The Aware Show

Do you often fight with your partner? Do you find it hard to speak your truth in relationships? Today's guest is author and relationship expert Linda Bloom, L.C.S.W., who is a psychotherapist and marriage counselor. Linda talks about how there's an "art" to fighting. Even in the greatest, happiest relationships, conflict can arise. Most challenges and problems can be worked out. If we are vulnerable, we see that underneath the anger and resentment, there's usually disconnection and fear. We can feel misunderstood and lonely but if we open up and express our vulnerability, it invites connection. Linda discusses how to set boundaries and take responsibility for our feelings. She talks about how opposites can attract as each brings different traits to the table. We all have golden light, but dark shadows as well. We can learn from each other and embrace one another's strengths. She also talks about how people search for the "perfect partner." This can actually be a way to protect oneself, as no one is perfect, but we can look at the good in others. We can practice our skills, and even if relationships don't last, we can still move forward by taking a risk on someone and looking for kindness. Sometimes people absolutely won't agree on certain important aspects. Perhaps there are fights involving one who spends money and one who saves money. If you listen to each other patiently, and with curiosity and wonder, much can be learned and resolved. It's a matter of finding common ground. It doesn't have to be a dealbreaker. Addictions may be a dealbreaker. It's not the addiction itself; it's if the person doesn't want to find help. If people really listen to each other with understanding and respect, needs can be met. Linda also talks about how infidelity doesn't always have to be a dealbreaker. It may be a one-time mistake, and the person may have learned a lesson. It IS possible to forgive. Fears will come up and it will take time. It's a matter of trust and it may be possible to work it out. Being in a relationship takes a lot of work. It's about being conscious. Linda discusses modern families and how there may be completely unequal levels of income. It's important to talk about and get to the roots underneath the discomfort. If couples lean into the challenge, it can be a very fruitful conversation of balance. This is especially prevalent in the United States where people are so focused on money. It is possible to be a contribution, even if finances are unequal. The biggest fights occur when people don't feel the depth of love. Success in the US is defined by money, status, and finances. Linda's definition of success includes how many loving relationships we have in our lives. If you make it the priority, you won't suffer by feeling like you are lacking love. When you get triggered, and you are angry, it's important to take a few breaths. Take a break when you are in a fight. Breath and settle down. Think about what's hurting you and scaring you. That's a helpful, connecting conversation. By doing this, you can feel heard. That's loving behavior. Having a safe word also helps. When you take a "time out," do not stomp off and slam the door. That's a message saying your partner is impossible. It's important to both agree ahead of time that this is the best way to calm down and compose yourself. Come back with the intention to learn and understand. This respectful attitude builds back the trust. Linda and her husband, Charlie Bloom, are co-authors of several widely acclaimed books including, "101 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Married: Simple Lessons to Make Love Last," which has sold more than 100,000 copies, and "Secrets of Great Marriages: Real Truths from Real Couples About Lasting Love, Happily Ever After and Thirty-nine Other Myths about Love," She offers educational and counseling services to individuals, couples, and organizations. She is a regular presenter at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Yoga Center. Info: www.bloomwork.com

Would you like to have better communication with your partner? Are you having challenges in your relationship? Why is it so hard to connect? Today Lisa talks with Dr. Stan Tatkin, PsyD, MFT. Stan is a well-respected teacher, clinician, researcher, and developer of the Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy® (PACT). He is a noted expert on human behavior and couple relationships. In today's interview, Stan shares communication tips and tricks and explains the importance of non-verbal cues and body-language, whether with your partner, friends, or in a business setting. He also discusses online dating, character issues, texting, and implications of social media. Stan speaks and teaches worldwide on functional relationships – how to understand them, create them, and support them. He is the author of the completely updated and revised book, "Wired for Love: How Understanding Your Partner's Brain and Attachment Style Can Help You Defuse Conflict and Build a Secure Relationship." Info: thepactinstitute.com.

