The Living Stress Free Podcast

Where does thought come from? Have you ever wondered? Take 25 minutes to listen to Chapter 3 of my book, The Living Stress Free Bible: 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful. I love this chapter, called The Bubble Machine. It'll give you a great practice to use with your thoughts - see them as bubbles! I also offer a quick review of my book from the Intro through this chapter.  You don't need to read the book to take advantage of the great suggestions to lower your stress and feel better in life. Keep listening to these podcasts!

If you find yourself stuck in a rut or you struggle with doing what you "should" be doing when everything seems so challenging, you are not alone. Join Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino for their strategies to perceive these uncertain times with inspiration, motivation, and hope. Hear about a couple in Canada who have been naturally social distancing for 29 years successfully. Discover the secret of creating sacred rituals and how this can help you navigate these strange times we live in. Find out how simple it is to practice mindful living as an antidote to "what if" worries about the future. The Living Stress Free Podcast never fails in delivering insight, wisdom, and humor in 30 minutes or less. 

Where does thought come from? Have you ever wondered? Take 25 minutes to listen to Chapter 3 of my book, The Living Stress Free Bible: 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful. I love this chapter, called The Bubble Machine. It'll give you a great practice to use with your thoughts - see them as bubbles! I also offer a quick review of my book from the Intro through this chapter.  You don't need to read the book to take advantage of the great suggestions to lower your stress and feel better in life. Keep listening to these podcasts!

If you were "stress-free" what would that feel like? During this challenging time of COVID-19 I would guess most people are not even thinking about this as a possibility. I invite you to take 20 minutes to listen to Chapter 2 of my book, The Living Stress Free Bible: 20 Techniques To Make Your Life Less Stressful. This chapter is called "Target Practice" and I talk about how important it is to imagine having already achieved what you are internally striving for before it happens. I also touch upon one reason people who are stuck at home right now are struggling so much. If you'd like a copy of my book, it is available on our website, LivingStressFree.Org, or on Amazon. If you enjoy the audio version, keep tuning in to these podcasts!

This podcast is dedicated to our wonderful health care workers with a special shout-out to the mental health care practitioners who help keep those afflicted with psychiatric ailments safe. Join me as I read Chapter One from my book The Living Stress Free Bible - 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful. This first chapter - The Third Door - explores stress, and how our minds naturally polarize our options into two extreme solutions when we try to solve our problems. This dualistic thinking results in poor decision making and problem-solving. Learn more about the "Third Door" and working with ambivalence. Visit LivingStressFree.org for more information about The Living Stress Free Bible and the counseling and coaching services LSF provides.

Listen to the Introduction to The Living Stress Free Bible: 20 Techniques to Make Your Life Less Stressful recited by the author, Marilyn Guadagnino, with commentary. Dedicated to healthcare workers, in both medical and mental health settings, this book provides a practical guide for lowering stress and navigating this very challenging time with COVID-19, financial concerns, and societal division. The Introduction sets the stage for the entire book, which will be recited in its entirety during the upcoming Living Stress Free Podcasts. Visit LivingStressFree.org for more information about The Living Stress Free Bible.

Marilyn and Lou, from Living Stress Free, discuss a stir-crazy solution for being stuck at home. COVID shelter-in-place restrictions are creating challenges for many people who are struggling with the isolation, the boredom, the frustration with not knowing what to do and not knowing how long this will continue. This cabin-fever hack is an unexpected idea that will transform your time at home into a new way of living. Take a listen and be inspired. Visit LivingStressFree.org for info about LSF services through Zoom.

Although the new global outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is too complex to be solved by self-care alone, self-care is an important component in prevention, responding to treatment, and recovery from any illness. But how do you do it? In today's nonstop world, self-care has been relegated to vacation spots and spas. Hosts: Marilyn and Lou Guadagnino share a key secret to self-care that will help you change those parts of your life that drive you crazy. You know the parts we're talking about. The parts you want to change but can't. Those are the parts that often affect our health and wellbeing. Listen, learn, and enjoy a lively discussion. 

