Numina's Podcast

We are super duper excited to bring Pedro Villalon to the show. He is one of the most knowledgeable people on the planet when it comes to tea — and we're not exaggerating. Pedro is the co-founder of O5 Tea Company, but more than that, he’s a true tea hunter. He’s spent years trekking through remote mountains, villages, and forests across Asia, building relationships with farmers, uncovering disappearing tea traditions, and drinking leaves most people will never even hear about.Pedro joins us on the show to explain why modern tea has lost some its meaning — and what we traded away when convenience replaced ritual. From hand-harvested winter teas made by 90-year-old farmers to tea trees older than the United States itself, Pedro is here to tell us about the lost culture, history, and intention of tea.

It’s almost New Year’s, and we all know what that brings — new goals and big intentions. But how do you actually STICK to them this time? Not just for a few weeks, but for months… or even years. That’s what we’re digging into on today’s episode, with a focus on personal behavior and how it shapes long-term health.We’re joined by the one and only Dr. Brad Lichtenstein. Brad wears a lot of hats — physician, professor, speaker, author, and a bunch more — and he’s been a huge influence on both Heather and Sam. In this conversation, he helps us unpack the science of behavior change, the illusion of control, and why forcing outcomes so often backfires. If you're setting goals for 2026, we think this conversation will be a HUGE help to you!

When sleep starts falling apart, most people look for a shortcut. A pill. A supplement. Something that will knock them out and make the problem go away. But in this episode, we explain why that probably won't work. Matter of fact, it'll probably make your sleep worse!This is part two of our sleep series, building on our conversation with Dr. Sigrid Veasey, one of the country’s leading sleep researchers. Sam and Heather dig into what Dr. Veasey explained about sleep medications and supplements — from melatonin and magnesium to prescription sleep aids — and why so many of them change how we perceive sleep without actually improving it.

When we talk about improving our health, we usually start stacking habits. Counting macros. Cutting carbs. Working out more. Meditating. Supplements. Cold plunges. The list goes on. But what if the thing that actually moves the needle the most isn’t another optimization at all — it’s just getting a good night’s sleep?That’s why this episode matters. Sleep touches everything. Energy, focus, mood, recovery, long-term health. And yet it’s one of the first things we sacrifice and one of the hardest things to fix once it goes sideways.So for part one of a two-piece episode, we brought on Dr. Sigrid Veasey, one of the country’s leading sleep researchers. Sam actually studied under Dr. Veasey when he was at the University of Pennsylvania, so this was a full-circle moment for the podcast — and a rare chance to go straight to the source instead of recycling the same sleep tips you’ve already heard. Plus, our very own Heather offers some extra perspective and reaction toward the end of the episode.

On the third episode of the Numina podcast, Sam and Heather break down the real reasons people struggle to start meditating — and the surprisingly simple ways to make the practice stick. Instead of piling on discipline, guilt, or perfectionism, they show how meditation actually begins with LOWERING the bar: five-minute sits, easy habit stacks, playful curiosity, and learning how to return without beating yourself up for wandering.They also dig into what meditation really is beneath all those buzzwords you're familiar with. What counts as practice? Why is a wandering mind actually normal? And why do even expert-level meditators sometimes feel like they’ve “forgotten” how to meditate? This episode is all about mediation, not just for newcomers, but even those who've done it, but are feeling stuck.

On episode two of the Numina podcast, Sam reunites with Dr. Deven Patel — the University of Penn professor who originally sent him down the meditation path. Dr. Patel is a scholar of Sanskrit, Indian philosophy, and contemplative traditions, with decades of experience studying, teaching, and practicing classical meditation.Our conversation quickly moves past the usual “mindfulness” talk and into the deeper layers Dr. Patel has spent his life mastering — the parts of meditation that truly challenge the mind and reshape attention. Instead of treating meditation as a wellness routine, he talks about it the way it was originally taught: as a disciplined, transformative practice that can take you far beyond simple breath awareness. Few people understand this topic better than Dr. Patel so we think you’ll really enjoy this interview!

Welcome to the first-ever episode of the Numina Podcast, hosted by Dr. Heather Flood and Sam Tullman. Our goal is to bring science, spirituality, good fun, and practical insights together — to make conversations about the mind, body, and health feel human again. What makes us qualified to do this, you ask? Sam has spent years studying neuroscience, meditation, neurofeedback, and the ways our minds shape our experience. He also lives with type 1 diabetes — a lifelong teacher that led him to explore multiple domains. Heather is a naturopathic physician trained in both modern medicine and Chinese medicine. Her path shifted dramatically after witnessing the limits of traditional healthcare up close, leading her to focus on treating the whole person rather than just the symptoms.In this first episode, we dive into the experiences that shaped how they see medicine today. We open up about their personal journeys, discuss what medicine often overlooks, and share how different trainings and life events gave them a wider lens on health.