Is it possible to live a life of humility and resilience, both in good times or bad? How do we respond when crisis hits? Lisa continues the conversation with our guest Rabbi Steve Leder who talks about Darwin's theory and how the most adaptable people are the ones who survive. After pain and suffering, it's amazing what people can "normalize." Rabbi Leder talks deeply about how difficult it is when children leave to go away to college, or when someone loses a business. Yet, a year later, life somehow becomes normal again. It may feel like a betrayal to your past, but we must keep moving forward. Rabbi Leder talks about redefining yourself and evolving. Meaning never goes out of style. He suggests that we stay in our lane and do good work. He further talks about good storytelling and myth. Myths are ways to describe truths about the human experience. He explains that about half of what we believe now are incorrect facts. History will prove this. The ancients had time to think about what they knew. We have access to so much information, but we still struggle to understand. Ancient people knew so much more about living through loss and disaster as they experienced it much more frequently than we have, whether it be infant mortality, wars, famine, disease, etc. Rabbi Leder explains how there are no "modern problems," as we can look back to these people, see their resilience, and then move forward. We can look at ancient wisdom for our modern situations. Rabbi Leder is the author of several books including "More Beautiful Than Before: How Suffering Transforms Us," "The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift," and his most recent "For You When I Am Gone." He is the Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a prestigious synagogue in Los Angeles with three campuses and 3,000 families. Info: www.steveleder.com

Do you believe in UFOs? Is it possible that there are extraterrestrials here on planet Earth? Do unidentified beings walk among us? This is so hard to imagine, but humanity is at a time where we can take a leap in consciousness and understand that this may be a possibility. Our guest today is the esteemed civil rights attorney, Daniel Sheehan. Daniel is Harvard-educated and has worked on high-profile cases such as the Karen Silkwood case and Iran Contra civil case. He is also at the forefront of the unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) Disclosure movement which aims to bring transparency to this phenomenon. He is also the founder of the New Paradigm Institute and the Romero Institute, dedicated to social and environmental justice. Today Danny talks about the direct link between spirituality and consciousness. When confronted by challenges, we can turn to spirituality. When we see how incredibly vast our universe really is, it's easier to imagine that we are not alone. There are different dimensions and different realities. We have limited understanding, but by opening up to exploration, and especially by learning from indigenous peoples, we can broaden our perspectives. As a civil rights attorney, Daniel has done a lot of work with the Lakota people. He explains how they believe they come from the Pleiades in their spiritual tradition. This is a specific constellation visible to us. They believe they have had a lot of encounters with Star People. The Shamans receive messages which they share within their community. We have evidence of tens of thousands of people having these encounters around the world. Now science is studying this phenomenon, and our government is investigating these incidents. Our worldviews depend on whether we view them as a threat, or as spiritual, enlightened beings. We are in a period right now where more people are open to this information. It may help us to answer profound questions – it may be a threat, or it may be an opportunity. We have Free Will and we can explore and determine our own answers. Daniel Sheehan will be speaking at the upcoming Conscious Life Expo at the LAX Hilton on Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 2pm Pacific. His topic is "The Present State 'Official U.S. Government Disclosure' of the UFO/E.T. Reality." He will also have a post-conference on Monday, Feb. 10. The Conscious Life Expo held at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles will take place Feb 7 – 10, 2025. Lisa Garr will be moderating the Radical Healing Panel on Sunday, Feb 9 at Noon Pacific. Info: https://romeroinstitute.org/ and consciouslifeexpo.com.

How can we live a life of both humility and resilience, whether in good times or bad? How do we respond in joy and crisis? Today we welcome Rabbi Steve Leder who talks about the recent devastating fires in Los Angeles and how to cultivate tools to use when tragedy strikes. He talks about tending to our inner lives and how important it is to be of service to others. We receive comfort, even in the midst of our suffering, when we reach out to help others. We may all experience stress and trauma at various times in our lives. Success can ruin people the same way disaster can. Rabbi Leder reminds us to always live in the present and know, "This too shall pass," whether it's in good times or bad. We can move forward, and he teaches us to not regret the past. We cannot change it. When we worry about the future, we are not changing it, and that can cause anxiety. Catastrophic thinking does us no good. We do not know what is going to happen. It causes us to feel constant stress. If we can be more in the moment, even for smaller periods of time, it can help us feel much more resilient. It makes a huge difference to be mindful. This also requires a level of faith and spirituality. Rabbi Leder explains about the meaning of prayer. Most people ask for something when they pray. Yet, it is not always about appealing to God. He explains that this is about trying to change ourselves from within. It's not looking outside to a deity; it's about looking inside and realizing we do know how to navigate our circumstances. If you've overcome obstacles in the past, you can overcome them again. How do you do this? How do you find a way? We have the answers within. Rabbi Leder suggests, "When you must, you can." We go through various emotions – faith, anger, grief, and ultimately resilience. Don't let the fire go out in you. Don't let your spark fade. When we stay in the present, we can move forward. Rabbi Leder is the author of several books including "More Beautiful Than Before: How Suffering Transforms Us," "The Beauty of What Remains: How Our Greatest Fear Becomes Our Greatest Gift," and his most recent "For You When I Am Gone." He is the Senior Rabbi Emeritus of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a prestigious synagogue in Los Angeles with three campuses and 3,000 families. Info: www.steveleder.com

