Podcast 328: Meditation the Complete Guide with Patricia Monaghan

Patricia MonaghanIf you are looking for a comprehensive guide to mediation then you might want to check out “Meditation the Complete Guide” by author Patricia Monaghan.  In my recent interview with Patricia we discuss the techniques that she and her co-author Eleanor Viereck have provided for the readers both from East and West to calm the mind, heal the body and enrich the spirit.

Meditation the Complete Guide covers indigenous traditions, yoga, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and other modern forms and mixed practices.  This guide book truly is for the person who wants to explore the options and learn more about the practices.  As the authors articulate in the book, meditation means many things to many people.  To some, it means simple relaxation.  To others, it means a deep blissful surrender to the diving.  It can be the rigorous following of a prescribed path or the exploring of a method unique to the individual meditator.

Knowing that no one meditation technique is right for everyone, and that one’s goal for meditation can change over time the authors wrote this guidebook to help readers understand their options. Meditation can be approached in three major ways: medical, martial, and spiritual and this guidebook deals with each of them in turn.

The medial approach to meditation includes all healing, therapy, wellness, and health maintenance goals. The martial approach to meditation is geared to the enhancement of performance.  This includes by is not limited to sports. Sports psychologists us imagery and relaxation techniques in training programs for all kinds of athletes.

The third approach to meditation is spiritual.  Spirituality is aliveness, according to Joseph Campbell, the foremost interpreter of myth of our time.  Spirituality may include religion but is not limited to the world’s religious traditions.  The goal of mediation, like that of may spiritual traditions, is to create a balance among the mind, the heart, and the body–or between the body and the soul.

 

Whatever your reasons for meditation, “Meditation the Complete Guide” with author Patricia Monaghan is an excellent reference book.  If you want to learn more about the practices of meditation please click here to be directed to Patricia’s website.  Enjoy this great interview with author Patricia Monaghan.

Podcast 319: Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain with John Ratey, MD

John Ratey MDI know that their has been lots of talk recently about our brain health.  Recently I had the honor of doing a podcast with John Ratey MD, the author of a book entitled ” Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.” In our interview together we discuss the many benefits and correlations to exercise and our brain health.

I know that many of us do not think about the “brain muscle” when we are doing our exercise programs, but the fact of the matter is that our exercise program has as much importance to keeping our brains sharp and clear as it does on building the other muscles in our body.

In a landmark study, aerobic exercise was shown to be as effective as antidepressants.  That women who exercise lower their chances of developing dementia by 50%.  Exercise even sparks new brain-cell growth, and it happens on three levels. First, it optimizes your mind-set to improve alertness, attention, and motivation; second, it prepares and encourages nerve cells to bind to one another, which is the cellular basis for logging in new information, and third, it spurs the development of new nerve cells from stem cells in the hippocampus.  The evidence is incontrovertible: aerobic exercise physically transforms our brains for peak performance.

The world seems to be getting more and more stressful these days, and the correlation between exercise and stress reduction is not big news to anyone.  But the importance that the exercise plays in improving our brain function is big news!!!.  The face that we’re much less active than our ancestors only exacerbates matters.  Just keep in mind that the more stress you have, the more your body needs to move to keep your brain running smoothly.

The next time you exercise, or more importantly decide to skip exercising think again.  Your brain really needs you to put in extra hours on the treadmill or biking to perform at peak levels.  If you want to learn more about exercise and your brain you can visit John Ratey’s website by clicking here.  There are many articles and references that I know you will find of value.

I hope you enjoy listening to my interview with author John Ratey MD about ” Spark, The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.”

Podcast 310: Aware, Awake, Alive with Dr. Elliot Dacher

Elloitt Dacher MDDr. Elliott Dacher has been a guest at Inside Personal Growth previously.  I am honored to bring him back again to speak with us about his new book entitled ” Aware, Awake, Alive-A Contemporary Guide to the Ancient Science of Integral Health and Human Flourishing“.  Prior to his deep work in the Indian modalities of health and healing, Dr. Dacher practiced Western medicine for over 21 years seeing over 50,000 patients. Over this period of time, Dr. Dacher was finding that for many of his patients that the conventional ways of Western medicine were not have a lasting and sustainable healing impact that he would have liked to have had.

Through a series of serendipitous events Dr. Dacher ended up spending over 12 years going back and forth between the US and India studying the aspects of healing and what is termed in the book as “Human Flourishing”.   As Dr. Dasher state in the book ” to flourish is to move beyond the stress, dissatisfaction, and suffering that too often limits and diminishes our lives, and reclaim the profound well-being which resides at the center of our being.  That is our vision, a vision of human flourishing.

Even though each of our lives has an inner and outer aspect, they are usually unequally developed.  In modern times our focus has been on the outer aspects.  We have mastered an understanding of biology.  We know how to enhance our physical well-being, address physiological disturbances, reduce biological risk factors and promote high levels of physical wellness.  As mythologist Joseph Campbell reminds us, “where there was once darkness there is now light”.  We once knew very little about our biology, and now we know a great deal. But he also reminds us that, ” Were there was once light there is now darkness” There was a time we had a profound understanding of our inner life.  We could describe and traverse, as Plato did, the full development of consciousness from darkness to light, from confusion to wisdom. But in modern times that is no longer the case.  We have mastery of the outer world but we have simultaneously lost touch with our inner life.  It has become a buried and unseen treasure.

In Elliot’s book ” Aware, Awake, Alive” he provides the reader with a course of practice and study that is 10 weeks in length, along with more advanced material for those who master the basics and want to continue on.  This book and workbook provides the student with a complete overview of the journey to human flourishing—vision, path, fruition, and integration.   It also includes a CD to help the reader/student establish a stable and effective daily practice.

If you ready to transform your life completely, and have health, happiness and lasting bliss then you just might want to consider reading and studying the content of ” Aware, Awake, Alive” by Dr. Elliott Dacher.
I know you will enjoy this enlightening interview with someone who has devoted their life to helping us understand the miracles of how doing the deep inner work will assist in healing our bodies.  If you want to learn more about Dr. Dacher and his course please click here to be directed to his website.

Podcast 304: Embrace, Release, Heal: An Empowering Guide to Talking about, Thinking about, and Treating Cancer with Leigh Fortson

Inside Personal Growth with Greg Voisen · Podcast 304: Embrace, Release, Heal: An Empowering Guide to Treating Cancer w/ Leigh Fortson I recently had the

Podcast 302: The Bowl of Light: Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman with Hank Wesselman

Hank WesselmanI had the pleasure of interviewing author Hank Wesselman about his new Sound True book entitled ” The Bowl of Light“.  I must admit that Hank is a very interesting and well versed author on the aspects of Hawaiian Shamanism.  In my interview with Hank we discuss the development and long standing friendship with his Hawaiian mentor Hale Makua.  Hale Makua taught Hank over the years a number of spiritual insights that author Wesselman articulates in the “Bowl of Light“.

Hale Makua was a revered Hawaiian elder who brought forth from his ancestors many beautiful and powerful teaching to inspire and guide Hank to remember his spiritual gifts and provided him with an enhanced way of being. The Bowl of Light is filled with much of the wonderful wisdom that Makua had to share and now through the authors intimate and evocative sharing of his encounters with this great man, these teaching are available to those who did not have the pleasure of meeting Makua. Your heart will be warmed by the loving and supportive relationship that developed between them.

In my interview with author Hank Wesselman we discuss what Hale Makua revealed to him including how we can restore our natural diving radiance, referred to as the Bowl of Light.  We also discuss the three directives of the spiritual warrior–love with humility, live with reverence, and know with self-discipline.  This is a wonderful story that not only captivates the reader, but provides insightful wisdom on the spiritual teaching and practices of the ancient Hawaiian practices of Shamanism.
I hope you enjoy this wonderful interview with author Hank Wesselman.  I you want to learn more Hank has a wonderful website filled with references, blog entries and audio recordings–please click here.  I encourage you to visit Hank’s website and learn more about his encounter and long standing friendship with mentor and master spiritual teacher Hale Makua.

Podcast 301: ChiWalking with Danny Dreyer

Danny DreyerIt was a pleasure interviewing Danny Dreyer the Founder of ChiLiving about his new audio program through Sounds True entitled “Chi Walking“.  Danny Dreyer is a waking and running coach and is nationally ranked ultramarathoner runner.  He is a student of renowned t’chi master George Xu and coauthor(with Katherine Dreyer) the books ChiWalking and Chi Running.

In my interview with Danny we discuss the benefits of Chi Walking.  I know that lots of people are attempting to find ways to become more peaceful, centered and clear their minds from all of the chatter as well as become more healthy.  What I learned during my interview with Danny is that Chi Walking which I bet many of my listeners have not been exposed to is a way to accomplish the peace and inner harmony while at the same time obtaining a great workout.

As Danny states walking is one of the most beneficial forms of exercise on the planet. In his audio program Danny teaches you how to take this routine activity to a whole new level and turn it into a deeply rewarding experience for the mind, body and spirit. The secret to this program is in what Danny refers to as “The Five Mindful Steps” which help you increase awareness using the energetic movement principles of t’ ai chi.  Drawing on the concepts of the program that have helped thousands around the globe walk more efficiently, get into great shape, clear the mind and tap into a deeper source of well-being.

I know that you will enjoy learning more about this wonderful program.  If you are looking for a way to combine the art of t’ai chi with the movement of walking, then you have come to the right place. Chi Walking just might be the next form of movement and focused breathing that helps you release stress and obtain a wonderful workout without the pounding to the legs and feet.  If you would like to learn more about Chi Walking and Chi Running please click here to be directed to Danny’s website.
I hope you enjoy this interview with one of the forerunners in the art of art of Chi Walking. If you would like to obtain a copy of Danny’s CD’s please click here to be directed to the Sounds True website for ordering.

Podcast 300: Energy Healing for Beginners with Ann Marie Chiasson

Ann Marie ChiassonIt was a pleasure interviewing Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson recently about her new Sounds True program entitled “Energy Healing for Beginners“.   I thoroughly enjoyed about my interview with Ann Marie and was especially touched by the sincere way that she approaches “energy healing”. You can intuit from the beginning of our interview that she is authentic and really passionate about her work.

Her course which consists of 5 CD’s, DVD, 25 reference cards and a 107 page workbook is designed to teach you how to use movement, awareness, breath, and your hands to sense and shift energy in your body for specific results.  Ann Marie presents practices based on energy techniques that she learned from healers and teachers of energy medicine over the last eighteen years, and from a deeply personal exploration of her body as a patient, healer, and physician.

Energy medicine as Ann Marie describes in the workbook is based on the concept that ” in addition to a system of physical and chemical processes, the human being is made up of a complex system of energy.”  This underlying energy field, also called the subtle body, is housed within the physical body and extends beyond it.  She uses the analogy of a garden, where the health of the soil effect how a plant grows and flowers.  If the soil is nutrient depleted, the plant grows poorly.  Likewise, if the energy body is not balanced and the energy does not flow or move in it natural state the physical body is affected and can begin to function improperly.
Ann Marie provides the reader, listener and viewer of her program with wonderful instructions on how to learn and practice energy work on their own.  Her series of CD’s, DVD, and instructional workbook are a wonderful way to start down a path and explore techniques to heal and support harmony and balance in your body.  During our interview together she explored and tested with me a couple of techniques that I was not aware of–they were amazing in moving my blocked energy.

I highly recommend that you listen too, read and practice with Ann Marie and her new series ” Energy Healing for Beginners.  Enjoy my interview with a wonderful healer and beautiful soul, Dr. Ann Marie Chiasson.

If you would like more information on Dr. Chiasson just click here to be directed to her website.

Podcast 298: Thrive Foods: 200 Plant Based Recipes for Peak Health with Brendan Brazier

Brendan BrazierThis is my second interview with author Brendan Brazier.  Every time I interview Brendan I continue to learn more about nutrition and the important role is plays not only in our health, but in how the foods we eat impact our environment.

In Brendan’s new book “Thrive Foods: 200 Plant Based Recipes for Peak Health” Brendan lays out the importance of a plant based diet, and gives the reader great recipes that are nutrient-dense and which have a very low impact on our overall environment.  In my interview with Brendan we speak about what he calls “Nutrient-to-Resource Ratio”.  Brendan refers to this ratio as a proactive form of health insurance and environmental preservation rolled into one.  This ratio reveals the extensive amount of arable land, water, and fossil fuel consumed to produce food, as well as taking into consideration carbon emissions created.

Brendan states that the average American could have a greater impact on the on the environment by switching to the eating suggestions in the book.  That is one person swapped out a Standard American breakfast for a plant-based, nutrient-dense whole food smoothie for one year, it would conserve the same amount of C02 emissions as created by driving a mid-size car from Vancouver to Tijuana, Mexico.  If everyone stopped eating factory farmed beef for one year, it would conserve the equivalent of c02 emissions as over 2 trillion miles being driven in a mid-size car.

Needless to say if we as consumers would think about our choices in food consumption we could have a significant impact on the worlds environment.  A diet based in nutrient-dense, plant based foods not only improves our health but it has a positive impact on our environment.
Brendan’s book is loaded with great recipes that are good and easy to make.  So if you want to improve your diet, loose weight, and help the environment then I highly recommend that you get a copy of Brendan’s new book.  If you would like to learn more about Brendan Brazier please click here to be directed to his website.  He also has a company called Vega that produces plant based products, you can learn more about Vega by clicking here.

Enjoy this great interview with truly a man on a mission to save our environment, as well as increase the life span of millions of people.