The incomparable Dr. Russell Jaffe joins us on the Better Human Project this week.

Mentored by the highest ranking Buddhists, Dr. Jaffe has enjoyed unique successes in science, medicine, and integrative/holistic healing, serving as a senior scientist at the NIH for 19 years before walking away to blaze his own path and become a pioneer in what we call functional or integrative medicine.

We’re excited to share this episode with you, as Dr. Jaffe is one of the most fascinating people I’ve met, and in this nearly 90-minute podcast recording, his depth and breadth of wisdom is on full display.

We talk about the shortcomings of traditional medicine, serious skepticism, being proactive with our health and longevity – including the 8 predictive biomarkers to measure and monitor – buddhism, balancing science and spirituality, mindfulness and much more.

Symptom suppression is not the answer, sick care is not the same thing as health care, and treating disease is not the same thing as treating people. – Dr. Russell Jaffe

Don’t you wish every doctor – especially your doctor – prescribed to this philosophy?

TUNE IN for one of the most in-depth and inspiring conversations in which I’ve been fortunate to participate.

The post BHP 067: Dr Russell Jaffe | Lessons From Science, Medicine & Buddhism appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

"The lowest form of conversation is 'remember when'." - Tony Soprano

As you can tell by the title of this episode, today's BHP Short pulls a valuable lesson from Bruce Springsteen's Glory Days, an iconic song we mistakenly regard as a party anthem at cookouts, tailgates, and other celebrations.

By engaging in this folly, we miss the cautionary message buried in the upbeat, hard-rocking music of this 80's anthem.

The truth is, this song isn't about the good times. Instead, Glory Days is about the passage of time, and how, as more time passes, more of our lives lie behind us.

And for the average person - the characters IN the song and many of the people jamming to that song at a tailgate - their best days are behind them.

My wish for - and challenge to - you is to commit to a life path that ensures your best days lie ahead of you, not behind you.

How sad, frustrating, even depressing it must be to realize that we've peaked, and that our best days are behind us.

This is the reality that awaits those who do not choose the path of growth and development. In choosing that path, our Glory Days sadly become a thing of the past.

No wonder the character in this song is headed down to his local watering hole to drink himself into blissful oblivion.

Alternatively, when we choose to pursue constant growth and evolution, our best days are always ahead of us.

May your Glory Days lie in front of, not behind you.

PRESS PLAY to TUNE IN to today's special episode of BHP Shorts.

This week's interview on the Better Human Project features Alison Heilig, the author of the upcoming book The Durable Runner (November 2019).

Don't let the title fool you - this episode is about far more than running, as we dig into the mental and physical aspects of performance as they pertain to ALL of our pursuits.

We also talk about the common mistakes folks make in their approach to yoga, flexibility and strength training.

Most importantly, we talk about TRANSFER OF SKILL - how learning lessons in one domain have carryover to other pursuits.

Bottom line is this, if you run, lift weights, do yoga, or have a human body that moves, this episode needs to be on your 4th of July playlist. Press play and listen up!

• Alison's award winning blog, The Pursuit of Awesome, and what that statement means to her.
• How Alison found her grit through running, and how that has impacted the rest of her life.
• "I bend so I don't break" - why you'll never catch Alison wearing this popular yoga shirt.
• Why this yoga instructor says yoga is NOT a complete practice. (HINT: We all need strength to complement and control our flexibility.)
• The difference between completing reps and focusing on integrity of movement - the mindset that led to Alison's fractured hip.
• The lessons learned from a fractured hip, dissecting human cadavers, and years of curiousity-driven study.
• Humans are adaptation machines. If you want to change, then make the change. Your body will learn to keep up.
• Plus, Alison's Top Tips to:
  • #BeBetter
  • #DoBetter

• Alison Heilig: Website | Instagram
• PRE-ORDER: The Durable Runner by Alison Heilig
• Better Human Workshop Dates & Locations

It's no secret that our disciplines, habits and systems create comfort zones that can serve us well. But the lesser acknowledged shadow of these disciplines and systems is that they can also restrict our growth.

In this episode with Kate Swoboda, author of The Courage Habit, we take a closer look at how we can increase our awareness of these patterns of both thought and action, and make sure they serve us rather than limit or hold us back.

We're talking about the stories we craft, the narratives we tell ourselves, our inner critic(s), our mental reps, why we torment ourselves so, and how we can overcome these self-sabotaging habits.

• Overcoming the stigma that fear is weakness
• Our own best thinking got us here
• The questions to ask and starting points to examine our limiting stories in an attempt to build behavioral and psychological resilience
• How DHS: discipline, habits & systems create comfort zones
• Behavioral habits vs strategic habits
• How our desires for people pleasing and perfectionism can impact us
• Fear-based thinking and behavioral patterns
• 4 Research-backed ways to reprogram our subconscious patterns and beliefs:
  • Interrupt the voices
  • Somatic awareness
    • Accessing the body: screaming into a towel, mindfulness, conscious crying to get to clear mind
  • Listening without attachment
  • Creating community
• Make it simple to make it accessible
• The cycle of: Cue, Routine, Reward
• Brain's best attempt to feel better now
• Short-term vs. Long game
• You're never going to stress-proof your life
• We all get stuck in habitual behaviors that don't serve our lives.

• The Courage Habit: How to accept your fears, release your past, and live you courageous life by Kate Swoboda
• Kate Swoboda | Website | Twitter | Instagram
• Better Human Workshop dates and locations

Sometimes we all need a little reality check to remind us how fortunate we are.

The fact that a few billion atoms have organized themselves into a functioning human body with consciousness to give us this life is pretty freaking cool. Let's don't take any part of it for granted.

Remember what is truly important. That's what this episode on perspective is all about.

Having a bad day?

It could be worse.

We could lose a limb or our vision.

You (or a loved one) could be diagnosed with cancer.

You could be without food, water, or a roof over your head.

The world could end tomorrow, or we could die at any moment (momento mori).

These are a few of the reality checks I serve myself on a regular basis to make sure I don't lose perspective.

I've got a few more for you when press play to TUNE IN to BHP Shorts 024: Perspective

• Letting Go by David Hawkins
• F*ck Your Feelings

Penned by Timothy Gallwey in his 1974 classic, The Inner Game of Tennis, this equation stands as a reminder that our performances are limited by two factors: the ceiling that is our current level of development, and the extent to which we can express this potential by our ability to eliminate interference.

Interference takes on many forms - and just as many names: resistance, distraction, or incapacity.

Nothing grounding breaking there, but the hard truth is that many of us actually SEEK out these distractions.

It's a way of letting ourselves off the hook. A way of avoiding the uncomfortable, deep work required to step into our fullest selves.

Resistance awaits every one of us. Some of us run toward it. Some of us run away from it.

In his book, Turning Pro, Steven Pressfield categorizes those who run away from it "amateurs".

These folks allow resistance to push them into shadow lives, distractions, or incapacity (alcohol, drugs, food, etc)

No traction is ever gained. No progress is made. They're stuck in the same endlessly-repeating loop.

Wondering if you're doing this? Here's a simple test. Pressfield categorizes these activities as sharing 2 primary qualities:

1. They embody repetition without progress.
2. The produce incapacity as a payoff.

We all do it do certain degrees in certain areas. It's human nature.

Where and how are you seeking incapacity, distraction or interference. Where are you consciously or subconsciously throwing out an anchor (or anchors) to restrict your progress?

What we do once we identify these actions is what determines who we become (or continue to be).

Press Play for more.

• The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
• Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu - the Stephen Mitchell translation
• Steven Pressfield
• Turning Pro by Steven Pressfield

In a not too distant past, revolutionary innovators dreamed of a computer in every home.

Today we all have one in our pocket and our lives are indistinguishably connected to - and lived through - infinitely faster and more powerful, palm-sized versions of those computers.

