Our guest today is Dr. MaryCatherine McDonald, Trauma researcher and Author of the book, "The Joy Reset: Six Ways Trauma Steals Happiness and How to Get It Back.” Her book isn’t just about finding joy; it’s about rewiring our brains and rediscovering our power to cultivate joy EVEN in the darkest moments of life. 

She describes the barriers that keep us from accessing joy—hypervigilance, emotional numbing, fear of loss, conditioning, guilt, and shame—and then defines ways to tap into positive emotions that can become the very foundation of psychological resilience.

 In our interview she shares some exercises that make joy, hope and gratitude both bite-sized and accessible and how they can show up even in our toughest moments.

I love how she weaves neuroscience into her exploration of trauma and joy, explaining how our brains are biologically wired to both adapt to trauma and heal from it. And…good news…we ARE always biologically capable of joy. 

Quote from her website: "Joy does not exist only in the moments that are free of pain. In fact, the brightest, tiniest, most important pieces can only be found in the dark. I want to teach you how to harness and amplify the power of that glinting magic–because this sustainable, endless light source will do more than help you get through your darkest, scariest, loneliest times."

As always, we’re untangle, the podcast from Muse the brain sensing headband that helps to transform your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount. 

Resource: https://www.drmcmcdonald.com/

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Today’s encore episode is with the always popular Dr. Rick Hanson — a Psychologist and NY Times Best Selling author of several books, including the book we discuss in this interview “Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence." He shares how we can hardwire our brains for happiness using practices that help us cultivate and experience the good in our lives while reducing our natural negativity biases. He shares why is it easier to ruminate over hurt feelings, negative feelings rather than to bask in the warmth of being appreciated or positive feelings. The negative stuff is like velcro…it sticks to us. But it doesn’t have to. He says we can build our inner strengths and capacity to override the brains habit of defaulting to pessimism. He suggests a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures full of happiness, love, confidence, and peace. 

As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio. 

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Today our guest is Stephen Dinan, founder of the Shift Network, and author of the book Sacred America, Sacred World, Fulfilling our mission in service to all. He founded the Shift Network in 2010, and today it delivers virtual summits, courses, training in areas related to spirituality, peace, holistic health, psychology, sustainability and more. One of my favorite courses was with Penelope Smith in Animal Communication. 

Stephen is a graduate of Stanford University where he studied human biology, but in this conversation he shares his transformative journey from a scientifically inclined atheist to a seeker of higher consciousness, exploring diverse spiritual traditions and the potential of, what he refers to as, wise AI. We discuss the evolution of consciousness, the role of AI in our spiritual journey, and how we can collectively move towards a more unified and awakened humanity. It’s an interesting dialogue that invites us to explore what is unknown.

As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband that transforms your brain. Use code Untangle15 for your discount at choosemuse.com. 

Resource: Theshiftnetwork.com

Stephendinan.com

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Welcome to a weekly special edition of Untangle, Meditation Mondays. We’re taking this time to share meditations from our sister app, Meditation Studio. We know that life gets messy and, when it does, Meditation is here to help us find a sense of calm and inner peace. Whether you’re facing daily work or relationship stress, unexpected challenges, or just want to improve focus, we hope meditation Monday’s will be your go to for a weekly guided meditation treat. And if you’re craving more…which I always do…the Meditation Studio app offers over 800 expert-guided meditations from over 70 of the world’s top meditation experts.

And best of all, you can now unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio.

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Today's guest is author of the book, Your Body is Speaking and creator of the framework “The Power of Gesture.” Her Ted Talk is called Your Body’s Hidden Intelligence: from Mindset to Bodyset. She shares her personal background which included her struggles with traditional learning methods and her discovery of alternative methods of learning — which led her to focus on the importance of movement and gesture in learning and self expression. 

 She discusses the Power of Gesture framework which includes the Three E's—embody, empower, and elevate—and how it relates to personal growth and emotional clarity. Jen highlights the significance of trusting one's intuition and the power of self-compassion in navigating life's challenges. She also touches on the role of unexpected teachers in our lives and the importance of recognizing and honoring our body's wisdom.

Thanks for being with us today. For more on Jen and her work, check out jenaks.com. Her book is called Your Body is Speaking. 

And check out choosemuse.com when you have a minute for more info on the revolutionary brain sensing headband that can help to transform your brain. Use code Untangle 15 to get your discount. 

If you have questions, comments or suggestions, reach out to us at [email protected]

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Encoring one of my personal favorite meditations.

Welcome to a special weekly edition of Untangle, Meditation Monday. We’re taking this time to share meditations from our sister app, Meditation Studio. We know that life gets messy and, when it does, Meditation is here to help us find a sense of calm and inner peace. Whether you’re facing daily work or relationships stress, unexpected challenges, or just want to improve focus, we hope meditation Mondays will be your go to for a weekly guided meditation treat. And if you’re craving more…which I always do…the Meditation Studio app offers over 800 expert-guided meditations from over 70 of the world’s top meditation experts.

And best of all, you can now unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio

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In this episode, we sit down with young author and entrepreneur, Giovanna Silvestre, to discuss her life and her book, "Confused Girl, Find Your Peace In The Chaos.” I loved her energy and courage, and her passion for the work she’s doing with inspirational active wear. She shares how most intensely sad moments led her on this transformative journey from depression to self-discovery, and to doing work that she now loves and that continues inspires her everyday. 

Her initial confusion - hence the name of her book Confused Girl —stemmed from feeling stuck, unworthy, and lost in the turbulence of what she describes as the societal expectations of this modern world. 

Giovanna opens up about the pivotal moments that led her to embrace confusion as a virtue, the power of vulnerability, and the importance of staying curious about life and oneself. Join us as we delve into her inspiring story of resilience, creativity, and the pursuit of authenticity.

Resource: Instagram @confusedgirlla

Websire: confusedgirlinthecity.com

As always, we’re untangle, the podcast from Muse the brain sensing headband that helps to transform your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount.

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Today’s guest is Clinical Psychologist, Professor and Author Ross White. His insightful book is called “The Tree that Bends: How a Flexible Mind can help you thrive.” The Tree that Bends, a title that comes from a Tanzanian proverb, is a metaphor to illustrate how we can remain anchored, willing and empowered in the face of lifes most difficult challenges. We explore the themes of psychological flexibility including acceptance and commitment therapy, and daily practices that can help manage our emotions when navigating anxiety — many that can be so helpful for our mental health and wellbeing. I love how he talks about embracing emotions as messengers that can lead to a more fulfilling and balanced life. P.S. he gives me therapy on my own driving anxiety, post accident!

As always, we’re untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband that helps to transform your brain. Use promo code untangle 15 at choosemuse.com for your discount. 

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This is a favorite encore…with Ariel interviewing James Nestor — Author of Breath…The New Science of a Lost Art. . There are so many great nuggets in this episode. You’ll learn that the way you breathe can energize or relax you? That a simple hack can help with snoring and sleep apnea? That your lung volume can relate to your longevity, and that your lung volume can be expanded with simple exercises? 

Resources: mrjamesnestor.com

As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brain's potential and revolutionizing health and Meditation Studio the five star app.

Unlock 30 days of Meditation Studio for free at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio

Transform your brain's potential with 15% off Muse. Use code UNTANGLE15 at checkout or visit choosemuse.com/UNTANGLE15 

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