This week I sit down with Garth Stein, New York Times bestseller and author of Racing in the Rain. I read Racing in the Rain, and not only enjoyed it but it spoke to me on a deeper level. The main character in the book Is Enzo, a dog.  Enzo’s reflections, insights and wisdom brought to life in his narrative and quotes hit me square in the chest. Enzo  and the writer behind the character got me thinking… and few books do.

I introduced myself and said I was a fan of his book. Though he’d heard that a million times before, he didn’t roll his eyes.  Now years later we continue to discuss, ponder and share thoughts around writing, sport , life and the threads that run through them all.

Topics include :

The philosophies and Metaphors for life through the eyes of Enzo (17:20), realizing and moving beyond  our habitual patterns which get in our way (19:35), how to not outsource our responsibilities to ourselves (21:35), Garth take on why people are reluctant to take care of themselves and ways to become more successful at doing so (23:40), gracefully moving beyond frustration and anger (26:20), similarities between writing, sports and life - the art vs the craft (30:20), a glimpse of Garth’s next book (41:30), Garth’s mantra for the best way to compete (46:39), Garth’s workout program today and how he finds sustainability (50:20), how do we trust what our body is telling us. Are we lazy or just paying attention? (56:05)

Tay and Val are two gifted women started a journey a few years ago to travel by bike around the world spreading their message of “Living your Dream”. During their travels, little did they know it, the universe would connect them with many insightful and profound teachers which would shape them into who they are today. With compassion, passion and a clear intention, they came to Seattle to introduce the masses to the experience, practice and benefits of meditation.

 Through “pop up” meditations sessions in the heart of Seattle, during various times of the day and with different themes: connecting meditation with drinking shots of juice, or wine tasting, among other themes, the founders of M Meditation, present a vivid, powerful and simple exploration into meditation and the effects it can have on one’s life.

 Accessible and approachable and in a time much needed, Tay and Val bring meditation to the masses in a way that I whole heartily recommend.

Topics include: How meditation helped with the pressures of school as a teenager (13:57), the greatest value meditation had on Val - today and years ago (16:58), Tay’s first meditation revelation (21:12), “Who am I really? And how do I define myself?” (22:01), their journey around the world spreading their message of having people “Live their Dream” (23:30), how they meditated with a Native-American teacher and what happened (25:09), how their journey on bikes around the world shaped them (27:51), the “AH-HA” moment that came from sitting (meditation) (28:39), their Mission to Inspire people (29:50), the importance of staying true to yourself and staying strong in your power (30:42), Giving yourself permission to sleep (49:00), Honoring your body and finding joy and fun in it (50:45), Trusting and and appreciating your body and being grateful for what it can do (53:02).

Ginny Gilder is a two time Olympian in rowing, co-owner of the WNBA Seattle Storm basketball team as well as an entrepreneur, author of Course Correction: A Story of Rowing and Resilience in the Wake of Title IX and a leader in the fight for women’s rights.  As a member of the 1980 Olympic team, she and 600+ other Olympians had to sit out because of the boycott implemented by President Carter. A huge bummer to all the athletes who had worked so hard to make that prodigious team.  

But most of all, she’s a woman who possesses an immense amount of wisdom by way of self reflection and a dedication to self growth. She and Peter discuss a lot of topics that include personal wake-up calls (8:50), how she learned to pay attention to her body (9:27), how to challenge your hyper critical internal voices (19:25), how she deals with her present physical state being different from the past (29:55), tips on how to look at the big picture of being physically active and fit (31:40), her passion and and main focus when it comes to excelling in business (40:50), how to feel more engaged in life (44:53), doing what we “should” to do vs following our hearts (48:23), and how she deals with her mental struggle around the value of what she has to say and write about (52:10).

Enjoy!

Welcome to the Life Athlete podcast. Our guest today is Elia Mrak. He performs, directs, teaches and dedicates himself to the power of dance. His practice fuses Breakdancing, Qigong, Flying Low and the sacred ritual of dance.

He has performed, taught, and directed throughout the last decade-plus of working in Europe, Central/South America, and the United States. He has designed and led workshops that are aimed at making movement and dance accessible to all types of people, to help with injuries, healing, health, fitness, and inspiration. He has recently launched his own organization that places dance and movement at the forefront of social change through art, health, and community. It is called aMovementMovement.

In this episode we discus a wide range of topics including: How parents can play a role in their kids desire to dance (10:18), why dance is a way of living for him (15:01), how can we be free when we run or move (17:25), he purpose of exercising (19:29) how to not outsource your intuition for your health (21:49), being willing to listen to your body (26:47), why we all need coaches (33:28), why is rest important (35:41), not exercising to soreness (41:28), and our body being a medium for happiness (57:02)