Podcasts about mindfulness tools

Join us for a deep dive into the world of alpine coaching with Micheline 'Michy' LeMay, Junior Alpine Program Director at Mount Mansfield, Vermont. Discover her journey from a college racer to a coach, her innovative coaching techniques, and how mindfulness plays a crucial role. Michy shares her personal challenges, including battling breast cancer, and how they shaped her coaching philosophy. Learn about the importance of safety, fun, and fundamentals in youth ski programs, and how mindfulness routines can enhance athletic performance. Whether you're a coach, parent, or athlete, Michy's valuable insights will guide and inspire you. 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 00:34 Journey into Coaching 01:33 Life in Vermont and Coaching Philosophy 04:21 Million Vertical Feet Challenge 08:33 Mindfulness and Coaching 10:01 Teaching Techniques and Program Insights 20:03 Mindfulness Tools for Athletes 29:57 Challenges and Reflections 37:14 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Could Meditation Be the Key to Easing Postpartum Anxiety?Postpartum anxiety can be relentless and exhausting, leaving countless mothers feeling overwhelmed and sleep-deprived. Maranda sits down with Kelly Smith, global yoga & meditation teacher, founder of Yoga For You, to explore  meditation as a practical tool for postpartum mental health. Kelly shares her personal journey through postpartum anxiety and dives deep into the science of how meditation calms the brain, helping us manage the endless cycle of “what if” thoughts. Kelly and Maranda  bust myths around traditional meditation, proving that mothers can find peace without needing a totally “clear mind.” Kelly uses relatable analogies and science-backed insights to explain how meditative practices can ease maternal stress and help moms navigate the demands of early motherhood. Plus, she shares realistic ways to bring meditation into your life, even if you're pressed for time. Small, consistent meditation practices can reshape the postpartum journey and make lasting impacts on mental health.Check out this episode on the blog: https://postpartumu.com/mindfulness-tools-to-help-moms-with-postpartum-anxiety-kelly-smith-ep-194/KEY TIME STAMPS: 04:01 — Meditation as a tool for postpartum anxiety relief & how it affects the brain's stress response system07:45 — Practical ways meditation changes the postpartum brain10:22 — Meditation as a daily “micro habit” for mental resilience12:06 — The trap of “meditating on fears” vs. meditating for calm18:39 — Addressing the myth that meditation requires a blank mind20:49 — Accessible meditation practices for busy moms24:59 — Techniques like body scans and guided sessions33:32 — Final words: Trusting yourself as the perfect mother for your childConnect with Kelly:Kelly Smith is a global yoga and meditation teacher, author, E-RYT 500/ YACEP, founder of Yoga For You, and the host of the iTunes chart-topping podcasts Mindful in Minutes and Meditation Mama. Kelly believes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to yoga and meditation and encourages her students to find their own personal practice, listen to their bodies, and find inner joy by accessing their most authentic selves.Website | Youtube| InstagramNEXT STEPS:

Join us in this episode of Airey Bros Radio as we explore the art and science of athletic performance with Nick Daza, founder of Daza Elite Coaching. A former collegiate wrestler, certified landmine and ATG coach, and expert in mobility and mindset, Nick shares actionable insights for athletes and coaches alike. Dive into his unique methods combining Knees Over Toes, Rope Flow, and Landmine Training, designed to prevent injuries, enhance strength, and optimize mobility. Discover Nick's journey from overcoming injuries to empowering athletes worldwide, helping them achieve elite-level performance with the right balance of physical and mental training.Key Topics:Transformative strength and conditioning strategies for athletesKnees Over Toes, Rope Flow, and Landmine Training techniquesBuilding resilience and balance for injury preventionEffective mindset practices for athletic growthMaintaining strength through a wrestling seasonWhether you're an athlete, coach, or fitness enthusiast, this episode provides the tools you need to elevate your game! Don't miss this powerhouse conversation with Nick Daza and make sure to subscribe for more inspiring stories and actionable advice from top minds in sports performance.Show Notes:In this episode, we break down:[0:00] Introduction – About the show and Nick's background[5:08] The Power of Landmine Training – How it boosts explosiveness and balance[10:07] Knees Over Toes – Why ATG and Landmine are a game-changer for athletes[18:03] Addressing Muscle Imbalances – Key for preventing injuries in wrestlers[20:00] Managing Online Coaching and Content Creation – Nick's balance between coaching and reaching athletes globally[27:45] Overcoming Setbacks – Nick's rapid recovery techniques from injury[31:23] Incorporating Rope Flow for Mat Awareness – Essential for wrestlers and athletes[35:06] Mindset & Mindfulness – Tools for mental resilience and peak performance[44:41] Key Training Insights for Wrestlers – Practical tips for in-season and off-season trainingDaza Elite Fitness Instagram 

Let's talk about sex AND celibacy, shall we?  Long time listeners already know that Elly has been on a journey of self love and creating a deep relationship with ALL parts of herself. Along the way, she has chosen to refrain from having sex. “But WHY?!” you ask? Elly shares why she has chosen not to have sex and the reasons why you might choose this for a time to, including avoiding a somewhat false emotional bond that generally occurs when you become sexually intimate.  The discussion leads to how the ladies see self pleasure as an extremely valuable practice, especially along the journey to deep self acceptance and love. From body image, to love from and within yourself, to allowing “him” to see, touch and love on ALL of you. Elly shares how she has found these practices allow her to connect more deeply with herself, create feelings of safety and a willingness to fully accept herself, empowered to ensure she's making great choices for herself. Self pleasure offers a way to explore what loving touch feels like for you and a deeper connection to yourself, which allows you to become more discerning. That's hot, ya?!  The convo also dishes on how your fantasies can be used to focus on and create what you want. All these tools allow you to explore, and perhaps shift, how much pleasure you allow in your life! As the flip side is shared, Elly recalls how she used to unconsciously make herself feel powerful by objectifying herself. Because you can't get hurt, if you hold the power, right? Wrong! Yet it's a common illusion and the reason so many women discover they've been lying to themselves for quite a while.  This episode also explores how intimate circumstances can often leave people dysregulated; with playful insights to identify when this is happening along with tools to regulate. With a reminder that you get to approach and discuss your relationship problems as opportunities to make things even better!  With an actual rotary phone in tow, this week's relationship helpline offers ideas on how to “keep things spicy” in your relationship to add new aliveness to your sex life.  Listen in for this saucy and sensible episode to help you explore what's right for you when it comes to the world of s-e-x.  Offerings with Elly at ELVOLVE: - 1:1 Coaching / Mentoring - The 'I Love Me, first' 6 Week Group Program  Limited Capacity Available To connect with Elly regarding Coaching or Mentorship, please visit her website and fill out the online form. https://ellymiles.podia.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of The Creative Genius Podcast, host Kate Shepherd sits down with Cory Allen—author of Brave New You, mindfulness expert, and prolific musician—to explore the journey of breaking free from self-limiting beliefs and reconnecting with the authentic self. Cory shares his own story of overcoming a traumatic childhood, turning inward through Eastern and Western philosophies, and discovering the power of mindfulness as a tool for deep self-awareness.Together, they discuss:How to identify and reframe the negative stories we tell ourselves.The difference between the voice of creativity and the voice of fear or conditioning.Practical techniques to navigate the inner world and access deeper creativity.Why mindfulness is key to unlocking your true potential and breaking free from self-doubt.This conversation offers profound insights into how we can learn to trust our intuition, listen to our inner voice, and stop allowing old stories to block our creative power. Cory's wisdom will inspire listeners to start seeing the world as full of possibilities rather than obstacles, and his actionable strategies will help anyone on the path to self-discovery and creative expression

Podcast Episode: “Tuning Out Self-Doubt: A 2-Minute Shift from Mind to Heart”   Episode Summary: In this episode, I guide you through a powerful, yet simple, exercise called Change the Channel. It's a short, heart-centered meditation designed to help you shift from the voice of your inner critic to the wisdom of your heart. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, indecisive, or stuck in a cycle of negative self-talk, this 2-minute practice will help you realign with your true self and find clarity in the moment.   If you're caught up in thoughts of self-doubt or fear, Change the Channel will help you tune into your intuition, calm your inner critic, and access the love, support, and guidance that's always available within.   What You'll Learn in This Episode:   • How to recognize when you're stuck in the noise of the inner critic • The power of tuning into the wisdom of your heart • How to practice the Change the Channel exercise anytime you need clarity or peace • The importance of listening to your true self instead of getting lost in self-doubt   Why It Matters: Life can be overwhelming, especially when our mind spirals into fear or negativity. This practice offers a quick way to pause, breathe, and come back to the heart's wisdom so you can move forward with confidence and self-love.   Takeaways:   • Your inner critic's voice can be loud, but it doesn't have to lead. • The heart's voice is always supportive, loving, and true. • You have the power to shift your focus and change your internal narrative.   Episode Links:   • Join Soul School: My 5-week journey to help you heal, grow, and connect with your true self starts on October 23rd. Sign up here! • For more tools like this, check out my latest offerings and free resources on my website: www.audreysuttonmills.com   Connect with Me:   • Follow me on Instagram: @audreysuttonmills • Listen to past episodes of MindfulPause for more guided meditations and personal growth tools.  

Anna Le Grange is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Registered Paediatric Nurse, Mindfulness teacher and Author. She has worked with new families for over 20 years in a variety of clinical roles brings her passion for psychology, neuroscience and mindfulness into her lactation work.  Today we discuss her experiences living in a neurodivergent family, and how mindful breastfeeding tools and techniques can be beneficial to neurodivergent families.You can find out more about the Supporting Neurodivergent Lactation workshop here: https://www.themindfulbreastfeedingschool.com/offers/p9FdAgY9/checkoutThank you for listening!Join the conversation on Instagram @neurodivergentbirth and at ndbirth.com.

In this lesson, we explore the deep, transformative power of mindfulness and meditation beyond routine practices. We discuss how integrating mindfulness into every aspect of our lives can extend the benefits beyond the meditation cushion, influencing our health, relationships, and overall well-being.What You'll Learn:The addictive nature of cognition and the power of mindfulness prompts to help us live in the present.The commercial success of meditation apps and the misconception of meditation as a mental "vitamin."Insights from Sam Harris on the true connection with meditation practices, and the pivotal experiences from his 10-day meditation retreat.The role of continuous mindfulness throughout the day, as highlighted by Joseph Goldstein, and the importance of framing our daily meditation within the context of our entire day.Practical advice for integrating mindfulness into daily life, including a discussion on the benefits of consistent, mindful living.Featured Prompt: "What is here now when there is no problem to solve?"Get immediate access to premium Stoic meditation courses, exclusive community, straight-to-the-point lessons, and Q&As created by Jon Brooks. Includes a 7-day free trial.

Jim Crow's Pink Slip - Dismantling the Education Gap with Amy EdelsteinIn this episode of The conscious Classroom, Amy Edelstein helps illuminate the little-known history and ongoing influence of resistance to de-segregation within America's education system - and how mindfulness, being conscious and aware of our biases, is an important part of our work to redress inequity. Leslie Fenwick's seminal work, Jim Crow's Pink Slip, serves as a guide and compass, unveiling the long shadow left by the  dismissal or demotion of a significant number of black principals and educators after the Brown v. Board of Education ruling. This episode offers a deeper understanding of past injustices and their lasting impact and also shows some approaches that can support our efforts to shift the educational landscape. Expect to uncover why representation across racial and cultural lines is more than just a number—it's about students being able to see themselves in the leaders in their learning journey and a call to bring about change in our classrooms for each student and for the benefit of society at large.Additional reading related to this episode can be found here: Jim Crow's Pink Slip by Leslie Fenwickhttps://journals.sagepub.com/pb-assets/cmscontent/TCZ/Book%20Reviews%20Collection%202022/July%202022/Jim%20Crow%27s%20Pink%20Slip-1659381190.pdfhttps://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2022/0912/How-the-1954-Brown-decision-still-influences-today-s-teaching-ranksA Diverse Teaching Force Is A Quality Teaching ForceWhy Diversity MattersSupport the showThe Conscious Classroom was honored by Feedspot in their Top 100 Classroom Podcasts! Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a review and share the love and insight with others. Visit Inner Strength Education for more on the great work of the Conscious Classroom. Want to train to teach mindfulness, compassion, and systems thinking to students? Study anytime virtually or join the next cohort. More information at The Conscious Classroom.Read the award-winning, Amazon bestseller about this work The Conscious Classroom: The Inner Strength System for Transforming the Teenage Mind.

In today's episode of the "Porn to Purpose" podcast, I dive deep into the transformative journey from porn addiction to a life filled with purpose and meaning. It's a personal exploration of how meditation, self-awareness, and daily habits have played a pivotal role in my recovery and ongoing growth. Join me as I share my insights and experiences, offering practical advice and heartfelt encouragement to anyone looking to make a similar transition.   Top 10 Show Highlights:   [00:12] Introduction to the transformative journey from porn addiction to purpose. [01:39] The pivotal role of daily meditation in recovery and personal growth. [03:06] Building a healthy relationship with oneself as a key to overcoming habits. [05:04] Introducing the "Liberation Lifestyle" from the Liberation Bootcamp. [07:03] The impact of exercise on mental and emotional health. [08:29] Nutrition and hydration's role in supporting emotional well-being. [10:24] Daily meditation practice as a cornerstone of a purposeful life. [12:24] Journaling for emotional processing and mental clarity. [16:10] Managing energy and emotions in the recovery journey. [18:36] Invitation to join the Porn to Purpose community and resources available.   Linked List of Sites or Resources Mentioned:   Join the Porn to Purpose Community on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/porntopurpose):  Download a copy of the ‘Freedom from Porn Accelerator': www.porntopurpose.com

Today is a simple mantra: “one tweak each week”   Last week, I started working out again (after not really moving my body much for GULP, 4 YEARS!). I had 2 babies and a pandemic and a move/remodel. But my baby is almost 3 years old, and there's no excuses, plus I feel like crap!   So I signed up for Orange Theory Fitness and made a commitment to myself to work out for 5 days. Last week was my first week, but I ate like crap - we're talking 5 indulgent meals a day at about 3000 calories. So, although I was working out like an athlete, I was eating like a lumberjack!   I told my husband that I'm disappointed in myself and was wondering if I was self-sabotaging my progress. He was so great and wrapped his arm around me and said, “You did great. Now just eat better. One tweak a week!”   And it stuck!   Friend, maybe you can relate to this and are needing a little encouragement.   Our Itty-Bitty-Shitty-Committee can keep us down by comparing us to other people's progress and judging our accomplishments, so I hope this week's intention of:   One Tweak a week   Is helpful to you to encourage you to keep going. You're making progress and doing great!   Lots of love, Audrey Want to dive in deeper? Download your free ENVISION+RECEIVE workbook and meditation HERE to create a mini-retreat to gain clarity of what you want and how you want to feel this year. And join me!!!

How can mindfulness elevate your side hustle's success? In today's episode, we explore practical ways to integrate mindfulness practices into your business, enhancing creativity, productivity, and uncovering new revenue opportunities. Side Hustle School features a new episode EVERY DAY, featuring detailed case studies of people who earn extra money without quitting their job. This year, the show includes free guided lessons and listener Q&A several days each week. Show notes: SideHustleSchool.com Email: team@sidehustleschool.com Be on the show: SideHustleSchool.com/questions Connect on Instagram: @193countries Visit Chris's main site: ChrisGuillebeau.com Read A Year of Mental Health: yearofmentalhealth.substack.com If you're enjoying the show, please pass it along! It's free and has been published every single day since January 1, 2017. We're also very grateful for your five-star ratings—it shows that people are listening and looking forward to new episodes.

Happy New Year friend!   Join me in a New Year mini-retreat to create a soft place to land so you can tune into your heart and gain clarity of what you want to create, experience and feel in the most loving ways.   CLICK HERE for your workbook to start your 1-hour workshop of reflection + envisioning + receiving your gifts that only you have.   When you quiet your mind, you can hear the whisper of your heart that speaks the truth of what you yearn for and what you need to nourish yourself and your dreams.   It's not through goal setting, striving or pushing yourself to do more, but by softening into this sacred stillness to listen and know this infinite wisdom within you, remembering that you are enough and you matter.   You are special and have unique gifts that only you have.   I'm so excited for you to embark on this journey of knowing and loving yourself.   Download your free ENVISION+RECEIVE workbook and meditation HERE to create a mini-retreat to gain clarity of what you want and how you want to feel this year.    Lots of love, Audrey   And join me!!! 

In this episode, discover insightful guidance from Lilia Mead, a Divorce Doula, covering a variety of crucial topics regarding the divorce journey:▶︎ Understanding the Role of a Divorce Doula: Explore the valuable role of a divorce doula and how they navigate the complexities of divorce, whether you're considering divorce, contemplating the decision, or curious about post-divorce life.▶︎ Recognizing Signs for Divorce: Delve into recognizing signs indicating it might be time to consider divorce, offering introspection and guidance for individuals questioning the future of their relationship.▶︎ Transitioning After Divorce: Gain valuable insights into transitioning after divorce, understanding the emotional and practical challenges, including emotional volatility, financial insecurity, and the absence of partnership and companionship.▶︎ Impacts on Family and Kids: Explore the profound impacts divorce can have on family dynamics and children, offering considerations for handling this sensitive aspect with care and understanding.▶︎ Mindfulness and Emotional Healing: Discover mindfulness and emotional healing tools to navigate the divorce process, focusing on being present, acknowledging feelings, and managing emotional challenges effectively.▶︎ Effective Communication Post-Divorce: Learn about effective communication strategies post-divorce, emphasizing nonviolent communication (NVC) to resolve conflicts in a mindful and non-confrontational manner. Lilia's blog post on the topic....and more!To contact Lilia on Instagram: divorce_doula_If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to show your support, please consider giving a 5-star rating. Your ratings help us grow!To stay updated and never miss an episode of The Real Parenting Stories, follow the podcast Instagram account: @realparentingstories If you enjoyed this podcast and would like to show your support, please consider giving a 5-star rating. Your ratings help us grow!To stay updated and never miss an episode of The Real Parenting Stories, follow the podcast Instagram account: @realparentingstories

​​The goal of mindfulness is to decrease stress, relieve anxiety, and increase focus, which physiologically results in reducing blood pressure, decreasing stress-related illnesses, and increasing creativity and appreciation of life. Much research has been done and supports that people who practice mindfulness have a more substantial chance of living happier and healthier lives. Transition awareness breathing is a mindfulness […] The post Using mindfulness tools in spirituality appeared first on WebTalkRadio.net.

Are you on the brink of giving up on finding true prosperity and fulfillment? Don't surrender just yet. In this groundbreaking episode of Unleash Thyself, discover how spirituality is the ultimate key for achieving unparalleled success in both personal and professional arenas.Join me, Constantin Morun, as we traverse the transformative landscape of spirituality, going beyond religious constraints. We'll delve into five essential elements—beliefs, faith, purpose, meaning, and connection—and how these pillars can help you overcome challenges, break through barriers, and lead a life filled with inner peace and enlightenment.Learn 19 incredible practices that have revolutionized my life and could dramatically impact yours, ranging from journaling and yoga to guided imagery and breathwork. Unlock the power of mindfulness and meditation back by science and research, and receive practical solutions for the challenges you'll face on your spiritual journey.Don't miss out on this episode—it's your gateway to phenomenal personal growth and the best version of you.In this episode, you will be able to:Discover the transformative power of spirituality for greater success and fulfillment.Break free from limiting spiritual beliefs.Master spiritual rituals that enhance well-being and success.Embark on a journey to inner peace and enlightenment.Navigate the intricacies of modern spirituality.Leverage spiritual growth to enhance creativity and innovation.Integrate spiritual principles into daily living for a fulfilling life.Uncover the secrets to a life full of purpose and meaning.Cultivate connections that enrich your life and deepen your sense of belonging to the universe.

Join Constance and her guest Dr. Sara Spowart. Dr. Sara is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the author of The Discovery of Happiness and is a Host on The Law of Attraction Radio Network – Happiness Learned. You will learn what happiness is and some steps to change from possible difficult circumstances to Happiness. Also, Dr. Sara shares everyday mindfulness tools that you can use to begin living a happy and purposeful life. https://loaradionetwork.com/constance-arnold

So you've lost your temper on your kids or spouse. Or you can't seem to unwind and get out of your funk. Maybe you can't shake this negative energy! You are human and it is gonna happen. But what if you could reduce these instances by shifting your energy both proactively and in those heated or tense moments? Rachel K., founder of Healthy Chicks™ and the creator of the "Spark Your Bliss" and "Mindful and Magical Me" inspirational card decks, is well versed in these feelings. She joins us today to share her fun and inspiring story of how she became the incredibly mindful person she is, which prompted the development of her wildly successful decks. A working mom of two littles, she shares in full transparency that life is hard and that just because you study yoga or mindfulness or do any of the self-care, wellness routines, you are still going to face trials. However we are better suited to reduce our stress in and around those times with helpful tools to shift our energy to a more positively contagious place! --- **Rachel is giving away one "Spark Your Bliss" and one "Mindfulness and Me Kids" inspiration deck! The details will be on IG. If you don't have IG, make sure you jump on my newsletter to get the details of how you can enter to win! Drop a "HELLO" in the subject to Kristina@andthenbewell.com and I'll send you the deets. --- SHOW NOTES Rachel's website: https://healthy-chicks.com/ Follow on IG: https://www.instagram.com/healthychicks/ Join the FB community: https://www.facebook.com/HealthyChicksGroup/ Shop the cards: https://healthy-chicks.com/shop/ CONNECT WITH KRISTINA Share Your Story or Ask Your Questions: ⁠⁠⁠Kristina@andthenbewell.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Along: ⁠⁠⁠ IG⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ // ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠ Don't forget to subscribe, rate and review after your favorite episodes. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/andthenbewell/support

This episodes wraps up our Mindfulness Tools from A-Z series with letters W, X, Y, and Z!  W for walk; X for x-ray; Y for yes; and Z for zigzag! Listen and learn four super simple tools that can help you super-boost your wellbeing!Support the showHere's how you can join our community and make a difference:1. Support our podcast at this link https://www.buzzsprout.com/1845457/supporters/new 2. The Kids Super Journal activity book is available at www.kidssuperjournal.com. 3. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @kidssuperjournal. Please share this podcast with friends, family, and your school community!4. To stay up to date on all the latest, sign up for our newsletter at www.kidssuperjournal.com.Join our community of kind-hearted folks helping us with our mission to empower every child in the world with the simple and universally accessible tools of breathing, body movement, and journaling to self-manage wellbeing. THANK YOU!Breathe. Move. Journal. POWER UP THE TRUE YOU.

We are almost through the entire alphabet of Mindfulness Tools from A-Z. Today we explore S, T, U, and V! Each letter represents a simple and effective tool for managing emotions, embracing the positive,  and self-managing challenge. Listen and fill your wellbeing toolbox!Here's how you can join our community and make a difference:1. Support our podcast at this link https://www.buzzsprout.com/1845457/supporters/new 2. The Kids Super Journal activity book is available at www.kidssuperjournal.com. 3. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @kidssuperjournal. Please share this podcast with friends, family, and your school community!4. To stay up to date on all the latest, sign up for our newsletter at www.kidssuperjournal.com.Join our community of kind-hearted folks helping us with our mission to empower every child in the world with the simple and universally accessible tools of breathing, body movement, and journaling to self-manage wellbeing. THANK YOU!Breathe. Move. Journal. POWER UP THE TRUE YOU.

Feel resistant to meditation? Or maybe you want to meditate more, but a formal practice feels out of reach because you don't have the time or energy. Plus, it can be a little daunting to sit quietly with yourself after all the busyness of our distraction-filled lifestyles. Or maybe you just think meditation is boring. Meditation is a wonderful tool, but it's not the only way to shape our perception of our experiences. So, if you're struggling with meditation for any reason, I'd like to offer you the stepping stone to mindfulness. This step is a kind of attention training but can happen anytime, anywhere, to help you be in the present moment. Learn more about mindfulness techniques: https://mudwtr.com/blogs/trends-with-benefits/why-to-start-breathwork Want to reduce caffeine intake for your mental health? Check out MUDWTR's coffee detox program: https://mudwtr.com/pages/coffee-detox If you dig this podcast please leave a short review on Apple Podcasts. It takes less than 60 seconds and helps a bunch. For weekly stories visit Trends w/ Benefits and sign up for our newsletter. Stalk us on Instagram. Reach out and send voice memos to podcast@mudwtr.com.

What does it mean to be “mindful”? And why do we want to be mindful in the first place? Mindfulness is simply being aware of your current state of being, but with our hectic day-to-day routines, jobs, kids, and other stressors, mindfulness isn't a regular practice for most of us. However, implementing regular mindfulness practice can help overcome stressors, boost confidence, improve performance, and so much more. To help you begin your own mindfulness practice, we've brought on Peter Russell, founder and CEO of Kindling, to tell his own story and offer guidance on where to begin with this valuable practice. Kindling: A Look Inside Kindling Trailer www.gokindling.com Contact Peter Follow OnPoint Nutrition: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ Schedule a FREE ⁠⁠⁠consultation⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about nutrition coaching from OnPoint! Follow Braeden: ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ Shop ⁠⁠⁠Nutr⁠⁠⁠ Shop ⁠⁠⁠Souper Cubes⁠⁠⁠ Shop ⁠⁠⁠Vital Proteins

The amazing Gary Chapman developed and made popular The 5 Love Languages. In this mini, I examine his work and what the love languages are. Studies show that knowing your love language and your loved one's language can improve, transform and help you navigate your relationships.  @wakeupwithjoni wakeupwithjoni@gmail.com wakeupwithjoni.com

Eric was a tough entrepreneur and real estate CEO, yet he was overweight, angry, and frustrated in his personal life. His real success began when he learned a new way to lead and succeed in business: one anchored in mindful presence, peace of mind, and gratitude, without sacrificing profits or performance. This led to him founding Living In The Gap, where he educates business professionals, entrepreneurs, and CEOs on principles of leadership and business growth that increase performance and productivity while lowering stress levels.During the interview, we discuss…how Eric got started in mindfulnessthe connection between mindfulness and businesshow incorporating mindfulness into business drives performance and reduces stresshow service fits into a sound business strategyfinding purpose in your lifehow finding purpose affects company cultureequipping your employees with mindfulness toolstangible and significant ROIConnect after the interview…Website: https://livinginthegap.org/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/living-in-the-gap-501c3Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/livinginthegapInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/livinginthegap501c3/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUQAoUMGzsoCY0rSaCyT6HwTo learn more about mindful leadership, visit https://livinginthegap.org/12-pillars-of-mindful-leadership.You can also get Eric's book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Profit-Presence-Pillars-Mindful-Leadership/dp/B0B1W4CQQT.Claim your free gift!We're giving away a one-year membership to the world's #1 business book summary service for leaders! Our gift will help you stay on top of the latest ideas, decide which books to read next, and engage your teams.To get your gift:Leave a rating or review on your favorite listening channel.Take a screenshot of your review.Share the screenshot on LinkedIn, and mention either “Allison Dunn” or “Deliberate Directions” and the “Deliberate Leaders Podcast”.=============Allison DunnExecutive Business CoachDeliberate Directions + Executive Business Coaching + Training Center3003 W Main Street, Suite 110, Boise ID 83702(208) 350-6551Website https://www.deliberatedirections.comLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisondunnPodcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/deliberate-leaders-podcast-with-allison-dunn/id1500464675

You may already be parenting using mindfulness techniques in ways you don't even realize! These simple yet effective tools can often get to the bottom of your child's emotional struggles quickly and effectively. Kelly Winkler is a certified yoga instructor, certified children's yoga instructor, certified teacher, and a mom of 4 who has been working with children and families for over 25 years. She teaches parents, teachers, and therapists how to bring yoga and mindfulness to themselves and their children. In today's episode, she shares some of her great tips and insights with us!This Episode is Sponsored By:Ritual: vitamins, protein powders, pro-biotics for EVERY body, women, pre/post-natal, men, and kids. www.ritual.com/parenting for 10% off your first 3 monthsOtherworld: NEW healthy (vegan, veggies mixed in) cookie mixes! eatotherworld.com use code PARENTING for 25% offStokke: Premium Children's Furniture, Prams, Car Seats. Exceptional ergonomics & unparalleled comfort. Designed to be closer. Free cushion with any high-chair purchaseSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/parenting-beyond-discipline/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Produced together with Calm, here is one of a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we'd appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

Produced together with Calm, here is one of a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we'd appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

Lindsay Miller hosts the Stress Nanny Podcast and is the enthusiastic founder of thestressnanny.com. Her goal at The Stress Nanny is to give parents and kids simple ways to communicate their needs during everyday moments and in stressful situations like family conflict, divorce, illness, infertility and loss. Lindsay believes that mindful communication is an essential skill for modern families. Today we discuss mindfulness tools to help you and your kids worry less and play more. https://www.thestressnanny.com @thestressnanny www.truehopecanada.com

Produced together with Calm, here is one of a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we'd appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

Produced together with Calm, here is one of a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we'd appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

Produced together with Calm, we are sharing a 5-part series of Mindfulness Tools to offer support during stressful times. Guided by Dr. Murthy, these meditations are intentionally short, meant to fit into your day whenever feels right. We also encourage you to share these episodes with others. Also, we'd appreciate it if you took a moment to rate and review our podcast, wherever you get your podcasts. Email us at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback and ideas.

