Podcast 189: Spring Forest Qigong with Chunyi Lin

Chunyi LinI had the honor of interviewing Chunyi Lin one of the foremost masters on the practice of Qigong.  I know many of you have seen people in the park or possibly on the health channel performing the practice of Qigong and all of the associated methodically movements, and you just might be wondering what it is all about?

According to Chunyi Lin and his book and audio program entitled, “Spring Forest Fundamentals-Unlocking Your Healing Energy: A Simple Guide to Experiencing Optimal Health and Wellness,”  Qigong is the study of energy and since everything is a form of energy, Qigong it is the study of the whole universe, including physics, chemistry, psychology, biology, astrology, electricity and medicine.

In China, the ancient art of Qigong has been practiced for many different purposes for thousands of years and the benefits are as many as there are aspects of life.  The Spring Forest Qigong focus is the use of Qigong for healing.

In my interview with Chunyi Lin the Master Qigong teacher, we discuss the importance of getting the movement of energy flowing and releasing the points of blockage.  Chunyi Lin states that there are six main causes of energy blockages: 1) Unbalanced Emotion, 2) Nutrition 3) Weather and Seasons 4) Environment 5) Wrong medications 6) Injury. The active exercises to help release the blockages are like moving meditations. They strengthen our physical energy and help to open all of the energy channels in the body.  They help bring our Yin and Yang energy back into balance, get rid of energy blockages and develop our spiritual energy so that we can heal physically, mentally and spiritually at the same time.

I encourage you to listen to this wonderful podcast with a master in the art and practice of Qigong.  The Spring Forest techniques will certainly heal you, and bring more peace into your life.

If you want to learn more about the Spring Forest Qigong programs I would recommend that you visit the Spring Forest website by clicking here.  Enjoy this wonderful interview with author and master Qigong teacher Chunyi Lin.

Podcast 188: The Sheep Thief with Al Walker

Al WalkerI was introduced to Al Walker the author of, “The Sheep Thief,” through Tracey Jones the daughter of Charlie “Tremendous” Jones who published Al’s book and is now running the publishing company since her fathers death.

If you are into parables then you are in luck, because Al’s book is a parable with a wonderful story and message.  It is about two young men in Italy who were caught stealing sheep.  They were immediately taken to trial before the town judge, found guilty and in front of their fellow villagers, were given their sentence.  It was a cruel, harsh and painful sentence that would mark them for life. I will not ruin the story for you but the message is in what the men do with their lives after they are sentenced as thief’s.   Much of Al’s book deals with the lessons learned in life, and how we use adversity in life to make us stronger or for many it is a sentence in which we give up.

Al articulates 10 steps that I believe are so important in life, and really determine our character as individuals. The 10 steps are:

  • You become what you value-I constantly seek to clarify my values.  I know what values are important to me.  I know what I stand for, what I believe in and what I will not compromise.
  • You become what you say-I know and believe that the words I repeatedly use have an impact on who I am.  I will use only words that are helpful, positive encouraging and tasteful.
  • Build on Strengths– I will pursue greater knowledge of my strengths for the rest of my life.  I will maximize strengths and minimize weaknesses in myself and everyone that I meet.
  • Attempt the Difficult-I will continue to challenge myself to try new things in order to grow.  I will relish living in the arena, not in the grandstand.  I will fail forward.
  • Work Conscientiously and Productively-I am committed to the belief that working diligently pays off.  I will do as Aristotle suggested when he said, “Lose yourself in productive work in a way of excellence.”
  • Laugh Often-I will find something to laugh about every day of my life.  I will share this gift generously and often. I will start each day with a smile in my heart, knowing that the rest of my body will follow.
  • Self Discipline-I am on the right track and am putting forth the time, energy and effort to learn and develop what I need to in order to become the person I am capable of becoming and accomplish life’s most important objectives.
  • Be A Self Starter-I will honor my possibilities by truly being a self-starter.  I will not wait on anyone else to “start” me. I START myself.  My positive self-talk will help me be a self-starter.
  • Obey The Laws of Man-I abide by and live, work and play within the laws of the land.  I realize the traffic, civil and all other laws exist for a reason.  I realize the laws and rules establish boundaries for an orderly way of life.
  • Obey The Laws of Nature-I will not let my need for excitement overrule my good judgment.  I will be careful and take the necessary precautions in any activity, whether it is bungee jumping, sky diving, para-sailing etc.

Al’s book is a very easy read, and is loaded with practical advice.  Much of the lessons taught by Al Walker he has experienced himself and you will be able to listen to part of his personal story in our interview together.  You can visit his website by clicking here.

Podcast 187: The Body Knows How to Stay Young with Caroline M. Sutherland

Caroline M. Sutherland I was recently invited to attend the “I Can Do It” Conference hosted by the Hay House.  It was a wonderful event attended by some of the best authors that Hay House has published.  I had the good fortune of being able to meet Caroline Sutherland.  Caroline is a medical intuitive who has completed hundreds of reading over the years and she did an intuitive health reading on me which I found to be very accurate.

In my interview with Caroline we discuss her new book entitled, “The Body Knows-How to Stay Young”.  In our interview together we explore the many reasons that our bodies breakdown and what we can do and how we can arrest the breakdown process.

One of the areas that we explore is our hormonal system.  As Sutherland says, “hormones are chemical messengers that course through the blood stream interfacing between cells delivering messages and information. These messengers are secreted by the endocrine system. The function of each gland, from the thyroid, parathyroid, pituitary, hypothalamus, pineal gland, as well as the function of female or male reproductive organs, are mediated by hormone delivery and information. Most people think that their hormones are located in their pelvis but these master endocrine glands are actually located in the head.”

Your entire body is dependent on proper hormone function and we would die within minutes without hormones. Hormones work together in a concert. When one is “off” this will affect all the rest. Balancing is key and with hormones, less is more.  Balancing the hormonal system is only one very important key to greater vitality and health.

Caroline says that from her medical intuitive perspective, she has found that when a particular decision is made in life, that it must be fully embodied and accepted by the person on all levels or physical symptoms will likely manifest. This is due to the misalignment of the rational mind and the knowing heart.

For example, if the decision is made to stay in an unhappy relationship, a dissatisfying job, or to adopt certain lifestyle choice, sexual preference, etc., no matter what the head is saying, the heart and every cell in the body “knows” that it must be in agreement or it is living a lie.

Emotions and decisions that are operating at cross-purposes within can play a huge role in illness and chronic symptoms.  Do all that you can to examine the depth of emotion that you carry and use this as a tool to strengthen yourself on all levels.

In Caroline’s new book “The Body Knows How to Stay Young” she explores the many facets of staying young and healthy.  Her website is loaded with video’s, articles and a products store.  If you would like more information on Caroline’s upcoming appearances and how you can benefit from one of her readings, please click here for more information.

Podcast 185: Motion Before Motivation with Michael "Mike D" Dolpies

Michael "Mike D" DolpiesMike Dolpies the author of “Motion Before Motivation“, says that there are thee kinds of people in the world–those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who stand around and wonder ” What happened?”.  He says that you are in control of what happens to you.  Even if you trust in a higher power to guide you, you know that the higher power will help those who decide to help themselves.

Mike’s book, “Motion Before Motivation“,  references newtons first “Law of Inertia”.  The important point that Mike is making by citing this law is that it is more important for us to take action, and that this is so important to manifesting what you want in life.

We can think all we want about attaining particular goals, but the most important step is the action.  You need to be sure that the actions you are taking are in the direction of clearly defined goals.  If not, “Natural Tendency” will work against you.   In human terms, “Natural Tendency” is the force of habit.  If someone is in the habit of constantly remaining in motion toward their goals, they will continue in that direction and get closer to them every day.   If someone is in the habit of putting things off or waiting for the inspiration or motivation to compel them to get moving then nothing will happen and they will remain “at rest”.

Mike refers to what he calls “pro-active motion”.  Pro-active motion is the motion you take based on solid principles, information and passion.  Pro-active motion will enable you to think two, three or even four moves ahead. Pro-active motion will help you remain calm, control your stress levels and easily deal with the curve balls and setbacks of daily life.

There is a three (3) step success formula outlined in Motion Before Motivation.  1) Motion creates belief in Yourself 2) Belief in Yourself Creates Positive Emotions 3) Positive Emotions Give You the Desire to Fuel the Motivation You Need to Keep Going.

I believe that these steps to success are great advice, and if you want to learn more about Mike and his book Motion Before Motivation you can visit his website by clicking here.

Podcast 184: Super Coach with Michael Neill

Michael NeillI recently had the pleasure of interviewing Michael Neill the author of a new book entitled, ” SUPERCOACH: 10 Secrets to Transform Anyone’s Life.”

Michael says change the way you think and you will change the way you experience life.  For more than 20 years Michael has been helping clients fulfill their dreams–whether they want to make more money, build their businesses, improve their relationships or find greater contentment in their day-to-day lives.

Each secret, which is illustrated with case studies and anecdotes, is designed to be a catalyst–something that will spark the reader’s insights about how he or she thinks, lives, and works.  Supercoach also includes specific actions that people can take to actually experience change and incorporate it into their lives.

Michael and I speak about transformation from the inside out.  He states, “when you learn to live your life from the inside out, stress disappears and worry becomes almost non-existent.  You realize that you were born happy and the worst thing that can ever happen to you is a thought–a thought about whatever you think is the worst thing that could ever happen to you”.

Many of Michael’s coaching secrets are counter-intuitive.  Take goal setting for instance.  He explains, “Obsessing about goals is like playing a game of fetch with yourself, using your happiness and self-worth as the bone.  Even when you do reach your goals, you only allow yourself a fleeting moment of satisfaction before throwing your happiness even further away into the future than before.”

If you want to learn more about the 10 Secrets that can transform your life, I recommend that you visit Michael’s website.  He has lots of useful information and videos providing you with these transformative secrets.  To access Michael’s website please click here.

Podcast 182: The Power of Adversity with Al Weatherhead

Al Weatherhead We have all been effected by adversity during the course of our lives, but  Al Weatherhead, the author of “The Power of Adversity“, has certainly had more than his fair share of adversity.  Al has struggled through the death of an infant son, two failed marriages and a life long battle with alcoholism not to mention the heart disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

The key point to Al’s message is that we gain strength from adversity when we change how we view the challenges we are faced with. He says instead of asking “Why me? he advises asking “Why not me.”  Embrace positive thinking and recognize that adversity is the impetus to look for creative solutions.  Al has four techniques for mastering adversity:

  • Attitude and the Mind-The Power of Positive Imagery–Developing a positive attitude about adversity is essential to tapping its power to enhance and improve your life. If you think positively, with the right imagery, your battle is all but won.
  • Meditation: The Art of Letting Go–How doing Nothing Can Be Everything–Practicing meditation creates and sustains your positive mindset. Without this mindset, you place an unhealthy emphasis on your goals and adversity that prevents you from reaching them. Daily meditation helps you rejuvenate and rebuild yourself, and to come to realize firsthand that adversity is just another name for a series of choices called life.
  • Communication-Articulating the Speech of the Heart–A great gift of adversity is coming to understand that you can resolve your problems when you share your life with others. You simply must reach out to others, or you will never overcome adversity.
  • Sharing, Not Managing–Don’t Confuse the Need to Control with Love–As you truly connect with other–revealing, extending, and expressing your innermost self–the layers of adversity will peel away like an onion, revealing choices an solutions that would never be apparent to your on your own.

I invite you to set down, relax and enjoy this wonderful interview with an author who not only knows how powerful adversity can be he is the living embodiment of a wise soul who has lived with adversity and survived and created a very meaningful and fulfilling life. If you would like to know more about Al Weatherhead I encourage to you visit his website by clicking here.

Podcast 181 : Happiness At Work with Jessica Pryce-Jones

Jessica Pryce-JonesDo you remember what Walt Disney used to say about Disneyland? –That is was the happiest place on earth.  If you have ever visited Disneyland or Disney World then you will experience a culture of people that really love their work.

I recently learned that of the trillions we are spending on health care in our country,  that 70% of the dollars spent are allocated to five chronic diseases of which depression is one of the aliments.  This is a staggering amount of money being spent to keep our workforce happy and more productive.  What I am wondering is why are so many of us reverting to anti-depressants to just sustain our life, and why can’t happiness be a natural life occurrence?.

If you have some of these same questions, then you are going to love my interview with author Jessica Pryce-Jones about her new book entitled, “Happiness at Work“. In our interview together we explore the mindset that is part of a happy productive person and the associated workplace environment that fosters happiness.  Jessica spent over five years studying 3,000 people and compiling data on what creates happiness in the workplace.  She discovered that there are five main components of happiness at work, and they are:

  • Contribution: For individuals, this means achieving one’s goals, having clear objectives, raising issues that are personally important, and feeling secure in one’s job. It also consists of being listened to, getting positive feedback, being respected by one’s boss, and feeling appreciated.
  • Conviction: This means being motivated, feeling effective and efficient, showing resiliency when time are tough, and perceiving that one’s work has a positive impact on the world.
  • Culture: People who feel they fit well at work enjoy their jobs, like their colleagues, appreciate the values the workplace stands for, believe they are being treated fairly, and feel that they have control of their daily activities.
  • Commitment: Means identifying your overall purpose, finding meaningful work, being interested in your job, and believing in the vision of your organization. Increasing commitment is just as much an individuals responsibility as it is a corporate one–the company’s vision and strategies should be understood at every staff level.
  • Confidence: It’s important to choose jobs, goals, and challenges that push the boundaries of one’s comfort zone in order to grow confidence. Increasing confidence also means creating safety mechanisms and support when trying new and difficult things.

So, if you want a workplace filled with happy workers who are more productive, engaged and willing to contribute, then you need to read this wonderful book by Jessica Pryce-Jones.  You can also visit her website by clicking here to learn more about her company iOpener, and the studies she has completed.

Enjoy this wonderful interview with someone who know what it takes to make a workplace the happiest place on earth.

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