Lost or Found

"A friend knows the song in my heart and sings it to me when my memory fails," - Donna Roberts.

Strong friendships are a critical aspect of most people's emotional well-being.  Research shows that close friendships are associated with greater happiness, self esteem, and sense of purpose such that people with close connections are healthier, recover from certain illnesses more quickly, and live longer.  It's Legit!

On today's episode, I sit down with my friend Oriana Gliessman as we get real and discuss friendship.  Oriana has always had friends, while I recently have more friends.  Join us in this fun conversation as we talk about what is a good friend, how we can be a better friend, and, well, are friendships just confusing sometimes?

Karen Snedeker is on the show today to talk about her near death experience.  At the end of a mission trip to Brazil, a truck going at full speed struck their car while they were stopped alongside the freeway. The majority of the impact was on the side in which she was sitting. A horrific accident, where the car had been crushed, Karen came out of that accident without any external bleeding, although she sustained 7 fractures in her pelvis, and 30% of her femur was displaced. Her injuries healed without surgery. While an incredible story of survival, her journey also brings up the power of faith, prayer, community, and the ineffable.

Karen is a Santa Cruz STEAM and Math educator and she has participated, lead, and hosted numerous mission trips in response to  her passions of connecting with diverse cultures and deepening her faith.

Everybody poops and most of us don’t talk about it.  And while it may not be pleasing to talk about our bowel movements, our poop offers us valuable clues to our health.  

On today’s episode, Jonathan Miller returns to the show to talk about his love of ferments and beans, one of the ways in which we can improve our BM’s.  If you’re producing soft, well formed logs that aren’t hard to push out and are very regular, then your bowels are probably in good shape.  If not, consider listening to this episode to learn about how ferments and beans can add to your health.  It’s a beyond the poop kind of moment.

Jonathan Miller is a personal chef cooking for clients in the central coast area.  He has been cooking healthful, vegetable-forward, seasonal food for over 15 years, and less healthful but still tasty food even longer than that!

How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart—when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain?

The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect.  Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. She draws upon traditional Buddhist wisdom and offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering into perhaps joy.

On today’s episode, Dr. David Clarke, MD and I discuss Pema Chodron’s best-selling classic, When Things Fall Apart. Because sometimes, chaos is our teacher.

If you’re enjoying the podcast, don’t forget to subscribe, tell your friends, and leave us a 5-star review! Save your life, by having these conversations!

Today on the podcast, we discuss Ascended Female Masters!  Ascended Masters are enlightened beings whom many believe have evolved beyond the need to reincarnate on earth and now act from a higher plane of existence to assist humans in their movement toward enlightenment, guiding the human race in its evolution.  Think Mary, the Beloved Mother; Isis the Egyptian goddess of Nature; and Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, compassion, and protection.  We hear about these ascended masters in our society, we see images of them, but have we ever really ever thought about them, considering that their imagery is still ever present?  Join us in this fascinating conversation as Josie Teresi and I discuss these ascended female masters, who are ever-present to guide us to a higher path.  Maybe it’s silly, maybe it can make you feel better, or maybe focusing on the world’s female masters may further enlighten you.  You decide.  

Josie Teresi is an intuitive energy healer, reiki healer, counselor, and YouTuber.  She has published several books, including You Were Born a Star, Now What? based on the teachings of  “A Course In Miracles” and the Unity Philosophy.  Visit her webstie, josieteresi.com, and her YouTube channel, Into Light.

On today’s show, we have psychiatrist Dr. Anna Lembke, the author of Dopamine Nation, here to talk about dopamine, which rules the pain and pleasure centers of the mind.  She describes that we live in a time of indulgence with unparalleled access to high-reward and high-dopamine stimuli. In an era of overconsumption and instant gratification, Dopamine Nation explains the personal and societal price of being ruled by the next fix- and how to manage it. Her amazing book helps guide people to find a healthy balance between pleasure and pain. It can not only transform your thinking, but your life. Join us in this fascinating conversation!

Dr. Lembke is the Medical Director of Stanford Addiction Medicine.  A clinician scholar, she has published more than a hundred peer-reviewed papers, book chapters, and commentaries in prestigious medical journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA.  She is also the author of Drug Dealer, MD, and Dopamine Nation, a book that shows that the secret to finding balance is combining the science of desire with the wisdom of recovery.

You can find Dr. Lembke at annalembke.com.

In Duchenne muscular dystrophy, milestones for a child reverse themselves.  Kids eventually regress, moving backwards in their development. 
On today’s episode, Sara Aluffi is on the show to talk about her younger son, Joaquin, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy.  Duchenne is a rare genetic disorder, primarily affecting males, causing the muscles in the body to become weak and damaged over time. Duchenne is eventually fatal.  Join us, as Sara Aluffi gives us a candid look into their lives, this heartbreaking disease, and the love that binds them, despite the pain.

Sara is the founder of a nonprofit organization called Joaquins Warriors DMD. You can find her nonprofit at joaquinswarriors.com.

Dyslexia is so common, affecting 20% of the population and represents 80-90% of all those with learning disabilities. It can include slow or inaccurate reading, poor spelling, poor writing, or mixing up similar words. It can occur in anyone, and the level of severity may be different. People who are very bright can be dyslexic.

It’s important to think about and to address appropriately- as dyslexia can affect a person’s self image. Students with dyslexia often end up feeling “dumb” and less capable than they actually are. They can encounter a lot of stress due to academic problems, and may become less resilient.

While it is a lifelong condition, with the proper help and early identification, people can learn to read and write well, so that they can live their fullest life.

Join us, as Judy Robinson is on the show to talk about this really common condition. She is a retired educator who specializes in reading and autism spectrum disorders. Judy lives in Carlisle, MA.