Alive & Healthy: Recent Episodes
Alive & Healthy
Alive & Healthy is a non-profit organization offering online classes, audio blogs, and mentoring services for those seeking a life coach with spiritual insights into all aspects of life.
We are the only species that can take care of all the other species. We are the only ones who can both preserve and destroy the entire world. We are the only ones that can consciously guide and control our body, breath and mind We are the only ones that can consciously relax and repair […]
Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I’d rather see you in better living conditions. —Hafiz, Persian poet, 1315-1390 Today, Blair helps us acknowledge that most of us are already out of our comfort zone. Many teachers of self-improvement in the years past have encouraged their students to step up and get out of […]
In this week’s Podcast, Blair recalls a story from his friend Fr. Joe Pereira on a conversation between Mother Teresa and some reporters. The story may be one you have heard before, but it’s a good reminder for us to contemplate in our daily lives.
Fear is 100% true, and may even be factual, but it is only a very small portion of the whole truth. If we are able to step back and see the whole story of what the truth actually is, we would not be frightened anymore. “People can spend years focused and invested on their feelings. […]
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last […]
It is natural for your mind to choose the habit or situation that is most familiar, even if it’s a habit or situation that is not desirable. It’s just easier to chose the path that is the easiest and fastest to understand, rather than to struggle with the unfamiliar. It is possible to overcome this […]
We are living in a time of heightened social unrest and unpredictable behavior. As we witness shocking events going on all over the world, and here in our own communities, we are slowly picking up the residue of anxiety, fear, powerlessness and hopelessness. Even when the news seems overwhelming, we do not have to succumb […]
While nestling in during these quiet snow filled days of winter, it seems a good time to sip a cup of chai and listen to Blair share a story about the most hated man and loopholes in the law of karma. Sit back and enjoy this inspiring story.
Although homeopathic remedies can often times help with physical ailments, there is maybe a lesser known application. When you are searching to expand your self understanding, and more mental clarity is needed to reach these goals, homeopathy might be the answer. Listen today as Blair discusses his more than 40 years experience as a classical […]
Happiness is a science, a psychology and a philosophy. It is a non-treatment model. When someone comes with a problem, they think they should not have that problem. They want to make it go away. Their mind fixates on the idea that they have a problem. That mindset is too ingrained into our culture. This […]
Blair starts this week by stating that we don’t really understand our true human nature. This is why we continue to get caught in cycles of suffering. Once we know our true nature, our great clarity and our peacefulness, we recognize that we need to organize our lives in some specific ways. Listen as Blair […]
As the New Year rolls out, Blair talks about creating a prototype of your new life. The complexity of our world reveals great opportunity to live a life of our own design. This concept was placed in Blair’s heart when his teacher told him, “You are the architect of your life and you decide your […]
We are social scientists that are trying to make it through this world in a way that uplifts us, and that resolves that which other techniques couldn’t resolve. There is no need to escape and there is no escape… we have to go through this. Why not go through it together? Do you want to […]
What if all the techniques that are used in the marketing, advertising, and business world to bring them success were applied to the mental health, physical health and spiritual health arena? What would that look like? Listen to Blair share his ideas on the topic, in this third recording in a three-part series.
What if all the techniques that are used in the marketing, advertising, and business world to bring them success were applied to the mental health, physical health and spiritual health arena? What would that look like? Listen to Blair share his ideas on the topic, in this second recording in a three-part series.
What if all the techniques that are used in the marketing, advertising, and business world to bring them success were applied to the mental health, physical health and spiritual health arena? What would that look like? Listen to Blair share his ideas on the topic, in this first recording in a three-part series.
Today, Blair begins to discuss the idea that pain is caused by the resistance or disruption of flow. Flow of energy in your body, flow of events throughout your day, flow of what you expected to happen versus what actually did happened. All of these disruptions of flow can cause irritation, anger or inflammation. What […]
Working with a mentor or a coach is often a step people take at moments of crisis or chaos. It’s understandable and courageous for someone in that state to reach out for guidance. In fact, it’s encouraged. Times of upheaval in your life are a natural occurrence, and can not be avoided. But what if […]
With Thanksgiving at our doorstep, and a number of holiday gatherings with co-workers, family and friends sprinkled throughout the coming weeks, it may be uncomfortable for you to consider all the conversations you will be having with people who have very different views than you do. There is no better time to practice kindness and […]
If we are really going to regain our courage and confidence, we will need to acknowledge some irrefutable facts about our relationship with our mind: 1. We are heavily dependent upon our mind until we step back and acknowledge our own existence. 2. The mind is the center of our world until we learn to […]
In pondering ways to live a more inspired life, today Blair discusses the act of theft and it’s effect on us all. Stealing in the most obvious sense, like a wallet or a store item, to stealing more ambiguous things like time or natural resources. Please ponder and enjoy.
