Curiosity led Teddi Dean from life as a Southern California pro skateboarder to travel as a student of the Buddha. Teddi’s approach to teaching yoga and meditation is clear, practical, and grounding. He encourages his students to cultivate their own curiosity and wonderment about the body and the breath through a balance of effort and ease – guiding them back to their own true nature. He is now a teacher at the Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico.

This episode starts with a short guided meditation by Teddi and leads into a fruitful discussion of how to slow down, begin a consistent practice, and hold space for the art of becoming. 

Juliana welcomes Diana Shimkus to discuss Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction. They will dive into the research behind the practice and how to take it off your mat and into your daily life.

"What is the art of this work and how do you live it?" 

They discuss what it means to go deeper with your practice by setting intentions, how to form an empowering relationship with your anxiety, and how only 60 breaths a day has the power to change your life. The episode ends with an example of one of Diana's commonly used practices: the four-by-four square breath. 

Diana Shimkus, LCSW has been professionally trained through the University of Massachusetts, Medical Center from 1996 to present and has been actively studying, practicing, and teaching MBSR and other mindfulness-related programs since that time. Diana has devoted her life to the tenets of mindfulness in her personal and professional life and works diligently to offer mindfulness to all who might benefit. 

Today's episode welcomes Auna Salomé to discuss Human Design Readings. Human Design is an emotional, energetic, and psychological analysis using astrology, I Ching, the chakra system, Kabbalah, and quantum physics. Tune in to learn more and get to know Juliana on a deeper level as Auna uses this system to guide her in uncovering parts of herself and her journey in this lifetime. 

Auna Salomé lives in the reality created by her sovereign Heart. She calls this lifestyle, Heart Royality™, exalting in others the energy of aliveness and the expression of their unique essence. As an energy teacher and creatrix, she’s been applauded for the clarity of her guidance, and she’s honored that her Highest Good transmission art has found resonance with many around the world.

Her latest offering, ‘Intro to Human Design’ Readings, is now open for booking. Discover how to create your unique Heart Royality™ at aunasalome.com.

Juliana welcomes Dr. Diana Hill to discuss how you apply the science of acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) and the wisdom of contemplative practice to become more psychologically flexible. They discuss the importance of compassion, "being instead of doing", discovering your values, and setting boundaries to step into the best version of yourself. 

Diana Hill, PhD is a clinical psychologist, international trainer and sought-out speaker on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and compassion. Host of the podcast Your Life in Process and co-author of ACT Daily Journal, Diana works with organizations, high-achievers, and health professionals who are committed to becoming psychologically flexible so that they can move from striving to thriving at work, home, and around the globe. 

Diana will be offering weekly Friday morning meditations at Yoga Soup starting in January and a workshop in ACT for Body Image Flexibility in February. Go to yogasoup.com to sign up!

Juliana brings on Nick Stein to discuss some key concepts from his book: "Mindfulness as a Second Language." How is mindfulness similar to learning a second language? Tune in to learn more about this as we discuss Nick’s journey into meditation, the birth of secular mindfulness, and the notion of dropping into your body and letting go of expectations. 

Before mindfulness came into his life, Nick Stein had been a hard-charging non-fiction TV cameraman, editor, director, producer, and showrunner across a forty-year career in television. Returning home to Los Angeles, Nick began a rigorous training regimen at UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center (MARC). After two years in their Intensive Practice Program (IPP), Nick was accepted into the inaugural class of the Engaged Mindfulness Institute (EMI) in Massachusetts and received a Certification of Mindfulness Facilitation in June 2016. Shortly after that, he was accepted into the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA).

Since then, Stein has brought his unique style of teaching to a variety of populations and institutions. Using his strong communications background, Nick helps people initiate and maintain a meditation practice by emphasizing its logical, practical, and learnable nature. He calls his approach Strategic Stillness and under that banner he shares his hard-won knowledge with CEOs and Key executives in a multiplicity of industries. You can also find Nick working on college campuses, at high-tech startups, and at LA’s top meditation centers. He also gives his time in pro-bono work, in one case spending a year bringing mindfulness to prisoners inside the notorious LA County Men’s Jail. With all this, Nick is perhaps best known for his work with law enforcement. After his immersion in police culture through the making of Border Wars, Nick was among the very first mindfulness instructors to work with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol Agents and Land Port Officers.

Juliana welcomes internationally celebrated Dharma teacher of teachers, Kali Basman, who blends Buddhist Psychology with mindful-based Yin & Restorative Yoga. Kali’s work intermingles the outer constructs of anatomy & Traditional Chinese Medicine with the inner methods of mind training and trauma healing. She is certified and celebrated for her work with Internal Family Systems Therapy.  

We discuss the effects of trauma and delve into using the Internal Family Systems model to heal parts of ourselves and connect back to the Buddha Nature.

You can learn more about her offerings here: http://www.kalidurgayoga.com/

Reverence - Kali pays reverent homage to the lineage of her primary teacher, Sarah Powers of Insight Yoga Institute and Richard Schwartz of the Internal Family Systems Institute. As well her gratitude extends to an outer mandala of other major influencers she’s studied with on the path: Jack Kornfield, Pema Chodron, Judith Hanson Lasater, Paul Grilley, Francis Weller, and more, contributing to her integration of Buddhist Philosophy & the Dharma, Yin & Restorative Yoga, Grief Work, & more.

Jonathan Schooler, PhD, is a Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences at UC Santa Barbara and Director of both the META lab and UCSB’s Center for Mindfulness and Human Potential. His research explores the nature of consciousness, with a particular focus on mind wandering and mindfulness.  With over 250 publications, he has been the recipient of the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher Award for seven of the last eight years. In this episode, we discuss the normalcy of wind-wandering, the role mindfulness plays in it, and its benefits/consequences. 

Juliana and Jonny welcome Michael Mrazek to discuss mindfulness. Dr. Michael Mrazek is the co-founder of UCSB’s Center for Mindfulness & Human Potential, as well as a Research Associate Professor at UT Austin. He also serves on the faculty of the Summer Institute in Applied Psychology—an evidence-based retreat in Costa Rica (https://empiricalwisdom.com) that helps people dramatically improve their health and happiness. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is the author of Presence of Mind: A Practical Introduction to Mindfulness & Meditation (you can access the free ebook here: https://empiricalwisdom.com/freebook). His work has been featured widely in international press, including the New York Times, Forbes, Men’s Health, Time Magazine, and Scientific American. Tune in to this episode to hear about his personal experience and research, the difference between mindfulness and meditation, emotional regulation, common obstacles, and important resources.

For today's episode, Juliana brings on Amber Goodenough, holistic life coach and yoga teacher, to discuss "circling." Amber hosts a weekly Women's Circle to foster connection through breathwork, movement, journaling, and group-share. She explains her journey into the mindfulness community and the growth she's witnessed from her clients through this experience. They discuss how you can bring these self-care practices out of the circle and into your daily life. 

Juliana Zappitell welcomes Kyle Kaplan for her first podcast episode to discuss Buddhism. Juliana is a certified yoga instructor with specialized training in the Anatomy of Trauma and is finishing her Bachelor's in Integrative Psychology. She welcomes Kyle, a yoga instructor and PhD Student at UC Santa Barbara, to explain the brief history of Buddhism and its core concepts. They delve into a rich conversation about suffering and how it can be used as a critical aspect of growth by expanding one's awareness as a path to enlightenment. They bring in examples from their personal healing journeys and vast experience in meditation and yoga.