of choice.
Kelly has had a profound impact on me personally, and I'm excited to have him back on the podcast in hopes of having a profound impact on you as well.
What we discuss:
02:25 - How does your bike affect your spine?
05:05 - How to implement biking into your life?
10:45 - What's actively challenging you in your life?
15:20 - Acknowledge bad behaviours and taking action
16:40 - The relationship between trying and doing
19:30 - The pressure of quarantine and it's social impact
22:10 - The value of experiences of being poor vs having too much abundance
27:00 - The relationship with tribalism.
32:45 - Breaking yourself against your fear
36:35 - How fear teaches you how to be in your body
40:50 - Why we seek dangerous behaviours
47:00 - The connection between physical risk and mental risk.
51:00 - Normal Accidents Theory
53:00 - Why it's easier to add to your diet than to subtract from it
Find more from Kelly:
Should cannabis be illegal? Is cannabis simply an escape? Does smoking it frequently makes us a “dud”? Should there be guilt and shame around using it? Or is cannabis a healing mechanism that allows you the opportunity to go deeper within yourself and become more in tune with the world around you?
In this episode, gust Eben Britton shares the history of cannabis, the truth behind cannabis, and how we can use it with the right intentions to seek a higher perspective and return to our true self.
Eben is a former American football offensive tackle who played six seasons in the NFL. His football career provided him with an in-depth, firsthand experience of dealing with immense pain and trauma which led him to learn and cultivate practices that allowed him to heal and restore. This is what led him to cannabis and since then he has become an expert on the topic. Cannabis has allowed him to seek hidden truths and bring him back to himself.
What we discuss:
4:30 - How Eben became a cannabis advocate
9:00 - Why cannabis is one of the most misunderstood plants
10:00 - Cannabis history, war on drugs, it's useful effects.
20:00 - The endocannabinoid system in our bodies
23:45 - The history of weed
27:00 - Propaganda and demonizing cannabis, why hemp farming was shut down, and the underworld that was created.
35:00 - Cannabis mythology
41:00 - My experience with cannabis vs. alcohol
43:00 - How cannabis is a mirror showing you a reflection of yourself
46:00 - Why cannabis isn’t always an escape
48:00 - How cannabis associates you with what’s truly real
55:00 - The Bible as a psychedelic experience
57:00 - Cannabis as the first step into plant medicine
1:01:00 - How and why Eben started with cannabis
Find more from Eben:
Instagram: @edsbritton
Website: ebenbritton.com
Podcast: The Eben Flow
People are less in touch with their bodies―and especially their breathing―than ever before. And ironically, people who take pride in taking care of their bodies actually put themselves at greater risk. Why? Because they’re asking their body to take on next-level demands, but failing at life’s most essential skill: efficient breathing.
Proper breathing is the world’s most powerful biohack.
In this episode of the Align Podcast, Belisa Vranich shares how we can master our breath to unlock more strength, greater endurance, sharper precision, faster recovery, and ultimately optimize our lives.
Belisa is a clinical psychologist, author of Breathing for Warriors, founder of The Breathing Class, and is here to give you a step-by-step guide on how to biohack your breath.
Find more from Belisa:
Instagram: @drbelisa
Book: Breathing for Warriors
Website: thebreathingclass.com
Disclaimer: This isn’t your typical Paul Saladino podcast episode on the Carnivore Diet.
I’ve had him on the podcast before where I challenged him on the topic. This conversation is more focused on how food has effected human evolution, why our brains are shrinking, the actual cause of visceral fat, what it would take to actually get the nutrients you need through plant-based foods. Plus, during the episode, he pulls up an assortment of different graphs and charts to validate his points which I found beyond fascinating. Be sure to watch the episode on YouTube as well to view.
One thing I respect about Dr. Saladino is the extensive research he does before putting his viewpoints into the world. I know for many people, believing we should only be eating animal-based foods sounds like the unhealthiest thing we could do for ourselves. Although, Paul has extensive studies to back up his claims and also does not believe you need to eat 100% animal-based to reap the benefits. And another disclaimer, he does not believe only eating conventional animal foods and muscle meat attributes to a healthy diet. And in the episode, he explains why.
I believe Dr. Saladino to be an important figure in the wellness community as he challenges the general narrative of nutritional dogma. He is completely going against the grain of most accepted modern concepts of having a balanced nutritional diet and goes more towards an ancestral approach utilizing animal-based foods for our nutrition.
What we discuss:
Be sure to checkout the newest version of his, The Carnivore Code, here.
Listen to our other conversation on the Carnivore Diet here where I give him a good challenge on his beliefs behind consuming an animal-based diet.
Our food is getting cheaper and cheaper, but at what cost? Not only are our current farming and food processing practices and systems deteriorating our health, but it's causing even more harm to our ecosystem.
The question at play in this episode is how can we create food for ourselves in such a way that actually restores the health and vitality of the soil of which we are producing our food?
In this episode, I am joined by Anya Fernald who has the asnwer. She is the founder and CEO of Belcampo Inc., a family of companies that encompasses Belcampo farms where they humanely raise organic meat (which I believe produces the highest quality meat I have ever come across in my life). Belcampo focuses exclusively on regenerative farming practices, which means it restores the land it uses rather than deteriorate it.
Anya is a brilliant woman and I was in complete awe throughout the entire interview learning from her about our food, where it comes from, and the impact it has on our environment.
What we discuss:
How we have “perfected” nature 5:00
The interconnectedness of nature (How we solve one problem but create another): 13:00
The different roles of animals: 18:30
How animal digestive systems work and how it’s integral to our ecosystem: 21:30
Eating non-socially acceptable parts of animals 23:30
Shocking foods fed to animals: 29:00
Animals in Confinement vs. Pasture-raised: 30:00
Why cow farts are harmful to the environment: 32:00
What is regenerative farming: 33:00
What happens when you farm on marginal land: 40:00
Is regenerative farming scalable?: 41:00
The shift in mentally that needs to happen in the value we place on meat in our diet: 47:00
Anya’s tips for what our first steps should be 53:00
Check out Belcampo here.
Follow Anya on IG here.
We are a species that–whether we want to face it or not–is on it’s way to becoming extinct and this earth will carry on with or without us. So the great question Michael and I explore in this conversation is how can we pull ourselves back from all the noise so that we are able to hear the signal? Michael believes the answer to this question is shifting the way we live by reverting back to ancient ways, techniques, and worldly views. What does that mean? Download now to find out more.
Michael is a social entrepreneur focused on building movements for social impact. As a Fulbright Scholar, he studied community-building strategies in Sri Lanka, where he lived and researched for two years. As a member of the Board of Directors of Sarvodaya USA Michael worked intimately with Sri Lanka's largest social movement and NGO, Sarvodaya, serving 11 million people across 15,000 villages. Since that time he has traveled and worked to build global movements.
What we discuss:
The collective vs. Individual way of living: 6:00
Shifting the way we live to preserve humanity: 20:00
Michaels shamanic experience: 34:00
Using psychedelics 37:00
RIghts of passage: 42:00
Find more from Michael:
Instagram: @michaeltrainer
Podcast: Peak Mind
If you think you’ve heard everything Max Lugavere has to say about the Genius Life, I’m guessing you haven’t heard this. We go deeper than his brand-new book and take a look into how Max lives his personal Genius Life. We not only discuss his brand-new book, The Genius Life, but also dive into how he has navigated through the events of 2020, the music he creates (did you know he’s a musician?), and all things mind and body because that’s what this podcast is all about.
Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist and the author of the New York Times best-seller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life, as well as The Genius Life: Heal Your Mind, Strengthen Your Body, and Become Extraordinary, which is his newest book. He is also the host of the #1 Apple Podcasts Health podcast, The Genius Life.
What we discuss:
How posting only your “best side” can be a form of violence to others 4:30
Max’s experience navigating through the coronavirus: 8:00
Statistics on obesity: 18:00
What inflammation does to your body: 20:30
The three H’s that define good health: 28:00
Common nutrient deficiencies: 29:45
Max’s personal journey as a musician: 34:00
Dealing with trauma: 49:00
Mastering your voice: 55:00
Find more from Max:
Website: www.maxlugavere.com
Instagram: @maxlugavere
Book: The Genius Life
Podcast: The Genius Life Podcast
Let's talk about Black Lives Matter.
Some people believe protesting and posting on social media is the most effective way to bring about change in our country, although I believe the most effective way is to become better educated on exactly what is happening, as well as have open dialog and honest conversations to help better understand.
In this episode of the Align Podcast, I'm joined by Robert Fergusson who shares his experience growing up as an African American with the racism and injustice in our country. He also shares his approach to supporting the movement and his best advice for how we can make an actual change.
I cannot thank Robert enough for providing me with a new perspective on the movement. I hope you enjoy the conversation and find it as beneficial as much as I did.
In this episode of the Align podcast, I chat with returning guest Dr. Christian Gonzalez on the happenings in the world right now. We discuss:
Are the numbers screwed? And why are they screwed?
Are face masks actually effective?
Is quarantining the best solution flattening the curve?
Is a vaccine the ultimate solution?
Is over-sanitizing helping or hurting our immunity?
What are alternative measures we can be taking to strengthen our immunity?
Why is our free speech being taken away?
It’s important to note this is a conversation and not to be taken as hard facts. Now more than ever it is important for you to question everything you hear, do your own research, and take everything with a grain of salt. Although, I hope this conversation provides you with a new perspective and challenges you to rethink and question what is happening in the world today.
Dr. Gonzalez is a naturopathic doctor who earned his Bachelor of Science degree at Rutgers University and his Medical Doctorate at the University of Bridgeport's College of Naturopathic Medicine.
Dr. Gonzalez's previous episode on the podcast:
Find more from Dr. Gonzalez:
Instagram: @doctor.g_
Podcast: Heal Thy Self
In this episode, I am joined by a good friend, Luke Storey, who shares his wisdom cultivated through overcoming his personal addiction and trauma and developing his higher self.
We begin the conversation discussing the topics of the current situation with tech senatorship, Luke’s outlook on pollution and why we pollute the earth, and the effects 5G and radiation have on our bodies.
We then dive into a deep and meaningful conversation on why we become addicts, how to break our cycles of addiction, the karmic effect of how we live our lives, and how it ties into our spiritual evolution.
Luke Storey is a motivational speaker, kundalini yoga and meditation teacher, world-class biohacker, host of The Life Stylist Podcast, and founder of the world's premier online fashion school for stylists, School of Style which he founded in 2008.
Luke’s spent the past twenty-three years developing and refining the ultimate wellness lifestyle, based on the most transformative principles of primal health and ancient spiritual practices, while at the same time embracing the most cutting-edge natural healing and consciousness-expanding technologies. He has tenaciously applied the results of his field research and used them to not only completely transform his own life but also the lives of thousands of fans and followers through his various media channels and speaking engagements.
What we discuss:
Tech censorship 2:00
Polluting the earth 6:00
5G and radiation 11:00
Addiction and trauma 23:00
Karma and our spiritual evolution 55:00
Find more from Luke:
In this episode of the Align podcast, Jim Kwik and I have a conversation on the three senses: sound, touch, and sight. We discuss how you are born with these powerful tools but the majority of us never get trained on how to use and develop them effectively. We also discuss how these powers relate not only to our overall wellbeing but also to our cognitive performance and physiology. This episode will give you a clear guide on how to tap into the power of sound, sight, and touch, to change the way you interact in the world and more importantly, the way you interact with yourself.
Check out Jim's new book: Limitless
Follow Jim on Instagram: @jimkwik
How often do you think about why you do what you do, why you see the world a certain way, and why you’re unable to create change within yourself? In this episode of the Align podcast, Kyle Thiermann and I have a deep conversation that will change your viewpoint on how you approach multiple aspects of your life.
We answer the questions...
Kyle is a Patagonia Surf Ambassador, producer, freelance journalist, and host of the podcast, The Kyle Thiermann Show. Kyle is also the co-creator and producer of The Motherf*cker Awards, a satirical awards show that aims to create corporate accountability through comedy.
Celebrity dog trainer and guest of this episode of the Align podcast, Tamar Gellar, discusses the wisdom and knowledge she has cultivated through dog training and shares how it can be applied to the lives of humans. We discuss a range of topics, including how our ability to accept and embrace pain increases the quality of our lives, how we are forced out of living our truth in today’s society, and the importance of connecting and aligning with our feelings.
Tamar Geller is a New York Times bestselling author and as OPRAH says “A Life Coach for Dogs and their People”. “The Loved Dog” method that she created almost 30 years ago is based on the knowledge she acquired as an intelligence officer in the Israeli Special Forces, from the respect that she gained for the wisdom of nature during the time she spent observing wolves in the wild, and her devotion to personal growth. Tamar has transformed lives and impacted relationships not only for dogs but also of people, who gained insight into themselves and their loved ones while learning Tamar’s unique and mindfulness-based dog training method.
Tamar has helped celebrity clients like Ben Affleck, Jon Stewart, Larry King, Ryan Seacrest, Julianne Hough, Charlize Theron, Reese Witherspoon, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Anniston, Ellen DeGeneres & Portia DeRossi & of course Oprah, and many non-famous dog lovers, to have the most awesome dogs.
What we discuss: