This episode marks the first installment of Guru Corner — a spiritual version of my popular Coach's Corner series featuring my favorite teacher on all things mystic, metaphysical and ethereal, Guru Singh.For those new to the show, imagine a modern-day Gandalf who rocks like Hendrix while dropping pearls of wisdom that beautifully fuse Eastern mysticism with Western pragmatism.A celebrated third-generation Sikh yogi, master spiritual teacher, author, and musician, for the past 40 years Guru Singh has been studying and teaching Kundalini Yoga. He is the author of several books, a powerful lecturer, and behind-the-scenes guide to many a luminary, including Fortune 500 CEOs, athletes, and artists.A peer of rock legends like Janis Joplin and the Grateful Dead, Guru Singh is also a supremely talented musician who began his recording career on Warner Bros’ Reprise label in the 1960s. When he isn’t recording tracks with people like Seal, he’s bringing down the house on the daily at Yoga West, his Los Angeles home base.Today's conversation is intimate exploration into cultivating compassion, developing discernment, embracing our divinity, and ultimately expanding our capacity to do what we are here to do – to love ourselves and love others to the best of our abilities.We discuss the root of psychic and emotional pain and the nature of violence. We imagine new educational modalities for future generations. We dive deep into the power of group consciousness to drive cultural change.And we consider the importance of maturing the social infantilism of our emotional infrastructure as a social imperative.Over the last couple years, I have grown quite close with Guru Singh, a beautiful and highly relatable consciousness I’m proud to call friend, family and mentor. It’s a privilege to share more of his powerful wisdom with you today.My hope is that this conversation will empower you to more deeply invest in the development of your conscious awareness, personal boundaries, and spiritual growth.Because, to quote Guru Singh, life is not about controlling the outside world, it's about mastering perceptions from the inside.Note: If you missed our initial two conversations, you can find them here and here.Another Note: We recorded this episode back in mid-February, so the topical events we discuss are not quite as current as they were on the date of the conversation. Nonetheless, the wisdom remains timeless.Final Final Note: The visually inclined can watch our conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/gurucorner1 (just make sure to subscribe!)Let the master class begin.Peace + Plants,Rich

When it comes to longevity, the goal isn’t just to live as long as possible.The true objective is to live as vibrantly and energetically as possible for as long as possible.So how exactly do we do this?Valter Longo, Ph.D. has devoted his life to answering this question. Along the way, his groundbreaking discoveries hold the potential to change your life in truly dramatic fashion.One of the world's leading scientific authorities on the subject of longevity, Dr. Longo is an expert in gerontology and biological science as well as the Director of the USC Longevity Institute and the Program on Longevity and Cancer at IFOM in Milan, both of which focus on developing a better scientific understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of aging, disease and, of course, longevity.In addition, Dr. Longo is the author of an extraordinary new book entitled, The Longevity Diet*. The culmination of 25 years of research on aging, nutrition and disease across the globe, it provides an easy-to-understand, accessible and implementable road map to living to living well longer through improved nutrition.What differentiates Dr. Longo from many of his peers is that his focus is not purely academic, but practical. From his exhaustive research on aging in both mice and humans, he has created specific diet and lifestyle protocols scientifically proven to active stem cells; promote organ regeneration and rejuvenation; reduce the risk for diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s and heart disease; and ultimately extend that which we all seek: lifespan.As discussed at length over the course of our almost 2-hour exchange, Dr. Longo's specific longevity prescription entails a daily diet regimen based on a studied group of centenarians (think Blue Zones). He then combines this with a periodic 5-day fasting protocol called the Fasting Mimicking Diet (undertaken 3-4 times per year), designed to reap the benefits of a true calorie free fast while still nourishing the body daily.This is a powerful conversation the explores all of the foregoing. It's about what promotes longevity and what undermines it. Separating truth from misconception, it's exploration of the benefits of fasting and the science that supports it. And it's a primer on the optimal lifestyle protocols you can employ in your every day life to live well and long.Break out pen and paper because you're going to want to take notes on this one.It's an honor and a privilege to share Dr. Longo's experience with you — one of my most important podcasts to date.I sincerely hope you not only enjoy the exchange, but employ his wisdom for your long-term well-being.Because we all deserve to live our best life.For the visually inclined, you can watch our conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandvalterIf you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Rich

What are the consistent behavioral themes across the spectrum of high performing athletes, entrepreneurs, artists, and change makers?Is there a common thread connecting those who change how we understand how the world works?Dr. Michael Gervais has devoted his life to answering these questions.A high performance psychologist working in the trenches of high-stakes environments, Michael lives and breathes in that special place where there is no luxury for mistakes, hesitation, or failure to respond.His clientele include the elite of the elite – the world's most prolific Olympic, professional, and extreme athletes. MVPs in every major sport. High level military. Internationally acclaimed artists and musicians. And Fortune 100 CEO’s.You might recall Dr. Gervais as the guy Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll credits as integral to their 2014 Super Bowl win. The meditation, mindfulness and other crucial team building techniques Michael helped foster and instill into the fabric of that organization paved the team’s path towards incredible success.You might also remember that Felix Baumgartner’s now-infamous Red Bull Stratos jump from an altitude of 128,000 feet almost never was simply because Felix simply could not overcome the high level of anxiety and claustrophobia he experienced every time he donned the jump suit. It was Dr. Gervais who helped Baumagartner resolve the issue and get Stratos back on track. No Gervais, no history making jump.Michael is also the man behind skydiver Luke Aikins, who astonished the world by becoming the first to jump from a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story.A published, peer-reviewed author and recognized speaker on optimal human performance, Michael has been featured by CNN, The Wall Street Journal, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network, Red Bull TV, Extra, The Huffington Post, Outside Magazine.This is a long way of saying that Dr. Gervais is the man.While Michael's roster includes the world’s most elite, he is about so much more than high performance athletes.Everyone is required to perform daily. We all navigate our own high stakes environments. And everybody can benefit with the right mindset training. Towards this end, Michael committed to scaling the principles that drive high performance for the betterment of all. He shares his wisdom and experience each week on his Finding Mastery podcast (subscribe immediately) and works intimately with organizations both big and small through Compete To Create, the consulting firm he co-founded with Coach Carroll.A man I consider friend and mentor, Michael is one of my very favorite people. Today we convene for a crossover episode — his third conversation on this podcast and my third appearance on his show — focused on the tools and practices required to transcend self-imposed limitations.Enjoy!Rich

Fundamentally, I'm a people pleaser.It took years of sobriety before I realized this is more character defect than positive attribute. I continue to struggle with it often.Kurt Sutter doesn't have this problem.A writer, actor, director, and long-time loyal friend, Kurt is a man utterly unafraid to be exactly who he is — a passionate artist committed to his creative vision for both life and art.Kurt's description of his upbringing is vintage Sutter:Raised in the shadow of Rahway prison, Kurt spent most of his New Jersey childhood indoors, away from people, three feet from a TV screen. That's where he learned the essentials of storytelling and the comic significance of anvils.Anvils aside, you most likely know Kurt as the creator, head writer and showrunner of Sons of Anarchy, the critically acclaimed outlaw motorcycle club psychodrama with a fanbase so rabid, it became the biggest hit television show in the FX network’s history.After humble beginnings performing off-off-Broadway in theatres, lofts and (in his words) holding cells (more vintage Sutter), Kurt caught his first major break in 2001, booking a staff writer gig on FX's The Shield, where he spent the next seven years mastering the fundamentals of fearless television storytelling and rising up the ranks to graduate as one of the show's coveted Executive Producers.Then came Sons. A seven-year, Shakespearean eruption of vigilantism, government corruption, racism, loyalty and human transformation, the show struck an immediate cultural nerve, cementing itself in the zeitgeist and skyrocketing Kurt to Hollywood's A-list.Kurt's creative output is impressive. Beyond Sons, Kurt penned Southpaw, a gritty feature-length boxing drama originally written for Eminem that ultimately starred Jake Gyllenhaal. He created The Bastard Executioner, a historical drama that ran for one season of FX, and a comic book mini-series called Lucas Stand. Mayans MC, Kurt's third television drama for FX, is set to debut soon. And this list doesn't even include Kurt's many feature projects currently in development.A self-described misanthrope, let's just say Kurt has a penchant for unapologetically speaking his mind — a disposition at odds with Hollywood etiquette that has resulted in more than a few skirmishes.But the Kurt I know — the Kurt I have been friends with for well over a decade – is a man quite apart from the reputation that often precedes him. He's a family man. A husband and father of three children. A great friend. An example of selfless service. And an extraordinary artist.It may sound like a Cinderella story. But success for Kurt didn't come easy. And it didn't come early. Overweight throughout his youth, he once tipped the scale at 400 pounds. Then came the drugs and alcohol — a battle he very nearly lost.It's a helluva ride. Today, we get into all of it.For the visually inclined, you can watch the conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandkurt.If you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!Peace + Plants,Rich

It’s so easy to get comfortable. To accept life as it is. To kick back — and just settle.Luxury and ease are what we are taught to seek. But it's actually at odds with the vitality and fulfillment most desire. My experience is that life gets interesting when you have the courage, strength and fortitude to step outside your comfort zone, face a little fear and test your limits.Because extending your boundaries strips away the non-essential, and shows you exactly who you really are.Fail or succeed, this is where all the magic happens. The growth. And a life fueled by purpose and passion.Today we explore these themes with North Face athlete Hilaree Nelson, one of the world's most accomplished adventure athletes.Named one of National Geographic’s 2018 Adventurers of the Year, Hilaree specializes in ski-mountaineering — a discipline that involves huge and often technical mountain ascents either on skis or carrying them, then descending said peaks on skis.Over the course of her storied career, Hilaree has conquered some of the most exotic and treacherous mountain ranges on Earth. Among her many accomplishments:* the first woman to climb both Everest and its 8,000-meter neighbor, Lhotse, in a 24-hour period* the first person to ski down all five of the Mongolian Altai’s “Holy Peaks”* skied from the Himalayan summit of Cho Oyu in Tibet* summited peaks and volcanoes in remote locations across Russia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Bolivia, Argentina, Lebanon & TibetI first came across Hilaree by way of Down To Nothing, a stunning documentary by Renan Ozturk that chronicles a 2014 National Geographic expedition to be the first to ascend the summit of Hkakabo Razi in Myanmar to determine if it is indeed Southeast Asia’s highest point. It’s a gorgeous and gripping glimpse of Hilaree’s skill and tenacity in the face of a uniquely extraordinary challenge.This is her story.It’s an incredible conversation about fear, risk resilience, adventure and potential. It’s about balancing the pull of adventure against her responsibilities as a single mom to two boys. It’s about the allure of the outdoors.But mostly, this is an exchange about the virtues of placing yourself outside that comfort zone – and what that can teach us about potential. The preciousness of life. And what it means to be truly alive.Hilaree is a badass. It's a pleasure to share her experience. And I sincerely hope it inspires you to seek more adventure in your life.For the visually inclined, you can watch the conversation on YouTube at: http://bit.ly/richandhilareeIf you are enjoying the video versions of the show, do me a favor and subscribe!Peace + Plants,Rich

Let's be clear: just because you're vegan doesn't mean you're healthy.To be sure, for so many reasons, eating animal free is awesome. But it's not a wellness panacea. Oreo cookies and Lay's potato chips are vegan. Unless your diet is liberated from the growing abundance of refined and highly processed processed foods, you're prone to confront the same weight management issues and chronic lifestyle illnesses that plague the average consumer subsisting on the standard American diet.Just ask Chef AJ. A vegan chef for almost 40 years, she nonetheless struggled mightily with obesity for decades — prisoner to an addiction to processed snacks, refined sugar desserts, and an array of vegan junk foods that left her not only chronically overweight, but seriously unwell.AJ's salvation came only when she finally became willing to confront her unhealthy relationship with food as a true addiction. It's a journey that required her to completely let go of habits that no longer served her, accept help, and embrace an entirely new relationship with food in the form of a whole foods, plant-based lifestyle.This is her story — an inspiring tale of triumph and personal transformation that will leave you rethinking your own habits. Enabled with the tools required to achieve and maintain your optimal body weight. And empowered to live your best life.A former comedian, today Chef AJ is a renown plant-based chef, culinary instructor, public speaker and member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine with a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University.An expert in food addiction, emotional eating and creating meals to transform health, AJ is the host of the television series Healthy Living with Chef AJ and has appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman and more. In addition, she is author of Unprocessed: How to Achieve Vibrant Health and Your Ideal Weight*. Her latest book, The Secrets To Ultimate Weight Loss* comes out soon (release date TBA).Full of life, AJ is one of my favorite health warriors, totally committed to serving others. Picking up where we left off in RRP #56 way back in 2013, this conversation is a must listen for anyone who struggles with food addiction, unhealthy cravings and a fluctuating waistline.As impactful as it is entertaining, it's an exchange about the often under-addressed emotional aspects of eating. It's about the hows and whys behind empowering a new relationship with food. And it's about the joy, vitality and self-esteem that can be experienced by breaking the chains of food addiction.I sincerely hope you enjoy this interaction as much as I enjoyed having it.More importantly, my hope is that you put AJ's insights to work — because if she can do it, you can too.A reminder that the podcast is also viewable on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/chefajrrpEnjoy!Rich

What exactly does it take to become an Olympic legend?Every elite athlete is devoted to mastering their craft. Some even strike gold on the world's largest stage. And every once in a while, we witness standout performances in consecutive Olympiads. But it's the rare specimen that can compete at the very highest level of sport across three Olympic Games to retire a legend.Meet Michael Klim.Awarded the medal of the Order of Australia (sort of like being knighted), Michael is indisputably one of Australia's most famous and celebrated athletes in a land that revers competitive swimming. A three-time Olympian with a slew of World Records, Olympic Gold Medals and World Championship titles to his name, he was part of a star-studded group of swimmers that took Australia back to the top of swimming in the late 1990’s & aughts — a group that included standouts like Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Keiren Perkins, Leisel Jones, Libby Trickett, Stephanie Rice, and Susie O’Neill.One of the stars of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Michael is perhaps best known as instrumental in Australia’s thrilling 4x100m relay victory, unleashing a world record lead off swim to win his first gold on the first night. Michael’s achievements also include:* '96 Atlanta Olympics: Bronze, 4x100m Medley Relay* '98 World Championships: 4 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze* '99: 2 World Records (100m Butterfly)* '00 Sydney Olympics: 2 Gold, 2 Silver & 2 World Records* '01 World Championships: 2 Gold & 1 World Record* '04 Athens Olympics: 1 Silver* '07 World Championships: 1 GoldQuite the successful entrepreneur after hanging up his budgie smugglers (see the Cambridge Dictionary definition), Michael is now the founder and managing director of a skin care line called Milk & Co. and conducts life optimization retreats under the banner Chosen Experiences.This is a conversation about Michael's extraordinary life as a lauded athlete, entrepreneur and parent.We cover his mental and physical success equation: the hows and whys behind his ascension to the very peak of elite Olympic performance. What was required of him to not just win, but keep winning. We discuss how he approaches high pressure scenarios. We cover his approach to remaining fit and how he parents his children. And we conclude with how he transitioned from decorated Olympian to successful entrepreneur — a pivot most professional athletes struggle with upon retirement.But most of all, this is a conversation about what is required to live a life of mastery, with more than a few critical takeaways you can implement into your own life.A personal hero of mine for as long as I can recall, I followed Michael's journey from the beginning. So it was a thrill for me to finally connect with him for this deep dive into his career and what makes him tick.I sincerely hope you enjoy the conversation.Full video version >>> http://bit.ly/klimvideoIf you are enjoying the video versions of the podcast, please subscribe!Peace, Plants & Pools!Rich

Do you think a healthy vegan lifestyle means giving up your favorite creamy pastas and cheesy pizzas?Think again.Today I sit down with Julie Piatt – mi amore in life, parenting, and service — for a two-part podcast.First up is everything you need to know about our brand new, super awesome cookbook & lifestyle guide, The Plantpower Way: Italia: Delicious Vegan Recipes from the Italian Countryside* — hitting bookstores everywhere next week.Shifting gears, Julie and I then turn our attention on relationships. It's a look into how we've maintained our 20-year partnership in life and work, and what can be mined from our experience to deepen intimacy with your amore.THE PLANTPOWER WAY: ITALIA — GIVEAWAYInspired by our annual retreats in Tuscany, our follow up to The Plantpower Way* pays homage to Italy's rich food history with an extraordinary collection of 125 delicious, nutritious and entirely plant-based Italian recipes animated by the country's most popular and time-honored dishes. Filled with fresh vegan takes on Italian staples, inventive new recipes, and stunning photographs of the Italian countryside, this book — we call it Italian 2.0 — is our celebration of Italy's most delicious flavors and will show everyone a fresh, beautiful, and healthful side to Italian cooking.This book is a labor of love. It's a family affair. It's a book you'll use daily. A book you will give as a gift and proudly display on your coffee table for friends to peruse.But most of all, it's a book that could change your life.And we simply cannot wait to finally share it with you.Pre-order sales are super important to the books ultimate viability, as they heavily influence retail purchaser demand and visibility. So if this sounds like a book for you, then it would mean a great deal to Julie and me if you would entrust us with a pre-order purchase from Amazon*,Barnes & Noble*,Target* or your favorite independent bookseller.Pick one up for yourself. For a relative in need. Or in anticipation of your friend's impending birthday.To close, understand that greater health is always within your grasp.So take our hand.And make the leap.Because there is a better way.Enjoy!Rich

There is nothing more powerful than a story well told.Built into the very fabric of what makes us human, this ancient art holds the power to transform not just the individual but humanity at large.Nobody understands this better than Tom Scott – a man devoted to the idea that when curiosity, conversation and community converge, the world indeed becomes a better place.A graduate of Brown University with a Masters of Divinity from Yale, Tom is perhaps best known as the co-founder and original CEO of Nantucket Nectars. Founded in 1989 — long before it was cool to be a start-up founder — the fruit juice venture quickly grew to national prominence, making the “Inc. 500” list of fastest growing U.S. companies five years in a row and garnering Tom accolades, including the Mercury Award for Advertising and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award.After selling Nantucket Nectars in 2002, Tom reinvented himself as a film and television producer. In 2004 he formed Plum TV, which owned and operated a network of stations around the country and received more than 14 Emmy awards. He produced television ads for companies like Nike and BMW. He created and produced the HBO series The Neistat Brothers with 3-time podcast guest Casey Neistat. And in 2010 he won an Independent Spirit Award for producing the feature-length film Daddy Longlegs (also with Casey).Tom’s current passion is The Nantucket Project. Akin to TED but much more intimate, TNP is both an annual event and a movement — gatherings large and small (plus a new podcast, The Neighborhood Project) that bring together thought leaders across a wide range of disciplines to explore the most relevant, cutting-edge ideas and the implications such ideas pose for the betterment of culture, society and business.I have known Tom since 7th grade. We attended junior high and high school together. These were not my favorite times, so it was incredibly healing to revisit that era with someone who was there. We discuss Tom's entrepreneurial success. What he aims to achieve with The Nantucket Project. And the power of story to inspire wonder, cultivate community, ignite change, and unite us in this most divided time.I've been waiting 30 years to have this conversation. Honest, intimate and personally meaningful, it's exactly the exchange I always hoped it would be.You're in for a treat. Enjoy!For the visually inclined, the podcast is viewable on YouTube here: http://bit.ly/tomscottandrichIf you are enjoying the video versions of the podcast, please subscribe!Peace + Plants,Rich

Let’s talk about limits.What is your true ceiling? How do you frame the outer edge of your capabilities?Are these checks and balances truth? or are they just beliefs you accept as fact?How you answer these questions have profound implications not only on your perception of potential, but on virtually every significant decision you make, the challenges you agree to tackle and ultimately how you view yourself and the world you inhabit.Today's conversation asks us to rethink such restrictions — both self-imposed and external — suggesting that we are all capable of so much more than we allow ourselves to believe. That, in a word, each and every one of us holds the power to transcend our sense of what is truly possible.Because according to this week's guest, limits are an illusion.Meet Alex Hutchinson.A National Magazine Award-winning journalist, Alex began his career as a physicist, putting his University of Cambridge Ph.D to work as a researcher for the U.S. National Security Agency. A two-time finalist in the 1,500 meters at the Canadian Olympic Trials, Alex spent his free time during the NSA years training and competing as a middle- and long-distance runner for the Canadian national team. By this I mean he is a good runner. Very good.Alex subsequently received a masters in journalism from Columbia University and today he writes about the science of endurance for Runner’s World and Outside, while frequently contributing to little-known publications like the New York Times, The New Yorker and Toronto's Globe and Mail. FiveThirtyEight recently named him one of their “favorite running science geeks” and he was also one of only two reporters granted access to cover Breaking2 — Nike’s top secret training project to break the two-hour marathon barrier.I have been a fan and avid reader of Alex's writing over the last few years. But what inspired me to invite him on the podcast is his phenomenal new book, Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance*. A page-turning must read, it blends cutting edge science and incredible storytelling in the spirit of Malcolm Gladwell (who penned the foreword) to suggest the seemingly physical barriers we encounter when tackling a challenge are set as much by the brain as by the body.In other words, the horizons of performance are much more elastic than we once thought.Indeed, the new frontier of endurance is not the body, but the mind.Borne from a decade of intensive research shadowing elite athletes and traveling to high-tech labs around the world, this conversation with Alex beckons us to better understand and ultimately more fully express express our innate abilities. And it's a roadmap laden with strategies, techniques and tools to manifest that untapped potential lurking within.Alex's examination of limits is not restricted to physical performance. Defined broadly as “the struggle to continue against a mounting desire to stop,” Alex suggests that endurance is best understood as surprisingly universal, applicable to essentially every challenge we face, be it athletic, academic, professional or emotional.So even if you are not an athlete, my hope is that this conversation and the book that inspired it will leave you rethinking your limits, so that you may reach higher, push farther, and ultimately become better in whatever discipline you are devoted to mastering.I sincerely hope you enjoy the exchange.Peace + Plants,Rich