Welcome to a new episode of The Living Stress Free Podcast, where you can learn to experience your life in a more fulfilling, enjoyable, stress-free way. Join Lou and Marilyn for an interesting and educational discussion about spirituality, why it's so important, how it differs from religion, and how it relates to love. Find out why spirituality allows us to change our perception and experience of life and how nothing else comes close to offering this gift. Learn about spiritual health and how it's just as important as physical and mental health for establishing a meaningful life.

Happy New Year from Lou and Marilyn! It's a new year, a new decade, and once again time to get back on track with positive change. Join The Living Stress Free Podcast to learn about what gets in the way of succeeding at our goals and great plans for personal growth in 2020. Discover a simple strategy to make progress despite the inevitable barriers that interfere with our intentions for change. Find out more about 8 doable, simple, effective resolutions that will help you reduce your stress and live a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life. Lou and Marilyn keep it fun, keep it light, but also keep it real with real information and insightful wisdom.

During the intensity of the holiday season, self-care is not easy; for some, it's impossible. How do we develop a lifestyle that incorporates self-care no matter what the season? Lou and Marilyn offer three helpful insights on how to bring peace to your holiday experience.

Lou and Marilyn share their stress-free wisdom in this engaging talk about how to deal with those awkward family discussions at Thanksgiving dinner. Those heated topics, such as the ones that focus on political views or religion, can create tension and uncomfortable feelings that have a detrimental effect on the gathering - especially for children. Lou states "when the affect gets flowing more than the gravy, the kids are picking on the drippings." This LSF podcast offers four suggestions to cope with holiday gatherings with family and friends that gravitate into intensified political discussions. What to do when family members have a strong agenda or don't know when to stop sharing their opinion? How do you practice mindful conversations and active listening? What is the importance of the family's responsibility to role model behavior for the younger members of the family? How do you practice gratitude in the midst of heavy disagreements?  Lou and Marilyn also share their dinner music suggestions, the holiday movies they enjoy, and what has helped them enjoy Thanksgiving to its fullest. Learn how agenda-free conversations are the best way to spend time with others and discover the wisdom of Craig Theodore Nelson in The Family Stone. Whether you're traveling in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles," or comfortably at home on the couch, enjoy this Thanksgiving episode of The Living Stress Free Podcast!  

Lou and Marilyn discuss an important issue in today's podcast －  how to interact with our friends, family, colleagues, and loved ones without getting into a conflict about our differing opinions. This is especially relevant with the holidays approaching … talk about stress!!! Sharing methods from the LSF Stress Reduction Program and quotes from The Living Stress Free Bible, Lou and Marilyn once again inspire, motivate, educate, and encourage listeners in this incredible podcast. Learn how to listen to diverse opinions and share your own perspectives without getting into a throw-down argument. Enjoy!

Lou and Marilyn detour from their usual stress-free suggestions and inspiring contemplations to jump into the social commentary pool. The first of a periodic series of validating podcasts outlining the big issues that inevitably cause all of us some level of stress, the Guadagninos chat about America's shifting class system, the challenges of health care costs, and political divisions within the upcoming election year. Marilyn discusses the theme of "idea vs reality," referencing her book "The Living Stress Free Bible." Lou explains the LSF teaching related to ambivalence, "Emotional Deliberation," and how rushing to make a decision is not helpful and often causes more stress. Sitting with uncertainty is the LSF way. The Living Stress Free Podcast is your weekly go-to for helpful suggestions, interesting perspectives, humor, entertainment, and education. Create a "new normal" for yourself, with Living Stress Free.

Marilyn and Lou dive into the subject of spirituality with wisdom, humor, and kitchen-sink common sense. Learn the importance of daily practice when it comes to changing any habitual pattern, and discover how we are inevitably practicing the very thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are not serving us just through our lack of awareness. Whatever we do with our mind and body becomes automatic. Discover how intentional practice is the key to deepening spirituality, as well as improving our mental health, physical health, relationships, financial wellness, and so on. Listen to the Guadagninos explore the spiritual practice of self-inquiry, as well as comment on why we are all more stressed this time of year. The Living Stress Free Podcast is your go-to for helpful reminders on stress-free living and new ideas to contemplate for personal growth. Join us!

