Align Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Dr. Caroline Leaf: Neuroplasticity and How Your Thoughts Can Influence Your DNA Feb 24, 2021

Show notes

What is a thought? Where are our thoughts located? What weight do our thoughts have?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Caroline Leaf and I discuss what defines the concept of thoughts and how exactly they affect our body and our DNA. In fact, the human brain is capable to identify toxic and negative thoughts and treat them as foreign invaders, similar to how our bodies react to foreign invaders that attack our immune system.

Plus, Dr. Leaf shares with us a proven 5 step process that is designed to help us overcome trauma, depression, anxiety, and more.

Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive neuropsychology. She has researched the mind-brain connection, the nature of mental health, and the formation of memory. Dr. Leaf is also the bestselling author of Switch on Your Brain, Think Learn Succeed, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, and many more.

What we discuss:

02:02: What is a thought? Where are thoughts located? What weight do our thoughts have?

06:12: How much control do we have over our entire thought process?

08:01: Dr. Leaf’s path to engaging in the knowledge of the mind

14:4: How do we experience things through our mind?

18:29: An explanation to why we don’t have a negative bias

19:18: Why are our brains drawn to the negative?

23:16: What is consciousness and unconsciousness? How do they relate to each other?

36:55: Where does shame come from?

43:27: Breaking down the NeuroCycle

51:55: The advantage of multi-perspective

To learn more about Dr. Leaf:

Website: drleaf.com

Instagram: @drcarolineleaf

Podcast: Cleaning Up the Mental Mess

Book: Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess

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Ashley Stahl: Being Held Hostage by Your Experience Feb 18, 2021

Show notes

We often feel that the career choice we made years ago is permanent, that we are hostages of a degree we earned or a couple of decades of experience that we accumulated. But that isn’t true.

In this episode of the Align podcast, Ashley Stahl and I discuss the 9 core skill sets that you should develop if you are contemplating switching careers. Plus, Ashley explains how the skills that you naturally have are more important than the interests you have.

Lastly, we get to hear all about how Ashley’s impressive background in counterterrorism helped her develop soft skills that are essential for the career choice she made after leaving the Pentagon.

Ashley is an angel investor, writer, career coach, podcast host, and an ex-counterterrorism professional for the Pentagon. Her leadership firm, Ashley International Inc., offers private coaching and unparalleled online programs to empower Millennials to find their purpose, land more job offers, and increase their income.

What we discuss:

04:26: Ashley's creative process for writing her new book

08:36: Expanding options vs going unidirectionally in a career

12:56: Making core skill sets relevant

16:22: Ashley's background in counter-terrorism

22:39: How Ashley incurred a loss in her business

24:41: What brought Ashley to her current formula?

29:25: Why did the Senate get raided?

32:22: Ashley's day to day working in counter-terrorism and international development

35:57: How are skill sets becoming obsolete in the workforce

40:01: What was Ashley's relation to Al-Qaeda in her professional role?

41:51: Ashley's experience as a female in her previous field

44:42: Developing self-awareness to determine our own hardness

47:00: Making career choices based on past wounds

48:46: What are the required skills of a good spy?

52:37: The power of being good with words

55:16: How did Ashley's perception of death evolve throughout time

01:03:05: The value and disadvantages of the current educational system

01:05:42: Changing careers at a mature age

To learn more about Ashley:

Website: ashleystahl.com

Instagram: @ashleystahl

Podcast: Your Turn Podcast

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Justin Wren: Learning to Love Yourself, Practicing Kindness, and Surviving Depression and Addiction Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

How many of you experienced bullying in your childhood? How did that experience shape the person that you are today? Is self-love all that you need to get through difficult times?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, we get deep and personal with Justin Wren. From bullying to self-sabotage with addiction, we discuss the importance of learning self-love and how expressing kindness towards yourself and others is the key to healing.

We also get a very intimate insight into Justin’s darkest thoughts and moments and how he overcame them. Plus, a message is given to those going through dark times.

Justin Wren is a former heavyweight division fighter, holding an MMA record of 15-2. After overcoming depression and addiction, Justin took the decision to step away from MMA, seeking out a purpose and passion for his life. He then founded Fight For The Forgotten initiative, where he now fights for those who don’t have a voice.

If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States. Call 1-800-273-8255 to talk.

What we discuss:

02:26: Justin's relationship with his mom

05:30: What do martial arts teach you?

07:11: What makes a bully?

11:18: Justin's experience with bullying

24:50: Learning how to love yourself

29:17: Discussing suicide ideation and attempt: Justin's experience

01:08:44: How kindness can help you

01:17:47: Self-sabotage with addiction

01:22:58: A message for those going through dark times

01:34:10: More about the Fight for the Forgotten initiative

To learn more about Justin:

Website: fightfortheforgotten.org

Instagram: @fightfortheforgotten / @thebigpygmy

Podcast: The Justin Wren Podcast

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Steven Kotler: How to Use Human Biology to Your Advantage Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

Are you honest with yourself? Do you have realistic expectations of how your body can perform? What thoughts are you using to fuel your body and optimize its performance?

In this episode of the Align podcast, Steven Kotler and I discuss how understanding our own human biology is the most important thing we can do for ourselves in order to properly pursue and attain our goals. In fact, knowing how to make biology work for us and not against us is the secret of many successful people.

We also talk about the crucialness of honesty, and how we must accept that we can only work with what we have. Steven recommends how we should feed our pattern recognition system properly and on a daily basis to help us reach peak body and brain performance.

Steven Kotler is a New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and the Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective. He is one of the world’s leading experts on human performance. His nine bestsellers are praised all around the world and by industry leaders such as Elon Musk, Bill Clinton, and more.

What we discuss:

02:56: Discussing Steven's religious upbringing

08:42: How peak performance and honesty related to each other

10:00: Changing a child's direction through parenting

12:20: How praying is great training for peak performance

14:36: How evolution has been shaped by the force of innovation

16:31: What is the general thinking of flow?

18:13: Drivers of evolution: more food and better health

22:36: Why long-term planning and flow are dissociated

26:03: Kotler's Art of Impossible book

28:26: Motivation, learning, creativity and flow

To learn more about Steven:

Website: stevenkotler.com

Book mentioned: Art of Impossible

Instagram: @kotler.steven

Podcast: Flow Research Collective Radio

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Pedram Shojai: Cultivating Your Own Identity and How to Live Presently Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

If time is relative, how can we dilate it to live presently? How can you improve your focus to bring more time, energy, and money into flow? What does a monk think of money and what financial advice does he give?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a conversation with Pedram Shojai, a.k.a. The Urban Monk, about the very fundamentals of meditation, how to be present and mindful, and how you can go as far as you can with the means you have today.

Plus, we talk about the concept of identity and how so many of us nowadays find our identity structure through ideology groups. We also discuss the value of rites of passage and the importance of wilderness, which often seems to be a missing component in urban life.

Pedram is a master herbalist, licensed acupuncturist, and wellness consultant. He is a dynamic teacher, Taoist minister, and lifelong student of various Alchemical Traditions. Pedram is also a Filmmaker and author, father, and husband.

What we discuss:

03:55: Pedram’s experience of studying with the Dalai Lama

04:47: Explaining educational and philosophical differences between Tibetans and Westerners

06:51: How and why Pedram became a Taoist monk

10:16: How to self-reconcile

12:53: Best practices for optimal focus

14:55: Why do we spend so much time online and how can we stop doing that?

20:08: The value in rites of passage

26:41: Money is trade

29:28: Financial advice from a monk

33:15: Being able to re-write our own story

38:42: Can meditation have different forms?

40:32: How to meditate effectively

44:17: Dissecting the perception of time and how to dilate it

:51:44: Dealing with imposter syndrome

53:55: Transitioning to a bigger game in life

To learn more about Pedram Shojai:

Website: theurbanmonk.com

Instagram: @official_urbanmonk

Book: The Urban Monk

Podcast: The Urban Monk Podcast

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Alan Christianson: The Simplest Way To Reverse Thyroid Disease Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

What is thyroid disease, exactly? What causes it? Can we even reverse thyroid disease? If so, how can we do that?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a conversation with Alan Christianson, where we discuss how the foods we choose to fuel our body can actually help reverse thyroid disease and how a healthy thyroid contributes to our immune system, our mental health, and our physical health. We then break down what is iodine, what are the optimal levels for human consumption, and what are the best resources we can refer to in order to ensure we are intaking the proper and recommended amount.

We also pick Alan’s brain about emotions and how they can impact our overall wellbeing, his own personal practices of meditation and journaling, and we even touch upon epistemology!

Alan Christianson is a Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD) who specializes in natural

endocrinology with a focus on thyroid disorders. He is the author of The Metabolism Reset Diet

and the New York Times bestselling book The Adrenal Reset Diet. He has been named a Top Doctor in Phoenix Magazine and has appeared on national TV shows and in numerous print media.

Website: https://www.drchristianson.com

Instagram: @dralanchristianson

Book: https://www.drchristianson.com/thyroidresetdiet/#Bonus

What we discuss:

[00:02:46] Christianson's new book on thyroid disease research

[00:04:26] The value in making our own food

[00:06:54] What is Iodine?

[00:09:47] The repercussions of iodine deficiency and excess

[00:11:52] What are the optimal levels of iodine?

[00:13:12] What causes thyroid disease?

[00:15:59] Can thoughts and feelings affect the functioning of the thyroid?

[00:18:45] What is the thyroid and how does it work?

[00:20:10] How emotional states contribute to your physical health issues

[00:22:50] Do we have free will?

[00:26:01] Alan’s biggest challenges

[00:32:09] How do we know we know?

[00:36:30] A guide to mediation and journaling practices

[00:38:37] Alan’s thoughts on God

[00:40:19] What are signs of an underlying thyroid issue?

[00:41:26] Can all diseases be reversed and what be the root cause for it?

[00:43:10] How does toxic fat develop?

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Doug Evans: Tapping into the Power of the Planet's Most Nutritious Food Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

What's the planet's most nutritious food? SPROUTS! And in this episode of the Align Podcast, the author of the Sprout Book, Doug Evans, tells us why.

Among the mind-blowing nutritional qualities of sprouts:
― they have 20-30 times the nutrients of other vegetables and 100 times those of meat
― they pack cancer-fighting properties and help to protect us from cardiovascular disease and environmental pollutants
― they aid in digestion
― they are a simple way to grow your own vegetables and compatible with all diets

Ready to learn more? Tune into the full episode!

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Tracy Duhs: Understanding and Optimizing Hydration Jan 07, 2021

Show notes

Over 70% of our body is composed of water, which means that staying hydrated is extremely important. But is simply drinking water enough to keep us hydrated?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, our guest Tracy Duhs covers the hidden capabilities and benefits of hydrating adequately. We discuss the incredible amount of information that water is capable of holding onto and how that is crucial for processing our emotions.

We also discuss the different water filtering processes and filtering systems and how we can upgrade the quality of the water we drink, catered to various budgets.

Tracy Duhs is the director and founder of The Sanctuary Wellness Experience, a luxury retreat that provides complete nurturing for the mind, body, and soul. She is a herbalist, alchemist, and specialist in integrative medicine.

What we discuss:

03:54: What is water?

08:13: What are the potential contaminants in water?

11:08: How does water hold information?

13:52: Masaru Emoto's experiments with water

16:22: What is structured water?

19:57: How do our bodies create structured water?

20:46: What is vortexing water?

22:58: Possible methods to upgrade the water we drink

26:33: What is Ocean Plasma?

31:14: Why and how Tracy started to experiment with different types of water

37:40: How to mineralize our water

44:16: How movement and hydration relate to each other

48:12: How sunlight exposure impacts hydration

51:16: The 9 Pillars of Health

To learn more about Tracy:

Instagram: @tracyduhs
Website: tracyduhs.com

Book: Hydrate with Tracy Duhs
Podcast: Hydrate

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Emily Fletcher: Feeling at Home within Ourselves Through Meditation Dec 30, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a wonderful conversation with Emily Fletcher where we dive into the semantics of meditation and how it's much more powerful than many of us may realize. It's not only a tool for calming our mind, but it physically transforms our mind and body.

We also dive into our childhood wounds, how it has affected us in our adult life, and what we have found to be successful in our healing process.

And as a bonus, at the end of the episode, Emily offers us a transformative 5-minute mediation practice that you
can use as a tool for yourself.

Emily Fletcher is the creator of The Ziva Technique and the founder of Ziva, where she developed the world meditation training program. She is also a best selling author: she wrote
Stress Less, Accomplish More - Meditation for Extraordinary Performance. She is one of my best friends and overall, a meditation legend.

What we discuss:

[00:08:16] How meditation calms our chaotic energy
[00:11:43] The cerebral processes that occur in meditation that make us more empathic
[00:12:29] Bypassing our emotions vs. allowing ourselves to feel them
[00:23:13] How the body is a record of our past
[00:24:13] How meditation is healing: de-exciting our nervous system
[00:27:15] 5-minute meditation exercise

Instagram: @emilystellafletcher
Website: zivameditation.com
Book: zivameditation.com/my-debut-book

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Jim Kwik: What Makes You Come Alive? Dec 23, 2020

Show notes

What’s keeping you from claiming your true powers? Are you even aware of the powers you hold within you and how you can tap into them?

Today’s conversation is with one of my closest friends and widely known, Mr. Jim Kwik. We talk about his book, Limitless – a fabulous read! Jim’s main niche is about memory, focus, and accelerated learning, although the book content is much wider than that. While our imagination might make us think that being limitless is a synonym for perfection, in this episode, Jim explains it in a much more tangible and human way: Limitless is about advancing and progressing beyond what we believe to be possible.

Jim has created a three-part framework that he breaks down for us in this episode. This framework acts as a lens to see what holds us back and to construct our self-awareness to "unlimit" the areas that are in our way. Plus, we both talk about what makes us come alive and our purpose - both fundamental emotional factors for
reaching our full potential.

Jim is a renowned brain coach, a memory and speed-reading expert, international speaker, and a social entrepreneur. He has been featured in many programs and podcasts and his book, Limitless, became an instant New York Times bestseller and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller.

What we discuss:

[04:45] Jim’s go-to practices for dealing with stress and anxiety
[05:53] Defining what it means to be "limitless"
[11:11] Why we need to have a sense of purpose in our lives
[15:36] What makes Jim feel alive?
[16:52] What makes Aaron feel alive?
[20:52] Opening our own mechanisms through the love towards another person
[27:03] The antidote for feeling stuck
[27:20] The 3 M’s: Mindset, Motivation, Methods
[29:06] What Jim would change in the current western educational system

Find more from Jim:

Website: www.jimkwik.com
Instagram. @jimkwik
Book: www.limitlessbook.com

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