The Light Watkins Show

Today’s guest is the wonderful writer and founder of Firestone Sisters, Mary Firestone. Mary is here to tell us about a series of traumas that she has experienced throughout her life and how she overcame them on her path to healing. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Mary’s family, her childhood and early adult life, her studies in psychology, and why she decided to venture down that road. She shares a potentially triggering and emotional account of being molested as well as her life-threatening experience of being caught in the Montecito mudslide that tore through her home in 2018. Join us as we discuss what Mary believes trauma is, how she began practicing healing modalities, her experience in shamanism, and what she believes it means to be healed. Mary is an incredibly inspirational person dedicated to helping people work through their trauma in order to become “initiated" into their true selves. She tells us why she believes her life was divinely protected in the mudslide, why she does not want people to see themselves as victims, and why our bodies are our true homes, plus she shares her perspective on luck, how her experiences have helped her in her coaching, and so much more. Mary has just written a book called Trusting the Dawn, and today, she also lets us in on why she decided to write about her trauma, where the book’s name came from, and what she hopes to achieve with it. To hear this truly inspirational conversation about how trauma ignites the beginning of true living, press play now!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today’s guest, Dylan Smith, started his first Ayurvedic practice from his bedroom at his parent’s house at the tender age of 19! He has now become an expert at using Ayurvedic techniques to treat stress, fatigue, digestive problems, back strains, and many others. Giving up his pursuit of a degree in architecture, Dylan traveled to India to take advantage of the free accommodation that came with staying with his mom and ended up leaving Southeast Asia with so much more than he bargained for! He describes his childhood and how he understood meditation from a young age, before explaining his relationship with the legendary Thom Knoles, how cancer brought his family closer to Ayurveda, how Deepak Chopra’s words changed his life, and whether Ayurvedic practices are spiritual, scientific, or both. Pulse diagnosis is an important aspect of Dylan’s work and after describing exactly what it is and why it’s extremely beneficial, our guest explains how he relates to everything he learned during his time in India and why it will always be a part of his life. We discuss why Ayurveda is for everyone, how to align your body with nature, why the skin is so important and how it relates to oils, and what you need to look out for when trying to identify an authentic Ayurvedic doctor. Our guest confirms that fasting can be a powerful way of achieving good health, but only when done correctly. We end our fascinating conversation with Dylan’s perception of success from the viewpoint of an Ayurvedic practitioner, while hearing all about the learning courses and treatments that he and his clinic have on offer. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

The topic of gut health and the importance of our gut microbiome have been gaining more and more traction in the last decade or so. Before that, there was very little attention paid to the way in which our diet and healthy bacteria impacted all the others parts of our body and mind. This is the area that Dr. Robynne Chutkan has dedicated herself to exploring and illuminating, something she has done through her patient practice, as well as in a number of books that she has published. In today's chat with the gastroenterological expert, we get to go deep into the human digestive system, with Dr. Chutkan talking about pooping, bloat, sleep, sickness, immune systems, and much more. She also explains why certain products and medications should be avoided when possible, and how small changes to our eating habits can make a huge difference. The passion and energy that Dr. Chutkan possesses for this subject is truly inspiring, and so desperately needed if we are to really make progress in the important area of human health. Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today on the show, we welcome the wonderfully inspiring and honest Danielle LaPorte, whose journey has seen many seasons and contrasting terrains. In our chat, we get to hear all about Danielle's prioritization of healing and how this relates to love and living a good life. We also get to discuss some principles from a few of her books, including her most recent work, How to Be Loving. Danielle opens up on the important yet sometimes misunderstood concepts of gentleness, awareness, goals, and success and even shares some great practical advice for dealing with breakups! So if you want to hear it all from this spiritual sister to this podcast, make sure to tune in now.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today I am re-airing one of my earlier episodes with someone who has changed the way that I see the world. Her name is Pam Grout, and for those of you who don't know, Pam is a New York Times bestselling author, a travel blogger who has visited every continent except for Antarctica, and a student of A Course in Miracles.In this episode, Pam talks candidly about the loss of her daughter, the little rituals they shared, and how she coped with the grief of her daughter’s passing. She shares the wisdom that she's gleaned from her adventures and from the rocky parts of her journey as well, because, even for those who know full well that we co-create our reality, life is still going to test us.Pam also describes her writing journey, the process of writing her bestseller, E-Squared, and her advice for those looking to write spiritual guidance books. Pam’s definition of success, after everything she has been through and after writing 20 books, is to see the face of God in every person she meets, and her whole story is incredibly inspiring, so make sure to tune in today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Growing up as a Dominican-Colombian in Queens, Christopher Rivas didn’t feel the weight of his difference in the world until he was introduced to the real James Bond. Learning about Porfirio Rubirosa, the Dominican diplomat on whom the famously white character was based, changed everything for him and informed the culture-centered trajectory of his career. Christopher is a professional storyteller, podcaster, actor, and author. In this episode, we learn about the most pivotal moments of his childhood, his path to becoming an actor, and the serendipitous tale of how he landed on the art of storytelling. We discuss the importance of representation, the value of meditation, and the profound difference between stories you’ve been made to believe and those you’ve chosen to believe. Tune in to discover the anatomy of an impactful story, the script-shifting theme of Christopher’s book, Brown Enough, the art of code-switching, and so much more.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today I am doing another solo episode, which as you may know, I do on occasion. And in today's solo episode, I'm talking about minimalism, one of my favorite topics, and how minimalism helps you to become more present and more liberated, and more self-sufficient in your day-to-day life. I'm also describing an experiment that you can run starting today that will give you a taste of the liberation that you feel when living the minimalist lifestyle. And the best part is you don't have to get rid of anything in order to have the experience of minimalism. I also will show those of you who are watching this on YouTube, the actual backpack that I've been living from for the past few years, as well as my one pair of shoes and my shirts that I hand wash each night after wearing them. I also will go through the detailed instructions of how I hand wash my clothes in case you're in a situation where I don't know, you're flying, and your airline use loses your luggage, and for whatever reason, you have to make do. The clothes on your back for a day or two.And I also talk about some of the other interesting aspects of my minimalist lifestyle and how it's evolved over the last four years because the way it started is not the way it is right now. And of course, I've written extensively about minimalism in my upcoming book, which is called Travel Light.That's coming out in April of 2023. So there's a lot more to say in that book. But for now, I wanna just give you a peek into the minimalist lifestyle, cuz I think you'll get a lot from it, even if you have no desire to become a minimalist yourself.Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Today’s guest, Chip Conley, has been a serial disruptor of the hospitality industry for many decades, and since acquiring his first hotel in his 20s, has blazed a trail of innovative and successful businesses catering to a variety of different client bases. Chip was also instrumental in the rise of Airbnb in the contemporary landscape, and has most recently founded the amazing Modern Elder Academy, which is aimed at mentoring individuals through the later stages of human development. In our chat, we get to hear from Chip about the lessons he learned from his father, why he has always pursued creativity over profit, and the vital part that mentor relationships have continually played in his life. Our guest shares some great book recommendations and some insightful thoughts on living with purpose, before we close off with some thoughts on courage, self-belief, and his continued commitment to his calling of social alchemy. Join us to hear it all!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Who we are as individuals are shaped as much by the good experiences in our lives, as the bad ones. And it’s important to acknowledge the full spectrum of events that shape us, even if it’s challenging or uncomfortable. Our guest today, Desi Bartlett, is no stranger to this truth. Through her practice of meditation and movement, she has studied how to take powerful lessons from both the positive and negative aspects of her life and apply them as an author, fitness professional, woman, and mother. In our conversation, Desi shares some of the details about her unstable upbringing, how she left home as a teenager, and why so much of what she does is in honor of her mother and her limitations as a parent. We delve into Desi’s journey with fitness, the transformative power of movement, and how her career has evolved since she first began to pursue fitness as a profession. We also discussed Desi’s work as an author, the release of her latest book Total Body Beautiful, and her passion for empowering women through movement, yoga, meditation, and nutrition. For a wonderful conversation that will surprise and delight you with its thought-provoking insights and joyful advice, make sure you tune in today!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!

Adam Roa knows how it feels to be living a life that doesn’t speak the language of your soul, and he also knows the power that comes with choosing to follow your heart, no matter what expectations the world has of you. Although it didn’t make logical sense to give up a promising career in advertising to pursue a risky one in acting, or to rent out an apartment without knowing where the rent money was going to come from, these decisions were led by the heart, and as you will hear in today’s episode, they paid off! Today, Adam is a spoken word poet whose words have gone viral across the globe and have had such an impact on some people that they have had them tattooed on their bodies. Moreover, Adam is a lifestyle and business coach who has built communities and created courses that have had transformative effects on many lives. Listen to this episode to hear about the journey that led to Adam’s spiritual awakening, the evolution of his understanding of relationships, and how to truly love yourself!Send us a text message. We'd love to hear from you!