Salish Wolf

If you take only one thing from this episode, hopefully it is powerful enough to keep you moving forward, even when it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. My guest in this episode, Zat Baraka, has carried that weight, even through the most painful times when he had considered giving up. It was through that pain that he discovered his own inner strength and greatness. He also discovered that, as people, we never really put down the weight. We just grow stronger and better equipped mentally, emotionally, and spiritually to turn the burden into opportunity. Our greatest gifts, says Zat, come from our deepest wounds. Zat is a leader and teacher of men. He has been and continues to be one of my teachers. He understands that, like me, and probably you, he will never reach the so-called place of arrival, but he will always journey with the intention of keeping his heart wide open to what the universe presents him. In this episode, Zat sheds light on the burden he has carried – from divorce and bankruptcy to deep loss and self-sabotaging – and how he has used these life traumas to hone his craft and help men. Zat Baraka is a renowned teacher, coach, and speaker in the men’s personal growth and spiritual development movement. His radical approach empowers men to live high performance lives, improving the quality of their sex lives, careers, relationships, and parenting. He coaches men into their deepest experience of integrity, helping them to understand the mature masculine, not as an abstract philosophy, but as an embodied knowledge. Zat’s training includes more than 25 years of spiritual growth work with an emphasis on intimacy and relationships, comprehensive Tantric Buddhist training, and a Master’s in Spiritual Psychology. He has more than 20 years of intensive men’s group work, cathartic therapy, men’s rite of passage, and men’s personal development work. Despite Zat’s expertise in men’s work, this episode is not just for men. Rather, it is for any human who has ever faced adversity and wondered if there is daylight on the other side. Episode Links: https://www.zatbaraka.com/ https://www.menswisdomwork.com/ Podcast with Allan Isbell of Men’s Wisdom Work – Episode 13 of Pacific Rim College Radio Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions

Fritzi Horstman is a rare, beautiful individual with a selfless passion to transform lives. As a Grammy-award winning producer for her work on the “The Defiant Ones”, Fritzi is not resting on her laurels. Nor is she coasting through Hollywood, lapping up the limelight. Instead, she is focusing on spending as much time as possible in prison, supporting incarcerated men and women. Fritzi believes wholeheartedly in an urgency to bring humanity and compassion to prisoners to transform their lives and ultimately society. I invited Fritzi onto the podcast after seeing a 7-minute clip of her forthcoming documentary “Step Inside the Circle”, a riveting examination of the role that childhood trauma plays in the lives of the incarcerated. Within the first minute, I knew I wanted to help share Fritzi’s story and work. I felt chills throughout my whole body and still do each time I watch it. If you have not seen this powerful video, I urge you go to the link for “Step Inside the Circle” in the show notes, watch the video, and then listen to this podcast. It will give you greater context for the dialogue that Fritzi and I share. It is remarkable, in a sense, that Fritzi escaped a life of crime and addiction. Many who suffer the degree of adverse childhood experiences that she did do not rise above a life of shame, blame, and fear. With courageous transparency, Fritzi shares with us some of her most intimate childhood experiences and how they still impact her today. With her message “There is no shame,” she wears her heart on her sleeve, which helps those around her find inner strength and forgiveness. Until there is forgiveness, there can be no healing. Until there is healing, as a race we will continue to perpetrate acts of violence against all life. Fritzi is the founder and Executive Director of the Compassion Prison Project, which, through compassion, childhood trauma awareness, and creative and educational programs to uplift humanity, aims to catalyze prison reform and end recidivism. Fritzi knows firsthand the trauma that many incarcerated men and women have experienced in life. Having found her path, she is now helping many who are most lost to find theirs. Episode Links: “Step Inside the Circle” video https://compassionprisonproject.org/ The Body Keep the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk Russel Brand Dr. Gabor Mate Charles Eisenstein Wim Hof Lynne Twist Nadine Burke Harris– California Surgeon General Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Episode 3– Shea Boland on Overcoming Addictions, Finding Purpose, and Serving Others

I had a blast recording this episode with Janne Robinson. Janne is a 21st-century feminist beat poet, a personal development coach, a surfer, a beacon of inspiration, and so much more. With her raw, unabashed style, Janne takes us on a journey of her pursuit of personal truth. This journey weaves through recalcitrant body shame, the lightness and heaviness of impacting legions of women, and her passion for empowering others. Janne is a master of heart-centered connection, and she has built a career around her gift. Through her writing, she shares her heart with immense vulnerability and intimacy. Her first book of poetry, entitled This is for the Women Who Don’t Give a Fuck, is soon to be followed by an equally provocative second release. Janne’s self-care routine includes writing and other loves: surfing and nature. Through each she can disconnect from the daily grind and connect directly to spirit. She yearns to be more self-reliant, especially in this uncertain time. Whether that means hunting for food, growing a garden, crafting natural medicine, or living off the grid, each conscious step can lead to greater resiliency. (Listen all the way through to the end of the interview for a special discount code for Pacific Rim College’s incredible online herbal programs to help increase your resiliency!) Janne’s authenticity has emerged as a powerful tool that has helped her guide countless individuals through her coaching and retreats. Learn more about her work and opportunities for your personal growth on her website, jannerobinson.com. To conclude this episode, Janne begins the beautiful account of searching for her father, whom she had never met or heard from and knew nothing of his whereabouts. It is a moving tale that involves global travels, letters, journals, and so much more, and one that will be further explored and concluded in an upcoming episode with Janne. Grab a hot drink and relax while Janne brings you into to the extraordinary world that is her life and helps you find the value in your personal truth. Episode Links: https://www.jannerobinson.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jannerobinson/ https://www.facebook.com/jannerobinsonauthor/ Esther Hicks The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot Boyd Varty, Life Coach, Lion Tracker Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Online Herbal Programs at Pacific Rim College Online

Have you ever been overwhelmed by seemingly insurmountable hardship? My guest on this episode could have been the poster child for falling in the face of adversity. He could have checked out figuratively and literally countless times. The odds were certainly stacked against him. But he didn’t stay down or give up. Instead, he rose and continues to rise – not despite each challenge, but because of each challenge – and he has become a role model for anyone fortunate enough to hear his story or to be in his presence. Shea Boland has taken the turmoil of his life, cracked open his heart to the collective pain of it, and has healed from the inside out. After so many years of struggling to simply survive, he is now forging a new life path of being of service to others. Whether Shea is modelling how addicts can get clean and find purpose, helping a client release emotional trauma, or mentoring a man to tap into his masculine essence, he does so with the deepest presence and greatest integrity. During this episode Shea guides us along his life’s journey, from his kid sister’s struggle with chronic illness and his escape into heroin, opiates, and sex, to his tangled relationship with his parents and ultimately the overdose death of his sister. Shea’s willpower to be something greater jockeyed tirelessly with his imprisonment to his addictions. It was not until his own overdose that he reached his own tipping point, sought help, and ultimately found his duty to serve others. Shea is a personal growth coach and the creator of the Inner Blueprint, a presence-based coaching program that helps clients manifest their highest version to live a more purposeful life. His raw vulnerability is a strength that draws people to him. Alongside his deep presence, willpower, and passion, he is true tour de force. And perhaps the best part of Shea is that his strength is infectious; we all benefit by being in his company. Episode Links: https://www.sheaboland.com/ https://www.instagram.com/sheaboland/ Getting the Love You Want by Harvel Hendrix and Helen Hunt Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions

Have you ever met someone who earned your respect and devotion within seconds? For me, Paul Underhill is one of these people. I have actually known Paul for about a decade, but this interview is only the second time I have had a conversation with him – the first time having also been in an interview. In my opinion, there is nothing to not like about Paul. Through his five-decade-long battle with cystic fibrosis, Paul has not only defied survival odds, but he has and continues to show the inspirational power of the human spirit. While his health deteriorated with each passing day, Paul launched a social impact beverage company while hoping to stay alive long enough to receive a double lung transplant. Nearly ten years later, Paul is thriving, and so is his functional beverage known as Rumble that is not only delicious and healthy, but as has been the case with Paul, serves as a vital nutritional component for so many chronic health sufferers. Certainly, for Paul the last decade has not been easy, and he and I discuss many of his losses and near defeats along the way, including a tumultuous period where it seemed his world was literally unraveling while his company hung by a thread. But Paul and Rumble are tenacious, and both have rumbled back, emerging stronger than ever. Alongside his physical struggles, Paul talks about his ongoing spiritual development and how he has been impacted by meditation, Qi Gong, and his relationship with his own mortality. Perhaps few of his successes would have been possible without the ongoing support of his friends, family, and business partners, and Paul’s inherent drive to drive for social impact through his actions and his brand. Rumble is not yet a titan in the beverage industry, but it was built on the shoulders and with the heart of a titan in life. This is Paul’s story, compressed into 90 minutes of raw and humbling dialogue. It does not matter who you are or what interests you have, if you listen to this episode, you will walk away a richer soul. And you will likely find yourself cheering for Paul, just as I do. Episode Links: https://www.drinkrumble.com http://www.transplant.bc.ca (For BC) https://beadonor.ca (for Ontario) The Heart’s Code by Paul Pearsall The Corporation film Raising the Bar by Garry Erickson Natures Path Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions Meditation Podcast with Steve James on Pacific Rim College Radio Qi Gong online courses through Pacific Rim College Online

For this inaugural episode of Salish Wolf, I sat down with internationally renowned paddleboarder and activist Norm Hann. I recorded this episode in March 2019, one full year ago. Since that time, a lot has happened for Norm, including turning 50, earning the number 1 and number 3 spots on Lonely Planet's "9 Best Long-Distance SUP Adventures" globally, and together we traveled to a BC coastal destination for an incredible 4-day bow building and personal growth retreat that I hosted through Anchor Point Expeditions. As Norm shares in this episode, he is always looking to grow as an individual and to impact others. His activism, expeditions, and films in the Great Bear Rainforest demonstrate this so beautifully. Even at 50, Norm continues to win paddleboarding races and to lead global excursions. He is a man with a clear purpose that he follows with the utmost integrity. In 2006 Norm was adopted into the Raven Clan in the community of Hartley Bay, British Columbia, where he had been coaching basketball. He was given the name T’aam Laan meaning “Steersman of the Canoe.” It was two years later that paddleboarding came into Norm’s life, and he immediately knew he was on the right path. Since then he has paddled all over the world and has been featured in countless magazines and in the breathtaking documentary "Stand". Norm also happens to be a husband, father, and struggling with a heart condition that has recently impacted his life in profound ways. Through it all, he continues to deepen his connection and seek new ways to give back even more. Episode Links: Normhann.com Belize Paddleboard Expeditions "Stand" Film Lonely Planet Best Destination Long-Distance SUP Adventures "Great Bear Rainforest" IMAX Paddle Canada Untethered Soul by Michael Singer The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss Great Bear Rainforest by Ian McAllister Books by Joseph Boyden  Learning Links: Surf Retreat through Anchor Point Expeditions, Co-Taught by Norm Hann