If you’ve ever witnessed a shocking sight, or experienced a startling event, you may have noticed a shortening of your breath pattern. The first 24 hours after such an event is the best time to sit down and pay attention to your breath while working on re-lengthening it and making it long and smooth again. […]
In seeking healing, wholeness, or happiness we have a tendency to rush. We have expectations about what these things are supposed to look like, and expectations about what time frame they are supposed to present themselves. Sometimes total healing is not always an options, but it is still important to seek out healing, improvement and […]
Just when you thought it was time to throw in the towel; to throw your hands in the air and surrender it all to the total fiasco that is your day, your year, your life… remember it is in these times of stumbling that we have the biggest opportunities for growth, knowledge, expansion and understanding. […]
In order to realize our happiness, to uncover what already resides inside of us, unconditional acceptance is required. We need to put all our cards on the table, from everything we love about our life to all the parts we hope no-one else notices. All our creativity next to all our anger; all our shame […]
Did you know that the brain burns a lot of energy in the form of calories and uses a lot of oxygen in comparison to its size and other parts of our body? This is why you can be sitting at a desk all day solving problems, expending almost no physical exertion, and feel completely […]
We all know the Repo Man as the guy that comes to “re-possess” your stuff… your possessions. In today’s podcast, Blair tells a story of the real life Repo Man from his younger days, and the roll of the proverbial Repo Man of Change who may come knocking at your door.
Sometimes the word hero has a connotation of possessing super human qualities, like unimaginable physical strength or the ability to fly. The hero Blair is talking about in today’s podcast is a person who serves others that need them. Simple, but not necessarily easy. You can be this kind of hero to the people around […]
You can have the peace that passes all understanding. There’s nothing you have to do to earn it. It’s available to us right now. If you want to help others in this world, it is time to reclaim your own joy and be an example of what is possible. Begin by learning to accept all […]
You can have the peace that passes all understanding. There’s nothing you have to do to earn it. It’s available to us right now. If you want to help others in this world, it is time to reclaim your own joy and be an example of what is possible. Begin by learning to accept all […]
Using a gentle breathing technique called the Abdominal Lift, or Agni Sara, will stoke the fire of digestion inside you. This fire is not only where we digest our food, but also our thoughts, feelings and emotions. In today’s podcast, Blair discusses what happens when the digestive fire is disturbed and what we can do […]
Suffering happens when we are stuck between what IS happening and what we WANT to have happen. It is when we can transition from wanting a different situation, to accepting the situation that is, we can then look toward what hasn’t happened yet… the next moment.
The basic drives for food, sleep, sex, and self-preservation will always remain part of your experience in one form or another throughout your life, but they don’t have to be in the “Driver’s Seat.” As Blair explains in today’s podcast, you have options.
Words Images associated with those words Emotions/feelings Sensations When you begin to deconstruct stress down to it’s components, this is what you find. Listen to Blair in this week’s podcast explain this process of deconstruction and expose the root in which stress stems.
There will never be a time when it will not be ‘now.’ When you have a story in your imagination about the wonderful (or terrible) day that you are going to have next Thursday, you are not here in the ‘now.’ By doing this, you need to turn your attention away from ‘now,’ and turn […]
Years ago, when Blair lived in Africa, the people would invite him to their homes saying, “You are welcome!” They asked from their hearts, and genuinely welcomed him into their space. Listen as Blair discusses the lessons he learned from this profound experience.
Listen along as Blair reads a short excerpt about sleep from his new unreleased book and corresponding online course.
When we are stuck, we are forced to focus on the tiniest parts of our lives that we don’t want or we don’t like. In narrow, tight places, all other options seem unlikely… Today Blair discusses how we can simply move out of the spaces in which we feel most stuck:
Our behaviors should not be chosen based on the questions of “is acting this way good” or “is acting this way bad,” rather the question should be about sustainability. What does this mean? Listen to today’s podcast to hear more.
Sounds a little strange, doesn’t it? How can my problem be a memory? In today’s clip, Blair shines a fresh perspective on our perception of what problems are, and the roll that our memories and imagination play in our “problem”. After hearing this, the next problem you have might look a little different:
If you have a desire for someone to change, even if that desire has a very good intention behind it of health or success, it means you are not fully accepting who that person is right now in this moment. What does love mean, if not acceptance? At this point in his life, Blair is […]
Discussion about the mind body connection is very popular today, but what is it really? What does it mean, and what facilitates the connection? In today’s podcast, Dr. Oswald and Blair shed a lot of light on the topic, and you may be pleasantly surprised with the answers.
Dear Friends of Alive and Healthy, Today’s audio podcast is a reading of Desert Storm — a short essay I wrote over the weekend. As you may know, we are giving away (while supplies last) free copies of The Happiness Revolution. Before people toss me into that cesspool of online hooligans trying to snatch their […]
You are something greater than your temporary thoughts, mind and body. In order to understand this “something greater,” you need to experience it in a tangible way. If your identity becomes more based in “something greater,” than in that which is fleeting, the result is undeniable safety. You can understand the world as it really […]
Effective self-improvement exercises are designed to reveal the parts of ourselves that we might prefer to overlook, or even avoid. In this podcast, Blair discusses the best approach to this dilemma when it arises:
Why do we hold on to our stories of misery? And what roll does our mind play in our attachment to these stories? Sorting things out using our conscience invites a new perspective. Listen to Blair here in this week’s podcast.
The story of freedom is the memory that self-improvement is possible. It’s the primordial memory that things can be better than they are now in our lives. In today’s podcast, Blair discusses the drive for self-improvement and where it originates:
There are a lot of valid self-improvement plans that can be very helpful, but a lot of the time we don’t fully understand the time commitment they will take to complete. It may take 6 months or longer to complete a 40 day self-improvement program. Why? Listen to today’s podcast and find out.
The conscience is relatively quiet. The mind on the other hand, is extremely loud, chatty, and obsessive. Sometimes the mind needs strict directions in order to calm down. Its time to lessen our attention to these sneaky habits of our mind, and to start hearing the voice of our conscience.
The final stage of any self-improvement program is not necessarily a longer life span. There is something greater that can be obtained. Some day we can all realize that it doesn’t matter how many positive or negative experiences we have in the world, because who we are transcends all of it.
A common phrase when working in the field of self-improvement is, “Where did my customers go?”. Believe it or not, this is a good sign! Many times when people start working on themselves, things come up in their lives that need to be taken care of before moving forward. Here is Blair to further explain:
Go outside, stand on the stoop of your front door, and look around. How are things really? You will probably see that things are actually going well around you right now. In this podcast, Blair shares a new perspective of real vs. “fake” news. Let this be the framework for your work towards helping others.
What we think caused our problem, probably isn’t what actually caused our problem. In Part 2 of Stop Blaming, Blair reminds us that there are endless options when we are trying to decide who is at fault, and none of them really bring you to the outcome of blame you are seeking.
It is very easy to point fingers at others and try to divert attention away from ourselves when our own carelessness has caused a some sort of disorder in our life. Maybe it’s time to stop blaming and instead start nurturing our ability to respond… our responsibility.
In this week’s Podcast, Blair recalls a story from his friend Fr. Joe Pereira on a conversation between Mother Teresa and some reporters. The story may be one you have heard before, but it’s a good reminder for us to contemplate in our daily lives.
Part of the path to a sustainable society is abundant kindness. Listen to this week’s podcast from Blair where he reframes what seems to be a small, maybe even mundane part of daily conversation between two co-workers or two family members, into a conscious act of kindness that we can all do.
Today, the voice of our ego has become so loud, that we can no longer hear our true voice, the voice of our conscience. But there is always hope! Because happiness never leaves us, all we need is a guide to show us how to turn down the noise of the ego. As a result, […]
Have you ever bought a red car, and then noticed how many red cars are being driven on the road? This is a common phenomenon. Likewise, when someone is made aware of positive attributes in their personality, they naturally begin to develop an awareness about these specific traits and can’t help but pay attention to […]
Every human being has everything they need to have a happy fulfilling life, however, we have to know where to look. Listen here as Blair sets up the ground work for a new life changing philosophy, and then tune in next week to hear how to put this philosophy into action.
The unconscious mind is vast and mysterious. We may never fully comprehend or understand this part of ourselves. However, it always gives us hints and clues that it still exists and is always influencing us. In this story, Blair talks about how our warehouse in the mind helps us spell.
The first three components of the mind are: The Importer/Exporter The Ego The Enlightened Intellect The fourth component of the mind is the massive Warehouse, which stores every experience and memory we have ever had. This warehouse also holds all the experiences that we were not even aware we were experiencing. Listen to Blair explain […]
There 6 qualities to every mind that most of us are unaware of. We don’t have to earn these qualities, because they are inherent in all of us. Some of these qualities might surprise you, and as soon as you hear them, they start to manifest. They inspire us, give us hope, and ground us.
Nope, I am not talking about the weather changes. We has human beings have our own cycle of seasons that we go through every 24 hours. In the same way that no one complains about the lack of snow in the middle of July, we can learn to be indifferent to the different qualities of […]
Anxiety, hate, and sadness are not permanent and have specific causes. We can resolve these. Most of the time, we just do not know what we are working with and what parts inside of us to pay attention to. There are very specific techniques and concepts that we need to grasp if we are going […]
Did you know you can use the first 24 hours after a traumatic or disturbing event to mitigate its long term effects on your mind and body? Here’s how to begin.
The mind wanders far and wide when it is awake and returns to itself when we sleep. When we are training our mind to behave, we can think of it like training a wild horse. Like training any animal, there are multiple approaches to taming its behavior. However, for the best results, try this approach:
We are all trying to make our lives better. We never want to be more sad, more depressed, more anxious, more needy. This journey to better health and happiness usually finds us after we have been brought to our knees by the relentless world. We all must take this journey at some point in our […]
We have all had those experiences when we wake up in the middle of the night, wide awake, and are unsure of what to do next. Should we force ourselves back to sleep? Sometimes we are plagued by racing thoughts that will not lose their grip on our attention, making sleep a lofty fantasy. In […]
Lessons we can learn from imitating a basketball or tennis ball may be the best solution to stress. While the worldly chaos increases, the mirror can reveal the one who needs to level up.
Anytime you decide to make changes in your lifestyle, or begin a process of self improvement, YOU are the one who starts the project…the DIY project.
If modern medicine cannot find or prove that anything is wrong with you, you are considered healthy. Maybe it’s time we begin the conversation about the difference between this label of good health, and what optimal health means at a more subtle level. In this podcast, Blair addresses the topic:
Here is a brief introduction to the very practical aspects of astrology that influence all of our lives. Importance is placed on the planet that has the most power over the lives of all human beings.
Take a peek at what the journey of self-discovery looks like, and the tools you will need to find your purpose in life. Here is a thoughtful reflection by a fellow traveler on the journey to lasting joy.
There is a better question to ask than why. To change your results and outlooks, first start by changing the questions you ask.
Could you allow the world to be the way it is? Most of us cannot. Our pain is birthed by refusing to accept our day as it is. When we are constantly denying the reality in front of us, then we suffer even more.
Failing your way to freedom – that’s how the pros do it in business and in self-improvement. The real question is: “Are you a walker?”
What happens to our diet and lifestyle when happiness is missing? Without healing the mind’s wounds, our life will be shaped to match the madness of the mind.
There are 5 types of mental impurities, so humiliating, that we try to hide from them. If we do not know them and manage them, they can unleash a chain of events causing us to forget what truly is right and wrong.
There is a reality that never judged you and always rushes in to help. Maybe we should remember this truth.
When they hurt our climate, our schools and our hearts, we have to do something! What can we do that will actually help? You can learn how to not get hurt in these modern storms of social unrest. These 6 minutes may help.
We can awaken and fortify the three basic principles of life that bring us unlimited success and joy. They are hardwired strengths in everyone, and yet our own inner unrest can disconnect us from our true invincibility. This excerpt has key insights to help all of us.
How do you find a constant source of safety and security in a world filled with disturbing news? This could really help!
Recent studies show that millions of Americans are taking over the counter medicines everyday which reduce their level of empathy toward themselves and others. In this podcast, Blair shares with you the studies and the challenges of how a medicated society is subtly, yet profoundly, changing our world: Unabridged Version We know that all of […]