Untangle

Our guest is Bill Burke, host of the Blue Sky podcast and founder of the Optimism Institute. Previously, Bill was the CEO of the Weather channel and Founding General Manager of Turner Classic Movies and president of TBS.  Today we chat about his definition of Optimism…the belief that tomorrow will be better than today and that we can play a role in making it so. Our mindset and our actions can, in fact, play an active role in making things better.  He shares that an optimistic outlook inspires us to rebound from life’s inevitable setbacks, helps us not get crushed by them, and invites us to see the small joys that are always in and around us. He discusses the direct connection between gratitude and optimism. And, he says, that as optimistic as one might be we, of course, must realize that bad things are going to happen. However, it's how we relate to them, learn from them AND, most importantly, how we have more empathy for others who might have dealt with a similar situation.  When I asked him what he thought about the mess we’re in today and how we can be optimistic, he said," if you only read the news, you'll think that things have never been worse. But if you read history, you'll realize that things have never been better." As a historian, he’s got some pretty compelling data points on this. Every generation, he said in a commencement speech he gave recently, leaves a mess for the one that follows. BUT we never count all the good things, all the progress that we’ve made. We tend to take the successes or accomplishments for granted.  He shared a recent Harvard study that found that exposure to just four minutes of good news can make you 32% less anxious and 18% more optimistic. I think you’ll find some really interesting nuggets here. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential and Meditation Studio, the five star app. Check out choosemuse.com and use discount code untangle15. Resource: https://www.theoptimisminstitute.com/ Find the Blue Sky Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todays guest is the lovely Emma Seppala. She’s a bestselling author, Psychologist, Research Scientist, Lecturer at Yale and Faculty Director of the Yales Women’s Leadership Program. In this interview we talk about her new book, Sovereign: Reclaim Your Freedom, Energy, and Power in a Time of Distraction, Uncertainty, and Chaos. She explains that sovereignty is a state of self awareness that allows us to see how and when we are standing in our own way. It also gives us the courage to free ourselves from the ways we are bound so that we can change and move forward. Sovereignty helps us to optimize the most important relationship of all; the one we have with our selves. The quality of our lives is dependent on the state of our minds. This is THE one thing that we really do have control over.  You can be doing all the happiness and wellbeing practices, but if you're still buying into thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that no longer serve you, then you're not going to reach your full potential despite your best efforts. She shares many tools and techniques to help.  As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Use Untangle15 for your Muse discount. Resources: emmaseppala.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s encore interview was taped in 2018 with the amazing Radha Agrawal. Radha is a Social Entrepreneur, Community Architect, Public Speaker, Author and the Founder of Daybreaker.  She built Daybreaker into a community of over 500.000 members in 30 cities around the world. You’ll love her energy. She is a force of nature.  She’s the the author of "Belong: Find Your People, Create Community, and Live a More Connected Life." In this interview, she answers the question, “How the heck do I find my people so I can live a happier life?” Her inspiration? She was an entrepreneur in her 20’s, and was feeling very isolated. She created Daybreaker, an early morning dance and wellness experience, to help her solve her own challenges with feeling isolated. She presents a powerful way to find and create meaningful communities and connection. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app.Check out Choosemuse.com Resource: Radhaagrawal.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Todays’ encore interview, with Ariel interviewing Behavior scientist and author Jon levy, was taped during Covid…when our craving for human connection just might have been at it all time high  We all crave human connection, but it can be hard to know how to make it. Shyness, introversion, and Covid protocols clearly got in the way of fulfilling our need and desire to connect. Jon Levy outlines simple practical strategies everyone can use to build trust and deeper connections, whether it’s for business or to make and your deepen personal connections. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. check out choosemuse.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Dr. Helen McKibben, a seasoned Clinical Therapist with over 35 years of experience. She’s the author of the book Drop: Making Great Decisions. Use Neuroscience to Retrain Your Brain and Make Better Life Choices. She is passionate about neuroscience and the interaction between the brain and emotions AND how we can use this to retrain our brains to make better choices in every moment. Her protocol is a unique technique that invites you to tap into your brain to identify the feelings associated with your triggers, and engage untapped emotional memories while doing this. She talks about this as dropping to the blank screen. I was curious about how this actually worked in practice, so invited her to provide many examples.  