Marilyn and Lou Guadagnino share their knowledge and experience of the ancient, powerful practice of meditation. Ever wonder what the difference is between various types of meditation? In this episode, you will learn the difference between concentration-based meditation and nondirective meditation, and why this is important. Listen to Lou discuss his personal meditation journey and how it led to the inception of LSF Meditation. Find out about the ever-growing amount of research related to nondirective meditation and how it might be the most effective method for you to process your memories and emotions. Marilyn and Lou share how meditation changed their lives and how they can help you lower your stress right now. With anecdotes about Western New York's apples and fry cakes, how Gandhi helped Lou pass a math class, and the parallels between music and meditation, the Living Stress Free Podcast is always informative as well as entertaining.

Marilyn and Lou Guadagnino share their knowledge and experience of the ancient, powerful practice of meditation. Ever wonder what the difference is between various types of meditation? In this episode, you will learn the difference between concentration-based meditation and nondirective meditation, and why this is important. Listen to Lou discuss his personal meditation journey and how it led to the inception of LSF Meditation. Find out about the ever-growing amount of research related to nondirective meditation and how it might be the most effective method for you to process your memories and emotions. Marilyn and Lou share how meditation changed their lives and how they can help you lower your stress right now. With anecdotes about Western New York's apples and fry cakes, how Gandhi helped Lou pass a math class, and the parallels between music and meditation, the Living Stress Free Podcast is always informative as well as entertaining.

Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino share their thoughts and explanations about an age-old enemy - stress - and why it affects us so intensely, habitually, and relentlessly. Do you ruminate way too much? Have you noticed your memories aren't always as reliable as you think? Ever wonder why dreams have so much emotion attached to them at times?  Using scientific information from the Netflix series, "The Mind Explained," as well as Living Stress Free®️teachings, this podcast will reveal some important information about how our brain operates and why stress reactions stay with us instead of passing quickly. Examining the Default Mode Network, the mechanics of memory, the importance of dreaming, and the role of past mental impressions, the Guadagninos clearly explain why we react to stress, how we identify with stress, and what techniques dissolve stress. The Living Stress Free Podcast is educational and inspirational, providing practical information to help you lower your stress and reach your goals. Go to LivingStressFree.org for more information.

Join Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino, from Living Stress Free Inc, for a fascinating discussion about stress and how to not only lower it, but defeat the dangerous risk factors that can cultivate adversity, addiction, and harmful behaviors toward self and others. Stress is an EVERYONE problem. Find out why stress is a state of mind, the three types of stress affecting our lives, and the secret to processing stress.  Visit livingstressfree.org for more information.

Lou and Marilyn share their thoughts, humor, anecdotes, and wisdom in this helpful talk about the importance of resting the mind. Why do we automatically resonate with the necessity of resting the body but rarely put value on resting the mind as well? How are you resting your mind and why is it so important? Lou and Marilyn examine what qualities create a meaningful life while also chatting about bumper stickers, healthy food ideas, sound bathing, and more! They examine the importance of silence and solitude: experiencing periods of time when one is not interacting with anything. Enjoy some time with this Living Stress Free Podcast to learn how resting your mind leads to a more meaningful life with less stress and more happiness. Isn't it time to start living stress-free?

Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino "pull out all the stops" in this informative and transformational podcast exploring how the mind creates stress and the hidden antidote that has been with us since the day we were born. Imagine if you could shift your awareness from a stressed, overwhelmed state of mind, to a peaceful, satisfied, boundless, fulfilling experience, any moment you choose. The Living Stress Free Podcast will share this secret using clear information, helpful examples, and practical suggestions so you are able to try out this "antidote" immediately. Learn how the mind is similar to a computer: collecting data, deciding what category to file this data in, and storing it for future reference. This is what becomes our sense of self, our personhood, our ego. Learn about another part of us that is separate from this "mind-computer" and much more significant! Lou and Marilyn keep it interesting, engaging and challenging to the intellect. Ride this wave of thought-provoking information as you continue your stress-free journey with the stress experts! 

Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino continue their exploration of how to lower stress and increase life balance in this episode of The Living Stress Free Podcast focusing on rest. Find out how rest is mandatory for processing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and how time off allows you to metabolize your stressors. Discover the antidote for an inability to stop working and learn new ways to perceive rest in your life. Rest does not have to mean you're sitting around doing nothing! Learn how to "change it up" using the LSF Yantra, explore how to avoid getting stressed from vacationing, and discover three simple ways to increase rest in your life right now. Lou and Marilyn keep it real, keep it light, and share lots of fun anecdotes from hanging out at airports to "fish dreams." Take a rest for a half-hour to enjoy this helpful reminder to get your rest to live stress-free.  Visit livingstressfree.org 

Join Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino, on this Fourth of July Holiday, to ponder independence vs interdependence. Listen to their thoughts and insights ranging from the mundane to the profound: picnic food, Big Macs, watching fireworks in a Sears parking lot to the divisive nature of our political climate, how belief often does not correlate with reality, and how to cultivate true freedom. Thoughtful, humorous, and engaging, the Living Stress Free Podcast examines situations that are relatable and relevant, sharing information about mindfulness, compassion, and the importance of rest and relaxation. Happy Independence Day! Visit LivingStressFree.Org and like our FaceBook page: Living Stress Free Inc for support and education. 

Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino host the third episode of The Living Stress Free Podcast focusing on wellness - what it really means if you want to lower your stress and balance your life. Citing themes from Rochester's WXXI “Connections” radio show, with Evan Dawson, “What Does True Wellness Mean,” in which Lou Guadagnino was a guest speaker, this podcast goes deeper into this discussion. How do we define wellness, the importance of self-care, and the connection between balance and lowering stress. Filled with helpful insights and practical suggestions,  Lou and Marilyn explain their name - Living Stress Free - and if they think you can have a life without stress. LSF offers a unique perspective as an antidote to a stress-filled world. Visit livingstressfree.org for more information.

Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino host the second episode of The Living Stress Free Podcast focusing on how to balance your life to lower your stress. Citing excerpts from Sanjay Gupta's documentary “One Nation Under Stress,” the Guadagnino's discuss themes related to lower mortality rates, “deaths of despair,” the struggling middle class, and the lack of security and predictability in American society. Filled with interesting pondering, humorous anecdotes, and helpful insights, Lou and Marilyn tackle the age-old question, “How do I manage my stress?” with wisdom, optimism, and clarity. Learn about the LSF stress theory, the real causes of stress, the three types of stress, and what to do about it. After listening to their newest podcast, visit livingstressfree.org for more information and get started on protecting yourself and your family. 

Join Lou and Marilyn Guadagnino as they chat about the helpful art of doing nothing and why it's important for lowering your stress, balancing your life, and increasing productivity. Examining the strategy of Niksen, the Dutch practice of intentional idleness, the Living Stress Free Podcast will discuss why this seemingly counter-productive lifehack is actually a beneficial way to increase creativity, recharge your mental battery, and increase happiness in your life. They also review the main ideas from Kenneth Stanley and Joel Lehman's book, Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned - The Myth of the Objective, contemplating how clear goals and objectives do not always bring the best results. The practice of "going with the flow", being flexible to the natural changes and shifts that occur in life, is one of the most stress-free ways to exist. Find out why boredom is unnecessary, why it's ok to go against societal norms, and how intentions are far greater than goals. Lou and Marilyn bring wisdom, humor, and practical strategies to every podcast, helping to reinforce stress-free living to live a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life. Visit LivingStressFree.org for more information.