Yoga With Jake Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jake Panasevich
My name is Jake Panasevich, and I’m a yoga teacher with a focus on teaching men and athletes - from your everyday dad to professional athletes. And I’m also a lifestyle science journalist and I link my yoga practice and habits to evidence based medicine, outcomes and research. Which honestly, often gets lost in a yoga practice. I want to provide you, my audience with as much value as possible and that’s why I started this: the Yoga with Jake podcast, where I tap into my access to world-renown experts, elite athletes and other world-class performers to give you the tools, tips and perspective that make them the best in their field, and could help you be better too.
Ryan Soave is a licensed mental health counselor with over 15 years of experience helping people navigate trauma, addiction, and the survival patterns that quietly run their lives. His clinical approach integrates evidence-based psychotherapy with body-based practices like breathwork and yoga nidra, all built around one central idea: we often confuse discomfort with threat, and learning to tolerate discomfort is the first step to real change. He was featured on the Huberman Lab podcast, where Dr. Andrew Huberman called him “the person you call when life
breaks down.” Ryan lives in Delray Beach, Florida, with his wife, three children, and their dog.
Ryan's website
Ryan's e-mail: ryansoave@gmail.com
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Julie Korioth is the Founder and CEO of Nui Sport. With more than 20 years of experience in counseling, coaching, education, and entrepreneurship, she has spent her career helping people build confidence, resilience, and emotional well-being.
After seeing firsthand the growing pressures facing student-athletes and the lack of accessible mental performance support, Julie founded Nui Sport to bring practical, scalable mental performance tools to athletes, coaches, and schools. With more than 20 years of experience in counseling, coaching, education, and entrepreneurship, and as a former Board Member of the SIMS Foundation, she has built trusted relationships across education, mental health, healthcare, and youth sports. Today, she leads Nui Sport’s vision, strategic partnerships, fundraising, and growth.
Website: www.getnui.com
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Chad Angellotti is a licensed clinical social worker, mental performance coach, and founder of Flow State Sports and Mental Performance Coaching. For over 15 years, he’s helped people navigate stress, anxiety, burnout, and high-pressure environments. Today, he combines clinical psychology, breathwork, and performance science to help athletes, professionals, and teams unlock flow state and perform at their best. Chad is the creator of the Prescribing Safety framework, an original model for understanding burnout and professional resilience, and he serves as the Senior Mental Performance Coach for the SUNY Oneonta Women’s Soccer program. His work focuses on one central idea: when people feel safe, they perform better.
Contact Chad: Getintheflowstate@gmail.com
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Dr. St-Onge is the founding Director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The overall focus of her research program is the study of the impact of lifestyle, specifically sleep and diet, on cardiometabolic health. Dr. St-Onge has been NIH-funded since 2008, conducting innovative, cutting-edge clinical research combining her expertise on sleep, nutrition, and energy balance regulation to address questions related to the role of circadian rhythms, including sleep duration and timing as well as meal timing and eating patterns, on cardiometabolic risk. Dr. St-Onge was Center Director for the American Heart Association funded Go Red for Women Strategically Focused Research Center, aimed at determining the causality of the relation between sleep and cardiovascular disease and the specific role that sleep plays in the health of women throughout the life cycle. She is a pioneer in this field, having chaired the first scientific statements endorsed by the AHA on sleep and cardiometabolic health as well as meal timing and frequency and cardiovascular disease risk prevention. More recently, she chaired a follow-up scientific statement highlighting the role of multidimensional sleep health for cardiometabolic health. She is a Fulbright Scholar, and the recipient of an NHLBI Outstanding Investigator Award from the National Institutes of Health. Dr. St-Onge has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and is author of Eat Better, Sleep Better: 75 recipes and a 28-day meal plan that unlock the food-sleep connection.
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Ross Rayburn is a performance strategist, author, and speaker who teaches people how to use their body, mind, and breath as precision instruments for modern life. Drawing on three decades of yoga and contemplative practice, his work helps individuals and organizations access clarity, composure, and presence — in the moments that matter most. Ross has been teaching yoga, yoga therapeutics and meditation for 27 years, leading workshops and teacher trainings in 33 countries.
He is the author of Turning Inward (Hachette Go, 2024), a former Peloton instructor, and has worked with executives, elite athletes, and artists navigating complexity at the highest levels.
Ross' Substack
Ross' Instagram
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Dr. Karen Mustian is an energetic, passionate scientist, world traveler, yogi, scuba diver, and foodie whose life’s work is dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals affected by cancer. Through her research, leadership, and advocacy, she strives to help cancer patients and survivors not only live longer, but live better.
Dr. Mustian is a Dean’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center and an internationally recognized leader in Cancer Survivorship, Integrative Oncology, Exercise Oncology, Geriatric Oncology, Behavioral Oncology, and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Health.
She serves as Associate Director for Population Science at the Wilmot Cancer Institute, Director of the University of Rochester Cancer Center NCI Community Oncology Research Program Clinical Trial Network and Founding Director of the PEAK Human Performance Research Laboratory at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She is also a Faculty Associate with the Susan B. Anthony Institute for Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies.
At the national level, Dr. Mustian serves on the National Cancer Institute Cancer Advisory Board Working Group for Extramural Research Concepts and Programs and the National Cancer Institute Symptom Management and Quality of Life Steering Committee, where she helps shape the future of cancer research and supportive care. Dr. Mustian has secured more than $145 million in peer-reviewed research funding and ranks among the most highly NIH-funded researchers in the United States. She has authored more than 250 scientific publications and is widely recognized for her pioneering contributions to oncology research, supportive care, and clinical trial innovation.
Her accomplishments have been honored with more than 45 national and international awards, including recognition as a Fulbright Scholar, recipient of the ASCO Walther Supportive Oncology Lifetime Achievement Award, and recipient of the Prime Minister’s Yoga Award for her transformative impact on yoga research worldwide. Dr. Mustian is best known for advancing evidence-based, integrative approaches to cancer care. Through groundbreaking research on yoga, tai chi, mindfulness, and exercise, she has helped establish non-pharmacologic interventions as effective strategies for reducing treatment- related toxicities, improving symptom management, and enhancing the health and well-being of
cancer patients and survivors around the globe.
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Neil Theise (thee-ss) is adjunct professor of pathology at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Through his scientific research, he has been a pioneer of adult stem cell plasticity and the anatomy of the human interstitium. Dr. Theise's book, "Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being" calls on his studies in complexity theory to address topics such as consciousness studies and science-religion dialogue. Recently his scientific understandings of integrative medicine have been highlighted in the New York Times, on The Telepathy Tapes, and soon in the documentary, "Phenomena Healing." His next book, "Sarah in the In-Between", relating his mother's elder years' adventures in non-local consciousness will be published by Spiegel & Grau in 2027.
Neil's Website
Neil's Book: Notes On Complexity
More on Interstitum:
NY Times
Radiolab
Forthcoming:
Phenomena Healing Podcast
Phenomena Healing Documentary
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Dr. Ashley Kuchar is a mindset coach, educator, and speaker who helps athletes quiet their inner critic, handle pressure with poise, and bounce forward after mistakes. She is a former collegiate basketball player with a PhD in educational psychology, bringing both lived experience and research-backed tools to help athletes build lasting confidence in themselves and their performance. You can learn more about Ashley’s work at failbettertraining.com.
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Today, I have the honor to speak with back-to-back BSR champion, Josh Izewski. Josh not only won the ten mile race, but he did so in an impressive 45 minutes and 8 seconds, that is roughly a 4 minute and 30 second mile pace. This unbelievable performance not only set a course record, but it marked the fastest 10-miler ever by an American!
Josh joins me to discuss this amazing accomplishment. He explains what he believes makes the broad street run unique, how he approached it, how he managed to run the course 65 seconds faster than his winning time last year, and what it meant to him to set the course record at the largest 10-mile race in the country. Roughly 40,000 runners raced down broad street, and Josh tells me what it was like leading the pack with the huge crowds who came out to cheer and bring the energy that only Philly can provide. Josh unpacks what he did differently that allowed him to be aggressive on race day, how he stays consistent and dialed-in with his training and how his mentality and belief helped him run at his best. Josh recently signed as a professional runner with Asics and he is set to move closer to his family in the New Jersey / Pennsylvania area with his fiancée and dogs.
Josh's Instagram
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Dr. Gehrman is Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He directs the Sleep, Neurobiology and Psychopathology lab at Penn where he studies insomnia and the links between sleep and mental health. Dr. Gehrman’s clinical specialization is on the delivery of cognitive behavioral treatments for sleep disorders.
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Tyler Brockbank is a licensed therapist (AMFT, ACMHC) and the founder of Greencrest, where he is improving the world’s mental health one individual at a time. By trading the traditional clinical office for a private golf simulator, Tyler helps people move past the stigma of therapy and into a space where they can engage comfortably in their process of personal development.
Tyler's Instagram
Greencrest Therapy Website
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Micha Shaw is a Mental Performance Coach, Meditation Teacher and former USA Swimming 10K National Champion. Micha brings her unique experience as a professional athlete, mindfulness practitioner and education in sports psychology to help athletes unlock their full potential by building a strong and resilient mind.
Micha's Website
Micha's Instagram
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Today, I’m giving you a “behind the reporting” podcast, where I’ll provide you my personal opinion, experience and added value with information that did not make it into my recent article for the U.S. News titled: How to Start a Yoga Practice for Depression, According to Experts.
In the article, I feature Dr. Ken Duckworth the Chief Medical Officer at the National Alliance of Mental Illness and author of the book, You Are Not Alone. Amy Weintraub, someone who attributes her recovery from depression in large part to yoga. While her therapist once told her that she would always struggle with mental health, Weintraub is a published author who has also trained hundreds of yoga teachers how to teach yoga for depression. Dr. Patricia Kinser, dean of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Nursing and Judith B. Collins and Joseph M. Teefey Distinguished Professor. She researches yoga- and mindfulness-based interventions for mental health. I will provide their expert insights alongside my sentiments for this episode of the yoga with jake podcast.
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Indira Gurubhagavatula is a Professor of Medicine in the Division of Sleep Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center. She is also Director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program. She has over 30 years of experiencing in taking care of patients with sleep disorders. She has done research looking at screening for sleep apnea in high risk groups, including commercial vehicle drivers, and has a special interest in sleep and public health.
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Mohit Khera
Baylor College of Medicine, United States of America
Dr. Khera earned his undergraduate degree at Vanderbilt University. He subsequently earned his MBA and his MPH from Boston University. He received his Medical Degree from The University of Texas Medical School and completed his Urology residency training in the Scott Department of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine. He went on to complete a one-year fellowship in Male Reproductive Medicine and Surgery at Baylor. Currently he is a Professor of Urology at Baylor College of Medicine, and he holds the F. Brantley Scott Chair in Urology. Dr. Khera also serves as the Director of the Laboratory for Andrology Research, the Medical Director of the Scott Department of Urology, and the Associate Program
Director of the Baylor Infertility and Sexual Medicine Fellowship Program. He is also the past President of the Sexual Medicine Society of North America.
Dr. Mohit Khera's website: https://drmohitkhera.com/
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Gone Guys explores a “quiet crisis” in our communities, hidden in plain sight: the increasing disengagement and isolation of boys and young men. Set in rural Vermont, this documentary brings national data to life highlighting the struggles faced by boys and young men and sets the stage for a meaningful conversation. Over the past fifty years, boys and young men have steadily disengaged from school, work, and broader society. They’re falling behind academically, struggling with loneliness and isolation, and facing rising rates of substance abuse and suicide.
This 45-minute documentary draws on the influential work of Richard V. Reeves’ “Of Boys and Men”, illuminating these challenges through powerful data and compelling personal stories. Many of us have experienced these issues first-hand, but it can be difficult to talk about them. It’s not an either-or choice: caring more about boys and men does not mean caring less about women and girls.
The film brings national data to life with engaging animation accompanying lived experience featuring young men, educators, mentors, and trailblazing programs that are working to re-engage boys and young men in their communities and reshape their futures.
Website: goneguysfilm.com
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Daya Grant, Ph.D., CMPC is a certified mental performance consultant, neuroscientist, and yoga/meditation teacher, who helps athletes and high performers train their mind for elevated performance. Dr. Grant has a private practice in Los Angeles and consults with athletes in a wide range of sports from youth to professional, as well as business leaders, doctors, ad musicians. She’s a contributing writer for Triathlete and Run magazines, and has been featured in The New York Times, Women’s Health, Yoga Journal, Vox, and Peloton. Dr. Grant also created two courses for Yoga Medicine: Yoga for Concussion and Yoga for Triathletes. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two young sons.
Daya's Website
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Laura is a licensed physical therapist who graduated with an exercise science degree from St. Olaf College. She then attended Creighton University’s physical therapy program and graduated with her Doctor of Physical Therapy.
Her experience is in general outpatient orthopedics, but she also has a special interest in post operative joint replacements and has been certified to treat dizziness, vertigo and balance dysfunctions since 2019. She received her advanced vestibular rehabilitation certification in 2025 so that she could continue to grow clinically and improve patient outcomes.
Laura transitioned from the clinic to home visits in the last couple of years and loves the way that she can be fully one on one with patients to fully customize patients’ physical therapy plan and goals to positively impact their lifestyle.
She has been very fortunate to be part of a healthy, active family and loves educating and assisting people of all ages how to avoid chronic pain, immobility and balance disorders that typically stigmatize aging. She has always found the vestibular (balance) system fascinating and loves to educate in this area since it can be so beneficial for patients’ well-being.
Laura lives in Dallas, Texas with her family. She enjoys running, yoga and trying new restaurants.
Laura's website: www.dr-laura-pt.com
On Point Movement and Performance: www.onpointmvp.com
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Keith Humphreys is the Esther Ting Memorial Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. His research addresses addictive disorders and the translation of science into public policy. In addition to over 400 scientific publications, he has written extensively for outlets like The Washington Post and The Atlantic.
Dr. Humphreys’ public policy work includes testimonies to U.S. House and Senate Committees, to the Canadian and U.K. parliaments, and in many state legislatures. He served on the White House Commission on Drug-Free Communities during the Bush Administration and as Senior Policy Advisor in the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy under President Obama. He created and co-directs the Stanford Network on Addiction Policy, which brings scientists and policy makers together to improve public policies regarding addictive substances. To recognize his service to addiction-related scholarship and policy, Queen Elizabeth II made him an Honorary Officer in the Order of the British Empire in 2022.
Dr. Keith Humphreys' Website
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Elise Riley is one of Australia's leading holistic performance experts, renowned for coaching elite athletes including England footballer Ben Chilwell, Dylan Grimes, and Adam Hollioake, as well as hosting the Generation Elevation Podcast.
Elise empowers high performers from professional athletes to corporate teams at Google, ASOS, and Soho House to excel in their careers by harnessing the power of breathwork, meditation, and mindfulness to reduce stress, boost energy, and unlock their full potential.
Based in London, Elise specialises in helping creatives, performers, and leaders break through mental blocks and step into their power through transformative wellness practices.
Elise's Instagram
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Mark D'Esposito is a Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute. Drawing on his training in Neurology, Neuroscience and Psychology, his research focuses on investigating the neural bases of high-level cognitive processes such as working memory and cognitive control, achieved through several different experimental approaches and methodologies. First, functional MRI (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electrocorticography (ECoG) are used to identify the neural substrates and temporal dynamics of various cognitive processes, especially those supported by the prefrontal cortex, in normal human subjects. Second, the role of the dopaminergic system in working memory and cognitive control is investigated with pharmacological studies during which direct dopaminergic agonists are administered to normal human subjects, as well as patients with Parkinson’s disease. Third, behavioral studies in patient populations with frontal lobe dysfunction (e.g. stroke, brain injury) are performed to further understand the mechanisms that underlie working memory and cognitive control. Fourth, based on the knowledge gained from our research on frontal lobe function, we are developing and implementing cognitive therapeutic approaches to patients with traumatic brain injury and healthy elderly with executive function deficits. Finally, our methodological research is aimed at developing improved techniques for the acquisition and the analysis of fMRI and TMS data.
