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Barry Maher spent 20 years as a corporate speaker and wrote six nonfiction books. Then he discovered he had a brain tumor the size of a baseball. He woke up from surgery with Lady Gaga playing on loop in his head and a complete, fully formed novel already there — vivid as a memory, not a dream. Two years later, that novel became The Great Dick and the Dysfunctional Demon, published at age 76. He's also in remission and can tell time again. We talked about: the moment on an Asian cruise when he couldn't read a clock and didn't know why; why his wife figured out something was wrong before he did (he was putting his clothes on backwards); introducing a ship's captain on stage and then asking him what he did for a living 15 minutes later; the doctor's clock-drawing test and the nurse who wouldn't let him go to the bathroom alone; why a brain cancer diagnosis is like an impending hanging — it concentrates the mind; the novel that emerged from surgery (complete with open crypts, dark spells, sudden death, and the Ralph Lauren version of the Manson family); why The Great Gatsby and Moby Dick are the same story; and the Lady Gaga song that played on loop in his head for three straight days (it's "Always Remember Us This Way" from A Star Is Born — he was not a fan before, and he is definitely not one now). Get the book → The Great Dick and the Dysfunctional Demon by Barry Maher https://amzn.to/4xqVD4y TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 — Intro — who is Barry Maher? 0:24 — Six nonfiction books, 20 years of corporate speaking — and now a novel 1:18 — The speaking business: cold calling, articles, PR, and repeat clients 2:37 — Lou bombing at a Christmas party and waiting to get paid after 4:21 — The speaking escape hatch: "and the point of that was..." 5:41 — His first presentation: an hour of solid content, to a funeral home audience 6:50 — The cruise where he couldn't read a clock — and didn't know why 7:55 — His wife noticed something was wrong on the second cruise 9:15 — He introduced the captain — then 15 minutes later asked what he did for a living 10:06 — What it's like when your mind is the thing that's broken 10:46 — The doctor's clock test — and the nurse who wouldn't let him go to the bathroom alone 11:29 — He wrote himself off. He didn't let her accompany him to the bathroom. There are limits. 11:53 — Waking up from surgery with Lady Gaga on loop and a complete novel in his head 12:27 — The TikTok husband who can't draw clocks — and why that's not funny 14:01 — The seizure during surgery — and why the story felt like a memory, not a dream 15:01 — A brain cancer diagnosis is like an impending hanging — it concentrates the mind 15:38 — He was in his early 70s. He decided to finally write the novel he'd always wanted. 16:47 — Writing it took two years — and the memory never faded 18:26 — Lou hates writing. Barry loves it now. The brain tumor may be responsible. 20:21 — The title: The Great Dick — as in Great Gatsby meets Moby Dick 21:59 — Lou read Moby Dick aloud at his wife's hospital bed. She put pages in the wedding bouquet. 23:35 — The Great Gatsby and Moby Dick are the same story — he makes the case 24:03 — What the book is actually about 25:22 — Always Remember Us This Way — the Lady Gaga song that played for three days straight 27:15 — Did the tumor affect the part of the brain responsible for creativity? 28:16 — His wife likes the book — even with the original subtitle 29:43 — The antihero Steve Huskey — and why women are rooting for him anyway 30:09 — Health update: cancer in remission, can tell time like a champ 30:36 — Outro Watch full episodes on YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Vb53s4I0A&list=PLb5trMQQvT077-L1roE0iZyAgT4dD4EtJ Listen on Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lou-perez-podcast/id1535032081 Listen on Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/2KAtC7eFS3NHWMZp2UgMVU Co-host of Happy Hour Econ → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/happy-hour-econ/id1863476697 Lou's book — That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore: https://amzn.to/3VhFa1r TheLouPerez.com | info@thelouperez.com Newsletter: https://substack.com/@louperez #BarryMaher #BrainTumor #Novel #LiteraryFiction #MobyDick #GreatGatsby #LouPerezPodcast #LionsOfLiberty #Cancer #Writing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode Andrea Samadi explores how movement and sleep work together in a "brain operating system" for human performance, focusing on restorative sleep (deep + REM), personal WHOOP data, and the trade-offs created by early-morning exercise. She shares four lessons and a simple experiment to help listeners protect REM and deep sleep while maintaining an active life, emphasizing weekly rhythms, small changes, and tracking patterns rather than chasing perfect numbers. SEASON 16 | BONUS EPISODE 4 RESTORATIVE SLEEP Where Adaptation Happens Why deep sleep restores the body, REM helps integrate experience, and healthy habits must work together. ON BONUS EPISODE 4, YOU'LL LEARN: ✔ What restorative sleep really measures ✔ How deep sleep and REM support different forms of recovery ✔ Why REM percentage and duration tell different stories ✔ What my six-month sleep data revealed ✔ The hidden tradeoff behind my 4:00 AM hiking routine ✔ What happened when I slept just 21 minutes longer ✔ Why healthy habits can sometimes compete ✔ How to protect sleep without giving up movement ✔ 4 Lessons and a simple experiment for discovering your own best rhythm Episode Introduction Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we bridge neuroscience, social and emotional learning, and human performance to create measurable improvements in well-being, achievement, leadership, productivity and results. I'm Andrea Samadi, and throughout Season 16 we have been building what I call the Brain's Operating System for Human Performance—a neuroscience-based framework for understanding how the systems of the brain and body work together to influence how we learn, adapt, connect, lead and ultimately perform. We are currently in Phase 3: Movement, Learning and Cognition. Movement is the foundation of this phase because it affects far more than our muscles. When we move, we activate processes throughout the brain and body. Movement supports neurogenesis—the development of new neurons—particularly in areas involved in learning and memory. It strengthens connections between neurons through synaptic plasticity. We covered neurogenesis on EP 141[i] if you want to revisit that episode, if you are as curious as I am about how to regrow our brain cells. Movement that we are learning in this phase, also influences brain chemicals such as dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine and acetylcholine, which affect motivation, mood, attention and learning. Movement can also strengthen our resilience by helping us manage stress and become more emotionally flexible. It builds sleep pressure, (the longer we stay awake, the more adenosine accumulates that increases our need or “pressure” to rest) which can support deeper, more restorative sleep. And over time, these changes may contribute to greater creativity, insight, endurance and human potential. But movement only creates the stimulus. The benefits don't come from movement alone. They come from the way the brain and body respond to that movement—and that response is called adaptation. Movement changes the brain. Adaptation changes the body. Recovery is what connects the effort we make today with the strength, resilience and capacity we hope to build tomorrow. Without adequate recovery, we can receive the stimulus without fully receiving the benefit. That is why sleep belongs inside the Movement Loop. Sleep is not separate from movement, learning or performance. It is one of the primary places where the brain and body respond to what we have asked them to do. Throughout Season 16, I've been sharing some of my own health and performance data as a living case study—not because everyone should try to reproduce my numbers, but because our individual trends can help us understand how neuroscience shows up in everyday life. I thought that if I was curious about understanding my numbers—and using them to improve my health, well-being and productivity—then other people might benefit from what I've learned along the way. My data has helped me see that movement, recovery and performance cannot be understood in isolation. They work together as a system: Movement creates the stimulus. Recovery creates the conditions for adaptation. Restorative sleep is one of the places where that adaptation unfolds. And this brings us to one of the most important recovery metrics I've learned to follow: Restorative sleep. We often celebrate what happens while we're awake: Our productivity. Our focus. Our learning. Our movement. Our performance. But much of the adaptation supporting those abilities happens while we sleep. Deep sleep supports physical restoration. REM sleep supports emotional processing, memory integration and cognitive flexibility. Together, these stages help convert the demands of one day into greater capacity for the next. This episode began with one honest question about my own routine: THE QUESTION: What am I gaining by waking at 4:00 AM to hike—and what might I be giving up by not sleeping longer? This is not simply an episode about sleeping more. It is about creating a rhythm in which two essential health behaviors—sleep and exercise—support one another instead of competing for the same limited hours. You will see my data exactly as it is. Sleep is one of the weaker links in my current health routine, which makes it a useful place to learn. The goal is not to judge the data. The goal is to let the data ask a better question. Lesson 1: Restorative Sleep Contains Two Stories WHOOP (the wearable device that I use to measure sleep) defines restorative sleep as the combined time spent in deep sleep, also called slow-wave sleep, and REM sleep. Combining the two creates a useful overview, but separating them reveals two different parts of the story. Deep Sleep or Slow-Wave Sleep: Physical Restoration Deep sleep is concentrated more heavily in the earlier part of the night and supports processes associated with physical restoration. It is relevant after hiking, Zone 2 exercise, strength training and other demanding activity because sleep is part of how the body responds to the strain we create. During deep sleep: Tissue repair is supported. Growth hormone release increases. Immune function is supported. Energy is restored. The body adapts to physical strain. REM Sleep: Integration REM stands for rapid eye movement sleep and is known as the “mentally restorative” stage of sleep. This is where most dreams occur, and short-term memories are converted into long-term memories. During REM, the brain is highly active while most voluntary muscles remain temporarily inhibited. I'll never forget the part of our interview with Dr. Jaland Balal[ii], when he explained that this feature is what keeps us safe from moving around too much while we are sleeping, keeping our sleeping partners safe. REM has been associated with: Emotional processing Memory integration Aspects of learning Cognitive flexibility Creative associations Connecting new information with previous experiences Memory is supported across several sleep stages—not by REM alone. REM helps the brain process, connect and integrate. REM periods also tend to become longer as the night progresses. That means shortening the end of the sleep window may disproportionately reduce the opportunity for the longer, more REM-rich cycles that occur toward morning. Deep sleep helps restore the body. REM helps integrate the brain. We need both. That second sentence is personally meaningful because I have logged my dreams for years. A dream is not a diagnosis or a literal solution, and dreams can occur outside REM. But a dream log gives me a qualitative record of recurring emotions, images, relationships, problems and emerging ideas that my mind may still be processing. Since I enjoy learning, interviewing, writing, teaching and connecting ideas across neuroscience and social-emotional learning, REM matters for more than dream recall (which by itself is fascinating and something we will look deeper at in Phase 5 with Integration and Meaning). Lesson 2: My Data Revealed a Duration Gap When I looked at my WHOOP trends, the total restorative-sleep number was only the beginning. Metric My average Six-month restorative sleep 2 hr 43 min Lifetime REM 1 hr 37 min Last 90 days REM 1 hr 18 min Last 30 days REM 1 hr 20 min Recent REM percentage About 20% When I looked at six months of WHOOP data, my average restorative sleep was: 2 hours and 43 minutes per night. That number gave me the total time spent in deep sleep and REM—but it did not tell me how those two stages were distributed. When I separated them, another story emerged. My lifetime REM average was approximately: 1 hour and 37 minutes per night. But over my more recent periods, that changed: Last 90 days: approximately 1 hour and 18 minutes Last 30 days: approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes Recent REM percentage: approximately 20% of my total sleep Twenty percent is within a commonly reported adult range. But compared with my own lifetime average, my recent REM duration was approximately 17–19 minutes lower per night. That distinction matters. My REM percentage may appear healthy while my total REM duration is still lower than my personal historical average. So my real question became: Not “Is my REM normal?” but “What conditions help my brain produce more of its own normal REM?” This is the value of tracking. THE DATA LESSON: A population range provides context. Your baseline provides the story. Your trend gives you a question to test. Lesson 3: The 4:00 AM Tradeoff I love hiking early. It gives me cardiovascular conditioning, time outside, morning light, mental clarity and consistency. In Arizona, it also helps me finish before extreme heat heats around 8am. But if I go to bed at 8:30 PM and wake at 4:00 AM, I create a maximum sleep opportunity of seven and a half hours. That is time in bed—not necessarily time asleep. It does not include the time required to fall asleep or periods of wakefulness during the night. If I remain in bed until 6:00 AM, I create two additional hours of sleep opportunity. Those two hours would not equal two hours of REM. They would contain a mixture of sleep stages and perhaps brief wakefulness. But because REM episodes generally lengthen later in the night, the added opportunity may protect some of the more REM-rich portion of sleep. If you want to understand sleep cycles, I highly recommend taking Dr. Mathew Walker's Masterclass[iii] The Science of Better Sleep. What the Early 4am Wake Gives Me Early movement and consistency Cardiovascular conditioning Time outdoors and morning light The mental and emotional benefits of hiking What Might it Cost Me Up to two hours of total sleep opportunity (lost) Part of one or more later sleep cycles (lost) Greater opportunity for REM and dream recall (important to me) Time for memory and emotional processing across sleep (important to me) The accurate interpretation is not that I lose two hours of REM. It is that I may give up two hours of sleep opportunity containing some of the night's more REM-rich cycles. That led to my central realization: healthy behaviors (like my early wake to hike) can compete when their timing is not coordinated. MY AHA MOMENT: Am I creating better sleep through movement—or repeatedly borrowing from the final part of sleep to make that movement happen? My wearable cannot prove that early wake times caused the change. Consumer wearables estimate sleep stages; they do not measure them with clinical polysomnography. But the pattern gives me a reasonable hypothesis to test. That is what self-tracking should do: not make us anxious about a number, but help us ask a better question. A Real-Time Clue: What 21 More Minutes Revealed While preparing this episode, my data gave me a real-time example of the tradeoff. On Thursday, August 27, I woke at 4:21 AM instead of 4:00 AM. That night I recorded three hours and two minutes of restorative sleep—the highest total of the week. It included one hour and seven minutes of deep sleep and one hour and 55 minutes of REM. That REM duration was approximately 35 minutes above my recent 30-day average. My graph in the show notes showed a substantial REM period close to the end of the sleep window. Twenty-one additional minutes cannot explain a 35-minute difference, and one night cannot establish cause. Sleep varies from night to night. But the observation supports the hypothesis that a 4:00 AM alarm may sometimes interrupt a REM period already underway. I also remembered my dream and added it to my dream log. That gave me another kind of data: not just how long I slept, but what my mind may have been processing, integrating or connecting. One night is a clue—not proof. Watch the trend. The lesson is not that 4:21 AM is a magical wake time. The lesson is that the final portion of sleep may be more valuable than its length makes it appear. A small extension may sometimes allow the brain to finish a cycle that an earlier alarm (or your natural body's alarm) would interrupt. Lesson 4: Build a Rhythm, Not a Perfect Day The remedy I've concluded is not to stop hiking, (I would be miserable) and it is not to maximize sleep or exercise in isolation (I wouldn't feel productive sleeping in longer). The solution is to create a weekly rhythm in which movement provides the stimulus and sleep protects the opportunity for adaptation. For me, that rhythm can include two kinds of days: 1. Early-Hike Days (twice a week) When a 4:00 AM wake time is necessary, (and possible). I can treat bedtime as part of the training plan. If family responsibilities the night before make a very early bedtime unrealistic, I can recognize that constraint and adapt. But it is important that I get to bed by 8:30pm if I want to wake up 4am. 2. Sleep-Protected Mornings On selected non-hiking days, I can remain asleep until approximately 5:00 or 6:00 AM and move later. These mornings create more opportunity for later sleep cycles and give me a comparison condition for my experiment. What happens if I stay in bed longer? The goal is not a perfect day. The goal is a sustainable week. The Movement Loop is not: Move → Move More → Keep Pushing. It is: Movement → Recovery → Adaptation → Performance → Greater Capacity. For you, the listener, are you giving yourself enough time to recover? To Adapt? To Increase Performance? That leads to greater capacity? Or, did you notice, like me, that there was a trade off with your schedule? Tips to Implement: Run Your Own Restorative-Sleep Experiment You do not need my wake time, my REM number or a WHOOP device to learn from your own pattern. Use this five-step experiment for two to four weeks. Establish your baseline. Record your usual bedtime, wake time, estimated sleep duration, morning energy and—if available—deep and REM sleep for at least seven nights. The Whoop device rewards users who go to bed, and wake at the same time, calling it sleep consistency. Choose one change. Add 20–60 minutes of sleep opportunity on selected mornings, or move bedtime earlier before early-training days. Avoid changing every variable at once. Stanford Professor, Dr. Andrew Huberman[iv] suggests that if you can find a way to add heat to your sleeping environment in the final 2 hours of your sleep, it can increase your REM sleep. Sleeping just 21 more minutes for me made a notable difference. Protect movement differently. On sleep-protected mornings, move later, shorten the session or choose a lower-intensity option instead of skipping movement entirely. This was the game changer for me. I opted for a walk on sleep protected days. Track a small set of outcomes. Use total sleep, restorative sleep or dream recall if available, morning clarity, afternoon energy and exercise quality. Optional wearable metrics include recovery, HRV and resting heart rate. This is where you have to notice what you see from this ONE change. It might be obvious like mine—I noticed that extra time led to a dream that I could recall. Review the pattern—not the best night. Compare at least one or two weeks of early mornings with sleep-protected mornings. Look for a repeatable combination that supports both recovery and movement. The patterns will reveal whether the ONE thing you changed made a difference for you. If you do use a wearable, remember that sleep stages are estimates. Use the device to compare patterns under similar conditions, not to diagnose a sleep disorder or chase a perfect stage score. KEY QUESTION: Can I preserve the benefits of movement without repeatedly borrowing the time my brain and body need for recovery? A Bigger Experiment Is Still Underway I have also removed one significant sleep disruptor and am tracking what happens to my REM, sleep stress, HRV, resting heart rate and recovery. I do not want to draw conclusions too early. I want enough data to distinguish a temporary response from a genuine physiological shift, so I will return to that experiment in a future episode. For now, the question is narrower: how can I protect restorative sleep while continuing to live an active life? Review To review and conclude this week's BONUS EP 4, let's bring the four lessons—and the data—together. Lesson 1: Restorative Sleep Contains Two Stories Restorative sleep combines two important stages: Deep sleep and REM sleep. Deep sleep supports physical restoration and adaptation. REM supports emotional processing, memory integration, cognitive flexibility and creative association. We need both. Every morning, I look at my restorative-sleep total and hope it is closer to three hours than two. But this episode taught me not to stop at that combined number. The total gives me the overview. Deep sleep and REM tell me how that restoration was distributed. And REM is personally meaningful to me for another reason: I have recorded my dreams for years. Dream recall does not provide a literal interpretation of everything happening in my life. But it gives me a qualitative record of the emotions, experiences, problems and ideas my mind may still be processing. So Lesson 1 is: Restorative sleep is not one number. It contains the story of how the body restores—and how the brain integrates. Lesson 2: My Data Revealed a Duration Gap Over the past six months, my average restorative sleep has been two hours and 43 minutes. My recent REM has represented approximately 20% of my total sleep—a percentage that may appear reasonable. But when I looked at duration rather than percentage, I discovered that my recent REM was approximately 17–19 minutes below my lifetime average. REM percentage and REM duration answer different questions. Percentage tells me how my sleep was distributed. Duration tells me how much actual time my brain spent in that stage. That distinction matters because someone can have a reasonable REM percentage but still receive less total REM when the overall sleep window is shortened. So Lesson 2 is: A percentage can look healthy while duration still reveals a gap. This is why personal baselines are so valuable. Our trends help us identify the question we need to investigate. Lesson 3: The 4:00 AM Wake Time Creates a Tradeoff My data led me to examine my 4:00 AM wake time. Waking at 4:00 does not mean I am losing two hours of REM. It means I may be giving up two hours of total sleep opportunity—time that could contain approximately one to one-and-a-half later, more REM-rich sleep cycles. Then, while I was preparing this episode, I received an early clue. When I slept just 21 minutes longer—waking at 4:21 instead of 4:00—my restorative sleep reached three hours and two minutes. That included one hour and seven minutes of deep sleep and one hour and 55 minutes of REM—approximately 35 minutes more REM than my recent 30-day average. I also remembered my dream and added it to my dream log. Twenty-one additional minutes cannot explain the entire 35-minute difference, and one night does not prove causation. But the graph showed a substantial REM period close to the end of my sleep window. That gave me a clue worth investigating: My 4:00 AM wake time may sometimes interrupt a REM period that is already underway. So Lesson 3 is: The final portion of sleep may be more valuable than its length makes it appear. This does not mean that 4:21 is a magical wake time. It means that a small extension may sometimes allow the brain to finish a cycle that an earlier wake time would interrupt. Dr. Huberman, and Dr. Holmes offered tips to stay in bed longer, to capture REM rich sleep time. Lesson 4: Build a Rhythm, Not a Perfect Day My early-morning hikes provide cardiovascular conditioning, time outside, morning light, mental clarity and emotional regulation. They support my health. They also make me happy. The remedy is not to stop exercising and become miserable. The remedy is to protect sleep as well as I realistically can and arrange movement around a more complete sleep window. That might mean saving selected mornings for longer sleep. It might mean moving later on non-hiking days. It might mean moving bedtime earlier when possible. And it might mean shortening a workout when sleep has been limited. The goal is not to maximize sleep or exercise in isolation. It is to create a sustainable weekly rhythm in which both can happen. So Lesson 4 is: The best routine is not the one that produces a perfect number. It is the one that allows the whole system to work. Now let me ask you: Do you know how much restorative sleep you receive? Do you look beyond the total and examine both deep sleep and REM? Are you tracking percentages—or actual duration? Does your schedule give you enough sleep opportunity? And could one healthy behavior in your life be unintentionally competing with another? My restorative-sleep average gave me the overview. My REM duration revealed the tension. My 4:00 AM wake time created the hypothesis. My additional 21 minutes gave me an early clue. My next step is to test a better rhythm. That is what measurement is supposed to do. Not judge us. Not pressure us to produce a perfect number. Guide us toward a better decision. I hope this deeper look at restorative sleep encourages you to identify one small experiment of your own—not to chase a perfect number, but to discover the rhythm that helps you learn, adapt and perform at your best. We'll see you next time as we return to Dr. John Medina's work—not to repeat what we have already learned about attention, but to answer the next question in the Movement Loop: once movement activates the brain, how does attention determine what becomes learning? From there, we'll revisit Jason Wittrock's work through a new lens: how metabolic health, nutrition and energy availability help the brain and body sustain movement, recovery and performance. Resources and Episode Pathway Phase 1: Regulation & Safety The Foundation Core Question: Is the nervous system safe enough to learn? Everything begins with regulation. Before we can focus, learn, lead, or perform, the brain first asks one fundamental question: Am I safe? Throughout Phase 1, our guests showed us that regulation isn't simply about reducing stress—it's about creating the biological conditions that allow the brain to learn, adapt, and thrive. Together we explored: Baland Jalal – how sleep, curiosity, imagination, and creativity prepare the brain for learning. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/hypnagogic-genius-capture-your-best-ideas-at-the-edge-of-sleep/ Dr. Bruce Perry – why regulation, rhythm, and relationships form the foundation of every healthy nervous system. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/safety-first-why-a-regulated-brain-is-the-key-to-learning/ Dr. Sui Wong – how lifestyle medicine and autonomic balance build lifelong brain resilience. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/your-eyes-the-brain-s-early-warning-system/ Rohan Dixit – how heart rate variability gives us real-time feedback on our ability to regulate stress. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/breathe-to-reset-how-hrv-tech-reveals-hidden-stress/ Dr. Kristen Holmes – how recovery metrics reveal our physiological readiness to perform. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/kristen-holmes-from-whoopcom-on-unlocking-a-better-you-measuring-sleep-recovery-and-strain/ Dr. Antonio Zadra – how sleep and dreaming consolidate memories, regulate emotions, and generate insight. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/when-brains-dream-how-sleep-integrates-emotion-insight-and-creativity/ Together these conversations taught us that sleep and stress regulation aren't optional—they're the operating system that allows every higher brain function to work. Phase 2: Motivation & Neurochemistry The Direction Core Question: What moves us into action? Once the brain feels safe, it becomes ready to pursue goals. In Phase 2, we explored the internal chemistry that transforms intention into action. Our experts helped us understand that sustainable motivation isn't about willpower—it's about aligning our beliefs, thoughts, attention, energy, and movement. Together we discovered: Bob Proctor — our beliefs determine the direction of our lives. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/belief-first-the-neuroscience-of-motivation/ Dr. Carolyn Leaf — our thinking literally changes our brain chemistry. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/thoughts-as-biology-how-your-mind-shapes-neurochemistry/ Dr. John Medina — attention determines what the brain encodes and remembers. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/theory-of-mind-the-missing-link-between-attention-reward-and-motivation Dr. Anna Lembke- Dopamine, Motivation and Why the Brain Repeats Behavior https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/dopamine-nation-the-pleasure%e2%80%93pain-balance-that-drives-motivation/ Dr. Friederike Fabritius — managing our energy allows high performance to become sustainable. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/fun-fear-focus-closing-the-motivation-loop/ Dr. Chuck Hillman & Paul Zientarski — movement activates the brain, preparing it to learn. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/move-to-learn-how-movement-activates-the-brain-and-fuels-motivation/ By the end of Phase 2, we introduced what became The Motivation Loop, showing how beliefs influence thoughts, thoughts influence actions, actions create results, and results reinforce future beliefs. Phase 3: Movement, Learning & Human Performance The Transformation Core Question: How does movement change the brain—and how does recovery transform that change into performance? Now we're taking the next step. Phase 3 builds on everything we've learned so far. If Phase 1 created a regulated nervous system... If Phase 2 created motivation and direction... Phase 3 explains how the brain and body actually become stronger. Together we've explored this process through conversations with: Dr. Chuck Hillman & Paul Zientarski — why movement activates the brain before learning. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/movement-first-how-a-20%e2%80%91minute-walk-lights-up-the-brain/ Dr. John Ratey — how exercise builds a healthier, younger brain. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/movement-matters-how-every-move-rewires-the-brain/ Dr. Kristen Holmes — why recovery determines adaptation and readiness. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/movement-isnt-enough-how-recovery-drives-real-adaptation Dr. John Medina — how attention transforms movement into lasting learning. Jason Whitrock — how metabolism and cellular energy fuel long-term performance. WHERE WE ARE GOING NEXT Phase 4 — Connection, Emotion & Social Intelligence The Human System Core Question: How do we thrive with other people? The brain didn't evolve in isolation—it evolved through relationships. In Phase 4, we'll explore emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, trust, leadership, and psychological safety to understand how our relationships shape learning, well-being, and performance. Phase 5 — Integration & Human Performance The Complete System Core Question: How do all the systems work together? In our final phase, we'll bring everything together—regulation, motivation, movement, emotion, relationships, learning, and recovery—into one integrated framework. We'll discover how these systems work together to create measurable improvements in our well-being, achievement, leadership, productivity, and results. Selected Sleep References “What Is Restorative Sleep?” https://www.whoop.com/us/en/thelocker/what-is-restorative-sleep/ Patel AK, Reddy V, Shumway KR, Araujo JF. “Physiology, Sleep Stages.” StatPearls/NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526132/ Goldstein AN, Walker MP. “The Role of Sleep in Emotional Brain Function.” Annual Review of Clinical Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4286245/ Paller KA, Creery JD, Schechtman E. “Memory and Sleep: How Sleep Cognition Can Change the Waking Mind for the Better.” Annual Review of Psychology. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7983127/ REFERENCES: [i]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 141 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/brain-fact-friday-on-neurogenesis-what-hurts-or-helps-your-brain-cells/ [ii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EPISODE 384 Review of our Interview with Dr. Baland Jalal https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/hypnagogic-genius-capture-your-best-ideas-at-the-edge-of-sleep/ [iii] www.masterclass.com Mathew Walker The Science of a Better Sleep [iv] https://www.instagram.com/p/DbO7dKLO-c8/?hl=en Dr. Andrew Huberman on ways to increase REM sleep.
Another month, another batch of questions pulled straight from the Instagram audience. This one runs the full range, from how to build a bro split around daily cardio, to the zone 2 discourse currently making the rounds, to a couple of surprisingly good questions from Bryan's nine year old. We take each one in turn and give the honest answer rather than the tidy one.A lot of this episode lives in the nuance. How to read research when you do not have a science background and whether reviews are the better use of your time, whether an 80/20 commitment can really get you to 95% of your muscle gain potential and why the way you define that 80/20 changes the answer, and Aaron's transparent take on TRT after being on it for a while, including what he would do differently if he could start over. Bryan revisits the one arm training experiment and what it actually proved, and we get into practical troubleshooting for the classic wake up after two to three hours sleep problem.Covered in this episodeBuilding a 5 to 7 day bro split that still fits daily cardio for healthManaging beat up legs when cardio stacks on top of lower daysThe Dr. Mike T. Nelson zone 2 discourse and where it actually holds upWhy hard lifting already lives close to zone 2 for a lot of peopleReading primary research versus research reviews as an enthusiastPicking one or two reviewers and knowing your actual goal for readingWhy "more research is needed" is the most common and most frustrating conclusionWhether an 80/20 effort can reach 95% of your muscle gain potentialThe difference between 80% every day and 100% for 80% of the timeHow a 9 year old should train abs, and the minimum to get jacked at pubertyStepping back evenly on reverse lunges, and whether it is worth thinking aboutTraining through pregnancy, autoregulation, and taking advantage of a good dayAaron's honest TRT regrets and what he would do differently starting overWhy buying less TRT content and finding one trusted person beats the noiseWhat the one arm training experiment proved and what comes nextTroubleshooting the wake up after two to three hours, starting with caffeineFood and water timing before bed, and breathing tools to fall back asleepWhat we are currently enjoying and excited aboutTimestamps00:00:00 - Intro and updates00:06:00 - Programming a bro split around daily cardio for health00:14:00 - Dr. Mike T. Nelson and the zone 2 discourse00:22:00 - Reading research versus research reviews as an enthusiast00:29:00 - Can 80/20 get you to 95% of your muscle gain potential00:34:00 - Bryson's questions: training abs and getting jacked at puberty00:38:00 - Stepping back evenly on reverse lunges00:40:00 - Training through pregnancy00:44:00 - Any regrets about starting TRT00:50:00 - The one arm training experiment, and what's next00:54:00 - Waking up after two to three hours and can't fall back asleep00:58:00 - What are you currently enjoying or excited about Training hard, but don't look like it? Aaron closes that gap ⬇️https://coach.strakernutritionco.com/bioParagon Training Methods Programming ⬇️https://paragontrainingmethods.comFollow Bryan's Evolved Training Systems Programming ⬇️https://evolvedtrainingsystems.comFind Us on Social Media ⬇️IG | @Eat.Train.ProsperIG | @bryanboorsteinIG | @aaron_strakerYT | EAT TRAIN PROSPER PODCAST
Chase Hughes is the founder and CEO of Applied Behavior Research, a leading expert in the field of human behavioral science, and a neuroscientist. After serving in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, Chase developed world-class behavior science tools, such as rapid behavior profiling and enhanced persuasion techniques, which he teaches to the United States military, law enforcement, Fortune-500 CEOs, doctors, attorneys, executives, and intelligence organizations. Today on the show we discuss: the early red flags of dangerous manipulators and why dopamine draws people into toxic dynamics, the biggest body language myths alongside the core framework for detecting real behavioral changes, why analyzing language patterns and word choices reveals far more about someone than physical movements, how to tell the difference between genuine insecurity and harmful manipulation, tactical interrogation techniques to uncover the truth and defend against gaslighting, and how to shift your perspective to build authentic connections without the fear of social judgment and much more. This episode is brought to you by: - Momentous - Waking Up Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order Join me on my meditation journey with Waking up: Get your free 14-day trial here: https://wakingup.go2cloud.org/SH1L Download the SLATE method PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CkCSxl3YKNd2zs-AU45u7mHuKG_ihw1W/view Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The final day of the Oregon Coast Trail adventure begins at Barview Jetty with one major decision: take the short road walk toward Garibaldi or head back onto the beach for one last stretch of hiking. The beach wins, giving James and I a fitting final chapter to our first successful backpacking trip in years—and plenty of time to start thinking about what comes next. maybe James won't cause us to miss a bus next time? Pedalshift Live - September 11, 5pm PT! Topics TBA, but it's a summer closeout and certainly a preview of some stuff coming in the fall. ALSO we're doing a super fun giveaway exclusively for people that make it to the live show itself… there's some incentive for ya! ALSO ALSO, some special previews of all sorts of things. Am I being cagey? YES. Show up anyways! Chat room is fun, live shows are fun… but if you can't make it, it's the pod for the following week. pedalshift.net/live! Email reminders coming too. Maybe some previews of my previews? Who knows? Sign up here. "My Tent is not Viable" Check out this absolutely hysterical special design awarded to Brock and I to memorialize our night 1 mishap... See more of Simone's designs here. The Pedalshift Project 450: Oregon Coast Trail - Part 3 Waking up at Barview Jetty after a slightly better night's sleep—and some bonus fireworks from Garibaldi Days. Breaking camp with damp tents, questionable battery-charging logistics and a decision to make about the day's route. Road walk toward Garibaldi or return to Rockaway Beach? Naturally, the beach wins. A few physical reminders of the previous day's nearly 11 miles, including the lingering consequences of bad sand. Meeting a touring cyclist at camp with an impressive résumé that includes the C&O, GAP and Empire State Trail. Another reminder that there were considerably more bicycle tourists on the Oregon Coast than expected. Tim and James make it official: they're backpackers again. Why backpacking may be easier to share with more people than bike touring—and why it may become a regular part of future Pedalshift adventures. Heading north along the beach toward Rockaway for the final hiking segment of the trip. Yesterday's brutal headwind finally becomes today's much gentler tailwind. A little filtered sunshine and substantially easier conditions make Day 3 feel like a victory lap. An IT band issue provides one last reminder that walking on soft sand changes your gait in some interesting ways. Looking back on three days that provided a surprisingly complete shakedown: climbing, beach walking, rain, wind, good sand, bad sand, camping and multimodal transit. Arriving in Rockaway Beach and wrapping up the hiking portion of the adventure. Food, another encounter with the cyclist from camp and the beginning of the journey home. Back into multimodal mode: bus to Tillamook, bus to Portland, retrieve the car and eventually drive back to Seattle. Plenty of waiting around reminds everyone that transit-based adventures occasionally involve the advanced outdoor skill of sitting somewhere for a while. Final verdict from James: "Great trip." Three days later, the experiment feels like a pretty staggering success. Backpacking appears destined to become part of the Pedalshift adventure mix—including the possibility of combining hiking and cycling on future trips. Next up: the takeaways episode, including gear lessons, what worked, what didn't and why this backpacking thing might stick. Statistics Route choices 2 Sand types still 2 Wind normal! Bicycle tourists encountered MORE! Transportation segments after Rockaway 3 Buses James is permitted to cause me to miss 0
For several years, Kim Constable woke at approximately 3:45 or 4 a.m. almost every morning. Because she was running a rapidly growing company, managing a worldwide team, raising four children and constantly thinking about the next idea, she did not initially see it as a problem. She assumed her brain was simply ready to work. The early mornings were productive—but behind that productivity, Kim was exhausted. As she moved further into perimenopause, the disrupted sleep became increasingly difficult to ignore. She began experiencing night sweats, headaches, racing thoughts, frequent nighttime bathroom trips and the deeply frustrating feeling of being exhausted while still unable to fall or remain asleep. In this candid episode, Kim shares the personal story of how menopause changed her sleep and the research journey she began in an attempt to understand it. She discusses her experience with HRT, the roles she believes estrogen and progesterone played in her symptoms and what happened after she had a Mirena coil fitted and was no longer taking oral progesterone. Kim also explains why she returned to her menopause doctor to discuss her sleep and anxiety. The episode then moves into Kim's exploration of GLP-1s and emerging peptide research. She shares the changes she personally noticed in her sleep after beginning a GLP-1 and describes what she observed while investigating DSIP and ipamorelin. Inside this episode: • Why Kim treated years of 4 a.m. waking as productivity rather than a symptom • How perimenopause disrupted her sleep over time • Night sweats, headaches, racing thoughts and repeated bathroom trips • The impact of living and working under sustained pressure • Kim's personal experience with HRT, estrogen and progesterone • What changed after having a Mirena coil fitted • Why low blood sugar and going to bed hungry sometimes affected her sleep • The mistake Kim and Ryan made by taking NAD+ at night • How Kim discovered delta sleep-inducing peptide, or DSIP • What she personally observed through her Oura Ring • Why DSIP did not feel like a conventional sleeping tablet • Kim's exploration of ipamorelin and the changes she noticed in her night sweats • Why personal experience should never be mistaken for medical evidence or a protocol This is an honest, unscripted conversation about one of the most disruptive—and often misunderstood—parts of perimenopause and menopause. Kim's experience is individual. Nothing in this episode should be interpreted as medical advice, a treatment recommendation or evidence that another person will experience the same results. This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. Kim is not a doctor or licensed medical practitioner. Nothing discussed is a recommendation to purchase, reconstitute, dose, administer or use any research product. Research products supplied by Verified Vials are intended strictly for laboratory research and are not for human consumption or medical use. Always speak with an appropriately qualified healthcare professional about persistent sleep disruption, menopause symptoms, HRT or any health-related decision. ✨ Follow Kim Constable online for more real talk and daily motivation:
