
The Spiritual Perspective
Ever wonder what the spiritual perspective is on genocide? On cheating? On getting back with your ex? On toxic people?If so, this is your channel.You identify as spiritual — but you’ve still got questions about how to show up in life’s messiest, most nuanced situations. And you don’t have time for fluffy, feel-good answers that don’t hold up in the real world.This is where you’ll find a grounded spiritual take on life’s hardest questions.I’m Light Watkins — keynote speaker, author, and longtime meditation teacher — and every week, I share short, no-BS videos that help you zoom out, tune in, and reframe what you’re going through.If you’re tired of surface-level advice and ready to go deeper, join me every Monday and Thursday for new episodes of The Spiritual Perspective. Your next breakthrough might be one perspective shift away.
Latest episodes

Jul 7, 2025 • 13min
The Spiritual Perspective on Genocide (and How to Bring About More Peace)
Delve into the spiritual dimensions of genocide and its roots in a stressed collective consciousness. Discover how personal inner peace can influence societal violence and foster harmony. The conversation emphasizes individual responsibility in creating change and the power of emotional resilience. Learn practical ways to inspire change through your unique talents while adapting to challenges. If you feel overwhelmed by the world’s suffering, this insightful discussion offers a transformative perspective for a more peaceful future.

Jul 5, 2025 • 8min
From the Archive: The Spiritual Perspective on Getting Back Together with Your Ex
We’ve all been there…It’s the heat of the moment. Tempers are flying high. Raw honesty gets expressed. Things are said that you’ve been wanting to say for a while. Maybe your feelings get hurt. And then, somebody says it:This isn’t working. We’ve tried. But I’m done! I think we should break up.And then, after some time passes, what happens? Well, if you’re an aware, thoughtful, spiritually-minded person – which I’m assuming, if you’re subscribed to this newsletter, you at least aspire to be – then you start reflecting. You start wondering, did I over-react? Did they over-react? Was it just a big misunderstanding? Are you actually meant to be together? Or not?There are so many questions. So many considerations. But… Are you even asking the right questions, so that you can arrive at the right conclusion for you?Because that will make all the difference in whether you decide that it’s best to give it one more go, versus realizing that it’s beyond time to go your separate ways... That’s the subject of this week’s Spiritual Perspective. To hear which considerations you want to make before deciding to get back together, listen to this episode.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Jul 3, 2025 • 18min
3 Books to Boost Your Spiritual Journey This Summer
Discover transformative reads that can elevate your spiritual journey, starting with 'Conversations with God' and its practical applications. Dive into the intricate dynamics of personal relationships and learn how to validate differing perspectives for deeper connections. Explore the life-changing lessons of 'The Alchemist', focusing on self-discovery and inner wealth. Additionally, uncover how adversity can catalyze personal growth and enjoy a recommended meditation program to support your spiritual practices.

Jun 30, 2025 • 15min
5 Ways to Fast Track Your Spiritual Growth Now!
Have you ever felt like you’re doing all the inner work—reading the books, meditating, journaling—but you're still getting triggered by the same people, still stuck in overthinking, still reacting instead of responding? If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you.In it, we’re breaking down five deceptively simple but powerful fundamentals that will help you accelerate your spiritual growth starting today. These aren’t new-age hacks or complicated theories—they’re the basics most people overlook. But when you start actually embodying these practices consistently, things start to shift. Fast.We’ll cover why you might still be outsourcing your peace without realizing it, how to know if you're listening to fear or intuition, and what most people get wrong about meditation. If you’re serious about your growth and tired of the plateau, this is the episode to hit play on. Let’s fast-track it—starting now.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Jun 26, 2025 • 31min
297: Solo Episode: Why I’m Stepping Away from the Podcast After 5 Years (And What’s Next)
After five years and nearly 300 episodes, I’m making a shift.In this solo episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on why I’m stepping away from the podcast in its current form—not out of burnout, but because it feels complete. The conversations, the stories, the intention behind it all… it’s done what it came here to do.If you’ve ever found yourself holding onto something just because it’s familiar—or struggled with knowing when to move on—this episode is for you.I’ll share how to recognize when something meaningful has run its course, why alignment matters more than consistency, and what I’m choosing to focus on next.This isn’t a dramatic goodbye. It’s a graduation. And I hope it gives you language for your own next chapter—whatever that may be.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

6 snips
Jun 19, 2025 • 1h 13min
296: How to Heal Your Nervous System and Finally Feel Like Yourself Again with Tom Cronin
Tom Cronin, a former finance broker turned meditation teacher, shares his transformative journey from a nervous breakdown to finding peace through meditation. He discusses the effects of chronic stress and the importance of listening to one's intuition. Tom details his bold decision to bet everything on a documentary project that didn't go as planned, emphasizing how breakdowns can lead to profound breakthroughs. The conversation also explores the mix of ancient wisdom and modern science in healing the nervous system and pivoting toward a more purposeful life.

Jun 12, 2025 • 1h 12min
295: How Jeff Krasno Reclaimed His Energy, Lost 60 Pounds, and Transformed His Health Using Good Stress
Jeff Krasno, co-founder of Commune and Wanderlust, returns for his third appearance on the show with one of his most personal and transformative stories yet.Despite leading two of the most influential wellness platforms in the world, Jeff found himself battling brain fog, chronic fatigue, weight gain, and even pre-diabetes. He had access to the best health experts and cutting-edge protocols—but like so many of us, he had normalized what he now calls a “patently abnormal” way of living.That all changed when he strapped on a continuous glucose monitor and saw the numbers for himself.In this episode, Jeff shares how he used what he calls “Good Stress”—simple, intentional challenges like cold exposure, time-restricted eating, walking, and resistance training—to lose 60 pounds, sleep better, regain his focus, and feel more alive than he had in years.This isn’t a conversation about biohacking or quick fixes. It’s about realignment—learning how to live in harmony with how the human body was actually designed to function.Listeners will come away with practical tools they can implement immediately, along with a new understanding of why modern comfort is quietly making us sick—and how to reverse that trend with small, consistent shifts.Whether you're feeling stuck, tired, or out of sync with your health, this episode offers a refreshing and actionable perspective on what it really means to feel well.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 24min
294: How to Know When It’s Time to Let Go: Sean Hoess on Building Wanderlust, Burning Out, and Starting Over
In this episode, Light Watkins sits down with Sean Hoess, co-founder of Wanderlust—the global wellness festival that once redefined how people experienced yoga, music, and community. Sean shares his winding journey from burnt-out New York City lawyer to record label co-founder, and eventually to the unlikely creator of a worldwide movement focused on mindfulness and well-being.But what happens when your dream job starts to feel like just another grind?Sean gets real about the pressures of scaling a purpose-driven company, the quiet warning signs that something’s off, and the emotional toll of watching your creation grow beyond your control. He opens up about the moment he realized success didn’t always equal fulfillment—and how a global pandemic forced him to stop, look around, and ask a question most people avoid: “Why am I actually here?”The conversation explores how childhood patterns of self-reliance and creativity shaped Sean’s resilience, how deep friendships can evolve into business partnerships, and why it’s so easy to confuse growth with progress. He also shares what it was like navigating a professional split from his best friend and co-founder, and how that pain ultimately became the catalyst for something new: Eudemonia—a wellness summit that brings together scientists, spiritual leaders, and curious seekers in pursuit of a life well-lived.If you’ve ever wondered what to do when your mission starts to drain you instead of inspire you, or how to realign when your purpose begins to shift, this episode is for you.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

May 29, 2025 • 1h 16min
293: How to Escape Survival Mode and Rewire Your Mind and Body with Nate Ortiz
In this powerful and unfiltered conversation, Light Watkins sits down with holistic health coach, author, and one-percenter Nate Ortiz. Nate’s life began in crisis—born with heroin in his system and abandoned in the ICU. What followed was years of instability: foster homes, abuse, addiction in the family, and the trauma of watching loved ones go to prison. But instead of letting that define him, Nate transformed pain into purpose.In this episode, Nate shares how he found his way out of survival mode by pursuing an unlikely dream—earning a full scholarship to the #1 basketball high school in the country—and how he turned that momentum into a life of service, coaching elite clients like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Cordae. He breaks down what’s really happening in your body when you’re stuck in fight-or-flight and why survival mode makes it almost impossible to think clearly or pursue your goals.Through grounded, relatable language, Nate reveals his original frameworks—the Stopwatch Method, Dream Team Jersey, and the One Percenter mindset—that helped him heal trauma, build discipline, and show up consistently for his purpose. Whether you’re burned out, stuck, or just trying to level up, this episode is packed with raw truth and practical tools to help you reclaim your power and rewrite your story.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

May 22, 2025 • 32min
292: Plot Twist: From MMA Fighter to Humanitarian: Justin Wren’s Unexpected Path to Purpose
In this Plot Twist episode, former MMA fighter Justin Wren shares the incredible story of how he walked away from everything he thought he wanted—and found something far more meaningful. On the surface, Justin had it all: a winning streak, legendary coaches, and the fight of a lifetime in Tokyo with a six-figure payday. But inside, he was quietly unraveling—struggling with painkiller addiction, depression, and a deep sense that he was on the wrong path.Then came the moment that changed everything. Alone in his apartment, Justin said a prayer—and was met with a vivid vision of a forgotten tribe in the Congo rainforest. Weeks later, he found himself standing face-to-face with that very tribe, hearing the exact word he’d written in his journal: “Forgotten.” That uncanny synchronicity became the birth of his life’s mission: to fight for people who don’t have a voice.In this raw, heart-led conversation, Justin opens up about addiction, surrender, and how he learned to trust his gut—even when it made no sense. He also shares what it means to be of service, and why the most unexpected detours often lead to your truest purpose.If you’ve ever felt called to something bigger, this one’s for you.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!