Everyday Endorphins

What's happiness got to do with artificial intelligence? More than you may think.

This week I had the honor of speaking with Mo Gawdat, Former Chief Business Officer at Google [X] and Renowned Author in Happiness Research and Artificial Intelligence. His upcoming book, Scary Smart, releasing on September 30th, discusses how the very essence of what makes us human is what will save humanity in the age of AI. In this episode, we chat about how living a life full of meaning and happiness can shape AI for the better, and why its our responsibility to "raise" these machines, or rather, beings, to become ethical so that they can produce a positive impact on society.

This week I chatted with Marieke Kouwenhoven, Ayurvedic Practitioner and International Yoga Teacher. Marieke works with clients to help them adopt Ayurvedic practices into their life and guide others into living their fullest potential. In this episode, you'll hear a glimpse of the Ayurvedic lecture I attended during my yoga teacher training program in Bali. Over the next 40 minutes, listen to Marieke break down the essence of Ayurveda, discuss ways to understand our own energetic qualities, and explore how we can use the practice of Ayurveda to empower ourselves in making healthy choices.

Everyday Endorphins is back! After 6 weeks in Bali and 200 hours of training, I am excited to share that I'm officially a certified yoga instructor!

This marks the first episode of the Bali Series, where I will be interviewing people I met while in Indonesia. To kick off the show, I brought Sean Goldberg, an Australian Physiotherapist, to chat about pain, the roles mindfulness and breathwork play in emotional regulation, and how our emotions are stored in our body. Sean is also a yoga instructor, and regularly teaches meditation courses, workshops and retreats for people that suffer from chronic pain, anxiety, depression and insomnia. He is also the Co-Director of Samasti Yoga, a yoga teacher training program in Bali. 

In the spirit of graduation, I decided to interview 11 of my college friends on what has brought them endorphins this past year, and reflect on the WashU 2021 Commencement Address given by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. 

From walking to cooking to playing Super Smash Bros, there are multiple activities beyond what we commonly think of, being physical activity and exercise, to spark endorphins and joy in our day-to-day life.

Thank you to Katrianna Urrea, Dalia Weinstein, GraceAnne Aldred, Adam Glotzer, Armaan Nallicheri, Andrew Fleck, Alex Levine, Wyatt Williams, Kion Noori, Riley Hager, and Nicole Rabenou. 

Dr. Chanler is a clinical psychologist-psychoanalyst in private practice in Tribeca, NYC. She specializes in anxiety, enmeshed relationships, and mindful sport psychology, and uses a mindful approach in her treatments. Dr. Chanler supervises and teaches on the interface of spirituality with psychoanalysis, and has published research papers and presented internationally. She also is currently working with Nygridlock, the Women's Pro Ultimate Frisbee Team. 

In this episode, we discuss Dr. Chanler's unique approach to treatment, the importance of self-compassion, and the nature of enmeshed mother-daughter relationships, which is a core focus to her work. 

What is life without suffering? Philosophers, psychologists, and writers (think: Victor Frankel) have attempted to understand the meaning and utility behind pain and suffering, and how they interact to build a meaningful life. 

In this episode, I spoke with Brian Bogert to discuss his philosophy around pain versus suffering, the power of perseverance, and why cultivating grit enables us to be resilient in the face of adversity. We also chatted about goal-setting, the importance of acting with intention, and how to demonstrate leadership in our day-to-day lives.

Brian learned the wisdom of resiliency through his own early experiences with pain. When he was just seven years old, his left arm was detached in a vehicle accident. Instead of succumbing to suffering because of the injury, Brian fully recovered and flourished with a reattached arm, thanks to his persistent and proactive focus. He learned early how to move beyond what happened to him by creating an intentional mindset.

We all know that technology is a double-edged sword. Although the creation of online communities can build a sense of unity, research around the effects of social media suggests otherwise. We are becoming divided, and our mental health is plummeting, so it's imperative that we learn how to re-engage with technology mindfully. 

In this episode, I chatted with Bob Wigley, author of Born Digital, The Story of a Distracted Generation, to discuss the nature of living in this increasingly digital world, and ultimately, the importance of reclaiming our attention so that we can build a healthier relationship to technology. Through a combination of mindfulness, responsible software design, and regulation, Bob presents what we can do to control Big Tech, rather than letting it control us.