We are told by the law of attraction and positive thinking communities to think only happy, successful thoughts as what we put out, we attract. But is this realistic? Can one truly experience joy and bliss at every moment despite what is going on around them?  Or do you have to be a monk or special, "enlightened" one? Can the ego even be happy? Is my soul happy all the time and I just don't know it? If I am not happy will my life go down the crapper? Join me in this episode for a bit of a debate about this concept of finding happiness in any circumstance.

All forms of yoga are beneficial: Vinyassa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, Hatha, Bikram. My background and experience comes from the Iyengar school, and I attribute having the skill and initiative to complete my yoga teacher training to all my Iyengar teachers. However, it wasn't until I started dabbling in Kundalini that I realized Kundalini was helping to quiet my overactive mind (and surprisingly sort through my self-sabotaging garbage) a lot more quickly and efficiently than other forms of yoga I worked with. I used to call Kundalini the "weird yoga" because I didn't understand it. So I wanted to talk about why I feel Kundalini is so effective and why the "weird" parts are exactly what most of us need!

When experiencing chronic illness or unexplained pain, anxiety, relationship difficulties, or even a stagnant income in business or a career, the typical approach is to start throwing spaghetti at the wall to see if anything sticks and solves the problem. The tendency is to look to the surface of a particular struggle: how you can eat better, how you can meditate more, how to improve your communication skills, how to stop attracting the wrong kind of partner, how you can get a promotion or better job, or how you can change your marketing funnel to attract more prospects. What tends to be hidden from us, and thus overlooked, is the underlying stuck energy and emotions that are perpetuating negative patterns. So for example, if you are holding on to deep resentment over something, even if what happened is in your past and you think it shouldn’t be impacting you now, it could very well be tied to a physical health diagnosis that looks unrelated on the surface. Come join us for a conversation around understanding the emotional and energetic root causes of your struggles can help you solve the problem in a much quicker fashion than many conventional solutions.!

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Goal setting seems to be the thing to do, especially in December / early January when a new year rolls around.  We are an achievement driven society, and many take pride in having a lofty list of goals to accomplish. It's as if the more you accomplish, the more successful and/or productive you appear. The drive to set goals actually comes from the ego.  So does your soul actually care about achieving goals?  Is this how it measures abundance and being in our dharmic flow? And are we getting in our own way by setting goals and having such a targeted focus on achievement? In today's show, we discuss all things resolutions, goals, and if they are actually helping (or hindering) us connect to our spiritual nature.

Most of us can identify at least one monumental experience (either voluntary or forced) that was the catalyst for a major life change. I attribute my spiritual growth, and finally connecting to my life's path and purpose, to the 2-year work-related stint I did in the remote Yupik village of Kotlik, Alaska. It's where I took up yoga, started to hear my inner voice, learned what I could live with and without, and found the courage to not lose my sh*t within a culture and environment so different than big city life in Miami. It took being dropped off in a bush plane, and moving to the middle of nowhere with no roads, cars, restaurants, or entertainment venues.

In this episode of Coffee with the Universe, I talk about my experience in the frozen tundra, the soul-lessons I learned, and how sometimes it takes separating yourself from the noise of the world to find yourself.

Most people spend their time blindly reacting to life and whatever is thrown at them. This is a very stressful way to live. You don't feel prepared most of the time. You don't feel grounded and organized. Things slip through the cracks which triggers anxiety and unrest. And then chronic body tension morphs into physical illness or exacerbates pre-existing conditions. My whole "coffee with the Universe" ritual (and in fact this radio show) was created from a place of desperately wanting to stop feeling anxious, burned out, and uneasy.

In this episode of Coffee with the Universe, I talk about my experience with creating and sticking to a morning routine. And how just 20 minutes a day can set you up to feel calm, collected, confident, and connected to yourself so that you are more focused, productive, and peaceful throughout the day.

 

 

 

As I become more self aware and recognize the games that my ego plays, I catch myself in moments where I am actually hiding under the illusion of spirituality. For example, judging others (with irritation) who proclaim to be “spiritual” but instead are what I call “fake spiritual.” (Um, hello, judging someone else isn't all that “spiritual” either.) Or rushing through the motions of my morning yoga and meditation routine at the onset of a busy day, and then reassuring myself that I successfully got in my “spiritual practice” for that day. In this episode of Coffee with the Universe, I look at various definitions of spirituality, and share my observations and experiences where I noticed that proclaimed acts of spirituality were really just a giant ego trip.

 

 

The greater part of my work with people up until this point has been to help them find their purpose and passion so they create a career they love. So it's quite ironic that in episode 13 of Coffee with the Universe, I am debating whether there is a single life/work “purpose” to find, or whether being passionate about our life's work supports us, or limits us. Is being on a constant search creating more struggle than clarity? Join me for a conversation about purpose, passion, and creating peace and joy without either of these things. This is a live, call in show. I would love to hear your thoughts on this!

 

 

The mind is an amazing tool if you are using it in the “right” way. But what happens is we tend to use it for purposes that it's not really designed for such as solving our life problems or trying to predict the future. It's like wanting a fresh cup of coffee but instead of using a French Press, you are trying to use a spaghetti strainer. Wrong tool for the job. You simply won't get the quality results you desire.

In episode 12 of Coffee with the Universe, I will be talking about how the tendency is to use the mind as a personal coach, what that looks like (because we do it automatically), and how this is a very bad idea if you are seeking happiness and inner-peace. Come learn where to look for the answers you seek while making good (and accurate) use of your mind.

 

 

 

Many of us are stuck in a cycle of being “busy” but having a false sense of accomplishment because we are taught that if we are constantly DOING something then we must be productive, therefore successful. We then tell others how busy we are, but deep down feel completely unfulfilled and like we are missing something. In this Coffee with the Universe episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Steve Lawson, founder of Monk Manual, a planner that shifts people from simply doing to peacefully BEING and purposefully doing. I've bounced back and forth between many planners over the years but keeping coming back to this one as it's been the most effective in keeping overwhelm at bay and helping me to focus on the things that matter most. Join us for a conversation about how deceiving being “busy” really is, how being more intentional can elicit peace and productivity, and how the Monk Manual can help you create more freedom, joy, and balance.