In this week's episode, The Chicks share how anxiety holds us back in life and what you can do right now to move closer to living a life of peace and prosperity. Alison shares how anxiety has been holding her back from reaching her goal of finding love and getting married one day. Taylor dives deep into how anxiety is holding her back from flying far away and even starting a family. The chicks then discuss what it takes to reach your goals despite having anxiety & Taylor shares her favorite action step that will get you one step closer to the life you want. This week's episode is brought to you by LMNT. Right now LMNT is offering our listeners a free sample pack with any purchase. Thats 8 single serving packets FREE with any LMNT order. This is a great way to try all 8 flavors! Get yours at DrinkLMNT.com/ANXIETYCHICKS. This deal is only available through our link. The Anxiety Healers Guide: Coping Strategies and Mindfulness Tools to Calm the Mind and Body Order HERE Follow The Chicks on IG and Tiktok: @theanxietychicks @health_anxiety @theanxietyhealer

IN THIS EPISODE YOU'LL DISCOVER:How mindfulness can help us navigate the anxiety epidemic the Western world is facing.Why parents need to do our best to 'unlearn' our bad behaviour (generational habits).The very real benefits of meditation practice and no... you don't need to do a silent retreat or spend 3 hours a day meditating.ABOUT JET'AIME:During her struggle with prenatal depression, Jet'aime transformed her wellbeing with mindfulness practices and became driven to pass these ‘life skills' onto others. Jet'aime is a mum to young twin boys, a mindfulness and meditation teacher and the author of a top-rated children's mindfulness book, The Little Tiger with the Big Temper. Written when she was struggling to cope with her twins ‘big feelings', this unique book is crafted for the whole family. Adults learn to navigate and soothe a child's challenging emotions, while all ages can learn simple mindfulness tools to assist with self-awareness and self-regulation.CONNECT WITH JET'AIME:Visit www.sassymama.co.nz to purchase The Little Tiger with the Big Temper.Read more of Jet'aime's writing at www.jetaimehayr.substack.com or meditate with her on Insight Timer.Check out Suzy Cato reading her children's book on YouTube.Connect with her on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSassyMamaCoLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jetaimehayrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.sassy.mama

While it's wonderful that there is much more talk about postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, and other perineal mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs) than ever before, the flip side of that coin is that sometimes when new parents experience a PMAD after the birth of their child they feel ashamed for not seeing it coming.   The reality is there is nothing you did or didn't do that causes you to have a PMAD. However, there are ways to prepare, and strategies to use during the postpartum period to help you prioritize your mental health.   Joining me this week is Dr. Kira Bartlett, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience and the founder and director of A Bridge Home.   Whether or not you have a PMAD, bringing home a new baby is a challenge. You're exhausted, emotional, and often overwhelmed. This episode will teach you mindfulness strategies you can use to help you stay grounded and present during the postpartum period and throughout your child's entire lifespan.   I want to hear from you! Send me a topic you want me to cover or a question you want answered on the show! ✨ DM me on Instagram at @securelyattachedpodcast or @drsarahbren ✨ Send an email to info@drsarahbren.com ✨ And check out drsarahbren.com for more parenting resources 

Mindfulness

In this episode, we unpack the Three Minds concept - a vital tool for navigating circumstances that are out of our control. Learn how to feel more empowered, autonomous, and be able to shift your state with ease.To connect more with Carina, you can find her at:www.carinadevi.com (for courses, 1-on-1's, blog, products, and more)https://higherself.earth (for private conscious community)https://www.instagram.com/carina.devi/ (Instagram)https://www.tiktok.com/@carina.devi (TikTok)

EEEKKKK - this episode was so amazing to record and release. In this episode, I chatted with Kelly Anderson (@iamkellyanderson)- another soul led coach. Surprisingly Kelly and I worked at the same company prior to coaching and never met. We actually met afterwards on linkedin connecting on spirituality, coaching and life. She is an amazing human and even beautiful soul. In this episode, we breakdown the tools that help us when we are stressed, frustrated or anxious. We talk about corporate life and some of the tools that helped us get through day to day stress. As always - love your feedback. Leave a rating and review. Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/innersereni... Youtube: https://youtu.be/Ux0z8aOjfCA Website: www.innerserenitylifecoaching.com Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/675964436604846/?ref=share_group_link

Courtney walks you through a guided meditation to tap into the most loving moments of your life, feel your heart opening, and celebrate everything that has led you to where you are today. The second half of the episode is a reflection dedicated to Honoring Your Path as a New Coach & Athlete. From your fitness & nutritional progress, both intellectually and intuitively, as well as your ability to better regulate stress levels so you can continually optimize your performance and quality of life! You'll be given space to see yourself more clearly as a New or Aspiring Coach, Teacher, and/or Guide, and what gifts you and you alone specifically possess to give back to others. Enjoy! (00:00) Podcast Intro (00:36) Episode Intro (01:10) Guided Meditation: Feeling into the Most Loving Moments of Your Life (20:15) Reflection: Honoring Your Path as a New Coach & Athlete (34:28) Follow along on Instagram, apply for coaching, and sign up for Monday Minutes! RESOURCES: Check out past guided meditations: Ep 34 Mindfulness Tools for the New Coach https://open.spotify.com/episode/0C5K7sNGwBadN5umD4zU4T?si=mX9hqivMTuqg_fXl9VnX5Q Ep 35 Mindfulness Tools for the Driven Athlete https://open.spotify.com/episode/5oojf6gS8LI5W1xuNupBRF?si=NG4p865ETL-o62ZCctngJg CONNECT WITH POA: Instagram - www.instagram.com/thepursuitofauthenticity_ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/POAStrengthandWellness Apply for coaching - https://poastrengthandwellness.com/apply-for-uyp-now Sign up for Monday Minutes - https://poastrengthandwellness.com/join-the-poa-email-list Support the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/poaco

#113 | Why should I care about my Neural Pathways & Mindfulness Tools --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/inspiring-you/support

Courtney illuminates a perspective on how to approach eating and your relationship with food that is not widely discussed in strength and conditioning circles. Many athletes see nutrition as a vehicle to achieving a better outcome in their sport, whether that's physique and/or performance related. And while common nutrition approaches (i.e. tracking calories and/or macronutrients, keto, intermittent fasting, plant-based, nutrient timing) are effective at producing desired outcomes like gaining muscle mass and losing body fat, there is a holistic perspective that is largely missed en route to said outcomes. Driven athletes and New Coaches alike, tune in to learn something new for yourself, and to use with clients to aid them in their process AND goals. Please do use the timestamps to come back to the mindful eating guided meditation practice as needed. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Podcast Intro (00:37) Episode Intro (01:09) What You Say You Want vs What You Need (04:27) How You've Been Taught to See Food (06:34) Healing Yourself Through Nutrition (11:45) Preparing for the Guided Mindful Eating Meditation Practice Intro (14:17) Mindful Eating Practice (23:36) The Gift of Food (27:18) Living in the Grey of your Approach to Nutrition (29:55) Follow along on Instagram, apply for coaching, and sign up for Monday Minutes! RESOURCES: Check out past guided meditations: Ep 34 Mindfulness Tools for the New Coach https://open.spotify.com/episode/0C5K7sNGwBadN5umD4zU4T?si=mX9hqivMTuqg_fXl9VnX5Q Ep 35 Mindfulness Tools for the Driven Athlete https://open.spotify.com/episode/5oojf6gS8LI5W1xuNupBRF?si=NG4p865ETL-o62ZCctngJg CONNECT WITH POA: Instagram - www.instagram.com/thepursuitofauthenticity_ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/POAStrengthandWellness Apply for coaching - https://poastrengthandwellness.com/apply-for-uyp-now Sign up for Monday Minutes - https://poastrengthandwellness.com/join-the-poa-email-list Support the podcast: https://ko-fi.com/poaco

Today's guest is Suzanne Tucker, founder and CEO of Generation Mindful, a global brand that's on a mission to raise an emotionally healthy world. In this episode, Suzanne sits down with the team to discuss the importance of teaching children about emotional health, advice for parents, and her own journey that led to focusing on mindfulness for families.   “The solution comes in the way we raise children without shame.” -Suzanne Tucker

Ever wondered how practicing mindfulness can help your life? Me too. This is one reason that I am so excited to chat with Dr. Tsai. Dr. Cindy Tsai is a board-certified physician, bestselling author, mindfulness teacher, speaker, and life coach committed to helping high-achievers live their best lives with ease. As a physician, she saw the impacts of chronic stress on the body and wanted to do more than prescribe medications as a bandaid. She aims to provide a radical path to healing and translate her professional knowledge into a powerful blueprint with the Inspiring Success Story MethodTM to help people step beyond their comfort zones and dare to achieve their dreams. Contact Dr. Tsai - Instagram https://instagram.com/cindytsaimd - LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/cindytsaimd - Facebook https://facebook.com/cindytsaimd Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIlODPH8d-vPTu8uXa3oOtQ?sub_confirmation=1 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/urcaringdocs/message

In this episode of Just Glow With It, I am chatting about my reset and recharge routine and some of my favorite wellness and mindfulness tools.  Today's episode is sponsored by:  Better Help: Get 10% off your first month at betterhelp.com/glowwithit C O N N E C T  W I T H  M E:

How To Use Tech To Be More Effective AND Work Less. Mental Health requires a lot of things. In this episode we talk through some mindfulness tools, how to use technology in sales, and how to reduce the amount of time you spend working. That's right, work less, be more productive, and spend more time doing what you want. If you're a small business owner or a sales person who wants to work less hours and be more productive, this episode is for you.

In today's episode Taylor and Alison dive deep into a common theme in people who struggle with health anxiety. Do you feel scared of something bad happening to you if you exercise? Do you fear the feelings exercise brings you? Do you feel exercise will trigger a panic attack? Tune in and learn more. Taylor and Alison share their personal experience with things and ways they helped themselves get out of it. Looking for Therapy? CLICK HERE to get 10% OFF your first month with Betterhelp: the biggest online therapy platform in the world. CLICK HERE to Order The Anxiety Healers Guide: Coping Strategies and Mindfulness Tools to Calm the Mind and Body Follow us on instagram: @theanxietychicks @health_anxiety @theanxietyhealer @shophappytays Website links: peakofpanic.com (code "MHA" for $25 off) happytays.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-anxiety-chicks/support

Requested Episode! Are you an overthinker? Do you ruminate about the things in your life that you regret or that you have not achieved yet? Or maybe you constantly think about when you'll have your next anxiety attack. Whatever it is, these thoughts can be downright impossible to get rid of, amiright? Overthinking is a huge part of why we feel out of control and then ultimately struggle with debilitating anxiety. In today's episode, Alison and Taylor discuss what leads to overthinking and what 6 steps you can take to help control your anxious mind right now. Looking for safe and easy online therapy? Check out Betterhelp. Click Here for 10% off your first month. Order The Anxiety Healers Guide: Coping Strategies and MIndfulness Tools to Help Calm the Mind & Body Instagram: @theanxietychicks @theanxietyhealer @health_anxiety Tiktok: Follow Alison @theanxietyhealer --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/the-anxiety-chicks/support

Speaking about the benefits of practices to reduce stress and anxiety, increase our ability to access parasympathetic nervous system, and give our body the time and space to heal. All of these topics can be tied into your fertility journey.   Join us in an interview with an expert on mindfulness, meditation, and yoga, Jessica Gershman!   Jessica Gershman is the founder of The Zen Mommy and the voice behind the Mom, Slow Down! podcast as well as a passionate believer in the power of self-care. Through her work as a certified yoga instructor, an accomplished home chef, and a dedicated mindfulness practitioner she has created a holistic program that supports women, especially moms, in giving them the tools to create a satisfying life. Jessica has experienced juggling the demands of a career, as a successful commercial real estate developer, with the life-changing role of “mom.” Through the work of The Zen Mommy, she shares her personal story of overcoming disordered eating, redefining her sense of self as a new mother, and finding ways to feed herself first as a foundation for a more joyful and less stressful life.   Follow Jessica on Instagram @the_zen_mommy   Her Wellness App, The Zen Mommy is a free download on apple and google play. Follow me on: Instagram @holisticfertilitydoctor Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrAumatmaNd Youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/HolisticFertilityExpert

In this episode we feature Rebecca Schisler. Hear about her journey to becoming a practitioner and teacher of Jewish mindfulness. Connect with Rebecca @ https://www.rebeccaschisler.com/ For more information about Rav Ariel www.ravariel.com

The holidays are a joyous time but it can also be a stressful time of year. And you want to be able to find a way to relax and not let all this stress consume you. But you need to release yourself first from this fight or flight mode. Today, I'm diving into the 3 foundational tools we've touched on throughout Season 1 of the Dream Big, Live Slow podcast of breathwork, compassionate practice and grounding into your why and how you can use them to carry you through this holiday season and into the new year.  I'm also touching on the reason why I've decided to take a break for the holidays, when you can expect the comeback of the Dream Big, Live Slow podcast next year and exciting news about my group coaching program coming to you in the fall of 2022. In this episode you'll discover: - What my intentions are for Season 2 of the Dream Big, Live Slow podcast - The power of breathwork in allowing you to focus on one thing at a time - Using your breath as an anchor for your attention and to find relaxation through a stressful time - Examples of powerful mantras that you can incorporate into your compassionate practice that allows you to truly experience a state of being - Learning to trust your innate purpose in life - An update about my group coaching program coming to you in 2022 and find out if it will be the right fit for you CONNECT WITH ME OVER ON INSTAGRAM: @tialorae DREAM BIG, LIVE SLOW SHOWNOTES: https://www.tialorae.com/blog/mindfulness-tools-through-the-holiday-season Thanks for listening! I'd be so grateful for your support by leaving a review on here, subscribing or sharing your biggest takeaways on your Instagram story so that more soul-filled entrepreneurs are able to find these powerful interviews, mindful practices and tips they need so they can hustle less while still dream big. Don't forget to tag me @tialorae so I can thank you personally.

