Align Podcast

In this episode of the Align Podcast, top ultra marathoner and world-record holder Michele Graglia shares empowering insights that will get you off the couch and start running towards your highest dreams.

His unimaginable wins are plastered in various websites but, in this rare interview, Michele reveals why competition ruins the essence of ultra running, what sets his mindset apart from other ultramarathoners, and how to overcome your ego-centric tendencies that keep you from growing into a better version of yourself.

From getting high on the addictive supermodel lifestyle at age 24 to feeling the unbearable existential void at 27, Michele found an escape in the world's most inhospitable places: ice mountains and torrid deserts. His pivot from the limelight set him off to epic adventures that test the limits of human potential. Giving his all to run extreme distances in extreme conditions, he has conquered both the scalding canyons of Death Valley and the sub-zero Yukon region. Amid the COVID pandemic, he won the 2020 Moab 240 Endurance Run, a death-defying 240-mile foot race through some of Utah’s most challenging terrains.

It seems insane to give up fame, fortune, and comfort for intense mental and physical pain, suffering, and despair, but Michele believes it’s necessary. “We can all transcend our perceived limitations to grow as a person,” he remarks. If you feel trapped in your current situation and struggling to break free from your comfort zone, this episode is perfect for you.

What we discuss:

3:15 - What made him leave the luxurious modeling world for ultra running?

6:00 - Why ultra running is about self-exploration, not competition

8:30 - On beating world-renowned ultramarathoner David Goggins in a race

13:50 - What mind and body transcendence is, and why running a race is an spiritual pursuit

20:08 - How your ego keeps you from achieving greatness

22:35 - Michele's realizations after his confrontation with David Goggins

38:04 - How your ego makes you do stupid things

45:00 - Why life is an endless pursuit of self-discovery

51:50 - Tips to preparing for a big race

57:15 – Ultra Running Diet: Optimized Fat Metabolism (OFM) diet, ketosis, or veganism?

Learn more from Michele Graglia:

Website: https://michelegraglia.com/

Instagram: @mickeygraglia

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Is there such a thing as breathing too much? Yes! And if you’re doing it through your mouth, that’s much worse.

In this latest episode of the Align Podcast, world-renowned breathing expert Patrick McKeown explains why you should stop breathing through your mouth and start taking slow, light breaths through your nose. One huge reason for this is that nasal breathing will drastically improve your sleep, attention and memory, calm your mind, and reduce your stress almost instantly.

Do you notice how anxiety makes your breathing fast and shallow, which only reinforces your suffering? That's mostly because of dysfunctional breathing patterns you’re not even aware of.

Here, Patrick gives tips on how to stay calm and collected in stressful situations by controlling our breath. His focus is not in deep breaths but in the gaps between those breaths. Also, we cover the healing effects of nasal breathing on COVID and asthma patients, the dangers of mouth breathing in kids, and how tongue posture affects your gait and appearance.

Patrick McKeown is a best-selling author and leading expert on the topic of optimal breathing for improved health and fitness. He has written 8 books, including top sellers "Close Your Mouth" and "Asthma Free Naturally". His latest book, "Atomic Focus,” is packed with science-proven breathing techniques that help people achieve the highest level of focus they need to succeed.

What we discuss:

6:00 - The secret to staying calm in stressful situations lies in your breath

12:30 - The harmful effects of mouth breathing in children

23:00 - Why solving the mental health crisis starts with addressing sleep disordered breathing

30:00 - Stimulate your vagus nerve through this breathing technique

35:30 - 6 Tongue Exercises to boost brain function

44:15 - Why you should start breathing less and slow, not fast and shallow

50:43 - How nasal breathing improves your focus and memory

53:40 - Self-actualization begins with deep sleep and correct breathing patterns

56:00 - Microcosmic Orbit: Harnessing strength and energy from your tongue

59:00 - How are your tongue position, gait, and posture related?

Learn more from Patrick McKeown:

Websites:

https://oxygenadvantage.com/

https://buteykoclinic.com/

Instagram: @oxygenadvantage, @buteykoclinic

Related Link:

Patrick Mckeown’s books: https://www.amazon.com/Patrick-McKeown/e/B006X1OD3U%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

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Ever wonder how you can show up better in your relationships? Your dog has the answers!

On this episode of the Align Podcast, Tamar Geller shares how she believes that our dogs are in our life to teach us how to show up for a relationship. In other words, she considers them to be our training wheels as we learn how to develop better relationships in our lives with ourselves and others. 

Tamar Geller is a New York Times bestselling author and as OPRAH says “A Life Coach for Dogs and their People”. Known for her mindful, fun, innovative and effective methods, her enthusiasm revolutionized the way dog training is done. She doesn’t believe in giving commands to a dog, instead she prefers to teach them the life skills that allow them to self-regulate and make better decisions.

To learn more about Tamar:

Website: theloveddog.com 

Instagram: @theloveddog

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Having trouble connecting with your partner sexually and emotionally? Sex expert Jaiya Ma says it can be because of your unprocessed traumas and lack of self-love.

In this wildly vulnerable episode of the Align Podcast, world-renowned sexologist Jaiya Ma and her partner Ian Ferguson reveal the top secrets to having the best sex of your life. Hint: Great sex isn't about what you do; it's about who you are.

Jaiya and Ian talk about the importance of taking on "masks" or personas to fully express your erotic self without the conditioned feeling of shame. In this rare instance, Jaiya also openly shares her struggle with an incurable Complex Post-traumatic Disorder (CPTSD) and how it interfered with her relationship with Ian and herself, leading her to test the healing wonders of Psychedelics.

Highlighting the naked truth that humans are wired for pleasure, this power couple aims to put an end to the institutionalized shame around sexuality. If you want to get over that shame and optimize your sexual life, this episode is for you.

Jaiya is an award-winning author and Somatic Sexologist with over two decades of clinical research and client observation under her belt. She is the creator of The Erotic Blueprints and writer of best-selling books “Red Hot Touch” and “Cuffed, Tied & Satisfied.” She and Ian are contributors to the hit Netflix show, “Love, Sex, and Goop.”

What we discuss:

3:30 - How self-love affects your sex life

4:36 - The Attachment Theory: Why you feel unsafe in a relationship

6:40 - Coping with Complex Post-traumatic Disorder (CTPSD)

17:30 - Jaiya's experience of MDMA/Ecstasy as treatment for CTPSD

25:00 - What taking on erotic personas really mean

28:26 - Empowered Erotic Persona Work: Identities you can try with your partner

35:20 - How to deal with sexual shame

38:20 - How to activate your pleasure hormones through paradoxical breathing

1:00:00 - Sex, death, and orgasm

1:06:00 - The secret to falling in love with yourself and your partner again

Learn more from their website: https://missjaiya.com/

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Today’s science & technology allows us to cross planets and modify genes, yet chronic diseases still shoot us down. If our systems are so advanced, why are we still the sickest nation in history?

That’s a question addressed by Shawn Stevenson in this eye-opening episode. Here, Shawn unveils the faults in our healthcare system and the role of the government and media in perpetuating fear among us. He explains that the fear that helps us spot a threat is the same fear that makes us commit bad decisions for ourselves and others.

While fear serves as our mechanism for survival, Shawn argues it has also been a tool that corporations, politicians, and capitalists use as a form of control…and a source of billon-dollar profits! As long as we’re afraid to take charge of our own lives, they will continue to feed on us, and we will continue to grapple with the crisis of fear.

From the hyperbolic COVID-19 media coverage to flawed FDA processes and the opioid crisis brought by pharmaceutical giants, Shawn fearlessly points out how we're being manipulated by the very systems we created. And then he shares 3 things we can do to make a change now.

Shawn Stevenson is a nutritionist, keynote speaker, and the author of best-selling books "Eat Smarter" and "Sleep Smarter". He is the creator and host of “The Model Health Show” where he convenes with the world’s brightest experts to discuss topics on health, fitness, nutrition, personal development, and more.

What we discuss:

7:05 - Why we're still a lost world despite our advances in science & technology

17:20 - You are the product of the little moments in your life

22:00 - Can we hack our brain to change our feelings and thoughts?

34:30 - How fear affects our immune system

46:00 - The darkest secrets of our healthcare system

53:50 - What happens when you compromise your ethics for the greater good

57:25 - Why do people have a thirst for power?

1:04:00 - How big pharmaceutical companies contribute to the opioid crisis

1:14:00 - "Be awake, not woke"

1:17:20 - How can we help fix a broken healthcare, political, and education system?

1:25:00 - "Be so good that you're undeniable"

Learn more from Shawn Stevenson:

Website: https://themodelhealthshow.com/

Instagram: @shawnmodel

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All health starts in your mouth because it’s the gateway to your entire body. How can you guard it better?

In this episode of the Align Podcast, Biological Dentist Dr. Dominik Nischwitz delves into the profound connection of oral health to our overall health and well-being.

With scientific studies proving the origins of chronic diseases in the mouth, Dr. Dome challenges the claims of conventional dentistry that the teeth are separate from the body and explains why the traditional "drill, fill, and bill" dental practice can make things worse. For him, today's world requires a new approach to oral healthcare that fuses advanced technology and natural medicine.

If you want to know what causes tooth decay and how to avoid it, how your mouth is connected to the rest of your body, why root canals and amalgam fillings are deadly, and when you should see a biological dentist, this episode is for you!

Dr. Dominik Nischwitz is a dentist and naturopath, a world specialist in biological dentistry and ceramic implants, and the president of the International Society of Metal Free Implantology (ISMI). In 2015, he co-founded DNA Health and Aesthetics, Center for Biological Dentistry with his father in Tubingen, Germany. His book, “It All Starts in Your Mouth,” explores the impact of oral health on whole body wellness.

What we discuss:

6:00 - What causes cavitation?

11:35 - How the mouth serves as the window into the microbiome

12:58 - What does "chew your water" mean?

17:25 - How are the teeth connected to the central nervous system?

21:20 - What your teeth reveals about your health

23:16 - Why flossing can do more harm than good, and what prevents tooth decay

30:00 - What causes bad breath?

39:20 - How breastfeeding helps the baby's jaw development

43:30 - The relationship of your bite to your spinal posture

1:06:20 - The key to optimal oral health requires a return to nature and ancient strategies

1:09:00 - Why all dentists should be biological dentists

Learn more from Dr. Dominik:

Instagram: @drdome1

Book: It’s All in Your Mouth: Biological Dentistry and the Surprising Impact of Oral Health on Whole Body Wellness

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Are you in search of the Divine? Do you struggle to lead a spiritual life in our secular world? If yes, this episode is for you!

"People who live without a deep connection to spirit, to soul, to consciousness, to love, to truth are not living happy lives," said this week's guest, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati.

Sadhvi is a world-renowned spiritual leader and best-selling author based in India. Twenty-five years ago, she left America carrying loads of childhood trauma and wounds to seek freedom. In a weird but magical way, she found it on the banks of Ganga River. Here, she shares how a leisure trip to India became a story of coming home not only to herself but to God.

For her, spiritual awakening doesn't mean that we stop being fallible humans. It means experiencing the fullness of our humanity with freedom and power over things that enslave us: technology, hobbies, relationships, beliefs, and even our own thoughts. With that beautiful philosophy, she gives tips and practices to tap into our inner voice and regain trust in the perfect universe. Ultimately, she explains why finding God isn’t an external quest but an inward journey we can choose to embark on right now.

Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati is a multi-awarded changemaker with a Ph.D in Psychology. She teaches meditation, provides spiritual counseling, and leads humanitarian projects while also serving on United Nations Faith Advisory Council on Religion, among others. Her book, "Hollywood to the Himalayas," recounts her journey toward divine enlightenment and offers guidance to our own spiritual rebirth. 

What we discuss:

2:20 - Dealing with childhood trauma and eating disorder

8:00 - The trip that changed her life forever

11:42 - How moments of enlightenment become a way of life

18:00 - If we are not our body, who and what are we?

23:00 - Why spirituality doesn't require transcendence from our human experience

34:00 - Are people born as empty slates? Do we have a set destiny?

39:08 - Why we CAN'T be anything we want to be

48:20 - Follow these practices and techniques to get through pain and anger

56:00 - Tips to breaking toxic attachment with technology

1:04:00 - What's the cost of living a happy life, and how do we prepare for it?

Learn more from Sadhvi:

Website: https://www.sadhviji.org/

Instagram: @sadhviji

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Forget about New Year's Resolutions! Let's talk about the small habits we do every single day that define our entire year...or even our whole life!

This episode of the Align Podcast is a rerun of my interview with James Clear about his New York Times bestseller, “Atomic Habits,” which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide.

While explaining how habits are formed, James argues that we can transform our lives just by committing to small, consistent behavioral changes. Simply put, set a GOAL and build HABITS that align with it! Good habits don't even need to be grand; they can be as simple as placing your phone away from you for a certain period to avoid checking it 200x a day and make space for things that matter.

Need help in breaking bad habits?

Listen to the entire episode to understand why we repeat an action (good or bad) over and over again and how to make true changes that last longer than any of your New Year's Resolutions!

Besides being a successful author, James Clear is a weightlifter and travel photographer. His presence is sought by big companies worldwide for his insightful speeches on habit improvement and personal development.

