My Best Life

Ayahuasca gets talked about like a trend, but the reasons people seek it are rarely trendy: grief that won’t lift, patterns that won’t break, pain that keeps finding new places to hide. I sit down with Unju Mann to hear her story of losing her mother, sliding into nightly autopilot drinking, and eventually saying yes to a first ceremony in Peru after months of research and hard honesty.We get specific about what an ayahuasca retreat can actually look like, from the ritual container and the shaman’s role to why the room can feel both magical and intense. Unju explains purging in plain terms and why many traditions see it as release rather than “getting sick.” We also talk about surrender, what resistance looks like when fear takes over, and how the medicine can bring long-buried memories and emotional blocks into view so they can finally be processed.The theme that keeps coming back is integration. We explore how insights translate into real life: gratitude journaling, prayer, diet changes, more stillness, less noise, and better choices when you’re stuck in traffic or dealing with family stress. If you’re searching for grounded guidance on ayahuasca healing, plant medicine safety, ethical retreats, and psychedelic integration, this conversation offers a clear place to start. If it resonates, subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

A nickname can be a costume, a shield, or a doorway. When Christine Lamothe spent decades introducing herself as “Bear,” it wasn’t branding, it was survival, community, and a long cocoon of inner work. Now she’s taking her given name back and sharing what changed her from the inside out, from breaking circles in the 90s to the wide silence of Nunavut in the Canadian Arctic.We talk about how breaking (not “breakdancing”) shaped her confidence and identity, and how moving north forced a shift from competition to cooperation. Christine describes building youth dance programs in Iqaluit, creating performances that brought elders and community together, and learning Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, traditional knowledge that values observation, patience, and collective responsibility. That Arctic chapter also raises hard questions about colonization, belonging, and what it really means to show up with respect.From there, we follow her into the wellness world with a grounded lens: yoga lineages, massage therapy, somatic healing, and the daily practice of staying sovereign in your own mind. Christine shares how teachers like Mooji helped her see thoughts as suggestions rather than commands, and why meditation can be a practical tool for anxiety and self-worth. We also get a clear, real-world explanation of Panchakarma, the three-week Ayurvedic cleanse in India that she says helped her focus, integrate trauma, and feel more like “Christine” than ever.If you’ve been craving more presence, more courage, and a more honest definition of your best life, this conversation is a strong place to start. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with one insight you’re taking into your week.https://www.instagram.com/theawakenedbear/

Calm is not something we earn after we get our life together. It is something we practice, especially when life feels messy, fast, or heavy. I sit down with Imad Kadaj, founder of Grounded Movement, to talk about what it really means to anchor yourself before you try to change everything else. His path runs from growing up with asthma and ADHD in Lebanon to walking away from a high-paying job in Canada, training Muay Thai in Thailand, and eventually teaching yoga with a deep focus on healing and nervous system regulation, including performing what he calls 'energetic surgery'.We get practical about why stillness can feel threatening and why “just meditate” is not always the right first step. Imad breaks down a trauma-informed view of the nervous system, including the difference between top-down mindfulness and bottom-up somatic work. From there, we explore why yin yoga is so powerful: long holds, clear sensation, and supported discomfort that build capacity for inner peace over time, not just a temporary mood shift.We also dig into traditional Chinese medicine, qi, meridian lines, and the way organs and emotions are linked in that model. Imad shares how Tui Na massage, acupressure, acupuncture, and Reiki-style energy work can support release and regulation, especially when the body is holding survival stress. Then we tie it all together with breath, including breath cultivation versus more intense breathwork, plus a simple “safety breath” you can use at your desk during a stressful day. We even go to the edge of the mystery with the question he once journaled: is breath a form of God, or at least a doorway to higher consciousness?If you care about yin yoga, mindfulness, somatic healing, trauma release, traditional Chinese medicine, and grounded living that actually feels like yours, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs steadier breath, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Courage isn’t always loud. Sometimes it looks like walking into a pediatric ICU, taking a deep breath, and choosing to care anyway.We talk with pediatric ICU nurse Colleen Fitzgibbons about what critical care nursing really demands: sharp clinical judgment, fast crisis response, and the kind of teamwork that can feel like an unspoken pact in the middle of chaos. Colleen shares how she found nursing unexpectedly, why the “nurses are just caring angels” stereotype misses the point, and what it’s like to grow from a brand-new nurse who feels sick with nerves into a steady teammate families can lean on.We also go where the job gets complicated. Colleen explains moral distress and burnout through a lens many people don’t expect: healthcare staffing shortages, missed breaks, and the constant pressure of trying to deliver safe care when the system is stretched thin. We talk family-centered care, the power of simple presence, and why what you say at the bedside matters more than you think. Finally, we get practical about self-care for nurses and caregivers, including boundaries, exercise, yoga, meditation, and normalizing therapy as part of resilience.If you care about nursing, healthcare culture, or building a meaningful life through service, hit play. Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

