The DPO Project

This week Zi and Vindesh discuss the art of communication.  People often say you must read between the lines, but that requires a lot of assumption and energy.  Zi says he sees this most with couples that have a hard time being on the same page because they don’t ask for what they want.  Right speech is a principle of Buddhism and Zi explores this philosophy and how it applies to our every day life.  Zi blasts Caitlin for her own ambiguous communication style, which is always fun.

Other people’s ability to see your vision is limited.  This week Zi and Vindesh talk about the fine line of sticking to your truth, but be receptive enough to listen to others feedback.  How do you balance that in a dispassionate away? Zi and Vindesh discuss how to walk this fine line without losing yourself and your vision.

This week Zi and Vindesh cover a story from the Vedas about the Sense Mind Army.  The Sense Mind Army is deployed in warfare to confuse the opponent with distractions and illusions. Essentially, they would use your senses against you.  Flash forward to today, we have virtual technology and constant notifications take us away from the present moment.  We have to mine the news feed in order to get the actual news.  All of this takes a toll on our overall health.  Zi and Vindesh explore this ancient story and how it compares to today’s cultural landscape.

This week we welcome back David Nik as a special guest.  Zi and Vindesh discuss why it’s important to have uncomfortable conversations with those close to you.  By avoiding conflict, we can cheat ourselves of moving past the obstacle in the way of deeper intimacy.  Question everything is Zi’s advice and they talk about the incentive programs for the vaccinations.

This week Zi and Vindesh cover a topic that comes up a lot in our podcast.  Why do we suffer?

Zi describes the way the ego works and compares it to an animal.  He also breaks down the different kinds of suffering we go through in life and why the worst kind is the one we invite in.  Vindesh asks Zi how we can manage the ego and what it takes to “starve” it. 

This week we welcome guest Ed Dellis to the podcast.  When Zi met Ed, he had met his match.  Now, 20 years later they get together again and talk about what has happened in that span of years.  Zi describes the ripple effect that takes place when we make choices.  He always says, "do not be fooled by the transience of time."

This week Zi and Vindesh are fired up about the book Zi has been reading called "The Brain Body Diet" by Sara Gottfried.  The author describes her life changing experience after she had a traumatic injury.  She found herself having to change diet and narrative in order to recover from a brain surgery.  Zi and Vin talk about how her story is helping so many and uncovers a lot about what's going on in the environment and how it impacts our health.  As the Vedas say, "the best happiness is contentment."

This week Zi and Vindesh catch up and talk about their latest trip together.  Zi shares his experience with losing a friend and how his friendship shaped his life.  Vindesh reflects on the funeral and what he took away from meeting a few people from Zi’s past.  In the Vedas, it is said that those who die with many friends truly lead a divine life.  They talk about the importance of diet and what you eat physically, spiritually, mentally.

This week Zi and Vindesh discuss if complaining is really worth all of the effort it takes. Sometimes we just forget to appreciate what we have right in front of us.  Zi says having gratitude is the best grounding exercise.   They bring up the the Buddhist death meditation and why it is practiced.  

This week Zi and Vindesh talk about empathy.  Zi discusses the part of your brain that corresponds with empathy and the pineal gland.  We have the ability to develop this part of our brain, but it does require practice.  Vindesh asks Zi how he is able to read people’s health so well.  Zi shares with us his formula and how we can also learn this skill.