My Brain on Endorphins Podcast

We’re at an unprecedented moment in history when women are so engaged and enraged we’ve never really held so much power to shape the future, according to Denise Barack, moderator and curator of The Revolution Within: Women’s Week at Kripalu, November 10-15. In our conversation, Denise talks about what to expect if you attend, because this is not your typical yoga retreat. It’s a call to action, Denise says, because for there to be change outside, it has to happen within first. Kripalu has long been known as a place to cultivate your inner resources in a nourishing environment that supports transformation. The 5-day program will feature some of the most prominent yoga teachers, civil rights activists, artists, and speakers, but the focus will also be on the diverse voices of participants with the ultimate goal of bringing about lasting collective change.

In our conversation, Nita Sweeney, a writer and author of the new book Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running With My Dog Brought Me Back From the Brink, talks about how becoming a runner at the age of 49 has helped her feel good and battle the challenges and effects of chronic depression and bipolar disease.

Welcome to my first Pop Up Book Club event! Whether you’ve read Michelle Obama’s amazing memoir Becoming or attended or heard one of her interviews during her book tour, you’ll enjoy our conversation about Michelle Obama’s journey and what inspires us. The episode, co-hosted by my friend and Washington producer Kathy Davidov and my Vassar classmate Karen Cox, was recorded at A Baked Joint in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, January 20, 2019. Is there a book you’d like to discuss at our next Pop Up Book Club event? Send me an email at carolee@caroleewalker.com or DM me on Twitter @Carolee_Walker. See you there!

I first met Rabbi Jesse Paikin, a rabbinic Fellow at the Sixth and I synagogue in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Good Soul services during this year’s High Holidays. I’m sure I’m not the only Jewish geek who attends services to hear the rabbi’s sermon, and the one Rabbi Jesse gave about the story of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry did not disappoint.I stopped by Rabbi Jesse’s office in Chinatown at lunchtime where I had the opportunity to ask him about his background and about that sermon. Our conversation occurred a week or so before the tragic shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and while all of us are still processing that horrific event as well as the many, many gestures of support and solidarity throughout our communities, Rabbi Jesse’s words and especially his perspective on free will offer signs of hope, I think, for the future.

Dr. Chris Friesen is a licensed neuropsychologist in Ontario, Canada, who specializes in helping athletes as well as high achievers, including executives, entrepreneurs, academics, and writers, improve their performance and productivity. He’s the author of Achieve: Find Out Who You Are, What You Really Want, And How To Make It Happen, which, I promise you, has something in it for everyone, even if you don't consider yourself a high performance individual. In our conversation, Chris offers tips on how to train your brain to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, making it easier to get in that workout without feeling like it’s a chore or something you dread. For more, check out Chris’s website at http://friesenperformance.com/.

Deborah Brooks is the author of the running and food blog “Confessions of a Mother Runner.” She’s the founder of her local chapter of Moms Run This Town (MRTT) and a Girls on the Run coach for the 8th straight year. Deborah didn’t start running until she was rehabbing from a knee injury when her children were little and since then, running has been a consistent source of empowerment – and joy – in her life. In our conversation, Deborah talks about her relationship to food, too. You can read Deborah’s blog at https://confessionsofamotherrunner.com. 

Surprise! Carolee's children, Mia Walker and Adin Walker, her niece Nina Lish, and her future son-in-law, Julian Muller, turn the tables on Carolee, asking her questions about what she was up to in her 20s, how she feels about turning 60, and her new book, Getting My Bounce Back. In this highly personal conversation at the Fork Restaurant in Philadelphia, Carolee talks about her own #Metoo moment and her early professional experiences, including working in the WJZ-13 newsroom with Erin Moriarty and Oprah Winfrey.

In this Clutch Reflection, I tell the story of a man who exercises for 10 minutes at the end of his day, every day.

Adin Walker is a director/choreographer/yoga teacher living and working in New York City. Have you ever found yourself in a yoga class bobbing your head up and down trying to figure out what everyone else is doing because you're either behind or not understanding what the yoga teacher is saying? In our conversation, I asked Adin about the art and skill behind cueing in yoga, and you'll get to hear clips from Adin's yoga class and his thoughts on the connection between teaching yoga and directing and choreographing.

In our conversation, Michelle Steinke-Baumgard, founder of OneFitWidow.com and author of Healthy Healing: A Guide to Working Out Grief Using the Power of Exercise and Endorphins, talks about how her fitness routine literally saved her life after her husband, Mitch, a pilot, was killed in a plane crash in 2009.

Physical therapist Kevin McGuinness practices at Washington Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Washington, D.C., where he treats all orthopaedic conditions but especially enjoys working with athletes and weekend warriors of all ages and abilities. In our conversation, Kevin talks about finding ways to exercise even if you face obstacles related to injury, disease, age, or even interest and ability, and tips on how to “listen to your body.”

I'm a person who knows a lot about a lot of things but sometimes I forget how little I know about some other things. 

Gini Fellows, 71, completed the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaiʻi, just six weeks after the death of her husband, Bill Fellows. Gini talks about the race and how training and competing in races are helping her through her grief.

My epic day at Wanderlust 108 in Philadelphia on September 30, 2017, MC’d 58:45by Matthew Rodrigues. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to run 3 miles? Or take an outdoor group yoga or meditation class? The lineup in Philly was amazing, featuring Chelsey Korus leading the massive group yoga class, Noah Levine setting an intention for the run and during his guided meditation, and DJ Drez providing music throughout. Join me and my friend Elissa Borzilleri and her daughter Ellie as we soaked up the good energy of the day. You’ll also hear from Sean Hoess, one of the founders and co-owners of Wanderlust 108, the world’s first triathlon of the mind, body, and spirit.