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Explore every episode of the podcast The Inner Well Podcast

Dive into the complete episode list for The Inner Well Podcast. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Regulate Without Reaching Out: TM + Addiction & Recovery03 Sep 202600:19:24

Addiction is one of the most challenging human experiences to move through largely because it can be so unbelievably overshadowing. It creates a perceived lack of control at the baseline of your human experience and this can be extremely anxiety provoking. So, what can a technique like TM offer to those on this journey? Being able to sustain space, choice point and nervous system regulation amidst the challenges that life throws our way can be a pivotal experience when it comes to regulating without reaching for something outside of yourself.

In this episode, your hosts discuss:

  • The root cause of addiction
  • Their own personal struggles with addiction in all forms
  • What are the different types of addiction out there?
  • Why is distraction itself a human tendency?
  • What does sustaining expansion amidst contraction offer for the addictive paradigm?
    How does a technique like TM help you sustain the choice point necessary to regulate without reaching out?
  • Why is looking outside of ourselves a natural tendency ingrained in the human experience?
  • What are some tools we can use to regulate our nervous system so we don’t have to reach out?
  • How has TM supported your hosts on their own personal struggles with addiction?
  • How does expanding your container flip the script on addictive tendencies?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.


The Conscious Thread: A Father-Daughter Story on TM27 Aug 202600:30:06

As our world continues to evolve, kids are now facing challenges that can be seemingly unrelatable to their adult parents. And as our collective stressors change from generation to generation, so do our nervous systems. What if there was a common thread that could connect families from a level of nourishment and support that only serves to strengthen the entire family system? Dive into this week’s episode to learn how Transcendental Meditation can support the nervous systems of all generations, allowing for a baseline of regulation, self awareness and inner peace that promotes an experience of receptive relationality. Greg and Isabella Russo take us through their father-daughter journey from being at their own individual desperation points to sharing a technique that brought them both back to themselves, and ultimately each other.

In this episode:

  • How does TM show up to support the family system?
  • What does it look like to lead by example for your child in the realm of consciousness?
  • What’s a successful path to introducing your child to TM?
  • How can the same technique support two people going through two completely different journeys?
  • How does a technique that regulates the nervous system benefit the entire family unit?
  • What is body dysmorphia and how can this technique enable a more embodied experience of self?
  • What does anxiety look like as an undercurrent in the family system?
  • How can TM regulate and calm the choppy waters of that undercurrent?
  • How can you encourage your children to meditate?
  • What are successful strategies for supporting their journey?
  • How can the same technique be so life changing for two people on completely different paths?
  • How can our children benefit from this practice?
  • How does this practice make you a better parent?
  • What does it look like when you have family members who support your practice?
  • What are the benefits of bringing TM into the family system?

Bios:

Isabella Russo is a high school student and high achiever whose journey with Transcendental Meditation began, somewhat reluctantly, during a challenging period in adolescence. What began as something she wasn’t entirely convinced she wanted to try became a practice that would quietly open new possibilities in her life, deepening her sense of self, expanding her experiences, and awakening a growing desire to be of service to others.


Her father, Greg, came to Transcendental Meditation through challenges of his own. As he experienced the profound effect of the practice in his life, he recognized that it might offer his daughter something he could not simply give her himself.


Today, meditation is something they share, and Isabella’s journey has become a beautiful example of what can happen when a young person is given a simple practice and the space to discover its value for herself. What began as a remedy during a difficult season has become an inner resource from which so much else continues to well, a growing sense of possibility, purpose, and perhaps most importantly, a desire to turn what she has discovered within herself outward in service to the world around her.


Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Inner Stillness: I Never Understood "How" Until I Learned TM 20 Aug 202600:32:11

Tamara Julien had the experience that many others have had when it comes to meditation. She read the books, listened to the podcasts, attempted to employ the recommended spiritual practices but still never understood the “how.” And then she learned TM. A seasoned educator in the stressful environment of the inner city school districts, Tamara saw first hand just how valuable this technique can be for not only her own inner peace and resiliency but for her students and the families she supports as well.

In this episode:

  • How did a desperate prayer enliven Tamara’s TM practice?
  • And what was the unexpected outcome that officially stabalized it?
  • How did things become more clear for Tamara as a result of her practice?
  • And what kind of support did she receive in her life outside of meditation as a result of it?
  • How did she implement the practice of inner stillness for her students?
  • And what were the results?
  • Every time inconsistency showed up with her practice, what would follow?
  • What did meditation look like for her before she learned TM?
  • How did her practice support her struggle with anxiety and depression?
  • What did it feel like for Tamara to be “looking for the anxiety” only to find that it wasn’t there?
  • What is creative intelligence?
  • How do we tap into it?
  • What is the “how” of successful meditation and how did Tamara find it with TM?

Tamara's Bio:

Tamara Julien is an educator, wellness advocate, and longtime practitioner of Transcendental Meditation. She has more than 25 years of experience in education and currently supports adult learners with New York City Public Schools. Tamara is also completing a master’s degree in Consciousness and Human Potential at Maharishi International University. Her experience with TM has deepened her appreciation for its ability to reduce stress, create inner stability, and support personal growth.

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

The Neuroscience of an Anxious Generation13 Aug 202600:44:00

The Surgeon General recently labeled the youth mental health disaster as the defining public health crisis of our lifetime. Dr. Bill Stixrud and Dr. Christine Abrahams came together to discuss the defining disaster of our generation and how Transcendental Meditation can be the solution so many concerned parents and educators have been seeking.

In this episode:

  • Why is young adult mental health now twice as bad as adolescence?
  • What does sleep deprivation have to do with this?
  • What does chronic stress do to a developing brain?
  • Does childhood anxiety automatically lead to a risk of recurrence in adulthood?
  • What does youth anxiety/depression do to the pleasure scale?
  • Why are so many kids so afraid of launching that they purposely sabotage their academic momentum?
  • How are parents responding?
  • The lack of play + adult versus child-led play
  • What are the catalysts to this mental health crisis?
  • What are the primary emotions experienced in school?
  • What is intrinsic motivation and how does it impact neurocircuitry? 
  • What is a self-driven child and how do they show up?
  • A sense of control is key to mental health 
  • How does TM support this mental health crisis?
  • How does TM support “the most nervous person you’ve ever met?”
  • How does this adolescent stress impact the parents?
  • How is calm contagious?


Bios:

Dr. Bill Stixrud

William R. Stixrud, Ph.D., is a clinical neuropsychologist and founder of The Stixrud Group, a lifespan neuropsychology practice. For four decades, he was also a faculty member at Children’s National Medical Center and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. Additionally, Dr. Stixrud has authored numerous articles and book chapters on topics related to the adolescent brain, stress and sleep deprivation, and Transcendental Meditation. Furthermore, he is the co-author, with Ned Johnson, of the nationally best-selling book, The Self-Driven Child. He and Mr. Johnson have also co-authored an acclaimed second book, What Do You Say? Talking with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home, as well as a new third book, The Seven Principles for Raising a Self-Driven Child – A Workbook. He is also a long-time practitioner and proponent of Transcendental Meditation, and he plays and sings in the Maryland-based rock band Close Enough.

Dr Christine Abrahams

Christine is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida and a Licensed Professional Counselor in New Jersey who provides individual counseling to adolescents and adults for over 20 years. She also coaches parents and adolescents nationally. In addition, she is a certified Transcendental Meditation Teacher, a certified Havening Techniques practitioner and a SPACE (Supporting Parents of Anxious Childhood Emotions) provider, and a certified Consciousness Advisor professional, offering Technologies of Consciousness to help clients reach their next level of evolution.  

Christine learned TM in 2019 and became a TM teacher and now is the director of the Cape Coral TM center in Southwest Florida. She loves teaching and bringing such relief to her students. For more information, please go to wholelifehealing.net, inspireinstitute.net and https://us.tm.org/centers/cape-coral

The Overstimulation Epidemic + Curiosity Vs. Fear06 Aug 202600:20:32

Back to school season is upon us and this is the time of year when we hear many people asking more radical questions like “are we really learning the right things in school?” In this episode, your hosts dive into a conversation about overstimulation, burnout, the unrealistic expectations placed on our children these days and what consciousness-based education looks like both in and out of the classroom. If knowledge of the self is so powerful, why is it missing in our classrooms?


In this episode:

  • What are the grim statistics around teacher/student burnout?
  • At what age does burnout start?
  • Why is anxiety so prevalent starting at such a young age?
  • What are the classrooms missing when it comes to knowledge of the knower?
  • What is consciousness-based education?
  • How does it promote curiosity versus fear?
  • What does the journey look like having been in a consciousness-based school?
  • Compared to a standard school system without knowledge of the knower?
  • How can TM help solve the stress and burnout epidemic on a holistic level?
  • How can we protect our children and preserve their youth?
  • What does the TM journey look like for kids?


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.


Chris Layton: Follow Your Bliss + Discerning Engagement30 Jul 202600:32:40

American drummer Chris Layton found his bliss at a young age and continued to follow it relentlessly down a very successful career path that led him towards some of his most memorable and rewarding experiences – eventually landing him in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Having found TM later in life after already such an amazing journey, how did the technique improve his relationship with himself and others? And how did it pave the way for more discerning engagement with less anxiety and more clarity? Dive in this week to hear the details on all this and more!

In this episode:

  • How can staying on your path expand your potential?
  • What does discernment do for your relationship with others and yourself?
  • How does TM support your quest for more clarity and discernment?
  • How does choice point naturally improve your relationship with self and others?
  • What does doing what you love for a living look like and how do you sustain your passion for it?
  • How does TM lessen general anxiety?
  • What is witnessing consciousness and what does it look and feel like?
  • What synchronicities brought Chris Layton to TM?
  • What was the inner knowing that guided him to learn… 5 decades later?
  • What should you NEVER do if you love cooking for passion?


Chris Layton Bio:

Chris "Whipper" Layton is an American drummer born on November 16, 1955, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He gained fame as a founding member of the blues rock band Double Trouble, which was led by Stevie Ray Vaughan, and has continued to perform with various artists, including the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band.


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.


Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.


Dr. Tony Nader: The Power of Caring + Experience Beyond Belief23 Jul 202600:49:40

There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they just know. For world-renowned neuroscientist and leader of the Transcendental Meditation organization Tony Nader, this moment came in phases and as a bit of a complete surprise. Following both his teacher and his inner knowing, it lead him on a journey that few souls have the privilege to experience. Tune in this week to hear his unbelievably inspiring story as well as get a behind-the-scenes look at the motivation behind his new book: The Power of Caring.


In this episode:

  • What is the true meaning of know thyself?
  • What does fullness of being look like throughout the different philosophies and dogmas?
  • What was his TM journey that started on bliss street?
  • What’s the one thing that remains stable in our ever-transient existence of being?
  • How did one week turn into a lifetime?
  • What was Maharishi like and what did it feel like to be in his presence?
  • What are the vedas and how are they ever present in our own physiological blueprint?
  • How do epigenetics play into our experience of mind body connection?
  • How did Dr. Nader's scientific training become a baseline for his understanding of consciousness?
  • What are the laws of nature and how do they manifest?
  • Training yourself to think in the way nature thinks
  • What is the connection between the dynamics of consciousness and the dynamics of our physiology?
  • Consciousness is all there is!


Tony Nader Bio:

Tony Nader, M.D., Ph.D., is a medical doctor trained at Harvard and MIT, and a globally respected neuroscientist and Vedic scholar. Appointed by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to lead the international Transcendental Meditation organization, he champions the development of Consciousness to awaken higher values, resolve societal conflicts, and help individuals unlock their full potential.

Pre-Order The Power of Caring: https://www.thepowerofcaringbook.com/

More info on Dr. Tony Nader: https://drtonynader.com/


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Better Together: Ayurveda + TM for Health, Wholeness & Deeper Relationships16 Jul 202600:25:39

In this episode, Donielle talks with her student Mary Goines about her journey through health and wholeness with Ayurveda – another pillar of wellness from the same tradition as Transcendental Meditation. Mary speaks in detail about her benefits from TM as it relates to anxiety, creativity and peak performance. She also talks about how her practice has served as a source of nourishment for her relationship with both her husband (who was struggling with the stress of the entrepreneurial lifestyle) and her mother (who had been challenged with her journey through grief and loss). Dive in for details on all this as well as a sneak peek into the basics of Ayurveda and the creative uplevel Mary received from her practice.


What to look for:

  • How does TM support Ayurveda as a system of health and wellness?
  • What is Ayurveda?
  • How can both of these practices together nourish the mind and body?
  • How has Mary’s TM practice sparked her creativity?
  • In what ways has it nourished her relationship with her husband?
  • How has it helped them both with peak performance in business?
  • How does TM support the journey through grief and loss?
  • What makes Ayurveda such a powerful discipline for life?


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.


Mary Goines Bio

Mary Marie is a Lifestyle Architect, private Ayurvedic chef, educator, and co-founder of Nashville Ayurveda & Vedaville (a global online wellness community). After reversing her autoimmune diagnosis through Ayurveda, she dedicated her life to studying the world’s oldest system of natural medicine.


She holds a master’s degree in Maharishi Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine and completed advanced clinical training at Sreedhareeyam Ayurvedic Hospital in Kerala, India. Blending ancient Ayurvedic wisdom with modern science, Mary helps people look better, feel better, and live better through personalized nutrition, lifestyle design, and holistic wellness. Her mission is to make authentic Ayurveda approachable and empower others to create vibrant health that lasts.


Sacred Boundaries & The Unshakeable Self09 Jul 202600:27:37

Heathere Evans is an accomplished coach, writer and CEO with a 50+ year TM practice and a genuine understanding of the human experience. She will be the first to say that after having accomplished so many of the standard success markers for “happiness,” she still found herself in a space in her journey where she just didn’t feel happy. Her TM practice became a pivotal tool for her experience of fullness, happiness and joy, as well as a catalyst for establishing consciousness as one of the pillars of success for her coaching sessions with her clients (and herself). 

In this episode:

  • What are sacred boundaries?
  • How do they support the unshakeable self? 
  • What is the unshakeable self?
  • Life happening for you versus to you.
  • Why is consciousness so important for our happiness?
  • What does successful self care look like?
  • What is 200% of life?
  • Why is the inner experience of self so necessary to support the outer for a true experience of happiness?
  • How has Heathere’s TM practice supported her success and why does she see it as a non-negotiable in her life?

Heathere Evans Professional Bio:

Certified professional coach Heathere Evans is a 50+ year practitioner of the Transcendental Meditation technique and is the author of The Success Mindset: 12 Strategies to Unlock Your Full Potential for Life and Leadership, a new book to help executives, entrepreneurs, and other leaders live and lead from strength and wisdom. Heathere began her career as a reporter, was an award-winning communications consultant (including Washington PR Woman of the Year), and is now the CEO of the Los Angeles-based executive coaching firm Pivot, Inc. She is a member of Harvard’s Institute of Coaching, a speaker and workshop leader on human development, habit change, and adaptive leadership, and a guest lecturer at leading academic institutions.

Check out Heathere’s book The Success Mindset here!

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.


Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Our Most Pivotal Relationship: The Self02 Jul 202600:23:13

How is it possible that in a day and age where connection is the most effortless it’s ever been, we can still feel so disconnected? So much so, in fact, the Surgeon General officially diagnosed loneliness as an epidemic in 2023. So, how is this possible and (more importantly) what do we do about it? Could it be as simple as a collective disconnect from the most pivotal relationship we have… the one with ourselves? Dive in to this week’s episode as we discuss this and so much more revolving around relationship with self and others.

In this episode:

  • What is the loneliness epidemic and why is it so concerning?
  • Why is relationship with self our most pivotal relationship?
  • Why is relationship with self not enough?
  • What is attachment theory and where do your hosts fall on its spectrum?
  • How does your attachment style influence your relationships?
  • Why is presence such a crucial component for healthy relationships?
  • How does TM support relationship with self?
  • How does TM help you nourish and sustain relationships with others?
  • Why does safety play such an important role in relationships?
  • How does TM help facilitate an experience of safety with self and others?


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Clarity, Confidence and Stylized Consciousness: Payton Dale’s Inner Well25 Jun 202600:44:13

Tune in this week as Donielle talks fullness, fashion and fate with world renowned stylist Payton Dale. A Beatle’s nerd at heart with a flare for fashion and a genuine desire to help her clients embody their most confident and attuned experience of self, Payton serves as a soul-level fashion guru for the human experience. According to her, fashion is an energetic expression of consciousness and TM helps her sustain the bandwidth she needs to support others in their most coveted expression of themselves. She possesses a genuine understanding of the human experience and how life presents when the well runs dry. Dive in this week to hear her story and how daily access to her inner well has supported her in her journey.


In this episode:

  • From depleted to abundant: Payton’s Inner Well journey
  • How does consciousness support her on a daily basis?
  • What does having access to TIW mean for her and her clients?
  • How does she become a better version of herself with access to TIW?
  • What did life look like before she fully embodies her self expression?
  • What is her origin story?
  • What makes her passionate about the human experience?
  • Why does she refer to TM as her “spiritual smoke break?”
  • Who inspired her to learn TM?
  • How does her daily meditation practice help her be better and do better for her clients?



Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.


Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

The Ultimate Energy Source For Creative Expression18 Jun 202600:23:49

Is it really possible to recapture the possibility, promise and creativity of our youth? In a word: Yes! Within your inner well lies an infinite reservoir of creativity, innocence, awe and wonderment… the same qualities that made our youth filled with so much promise and opportunity. Being able to tap into that space as an adult brings with it endless possibility. Not only does it support you with creative intelligence, resourceful problem solving and out-of-the-box thinking, according to Dave, it also serves as a catalyst for an infinite supply of energy that enables you to accomplish all the things you have the desire to with a level of presence and engagement that seemed unavailable without access to the well.

In this episode:

  • Where does creative intelligence come from?
  • How does seemingly limitless energy support the entrepreneurial spirit?
  • What does it feel like to reconnect with that youthful part of ourselves?
  • Is that youthful energetic innocence still there after we become an adult?
  • How can the Inner Well facilitate healing on a holistic level?
  • Why is creativity so important to our quality of life?
  • How does TM provide access to that childlike wonderment where creativity sparks from?
  • How does a regular TM practice help you accomplish all the things you desire to AND provide the idea engine for consistent momentum?
  • What does life look like before and after TM  for the creative, entrepreneurial spirit?

Connect with Dave:

Dave Escamilla is an avid practicer of TM who resides in Austin, TX. Dave plays in the band Rippleberry, hosts the holistic health channel Rapid Regeneration, and is co-founder of Texas Fruit Festival. 

Linktree


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Catching Big Fish: TM, Creativity & Authentic Living with Criss Cain11 Jun 202600:31:11

In this episode, Donielle sits down with Criss Cain — tour photographer, videographer, podcast host, and right-hand person to rock legend Ann Wilson of Heart — to talk about how Transcendental Meditation found its way into his life and what's unfolded since.

The conversation covers creative breakthroughs, the courage it takes to be authentic in a buttoned-up industry, and what it's like to warm up a sold-out arena crowd with stand-up comedy — all by staying effortlessly in the moment.

The David Lynch thread Lynch's influence runs throughout the episode — from his MasterClass metaphor about fishing for ideas at different depths, to his famous quote: "Meditation makes you more and more you." Criss reflects on what that has meant in practice: more space, slower speech, more self-trust, and a low tolerance for inauthenticity in an industry full of it.

In this episode you'll find:

  • How a chance meeting over David Lynch sparked Criss's TM journey
  • The morning routine (yes, it involves dancing to Britney Spears) that changed how he creates
  • How TM directly fueled the launch of his podcast After Dinner Thinks with Ann Wilson
  • The story of cold-emailing Ann Wilson's manager and nine years later walking her on and off stage every night
  • What it's like to do stand-up comedy in arenas with 15 minutes of prep — and why TM was his secret weapon
  • What the mantra actually is (and why it having no meaning is the whole point)
  • David Lynch's "ideas are like fish" metaphor and why it still resonates

"If there's love, it's fine. Always." — Criss Cain

Connect with Criss:

  • Podcast: After Dinner Thinks with Ann Wilson — Spotify & YouTube
  • Instagram: @thecrisscain

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Already Genius: Tapping The Creative Intelligence Within04 Jun 202600:27:08

How have some of the most brilliant minds in the world tapped into their creativity and is there a way to sustain access to it? We’ve all heard of the flow state – the most coveted expression of inner and outer alignment that comes in many different forms. It’s a form of creative intelligence that manifests through spontaneous right action, frictionless flow and the undeniably effective, creatively inspired problem solving to life’s every-day challenges. In this episode, the three hosts discuss creative intelligence in both its manifest and unmanifest forms – not only the inner well it manifests from inside of you, but also how it moves through each individual nervous system in its own individualized creative expression. Dive in!

In this episode:

  • What is Creative Intelligence?
  • How have some of the most brilliant minds attempted to access it in the past?
  • What does it have to do with the flow state?
  • How does it manifest differently for every individual?
  • Is there a way to sustain access to it?
  • How does TM help you access your own creative intelligence?
  • How is problem solving a form of creativity?
  • How does creative intelligence help facilitate mind-body connection?
  • Can creative expression be integrated for consistent availability?
  • Why does being in flow with your own creative intelligence feel so good?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Up-Armoring the Mind: Jonny Mize on TM and the Resilient Warrior Program28 May 202600:28:09

Everyone comes to TM  for different reasons and on a different journey. Some come for peak performance… others for mental health, spiritual evolution, stress management, etc. And every once in a while, someone comes along from an undeniably tumultuous path that not only benefits from the technique but also has the heartfelt desire to learn how to facilitate it for others based solely on the fact that it made such a pivotal difference in their healing journey. Our guest this week fits this description perfectly. Jonny Mize is a childhood trauma survivor, military veteran, impassioned musician and Transcendental Meditation teacher who has seen the profound impact of this technique ripple throughout his life and the lives of those he teaches as well. This is his story.

Jonny learned TM after returning home from his Army combat deployment in Afghanistan where he served as a welder up-armoring vehicles for Special Operations command. After experiencing how easy and effective TM is at removing stress and anxiety while bringing himself back to balance and peace, he realized he had to become a Certified TM teacher and share this technique with his fellow warrior community. Today, Jonny is honored and grateful to be serving the Warrior community once again with the Resilient Warrior Program, up-armoring the mental and emotional health of our San Diego community.

In this episode:

  • How does childhood trauma motivate the healing journey?
  • The power of music as therapy
  • Can TM be a support for those prone to social anxiety and self isolation?
  • What does it feel like to bring calm with you into the storms of life?
  • How can this technique help you go from external to internal regulation?
  • How did this technique give Jonny his life back?
  • How can TM help with trauma-induced anxiety and PTSD?
  • What profound results has Jonny seen in his students?
  • What sets this technique apart from other meditations?
  • What made him want to become a teacher?
  • How does this technique continue to change his life?


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

David Lynch Foundation Veteran Programs: https://www.resilient-warriors.org/

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Healing the Healers: Who Takes Care of the Caretakers?21 May 202600:21:56

This week we continue our dive into the powerful work that the David Lynch Foundation is doing with Kelly Malloy, Director of Heal the Healers Now initiative in New York City.

Kelly Malloy learned TM as a child, and after rediscovering TM in college and completing teacher training in 2015, she moved to New York to teach with the David Lynch Foundation. When the pandemic hit in 2020, she pivoted to serve healthcare workers — and hasn't stopped since. In this conversation, Kelly shares what that work looks like, why it matters, and what she's witnessed on hospital floors across the country.

In this episode:

  • How the Heal the Healers Now initiative was born during the 2020 pandemic and has grown to 100+ hospitals across 17 states
  • The very real toll of burnout, compassion fatigue, and chronic stress on nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers
  • Stories of transformation — including a night-shift nurse who used TM to ease the transition between work and home life
  • Why hospitals are starting to invest in TM
  • Research from Duke, Harvard, and Georgetown documenting TM's impact on burnout, anxiety, depression, and insomnia
  • Why meditating isn't selfish — especially for caregivers who give everything to others at work and at home
  • The case for ancient practices in modern life, and why the need for stillness is greater than ever

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

David Lynch Foundation:

davidlynchfoundation.org


Heal the Healers Now:

healthehealersnow.com

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Can You Really Meditate In A Fire Truck?14 May 202600:27:14

When it comes to our first responders, few of us truly understand the toll it can take on not only their physical health, but their mental health and quality of life as well. Having to consistently respond to that level of disaster is a big ask for any nervous system. James Colford is no different. Having been born into a family of first responders, the job seemed like second skin to him at first. His journey through the recovery and recalibration of that level of chronic stress management is worthy of admiration and Transcendental Meditation has been foundational in his journey.

James Colford is a former Fire Lieutenant and Paramedic with 16 years of service in the fire service. As a Transcendental Meditation practitioner, he experienced firsthand the impact the practice can have on the stress, trauma, and cumulative toll associated with first responder work. That experience evolved into action, leading him to partner with the David Lynch Foundation to help bring Transcendental Meditation programs to fire departments and public safety agencies across California.

In this episode:

  • What does chronic stress look like for first responders and their families?
  • Why mental health was long considered taboo in first responder culture.
  • The mind-body connection — and how TM supports it on the job
  • Does TM work even if you're a skeptic?
  • Is there a noticeable difference on the days you do meditate versus the days you don’t?
  • How can TM strengthen connection in first responder families?
  • Fight-or-flight vs. parasympathetic state — and why it matters.
  • How does TM compare to other meditations for chronic stress management?
  • What does it look like to be able to meditate effortlessly and anywhere? And how can that support your day-to-day life in the first responder world?
  • Meditating effortlessly, anywhere — even in the truck on the way back from a call
  • How TM can help with anxiety, sleep, and communication under pressure
  • Why James believes every firefighter and first responder should learn TM

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Inner Stillness for Outer Strength: Inside the David Lynch Foundation's Mission07 May 202600:22:31

The David Lynch Foundation is one of the most proactive organizations when it comes to supporting some of the most high-stress, underserved population, and the work they do is truly inspiring. Today, we have the pleasure of speaking with Vice President of West Coast, First Responder, and Veteran Programs, Vin DeCrescenzo. Vin talks in detail with Emily about some of his most inspiring experiences working with the David Lynch Foundation, as well as what created the catalyst in his life to learn the technique and bring it to so many in need.

In this episode:

  • What is the David Lynch Foundation and who do they serve?
  • How does TM support those suffering with PTSD?
  • Does the technique work even if you’re skeptical?
  • What makes TM a catalyst tool for your life toolkit?
  • What is the Heal the Healers program?
  • How can you learn TM through the David Lynch Foundation?
  • What makes this technique so beneficial for those suffering with chronic stress?