Are You Experiencing THE SHIFT? Signs of Spiritual and 5D Consciousness include ascension symptoms, energy upgrades, synchronicities, heightened intuition, and the transition from 3D to 5D awareness. Lear practical ways to ground, integrate, and navigate these powerful energies as humanity enters a new chapter of consciousness. Maybe your sleep patterns have changed. Your intuition is stronger. Time seems to be speeding up. You're experiencing unusual energy sensations, vivid dreams, synchronicities, or emotional releases. Perhaps you're questioning old ways of living and finding yourself naturally drawn toward people who seem to resonate with your new frequency. If so, you may be experiencing what many spiritual traditions describe as The Shift—a profound transformation in individual and collective consciousness. #free #podcast #astrology #SpiritualAwakening #TheShift #Ascension #5DConsciousness #EnergyUpgrade #SpiritualAwakening2026 #ConsciousnessShift #AscensionSymptoms #HigherConsciousness #Synchronicity #Intuition #5D #NewEarth #2026Astrology #JillJardine #CosmicScene In this episode of Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine, Jill explores the signs of spiritual awakening, ascension, energy upgrades, and the movement toward 5D consciousness, along with practical tools to help you navigate the process. Jill brings more than three decades of experience as an astrologer, hypnotherapist, psychic healer, and spiritual teacher to this fascinating exploration of what may be happening energetically on Earth right now. Across platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and major podcast outlets such as Apple and Spotify, the buzz is on the Shift. An extraordinary astrological configuration unfolded during July 2026, when Neptune, Pluto, Uranus, and Jupiter formed a powerful pattern at approximately 4 degrees of Aries, Aquarius, Gemini, and Leo. Rather than simply calling this a "portal," Jill describes it as a portal of possibility and potentiality—an energetic opening that may accelerate personal and collective evolution. Jill explains why you may have been feeling these energies months or even years before the July 2026 activation. Subscribe to YouTube channel: @jilljardine2186 to hear more astrological updates! https://bleav.com/shows/cosmic-scene-with-jill-jardine/ for video versions. 12 Signs You May be Experiencing the Shift: Changes in sleep patterns Waking around 3–4 AM Waves of fatigue followed by bursts of inspiration Tingling, vibrations, warmth, pressure, or energy surges Heightened sensitivity to people, environments, sounds, or foods Vivid dreams and intuitive downloads Stronger intuition and knowing things before they happen A feeling that time is speeding up—or slowing down Increased synchronicities and meaningful coincidences Major changes in friendships and relationships Feeling drawn toward your "tribe" or soul connections A growing sense that something larger is happening within you Jill emphasizes that physical or emotional symptoms can have ordinary medical or lifestyle causes as well, and persistent or concerning symptoms should always be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. One of the central themes of this episode is the movement from third-dimensional consciousness toward fifth-dimensional awareness. Jill explores the contrast between: 3D consciousness Separation Fear Competition Scarcity External validation Material achievement and 5D consciousness Love Unity Compassion Collaboration Intuition Creativity Trust Inner peace Purpose and service The Shift isn't about leaving Earth or escaping ordinary life but a change in consciousness and the way we experience reality. Feeling overwhelmed by energetic changes? Jill shares practical ways to ground and integrate the experience: 1. Ground yourself in nature Walk barefoot on the Earth, sit against a tree, garden, or spend time near the ocean, rivers, lakes, or waterfalls. 2. Practice conscious breathing: Jill shares several breathing approaches, including a 4-count inhale, 4-count hold, and 8-count exhale. 3. Embrace stillness Turn down the external and internal noise and allow yourself simply to be. 4. Pay attention to your emotional state If you desire peace, consciously cultivate peaceful feelings. If you desire abundance, practice embodying the feeling of prosperity. 5. Practice forgiveness and gratitude Jill discusses the Hawaiian Ho'oponopono forgiveness prayer and the powerful connection between forgiveness, gratitude, and energetic release. 6. Trust your unique path Your perspective, gifts, and experiences may be part of what you are here to contribute during this period of transformation. 7. Love yourself deeply Jill shares the Sanskrit mantra Aham Prema — "I am Divine Love" and explores why she considers love one of the highest frequencies for navigating the Shift One of the most exciting aspects of the Shift is the increase in synchronicities. Thinking about someone just before they call? Finding exactly what you need at exactly the right moment? Repeatedly encountering meaningful symbols, numbers, people, or opportunities? Jill explores how these experiences may become more noticeable as your awareness expands. She also discusses relationship shifts, including releasing connections that no longer resonate and discovering people who feel like your true soul tribe. If this episode resonates with you, share it with someone who has been wondering, "Why do I feel so different lately?" Featured Book: Order it now at: www.jilljardine.com or Amazon Sacred Sound Formulas to Awaken the Modern Mind: Sanskrit Mantras to Raise Your Vibration by Parashakti Jill Jardine ️ Subscribe to Jill's YouTube channel: @jilljardine2186 for monthly astrology forecasts, spiritual teachings, Sanskrit mantras, and intuitive guidance to help you navigate these extraordinary times. You can listen to the complete update for free on our website Cosmic Scene – Jill Jardine Astrology, also on Apple Podcasts Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine Podcast, Spotify, YouTube and most major podcast platforms. You can find the Cosmic Scene Podcast on Facebook, Follow Cosmic Scene on Instagram and LinkedIn, YouTube and even IMDB- mdb.com/title/tt26653684/. Be sure to follow us on and other social media platforms for the latest episodes and news. Thanks for listening and don't forget to hit subscribe, leave a 5-star rating and write a review. You can find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, IMDB, YouTube #free #podcast #astrology Book an astrology reading with Professional Astrologer Jill Jardine: www.jilljardineastrology.com Buy Jill's Book: https://jilljardine.com/ #astrologypodcast #astrologyforecast 2026 #zodiacsigns If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with friends who love astrology and spiritual growth. Connect with Jill Jardine: www.jilljardine.com Professional Astrologer • Psychic • Healer • Hypnotherapist • Author Thank you for listening to Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine, where astrology meets consciousness and the stars illuminate your path to personal and spiritual transformation Subscribe to @jilljardine2186 on YOUTUBE to get Cosmic Scene with Jill Jardine and follow the podcast for astrology updates, spiritual teachings, energy activations, Sanskrit mantra wisdom, and conversations exploring the evolution of human consciousness. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
CoachingYouthHoops.com: The one stop shop for youth basketball coaches. Practice plans with life lessons built right in. If we don't have it, you don't need it, or we'll make it. HeySai.com: Text based assistant that takes the administrative pain out of youth sports. One place for all your kids' teams, updates by text, no app to install. Versions coming for parents and for coaches. Get on the wait list, launching this fall. (Say it "Hey Sammy," spelled H E Y S A I.) Coaching Youth Hoops on Facebook: Search Groups for Coaching Youth Hoops. This week's topic came straight out of the group. Ask your question and if we see it come up more than once, we build a resource for it. Another question pulled from the Coaching Youth Hoops Facebook group: what is the biggest character lesson you are trying to teach your players this season? Coach Collins and Coach Bill make the case that the life lessons taught through sports matter more than the sport itself, and that the whole thing falls apart if you don't connect the dots for the kids. They cover failure as a teacher, being on time as a stand in for responsibility, leaving the gym better than you found it, getting along with teammates you would never choose as friends, and why a difficult coach can be one of the more useful things that happens to a young athlete. They also give coaches a practical season planning move: pick the three or four character lessons you intend to teach, then leave room for the ones the season hands you. Coach Collins is direct about it: one of the reasons he coached as long as he did is that the life lessons taught through sports are more important than the sport. That belief has to come first, because everything else in this episode follows from it. This is the phrase both coaches keep returning to. Kids do not automatically translate a tough practice, a benching, or a bad loss into a lesson about life. Somebody has to say it out loud and draw the line for them. Sports were built for character development, but the development only happens if the connection gets made. Coach Collins uses his own son. He wanted to play college basketball, tried out more than once, came close, and did not make it. He almost certainly learned more from not making the team than he would have riding the bench on it. He went on to start a couple of businesses and travel abroad instead. Coach Collins adds his own first business failed badly and taught him plenty. Athletes rarely see this while it is happening. That is exactly why a coach or parent has to name it. If you are a parent listening and your kid has a coach who is hard to deal with, that is a life lesson sitting right in front of you. Your child will have teachers, bosses, and coworkers like that. The move is to walk them through how to handle it, not to pull them off the team and blame the coach. Abuse is a different conversation entirely, and that line does not move. Kids who miss the game winning shot carry the whole loss home with them. Point out the ten missed layups earlier in the game that would have put the team out of reach. Nobody loses a game by themselves and nobody wins one by themselves. It was Coach Collins's pet peeve, but the actual lesson was responsibility. Waking yourself up. Managing your own schedule. Being someone the group can count on. Older athletes can carry the full weight of that one. Younger kids get a scaled down version. Coach Collins points to the World Cup and the Japanese teams cleaning their locker rooms after matches. That lesson works at any age and any level. Pick up the Gatorade bottles. Pick up the towels. Coach Bill does it with grade school kids and cleans the bench even when the trash was there before they arrived. When a player says "it's not mine," the answer is that it does not matter. Coach Collins walks his dogs through the park, sees a piece of trash, picks it up, and finds a can. Same principle, no scoreboard attached. Coach Collins tells his players straight: you are going to work with people you do not like, that is the world. Not everyone he worked with was a friend and some he did not care for much at all, but he still had to be part of a team. And there are surely people who feel the same way about him. That is fine. You still have to get along on the court, because you are going to have to get along in life. Coach Bill's season planning approach has two halves. First, decide what is in the box before the season starts. How to win. How to lose. How to work with others. How to talk to an adult. Ignoring the refs. Pick three or four and commit to them. Second, be ready for the ones you did not plan. Something will happen on the team that hands you a character lesson you never scheduled. Anticipate that it is coming so you are prepared to use it instead of letting it pass. Coach Bill lays out for parents up front what he is going to teach and what he believes in. Knock on wood, nobody has ever come back with "we don't believe in being nice to people." Saying it out loud costs you nothing and buys you support all season. And on the objection that character is not a coach's place: yes it is. It takes a village, and you are in the village. Write down the three or four character lessons you want your team to leave with this season. Put them somewhere you will see them weekly. Add one line to your practice plan template for the life lesson attached to that practice. Send parents a short note before the season describing what you plan to teach beyond basketball. Build the cleanup habit in from day one. Bench, floor, bottles, towels, every practice and every game. The next time something hard happens on your team, a loss, a conflict, a benching, stop and connect the dot out loud instead of letting the moment pass. Talk to your players about failure before they fail, so they have a frame ready when it happens. "The life lessons that can be taught through sports are more important than the sports." Coach Collins Episode SummaryTimestampsTimeTopic00:00Mickey on the Apple Watch, and why 12:40 on a Friday works now00:47Sponsors: CoachingYouthHoops.com and the Facebook group01:36New product announcement: HeySai.com, launching this fall02:35Today's topic and the exact question from the group02:52"Ignore the refs and play the game"03:09Why Coach Collins coached so long: the life lessons outrank the sport03:36Failure teaches more than acceptance, using his son as the example04:11First business failed, and what it taught04:30Connecting the dots is the whole job05:00Having a bad coach is a life lesson too05:20Be a family, win and lose as one05:49Being on time was never about the clock06:21Japan cleaning the locker room, and leaving it better than you found it06:42Cleaning the bench even when the mess wasn't yours07:12Getting along with people you don't get along with08:09Plan three or four lessons, then prepare for what comes up09:21These lessons are more important than the X's and O's09:36Tell the parents up front what you believe in10:04Where to find moreKey Takeaways1. The life lessons are the reason to coach2. Connect the dots or the lesson never lands3. Failure teaches more than success4. A difficult coach is practice for a difficult world5. Win and lose as one6. Being on time is never about being on time7. Leave it better than you found it8. Learn to work with people you do not like9. Plan three or four lessons, then leave room for the rest10. Tell the parents what you believe inCoach's Action ItemsQuote of the Episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In a very "Thursday" kind of hour, we discuss eating squid, waterslide wedgies, and the true sound of foghorns. This is all during "Annie Are You Okay" with Tricia.
Allyne Betancourt, a member of the Dr. Joe Dispenza healing community, joins Dr. Tara Perry to share one of the most extraordinary healing stories on the show to date: how she was diagnosed with advanced colorectal cancer, cured it holistically before ever undergoing surgery, and then — after surgeons removed most of her rectum anyway — used meditation and visualization to regenerate the organ back to nearly full size. Allyne walks through her refusal to "own" her cancer, the alternative protocols she combined with traditional treatment, the devastating aftermath of a surgery she now believes was unnecessary, and the dark night of the soul that led her to Dr. Joe Dispenza's work. The conversation closes with the medical documentation of her regeneration, the forgiveness work that made healing possible, and her hard-won belief that anyone — not just the exceptional — has this same capacity for the impossible.KEY TAKEAWAYS(00:02:38) Diagnosed with advanced T3 colorectal cancer and told surgery and a permanent colostomy bag were her only option — and her calm, immediate decision to refuse(00:05:37) "This is not my cancer" — why Allyne refused to own her diagnosis from day one, and how that mindset carried through seven months of treatment(00:10:01) Combining traditional treatment with alternative approaches: organic-only foods, raising her own grass-fed beef, and daily Buddhist chanting for hours at a time(00:11:54) Fasting five days before each chemo treatment — and the unusually severe reactions her oncologists had never seen before(00:19:27) The pressure to have surgery despite inconclusive scans, and her repeated request that doctors simply look before cutting(00:28:06) Waking up from surgery and instantly knowing she'd made a mistake — while the surgeon celebrated how well the procedure had gone(00:30:13) The physical toll of losing 8-10 centimeters of colon and most of her rectum: nonstop urgency, incontinence, and a dehumanizing new reality(00:36:04) Getting the lab results back — no cancer found anywhere in the tissue that was removed(00:37:15) Five months of worsening depression and a devastating conversation with her husband about not wanting to live like this anymore(00:39:50) The turning point: "I'm either going to live like this, or I have to grow another rectum"(00:46:04) Starting Dr. Joe Dispenza's meditation practice while running to the bathroom every 45-50 minutes, and the first sign of change after two months(00:52:16) Confronting the surgeon who performed the operation — and learning she had no idea Allyne never had cancer to begin with(00:59:50) The visualization practice Allyne used to dissolve scar tissue and "stretch" her remaining rectal tissue back toward full size(01:10:18) The colonoscopy that documented her rectum had grown from 3 centimeters to 10 centimeters, with no trace of scar tissue(01:15:46) Her message on breaking "the habit of being yourself" and why she believes healing the impossible isn't reserved for exceptional people(01:18:09) How Allyne has learned to meet life's setbacks with curiosity and trust instead of fear — even in the face of her husband's deathIf you're ready to take your healing to the next level, schedule your free consultation with Dr. Tara at: https://ConsultTara.com/book
Send us Fan MailInterior designer, HGTV host, and Volition Beauty collaborator Alison Victoria joins Skin Anarchy to talk about the free habits that actually keep her well, how your home shapes your health, how HGTV really gets made, building her Greek Goddess Glow Drops, and what it takes to break into television. Below are the biggest questions answered in this episode.Who is Alison Victoria?An interior designer turned television host and executive producer who knew her path at age 11. Design is the throughline of everything she builds. "Doing design makes me happy and being happy makes me healthy. And that's to me the most important thing."What does Alison Victoria do for self care?She anchors to the basics: a daily workout and long sleep. "I sleep nine, 10 hours a night... I do attribute so much of that to my sleep." She keeps a trainer purely for accountability, and champions the free habits over expensive trends. "Why not talk about the things that are free?"How does your home environment affect your wellness?Profoundly, in her view. She calls a happy home the foundation of a healthy life. "I feel safe here and I feel like hugged every time I come in the door." Waking up in a space you designed for yourself, she argues, sets the tone for the entire day.How should you decorate to feel good at home?With memories, not catalogs. She favors open shelving to display travels and family, and a mix of old and new over sterile perfection. "I don't like walking into a sterile home... it makes me kind of shut down and close up." Copying a showroom, she says, removes the story that makes a space feel alive.How is HGTV actually made?Slowly, and then compressed. Her show takes nearly 11 months to film and airs in about two and a half weeks. "The meat of it is sometimes lost," so she works as a producer to recreate authentic moments the cameras missed. Her early shows taught DIY steps; her rehab shows now inspire rather than instruct.What is Greek Goddess Glow Drops?Her hero product with Volition Beauty, a serum that treats and beautifies at once. She formulated it herself through 40 samples. "I truly had my hands in it from day one." Inspired by Greek summers, it uses peptides, squalane, and resveratrol, with a fresh fig scent and a nonsticky, glazed finish that suits sensitive skin.Is the beauty industry oversaturated?Yes, and she says so plainly even as a new founder. "I think the beauty world is oversaturated, which makes me feel like a hypocrite because here I am coming out with something." Her answer was restraint: one hero product instead of a sprawling line, a shift she expects the whole industry to make.What does it take to succeed in a demanding career?Relentless execution. "If I have an idea, I do everything in my power to execute. I don't let it just sit on paper." She describes failures that cost money and never once giving up, tracing the drive back to working at Subway at 14 to buy her own car.How do you avoid burnout while scaling?By building a team so the business does not depend on her alone. "You're only as good as the people that you work with." She admits to running near burnout and putting money into team building so that, as she puts it, if she checks out the wheels do not fall off.How do you break into television today?By going to them, not waiting. Her first show came from answering a cold email, then saying yes to unglamorous work and pitching herself as the first woman to host a Crashers show. "If you want something bad enough, you find a way." Casting agents scour social media now, so put yourself where they are looking.Listen to the full episode with Alison Victoria on Skin Anarchy, available wherever you get your podcasts.Don't forget to subscribe to Skin Anarchy on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred platform.Reach out to us through email with any questions.Sign up for our newsletter!Shop all our episodes and products mentioned through our ShopMy Shelf!Support the show
Waking in the middle of the night can make it hard to switch off again. In this mini meditation, Karissa uses slow breathing and calming imagery to help you settle back down and trust your body's natural ability to drift off. Join Sleep Wave Premium ✨ in just two taps! Enjoy 2 bonus episodes a month plus all episodes ad-free and show your support to Karissa. Upgrade via our show page on Apple, or via this link for all other players ➡️ https://sleepwave.supercast.com/ Love the Sleep Wave Podcast? Please hit follow & leave a review ⭐️ How are we doing with Sleep Wave? Click here to let us know
In this episode, Josh and Alessandra discuss the importance of adaptable routines, foundational principles in health and fitness, and practical strategies for managing busy family life while maintaining personal growth. They share real-life experiences and insights on how to build sustainable habits amidst life's chaos. L5 Health Score Quiz https://score.lvltnhealth.com/ LVLTN Health https://www.lvltnhealth.com/ The Fitness League app https://www.fitnessleagueapp.com/ Chapters 00:00 Introduction and episode overview 00:24 The significance of flexible routines in daily life 241:38:22 Planning versus real-life adjustments in routines 5916:38:34 Understanding sleep regressions and managing sleep with kids 7722:11:57 Back to basics: Foundations of health and fitness 10194:25:23 Mastering the five pillars of health 12499:58:45 Creating backup plans for busy days 14083:18:45 The importance of evening routines for morning success 16833:18:51 Adapting routines through different seasons of life 21805:32:25 The role of mindset and mental capacity in change 24138:52:29 Starting small and scaling habits effectively 28027:45:52 The significance of evening routines and sleep hygiene 31749:59:17 Prioritizing and making sacrifices for goals 35416:39:23 The power of small shifts and consistency 37527:46:08 Waking up early and the benefits of quiet mornings 38527:46:14 The value of coaching and personalized plans 461666:39:58 Final thoughts on responsibility and continuous improvement
Apathy is one of the quieter struggles of the Christian life, less dramatic than crisis and therefore easier to ignore, but just as damaging to our relationship with God and our experience of the life He intends for us. Ephesians 5:13-14 names it with surprising directness: apathy is a form of spiritual sleep. And the call that follows is equally direct: "wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." This is not a shaming command. It is a gentle invitation back into the light of Christ, where recovery becomes possible. When light enters a dark room, it reveals what was invisible before. In the same way, Christ's light illuminates the spiritual weariness, the draining habits, and the weighted thinking patterns that have quietly accumulated. It does not expose them to condemn; it exposes them so that renewal can begin. The path back does not require a dramatic overhaul. It begins with small steps: a little more rest, time outside, one verse of Scripture, a simple prayer. God meets us exactly where we are and gently guides us forward from there. Over time, as His light reaches further into every part of our lives, energy and motivation return, purpose becomes clearer, and what felt like spiritual numbness begins to give way to something alive again. Today's Bible Verse "Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."— Ephesians 5:14, NIV Ponder Today Christ's light reveals what the darkness concealed in order to renew. When we allow His light into our weariness and numbness, we begin to see what has been draining us, and that visibility is the first step toward healing. Burnout and apathy are signals that something needs care, not just discipline. God designed body, mind, and spirit to be connected, and all of them need rest and care. Addressing physical and mental health is part of answering the call to wake up. Small steps are enough to begin. God meets us exactly where we are and works with whatever we bring. Healing does not require a grand overhaul to begin. One verse of Scripture a day, a few minutes outside, a brief and honest prayer; start small, start somewhere. Christ's light, let in gradually, restores what apathy quietly stole. Energy, motivation, clarity of thought, and sense of purpose return as His light reaches further into our lives. Waking up is not a single moment; it is a direction we begin moving toward. A Prayer for You Today Dear God, You know how much I have struggled with apathy lately. I feel tired from dealing with all the challenges of this fallen world, overwhelmed by the constant noise, and burned out from the stress. I just do not care anymore about what You want me to care about. Please forgive me for settling for apathy and neglecting the full life You want me to live. I need Your help to answer the call to wake up and step into Your light. Shine Your light into every part of me — my spirit, mind, and body. Help me care for my wellbeing so I can heal and grow stronger. Restore my passion for knowing You and walking closely with You each day. As Your light fills my life again, renew my energy and motivation and guide me forward with hope. Thank You. Amen. Want More?
In one of the most powerful and emotional episodes of the Mental Healness Podcast, host Lee Hammock sits down with survivor and creator Tonya, widely known as Burned Beauty 2018. Tonya shares her deeply moving story of surviving a 15-year toxic relationship that escalated to the unthinkable: being intentionally doused in lighter fluid and set on fire by her husband. Tonya opens up about enduring 3rd and 4th-degree burns over 35% of her body, surviving a two-month coma, and waking up to immediate manipulation and calculated cover-ups. She walks us through the hidden warning signs that preceded the attack, how toxic partners weaponize empathy and isolation, and the reality of reactive abuse and smear campaigns. Today, Tonya is a living testament to resilience, inner strength, and true transformation. From extensive reconstructive surgeries to building a thriving online platform that inspires survivors worldwide, her journey proves that your past does not define your future. "I've seen a monster, and he didn't have any scars. You don't need closure, it wasn't physical until it was." Instagram: @burnedbeauty2018TikTok: @burnedbeauty2018YouTube: @burnedbeauty2018Facebook: Burned Beauty 2018The early red flags and gradual escalation inside a 15-year toxic marriage The night of the fire pit incident and surviving critical burns Waking from a 2-month coma to immediate love-bombing and false narratives How emotional manipulators play the victim and stage cover-ups Understanding reactive abuse and overcoming legal manipulation Rebuilding identity, self-worth, and finding true empowerment after trauma
This podcast is made possible by our listeners and viewers. If this show has brought you value, you can support it by becoming a member of The Way Forward, our platform designed to help you find the health and freedom community (people, practitioners, schools, farms, and more) near you. Your membership directly supports the podcast and the work we do.Plasma makes up 99.9% of visible reality, yet no one talks about what that means for consciousness, healing, and the nature of experience itself.My guest, Dana Kippel, is an author, filmmaker, and researcher who wrote A New Force after a transcendental meditation session handed her the full definition of plasma in a single moment. She'd barely heard the word before that. Four years later, she's built an entire framework around it.She argues plasma isn't just the fourth state of matter. It's sentient, feminine, and the layer where consciousness, memory, belief, and physical reality feed back into each other. Ether by another name.The implications get interesting: why the same "demon" appears differently to different people, why UFOs keep changing shape across centuries, what happens to your beliefs when you die, and why she thinks alien disclosure distracts from a bigger story about your own biofield.If beliefs shape reality, the question isn't whether that's true; it's what you do with it. You'll Learn:[0:00] Introduction[9:21] Dana's definition of plasma breaks from the mainstream fourth-state-of-matter model[17:33] Deeply held beliefs get reflected back to you when you die[30:24] A divine, fixed reality versus one we co-create[49:08] Clearing “forever chemicals” through plasmoid cavitation, echoed in the unicorn tapestries[58:55] Waking up to weather modification without co-creative power feeds the thing you fear[1:43:54] UFOs as plasmoids reflecting your own beliefs[1:58:42] Repelling Sabrina Wallace's biofield-hacking claims by staying high in love[2:19:58] Common mistakes channelers make, and the AI psychosis spreading now[2:25:16] The Maharishi Effect might not be unique to transcendental meditation[2:32:16] The gnosis of plasma convinced Dana she's never aloneRelated The Way Forward Episodes:Near Death Experiences: Examining the Evidence of Life After the Body with Dr. Bruce Greyson | PodcastIs Plasma the Key to Decoding the Paranormal? with Dana Kippel | PodcastTelepathy, Autism & The Mind Beyond the Brain with Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell | PodcastBlindfold Vision, Luminous Children & The New Way of Being with Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan | PodcastHow Telepathy & Animal Communication Question Our Understanding of Reality with Ditte Young | PodcastThought, Light & The Liquid Language of God with Veda Austin | PodcastThe Biofield & The Internet of Psyops with Chris Crutchfield | PodcastSubtle Energy, Resonance & the Cosmic Tower with Nico Martens | PodcastTuning the Zodiac & Balancing Through Sound featuring Eileen McKusick | PodcastThe Lies Modern Science Told Us About Alchemy, Consciousness, & Quantum with Dr. Steven A. Young | PodcastResources Mentioned:A Fool's Wisdom by Steven A Young, PhD | Book or AudiobookFind more from Dana:Dana Kippel | Instagram | YouTube | SubStackA New Force | BookYou can buy her book and check out her magic classes here.Find more from Alec:Alec Zeck | Instagram | XThe Way Forward | InstagramDonate to The Way Forward here.The Way Forward is Sponsored By:New Biology Clinic: Redefine Health from the Ground UpExperience tailored terrain-based health services with consults, livestreams, movement classes, and more. Use code THEWAYFORWARD (case-sensitive) for $50 off activation.The Way Forward members get the $150 fee waived.Want more crypto insights and a community to back you up?Join the Crypto Freedom Academy today. It's 100% free and designed to help you master the markets.
Are we to credit an unguided evolutionary process for the gift of sleeping and waking? Or are these intricate systems further evidence of design? On this ID The Future selected out of the archive, host Andrew McDiarmid concludes his conversation with Dr. Eric Hedin on the intelligent design of sleep. In Part 2, the pair dig deeper into the purpose of sleep and why it's so essential to living organisms. They also look at why it's unlikely that a gradual Darwinian process can be credited for the origin of sleeping and waking, and why intelligent design is a better explanation. Source
In this episode, Kristen talks with Amber Trejo, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in complex trauma and CPTSD, about how complex childhood trauma can resurface in adult relationships and parenting, shaping attachment, emotional responses, and the healing journey. You'll Learn: How childhood trauma can shape adult relationships and attachment Why trauma responses can resurface when you get married or become a parent What spiritual bypassing is and how it can interfere with healing How reconnecting with your body and internal needs can support healing Why self-compassion, community, and repair are important in breaking the cycle of trauma Connect with Amber: www.theintegrativetraumatherapist.com When you purchase Amber Trejo's recommended books through these Amazon affiliate links, you're helping support the podcast at no extra cost to you: 1. What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma: https://amzn.to/4groOgh 2. Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving: A Guide and Map for Recovering from Childhood Trauma: https://amzn.to/3I0jpjB 3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: https://amzn.to/47GBu0r 4. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: https://amzn.to/47KHB3V Subscribe HERE and get a free 5-day journal to begin closing the chapter on what doesn't serve you and open the door to the real you. Connect with Kristen: Get Kristen's newsletter, packed with tangible tools, resources, and inspiration Watch the episodes on YouTube Follow Kristen on Instagram Kristen's TikTok Have Kristen Speak at Your Event Disclaimer This information is being provided to you for educational and informational purposes only. It is being provided to you to educate you about ideas on stress management and as a self-help tool for your own use. It is not psychotherapy/counseling in any form. This information is to be used at your own risk based on your own judgment. For counseling services near Indianapolis, IN, visit www.pathwaystohealingcounseling.com. Pathways to Healing Counseling's vision is to provide warm, caring, compassionate and life-changing counseling services and educational programs to individuals, couples and families in order to create learning, healing and growth.
In this solo episode of Wild & Waking, I'm sharing a beginner-friendly introduction to the Wheel of the Year - a seasonal calendar shaped by the solstices, equinoxes, ancient traditions, and natural rhythms of the Earth. After spending the past year learning about and experiencing each seasonal celebration for myself, I'm walking you through all eight sabbats: Mabon, Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, and Lughnasadh.As a farm wife living in rural Illinois, so much of the Wheel feels deeply familiar: planting, growth, harvest, release, dormancy, and beginning again. It offers a framework for noticing what is happening in nature and considering how those same cycles are unfolding within our motherhood, work, creativity, relationships, identities, and personal evolution.This episode is an invitation into seasonal living, nature-based spirituality, and a more intentional relationship with time without requiring elaborate rituals or any particular spiritual identity. The Wheel of the Year reminds us that nature doesn't bloom all year, and neither do we. There are seasons for beginning, growing, gathering, releasing, grieving, resting, and waiting for the first spark to return.In this episode, I explore:What the Wheel of the Year is and how its eight seasonal sabbats connect us with the natural rhythms of the EarthThe solstices, equinoxes, and ancient Gaelic festivals that form the modern Pagan calendarA beginner-friendly overview of Mabon, Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, and LughnasadhThe history, folklore, themes, symbols, colors, foods, rituals, and seasonal intentions associated with each sabbatHow modern traditions overlap with ancient seasonal customsWhich familiar Wheel of the Year names, stories, and traditions are ancient, modern, or a blend of bothSimple ways to honor each seasonal threshold without elaborate rituals, expensive supplies, or claiming a particular spiritual identityHow seasonal living and nature-based spirituality can deepen our relationship with the Earth, our intuition, and the passage of timeWhat the cycles of planting, growth, harvest, release, dormancy, and rebirth can teach us about motherhood, creativity, identity, and personal evolutionWhy we were never meant to bloom, produce, expand, or feel the same in every seasonBe sure to hit subscribe so you never miss the latest episode!Connect with Emily:Website: www.EmilyReuschel.comInstagram: @emilyreuschelFacebook: Emily ReuschelLinkedIn: Emily ReuschelJoin my Book Insiders List: Sign up here!Resources and Links:Learn more and sign up for VeilFallThe Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature's Rhythms by Fiona Cook and Jessica Roux — A beautifully illustrated, family-friendly introduction to the eight seasonal celebrations, with stories, meditations, scavenger hunts, crafts, recipes, rituals, and simple ways to connect with nature throughout the year.Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials Box Set — A collection of eight books—one for each sabbat—offering a deeper look at the history, lore, rituals, recipes, crafts, correspondences, prayers, and traditions associated with Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lughnasadh, Mabon, Samhain, Yule, and Imbolc.Your Spacious & Seasonal Year by Ashley Burnett, with contributions from Lela Shields — A beautiful guide and workbook for living more intentionally alongside nature's rhythms, featuring seasonal rituals, reflections, recipes, and practices designed to bring greater connection, meaning, spaciousness, and joy to everyday life.Demystify Magic Podcast — A grounded, approachable podcast exploring magic and spirituality in ways that feel practical and accessible. Their Wheel of the Year holiday deep dives are especially helpful if you want to learn about each sabbat individually as it arrives.Sign up here to get the inside scoop to my book writing journey!Book me as a speaker for your next event - email inquiries to emilyreuschel@gmail.com or schedule a call hereWild & Waking – Produced by Jill Carr Podcasting | Learn More
Una lunga notte sulla rotta balcanica della migrazione è al centro del documentario italiano girato da Federico Cammarata e Filippo Foscarini.Seguici su Facebook e Instagram o abbonati ai nostri podcast cliccando qui.
Who's good at being patient? I know I didn't used to be! I wanted things FAST. I wanted to get results in weight loss as fast as possible, to get over my drinking ASAP, for my husband to change quickly or my co-workers to function faster.Our culture is built on getting things done the fastest and most effecient way possible.So, it's our conditioning and programming that has told us to not have tolerance for discomfort and things taking longer.Good news, it's ok, you are not alone and there is nothing wrong with you.The idea of patience usually is prefaced by a LACK of patience. We mostly recognize when we are NOT patient.. when we are feeling frustrated or irritated or angry.So to be more PATIENT, we actually need to learn how to be with the difficult feelings.When we are faced with an issue that isn't going as we hoped it would be we traditionally thing 'we need to be more patient.'NO - the first step is ALLOWING the feeling that IS present.That is patience, allowing the discomfort in the thing that isn't working out the way you thought it would.Tune into this episode and hear a new way to think about patience and benefits of being patient.. there are many!The Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast is for high-achieving women who are tired of the cycle. Drinking more than you meant to. Waking up at 3am. Promising yourself tomorrow will be different. This isn't about white-knuckling your way through Dry January. We get underneath it. Why you're drinking in the first place, what you're actually feeling at 5pm, and how to build a life you don't need to escape from.Every week I'm talking about boundaries, emotions, mind management, and putting yourself at the top of your own priority list, which is the part most women skip. Ways to work with me: The Magic House, My retreat center in Lisbon, Portugal. https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle Private coaching One on one, for women who want to go deep and go fast. https://form.typeform Transformation Program, small group, 6 months of weekly meetings and materials, includes a trip to The Magic House at the end! https://www.angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram Subscribe wherever you listen, and if this episode helped, a review helps another woman find it.
Looks like it's going to be a wet weekend…so if you've got outdoor stuff to do…today is probably your best option! In the news this morning, the results from yesterday's primary vote, another Powerball drawing is happening tonight, a recall on certain Toyota models, an American Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing after it hit a bird, and the Eau Claire Express beat the La Crosse Loggers again last night to advance to the Great Plains Championship game. In sports, the Brewers got shellacked by the Padres last night, the White Sox gave away over 40,000 Pope Leo hats, the MLB Field of Dreams game is tomorrow night, the NFL preseason begins tomorrow night as well, the Vikings are going with Kyler Murray as their QB1, the NBA released it's opening night & Xmas day schedules, and the Indiana Fever head coach is mad! We talked about what's on TV & streaming today/tonight. Plus, a trailer for "Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story" dropped yesterday, a bunch of Super Mario Bros Nintendo cartridges were recently found in WI, and the Rock is apparently pursuing a music career now. Cool story about a kid in Utah who spent all summer working with his 3D printer to make a functional wheelchair for another young child. We talked to Jake from Autumn Kings about the band's recent viral story about using a strangers' vehicle to get from Rock Fest to Upheaval. It's "One Gotta Go Wednesday", and we decided to go with minor inconveniences this morning - Waking up a few minutes before your alarm goes off, your socks falling down inside of your shoe, a video you really want to watch buffering every five seconds, or forgetting your old password and trying to reset it…but getting told that your new password can't be the same as your old password. Elsewhere in sports, an amateur golfer gets busted for cheating on a hole-in-one, a high school football player who practiced with a deadly snake in his helmet, the latest on the Tulsa Little League legal battle, and a "bodybuilder" who was trying to win a competition by drinking heavily & taking 'Roids. And in today's edition of "Bad News with Happy Music", we had stories about a guy in Arizona who got popped for DUI with "Drive Sober or get pulled over" license plates on his vehicle, a "Bodybuilder" who got prepared for a competition by drinking & using 'roids, a lifeguard in Maine that got dragged underwater by a SHARK, and a couple of new additions to the OnlyFans!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This reality is inverted — and once you see it, you can't unsee it. In this episode, Kara breaks down why this world runs backwards from a spiritual perspective: the challenges you think are working against you are actually feeding your soul's growth, and the "bad" things in your life are often the exact medicine you asked for before you got here. We also go deep into the artificial matrix shaping how we perceive reality, such as the systems, programming, and control structures designed to keep us pointed the wrong way. It's uncomfortable to realize how much has been hidden and how thoroughly we've been fooled… but even that awakening serves a higher purpose! Waking up to the illusion IS the path through the dark night of the soul. In this episode: - Why suffering and hardship are spiritually soul lessons - How the matrix creates an inverted reality and distorts your perception of truth - Why realizing you've been deceived is itself part of your awakening - How to use this awareness to raise your vibration instead of falling into despair Subscribe for weekly conversations on higher consciousness, energy healing, and cosmic wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/@soulelevationpodcast?sub_confirmation=1
In this bonus episode Andrea Samadi introduces the Predictable Performance System, a practical roadmap from her Brain's Operating System. She shows how measuring patterns—not chasing daily scores—plus consistent movement and targeted recovery behaviors create reliable adaptations and better performance over time. Andrea shares two real-world experiments (including a nine-day green recovery streak), five clear steps—measure, move, recover, adapt, perform—and a simple 7-day challenge to help you discover the single habit that unlocks more consistent results. On BONUS EPISODE 2, we will cover: Why high performance isn't about being “green” every day (using a wearable device) What nearly 2,000 recovery scores taught me about consistency and performance Why your daily inputs matter more than any single recovery score How I reached a personal best of 9 green recoveries in a row What happened when hard training caused my recovery to drop—and why that wasn't failure How another WHOOP user improved his recovery by identifying one key gap: hydration How to find your own gap in sleep, hydration, stress, movement, training load, or recovery The Predictable Performance System™: Measure → Move → Recover → Adapt → Perform → Repeat Why recovery is the bridge between today's effort and tomorrow's capacity How to create your own 7-Day Predictable Performance Experiment The key question to ask yourself: “What is the one missing input that could unlock my next level of performance?” The goal: Find your gap. Uncover your recipe. Build the system that works for you. BONUS EPISODE 2 The Predictable Performance System™ How Small Daily Inputs Create Better Recovery, Adaptation and More Consistent Results WELCOME BACK Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we explore how understanding the brain can help us create measurable improvements in our well-being, achievement, leadership, productivity, and results. I'm Andrea Samadi, and over the past several months, we've been building something much bigger than a collection of interviews. We've been building what I call The Brain's Operating System—a roadmap for understanding how our brain and body work together to create optimal human performance. Before we jump into today's second Bonus Episode, let's quickly remember where we've been. PHASE 1 — REGULATION & SAFETY Everything begins with regulation. Before the brain can learn, perform, or grow, it first needs the biological conditions that support safety and stability. In Phase 1, we explored sleep, stress regulation, trauma, resilience and the nervous system. The lesson was simple: Regulation creates the conditions for growth. PHASE 2 — NEUROCHEMISTRY & MOTIVATION Then we asked: What moves us into action? We explored dopamine, beliefs, motivation, habits, attention and sustained effort. We learned that motivation isn't simply about willpower. Our brain is continually learning: What's worth pursuing? What should I repeat? Where should I invest my energy with? Phase 2 gave us some direction. PHASE 3 — MOVEMENT, LEARNING & COGNITION And now we're deep inside Phase 3. This is where movement becomes much more than exercise. Movement activates the brain. It supports attention. Learning. Memory. Metabolism. And when movement is paired with adequate recovery, something important happens: Adaptation. That's where our system begins to change. So the basic sequence we've been studying is: Movement → Recovery → Adaptation → Performance. But while studying this process, another question kept coming back to me. Why do some people consistently improve...while others feel like they're starting over every Monday and they are searching for the right formula. That question led me to today's framework: THE PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE SYSTEM™ And this Bonus Episode is where I want to put the science into action. Throughout The Brain's Operating System, these Bonus Episodes will give me an opportunity to step away from the interviews and show you what happens when I apply what we're learning to my own life. I'll share the experiments. The data. What worked. What didn't. And most importantly... what we can learn from it, so we can ALL apply this information to our own lives. Because neuroscience becomes much more useful when we can turn what we know into something we can actually do. THE QUESTION THAT STARTED THIS EXPERIMENT Over the past five years, I've tracked close to 2,000 recovery scores using WHOOP (wearable device). And recently something happened that surprised me. I recorded nine green recoveries in a row (which meant for 9 days in a row, I had mastered recovery (my body's ability to take on strain and perform). This recovery score is calculated overnight using my RHR, HRV, RR, SpO2 (blood O2) and skin temperature. Factors like strain, stress and lifestyle choices affect this Recovery Score. That was a personal record. For years, I could put together a few strong days. Sometimes even a strong week. My record for years was 7 days in a row. But eventually something would interrupt the pattern. I'd train too hard. Sleep poorly. Travel. Get busy. Or simply fail to give myself enough time to recover. So when I reached nine consecutive green recoveries, instead of just celebrating the streak, I became curious. I asked: What changed? Because I wasn't on vacation. My work hadn't disappeared. I was still recording the podcast. Still exercising. Still traveling. Waking up early. Eating the same diet. In those green days most of the days I avoided alcohol (something I have learned from measuring everything I ingest—this will automatically tank my recovery score) but I did have one drink a couple of these days and still managed to keep a green score. Something that was highly unusual. I kept wondering what was I doing differently. Life hadn't suddenly become easy. So what was different? I went back through my data. And I stopped looking at individual scores. Instead, I started looking for patterns. That distinction changed everything. DON'T CHASE THE SCORE. STUDY THE PATTERN. When I first started tracking recovery, I'd look at each morning individually. Green? Great. Yellow? What did I do wrong? Red? I must have done something terribly wrong! Looking at the patterns, I did learn that after a 4-hour hike, even one alcoholic drink will kick my recovery score into the red unrecovered zone. When you push your body hard, it's just not worth it to ingest a neuro-toxin. At least for me, it's not worth it. We are all different, and that's why measuring your own data is a valuable activity. What tanks my score, might not tank yours. Now I'm wondering what happens repeatedly? What tends to happen before my strongest recoveries? What happens before my worst ones? (the recipe was beyond clear here). What habits disappear when my recovery starts declining? And which habits consistently appear when it improves? That's where the story became much clearer. It wasn't one workout. It wasn't one supplement. It wasn't one perfect night's sleep. And it definitely wasn't motivation. It was the accumulation of small behaviors being repeated consistently. And that led me to one of the most important lessons from this entire experiment: The recovery score doesn't create the result. The behaviors that happened before the recovery score create the conditions for the result. I learned my recipe to create a RED recovery, and how to create a GREEN. The wearable device simply gives us feedback on how well we are doing with our recipe for success. THE DATA TELLS TWO STORIES When I looked at the data, I realized I actually had two experiments happening. The first was mine. I had the recipe for how to recover, and how to tank my score. The second belonged to another WHOOP user. And together, they revealed something much more interesting than either story alone. STORY ONE — MY DATA When I zoomed out across 6 months, my average recovery was around 58%. That's real life. There were excellent weeks. There were difficult weeks. Travel. When I was away internationally, sometimes without internet, the data didn't record correctly, but this is a good picture of what my scores look like. Work. Training. Stress. Vacations. Life happens. But recently that monthly average climbed to approximately 63%—an 11% improvement over the month before. For me, that mattered. Historically, when my monthly recovery averages climbed substantially, it was often because I had removed myself from normal life. Maybe I was on vacation. Maybe I was completely unplugged. But this time I wasn't. I was working. Training. Recording. Traveling. Living normal life. Life didn't become easier. My daily system became more consistent. And eventually that consistency produced something I'd never seen before: Nine green recoveries in a row. But here's what happened next. If you look at the graph…I just went about life as usual. I trained hard. My recovery dropped. And that became perhaps an even more important part of the experiment. Because this time I didn't panic. I didn't interpret one lower score as failure. I simply returned to the consistent behaviors that had been working in my GREEN streak. Sleep. Hydration. Movement. Stress management. Recovery time. And within a few days, the stronger recovery scores returned. That taught me something important: Predictable performance does NOT mean perfect performance. It means that you've got to find a system you know how to return to. My GREEN scores are now predictable. STORY TWO — FIND THE LEVER Around the same time, another WHOOP user turned to me and asked “why am I stuck in RED (unrecovered) everyday?” His pattern looked completely different. His monthly recovery average was around 41%. Lots of yellow. Lots of red. And very little improvement. Instead of randomly changing everything, we looked at the inputs. Sleep. Stress. Training load. Recovery time. Hydration. And one variable stood out to me. Hydration. So rather than redesigning his entire life, we focused on consistently improving that one behavior. When I say he improved hydration, we increased not just water, but we added an electrolyte drink (Liquid IV sugar free[i]) to his water to replenish minerals like sodium and potassium that he was losing from sweating in the 115 degree weather we are experiencing at the moment in AZ. Then we watched the data. His recovery pattern improved. More yellows appeared. His averages increased. And his recovery became more consistent. Today I asked him what he's noticed with this one change, and he let me know that his scores have been creeping up slowly. No green scores yet, but he's high yellow, which shows me that he's cracking his recovery recipe. Now, that doesn't mean hydration is the magic answer for everyone. That's not the lesson. The lesson is: Find YOUR lever. For one person, it might be hydration. For someone else, it might be sleep. Alcohol. Stress. Training volume. Late-night eating. Travel. Or simply not allowing enough recovery between difficult training sessions. Your job isn't to copy someone else's system perfectly. Your job is to use feedback to discover what matters most for you. Find your gap in your recovery system and you unlock more consistent, predictable performance. TAKEAWAY #1 STOP GUESSING. START MEASURING. You cannot recognize a pattern you aren't observing. And you don't need WHOOP to do this. Just find what tool works best for you. You could track five simple things each morning: Sleep How well did I sleep? Energy How energetic do I feel? Stress How stressed or regulated do I feel? Movement What did I do yesterday? Recovery behaviors Did I hydrate, recover and give my body what it needed? Give each category a simple score out of 10. Then look at the entire week. Not just one day. TIP TO IMPLEMENT: For the next seven days, spend 30 seconds each morning recording: Hours of sleep Energy from 1–10 Stress from 1–10 Yesterday's movement One recovery behavior Don't change anything yet. First, collect information. Look for patterns before looking for the solution. THE BIG REALIZATION As I studied both experiments, the framework became obvious. Recovery isn't something that simply happens to us. There are many things we can't control. But every day we can influence the probability of recovering well. Our choices create patterns. Patterns create trends. Trends influence adaptation. And over enough time... those adaptations influence performance. Which brings us to the system. THE PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE SYSTEM™ There are five steps. STEP 1 — MEASURE Awareness comes first. Track enough information to recognize trends. But remember: The goal isn't to become obsessed with data. (I'm borderline obsessed with mine). The goal is to use data to make better decisions. ASK YOURSELF: What's improving? What did I do to get this improvement? Write it down. What's declining? What did I do to tank my score? Write it down. And what repeatedly happens before each pattern? Learn your recovery recipe. What works for you? What does not work? TIP: Look at your weekly average instead of judging yourself by one day. One bad night doesn't define your health. One hard workout doesn't destroy your fitness. One red recovery doesn't erase your progress. Look for the trend. Learn what your personal recipe for success is. STEP 2 — MOVE Movement is the input. This is where Phase 3 begins. Movement challenges the system. We don't want to aim for a month of all green or high recoveries, because then we aren't challenging our system. Movement activates the brain and body and provides the stimulus from which adaptation can occur. But movement doesn't always mean crushing yourself in the gym. It might mean: Walking. Strength training. Hiking. Mobility. Cycling. Running. Playing a sport. Or simply interrupting long periods of sitting. TIP TO IMPLEMENT: Ask yourself each morning: "How will I move today?" Don't leave movement to chance. Put something on the calendar. Even a 20-minute walk counts. Consistency matters. STEP 3 — RECOVER This is the step I underestimated for years. I understood effort. I understood discipline. I understood training. But I didn't fully appreciate that the work isn't complete when the workout ends. The brain and body still have to process the stimulus. So recovery becomes an active part of the performance system. Protect sleep. Hydrate. Manage stress. Build recovery into the schedule. And learn when not to push. TIP TO IMPLEMENT: Create what I call your Recovery Minimums. Choose three behaviors that you protect even during busy weeks. For example: My Recovery Minimums ✓ Consistent sleep (going to bed and waking up at the same time) ✓ Daily hydration (I use liquid IV in the day and LMNT hot chocolate at night) ✓ Daily movement (I walk every morning, hike on the weekends, fit in gym workouts and strength training) to keep movement going. ✓ Stress regulation (always a work in progress, but breath work is my current way to manage stress) ✓ Time for recovery (I stack meditation and infrared sauna use together to save time). Your list may look different. But decide what your minimums are before life gets busy and you aren't putting time into recovery. STEP 4 — ADAPT This is the part we usually can't see. And it's one of the reasons people quit too early. Adaptation happens behind the scenes. You train. You recover. And your system responds. Over time, movement becomes easier. Your capacity expands. Your cardiovascular system becomes more efficient. Skills become more automatic. Your tolerance for challenge increases. Then one day... something that once felt difficult feels normal. TIP TO IMPLEMENT: Don't only measure outcomes. Look for evidence of adaptation. Ask: Is this workout getting easier? Am I recovering faster? Is my resting heart rate trending differently? Am I sleeping better? Look for how many wakes you have each night. Can I handle more work without feeling depleted? Is my concentration improving? Am I stronger? Do I have more energy? Those are clues that the system is adapting. STEP 5 — PERFORM This is where most people want to start. Results. Achievement. The High Performance. But performance isn't Step One. It's Step Five. First we provide the stimulus. We move. Then we recover. Then we adapt. And eventually... performance becomes evidence that the earlier steps worked. You will notice you can sit longer, stay focused on one task, and see tasks through to completion. This changes the question from: "How can I perform better today?" to: "What can I do today that makes better performance more likely tomorrow?" That's a very different way of thinking. TAKEAWAY #2 DON'T TRY TO FIX EVERYTHING. One of the most useful things we learned from the second recovery experiment was that sometimes one behavior acts as a bottleneck. For the person with the low recovery score, hydration appeared to be an important lever. Stick to changing ONE thing at a time. When I first saw his HRV, I wanted to go there, but we started with hydration. So here's something you can try. Look at your own patterns and ask: "What is the ONE behavior that would make everything else work better?" Maybe it's getting to bed earlier. Maybe it's drinking more water. Maybe it's moving every day. Maybe it's reducing alcohol. Maybe it's taking a recovery day. Maybe it's managing evening stress. Start there. TIP: Run a seven-day experiment. Change one variable. Keep everything else reasonably consistent. Track what happens. Then evaluate. Don't guess. Test. This has been the most eye-opening part of finding my own personal recipe for high performance. Once you uncover yours, you can create your own predictable formula for high performance. TAKEAWAY #3 CREATE A BASELINE YOU CAN RETURN TO. One of the biggest changes in my thinking came after the nine-green streak ended. My recovery dropped after hard training. But I knew what to do. I returned to the system. That's resilience. Not maintaining perfect conditions forever. But knowing how to return to your baseline when life knocks you away from it. Ask yourself: "When everything gets busy, what behaviors bring me back?" Write them down. That becomes your reset protocol. That's how I was able to create high recoveries the past few days making my monthly recovery a 16% increase over last month. TAKEAWAY #4 RECOVERY IS THE BRIDGE While developing this framework, I kept seeing the same image in my mind. A bridge. On one side is today's effort. On the other side is tomorrow's capability. Recovery is the bridge connecting the two. Without sufficient recovery, today's effort may never fully become tomorrow's capacity. With recovery, we give the brain and body an opportunity to adapt. Today's habits create the conditions for today's recovery. Recovery supports tomorrow's adaptation. Adaptation creates future capacity. And expanded capacity improves performance. That's the system. YOUR 7-DAY PREDICTABLE PERFORMANCE EXPERIMENT Here's your action step from today's episode. For the next seven days: MEASURE Track sleep, energy, stress and how overall recovered you feel each day. If you don't have a device to do this, just rank yourself on a scale of 0-10. MOVE Do something intentional every day. RECOVER Protect the recovery behaviors you've identified as most important. Mine are daily meditation, journaling, hydration, breath work and sauna use. LOOK FOR ADAPTATION Notice what begins becoming easier or more consistent. Where do you feel stronger? REVIEW YOUR PERFORMANCE At the end of seven days, ask: What improved? What got worse? What behavior had the biggest effect? What should I repeat next week? That's it. You're not trying to create a perfect week. You're trying to learn how your own system works. I don't know what your recipe for high performance will look like, but once you've got this recipe, your life will never be the same. THE BIG TAKEAWAY After nearly 2,000 recovery scores, here's what I believe matters most. Don't chase the score. Chase the behaviors that create the score. (Notice what they are—write them down). Don't chase one perfect workout. Build consistency. Don't panic when the data drops. Investigate. Don't change ten things at once. Find the lever. And above all... don't confuse effort with adaptation. Sometimes the thing that moves us forward isn't doing more. It's allowing the work we've already done to become part of us. The goal isn't perfect recovery. The goal isn't nine green days (while I've got my eye on how I can make this 10)… The goal isn't controlling every variable in our lives. The goal is to create a system that makes better outcomes more likely. Better days become better weeks. Better weeks become better months. And over enough time... what once felt difficult can become your new normal. REVIEW AND CONCLUSION To review and conclude BONUS EPISODE 2: Find the Gap—How Recovery Unlocks Predictable Performance, here's where we are in The Brain's Operating System. Phase 1 taught us to regulate. Before we can learn, perform, or grow, we need the biological conditions that support safety and stability. Phase 2 taught us what drives us to act. We explored motivation, dopamine, beliefs, attention, and the internal chemistry that moves us toward a goal. And now... Phase 3 is teaching us how we change. We move. We create a stimulus. We recover. The brain and body adapt. Our capacity expands. And eventually, that adaptation shows up as better performance. That's why today's framework matters. Because when performance feels inconsistent, the answer isn't always to work harder. Sometimes we need to ask: Where is the gap in my system? Is it movement? Sleep? Hydration? Stress? Recovery time? Consistency? Because when we can identify the gap, we can begin to change the input. And when we change the input consistently... we create new conditions for adaptation. That's how performance begins to change. So remember the sequence: Measure. Move. Recover. Adapt. Perform. And then repeat. Because performance isn't a finish line. It's feedback from the system you're building. When we complete Phase 3, we'll soon move into Phase 4—Connection, Emotion & Social Intelligence, where another layer enters the system: Other people. Relationships. Emotion. Trust. Communication. Empathy. Leadership. And then in Phase 5—Integration & Human Performance, we'll bring everything together: Regulation. Motivation. Movement. Recovery. Emotion. Relationships. Learning. Purpose. And performance. Because ultimately, no system works in isolation. Human performance is the result of all of these systems working together. FINAL TAKEAWAY If there's one idea I hope you remember from today's episode, it's this: Don't just chase the outcome. Study the system producing it. If your results aren't where you want them to be... find the gap. Because the gap may not be in your effort. It may be in your recovery. And when you find the gap in your recovery system... you unlock your next level of adaptation, capacity, and performance. Thank you for joining me for this second Bonus Episode. If today's framework helped connect the dots for you, I'd love to hear what you discover. What's the one habit that has the greatest impact on your recovery and performance? Sleep? Movement? Hydration? Stress management? Recovery time? And if you try the 7-Day Predictable Performance Experiment, pay attention to what your own data teaches you. Not whether every day is perfect. But what patterns begin to emerge. Until next time... Keep measuring. Keep moving. Keep recovering. Give your brain and body time to adapt. And keep building the systems that make better performance more predictable. Have an incredible week and we'll see you on EP 405 where we revisit Dr. Kristen Holmes and dive deep into more ways to improve our recovery., RESOURCES: Phase 1: Regulation & Safety The Foundation Core Question: Is the nervous system safe enough to learn? Everything begins with regulation. Before we can focus, learn, lead, or perform, the brain first asks one fundamental question: Am I safe? Throughout Phase 1, our guests showed us that regulation isn't simply about reducing stress—it's about creating the biological conditions that allow the brain to learn, adapt, and thrive. Together we explored: Baland Jalal – how sleep, curiosity, imagination, and creativity prepare the brain for learning. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/hypnagogic-genius-capture-your-best-ideas-at-the-edge-of-sleep/ Dr. Bruce Perry – why regulation, rhythm, and relationships form the foundation of every healthy nervous system. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/safety-first-why-a-regulated-brain-is-the-key-to-learning/ Dr. Sui Wong – how lifestyle medicine and autonomic balance build lifelong brain resilience. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/your-eyes-the-brain-s-early-warning-system/ Rohan Dixit – how heart rate variability gives us real-time feedback on our ability to regulate stress. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/breathe-to-reset-how-hrv-tech-reveals-hidden-stress/ Dr. Kristen Holmes – how recovery metrics reveal our physiological readiness to perform. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/kristen-holmes-from-whoopcom-on-unlocking-a-better-you-measuring-sleep-recovery-and-strain/ Dr. Antonio Zadra – how sleep and dreaming consolidate memories, regulate emotions, and generate insight. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/when-brains-dream-how-sleep-integrates-emotion-insight-and-creativity/ Together these conversations taught us that sleep and stress regulation aren't optional—they're the operating system that allows every higher brain function to work. Phase 2: Motivation & Neurochemistry The Direction Core Question: What moves us into action? Once the brain feels safe, it becomes ready to pursue goals. In Phase 2, we explored the internal chemistry that transforms intention into action. Our experts helped us understand that sustainable motivation isn't about willpower—it's about aligning our beliefs, thoughts, attention, energy, and movement. Together we discovered: Bob Proctor — our beliefs determine the direction of our lives. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/belief-first-the-neuroscience-of-motivation/ Dr. Carolyn Leaf — our thinking literally changes our brain chemistry. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/thoughts-as-biology-how-your-mind-shapes-neurochemistry/ Dr. John Medina — attention determines what the brain encodes and remembers. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/theory-of-mind-the-missing-link-between-attention-reward-and-motivation Dr. Anna Lembke- Dopamine, Motivation and Why the Brain Repeats Behavior https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/dopamine-nation-the-pleasure%e2%80%93pain-balance-that-drives-motivation/ Dr. Friederike Fabritius — managing our energy allows high performance to become sustainable. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/fun-fear-focus-closing-the-motivation-loop/ Dr. Chuck Hillman & Paul Zientarski — movement activates the brain, preparing it to learn. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/move-to-learn-how-movement-activates-the-brain-and-fuels-motivation/ By the end of Phase 2, we introduced what became The Motivation Loop, showing how beliefs influence thoughts, thoughts influence actions, actions create results, and results reinforce future beliefs. Phase 3: Movement, Learning & Human Performance The Transformation Core Question: How does movement change the brain—and how does recovery transform that change into performance? Now we're taking the next step. Phase 3 builds on everything we've learned so far. If Phase 1 created a regulated nervous system... If Phase 2 created motivation and direction... Phase 3 explains how the brain and body actually become stronger. Together we've explored this process through conversations with: Dr. Chuck Hillman & Paul Zientarski — why movement activates the brain before learning. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/movement-first-how-a-20%e2%80%91minute-walk-lights-up-the-brain/ Dr. John Ratey — how exercise builds a healthier, younger brain. https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/movement-matters-how-every-move-rewires-the-brain/ Dr. Kristen Holmes — why recovery determines adaptation and readiness. Dr. John Medina — how attention transforms movement into lasting learning. Jason Whitrock — how metabolism and cellular energy fuel long-term performance. WHERE WE ARE GOING NEXT Phase 4 — Connection, Emotion & Social Intelligence The Human System Core Question: How do we thrive with other people? The brain didn't evolve in isolation—it evolved through relationships. In Phase 4, we'll explore emotional intelligence, empathy, communication, trust, leadership, and psychological safety to understand how our relationships shape learning, well-being, and performance. Phase 5 — Integration & Human Performance The Complete System Core Question: How do all the systems work together? In our final phase, we'll bring everything together—regulation, motivation, movement, emotion, relationships, learning, and recovery—into one integrated framework. We'll discover how these systems work together to create measurable improvements in our well-being, achievement, leadership, productivity, and results. REFERENCES: [i] Liquid IV https://www.liquid-iv.com/collections/hydration-multiplier-sugar-free
Beartooth frontman Caleb Shomo joins Scott Penfold on the Loaded Radio Podcast to talk about Pure Ecstasy, the band's sixth album, out August 28 on Fearless Records. After fourteen years of writing, playing and producing Beartooth records almost entirely by himself, Shomo let somebody else in — co-producer Jordan Fish, a title track born out of a session with Misha Mansoor of Periphery, and drummer Connor Denis behind the kit. We get into the reaction to "Free," the AI mess that nearly killed the "Bullshit" lyric video, the Pure Ecstasy world tour, and the year that changed what a Beartooth record can be about. Then in this week's Fresh Meat, Raven Le Rouge of Wichita metal band Waking The Sleeper on building a band in Kansas, the Frequencies concept record, and what's next. Read the full write-up at loadedradio.com. Stream Loaded Radio 24/7 or grab the free Loaded Radio app on Apple and Google Play. Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, Threads, TikTok and YouTube.
I couldn't swallow a pill until I was almost eight years old. I'd hold it in my mouth for a minute and a half, counting down in the bathroom mirror, and still not get it down. My grandmother could take five at a time. My mom could take ten. In this video I read "Grown-Up Pills," a poem I wrote years ago that's featured in my book Spira Speaks: Dialogues and Essays on the Mucusless Diet Healing System, and then I break down the true story underneath it. The yellow bathroom counter that exploded with pill bottles. The seven-day pill organizer that every adult in my house owned. Seldane, which they eventually pulled off the market because it was killing adults, and which I had been taking since I was six years old. Then Allegra-D. Then Zyrtec. Then Claritin. Eight years as a lab rat, and I still had every single symptom those drugs were supposed to be treating. I woke up with my eyes crusted shut so often that at four years old I would plan my route to the bathroom before bed and feel my way along the walls, because the first few times I thought I had gone blind. I sat in class with tissue screwed into my nose from the daily nosebleeds. That was normal. It was normal to everyone around me. And it took me years to understand that it was never normal at all. I have been emancipated from that entire reality for 23 years. I lost 100 pounds, the symptoms went away, I stopped taking the drugs, and I got off the CPAP machine for sleep apnea. The doctors told me I would be on medication for the rest of my life. This is not medical advice, and it is not a criticism of my family. They didn't know any better. It's an invitation to look at the world a little differently, and to understand that you do not have to suffer as much as they have convinced you is normal. CHAPTERS 0:00 Do you believe medication is normal? 1:24 Disclaimer 2:11 Who I am and how long I've been free 2:18 The poem: Grown-Up Pills 3:40 The true story behind the poem 3:59 They took Seldane off the market 5:59 Everybody had a pill organizer 6:50 A predatory system 8:35 Allegra-D, Zyrtec, Claritin: the lab rat years 10:23 23 years, 100 pounds, no more CPAP 10:52 The daily nosebleeds 12:33 The actual cause of human illness 12:44 Waking up with my eyes crusted shut 14:55 How they normalized it 15:55 Side effects include death 17:10 You can emancipate yourself 19:09 Work with me 21:48 Peace, love, and breath If you're serious about learning the Mucusless Diet Healing System and want support applying it in real life, use the links below: Book a clarity call for Transition Diet Bootcamp: https://live.mucusfreelife.com/bootcamp-apply Join the Mucus-Free Life Membership: https://go.mucusfreelife.com/join-ytc Join the newsletter: https://bit.ly/mfl-fb-join Mucus-Free Life is an educational platform exploring the Mucusless Diet Healing System. Content reflects study and experience and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making changes to your diet, fasting, or health practices. Peace, Love, and Breath!
Show, Bruce and Chad Bio on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_D...PLEASE LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE BRUCE COLLINS SHOW- THAT WOULD BE HUGE. MASSIVE THANKS!The Bruce Collins Show is “A modern old-time variety show for people who like smart comedy and serious conversation.”FACEBOOK PAGE- https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...TAMPA BAY OBSERVER- https://tampabayobserver.com/former-a...The Insider Weekly- https://theinsiderweekly.com/former-a...
Gregg Champion's father was killed in a head-on collision with another drunk driver when Gregg was 4. He grew up angry, filled that with alcohol and attention, and spent his 20s collecting DUIs, assaults, a marijuana trafficking operation out of a van, and two arrests in the same 24-hour stretch at Mardi Gras. He got sober at 25, went back and finished his ASU degree sober with a 4.0, sits on the Arizona State Alumni Leadership Council, taught entrepreneurship at USC, and is 30+ years sober.This episode covers the childhood trauma he carried alone for decades. The night at he woke up in a jail cell, found a Catholic church in the phone book, and sat down in front of a priest named Father Bill — who turned out to be his stepfather's sponsor — and who sent him to his first meeting. He built Startup Recovery and Wellness over nine years and three sober living homes in the Pacific Palisades. In that same stretch he also lost his mom to Alzheimer's, his sister to suicide, went bankrupt in 2008, and watched the January 7, 2025 fires burn all three houses to the ground. He's still standing.Follow the Hopeaholics on our Socials:https://www.instagram.com/thehopeaholics https://linktr.ee/thehopeaholicsGo to www.Wolfpak.com today and support our sponsors. Don't forget to use code: HOPEAHOLICSPODCAST for 10% off!Visit our Treatment Centers: https://www.hopebythesea.comIf you or a loved one needs help, please call or text 949-615-8588. We have the resources to treat mental health and addiction. Sponsored by the Infiniti Group LLC:https://www.infinitigroupllc.com Join our patreon to get access to an EXTRA EPISODE every week of ‘Off the Record', exclusive content, a thriving recovery community, and opportunities to be featured on the podcast. https://patreon.com/TheHopeaholics Our Merch: https://thehopeaholics.myshopify.com#TheHopeaholics #redemption #recovery #AlcoholAddiction #AddictionRecovery #wedorecover #SobrietyJourney #MyStory #Hope #wedorecover #treatmentcenter #natalieevamarie0:00 Cold open0:38 Intro1:07 Gregg Champion7:14 31 years sober and still working on it10:26 The seven-year itch: three years without AA and no sponsor13:42 Being a girl dad in recovery — why he shares it out loud17:17 His father was killed in a drunk-on-drunk collision18:01 Becoming what killed his father18:49 Attention as the first substitute20:23 A secret he carried since he was eight22:33 Age 13 to 25: Arizona State, six credits short, and a rampage23:16 Going back to finish his degree sober now on the ASU Alumni Leadership Council24:15 Lost sister to suicide, mom to Alzheimer's, bankrupt in 2008, Palisades fires24:38 Getting sober at 25: DUIs, assaults, two Mardi Gras arrests29:13 Running weed out east32:20 Waking up in a jail cell and hearing a voice say his name33:17 He finds the nearest Catholic church in the phone book34:21 Father Bill36:20 Father Bill turned out to be his stepfather's sponsor41:36 His daughter asks: "Papa, have you ever been to jail?"47:25 Teaching entrepreneurship at USC57:48 The TED Talk he bombed59:11 Couples counseling: finding the therapist with 25 years in Al-Anon1:00:37 What year ten of sobriety demands: going a level deeper1:06:34 The Recovery Playbook: sober, now what?1:08:22 The thing he relapsed over but never fully faced1:15:35 Breaking the cycle: giving his daughters the life he didn't have
On his intake form, he wrote one word: skeptical. By the last night of his retreat, he said something completely different. In this bonus student spotlight episode, Emily Fletcher sits down with Danny, an optometrist, father, and husband who came to Ziva Magic a self-proclaimed skeptic and left, in his own words, a believer in magic. Danny is exactly the kind of person this work is built for: logical, raised to equate happiness with achievement, and never once spiritual before this. He joined on what he calls a rather last-minute decision, simply because the message on Emily's podcast resonated. Danny shares the words that confused him at first—download, container, frequency—and how it felt to finally understand them. He describes the moment magic stopped being abstract and started showing up in a cup of tea, on a paddleboard, and playing trucks with his son. And he offers one of the clearest metaphors this show has heard for why logic alone isn't enough: a brand new laptop that never gets plugged into Wi-Fi. In this episode, Danny explores: The one word on his intake form, and the very different words he said on his last night Why he introduces himself as father, husband, optometrist, in that order Life before Ziva Magic: pure logic, no spirituality, and a constant need to do more Why the dream itself was never the point, and what it actually indicates His wife and coworkers noticing he's “happier at work now” The jargon that confused him at first, and how he'd define magic now Planting his first garden at 46, and finding actual magic in a carrot The Wi-Fi analogy: why a great brain disconnected from spirit doesn't get far Reclaiming the word pleasure, from tea to paddleboarding to playing trucks with his son Waking up the body's own internal pharmacy, without any substances Key Moments: 00:49 – His intake form: “I'm skeptical” to “I believe in magic” 02:54 – Life before Ziva Magic: pure logic, no spirituality 04:17 – Giving himself permission to ask what he actually wants 06:44 – The biggest shift: trusting things will fall into place 09:24 – The old pattern: always doing more to make his parents happy 10:00 – His wife's report: “you're happier at work now” 11:23 – The words that confused him: download, container, frequency 12:18 – Defining magic in his own words 15:24 – Planting his first garden, and finding magic in a carrot 18:58 – The Wi-Fi analogy: a great laptop that was never plugged in 21:27 – Reclaiming pleasure in tea, paddleboarding, and playing trucks with his son 22:47 – Waking up the internal pharmacy, and the lizard brain ✨ The Ziva Experience is open for enrollment. This is the final window. Meditation to dissolve stress at the root. Embodied manifesting to turn your emotions into fuel. A mantra ceremony and a community built to hold you through all of it. Doors close Fri, Aug 7 at 11:59p ET. Enroll now
Scared to stop drinking because you don't know what happens next? We'll cover what actually happens when you stop drinking, what happens to your friendships when you're the one who changes first, and why Dry January was never a preview of anything. If you're afraid to quit drinking because of everyone else, this one's for you.In this episode I'm walking you through why your brain is so bad at determining the future. Why it freezes your entire life in place and only takes away the wine. What really happens to the people around you when you're the one who moves first.And why that Dry January you white-knuckled through was never a preview of anything.In this week's episode I'm covering: Why your worries about the future are accurate and still not useful Focalism, and how your brain edits out every single good part What happens to your relationships when you change from the inside out Why you can't do ten years of white-knuckling, and why that's fine The only thing you actually have to do today About Angela:I'm Angela Mascenik, a certified life coach helping women stop over-drinking without shame, willpower, or a label. I over-drank for 20 years while raising three kids, building a career, and keeping a good marriage and a nice home together. Functional on the outside, falling apart on the inside. Coaching changed all of it, and I've been alcohol free for eight years.The Stop Over-Drinking and Start Living podcast is for high-achieving women who are tired of the cycle. Drinking more than you meant to. Waking up at 3am. Promising yourself tomorrow will be different. This isn't about white-knuckling your way through Dry January. We get underneath it. Why you're drinking in the first place, what you're actually feeling at 5pm, and how to build a life you don't need to escape from.Every week I'm talking about boundaries, emotions, mind management, and putting yourself at the top of your own priority list, which is the part most women skip.Ways to work with me: The Magic House My retreat center in Lisbon, Portugal. https://www.angelamascenik.com/magichousefounderscircle Private coaching One on One, for women who want to go deep and go fast. https://form.typeform.com Transformation Program, small group, 6 months of weekly meetings and materials, includes a trip to The Magic House at the end! https://www.angelamascenik.com/transformationprogram Subscribe wherever you listen, and if this episode helped, a review helps another woman find it.
In this episode of Wild & Waking, I'm joined once again by author, energy intuitive, soul guide, and dear friend Kelsey Anderson for a conversation about intuition, self-trust, creative surrender, feminine power, and what it means to let the veil fall between who you have been conditioned to be and who you have always known yourself to be underneath it all.Kelsey joins me on the heels of releasing her new book, The Signal: Listen to Your Intuition Through the Noise of Modern Life, a grounded and deeply reflective guide for learning how to discern intuition from fear, conditioned beliefs, overthinking, and the constant noise of modern life. Together, we explore intuition not as something mystical that exists outside of us, but as an inherent language of the soul that has been with us all along. We also talk about spiritual perfectionism, the pressure to make every intuitive practice elaborate or sacred, and the small everyday moments that can become portals back to ourselves.This conversation also opens into the deeper reclamation at the heart of VEILFALL, the immersive Samhain retreat Kelsey and I are co-creating in the mountains of Montana. We talk about darkness and light, ancestral healing, feminine magic, wild rebellion, and the power of being held in community while the old identities, expectations, and beliefs begin to fall away. This is an episode for the woman who is ready to stop searching outside of herself, trust the voice beneath the noise, and remember that her magic was never missing. It was simply waiting for her to listen.In this episode, we explore:How to tell the difference between intuition, fear, overthinking, and conditioned beliefsRebuilding self-trust after years of looking outside yourself for certainty, validation, and answersWhat it means to listen to your inner knowing through the noise of modern lifeKelsey's intuitive and creative process behind writing The SignalReleasing perfectionism and trusting divine timing when bringing creative work into the worldThe difference between primal fear and expansion fear—and how fear can become a guide toward growthWhy intuition is not something outside of you, but an inherent language of your soulHow to recognize intuitive nudges, spiritual downloads, clear senses, and psychic informationPractical ways to strengthen intuition and self-trust in the middle of motherhood, work, relationships, and everyday lifeMoving beyond spiritual perfectionism, rigid rituals, and the pressure to “do healing right”Creating small, sustainable spiritual practices that fit into real lifeWhy your purpose is not one fixed destination, but something expressed through the way you live each dayReclaiming feminine power, sovereignty, self-expression, and the parts of yourself you were taught to hideThe connection between intuition, ancestral healing, feminine magic, and collective awakeningLearning to hold both light and darkness without abandoning either part of yourselfThe deeper meaning behind VEILFALL, our immersive Samhain retreat in the mountains of MontanaThe transformational power of women gathering in intentional communityLetting old identities, expectations, and limiting beliefs fall away so you can return to who you have always beenBe sure to hit subscribe so you never miss the latest episode!Connect with Kelsey:Visit Kelsey's websiteExplore her offerings and resourcesOrder The Signal on AmazonDownload her free Intuition Foundations GuideFollow Kelsey on InstagramRead her SubstackWatch her on YouTubeConnect with Emily:Website: www.EmilyReuschel.comInstagram: @emilyreuschelFacebook: Emily ReuschelLinkedIn: Emily ReuschelJoin my Book Insiders List: Sign up here!Resources and Links:Episode 159 | Soul-Led Living: Intuition, Embodiment & Your Call to Rise in the Collective Awakening with Kelsey AndersonSign up here to get the inside scoop to my book writing journey!Book me as a speaker for your next event - email inquiries to emilyreuschel@gmail.com or schedule a call hereWild & Waking – Produced by Jill Carr Podcasting | Learn More
Dr. Josh Axe spent two years exhausted before an advanced blood panel revealed the real problem: his vitamin B2 was almost undetectable, and his mitochondria were badly depleted. Once he corrected it, his energy went from a 6 out of 10 to a 10 out of 10. The fix wasn't a stimulant or a gadget, it was testing inside the cell (RBC markers, not just serum) instead of trusting "normal" bloodwork. If rest isn't fixing your fatigue, this is the episode that tells you where actually to look. As always, this is general wellness education and not medical advice, so run your own testing and dosing with your clinician. CLICK HERE TO BECOME GARY'S VIP!: https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Get Heal Your Cells by Dr. Josh Axe & Dr. Will Cole: https://bit.ly/4bN7AJh Listen to "The Dr. Josh Axe Show" on all your favorite platforms! YouTube: https://bit.ly/3TuvbYM Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hHfE1J Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/4yKYJ4p Click here to connect with Dr. Josh Axe: https://bit.ly/3S7vzvX Thank you to our partners A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: http://bit.ly/4kek1ij AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD AIRES: "ULTIMATE20 " FOR 20% OFF: https://bit.ly/4a3Duze BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKpCYMBIOTIKA: "BRECKACYM30" FOR 30% OFF: https://bit.ly/4tjyluP GENETIC METHYLATION TEST (UK ONLY): https://bit.ly/48QJJrk GENETIC TEST (USA ONLY): https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: https://bit.ly/4obIFDC H2TAB: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S PEPTUAL: “TUH10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4mKxgcn SNOOZE: LET'S GET TO SLEEP!: https://bit.ly/4pt1T6V WHOOP: JOIN & GET 1 FREE MONTH!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8foX: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps 00:00 - Intro of Show 02:27 - Why 5,000-year-old medicine still works 04:40 - His mom's cancer diagnosis 09:00 - The first steps after a diagnosis 11:09 - The Greek test and hyperthermia 13:59 - Oxygen, sugar, and cell metabolism 16:25 - Choosing the right herb per person 18:27 - Waking at 3AM and inverted cortisol 19:04 - Ashwagandha as a cortisol adaptogen 20:32 - A sleep stack without melatonin 21:59 - Where to start with bloodwork 23:19 - Micronutrients and the vitamin B2 story 27:45 - Testing inside the cell, not the blood 29:37 - Lp(a), ApoB, and the right fats 39:18 - How stress and emotion block healing 43:55 - The "memory transplant" 46:38 - Heal Your Cells and the spinal infection 55:09 - Build muscle for mitochondria 59:47 - What it means to be an Ultimate Human Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is not intended for diagnosing or treating any health condition. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making health or wellness decisions. Gary Brecka is the owner of Ultimate Human, LLC which operates The Ultimate Human podcast and promotes certain third-party products used by Gary Brecka in his personal health and wellness protocols and daily life and for which Ultimate Human LLC and / or Gary Brecka directly or indirectly holds an economic interest or receives compensation. Accordingly, statements made by Gary Brecka and others (including on The Ultimate Human podcast) may be considered promotional in nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
One of the most common questions I get is whether you can use tapping for sleep. The short answer is yes. But there is an important caveat that changes everything about how you approach it. Support the podcast! Http://tappingqanda.com/support Subscribe in: Apple Podcast | iPhone | Spotify | Pandora | Amazon Music | iHeartRadio | YouTube TL;DR / Key Takeaways Poor sleep is a symptom, not a standalone issue. Effective tapping for sleep means identifying and addressing the specific causes driving your sleeplessness, not just tapping on sleep itself. The frustration and disappointment you feel about not sleeping create a biochemical cycle in your body that makes sleep even harder. Tapping on those emotions, done during the day, breaks that cycle before bedtime arrives. Your subconscious mind may have hidden reasons to keep you from sleeping well. A counterintuitive but important question to tap on is: what goes wrong in my life if I do sleep well? Wordless tapping, which means tapping through the acupressure points without focusing on any specific issue, is the only tapping I recommend doing close to bedtime. It helps the body process cortisol and adrenaline without escalating emotional intensity. Sleep improvement is not all-or-nothing. Going from four hours to six hours of restful sleep is a genuine victory that improves your next day in measurable ways. Why Tapping for Sleep Is More Complicated Than It Sounds Tapping can improve your sleep, but only when you recognize that poor sleep is a symptom rather than the issue itself. This distinction changes everything about how you approach your tapping practice. I learned this firsthand on a Thanksgiving night when I was staying at my sister's house and woke up with a severe headache. I had no access to medication, so I tried tapping for the pain. It worked. Not only did the pain ease, but I fell back to sleep and slept deeply for the rest of the night. The tapping was not about sleep at all. It addressed the physical pain that was blocking sleep. The sleep improved as a consequence. That experience planted a principle I have used in my practice ever since. When someone comes to me struggling to sleep, we never just tap on sleep. We look at what is actually getting in the way. Poor sleep can have many causes: the worry you are carrying about tomorrow, memories that surface when you lie down in the dark, the temperature in your room, what you ate for dinner, or the emotional weight you have been dragging through your day. Each of those causes requires its own tapping work. Tapping on "sleep" as a generic target skips past all of that. Sleep Problems Are a Symptom, Not the Real Issue Key insight: "Sleeping is not one issue. Not sleeping very well is a consequence, and it can be a consequence of lots of things, but it's a symptom." This framing matters because it reorients where you direct your tapping energy. If you only tap on the surface symptom, you may get temporary relief. But if you tap on the underlying causes, you create lasting change. The consequences of poor sleep also extend well beyond one bad night. A headache might knock out 90 minutes of productive time. A bad night of sleep cascades through your entire next day, affecting your mood, your focus, your patience, and your physical health. The stakes are high, which is exactly why a surface-level approach is not enough. Once you accept that sleep is downstream of other issues, you open up a whole landscape of things worth tapping on. Understanding how to find root causes is one of the most valuable skills you can develop as a tapper, and sleep is one of the clearest places that skill pays off. Step 1: Tap on the Emotions You Have About Not Sleeping Tapping on the emotions surrounding your sleep problem is the first and most important place to start. This is not the same as tapping on sleep itself. This is tapping on how you feel about the sleep you are not getting. Ask yourself: am I frustrated? Sad? Angry that my coworker bounces in energized every morning while I can barely get through the day? Do I feel like my body is letting me down? Every one of those emotions has a biochemical expression in your body. Key insight: "Every single one of those emotions creates a biochemical response in your body, which makes it harder for you to sleep." Here is the vicious cycle that creates. You feel frustrated about your sleep. That frustration is present as you get into bed. The frustration makes it harder to fall asleep. You sleep worse. Tomorrow night you bring even more frustration to bed with you. The pattern tightens. Tapping in the late afternoon, away from bedtime, is the way to interrupt this cycle. Make a list of the emotions connected to your sleep struggles and give yourself 10 to 15 minutes to tap on them. You do not have to solve anything in one session. You are chipping away, and each session reduces the emotional charge you bring to the bedroom. For more on this approach, see tapping for the emotions that prevent healing. Do this step away from bedtime. All three of the first steps in this process are daytime practices, specifically so you are not activating emotional charge right before you try to sleep. Step 2: Ask What Goes Wrong If You Do Sleep Well This step sounds strange at first, but it addresses one of the most overlooked causes of chronic sleep problems. The question to sit with is: what is the hidden downside of sleeping well? Before you dismiss this, consider how subconscious logic actually works. Imagine this chain of thought playing out below conscious awareness: if I sleep well, I will be sharper at work. If I am sharper, I will perform better. If I perform better, they will expect more from me. More expectations mean more pressure. And pressure feels unsafe. Key insight: "To your conscious mind, that feels like an absolutely silly chain of thought. But on a subconscious level, 100%, that is what can be going on." This is what practitioners sometimes call secondary gain. Part of your nervous system is keeping you from sleeping because sleep feels, in some indirect way, dangerous or costly. Once your subconscious has decided that sleeping well creates a problem, it will work to prevent sleep, no matter how much your conscious mind wants rest. Tap on whatever comes up when you ask this question honestly. It might be about work demands. It might be about what happens in your body or your relationships when you have energy. It might be about a fear of what you will actually do with your life when you feel good. This kind of hidden resistance is worth exploring in depth. The episode Pod #562: What goes wrong if I am successful? – Finding Root Causes (Part 4) covers exactly this kind of subconscious obstacle in detail. Again, do this step during the day. Step 3: Tap on the Real Consequences of Poor Sleep The third step asks a different question: what goes wrong when you do not sleep well? You already know the answer. You live it. But naming the consequences explicitly and tapping on them adds another layer of relief. This step is not about catastrophizing. It is about acknowledging the full weight of what poor sleep costs you, including your mood, your relationships, your work, your health, and your sense of self. When those consequences are sitting in your body as unprocessed emotion, they become part of the cloud of anxiety that makes it harder to fall asleep in the first place. Tapping on the consequences creates a kind of emotional spaciousness around the issue. You are saying: I see what this is costing me, and I am not going to let that awareness add to the problem. You are processing, not suppressing. Like Steps 1 and 2, this belongs in your daytime tapping practice, not your bedtime routine. Step 4: Wordless Tapping in the 90 Minutes Before Bed Wordless tapping is the only tapping I recommend doing close to bedtime. It is the one exception to the daytime rule, and the reason comes down to how tapping interacts with emotional intensity. When you tap on a specific issue, particularly a charged one, the emotional intensity often rises before it resolves. That is a normal and healthy part of the process. But rising emotional intensity right before you try to sleep is counterproductive. You want your nervous system moving toward calm, not activation. Wordless tapping, also called content-free tapping, means moving through the standard acupressure tapping points without focusing on any issue, and without saying any words or phrases. You are not trying to solve anything. You are simply giving your nervous system a gentle, repetitive input that helps it process stress chemistry out of the body. Key insight: "When we tap, we process cortisol, we process adrenaline out of the body." Here is the specific practice I use. Starting 90 minutes before my target bedtime, I set a silent vibrating timer to go off every 15 minutes. When it vibrates, I do 90 seconds of wordless tapping, moving from point to point. That is roughly five or six complete rounds. Then I go back to whatever I was doing until the timer goes off again. By the time I get into bed, my system has had four gentle rounds of cortisol-clearing work over the course of 90 minutes. I am not wired. I have not stirred up anything emotional. I have just been quietly helping my nervous system downshift. For a much deeper look at how and why wordless tapping works, including eight specific contexts where it is especially useful, see Pod #622: Eight ways to use content-free tapping. Why Tapping for Sleep Is Not All-or-Nothing One of the most important mindset shifts in tapping for sleep is letting go of the idea that you need to go from broken to perfect overnight. Sleep improvement works on a spectrum, and every step along that spectrum matters. I know the difference between four hours of sleep and six hours of sleep in my body. I know the difference between restless sleep and genuinely restful sleep. Those differences are not small. An extra two hours of quality sleep changes how I think, how I feel, how I treat the people around me, and what I am capable of doing in a day. If you approach tapping for sleep expecting immediate, total resolution, you will miss the real wins. You will tap for a week, notice you are sleeping slightly better, and decide it is not working. But slightly better sleep, sustained over time, compounds into significantly better health. Start with the four steps above. They will not solve every aspect of your sleep in one go, because everyone's root causes are different. But they will create real, noticeable movement. And when you have a foundation of slightly better sleep, you have more resources to go deeper. For those who want to go significantly deeper, I have a two-hour masterclass that covers tapping for sleep across seven distinct layers. It goes well beyond what a single podcast episode can cover and is designed to help you build a comprehensive tapping practice around your specific sleep patterns. You can find it at tappingqanda.com/sleep. If you are not sure how to identify the emotions involved in your sleep struggles, this episode on tapping when you can't put your finger on exactly what you're feeling is a useful companion. Frequently Asked Questions About Tapping for Sleep Can tapping actually help you fall asleep faster? Yes, tapping can help you fall asleep faster, but not by targeting sleep directly. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) works best for sleep when it addresses the specific emotions, worries, or subconscious patterns that are keeping you awake. Wordless tapping in the hour or two before bed also helps the body clear cortisol and adrenaline, making it physiologically easier to fall asleep. What is wordless tapping and why is it better to use near bedtime? Wordless tapping means moving through the acupressure tapping points without focusing on any specific issue or using any words or phrases. It is better near bedtime because issue-focused tapping can raise emotional intensity before it resolves, which is counterproductive when you are trying to calm your nervous system for sleep. Wordless tapping produces a calming effect without the risk of emotional activation. How long should I tap before bed to improve my sleep? A practical pre-sleep protocol is to tap wordlessly for 90 seconds every 15 minutes during the 90 minutes before bed. That gives you four short sessions of gentle nervous system support without disrupting your evening. Deeper issue-based tapping, which addresses the emotional root causes of your sleep problems, should be done during the day, not close to bedtime. Why do I keep waking up at night even when I fall asleep easily? Waking up during the night is often connected to unresolved stress, worry, or emotional charge that surfaces when your conscious mind quiets down. Tapping during the day on the specific worries or emotions connected to your sleep pattern, including frustration about waking up, is the most effective approach. The tapping is not aimed at the waking itself but at whatever is underneath it. What is secondary gain in the context of sleep problems? Secondary gain refers to the hidden subconscious benefit of staying stuck in a problem. In sleep, it means part of you may be unconsciously avoiding restful sleep because of what sleeping well might lead to, such as higher expectations at work, more demands on your time, or unfamiliar levels of energy and alertness. Tapping on the question "what goes wrong if I sleep well?" can surface and clear these hidden obstacles. How is tapping for sleep different from other sleep techniques like meditation or sleep hygiene? Standard sleep hygiene practices (consistent schedules, limiting screens, cool room temperature) address the environment around sleep. Meditation works with the busy mind. EFT tapping addresses the emotional and subconscious layer: the frustration about not sleeping, the hidden resistance to sleeping well, and the stress chemistry in the body. These approaches are complementary, not competing. Do I need to know exactly why I cannot sleep in order to tap effectively? No. You can tap on the emotions you feel about your sleep problems even if you do not understand their root cause. Starting with "I feel frustrated that I cannot sleep" is enough. Tapping itself often helps clarify what is underneath, and the four-step process in this post is designed to work even before you have full insight into your sleep patterns.
Dr Sarah McKay will tell you that the most common question she hears from women is also the least useful one. What is wrong with my brain? She is an Oxford-educated neuroscientist, founder of Think Brain and The Neuroscience Academy, presenter on ABC Catalyst and the author of The Women’s Brain Book, Baby Brain and Brain Health For Dummies. She has been a neuroscientist since 1993, when she fell in love with the subject in a first year undergraduate lecture, and she has spent the years since translating brain research into something people can actually use. So when Catherine raised the widely repeated idea that the ageing brain shrinks, Sarah did not soften her answer. No, your brain is not shrinking. Some menopause research actually shows grey matter volume increasing across the transition. Other research shows very little change beyond what ageing alone would explain. The volume loss we do see, through adolescence and first pregnancy, is a streamlining and refinement of connections rather than a decline. Sarah is careful to point out that a big part of what she tries to do is counter the assumption that the brain is inherently broken, or inevitably will be. She would rather learn something new about it than berate herself for not knowing it sooner. A map, not a diagnosis What Sarah offers instead is the most useful thing in the conversation, and it asks nobody to become a neuroscientist. Picture your brain inside your body, inside your world, and ask what information it is receiving and making meaning of. That information arrives from three directions. Bottom up is the body talking to the brain: sleep, hormones, stress physiology, inflammation, movement, nutrition, pain and energy. Outside in is the world shaping the brain: relationships, caregiving, work, culture, safety, expectations, social connection and cognitive load. Top down is the mind shaping experience: attention, beliefs, predictions, identity, self-talk and what we think our symptoms mean. Across puberty, cycles, pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause, menopause and ageing, all three are always at work. Which is why Sarah swaps the question. Not what is wrong with my brain, but what is my brain responding to, and which system needs support first? Brain fog is a systems puzzle Applied to brain fog, the map changes everything. Oestrogen helps set the thermostat in your brain, and as it shifts the thermoregulatory zone narrows, so a small rise in body temperature gets read as an emergency. If that happens overnight, sleep architecture fractures. Waking once at 3am is not great. Waking for weeks or months on end is different. As Sarah puts it, it does not take long until you are lying there thinking, I am always awake, and then you will find something to worry about. Tired but wired slides into hypervigilance, and hypervigilance slides into anxiousness, which disrupts sleep further. Alongside that, oestrogen is one regulator of how neurons take up glucose to make energy, so thinking can feel slower and more effortful. Brain networks also become less specialised with age, so reaching a solution takes a little more mental labour. None of it is decline. All of it is a system under load. The input almost nobody counts Then there is the piece that surprised Catherine most. Research shows that a phone face down on the table still drains you, because the effort of not looking at it consumes working memory. Sarah’s own view is that mobile phones have reached a level of salience close to that of a newborn baby. Her solution is refreshingly physical: a small device on her fridge that blocks apps until she walks over and taps her phone against it. Friction, deliberately restored. Why you cannot think your way out Sarah’s most contrarian point is worth sitting with. Knowing how the brain changes does not mean you can think your way into changing it. Using your thoughts to change your thoughts, she says, is the hard way around, and often the road to rumination. Change an input instead. Move your body into a different environment, the way she did in Antarctica, where her anxiety simply faded because life became linear. Sarah leaves the audience with three golden nuggets: What is draining my brain this week? What is nourishing my brain this week? What is one thing I can change? Not a full renovation. One thing. Get it out of your head and onto pen and paper, and Sarah guarantees you will come up with a far more strategic plan, and it will change your brain. Watch the full conversation on YouTube. Find Out More About Dr Sarah McKay Website: https://www.drsarahmckay.com Instagram: @drsarahmckay Facebook: Your Brain Health
Thank you for joining us for our 2nd Cabral HouseCall of the weekend! I'm looking forward to sharing with you some of our community's questions that have come in over the past few weeks… Michelle: Hi Dr. Cabral! Thank you for ALL that you do! During the summer I hardly use my sauna because I'm sweating most days between early morning runs (super humid here), trail maintenance, trail runs, afternoon walks, etc. I'm sure I'm missing out on other benefits of using the sauna, however? Should I still be incorporating a 20-30 minute sauna 4-5 days per week? Jackie: My husband has mcas, and has full body itch/flush triggered by temperature change, loud stimulus and is hyper sensitive to smell/light. We tried histpro and vitamin C and it made his symptoms much worse by day 3 we stopped after day 5 and it took about a week to go back to his baseline. Any thoughts as to what happened? He Wants to do 21 day detox but really struggles to keep weight on as it is staying above 9% bf is a challenge . For context eats auto immune paleo,no alcohol and strength training is light to moderate 4 days /week.for over a decade. If you had to estimate what % of the benefit that comes from a 21 day detox is attributed to the 2 day fast and reduced calories? Trish: Good morning! QQ on women's health post-menopausal. Somewhat intimate question listeners for small children. Your opinion please on using a low dosage of women's estrogen vaginal cream to help keep the vagina tissues from thinning etc.. Thank you in advance. You are an amazing human being and are so appreciated for all you do to help us with longevity and aging gracefully. Richard: Hi Dr. Cabral, my question is on the origins of AYU medicine, I hope thats ok. I have always been fascinated with our ancient history & am wondering which civilization came up with AYU medicine. Was it the Indus Valley Civilization? You mention the system is at least 6k years old but the earliest dates of the IVC I can find are around 3300BC. Its widely accepted that Sumer was the earliest civilization which started around 4000BC but that was in Mesopotamia and not modern day India. The dates don't add up. I believe you 100% I just want to know more info on this & Im wondering if this is a case of manipulating history by the archeology industry. I have listened to podcasts with Graham Hancock & many others talking about our ancient history. They reveal convincing evidence that modern archeology is intentionally covering up certain structures, incorrectly dating them & fabricating info about civilizations. When I tried researching AYU many sources claim that its pseudoscience. Would love to hear your thoughts on all this, the truth about the origins of AYU and in what language were the texts written in 6000 years ago. Thank you!! Erin: Hi! This has been happening randomly for years & no dr has solved it. I go to sleep easily but I will wake up feeling awful & it's usually around 12:30-1am. Armpits sweating, muscles crampy, heart rate is so fast, stomach looks 6 months pregnant. I will eat something, drink and once i can start burping the heart rate slows back down and i start feeling better. I have noticed it happening more when it's really hot and humid out and certain molds are high. I have also noticed it happening when I eat around 1500 calories. I am a female and macros say i should be at 2,000-2200 for my activity level. Would this difference in calories cause this? I am wanting to loose some weight and it has been impossible due to this. My gut says adrenals but why did this start happening? So frustrated Thank you for tuning into this weekend's Cabral HouseCalls and be sure to check back tomorrow for our Mindset & Motivation Monday show to get your week started off right! - - - Show Notes and Resources: StephenCabral.com/3831 - - - Get a FREE Copy of Dr. Cabral's Book: The Rain Barrel Effect - - - Join the Community & Get Your Questions Answered: CabralSupportGroup.com - - - Dr. Cabral's Most Popular At-Home Lab Tests: > Complete Minerals & Metals Test (Test for mineral imbalances & heavy metal toxicity) - - - > Complete Candida, Metabolic & Vitamins Test (Test for 75 biomarkers including yeast & bacterial gut overgrowth, as well as vitamin levels) - - - > Complete Stress, Mood & Metabolism Test (Discover your complete thyroid, adrenal, hormone, vitamin D & insulin levels) - - - > Complete Food Sensitivity Test (Find out your hidden food sensitivities) - - - > Complete Omega-3 & Inflammation Test (Discover your levels of inflammation related to your omega-6 to omega-3 levels) - - - Get Your Question Answered On An Upcoming HouseCall: StephenCabral.com/askcabral - - - Would You Take 30 Seconds To Rate & Review The Cabral Concept? The best way to help me spread our mission of true natural health is to pass on the good word, and I read and appreciate every review!
Luke Tarrant left a great job in finance and walked away from the corporate world, knowing he didn't want to spend his life stuck in an office. He sold everything he owned and spent years riding his motorcycle across the world, chasing the kind of adventure few people ever experience.On a ride through Colombia, everything came to a screeching halt when he was involved in a motorcycle accident that left him fighting for his life. After weeks in a Colombian hospital, Luke ultimately had his leg amputated.Since then, he's grown a massive global social media following by sharing his journey, inspiring millions with his adventures, resilience, and outlook on life.In Chapter 413, Jase and Luke dive into the motorcycle crash that changed everything, the incredible strangers who came together to help save his life, crossing the Darien Gap by boat, ending up at a cartel party in Mexico, learning to walk and ride again with a prosthetic leg, and why he refuses to move on until he returns to Colombia to finish the ride.CHAPTERS:00:00:00 Intro00:03:45 A week together at the Isle of Man TT00:12:41 Cardo Ad00:16:30 The start line, the goodbyes and the cemetery00:20:15 Racing a car at the TT with half a leg00:22:30 Two crashes in one day on the mountain road00:27:27 Back to the start00:29:19 The London School of Economics and the Wolf of Wall Street00:32:02 Walking into his boss's office and quitting00:33:45 Landing in the US with no plan and a Suzuki DR65000:36:00 Buying a house versus buying freedom00:40:30 Ten days in the dirt and how little you need00:44:15 The present self and the remembering self00:48:00 The post that blew up by accident00:52:08 AG1 Ad00:53:06 How he got into motorcycles00:55:30 His dad gets a bike licence and a tattoo01:01:25 The Vietnam tour company that changed both their dads' lives01:04:30 The Ho Chi Minh trail and the bomb craters01:07:48 Venezuela, the caravans and the Darien Gap01:12:49 Selling the American dream01:17:15 Why he would choose Mexico over the US01:20:15 Why it has to be a motorcycle01:25:49 The crash01:29:28 No memory and no vision attached to it01:31:30 Waking up in a different part of Colombia01:33:33 The leg comes off or you die01:34:29 The Instagram story that got him out01:36:00 Sepsis01:41:15 A month of deciding how much more to cut off01:45:05 The air ambulance and the prince's plane01:48:45 Going back to find out what actually happened01:57:48 Motosport Ad01:58:30 Coming home in a wheelchair02:02:59 The night he realised he had become disabled02:07:30 The beach in Mexico02:10:41 The prosthetic, and what is actually left02:14:56 Kurdistan and back in a wheelchair02:18:45 Disabled, and who actually is02:22:30 Jase on the bike he could never have as a kid02:29:15 Half a million followers and the dopamine02:36:45 Losing the warehouse in the fire02:42:04 FIST Ad02:45:00 Why he turns down most brands02:50:56 Mexico, and why he keeps going back02:53:15 The night he followed a stranger to a cartel party03:03:00 Corrupt police and the fake driving licences03:10:25 Devil's breath and getting roofiedSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Hello Beautiful, I'm so grateful you're here with me. Waking in the middle of the night can feel frustrating, but you don't have to struggle your way back to sleep. This guided sleep meditation gently quiets racing thoughts, relaxes your body, and helps you drift back into deep, restorative sleep. Perfect for middle-of-the-night waking, insomnia relief, anxiety, and peaceful rest. Love,
If you're dealing with frequent urination at night, it's probably not linked to prostate or bladder health. Find out how to prevent nighttime urination by addressing the real root cause so you can finally sleep through the night. 0:00 Urinating at night and bladder health0:43 Why do I wake up to pee at night?1:22 Edema and frequent urination at night4:43 Waking up to pee causes5:55 How to prevent nighttime urination
We're dropping into your ears to tell you about Amie's newest adventure, the Finding North Mail Cub. Imagine a series of twelve letters that arrive in your physical mailbox over the course of the year, talking about the same sorts of things we like to chat about on this podcast. Work. Rest. Creativity. Comparison. Filling the well. Celebration. Finding momentum. Waking up your creativity if it's gone to sleep. It's a thoughtful invitation to shut the door on the world, just for a minute, and invest in your creative life. You can read more about it here, and make sure you use the promo code PUBDATES for a special listener discount that will be valid for all of August 2026.
