Heart First Leadership

Ryan talks with John Bright a long-time practitioner and expert in the world of meditation and consciousness.  

They discuss: 

• What is consciousness? 
• What does it mean to transcend? 
• John noticed consistency among people he'd met who were highly creative. They all practiced meditation in some form in order to access higher consciousness.  
• John shares about his own personal path to finding Transcendental Meditation (TM) and how that's impacted him. 
• Mediation is now being seen as a practical tool for personal transformation and improving one's overall quality of life in many ways. 
• What is left when we shed all of our roles, labels, judgments, etc. is our true essence. 
• Our effort, intention, and analytical powers can get in the way of our experience. 

About John:

Teacher of Transcendental Meditation since 1970, lecturing and consulting on consciousness in the Silicon Valley area 1980s to present, and currently serving on a number of boards within the global TM org; residing in Santa Cruz, CA; BA magna cum laude from Princeton University '66 in Arabic studies and International relations; MA from New York University in the same field. Grew up in Menlo Park, CA.

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If you have ever struggled with low energy, you are going to want to listen to this conversation!

Ryan is joined by Andrew Dowler, Exercise Physiologist, Acupuncturist, Yoga, and Qigong teacher to discuss the healing power of breath and movement. 

• Andrew shares about what led him to suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome and how he searched for a solution in traditional medicine but hit one dead end after another. 
• He had no energy and started to think about what he could do to start building more energy up and that's when he discovered Tai Chi. He ended up training for 8 years solid. 
• Andrew shares the important role proper breathing plays in accessing consistent energy. 
• The average person takes around 22,000 breaths per day. The quality of your breath influences your mind, energetic state, the quality of spinal mechanics and spinal movement and so much more!

Connect with Andrew: 

andrewdowler.com

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This week on the podcast, Ryan talks with Rev. Dr. Jane Simmons, author about the importance of self-compassion in our growth journeys. 

• There is evidence in the world today of a collective shadow that can only be healed by the practice of radical self-compassion. 
• We unconsciously project our own beliefs about being flawed, wrong, or not good enough in some way onto others when we don't first resolve it within ourselves. 
• Healing past trauma does not mean we condone or completely forget about what happened in the past, it means that we allow ourselves to soften and open with practicing compassion to find freedom. 
• The more we love ourselves, the more beautiful we become. Instead of projecting our negative beliefs onto the world, we can project love onto the world. 
• The more lovable we are to ourselves, the more loveable we are to others. It starts inside each one of us. 
• Ryan shares how his childhood belief of being "stupid" had limited him in so many ways throughout his life until he found self-compassion through shadow work. 
• So much of the messaging we get is to grind, push harder, and overcome but if we don't find a way to truly love and accept ourselves our shadow beliefs will continue to show up in undesirable ways. 
• Self-compassion is the nurturing, safe, healing energy and environment that provides fertile ground for growth. 

About Jane:

Rev. Dr. Jane Simmons holds a doctoral degree in Theology from Holos University Graduate Seminary and is an ordained Unity minister. Since her ordination in 1999, Jane has ministered in four Unity churches in Canada and the United States as well as serving as the Teen Ministry Coordinator for Unity Worldwide Ministries. 

Jane is the author of the book, You Can’t Sleep Through Your Awakening – a combination of personal memoir, shared stories, psychological study, scientific learning and spiritual discourse. Jane is also the co-author of the beautiful, best-selling book and card decks, Who Have You Come Here to Be, 101 Possibilities for Contemplation. Jane is a powerful speaker, writer, workshop facilitator, trainer, and educator with a focus on virtual online learning.

With a passion for heart-centered transformation, Jane is committed to helping bring forth a kinder, more compassionate world. As a facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project, Jane has worked in communities, schools, and prisons, assisting others in developing skills to manage conflict in order to help bring about a world that works for all.

Connect with Jane: 

www.theartofquantumliving.com

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In this episode, Ryan talks with Gary Simmons, TH.D. a renowned peacemaker and spiritual leader.

• Gary speaks candidly about his personal quest to create a more connected sense of his own well-being and worthiness for himself in his life. 
• The work is to recognize that whenever we are unhappy with how things are looking around us, it's a reflection that we are actually disconnected from our own authentic self and in turn our sense of well-being. 
• Reconciliation Consciousness: The desire to take back what got created (in any past moment) from our own sense of disconnect or not enough and want to revisit that moment from a sense of wholeness and oneness- something shifts and our intention mirrors itself back to us. 
• Taking action that is opposite to our unconscious practices is to begin to wake up and recondition the body to a new mind. 
• Ryan shares about the transformation, realizations, and awakenings he had by doing the Quantum Living Process with Gary after an all-time low point in his own life. 
• We create our own personal reality by our own meaning-making and way of receiving our life. "How are you having your life right now?" 
• We can choose to have our life as if it is FOR US, rather than against us by recognizing our survival strategies have unintended consequences that are not actually beneficial. 
• Through the power of knowing our own worth- everything I have in life can always be my abundance. 
• "The antidote to not enough is not getting more, it's BEing more."

About Dr. Gary Simmons:

Dr. Simmons' teachings and ground-breaking Integral Ministry program is transforming church organizations and helping church leaders energize their spiritual communities and expand their capacity to carry out their mission with greater integrity and congruence.

He is the author of The I of the Storm: Embracing Conflict, Creating Peace, a Unity bestseller, now in its thirteenth printing, The Soul’s Conspiracy and is published in the Journal of Integral Theory and Practice. Gary’s work in applying integral principles to evolving church organizations is also cited in Wilber’s book, The Four Turnings.

Simmons is co-founder of The Art of Quantum Living and co-creator of the Quantum Living Process, a shadow work system that focuses on healing and integration. He has served as co-minister with his wife, Rev. Dr. Jane Simmons, at Unity Spiritual Center in Spokane Washington for nearly six years, where they have been intentionally moving from minister to mission-centric ministry.

Connect with Gary: 

www.theartofquantumliving.com

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In this episode, I am joined by my 9-year-old son Colton to discuss what happens when we decide to go ALL IN. 

We talk about the power of having an "ALL IN" mindset when it comes to sports, school, work, and life in general. 

This was a fun conversation with lots of great nuggets of kid wisdom. Hope you enjoy it and share it with your kids! 

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In this episode, Ryan joins fellow IHP Coach Barb Oviatt to discuss the concept of slipping into balance vs. always trying to "find balance" in life. Barb is a champion martial artist turned yogi, coach, and yoga studio owner.  

They discuss: 

• How comfort and discomfort "hard and soft" are both necessary for slipping into balance in yoga, sports, business, and life. 
• We can learn to slip into balance rather than looking for balance which can lead us further out of balance. 
• Yoga helps you liberate energy in order to prepare for stillness. 
• Awareness and the willingness to accept and let go of thoughts that are not serving you is the first step.
• Expect resistance to show up and celebrate it because it is part of the greater balance available. 
• Have self-compassion as you seek to improve and strengthen yourself through your daily practices. 

Connect with Barb: 

www.themat.info

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In this episode, Ryan chats with Melanie Sliwka a Functional Nutritionist about the basics of implementing proper nutrition into a busy schedule. Melanie shares examples of the types of challenges with emotional and conditioned eating she sees most often with coaching clients and how you can get started with building greater awareness around nutrition and having healthier eating habits. 

About Melanie: 

Her passion and mission are to guide humanity to better health and happiness and reduce suffering. She believes that this can be accomplished through physical and mental training and trials. Supportive fueling, recovery, and self-care are at the heart of these efforts. Through the actions of Unbeatable Mind training and SEALFIT,  she has been witness to thousands of people doing just this, living better lives. Living lives of service, passion, and health aligned with each person’s unique offering.

Melanie started her journey as the CEO of the first Crossfit equipment company, The Garage Gym Store. I had the extreme fortune to be positioned at the starting block of the Crossfit function fitness revolution while learning from the industry’s finest athletes, nutritionists, and trainers. For the past 12 years, she has trained and worked with many Navy SEALs, thought leaders, and top-performing executives. This experience has given me the unique mental and physical mentorship to help her assist others in this unique journey of an uncommon life.

Melanie lives her life to serve in the name of Functional Medicine, Nutrition, and the Unbeatable Mind Coaching program.

Some of her achievements are:

• Masters Degree in Functional Medicine and Nutrition from the University of The Western States and a BA in communication from Central Michigan University
• Author of 6 weeks to Cleaner Eating.
• Certified Unbeatable Mind Coach
• KOKORO Yoga certified trainer
• Level 1 and 2 certified Crossfit coach
• 2017 and 2018 Boys and Girls Club, Carlsbad, California Parent of the Year.
• Member of 2018 TEAM COURAGE which holds the World Record for Burpees in 24 hours
• KOKORO 29 Graduate
• SEALFIT Basic Training certification
• Double certified in KT taping.
• Nutritional Advisor for the Courage Foundation’s Integrated Recovery Program

Connect with Melanie: 

https://www.medmel.com/

[email protected]

 Free 30-Minute Consultation 

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Ryan and Ken's friendship and their ongoing mastermind started with the shared question “Is there more?”.

This inquiry has led Ken to extensively study nutrition, martial arts, energy medicine, quantum physics, neuroscience, epigenetics, universal law, meditation, breathwork, and more.

In this episode:

• Ken shares his personal journey of building a successful business and coming to the realization that there was only more room for growth and expansion after reaching his former goals.
• In a pivotal moment, Ken surrendered his ego, beliefs, and perceptions to seek greater meaning and contribution in his life. The better we get at creating our lives on purpose the more our intentions become reality.
• When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. When the student is ready- the teacher will also disappear as the student becomes the teacher.
• If you want to master the knowledge you are gaining-teach it. We typically define ourselves by what we know. The ultimate place of discovery is to surrender what we think we know.
• Opening yourself up to transformation allows the right mentors, teachers, books, and experiences to show up at perfect timing.
• Ask yourself: I wonder what I don’t know?
• Curiosity is what leads to growth and transformation. 

Connect with Ken:

www.facebook.com/kenneth.close.16

www.instagram.com/kenneth.close

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There's a popular saying that goes like this...

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. 

But are we stopping to appreciate that without the lemons there would be no opportunity to make the best of it?

And are we missing the joy in the journey because we are too focused on outcomes and results? 

We are taught to play to win. Because of this, we can easily end up missing the GIFT of playing the game regardless of the outcome. 

This bonus episode was inspired by a few recent realizations that Ryan had about the idea of celebrating life. 

We hope you enjoy this episode and share it with someone who would also benefit! 

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In this episode, Ryan breaks down The Cycle of Transformation model from his book Choice Point.

• What is the Cycle of Transformation model, and why did Ryan create it?
• How you can better understand where you are in the cycle at any given time.
• Digging into each phase of the cycle from Choice Point all the way through Integration.
• Examples of how creating space in your life can facilitate deeper growth and healing.

Steps within the model:

1. Growth and healing actually happen in cycles. Transformation starts with making the choice to want to be, do, or have something different in your life. This is the CHOICE POINT.
2. Next, we must create space for the transformation to happen by clearing out and eliminating anything that is no longer serving who we want to BEcome. This is called creating THE VOID.
3. Then we begin THE CLIMB. The climb is when we start to practice new ways of thinking, feeling, and being in our lives. this is the time when we begin to create new habits and practices that support where we want to go.
4. When we've been climbing for a while, we begin to see new perspectives and can be tempted to stay and rest on our accomplishments. However, this is the slippery ground because it is a FALSE SUMMIT.
5. If we are not actively pursuing growth, the nature of the mind will be to revert back to old patterns and ways of being. Finally, when we've practiced long enough, we begin thinking, feeling, and being different without any conscious effort at all. This is called INTEGRATION because now the new ways of being have been successfully programmed into our subconscious minds and can be run with no effort. When we arrive at integration it is time again to repeat the cycle starting with the CHOICE POINT.

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