
Brain Shaman
Brain Shaman is a philosophical and scientific journey towards better brain health. Michael Waite discusses how you can change your brain state and overall nervous system via behavior, nutrition, nature, and technology. Mental illness, addiction, and low brain function are destroying so many people and societies. By becoming increasingly disconnected from our natural mind-body-world and plugged into the artificial ones, we are getting sicker, weaker, and less free. We must become more conscious of how the information that we consume (in the form of action, food, drugs, sensory input, media, etc.) affects our brain. This podcast teaches you how to reconnect with your primordial nature, reprogram your brain, regain your freedom, and redirect your life.
Latest episodes

Jun 25, 2025 • 53min
Amanda Wiggins: Dementia Prevention, Vascular Health, and cGP | Episode 127
In this episode, I talk with Amanda Wiggins, CEO of The cGP Lab in New Zealand. We explore how about how our choices across early, middle, and later life can influence brain health and long-term risk of dementia. Many of these factors—like high blood sugar, diabetes, hypertension, drinking, and smoking—are closely tied to vascular health. Amanda explains how blood vessels function, how they get damaged, and what we can do to protect and repair them.She also introduces cGP (cyclic glycine proline), a supplement that helps regulate IGF-1, supports blood vessel repair, and may lower the risk of dementia, Parkinson’s, and other neurological conditions.Connect and Learn More💼LinkedIn: /amandawiggins🌐Website: cgp-health.com💊Supplement: cgpmax.com🧪Chief Scientist at The cGP Lab: Dr. Jian Guan

Jun 18, 2025 • 1h 13min
Lisa Nezneski: Meditation, Shamanism & Pets for Healing Stress | Episode 126
Lisa Nezneski is a pharmacist, certified mindfulness teacher, shamanic healer, and author of Grounded in Chaos. She used meditation, grounding, visualization, and energy work to navigate a period of intense stress and loss—and now helps others do the same.In this episode, we discuss how shamanic healing works, how mindfulness and visualization support emotional well-being, and how we can use and learn from pets during hard times. Lisa shares her personal story of transformation and the tools that continue to help her stay present, connected, and calm. Connect and Learn More 📚 Grounded in Chaos: Leaning into Adversity, Learning Joy 📖 Seven Mindful Questions: Stop Wasting Time, Redirect Your Life 🌐 Website: lisanezneski.com 📘 Facebook: @LisaNezneski 📸 Instagram: @LisaNezneski🔗LinkedIn: /lisa-nezneski ▶️ YouTube: @UCKleHLgeXrTYIYCxR4DMijA🧘♀️ Join her Thursday night mindfulness meditation group at 7 pm Eastern—sign up through her newsletter on the website. RESOURCESIndigenous TribesQ’eroOjibwePeopleT. J. OshieThich Nhat HanhDog BreedsYorkshire Terrier (Yorkie)Shih TzuDachshund (Doxen)Theme ParksKennywood (Pittsburgh)King’s Island (Cincinnati)King’s Dominion (Richmond)Busch Gardens (Williamsburg)Disney World (Orlando)Sports TeamsPittsburgh Penguins

Jun 11, 2025 • 47min
Brian Karr: Mold in Your Home | Episode 125
In this episode, Brian Karr, co-founder of We Inspect and host of #moldfinders RADIO, explains how to understand mold, find it, prevent it, and reduce your exposure.We cover how modern homes create the perfect conditions for mold, how it impacts your health, and what steps to take to keep it out of your home and brain. 🌐 Connect and Learn More:📞 Schedule a free call with Brian’s team: http://form.yesweinspect.com/Brain-Shaman-Podcast 🏠 Website: yesweinspect.com 🧹 The Dust Test: TheDustTest.com 🧼 Clean Your Moldy Stuff: cleanmymoldystuff.com 🚫 Remediation Mistakes: RemediationMistakes.com 🎙️ Podcast: #moldfinders RADIO 📸 Instagram: @moldfindersRESOURCESCompaniesCertified Mold InspectionsHomeCleanseThe Mold GuyPeopleCorey LevyMark LevyMichael RubinoRitchie ShoemakerSteve LevyYosemite Sam (cartoon character)

Jun 2, 2025 • 1h 15min
Yogi Aaron: Naked Yoga — Letting Go of Who You Think You Are | Episode 124
What if your sense of self is the very thing holding you back? In this episode, author and yoga retreat founder Yogi Aaron invites us to explore how yoga can help dissolve the ego and strip away the layers of identity we cling to — our habits, defenses, roles, and masks. We discuss how fear, mistrust, and attachment create instability and confusion — and how yoga offers a path toward clarity, freedom, and authenticity.Through deliberate movement, breath, silence, and stillness, we begin to see what we’re protecting — and why. This conversation is about breaking cycles, softening resistance, and reconnecting with who we are beneath the masks and personas. Letting go becomes the gateway to presence, trust, and inner stability.Connect and Learn More📚 Book: Autobiography of a Naked Yogi 📘 Book: Stop Stretching! 🎧 Podcast: Stop Stretching🌴 Retreat: Blue Osa Yoga Retreat and Spa 📷 Instagram: @yogi_aaron 🌐 Website: www.yogiaaron.com 🎬 YouTube: @YogiAaron

May 21, 2025 • 1h 4min
Jake Panasevich: Yoga for Men's Health | Episode 123
In this episode, my guest is men's yoga and health expert Jake Panasevich. We discuss yoga for men — how to get started, how it differs from other forms of exercise and yoga for women, its benefits for physical and mental health, and more. Jake shares tips on finding the right class, what to look for in a teacher, effective teaching methods, overcoming common obstacles, and building a consistent practice. We also talk about breathwork, pain, social connection, the politics of yoga studios, and the unique health challenges men face today — and how yoga can help. Connect and Learn More📸 Instagram: @yogawithjake▶️ YouTube: YogaWithJake📘 Facebook: YogaWithJakeP🐦 X: @yogawithjake🌐 Website: yogawithjake.com🎧 Podcast: Yoga With JakeRESOURCESPEOPLERichard ReevesJett StoneTroy JacksonORGANIZATIONSAmerican Institute for Boys and MenUS News & World ReportPhiladelphia EaglesPhiladelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia UnionUniversity of PittsburghPhilly Power YogaPLACESPhiladelphiaFishtown, PhiladelphiaRocko's Italian Sausages & Philly Cheese SteaksBrooklyn

May 14, 2025 • 54min
Lisa Skinner: Unmasking Alzheimer's — Myths, Risks, and Caregiving Tips | Episode 122
In this episode, I talk with Lisa Skinner, behavioral expert and author of Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's: Its Secret Faces. We discuss common myths, symptoms, risk factors, and practical tools for prevention and caregiving. Connect and Learn More🌐Website: mindingdementia.com📚Book: Truth, Lies & Alzheimer's: Its Secret Faces🔗LinkedIn: @lisaskinnerauthor

May 7, 2025 • 52min
Mary Newport: Alzheimer’s Nutrition — Coconut Oil, MCTs, and Keto | Episode 121
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Mary Newport — physician, author, and Alzheimer's expert. We talk about how nutrition impacts Alzheimer’s, focusing on coconut oil, MCT oil, the ketogenic and Mediterranean diets, and the dangers of sugar and refined carbohydrates.We also cover lifestyle factors that may contribute to Alzheimer’s — and how addressing them can help prevent the disease and improve the lives of those affected.This conversation blends science and personal stories to help you protect your brain, with or without Alzheimer's. Connect and Learn More🌐 Website: coconutketones.com📸Instagram: @marynewportmd 📚 Books: Alzheimer's Disease: What If There Was a Cure? The Story of KetonesCleary Keto: For Healthy Brain Aging and Alzheimer's PreventionThe Coconut and Low-Carb Solution for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Other DiseasesThe Complete Book of Ketones: A Practical Guide to Ketogenic Diets and Ketone SupplementsRESOURCESORGANIZATIONSAlzheimer's AssociationBazsucki Family FoundationBrown UniversityNational Institutes of Health (NIH)Scientific AmericanTampa Bay TimesThe LancetPEOPLEAlbert EinsteinGeorge CahillRichard VeechSamuel HendersonStephen CunnaneTheodore Van ItallieALZHEIMER'S TESTSActivities of Daily Living (ADL) TestAlzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS)Clock Drawing Test (CDT)Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE)

Apr 30, 2025 • 1h 17min
Raj Khedun: The 3:3 Breathing Method for Mental Health & Evolution | Episode 120
In this episode, I talk with Raj Khedun about his 3:3 Metaverse Breathing Method. We explore how it works, its impact on the nervous system, and how it compares to other popular breathing techniques—and we even practice it together.Our conversation also explores metaphysics, the metaverse, chakras, technology, vocalizations, nostril flow, and the nature of reality—and how all of these connect to this simple yet powerful breathwork practice.Connect and Learn More🌐Website: keepfitkingdom.comRESOURCESBREATHING TECHNIQUES3:3 Metaverse Breathing Method4-7-8 BreathingBox BreathingPhysiological SighWim Hof MethodMOVIESAvatar: The Last AirbenderThe MatrixPEOPLEAndrew HubermanAndrew WeilLarry EllisonMark ZuckerbergRobert NozickSteven Kotler Wim Hof

Apr 21, 2025 • 1h 49min
Vaibhav Diwadkar: The Limits and Powers of the Human Brain | Episode 119
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Vaibhav Diwadkar, professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine. We discuss the powers and limits of the human brain, the tentative yet evolving role of neuroscience, and the science of thermoregulation in both animals and humans.Our conversation explores the concept of hormesis-enhanced interoceptive refocusing—how combining stressors like cold exposure and breathwork with parasympathetic practices such as meditation or introspection can influence brain function, mood, and perception.We also discuss mental health disorders, drugs, pharmaceuticals, animal research, technology, exercise, the abundance of information and food, and the dynamic relationship between the mind, body, and environment. Connect and Learn MoreProfessor Profile: psychiatry.med.wayne.edu/profile/ax3112LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/vaibhav-diwadkar-7ba3107 RESOURCESPAPERS“Brain over body”–A study on the willful regulation of autonomic function during cold exposure , NeuroImage (March 2018)Human regulatory systems in the age of abundance: A predictive processing perspective, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences (February 2025)The impact of a focused behavioral intervention on brain cannabinoid signaling and interoceptive function: Implications for mood and anxiety, Brain Behavior and Immunity Integrative (January 2024)PEOPLEAndrew HubermanEmerson PughFranz GallMartin Heidegger Otto MusikWim Hof

Mar 24, 2025 • 1h 1min
Jett Stone: Men’s Search for Meaning, Purpose, and Connection | Episode 118
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Jett Stone, clinical psychologist and author of Quiet Your Mind: A Men's Guide. We explore the struggles many men face in today’s world—alienation, confusion, and lack of footing—and how to navigate this modern world with more meaning, purpose, confidence, and connection. We discuss:Masculinity and femininityMarriage, dating, and parenthoodWork—both paid and unpaid, including domestic laborCommunity and friendsChallenges for women and couplesOverthinking and practical tools to overcome itActionable tools for men living in the modern world:Journaling, writing, and finding the right languageMentorship, social infrastructure, and third placesJoining clubs, leagues, or churchesGetting out of the house and putting in effortSlowing down, listening to classical musicEmbracing exercise and movementExperimenting, taking small risks, and shifting perspectiveSeeking curiosity and aweDefining your values and constructing your own masculine codeWhether you're feeling lost, confused, or alone, this conversation offers practical insights to help you build a more meaningful, purpose-filled, and connected life.Connect and Learn More🌐 Website: jettstonephd.com📚 Book: Quiet Your Mind📸 Instagram: @flex.flexibility🧠 Psychology Today: /jett-stone-phdRESOURCESORGANIZATIONSBoys & Girls Clubs of AmericaPsychology TodayPEOPLEKarl Kahler Loretta BreuningSteven HayesPLACESVietnam