In continuation of our mindfulness series, we listen to our teacher and yoga instructor, Eric. 

He continues to deconstruct mindfulness in today's episode, and even gives me a private coaching lesson on what to do to become centered and stay present in my relationship with my significant other. 

He gives us great examples of ways to incorporate and practice mindfulness daily and in our little spaces and answers my questions about those darn yoga positions. Explains Yin Yoga in a few words and how yoga practitioners can reap the fruits of "shavasana".

He ends by introducing his brand new book, which at the time of the recording had not yet been released, but is currently in stores and doing really well. Be sure to pick up your copy ASAP.

Quotes "if we are not paying attention, we are not having the presence of mind to change behaviors"..."presence is vital"

Ladies and Gentlemen, you can find him on FB as Rishi Eric Infanti, and on his website @ MELAacademy.com

If you have been a listener to my podcast, then you know Mr. Rishi Eric Infanti. The man. The legend. The Yogi. The teacher. 

Then you know this episode is going to be as rich as it is deep. And he will not disappoint you.

He defines mindfulness as: "the deliberate act of paying attention, the state of being present"... "a connection through the heart", "a process of trying to tap into the energy of another human being", and "the tool to deepen the intuition to allow us to be present with others".

Today, he talks to clinicians and family members alike, about Mindfulness as a tool for everything, both those that we know like; for clarity, bias prevention, stress reduction, focus improvement, etc. and even for suicide prevention.

This is probably one of the deepest episodes so far, I suggest you find a quiet place and listen to this episode...multiple times...it is that good :)

He teaches us that "family members and clinical providers must have the mindfulness to recognize signs of suicidality and the awareness to help others".

He goes on to list the benefits of mindfulness and even offers you, listeners, a great deal for listening...

Check out his website: MELA academy.com for the good deals and tell him Dr. Lulu sent you! Enjoy!

Dr. L

Another unicorn in the person of Pastor Kevin Wilson, my first chaplain so far. Kevin comes bearing gifts, gifts of hope and survival and accomplishments. He is a chaplain at Rush Hospital Chicago, and a father of three, with one special needs child. 

He shares how at a very young age he started wearing masks, all kinds of masks, and perfected the act. Stemming from being raised in a household where he felt his voice was silenced, he learned how to hibernate and got really good at isolating and hiding his feelings. He is a (Black) man who is unafraid to admit to receiving therapy, and we love that!

He says therapy showed him how his issues affect those around him.

Find out what masks he wore all through his earlier years until he became a healer of wounded souls at their hospital bedsides. 

Quotables:

"The mind remembers"

"A lot of men are going around with silent cries"

"Therapy shattered the glass"

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"

"When you are alone, be alone in His presence"

He can be found on social media and on Facebook as Kevin Wilson, and on IG as K.Wil83

Ciao bella!

Dr. L

What can I say about today's guest? She is absolutely dynamic, full of life, charming, has a megawatt smile, is able to make me laugh out loud while recording a show about suicide, and still shares her story and message of hope and empathy and compassion. 

Hailing from just across the pond in Canada, Corina is an energizer bunny who embodies all the -isms of life. She has suffered from depression, deep depression and come out on top. She now empowers others and gets them to change their mindset on many and anything. 

She is a parent coach, who knew at the tender age of 4 that there was something wrong with her. She was eventually diagnosed with depression as an adult, but not before she was constantly plagued with suicidal ideation as a preteen and teen, and endured bullying of a certain kind because of her physical height. Find out the daring action she took with one of her bullies. 

Preaching a message of hope, she asks listeners to reach out when they are down, and decide that they are enough. 

Quotes: "If we don't experience the sadness, we cannot fully embrace the brightness inside"

                "Decide you are enough, then take the necessary steps to be the happiest and best that you can be"

               "The fact that you woke up today, is a sign that you need to stay" 

She can be found on FB as Corina Metz- Hemming, and on IG simply as @corinahemmings (all lower case)

Her exclusive Facebook group is called Decide Tribe.

#ICANCHANGE

Dr. Lulu

Social Anxiety Disorder is a clinical phenomenon that does not get its due credit. Many sufferers either don't know they have it, or many around them don't recognize it as a bonafide diagnosis. This week's guest Ms. Hayley is one such sufferer. She, unfortunately, went undiagnosed for long enough to have fairly negative outcomes from her disease.  

However, she has conquered her fears and is now at a much better place. Currently, she works to help others who are struggling with SAD like her find answers and hope. 

She is currently a director at Quiet Connections, where she helps create awareness for mental illness in schools. Teaching the kids that even though we might sometimes feel we are not good enough, we all must continue to strive to be our best selves. 

Quotable quotes:

"Choose courage over comfort" ~ Brenne Brown

"I believe that I can change"

"Choose what is right vs what is easy"

"You can do more than you think you can, you just have to try"

She can be found online @www.quietconnections.uk

Don't forget to share this podcast and let me know if you or anyone you know would like to come on as a guest.

Thanks, Dr. L

What is our purpose in this life? 

Do our friends know our innermost minds? 

Are we truly living up to our potentials? 

How are we all doing in the #selfworth department? 

Is it possible for someone to actually "enjoy" being miserable? 

Can we truly be transparent, or are we afraid of being judged by others?

All these and other questions were tackled and answered eloquently by this week's guest, Ms. Regena. She is a realtor-turned Yogi and Soul coach, international speaker and author. She was kind enough to bare her soul to me during this interview, and I can't wait to share it with you. 

No stranger to depression and suicidal ideation, find out how Ms. Regena has transformed her life and her pain to help others with theirs. A self-proclaimed spiritualist, she firmly believes that we are "spiritual beings all living a human experience". She describes the journey out of depression as "simple, but not easy". 

Quotable quotes:

"Be grateful for the things that cause you pain, so you can learn and grow from them"

"When you are in the picture, you can't see the frame"

"I thought that by taking my life, I could control the outcome of my life"

This final installment for the year, promises to be full of knowledge and wisdom for everyone. 

Ms. Regena can be found online @ internalpeacenow.com or spirtualjunkie.com (NOTE THE SPELLING), or simply text the word YOGA to 64600.

Dr. L

Today is not only the last day of the year, it is the last day of the decade, and since it is also a Tuesday, we have a special End of the Year episode!

It is with great humility, yet pride and joy that I say a TEXAS sized THANK YOU for a beautiful first season and first year! After only 5 months we are at 3000 downloads and counting!

Thank you so much for the subscriptions, the shares, and the reviews.

Best of thanks to my guests who have kindly shared their stories to help others live.

May you all have the very best life can bring this coming year.

Ciao Bella!

Dr. L

When she discovered she was HIV positive at the tender age of 16, Ms. Mabena had to literarily decide to live or die. She struggled with frequent thoughts of being better off dead until she realized one day that her story might save another person, and that was when she decided to go public with it, and she has never looked back. 

She joins us today from Zambia and talks candidly about her life, the work she is doing to raise awareness for living with HIV and other stories.

She is an author, international speaker, motivator, mentor and runs a nonprofit called The Knowledge Effect which helps educate children in the rural areas of Zambia. Her online brand aptly called "Living Positively" helps spread awareness for HIV and other challenging life circumstances.

She firmly believes in empowering others and scaling challenges. In her work, she mentors women and young adults, ages 20-32yr through her books and speaking engagements. Her Living Positively brand is her vehicle for positive change in the world, and her main focus is self-acceptance, compassion, and love.

She currently has authored 2 books both available on Amazon; Living Positively, the Winnie Mabena Story, and Dear Young Woman: an Amazon bestseller.

Best Quotes: 

"You must have a personal definition of who you are". 

"Run with the small pieces of positivity". 

"Your life experiences do not take away your value". 

"We must edit our life story as we go". 

"How can we learn from our pain?"

She is on all social media platforms especially FB, Twitter, and IG as Living Positively. She is available for speaking engagements and accepts donations for her works with The Knowledge Effect.

Listen, subscribe, share and repeat. 

Dr. Lulu

In this episode, I introduce my brand new baby!! My book titled A Teen's Life, in which we take a critical look at the lives of 12 youngsters, ages ranging from early teens to the early twenties. It is essentially about suicide prevention, but it paints the picture from the teens' perspectives and we get a glimpse of how they might arrive at decisions to inflict self-harm on themselves and even on how they might decide to take it to the next level.

They share their struggles and life choices with me (Dr. Lulu) in a Dear Doctor format. I do my very best to respond to their needs and counsel them from a mother's perspective, an empath's corner, and from a professional level as well. 

The book is divided into three parts (essentially three books in one). The first part describes the global burden of suicide, the second part chronicles the teens and their struggles, and the third part deals with the next steps. What to do next, and by whom.

The electronic version is available on my website and on Kindle for $4.99 now, or for free if you have Kindle unlimited (see links below). I am still awaiting other outlets like Barnes and Nobles Nook, Kobo and IngramSpark.  I plan on having the paperback ready by the end of the time this episode is released. Be on the lookout.

I plan on expanding it to a series and adding one about girls and one about just boys to the mix. 

I welcome your suggestions, comments, and reviews on the book. You may also email me @ [email protected]

Enjoy, and don't forget to share the info on the book and this podcast :)

Ciao!

When an ER physician has taken care of an 8yr old attempted suicide but has nowhere to send them, what does she do?

Dr. Leah shares her heartbreaking story of a suicide attempt that gets sucked into the world of hospital bureaucracy and inadequacies and inefficiencies. She also speaks passionately about her work with physician autonomy called HPAC, a company which she founded to help correct the decay in the present-day hospital systems and the system of "uncompensated administrative burdens" they impose on doctors daily that often lead to burnout and suicidal ideation as well as suicide. 

No stranger to depressive and suicidal symptoms herself, she tells us how she found answers by reaching out to online communities of doctors when the going got tough for her. 

Her sound advice is "If you are depressed and suicidal, ensure you are not surrounded by a** holes." She also advises us to "change our environments and try something new, shift our ways of thinking, and reconnect with our happy selves" when we find ourselves in a rut... No truer words.  

Dr. Leah can be found on most social media platforms.