Send us Fan MailYou can show up every single day for ten years and still be lying to yourself about being disciplined. In this episode, we unpack the story most of us have quietly built into our identity: that consistency in one arena means we have the muscle everywhere. Emilia walks through a conversation with a business owner who had opened his doors seven days a week for a decade and could not get himself to the gym once in three months, and what happened when the difference between self-discipline and survival got named out loud.Bianca recorded this one after calling out sick, which turned into the clearest example we could have asked for. We get into non-negotiables and why you have to choose your arenas before you can expand them, the ping-pong between "I am not disciplined at all" and "I am completely disciplined," the shift from being held accountable by the people around you to doing it when nobody would ever know, and the neuroscience underneath it all. Plus the reframe that changes the whole thing: discipline is not suffering, it is being the butler to your future self. Start where you are.Here's a related episode that builds on today's conversation: #458 | How To Connect To Your True Self - https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/evolve-ventures/id1511831621?i=1000739645300Learn more about:
Four years, 210 episodes, two more babies, one podcast rebrand, and countless conversations that have changed the way I understand myself, my work, and the world around me. In this four-year anniversary episode of Wild & Waking, I'm looking back at the podcast journey that began with Gather in Growth (back when recording my first episodes felt like standing naked on a street corner) and reflecting on what became possible because I was willing to do it scared.As I scroll through four years of episodes, I can see my personal growth and identity evolution unfolding in real time: confronting my addiction to achievement and approval, returning to therapy, navigating entrepreneurship and motherhood, moving through two unexpected pregnancies, deconstructing inherited beliefs, reclaiming my spirituality, rebuilding self-trust, and becoming increasingly willing to ask bigger, braver questions. Some things have changed completely. Yet, the desire to gather women around honest conversations about growth, identity, purpose, and possibility has remained at the heart of this work from the very beginning.I also reflect on the power of curiosity, consistency, community, and shared women's wisdom. This podcast has never been about pretending I have everything figured out; it has been a place for us to explore personal development, healing, spirituality, social conditioning, and what it means to create an authentic life together. Through conversations with women around the world, we've found language for experiences we thought we were alone in, encountered ideas our families and communities may never have introduced us to, and given ourselves permission to decide what resonates, what doesn't, and what we want to explore next.More than anything, this episode is an invitation to measure backward and recognize just how much can change in four years. Whatever is calling you… a creative dream, a business, healing, motherhood, deeper relationships, or an entirely new way of seeing yourself… let this be evidence of what can grow when you start before you feel ready, show up imperfectly, and give yourself permission to evolve along the way.In this episode, I explore:Four years, 210 episodes, two more babies, and the evolution from Gather in Growth to Wild & WakingWhat becomes possible when you start before you feel ready, do it scared, and continue showing up imperfectlyLooking back at personal growth, identity evolution, motherhood, entrepreneurship, therapy, spiritual deconstruction, and rebuilding self-trustThe surprising difference between what has completely transformed and what has remained true from the very beginningWhy curiosity has been one of the most powerful catalysts for healing, awakening, and changeCreating a podcast rooted in exploration and honest conversation rather than pretending to have all the answersThe transformative power of women sharing lived wisdom, language, ideas, and experiences with one anotherHow community and meaningful conversations remind us that we aren't as alone as we believeConsistency, courage, and the willingness to let your message evolve alongside youMeasuring backward, recognizing how far you've come, and remembering just how much can change in four yearsGiving yourself permission to begin, build slowly, and become someone you cannot yet fully imagineBe sure to hit subscribe so you never miss the latest episode!Connect with Emily:Website: www.EmilyReuschel.comInstagram: @emilyreuschelFacebook: Emily ReuschelLinkedIn: Emily ReuschelJoin my Book Insiders List: Sign up here!Resources and Links:Episode 001│Do It ScaredSign up here to get the inside scoop to my book writing journey!Book me as a speaker for your next event - email inquiries to emilyreuschel@gmail.com or schedule a call hereWild & Waking – Produced by Jill Carr Podcasting | Learn More
There are moments when the body sleeps, but the mind remains awake. A room becomes unfamiliar. A presence gathers in the dark. And something unseen waits at the edge of waking.In this deeply personal account, Ashleigh shares a lifetime of night-time experiences shaped by sleep paralysis, grief, strange intuition, and encounters that seem to blur the boundary between dream and reality.From a childhood episode marked by the smell of brandy and a devastating phone call the next morning, to military accommodation built on the site of an old priory, this story moves through fear, protection, and the lingering sense that some places — and some people — may be watched over. Alongside Ashleigh's own experiences, Jake's unsettling childhood encounters, shared sensations, and the recurring figure of the Man in the Hat deepen the mystery.This is not presented as proof, but as lived experience: a story of shadow figures, guardian presences, grief, messages from beyond, and the uneasy question of what may be waiting for us between sleep and waking.Enjoyed the episode? Subscribe, leave us a rating, and drop a review. It really helps the show reach more listeners. Here's where to find more:Support the show: Patreon (patreon.com/hauntedukpodcast) | Ko-fi (ko-fi.com/hauntedukpodcast)Follow us: Instagram @hauntedukpodcast | TikTok @hauntedukpodcast | X @hauntedukpodWebsite: https://hauntedukpodcast.com/Produced by Pink Flamingo Sound Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Today is my dog Bear's third birthday, and sitting here scrolling through photos made me realize how much a three-year-old Australian shepherd has taught me about living at full capacity. The lessons he models every single day, without thinking about it, are things most of us struggle to apply even when we know better. I break down four specific behaviors Bear lives by that, if you adopted them, would change how you start your mornings, how you focus your energy, and how you show up for the people who matter most. This one is personal, but the lessons hit hard. Key Takeaways Every morning is a genuinely new day. Waking up with the expectation that today is your day attracts opportunity and conditions your mind to spot what is going right. You have to hit the ground running. Decision-making energy is finite, and the early part of your day is when you are at your sharpest. Protect that window. Full immersion beats multitasking every time. Pouring everything into the task in front of you produces higher quality results and fewer regrets. Presence is a form of love. Whether you are in a meeting, on a hike, or at dinner, being completely there is one of the most powerful things you can offer. Show genuine excitement for the people you care about. Letting someone know their presence lights you up costs nothing and means everything. Action Steps Set a morning intention before you look at your phone. Say out loud that today is your day and identify one thing you will accomplish before 8 a.m. For the next seven days, pick one task or one conversation per day and commit to zero distractions until it is finished. No switching, no half-effort. The next time someone you care about walks through the door, greet them like it matters. Put the phone down, make eye contact, and let them feel it. Notable Quote You gotta be great by eight. Because after 8 a.m., there's no telling where the day's gonna go, but that time before is for me.
Waking up to the toxic load built into lives we were told are common, safe, and totally normal can feel frightening. Everyday microplastics, seed oils, and even toxic people quietly drain your energy. Learn the small changes that protect your peace and health. What I've learned in 20 years is that a good life is rarely built in one dramatic overhaul. It grows through small, deliberate acts of self-respect. When perfectionism takes the wheel, we freeze or burn out. Channel that fear into grounded action, trust your own authority, and make one cleaner choice today. Resources: - Work with Me 1:1: https://www.EmotionalBadass.com/coaching - 30 Days to Peace Course: https://www.EmotionalBadass.com/peace CODE: BADASS for 30% Off - Intro To Boundaries https://www.EmotionalBadass.com/intro - The Yearly Boundaries Intensive https://www.EmotionalBadass.com/Boundaries - Mapping your Recovery from Narcissistic Abuse Workshop https://www.EmotionalBadass.com/workshops CODE: BADASS for 30% Off - Get the Patternscapes Wellness Deck https://www.getpatternscapes.com - Join the Patreon Community: https://www.patreon.com/emotionalbadass - Download the FREE Morning Routine PDF https://www.emotionalbadass.com/morning - Join our newsletter https://www.emotionalbadass.com/newsletter - Check out our Guided Meditations https://www.emotionalbadass.com/store/meditations Follow us on Social Media: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/emotionalbadass IG: https://www.instagram.com/emotional.badass FB: https://www.facebook.com/emotionalbadass TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@emotionalbadass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Trigger warning: This episode contains references to drunk driving, DWIs, and thoughts of not wanting to live. Zita was in her kitchen in 2017, working up the nerve for a hard conversation with her boyfriend, when the thought arrived: "You know what would make this easier?" She took a shot to self-soothe before the conversation, and it worked so well that her brain filed alcohol away as the answer to hard moments from then on. She's a registered nurse in her mid-30s who felt nothing when she watched other people drink, all the way through nursing school, with no reason to think that thought would change anything. It did. Three years and several DWIs later, one blacked-out night finally made her stop and ask what she was doing. Now approaching five years alcohol-free, she shares her story. Zita and Coach Cole discuss: How one shot before a hard conversation taught her brain a lesson it never unlearned Why year two brought DWIs and car accidents, then a family intervention she wasn't ready to hear The hiding stage, and what it costs to act unaffected while drunk around people who love you Waking up unable to remember the night she drove food to her sick brother Why she never missed a nursing shift while everything else came apart The promise to her mom she couldn't keep, and what that finally broke open How one addiction specialist's number, 90 days, became the only thing she could hold onto And more on faith, filling her own cup, and what it really means to find your own path to alcohol freedom… Ready to take the next step? Visit https://learn.thisnakedmind.com/podcast-resources for free resources, programs, and more. Until next week, stay curious! Episode links: thisnakedmind.com/book More on this episode: https://thisnakedmind.com/podcast/using-alcohol-to-self-soothe-zita-naked-life-ep-926/ Related episodes: Naked Life Story | Simone | EP 207 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-207-naked-life-story-simone/ How Do You Deal With Stress Without Alcohol? | Reader Question | EP 158 - https://thisnakedmind.com/ep-158-how-do-you-deal-with-stress-without-alcohol/ When Alcohol Is The Only Coping Tool You Know | Alcohol Freedom Coaching | EP 917 - https://thisnakedmind.com/how-to-stop-using-alcohol-to-cope-alcohol-freedom-coaching-ep-917/ Follow on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-naked-mind-podcast/id1287269357 Follow on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0UB06sNguPjVvgAYFBcR9I?si=b7568f24c21249ff
You think some people are just born without fear, but my guest Koa Smith has spent 15 years paddling into waves big enough to kill him, and he'll tell you the opposite: fear never leaves, the whole game is what you do when it shows up. After a reef injury knocked him unconscious underwater and left him eight months numb, depressed, and unable to get a straight answer from a doctor, he clawed his way back with forest time, breathwork, meditation, clean food, and real sleep instead of a prescription. This isn't really a surfing video, it's about the same fear that keeps you from a hard conversation, a new business, or a decision you've been avoiding, and how getting clear lets you finally see through it. CLICK HERE TO BECOME GARY'S VIP!: https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg Connect with Koa Smith Website: https://bit.ly/4pwKtZ0 YouTube: https://bit.ly/4gJxZLf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RoFYTt Facebook: https://bit.ly/3TJhk0C TikTok: https://bit.ly/45eUzUQ Thank you to our partners A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: http://bit.ly/4kek1ij AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD AIRES: "ULTIMATE20 " FOR 20% OFF: https://bit.ly/4a3Duze BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp CYMBIOTIKA: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4tjyluP GENETIC METHYLATION TEST (UK ONLY): https://bit.ly/48QJJrk GENETIC TEST (USA ONLY): https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9 GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: https://bit.ly/4obIFDC H2TAB: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: https://bit.ly/41HJg6S PEPTUAL: “TUH10” FOR 10% OFF: https://bit.ly/4mKxgcn SNOOZE: LET'S GET TO SLEEP!: https://bit.ly/4pt1T6V WHOOP: JOIN & GET 1 FREE MONTH!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Podcasts: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8foX: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Merch: https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1 Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47ejrws Ask Gary: https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG Timestamps 00:00 - Intro of Show 01:16 - Meet Koa Smith: surfer and abundance advocate 03:44 - Learning to manage the fear of the ocean 06:23 - Feeling good as the key to seeing through fear 07:33 - Wim Hof breathing, ice baths, and the early days 08:51 - Transcendental and Joe Dispenza meditation 10:02 - What meditation actually is (and busy minds) 11:57 - Surfacing buried memories and energetic blockages 13:45 - Learning to hear your own voice 16:37 - The traumatic brain injury on the reef 17:15 - Waking up underwater to violin music 21:07 - Depression, double vision, and numbness set in 22:23 - Doctors refuse the brain scan 23:18 - Forest bathing as the number one tool 25:00 - Slippery thoughts and the darkest moment 26:16 - Antidepressants vs. his gut instinct 27:06 - Fantastic Fungi and the mushroom decision 33:00 - The forest experience and its instructions 37:17 - The reset that healed the injury 46:26 - Why meditation beats going deeper too often 48:01 - Pear-xanthine and getting off stimulants 52:16 - Building the cafe and drink brands 56:32 - Where to find Koa 58:03 - What it means to be an ultimate human Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is not intended for diagnosing or treating any health condition. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making health or wellness decisions. Gary Brecka is the owner of Ultimate Human, LLC which operates The Ultimate Human podcast and promotes certain third-party products used by Gary Brecka in his personal health and wellness protocols and daily life and for which Ultimate Human LLC and / or Gary Brecka directly or indirectly holds an economic interest or receives compensation. Accordingly, statements made by Gary Brecka and others (including on The Ultimate Human podcast) may be considered promotional in nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Waking up in a recovery room twelve hours after a surgery that was supposed to take six to eight, with a foggy brain and a numb body and the immediate awareness that something must have gone wrong — and then, without any effort at all, these words scrolling like closed captions across the mind: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. It was not a verse summoned by discipline or recalled through effort. It arrived on its own, precisely when it was needed most. That moment is the beating heart of this episode. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the most familiar verses in Scripture, and perhaps because of that familiarity, we sometimes read past the phrase that matters most in the hardest moments: not to harm you. It is the harm we fear most — the downfall, the destruction, the decimation of our hopes and health and relationships. And while we are not promised immunity from hardship in a fallen world where the enemy still schemes, God's goodness and His plans always override whatever harm is plotted against us. The surgery did go wrong. Blood pressure tanked. Recovery stretched into weeks of unexpected dips and twists. And through all of it, the promise held: no matter what life looked like in the moment, God's plan was never to harm, and His good future would always prevail. Today's Bible Verse "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."— Jeremiah 29:11, NIV Ponder Today The phrase "not to harm you" is worth sitting with in seasons of fear. When the familiar verse loses its power because it has been recited too many times, sometimes a single phrase within it can speak with fresh and specific force exactly when we need it most. God's plan prevails over whatever the enemy schemes. We live in a fallen world where hardship is real and the enemy still plots against us. But God's goodness and His purposes override any harm that is intended for us. He always wins. A good future is still God's plan, no matter what your current path looks like. Rocky seasons, unexpected complications, and frightening detours do not cancel what God has declared. His plans to prosper you and give you hope remain in force through all of it. A Prayer for You Today Lord God, Your plan is never to harm or hurt me, yet so often I feel this very fear. I want to believe with all my heart the truth that no matter where I wind up or what rocky path I find myself on, You still have good plans. Though the enemy intends to harm me, You intend to help me and lead me to a beautiful future full of Your goodness, protection, peace, and loving presence. I praise You that Your plan is the one that prevails, and that it is so, so good. In Jesus' name, Amen. Don't Miss an Episode If today's prayer grounded your heart in the truth that God's plans for you are good, we'd love to stay connected. Subscribe to the LifeAudio newsletter at LifeAudio.com for daily prayers, devotionals, and more content to keep you anchored in God's promises through every twist and turn of life. If you like this podcast, be sure to check out our sister podcast, Your Nightly Prayer - an evening Christian prayer podcast to help you end your day in conversation with God. https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
David Capablanca pursued architecture for a decade, culminating in studying under a Pritzker Prize winner at UCLA, before a life threatening brain tumor, massive medical debt, and student loans forced him to completely reevaluate his life.After starting from rock bottom and carrying the weight of massive debt, David developed an all-consuming, "burn the boats" pursuit of trading mastery that saw him sleeping in his office, living out of his car, and showering on Skid Row just to trade the 4 AM pre-market session. Today, his edge is built on rigorous fundamental deep dives, forensic research into small cap pump and dump schemes, and a strict risk management framework designed to survive predatory market algorithms.In this conversation, David pulls back the curtain on his grueling journey from rock bottom to short selling master, detailing how he reverse-engineered the strategies of market manipulators. He breaks down the anatomy of modern short squeezes, his absolute checklist for avoidable stocks, and why protecting your capital to survive the learning curve is the ultimate rule. In this episode, we explore:· Surviving rock bottom, sleeping in a WeWork desk, and showering on Skid Row during Covid· Waking up from a coma: The life-threatening surgery that gave David the "gift of urgency"· How the Covid biotech mania changed his account forever· Going undercover in Colombia: Inside David's high-stakes investigation of a cannabis pump and dump· Why David completely avoids trading Chinese and Singaporean small-caps· The reality of Wall Street favoritism and the mechanics behind requesting a "trade bust"· Analyzing early $60,000 losses About David Capablanca:David is an accomplished short seller, author, educator, podcast host, and founder of Friendly Bear University. Over a trading career shaped by intense study, he has built a verified seven-figure track record with a remarkable ninety percent win ratio. He has trained countless developing day traders, expanding his educational insights globally while championing an autodidact, highly disciplined framework to achieve true financial independence. Links + Resources: Upcoming Conference (October 12th): https://www.friendlybearuniversity.com/conference (Chat With Traders Team and Host Kevin Avery will be there live to co-host the forum!) Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidCapablancaTrades X (Twitter): https://x.com/reverselong Instagram: https://instagram.com/reverselong Facebook: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=772328557 Website: https://www.friendlybearuniversity.com Pre-Order Short Selling Master Book: https://harriman-house.com/authors/david-capablanca/short-selling-master/9781804093290 Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:Trade The Pool: http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps:Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00 The Journey From Skid Row Showers to Short Selling Master05:14 Isolating from society to build an entrepreneurial identity11:05 Betting on Yourself Leaving Architecture15:02 Pattern recognition and risk management19:18 Waking up from a coma25:04 Selling the car, quitting alcohol, and sleeping on a shared office floor30:04 Trading the Covid biotech bubble34:13 Traveling to the Colombian jungle to verify a stock scam38:16 The moment David's spy-pen cover was blown by the cartel44:45 Why David completely bans Chinese stocks from his Trading50:24 How predatory algorithms map locate data to trap shorts55:04 Inside the New York Stock Exchange01:00:09 "Trade Bust" and the reality of Wall Street favoritism01:04:00 Reviewing early painful losses: The $60k loss01:09:04 Insider liquidity of after-hours news01:12:51 David's biggest winner01:17:57 The finish line of excellence01:20:12 Final piece of advice01:20:43 Where to Get The Short Selling Master Book Trading Disclaimer:Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices