“The word psychedelic was coined by Humphry Osmond. Psyche comes from the Greek word for spirit or soul, and delic means manifesting. So psychedelic means manifesting the mind.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Nielson and Dr. Ingmar Gorman on the renaissance of psychedelics in western medicine and culture. Psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy has the potential to transform how a wide range of mental health problems are treated. Elizabeth and Ingmar are both at the forefront of this renaissance. Elizabeth is a clinical psychologist specializing in addictive and mood disorders. She is the Director of Education and Training for the Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care Program at the Center for Optimal Living. She is also involved as a researcher and therapist on studies of psilocybin and MDMA, most notably with Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) the Experimental Therapeutics Research Laboratory at NYU Langone School of Medicine. Ingmar is also a clinical psychologist. He works with populations who have had experiences with psychedelics and other psychoactive compounds. He is the Director of the Psychedelic Education and Continuing Care Program at the Centre for Optimal Living. He is the site co-principal Investigator and therapist on a MAPS Phase 3 clinical trial MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder. And he is an NIH-funded fellow at NYU and a board member of Horizons Media. In this episode Joe, Elizabeth, and Ingmar discussed: The history of psychedelics and how we arrived at the psychedelic renaissance Current science and applications of psychedelics The subjective experience of these compounds and their clinical action The role of mindfulness in psychedelic-assisted therapy Future directions in this field Mindspace will be hosting Ingmar and Elizabeth in Montreal on Friday, November 1st. They will be offering a brief presentation and Q&A for the public. And on Saturday and Sunday, they will be leading an introductory workshop on psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy for healthcare professionals. You can register and find more information here. More information can be found on Dr. Ingmar Gorman on his site and Dr. Elizabeth Neilson here. Stay up to date with the Mindspace Podcast by joining the newsletter. Leave us a review on iTunes, if you enjoyed the podcast. Connect with Dr. Joe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Follow Mindspace on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram.

“How do we resist anxiety? We can hold it with kindness.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Dr. Judson Brewer. Jud is a psychiatrist, an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine at Brown University and the Director of Research and Innovation at Brown’s Mindfulness Center. He has become an authority on the application of mindfulness in the treatment of anxiety, addictions, and eating disorders and his work has been featured in some of the top medical and neuroscience journals as well as in the popular media. His 2019 TED talk is ranked the 4th most popular of the year. Jud’s research and clinical work are highly innovative, partly because of his integration of traditional Buddhist psychology with modern neuroscience and psychology. In recent years he has focused on making his work accessible to the general public and has produced online programs for helping people reduce anxiety (Unwinding Anxiety), overeating (Eat Right Now), and smoking (Craving to Quit). He is also the author of The Craving Mind: from Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love - Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits. Joe and Jud discussed: Jud’s theory that anxiety is actually an addiction to worry The reward-based learning model that underlies the development of all habits, including anxiety, addictions and eating disorders How mindfulness can help “unwind” anxiety and other unhelpful habits The role of the brain’s Default Mode Network in getting us caught in unhelpful habit loops Why episodes of mental illness often recur If you’d like to learn how to practice mindfulness to help with your anxiety or any other unhelpful habits, please reach out to Mindspace: mindspacewellbeing.com Connect with Dr. Jud Brewer on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Connect with Dr. Joe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Follow Mindspace on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram. Stay up to date with the Mindspace Podcast by joining the newsletter.

"I like going against the current. It’s a lonely place, but you have your own lane.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Sugar Sammy, a comedian who has performed over 1700 shows in 32 countries in fluent English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi. He got his first break in 2011, when he started touring a bilingual show called You’re Gonna Rire across Montreal. In 2016, he started performing in France to critical acclaim. GQ France said that “the funniest man in France is a Quebecer.” He is now a judge on La France a un incroyable talent, the French version of America’s Got Talent.  Sugar Sammy is known to uniquely tailor his shows to the culture of the audience he’s performing for. He told Dr. Joe that he’s “making a show about you guys. I’m not making it about myself.” His style balances a deep understanding of another culture with mockery. The New York Times described him as a “fearless comic with a talent for provoking both laughter and outrage.”  Starting in September, Sugar Sammy begins his tour across Canada. Joe and Sugar Sammy spoke about: The neighbourhood in Montreal that he grew up in and how it shaped his career How he develops his show from scratch for the country that he’s in How being an outsider helped his comedy career and life Diversity in Quebec The differences between Montreal and other Canadian cities, Quebec and France, and Canada and the US His confrontational style On social media backlash On staying sane in the entertainment industry Connect with Sugar Sammy on his site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Apple Music Connect with Dr. Joe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Stay up to date with the Mindspace Podcast by joining the newsletter. Learn more about Mindspace’s therapy, coaching, and mindfulness training programs here. Follow Mindspace on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram

"When I write music, I go back and forth between being mindful and then putting that mindfulness aside to let some kind of sub-personality inhabit me."  In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Conner Molander, guitarist, vocalist, and keyboardist for the Montreal indie band Half Moon Run. The band plays a mix of electronic music, indie rock, and folk and have achieved commercial and critical success with their first two albums Dark Eyes and Sun Leads Me On. They are now putting the finishing touches on a third album due out in fall 2019 and hitting the road for an international tour in July 2019. Conner is thoughtful and introspective and has a lot to say about art & creativity, the music business, psychology, and mindfulness. The interview with covers: The role of flow, mindfulness, and the self in the creative process.  The tension between commercial success and authentic artistic expression How the demands of life on the road with the band sapped Conner’s creative energy and how he managed to restore it  How Conner sees and copes with celebrity Connect with Conner on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Half Moon Run on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and check out their site here.   Connect with Dr. Joe on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Stay up to date with the Mindspace Podcast by joining the newsletter. Learn more about Mindspace’s therapy, coaching, and mindfulness training programs here. Follow Mindspace on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram

“At its deepest, MBSR really allows people to trust themselves and their own wisdom.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with senior mindfulness teacher Susan Woods about contemporary mindfulness and its relationship with Buddhism. They take a deep dive into where Mindfulness-Based Programs (MBP) sometimes align with and sometimes diverges from traditional Buddhist teachings, covering, among other topics like the place for ethics and values in Mindfulness-Based Programs, the role of the mindfulness teacher and the importance of their personal meditation practice, and how mindfulness teacher-training programs are designed. Susan Woods is a clinical social worker and senior Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) teacher, advisor, trainer, and supervisor. She has worked with Jon Kabat-Zinn and Zindel Segal to develop mindfulness teacher-training curricula and has been training health professionals since 2005. Susan is responsible for the professional certification programs at the Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute (MBPTI) at UC San Diegoand Centre for Mindfulness Studies (CMS). Susan recently published her first book, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy: Embodied Presence and Inquiry in Practice, which is now available on Amazon and New Harbinger. She will be in Toronto for a book launch on June 18th and in Montreal for a 2-day teacher training on Inquiry in October, hosted by Mindspace and CMS. You can find more information about her and her work at slwoods.com. Mindfulness Teacher Training Programs in Montreal Susan’s mindfulness teacher-training programs are available at Mindspace, in partnership with CMS. Please visit the professional development section of our website to learn more about the MBSR and MBCT facilitation certificates and the events scheduled in Montreal and Toronto. Mindfulness-Based Programs in Montreal Mindspace offers a variety of Mindfulness-Based Programs in Montreal, including MBSR, MBCT, and MSC. Information on our schedule and teachers is available here.

“Research shows that mindfulness gives athletes greater access to flow states.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Joe speaks with Pete Kirchmer, Mindfulness Coach and Program Director of UCSD Center For Mindfulness mPEAK (Mindful, Performance Enhancement, Awareness & Knowledge). The mPEAK curriculum builds on the foundation of MBSR to help people cultivate an optimal mindset for performance and life around it. Pete works with athletes, executives, leaders, musicians, dancers, law enforcement, military personnel, first responders and anyone else who pushes themselves towards excellence. He is also developing the mPEAK Coach Training program, for mindfulness teachers who want to work with performers. The interview explores the rich territory around mindfulness and performance. As many practitioners know, mindfulness can enhance focus, clarity, and purpose. And yet it is not obvious how to integrate the practice into the goal-oriented context of performance. After all, mindfulness is typically associated with acceptance of present-moment experience and a detachment from outcome, whereas performance is all about outcome. Joe and Pete take a deep dive into these issues, exploring: - How to make sense of the apparent paradox between mindfulness and performance - The link between mindfulness and flowSome concrete examples of how to bring mindfulness into performance experiences - How Pete uses his own mindfulness practice to sustain his own energy and passion - Some experiences Pete has had working with clients who you would expect to be highly skeptical about mindfulness training If you or your organization are interested in this approach, Mindspace has an experienced team of Mindfulness Coaches in Montreal, including Joe, who can guide you through mindfulness training and its integration into peak performance. Please reach out at mindspacewellbeing.com or info@mindspacewellbeing.com.

“I think the most successful people understand what a good investment is, and I think investing in alignment between values and action is one of the best investments one can make.” In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe welcomes Adrian Schauer, CEO of Alayacare, serial entrepreneur, angel investor, and philanthropist. Alayacare is Adrian’s third startup. It provides software for home health care agencies with the mission “to enable the type of care we would want our loved ones to receive at home.” They now have 130 employees and their software enables hundreds of thousands home healthcare visits every month around the world. Last year, they raised over $13 million. Adrian is also active as an angel investor and sits on the board of several companies. He is also the co-founder of the Madiro Fund, a non-profit that seeks “to invest in sustainable local projects promoting the health of communities in sub-Saharan Africa.”  In this conversation, Joe and Adrian explore the theme of creating and sustaining meaning at work, both for individuals and leaders in organizations. They cover:  - Adrian's purpose as an entrepreneur - How he approaches keeping his employees and stakeholders engaged and inspired - How mindfulness has impacted the culture at Alayacare - The importance of aligning actions with clearly articulated values - both personally and professionally  - What practices he relies on to stay healthy, balanced, motivated, and energized One final note: Mindspace has an increasingly robust offering to organizations interested in improving engagement, culture, and well-being. Our team brings expertise in mindfulness and 30+ years experience in management consulting to the table. So if this is something your organization is considering, please visit mindspacewellbeing.com or reach out at info@mindspacewellbeing.com.

"If we can cultivate compassion, that's the very best thing we can do both for ourselves and for others." In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe welcomes Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk, writer, translator, humanitarian, and photographer. Matthieu was born in France in 1946, to French philosopher Jean-François Revel and artist Yahne Le Toumelin. He trained as a scientist and got a Ph.D. in molecular genetics in 1972, but moved to Nepal to become a Buddhist monk, rather than pursue an academic career. He has been in Nepal ever since. Matthieu's unusual journey and training give him a truly unique perspective on the intersection between contemplative traditions and contemporary science. He shares these insights in his long-standing involvement with the Mind and Life Institute, translation of ancient Buddhist texts, public speaking, and writing best-selling books, including Happiness, the Art of Meditation, and In Search of Wisdom. He is also the Dalai Lama’s French interpreter and close friend. In 2000, after exhibiting never-before-seen brain activation while meditating in a brain scanner, he was playfully nicknamed “the happiest man in the world.” Matthieu is also highly active as a humanitarian, supporting animal rights and creating Karuna-Shechen, an organization dedicated to “developing and managing programs in primary health care, education, and social services for the under-served populations of India, Nepal, and Tibet.” All of the proceeds of Matthieu's books, photographs, and events are donated to Karuna Canada, the Canadian chapter of which is based in Montreal. Matthieu is actually going to be in Montreal this month (Saturday, April 13th), for an event put on by Karuna-Shechen, called Meeting of the Minds: Taking Care of Life. On the panel sits people from all walks of life: Steven Laureys, a neurologist, Maria João Pires, a world renowned pianist, Alexandre Jollien, a philosopher, and a worker who spent 15 years in animal slaughterhouses. Matthieu hopes the event will be "a two fold fulfillment of aspirations of oneself and that of others." All proceeds of the event will go to Karuna Shechen projects in Asia. I'd like to apologize for the quality of the audio for this episode. Unfortunately, this interview came together at the very last minute, and Matthieu's internet was not working correctly. However, you'll find a full transcript of the interview at our blog: https://www.mindspacewellbeing.com/episode-14-true-happiness-with-buddhist-monk-matthieu-ricard/ In this conversation, Dr. Joe and Matthieu spoke about: - Matthieu's thoughts on the explosion of the popularity of mindfulness - The fundamental research he is involved with in regards to meditation - His concerns about modern society and the environment and climate change - What he calls happiness - How altruism and love can save yourself and the world

In this episode of the MindSpace podcast, Dr. Joe speaks with Dr. Zindel Segal. Zindel is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology in Mood Disorders at the University of Toronto. He is best known for co-founding Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), along with his UK colleagues, Mark Williams and John Teasdale. MBCT is an adaptation of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s eight week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program for people suffering from depression. It combines the tools of cognitive therapy with the practice of mindfulness. The focus is on changing the relationship with one’s thoughts rather than the thoughts themselves. It has proven to be especially effective in preventing the relapse of depressive episodes. Zindel has made an enormous contribution to the field of clinical psychology. His impact is reflected in an impressive publication record: he is an author of over 100 scientific publications, some in high profile medical journals and some featured in popular news media such as the Wall Street Journal, CNN Health and the New York Times. He is also an author of 10 books, including 2 very well-known ones on MBCT: 1) The Mindful Way Through Depression, which is a guide to using mindfulness to manage mood and 2) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression, which is the bible for teachers of MBCT. In this episode, they discuss: - The story behind the creation and evolution of MBCT - Zindel’s take on how exactly MBCT and CBT are helpful for managing mood - The challenges he and is team are facing around the dissemination of MBCT - The current science of mindfulness and well-being

In this episode of the Mindspace podcast, Dr. Joe focuses on well-being in the legal profession. Working in law is one of the most demanding and stressful jobs in the world: tight deadlines, long hours, a hyper-competitive culture, and the weight of supporting demanding clients. In 2016 a study showed that lawyers and law students suffer from substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and stress in far greater numbers than the general population. In the first half the podcast, Joe speaks with Yan Besner, a partner at Osler, a national law firm. Yan is recognized as one of the best real estate lawyers in Canada. Joe and Yan discuss: - Yan’s struggle with depression, anxiety, and stress as a young lawyer - The therapies that helped him recover - How he maintains his mental health these days - How the culture in law firms is slowly changing to support mental health In the second half of the podcast, Joe speaks with Bree Buchanan, co-chair of the National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing. Bree is leading a cultural transformation that will help promote mental health in the legal profession. Joe and Bree discuss: - The 2016 study showing that lawyers and law students disproportionately suffer from substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and stress - How lawyers can cope with these problems - Her personal struggles with substance abuse, anxiety, and depression - How her work in this space aligns with her life purpose.