Free Your Inner Guru

Prior to 2020, Kathleen Oh believed anti-vaccination was the best way she could protect her children. In this compelling conversation, Kathleen shares how a courageous and empathetic friend led her to understand the deep-seated racism and white privilege underlying her beliefs. Kathleen shares how stepping away from her former community put her on a path of healing and awareness of cult dynamics in her midst. In this first episode of 2022, Kathleen Oh and Laura take a deep dive into psychedelics, altered states, politics and predators in the world of personal transformation. And why it's necessary for all coaches to critically evaluate the training and bigwigs in their coaching lineage. Kathleen Oh is an integration coach helping people on their self-exploration journeys. She educates and guides curious explorers through microdosing psychedelics & breathwork, and most importantly, heal and expand into all that's possible. She is sought after for her authentic, soft-but-confident approach. Personally, Kathleen has overcome childhood trauma, depression and addiction. Offline, Kathleen lives in Niagara, Ontario, loves to hike with her dogs. She feels most connected when in nature. Her favourite moments are in the darkness and the deep cold of a Canadian winter. Mentioned in this episode: Dr Janja Lalich - janjalalich.com Take Back Your Life Recovery Workshops Past episodes: Dr Janja Lalich, Nathanael Garrett Novosel, AdaPia D'Errico Connect with Kathleen online: Website - coachkathleenoh.comInstagram - @therealcoachoh Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruRate and review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or CastboxShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletterInstagram – @freeyourinnnerguru and @thatlauratucker

Sean Tucker is a photographer, filmmaker and writer who inspires fellow creatives through his popular YouTube channel and new book “The Meaning in the Making,” in which he shares his philosophy for the creative life. Before Sean became a photographer, he studied theology and worked as a Baptist priest in South Africa. You're going to hear about his journey into and out of the priesthood, then into photography, why he started his Youtube channel, and wrote his recent book The Meaning in the Making where he demystifies the creative process by sharing his stories and creative process. You're going to love this rich conversation. It touches on all the topic categories of this podcast: creativity, spirituality, finding and using your voice, and stepping away from structured, institutionalized religion. As we close out 2021, Sean gives us a real sense of what it's like to bring all parts of ourselves to our work, as evidenced in his philosophical approach to photography. He wants us to put our voice out into the world, imbue it with more meaning to tell a better story and give a deeper truth. This is an intense and hopeful conversation, one that I hope takes you into the next year with a renewed creative focus of your own. I give you The Meaning in the Making, a conversation with Sean Tucker. Mentioned in this episode: Sean Tucker, The Meaning in the Making: The why and how behind our human need to create Connect with Sean online: Website - seantucker.photographyInstagram - @seantuckYoutube Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruRate and review on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser or CastboxShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletterInstagram – @freeyourinnnerguru and @thatlauratucker

Sarah Edmondson and Nippy Ames are subjects of HBO's documentary series The Vow, a story of indoctrination and exposing the NXIVM cult, and hosts of the podcast A Little Bit Culty. I am delighted to have Sarah and Nippy join me for a "part 2" conversation that begins on A Little Bit Culty today! One of my goals is that both of our extreme experiences be relatable to new age and self help consumers.  Take away the branding and sex trafficking of NXIVM, and the head shaving and fatal sweat lodge of my experience, and what remains is a seemingly regular self help organization. Maybe it is. Maybe it's a cult. Maybe it's both. One thing is certain: Our hindsight can become your foresight. Listen as we explore sales and recruitment tactics, coercion, the mind-fuck of "at-causedness," and "the NXIVM flip," which you'll find everywhere in new age and self help circles, masquerading as personal responsibility and looking to yourself as the creator of everything in your life, including narcissistic and cult abuse. Sarah Edmondson is a Canadian actress who has stared in the CBS series Salvation and more than twelve films for the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime. In 2019, Sarah published Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life. Nippy Ames has come full circle back to what he was born to do: performing, creating, and truth telling. He's proving to be an emerging voice in the conversation around what it means to be an upstanding man, husband, and father in 2021. Sarah and Nippy discuss their healing process with the help of experts and fellow survivors on their podcast A Little Bit Culty. Mentioned in this episode: 2 ways to win Sarah's memoir: Write a review of Free Your Inner Guru - quick links here: freeyourinnerguru.com/reviewBecome a Patreon supporter at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru Draw to be held on Instagram Live - December 30 at noon ET Books: Scarred: The True Story of How I Escaped NXIVM, the Cult that Bound My Life, Sarah EdmondsonTake Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, Janja LalichDon't Call It a Cult, Sarah Berman Connect with Sarah and Nippy online: Podcast & website: A Little Bit CultyInstagram - @alittlebitculty @sarahedmondson @anthonyames11 Connect with Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruJoin the Leadership Community – freeyourinnerguru.com/communityShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop

We welcome back Shulamit ber Levtov, the Entrepreneur's Therapist for a deep dive into individual, organizational, and systemic abuse. Shulamit is a resilience and mindset consultant who uses her background as a trauma therapist to help women identifying entrepreneurs manage their mindset and pilot their emotions so they can overcome the anxiety and isolation of running a business. You may remember Shulamit from our conversation in Episode 88: Cult Dynamics and Abusive, Intimate Relationships. When we finished, it felt like there was a lot more to cover. So here we are. My hope for this episode is that it gives you context for your own experience, for the experience of someone you care for, and for the abusive culture and systems we are immersed in, whether we are conscious of it or not. Before we go any further, I don't think I've ever given a trigger warning before, and I don't like them for a couple of reasons. First of all, they can be triggering in and of themselves and put us into a heightened state where we expect to be triggered. And so then we're triggered. It's that good, old self fulfilling prophecy. Secondly, I'm not your parent here to protect you from challenging topics. Otherwise nobody learns and this podcast wouldn't exist. However, this is an episode that might best be consumed in a quiet place with a warm tea or coffee and a journal nearby, or on a quiet walk, so that you can absorb and reflect at your own rate and pace. I'm told that this is how many of you listen to this podcast. I'm not saying this to turn you off. I just want you to know, because I became emotional midway through and we had to take a little break before guiding the conversation into reflecting on what it's like to wake up to abusive relationships in our life. And how to use self compassion to self-regulate so we can engage our creative problem solving and ask for help. I think this is a serious but hopeful conversation. And I want to be thoughtful about what your experience may be when you consume it. So I guess I am invoking my protective super power after all. Like always, if you receive value from this episode, please leave a review and sharing it with others. Follow @freeyourinnerguru and @the_entrepreneurs_therapist on Instagram and consider supporting the podcast on Patreon, where you'll have access to the ongoing conversation in our Discourse community for as little as $5 a month. Mentioned in this episode: Episode 88: Cult Dynamics and Abusive Intimate Relationships with Shulamit ber Levtov Duluth Wheel of Power and Control Duluth Wheel of Culture Article: Nine Perfect Strangers Made Me a Punchline and Now I'm Punching Back Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence--From Domestic Abuse to Political Terror Connect with Shulamit: websiteInstagram Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruCheck out the Leadership Community – freeyourinnerguru.com/communityShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletterInstagram – @freeyourinnnerguru

Personal experience surviving spiritual and therapeutic abuse led Jenny Cornbleet and Mark Futterman to study cult dynamics and undue influence with a variety of experts in the field. In the process, they recognized that cult dynamics run rampant in our society and are particularly prevalent in the self-help and coaching industries. Jenny and Mark now bring an anti-cult approach to all their work, with a knowledge that breaking free from undue influence is key to living authentically and doing what matters most. Jenny Cornbleet and Mark Futterman are instructional designers, coaches, and consultants. They help people discover what they most want to express through life and work, live according to their values, and make their projects as impactful as possible. Conversation highlights Jenny and Mark break down their experience of large group awareness training (LGAT) tactics that are invasive and inappropriate so you can learn the tactics andStrategies to pay attention to language used and get a glimpse behind the indoctrination curtainPowering through: the potential problem with getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.When it feels more dangerous to leave than to stay.Controlling practices that have made their way into norm in the self help industryIndoctrination and the gradual erosion of your better judgment and critical thinking.Coaching as a permission based conversationTowards consumer awareness: this is what will drive the marketCult dynamics IRL: Jenny and Mark share examples of when they were convinced to act against their instincts.How cults are changing in digital times. Mentioned in this episode: Conspirituality podcastTake Back Your Life, Dr Janja Lalichigotout.orgWriting to Reckon workshop with Gerette Buglion Connect with Jenny and Mark online: Website Instagram Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruCheck out the Leadership Community – freeyourinnerguru.com/communityShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletterInstagram – @freeyourinnnerguru