Center for Brain Health Website
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I am thrilled to start the new year by sharing a conversation with a longtime friend and student, Keith Tomaselli. Keith, while he might deny it, is an impressive, experienced, avid runner, and is one of the founders of the Northern Liberties Run Club in Philly. When he isn’t running with the club, Keith says he prefers to run solo miles over races—yet here are just some of his running highlights:
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He’s completed 19 Broad Street Runs
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7 half marathons
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9 full marathons (PR 3:21 at Marine Corps)
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9 ultras, including a 50-miler at Dirty German (2017).
He came to my Broga class in Philly after a chance meeting me at, of all places, a South Philly brewery called Brewery ARS, and after a few pints, we sparked up a conversation about my male-specific class, and Keith decided to give it a shot.
Keith is a great example of a regular guy who came to yoga extremely tight, injured, in serious pain and with zero experience practicing yoga. Now, it has been seven years since Keith has been practicing Broga and Iyengar yoga with Gabriel Sigal, and the progress he has made is nothing short of inspiring.
He joins me to discuss:
What his process was like becoming a yogi or I like to say, a bro-gi.
Why he decided to come to an all-male yoga class.
What the benefits are of practicing men’s-specific yoga.
How the low-key vibe of Broga where “regular” dudes take their practice seriously, but don’t take themselves seriously, is a great fit for him, and how yoga informs his running and vice-versa.
And how communities, regular practices and social gatherings – like Broga and his NLRC are the key for his physical, social and mental health.
Link to Northern Liberties Run Club Website.
Link to NLRC Instagram.
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Rachel Bambrick is the founder and executive director of Women In Ultrarunning, a nonprofit dedicated to helping more women access the sport of ultrarunning. She lives in the Philadelpha area, and is also an ultrarunning coach and pediatric occupational therapist. She is an avid ultrarunner herself, with her favorite distance being 200+ milers. When not ultrarunning herself, she loves spending time with her husband and cat, going to drag shows, hiking, and camping.
Rachel's Instagram
Women In Ultrarunning Instagram
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Mel Mah was born and raised in Toronto, and she moved to Los Angeles in 2011 to pursue a professional dance career. During her time as a performer, she had the privilege of working with top artists such as Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Kanye West. In 2017, Mel has now transitioned into filmmaking and she’s pursuing her passion as a writer, director and producer. She’s created 6 short films which has screened at festivals such as Cannes, the LA Asian Pacific Film Festival and the Cleveland International Film Festival, and she was an
associate producer on Sony’s BIG GEORGE FOREMAN (2023).
Mel is also a passionate yoga and meditation teacher, and she’s been teaching since 2012. She has her 200 hour certification in Vinyasa Yoga from CorePower Yoga, her 200 hour certification in Hot Power Fusion from CorePower Yoga, and an additional 500 hour certification in Tantric Hatha Yoga from The Practice Bali. Mel currently teaches for the mindfulness app Calm where she produces, writes, and hosts a show called the Daily Move. Her mindfulness videos have garnered over 1 million views and she was also featured on THE TODAY SHOW for her work on
Calm (watch video here). In addition, she’s the founder and director of an empowerment company called ANVITA (https://anvitacommunity.com). Anvita’s mission is to help others cultivate their authentic voices and uncover their purpose through mindfulness. With Anvita, she facilitates online coaching programs, retreats, mentorships, and community events for individuals all around the world.
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Dr. Dominick Shattuck is a public health researcher whose work focuses on
reproductive health, technology integration, vaccine uptake, HIV, and engaging men in care. His research examines how men’s health-seeking behaviors, masculinity, and gender norms shape outcomes. He has led pioneering studies, including evaluating a mobile contraceptive app (the Dot Study), conducting the first randomized trial of male engagement in reproductive health, developing the first reproductive health mobile games (Nari Paila), and leading Rwanda’s national vasectomy scale-up.
At Johns Hopkins University, he is a faculty member in the Bloomberg School of Public Health and the OB-GYN Department in the School of Medicine. He’s also the CEO of Relational Ground, LLC, on the Advisory Boards of Next Life Science, the Men’s Health Network, a member of Global Action on Men’s Health, and he’s the Men’s Health Fellow at the American Institute for Boys and Men.
