The Living Experiment: Rethink Your Choices. Reclaim Your Life.

This week we're talking about psychedelics — the consciousness altering substances, and the extraordinary moment they are having in our culture at this time. We explore the reasons that popular interest in psychedelics has risen dramatically in recent years — although certainly not for the first time — and we consider the historical and emerging scientific research that supports their use in a variety of applications. We also share our own range of lived experiences with psychedelics and why we have both chosen to dabble with — or avoid — them over the years. Finally, we offer some considerations on why and how you might choose to learn more about, experiment with, or take a pass on psychedelics yourself. And as always, we leave you with some experiments to help you delve deeper into this fascinating topic, if you choose. Full show notes and resources at https://livingexperiment.com/psychedelics/

This week we're talking about Nutritious Movement, the brainchild of our brilliant friend, biomechanist, fitness expert, and best-selling author Katy Bowman. Katy's term "nutritious movement" refers to the type of movement that nourishes, educates, shapes, energizes, and repairs us in ways that support optimal health and vitality. And, as Katy explains during the conversation, that does not describe most conventional fitness approaches. So here, Pilar talks with Katy about a great many science-y things very few of us have ever learned about movement and exercise, including some key differences between the two. Katy shares some misconceptions most of us hold about what good fitness constitutes and requires, and she offers up some wonderfully simple, effective, and sustainable strategies for improving your body's physical form and function. We wrap up with a few experiments to help you discover what nutritious movement feels like and how you can easily enjoy more of it, starting today. Full show notes and resources at https://livingexperiment.com/nutritious-movement/

This week, we're talking about Pandemic Era Discoveries. Last winter, after two years spent in various forms of social isolation, Dallas and Pilar met up at an improvised San Diego studio to catch up live and in person. We compared notes about how we'd weathered the weirdness of COVID reality, where we're at now, and some of the most rewarding stuff we encountered along the way. From craniosacral therapy to cigars, from continuous glucose monitors to toe correctors, from garden plot puttering to nature-based spirit questing, we serve up some of our favorite COVID keepers, along with some of our just-emerging curiosities. And, as always, we leave you with some experiments to get you thinking about what you'd like to take away from this next phase of post-COVID reality. Get full show notes and resources at https://livingexperiment.com/pandemic-era-discoveries/

This week we've got a special guest episode with Brian Johnson, the creator of Optimize and the Founder + CEΦ of Heroic Public Benefit Corporation. Brian has spent half of the last twenty-five years as a Founder/CEO and the other half as a Philosopher, creating hundreds of his PhilosophersNotes summaries of all sorts of brilliant books worth reading. As a Founder/CEO, he's built and sold two market-leading social platforms. As a Philosopher, he's served tens of thousands of people from every country in the world with his Optimize membership, and he has also trained over 3,500 people from 90+ countries with his Optimize Coach program — a 300 day program scientifically proven to change lives for the better. Most recently, in March 2021, with the support of 2,500+ Founding Investors from 75+ countries around the world, Brian's new business — Heroic Public Benefit Corporation — made history in ways he explains in his chat with Pilar. Get full show notes and resources at https://livingexperiment.com/optimize-brian-johnson/

This week, Pilar talks with special guests Leslie Salmon Jones and Jeff W. Jones, co-founders of Afro Flow Yoga. Leslie and Jeff created Afro Flow Yoga in 2008, fusing a new blend of expressive movement and rhythmic music from their own explorations of healing and their African-American and Caribbean heritage, in West Africa, Haiti and Jamaica. Leslie and Jeff describe Afro Flow Yoga as an embodied practice, integrating dance movements of the African Diaspora with meditative yoga and live healing music, promoting individual and collective healing in a compassionate, inclusive, non-judgmental and safe environment. In this conversation, Pilar talks with Leslie and Jeff about what inspired them to create Afro Flow Yoga, the special role this practice has in helping us heal our fractured selves and culture at this time, and where they see it going from here. If you haven't already checked out one of their virtual classes, we hope you will so you can experience the whole-person "aha" of Afro Flow Yoga for yourself. Get full show notes and resources at https://livingexperiment.com/afro-flow-yoga/

This week Pilar talks to a special guest — James Beard award-winning journalist, author, and food legend Dorothy Kalins. Dorothy is the founding editor of Saveur magazine and Metropolitan Home. She's also a celebrated cookbook creator and the author of a terrific new book, The Kitchen Whisperers: Cooking with the Wisdom of Our Friends.

This week on The Living Experiment we bring you an episode that has been a very long time coming — a special guest episode with New York Times bestselling author John Zeratsky. John is the co-author — with Jake Knapp —  of two terrific books, Sprint (a popular business title from 2016) and Make Time: How to Focus On What Matters Every Day, which came out in the fall of 2018. In this episode, recorded in the fall of 2019, John and Pilar talk about both titles, and about the themes connecting them. From the value of creating clear mental space for our most pressing priorities to the importance of respecting the limits of our time and attention, John makes a case for doing our lives differently than we're doing them now so we don't get overwhelmed and start feeling like our lives are passing us by. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/make-time/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about the concept of the New Year — from meaningless consumer hype to contemplative pursuits that really can make a difference. We explore the potential pros and cons of leveraging the New Year as an opportunity for self-improvement, and we share the approaches we like best for pursuing change in our own lives. From expert theories of change to the awkward realities of working on a goal that eludes you, we take a thoughtful look at New Year's conventions, and we offer some experiments to help you establish a better, more self-compassionate plan for your year ahead. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/new-year/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Midlife — that fun and potentially funky moment when you realize you might well have fewer years ahead of you than you've already put behind you. It's a clarifying moment for many, and a moment of crisis for others. A moment when we realize that we may not have lived our own highest choices up until now — and that if we're going to make the rest of our lives more the way we'd like them to be, this is the time to make that happen. In the midst of all of this is the anxiety about getting older, looking older, being seen as just plain old in a culture that glorifies youth and youth-centric standards of beauty. And then, of course, there's our mortality to consider. So here, we talk about what middle age means to us, and the meaning our society has ascribed to it — cliches, stereotypes, prejudices and all. We explore the assumptions we've had to challenge, and the gifts we've only begun to unwrap. Dallas shares his view of life past 40, and Pilar shares her view from the other side of 50, which is looking pretty darn good to her. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you more fully appreciate — at any age — the years you've lived into while also making the most of the years you have left to embrace. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/midlife/

Life continues to be weird. So we are just rolling with it. This week on The Living Experiment, Pilar offers some updates and options for folks who want to stay connected and who are eager keep experimenting through the rest of 2020. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/mini-update/

This week on The Living Experiment, Pilar interviews a special guest, hunter-gatherer and rewilding enthusiast Daniel Vitalis. Daniel is a well-recognized advocate for what's known as rewilding, a term that he points out means very different things to different people. To Daniel, and also to Pilar, it means reclaiming and reconnecting with aspects of our own wild-creature origins, and for getting into a closer, more intimate connection with our natural world. Daniel visited Pilar's family farm in Wisconsin in summer 2019 to film an episode for his forthcoming TV series, called "WildFed." In the process, he collaborated with Pilar's partner, Forager Chef Alan Bergo, to put on an amazing dinner of pigeon and wild-harvested plants. But Daniel wasn't always the hunter-gatherer type. In fact, for a long time he was a hard-core raw food vegan — a way of life he has happily left behind. So here, we talk about the evolution of Daniel's viewpoints, including some of the mistakes he says have taught him a lot of what he knows today. Along the way, we offer up some reflections on the history of humans, both ancient and modern. And as always we leave you with some experiments to help you re-connect with nature and your own natural self, right here and now. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/rewilding/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Moving Forward in this unusual time in history. Thanks to COVID-19, we're still recording from a distance. Since we were last in the studio though, and even since the last time we did one of our COVID-edition Facebook Live episodes, so much has happened. We've seen new waves of conflict around the pandemic, as well as the murder of George Floyd and the historic calls for social and racial justice via the Black Lives Matter movement. Meanwhile, we've been witnessing divisions widening, not just within our country, but within our circles of family and friends. So here, we talk about how we've been coping with the present moment, and also about how we are moving forward, from managing our media choices and navigating difficult conversations to finding our own points of view in what can seem like a very disorienting world. Finally, we leave you with some experiments that encourage you to explore your own capacity for making sense of what's happening now, and for building discernment into your own next steps. Full show notes and resources at: https://livingexperiment.com/moving-forward/

This week our guest is Terry Wahls, MD, a physician and scientific researcher best known for her groundbreaking work reversing autoimmune diseases — including her own disabling case of multiple sclerosis, which for a time had her confined to a wheelchair with very little hope of recovery. But recover she did, and what produced her recovery was an experimental, systems-based approach that Dr. Wahls developed for herself. It combined a specialized paleo-inspired nutrition program with other functional medicine and lifestyle interventions — all aimed at healing her brain and nervous system, nourishing her mitochondria and rebuilding her physical resilience. Today that approach is known as the Wahls Protocol, and it's being used to reverse a wide variety of autoimmune diseases, as well as a number of other supposedly incurable chronic health conditions. Here, Pilar talks with Dr. Wahls about the early life experiences that prepared her to deviate from conventional medical practice, even when that deviation invited criticism, ridicule and rebuke.   Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/autoimmunity/

This week on The Living Experiment, our guest is Dr. Frank Lipman, one of the world's leading integrative physicians, a thought leader and innovator in the realm of disease reversal, and the author of a bunch of books, including his most recent, How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life. Frank Lipman, MD, is best known for helping high-profile celebrity clients — like Gwyneth Paltrow — reverse stubborn and mysterious health problems. But his real passion is educating regular people about what they can do to intervene in their own health conditions, and helping them upgrade their day-to-day self-care so that they can lead healthier, happier, more balanced lives. Pilar first encountered Dr. Lipman when she was editing Experience Life magazine, and he became one of their favorite expert resources. He's also a regular contributor at Goop and a variety of other leading health media sites. Plus, he hosts his own podcast, Tune into Wellness. A practitioner of functional medicine and eastern healing methodologies, Frank seamlessly blends both into what he calls "good medicine" at his beautiful clinic, Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, which is where Pilar interviewed him for this episode in Fall of 2019. We talk about the nature of health transformation, the essentials required for recovery from complex chronic conditions, and of course we offer you some experiments to help you upgrade your own body-mind health in ways that work for you. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/health-transformation/

This week on The Living Experiment we have an extraordinary guest, functional medicine pioneer Dr. Jeffrey Bland. Dr. Bland is something of an international legend in functional medicine circles. A preeminent scientist dedicated to systems thinking, and a thought leader intent on transforming health care as we know it. Dr. Bland is a former biochemistry professor who once served as director of nutritional research at the Linus Pauling Institute of Science and Medicine. He worked directly with Pauling, a two-time Nobel laureate, and considers him a mentor. Dr. Bland is also the principal author of more than 120 peer-reviewed research papers on nutritional biochemistry and medicine. So, Jeff is a serious scientist, but he's also a profoundly caring human being, once who's concerned about the health of real people and the fate of medical practitioners. That's just part of what led him to help create the Institute for Functional Medicine, and more recently the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute. It's also what led him to write six books for the lay public, including his latest (and one of Pilar's personal favorites) — The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life. Bland's latest venture is Big Bold Health, and we talk about that project, among others, as we cover everything from new thinking about genomics and personalized medicine to chronic disease reversal and the importance of taking charge of your own health. We wrap up with some experiments to help you begin more boldly owning your own health in ways that work for you. If you want to watch the video of this interview and see   Dr. Bland interview Pilar for the Big Bold Health podcast, both videos are linked in the show notes on The Living Experiment website. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/functional-medicine-2/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Dallas's new book, The 4 Season Solution, which is now available in bookstores everywhere! In addition to recapping the central themes of the book, and hearing about the response it has gotten from early readers, we talk about the relevance of the book's themes to the challenges so many of us are facing now. We explore the overall importance of seasonal living in relation to good health. And we also consider how incorporating season-appropriate adjustments can support the reversal of chronic conditions and diseases — by lowering inflammation, re-regulating our biochemistry, and improving the resilience of our body-mind's integrated systems. As always, we wrap up with some experiments to help you integrate more season-driven wisdom into your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/the-4-season-solution/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about chronic disease reversal. Over the past decade there's been an emerging clinical awareness, with increasing research support, that many diseases we've been told are progressive and incurable can in fact often be turned around — or at least significantly ameliorated — through systems-based functional and lifestyle medicine strategies. So here, Dallas and Pilar explore the approaches that are proving most successful in interrupting the chronic inflammatory processes involved in most chronic conditions. We highlight the exciting progress being made by leading practitioners who are disrupting the status quo and moving beyond conventional disease management strategies to address the real root causes of chronic ailments that affect millions. We explore the power of elimination diets and other lifestyle medicine interventions to help identify and remove common disease triggers, and we consider the importance of supporting the body's own healing mechanisms. We explain why chronic disease reversal can no longer be the exclusive domain of doctors, and why it must instead involve us and our daily choices. Finally, we offer you some experiments in re-framing what we've been encouraged to think of as incurable health ailments, and we invite you to re-imagine how a whole bunch of us might begin healing ourselves in ways the conventional medical system might not yet think is possible. This episode also marks the beginning of a series of guest episodes with leading physicians and thinkers who are raising awareness of how numerous chronic diseases can be reversed, while helping regular people recover from ailments they were told they would suffer from for a lifetime. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/chronic-disease-reversal/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about biometric devices — the appeal these fascinating little gadgets hold and the distractions they can present. From Fitbits and Apple Watches to Muse Headbands and Oura Rings, we evaluate the ways knowing more about our own biomarkers and daily patterns can help us become better stewards of our bodies and minds. We explore how increasing use and dependence on these devices is affecting us all, and how their trending adoption is influencing our culture. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you become more conscious of the signals your body is sending you all of the time — and whether you are more likely to benefit from getting a new biometric device, or just becoming a better calibrated tracker of your own body's readings. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/biometric-devices/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking, once again, about trauma - this time with internationally renowned trauma expert Dr. James Gordon. Pilar talks with Dr. Gordon about his new book, The Transformation: Discovering Wholeness and Healing After Trauma, about how we tend to get stuck in traumatic experiences of all sorts, and how we can get ourselves out. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/trauma-2/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Love — the romance, the heartbreak, the profound sense of connection that most of us are after. Both our desire for love and our struggles to navigate it are some of the biggest opportunities we have for growth, and for stress, both of which can have huge impacts on our health and happiness. So in this episode, we talk about how our childhood experiences help form our adult romantic patterns, about the dramas of first love, and about what both of us have learned as we've moved through the ups and downs of romantic attachments. As always, we leave you with some experiments to help you explore how you'd like to show up for love, and love more skillfully, in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/love/

This week on The Living Experiment Pilar interviews a very special guest, clinical therapist and author Resmaa Menakem. We're talking about trauma, the effect it has on us as individuals, and also the impact it has on us in groups and as members of society. Resmaa's most recent book, My Grandmother's Hands, explores themes of ancestral and racialized trauma, topics informed by his personal and familial experiences, as well as his professional clinical expertise. Resmaa's insights are also informed by a broad array of cross-cultural explorations, including two tours in Afghanistan as a military contractor. Resmaa's teachings are relevant to anyone who has experienced trauma, which, as he points out, is all of us. So here, we talk about the lasting impacts trauma leaves on our bodies, hearts and minds, as well as our families, communities and societies. We talk about what it takes to heal trauma's current wounds, as well as its legacies of pain and depression, and we leave you with some experiments to help you better recognize and resolve the sources of trauma in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/trauma-1/

Last week, after nearly a year away working on our books, Dallas and Pilar returned with a brand new "We're Back" episode of The Living Experiment. Soon, we'll be back again with a second new episode of the season. But in the meantime, by popular demand, we wanted to bring you a replay of our "Autumn" episode. This is the final installment in a series of episodes we've built around Dallas's Seasonal Model of Health, which is also the topic of his forthcoming book, The 4 Season Solution. If you've listened to the other episodes in this series, you know they all include explorations of the physical, mental, emotional and social aspects of the season, and this episode is no exception. Here we consider Autumn's contracting energy. We look at how it encourages our bodies and minds to wind down the high energy of summer and, as Dallas puts it, "start coming home" for the winter to come, which is also a great time to begin dreaming up what comes next. From fall-focused nutrition, fitness, and sleep recommendations to self-care and decluttering wisdom based in Chinese Five Element Theory, we share suggestions rooted in science and personal experience. And of course we offer you some autumnal experiments to help you make the most of this beautiful season in your own way. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/autumn/

This week on The Living Experiment, we return from a nearly one-year recording hiatus with a report from the outer limits of book writing and creative life. Dallas unpacks the contents of his forthcoming title, The 4 Season Solution. And Pilar reflects, with unexpected emotion, on both the final push to turn in her book, The Healthy Deviant AND one of her most intense years on record. We both share some of the insights and appreciations that have come to us while we've been away, and of course, we offer you some experiments designed to help you take stock of your own comings and goings. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/were-back/

Happy Spring, everybody! It's that time of year when our bodies come out of hiding, and when it seems like everybody has a plan for improving them. Bikini body workouts, beach-ready diets, perfect tan tips, the whole bit. So we thought that this might be a good time to roll out our "Healthy vs. Hot" episode. If you're at all inclined to feel like your body is not living up to external expectations, even when you feel healthy overall, we think you might find this one thought-provoking and helpful. Check it out, let us know what you think, and if you enjoy it please share it with friends. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/healthyhot/

This week on The Living Experiment, in celebration of Valentine's Day, we bring you a replay of the third in a series of four special guest episodes featuring teachers from Lafayette Morehouse. For more background on this series, check out the introduction to the first Lafayette Morehouse episode, "Resistance to Pleasure". In this episode, Pilar talks to teaching trio Judy St. John, Colin Selig and Janet Ribaldi about Intimacy and Connection - our human longing for it, the fears and social programming that get in the way, and the steps we can take to create the deeper sense of authentic connection that most of us desire. A lot of the Morehouse teachings focus on the value of relationships, and the opportunity we have to amplify our enjoyment of life by relating to others with more attention, awareness and authenticity. Morehouse teachings also focus on sensuality as an important aspect of a gratifying life, so we touch on that, too. A quick reminder that the episodes in this series were recorded live on location at the Lafayette Morehouse campus, Lafayette, California. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/intimacyconnection/

Every season has its gifts, but we live in a culture that prefers to celebrate the bright, "go-go" energy of summer. Without the haven of a winter recovery cycle to replenish us, though, we get depleted, overstimulated, and overwhelmed. So in this week's episode of The Living Experiment, we talk about the important and under-appreciated aspects of the winter season. We explain how you can observe its traditions by strategically adjusting your mindset, sleep schedule, food, fitness activity, and more. Drawing on ancient wisdom and modern-day science, we suggest some experiments to help you make the most of winter in your own world. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/winter/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about the concept of the New Year — from meaningless consumer hype to contemplative pursuits that really can make a difference. We explore the potential pros and cons of leveraging the New Year as an opportunity for self-improvement, and we share the approaches we like best for pursuing change in our own lives. From expert theories of change to the awkward realities of working on a goal that eludes you, we take a thoughtful look at New Year's conventions, and we offer some experiments to help you establish a better, more self-compassionate plan for your year ahead. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/new-year/

There's so much merriment, so much anticipation, and yet … the holidays can also feel like a lot of pressure to perform, to conform, to consume. Here, we share our thoughts on navigating this season with your sanity and sense of inner peace intact. From challenging the shop-and-spend cycle, to speaking your truth without inciting unnecessary conflict, we advocate for creating a satisfying holiday experience — your way. And of course, we offer you some experiments to get you started in that direction, even as the holiday madness kicks into full swing. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/holidays/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about taking a Break — the value of choosing to pause a project or commitment, and the factors you might consider in doing so. We share the reasons, after 100 episodes, close to a million downloads, and 10 full seasons of live-and-in-person collaboration, we're choosing to take a breather from our established recording schedule. We reflect on both the demands and rewards that have come along with co-producing this weekly podcast over the past three years. We also share a preview of the projects and priorities we're both working on now, and what we'll be producing over the next few weeks and months. Finally, we share some experiments to help you reflect on your current use of time, energy, and resources — and why you might want to considering taking some well-deserved breaks in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/break/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Healthy Deviance (again!), so we're calling this episode Healthy Deviance 2. First, we explore the evolution of Pilar's notion of Healthy Deviance, reflecting on how it has taken ahold and become part of a larger conversation about how to be a healthy, happy person in an often unhealthy, unhappy world. Next, after Dallas dashes off to catch his flight, Pilar breaks down some of the key concepts of her forthcoming book about Healthy Deviance, which has now found a publisher, and is scheduled to be published in the winter of 2019. Yay! Pilar describes the nature of what she calls the Nonconformist Competencies of Healthy Deviance, as well as the wide range of healthy-person skills you need to claim and sustain them for yourself. Finally, Pilar offers you some experiments to help you evaluate whether or not you currently identify as a Healthy Deviant, and where you might be right now on the Healthy Deviant Hero's Journey of your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/healthy-deviance-2/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about coping — the base level, essential things we do to get through our days, particularly when we're under pressure and stress. In a world that can lead us to feel helpless, reactive, and overburdened, it's important to have strategies for calming our nervous system, for managing our internal and external resources, and for creating a stable sense of center. So here, we talk about how we wade through the craziness of everyday life, and the fundamental skills we use to stay aware and resilient even in the face of depletion and reactivity.  We look at the physical, mental, and emotional dynamics of coping — from anti-inflammatory eating and sleeping to anti-insanity media habits. And, of course, we offer you some experiments to help you relate with more consciousness and self-compassion to the coping scenarios in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/coping/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Introverts and Extroverts — from the different ways these two distinct types show up in the world to the sometimes perplexing ways they can relate. In the process we unpack our own introverted and extroverted tendencies, and we share expert insights on what both these types have to share with, and learn from, each other. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you expand your own awareness of introvert-extrovert dynamics and how they might be showing up in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/introvert-extrovert/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Motivation — the force that gets us to do, accomplish, and change the things we want to. And the force that sometimes fizzles without our really understanding why. So here, we talk about the nature and source of motivation, and the art of cultivating it in the service of our highest goals. From the dynamics that cause us to procrastinate and avoid fulfilling ostensibly worthwhile commitments, to the science behind making change even when change is hard, we explore the realities of harnessing the willingness to do what must be done. We also acknowledge the reality that an unlimited supply of superhuman willpower is often not the magic bullet that many motivational gurus might have you believe. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you tap into your own best sources of motivation, and to put them to work in ways that feel most rewarding to you. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/motivation/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Meditation — its near-countless benefits for body and mind, and also the real and perceived barriers that keep many from embracing it. From the challenges of making space for a regular practice, to the frustration that can set in when we attempt to calm our chaotic minds, we talk about the block-and-tackle of meditation and the many forms it can take. We also share our own experiences with meditative practices and the benefits we've found in exploring and expanding them over time. Finally, we offer you a snack-size taste of a guided meditation and some experiments to help you discover the profound gifts you stand to gain from building more meditative practices into your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/meditation/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about the Enneagram — a personal wisdom tool that has been transforming lives and relationships for thousands of years. The Enneagram is generally thought of as a personality typing system, and it does sort people into 9 primary types, but it's different from other personality typing systems in a variety of important ways. The central aim of the Enneagram is to help people understand their own and others' deepest motivations. It helps us develop our central strengths while working around our most challenging and potentially self-destructive tendencies. One thing we both like about the Enneagram is that it is an incredibly rich body of knowledge, one that you can use to keep learning about yourself and others for the rest of your life. So in this episode, we share an overview of our experiences with the Enneagram, and how we've benefited from it. We offer some very basic information about the nature and origins of the system, and how it helps people evolve toward their highest and healthiest potential. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you discover more about your own Enneagram Type and put its wisdom to work in your own life.   Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/enneagram/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Weight Loss — the myths, the methods, and the massive struggle it represents for the majority of Americans today. Starting with our own frustration with the muddled messages often broadcast on this topic, we strive to set the record straight. From the madness of trying to control one's weight through low-fat eating, calorie counting, and “portion control,” to the sensible strategies that work a whole lot better, we share what we know, and what we wish more people knew, about the keys to managing your weight in a healthier, happier way. Pilar shares her Healthy Deviant approach to weight loss, and Dallas draws from his two New York Times bestsellers to help you rethink not just the way you're eating, but also the way you are managing your thoughts, your energy, your daily patterns, and your biochemistry. And of course, we offer you some experiments to help you recast your assumptions about weight, and weight loss, for the long haul.  Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/weight-loss/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Quitting — the importance of knowing when to do it, and the stigma that so often accompanies that decision. From jobs and relationships, to projects and attachments, we talk about both the pain and the relief of letting go of the things we once decided to pursue. And we point out that quitting needn't represent a failure or a referendum on your value as a person. Dallas makes his case for becoming an “expert quitter,” and Pilar shares some of the biggest, baddest, most formative quitting experiences of her life. We also offer you some empowering experiments to help you explore the potential of quitting more skillfully and selectively in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/quitting/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about being Childless by Choice. That's a decision that an increasing number of people are making these days, so the assumption that any given person is hoping to someday "get married and have babies" is increasingly a questionable one. And yet, those who consciously decide not to have kids are often confronted by the judgment of others. From opinion leaders who argue that not having children is "selfish," to relatives who are counting on you to carry on the family line, there's no shortage of reasons you might feel pressure — or peevishness — as the result of other people's investment in your reproductive capacity. So here, we talk about the many reasons a person might choose not to have kids, and how to cope with the reactions that choice might provoke. We also offer you some experiments to help you get more comfortable and compassionate with your own decision, and others'. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/childless-by-choice/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Questions — the value of asking more of them, and the potential of making inquiry a regular life practice. Rainer Maria Rilke once advised a young poet to "live in the questions," and that advice can serve all of us. So here, we share the questions we've found most helpful in keeping us on a good path, as well as the questions that tend to get us in trouble. From the reality-challenging questions that define Byron Katie's "The Work," to the Learner and Judger questions that make up Marilee Adams' Choice Map, we explore the evolution that is possible when we ask, rather than assume. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you consider the questions you might benefit from asking in your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/questions/

This week on The Living Experiment we're talking about Suicide — the fact that it has become tragically more common in recent years, and some reasons we think that might be. We also talk about how we personally view suicide, and what we've learned about it in our own lives. We share expert insights about the signs that someone near you might be having suicidal thoughts, and what you can do if you have been experiencing those feelings yourself. We unpack some different viewpoints, and some suggestions for how to process the thoughts and feelings you might be having about this complex topic. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you expand your understanding about suicide, and to show up for others in ways that help you build compassionate, life-nourishing connections in your own world. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/suicide/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Orthorexia — an eating disorder in which a person becomes so obsessed with what they think of as “healthy” eating that they over-limit their diet and become unhealthy as a result.     Dedicated healthy eaters sometimes write off orthorexia as nonsense, seeing the diagnosis as just another way of marginalizing the sensible choices made by many not to consume certain types of foods they are sensitive to, or simply don't want to eat.     But as we share here, orthorexia is a real thing — definitely not your garden-variety picky eating — and for some, it can become life threatening.     So we talk about what orthorexia is, the rigid thoughts and beliefs that can predispose people to suffering from it, and how you can steer clear of its grip.     We share some of our personal experiences and professional insights about this condition, and as always, we offer you some experiments to help you reconsider the attitudes you hold about food, and the healthy-eating decisions you choose to make in your own life.  Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/orthorexia/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Fats — the role they play in healthy eating, and the fact that a lot of what we've been told about them is all wrong. From the healthy fats your body probably needs more of, to the inflammatory fats it most definitely does not, we share what we know about America's most misunderstood macronutrient. We explain why low-fat diets are generally not helpful for weight loss, and why saturated fats are not the dietary evil you've been led to believe. We look at the fascinating role fats play in metabolism, health, mood, mental function and more. And we help you pick better fats as often as you can. Finally, we offer you some experiments so you can reconsider the role that fat-rich foods play in your own life. Get full show notes and resources http://livingexperiment.com/fats/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Supplements — why you can't rely on pills and powders for all your nourishment, and why you still might want to take some anyway. We cover the value that both multis and targeted nutrients can have in filling dietary gaps, and why what works for your friend or partner might not work for you. We both share the supplements we take (or don't), and we offer you some recommendations on the supplements that most of the smart doctors and nutrition pros we know suggest as basics. Finally, we offer some counsel on picking high quality products, and some recommendations for adjusting your own supplementation strategy in ways that work for you. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/supplements/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Imposter Syndrome — that disconcerting sense you may not be entirely worthy or qualified to be doing whatever it is you are doing, and that accompanying sense of dread that it's just a matter of time before everybody else figures that out. Imposter syndrome is a well-recognized phenomenon that affects almost all of us at one time or another, and it can be a significant source of chronic stress. So here, we talk about our own personal experiences with imposter syndrome. We also share what we've learned through our professional explorations of it, and some expert strategies for not letting it get the best of you. From investigating your negative self-talk to overcoming your unconscious upper limits, we suggest ways of identifying and navigating through imposter syndrome. And of course, we offer you some experiments to help you evaluate the impact it may be having in your world. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/imposter-syndrome/

This week we're talking about How We See the World.  This episode started out as an answer to a listener question — and then morphed, evolving into a big rambling conversation about hope and doubt, energy and attention, agency and activism, and more. It became one of those conversations where you discover what you think and feel as you are saying it, and you have no idea what is going to come out of your own or the other person's mouth until it does. It's worth noting that within weeks of recording this episode, Dallas had what he described as a "mind-melting experience" that caused him to question virtually everything he thinks, so by the time this podcast goes live, he may or may not be willing to stand by all of his statements here. The point is, conversations about how we see the world are worth having, and having, again, and again, and again. So, here, we invite you into ours, and we leave you with experiments to help you start some conversations and explorations of your own. For full show notes and resources, go to http://livingexperiment.com/how-we-see-the-world/

This week on The Living Experiment, by listener request, we're doing a special guest episode follow-up on the topic of Conscious Language, a subject we originally addressed way back in episode #66.    Joining Pilar this week is Cat Thompson. She's the teacher and friend who originally introduced Pilar to the study of Conscious Language.    Conscious Language is about noticing and choosing your words with awareness. It's also about recognizing that everything you say both reflects and influences your daily reality — your perspectives, beliefs, attitudes, energy, and intention.    Here, Cat shares her expert insights about how Conscious Language works, and about why it might be worth incorporating into your life.  Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/conscious-language-2/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Libido — the nature of our drive for sensual and sexual contact, and the variables that can affect it, for better or for worse. We start from the assumption that a healthy libido means different things to different people, and that there is no "right" way to feel it, or do it. We explore some of the factors that influence libido, and the concerns that many people share about their own, from a lack or surplus of sexual desire to uncertainties about sexual performance. We talk about challenges of living in a society where sexuality is distorted by media and blunted by stress, anxiety, over-scheduling, shame, religious dogma, and more. We also talk about the physiological, biochemical role that healthy sensuality plays in supporting human health and happiness. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you get more comfortable with your sense of libido, and wherever it fits into your own life. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/libido/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Functional Medicine — a systems-based approach to addressing the fundamental causes of disease and distress. Both of us have been immersed in the functional medicine movement for years — Dallas as a practitioner and Pilar as a health journalist — and we both see it as a science whose time has come. Here, we talk about what functional medicine is, and why this science- and lifestyle-based approach represents such an exciting evolution in healthcare. We touch on the tools, methods, and philosophy that make functional medicine so different. We explore functional medicine's practical but revolutionary strategy for addressing chronic diseases of all kinds, from digestive disorders and depression to autoimmunity and Alzheimer's. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you assess whether functional medicine might hold promise for you and those you love. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/functional-medicine/

This week on The Living Experiment, we bring you Part 2 of Pilar's conversation with New York Times best selling author and teacher, Geneen Roth. Geneen has been teaching and writing about conscious eating and living for the past 30 years. Her most recent book is This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide. Through keen observation, reflection, and some very funny asides, her work guides us to see our compulsions and self-sabotaging habits through more curious and self-compassionate eyes. It also helps us see the bigger picture of what we are doing here in the first place, and what we want to do with, as she says, "the breaths we have left." In Part 1, Geneen and Pilar covered all sorts of ground. Here, in Part 2, they pick up where they left off, talking about appetites, aging, beauty, creativity, mortality, and more. Geneen also shares a few of what she calls her "touchstones" — simple strategies for getting grounded, for warding off anxiety, and for evolving your own viewpoints. Finally, they offer some experiments to help you explore and enjoy your own Messy Magnificent Life in ways that work for you. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/messy-magnificent-2/

This week on The Living Experiment, while Dallas is off on adventures, Pilar has a very special guest: Geneen Roth. Geneen has written close to a dozen terrific books, including Lost and Found: One Woman's Story of Losing Her Money and Finding Her Life and When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair. She  also teaches life-changing workshops all over the country. Most of Geneen's work explores the intricate, under-examined spaces between how we feel, think, act, and relate — to ourselves, to each other, and to the experience of being alive. In this interview, a far-ranging conversation that stretches over two full episodes, Pilar delves into Geneen's new book, This Messy Magnificent Life: A Field Guide. It's a work so rich in wisdom, feeling, and funny insights that it's kind of hard to categorize, and even harder to contain. Get full show notes and resources at http://livingexperiment.com/messy-magnificent-1/

This week on The Living Experiment, we're talking about Apologizing — the reasons it's worth doing, and the art of doing it well. We explore the value a good apology can have in healing conflict and shame, and the reasons our well-intended apologies sometimes don't go as well as we'd like. We talk about the characteristics of good and not-so-good apologies, about private apologies and public ones. Finally, we offer you some experiments to help you evolve your own apologetic skills and sensitivities in ways that work for you.