The Middle Way with Dr. Matthew Goodman

Monday Mini: Five Finger Mindfulness.

1. Open one of your hands wide.

2. Take the pointer finger of your other hand and trace the outside of your open hand (like you were outlining a Thanksgiving turkey). 

3. Notice the sensations.

4. Inhale as you trace up, exhale as you trace down. 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting and Classes: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

Judy Wilkins-Smith is a highly regarded, international organizational, individual and family patterns expert. A systemic executive coach, trainer, facilitator, thought partner, and leadership conference and motivational speaker, Judy has 18 years of expertise in assisting high-performance individuals, Fortune 500 executives, and legacy families to end limiting cycles and reframe challenges into lasting breakthroughs and peak performance. She is the author of Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint: A Powerful Guide to Transformation Through Disentangling Multigenerational Patterns.

In this episode, I talk with Judy about the "emotional DNA" we inherit from our family system - the thoughts, feelings, and behavioral patterns passed down in the family (sometimes dating back multiple generations). Judy helps people recognize these systemic patterns through "constellations" work: an interactive, three-dimensional, and incredibly powerful method of discovering where the system is stuck and how to change it. Judy's work fundamentally focuses on helping systems, big and small, evolve and grow so they can reach their full potential. She is a deeply empowering and inspiring individual, and so honored to have her on the podcast! 

Judy and I discuss: 

-What "systems," "constellations," and "emotional DNA" are. 

-How our issues stem from multiple generations, and why it's not our fault but our responsibility to change them (and why this is a gift to both ourselves and the family!).

-Reprogramming our emotional DNA and re-wiring our brain. 

-The story of how Judy came to this work accidentally. 

-The three-dimensional process of exploring family constellations. 

-Patterns around money, including guilt and fear of "abandoning" the family system by becoming wealthy. 

-Why the biggest and best version of ourselves is also the most humbling.

-"Wanting to want" to change versus actually wanting to change.

-Why symptoms are gifts, or opportunities to transform

-Why it's crucial to shift from a victim mindset to an empowered one to create transformation.  

-The importance of your gut and heart believing what your brain is telling you.

-Judy's take on our the story of our collective humanity and where we're stuck. 

-And much more! 

Highlights:

"Our deepest wounds turn out to be our greatest strengths."

"A problem is an invitation to something new."

"We need to stop saying 'the world is in trouble' - it's not. It's at the beginning of a brand new chapter that we get to shape."

Judy's website (including constellation meditations): https://judywilkins-smith.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ev1rtmAiOEo

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

You can support the show for as little as $1 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

How do we cultivate a sense of resilience and grit in the midst of challenges? What if we are going through a "dark night," where we can't quite see the light on the other side of the challenging situation?

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting and Classes: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

In this episode, I have the privilege of hosting a conversation between Mark Beckwith and Paul Norris on the topic of gun policy. 

Mark Beckwith is a graduate of Amherst College and Yale Divinity School. He is the retired Bishop of Newark (of the Episcopal Church) and currently does coaching, spiritual direction and works part time in the diocese of Western Mass. Mark is a co-founder of Bishops United Against Gun Violence and serves on the community partners team at Braver Angels. He is the author of the book, “Seeing the Unseen: Beyond Prejudices, Paradigms and Party Lines” and regularly blogs as markbeckwith.net.

Paul Norris graduated from UC Berkeley. He has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a masters’ in counseling. A gun owner from age 12, he is an NRA Benefactor member and an advocate for gun safety. Paul is currently retired but still works part time in counseling. He is active in Braver Angels, serving as a moderator, state coordinator, and an Associate Director and Chair in the debate program.

Debate topics covered: 

Finally, Paul, Mark, and I end by contemplating the image of the mandorla, symbolizing two halves (or two different ideologies) coming together within the broader context of the "one."

Listen to Paul and Mark's prior conversations: 

Derate the Hate 08/10/22 - "What Role Does Fear and Trust Play in the Gun Safety Debate?"

Derate the Hate 12/21/21 - "Squaring Enhanced Gun Safety Measures with Personal Gun Ownership and the 2nd Amendment"

Watch this Episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/gvmnGJIw-IM

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting: the-middle-way.com

Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

You can support the show for as little as $1 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

Monday Mini: Breath Counting. This is a great way to anchor our attention in the present moment when the mind is especially busy. 

-Find a comfortable posture. Close the eyes if it feels safe. 

-Notice your breathing. Maybe find a spot where you can feel the breath most vividly (e.g., tips of nostrils, belly). 

-On each exhale, count "1," then "2," and so on. Count to 10 exhales, then start over.

-If your mind wanders and you forget what number you're on, no problem! Just start over again at 1. 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting and Classes: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

Conspiracy theories have been on the rise over the past several years. This has been particularly true in the context of COVID. Why is this happening? What function do they serve? What happens when we ignore or suppress them? What role do they play in initiating us into a new worldview and reality? 

In this episode, I explore the nature of conspiracies as projections of the collective psyche; why disregarding their underlying emotion and "story" - regardless of objective merit - is dangerous and forces even wilder conspiracies to take form; why we must have the courage to trust and listen to one another; the function of conspiracies as "bulldozers" to the current worldview, and therefore opportunities not to replace the current worldview, but to rebuild a new mythological framework TOGETHER; why one worldview cannot win over another if it turns "facts" into a faith; why the symptom of growing division and polarization is a call to realize our common humanity and evolve into something more beautiful; and more! 

This episode is a challenging one. Thanks for bringing an open mind, and more importantly an open heart : ) 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

You can support the show for as little as $1 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

~May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you live with ease and joy. May you be free of suffering~

Monday Mini: Body Scan Practice. Body scans help strengthen the mind-body connection and enhance our capacity to "just sit with" emotions and sensations (positive, negative, or neutral). We can practice bringing nonjudgmental, kind awareness to whatever we notice. 

1. Get comfortable.

2. Bring awareness into your feet. What do you notice... Warmth or coolness? Tingling? Pressure? The texture of your sock? Just observe. When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to noticing sensation. 

3. Continue bringing awareness in this way as you move up the legs, hips, abdomen, back, chest, arms, neck, and head. 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting and Classes: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

Nature has produced some magnificent designs... including the beautiful and brilliant YOU! Are there lessons we can learn from nature when designing higher performing and more sustainable products, companies, communities, and other systems? In this episode I speak with Lex Amore of the Biomimicry Institute about nature-inspired design. 

Lex is Communication Director at the Biomimicry Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering nature-inspired design. She has advocated for sustainability with thought leaders for over a decade, bringing expertise in writing and strategic communications to each project. Lex achieved her Master of Science degree in Biomimicry from Arizona State University in 2018 and bachelor’s degree in journalism from Georgia State University. She has also received extensive training from the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), and in sustainable design by working with a multitude of industry leaders across the globe.

We discuss: 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3MmZmGi7Lis

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

You can support the show for as little as $1 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

Monday Mini: Square Breathing.

Instructions: 

1) Breathe in for a count of 4 (through the nose, if possible)

2) Hold for a count of 4

3) Breathe out for a count of 4 (through the nose or mouth)

4) Hold for a count of 4

Go through a few rounds : ) 

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting and Classes: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

Simple Stress-Reduction Book: https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Stress-Reduction-Effective-Practices-ebook/dp/B09R1D6HN2

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!

Louis Weinstock is a psychotherapist who works with children and the child inside us all. He helps people find a light in the darkness – in the things that are unseen, unheard and unspoken. For over 20 years, Louis has guided children and grown-ups through some of the toughest challenges life can throw at us – loss, trauma, divorce, burnout and breakdowns. He is also co-founder of Apart of Me, a multi-award-winning charity that helps young people transform their grief into compassion. His work has been featured on the BBC, ITV, and in the Guardian newspaper. 

Louis' book, "How the World is Making Our Children Mad and What to Do About It," offers a bold and refreshing take on the epidemic of childhood mental health. Louis' framework for understanding "symptoms" extends beyond the individual - he acknowledges the role of larger systems, including the world itself, and how it is driving our kids bonkers. 

In this episode Louis and I discuss symptoms as "sacred messages" that reveal the state of the world; how children are the "canaries in the coal mine" expressing the world's symptoms; the concept of the "digital nervous system;" how children take on and express their parents unhealed trauma; ACEs and epigenetics; the myth of the serotonin theory of depression; the dark night of the soul and the tendency to want to "fix" what's wrong; looking at crises as opportunities for growth; Louis' (beautiful) intention to show up to each moment with love; climate; psychedelic-assisted therapy; Louis' background as a therapist and his charity, Apart of Me; the practice of improv and how it relates to well-being; and much more. 

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/6ermOCpKZ9g

Follow Dr. Goodman:

Instagram: @matthewgoodmanphd

The Middle Way Consulting: the-middle-way.com

Upcoming Improv + Mindfulness for Anxiety Course!: https://www.the-middle-way.com/class-mindfulness-improv

You can support the show with a donation of $1, $5, or $10 per month. Other ways to support include leaving a rating/review or sharing it with someone who would enjoy it! Thanks for listening!