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Brain Shaman

Latest episodes

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Aug 16, 2023 • 37min

The Magic of Being Wasteful: Throw Away the Bronze and Go for the Gold | Episode 36

In this episode, we talk about how to get rid of all the average or good junk in your life and fill it up with greatness. 
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Aug 9, 2023 • 59min

Srini Pillay: Adventures In Non-Dual Reality — Thinking, Perceiving, and Living Beyond Linear Boundaries | Episode 35

In this episode, we talk with Srini Pillay - a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, brain researcher, technology entrepreneur, author, speaker, musician, and much much more. We talk about the non-dual nature of the our mind, body, life, the world and how by reconnecting with the nonlinear patterns (of nature, technology, and ourselves), we can melt down the previous limits to our reality and discover new ways to think, experience, learn, and live. Some topics we get into include: perception (vision, embodiment, imagination ...), geometry (shapes, lines, fractals...), math, movement, technology (VR and AI), nature, distraction, identity, art, symbols, music, creativity, education, energy, life, subjectivity, discovery, and more. It's all about the rhythm and patterns of your thinking, perception, behavior, and therefore life. Let's adventure into the non-dual and non-linear spaces of reality, and, by doing so, feel more alive and rediscover and recreate who we are. Join this conversation to discover how to find those spaces and thereby enter into your new identity and reality.RESOURCES:BOOKS - Yoga Sutras of PantajaliCONCEPTS: - confabulation - default mode network - dharana - dhyana - epigenome - exposome - meaningful coincidence - methylation - mirror neurons - proteome - psychological halloweenism - samadhi - samyamaPEOPLE: - Carl Jung-  Joseph LeDoux - Krista Kim - Marianne Williamson -  Marsha Angell -  Martin Heidegger - Michael Gazzaniga  - Patrick Candela -----LEARN MORE ABOUT SRINI: - personal website: drsrinipillay.com - Reulay: reulay.com - NeuroBusiness Group: nbgcorporate.comCONNECT: - Instagram: @drsrinipillay - Twitter (X): @srinipillay - Facebook: /SriniPillayMD - LinkedIn: /drsrinipillay
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Aug 2, 2023 • 60min

5 MORE Portals Into the Impossible: Mouth, Posture, Space, Time, and Identity | Episode 34

Here are 5 more portals into the unconscious world of neverending possibility and imagination: mouth, posture, space, time, and identity. If you find more, please leave a comment. And also leave a key or magic spell to help open it.
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Jul 27, 2023 • 1h 9min

5 Portals Into the Impossible: How to Unfocus to Unlock Your Potential | Episode 33

This is an episode about how to unfocus your eyes, ears, nose, breath, and movement in order to tap into your unconscious, that inner land of imagination, where you can discover new possibilities and create a new you. Change how you use your body, and you can change your perception of what is possible. 
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Jul 21, 2023 • 1h 33min

Alex Greene: Zen, Feldenkrais, Rolfing, TRE, Movement, and Embodiment | Episode 32

In this episode, we talk with Alex Greene about how to reconnect and align with our bodies and the energy of the universe, and how all that affects our being and mind. He's body worker, somatic coach, TRE provider, nervous system therapist, zen priest, and the host of the Red Beard Embodiment podcast. We dig into a lot of interrelated topics, including: Taoism, Zen Buddhism, breathing, hara, muscles, trauma, stress, tension and trauma releasing exercises (TRE), physical habits (sitting, posture, walking, etc.), polyvagal theory, the Feldenkrais Method, Rolfing, gravity, early childhood development, bodily awareness, speed of movement, neuroplasticity, massage, touch, memories, connection, disconnection, dissociation, the nervous system, perception of possibility, modes of focus and attention, Eastern vs. Western art, language, fluidity vs. rigidity, sense of self, parenting, learning, communication, voice, and martial arts.Connect with Alex Greene: - personal website: www.alexgreene.com - podcast: Red Beard Embodiment (also available on Spotify, Apple, etc.)- therapy practice: www.redbeardsomatictherapy.com - Youtube channel: @AlexGreeneTRERESOURCES: BODYWORK PRACTICES: - Feldenkrais Method - Rolfing - TRE BOOKS: - A Zen Approach to Bodytherapy by William "Dub" Leigh- Stalking Wild Psoas by Liz Koch - The Unfettered Mind by Takuan Sōhō- The Vital Psoas Muscle by Liz Koch CONCEPTS:- dantien (丹田) - dissociation- hara (腹) - mushin (無心)- qi / ki (气 ) / 気) - samadhi (समाधि) - tao (道) - zazen (座禅)PEOPLE - Bodhidharma- Everett Ogawa- Ida Rolf- Moshé Feldenkrais - Norman Doidge - Tanouye RoshiPLACES:- Chozen-ji (Zen temple & dōjō  in Honolulu, Hawaii) PHYSIOLOGY: - iliacus (muscle)- iliopsoas (muscle) - motor cortex (brain region) - psoas (muscle) - sacrum (bone) - sensory cortex (brain reg
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Jul 10, 2023 • 59min

Molly Watts: Change How You Think, Change How You Drink — Rewiring Your Alcohol Habits | Episode 31

This is a conversation with Molly Watts (host of The Alcohol Minimalist podcast) about alcohol and the brain. We discuss the harms and benefits of the substance, what it does to the brain, how we can start drinking less, and how we can change any harmful habit. Some of the questions we ponder include: - What happens in the brain when we drink alcohol? How does it impact neurotransmitters like glutamate and GABA?- What are some paths to overcoming alcohol addiction, aside from AA and abstinence programs?- What are some misunderstandings we have about alcohol, and why do we have them?- What is "gray area" drinking?- How can you determine whether your habit of drinking alcohol is serving you?- Is alcohol actually relaxing you and reducing your anxiety, or is it making things worse?- How can education about the neuroscience of alcohol help you recover from your overuse of it and find better alternatives to feeling better?- What happens after your blood alcohol concentration is past 0.005%? - Are there any therapeutic benefits to alcohol?- How does alcohol give us happy neurochemicals? How long does that last?- How do our thoughts drive us to drink, or help us stop drinking?- How do we change our habits (of thought and behavior)?- How can we strengthen (and stop weakening) our prefrontal cortex?- What are some basic things you can do to help curb your addictive cravings toward things like alcohol?- Do we desire alcohol more when we are lacking certain things in life (e.g. neurochemicals, resources, relationships, etc.)?- What role does dopamine play in all of this? How does it drive our behavior?- How can we take more conscious control over the unconscious processes in our brain?- How can changing your thoughts change your desires?- What's the process of habit change? How long does it take?- What can you do to calm yourself down in moments of craving? How do you resist the urge to drink or keep drinking?- What are some things we can substitute alcohol with? What can we do or drink instead?- Are all humans addicted? Is society making us more addicted? - What is Molly's history with alcohol, and how did she overcome her negative drinking habits?RESOURCESConnect with Molly / learn more: www.mollywatts.comAlcohol Minimalist Podcast: www.mollywatts.com/podcastAlcohol Minimalist Facebook group: www.facebook.com/groups/alcoholminimalists
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Jul 3, 2023 • 1h 15min

Sae Kani (Part 2): Trauma and Japan — Culture, Communication, Relationships, and Connection | Episode 30

Talking with Sae Kani, we dig into Japanese culture and trauma. We discuss various aspects of this society, including: relationships,  communication, work, technology,  parenting, marriage, sex, dating, power, men-women dynamics, parent-child relationships, maturation, language, intercultural interaction, virtual worlds, distractions, dissociation, biology, the nervous system, mental illness, and more.  We also talk about how by gaining awareness of our own body, learning about neurology, and nurturing our nervous system by doing things like TRE (Trauma Releasing Exercises), we can heal ourselves, release our stress, overcome our trauma, and become more anti-fragile and resilient, both as individuals and as a society.To learn more about TRE or connect with Sae, you can visit:www.saekani.comwww.treforall.comwww.youtube.com/@treforall312
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Jun 26, 2023 • 1h 9min

Sae Kani (Part 1): Releasing Tension and Trauma — Reconnecting With Our Bodies, Past, and Each Other | Episode 29

This is an interview with Sae Kani, a TRE (Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercise) trainer in Japan and around Asia. She's also a life coach, meditator, and has had a long career as a humanitarian worker, helping traumatized communities recover after natural disasters around the world. Today we get hear her story, transporting us around Asia and beyond, witnessing the pain and healing along the way. Some of the topics we discuss include: - Why doesn't traditional humanitarian aid help heal communities' trauma? - What does it mean to be human? - What are the similarities and differences between humans and other animals? - How can body-based exercises (such as TRE) change our thinking, emotions, and the   stories we tell ourselves? How can healing the body simultaneously heal the mind?  - Why did humans develop a nervous system that requires us to communicate and connect with one another? - How can we use our body language to make others feel safe (or threatened)? - Why does our neocortex (mind) sometimes override the gut-reaction signals from our body? - How does one's socioeconomic situation influence their resilience towards trauma? - How do child-rearing practices affect one's susceptibility to trauma and stress?  - How can we develop a strong nervous system? - How is the Western ideal of individualism stressing us out and hurting our health? - Are some countries more traumatized than other countries? - Why do some cultures (e.g. Japan) express less emotion than others (e.g. Vietnam)? - How do capitalism, consumerism, and the hyper-focus on money lead to more disconnection, stress, and trauma? - Why is it important to physically release our stress and emotions, and what are the health and psychological risks of not doing so? - What are the first steps towards releasing yourself from stress and trauma? - Can culture traumatize us? How do we shield ourselves from that? - How, by listening to our body, can we protect ourselves from dangerous people and situations? - What role does physical movement play in integrating and healing our trauma? - Why is trauma? What causes it? - How do we ignore danger by numbing and distracting ourselves from our pain? - What are some things we can do to calm down and release our stress? - How does connection (with anything!) help us feel safe and calm? - What is TRE and how do people respond to it? - When is the best time of day to do TRE? - How does physical release of energy help our brain integrate and deactivate memories of past events? - How does the physiological history of ourselves (and our society) influence the creation of moral codes, norms, and taboos? - How can we reconnect with our body and discharge excess energy? RESOURCESCONCEPTS - fight-or-flight response- freezing behavior - Polyvagal theory - Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercise (TRE) - vagus nervePEOPLE - David Berceli- Stephen PorgesConnect with Sae: www.saekani.comLearn more about TRE: www.traumaprevention.comTRE on YouTube: @treforall312Part 2 coming soon!
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Jun 19, 2023 • 1h

Stretch Your Inner Doctor: Expand, Open, and Embrace Your Body's Natural Healing Magic | Episode 28

In this episode, we explore the power of opening up and expanding our bodies for enhanced well-being and healing. We talk about some ways we can stretch and open ourselves up and release ourselves from our tension, traumas, and stress. And the great thing is that when you open up one part of your body or life, it often acts like a domino, spreading to many other areas simultaneously (not just in your body, but also mind, behavior, and life). Because everything exists within an interconnected whole.The first step is simply recognizing that the body naturally moves between states of expansion and contraction,  opening up and closing in, tightening and loosening, holding on and letting go, stress and relief, etc. It's a basic phenomenon of nature that we humans are simply part of.  When we understand that, we can more easily solve our various health problems and feel better. This concept of expansion and contraction underpins most other health concepts that we often hear about. It connects them all together.Taking primarily a bottom-up approach, we explore the idea that working with the body can yield quicker and more effective results. While incorporating a top-down perspective (from the mind to the body) can be beneficial, our primary emphasis today lies in utilizing the body as the tool for transformation. We go through various different body parts and explore simple ideas on how we can open each of them up and get the energy flowing again, thereby bringing us relief and to a calm positive happy space.Our journey takes us into the parasympathetic nervous system, characterized by relaxation, calm, and tranquility. It's a departure from the stress-inducing fight-or-flight response that many of us find ourselves trapped in. Imagine a serene and expansive oasis, where we can let go of tension and embark on a gentle voyage toward inner peace. That's where this episode is trying to take you. More importantly, it is meant to teach you how to find your way back there any time you want all by yourself, long after you finished listening to all this. You will learn to reconnect with your body and let it guide you. Regain independence and control over your own health. Learn to trust and use your body and, together, become your own doctor.This episode offers a unique opportunity for active participation. While listening, I encourage you to engage in the exercises and movements discussed. By physically opening up, expanding, and moving our bodies, we deepen our connection to what we're learning and also experience immediate benefits. Education is more powerful, memorable, and useful when it is active. Today's ideas transcend theory and move directly into your body, allowing you to tangibly and immediately enhance yourself physically, mentally, socially, existentially, and in so many other ways. You can literally transform your entire being, on every level. Learn, grow, and enjoy :)
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Jun 10, 2023 • 1h 27min

Sid Desai: How to Use VR, AR, and AI to Improve Your Mental Well-being | Episode 27

In this interview, with Sid Desai, co-founder and CEO of Novobeing (formerly Rocket VR Health), we talk about how technologies like VR, AR, and AI can positively impact our health and well-being. Some of the things we discuss include: - Why does vision (what we see through our eyes) so powerfully impact our mental state? - What are some of the therapeutic and healthcare uses of VR? - How can we use VR to reduce stress, increase relaxation, and feel better? - How does the distance from which we view objects affect our brain? - How does our brain perceive 3D content differently from 2D content? - How does VR help us more accurately tap into our natural evolved ways of living? - How can you redesign your home environment and daily habits for improved mental health? - How do head and body position/movement affect your mental state? - How can VR widen your perception about identity, life, death, and reality? - What is the connection between virtual reality and Buddhism? - How can we use VR to change our perspective and better understand others'? - What is the future of AI and data tracking, and how can it make us healthier and happier? - How can these technologies bring us closer to nature and reality? - What are some ways VR/AR can promote healthy behavior and decision-making? - Why is it important to sometimes do or consume "unhealthy" things? - How can we use technology to increase our focus and productivity? - How is the mechanistic "machine" view of the body and health making us sicker? - What are some other basic (non-tech) ways we can improve our brain health?Resources:EDUCATION - Huberman Lab (podcast; YouTube channel) - The Enlightened Brain by Rick Hanson (audio program) - Why Buddhism Is True by Robert Wright (book)ENTERTAINMENT - Black Mirror (TV series)- Harvest Moon (video game)- Her (movie) - SimCity (video game)HEALTH CONDITIONS - peripheral neuropathy - phantom limbPEOPLE - Andrew Huberman (neuroscientist; podcaster) - Robert Wright (author; journalist) - V.S. Ramachandran (neuroscientist)TOOLS & TECHNOLOGIES- cognitive behavioral therapy - chlorella (algae supplement) - mirror box - omnidirectional treadmills - Whoop (fitness tracker)SPECIAL OFFER *for a limited-time only*: until June 30th, you can get a FREE LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION to Novobeing, by signing up on the website: www.novobeing.com. You can also find it on SideQue

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