These technological advances have significantly improved many aspects of our lives.

But there is a shadow to this exponential rate of advancement. Our biology does not, and cannot adapt as quickly as technology has progressed.

In many ways, our biology is at odds with the way we're currently living.

Our brains are struggling to deal with the changes.

We're struggling to deal with the volume of incoming sensory input and the level of connectedness in our new reality. It's why we see our attention spans shrinking, the rise of digital detox vacations, and an increasing number of our friends (or ourselves) taking social media breaks.

Today, I'm sharing some ideas to reassess, and hopefully, improve our relationship with connectivity and the computers in our pockets through some personal experiments and some tips from the Center for Human Technology, whose mission statement is to "reverse human downgrading by inspiring a new race to the top and realigning technology with humanity."

Technology and connectivity is only going to become more a part of the human experience. We'd be wise to find healthy ways to interact with it to ensure it enhances our experience rather than allow it to reduce our happiness, change our brain, shorten attention spans and decrease our ability to focus on what - and who - matters most.

• Batch emails, phone calls, and social media so that you check, respond, or post at pre-determined times.
  • Don't check email, etc unless you intend to respond. When you do check: Deal with it, Delete it, or Delegate it. Don't let them pile up. This will prevent your inbox from becoming a source of stress.
• Set auto-responders on your email, messenger apps, and voicemail that notify others when they can expect your response. Then follow through on that (build trust in the relationship).
• Keep phones on airplane mode or out of sight when possible.
• Use the greyscale shortcut to make phones less appealing/addictive.

• Center For Humane Technology, aka timewellspent.io
• Voicemail Advice and Scripts
• Batching Email and Phone Calls For Effective Time Management
• More time on social media linked to reduced happiness
• Social Media and depression in teen girls
• Smartphones and Shorter Attention Spans
• Mental Focus and Smartphones

In a not too distant past, revolutionary innovators dreamed of a computer in every home.

Today we all have one in our pocket and our lives are indistinguishably connected to – and lived through – infinitely faster and more powerful, palm-sized versions of those computers.

These technological advances have significantly improved many aspects of our lives.

But there is a shadow to this exponential rate of advancement. Our biology does not, and cannot adapt as quickly as technology has progressed.

In many ways, our biology is at odds with the way we’re currently living.

Our brains are struggling to deal with the changes.

We’re struggling to deal with the volume of incoming sensory input and the level of connectedness in our new reality. It’s why we see our attention spans shrinking, the rise of digital detox vacations, and an increasing number of our friends (or ourselves) taking social media breaks.

Today, I’m sharing some ideas to reassess, and hopefully, improve our relationship with connectivity and the computers in our pockets through some personal experiments and some tips from the Center for Human Technology, whose mission statement is to “reverse human downgrading by inspiring a new race to the top and realigning technology with humanity.”

Technology and connectivity is only going to become more a part of the human experience. We’d be wise to find healthy ways to interact with it to ensure it enhances our experience rather than allow it to reduce our happiness, change our brain, shorten attention spans and decrease our ability to focus on what – and who – matters most.

The post BHP Shorts 021: Humane Technology and Social Media appeared first on Ryan Munsey.

When our brains create memories, they are a combination of fact plus emotional state at the time of the event.

Specifically, the limbic system's amygdala is responsible for linking incoming data-based emotions (framed by evolution and societal constructs) to the mental states we call feelings.

What we need to understand is that our memories are intertwined with the emotions and feelings present during the original experience, as well as the emotions and feelings we affix to them after the occurrence - things like pride, joy, guilt, shame, et al.

I'm asking you to examine your most impactful experiences (memories) in an attempt to remove the emotional component.

What wisdom remains, staring you in the face?

What lessons can we learn, what wisdom can we pull from our memories IF we remove the emotions that cloud our perspective?

NOTE: Perspective, not judgement - judgement implies assigning value (good or bad) before we have a chance to examine the usefulness of the information.