Addiction doesn’t usually crash into your life all at once. It slips in as a shortcut to confidence, comfort, and connection, then quietly starts making your choices for you. Dennis Milling knows that progression firsthand, and he’s blunt about what alcohol took from him, what denial sounded like in real time, and why trying to “drink responsibly” became a losing game he kept replaying.Dennis walks me through the pivotal moments that finally forced clarity: the relapse after a long sober stretch, the way alcohol showed up in his marriage, and the phone call that made him realize something had permanently changed. From there, we get into what long-term sobriety actually requires, including a simple rule that protects everything else: no first drink. We also talk about codependency, fear, and the hard emotional work of rebuilding self-respect after years of numbing out.The most hopeful part of Dennis’s recovery story is what he built in place of alcohol. He learned to fly a plane, then found a daily anchor in yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness. We dig into why yoga can be a powerful tool for addiction recovery, how linking movement to breath creates a moving meditation, and how practices like Kundalini yoga and Tai Chi can help you feel connected to your body again. Dennis also shares how gratitude, a practical definition of faith, and self-forgiveness turned recovery into something bigger than abstinence.If you’ve been questioning your relationship with alcohol, dealing with relapse, or searching for tools beyond willpower, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to My Best Life, share this with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help more people find stories like Dennis’s. What’s one change you could make today that your future self would thank you for?https://www.doyou.com/a-story-of-yoga-transformation-and-addiction/https://www.facebook.com/dennis.milling

A physician walks away from the exam room because she can’t ignore what she keeps seeing: symptoms rarely tell the whole story, and healing often starts where prescriptions end. I’m joined by Dr. Neda Amani, a University of Toronto–trained medical doctor who shifts from traditional family medicine into a broader path of integrative medicine, leadership work, and spiritual connectedness. We talk candidly about what modern healthcare does well and where it struggles, especially when time pressure turns people into problems to “manage” instead of humans to understand.  Dr. Amani shares how the teachings of Avicenna, the Persian polymath behind The Canon of Medicine, help her think in whole systems: prevention, lifestyle, psychoemotional health, and the balance of body, mind, and spirit. We get specific about what that looks like on the ground, including the origin story of her Real You program, built around nutrition, exercise prescription, and root-cause change rather than chasing one symptom after another.  Then we move into high-stress worlds: police wellness, executive health, government leadership, and the hidden cost of striving. Dr. Amani explains how leaders can create more impact by doing less, lowering stress, and facing the subconscious resistance that keeps them locked in overwork. She also offers a simple three-part prayer she once wrote on a prescription pad as a daily non-medical habit for health, purpose, and service.  If you care about holistic healing, preventive care, mind-body medicine, and healthier leadership, you’ll find a lot to take into your own life. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Two voices show up when we get quiet: the one that tightens with fear, and the one that speaks with compassion. We open with a real moment on the yoga mat, then dive into a grounded conversation with Devinder Kaur, a Kundalini yogi and the owner of Pranashanti Yoga Centre in Ottawa, Canada, about what kundalini actually is and what it is not.We unpack the classic “dormant energy at the base of the spine” idea, why some kundalini awakening stories sound extreme, and why most people experience energy shifts in simpler ways like warmth, calm, and clearer focus. I also share a deeply somatic experience brought on by plant medicine that felt like energy surging through my spine, and how it pushed me toward better habits, meditation, and a serious commitment to living my best life.From there we get practical: what kundalini yoga practice looks like day to day, why mantra and sound vibration can change mood, and how Breath Of Fire works as a cleansing, energizing breathwork tool with real carryover into the nervous system and daily stress. We also address the Yogi Bhajan controversy honestly, including how Devinder teaches with discernment and how she thinks about origins, power dynamics, and integrity. Finally, we talk about the business of yoga, yogic values like ahimsa and satya, and what “success” starts to mean after years of practice.If you want a clear, human take on kundalini yoga, mantra, meditation, and building a daily practice that holds up on hard days, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a friend who needs a reset, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.https://pranashanti.com/

In this absorbing conversation, I speak with Devdas Sahaja of Sahaja Collective, an engaging and insightful yogi with over two decades of experience. We explore Devdas's early journey into yoga, influential figures in yoga history, particularly Paramahansa Yogananda, and the evolution of yoga in the West. The discussion delves into the depth of yoga practice, the energetic aspects often overlooked, and Devdas's transformative experiences in India, including meeting his teacher. The conversation highlights the importance of understanding yoga beyond its physical practice and emphasizes the interconnectedness of all beings. Devdas and I also explore the themes of pranayama and the journey of self-discovery. We discuss the cultural dynamics of teaching yoga in India, the essence of service in teaching, and the differences between modern breathwork and traditional pranayama practices. The dialogue emphasizes the importance of sincerity in spiritual pursuits and the balance between learning and unlearning on the path to enlightenment.https://sahajacollective.org/