Do you feel patterns are holding you back? Did you know that our unconscious minds are running our lives 95% of the time? Our past experiences oftentimes keep us in a loop of negativity and suppression. Spiritual healer and psychic medium Dame Sandra Biskind joins us today to talk about the importance of accessing and listening to your inner guidance. Sandra has been a medium since childhood and has dedicated her time to help end suffering. She was Knighted in the Greek Orthodox Order of St John in 2017 for the work she does in the world to help people become happier, healthier, and more abundant. Sandra talks about how subconscious patterns run our lives and explains how people are reacting to the negative unconscious mind. She discusses the Quantum Neutrality Process, co-created by herself and her husband, Daniel Biskind. She talks about her ability to access past lives with her clients. Many emotions and patterns may be held there. By tapping into this information, she explains how to become neutral and essentially delete the karmic agreements and the way they are manifesting in this lifetime. It can be very challenging to raise your vibration if you are stuck in these old karmic patterns. If you allow the subconscious to run your life, manifestation will be much more difficult. It's self-sabotage from within. Sandra shares ways to get rid of these habits so you can manifest much more. It takes work to illuminate these patterns. In her practice, she works with ancient beings who help and guide her in her work. She goes directly into the unconscious programming. She talks about how the only way to have peace is to have forgiveness. You cannot forgive unless you become neutral. You can love so fully that you become non-judgmental. Judgements are a very low-frequency vibration. She talks about forgiving the unforgiveable. It's not about condoning the evil but realizing that unconscious programs are running. She also talks about giving up on blaming and complaining and how freeing that is. When we can stop, not blame, and stay out of victimhood, we can then take radical responsibility. Because of frequency and mindset, it's possible to change. Sandra asks us to look at our feelings and where we are focusing. How do you want to feel? And what focus can help you feel that? Gratitude helps tremendously! Sandra Biskind will be speaking at Conscious Life Expo held at the LAX Hilton in Los Angeles on Feb 7 – 10, 2025. Lisa Garr will be moderating the Radical Healing Panel on Sunday, Feb 9 at NOON Pacific where Sandra will be a participant. Info: consciouslifeexpo.com and sandrabiskind.com.

Today's guest, Ellie Rose Pasternak, shares her harrowing account of escaping the Pacific Palisades fire on January 7, 2025. Ellie grew up in the Palisades and previous fires in the area had never reached her family's house. When the fire began that morning, she and her Mom, Glory, who was also home at the time, were not overly concerned because the fire still seemed quite a distance away. At this time, there were no firefighters or engines in the neighborhood, so it seemed as if they were safe. Ellie then describes how she suddenly saw another fire on the other side of her house. She and her mom were keeping in touch with neighbors, and no one could understand what was happening. Ellie went outside, and as she was walking toward what she thought was an orange pylon in the road, she realized it was another fire. She ran as fast as she could to her house and alerted her Mom that they needed to leave immediately. It was now an emergency situation. By this time, their house had lost electricity, and they quickly gathered their animals including 4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 geckos, and 2 turtles. They rapidly gathered medications and a few articles of clothing and threw it all in the back of her car. Ellie describes how overwhelming it was and how things quickly changed in a matter of minutes. At this point, they thought they would be home the next day. In the past, the fire had never reached their home. Afterward, family friends were able to get into the neighborhood only to find that the Pasternaks' entire house was lost. Ellie's father, Dr. Henry Pasternak, is a very well-respected veterinarian who has practiced integrative medicine, using both holistic and Western therapies, for several decades in West Los Angeles. During the time of this taping, the family was sleeping at the veterinary office. The clinic was still open and operating during regular hours and housing many animals in need. Although they are in shock, Ellie explained that they are trying to find some sense of normalcy and are so grateful that they were able to escape with their animals with them. This is just one of thousands of stories of people and animals affected by the devastating fires in Los Angeles in January. If you are interested in making a donation either to the Pasternak family, or to the animals they are helping, pls call the Pasternak Veterinary Center at 310-268-2275. They are also accepting donations via Venmo @EllieRoseUke. To drop off donations in person, visit the clinic at 2038 South Sepulveda Blvd; West Los Angeles, CA 90025 or email [email protected]. For further information about Dr. Henry Pasternak and the veterinary clinic, visit www.pasternakvetcenter.com.

Have you heard about Transcendental Meditation® or as it's widely known, "TM"? Perhaps you may have heard that many celebrities and athletes have learned this specific method of meditation. In fact, the Beatles touted that they learned it directly from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder TM. To discuss it more in-depth, today's guest is Bob Roth, one of the most experienced and sought-after meditation leaders in America. For more than 45 years, Bob has taught Transcendental Meditation® to many thousands of people, and is the author of the 2018 New York Times bestseller, "Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation." Today Bob talks about the difference between meditation and mindfulness and breaks down the various aspects of exactly how our brainwaves change during the meditation process. He is the Chief Executive Officer of the David Lynch Foundation and has helped bring meditation to more than a million students in underserved schools in 35 countries, to military veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and to women and children who are survivors of domestic violence. He also directs the Center for Health & Wellness, which is bringing meditation to companies, government organizations, and nonprofit organizations. We air this interview today in honor of creative genius David Lynch who passed away on January 15. Info: DavidLynchFoundation.org.

Do you believe that intentions can bring about change? Do you know that the power of focus can help others heal as well? Lisa continues the conversation today with best-selling author and researcher Lynne McTaggart. Lynne talks about the importance of being very specific when setting intentions and how science is now measuring the results. Today Lynne and Lisa talk about the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and conduct a live Intention Experiment to specifically ask for the fires to stop, with no more loss of life or property as people have lost so much. We can intend for the community to join together to rebuild, and for all people and animals to remain safe. Lynne is an award-winning journalist and author of four significant books exploring quantum physics, spirituality, and health, including "The Power of Eight," "The Bond," "The Intention Experiment," and "The Field." Lynne is also the architect of the Intention Experiments, the largest mind-over-matter experiments in history, and co-founder and editorial director of What Doctors Don't Tell You (www.wddty.com). Today she discusses the astounding results of her "Power of Eight" groups and how when people come together with a common intention and focus, remarkable changes can occur. Lynne examines the importance of altruism. People who do things for other people live longer and happier lives. Scientists have studied how people who live a life of service tend to have stronger immune systems. She further discusses her Power of Eight Groups and how individuals heal after they focus on healing others. Lynne also discusses her upcoming global Peace Intention Experiment, her largest one so far, which will be held at the Gaia studios' Gaiasphere on February 1 near Boulder, Colorado. They will be studying data from a specific area prior to the experiment. Intentions start working right away, so Lynne will reveal the specific area immediately before the experiment starts. To watch the FREE Documentary "The Power of Intention" and learn more about the global Peace Intention Experiment at Gaia on Feb. 1, pls visit: www.theawareshow.com/lynne and www.LynneMcTaggart.com

Would you like to make a difference in someone's life? How do you know the best place to donate either time or money? Where will it help the most? Today's guest is Marc Gold who is the founder and director of the 100 Friends Project based in San Francisco and Bangkok. Marc collects donations, then travels to Third World Countries and looks for the neediest people. He then puts the money to work in the most compassionate, appropriate, culturally compatible, constructive, and practical manner possible and reports back to the donors. At a very young age, Marc's father taught him the importance of trying to make the world a better place. There are so many people who need so much worldwide. He goes looking for people not served by anyone and chose to work overseas. Marc has taught high school in Harlem and has taught classes at numerous community colleges around the country. He teaches half the year and lives with his sister, then travels as inexpensively as possible. Marc also talks about the way people rate top organizations such as Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders and how they utilize their resources very effectively in getting a large percentage of donations to those with the most need. In his travels, he has also met and worked with Mother Teresa. He talks about how any donation, no matter how large or small, can make a significant difference in someone's life. Info: www.100friends.org