Resource: Helenmckibben.com Choosemuse.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A special treat for Untangle Listeners. A bonus episode from new podcast Say More host Shirley Leung interviewing Krista Tippett Today we're sharing a preview of the Say More podcast, where, in a special series, Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung is opening up the conversation about stress and burnout to help listeners feel less alone and inspired to get help. In this episode, Krista Tippett, says the uncertainty of the times we’re living in requires a larger spiritual quest for meaning and stillness in modern life. Krista shares her own journey managing burnout and "befriending reality" in all its glorious messiness. Then, she shares a benediction on burnout. You can listen to Say More at https://link.chtbl.com/saymore?sid=untangle As always, we're Untangle, the podcast from Muse (choosemuse.com) and Meditation Studio, the five star app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An interview with Dr. Sunjya Schweig. Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about our complicated health care system and how confusing it is to find the right health care professional. Someone who listens, cares and digs deep to help you solve whatever health challenges you're facing. I’m fascinated by the body of work that is called Functional Medicine because of its intention to explore the whole person and to get to the bottom of whatever it is that’s causing our symptoms. Today we explore Functional Medicine in this interview with Sunjya Schweig – a Functional Medicine Doctor with over 25 years of experience. He's the Founder and President of the California Center for Functional Medicine.  So what is Functional medicine anyway? Sunjya says it starts with curiosity and collaboration. It involves getting to the root cause of whatever is bothering you. Functional medicine docs don’t just prescribe something to alleviate a symptom. They are like forensic investigators…and often it’s surprisingly about the basics. What's the food you're eating? What's the water you're drinking? What's the quality of the air you're breathing? What's your stress exposure? What infections or microorganisms are you exposed to? For example, Hidden infections are a huge cause of gut and autoimmune issues. Functional Medicine is all about getting to the root of a tree, he says. There are lot’s of gems in this discussion…and it certainly was informative. Resource: CCFMED.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest is Dr. Greg Wells a Physiologist, Scientist, Author, and renowned health and high-performance expert. He has dedicated his career to studying the science of human limits and developing practical strategies to help individuals and organizations perform at their best, even under the most challenging circumstances. He’s even worked with Olympic athletes. But his most important work is with those of us who simply want to optimize health every single day. His guidance in this interview relates to protecting and optimizing our Mitochondria, which affects every aspect of our lives. It’s a really interesting way to look at how we can have some agency over our mental and physical health so we can live our best lives.  Encore episode. Resource: drgregwells.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. choosemuse.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is Dr. Molly Maloof. She is the author of The Spark Factor. The Secret to Supercharging Energy, Becoming Resilient, and Feeling Better Than Ever. In this interview, she shares her research and insights on the key pillars of women’s health and wellbeing. I found this to be like an encyclopedia chock full of information and data related to our brains, gut, mental and physical health. She’s passionate about biohacking, lifestyle interventions, personalized medicine, and optimizing performance. It’s a rich look at how we manage our own health so we don’t have to rely on the healthcare system to ‘fix us’ when something goes wrong. Resource: drmolly.co Check out choosemuse.com to learn how the Muse brain sensing headband can unlock your brains potential. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's encore episode is with Yale Psychology Professor and Happiness Lab podcast host, Laurie Santos. Laurie taught "Psychology and the Good Life" first in spring 2018 in response to concerning levels of student depression, anxiety, and stress on campus. It became the most popular class in Yale's history. Laurie Santos has definitely hit a nerve. The good news is that we have a lot more control over our happiness levels than we think. Laurie talks about how to put the science of happiness and well-being to work in our own lives. And she offers actionable steps and choices we can take right now.  Laurie’s goal is to help teach us all to live happier lives through science-backed techniques Resource: Dr.lauriesantos.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest is the amazing Martha Beck. I know why Oprah loved working with her! She’s back on Untangle for the second time, and her last interview was our number 1 top listened to episode…so we are thrilled to have her back. Her next book is called Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity and Finding Your Life’s Purpose. This is the 10th book from Martha, a Phd, Harvard-trained Sociologist, World-renowned Coach and NYT bestselling author. She shares why anxiety is at an all time high, and why curiosity and creativity can be our superpowers to help reduce it. We can stop ourselves from falling into an anxiety spiral and she shows us how. She used me as a guinia pig which is always a little uncomfortable for me, but helps me shift the way I see things so that’s a good thing. I hope you get as much out of Martha’s interview as I did.  There’s so much here to help us lead our best lives.  Resources: Marthabeck.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential and revolutionizing health AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guest Natalie Pennicotte-Collier, a Sleep Expert, Clinical Therapist and Author of the book Sleep Reset, The New Tools for Rest and Recovery. Over the past decade, she has developed a mind-body approach to enhance sleep, performance and overall well-being. She discusses the book and its five week program that uses a blend of mindfulness based cognitive therapy, breath work and hypnotherapy to support the nervous system, reduce stress and calm our racing minds. I liked that the book goes through a step by step roadmap over five weeks. It’s easy to follow. Also, she outlines why a good night sleep is so important for our mental and physical health. Sleep isn’t just a nighttime problem, she says, it’s a 24 hour problem. And a 24 hour solution. So true! As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio Resource: thesleepreset.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re got a popular encore episode with Judson Brewer, a Psychiatrist, Neuroscientist, and Author of the book, Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal your Mind. He has combined his expertise in mindfulness, habit, and behavioral change, and neuroscience to create practical tools to help unwind anxiety. The interview offers several ways to uncover what triggers anxiety and how to identify and break these anxiety habits using a variety of methods, including mindfulness and reward-based learning As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brain's potential and revolutionizing health AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio.  Check out drjud.com for more on Judson Brewer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a favorite encore…with Ariel interviewing James Nestor — Author of Breath…The New Science of a Lost Art. . There are so many great nuggets in this episode. You’ll learn that the way you breathe can energize or relax you? That a simple hack can help with snoring and sleep apnea? That your lung volume can relate to your longevity, and that your lung volume can be expanded with simple exercises?  Resources: mrjamesnestor.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brain's potential and revolutionizing health and Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's guests are Bridget Hilton and Joe Huff, co-authors of a book called Experiential Billionaire. Build a Life Rich in Experiences and with No Regrets. Intriguing, right? I was curious to hear their stories and what led them to this perspective. Armed with a sense of urgency after his dad died young, Joe became painfully aware that there was no guarantee of how much time he had to live. He began focusing on doing things (and living his life) with an 'experiential mindset' in love, work, service and adventure. His Goal? To live a rich and meaningful life. Bridget is also passionate about creating new experiences and living her life armed with a zeal for big leaps of faith and an endless spirit of adventure. They say…imagine you had one year to live. … take out a sheet of paper and write down the top 10 things you'd want to do right now. Then, look at that list and see how many of those things are in your life right now. Hint…do more of what matters to you, what you love…while you’re here. Start now.  They share some of their great adventures as well…and spoiler alert, they’re not all big things. It’s often the little things that fill us up as well. Go for it! Resources: Experientialbillionaire.com Check out Muse at Choosemuse.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re got a popular encore episode that aired in 2019 with Ariel and Dr. Dean Ornish. The focus? How you can optimize your health and heart by making lifestyle changes. Ornish Lifestyle Medicine was created to reverse heart disease without surgery or medicine…but the benefits beyond that are significant.  Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. He was recognized as “one of the 125 most extraordinary University of Texas alumni in the past 125 years;” by TIME magazine as a “TIME 100 Innovator;” by LIFE magazine as “one of the fifty most influential members of his generation;” by People magazine as “one of the most interesting people of the year;” and by Forbes magazine as “one of the world’s seven most powerful teachers.” For more information, please go to www.ornish.com As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brain potential and revolutionizing health AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I’m excited to interview not only the amazing Dan Harris..but — bonus, I interview his 9 yr.old son Alexander at the end of the show. I actually wanted to find out if Dan walks the talk and, indeed, spoiler alert, he does. It was fun to see that his son shares his sense of humor. Very funny. Alexander says he's Dan's emotional support animal when he travels with him. And definitely thinks Dan is a hippie. Hmmm. I think of Dan as part comedian, part meditation or self help guru and part real guy who shares all the messy stuff that shows up in his life. The stuff most of us hold inside. And while it’s the 10 year anniversary of 10% Happier…he’s actually, he says, now more like 40% happier.  Dan’s books, podcast and meditations have helped so many people. I love when he talks about his twin demons…anger and self centeredness and shares how he copes. OR the toilet vortex — a term his friend gave him for when we go down the rabbit hole of rumination.  We discuss what has motivated him to up level his happiness and kindness game; how his 360 review while at ABC news helped him see how other people actually experienced him…especially when he wasn’t his best self…and how glad he is that his most recent 360 is MUCH much better.  Why has meditation moved from the realm of hippies into the mainstream? Science has stepped up to confirm what we all know-- that meditation works, along with the many other things we’ve learned we should do to be our best selves. Dan’s impact has been huge — changing lives by connecting so many people to these practices. Fun fact. Dan’s favorite style of méditation — loving kindness. I can’t wait to see what he does next…which he alludes to a little bit here. And, as mentioned, it was a joy to interview his very funny son, Alexander.  Check out his podcast: Ten Percent Happier. And his meditation app. All great stuff! The book is available at all major booksellers. As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential and Meditation Studio, the five star app. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s guest, Adam Pearce, has a heartbreaking personal story that has humbled him and changed his life. It’s also taught him patience, resilience and hope — and perhaps given him a deeper experience of love. Most importantly, he’s learned the gifts that come from accepting what IS — especially when it’s out of our control.  In 2009, his brother, Kevin Pearce, one of the top snowboarders in the world (competing against Shaun White and often winning) had a tragic accident while training. This happened as he was heading into the Olympics. It left Kevin with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) which changed the course of his life, and Adam's life as well. Adam shared how he kept going despite sadness and uncertainty - and how both he and Kevin had to reframe their mindset to help the healing process. One doctor told Kevin he would need to find a way to ‘love your brain.’ This ultimately became the name of the foundation they formed to help others with TBI. Meditation, yoga, compassion and connection…are all at the heart of the foundation. I loved when Adam said that adversity and suffering can be a greater pathway to finding meaning and growth. So true. He’s quite an amazing guy. Check him out at CNN Heroes with Adam Pearce: https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/03/09/meditation-yoga-retreat-traumatic-brain-injury-cnnheroes.cnn The film about them is produced by HBO and is called Crash Reel. Untangle is brought to you by Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Muse is excited to have partnered with the love your brain foundation. Find out more about how Muse and Love Your Brain are working together to help improve brain health. https://choosemuse.com/blogs/news/muse-and-loveyourbrain-partner-to-raise-awareness-of-tbi-this-brain-injury-awareness-month Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super excited about today’s guest… Rob Dube…a dear friend, brilliant entrepreneur, author and all around pretty phenomenal human. His new book is co authored with Gino Wickman, the creator of the Entrepreneurial Operating System and author of the book, Traction. Their new book is called SHINE, the 10 disciplines for maximizing your energy, impact and peace. It’s THE handbook for type an entrepreneurs who want to begin looking inward, finding more balance while being successful at life and at work. Their premise is that their drive often takes a toll on their teams, personal relationships and even their health. It’s all about finding that delicate balance between our internal and external worlds. Rob shares how they define true self, how to make decisions based on love not fear, and the 10 disciplines that have worked for many entrepreneurs.  As always, we’re Untangle, the podcast from Muse, the brain sensing headband dedicated to unlocking your brains potential and revolutionizing health AND Meditation Studio the five star app. Check out all the free meditations at choosemuse.com/meditationstudio.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's encore episode is hosted by Ariel Garten. Dr. Lisa Mosconi is a neuroscientist, Alzheimer’s researcher, nutritionist, and author of "Brain Food: The Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power." Listen as she shares the easy ways we can supercharge our brains through what we eat and drink. Check out Choosemuse.com/meditationstudio for free meditations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices