Inspired Evolution with Amrit Sandhu 🙏🏻

Our guest for this week is Tom Cronin, leadership and transformational coach, meditation teacher, author, speaker, film producer, and founder of ‘The Stillness Project’. Click HERE if you want to learn more about his cool program and get 3 free videos! About TomTom spent 26 years in finance markets as one of Sydney’s leading bond and swap brokers. He discovered meditation in the early stages of his career, when the anxiety and chaos he was experiencing had hit a crisis point, and it completely transformed his world, both personally and professionally.In 2013, he founded ‘The Stillness Project’, a global movement to inspire one billion people to sit in stillness daily. Tom is passionate about reducing stress and chaos in people’s lives. His ongoing work in transformational leadership and cultivating inner peace through meditation takes him around the world hosting retreats, mentoring, presenting keynote talks, and teaching. Tom also produced and co-wrote ‘The Portal’, a film/book experience about the ability for inner change to bring about a powerful planetary shift. This experiential documentary brings to life the stories of six people who have used stillness and mindfulness to move beyond trauma. The movie was released in September 2019 as yet another testament to his commitment to the current planetary shift.Connect with Tom:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StillnessProject/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillnessproject/Website #1: https://stillnessproject.com/Website #2: https://entertheportal.com/Personal Website: https://www.tomcronin.com/In This Episode We Canvas:The Distinction Between the Ego and PresenceTom is renowned for his work with meditation and right from the start, we get into the question of presence, which is one of the fundamental components of his teachings. He explores the differences between the Ego and the Presence and already we can see the dynamics of how meditation helps us improve the quality of our life.“In each moment there’s just Consciousness or Presence or Awareness, that is here, and then there’s also, depending on how engaged, involved or developed it is, is the Egoic Identity that’s in this experience as well… The Ego is consistently identified by the world around it… The Presence itself is completely unmoved. It’s just watchfulness. Complete, unjudged, unbiased… uninfluenced watchfulness of this experience.” - Tom CroninWhat Is Enlightenment?Tom breaks down the beautiful game that we play when we try to “achieve” enlightenment and he does it in such a beautiful, almost poetic fashion. The fact is “reaching”, “achieving” or “attaining” is actually the aspect that leaving us misguided.“It’s the nature of the universe to be everything and know everything at all times but to be able to forget that as well. And be curious about trying to find and remember that. It’s just a fascinating game that we play in the rediscovering of what we already are. The enlightenment isn’t something that we find, the enlightenment is the rediscovering of what we already, innately, are. - Tom CroninSeeking Fulfillment Vs. What We’re Actually GettingTom invites us to reflect on whether our actions are leading us to what we’re trying to achieve. He also makes an observation regarding the current state of the world that we’re living in and concludes that even though, materially, we’re better off than ever before, it still hasn’t done much to help us get what is really important, which is fulfillment.“What we have to ask ourselves is, is our action giving us what we’re seeking, giving us fulfillment? Is it giving us the ultimate destination, what we’re actually trying to find?... There’s a distinct separation between what we’re seeking and what we’re getting.” - Tom CroninHow Vibrations Tend to Sync and AlignWe’ve mentioned vibrations a few times over the course of our conversation, but here Tom explains how a certain tendency towards synchronization between these vibrations can help people change their life for the better.“There is a synchronization that happens on a vibrationary level… If your vibration starts to shift from fear, anger, rage, guilt, shame, all that sort of stuff, very low frequencies… And through meditation, you’re clearing out all of these low energies you’re moving your energy up into, sort of, more lovingness, more calmness, more joyfulness, a totally different frequency scale… Then you’re going to naturally, start to want to align your actions to something of similar vibration.” - Tom CroninThe ‘Seeker, Finder, Sharer’ SequenceTom describes a sequence that depicts a journey of personal growth and transformation that most people go through.“The first thing that you do when you walk into a dark room is you climb around looking for the light… Eventually, after seeking for a while, you find the light switch… You find some way of making your life lighter and more illuminated… And then the next stage in the sequence is once you find that it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, other people might want this as well!’” - Tom CroninWhy Meditation Should Be Interpreted as a DeviceThere are numerous practices that can help us improve our mental health and well-being. Still, Tom insists we should consider them to be devices that allow us to access the truly powerful stuff that’s already there, within us. He also warns about the potential negative effects that can appear if we create a dependent relationship with our practices.“There’s so much spiritual superiority on certain practices, thinking that they’re the best and this is the only way… The practice is really just a device. It’s like a cast that is giving you the ability to experience you. It just stabilizes things. It stills things. It calms the mind so that you can experience what, inherently, is already there behind the noise of the mind.” - Tom CroninTom’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis conversation with Tom has been such a deep and insightful experience about a bunch of things fundamental to the human experience with frequent expeditions into the meta. I love how Tom is so open-minded, how he welcomes other points of view and how he underlines the fact that the true power is not in the practice but in ourselves.“One of the simplest things I think we can do is to start meditating... I don’t want to go out and try to have all the answers to solving the world’s problems, but if I could just inspire more people to meditate then I think we’ll probably start to find that a lot of those problems will start resolving themselves.” - Tom CroninSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Mira Kelley, a consciousness architect, master healer, author, international speaker, and a past life regressionist. About MiraMira discovered her passion for past life regressions when she was only 13 years old. The peak experience that she felt that day really stuck with her. Years later, she found herself dealing with a chronic TMJ condition and a pain that she desperately needed to get rid of. The traditional medical approach to resolving this issue was incredibly invasive, so she decided to give past regression therapy a chance and in only two sessions - her pain was completely gone!Her personal experience of regression therapy led her to a path of becoming a master healer herself. She has worked with hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world, individually and through her many programs, products, and workshops, to help them clear their emotional and physical problems, to let go of the past and to create their best lives now.Her work has been prominently featured in the New York Times best-selling books of Dr. Wayne Dyer, Dr. Brian Weiss, Anita Moorjani and Cathy Byrd. Mira also has a prominent international speaking career that took her to stages all over the world and she also taught workshops that empower people to reach their goals and to live lives they are in love with.She is the author of the internationally best-selling and best-loved book ‘Beyond Past Lives’. In the book, Mira shares the life-changing lessons she learned from her clients in order to help you discover support and understanding while also empowering you in your own growth. ‘Beyond Past Lives’ has been translated into 18 languages!For this week’s episode, Mira prepared a special treat for the Inspired Evolution tribe - a free 20-minute meditation on self-love and trust. Click here to get your free gift!Connect with Mira:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MiraKelleyTwitter: https://twitter.com/mirakelleyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/MiraKelley?feature=watchWebsite: https://mirakelley.com/In This Episode We Canvas:Redesigning Your ConsciousnessMira started off her career as a healer solely doing regression therapy. But she quickly realized there was potential for taking things a step further and introduced her own expertise into the equation which allows her to “redesign people’s consciousness”. She shares her experiences and explains why this approach has a lot more to offer to her clients.“That’s really what liberates us. That’s really what allows the path to unfold and to move their life in a way they want it to be.” - Mira KelleyThe Human Tendency Towards Creating NarrativesIn this section, we discuss the origin and the benefits of our tendency to think about life in stories.“Stories are really a very beautiful way for us to connect with the understanding, with the lessons, release, emotions… We are truly story-based with everything. We explain our life away that way, we dream of the future in stories…” - Mira KelleyThe Question of PurposeWe’ve approached the question of purpose on our podcast so many times, but it seems like we’ll never run out of interesting and unique perspectives. Such is the case with Mira’s approach where she offers a two-layered answer to the conundrum.“When people say to me, ‘What is my purpose?’, I give thin this two-layered answer… The first layer of this answer is really - the purpose is to be you… With all your glory, with all your talents,... Truly - you! When it gets a little more specific that’s the second level of the answer. Our purpose is to be here for us to be ourselves so that we can, in the being of ourselves and the use of our gifts and talents, in the fulfillment of our value… to learn how to handle your thoughts and emotions. In other words, to learn how to handle this creative power within us.” - Mira KelleyHow to Discover Your PurposeFrom the question of “What is my purpose?” we continue to go deeper in order to provide an answer for “How can I discover my purpose?” and Mira reveals an insightful approach.“My suggestion is, very simply, go right where it’s easy. Because your purpose is you… The expression of you. So this is not about something that is hard, this is not something that you have to deserve. This is already in you! You already know what people appreciate you for. You already know what comes easy for you.” - Mira KelleyThe 3 Steps to Living Your PurposeWe’ve already set the stage in the previous section and now Mira drives the discussion home with her 3-step approach to living your purpose!1 - Discover What Excites You“It starts by saying what speaks to me, right here, in this moment… What feeds my soul, what do I have the opportunity to engage in that really is the highest excitement in this moment.” - Mira Kelley2 - Do It to the Best Of Your Ability“It’s very important to do what excites you without holding back. Without any expectations… Truly do it to the best of your ability.” - Mira Kelley3 - Do It Without Expectation“Don’t worry how - it’s going to get to it, wherever you want to go.” - Mira KelleyThe Purpose of SufferingWe also touch on the subject of suffering quite a bit and here you can see the positivity in Mira’s philosophy - in the notion that we do not need bad in order to create something good. Without denying the value of suffering, Mira believes that it is not the only way for us to become better souls.“We don’t really need to have a breakdown to have a breakthrough. Obviously, our biggest challenge becomes our greatest lesson but I don’t really subscribe to the theory that we are here to learn from suffering… I honestly believe that the purpose of suffering is to teach us how not to suffer.” - Mira KelleyMira’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis has truly been a lovely masterclass on purpose! I love Mira’s positive energy and how she manages to bring us back always to the things that are the most simple and natural to us. It’s just one of those episodes you can listen to several times over. I’m grateful that she shared her wisdom so selflessly with us tonight and for this message of Inspired evolution, I’d like to once again underline her guiding principles for how to live your purpose. YEW!“Do what excites you, do it to the best of your abilities and do it without expectation.” - Mira KelleySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Tony Johannsen, an existential psychotherapist, coach, facilitator, artist, and behavior-change specialist.Today’s episode is a two-parter! The first part had been recorded live at an event called ‘Get Hacked, Get Hi’ and the other is our followup Zoom conversation. Almost two hours of in-depth conversation about existential philosophy and how to apply it to personal growth. YEW!About TonyTony Johannsen is a certified psychotherapist who uses an approach based on existential philosophy in order to help people build richer and more rewarding lives. He draws on a vast base knowledge from disciplines such as neurology, philosophy, psychotherapy and combines them with flow states to inspire positive changes in the behavior of his clients. Tony predominantly works with the criminal justice system and he is an expert on the topic of substance and alcohol abuse and addictions.His understanding of anxiety is both fascinating and unique because as he believes it should be considered a guiding tool rather than a symptom that has to be treated. In these 90 minutes of in-depth conversation, we explore some of the most burning questions related to our existence and the human experience. Tony usually keeps a low profile and doesn’t do much work in the private sector. But he is preparing a series of workshops for 2020 and it sounds like an amazing idea! If you enjoy his approach and message, make sure to check out his website or follow him on social media for updates! Connect with Tony:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tony.johannsen.7YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWMRqQQXgoysLRszegXzMTQ?Website: https://www.tonyjohannsen.com/In This Episode We Canvas:The Difference Between Sympathy and EmpathyTony never shied away from talking about death. At the young age of 15, he had his first direct experience of mortality when his brother tragically died in a car accident. He reminisces about how he was bothered by the fact he felt people were offering sympathy and pitty. Today, Tony makes a key distinction and a conscious decision to refrain from sympathy and turn to empathy.  “As a psychotherapist, I specialize in empathy. Sympathy is not my bag, I don’t feel sorry for anyone. But I can definitely empathize with whatever the state you’re in and whatever you’re experiencing at this point in time.” - Tony JohannsenThe 4 Key Existential GivensTony provides us with an overview of existential philosophy and it’s founding postulates. The four fundamental existential givens are:1- Death“We’re the only creature where it seems to be an issue. A large part of it is because it’s a boundaried existence - we know it’s finite.” - Tony Johannsen2 - Meaninglessness“Point two… I mean there’s no hierarchy and order. So we’ll go with meaninglessness… The existential position is there’s no essence for what it means to be human.” - Tony Johannsen3 - Isolation“There’s always like a gap in communication between humans. And that gap from an existential standpoint is what they call isolation.” - Tony Johannsen4 - Meeting of Freedom and Responsibility“Number four is a meeting of two concepts which is freedom and responsibility, which ties in with possibility I guess... Beyond these human limitations that we’ve been speaking of, the freedoms and possibilities are virtually boundless.” - Tony JohannsenAnxiety as a Call to AuthenticityTony’s unique understanding of authenticity is one of the key aspects of his approach based on existentialism. Rather than looking at anxiety as something to be treated and removed, he chooses to look at it as a way to reveal authenticity, the things that are most important to us.“The way of understanding our anxiety before showtime, for example, is that this really matters to me. So it’s appropriate that I’m anxious about this. Because it matters, this means a lot!” - Tony JohannsenHow to Hack Blame and AngerYou can expect a lot of practical takeaways from this conversation and one of them is Tony’s advice on how to hack anger and refrain from placing blame on others.“Next time you blame somebody for something or you have a disproportionate reaction to the stimulus, which is to get angry, fundamentally, just hold yourself for a minute and check-in and say: ‘Am I taking full responsibility for my behavior in this point in time?’ and odds are you’re not because you never do.” - Tony JohannsenThe Difference Between Nihilism and ExistentialismExistentialism is often confused with Nihilism which usually puts people off from exploring these ideas further. Nevertheless, there is a key difference between these two schools of thought and Tony uses a very relatable example in order to highlight this distinction.“Rather than saying, ‘I don’t speed because I don’t speed because I’m going to get a fine.’, for example. No, I can get a fine, I can drive as fast as I want. I’m making a choice based on something deeper. I’m making a choice based on the human perspective and the fact that I don’t want to endanger myself, my children or anyone else in the community. That’s an entirely different reason for not speeding than ‘I don’t want to pay the fine.’ Same behavior.” - Tony JohannsenOverlooking Crucial Existential ChallengesIn this part of our conversation, we explore all the distractions we experience in today’s world and why existential questions remained relevant throughout history.“I think we overthink our environment and we underestimate the limitations of being human. And that these existential concerns… have been plaguing us or asking us to question them since humans had consciousness. And I don’t think we pay that enough credit, I think we get a bit too caught up in the bread and circuses that is contemporary society.” - Tony JohannsenDifferentiating Between Pain and SufferingTrying to stay away from pain may even seem intuitive to some, but this approach can have very serious consequences for how we raise our children.“We’re indoctrinating our children at a very early age to take little to no responsibility for anything. Because we’ve invested in this myth that somehow pain is something to avoid. Now, suffering is something to challenge and to mitigate and to manage - pain is inevitable.” - Tony JohannsenWhy We Chose to Change Behavior Over Our Meaning StructureWe are all more inclined to do something different but we’re way less inclined to try to think different. In this section, Tony breaks down the background of why trying to change behavior comes easier to us than trying to change our meaning structure.“Everyone always wants to quit their job and get another job that’s closer to their meaning search. Very few people want to audit their meaning structure and figure out different ways of processing reality in order to bring their meaning structure closer to the actual behavior. Because one of them involves cutting and running and the other involves discipline, psychological fortitude. People are less inclined to buy into that.” - Tony JohannsenThe Ironic Nature of Trying to Be “Your True You”Playing around with the ideas of self, flow, and “revealing the real you”, Tony shares a fascinating paradoxical gem about the relationship of these concepts.“The only time you really get to greet the moment is in flow states. And the irony is that in flow states you don’t exist. The concept of you disappears. So the most ‘you’ you can be is when you actually transcend yourself. It’s so ironic, don’t you reckon?” - Tony JohannsenTony’s Message of Inspired EvolutionAfter almost two hours of conversation, I can only say that I’m completely blessed to have met Tony and been able to create this episode. His breakdown of existential philosophy is marvelous and the discourse he uses to get his ideas across is so deep yet also incredibly relatable and comprehensive. He leaves us with a message that is supposed to help take the pressure off and I hope our conversation inspires you as much as it inspired me.“Philosophy is a concept. It’s our instrument to ride the wave of life, that’s all it is. Just to make it more enjoyable and ease the suffering. Don’t overthink it. Play with it.” - Tony JohannsenSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Siddharth Anantharam, community architect, Business Head of Mindvalley’s ‘Evercoach’, and founder of ‘Life Circles’.About SiddharthSiddharth Anantharam, also known as Sid, is really passionate about human connection. His guiding principle in life is to be interested rather than interesting which has allowed him to grow into a wonderful conversationalist, capable of creating meaningful connections with people very quickly. By asking powerful questions, a practice accompanied by intent and active listening, Sid gets people to share thoughts about the things they value most which creates an instant connection.A unique set of skills and talents has helped him become the Business Head of ‘Evercoach’ - Mindvalley’s online school and community for coaches. Sid leads the 'Evercoach' team that combines the top ideas, training, research, and insights into a powerful, actionable and transformational experience. With ‘Evercoach’, he also hosts and speaks at large events all over the world.In 2018, Sid and his 2 close friends co-founded ‘Life Circles’, an organization that helps people build meaningful relationships with themselves and others. By creating safe spaces for people to share and connect, they intend to help “build a more compassionate, connected and united world.” Their services cater to individuals, teams, communities, organizations, and through that, the planet itself.They host several retreats throughout the year and if you’d like to learn more, check out their website! You’ll find out details about upcoming events along with where and when you can apply. You can also expect updates about a brand new card game they’re designed to spark and facilitate meaningful conversations - the release date is planned before the end of 2019!Connect with Siddharth:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharth-anantharam/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sid_anantharam/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/siddharth.anantharam Website: https://www.ourlifecircle.com/In This Episode We Canvas:Reconnecting with the SelfWe ease into the conversation by going over the burning questions that were raised in Sid’s most recent Life Circle. The first burning question was related to the disconnection with the self that we’re experiencing in a time where technology has allowed us to connect with each other instantly, at all times.“Everyone was looking really to say, ‘Hey, I know connection is important but we live in such a hyperconnected world yet we are not so hyperconnected with ourselves.’” - Siddharth AnantharamBeing Alone vs. Being LonelyThe second burning question was the distinction between being alone and being lonely. We’ve referenced this distinction later in our conversation and we discussed it in the context of mental health issues being connected to loneliness.“The second thing that stood out was a lot of people confusing being alone with being lonely. Being alone actually made them lonelier, whereas, if you think about it, being alone is what they were really looking forward to authentically reconnect to themselves.” - Siddharth AnantharamThe 3 Ingredients to a Meaningful ConversationSid shared the three principles that allow for a meaningful conversation, which are:Vulnerability“One of the biggest things I’ve realized about meaningful conversations when it comes to vulnerability is entering a conversation not knowing the outcome.” - Siddharth AnantharamHonesty“Meaningful conversations require a level of honesty that is honesty both to understand and be understood.” - Siddharth AnantharamPerspective“When people are having a conversation we are all wearing a pair of glasses. We are looking at the world through a pair of lenses and a conversation is really the simplest way for us to exchange our pair of glasses.” - Siddharth AnantharamThese are also the three principles that Sid and his colleagues base their Life Circles on.“We go into each person’s burning questions and try to see how can we have honest and vulnerable conversations that give each person perspective to what they’re really thinking and feeling in the moment.” - Siddharth AnantharamThe Two Types of DisconnectionDiving deeper into the notion of disconnection, Sid again offers insights he acquired from his circles. He presents an ironic distinction between two groups of people experiencing disconnection in a completely different way. What makes it ironic is the fact that, in order to reconnect, they’d need to learn how to incorporate each other’s approach.“There were two types of people in the room… One was people who were so connected to what they were doing in the world every single day that it was leading to burnout… And there was another spectrum of people... People who want to do so much in the world but were so connected to themselves that they keep prioritizing themselves first without doing the work.” - Siddharth AnantharamThe Power of Collective WisdomCollective wisdom is another principle that Sid’s work with ‘Life Circles’ is based on. Sid breaks it down for us and explains why it makes such a huge impact on our personal growth and transformation.“I think that collective wisdom is all about using the experiences, the unique stories, the unique lessons that each one of us holds and putting it all in a space that it can brew and it can give back to each person what they need in that moment. Not what they want but what they need.” - Siddharth AnantharamHow to Be AloneNow that we’ve determined that there’s a problem with mixing notions of being alone and being lonely, Sid continues to reflect on the things that can help us experience aloneness without the loneliness.“Something that I have learned recently that has caused a huge spike in how I’m able to spend time alone with myself is really savoring - the Art of Savoring.” - Siddharth AnantharamLooking for Like-Hearted PeopleAccording to Sid, in order to truly be, we need to search for like-hearted people. He acknowledges that having both like-minded and like-hearted types of people in our life can be useful but it’s important to recognize that they will be able to offer us different things in life.“If you want to really be, you want to find people who are like-hearted. Who are able to create the space for you, who are able to give you the kind of energy you need.” - Siddharth AnantharamThe 3 Parameters for Evaluating RelationshipsSid offers a practical technique for evaluating relationships that is based on meaningful parameters. We’re not spoiling anything here, go check out the full episode!“Ask yourself which of your longest relationships - how do they rate on these 3 parameters? And if they don’t rate high, then ask yourself… are these the relationships that really matter to you? - Siddharth AnantharamThe 6 Steps for Having a Really Good ConversationLastly, since Sid gave us the 3 ingredients we need for a meaningful conversation, he proceeds to share the necessary steps or how he calls it - the recipe. Make sure to listen to the podcast and find out what they are!“These are the 6 simple steps that you can adapt to any conversation that you have!” - Siddharth AnantharamSiddharth’s Message of Inspired EvolutionWhat a masterclass on human connection this has been! I’m really excited about our conversation and I’m so grateful that Sid shared his findings so selflessly. He literally provided us all with a framework for experiencing and creating meaningful conversations and gave us the tool we can use to reconnect with ourselves, each other and life. Siddharth invites and encourages us to listen intently and grow using the principles that are natural to us both biologically and culturally - through the means of human connection.“We are wired to listen. It’s just about remembering something you already know.” - Siddharth AnantharamSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Dayne Barkley, human potential and primal health coach, holistic health entrepreneur, and the founder and CEO of ‘Barkley Eyewear’.For all members of the Inspired Evolution Tribe, Dayne has set up a wonderful treat - 10% off any pair of Barkleys from the website!Click here to visit the website and enter the code 'INSPIRED10' to redeem your discount!Today as a special treat, we have not one, but two conversations with Dayne! One had been recorded live at an event called ‘Get Hacked, Get Hi’ and the other is our followup conversation where we explored the notion of hacking your sleep further.About DayneDayne is a former actor turned biohacker. This huge shift towards the world of health and well-being was sadly motivated by the loss of a loved one. After his grandfather passed away in 2014, he started to explore all sorts of disciplines and techniques that can help us lead a healthier life.His deep dive into the field of health drove him even further from the moment he discovered the Paleo protocol. In recent years, Dayne’s been working hard in the field of health and got certified as a Health and Primal Coach, an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and also a Bulletproof Coach from Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Training Institute. Some of his main areas of focus include sleep, diet, fitness, cognition, psychology, earthing/grounding, and wearables.In 2018, Dayne founded a company that produces and sells interchangeable blue-blocking glasses called “Barkley Eyewear”. These glasses block out the blue, artificial light which helps regulate the circadian rhythm and allows for better sleeping routines. Aside from proving to be extremely beneficial for sleep-regulation, Dayne's glasses are also very stylish and work great as a fashion accessory. For all members of the Inspired Evolution Tribe, Dayne has set up a wonderful treat - 10% off on all products from his website! Click here to visit the website and enter the code 'INSPIRED10' to redeem your discount!Connect with Dayne:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daynebarkleyhealth/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daynebarkleyCompany Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barkleyeyewear/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dayne-barkley-190704104/Website: http://www.daynebarkley.com/In This Episode We Canvas:What Are the Negative Effects of Blue Light?Dayne decided to get into the industry of blue-blocking glasses because, as he puts it, he’s looking to provide for a “temporary solution until lighting engineers come up with a better one”. The fact of the matter is that we’re surrounded by sources of light that contain a massive disproportion of blue light that is messing with our internal, circadian rhythm. Computers, phones, all sorts of screens and neon signs have created a setting that discourages healthy sleeping routines and patterns.“It sort of tricks the brain that your body is like, “Oh, is it daytime? Is it nighttime?”... It scrambles the clock inside of the human eye.” - Dayne BarkleyWhy Is Sleep So Important?As we slide over into the topic of sleep, we go over why it plays such a huge role in our health and what we need to do in order to devise a routine that can help us rest better and recharge optimally. Dayne acknowledges the slight variations in our needs for sleep which is why he suggests objective measurements. This way, we can precisely figure out the right amount of sleep per day we need individually. “It doesn’t matter what your genetics are, it’s universal, across everything… We’re designed to sleep a certain amount of hours. There’s a very small group that can actually get away with 6 hours of sleep.” - Dayne BarkleyTop Tips for Hacking Your SleepAs a sign off from the live portion of our podcast, Dayne shares his top tips for hacking your sleep!“Move away from the coil mattresses - they’re not beneficial at all... If you don’t want to switch off the power in your house, at least go turn off your Wi-Fi router at night... And then, keeping your room as dark and as cool as possible - that’s a really important part.” - Dayne BarkleyThe Importance of Meal Timing for SleepDayne places the timing of his meals throughout the day as one of the key elements of his health transformation. Years of research and experimentation have contributed to his success and he’s selflessly sharing his results with us!“It’s going off of what I’ve learned and now I’ve seen the actual impact… And I truly believe it’s actually quite a universal approach as well.” - Dayne BarkleyThe Power of Routines and HabitsCreating healthy habits and routines seems to be at the foundation of our conversation. Here, Dayne explores additional tips that can help us develop and strengthen them.“Create some sort of a routine and structure and then make your environment pull for that as well.” - Dayne BarkleyHow to Prevent Jet Lag For all those frequent flyers out there, Dayne shares the routine that has helped him deal with jet lag over the years!“Consciously, one of the things I tend to go for is definitely grounding… At least 10 minutes would be ideal. And then another big factor would definitely be fluid intake.” - Dayne BarkleyListening Out for Your Inner GuidanceIn this section, we talk about the significance of listening to your inner guidance and Dayne’s personal experience can attest to that.“What I’ve come across in my personal experience and the key that’s just really resonated with me is turning within and having that inner guidance… I just truly believe that accessing and cultivating that inner guidance has been enormous for me.” - Dayne BarkleyThe Challenges of Sticking to Healthy PracticesWe are not perfect and so everyone has experienced the challenge of sticking to a plan or a strategy. Unhealthy habits challenge our plans each day and Dayne sees the solution in learning to differentiate our inner guidance from rationalization.“Trying to differentiate between your inner guidance and what is there to support you and what is just pathogenic bacteria trying that wants to feed you more sugar in your diet…” - Dayne BarkleyDayne’s Message of Inspired EvolutionIs this an action-packed episode or what??? Dayne really demonstrates his biohacking abilities and the whole conversation is just full of delightful tips and tricks you can implement in your daily life in order to improve your sleep, regulate your circadian rhythm, and boost your overall health. For this week’s message of Inspired Evolution, we’ll highlight yet again the amazing power of habits and routines, along with the magnificent role they play in personal transformation:“Most importantly, be conscious and do things that create a habit that you can build upon into your routine.” - Dayne BarkleySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Molly Cofman, a 500-hour certified yoga instructor, acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, avid world traveler, and healer.About MollyMolly was always drawn to being a healer and her formal education can attest to that. She holds a Master of Science degree in Oriental Medicine from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine as well as a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Aside from that. she also has a master of Fine Arts in Theater Arts and Dance from the University of Arizona.For a time, she was also a part of the renowned Human Genome Project, which is still the world’s largest collaborative biological project to date. Still, her journey took her away from the traditional medical approach as she discovered it didn’t align with her core values. Molly wanted to make a more personal and direct impact on people’s lives which is why she turned to dance and music - practices she has used as a form of personal therapy her entire life. For her, it was a way of “tapping into the wisdom beyond words.”Under her personal brand Inspiration Heals, Molly uses resources and knowledge from numerous disciplines and practices in order to provide a unique and effective healing approach. She uses the power of travel to provide people with an opportunity to explore different cultures as well as themselves, all the while teaching on mindfulness practices that help guide the entire experience. Molly is currently based in Tuscany, Italy from where she teaches yoga and eastern healing practices.If you’re interested in learning more about the work that she’s doing, definitely go check out her website. She hosts retreats throughout the year and the next one will be held in South America, in the Patagonia region during March 2020. Another one, in Nepal, is scheduled for November of next year.Connect with Molly:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505240097 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspirationheals/Website: https://www.inspirationheals.com/In This Episode We Canvas:The Foundation Of CreativityMolly’s teachings have a lot to do with facilitating creativity and looking at the notion in a more comprehensive light. Most people that consider themselves uncreative do so because they lose sight of what it actually means to be creative. They focus on the grandiose expressions of creativity which clouds their judgment and makes them believe the lie that they are incapable of creative thought and action, which is never the case.“For me, I think that the foundation of creativity, and I think that’s something that I’m really striving to facilitate for people, is just the simplicity of perspective. Of seeing life from different perspectives.” - Molly CofmanThe Connection Between Creativity and OpennessContinuing our conversation on the path of exploring creativity, Molly shares another gem of the role of openness and how it affects our ability to be creative. If creativity is about variation and different perspectives we need to open ourselves up further in order to truly grasp and wield its power.“It’s having the confidence to walk the walk but not closing any door to possibility.” - Molly CofmanRelationship as the Foundation of LifeIn this section, Molly talks about how life doesn’t exist or occur in isolation - everything is connected. It is in those connections and relationships that we need to seek self-improvement and growth because isolating ourselves from the world doesn’t work. It only increases our suffering.“Nothing in life exists out of relationship. Down to the fact that we’re in relationship with our thoughts. It’s not like we’re ever isolated… The very foundation of life is relationship.” - Molly CofmanConsiderations Regarding the Self-Help MovementExploring the notions of isolation and relationship further, Molly brings to light a potential side of self-help movement that can actually have negative impacts if we do not take into account the value of connection.“I was a little bit at odds with some of the things that were being presented. Not that the foundation of the teachings wasn’t sound but what I felt like it was doing was encouraging people to cocoon themselves.” - Molly CofmanPractices That Help Us CopeWe’ve often talked on the podcast about the numerous benefits certain practices and rituals can help lead us to personal growth. Here, Molly talks about how regularly engaging in practices such as mindfulness, meditation, and yoga can help us bring into a healthy space that allows us to be creative.“That’s why for me, things like yoga, things like the meditative practice things like… Any kind of daily ritual that helps to keep us on track of what direction we believe we want to go… They’re like a beacon of light in the darkness of the unknown.” - Molly CofmanBeing Governed by the ElementsUnderstanding the connection between nature and life is yet another topic we dive deep into. Bringing this relationship into focus gives us an opportunity to come back to the elements and draw inspiration from being harmonious with the world around us.“We are the elements. This physical capsule that I’m walking this life in is made of elements. It’s made of the elements of the Earth… This is how we’re all governed. And when we move back to an understanding of how nature loves to move… It’s such a beautiful way to return to presence.” - Molly Cofman The Romance of ImmensityWe’ve mentioned before that as humans, we have a tendency to be attracted by notions of grandeur. But if we were to make a conscious step back from these ideas and look at immensity from a different perspective, we could try and strive towards this greatness as a whole, rather than as individuals.“Can we take on that role of grandiose as a population, together, rather than it being just a select few people who are trying to shine the light for everyone?... So that little by little the world is populated by people creating these things that are in harmony with nature, with truth, with honesty. So that we share the responsibility of creating.” - Molly CofmanMolly’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis podcast is a perfect example of how having an interdisciplinary approach allows you to grasp the bigger picture. Molly’s experience truly shines in what is an action-packed 90 minutes of deep conversation and it was a real privilege having her on the show. Her thoughts on creativity, curiosity, and perspective are something that is sure to stay with me for a long time. It would be impossible to sum up all of her wisdom in one single sentence but I truly hope our talk inspires you. That it gives you the inspiration to heal.“Life isn’t really about a thing. Life is how we choose to interact with the thing.” - Molly CofmanSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Koya Webb, an author, speaker, internationally recognized yoga teacher, vegan activist, and celebrity holistic health coach.About KoyaKoya Webb is a former competitive track and field athlete. She was first introduced to yoga as a form of rehabilitation for an injury she suffered while training for the Olympics. But as time went by, she continued to fall in love with the practice. After she fully recognized both the physical and mental benefits of yoga, Koya shifted her career focus to personal training and life coaching, with a goal of sharing practical holistic health practices anyone can use to improve their lifestyle.Every day, Koya aims to promote daily self-care, oneness, and eco-friendly living. Her goal is to combat some of the world’s biggest challenges including mental health, social injustices, and global warming.In 2010, Koya founded ‘Get Loved Up’, which is an international lifestyle community and Yoga School. The community offers tons of services that inspire mental, spiritual and physical health including an app, online courses, regular retreats, and in-person yoga teacher training events. Koya is also a fellow podcaster and hosts a weekly ‘Get Loved Up Podcast’.Her latest book is called ‘Let Your Fears Make You Fierce’ and was released in June 2019. It is an inspiring guide with practical tips that will help you overcome and rid yourself of the fears that are holding you back and preventing you from living your ideal life. Other topics discussed in the book include daily self-assessment and mindfulness, understanding how to make fear your friend, and using the power of holistic health to heal.Koya is holding all kinds of retreats and training seminars throughout the year and there are two scheduled for this December to get excited about! First, she will be holding a Yoga Teacher Training Seminar in Los Angeles from 1st until the 22nd. After that, you can join her for a New Year’s Manifestation Retreat in Bali.Connect with Koya:Twitter: https://twitter.com/KoyaWebbFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/KoyaWebbOnline/?_rdc=2&_rdrInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/koyawebb/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/fitnessfoodandfunWebsite: https://koyawebb.com/In This Episode We Canvas:What Does It Mean to Be Fierce?Fierceness and being fierce is a huge component of Koya’s teachings so it absolutely made sense to pick it as a starting point for our conversational adventure. She describes from a deeply personal and subjective standpoint what the notion means for her and how she has been able to adapt it as one of her principles for living a magnificent life.“To me, fierce is all about being willing to look at life with compassion… It would be living your life not afraid to experience all of life. And living your life in a way where you’re causing the least amount of harm to yourself, others and the planet.” - Koya WebbThe Paradox of (Dis)ConnectionIt is somewhat ironic how technology has given us a gift of being able to contact one another by a mere click of a button but has simultaneously led to a point where we’re more emotionally further apart than we’ve ever been. In this section, we explore the conditions that led to this paradox and what is necessary for us to be able to overcome it in the future.“We have all of these technological advances and we have all these social media and we have all this connection at an all-time high... We have the greatest connection but then we also have the greatest disconnection… We’re advancing at such a fast rate, it’s like we haven’t caught up to ourselves!” - Koya WebbUsing Fierceness to Fight ToxicityFierceness and compassion are major themes of our conversation and they will be popping in and out as we discuss various topics. One of the major applications of fierceness, as Koya sees it, is to use it as a tool for eliminating toxicity from the world.“Where the fierceness comes in… It’s standing for what you believe in and not being afraid to speak up for what is right. Because the toxic is speaking real loud!” - Koya WebbSharing Fiercely Without ShamingBuilding on our previous topic, Koya provides us with an example of why compassion and fierceness have to go hand in hand. One has to be supported by the other because it is a way in which we secure that we are being mindful in the way that we are sharing - meaning that we’re speaking our truth without the intent of shaming others.“It’s really about not being perfect but doing the best we can… And in that compassion - you learn it and you share it. And be fierce in your sharing, meaning don’t be too timid not to share, but also compassionate to where you’re not sharing and shaming… Everyone starts somewhere!” - Koya WebbTeaching and Asking the Right QuestionsKoya wasn’t planning on becoming a teacher and the role came to her more like a natural consequence of her personal development and transformation. And maybe it’s because of the fact that she didn’t seek it, is why she has such amazing insight and clarity into what makes a great teacher.“As a teacher, I also know that it’s not me - it’s them. And it’s me as a guide and a teacher asking the questions that I need to ask to lead them to their own answer. Not my answer and not what I would do for my life, but my goal as a teacher and a guide is to lead other people to their answers. So it’s about me asking the right questions!” - Koya WebbHow to Shine During an Off-DayThis is the absolute, undiluted, practical masterclass on how to deal with our off-days.“Like the sun in the daytime and the moon in the darkness… In the light and the darkness, we can still shine!... And that looks like acknowledging where the pain is. Acknowledging the anger…” - Koya WebbOnce we accept the bad from a psychological aspect, we shift to the physical in order to let it all out.“The biggest thing that helps me is the breathwork.” - Koya WebbUsing breathwork, yoga or other techniques will help you rid yourself of the negative energy. And the last step is preparing yourself to shine.“And then meditation is where I sit and I ask the universe, “What can I do?”. - Koya WebbIn the end, you can always rely on activities that will fill you up with positivity as well as getting much-needed support from your community and tribe.“When you have a dark time - get loved up!” - Koya WebbKoya’s Message of Inspired EvolutionSuch an amazing experience! I am thrilled that I was a part of this perfectly authentic and heartwarming conversation and I can’t wait to hear what you all think. I sincerely hope that via this podcast, Koya’s message of fierce compassion continues to inspire the minds and hearts of people all over the world.“Start with where you are!... You are beautiful, you are worthy and you are enough!” - Koya WebbSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Virginia Salas Kastilio, a serial entrepreneur and founder & CEO of the organization ‘I Trust You’.About VirginiaVirginia is on a mission to reconnect humanity and bring consciousness into the mainstream. Her journey so far has been an incredibly rich adventure filled with all sorts of stories of entrepreneurial success.In 2015, she founded a media agency ‘Gini.TV’ that helps businesses build influence and online awareness. Because of her contributions to social media marketing, she was named #1 female Snapchat influencer by Inc. Magazine. In 2017, she was ranked as one of the top 27 female entrepreneurs to change the world by the same magazine.She is currently scaling her latest organization called ‘I Trust You’ with a goal to contribute to co-creating a regenerative and happy planet Earth. Inspired by the announcement that the UN made in 2018 about how we have 12 years to limit a catastrophe caused by climate change, Virginia decided to contribute to the cause by creating a platform that will allow people to connect around the idea of planet conservation and do amazing things together!The latest addition to her efforts to save the world is ‘I Trust University’ with the idea of introducing the future of education by presenting ancient wisdom for futuristic thinkers. They already offer a bunch of amazing courses from prominent educators, along with a free masterclass called “How to Build Your Legacy” and you can get it here!Connect with Virginia:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virginia.salaskastilioInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ginicanbreathe/?hl=enLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiasalaskastilio/Website: https://www.itrustyou.love/In This Episode We CanvasWhat Inspired Her to Create ‘I Trust You’Even though she was a rising talent in the corporate world, having worked for companies such as Apple and Oracle, managing billions of dollars in the process. However, she knew her true passion lied somewhere else and on her one-year travel around the world, Virginia started noticing a pattern while trying to answer the question “What does it mean to be happy?”“I traveled the world for a year as a ‘happiness researcher’... I just traveled around and interviewed people on what meant to be happy… So in that whole journey of traveling that’s when the insight, the download came to me… Is that, we are becoming more and more disconnected as a humanity.” - Virginia Salas KastilioThe Relationship Between Trust and LoveWe dive deep into what trust means for Virginia and why she puts it at the very core of her message and mission.“Trust is everything. Trust is the baseline for love. And there is only love or fear. And so I believe that when making that transition from fear to trust and love we need courage.” - Virginia Salas KastilioPraying Through Expressing GratitudePraying can be useful practice even for those who are approaching it in a more non-religious way. For Virginia, the act of praying is more or less a thoughtful recapitulation of all the things that you are grateful for. Expressing gratitude is a well-known and effective approach for achieving personal growth, preserving mental health and overall having a better quality of life.“If you really sit with yourself long enough and just start appreciating every little thing… appreciate your relationships, appreciate just the fact that you’re alive just now and you just start praying on that and coming into that gratitude, you’re going to start feeling that courage really bubble up inside you and you’re going to remember who you are - the infinite being that is capable of doing anything in this world.” - Virginia Salas KastilioThe ‘I Trust You’ ExperimentVirginia shares her experiences with the ‘I Trust You’ experiment where she would put on a blindfold, an ‘I Trust You’ T-shirt and hold a sign that says “I trust you, do you trust me? Give me a hug!” It is an incredible way to step into the unknown, be extremely vulnerable while also being an outside-the-box approach to facing fears of intimacy and social anxiety. The hug also plays a key component because, as Virginia puts it herself, “one of the greatest medicines that we have is physical touch.”“If you want a full-blown transformation of what it feels like when the universe is just loving you and when you are afraid to put yourself out there and be blindfolded and vulnerable to the world and to receive so much love - do the ‘I Trust You’ experiment.” - Virginia Salas KastilioEarth Regeneration Instead of SustainabilityVirginia’s mission of preserving the Earth for the future of humanity is revolved around the notion of regeneration rather than sustainability, giving the entire movement a unique and profoundly uplifting feel. The concept of sustainability is strong but its nature is limited - the focus is put on our own survival rather than the one of our planet. By placing regeneration in the center of our goals, we aim beyond pure existence, into the realm of ecological prosperity. “We don’t want to sustain this. We don’t want to sustain an island of garbage floating around the ocean and polluted rivers… We’re past sustainable… We want to regenerate it. We want to replant, regrow, nourish, clean...” - Virginia Salas KastilioLetting Fear Guide You to Your PurposeWe sign off by discussing one of the most popular concepts in our podcasts which is “purpose”. Virginia’s approach to it is quite interesting because it’s somewhat counter-intuitive and yet still thoroughly effective. When striving for our purpose we tend to focus on the things that make us happy and that we enjoy doing. But Virginia argues that this is not an optimal approach for achieving personal growth.“Let fear actually guide you, guide your path of where you need to go and ask yourself ‘What is the thing that would scare me the most and where I’m moving towards?”, that you know that when you get there - it will be the biggest reward. The most exciting thing… Orientating yourself with happiness and joy or what makes you feel good is actually a mistake that a lot of people make.” - Virginia Salas KastilioVirginia’s Message of Inspired EvolutionThis has been a truly, mesmerizingly, inspiring conversation about a whole specter of different topics, each and every single one completely relevant to the struggles that we’re experiencing in today’s world. Both as a society and individuals. Even though a single highlight doesn’t really do this conversation justice, it’s always a good idea to end on a call to action. Stay Inspired! To Evolve! YEW!!! “What do you care about?… What are you excited about creating in the world and what is the craziest, scariest thing you can think of? Go and do that!” - Virginia Salas KastilioSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Stephen Sokoler, the Founder & CEO of ‘Journey Meditation’.About StephenStephen Sokoler is a serial entrepreneur and he has started numerous businesses from scratch in a career that’s over 10 years long and counting. He’s had major success with taking products global with international expansion throughout the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Australia.On his impressive entrepreneurial resume, you can find companies such as ‘Altrum Honors’, which he co-founded with a mission of helping organizations all over the world give recognition to and celebrate their employees. During a 5 year period he spent working as the company CEO, he led the organization to amazing success reaching $20 million in annual revenue along with a 33% global market share.In 2015, Stephen founded ‘Journey Meditation’ with a mission to make meditation easier and accessible to people everywhere. Years of reaping benefits from the practice of meditation have inspired him to create a community around the notion. He is currently on a mission to “help all people live healthier, happier, and less stressed lives”. Their app offers a 7-day free trial and you can check it out here!Connect with Stephen:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.sokoler LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephensokoler/ Website: https://journeymeditation.com/In This Episode We CanvasThe Relationship Between Founder and Company CultureWe’ve had lots of serial entrepreneurs on our show and there seems to be a strong connection between their characteristics and overall company culture. Stephen agrees he has felt this on numerous occasions and argues that a good entrepreneur has to take responsibility for both the good and the bad that they’ve contributed to the culture of their organization.“I definitely think that the founder and in my case me… My personality, my vision, my dreams, my quirks are all very much embedded into the fabric of the company.” - Stephen SokolerThe Genesis of Journey MeditationStephen has been a practitioner of meditation for quite some time and he addresses the fact how it helped him better himself on a personal as well as a professional level. Throughout our conversation, we get into the intricate details of the story behind Journey Meditation and the company’s origin. Stephen also shares some exciting news about the current state of his product and business in general.“When I looked at meditation I thought it was pretty misunderstood as religious, difficult, spiritual, confusing and I thought we could bring it to people in a simple, approachable, secular way.” - Stephen SokolerThe Benefits of Having a Support GroupOver the years, Stephen has achieved massive personal growth and transformation. In our conversation, he shares his thoughts about how his friends, family, and coworkers made a crucial contribution to his development. “There’s real magic when people come together to meditate… When you have the support of other people to continue to get you to come back… Being a part of that group, or that tribe, or that community makes the difference.” Stephen SokolerFinding Techniques That Work For YouEven though Stephen is a huge advocate of meditation, he is quite aware of the fact that it is just one of the ways we can improve our daily lives. And so, in the context of his entrepreneurial endeavors, meditation is but a mere modality for achieving a goal. The true motivation behind his business is actually about helping people through achieving human connection.“Maybe morning journaling or guided journaling will inspire me at some particular point in my life… I have a friend where meditation doesn’t feel right for them at this moment but perhaps, laughing therapy is something that really lands for them..” - Stephen SokolerThe Trend of Seeking Connection and Waking UpWe address the current state of our society and Stephen’s view is quite optimistic. Through his work, one of the main takeaways he’s acquired is that people are starting to realize that we can an active stance on improving our lives. Whether it’s regarding productivity, or dealing with stress or improving our relationships, we, as a society, are increasingly showing appreciation for the self-care aspect of our lives. We’re waking up and seeking connection.“People are feeling really unsettled, really scared, people aren’t feeling safe… And people are looking for ways to calm down… And connect… And feel a sense of belonging… We’ve always been very good at coping with our problems via drugs or alcohol or whatever a person’s vice is… But people are starting to wake up around the world to say, ‘There has to be a better way. I have to be able to take care of myself mentally, emotionally, spiritually in a different way.’” - Stephen SokolerStephen’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI’m amazed and inspired by the work Stephen has done up to this point and after our conversation, I can say I also value deeply the purpose of his mission. Finding strength, security, and support in connecting with others is an incredibly important foundation for personal growth and transformation. Whichever path we decide to take, empowered by meditation or by something entirely different, Stephen reminds us that: “It’s less about the modality and more about how do we help people all with the idea rooted in human connection.” - Stephen SokolerSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest for this week is Jonathan Levi, a serial entrepreneur, accelerated learning and online course expert, and the founder of SuperHuman Academy.About JonathanJonathan was born and raised in Silicon Valley but the success he’s experiencing today didn’t come easily. Throughout his life, he struggled with school, to a point where he felt looked down upon by the teachers and other classmates. Jonathan realized that this was due to an issue with learning which he fought every day until he discovered accelerated learning.After experiencing astounding benefits from acquiring these new methods of learning, he went on to pass the gift to others and became one of Udemy’s top-performing instructors. A year later, he was inspired to start his own company called SuperHuman Academy, which produces high-quality, educational, and entertaining media products that empower and inspire people to live richer, fuller, healthier, and happier lives.Jonathan also hosts the award-winning ‘SuperHuman Academy Podcast’ which welcomes intriguing guests each week in order to discuss topics such as learning, memory, productivity, health, fitness, and lifestyle. He recently published his newest book titled ‘The Only Skill That Matters’ that tackles the question “How can we learn, unlearn, and relearn fast enough to stay relevant in the world to come?” In the book, Jonathan reveals a powerful, neuroscience-based approach to reading faster, remembering more, and learning more effectively. Connect with Jonathan:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonleviLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanlevi/?originalSubdomain=ilYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5LTk0F3wQGoAnIt4EmKDMgWebsite: https://superhumanacademy.com/In This Episode We Canvas:The Contrasting Timescales of Evolutionary and Technological DevelopmentTechnological advancements have put us as a species in an extremely unusual situation - we were not biologically prepared for the world that we’re currently living in. Evolutionary changes need a magnificent amount of time in order to be established. The swiftness of technological development means that throughout it, we’ve been relying on the same biological equipment. Jonathan has developed his super learning expertise around the idea of helping people adjust how they learn in order to optimize the learning process.“I spent a lot of time thinking about this hardware that I have, which is a miracle and a blessing but is outdated for the world that I’m living in. How do I come into alignment?” - Jonathan LeviImproving Memory by Adding a Sensory Component to LearningOur traditional approach to learning is not the optimal way to learn and throughout our conversation, Jonathan explains why. One of the three pillars of his approach to super learning is adding a sensory component to learning, primarily visual since it’s the most practical. The effectiveness of visual mnemonics in learning is something that’s been validated through scientific studies yet people rarely utilize them to their fullest potential.“How do I turn that learning into a visual and sensory experience? And once you do that you can do superhuman feats of memory. You use techniques like visual mnemonics techniques like the memory palace you can memorize literally anything!” - Jonathan LeviLearning by Creating Meaningful ConnectionsAs we continue to explore the rest of the fundamentals of super learning, Jonathan explains the importance of making meaningful connections between different pieces of information in order to improve retention and memory.“The way that our brains work is based on connection… You can fabricate those connections to anything that you learn. All human knowledge is connected… Even if it’s not, you can find new ways and unique ways of creating these connections as if.” - Jonathan LeviUsing Familiar Locations to Organize Your MemoryFinally, the third essential approach to improving your learning is relying on our brain’s capacity to easily memorize locations. This method is an incredibly useful tool for mnemonists everywhere which demands a lot of effort and practice but in terms of improving your memory, the returns are unbelievable. One particular technique also is known as using a “memory palace” has been portrayed in movies and television lots of times, for example in shows like BBC’s Sherlock or The Mentalist.“Because of that evolutionary design… we’re really good at memorizing locations… Mnemonists, at the highest level, hack this and they actually store their memory in what’s called a memory palace.” - Jonathan LeviThe Power of RepetitionTo rely upon an old Latin proverb, “Repetition is the mother of all learning. (Repetitio Est Mater Studiorum.)” The importance of repetition for efficient learning is something that has been well-known throughout human history, but Jonathan proposes additional guidelines for us to follow in order to truly get the most out of the process.“Our brains thrive on this frequency as well as novelty as well as connection… Repetition is this huge thing and we don’t do it enough in schools or if we do it - we do it wrong. Because you only need to review things that you’re at risk of forgetting.” - Jonathan LeviGetting Yourself Excited for LearningTaking everything that’s been said into account, it’s important to point out that super learning is not just about what we do, but also about how we feel while we’re doing it. There’s an entire chapter in Jonathan’s new book dedicated to what we can do in order to prepare ourselves for the learning process.“Find a way to generate excitement, interest, and curiosity.” - Jonathan LeviWhy You Need to Close Down Questions When LearningThis is just one of the gems that Jonathan has sprinkled throughout our entire conversation but also a very practical one, which surprisingly isn’t all that intuitive. Otherwise, more people would be applying it and this would not be the amazing life-hack it actually is. Our ability to narrow in on the things that we’re missing improves our efficiency in learning and closing down our open-ended questions is an amazing way of doing this.“Too many people ask open-ended questions when they’re trying to learn… A quick hack that you can make is - close your questions up. What you want to do is you want to verify your knowledge.” - Jonathan LeviJonathan’s Message of Inspired EvolutionI can’t believe how amazing this conversation has been for me. Jonathan’s perspective on the importance of learning for all of us that are living in modern society and taking huge steps into the unknown is somehow both astonishingly pragmatic while being extraordinarily deep. Super learning a huge thing for the personal growth and transformation movement because it enables us with the tools to make the process more efficient. So wherever the world decides to go in the years to come and however it may change the requirements for achieving success, I think Jonathan completely hits the nail on the head when he says that:“The only skill that matters is learning.” - Jonathan LeviSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/inspiredevolution. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.