Ok Parents! It's time to slow things down and settle into another episode of Parenting our Future meant to improve your life and bring you more joy and happiness.   Returning to the show is meditation and mindfulness expert, Josephine Atluri.  She is sharing with us the keys to being a mindful parent so you can have more joy raising your children.   We have such a fun discussion where we talk about,  How to regain focus Giving yourself a break Managing stress and anxiety Staying cool when emotions run hot communicating mindfully How to Consciously Connect with your kids Cultivating Gratitude, joy and peace Download Josephine's “Mindfulness Tools” worksheets for free from The Parent Toolbox - www.parent-toolbox.com    About Josephine Atluri Josephine Atluri is an expert in meditation and mindfulness, helping thousands of people overcome adversity to find joy. Josephine's group, individual and corporate meditation sessions and online courses teach simple and practical coping mechanisms for stress, anxiety and loss. After working with Josephine, clients have experienced improvements in mindset, health and mental well-being, sleep, productivity, and their ability to handle life's challenges. Josephine's new book, “The Mindful Parenting Journal” helps overwhelmed parents consciously connect to themselves and their children. Contact information: Email: jo@jatluri.com Social Media: Website: https://www.jatluri.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephineratluri/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweringyourfertility/ Josephine's Podcast: Responding to Life: Talking Health, Fertility, and Parenthood YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSwu7XQNYOe2ARMzc9oBaDw/featured?view_as=subscriber    Thanks for listening! It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you would like to purchase my book or other parenting resources, visit me at www.yellingcurebook.com With this podcast, my intention is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that! I honor each parent and their path towards becoming the best parent they can be. My hope is to inspire more parents to consider the practice of Peaceful Parenting. If you know somebody who would benefit from this message, or would be an awesome addition to our community, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a note in the comment section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe on the podcast app on your mobile device. Leave a review I appreciate every bit of feedback to make this a value adding part of your day. Ratings and reviews from listeners not only help me improve, but also help others find me in their podcast app. If you have a minute, an honest review on iTunes goes a long way! Thank You!! To rate and review my show go to: https://ratethispodcast.com/parentingourfuture.

There's a lot going on right now, here in Australia and abroad.There's a thickness in the air.And so, if your world feels hard and heavy. I understand.In this is a bonus episode I wanted to join you on your walk, doing the dishes, sweeping the floor, or whatever it is that you're doing in this moment. I wanted to support you.I don't have all the answers. But, does anyone?Instead, I wanted to share with you some mindfulness tools that have helped me over the years and if there's something I share here that can help you in some small way, then my purpose has been achieved.In this episode I unpack 5 mindful tools:1.     Mindfulness Activities2.     Mindful consumption3.     Mindful Surroundings4.     Mindful Self Awareness5.     Mindful EatingAnd here are the journal prompts I mentioned:·      What do I have in my life today that was once a goal or a dream? ·      How do I want to feel today and what will I do to achieve this·      What brings me joy in my life or my business·      What am I grateful for today·      Describe my ideal day today, 1 year or 5 years from nowResources Mentioned:Daniel Goleman, Emotional IntelligenceBoho Beautiful YouTube Channel

We speak with Rick Miller, a clinical social worker in private practice in Boston and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Rick is founder of the nonprofit Gay Sons & Mothers. His publications include "Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy" and "Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men and the Gift of Presence."

This week on The 4Ms (# 038 ), I teamed up with Bee Creel & we're talking all about limiting beliefs: what they are, and how we can go deeper into a practice of self-love around them to create new beliefs. We also chatted about how we can come home to ourselves when we are stressed out with actionable tools.We discussed meditation - how to start, develop, and make your own practice with ten minutes a day.We did a deep dive into how we can stress less, and how we can improve our sleepTo listen, head to my bio for the link, or search “The 4Ms with Molly” wherever you listen to podcasts.Connect With Me:@unsinkablemollynp Facebook GroupWebsiteLinks Mentioned in the Episode:Use the code "MOLLY" to access Bee's 31 day meditation series for FREE belowhttps://vimeo.com/ondemand/meditationchallengeConnect with Bee!Instagram: @beeyourhealthWebsite

I am throwing these solo episodes in when I feel they are needed. Everything I share today is from my own personal experiences. The book I highly recommend is The Fakir by Ruzbeh Bharucha and also Your Souls Gift: The Healing Power of the Life You Planned by Robert A. Schwartz. If you want to join my programme where I will be sharing Spiritual & Mindfulness Tools to help you with your emotional wellbeing. Then you can learn more here - https://renuravalia.com/group-programme/. If you have questions or want some support as you heal from a death, please get in touch by either emailing me at renuravalia@gmail.com or dropping me a message on Instagram @iamrenuravalia.

Nisha Kunder is a Yoga & Wellness coach that customizes mindfulness practices for high performers so they can lead with more energy, patience, and compassion for everything and everyone both at home and at work. She is also the creator of The Art of Relaxation online course where she teaches the ancient yogic relaxation technique of Yoga Nidra (which is a meditation practice that is done *lying* down). Before becoming a yoga and wellness coach, Nisha used to work as a Technical Program manager at tech giants like Microsoft and Motorola. She left her unsatisfactory job to heal her health issues caused by stress.  Coming from a culture that believes in curing the root cause instead of merely masking the symptom, she began her healing journey by changing her lifestyle to include more self-care, self-inquiry, and energy healing – in short, Yoga and Ayurveda. Nisha is based in Seattle, WA, and is available for speaking opportunities across the US, global and virtual summits, podcasts, and interviews.     Follow & Learn More about Nisha: www.NishaKunder.com/ Instagram: NishaKunderWellnessFree Sleeping Guide – 3 Mindfulness Tools for Restorative Sleep

2020 has us feeling like we've been hit by a truck. Here are my 3 quickest (and most effective!) mindfulness tools to learn how to feel better. Resources mentioned in this episode can be found at https://www.smbwell.com/144 Continue with the conversation over in our Private Facebook community of women just like you facebook.com/groups/smbwell If you liked this episode and you want more Susie, she can be found daily on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/smb.wellness/ If you're ready to get started with Susie, fingers crossed! See if her schedule has room here: https://smb.as.me/ The post 3 Best (and Quickest) Mindfulness Tools appeared first on Susie Pettit.

***Sneak Peak Poem*** I'd like to read you one of my original poems inspired by Emily Dickinson's envelope poems. It's March, a brand new month, and I have two ideas for you. TIP ONE: Instead of wrestling in conflict with statements like: "Why am I feeling this way?" Stimulate compassion, paint space, and ask yourself: What am I feeling? What does this feeling feel like? Look like? Taste? Smell? We'll discuss the difference between expressing your feelings and feeling them. TIP TWO: I came across a few notes, in pencil, inspired from a talk by Pema Chödrön about meditation. I've added some of my own words and ideas as well. A Pema-Alexander snack! I thought you might like to chew on these. MEDITATION:

Welcome back to another episode of Your Anxiety Toolkit Podcast. Today I am so happy to have Jon Hershfield on with us. Jon is an author and the Director of the Center for OCD and Anxiety at Sheppard Pratt. The second edition of his book, The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD, has just been released and his new book, The Mindfulness Workbook for Teens, is scheduled for release in March. We had a great conversation about both books and Jon shares many of the OCD mindfulness tools that he describes in his books that are used to enhance treatment. In this interview, Jon explains why he wanted to write a book for teens and how he decided to approach the topics of mental health, OCD, and mindfulness in a way that would be relatable to teens and young adults. He discusses in more detail some of the topics in his book including how to understand your diagnosis, how to respond to intrusive thoughts, and how to incorporate meditation and mindfulness into your daily life. Jon also shares some OCD mindfulness tools that he describes in The Mindfulness Workbook. These include thoughts are thoughts, not threats; feelings are feelings, not fact, and sensations are sensations, not mandates to act. He shares that mindfulness really involves calling things what they are. Towards the end of this interview, we discuss Exposure and Response Prevention and the difference between habituation and inhibitory learning. He shares with us the five things we should consider when doing ERP with the goal of inhibitory learning. This is a great interview full of so many wonderful mindfulness tools to help you manage your OCD. I hope you enjoy! The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD: A Guide to Overcoming Obsessions and Compulsion Using Mindfulness and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy The Center for OCD and Anxiety IG @ocdbaltimore If you have some time, I would love it if you would please go and leave me an honest review wherever you listen to podcasts – Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, or Stitcher. This would really be helpful to me in achieving my goal for 2021 of being able to reach and help more people. Thank you so much! ERP School, BFRB School and Mindfulness School for OCD are open for purchase. Click here for more information. Additional exciting news! ERP School is now CEU approved which means that it is an accredited course for therapists and mental health professionals to take towards their continuing education credit hours. Please click here for more information.

Founder & Dreamers Belinda Jennings Founder of School of Stuff that Matters Hello Creative, Today's guest Belinda Jennings of School of Stuff that Matters is on a mission to equip today’s teens with simple techniques that have a life-changing impact so they can create happy and fulfilling lives. With over 20 years of teaching experience Belinda is trained in social and emotional learning, she shares valuable insights into techniques she wished she had as a teenager. Today’s teens are faced with more complexities than ever with social media and the pressures to do well in school. Belinda has created several online programs such as Stress Less, Unwind your Mind with Art, Plan to Feel Good and several more helpful resources for today’s teens. If you are a parent of a teen or maybe a teen yourself be sure to tune in and browse the School of Stuff that Matters resources and courses to learn more. “Students feel bad because they are not doing well at school and it’s not that they are failing school it’s that the education system is failing them.” Belinda Jennings Visit School of Stuff That Matters | https://www.schoolofstuffthatmatters.com/ Connect with Belinda on Social | YouTube, Facebook & Instagram Where Dreams Are Made | Show Notes Become a SUPER Support of the Podcast here | https://anchor.fm/wheredreamsaremade/support Feeling called to start something new? Book a Free Deep Dive: https://workandwoo.as.me/deepdive About The Where Dreams Are Made Podcast: This is a special place to help you tap into your gifts, earn wealth and create work that LIGHTS YOU UP! Your host Nadia Bernardy, Founder of Work & Woo, will give you insight to help you along your journey to making a true IMPACT in the world. Each episode will provide you with takeaways at the end so that you can start taking the steps to align your Mind, Gifts and Spirit. If you consider yourself a Dreamer who feels called to start something in the world but you aren't sure what that something is you are in the right place. Who is Nadia Bernardy: Nadia Bernardy is a Intuitive Coach and Podcast Host living in Hawaii. She helps people tap into their gifts, earn wealth and create work that IMPACTS the world. She has been helping people align their mind, gifts and spirit on her podcast, Where Dreams Are Made. She also offers 1:1 coaching and online programs to help people along their journey to creating work that LIGHTS THEM UP! With a BA in Graphic Design, Web Design and Marketing, she started online for an unknown StartUp turned $32B International brand all while working from her laptop on Maui. She has been helping creatives bring their inspired ideas to life since 2008. Business IG: https://www.instagram.com/workandwoo/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wheredreamsaremade/support

Rick Miller is a clinical social worker in private practice in Boston and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. The curriculum Rick developed (hypnotherapy with gay men including customized scripts) is used at The Milton Erickson Institute of Mexico City, Mexico, and National Autonomous University of Mexico, also in Mexico City. Drawing on his own experience as a gay man and his years of experience working therapeutically with gay men, Rick has developed a practical, holistic approach for therapists to help their gay clients experience fulfillment and happiness. This optimal treatment mode primes therapists for helping gay clients achieve success. Resources we talked about in this episode: Website - www.rickmiller.biz Books - Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men…the gift of Presence. Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy: A Clinicians Guide for Mind-Body Wellness. Also check out:  www.gaysonsandmothers.org IG: gaysonsandmothers Facbook: Gay Sons and Mothers   Please leave a review! (Reviews are fabulously important to us! On your podcast player you should find an option to review at the bottom of the main page for the podcast - after the list of available episodes) - Here's a link for iTunes.   Thanks for listening! Support this show by subscribing to The Science of Psychotherapy (You can support us by subscribing to our magazine for less than a $1/week) Please leave an honest review on iTunes and please subscribe to our show.  You can also find our podcast at: The Science of Psychotherapy Podcast Homepage If you want more great science of Psychotherapy please visit our website thescienceofpsychotherapy.com  

Have you ever wondered why it hurts to communicate with the ones we love the most?  Licensed psychotherapist, and author of 15 books, shares insider tips on how to pay attention to words and actions in our intimate relationships. What can be more important than saying "I love you"?  How about, “tell me more".  Our cohost joins Tina in exploring ways to listen attentively even through difficult conversations, how to stay focused on what works in the couple and how to understand the underlying source of anger. How can you react mindfully to your partner's feelings when he/she is feeling angry, sad, critical, or touchy?  This podcast goes beyond relationships with couples.  You can use these helpful techniques with the people you interact with at work, home, or your community.  Tina B. Tessina, Ph.D. (www.tinatessina.com) is a licensed psychotherapist in S. California since 1978 with over 40 years' experience in counseling individuals and couples and author of 15 books in 17 languages, including Dr. Romance's Guide to Finding Love Today; It Ends With You: Grow Up and Out of Dysfunction; The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty; Love Styles: How to Celebrate Your Differences, The Real 13th Step; How to Be Happy Partners: Working it Out Together;  How to Be a Couple and Still Be Free.  She writes the “Dr. Romance” blog (drromance.typepad.com), and the “Happiness Tips from Tina” email newsletter. Online, she's known as “Dr. Romance” Dr. Tessina appears frequently on radio, TV, video, and podcasts, including on GenerousMarriage.com.  She tweets@tinatessina.  You can reach Tina at www.tinatessina.com.  Check out her blog, social media, and contact information on her website.  

Today, Carol the Coach interviews Richard Butler who professes that he had to use a variety of tools and experiences to solidify his recovery. His recovery activities have included: Intensives, Couples Retreats, Counselling, Coaching, 12 Step Programs, and Mindfulness Tools. Listen as he shares his inspiring story of recovery, redemption and giving back!

Today, Carol the Coach interviews Richard Butler who professes that he had to use a variety of tools and experiences to solidify his recovery. His recovery activities have included: Intensives, Couples Retreats, Counselling, Coaching, 12 Step Programs, and Mindfulness Tools. Listen as he shares his inspiring story of recovery, redemption and giving back!      

In this week's episode, Brigitte Shipman shares 3 simple but powerful tools to help you stay calm and release anxiety during these uncertain times of Coronavirus. Living through this time of Coronavirus pandemic is challenging for all of us but it is even more difficult and challenging for mothers raising children with autism. Life was already pretty challenging for autism moms and now there's an added stress of homeschooling a child who doesn't quite understand what's going on. Brigitte offers you 3 super simple but powerful tools to help you reduce stress and overwhelm, feel confident and lighter so that you can be the solid rock and show up for your child strong and fully present. Brigitte talks about the importance of "giving yourself oxygen" first by taking care of yourself so that you can help your child the best way you can. Tune in and learn these tools to use in your daily life so that you can start feeling better right away!Enjoy!Resources/Links:BMV Life Coachhttps://bmvlifecoach.com/BMV Life Coach Facebook Live (2pm Central Monday-Thursday)https://www.facebook.com/BMVlifecoach/Private Mother's Guide Through Autism Facebook Grouphttps://www.facebook.com/groups/mothersguidethroughautism/

Podcast #158 (Spiritual Mindfulness Tools To Calm Covid-19 Anxiety With Pastor Rob Burns)

This podcast is part of my series to help support you navigate yourself and your family through this challenging coronavirus pandemic. In this episode, I am talking to mindfulness teacher Nicole Barry, about 7 key ways that you can use mindfulness tools to take back some control for yourself at this challenging time. We are filled with such fear & uncertainty right now and there is so much we cannot control. However, it's important we focus on the things we can control to help us feel a little less fearful and overwhelmed. You can connect with Nicole on Instagram: @transformationtribeza or email her: nicole.barry26@gmail.comAs part of this series, I will also be doing FB live and regular video messages as a way to support each other during this very challenging time. You can send me questions for the podcasts/videos by sending me a DM on Instagram. You can find me at: www.facebook.com/shewhodarestobe Instagram @shewhodarestobe Website www.shewhodarestobe.com Thank you so much for listening. Please share/tag with anyone who you think needs this just now. Please rate/review show if you can, as it really does help other women find the podcast - thank you. Disclaimer: The podcasts & coaching provided by She Who Dares To Be are for information purposes only, and are not a substitute for professional support

Paul Krauss MA LPC speaks with Rick Miller LICSW about Men in Therapy: What it means to be a Man, and how perceptions of masculinity have a variety of effects on the larger culture. Rick Miller previews some of the ways in which he works with both gay and heterosexual men in therapy. Rick Miller and Paul Krauss discuss stereotypes of Men around “going to therapy” and how to make therapy more inviting to a diverse group of men. Rick Miller and Paul Krauss discuss the difficulties of Men learning how to communicate effectively and feel their feelings in a holistic way. Rick Miller discusses his personal experience of being a gay man and what that has meant to his personal and professional journey. Paul and Rick talk about how expectations from the greater cultural narrative can consciously and unconsciously affect a man's sense of what it is to be a man. Paul and Rick further delve into the rewards and difficulties of engaging men in therapy. Rick Miller and Paul Krauss offer tips for men to improve themselves as well as therapists who are working with men. and much much more! Rick Miller and Paul Krauss hope that you enjoy this unedited conversation. Rick Miller, psychotherapist and author, has served on the faculty for The International Society of Hypnosis, The Milton Erickson Foundation, The Brief Therapy Conference, The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, The American Group Psychotherapy Association, The Couples Conference and Harvard Medical School. He is the author of Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy With Gay Men… the Gift of Presence (Zeig, Tucker & Theisen, 2014) and Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men In Therapy(PESI, 2016). His Psychology Today blog is Unwrapped: Mind Body Wisdom and the Modern Gay Man. He is also the Executive Director and Executive Producer for Gay Sons and Mothers, a nonprofit organization that explores and chronicles the complex bond between gay sons and their mothers. He was awarded The Greatest Contribution to Social Work Practice by the MA chapter of National Association of Social Workers in 2018. Learn more about Rick Miller's work here: www.rickmiller.biz   www.gaysonsandmothers.org Connect on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rickmillerpsychotherapy www.instagram.com/gaysonsandmothers Connect on Facebook: Rick Miller Psychotherapy + https://www.facebook.com/Rick-Miller-Psychotherapy--623956084319997/ Gay Sons and Mothers https://www.facebook.com/gaysonsandmothers/   Paul Krauss MA LPC is the Clinical Director of Health for Life Grand Rapids, home of The Trauma-Informed Counseling Center of Grand Rapids. Paul is also a Private Practice Psychotherapist, EMDRIA Consultant in Training (CIT), host of the Intentional Clinician podcast, Behavioral Health Consultant, Clinical Trainer, and Counseling Supervisor. Paul is now offering consulting for a few individuals and organizations. Paul is the creator of the National Violence Prevention Hotline (in progress)  as well as the Intentional Clinician Training Program for Counselors. Questions? Call the office at 616-200-4433.  If you are looking for EMDRIA consulting groups, Paul Krauss MA LPC is now hosting weekly online and in-person groups.  For details, click here. Follow Health for Life Grand Rapids: Instagram   |   Facebook     |     Youtube Original Music: ”Shades of Currency" [Instrumental] from Archetypes by PAWL (Spotify) “Polaris” from EP2 by Zero 7  “In the Waiting Line” from In The Waiting Line by Zero 7 Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association is working to increase the availability of quality mental health services statewide, increasing education, promoting best practices, and working to keep Licensed Professional Counselors and other professionals accessible by the public.  

Communicating with an ex is ripe with triggers, and it’s easy to get overwhelmed by our emotions and react in a volatile way that we’re not proud of after the fact. But there are mindfulness tools to help us pause in the moment, observe what we’re feeling, and respond in a skillful way. Joree Rose is the licensed marriage and family therapist behind the Bay Area Mindfulness and Therapy Center, a practice that offers mindfulness and meditation classes as well as private therapy for individuals and couples. She is also the host of Journey Forward with Joree Rose and the author of Squirmy Learns to be Mindful and Mindfulness, It’s Elementary. Joree leads mindfulness retreats around world, and her work has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Inc. Magazine and mindbodygreen, among many other media outlets. On this episode, Joree joins Katherine to discuss how mindfulness can help us respond rather than react in the divorce process. She shares her practical approach to starting a simple meditation practice and explains how she leveraged mindfulness tools like naming your emotions to navigate her own divorce. Listen in for Joree’s insight around using the breath or external grounding when you’re triggered and learn to choose a skillful response rooted in compassion for yourself—and your ex. Topics Covered How mindfulness helps us respond rather than react to conflict How deep breaths afford us access to our executive function How naming her emotions helped Joree navigate her own divorce Joree’s practical approach to getting started with meditation The STOP acronym for learning to practice mindfulness The myths around what it means to meditate successfully Joree’s boundaries re: communication in the divorce process Why you’re not responsible for managing other’s emotions Reframing the message behind what your inner critic tells you How to leverage external grounding to return to the moment Using a mantra to cultivate self-compassion during a divorce Connect with Joree Rose Joree’s Website: https://joreerose.com/ Joree on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joreerose/?hl=en Joree on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joreerose33/ Journey Forward with Joree Rose: https://joreerose.com/podcast/ Connect with Katherine Miller The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/ Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/ Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1 The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246 Email: katherine@westchesterfamilylaw.com Call (914) 738-7765 Resources Squirmy Learns to Be Mindful by Joree Rose: https://joreerose.com/podcast/ Mindfulness, It’s Elementary by Joree Rose: https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Its-Elementary-Joree-Rose/dp/1598502220/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1580235668&refinements=p_27%3AJoree+Rose&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Joree+Rose

In this podcast, Anat interviews Linda Graham, MFT, a mindfulness teacher and world-renowned resilience expert. Linda teaches that resilience is a foundational practice for coping with the inevitable ups and downs in life. She teaches tools to develop a resilience mindset that can be used to cope with disappointments, difficulties, and even disasters.Parenting can be demanding and having a child with special needs makes it even more so. In this interview, we focus on why and how Linda’s approach works in providing new ways for parents and others to respond to pressures and tragedies.In this episode, Anat Baniel and Linda Graham discuss:the direct outcome of learning how to cultivate positive emotions is resilience; a tool that Linda teaches is “Awareness and Acceptance” – becoming aware of what you are feeling and having compassion for yourself at the same time;another tool is “Change Every ‘Should’ to a ‘Could’” – 'should' sets you up for failure; 'could' opens you up to the possibilities and the larger perspective;how you perceive yourself, how you talk to yourself, and how you judge or support yourself is key to how resilient your brain is going to be in coping with the situation;people learn to be resilient by coping with adversity, and by finding meaning in the tragedy; pre-submitted questions from the audience.

  One of our often stated goals is to make progress on our goals every day.  That leads us to look for ways to create daily habits that promote progress and productivity.  In this episode, we look at three productivity habits you should adopt for a proper mindset before getting into the craziness that many days become.  These are easy to do and highly recommended among modern productivity gurus. List Your Goals For The Day The simplest thing you can do to start your day is to make a plan.  Likewise, the simplest plan you can make is a list of tasks.  This habit can end your day or start it, but in either case, the goals are to set priorities and reasonable goals each day.  Think of this as your roadmap for the day.  When things get hectic, or your mind wanders, you can return to this list to regain focus.  As a bonus, this also provides a way to claim small victories each day.  That may seem trivial.  However, we all have days where we are ecstatic to have any good news in our life. Use The Value of Steady Improvement to Achieve Big Goals Review Your Schedule Planning is a great way to start your day.  That includes looking over your prior commitments.  Give your calendar a once-over at least and make sure you have a high-level view of where you need to be and when.  An appointment you forget about or that you scramble to fit in (because you forgot about it) can be a substantial negative impact on your productivity.  Of course, it also can cause you to annoy or lose the respect of others.  Our lives tend to be very busy, and that makes it easy to overlook or forget an appointment.  Therefore, a habit of starting each day with a review of your schedule is needed and will reduce the risk of that embarrassing situation. Quiet/Reflection Time Taking time out is one of the better productivity habits you can create.  We see this in many situations.  A little time to "take a deep breath" is a key step in thinking outside of the box or other epiphanies.  When we start our day in some style of reflection, it helps us positively set our attitude.  The return on investing a little quiet time is rather amazing.  However, do not take my word for it.  Try it out for a week or two, and see how effective it is for you. Mindfulness Tools

There's an important yet overlooked ingredient to performing your best on standardized tests! In this episode, guest expert Logan Thompson details how to apply some simple tools from the world of mindfulness to turboboost ACT and SAT performance. In a ... Read More » The post 255: Mindfulness Tools for Upping your SAT & ACT Performance appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

There's an important yet overlooked ingredient to performing your best on standardized tests! In this episode, guest expert Logan Thompson details how to apply some simple tools from the world of mindfulness to turboboost ACT and SAT performance. In a ... Read More » The post 255: Mindfulness Tools for Upping your SAT & ACT Performance appeared first on The College Prep Podcast.

If you’re in a same-sex relationship, do the rules change? Or are there universal principles of relationship that foster intimacy and passion no matter what kind of relationship you’re in? Today’s guest is Rick Miller, author of Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy and Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men. Rick Miller has also been featured at the Couples Conference, and is on the faculty for Esther Perel’s Sessions Live 2018. Rick and I chat about the unique challenges faced by same-sex couples, particularly gay men in relationship. How do you address the uniqueness, while at the same time staying true to what we know about what works in relationships? In this far-ranging conversation, we cover the particulars as well as what we can all learn from how to have a successful same-sex relationship. As always, I’m looking forward to your thoughts on this episode and what revelations and questions it creates for you. Please join us in the Relationship Alive Community on Facebook to chat about it! Resources: Check out Rick Miller’s website Read Rick Miller’s books: Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy and Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men FREE Relationship Communication Secrets Guide - perfect help for handling conflict… Guide to Understanding Your Needs (and Your Partner's Needs) in Relationship (ALSO FREE) www.neilsattin.com/miller Visit to download the transcript, or text “PASSION” to 33444 and follow the instructions to download the transcript to this episode with Rick Miller. Amazing intro/outro music graciously provided courtesy of: The Railsplitters - Check them Out Transcript: Neil Sattin: Hello and welcome to another episode of Relationship Alive. This is your host, Neil Sattin. We've had so many relationship experts on this show, and there have been times where we've talked about the principles of relationship and whether they apply or not to everyone, and particularly to same-sex relationships, are there these universal rules of relationships that apply? And up until now, the best answers we've come up with have been things like, "Well, yes, of course." But it's not necessarily based on any empirical evidence, or just a statement that's... And of course, these things apply to same-sex couples as well, you just have to make a few adjustments, that sort of thing. So, you hear that enough times and if you're me, you start to wonder, "Well, what is different?" I think it's important that we know, both for you, if you're listening and you are in a same-sex relationship, and I think there's something for all of us to learn as we learn about each other in this world, in this project that is so important, of just understanding other humans, and how we operate and recognizing that we don't all think about the world in the exact same way, and we don't all have the same kinds of experiences. Neil Sattin: So today's conversation is meant to be helpful on so many levels, and I hope that it is. We have an esteemed guest with us today, his name is Rick Miller, and he is a clinical social worker from the Boston area, who I found out about when I was chatting with Jeff Zeig about this topic, and you may remember Jeff Zeig, he was on the show back in Episode 102 and in Episode 114. We were chatting about, "Well, who would be an awesome person to have on the show to chat about this?" And he mentioned Rick, who among having presented at the couple's conference on this topic of gay male relationships, he's the author of, Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy with Gay Men: The Gift of Presence, which is a book primarily for therapists, and then another book, Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy. Both books are amazing in helping you really wrap your brain, and I think that's kind of ironic, right? 'Cause we're talking about unwrapping. But it helps you wrap your brain around just how different this experience can be, and also where the similarities lie. Neil Sattin: So, I'm really excited to have Rick with us today to talk about gay male relationships. We will as always, have a detailed transcript of today's episode, which you can get if you visit neilsattin.com/miller, as in Rick Miller, M-I-L-L-E-R. Or you can always text the word, "Passion" to the number, 33-444 and follow the instructions to download your transcript. I think those are all the details, so let's dive in. Rick Miller, it's such a pleasure to have you with us here today on Relationship Alive. Rick Miller: Thank you for the great introduction! Neil Sattin: You’re welcome! So Rick, perhaps a good place to start is this question of where we all might share principles of how to have an amazing relationship in common. Then from there, we'll go into the places where we diverge. What do you see as the principles that hold true, no matter who you are in trying to have a successful relationship? Rick Miller: I do believe that there are universal principles that are a part of every intimate relationship, and some of them include vulnerability, self-expression, expression of intimacy and sexuality, dealing with conflict, dealing with trust, dealing with betrayal, so many things like that. I think what's unusual for male couples is that they were raised as boys and as men. So the development of the gay male is different from a man and a woman who end up being together. Neil Sattin: Yeah, and it also, from reading your book, Unwrapped, I was struck by not only are gay men raised as men, but then there's also this underlying dichotomy or tension between being raised as a man and what it's like to grow up gay in a world that doesn't fully support people who are gay. Rick Miller: Yes. So I have a lot to say about you're pointing this out. First, and most important is that for the majority of gay boys growing up, they know that they're different, they feel different, they feel ashamed of being different, on some level they're attuned, probably unconsciously attuned to their parents and their society, aware that they're not the child that their parents want them to be. So by the time they reach adulthood, they've learned to constrict themselves and they've become masters at hiding. So, what do you do in an intimate relationship when you've been accustomed to being so hidden all these years? And then suddenly it's expected that you'd be communicative, open, unguarded, and all that stuff. Neil Sattin: Right. Where those are really the essential ingredients in staying connected when things get challenging? Rick Miller: Yes, yeah. Neil Sattin: Yeah, it's a great question. One thing, one nuance that I really appreciated that you brought up in your book was that it comes even literally down to how I might feel in my body and distancing myself from that. So that even that might be a challenge to overcome, this feeling at home and at peace in my physical experience. Rick Miller: Absolutely. One of the points in the book, and a lot of the work that I do, and the trainings that I do is that gay men and gay boys dissociate from their bodies because their bodies are dangerous to them, partially because of the conflict of growing up gay and feeling disenfranchised and shutting that off, or partially because many gay boys are not good at athletics, and they don't trust that their coordination will get them where they want. Neil Sattin: So there's this need to build trust with your body? Rick Miller: And so many people don't even recognize this tension that I'm describing, and I do a lot of hypnosis with my clients, which is a really fascinating process and a part of what it includes is relaxing, going inside, noticing what's taking place inside the body and creating space for openness, warmth, and resourcefulness. Frequently, what comes out for many gay men is that they've been tightening themselves and hiding themselves and dissociating themselves without even realizing that they've been doing it because it's their automatic go-to place for day to day life. Neil Sattin: So listening right now, how would I know? How would I know if that is part of my normal state of being, and I wasn't even aware that that was happening for me? Rick Miller: Well, the easiest way to know is simply to take a moment and put your attention inside of yourself in your body and notice what is your breathing like? How are you holding yourself in this very moment? Are you tightening up a particular part or a particular place of your body? What are your neck and shoulders like in this very moment? Even as I'm asking you these questions, what are you noticing? So if you'd like to be the guinea pig, perhaps you can answer these based on your own observations. Neil Sattin: Yeah, well, I'm happy to be a guinea pig, and what I was noticing was just as you were talking, that there was a smile developing on my face. Rick Miller: Nice. Neil Sattin: And at the same time, I always feel a little... It's a combination of nervousness and excitement as these conversations get underway. I was feeling that like an unevenness to my breathing as opposed to just like a regular, smooth breathing. Yeah. Rick Miller: So one of the lucky things is that our cameras are not connected to each other, so I can't make any observations or have you here. So I'm gonna go at face value with what you're saying. I like the openness that you have, that a smile can come to your face. And if I were sitting across from you, I might point out little things that I'm seeing, and ask you to make slight adjustments, and all that kind of thing. It's exciting. What's interesting about really being attentive to the body is that there are so many answers that we have available inside of us that many of us don't even pay attention to. Neil Sattin: Yeah. Yeah, and it's coming to me really clearly right now and just so you know, and you listening know this, this is not planned, but I just became suddenly aware of how when I was reading your books and getting prepared for this conversation what it was like to grow up in this world, and I'm a product of the mid to late '70s and the '80s, I was born in '74, now I'm truly dating myself here and recognizing in relation to this dialogue, what my experience was, which is, I would not say that I'm gay and yet at the same time, I did experience a lot of, I think more things that might be considered more feminine and more connection to emotions. I'm realizing now just how much the fear of being labeled a certain way impacted me in terms of being fully in my expression of who I am. I wouldn't say that's the case for me now, but I think what came up for me was even a little bit of grief in recognizing like, "Oh, yeah, this was actually an obstacle for me in truly connecting with myself and with the people around me because I was afraid, afraid of being labeled." Rick Miller: I totally appreciate your openness in talking about this, and I think the experience of feeling different or even being noticed as being different is universal for people, but everyone has their own reason why. You strike me as a male who is sensitive and able to be open. That, especially back then in the '70s was perceived as possibly being gay. Fortunately, we live in a time now where being an expressive man is no longer a curse of being gay. It's allowed, it's encouraged. I'm very interested in the whole topic of masculinity in general, and what straight men can learn from gay men and what gay men can learn from straight men and how gender can be so fluid at this point in time. Neil Sattin: Absolutely. Rick Miller: Times are exciting and things are changing. The problem is, is that many gay boys who grew up in the era that you're referring to, or gay boys growing up now who live in very conservative areas still have the same difficulties that I grew up with and that you grew up with. Neil Sattin: Yeah, yeah. And even in parts of the country that are more liberal, I wouldn't say that, it's not like homophobia has been eliminated or discrimination, or just even people's maybe unconscious but still expressed biases around same-sex relationships in society. Rick Miller: Well, I'm glad to hear you say it because I do a lot of training, and frequently people come up to me and say, "The world is so much better. Why are you doing these workshops? Gay men don't have to worry anymore. Everything is fine." On one hand, I guess many gay boys or gay men don't have to worry about being killed or being abused, but it's still an issue. People are still struggling and my premise, as you know, is that people are struggling without even realizing how much they're struggling. That's my job as a psychotherapist when I work with people, but it's also my job as an educator to let people know that deep down, there are still parts of the self that are vulnerable and protective. Neil Sattin: Yeah, so that brings us back to where we were, which was this inner inquiry and experience of our bodies and how that would show up if we were shutting down or having ways in which we are hiding our experience. Rick Miller: So sometimes it's a physical sensation that people are aware of. Sometimes it's a thought that comes up in the mind, or sometimes it's an image, our ability to use imagery is pretty profound. There are moments where things just pop into our awareness and we may not understand why or what it means, but if we dig a little bit deeper, we can usually make sense out of these things. Neil Sattin: There's something that I love about hypnosis, among many things, and one is the way that it gives our inner world permission to communicate with the outer world. So there's something about that inviting that you just mentioned that is I think is so powerful. It's the willingness to just be open and then to experience what comes your way as a message and what does that message tell you. Rick Miller: Well, what a beautiful way of describing hypnosis. Given that so many people are afraid of what's gonna happen and what they'll end up doing. Excuse me, it's pollen season in New England. So, the way that you described hypnosis was so non-threatening and so inviting, so I love that. As I do hypnosis with gay men, again, the constriction that has been part of their lives suddenly transforms itself into a beautiful openness and a self-reliance that is incredibly magical just to see. Neil Sattin: Yeah. So I would love for you to share with our audience why you've been using hypnosis as a therapeutic tool, and in particular the tension between like why using hypnosis is so helpful? And on the flip side, why someone might resist wanting the experience that hypnosis is giving them? Rick Miller: Sure. I forgot the first question. The first question... Neil Sattin: Yeah, the first question is, what is it about hypnosis that you've found to be so valuable in working with clients? Rick Miller: So I've always done guided meditation and guided imagery, and I never got formal training in it, and yet I was doing it with my clients and amazing things were happening. So when I decided to get more formal training, it was based on some of my friends that loved hypnosis, that I ended up pursuing it. What I realized as soon as I started doing it is that it's something that we all know how to do, and it's something that we do in our day to day lives over and over and over again without realizing it. For example, when we hear an old song on the radio and we immediately begin to have flashbacks about where we were, how we felt, who we were with, what our lives were like, that's one example. Another example of being hypnotized by ourselves is a scent. So today is a spring day and I can smell the pollen and I can smell that beautiful spring afternoon, and suddenly I have memories of being a child late in May as it was getting warmer outside, and I'm flooded with amazing memories. So that's another example of being hypnotized. So when I work with people in hypnosis, I'm helping them achieve a state inside of themselves, or to shift a state away from unpleasantness into comfort, or pleasantness or resourcefulness. Neil Sattin: And how does that makes such a huge difference particularly for gay men who are dealing with maybe this problem that we were talking about initially, which is around dissociation from their physical experience? Rick Miller: I think in general, anyone who is open to trying these things will love hypnosis, whether you're a gay man or not a gay man, but given how limited our experiences has been as gay men to be able to go inside and recognize that enjoyment is there, is revolutionary. The other generalization about gay men being men is that many gay men are type A, over achievers, and have compensated for feeling inadequate by overdoing things in the work setting or in academic settings and of course, the price that we pay to do that is not always paying attention to what's happening inside. So having the opportunity to slow down to connect with oneself is a pretty important gift, and it's overlooked way more than it ought to be. Neil Sattin: Yeah. And you talk about that in terms of hypnosis and Milton Erickson and his viewpoint that all of his clients had the resources within them to do whatever shifting was necessary in their lives. Rick Miller: Correct. Neil Sattin: It also reminds me a lot, and I think you talk about parts work as well. It reminds me of Dick Schwartz in Internal Family Systems. Again, all about enlisting our inner resources to come online so that we don't feel like we're deficient in some way. Rick Miller: So, let me say a little bit about parts work. Neil Sattin: Please. Rick Miller: Which is, inside of us are all these different parts. We're so busy living our lives trying to either be our best self, or trying to ward off parts of ourselves that are unformed or more primitive and the harder we try to push something away inside of us, the more it comes out in a way that we don't want it to. So in doing parts work, what we do is we welcome all parts of ourselves that exist inside. And as a psychotherapist, what I do is I work with people to have them bring these parts forward to allow each part to have an equal voice, the part of yourself that does greater work, the part of yourself that feels like an awkward adolescent, the part of yourself that feels like a five year old who's naughty because you know that you're different from other boys and I'll ask each part to recognize what they need or what they experience, and with this is a sense of integration and from this, there's a sense of well-being and mental health that is absolutely necessary. Neil Sattin: Yeah, I love it. Let's bring that now, imagining that we've miraculously totally resourced ourselves [chuckle] in the past 15 or 20 minutes, and let's bring it to the question of relationships. We started out with identifying some of the universal principles underlying relationships, the ability to be vulnerable, to be courageous, to be who you are, to repair in conflict. What have you noticed that's particular to relationships between men that is different, or that makes their particular situation challenging in a way that a heterosexual couple might not experience? Rick Miller: So the first image that comes to mind is, "How many gay male couples have arrived at my psychotherapy office sitting on opposite ends of the couch?" Of course, any couple can do that, but there's a particular way in which men can kinda shrink in and hope to disappear, which of course doesn't happen in a couple's therapy office and the ability to be tender and vulnerable and to listen carefully and closely as opposed to providing quick and instant solutions is something that a lot of men struggle with. The other thing is that men, as I said, are not experts at allowing vulnerabilities to come to the surface. So when you're in a male couple with two men who are fighting vulnerabilities, it's hard to know what to do when one or both are either feeling conflict or feeling scared. Another common issue that comes up a lot is that men frequently are lacking role models about how to be tender and intimate and loving towards their partners, and having growing up in a world of masculinity, it's not considered cool to do those things. But then suddenly when you're in an adult relationship, it's one of the necessary ingredients for a relationship to flourish. Neil Sattin: Now you also talked about the impact of the mythology of gay culture, and as I was reading about that I was thinking about, "Yeah, that must be so challenging to on the one hand be part of this larger culture that looks at you one way, but then to have this idealized version of what it means to be a gay man that you also might not fully resonate with, but it at least gives you a place to go." Rick Miller: Well, there's a lot of pressure to be a certain kind of gay man and what's interesting is that before we had the internet or phone apps, being gay perhaps was more regional. That we were informed by where we lived and how people did things where we lived. Now, it's a worldwide experience and gay men are looking at other gay men all over the world and the pressure to be young, to look a certain way, to be professionally successful is what is driving many men in their desires to be successful. The problem with that is that many men are very successful in a variety of ways, but they don't feel like they measure up to this gay-male standard. It's a lot of pressure and frequently men will buy into this without even recognizing that it's what they do. Rick Miller: So when I do trainings, frequently people will raise their hands and say, "Well I have many gay male clients that live outside of the city, and they live in rural areas, and they don't buy into what you're talking about." and I'll come back and challenge them by saying, "Do they go online? What are they looking at? What are the pornography sites that they're looking at? What are the websites that they're going to as gay men were they being informed about what their life ought to be like as a gay man?" I make the comparison of how women will look at fashion magazines regardless of age, regardless of their size, and then experience this uncomfortable feeling inside of themselves based on not meeting those standards. Neil Sattin: Yeah, and how do you help a couple who were maybe one or both members of the couple is struggling with that issue? How do you help them support each other in finding who they really are in the midst of all of that? Rick Miller: Well, one of the things is to verbalize what I just said to you about noticing how some of the pressure to be a certain way is coming from outside of themselves, and that they're internalizing that without even realizing it. So one of the gifts of being a couples therapist is that I get to help people shift their focus inward, and to be the person that they really are, and accept who they really are, rather than trying to be a stereotype of who someone is supposed to be. The other thing that I do, which is part of the same process as going inside, is helping people to identify what they want, what they need, what they expect from their partner, and to also learn how to give parts of themselves that they didn't know they could do or didn't allow themselves to do because it wasn't considered masculine. Neil Sattin: Yeah, one thing that you mentioned, I think, in maybe the presentation that you gave for the Couples Conference that I can totally relate to, because I happen to think that just about everyone could use a bit of a sexual re-education. This idea that there's a discovery of what it really means to us as individuals to be healthy, to be sexual to... What gives us pleasure, what doesn't. And to really be able to explore that enough that we can take a strong stand for who we are in that, as opposed to just buying into some prescription that's been handed us. Rick Miller: Part of the prescription that's been handed to gay men is that there are certain ways that we're supposed to be sexual and that we're all supposed to have open relationships and that every gay male cheats on his partner and that belief system reinforces something that may not necessarily be okay. If a gay male couple chooses to have an open relationship, that's their prerogative, but it needs to be done very carefully with a lot of questions and communication. Rick Miller: The other aspects of sexuality that's very important with individuals and also with couples, is by being aware of sensory experiences. So here we are, going back in inward again, listening to the body. Each body, each person has their own preferences that feel good to them. Instead of having the norm of gay sex, have sex that you as an individual enjoy. What are the ways that you enjoy being touched? Where do you like being touched? How do you experience that? How do you like to give to each other, and what does your body tell you in these circumstances? Erection issues are common for all men and gay men tend to think that other gay men don't have erection issues. That's not true, but no one is talking about it because it's not a standard that's very cool to talk about. The harder you try to be sexual and pull off a great sexual act, the least likely you'll be able to be to have a great erection. It's like sleeping at night time. If you have sleep anxiety and you're trying to focus on sleeping well, you're gonna stay awake out of anxiety. Neil Sattin: Do you have... 'Cause with what you were just talking about, and I think in this ideal world, we would be able to just be... Well, for lack of a better word, be innocent with each other and have that exploration. To me, the big word that leaped out when I was having that thought, was shame, and how shame becomes an obstacle to being a willing explorer. Rick Miller: Yes. Yep, so shame, of course is a central experience for growing up gay. It's the backbone of one's being, and so as an adult, how do you rate yourself of something that's been embedded inside of you all this time? And so part of your approach in just being and finding comfort is a great way of working with shame and healing shame. So that's the good news about being in a relationship, is that the closeness and the tenderness that can be achieved is going to erode away these layers of shame. I also had an image of how men treat their animals, which is that they're able to speak in a high tone of voice. They're able to be very gentle, they're able to cuddle with them. Frequently partners will say, "If you treated me like you treated the dog, I would be so happy." and clearly, it's a less conflictual relationship. It's all about pure love, and for many men, they're not worried about being masculine with their dog. If only they could do the same with their partners, maybe they wouldn't need me. Neil Sattin: Yeah, yeah, that's a really interesting thought that brings me in so many different directions. [chuckle] Yeah, I'm curious about one thing in particular that... And I'm just wondering if you can shed some light on this, because as you've described it, one of the key possibilities for someone growing up gay is this sense that, "There's something not quite right about me," or, "a shame about who I am," and I think in 'Unwrapped', you described a client who was struggling with this question of choosing a relationship simply based on someone accepting them and what it feels like to actually be with another gay man and be like, "Wow, it's actually okay to be gay," versus taking it to the next level where someone isn't just accepting you, they actually want what you want and you truly have a symbiotic relationship. Is this a common problem in gay relationships where someone might kind of settle because they finally at least feel accepted even if they're not really getting the relationship that they want? Rick Miller: You're touching so many things that I could go in about 10 directions on [chuckle] but I think, again, the norms of the gay male sub-culture are such that gay men frequently are seeking out beauty over other qualities. The prize of a gay male is being with someone who turns heads and beauty is only skin deep, and what else is there? So in an ideal world, we don't just look for a partner who looks great on the outside. We look for a partner who complements us, who challenges us, who brings us tension and joy. One of the things I love about relationships is that there's an expectation that it's all smooth and hunky-dory and hearts and roses, when in fact, the truth about intimate relationships is that they're challenging, they're difficult, and there's a certain edginess that comes with this that's truly intimate, truly exciting, and keeps a certain freshness going. So this is much more about the insides of who we really are rather than how we appear on the outside or how people view us from the outside. I always say that every couple has their own particular hell that they keep secret from the rest of the world because they fear that if other people know, they're gonna blow the cover. But there is no such thing as a relationship that doesn't have this. Neil Sattin: Yeah, and for someone who at one point relished the fact that they were accepted, but now is recognizing, "Oh, this isn't really a relationship where I'm being fully met, but I don't have hope that I could find what I'm looking for in another partner." How do you create a light of optimism there for those people? Rick Miller: Basically, I will reassure them that the Hell that they're experiencing is normal. [laughter] So I have a timeline that I frequently tell people, which is that the first four months of any intimate relationship, not just men, is a time of such excitement and a time of great projection. During these moments, the rest of the world goes away when we're together and the other person is fulfilling all that has been unfulfilled, and it's so dreamy and it's so magical and obviously, there's a strong intimate and sexual component during this period of time. And around eight months or so, people really begin to see each other for who they really are, and this includes warts and all. So as people become more real, the challenges present themselves more and more regularly and frequently between this and about two years couples think that because this is happening, there's something wrong and a majority of people end the relationship because it isn't perfect when in fact, this is exactly what needs to happen. Rick Miller: And when couples experience this, separating out their love and respect for their partner, along with what their hopes and expectations were, and experiencing disappointment, knowing that this is part of what the big picture is about, it enables people to move forward and really accept who they are, who their partner is, and what their couplehood is about. And that is what true intimacy really is. And so, again, going back to male couples, a part of this recipe is also in accepting our own limitations based on how we feel inside of ourselves, how we were raised, what was expected of us as men, and how to give a soft, intimate loving part of ourselves to another person when we haven't really been taught how to do it. If we use our mothers as our role model, then we're losing our masculinity. If we use our fathers as our role model, then we may have a struggle with how to be soft in these certain ways. Neil Sattin: Yeah, that makes me think about the pull between the importance of attachment in relationship and creating safety and then the ways that we handle a lack of variety or things being maybe too safe in our relationships. Maybe this is a tension inherent in that stereotype that you mentioned. The stereotype that there are a lot of gay relationships where people have multiple partners or poly or open, and how that must be creating some tension and polarity with what's required to create a secure bond between two people. Rick Miller: It's so fascinating to me that frequently gay couples come into my office and say, "I think we need to open up our relationship." And I'll say, "Why is that?" And they'll say, "Because we're having a horrible time with each other." Since when would opening up a relationship be the solution to a struggle that has nothing to do with the outside role that has everything to do with the two people working on these vulnerabilities? So I frequently try to slow people down and to allow their focus to be between the two of them and themselves long before running out and making life a little bit more complicated. In terms of thinking about attachment, what we expect and need from our partners is for them to have our back. Our partners become a safe haven in the world. Our partners become a representation of our parents, or they even become a representation of the ideal parent that we never had. So as our partners tolerate us and love us and care for us, they're compensating for things that we didn't get when we were younger. And frequently, partners, men and women, need to be taught how to do this in a context of couples therapy or in the context of educating themselves in order to be more fully available. Neil Sattin: And when you say learning about how to do this, are you talking about really being aware that that is part of maybe the unspoken expectation in relationship and then deciding how you're gonna respond to that? Or will you be that ideal parent as much as possible? Or will you shine a light on that dynamic and try to dismantle it so that neither of you is putting that expectation on each other? Rick Miller: No. I will shine a light on that dynamic saying that this is what it is, this is what a truly intimate relationship is, and that each person in the world that's in an intimate relationship has some challenges with how to be a parent figure to your partner, 'cause that's not how we go into it. So how do you learn how to do that and know what to do? And so that's what I mean, is that we all have to learn how to nourish and nurture other people, especially our partners. Neil Sattin: Yeah. And what are your thoughts on how that creates... And I love this, we keep uncovering these little places of tension in relationship. Because as we show up more like a parental figure for our partners with unconditional love, unconditional support, not judging them, helping them through hard times, it sounds really great. At the same time, we potentially create a schism that makes problems with sexual polarity 'cause... Rick Miller: Sexual polarity and all other kinds of polarity. Neil Sattin: Yeah. Rick Miller: First starting with a sexual polarity, how do you feel sexual toward someone that you've exposed so much of yourself to, and still keep things hot? And again, going back to sensations and sensory awareness is that sometimes what feels good sexually is a physical sensation, and people don't always pay enough attention to that. Neil Sattin: Yeah. I wonder, are you familiar with Marnia Robinson's work? Rick Miller: No, I'm not. Neil Sattin: Okay. She was on the show, actually back in Episode 5, so a long time ago. She wrote a book called, Cupid's Poisoned Arrow, that's all about the biochemical effects of orgasms. And in particular, her whole thesis is based on this idea that if you have an orgasm, you're flooding your system with dopamine, and you're also creating this process by which you become desensitized to that dopamine and to your partner. So as we're talking about this and what keeps sexuality alive, it reminds me of her work because her whole thing is about how do you explore sexuality without orgasm in order to keep the sexuality alive and to keep the sexual chemistry going, as opposed to just repeatedly flooding your system with dopamine to the point where you're habituated to your partner and need to seek another person in order to get excited. Rick Miller: So if you talk about gay men, gay men learn to be sexual as men, and of course, men's motive during sex is to have an orgasm. And frequently men have orgasms very quickly. So the suggestion that Marnia is discussing and that you're talking about, is something that I frequently assign to couples for homework. And it's very, very hard for people to actually do this, which is to spend a lot of time taking turns with each other and exploring each other's bodies without focusing on orgasm and without having an orgasm, so that they can really learn to identify other great feelings, how to give to each other, how to receive, how to instruct each other and to learn about what else feels good inside the body. Neil Sattin: Yeah, and there's so much to learn there because I think for so many of us, men in particular, orgasms are a great way to dissociate from life and our pain and our shame and whatever stress we're feeling in the moment. So if that has become your gateway to sexuality, then you really do have to learn something new in order to give up the temporary relief and release that orgasms give you from something that we've been talking about for this whole hour is the question of shame and how that affects how we show up. Rick Miller: I think one of the joys that can happen for couples, and I'm thinking about this a little bit more detailed as you've been discussing this, is how good it feels to be with a partner and to help him be able to have an orgasm and if both of your minds approach sex from a similar vantage point, then it's a sense of power and conquering that two people experience with the help of each other. That's a pretty amazing feeling and even if it doesn't last that long, it's a great metaphor for success in a relationship. Neil Sattin: Yeah. How would you suggest someone when they're in a sexual situation with their partner and they notice shame coming up and starting to get in the way, their own sense of thinking that something going on with their body is gross or unacceptable? How would you suggest someone work with that in the moment with their partner? Rick Miller: By exactly what you were just talking about and what Marnia talks about, which is to de-emphasize orgasm. I also ask people to not worry about whether they have an erection. Frequently, what happens is that as men feel vulnerable, either about how they feel physically about themselves, or how they're performing as a partner in comparison to how people are supposed to be performing, they lose their erection. And then, as they begin to lose their erection, just like the sleep thing, they worry about it and then their partner may get frustrated and then the mind takes over and they're gone. So really, what I have people do first and foremost is slow themselves down. It's okay if you lose an erection, it's okay to keep doing what you're doing, keep exploring the sensations and take a break if you need, and worry less, enjoy more, be in the present, allow expectations to drift further and further away 'cause they only get in the way. Neil Sattin: I am so appreciative that you brought this up because another person whose work I so respect and admire, her name's Diana Richardson, you may have heard of her, she does a lot of work around Tantra. And her version of Tantra, she also calls it "slow sex", is all about just that, how you slow things down. One of the things that she talks about that I think is actually really missing from the common dialogue about what you do when you have problems maintaining an erection is this concept of, she calls it "soft entry." It's not the most glamorous term in the world, [chuckle] but it's this idea... Well, it's not an idea, it's a practice of if you don't have an erection, you can still get lubricated, and with the assistance of your partner, you can still actually be inside your partner even if you're not hard. Rick Miller: That's great. Neil Sattin: So you're overcoming this barrier and I'm making those finger quotes in the air around the word "barrier," you can overcome the barrier to intercourse by simply using some lubrication, some patience, and really gentle movement to actually penetrate your partner and to rest there. Rick Miller: And what a difference that makes to not have to rush so quickly and how freeing it can be. I don't know the statistics, but what percentage of people then experience erections as a result of allowing themselves to softly enter and be relaxed? Neil Sattin: Yeah, I wish I had the statistic on that. But... Rick Miller: Good one. Neil Sattin: I gotta think that it's a lot. It's a lot because what you end up giving yourself is that time and relaxation and the presence that you need to ignite that part of your system. Rick Miller: Can I shift gears for a moment? Neil Sattin: Please. Rick Miller: Because I'm thinking of a specific couple that I work with, where one of the guys frequently would lose his erection because he felt as though he wasn't being as good or as strong of a partner as he ought to be and through some exploration in my office, what was clear was that expectations were driving their sex life and it was getting in the way. Part of being more real included talking about sex more, but also sharing fantasies. It was hard for them to do that because it was considered naughty for them to be talking about these fantasies and ironically, gay men love porn. So instead of keeping it out of the relationship, why not bring it in and share the enthusiasm about it to help things along? So this particular couple started talking more about their fantasies and sharing the visual images of the pornography that they really liked, and their sex life transformed itself really quickly because they were no longer keeping a part of themself a secret from their partner. Instead, they were bringing it back home and it worked beautifully. Neil Sattin: Yeah, I love that and that sounds like a very healthy, strategic use of that kind of pornographic stimulation to bring a couple together. Rick Miller: It was great. Neil Sattin: I'm wondering though when you brought that up, it also made me think about... You used the word "expectations," their expectations of each other, and the ways that this is true across the spectrum now, especially because of the prevalence of pornography. Rick Miller: Yes. Neil Sattin: The way that people think they're supposed to be when they're being sexual. Rick Miller: That's right. Neil Sattin: And I'm wondering how you encourage people to abandon the scripts that aren't serving them? Rick Miller: Good point. Everything goes back in a circle to listening to your body and the pornography industry is thriving, and people are pursuing it and losing fact of their own humanity as they're doing so. I'm saying that not as a moral judgement, but more as a mind-body clinician who wants people to function highly and successfully inside of themselves. Again, it all comes back to the body. I'm constantly slowing people down, asking people to notice what they enjoy, what turns them on, what their fantasies are, and to use pornography as a help or as an aid for themselves, rather than as a way of being in the world. And incidentally, another thing that's happening is that many men have an unrealistic view of what their penis should look like, because they compare their penis to pornography who frequently hire men who are very well endowed. These days, men are barely naked in front of each other, locker rooms are more segregated and separated, and men don't have an opportunity to see other men's dicks to realize that there isn't a problem there where they think it's their own problem that they feel ashamed about. Neil Sattin: Right. Yeah, yeah. And even if you are seeing dicks, you're probably not seeing erect dicks, so... Rick Miller: Right. Neil Sattin: That's another place where you wouldn't necessarily know where you stack up against the average that's out there. Rick Miller: It's kind of incredible how much private shame people are living with and not doing much about it. Neil Sattin: Yeah. Yeah, and that makes me wonder in your book Unwrapped, you offer, for therapists reading that book, scripts to help them guide their clients through trance experiences, to give them that sense of safety and being alive in their bodies. Obviously, we can't do a hypnotic induction right here for the show. I'm wondering though, if you have some hints around language that partners could use with each other in a intimate situation, let's say, in the bedroom, language that they could use to help invite each other into that experience of being alive with each other, being present, or let's start there and then I'll maybe add on to that. Rick Miller: Yeah, so I think language is actually too limiting, because what I'm imagining as you were describing this is a shared moment together where there's plenty of time, where maybe soft music is playing, where there's no rush, and the experience to enjoy is what feels good. And sometimes it isn't through words that we can convey to our partners what it is that feels good. We can take our hand and move our partner's hand, or we can move our body in such a way that communicates what feels good. So I guess I would use the word language in a very broad metaphorical way, which is to expand the language that we experience sensations, and experience, and expand the ways in which we communicate our pleasure in these sensations, so that our partners can enjoy what it is that we're enjoying, being perfectly clear to convey that we're enjoying it. Neil Sattin: Yeah, so that's perfect. I love that notion of expanding language and expanding the ways that we're communicating in those moments. How about... And it makes perfect sense too, in the context of, that you said, I loved the soft music and I was kind of painting the picture for myself there. Rick Miller: Yes. Yeah. Neil Sattin: Too bad my wife is out in California right now. Neil Sattin: And, but what about... Because now we're coming back to shame, I don't wanna end on shame, so but what I do wanna do is, there's gonna be this dynamic where if you're being really present with your partner in sex, then you're either gonna maybe have moments of shame that you might recognize in yourself, or as the partner you might perceive that something is going on with your partner, that your partner's experiencing shame. What, again, we'll use the word language but broadening it to mean how would you communicate in a situation where you notice that your partner is in shame about something? Rick Miller: So this is when language really does come in handy. Frequently, what I suggest to people is if they don't need to focus on being sexual, don't worry about ending the act and ending in orgasm. Let it be. Let it be fine. Sometimes sex is great. Sometimes it isn't great. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't work. So with language what I suggest is when things are a little bit more neutral and a little more okay, to have a simple basic conversation about what it is that one is noticing, either in themselves, or observing in their partner and just converse about what it is that's coming up. And so, again, we've gone full circle to how we started today, which is to be able to talk openly and honestly about what experiences are taking place and what partners are noticing in themselves and in each other. Neil Sattin: And is there something that you've seen as you work with clients around issues of shame, as like a common theme and for some reason, I don't know why this is coming up for me, but it's this question of something about my body that I don't necessarily like, as to why those things stick with us? Because intuitively, that doesn't make any sense. It's our bodies, they're... We were gifted these amazing vehicles for living in the world. Yet, sometimes they betray us, like you lose your erection when you wish it were there, or you fart at the wrong moment, or whatever it is, or your gut's a little flabbier than you wish it were. Do you see some commonalities around what makes those thoughts about ourselves sticky? And what the path is to letting them go? Rick Miller: Yep. So first, about shame, what I frequently do will generalize the experience of shame as a gay man and remind people that this is a common universal experience. It isn't just you, this is what most gay boys have experienced and internalized while growing up. So, that's at the baseline, and then in the here and now in terms of body image or sexuality, again, focusing on sensation rather than images of perfection, figuring out why it is that people are experiencing a sense of self-consciousness and shame. I love doing this with couples. I ask them, "When your partner gains five pounds how do you feel differently about him? And how do you feel differently about your sex life?" And, for the most part, what happens is that people don't care. Partners don't care. Rick Miller: At a certain point in the relationship it isn't necessarily the abs that are creating great sex, it's the connection, it's the way in which people communicate with each other, it's the way in which people give to each other, the way in which they're attuned to each other and they enjoy these sensations. That's what sex is, and that's what makes it nice. In all long-term relationships, beauty dies down in a certain way and being with the same partner has a certain level of predictability. So, regardless of how hot one is, or how one is perceived at the beginning of a relationship, over time that hotness shifts and changes into a much truer kind of intimacy. So again, we go back to expressing what feels good, aiming towards pleasing oneself and pleasing each other, and enjoying the moment for the moment, and enjoying the moment in the moment. Neil Sattin: I love it. I love it. Rick, thank you so much for all of your thoughts, and... Rick Miller: Absolutely. Neil Sattin: And I think as we've been dancing, we are really weaving the sense of where there's overlap and where there isn't, and I feel like we've just covered such valuable terrain in today's conversation. Rick Miller: Thank you, we could go on for hours, I'm sure. Neil Sattin: We absolutely could, but in lieu of doing that, I would love for you to share what you're working on, how can people find you. Of course, we will have links to all of your stuff in the transcript and show notes, but I'd love for people to hear from you directly. Rick Miller: Absolutely. So my website is rickmiller.biz, B-I-Z, rickmiller.biz. I'm working on a great project and maybe it's about how gay men learn to be intimate in the first place called, Gay Sons and Mothers. So it's gaysonsandmothers.com. I'm also on Instagram. I have a Facebook page, Rick Miller Psychotherapy+. I have a blog on Psychology Today called, Unwrapped. Where else can I be found? I think those are the main ones. Neil Sattin: Great. Great. And you're obviously in private practice, so people can see you. Rick Miller: That's right. Neil Sattin: And then you're also involved in doing trainings for therapists as well? Rick Miller: Yep, I do a lot of mental health conferences all over about working with gay men. Neil Sattin: Great, and I think you mentioned that you have some coming up, the Brief Therapy Conference and the International Society of Hypnosis. So there're a couple ways, but you probably have your events listed on your website as well. Rick Miller: I do, and I welcome any questions and any emails from people, so give me a holler. Neil Sattin: Awesome. Well, Rick, thank you so much for your time again today. If you are interested in downloading a transcript, you can visit neilsattin.com/miller, M-I-L-L-E-R. You can text to the word "passion" to the number 33444 and follow the instructions, which will also help you download the transcript, and we'll have links to Rick's site and all the ways that you can get in touch with him and to learn more about his work. Other than that, thank you so much for being here on the show with us today Rick. Rick Miller: Thank you very much. Take care. Neil Sattin: You too.

In this episode, Ashley is joined by Stacy Dockins, a yoga, meditation, and mindfulness teacher, business owner, and fellow Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Stacy and her husband, Dave, teach in person classes at their yoga studios in the Dallas & Fort Worth area in Texas and train future yoga teachers around the world. If you've ever wanted to meditate (or have tried it!), or have wanted to get comfortable and aware of your (naturally thinking) mind, this episode is for you. Stacy does an amazing job of explaining what mindfulness is and how we can apply it in a really practical and simply way. Stacy says, "the mind thinks like the heart beats" and many of us can find relief from that statement alone. We cover: - Stacy's story - What is yoga beyond the physical? - Cultivating mindfulness in every day life - Practical tools & books for mindfulness - Becoming aware of your thoughts - Practicing nonjudgement - The nature of our brain - Self-care & self-love - Stacy's nutrition philosphy - The importance of self-forgivenenss - Thoughts on spirituality - Allowing the full spectrum of emotions Mentions: Stacy's studios, retreat, and training information: https://www.yogaproject.com/ Stacy's course for beginning yoga & minfulness http://yogamooc.com/ Follow Stacy on Instagram @txyogastacy Dan Siegel https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-J.-Siegel/e/B00459LSPI The Wheel of Awareness http://www.drdansiegel.com/resources/wheel_of_awareness/ Wayne Dyer https://www.amazon.com/Wayne-W.-Dyer/e/B000AQ104Y Pema Chodron https://www.udemy.com/user/pemachdrn/ Visit Ashley's website at: www.ashleypardo.com Sign up for Ashley's newsletter at: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/163213?v=6 Follow Ashley on social @ashleykpardo

BIG announcement and Why You Have to Stop Avoiding First, let me share some EXCITING news with you! I am so excited to share with you some news about the work I am focusing on in 2018! But first, let me tell you the back story. Each year, I do my best to attend several conferences for OCD, Anxiety, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB's) and Depression.   I have had the privilege of presenting at many of these conferences over the years and I often return home in a state of joy, empowerment and determination to help those who struggle with these debilitating disorders.   I love learning all about the evidence-based treatment modalities for OCD, Anxiety Disorders and Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors such as Trichotillomania and Skin Picking and using the skills to increase recovery outcomes and improve self-esteem and self-care. However, last year, I left one of the conferences quite sad.  I was sad for those sufferers who attended the conferences and then had to return home to their hometown, with very little support and no evidence-based services but licensed mental health professionals.   So few therapist know how to treat OCD, BFRB's and Anxiety Disorders using the treatment modalities that are so successful and appropriate. From this frustration, I decided to create an online psycho-education platform where I can offer support and educational products to those who cannot access correct care. I am so proud to announce the creation of CBTschool.com.  CBTschool.com is an online platform when you can access information and online courses on how to overcome your struggles with OCD, Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB's), Anxiety Disorders, Panic and Depression.   Each course will apply Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (hence the term CBT, in CBT School) and Mindfulness Tools.  These are the exact tools I use with my clients every day in my office. I currently have one course ready to be purchased, called Mindfulness School for OCD.   I will talk more about this in coming podcasts.    Keep an eye out, as there will be more to purchase very soon. In addition to the online courses, I plan to meet at a designated time each month to join with you on Facebook Live and Instagram, to answer any questions you may have and help you along with your journey. More exciting news is the YOUR ANXIETY TOOLKIT podcast is now a production of CBTschool.com and we will continue to provide evidence based tools for Anxiety, Depression and Emotional Dysregulation. Lastly, if you check out CBTschool.com's websites, you will see that there is also some awesome free PDF's available to help you with self care and mindfulness.    I am so thrilled to share this news with you.   Feel free to connect with me on FB or Instagram. Now, onto the important stuff! This episode is  a part or an ongoing series where we discuss Problematic Anxiety Related Behaviors (also know as Compulsions). In this episode, we will discuss a very important and problematic compulsion, which is Avoidance. Avoidance is the withdrawal from an object, event, person or experience Avoidance is a common behavior we employ to manage anxiety, fear, panic, obsessions and intrusive thoughts. While our brain uses "flight" to activate us to run away from real danger and stressors, we sometime use avoidance and "flight" to avoid thoughts and fears of bad things happening. The problem is, the more you avoid events or experiences that you perceive to be dangerous (when really they are not currently a risk to your wellbeing)  the more you tell your brain that that event or experience is dangerous and the more your brain responds with physical anxiety when you go to the event or engage in the experience. Example: What if I get sick if I touch that door handle or ATM teller? NOTE: Sentences that begin with “WHAT if” imply that they have not happened yet. If you were my client and this was a common fear for you, and you have been avoiding this, I would have you go and use the ATM bank teller!!    By not avoiding, we unlock the fear response cycle our brain is looped into. This applies to fears that you are a bad person, that you will do something wrong, that awful horrible things will happen.    Trick!!! When I say that….what is the immediate thought you have? But, Kimberley, my fear is serious!!  Nope.  Your fear is a thought But Kimberley, I could ruin peoples live if I stopped avoiding the thing I am afraid of.    POSSIBLY!! Here is my questions for you.  What kind of life do you want to live?  Consult with your values. Do you want to live in fear?  Do you want to let anxiety make your decisions?  Or even more, a thought make your decisions? Or, do you want to strengthen courage and resilience? This is a question we have to ask ourselves every day.  How Do I want to live my life? Take risks!  Look at your life and ask yourself what you are avoiding.  Try to not let anxiety win this one. Find a way to reduce the avoidance. Find a way to forgive yourself for avoiding it for so long.  Don't beat yourself up. Have a wonderful week everyone! See you next week!

Aired Thursday, 23 March 2017, 6:00 PM ET The Dr. Kevin Show - Rick Miller This weeks guest is Rick Miller. Rick Miller is a clinical social worker in private practice in Boston and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA. He has served on the national and international faculty for The International Society of Hypnosis, The Milton Erickson Foundation of South Africa, The Brief Therapy Conference, The Society for Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and The American Group Psychotherapy Association, and Harvard Medical School. He was also a guest lecturer at The University of Johannesburg Department of Psychology, Johannesburg, South Africa. The curriculum Rick developed (hypnotherapy with gay men including customized scripts) is used at The Milton Erickson Institute of Mexico City, Mexico, and National Autonomous University of Mexico, also in Mexico City. These and other essential topics related to working with gay men are addressed in his book Unwrapped: Integrative Therapy With Gay Men and the Gift of Presence (Zeig, Tucker & Theisen publishers, 2014) and his workbook Mindfulness Tools for Gay Men in Therapy: A Clinician's Guide for Mind Body Wellness (PESI Inc. 2016). Rick is also a contributing author to For Couples: Ten Commandments For Every Aspect Of Your Relationship Journey (Zeig,Tucker & Theisen publishers, 2012). His articles have been published in Somatic Psychotherapy and The Psychotherapy Networker. Website: www.rickmiller.biz Facebook: Rick Miller Psychotherapy + Blog: Psychology Today, Unwrapped-Mind Body Wisdom and the Modern Gay Man Instagram: gaysonsandmothers

Donald Altman, MA, LPC, is a psychotherapist, a former Buddhist monk, and the award-winning author of several books, including One-Minute Mindfulness, The Mindfulness Toolbox, and The Mindfulness Code. He conducts mindful living and mindful eating workshops and retreats and trains mental health therapists and business people to use mindfulness as a tool for optimizing health and fulfillment. He lives in Portland, Oregon. In the upcoming new book Clearing Emotional Clutter: Mindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformation, author Donald Altman combines modern neuroscience with ancient practices to show how habits and patterns can be modified with only a few minutes of attention daily. Learn more about Donald Altman at http://www.mindfulpractices.com Click here to visit the show notes page!   Like this episode? Please leave an honest rating on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated! They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them. P.S: Just takes a minute! :)   SUBSCRIBE ON ITUNES  Click here to leave us a rating & review on iTunes Follow us on social media:  | Facebook | Twitter | Join our Facebook Tribe

Students cannot calm their bodies until they learn to calm their brains. The power of mindfulness is being accessed by educators and parents to prime students for learning and to help young people manage their own behavior. Author Joree Rosenblatt explains how the growing practice of mindfulness helps adults and students reduce stress and experience deeper levels of gratitude and happiness. The Edspiration Inbox Answers… “Taking the word “but” out of conversations meant to acknowledge others.”   About today’s guest Joree Rosenblatt has a Master’s in Counseling Psychology and founder of Mindfulness – Tools for Living. She provides in person and online workshops in mindfulness to schools & corporations. Joree is a published author on the subject of mindfulness and was featured in the latest edition of “Be You” magazine.   Guest Links: www.joreerose.com – Joree’s website. Published books and the free Take a Mindful Minute booklet. You can also find a suggested reading list of author’s mentioned and links to Rick Hanson & Dr. Dan Siegel. www.mindfulschools.org – Organization that trains people on how to teach mindfulness in schools www.mindful.org – The website for the bimonthly Mindful magazine that features great articles and tips, including current research on mindfulness Connect with Us Connect with the show at www.Edspirationpodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/impactschoolclimate Twitter: Follow us @schoolclimates Newsletter: Sign up on sidebar at www.Edspiration.org   Questions / comments for John in the Edspiration Inbox: Edspirationpodcast@gmail.com Show Sponsor International School Climate Institute – Provides practical training, workshops, coaching, and speaking to create positive school climates. Contact us about school climate improvement, planning and climate survey support, bullying prevention and upstander intervention training, restorative justice practices, school safety, youth development, and more.