A self-described radical love & relationship coach, Catherine Danieli brings a wealth of wisdom to our talk this week. I thoroughly enjoyed listening and learning from her. It is easy to see that Catherine genuinely cares about others, and our abilities to find, connect, and supply healthy love to ourselves and others. 

Pieces from Catherine's website: https://www.catherinedanieli.com/

Love is Intentional. Love is Created. Love is Deliberate. And Love Is Meant For You.

Catherine's website provides a myriad of resources around love and relationships. You can work with her directly through there and find her on Instagram @LoveCoachCatherine https://www.instagram.com/lovecoachcatherine/

Catherine also co-hosts a podcast entitled 'The New Truth', with her friend Kate Harlow that can be listened to here https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-new-truth/id1496987726

I highly recommend following her for some incredible insight into how to love better. 

I hope you enjoy this week's episode and as always thank you for being here.

Be well,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Hollie McKay is a writer, journalist, and war crimes investigator. I first came across her work via the Jocko Willink Podcast and since hearing her speak about her new book "Only Cry For The Living" via that podcast I read more of her work and felt instantly compelled to get her on the show.

Her depth of experience in war zones parallels the polarity of human experience. Painting pictures of the best and worst of our species. Our conversation revolves around compassion, understanding, asking the hard questions, and delving into being able to admit we are wrong. 

The truth is, if we are going to heal, we must be able to sit with our mistakes and work on repairing. This goes from the individual to the collective. And, as Hollie states it so well, "there are no winners in war." And that isn't just a military war, but the war we are fighting inside with ourselves, with our partners and lovers and beyond.

You can find Hollie via her website http://holliemckay.com/

You can buy her new book here https://www.amazon.com/Only-Cry-Living-Battlefield-Foreword/dp/1942549636/ref=sr_1_1?crid=U6C2RTDU8J11&dchild=1&keywords=only+cry+for+the+living&qid=1615270052&sprefix=onl%2Caps%2C244&sr=8-1

And you can follow her on Instagram @HollieSMckay

I hope you enjoy,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Taune Lyons is a California based integrative therapist and coach who views safe, healing and creative connection as the foundation to a well-lived life, and is devoted to understanding and helping folks create healthier and intentional relationships - including the one they have with themselves. 

You can find Taune on Instagram @Taunelyons

Her Psychology Today profile is here https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/taune-lyons-san-francisco-ca/766537

Her website is www.taunelyons.com and you can find her teaching some of the classes over at tat-lab.com

I highly recommend following her or reaching out if you are looking for a therapist. Taune is brilliant, compassionate, and open in her pursuit of healing and helping others live their best possible lives.

I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Best,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

For episode 10 of Starve the Ego Feed the Soul we have the brilliant Dr. Caroline Leaf.

Dr. Leaf is a communication pathologist and neuroscientist whose passion is to help people see the power of the mind to change the brain, control chaotic thinking, and find mental peace. She just launched her brand new book "Cleaning up your mental mess."

Dr. Leaf has appeared on many other podcasts and TV episodes that have reached millions of listeners and viewers globally.

We discuss her new book at length during this conversation and how we can take charge of our minds to live fuller and freer lives. To quote the intro to Dr. Leaf's new book, "Toxic thoughts, depression, anxiety -- our mental mess is frequently aggravated by a chaotic world and sustained by and inability to manage our thought life. But we shouldn't settle into this mental mess as if it's a new normal. There's hope and help available to us -- and the road to healthier thoughts and peak happiness may actually be shorter than you think."

You can order a copy of Dr. Leaf's new book via Audible here https://tinyurl.com/nh7wtc25

Or order a physical/kindle copy here https://tinyurl.com/52csjaj5

Her website is https://drleaf.com/ and I highly recommend checking out her podcast CLEANING UP THE MENTAL MESS with Dr. Caroline Leaf

It was an honor to be able to share an hour with Dr. Leaf and I hope you enjoy this conversation!

As a reminder we are doing a give-a-way for this episode! Leave the show a 5-star written review on Apple Podcasts and DM me a screenshot of your review on Instagram @ThatBarrazaBoy. You will be entered to win one of three copies of Dr. Leaf's new book that we will be mailing our to three lucky winners of this give-a-way.

Be well,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Just like her Instagram bio states, Cassidy Freeman is a woman, actor, lover of nature, meditator, yogi and dog lover.

You may recognize her from shows such as Longmire, Smallville, and now the HBO series The Righteous Gemstones. 

Cassidy and I first connected via our two wonderful canine companions. Her late dog Shasta was a staple in her life, much like Sol and now Tsegi are in mine. Fast forward to the podcast launching, I thought Cassidy would be a great person to have on, not only because of her talent as an artist, but also her perspective and outlook on life.

You can find Cassidy on Instagram @hatface, her authenticity is palpable even through social media and that is something I love and greatly appreciate. 

I'm planning on having Cassidy back on the show periodically and adding to these 'Conversations with Cassidy' over time. Our chats tend to go on a wide variety of tangents and topics, but stick with us, I promise we get to some crucial points. 

I really appreciate all the support all of you out there have shown for the podcast so far!

Much love,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Kelsey Grant is a love education and relationship coach, country musician, and podcast host based in Vancouver, Canada. 

Every conversation I have with Kelsey is filled with depth and introspection. In this conversation we talk about observing our childhoods and how these observations have been essential to understanding our healthy and unhealthy patterns and responses in relationships.

We talk about the honeymoon phase vs the real work of thriving healthy relationships, how no one escapes childhood devoid of trauma, and how we can work on allowing space  in ourselves to heal. 

I hope you enjoy this conversation!

You can find Kelsey and her work by clicking the links below.

https://www.instagram.com/radicalselflove/

https://lnk.bio/radicalselflove

Be well,

n

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Tori Gordon is an Integrated Life and Human Optimization Coach, Breathwork Facilitator, and Entrepreneur who is based in Atlanta, GA.

You are not going to want to miss this discussion with her. Tori is a deeply insightful human, she has used her healing, accountability, and growth from her own personal life to help thousands of her own clients. 

We discuss so much in this talk - from navigating conflict in relationships, to using social media authentically and legitimately connecting with others, to personal accountability,  to therapy, to finding our breath and finding ourselves.

When I first came across Tori's Instagram page I was inspired by the openness and realness. The first video I encountered of hers was one where she discussed how avoiding conflict is conflict, and how we must 'feel' to 'deal'.

Tori offers so much wisdom in this chat, I hope you all enjoy and leave with some take-a-ways that help you in your own life.

You can find her on TikTok and Instagram @CoachToriGordon
And on her website https://www.torigordon.com/

Be well,

n

In this episode I sit down with the phenomenal Shaun Martin. Shaun was born and raised on the Navajo Reservation in Northern Arizona. He is the founder and race director of the Canyon de Chelly Ultra Marathon, an educator, a husband, a father, a son, and a facilitator of connection. In this talk Shaun shares many amazing things. Stories of his father growing up on the land near the East Rim of the Grand Canyon and being taken from his family at a young age by the United States government.

Shaun provides insight on how to learn and connect with indigenous cultures here and around the world. How we all might be better off for respecting the first inhabitants of the land.

He touches on the reasons behind the Canyon de Chelly Ultra and tells stories about Navajo (Diné) culture.

A Navajo word Shaun mentions throughout this discussion is Hózhó (HoSho). Hózhó is loosely translated as peace, balance, beauty and harmony. To be “in Hózhó” is to be at one with and a part of the world around you. Hozho is a state of being that refers to the interconnectedness between beauty, harmony and goodness in all things physical and spiritual that results in health and well-being for all things and beings.

Links discussed in the episode can be found below!

Canyon de Chelly Ultra website https://www.canyondechellyultra.com/

Article I wrote on the race and Shaun in 2014 featuring my photography of the event https://www.podiumrunner.com/culture/camaraderie-native-culture-canyon-de-chelly-ultra/

Canyon de Chelly Ultra Community Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/838189979552938/


Walking in Beauty: Closing Prayer from the Navajo Way Blessing Ceremony
In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again
Hózhóogo naasháa doo Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’ Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Today I will walk out, today everything negative will leave me
I will be as I was before, I will have a cool breeze over my body.
I will have a light body, I will be happy forever, nothing will hinder me.
I walk with beauty before me. I walk with beauty behind me.
I walk with beauty below me. I walk with beauty above me.
I walk with beauty around me. My words will be beautiful.
In beauty all day long may I walk.
Through the returning seasons, may I walk.
On the trail marked with pollen may I walk.
With dew about my feet, may I walk.
With beauty before me may I walk.
With beauty behind me may I walk.
With beauty below me may I walk.
With beauty above me may I walk.
With beauty all around me may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk.
In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, living again, may I walk.
My words will be beautiful…

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

In this episode Meredy Dambacher and I discuss divorce, betrayal, codependency, co-parenting during a separation, going to couples therapy and a ton more.

Meredy shares her personal story of separating from her partner of 18 years and navigating divorce after being married for 12 years. 

You can find Meredy via her company at @creativestudiosd and www.macreativestudio.com

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com

Some thoughts around loving and being loved on this beautiful Sunday!

As always thank you to Oliver Michael for our intro and outro music https://open.spotify.com/artist/58Oe01uYw1nODV5DwGO14z?si=5H-Y8FGOR7G5gHQdoOII8Q

Links to things I discuss in the talk are as follows!

Alain de Botton New York Times article "Why you will marry the wrong person" https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/opinion/sunday/why-you-will-marry-the-wrong-person.html

Alain de Botton Google talk on Why you will marry the wrong person https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCS6t6NUAGQ

Link to School of Life Relationships book that I read chapter 7 from https://www.amazon.com/Relationships-School-Life-Library/dp/0993538746

Nicole LePera's new book (The Holistic Psychologist on Instagram) How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patters, Heal from Your Pas, and Create Your Self   https://www.amazon.com/How-Do-Work-Recognize-Patterns/dp/006301209X

Support the show

Warmly,
Nico Barraza
@FeedTheSoulNB
www.nicobarraza.com