This episode of The Urban Monk is a special one. Pedram Shojai welcomes his kung fu master, Dr. Carl Totton. He is a martial arts grandmaster, a taoist priest, and clinical psychologist. Pedram and Carl discuss the teachings of martial arts and its focus on health, including physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health. Kung fu, despite being popular in movies, has never been about aggression and violence. It's about being in balance, detecting danger, and keeping out of harm's way. What drew Carl to the Chinese arts? What are the origins of the martial arts and what led to its surge in popularity, especially in the 70s? What is "chi" and what is its importance? How can we all be in balance both physically and mentally?

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Most of us purchase our food. Not very many of us grow every single thing we eat. So then were DOES our food come from? Food companies may make bold claims about the healthfulness of their foods, but are they verified? Can we trust these corporations? This week on The Urban Monk, Pedram Shojai welcomes Ocean Robbins, CEO of The Food Revolution Network, to the show to discuss the state of food systems and what it takes to ensure healthy eating. How does the quality of the foods we buy affect the quality of the planet? Can the items we buy each week really make that much of a difference? What about the difference in purchasing regular foods versus organic food? And what about foods containing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)? How do crops of GMOs affect the planet? And what of trying to get more organic foods in regular supermarkets as opposed to having to go to a specialty supermarket or a farmer's market? What actions can people take to help spur this movement on?

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This week Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Lisa Garr of The Aware Show. On the program Lisa opens up about a near-death experience she had following a bicycling accident. The experience resulted in a traumatic brain injury. She discusses how through EEG and neuro-feedback she was able to make a full recovery. She went on to find her purpose in communication messages of positive growth and change on the radio and through the internet. How did this lead to her discovering light therapy? What is light therapy? What can treat and has it been shown to be effective? Are there any side effects to light therapy?

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The brain is an interesting organ. We all have one, we use it every day, we might even think about it from time to time, but in reality it sits in darkness within our skulls. Have you ever thought about how you might analyze the activity within your brain? This week on The Urban Monk, Pedram Shojai welcomes Bill Harris of Centerpointe Research Institute. What neuro-technologies are available to study the brain? What do we know about how the brain functions? What are brainwaves and what types exist? Are certain brainwaves associated with certain types of activities? And is it possible to train and change our brain?

For more information on Bill Harris and the Centerpointe Research Institute, go to:

http://www.centerpointe.com/t/ped103

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The subject of women’s menstruation is not often spoken, and when it is, it’s quietly framed as “her monthly cycle”, “her period” or “having lady time.” On this episode of The Urban Monk, Pedram Shojai welcomes Stasha who is a certified holistic health coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She is on a mission to trash that taboo of silence, bring menstruation front and center, and use it as a foundation for success in both business and personal life. Rather than just dealing with painful periods, Stasha works with her cycle. What are the phases of a full menstrual cycle and how can we all adjust our schedules to work with it for a full productive and happy life rather than falling victim?

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While nations fail to commit to reducing carbon emissions to levels that scientists recommend, the soil offers another solution. Joining The Urban Monk host, Pedram Shojai, to tell us about it are guests Jimmy Sinton, CEO of The Fair Carbon Exchange; Molly Haviland, Soil Conservationist and Microherder with Applied Soil Technologies; Dr Elaine Ingham, a world-renowned soil biologist and founder of Soil Foodweb Inc.; Ryland Englehart, soil activist, co-founder of Kiss The Ground and owner of Café Gratitude in LA.

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There's a great effort to create businesses and hold events that will impact communities on both a small and large scale. How do you do that? What are the skills you need and how do you develop them? It’s an essential set of skills if you really want to make a difference, be heard, and win support. To help acquire the proper skills, Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Sage Lavine to The Urban Monk. Sage is the CEO of Conscious Women Entrepreneurs and has helped hundreds of people with the skills and confidence to lead both small and large live events that make a difference.

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So many people today are involved in entrepreneurial businesses. The demands of time and energy to operate and work in an entrepreneurial business can be endless and exhausting. And when you succeed and get there, or fail to get there, what’s left of you, the original you? Where did all that time go? Do you even remember the source of your identity, where your sense of self-worth came from? Joining the conversation on The Urban Monk is Matt Lowman who has known the exuberance and the emptiness of entrepreneurial victory and loss. Talking to Pedram Shojai, he now wants to advise others on how to stay whole.

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Per Bristow has been voice coaching Hollywood’s elite for years. His unconventional approach really stems from roots in something very deep. Per’s take on this revolves around letting go of outcome and finding a relationship with “play” again. It’s ok to be off key – just sing.

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Some of us might make a strong effort to eat clean foods. We may try to eat organic and bump up the ratio of fruits and vegetables in our diet but as we do so do we think about the actual origins of those foods? Soil expert Molly Haviland joins Pedram Shojai on The Urban Monk to discuss how caring for soil can have great affects on the environment. When it comes to crops, what role does the health of the soil play? What makes soil healthy? How does soil composition affect the crops that are grown in it?

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