Veteran’s PATH

Travis was a musician in the Air Force and now is a professional musician in Maine.  He's overcome childhood sexual abuse and alcoholism through the use of meditation and has been meditating for 15+ years!

In this episode we speak about the list below AND I share one of Travis's songs at the end... so check it out!

his time in the Air Force and the fact that the Air Force has rock bands and country bands outside of the formal Air Force band

his childhood and being abused in the boys choir

his mental health challenges

his use of breathing to help address those challenges

what he's doing now

his wife's book (Dirt Roads and Diner Pie https://smile.amazon.com/Roads-Diner-Shonna-Milliken-Humphrey/dp/1942094221/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26SUVTDAQIIYD&keywords=dirt+roads+and+diner+pie&qid=1583141851&sprefix=dirt+roads+and%2Caps%2C484&sr=8-1)

Graham competed in the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics and is a 2x National Champion. He was the coach of the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Snowboard Team. He is married with a 2 year old little one at home. He says the application of mindfulness & meditation techniques SEEMED the most relevant as a competitor, but he’s learned as a coach and parent how much MORE critical they are in THESE roles and how much he could’ve learned as a younger competitor. That said, he’s glad to have had the experience as a competitor to teach him the foundations that have helped so much in more recent years.

Catherine is a psychiatric occupational therapist with 10 years of experience in mental health and wellness.

She has post-graduate training in vocational rehabilitation and return to work after stress burnout.

She had a practice in South Africa where she consulted with corporate insurance companies to asses and treat clients who had been off work due to mental health challenges and burnout.

Catherine specializes in workplace wellness and company culture as well as emotional wellness.

****That said, Catherine is leading a workshop here in Virginia Beach in March on Sensory Intelligence, which we will cover during the show... listeners of this podcast get a special discount using the promo code VVPodcast. Here’s the link to her workshop:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/access-your-minds-potential-make-sense-of-your-world-tickets-89664393615?aff=VPPodcast

And here’s her LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/catherine-divaris-09a1b8190

Barry is a psychologist in Australia working with transitioning military members. He’s also a former ultra runner, an author, and now an avid mindfulness practitioner and teacher. In this episode we speak about his time in the Bush War, how he came to live in so many parts of the world, his long time meditation practice, his being a vegetarian, and his endurance running. Find Barry here on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/barryzworestine

Melissa Leger is an Army MP veteran who initially joined the Army to beef up her resume for a career in the FBI... but plans changed and the universe guided her onto another path... now she’s a yoga and mindfulness instructor with the Road Home program. Check her out at https://www.igniteyourbliss.com

Wow. This episode is SO full of awesomeness I almost split it into two episodes but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

Bob Newman is a great friend - a fellow Navy SEAL - a devoted father - an avid cyclist - a nonprofit founder - and a committed mindfulness practitioner.

In this episode we discuss his time in the Teams, his cycling and a life changing accident, his struggle to find balance and harmony but finally finding it after his daughter helping him to “awake” and through mindfulness, his work with The Honor Foundation (https://www.honor.org), Nostos and Outward Bound and the USO Outdoor Adventure Team (https://hrcv.uso.org/programs/outdoor-adventure-team).

Check out Bob’s article on LinkedIn regarding Mindset - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/mindset-matters-bob-newman

My guest today is Noelle Morra. Noelle is the Clinical Training Coordinator for over 400 students at JFK University in Pleasant Hill, CA and also the VALOR Center coordinator for 80 military service members getting their masters and doctoral degrees in the fields of Pyschology and Law. Noelle is a former Air Force Logistics Officer who completed her service in 2006. She is a Veteran’s PATH retreat attendee and is now an advocate for mental health.

Noelle joined the military to escape abuse from her family only to be forced out of the military due to downsizing. In this episode we discuss her family military history, her abusive family environment and how that shaped who she is now, how she feels men and women deal with trauma differently, and finally her journey to mindfulness.

Benefsheh (Benef for short) is a retired Army LTC, a military spouse, a mindfulness and mental health advocate and the author or Military and Mindful, Eight Essential Elements to Manage Your Military Career and Motherhood.

In this episode we discuss self doubt and the imposter syndrome, overcoming the anxiety of transition and life after the military, and ... well, yeah, we talk about the Army Navy game :)

Go Navy! (Got nothing but love for my Army brothers and sisters!)

Matt Huffman is a contract attorney working with the California Fire Lawyers joint venture.

Matt is a U.S. Army veteran and Vet Leader in our nonprofit, Veteran’s PATH (VP). VP provides community and support to American military men and women in their efforts to reintegrate into their families and civilian life.

In this episode, Matt and I discuss his childhood, his battles with drugs, his being in and out of jail, what finally pointed him in the direction of the lifesaving practices of mindfulness and meditation, and why he considers his “dark black past” his most valued possession.

Kayla was 8 years old when she lost her father in the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. Since then she’s had a deep sense of justice and serving those who fight. She founded Trails of Purpose (https://trailsofpurpose.com), a PATH intl certified equine therapy veteran service organization... and Veteran’s PATH is partnering with Trails of Purpose for both fundraising and offering retreats.

On this episode Kayla talks about how the loss of her father affected her, how she and her husband Kyle came to found Trails of Purpose, how equine therapy works and how it’s affected our veterans, and finally how Trails of Purpose and Veteran’s PATH are partnering together.

Here’s the information regarding the fundraising events sponsored by Texas De Brazil (https://texasdebrazil.com), Percolator coworking in Norfolk (https://percolatorspace.com), and Jay Redman (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Redman).

Donation on receipt: https://texasdebrazil.com/specials/trails-of-purpose-veterans-path-virginia/

Dinner: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fundraising-dinner-with-combat-wounded-navy-seal-jay-redman-tickets-86883443719?ref=eios

Talk and Book signing: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fundraising-talk-book-signing-by-combat-wounded-navy-seal-jay-redman-tickets-86884244113?ref=eios