Send me a message We live on a planet that is trying to juggle the wants and needs of 8 billion people. It's not easy, and that means that things can not always go our way. Sometimes there will be setbacks, obstacles and stumbling blocks on the path of life. We can either see these temporary setbacks as the opportunities for growth that they are, or we can let them define us failures. In today's podcast episode, I talk about this false notion of failure, I explore why it is that we feel like fai...
Apr 21, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 81
Send me a message Spirituality is a word that means something different to just about everyone. Some people think spirituality is about being kind to others at the expense of ourself. They think it means being taken advantage of, letting governments and people do anything they want, being passive, inactive, and naive. Other people think spirituality is all about selfish interests, self-love, self-care, and selfishly feeling happy despite the many problems in the world. They think spirituality me...
Apr 14, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Send me a message In Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, we learn how Holocaust prisoners were more likely to survive if they felt there was some meaning to their senseless circumstances. In this evil place and time where life had no meaning, to survive meant finding and creating meaning wherever they could. For many, becoming hopeless meant certain death. Meaning and hope are like oxygen for the soul. So how do we find meaning? What is the meaning of life? Why does life feel meaning...
Apr 06, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 79
Send me a message At the heart of every conflict is at least one or two outsized egos. These egos tear families apart, break up lovers, ruin friendships, and turn strangers into enemies. So how did we get here? Why do we have these egos? Are our egos protecting us or hurting ourselves and our relationships? In this podcast episode, I talk about how we can forgive without getting hurt again, love without limits or fear, and trust without getting taken advantage of. The more we grow in mindfulness...
Mar 24, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 78
Send me a message Grief is so much more than a personal journey. It's how we show our love for our those we've lost to our friends and family. It's communal and it's one of the ways we all come together to heal. But, we also all heal in our own way. Because there is no one right or wrong way to grieve, we may feel guilty if we don't conform in how we grieve. We may feel like celebrating the deceased's life instead of mourning the death. We may even laugh or smile as we remember funny stories. Wh...
Mar 17, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 77
Send me a message We've all got these judgmental, opinionated, critical voices in our head — relics from a time where humans lived in the wild and in constant physical danger. Today, we live in relative safety, but whether we're at the office, in traffic, or a line at the supermarket, our bodies are in an almost constant state of stress. This subtle constant stress puts our judgmental mind into overdrive. Instead of judging whether footprints are from a tiger or a harmless cat, we judge whether ...
Mar 10, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 76
Send me a message There is a cosmic irony to this law of the universe: the more we try, the more likely we are to fail. This law is true in sports, art, dating, earning money and just about everything else. The more we force effort, the more we repel the thing we want. The more pressure we put on ourselves, the more nervous we get and the more mistakes we make. Forced effort isn't sustainable. Mounting pressure does not help us perform. And for some reason, the universe demands that we act witho...
Mar 03, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 75
Send me a message What role do rituals, traditions and religious communities have in an individual's path to spiritual awakening? Can religion help us reach our ultimate potential? Or, are they nothing but superstitions and fairy tales? Do they create positive outlets for spiritual growth, or do they simply further divide our already divided planet? In today's podcast, I explore the pros and cons of going to church, temple or mosque. I dive into what religions can offer, what we can expect to ga...
Feb 24, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 74
Send me a message Many people wonder if they should meditate even when they really don't want to. Others wonder if it's better or worse to meditate when sick. And some may even feel worse after meditation and wonder if this ancient spiritual practice just isn't for them at all. In this podcast episode, I dive into the debate about whether we should force ourselves to meditate no matter what, or if we should only do it when it feels natural. Is creating consistency at all cost the most important ...
Feb 17, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 73
Send me a message What is the nature of attachments? Why do we develop them if they only cause suffering? How do we break free from the grip of attachments and how do we still form healthy and loving bonds? These are the questions we delve into in today's podcast. Please enjoy other episodes where Todd shares meditation techniques, tips and spiritual lessons from around the world for peaceful and stress-free living. Remember to subscribe to stay up-to-date. For the days when life feels like too ...
Feb 09, 2023•26 min•Season 1Ep. 72
Send me a message All of us since we were very little children, started developing a relationship around money. Unless you were born in the top 1 percent, that relationship has probably had some degree of stress and anxiety. It's only normal. We need it and there never seems to be enough of it. Obviously we can't eat money, but it can certainly buy food, and so, we treat money like we used to treat food. The problem is, in the very olden days we'd go hunting or foraging for food. Today, we can't...
Feb 02, 2023•29 min•Season 1Ep. 71
Send me a message If there are no mistakes in life because they are just opportunities to learn, what about when we keep making the same mistakes over and over again? Why can't things just go well for a while? Where is the lesson?! In today's podcast, I explore how even if we feel we are making no progress, we are actually improving in subtle ways constantly. I share how buried in what seems like failure can be the seeds of success. And I share how to go forth into the unknown – with its many ch...
Jan 25, 2023•25 min•Season 1Ep. 70
Send me a message It's easy to get caught up in our life's story. We often lose touch with our surroundings when we get bogged down by heavy emotions and a storm of thoughts that completely dominate our attention. Sometimes, when we live mostly in our head, we feel incredibly disconnected and isolated from everyone and everything. So why do we feel this way? What causes this disconnect? Why does it happen and what can we do to experience deeper connection. In today's episode, I explore these que...
Jan 18, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 69
Send me a message Whether we are aware of them or not, we hall have negative thoughts that on a subconscious and unconscious level stir up stress and tension within our mind and body. In fact, when we are not aware of them, uncomfortable thoughts can easily become repressed, suppressed, and denied. And while stuffing them down can be preferable to dealing with them, from a holistic perspective these disturbing thoughts can turn into chronic stress which can manifest as everything from chronic pa...
Jan 10, 2023•28 min•Season 1Ep. 68
Send me a message We hear the phrase, "Observe your thoughts," but how do we do that? What does it mean? Aren't we always observing our thoughts? And what the heck are thoughts?! Normally, we don't watch our thoughts, we think our thoughts. And we think, "I am the thinker." In spirituality, we dig down deeper. We recognize thought patterns and we observe how the mind really works. We discover the nature of thoughts and our own mind. We practice being the silent witness of our thoughts so that ne...
Jan 03, 2023•27 min•Season 1Ep. 67
Send me a message Some people want to kill their ego. Others want to dissolve it. And yet others will say just make peace with it. So what is it? Violence certainly doesn't sound good. Is it even possible to dissolve it? Peace sounds good, but the ego tends to not be very peaceful. In today's podcast, I answer all these questions in depth, as well as discuss how we can use the ego as the powerful tool that is. When we understand the nature of the ego we can identify its tricks, we can bring cons...
Dec 27, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 66
Send me a message Some doctors and scientists believe that repressed (and suppressed) emotions are the number one cause of chronic pain, mental health disorders and addiction. Even though we may seem very happy and joyful, on the inside we may be harboring very destructive and painful emotions that we aren't even aware of. To deal with repressed emotions, we must first recognize the telltale signs, explore their origins, and allow ourselves to feel and heal. In today's podcast, I share how we ca...
Dec 20, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 65
Send me a message If you're living and breathing, someone at some point in life will inevitably say something mean. Every single one of us has been hurt in some way, AND every one of us has probably accidentally said a mean word or two as well. It's human nature. Unless we live in a completely toxic-free society, we're going to be hurt and we're going to subconsciously and unintentionally pass that hurt on to others. So, how do we break that chain of hurt? How do we transform that cruelty in the...
Dec 12, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 64
Send me a message What is the secret to contentment? Why is it so elusive? We all seek it and yet very few of us have it. We are bombarded with "solutions" for discontent everywhere and all the time. This or that product will finally give you the feeling of wholeness. The next iPhone will be the last product you'll ever need... until the next model comes out. This car, that house, this job, that amount of money, this therapy, that new drug, etc... — these are the stories we tell ourselves when w...
Dec 02, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 63
Send me a message Humans did not evolve to face rush hour traffic, 24/7 news alerts on our phones showing us the worst things that are happening in the world, or to live half our waking lives at work with bosses and difficult coworkers. It doesn't matter who you are or where you live, there are times in our lives where we feel overwhelmed, stressed out, and exhausted from the constant barrage of chaos. Luckily, there are several things we can do to decompress, relax and recenter ourselves. We ca...
Nov 24, 2022•27 min•Season 1Ep. 62
Send me a message This is one of the most important and common questions I receive. The more in touch we become with our inner peace, the more jarring the outside world can become. As we begin the journey inward, we can become even more sensitive than we already were. So what can we do to not be so sensitive? How can we take control of our own mental state and not have it be reliant on external circumstances? How can we develop the unshakable peace and joy that we're all searching for? I'll answ...
Nov 17, 2022•8 min•Season 1Ep. 61
Send me a message The question, "What makes a good life?" has plagued philosophers and intellectuals for millennia. It is one of, if not the most important question for our species. Everything we do is driven by our desire for a good life. And yet, despite doing our best to have a good life, we're often left feeling unhappy and dissatisfied. If we give in to every urge and impulse, we may find ourselves sick and miserable. If we resist every desire for pleasure, we may feel fit but mentally depr...
Nov 10, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 60
Send me a message Only when we are not living completely authentically, and only when we misidentify with our mind-made versions of ourselves, can we wish to reinvent ourselves. The real question is, "How can I live more in line with my inner nature?" We all know the experience where we are so in our head, planning and plotting what to say or how to act, that we become insecure. When we become insecure, we're not being true to ourselves. Instead, we are living in fear of what we will say and how...
Nov 03, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 59
Send me a message We live in a time of rage-filled news and algorithms that serve up content guaranteed to make your blood boil. And while we know on some level that there is no point in arguing with people who will surely disagree with us and never change, too often we fail to resist the urge and we end up spending way too much of our precious time and energy in the comments section on social media. So, why do we argue? How do we stop? And what actually is the best way to influence others into ...
Oct 27, 2022•9 min•Season 1Ep. 58
Send me a message Maybe predators smell fear. Maybe it's sensed. Or maybe there is some quantum mechanics going on. But for whatever reason, when people see themselves as victims, they're more likely to become victimized. This has been demonstrated by people walking down the street. They are more likely to be attacked or robbed if they think they might be. In contrast, people who exude a calm confidence don't get bothered as much. Whatever the reason for this phenomenon, getting rid of the victi...
Oct 20, 2022•14 min•Season 1Ep. 57
Send me a message Someone recently asked me how I can suggest that even people in Ukraine respond with love when their lives are in danger. The person went on to tell me that they struggle with spirituality because "we have fear for a reason and if a bear is charging at you, it doesn't care if you respond with love or not, it will still eat you. If you respond with fear, maybe you'll at least run away and get to safety." This is really a great question and something I know a lot of people wonder...
Oct 13, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Send me a message Someone recently asked me this question about how to respond to people who hurt us. I get it, believe me. Our first (unconscious) instinctual reaction is to respond with anger. But this would be a reaction that lacks wisdom, patience, perspective, and most importantly, efficacy. It is just not effective when communicating to respond with anger. People's walls go up and they dig even deeper into their positions. So how can we see the error of that small thinking? How can we step...
Sep 18, 2022•8 min•Season 1Ep. 55
Send me a message One person recently asked me, "Why do I get extreme tingling in my face and fingers when meditating?" The fact is, it is not uncommon for a wide variety of sensations and reactions to occur when we meditate. It's not the meditation that caused it. It's the meditation that allowed this buried feeling/trauma/pain to come to the surface and start to heal. No matter what comes up in meditation, allow it to be without any negative feelings about it. What happens when we do this is w...
Jul 23, 2022•7 min•Season 1Ep. 54
Send me a message Burnout is the result of self-sabotage in the moment at the expense of ourself in the future. We think if we just work a little harder, if we just push ourselves and stretch ourself a little more, that we'll eventually reach the success we want and have the happiness we need. In reality, we're sacrificing our mental and physical health that will only result in a major setback when our brain and body say, "Enough!" Here I'll talk about a few ways we can work smarter, always stay...
Jun 23, 2022•11 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Send me a message Learning to let go is a lot harder when it's letting go of childhood trauma. When we're young, experiences will shape how we see the world for the rest of our lives. It becomes deeply engrained and becomes that much harder to heal from. But there are ways to do it. It is possible to reach deep into our psyche and pull out those weeds of trauma and plant beautiful flowers of love, trust, and gratitude. In this episode, I share how we can all start the healing process from trauma...
Jun 19, 2022•10 min•Season 1Ep. 52