It's a podcast swap! Steve McCready is our guest host, and I'm at the guest microphone. Steve McCready is the host of The Sensitive Rebel podcast. He is here to interview me about life before, since, and lessons learned from my involvement in the self help industry and my involvement in “that sweat lodge.” Over on the Sensitive Rebel, you will find an episode called Laura Tucker Helps Steve Free His Inner Guru. Steve McCready is a coach with a background as a psychotherapist. Steve and I share many interests including psychology, photography, and creativity. After a couple of Zooms geeking out on art and gear, we had a “what if” conversation about interviewing each other. To shake things up, we decided to be guests on our own shows! The timing is serendipitous. The 12th anniversary of the Sedona sweat lodge was October 8th. A dozen years later, I'm still peeling back layers of this experience and sharing them, but mostly on other podcasts! Steve's background as a therapist enables him to hone in on challenging topics with empathy. He speaks with authority to their impact on psychology and mental health, making him the perfect host for this conversation. No joke, by the time we finished, I was tempted to title this episode “Would Someone Please Just Give Me a Red Flag?!?” Conversation highlights: Why I'm rebelling against the status quo in the self help industry.Cult dynamics and toxic leaders in our current social environment.The twists and turns of my journey that led me to “that sweat lodge.”Creativity and photography - learning the rules in order to break them.Societal pressure on women at certain ages from the patriarchal status quo.The real secret of the North American self help movement. It's steeped in privilege.The rapacious nature of “sell them what they want, give them what you think they need.”The clarity that's come this past year, learning about indoctrination and cult dynamics.Recognizing when we are getting swept away by our feelings, so we can actually see the red flags waving in our faces. Mentioned in this episode: Thank you, Steve for being a kind and empathetic host. My interview of Steve for episode 23 of The Sensitive Rebel is here Connect with Steve McCready Website - sensitiverebel.comWebsite - stevemccready.comInstagram - @thesensitiverebel Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon Supporter – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruCheck out the Leadership Community - freeyourinnerguru.com/communityShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletterInstagram - @freeyourinnnerguru

#igotout is a hashtag, website and movement to make abuses of power unacceptable in all kinds of groups, not just cults. Gerette Buglion and Lisa are two of the founders of #igotout. They believe now is the time for survivors of cult dynamics to share their stories with unflinching honesty. Every story matters, and the ripple effect of speaking up can make a difference. Survivors of cultic abuse can raise awareness of undue influence and coercive control. The goal is to change the cultural acceptance of abuse of power in all kinds of groups, not just cults. Gerette and Lisa join me to share the story of how #igotout was formed, characteristics of cult dynamics in today's society, and how survivors can find support at igotout.org. Gerette Buglion, B.A. in Elementary and Special Ed, is the author of An Everyday Cult. She earned her ‘Masters Degree' in Cult Awareness Education from the school of life. Gerette co-manages operations and communications of igotout.org, is a spokeswoman and activist for the movement and hosts Writing to Reckon, an online workshop where survivors of cultic abuse write their I got out statement. Lisa owns, designs, and manages the igotout.org website intended to support the #igotout movement, as well as makes most of the material and posts for the social media accounts. She is the main point of contact for #igotout communications through email and messaging on the #igotout social platforms. Connect with igotout.org online: WebsiteInstagram - @igotout_orgFacebook Mentioned in this episode: Article: Elsevier - Aggression and Violent Behavior: Sexual abuse and charismatic cults Books: Gerette Buglion - An Everyday CultSteve Hassan - The Cult of Trump Podcasts: Jen Kiaba - Lessons on LeavingKaila Tova - Your Body, Your Brand Support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon – patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruShop the merchandise – freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletter

Host Laura Tucker is a survivor of the fatal 2009 sweat lodge at a self help retreat in Sedona in 2009. Laura shares her response to the line five minutes in to the first episode of Nine Perfect Strangers: "Remember those people who died in that sweat lodge? They thought they were being enlightened, but in reality they were being cooked." This episode includes the article Nine Perfect Strangers Made Me a Punch Line and Now I'm Punching Back - Survivor of That Sweat Lodge Stands Up For Survivors of All Bad Gurus and the conversation that has come to life as a result. Mentioned in this episode: Article: Nine Perfect Strangers Made Me a Punch Line and Now I'm Punching Back Episode 87 - Dr Janja Lalich: When Self Help Turns Cult Ways to support Free Your Inner Guru: Become a Patreon - patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru Shop the merchandise - freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Shop Laura's fine art photography gallery - lauratuckerphotography.com Stay in touch: Subscribe to the Free Your Inner Guru newsletter

You are going to love this conversation with Regina Louise, author of Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self Love. Regina Louise is a remarkable human being who engages in this conversation with grace, intelligence, empathy and generosity. Before Regina wrote her latest book Permission Granted, she authored two bestselling memoirs: Somebody's Someone and Someone Has Led This Child to Believe in which she shares her journey that included being in thirty foster homes as a child. Her memoirs became the award-winning Lifetime movie I Am Somebody's Child: The Regina Louise Story. Regina joins me to explore topics of the day, including racism, privilege, being a social agent, COVID19, and how writing her 2 memoirs prepared her to write to Permission Granted, her first non-fiction self help book. Conversation Highlights: How Regina learned the value of her own permission when her fighting spirit was seen as troublesome.How women and historically underrepresented folks must give ourselves permission to be bigger than a suppressive society wants us to be.The truth of racism in a constructed, hegemonic society.Moving into the world from the place "where spirit meets bone."Nexting: always imagining the highest order of possibility.Liminal space: feeling moored in the "time in between," and at the threshold where change is afoot.Regina shares her decision to be double vaccinated and wear a mask, despite her prior skepticism based on having pharmaceutical drugs forced on her as a child of the system. Mentioned in this episode: Regina's books: Permission Granted: Kick-Ass Strategies to Bootstrap Your Way to Unconditional Self-Love Somebody's Someone: A MemoirSomeone Has Led This Child to Believe Regina: Website - iamreginalouise.comInstagram - @therealreginalouise Become a Free Your Inner Guru® supporter: Become a patron on Patreon – https://patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruPurchase a fun new hoodie, t-shirt and/or sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.) – https://freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Connect with Free Your Inner Guru®: Website – freeyourinnerguru.comInstagram – instagram.com/freeyourinnerguruJoin our Leadership Community! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community. freeyourinnerguru.com/community

Wolf Terry joins Laura Tucker for a conversation about her controversial Yoga Journal article “Getting Vaxxed Was My Act of Ahimsa.” Wolf Terry is a contributing writer for Yoga Journal. She left teaching yoga at the beginning of the pandemic after years of working at every level of the $88 billion industry in order to become a full-time writer. In 2018 Wolf lost her younger brother and best friend to suicide, mere months after her child was born. Since then she has been an advocate for mental health, as well as an outspoken activist on crucial social justice issues. Wolf recently came under fire in the Yoga and Wellness community for her Yoga Journal article “Getting Vaxxed Was My Act of Ahimsa” in which she calls out the yoga community for abandoning its ethics. Host Laura Tucker is a survivor of the 2009 fatal sweat lodge at a spiritual and self help retreat in Sedona, Arizona. She and Wolf discuss their common concerns for the yoga, wellness, spiritual and self help industries including: ethical concerns when profit comes before peoplespiritual bypassingtoxic woo culture in westernized yoga and spiritualityindoctrination and cult dynamics in wellness communitiesthe influence of QAnon and Pastel Q influencers on vaccination rates and the spread of misinformation and disinformation Mentioned in this episode Wolf Terry's Yoga Journal article - Getting Vaxxed Was My Act of Ahimsa Yoga Journal's teaser post on Instagram The Story Behind Free Your Inner Guru Documentary - Enlighten Us: The Rise and Fall of James Arthur Ray Wondery podcast - Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment Conspirituality Podcast - Ep 61 - From Anti-Feminism to Anti-Vax with Dr Annie Kelley Dr Annie Kelley's podcast Vaccine: The Human Story Free Your Inner Guru Leadership Community on Discourse Lindsay Keefe Yoga Therapy Steve McCready - The Sensitive Rebel Podcast Connect with Wolf Terry Instagram - @wolfginiWebsite - wolfgini.com Become a podcast supporter Become a patron on Patreon - https://patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.) - https://freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Connect with Free Your Inner Guru® online Website - freeyourinnerguru.comInstagram - instagram.com/freeyourinnerguruJoin our Leadership Community! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community. freeyourinnerguru.com/community

Shulamit Ber Levtov joins Laura for a conversation about the parallels between cult dynamics and abusive intimate relationships, the intersection of conspiracy theory and the self help industry, and dealing with shit therapists. Shulamit Ber Levtov is a resilience and mindset consultant who uses her background as a trauma therapist to help woman-identifying entrepreneurs manage their mindset and pilot their emotions so they can overcome the anxiety and isolation of running a business. Full show notes with working links at https://freeyourinnerguru.com/shulamit-ber-levtov/ Conversation highlights: Shulamit shares how why she became a therapist after experiencing an abusive intimate relationship and how that helps her work with women-identifying entrepreneurs.The distinction between being victimized and having an identity as a victim.Why we shy away from words like victim, vulnerable, and cult.Conspirituality: the intersection of conspiracy thinking and the wellness and self help industries.The self help industry: has it overshot inspiration and become an industry reliant on indoctrination?Parallels between victims of cults and abusive intimate relationships.The cumulative nature of "small T trauma" and the ubiquity of microaggressions and coercive control.Group dynamics: What it takes to build a healthy environment for human connection.Dealing with shit therapists. Mentioned in this episode Janja Lalich: When Self Help Turns Cult - https://freeyourinnerguru.com/janja-lalichConspirituality podcast - conspirituality.net Connect with Shulamit Instagram - @the_entrepreneurs_therapist Become a podcast supporter: Become a patron on Patreon - https://patreon.com/freeyourinnerguruShop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.) - https://freeyourinnerguru.com/shop Connect with Free Your Inner Guru® online Website - freeyourinnerguru.comInstagram - instagram.com/freeyourinnerguruFacebook - facebook.com/freeyrinnerguruJoin our Leadership Community! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community. freeyourinnerguru.com/community

Dr Janja Lalich joins Laura for a dive deep into the intersection of self help and cults. Full show notes with links to everything mentioned at https://freeyourinnerguru.com/janja-lalich/ Janja is a researcher, author, and educator specializing in cults and extremist groups, with a particular focus on charismatic relationships, political and other social movements, ideology and social control, and issues of gender and sexuality. She is Professor Emerita of Sociology at California State University, Chico. She is the author of Take Back Your Life: Recovering from Cults and Abusive Relationships, the number one book used by former cult members and their friends and families to better understand cult experiences and their consequences.

AdaPia D'Errico is a global visionary leader, entrepreneur, investor, powerful keynote speaker, and author of Productive Intuition: Connecting to the Subtle. AdaPia D'Errico has co-founded businesses, launched brands, and re-defined industries. She is a respected fintech entrepreneur and real estate investment executive known for her role in launching the estate crowdfunding industry into the mainstream. Challenge is the teacher. From leaving her first marriage to a viral Goalcast video gone wrong, AdaPia shares her multi-year journey to connect with her inner authority. Her book, Productive Intuition is a powerful resource for learning how to connect with and harness the power for your inner guru. We begin with AdaPia's story and quickly moves into an exploration of the light and dark sides of leadership, corporate life, and the transformation industry. Next up are strategies you can use to become more integrated in your approach to life, and why everybody doesn't need to become a coach for a new paradigm of leadership to emerge. Conversation highlights The truth that comes in moments of anger and frustration.The darker side of leadership when a leader abdicates their sense of responsibility.What it means to be sovereign.Honoring periods of transition.What is "Productive Intuition?"Interoception - stopping to notice how you feel.The difference between emotional, physical, and energetic "feelings."A new paradigm for leadership: open, authentic, and willing to admit it doesn't know everything. Mentioned in this episode AdaPia's Book - Productive Intuition: Connecting to the Subtle Connect with AdaPia online: WebsiteInstagramTwitter Become a podcast supporter: Become a patron on PatreonShop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.) Connect with Free Your Inner Guru online WebsiteInstagramFacebookJoin our Leadership Community! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community.

Jonny Barefoot is a singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, childrens' music teacher from Toronto, living in Japan. Jonny's passion is to hear the music in every aspect of his life. Jonny and I know each other from when we were teenagers. I've always been curious about his experience in Japan, and invited him on the podcast after we reconnected over social media. In this wide ranging conversation, Jonny catches us up on life in Japan and we explore the intersection of culture, spirituality, religion, education, and one of our favourite books - The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. Conversation highlights Jonny shares what it was like to move from Toronto to Japan.From teaching English to teaching music to children through the Music Together program.A look at the indigenous spiritual culture of Japan in contrast to Jonny's Catholic upbringing in Canada.Consistency of practice - whether it's music, meditation, going to church, or writing down inspiration when it comes. Creating music in COVID times.The importance of owning your style.Highlights from The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo.Creativity and spirituality as open practice vs imposing structure and willing things to be a certain way.Jonny shares the inspiration behind his latest album, Sunrise in Reverse. Memorable quotes from Jonny Barefoot On owning your style: "And then at that point, I thought yeah, I think I'm really going to own this sound. This is mine and I'm gonna let this grow inside me. And it was like a search was over." On practice: "If you approach it like that, it's I'm going to go and teach this class because that's what I do every day. And that's the practice. I'm going to sit Zen, that's what I do every day. And that's the practice. And whether it comes naturally and fluidly and flowingly, or it's a absolute drudgery, it's still what you do." Mentioned in this episode Jonny Barefoot's album Sunrise in Reverse on Bandcamp The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho Laura's interview with Brad Warner: Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, Shunryu Suzuki Connect with Jonny online: Instagram - @jonny.barefootBandcamp Connect with Free Your Inner Guru online WebsiteInstagramFacebookJoin our Leadership Community Huddle! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community. Become a podcast supporter: Support the podcast on Patreonor shop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.)

Paria Hassouri is an Iranian American mother of three, pediatrician, and transgender rights activist. Paria Hassouri's memoir Found in Transition: A Mother's Evolution During Her Child's Gender Change begins in 2017, when she first learns that her fourteen year old is having gender dysphoria, and concludes in 2018 when her daughter Ava legally changed her name and gender. In this compelling conversation, Paria Hassouri opens up and shares her journey from grieving the vision of the child she always had to becoming an activist for transgender rights. Conversation highlights How Paria's childhood struggle with being bullied for being Iranian American had an impact on her fears for Ava.Why she wrote all the things many parents in her situation also experience and wouldn't dare to say.How Ava's gender dysphoria caused her to question her own identity as a mother.What Dr Paria Hassouri, MD has learned about gender dysphoria and how it is reflected in her pediatric practice.How Ava, Paria and the Hassouri family are doing at the time of recording and a recent update about Ava's exciting future. Memorable quotes from Paria Hassouri “This is a story about a family with a trans kid. But really, it's a story about a family.” “Don't underestimate your power to evolve and change.” “A big part of my evolution during this process was accepting and being proud of who I am as I am. I learned that because I watched my daughter be proud of who she is.” Mentioned in this episode Book - Found in Transition: A Mother's Evolution During Her Child's Gender Change Connect with Paria online Website - pariahassouri.comInstagram - @laparia Connect with Free Your Inner Guru online WebsiteInstagramFacebookJoin our Leadership Community Huddle! Live conversation twice a month on Zoom, and full access to our Discourse community. Become a podcast supporter: Support the podcast on Patreon or shop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.)

Suzanne Wylde is the author of The Art of Coming Home - Common sense self-development exercises to educate, inspire, and empower you. Suzanne is an acupuncturist, holistic coach, and alternative therapist. She and I met online a number of months ago. Her pragmatic straightforward approach led to an invitation to come on Free Your Inner Guru for a deep dive. We get into her varied experience and education, and the conversation lands on processing emotions. It's fitting. Emotions are running all over the place. They always are, but the COVID-19 roller ride coaster keeps going. Suzanne has given me a link to share with you: an online version of chapter 9 in her book, Processing Our Emotions. The focus on emotion raises the question - and creates an opportunity to begin to unpack an important question - How are we to discern what we pay attention to, and allow to influence our thoughts and behavior so that we don't become vulnerable to undue influence? I was asked yesterday and started writing a list based on my past experience. The first thing I wrote was “be able to identify when your emotions are being activated - by external events, past triggers, or manipulative tactics.” So here we are with an episode that touches on staying grounded, accepting what's going on around us, even when we don't like it, and processing emotion. Suzanne shares some tools that may be helpful as we each navigate our way forward. If you're struggling, I encourage you to connect with a professional - coach, therapist, doctor, and resist the temptation to isolate. We're all human, after all. We need support and connection to help us through. Conversation highlights: What Suzanne means by “coming home,” and why she calls it an art.The advantages and disadvantages of being “highly sensitive.”Positivity and shadow work - the paradox of self help.The problem of prescriptive leadership, and prescriptive coaching.How empathy does not always lead to helping others.Grounding, acceptance and processing emotion: topics from The Art of Coming Home that are relevant today. Mentioned in this episode: Preview chapter from The Art of Coming Home: Chapter 9 - Processing Our Emotions Book - The Art of Coming Home: Common-sense self-development exercises to educate, inspire and empower you. Science Direct article - Empathy and compassion Connect with Suzanne online Website - Instagram - Facebook Connect with Free Your Inner Guru Support on Patreon Instagram - Facebook Join the conversation – Check out the Free Your Inner Guru Leadership Community Support the podcast on Patreon or shop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and sustainably printed notebooks. (Use LAUNCH15 at checkout for 15% savings.)

Kim Chestney is a globally recognized author and innovation leader. Her new book is Radical Intuition - A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power. I know you're going to love this conversation with Kim Chestney! Radical Intuition introduces four archetypes of intuition - the Healer, Sage, Visionary, and Mystic - and includes self assessments and quizzes to help us understand our own natural intuition affinities. We get right into the framework for intuition that Kim has developed - our five intuitive senses and four types of intuition, everyday questions like why our intuition speaks to us in the shower, and dive into the role intuition plays as we move beyond thinking into the age of imagination, creativity, and intuition. Conversation highlights: Why the best companies and leaders are using intuition to lead the way.Why intuition cannot be wrong.The four intuitive pathways: body, mind, heart and spirit.The 4 Intuitions: Healer, Sage, Visionary, Mystic. Which intuition archetype are you?The role of intuition in real - aka conscious - leadership.Guidance to figure out the next step if you're struggling right now. Memorable quotes: "Intuition speaks to us from the inside the same way the world speaks to us on the outside." "If you’re going to be a real leader - have to be insightful - have to have empathy. These are things we haven’t talked about in the past with the old leadership model." "Intuition’s sole job is to help us fulfill our potential and make ourselves and the world better." Mentioned in this episode: Kim Chestney: Book - Radical Intuition: A Revolutionary Guide to Using Your Inner Power Website - Instagram - Facebook Free Your Inner Guru: Seth Godin interview Instagram - Facebook Join the conversation – Check out the Free Your Inner Guru Leadership Community Support the podcast on Patreon or shop the fun new hoodies, t-shirts and stationery.

Christine Arylo is a transformational leadership advisor, teacher, speaker and three-time best selling author. Christine is recognized worldwide for her work helping women to make shift happen - in the lives they lead, the work they do, and the world they wish to create. In her most recent book Overwhelmed and Over It, Christine advocates for us to return to feminine wisdom to get out from under the overculture of overwhelm in today's society and create a more sustainable and joy-filled life. Conversation highlights: Understanding the overculture and the many ways we don’t realize we are not free.Be awake as a practice, not a destination.Recognize and replace imprints that do not serve us.Know your heart, mind, body, soul when we’ve been trained in the mind and avoid going into our heart.Why now is the perfect time to look at what is not in alignment and what is not sustainable.Overgiving: what it is, why we are programmed to it, and how to disengage with it.Engage in the world from the inside out.8 different kinds of burnoutWhy our relationship with our inner wisdom needs to be consciously nurtured.Self love vs self absorption and narcissismHow inner work and waking up changes the outer worldNot a meme: Be the change you wish to see as instructions for living.Looking inside ourselves and understanding what is ours to change.Creating space vs finding and making more time. Mentioned in this episode: Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With The Wolves Christine Arylo, Overwhelmed and Over It: Embrace Your Power to Stay Centered and Sustained in a Chaotic World Christine Arylo and Amy Ahlers, Reform Your Inner Mean Girl Connect with Christine online: Website Facebook Instagram Join the conversation - Check out the Free Your Inner Guru Leadership Community

Nathanael Garrett Novosel wants to help you systematically create a life that is meaningful to you. In his career as a professional researcher and advisor, Nathanael has researched psychology, evolutionary biology, organizational best practices, leadership decision making, business, technology, finance, and philosophy to understand how the world as we know it works and why. In his book The Meaning of Life: A Guide To Finding Your Life’s Purpose, Natanael has laid out a framework to help you systematically create a life that is meaningful to you. Using the 8 Principles of the Meaningful Life, Nathanael and I explore a wide range of topics from why growth is the scientific point of life, the difference between beliefs, values and ethics, why people join cults, and why ethics with the ultimate trade between freedom and safety is at the core of our interactions with each other. It’s a conversation for the topics of today and events today. Although the subject material is serious, the conversation was quite a bit of fun. Nathanael Garrett Novosel is a professional researcher and advisor with over 20 years of experience studying individual and group behavior. Nathanael has spent much of his career using the insights from this research to help the world’s leading executives solve their most pressing organizational challenges and create their strategic plans. Noticing the common drivers of success in all areas of life, he decided to devote his research, problem-solving, and advisory skills to helping people live the best lives possible. Mentioned in this episode: Books: The Meaning of Life: A Guide to Finding Your Life's Purpose, Nathanael Garrett Novosel Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, Mihaly Czikmihaly The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins Find Nathanael online: Website Facebook Instagram Visit lauratucker.com Photography Daily Letter Visit freeyourinnerguru.com Podcast episodes Shop the new Merch! - Use LAUNCH15 for 15% off until 11:59 pm ET Monday, February 15, 2021

A story about my first quiet Christmas resonates with Christmas 2020. May your focus this holiday season bring you ease and grace. Laura Original video on Instagram Original blog on lauratucker.com

Author and therapist Bridgit Dengel Gaspard explains how the double bind is often the cause of why we get stuck just short of accomplishing our goals. Have you ever been caught between a rock and a hard place, unable to find a palatable - let alone winnable - option? If you've ever felt this way, you'll recognize your situation as a double bind. "One of the best-kept secrets of your Inner Critic is that it plays both sides of the double bind. It tells you that you're not good enough as it pushes you to be better." No one enjoys being stuck and the misery is amplified when we have accomplished multiple steps toward a cherished goal - whether breaking a bad habit, losing weight, building a business, finding a mate, or finishing a degree - but just can't seem to complete it. In The Final 8th: Enlist Your Inner Selves to Accomplish Your Goals,  Bridgit Dengel Gaspard guides readers through the process of identifying and speaking with their inner selves - such as the inner critic, perfectionist, artist, and risk-taker - to figure out which of them are supporting their goal and which are impeding it. Bridgit explains the key concepts of voice dialogue and how we can use this method to enlist the wisdom of our inner selves to get across the finish line.  She guides me through the Voice Dialogue Method so that we can have a living, breathing example of how this method works.  Then we take a deep dive into "the double bind" and how essential it is to understand this dynamic in our lives if we truly want to be free. Bridgit Dengel Gaspard, LCSW, is a former performer who earned a master's degree from Columbia University and teaches at numerous professional settings including Omega Institute. She is a former performer who earned a master's degree from Columbia University and teaches at numerous professional settings including Omega Institute. Conversation highlights: How Bridgit discovered Voice Dialogue and why she is focused on people who are stalled short of the finish line of their goal. Meeting your primary and secondary Inner Selves Why it’s healthy to talk to the different parts of yourself. A surprising conversation with one of Laura's inner selves. What we can all learn from our Inner Asshole. (Yes, we all have one!)Deep dive: The unresolvable dilemma of the double bind and how unwinding it frees up your energy and gives you more choice.Deep dive #2: The parentified child - celebrating latch-key kids. Children of the 70s finally have their moment.Why the Final 8th is a success issue.Practicing safe success: strategies to get across the finish line, assuming it is a finish line that wants to be crossed. Mentioned in this episode: Book - The Final 8th: Enlist Your Inner Selves to Accomplish Your Goals Bridgit's website Twitter - @bridgitgaspard Instagram - @bridgitdengelgaspard Want more conscious conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru More information about the Leadership Community here

K A Tucker writes captivating stories with an edge. K A Tucker has published 31 books and is the internationally bestselling author of the Ten Tiny Breaths and Burying Water series, He Will Be My Ruin, Until It Fades, Keep Her Safe, The Simple Wild, Be the Girl, and Say You Still Love Me. Her books have been featured in national publications including USA Today, Globe & Mail, Suspense Magazine, Publisher's Weekly, Oprah Mag, and First for Women. She has been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Best Romance 2013 for TEN TINY BREATHS and Best Romance 2018 for THE SIMPLE WILD. KEEP HER SAFE made Suspense Magazine's Best of 2018 list for Romantic Suspense. Kathleen also happens to be my sister-in-law. Every now and then we’d be talking life, and business, and I’d say something like “you should come on the podcast.” Well, we finally made that happen this past summer just as she was in the middle of a book launch. And guess what? She’s in the middle of another one now. Since we recorded in the summer, there’s been a few updates that I’ll give you at the end. Because, well, she’s prolific in her craft. In the meantime, enjoy this conversation that alternates between all-business and two sisters-in-law having a laugh, mostly at ourselves. And a little bit at each other. Conversation highlights Kathleen shares what it was like to start writing on maternity leave.Transition from corporate career to full time author.Genre switching - from Young Adult Fantasy to Contemporary Romance.The business of being an author.From self publishing to publisher contract to self publishing.Deadlines and motivation, writing with a gun to your head.Building the writing muscle and finding rhythm.Balancing creativity with the left brain activities of the business.Having a voice on issues vs keeping your opinion to yourself as a creative and public figure.Impact of the pandemic on fiction writing.Delayed gratification, grey hair, Laura’s hair journey.On self care, self forgiveness, and giving yourself grace. Mentioned in this episode: Website - katuckerbooks.com Instagram: @katucker_Facebook: @katucker.author The Simple Wild Series: The Simple Wild Wild at HeartForever Wild Ten Tiny Breaths Wondery’s Guru: The Dark Side of EnlightenmentApple PodcastsSpotify Free Your Inner Guru® Episode 67 with Charles Wilson Laura's Instagram - @lauraatucker

Louise Karch is a name whisperer and the author of the multi-award-winning book Word Glue: Find your Million Dollar Brand Name. Louise Karch has been naming things all her life. She believes that naming and conscious leadership go hand in hand. Word Glue is like having an award-winning naming agency in your pocket. It’s a beautifully designed handbook that contains all of Louise’s naming secrets. Conversation highlights: • Louise shares how she realized that naming is her superpower.• Louise breaks down how the name Free Your Inner Guru® didn’t simply come from the ethers.• The relationship between conscious leadership and the names you create.• Self care: Rituals and practices that keep you in the best place to show up and serve with empathy, especially in turbulent times.• Why Louise is giving away her secrets.• Once you’ve got a name: Why a strong brand is not just a logo.• It’s a small world after all: Louise and Laura’s common connection to Wade Gilpin of Sherpa Creative.• The journey to become an author: Why Louise believes writing a book will change your life. Mentioned in this episode: Connect with Louise Karch online: wordglue.co LinkedIn Word Glue cover design: Wade Gilpin, Sherpa Creative Word Glue internal design: Julia Afflekt, Apexiva Seth Godin's The Marketing Seminar Want more conscious conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at freeyourinnerguru.com/leadership-community

John Larson wants to transform coaching from "all conversation" to something more tangible and meaningful in the world.  John Larson is the founder of CoachAccountable, a powerful tool designed to make coaching better, and bring it to the mainstream. In this high energy conversation, John shares how his own personal development journey led him to create CoachAccountable, a platform that turns coaching into documented wisdom.  John's enthusiasm for his work is unparalleled, and he's got an inspiring entrepreneurial journey to share. Conversation highlights John Larson shares his introduction to the self help industry through Landmark Forum and his subsequent desire to make coaching more reliable and tangible. How that desire led to creating CoachAccountable to bridge the gap in between powerful coaching conversations. The entrepreneurial journey between the 2009 launch of version 1 to crickets, to the successful launch of version 2 in 2012. How Laura found CoachAccountable and it became her main business tool. Laura and John on why people think self help programs are “cult-y”. Why Facebook Groups are a terrible business tool for coaching. Why being oblivious to your competitors makes for doing your best work. Memorable quote “As a culture, coaching’s not a known quantity. If we can get to the point to where the most hard-nosed bean counter can look at the outcomes of any given coaching engagement and think that just makes sense, then we’re in a good place.” Mentioned in this episode: Visit CoachAccountable online *Links in this episode are affiliate links.  There is a 30 day free trial. If you're a coach and register for CoachAccountable through this link, a portion of your investment will go producing Free Your Inner Guru®. Free Your Inner Guru on social: Instagram Facebook Laura Tucker on social: Instagram Facebook Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru (Coaches are most welcome!)  

Podcasts make us laugh, cry, learn and have the power to inspire.  In this special solo episode for International Podcast Day, I share all the reasons I'm grateful for podcasts - as a host and an avid podcast listener. At the end, I've got a special invitation for you to join me for a live celebration this coming Friday, October 2nd. Mentioned in this episode: Contact me on Instagram or on Facebook Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

Psychic and spiritual advisor Julie Min is back for a deep dive into the role of personal responsibility in our healing journey. Julie Min is a psychic, spiritual counselor, and a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and the fatal sweat lodge led by James Arthur Ray. It's hard to believe it's been three years since Julie's first visit to Free Your Inner Guru. She is back to share wisdom gained from her life experience and commitment to the healing journey.  In this deep dive, Julie shares her backstory and throws the doors open on the life and thoughts of someone who has psychic ability. Conversation highlights: Julie's opinion of the Wondery podcast Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment. Why the being labeled a victim can be uncomfortable and unhelpful. What it means to "willingly give your power away." How personal responsibility is a key strategy in Julie's response to childhood sexual abuse. Red flags and psychic warnings leading up to the tragedy of the Sedona sweat lodge. Julie's key strategy to connect to your inner wisdom. Choose love now:  Julie's tribute to Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Neuman. Memorable quotes from Julie Min: "Part of the conscious path, the spiritual path, is recognizing where other people have responsibility and where we have responsibility in the choices we’ve made." "If I could take personal responsibility, then I had an action plan. Even though it was going to be hard, there was something I could do." "The only way we can trust ourselves is to actually trust ourselves. We have to act on the knowledge we have been given." Mentioned in this episode Julie's first visit to Free Your Inner Guru - Episode 20 - Julie Min:  From Tragedy and Survivor's Guilt to Forgiveness, Happiness, and Love Julie Min on Facebook Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

This is a continuation of the conversation with Brandy Amstel in Episode 70.  Listen to find out whether or not we saw James Arthur Ray as a guru, the dynamic between leader and learner on the personal growth journey, agency and self governance, and looking for the light side of self help. If you haven't listened to Part 1,  I suggest you back to Episode 70 for context.  Listening online?  You can find it here.. Mentioned in this episode: Wondery’s Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment on Apple Podcasts on Spotify Enlighten Us documentary on Youtube Connect with Brandy Amstel: Visit brandyamstel.com On Instagram On Facebook Connect with Free Your Inner Guru: On Instagram Facebook Group Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru    

Brandy Amstel is an award-winning sculptor, painter and filmmaker.  “Being expressed is my art.” Brandy Amstel has a passion for using her gifts, skills and talents to generate a deeper spiritual conversation about the human experience and what it means to live from love, freedom, and full self expression. Brandy is featured in episodes 1 and 2 of the Wondery podcast Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment.  I invited Brandy to be a guest so that she could have a voice on topics that have previously been left on the cutting room floor. We talk about her life's journey, before and after the tragic events of Spiritual Warrior in 2009, her current view of the transformational industry, and how tremendous healing is available, even when you express yourself and things don't go as expected. Mentioned in this episode: Wondery’s Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment on Apple Podcasts on Spotify Enlighten Us documentary on Youtube Connect with Brandy Amstel: Visit brandyamstel.com On Instagram On Facebook Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

We can all do better than uphold the status quo. Laura Tucker reflects on her involvement in the Wondery podcast Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment. In this episode I share what it was like to participate in this huge podcast and why I lend my voice to projects that tell the story about what happened at James Arthur Ray's Spiritual Warrior retreat in October 2009 when Kirby Brown, James Shore, and Liz Neuman died after a "sweat lodge" ceremony gone wrong. I am so grateful to everyone who has become emotionally invested in this story, and who want more and want better for the industry that has sprung up around being your best self. Mentioned in this episode: Wondery's Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment on Apple Podcasts on Spotify At lauratucker.com Laura's Daily Letters Articles and podcast episodes related to Spiritual Warrior and Guru For Members Only - Read weekly installments of my memoir in progress. Want more big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

Brad Warner and Free Your Inner Guru host Laura Tucker talk about Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen and the dangers of pushing for a spiritual breakthrough before you are ready. Brad Warner is a Soto Zen priest, bass guitarist for the punk band Zero Defex and the author of Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen. In his most recent book, Brad Warner introduces us to Zen Buddhism through the perspective of letters he writes to his friend Marky, who has died of cancer. But he’s not just talking to Marky, he’s talking to you in the frank tone and language of telling it like it is, to a close friend on borrowed time. First, I loved this book and highly recommend it.  Second, I've been saving this interview for just the right time. We recorded this interview three days after I sat for my interview for the just-released Guru: The Dark Side of Enlightenment podcast by Wondery. After speaking about Zen Buddhism and Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen, Brad and I get going about some of the issues in the spirituality and self help circles that have become important to me based on lived experience.   It was reassuring to speak to a spiritual leader about why all things don't work for all people, and the dangers of inducing altered states in the pursuit of spiritual growth. Enjoy this big conversation with someone who doesn't shy away from going counter to the status quo. Conversation highlights: Why Brad started writing letters to his dead friend Marky. How Brad became a Zen monk, without setting off to be a monk. Is Zen Buddhism a religion, or a lifestyle? Sitting Zazen without a goal to be mindful or a better person. Re-thinking detachment: The Sanskrit word that’s usually translated as attachment has a double meaning of fuel. Laura on how meditation is like running: Even my worst run was better than the run I didn’t take. Brad on how Zen practice is like playing music, especially in front of a group. The dark side of meditation and the pitfalls that can happen when you extract mindfulness from the ethics and culture surrounding it. The down side of using drugs and altered states to push for spiritual experiences.   Mentioned in this episode: Book - Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen Brad's Blog - hardcorezen.info Hardcore Zen Youtube Channel Want to have big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

Charles Wilson is a pianist and composer who believes music is medicine. Artist and composer Charles Wilson plays the piano and tours at the highest levels of the music industry.  He has worked with Justin Timberlake, Rhianna, John Mayer, Demi Lovato and Cirque de Soleil’s Michael Jackson Immortal. Charles shares his professional journey, including his recent return to his roots in classical music. At his publisher's request, began to compose a ten track classical piano album at the beginning of 2020. While the pandemic shut down everything around him, Charles got to work.  He made a promise that he would compose - for others to see - every day for 100 days in Seth Godin's The Creatives Workshop, where we met. After 107 consecutive days of composing, writing and sharing, Charles thought his album was complete.  But then he received a second request - to compose an eleventh track - a “George Floyd piece.” In this conversation, Charles Wilson shares what it was like to go back to the keyboard to compose a piece of music that encompasses his desire for equality, his many personal experiences of racism, and the global Black Lives Matter movement that George Floyd has come to represent. Special bonus:  During our interview, Charles and I discovered we were both at the infamous Toronto SARS concert on July 30, 2003.  I was in the audience, and he played keyboard for Justin Timberlake.  If you're familiar with the story, you'll know it wasn't Toronto's finest moment.  I'll leave it for you to listen to the full story, but Charles was generous to send over some photos from that day. Mentioned in this episode: Charles Wilson on Instagram - @wilsoncharlesofficial Seth Godin - Akimbo Workshops Want to have big conversations in your life? Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru    

Nafissa Shireen is an Income Growth Mentor and Coach, the owner of Believe & See Ranch, and the host of Living Forward TV on YouTube. I invited Nafissa on to pick her brain about why British Columbia has had a less dramatic experience of the COVID 19 pandemic compared to Ontario, Quebec, and much of the United States. We had a big conversation that touches on every theme that's important to this podcast:  conscious leadership, coaching, spirituality, marketing in the self help industry.  And then there is the pandemic, and a deep dive into how horses help raise consciousness and the transformation Nafissa wants to bring to the equine industry. Everything is moving so quickly these days, it's relevant to share the context of when our conversation happened.  We recorded on May 7, 2020, back when all anyone had on our minds was the pandemic. On June 5, Nafissa shared a post on Facebook with her response to George Floyd's murder, and subsequent events. Since its contents are relevant to every part of our conversation, I received her permission to read it after we said "goodbye."  As a bi-racial person of colour, with a Muslim sounding name, I didn't want to squander the opportunity to amplify her voice on racism and anti-racism. It's my pleasure to introduce you to a big conversation with Nafissa Shireen. Conversation highlights: Challenges we each experienced as a woman in leadership in the male dominated corporate environment. What it was like for Nafissa to be called the "token brown girl" when she never saw herself as an ethnic or  religious minority. The very different journey we each made from corporate to coach. Our different takes on why so much of the marketing for coaching focuses on making "6 figures" and "7 figures." Is it really all about money? The power of meaning and purpose:  Nafissa illustrates how her passion and point of view on horses informs her business goals.  We also get a huge education on how horses are trained and the awareness she wants to bring to the equine industry. Nafissa explains the transformational power of horses from both a scientific and spiritual perspective. The distinction between coaching, consulting and mentoring. Why Nafissa is tired of hearing "in these uncertain times" and "crisis." Why Dr Bonnie Henry is an exemplary leader and what we can learn from her approach to the pandemic. Mentioned in this episode: Nafissa Shireen online website Instagram - @nafissashireen Living Forward TV on Youtube Believe and See Ranch website Instagram - @believeandseeranch Laura Tucker on social Instagram - @lauraatucker Facebook Free Your Inner Guru on social Instagram - @freeyourinnerguru Facebook Want to have big conversations in your life? Register for the next Free Community, Connection & Coaching call at lauratucker.com/free-calls Support the podcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru® Leadership Community at patreon.com/freeyourinnerguru

Listen. Empathize. Amplify. In this episode, host Laura Tucker shares her point of view on racism, the role of shame in suppression, and how we can all use our power of influence for good. Mentioned in this episode: Written version of "Where Can We Use Our Power for Good?" with Map of Consciousness David R Hawkins, Power vs Force:  The Hidden Determinants of Human Behavior

Jill Castle says every child, from toddler to teen, wants some level of autonomy and agency. She says it’s all very normal, but it can throw parents for a loop.  It’s difficult for parents to know in their heart that they are struggling, and not know where to get help. In this episode, Jill Castle and Free Your Inner Guru® host Laura Tucker talk about the dance between getting what you need as a parent, raising an independent, autonomous child, and how systemic change is needed to raise more physically and psychologically empowered humans. Meet Jill Castle: Jill is one of North America’s premier child nutrition experts. Known as a paradigm shifter who blends current research, practical application and common sense, Jill inspires audiences to think differently about child nutrition and feeding kids. A sought-after speaker, advisor, and media contributor, Jill has inspired TEDx, government, medical and parent audiences. She serves on the Board of Advisors of Parents Magazine, and a handful of privately held child nutrition companies. Jill is the author of Try New Food, The Smart Mom’s Guide to Starting Solids, Eat Like a Champion, and co-author of Fearless Feeding. She pens The Nourished Child® blog, is the voice behind a popular podcast of the same name, and regularly contributes to US News & World Report’s For Parents. Conversation highlights: Jill shares how she became a pediatric nutritionist and her subsequent challenge of having a child who was not interested in eating. The powerful impact media and marketing has on children and their parents. The role of a parent's intuition in guiding your child's nutrition. Jill’s biggest frustration about nutrition. Avoiding overwhelm: why the breaking it down into what you CAN do works. Changes Jill would like to see in the North American nutrition culture. How Jill works with nutritionists and dietitians to have a broader impact as a leader. Memorable quotes from Jill Castle: “You have to know your child. I ate my humble pie and learned a lot. I had seven years of education and training in my field, and I struggled. What is it like for parents with no education, training and experience feeding children?” “I have great compassion and experience for parents who are struggling.” “I would like to see companies and corporations offering this kind of education to their employees. They are working parents. They don’t have the time to go see a nutritionist if they have a problem.” Mentioned in this episode: Jill Castle's website The Nourished Child® Podcast More information on the Free Your Inner Guru® Community Free Community, Connection & Coaching Zoom Calls Support the podcast or join the members only Patreon community

The expression "pandemic pivot" is making me nauseous. Especially when it's used in marketing. Apparently I'm not alone on this one. How we use our words says a lot about us, literally, figuratively, and spiritually.  And some things are just cringe-worthy. Whether the cause is the words themselves, how they're being used, or the person using them, we should pay attention. Would you want to know if you are triggering a barf reflex? Mentioned in this episode: Free Community, Connection & Coaching Zoom Calls Free Your Inner Guru® Patreon Community Laura Ambrozic, aka LA's LinkedIn post for sanitation stations and reasonably priced sanitizer

James Victore is a MoMA artist, designer, and author of Feck Perfuction - Dangerous Ideas on the Business of Life. James Victore joins Laura to explore his book Feck Perfection and creativity as an essential leadership skill in our suddenly changed world. Highlights from this conversation, recorded on March 26, 2020: How social isolation and physical distancing have affected James Victore's day to day life and business. Why we can’t operate out of fear and resistance. The importance of establishing a new normal. Why being weird is our original default, and a source of power. What happens when creatives choose to fight. What James would like to see come out of our time of challenge. Fear and scarcity vs becoming resourceful The role of creativity, innovation and humour in emerging as a leader. Memorable Quotes: On leadership: “Part of the problem with the world right now is creativity on a cultural level comes from top down. The world has very few creative leaders right now.” On his role as a leader: “All I can do is keep moving and keep doing what I’m doing and try to come at it from a place of love and compassion and creativity. And to be of service.” Mentioned in this episode: James'  book Feck Perfuction Website:  jamesvictore.com Instagram: @jamesvictore Community, Connection & Coaching Calls with Laura Tucker More info and free registration Instagram video about CCC Calls

Have you been feeling disconnected in this time of physical isolation? We can be physically isolated and still use one of our superpowers - creativity - to connect with others in new ways.  In this unprecedented time of physical isolation, Free Your Inner Guru host Laura Tucker explores the importance of community and connection. Mentioned in this episode: Want something to make you smile?  Here's Laura's family singing Happy Birthday on Zoom Want an opportunity to connect with others?  You're invited to the Free Community, Connection and Coaching Calls  

Dr Stuart Eisendrath is the author of When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression and the founding director of the University of California San Francisco Depression Center. "One of the most important ingredients in self compassion is realizing that you are part of a large community. So if you’re suffering from depression, you’re not alone. It’s not a strange or unique illness. That’s not to say it’s not a painful condition. Many people are suffering from it. And there is no need to be harsh and critical of yourself for having a condition that is so common in the world." - Dr Stuart Eisendrath A senior clinician and research psychiatrist at UCSF, Dr Eisendrath's lectures on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy have been viewed more than 1.5 million times. We take on some serious topics in this interview, and you may find that I am more subdued than usual. There were a couple of things going on! I was a little intimidated, but even more so, I was also reflecting on the people in my life who suffer and are suffering with depression, and my own struggles with it. This gave me extra incentive to mine Dr Eisendrath’s experience and vast knowledge. It was a pleasure and a privilege, and I’m delighted to share this conversation with you. Conversation highlights How Dr Eisendrath’s interest in depression evolved into mindfulness based cognitive therapy (MBCT). The epidemic level occurence of depression. The difference between cognitive therapy and mindfulness therapy. How mindfulness helps with depression. How do distinguish between inappropriate depressive guilt and appropriate guilt. A formula for happiness, and how depression skews the formula against you. How self compassion helps you recognize you are part of common humanity. Why brooding, a type of rumination, is a big driver of depression. How depression and MBCT alter your brain. Suicide - feeling helpless and hopeless Alternatives and hope when antidepressants don’t work. What to do if and who to call if you need help.*** Mentioned in this episode Book - When Antidepressants Aren’t Enough: Harnessing the Power of Mindfulness to Alleviate Depression Website for accompanying meditations - stuarteisendrath.com ***The information in this podcast is not a substitute for help from a licensed mental health professional. If you are in crisis, links to hotline numbers around the world are listed below. Crisis Services Canada United States - Suicide Prevention Lifeline Wikipedia List of suicide crisis lines

Feeling bored is an opportunity to look within and make a shift. "I'm bored!" It's tempting blame outside factors like the season or the weather when we're feeling stuck or restless.   In this week's episode, you'll hear what Laura's mother said to her as a teenager that still rings true today. Boredom and stagnation can be an opportunity to look within for solutions on the personal growth journey.  We can take responsibility for our inner state and wake up to new possibility.  It may be time to dig deeper and play bigger. Mentioned in this episode: Episode 58 with Lee Harris Free Your Inner Guru on Instagram Free Your Inner Guru on Facebook    

Lee Harris is an intuitive guide, speaker, musician and author of Energy Speaks: Messages from Spirit on Living, Loving and Awakening. Lee Harris’s journey as a channeler began in 1998 when he first heard the voice of his spirit guides, known as The Zs, while on his way to work on the London Underground train. I first became aware of Lee’s work in 2016 when I was looking for resources for a quickly changing world and navigating some fairly sticky challenges. Lee documents the powerful spiritual wisdom that the Zs have provided him over the last two decades in his book Energy Speaks. In this interview, we explore Lee’s journey as an intuitive, and how he is managing the responsibility of leadership as his influence and organization experience rapid growth. As we move into a new decade, Lee’s work and the Zs message on living, loving, awakening, and leading are more relevant and powerful than ever. Conversation highlights The story of when Lee first met The Zs When your spiritual search asks you to return to your human life with all you’ve learned Why using your spiritual power for negative, egoic desires never works. What the Zs are really talking about when they say, "You are a Lightworker." Moving self care from concept to action. Why holding a lighter place and finding your strategies are important in challenging times. Practicing ultra discernment: How Lee views and practices his responsibilities as a leader. The energy exchange when we relate to each other. How The Zs view enlightenment. Why getting caught in wanting the world to be harmonious is a trap. Radical Expression: How to hold a loving, gracious, but clear place around speaking your truth. Memorable moments: “Spending too long in despair about world not looking the way you want it to, is not going to get you anywhere.” “The way I live my life now - focus one day at a time as much as I can, to pay attention to my own personal balance as much as I can, while I’m also serving the things that I serve in the world.” Mentioned in this episode: Lee Harris' book Energy Speaks:  Messages from Spirit on Living, Loving and Awakening Visit Lee’s website - leeharrisenergy.com Follow the Free Your Inner Guru Podcast Instagram - @freeyourinnerguru Facebook

"I want you to think of listening to Free Your Inner Guru as an act of self care in increasingly intense times." Listen to this first episode of 2020 for a preview of what you can expect in the coming weeks and months on Free Your Inner Guru. Mentioned in this episode: Want daily inspiration delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Laura's Daily Letters Episode 32:  Jessica Tracy - The Impact of Pride on Success and Authentic Leadership Episode 36:  Karen Haycox - Take the Next Right Step  

Robyn Spizman wants you to share the love in your heart out loud. In these times where there’s so much divisiveness and division, New York Times bestselling author and media personality Robyn Spizman is on a mission to inspire us to share the love in our heart out loud. In her book Loving Out Loud: The Power of a Kind Word, Robyn shares specific ways you can strengthen the bonds with the people you care about, guide you to connect with the world around you in a more meaningful way, and what you can do today to jump start a more loving life now. In this heartwarming conversation, Robyn shares her wisdom as she and Laura trade stories of simple kindness in every day life. Conversation highlights Closing the gaps in our kindness without feeling inadequate. Things you can do today by developing habits of kindness. Why you should stop being interesting and try being interested instead Why Vanessa Redgrave kissed Laura on the cheek, and other stories of spontaneous kindness that show the power of human connection. How to be open to relationships that serve and support you. Creating a Loving Out Loud legacy.   Memorable quotes “Kindness has prevailed. Civil society is not what we all should be doing. It’s because it’s the right thing to do to sit on the side of kindness. Sitting on the side of kindness is the only thing to do.” "When we give without a selfish motive, expecting someone to be just like us, guess what happens - our hearts are pure. That’s where integrity comes in, the human value of being kind because it’s the right thing to do." “You can leave behind a trail of light.”   Mentioned in this episode Robyn Spizman's book - Loving Out Loud:  The Power of a Kind Word Visit Robyn's website Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Dr Adit Margaliot's journey as a medical doctor has been about questioning dogma, breaking away from stale patterns of thinking, and listening to one's inner wisdom. Dr Adit Margaliot is an MD who specialized in neurology and neuromuscular disorders. After years of listening to her patients struggle with their neurological conditions, and their sleep, she wanted to better understand this problem and how to help them manage it. She went on to study sleep medicine and obtain her designation as a specialist in the field. This was a start to her exploration of how lifestyle impacts health and disease. More recently she has been formally studying functional medicine, an approach that seeks to identify the core triggers and contributors to ill health on a systems-based approach, and how to allow the body to heal through nutrition, lifestyle, sleep, stress management etc. Incorporating these principles into her practice, and emphasizing a collaborative relationship with her patients, has brought a deep sense of energy and joy to her work. In the process of building a practice that aligns with her values and goals, Dr Margaliot has learned the importance of questioning dogma, breaking away from stale patterns of thinking, and listening to one’s inner wisdom. Conversation highlights: I love this conversation because A) I learned a ton, and B) as an avid pursuer of all things alternative therapy, everything seems to be coming together to form a picture of why proactive maintenance can make a very real, quantifiable difference in how we experience our body - and consequently life - over the long term. As I was listening and preparing this episode, I was reminded of an anti drug ad campaign that ran in the 1980s. At the beginning of the ad, a whole egg is held up to “This is your brain.”, Then it’s cracked into a hot frying pan to “This is your brain on drugs.” If I were to summarize today’s episode it would be to show the egg in the frying pan as “This is your brain.” And then roll it in reverse, back up into the whole egg while saying “This is your brain on self care.” I don't know about you, but I'd rather my brain be the whole egg. As Dr Margaliot says at the very end, it’s important to get the message out! Mentioned in this episode: Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) Study Upcoming Winter of Self Care - 10 week live online coaching program with Free Your Inner Guru host Laura Tucker   Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

CEO Marc Lesser is on a mission to make mindfulness an essential practice of leadership. Marc Lesser is a speaker, workshop leader, and executive coach. Marc is known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. He is the author of 4 books, including Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen, and CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company. Marc helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself (SIY) leadership program within Google – a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders which teaches the art of integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and business savvy for creating great corporate cultures and a better world. He founded and was CEO of 3 companies, and has an MBA degree from New York University. Marc was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the western world. Memorable quotes: "Leadership is essentially about integrity. Integrating a vision, sense of urgency with heart, morals, sense of ethics." "I identify myself as a social entrepreneur - business as a force for solving problems and doing things that matter. Whether I’m in Google or a large company, many people are identifying as a social entrepreneur." "Part of my mission in life is to ground mindfulness. To show what I think the depth and breadth of it. On one hand to demystify it, and on the other to show the mystery." "I’m more and more up front that so many people who want to have a meditation practice struggle with it. My response is try sitting with others. I don’t think that meditation was meant to be an individual sport. I think it was meant to be a group sport." "We’ve become separate from nature, and therefore separate from ourselves." I just thought I was going to be practicing meditation and then found myself working with other people and leading. I thought, "This is the real thing, this is the practice." Mentioned in this episode Marc Lesser's book -  7 Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen Free Your Inner Guru Episode 49 with meditation teacher Mark Coleman Connect with Marc Lesser online: website Twitter - @marclesser Facebook Connect with Laura and #FYIGPodcast online: website Facebook Instagram Twitter Become a supporting member and join the Free Your Inner Guru® listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Martha Henderson is an Olympian, keynote speaker, and host of the Rising Tides Speaker Series. Martha Henderson represented Canada with her sailing team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. As an Olympian, the pursuit of excellence is in her blood. She is known for inspiring beliefs that you can achieve outcomes beyond your expectations. In this conversation with Free Your Inner Guru host Laura Tucker, Martha shares her roller coaster ride to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, including what happened when her worst nightmare came true! Martha also shares why she used to suppress her Olympic experience, and why she speaks about her story with people today. Memorable quotes: "When I started to explore all the elements that went into the Olympic journey, I started to realize that it’s a relatable story for people in any situation who have to reinvent themselves." "Your worst nightmare can come true. And you can still make your dream come true. I fell out of the boat!" “Olympian is another word for expert. Someone who has dedicated time and effort to a singular thing.” Mentioned in this episode Upcoming Rising Tides Speaker Series in Toronto on Tuesday, October 22nd - Click here and use code EARLYBIRD on or before September 30 to deduct $10 off your ticket. Find Martha Henderson online: risingtides.ca Facebook Instagram Rising Tides Events website Facebook Curious about coaching with Laura?  Visit lauratucker.com/leadership-coaching for more information. Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Lisa Mattam is the CEO of Sahajan, an evidence-based natural skin care line based on the 5000 year old science of Ayurveda. In this interview, Lisa shares the milestones and the challenges of her journey from strategic consulting in the pharmaceutical industry to founding her own skin care line that reaches back to her family’s roots in southern India. Moments before this interview, Lisa Mattam and Laura Tucker discovered they went to the same grade school in Toronto. This surprising common ground laid the foundation for a big conversation about doing your best to do life and business in alignment with your values. Named by Profit Magazine as one of the Top Ten Emerging Women Entrepreneurs in Canada and recognized by the Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce as Female Entrepreneur of the Year, Lisa has become a thought leader in the areas of entrepreneurship, resilience, the advancement of women, and diversity. Conversation highlights How growing up as the lone Indian girl in school shaped Lisa's sense of culture and tradition. Lisa explains how Ayurveda helps you proactively manage your life's path. The story of how Lisa decided to integrate Ayurveda into her business. The three surprising challenges Lisa Mattam faced in the three years since she launched Sahajan.  (The third one is shocking!) Integrity, values and ethics in Sahajan’s business culture. The heartbreak of realizing not everyone shares the same values as you, and what you can do about it. The role of intuition in refining business and leadership skills. Prioritizing purpose over profit:  How Lisa and Sahajan give back in partnership with Plan International's Because I am a Girl Initiative. Your purchase of Lip Karma gives a girl in a developing country a day of school.   Mentioned in this episode Book - The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz Find Lisa Mattam and Sahajan online: Sahajan.com Instagram - @sahajanskincare Facebook - click here Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com Connect on social: Free Your Inner Guru Facebook Group Instagram - @freeyourinnerguru and @lauraatucker Twitter - @fyigpodcast and @lauraatucker

Sonya Cote wants you to own your body and connect with others. On this week's episode of Free Your Inner Guru, Laura is joined by Sonya Cote.  Sonya is an actress, singer, speaker and author of I’m Not Naked (Anymore): Memoirs of a Contemporary Jezebel. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse, the stories of Sonya’s life center around creative self expression, and fully owning her body, while having fun in the process.  She is a vivacious and tenacious woman who embraces her journey and the wisdom she has accumulated along the way. Sonya continues to work full time in the entertainment industry, teaching workshops and speaking to share the wisdom she has gained from her life experience. Conversation highlights Why Sonya calls herself a Contemporary Jezebel There is always a path, even though we can’t always see it at the time Perspective on sharing stories and the difference it makes in the world Post #metoo - what has changed in relationships, the acting industry? The real point of sharing your story. How Sonya’s relationship with her mother was affected by the publishing of her book The power of forgiveness Taking responsibility, admitting mistakes and move forward anyway The importance of human connection and community Sonya’s current fitness competition - the next step in Sonya’s journey of the body The role of discipline and how it spills into other areas of your life Menopause and Sonya’s moment of “I’ve got to reinvent myself!” Mentioned in this episode Sonya's Book - I’m Not Naked (Anymore): Memoirs of a Contemporary Jezebel Website - sonyacote.com 14th Annual Patsy Cline Birthday Show - Sept 5, 2019 - Tickets here Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

In her book Feed Your Soul, Carly Pollack combines practical guidance on what to eat with timeless wisdom. Being a conscious leader requires focus, clarity, and energy. In this episode, Carly Pollack and Free Your Inner Guru host Laura Tucker explore why many people experience wellness as a battle between two voices - our compassionate Higher Self and our obsessive, punishing lower self - and why our relationship with food is a mirror for where we are on our spiritual path. Carly Pollack is the founder of Nutritional Wisdom, a thriving private practice based in Austin, Texas. A Certified Clinical Nutritionist with a master’s degree in holistic nutrition, Carly has been awarded Best Nutritionist in Austin five years running and has helped over 10,000 people achieve their health and happiness goals. “Instead of someone outside of you - or a book or a person…Feed Your Soul is really a book about teaching you how to find your own boundaries. It’s not ‘Hey, I’ve never met you in my whole life, but I’m going to write a book telling you how I think you need to eat.’ It’s different for everyone, and different at different seasons of their life.” - Carly Pollack Conversation highlights -Carly shares her experience of being at war with her body, a constant chaotic battle with 2 sides. -The role of awareness in guiding your health. Why focussing on the food and the movement is ineffective. -When you feel like your emotional wellness is easily being tripped up by external triggers, you need to look at your spiritual practice and strengthen it. -The difference between judgment and holding yourself to a high standard -Where Carly stands on the two opposing camps in woman’s wellness -Simple but impactful guidance on what to eat: foods that rot. -Why the white potato is a victim of dogma. -How to apply the 80/20 rule to nutrition. -What it was like to approach publishers with a book that contains no hook or quick fix. Carly Pollack’s Memorable Quotes “Obsessiveness and awareness cannot coexist.” “I can’t influence myself if I’m judging myself.” “I don’t want to take the life out of food, I want to take the power out of food.” “To demonize the banana, we are missing the point. We are doing this a lot to distract ourselves from the bigger picture of doing the deeper work.” Mentioned in this episode Carly Pollack's book - Feed Your Soul -Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled Website - carlypollack.com Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Mark Coleman is a mindfulness teacher, wilderness guide, and author. Mark Coleman is the author of From Suffering to Peace, Make Peace with Your Mind, and Awake in the Wild.  As a rebelious young man living in London, Mark stumbled upon a meditation centre at the height of the punk era. His discovery began a lifelong journey of exploring the mind, meditation, and causes of suffering and happiness. Mark is the founder of the Mindfulness Institute and has an MA in clinical psychology.  Mark has guided students on five continents as a corporate consultant, counselor, meditation teacher, and wilderness guide. Conversation highlights: Concern that mindfulness is being touted as a panacea and reduced to bite size parts Mindfulness as a way to gain understanding, insight and inner freedom. How Mark found mindfulness in the midst of the London punk era. Don't have time to meditate? Mark shares practical ways you can choose mindfulness over numbing in the midst of a busy life. Our default node network and negativity bias:  the physiological and psychological reason we are wired to be slightly negative with a meandering mind. The body as the best way to train to be present. Kindness as an important element of finding capacity to hold an experience and not suffer with it. Fairy tale spiritual mythology is not the path to awakening. The shift from self centredness to service. Despite a general feeling of powerlessness, serving the people around us has the power to ripple out and create influence. Mark Coleman's Memorable Quotes: "You may not have time to meditate for half an hour, but you have time to be present to a whole host of activities including driving, conversations, cooking, cleaning." "We all want the happily ever after story; the fairy tale spiritual mythology.  I thought that too. I wanted to get enlightened so I wouldn’t have to feel and deal with the messiness and painfulness of life." "Remember that mindfulness, which is awareness, is a quality within us all.  Awareness is our birthright." "Since we are an interconnected web of life, influencing one small thread of that weave influences the whole tapestry." Mentioned in this episode Mark Coleman's book, From Suffering to Peace:  The True Promise of Mindfulness Website - markcoleman.org Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Happy Summer of Self Care! Shaun Proulx:  What is the number one thing you did to get to the place you're at now since we last saw you? Laura Tucker:  I think it's really been letting go of the idea of wanting to be who I was. In this episode: updates on the Free Your Inner Guru Podcast the upcoming Summer of Self Care Shaun Proulx interviews Laura and we uncover why “self care has been the ultimate answer for you.” Shaun Proulx hosts Shaun hosts the glittery, thoughtful, weekly SiriusXM talk show, The Shaun Proulx Show, on CanadaTalks channel 167, a hotbed of ideas, thoughtful discussion, transformational entertainment, cheeky commentary and a magnet for celebrities and thought leaders including Bo Derek, Gayle King, Jann Arden, Betty DeGeneres, Tony Robbins, Melissa Etheridge, Rosie Perez, Gabrielle Bernstein, Mastin Kipp, Panache Desai, and more. Key points How repetition and practice increase your capacity for difficult emotions over time The role of intentional self care in the journey to reclaim your voice Learning to be resourceful and advocate for yourself as a form of self care. The number one thing I did to get to the place I am now. Why an integrated life is the best life. Mentioned in this episode For more information about the Free Your Inner Guru Summer of Self Care - lauratucker.com/sos Connect with Shaun Proulx online: at shaunproulx.ca Summer of Yes Facebook Page More Free Your Inner Guru online: Facebook Group Laura on Instagram Free Your Inner Guru Podcast on Instagram Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com

Avra Fainer is a performance and presentation coach who knows first hand the importance of becoming more self aware and sharing your story. When Avra Fainer was at the peak of achievement in both acting and business, she experienced a severe challenge in the form of mental illness. In this compelling conversation, Avra shares how her diagnosis with Bipolar 2 was an important step towards authentic self expression and healthy success. Listen as Avra Fainer shares her perspective on: Her love of performance as a child actor. How acting became the foundation of her work as a performance and presentation coach. What it’s like to watch someone go from shy and quiet to being able to use their voice and body to influence, and make a difference in other people’s lives. The impact of performance and influence in everyday moments. From driving force to mental illness, Avra shares the impact her mental illness had on her ability to function. Her experience and symptoms of Bipolar 2 Disorder. How today’s culture encourages grandiosity The role self awareness played in becoming the healthy, functional, amazing person you can be. The power of environment: the role relationships played in navigating back to wellness. The power of storytelling: Why sharing your story makes you more memorable Why “authentic” and “vulnerable” are more than buzzwords Her response to people who think their story is not significant. Two practical techniques and tools that will help you become more energized, present and confident. Mentioned in this episode Find and follow Avra online: website - avrafainer.com Facebook Instagram Support the #FYIGPodcast and join the Free Your Inner Guru listener forum at support.freeyourinnerguru.com