Conversations On Living – Details, episodes & analysis

Of all the things we can do to nourish ourselves, sleep is perhaps the most vital. Alongside food and hydration, sleep is the thing that helps us to function at our best, with clarity and confidence. So vital is it, that lack of sleep can slow us down and make life harder. And severe tiredness can also begin to affect our decision-making abilities, our self-esteem, our courage, our grip on reality and our mental health.

Getting enough rest, and good quality sleep, then, should be a crucial part of our toolkit if we are to live and act effectively, with conviction, and integrity. At our best, moving joyfully towards our potential.

At its most fundamental, Yoga Nidra is the practice of sleep. As Tracee Stanley, the world-renowned practitioner of Yoga Nidra, states in her book, Radiant Rest: “rest is vital to thriving.”

But there is more to Yoga Nidra than simply catching some good quality zees. Through deep relaxation we gain access to a deeper part of ourselves that is beyond the cognitive mind, beyond language and all its cultural trappings, and beyond all the baggage that we carry with us. Normally we only experience this part of ourselves while we sleep, and so we don’t remember it when we awake. At best there is, perhaps, a vague sense of it when we rise from our slumber, or maybe we glimpse something profound during a particularly deep meditation.

But with Yoga Nidra we are presented with both a process and a state of consciousness that allows us to remain aware while we are in this state. Known as hypnogogia, it not only allows us to come face-to-face with the void that lies deep inside ourselves, transcending duality and connecting us with the infinite universe of which we are so profoundly a part, but it also offers access to our deep intrinsic and ancient wisdom, returning with insights and clarity otherwise impossible to access.

The practical, spiritual and valuable benefits of a practice like this are nothing new. It is an ancient knowledge that has even influenced the greatest modern thinkers. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb, was said to take regular naps throughout the day, clutching a large metal ball in each hand. As he feel asleep the balls would fall from his hands waking him up, and he would immediately note down any ideas or visions that he had seen in the semi-conscious dreamscape that lies between sleep and awakeness, before they evaporated from memory.

Perhaps this is where the idea for the lightbulb came from.

Practices such as this can offer us rich, nourishing rest. And they can also offer us guidance from the deepest part of ourselves, something Tracee Stanley refers to as “a connection to our inner knowing.”

Surely, getting to know ourselves so intimately, gaining access to our own profound knowledge – the light of our souls – that evades us during thinking hours, can only serve to heal our relationships with both ourselves and our day-to-day reality. And more than this, to move us towards our ultimate state of being. That is, a sense of meaning and purpose to why we are here at all.

As Tracee puts it: “Yoga Nidra is a healing salve for the world” and in this conversation she gives me a beginners guide to this powerful and useful practice, which can help us to show up as the best of ourselves, into a reality that is aligned with who we really are.

Useful links:

www.traceeyoga.com
www.radiantrest.com

As we hopefully begin to emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, we step into the harsh light of a world on fire. Social injustice, climate change, corruption, inequality have never appeared so prominent. A landscape of crisis begging to be solved, and the failed detritus of all previous attempts at stewardship are calling for a new approach.

Is a spiritual revolution the answer we’re looking for? And what would that look like in a world where the genie of materialism has been out of the lamp far too long to be pushed back in?

Perhaps, instead of looking for answers ‘out there’ we should follow the advice of Thich Nhat Hanh, who said, “the way out is in.”

But is contemplative introspection really the answer? Can that lead to the real change we need, or is it merely turning our backs on the problems of the world?

In this episode of Conversations on Living (the new name of this podcast) I speak with Jeff Krasno, founder of Commune and The Wanderlust Festival, about how we can first do the work on ourselves that is required to give us the strength to lead others towards healing.

Useful links:

www.onecommune.com

www.wanderlust.com

www.jeffkrasno.com

What does it take to do more, live more, and be more, when our programming, our culture and our society are all designed to keep us right here where we are. And for the most part, that is in a state of dissatisfaction, of unease, of unfulfilled potential?

How can we really fulfil our potential, and live beyond the day to day, the mundane struggles and mediocrity, in order to spread our wings and fly to the highest altitudes of our potential?

How can we follow in the footsteps of Maya Angelou, when she said “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humour and some style”?

It can be done. We can live extraordinary lives, we can be extraordinary people and the truth is, we already are, we just don’t know how to step into it. But Ken Lindner might just have an idea.

Ken is the founder of one America’s largest news and hosting agencies, representing some of the biggest names in network journalism. But more importantly – for this podcast at least – is that he is the author of a number of books about how we can all take the steps necessary to transform our lives, and realise our greatness.

His most recent book, Aspire Higher, is literally a call to action, offering us some straightforward advice about how to find out what we want from life, and how to take the steps necessary to realise it.

