What a profound conversation with the beautiful and enlightened Melvin Bray.  This one really touched my soul on such a deep level.  We talked about story, myths and the deep-seated racism that pervades every aspect of our collective existence.  Melvin wrote a fantastic book titles, Better, that invites us to a new and higher level of collective being.  One of the powerful parts of the show is him talking about how the killing of Trayvon Martin changed his life.

Melvin Bray is an Emmy® award-winning storyteller, social entrepreneur, and author who lives with his wife, three kids and two dogs in southwest Atlanta, GA. He is an active participant in vanguard networks seeking more beautiful, more just, more virtue-filled ways of showing up in the world.

He is author of the soon to be bestselling BETTER: Waking Up to Who We Could Be, co-editor of Faith Forward, Vol 1 and Vol 2 (Copper House, 2013, 2015), which explore ways children’s and youth ministry can make the dream of beloved community possible, and he is coordinating author of The Stories in which We Find Ourselves, online reimaginings of the biblical narrative that make faith something children and youth have reason to care about.

As a social entrepreneur, Melvin works to help communities of goodwill find better stories and scripts–better ways of thinking and doing–that move them toward equity, diversity and inclusion (collabyrinthconsulting.com).

Mary DeMocker exuded a quiet strength and determination throughout this show.  She talked about her new book, A Parent’s Guide To Climate Change, and the many ways we can take action to put ourselves in alignment with the earth.

This book is a lively, empowering, and do-able blueprint for engaging families in the urgent endeavor of climate revolution. In the brief, action-packed chapters, you’ll learn hundreds of wide-ranging ideas for being part of the revolution — from embracing simplicity parenting, to freeing yourself from dead-end science debates, to teaching kids about the power of creative protest, to changing your lifestyle in ways that deepen family bonds, improve moods, and reduce your impact on the Earth. Engaging and creative, this vital resource is for everyone who wants to act effectively—and empower young people to do the same.

Mary has reveled in an artistic life, performing harp, dressing sets for NYC film productions, and now using the arts to mobilize for climate justice. A National Endowment for the Arts grant recipient, Mary may be the first harpist to perform in both The Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where she worked with composer John Cage, and the subway stop under Bloomingdales.

Mary studied at Eastman School of Music and University of Oregon’s School of Music and has performed widely, including solo appearances at major music festivals. She toured with the original interactive musical “The Incredible Earth Circus” in schools for Earth Day 1990, and was later commissioned to write six children’s plays, three of which are still regularly performed across the U.S. and abroad.

In 2013, Mary co-founded Eugene’s chapter of the international climate action group 350.org and became creative director, specializing in interactive art protests.

Mary’s writing has appeared in The Sun, EcoWatch, Common Dreams, Mothering.com, Spirituality & Health, Oregon Quarterly, and ISLE (Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment). She lives in Oregon with her family.

I always love when JP Sears (read his books, watch his videos, and visit him on Facebook!) comes on and we mix our unique brand of mindless madness together to create a lot of laughs and sometimes a little wisdom.

Today we talked his impending wedding to his beautiful new partner, Amber.  How he was able to overcome fear and resistance to move forward into his next phase with her.  He also talked about his new comedy career, guns in America and so much more.

He truly is a gift to us every time he comes on and lights up the show.  I love this guy as a brother.

Ira Israel (read his book How To Survive Your Childhood Now That You’re an Adult) returns to the show with his wisdom and wit.  Once again, he really blew me away on this show with the scope of his knowledge and the depth of his insights.  What a light and thank god he also has a fabulous sense of humor.  I felt like we could have talked for hours.

Ira is an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania where he became interested in psychology when I studied with Philip Rieff (“The Triumph of the Therapeutic,” “Freud: Mind of the Moralist”) and philosophy and studied with Alexander Nehamas (“Nietzsche: Life As Literature”).  After graduating Penn he took a Master of Arts degree in philosophy in which he concentrated on aesthetics, semiotics and the philosophy of mind.

He then worked for two years in New York City in Paul Simon’s office, at Warner-Elektra-Atlantic, and producing Russell Donnellon’s “Ursa Minor” CD. In 1991 he moved to Paris to work with Luc Besson on the screenplays for “The Professional” and “The Fifth Element,” Chantal Akerman on the screenplay for “A Couch in New York,” and with several other French writer/directors, as well as singer Mylène Farmer on her song “My Soul is Slashed.”

While exploring Thailand in 1994, he became fascinated by Buddhism, yoga, and meditation, which led him first to study parapsychology at Duke University and eventually take a second Master of Arts degree from the Department of Religious Studies at the University of California in Santa Barbara. At UCSB he studied the histories of mindfulness and yoga with Alan Wallace, David Gordon White, Barbara Holdrege and the late Ninian Smart.

In March of 2007 he completed his formal academic education with a Master of Arts degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University focusing on Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the works of Jacques Lacan, Carl Jung, D.W. Winnicott and many other theorists.

Besides the numerous occasions he has sat with His Holiness The Dalai Lama, he has had the privilege to study Buddhism at Spirit Rock with Jack Kornfield, Rick Hanson, Fred Luskin, James Baraz, Phillip Moffitt, David Richo and Sharon Salzberg. Since returning to Los Angeles he has taken sundry classes with Noah Levine, Marianne Williamson, Reverend Michael Beckwith and Deepak Chopra.

What a joy to interact with Christy Brissette (find her on Facebook and Twitter!) about living a balanced, healthy, well-rounded life.  You can hear her passion and extensive knowledge in the way she discusses a wide variety of topics related to our personal wellness.  What a beautiful soul and light in the world.

Christy is a registered dietitian (RD), nutrition and food communications expert and the President of 80 Twenty Nutrition, a media company specializing in health and wellness.

Her mission? Ending food confusion and dieting once and for all! Christy’s goal is to provide people with the knowledge and skills they need to love their bodies with healthy, delicious food.

Nutrition is Christy’s passion, and she loves to spread the message that eating well doesn’t have to be hard. It can be fun as long as you use her 80 twenty rule for living a joyful, healthy life! Christy loves to develop creative recipes that focus on healthy ingredients with maximum flavour.

As a TV personality and spokesperson, Christy is regularly interviewed by the media about nutrition and health. She is also a nutrition and food writer for magazines, newspapers, blogs and is part of the Huffington Post blogging team. Christy has been interviewed by news outlets such as The Globe and Mail, CBC, CityTV News, Global and CTV National News and is often interviewed for local and national radio.

In addition to her media and consulting work, Christy sees private clients and supports them in achieving their best health through excellent, creative and fun eating plans. Christy spent 4 years as a clinical dietitian at The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, one of the top 5 cancer centres in the world. She currently provides individualized counselling and group classes to cancer survivors and delivers interactive nutrition and cooking shows that are live streamed online.

As a born and raised Torontonian (hailing from Toronto, Canada), Christy enjoys exploring the diverse markets and restaurants at her doorstep. She is keen on discovering new foods, ingredients and recipes to share with her viewers and readers. And of course, she provides the latest scientific research on all of them.

Christy completed an Honours BASc in nutrition at Ryerson University and a dietetic internship at St. Michael’s Hospital. She received a Master of Science in Nutritional Sciences from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto.

What does Christy do for fun, other than try new foods, visit markets and read about nutrition? In her spare time, she loves to ski, run, lift weights, do yoga and sing! Anything else you want to know?

Mel Schwartz (read his new book!) is one of my favorite guests and I love when he generously comes on the show.  We went in a different direction this time talking about politics and why people vote against their own interests.  Mel also had some fabulous ideas on how we the people could unite to really make some major changes in our country.

Mel is so filled with wisdom and insights, both on the day-to-day stuff and the really big picture.  Again, we had so much flow and I felt like could have asked him a hundred more questions.  What a wise and beautiful soul.  His books are also fabulous and well worth reading.

Mel Schwartz is a psychotherapist, marriage counselor, author, speaker, and seminar leader in private practice in Westport, CT and Manhattan for more than two decades.

He earned his L.C.S.W. from Columbia University and Masters of Philosophy from Lancaster University, in England.

Mel has enjoyed several defining moments in his life, which have enabled him to live a life of the self-actualization techniques he espouses.

In mid-life, in business and with two young children, he envisioned a life with much deeper purpose. In one of his defining moments, Mel chose to make a move in an entirely different direction, one filled with uncertainty. He decided to enroll in graduate school to follow his passion: serving others as a psychotherapist.

He is one of the first contemporary practicing psychotherapists to distill the basic premises of quantum theory into therapeutic approaches, which enable people to overcome their challenges and live to their fullest potential.

Mel’s first book, The Art of Intimacy, The Pleasure of Passion, broke new ground in illuminating the path to joyful relationships and has benefitted countless people. He’s the author of The Possibility Principle: How Quantum Physics Can Improve the Way You Think, Live and Love (Sounds True, Sep. 2017). His blog A Shift of Mind at Psychologytoday.com has been viewed by more than 1.5 million readers. Mel supervises therapists and offers professional trainings in his therapeutic approach. He has been a keynote speaker at Yale University. Mel is a member of the Society for Consciousness Studies and has been interviewed by numerous TV, radio, and print media.

“Follow your heart, follow your soul, follow your beliefs!”

On our 400th show we are honored to have one of the world’s great leaders, former President of Mexico, Vincente Fox.  We talk about his new book, Let’s Move On and moving beyond fear and false prophets.

We talked deeply on a wide platform of topics.  The President is a deeply spiritual man and in a mythological sense, a Good King.

President Fox is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 55th President of Mexico from December 1, 2000 to November 30, 2006.  After serving as president of Mexico for six years, Fox returned to his home state of Guanajuato, where he now resides with his wife and family. Since leaving the presidency, Fox has been involved in public speaking and the development of the Vicente Fox Center of Studies, Library and Museum.

Dorothy Hunt serves as spiritual director of Moon Mountain Sangha and is the founder of the San Francisco Center for Meditation and Psychotherapy. She is the author of Only This! and Leaves from Moon Mountain, as well as being a contributing author to two volumes on non-dual wisdom and psychotherapy. Dorothy was invited by her spiritual teacher, Adyashanti, to teach within his lineage.

Today, Dorothy’s teaching points beyond ideas, religions, or practices to the “sheer Mystery that is always right here behind and within this moment as it is.”

ENDING THE SEARCH demystifies the paradox of spiritual exploration by showing us that our egoic ambition to achieve a future goal actually moves us away from experiencing the peace, clarity, freedom, and love that are present now when we stop to notice. By incorporating the self- inquiry practices provided in the book, we are invited to move beyond traditional ideas surrounding self-growth and to discover the true identity of the “I” that we imagine is separate from the Truth we seek. To discover the jewel of liberation, however, we must cease the perpetual quest for outside freedom and look within.

Hunt compassionately illuminates the spiritual ego’s quandary in seeking what is unknown while wanting to remain in the known; yet, in opening to the Heart of Awareness, we find that the only thing that truly exists is the Infinite, whether its expressions appear limited or timeless. ENDING THE SEARCH takes the stress out of spirituality by pointing us toward the ever-present Heart of Awareness that is at once our deepest nature and the true home we long for.

Johann Hari blew me away with the scope of his wisdom and depth of his knowledge.  I also loved the passion he brings to this show.  We covered a lot of inspired ground here.  Definitely check out his amazing book, Lost Connections.  It will illuminate you in a myriad of ways.  Johann is also a joy to dialogue with here.  What an amazing being.

Johann Hari is a New York Times best-selling author. His book Chasing the Scream: the First and Last Days of the War on Drugs, has been translated into 15 languages and is currently being adapted into a major Hollywood film, and into a non-fiction documentary series.

He is one of the most-viewed TED talkers of all time: his talk, ‘Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong’, has (along with the animation based on it) been viewed more than 20 million times.

His new book is Lost Connections.

Joahnn has written over the past seven years for some of the world’s leading newspapers and magazines, including the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Guardian, the Spectator, Le Monde Diplomatique, the Melbourne Age, and Politico. He has also appeared on leading TV shows, including HBO’s Realtime With Bill Maher.

He was twice named ‘National Newspaper Journalist of the Year’ by Amnesty International. He has also been named ‘Cultural Commentator of the Year’ and ‘Environmental Commentator of the Year’ at the Comment Awards.

He lives half the year in London, and spends the other half of the year traveling to research his books.

Stephanie Harris (find her on Twitter and Facebook and read her book!) is a breath of fresh air coming to us all the way from New Zealand.  The loss of a loved one leaves an empty space in our lives that can’t be filled. Stephanie Harris is a professional grief coach who has experienced profound loss in her own lifetime. She understands firsthand how the death of someone close can leave the living feeling victimized, isolated, trapped, and traumatized. She also knows that tragedy can be a powerful catalyst for positive change.

Life will always go on after a death, but the loss of someone we dearly love changes us, profoundly and permanently. Only by taking responsibility for our own lives and embracing this transformation can we hope to find peace and freedom. When we grieve, our pain holds us captive. This essential work can open our eyes to possibilities that will set us free.

Death Expands Us offers much more than coping methods and comforting spiritual balms. With insight, honesty, and grace, Harris maps a clear pathway that we can follow through a harsh, unfamiliar landscape of personal grief. She shares common experiences and offers helpful strategies and compassionate guidance that will enable us to emerge even stronger on the other side.