Podcast 632: Momentum Dash with Levi Bucsis

I was recently was told about a Chrome extension called Momentum Dash from my good friend Lee Regan.  I don’t usually review software, but this particular software caught my attention–so much so that I reached out to the founder  Levi Bucsis and requested that we do a podcast.

If you’re like me you have lots to do and very little time to complete your work in.  Your days are filled with various projects and you are juggling between tasks.  Does this sound like any of you?

At this point, I hope I have your attention because Momentum Dash works incredibly well at increasing your focus and the outcome is improved productivity.  Levi Bucsis and his amazing software development team have created an awesome Chrome extension piece of software that it makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs–you have to get this extension software now!!!    

So what are the features, beautiful pictures of nature to look at and ponder which will take you to a meditative state of being–not doing.  This particular feature forces me to slow down and ponder, reflect and thus makes my next though that much more poignant.  It has an API to the to-do list I subscribe to which is Todoist.  I can turn it on and off at will, and add to the list when I have another to-do–the key is being able to hide it and only look at the prompts when I am ready.

Momentum Dash Podcast clock Momentum Dash Podcast percent Momentum Gift Page

The software prompts you for your daily focus for the day, and there is a countdown timer and clock if you choose to use it. It also has awesome quotes that change daily, and these quotes seem to really make a connection for me.  All the features can be turned on or off dependent on your particular workflow.

This is must try software, you can download the free version of the extension by clicking here, or you can subscribe for $29.95 and get all the features and options.

I hope you enjoy my wonderful interview with a very creative software engineer and student of psychology, Levi Bucsis.

 

 

Podcast 573: Start Here: Master the Lifelong Habit of Wellbeing with Nate Klemp

Once in awhile you run across a book that can change the course of your life, and “Start Here” certainly has the ability to do just that.

I recently had the honor of interviewing Nate Klemp, PhD the co-author of a new book entitled “Start Here” and we had a lively discussion about the book and the practices that are incorporated into the book and hopefully become part of the readers daily routine.

We start our interview off by discussing the “happiness set point”, yes we all have one and we have the opportunity to re-set our happiness set point as Nate explains in our interview.  The key to resetting our set point is understanding the three set point forces.  The first one is “judgement” and is the mind’s tendency to divide the inner and outer world into categories–good/bad, right/wrong, like/dislike.  The second one is “attachement“. Is it the mind’s tendency to approach or cling to pleasurable thoughts, beliefs, or sensations.  And the third is “resistance“.  This is the mind’s tendency to fight or flee from painful sensations, experiences, or situations.   These three set point forces can certainly be monitored, managed and can have an amazing effect on your level of happiness.

The foundation of well being revolves around three stages, train, be and do.  These three stages make up the foundation of the Life-XT program that is outlined in “Start Here”.  The training stage consists of meditation, movement and inquiry. The “Be” stage consists of presence, gratitude and compassion; and the “Do” stage consists of engagement, relationship, and contribution.  While these words don’t do justice to explaining the entire Life-XT program it does provide you with the elements included in the program.  If you want to learn more please click here to be directed to the website for Life-XT.  You can also click here to be directed to the Facebook page for the book.

I hope you enjoy this great interview with author Nate Klemp, PhD about his new book “Start Here-A Groundbreaking Science-Based Program for Emotional Fitness.”

Podcast 566: Clearing Emotional Clutter with Donald Altman

There is no doubt that the emotional clutter that we hang on to takes it’s toll on us physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.  I recently interviewed Donald Altman the author of a new book entitled ” Clearing Emotional Clutter-Mindfulness Practices for Letting Go of What’s Blocking Your Fulfillment and Transformation, and we discussed how emotional clutter affects or habits and behaviors negatively.

Donald presents mindfulness practices that are designed to allow us to clear the clutter by managing our brains which he asserts everyone of us can do.  He calls it a mindful lifestyle reboot which is centered around six clutter clearing skills which are assessed through the acronym PAIR UP: Present Moment Participation, Attuned Acceptance, Intentionality, Reflection, Understanding of Suffering and Purposeful Partnership.

Donald show the readers throughout the book how to use these skills to become more centered and to live in the moment.  If you would like to dissolve your personal emotional clutter and live a life that is more fulfilled and purposeful then you just might want to pay attention to what Donald is prescribing in “Clearing Emotional Clutter“.

To connect with the author or find out more about the book please click here to be directed to the author’s website.  I hope you enjoy this interview with author Donald Altman about Emotional Clutter.

 

Podcast 522: The OM Factor A Woman’s Spiritual Guide to Leadership with Alka Dhillon

This is not just another interview with an author about meditation. Alka Dhillon has a very interesting personal story with purpose and meaning  behind her book “The OM Factor”

Alka ” provides the reader with practical advice about how to lead a life of fulfillment, joy and success.  She provides what she refers to as seven practical steps to healing the wound and getting your two extra arms.  While these steps are focused on meditation, she has added an all important step around “judgement”.  It is something that almost all of us do, not only focused on others but self judgement and unless we can forgive ourselves and others our world becomes a miserable place to live in.

We all hear the word “stress” and know that we are surrounded by circumstances and events that we can cause us high levels of stress.  The bigger question is how do we reprogram our brains to act instead of react to the “stressor”.  The OM Factor guides the reader through examples and stories from being anxious to feeling anger or resentment to almost everything in between in an effort to show and instruct the reader on how to overcome the stress.  Alka does a wonderful job of giving the reader practical advice with techniques that will ease or even potentially eliminate the stress.  If yoga and meditation are part of your daily practice, then you are going to love my interview with Alka Dhillon.

If you would like to learn more about Alka Dhillon please click here to be directed to her book website, or click here to be directed to her Facebook page.  I hope you enjoy this great interview with a lovely woman who really has sage advice for anyone attempting to find peace, joy and tranquility in their life.

 

Podcast 515: Step Into Nature with Patrice Vecchione

Have you ever noticed that more time you spend in nature, that the more creative you become?  Have you every asked the question why?  In my interview with author Patrice Vecchione about her new book “Step Into Nature-Nurturing Imagination and Spirit in Everyday Life” she answer these questions and more.

As Patrice and I explore in our interview she encourages people to find ways to become more linked to nature.  She provides simple ways to make that happen on a daily basis even though we might have excuses not to make this connection.  The most important element, is not how to become more involved but the driving force should be the why and the benefits to our psychic and spiritual health.  Nature as most of us are aware sparks imagination, creativity and brings spirit back into our lives.  We are more vibrant and live when we make daily connections with nature.

Throughout Patrice’s book “Step Into Nature‘ she encourages us to be fearless and step into nature with a joy that brings us closer to spirit.  Her book is filled with great stories, ideas and ways to engage more fully with nature.

I hope you enjoy my interview with author Patrice Vecchione about “Step Into Nature“.  If you want to learn more about Patrice and her book please click here to be directed to her website or click here to connect with her on Facebook.

Podcast 381: Sustainable Wellness with Matt Mumber MD and Heather Reed

 

Heather ReedEveryone today is focused on wellness, and it is a topic that deserves a lot of focus and attention.  I had the pleasure of interviewing both Dr. Matt Mumber and Heather Reed about their new book entitled “Sustainable Wellness-An Integrative Approach to Transform Your Mind, Body and Spirit.”.   I must state that Matt and Heathers approaching to achieving sustainable wellness uses an integrative medicine approach which if followed properly will certainly help one achieve sustainable wellness with lasting results.

I found their  analogy of using the three legged stool a great way to explain how they both approach the topic of wellness.  If you can imagine a three legged stool with the seat being spirituality , and the three legs physical activity, nutrition, and stress management all feeding into our spirituality.   The stool rests on awareness, which is the foundation of where all wellness begins.   This provides a great visual of the integrative approach that both Matt and Heather take when working with their clients to achieve truly lasting wellness.

Achieving sustainable wellness begins with reflection and exploration.  In the book you will find many opportunities where  Matt and Heather  provide the reader with questions for reflection and thought.  They have also have created and an eight (8) steps process to follow in exploring your personal wellness RX.  Those steps include mindfulness, know thyself, life review and planning, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, spirituality, bringing it all together.  If you follow these steps and practice the wisdom that the authors have outlined in “Sustainable Wellness” you will most likely  achieve a new level of health and vitality for yourself.

Matt Mumber, MDI invite you to listen to this great podcast with both Dr. Matt Mumber and Heather Reed while we explore questions for the listeners about obtaining a peak level of health, vitality and wellness.  If you would like to learn more you can click here to be directed to the Sustainable Wellness website, or you can click here to watch a Youtube video interview with Matt.

Podcast 367: Awakening Somatic Intelligence with Risa Kaparo

Risa KaparoOur body speak to us, the question is are you listening?  In my recent interview with author Risa Kaparo we speak about her new book entitled “Awakening Somatic Intelligence“.  Risa states “This book offers a practice that brings immediacy to presencing the unbound source of all existence.

In Somatic Learning I use the term presencing as a verb to imply the embodying of spaciousness with awakened Somatic Intelligence. “Extended presence” refers to the process of living into the unknown, relaxed and curious, without efforting to grasp anything–aware of what happens in the bodymind as you ease the struggle to “wrap your mind around something”.  When we can be present or mindful as we live into the unknown, the infinite reveals itself to us so that we can come to know it intimately.

If you are experiencing any pain or discomfort in your body then “Somatic Intelligence” is a great opportunity to explore what is causing this pain and to transform it.  As Risa states the word “somatic”comes from the Greek root some, for body.  The conventional use of the word “body” in English implies an “object” observed from the outside. That is way I use the term “soma” to refer to how we sense the unfolding of life from within. And I use the term “somatic” to imply a first-person, here-now, all-at once, embodied intelligence-how we sense, feel and know ourselves on a precess level–from the inside out.

Risa says that listening to our body is the “ultimate practice”, embracing whatever is arising through our fill embodiment. As a result we “drink in” the infinite, we presence or “take up” vast spaciousness, infusing our whole being with consciousness that pervades all of existence.  And as we “kiss back”, our heartfelt savoring overflows, embuing this spaciousness with the luminosity of love. The ecstatic “practice” refers to the deepening of our capacity to bear the infinite as beloved, as intimately as our breath, bones, blood.

“Awakening Somatic Intelligence” is a book that is alive with stories, exercises and provides the reader with a whole new way to approach any dis-ease or discomfort of our body.  Is is the embodiment of years of study and blending of a innovative bodymind approach to transformative healing and self-renewal.   It teaches embodied mindfulness through breathing, sensing, movement and touch to revitalize the body’s self-organizing intelligence.

If you would like more information about “Awakening Somatic Intelligence” I recommend that you visit Risa’s website by clicking here or watch a YouTube video on Somatic Intelligence by clicking here.  Enjoy this great interview with author Risa Kapro.

Podcast 358: The Now Effect with Elisha Goldstein

Elisha GoldsteinThis is my second interview with author Elisha Goldstein, about his new book entitled ” The Now Effect“.  Is a wonderful book for anyone wanting to calm their anxious mind and take control of the incessant stress that so many of us are under.

If you are like me the anxious mind is something that is always there, I just need to learn better techniques to calm it and gain more focus.   When you learn the techniques taught by Elisha, you will certainly be able to approach your difficulties with more grace and less stress.

Elisha states that “The Now Effect” will literally change the way you think before you think and break free from subconscious beliefs and old programming that don’t serve you.   You will have more choice points in your life, bringing back a felling of aliveness and opening the doors to greater potential, opportunities and possibilities.  You will also learn how to increase your emotional intelligence and be able to relax more effectively in moment of distress.

” The Now Effect” loaded with wonderful stories as well as at the end of each chapter Elisha provides what he refers to as “Now Moments”.  These are located at the end of each chapter and designed to have you reflect or do an exercise that will reduce your stress and increase your awareness.

One of the important lessons that Elisha teaches is about something called the “Triangle of Awareness”.  Elisha states that in in given moment, no matter what you’re doing three basic things are happening to make up your immediate experience: thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations. He states that in the past we thought that these elements we independent from one another, but nothing could be further from the truth.  A thought can trigger and emotion and the emotion can trigger a physical sensations.  The key is awareness, understanding what we are doing to ourselves to create this chain reaction.  If you can become more aware of what the subconscious mind does while on auto pilot, then these thoughts, feelings, emotions and physical sensations are easier to control.

Elisha new book is filled with wonderful examples, stories and exercises that guide the reader to a heighten level of awareness.  He has also included QR barcodes in the book which take the reader to short video pieces to help you understand the practice the techniques that he is teaching.  This is a wonderful book for anyone who is looking to take control of the stress, anxiety and lead a more peaceful lifestyle.

If you would like more information on Elisha Goldstein please click here to be directed to his website, ore click here to be directed to the book website.

 

Enjoy this wonderful podcast and interview with Elisha Goldstein the author of ” The Now Effect”.