You can find out more about Ken at his website www.kenlindner.com, along with links to buy his book from all main online retailers, such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon, and of course you can also find it in real, bricks and mortar bookshops.

www.conversationsonliving.com

It’s said that if you’re not angry, you’re not paying attention. And indeed, all you have to do is turn on the news or take a look at social media, and you’ll find plenty to be angry about. Or sad about. Or worried, anxious, or fearful.

But is this any way to live? Scores of studies have shown that the stress caused by being permanently in these sorts of emotional states can lead to a wide range of health issues – both mental and physical. So surely it’s better not to be angry, or sad, or worried, anxious or fearful.

But does that mean we’re not taking our world, and our place in it, seriously enough?

This week week I’m speaking to Diane Dreher about the Tao te Ching and her 1990 book the Tao of Inner Peace, which has just been re-released to bring it up to date with a world that seems more turbulent, more ill at ease, and more divided than ever. And the message is this, the more we can cultivate inner peace, the healthier we can become in mind, body and spirit, the more effective we can be when we step into the world to make a difference.

This is a wonderful, inspiring and reassuring conversation. Sometimes I feel very lucky to be able to have such great conversations on this podcast, as they really enrich my experience of life, and this is one such conversation. If you want to find out more about Diane and her work, you can visit her website at www.dianedreher.com – and I really urge you to do that and take a look at what she is offering the world.

www.conversationsonliving.com

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life,” asked poet Mary Oliver. As children we wanted to be astronauts, movie stars, wizards or unicorns, as grown-ups we generally just settle for a reasonably comfortable existence with something good to watch on TV and a beer at the end of a hard week.

As that other great literary mind Zadie Smith said: “what modest dreamers we have become.”

So what does it take to live a life of fulfilment, of impact? To leave a dent on our small part of the universe? What does it take to explore what’s possible, and then realise it, and much more, as we step towards our potential and live the life of our dreams.

Joining me this week is Nikki Eiberhardt, and she believes that if we align with our purpose – that thing which keeps us awake at night and gets us up in the morning – and set our sights on servant leadership, we can empower ourselves and others to take on the biggest challenges and find audacious solutions.

Nikki is professor of business at Minerva University, Manager of Delta Airlines Global Talent Team, she works with Global Citizen, NASA, The Sundance Film Festival, The Nelson Mandela Foundation, she’s given a TEDx talk, and has achieved so much more, in an effort to move towards a better world for everyone. And she believes we all have to power to find our purpose, engage with empathy, and develop a systems thinking approach to achieving amazing things.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/nikkieberhardt_

www.conversationsonliving.com

We’re surrounded by information, and it’s easy to turn this information into stress within us, allow it to begin influencing how we feel, how we act, and how we experience life. Whether it’s a work deadline, the subtext of an email, the news media, advertising, past experiences, or so-called cultural norms, sometimes we can feel overwhelmed. Sometimes we can feel triggered. Sometimes we just want to yell “stop the world, I want to get off.”

But what if there was an easier way of being. A way of feeling, being and acting, that wasn’t dictated by the stories we attached to the information that swim in, but instead chosen by us, for us, in order to experience our days and our lives in the best way possible. And what if it all starts as simply as taking a breath?

This week I’m joined by world-renowned meditator, breath work expert, and mindful alchemist, Scott Schwenk.

Scott believes that in order to choose our reality, instead of having it chosen for us, and to show up effectively and with our full potential in that reality, we must interrupt the routines and habits that allow our attention to be drawn to things which don’t serve us. And instead we must take ownership of who we are, how we feel, and the energy we embody the day with, and it all begins in the breath.

You can find out about Scott at his website, www.scottschwenk.com, or an instagram where he’s most active, and his handle is @thescottschwenk. You should also check out his classes on commune, and onecommune.com

In the Ayurvedic tradition, our constitutions are categorised into different types, called doshas. These doshas – Vatta, pitta and kapha – define the best types of food to eat in order to to be healthy, vital, energised and to avoid inflammation and illness.

It’s a beautiful idea, and for thousands of years people have adopted this Ayurvedic principle to live a bright and energetic life.

But what if we could take it beyond diet. What if we define our ‘type’ and then use this in order to create live a life of fulfilment, meaning, and contentment.

This week I’m joined by author and minds expert Jaya Jaya Myra, who turned to ayurvedic principles when doctors couldn’t solve the chronic illness that was costing her not just her health, but also her career, her relationships, her financial stability and more.

But as she explored and played with the concepts behind Ayurveda she found that not only did her health improve, but also her wider life, too. This lead her to present an eye-opening TedX Talk, become a television wellness expert, to set up her own boutique PR agency, and to write several books, including her latest, The Soul of Purpose.

Her message is this – that all aspects of our lives are connect, that when we live in alignment with our purpose, we can live a life filled with health and wellness, and that by understanding ourselves, we can discover that purpose.

Find out more about Jaya Jaya Myra and her work at www.jayajayamyra.com

www.conversationsonliving.com

“The universe is full of magical things patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper."

These are the words of Eden Philpots. And since he wrote them in 1918 our senses have certainly got sharper. The Hubble telescope introduced us to the idea of dark energy and billions upon billions of galaxies far beyond our own that we didn’t even know existed.  

Today, thanks to the work of Thomas Dalton, we regularly look at atoms through powerful microscopes, even though their existence had been subject to scepticism since they were first suggested by the Ancient Greek scholars Democritus and Leucippus about two and a half thousand years ago.  

And if you’ve ever seen an olive grove shimmer in the breeze, but didn’t know how to explain it, you’d know that magic is real.  

It makes you think, what else is out there that we don’t yet fully understand. What else are our wits not quite sharp enough to comprehend. And, just like Democritus and Leucippus, what is it that we may just already know, but are not quite ready to face just yet?  This week I’m talking about Psi, which is the collective scientific monika for the parapsychological functions of the mind. That is, those things that we think might exist, but which come with so much baggage that most people are afraid to even touch them. I’m talking about extrasensory perception, clairvoyance, telepathy, and other things surrounded by so much cultural woo-woo that it must surely be nonsense, right?  

Well, science’s wits are beginning to grow sharper, and there is an increasing amount of rigorous research happening in this area. And who among us wouldn’t admit that there are things out there that we just can’t explain? Who hasn’t had a weird experience, deja vu, a gut feeling that came true, who knew who was calling before answering the phone, seen things, heard things… well there may be more to it than we think.  

To explore this with me I am joined by friend of the podcast Kim Forrester. She’s a holistic therapist, the host of the eudaemonia podcast, and the author of Infinite Mind – a book all about psi in its many expressions – and she believes that if we get quiet and pay attention to those phenomena that we might otherwise dismiss out of hand, we might discover that they may actually be trying to tell us something.  

You can find more information about her book at infinitemindbook.com, and Kim’s home on the internet is kimforrester.net.

www.conversationsonliving.com

Do you ever wonder where it all went wrong? Find yourself cursing life for being unfair? Struggle with where you are, why you’re here, or even how things would be if you could only just get your act together and sort your life out?

You’re not alone. In fact, I’d wager that most people feel stuck, dissatisfied, or at least a little bit disenchanted – if not with their entire life, perhaps one or more aspects of it.

It’s easy to blame everything outside of ourselves for our unhappiness – the thing that was done to us, our bad luck, the injustice of an unfair world. But when we curse the world for all that goes wrong, we also end up wishing the world we bring us that magical payday we’ve been waiting for all along – our big break – and grumbling our days away waiting for it to happen.

But its not the world out there that’s going to dish up the good life, but the world within us. The energy we bring to our days, the action we take, our attitude towards what is working for us, and what isn’t.

The Sufi poet Rumi said “yesterday I was clever so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise so I am changing myself.”

This week I’m speak with Chris Plourde. Chris is a conscious performance coach who has worked with organisations such as Disney, LuluLemon, and Twitter, as well as high level CEOs, athletes, celebrities and even armed forces special ops soldiers. He says if we want things to be better, we have to do better, and seek out the patterns and triggers inside ourselves in order to make the changes we need to escape the things we don’t want in our lives, and embrace more of what we do want. As I often say, when we step up to life, life will step up to meet us.

You can find out more about Chris at his website, www.chrisplourde.com

www.conversationsonliving.com

I haven’t read Frank Herbert’s Dune, nor have I seen the recent movie. Scenes from the cult David Lynch film are, however, imprinted on my mind, and I’m not just talking about Sting in his underpants. I’m referring - of course -to the Litany Against Fear, a poetic mantra recited by the Bene Gesserit, and it goes like this:

"I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past, I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

Who is this I, that remains when the fear has gone? Maybe somewhat tangentially, but this makes me this think of the words of Pema Chodron:

“Only to the extent that we expose ourselves over and over to annihilation can that which is indestructible in us be found.”

This fearless I, this indestructible, intrinsic self, could this be who we really are when we strip away all that we have accumulated, all that we cling to, all that our ego desperately holds onto to give itself substance in this chaotic world of culture and expectation that we have created for ourselves?

Mooji famously asked us to “step into the fire of self discovery” claiming that “this fire will not burn you, it will burn only what you are not, and set your heart free.”

This week's guest is Kevin Krenitsky, author of the forthcoming book, The Still Point.

The premise is this - life gets better, easier, and flows with less resistance, when we stop fighting it, and instead come to it only as it is, and not with all the stories we have attached to it. And furthermore, we get better when we come to it only as we are, and not with all the trappings of emotion, anxiety, worry and ego. The still point of who we are, and where we are. As Pema Chodron might say, that part of us which is indestructible.

You can find out more about Kevin at www.authorkevinkrenitsky.com

www.conversationsonliving.com