What we discuss:

2:30 - Get 1% better each day instead of having no improvement at all

4:02 - How to avoid addiction to modern technology by adding friction to your actions

7:30 - 2 Tips to improve bad habits

10:48 - Most of us are drug addicts; we just don’t realize it

13:00 - The 4 Stages of Habit Formation

16:00 - Why we get addicted to social media & video games + how to control it

20:40 - Outcome-based habit Vs. Identity-based habit: Which is better?

29:29 - How to be the architect of your environment rather than a victim of it

33:50 - Why success isn't about grinding & hustling but about decision-making & habit-forming

37:20 - Explore Vs. Exploit Trade-Off: When to know when it's time to give up

Learn more about James:

Website: jamesclear.com

Instagram: @jamesclear

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20-50% of people quit their jobs without knowing what to do next. Are you one of them? 

In a world of uncertainties, finding the thing that lights us up gets more difficult each day. Most of us are burnt out, dragging ourselves to work for the paycheck, status, benefits, and prestige until we wake up 10 or 20 years later wondering what it was all for. 

How do we show up better in life and keep our sense of purpose?

Jonathan Fields offers the tools and strategies we're looking for! Here, he talks about what defines a good life, where to find meaning despite uncertainties, and how to cultivate a still mindset to embody a more peaceful and productive inner state.

Jonathan is the host of the top-rated podcast, Good Life Project. After years of researching what sparks people's motivation, he came up with a system that identifies people into 10 different Sparketypes. Among his greatest discovery is this: aligning our work with our Sparketype leads to a higher sense of fulfillment and renewed quality of life. Find out more about the Sparketypes in Jonathan’s new book, "SPARKED, Discover Your Unique Imprint For Work That Makes You Come Alive."

What we discuss:

3:13 - Realizations on Good Life Project's transition into remote production

11:55 - Navigating uncertainties in a changing world

14:15 - How do we find our passion?

16:49 - What it means to live a good life, and Jonathan's inspiration for Good Life Project

19:53 - What are Sparketypes?

25:00 - Why swapping jobs or relationships isn't always the best first step toward a better life

31:00 - The importance of infusing play into our adult life

38:03 - How do we show up better in life, relationships, and at work?

46:28 - How to cultivate a healthy and peaceful mindset to avoid burnout

54:30 - What do we consider as "work,” and how do we find fulfillment from it?

1:02:14 - The algorithim behind the Sparketype Assessment

Learn more from Jonathan’s website: https://www.jonathanfields.com/

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Struggling to keep your focus and be present in the here and now? You're not alone! There are simple, little changes you can do to tap into the power of your conscious mind and live in full measure.

In this episode of the Align podcast, Dr. Amishi Jha explains how our brain's attention system works while highlighting our ability to train our mind to function better. Yes, we can pay attention like we never did before and change habits we thought we couldn't live without.

Also, we discuss neural plasticity, how to orient ourselves to pain and difficult emotions, why positivity hurts in certain high-stress situations, and how practicing mindfulness is the key to a fulfilled existence.

Dr. Amishi Jha, PhD is a neuroscientist and a professor of Psychology at the University of Miami. She serves as the Director of Contemplative Neuroscience for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative, which she co-founded in 2010. Dr. Jha’s work has been featured at NATO, the World Economic Forum, and The Pentagon. She has received coverage in the The New York Times, NPR, TIME, Forbes and more.

Her recent book, PEAK MiND, offers a guide to thriving in a distracted world. It breaks down science-proven mind-training practices to manage our attention more effectively and be 100% present in life’s crucial moments.

What we discuss:

2:41 - What is the definition of the 'mind' and how does it differ from the 'brain'?

8:17 - Explaining the brain to a 5-year-old

12:00 - Where does memory exist in the body?

17:07 - How to connect to the pain and reorient yourself to difficult emotions

21:58 - Why positivity can be problematic in high-stress situations

29:03 - Why do we consciously make bad decisions, and how do we change that?

33:20 - Defining the Default Mode Network and what happens in our brain when we're told to rest?

38:00 - Demystifying neural plasticity and why committing mistakes don't always result in better brain function

43:54 - What her book, PEAK MiND, offers to everyone struggling with attention

49:39 - "Kindness and compassion begin by paying attention." - Dr. Jha

Learn more from Dr. Amishi Jha:

Website: amishi.com

Instagram: @amishijha

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Peak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day: https://www.amazon.com/Peak-Mind-Attention-Invest-Minutes-ebook/dp/B08THNJ978

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