Vin DeCrescenzo is the Vice President of West Coast, First Responder, and Veterans Programs at the David Lynch Foundation (DLF), where he leads initiatives bringing Transcendental Meditation to high-stress populations. He oversees programs for veterans, New York Police Dpt /Fire Dpt of NY, and disaster relief and has been involved with expanding the foundation’s partnerships and outreach since 2016

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

Learn more about the David Lynch Foundation:

www.thedavidlynchfoundation.org

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

The Quiet Revolution: Bob Roth on How TM Transforms the Mind From Within30 Apr 202600:39:13

Infinite creativity. Infinite intelligence. Infinite love. Infinite happiness. Just a few things on the table today.

Host Emily sits down with world-renowned TM teacher Bob Roth to explore his personal journey to Transcendental Meditation, how it transformed his life (much to his own surprise), and how he's brought the practice to everyone from the most privileged to the most stressed populations.

Bob Roth is a renowned Transcendental Meditation (TM) teacher, CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, and author of the bestseller Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation. With 50 years of experience, he has taught meditation to thousands, including celebrities, veterans, and at-risk youth.

In this episode:

  • What's behind 90% of disease and illness — and how TM addresses the root cause
  • How the Beatles put TM on the map
  • Inner peace vs. the "gotta gotta gotta" mind
  • The vertical dimension of the human mind — and how to access it
  • Why restful alertness goes deeper than relaxation
  • Manipulation vs. transformation in meditation
  • TM for the incredibly stressed, and for autism and neurodivergent conditions
  • How TM unlocks the brain's full creative potential
  • How Tom Hanks found TM through Jerry Seinfeld
  • Is there any philosophy behind TM?

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

From Averse to All-In: How TM Became Non-Negotiable23 Apr 202600:25:17

This week, Donielle sits down for a conversation with one of her Transcendental Meditation students in Nashville. Luke Ford brings over 20 years of experience in the beverage industry and currently serves as Market Specialist for Diageo's non-alcoholic portfolio in Tennessee and Missouri — a role that feels like a natural extension of his own sobriety journey. Beyond his career, Luke is a fun uncle, world traveler, animal lover, actor, musician, and loyal friend.

Episode Overview

TM found Luke at a pivotal moment in his life. Though it took time to stabilize the practice, what emerged on the other side has been nothing short of remarkable — a story shaped by synchronicity, serendipity, and genuine discipline.

In This Episode

  • How TM supported Luke before and after sobriety
  • The synchronistic chain of events that led him to learn TM
  • How those synchronicities have only deepened as his practice has grown
  • Why two weeks may be the sweet spot for making meditation non-negotiable
  • How someone who was once averse to meditation found his way in
  • Spirituality without shame — what that looks like coming from a religious background
  • Life beyond the monkey mind
  • The boundless peace that emerges when life becomes a moving meditation

Connect & Learn More

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning, and modern life. This podcast exists for you — to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. We'd love to hear what resonates.

Dr. Fred Travis - Part 2: Your Brain Is A River Not A Rock16 Apr 202600:28:02

Every experience changes our brain. This we know based on what science has shown us. It’s a river, not a rock, and this capacity for flow is what ultimately allows for integration. So how does deep inner silence experienced on a daily basis change your brain… for the better? And how does that impact and improve your life outside of meditation? Dive into this episode of The Inner Well to find out!


In this episode:

  • How do the brainwave patterns shift and optimize with regular practice of TM?
  • How can you take your inner silence with you into the activity of daily life?
  • When life brings us lemons, how can we integrate the lemonade stand?
  • How is Transcendental Meditation different from Vipassana?
  • How is Transcendental Meditation different from Mindfulness?
  • How does consciousness integrate?
  • How long do we have to meditate before seeing actual results?



Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Dr. Fred Travis - Part 1: Your Brain on TM 09 Apr 202600:27:04

We all carry an internal model of how the world works. We project that model outward, test it against reality, and update it when it doesn't fit. This is a constant, self-referral loop — moving from an inner assumption to an outer experiment and back again.

Now, what if you could implement a consistent practice that keeps the bigger picture visible, reduces stress, and preserves your sense of space, choice, and autonomy at every step?

In this episode:

  • What does your brain look like on TM?
  • What does it look like to live a life where you’re not governed and burdened by could, would and should? 
  • What are the effects of stress on the brain?
  • What does flow state actually mean to our neurological process?
  • How do we train the brain for stress?
  • What does nervous system regulation look like in our brain?
  • How does TM reset the fight or flight response?


Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know how what resonates! After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

The Inner Well: “I Would’ve Never Thought TM Could Be So Powerful, But It Is." 02 Apr 202600:23:29

In this episode, Meghan interviews one of her students, Felipe Dolago – a high-scale data analyst who was suffering from the challenges that come with depression, burnout and PTSD  before he came to learn TM. Felipe’s experience of finding daily joy, even amidst the struggle, has been a life-changing journey for him – and in such a short amount of time. Tune into this episode of The Well to hear what life looks like for Felipe after learning TM.

What to Expect:

  • How can TM help uplift depression through daily joy?
  • How did this meditation stack up when compared to others for felipe?
  • What kind of a positive impact can TM have on PTSD?
  • How does daily joy through your TM practice improve your relationships?
  • How does TM compare to psychedelics when it comes to depression relief?
  • What does life look like with the energy that TM provides?
  • Why is mental clarity a natural result from TM?
  • How can taking 40 minutes a day to meditate actually give you more time back?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

The Ripple Effect: Real Life Student Stories26 Mar 202600:16:58

In this episode, the three of us discuss some of our most pivotal student stories regarding how TM made an impact and continues to support the lives of some of our students. As teachers, we’re constantly finding ourselves in a space of gratitude for being able to facilitate such a positive impact for our students: some life changing and awe-inspiring, some sweet and supportive, and some synchronistic and undeniably beneficial. 

In this episode:

  • What are some of stand-out stories from our students?
  • Real-life examples of how TM can benefit the physiology in states of disease and disorder.
  • Business-driven examples of how entrepreneurs gained the momentum they needed.
  • How TM became a support for and entire family connection.
  • What does the ripple effect look like in motion and how can this influence multiple people simultaneously?
  • What potential lies on the other side of getting out of your own way?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

How Did We Get Here? Meet Your Hosts20 Mar 202600:21:20

What does it look like when TM teachers do life? You know… outside of meditation… when no mantras are involved and the eyes are wide open? The answers may surprise you! Get a behind the scenes get to know your hosts in this episode – including what life looked like before we became meditation teachers and how our own personal journeys have ignited a passion in all of us to help others access their own Inner Well.

In this episode:

  • Meet your hosts
  • Hear their origin stories
  • How did TM support and shape them?
  • What do they do for fun when they’re not teaching?
  • What did life look like “before meditation?”
  • Why are they so passionate about being teachers?
  • What’s their favorite thing about teaching people to access their own Inner well?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

What is Transcendental Meditation, Actually?20 Mar 202600:23:31

What is this Transcendental Meditation thing we’ve heard people talking about and how does it actually work? We’ve created a podcast episode to dive deeper into understanding Transcendental Meditation, how it can improve your quality of life, regulate your nervous system and calm your mind. Yes, the mind actually can find a space of peace and equanimity!

And the most amazing thing about this? If you access that space regularly – where the mind is settled and the body is calm – it becomes available for you as a foundation for your everyday life. How?

In this episode:

  • How does Transcendental Meditation help you access your own Inner Well?
  • How can 20 minutes twice a day change your relationship with yourself and everyone around you?
  • What allows you to access that part of the mind that finally feels calm?
  • What is Transcending and how does it work?
  • What makes TM different than all the other meditations out there today?
  • Why does brainwave activity matter during meditation?
  • What does it look like to learn TM?
  • What makes it so easy and effective?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

What is The Inner Well? Dive Deeper. Live Better.20 Mar 202600:20:55

Just how deep is your Inner Well? And what potential lies within that space – just waiting for you to harness it? Find out in this episode! If you’ve ever been “in the zone” with anything, you’ve already accessed it. In this episode we discuss Transcendental Meditation, a systematic technique to access it regularly enough to improve your overall quality of life and nervous system regulation.

Topics of discussion in this episode:

  • What is The Inner Well and what does it mean to you?
  • What is the origin story of this podcast?
  • Who are your hosts?
  • What can you expect when you tune in?
  • How can the Inner Well provide access to a better quality of life?
  • How does the nervous system run on a spectrum and where do you fall?

Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience.

Watch, listen, and connect here:

https://linktr.ee/theinnerwellpodcast

We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com

Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org

The Inner Well Podcast - Coming 3/2017 Mar 202600:01:19

We all contain a space within that, when enlivened and nourished, has the capacity to provide unwavering stability, sustained expansion and profound peace of mind. This is The Inner Well.

Join us each week as we dive into honest, grounded conversations about Transcendental Meditation, consciousness, growth, and what it means to live an integrated life supported by a foundation of creativity and calm.

Transcendental Meditation is a scientifically validated technique that provides access to become more ourselves. What does that look like in everyday life? Stay tuned to find out.

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