AIBM
AIBM HEAL Jobs
Boys & Men Online
Outsmart Ovarian Cancer
Dominick's Personal website
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Jett Stone, Ph.D., is a writer and clinical psychologist on a mission to improve men’s mental well-being and bring their inner life into full color. Stone went to undergrad at the University of Michigan and earned two master’s degrees in journalism and psychology from Columbia University. He completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Adelphi University and continued training at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Hospital. Stone eventually founded a clinical practice in Connecticut, focusing on individual and couples psychotherapy. After years of psychotherapy with a diverse range of men, he authored Quiet Your Mind: A Men’s Guide, a comprehensive book of his creative, evidence-based strategies for overcoming worry and rumination.
Outside of his practice, Stone is an organizational consultant for Work Haven, helping leaders thrive in high-stress careers. In addition to Psychology Today, his writings and contributions have appeared in the New York Times, American Institute for Boys and Men, the Guardian, and Fortune.
Dr. Jett Stone's Instagram
“The Existential Load: What Dads Carry That No One Sees.” Published in Psychology Today.
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One of the most accomplished U.S. track athletes of all time, Shannon's career longevity is unmatched. Shannon is a 3x Olympian, Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2x World Bronze Medalist, World Record holder (DMR), and American Record holder at three distances (1500m, 2 miles, 5000m). Ranked in the world's top 10 for over a decade, Shannon made history at the London 2012 Games as the first American woman ever to medal in the Olympic 1500m.
Shannon is also an Emmy Award winner, recognized for her work in sports broadcasting and storytelling. She has served as a broadcaster and in-stadium announcer for CBS, World Athletics, USA Track & Field, and the NCAA, and in 2024 she made her NBC Sports debut as a Track & Field analyst for the Paris Olympics.
Beyond sport, Shannon is the co-founder of Imagining More, a nonprofit that promotes arts and athletics for youth. She was selected by the U.S. Department of State as a Sports Envoy to Morocco on the topic of Women's Empowerment Through Sport.
A Duke University alum, Shannon graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in English, Theater & Film Studies, and later earned her Master's cum laude in the Humanities. She also holds executive certificates from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business (Next Step), Harvard Business School (Crossover to Business), and IMD (Innovation in Action).
Shannon lives with her husband, Pablo, and their two children in her hometown of San Francisco, CA.
Shannon's Instagram
Shannon's LinkTree
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On this episode: I’m joined by Dr. Erica Sharpe to discuss our yoga research project that we’ve started at a hospital. Our goal is to bridge the gap between doctors, their patients and yoga teachers, by providing a tool for physicians to refer their patients to the most appropriate yoga class and effective teacher for their needs.
There is a huge variety of yoga styles and an even greater variety of teachers. Often, yoga students come to class after their doctor told them it was safe to practice yoga, when in reality, the doctor may have one idea of what yoga is, say a gentle, restorative class, while the patient may find themselves attending a vigorous, athletic, power yoga class, that may not be a good fit for someone who is, for example, experiencing severe wrist pain. For them, a gentle class or chair yoga practice would be more appropriate.
Dr. Sharpe, myself and Dr. Steffany Moonaz, who is a previous guest on the show, worked together to develop a tool to help physicians, their patients and yoga teachers in this process. So that a patient can bring a prescriptive plan, in writing, that includes exactly what the doctor suggests they should avoid in a yoga class and what is safe for that particular individual, to their yoga teacher. Our hope is to ultimately help more people who can benefit from yoga find the right class and teacher and avoid being in the wrong class.
Dr. Sharpe is a clinical human researcher and professor of chemistry at SUNY Empire, a research investigator at the National University of Natural Medicine and an adjunct professor, teaching yoga, chemistry, music, and botanical medicine at SUNY Canton. Erica specializes in Yoga Nidra (yogic sleep), natural medicine and human research.
Yoga Nidra has exploded in popularity as an accessible meditation practice, thanks in large part to very popular science podcasters. In that process, these very persuasive individuals, have re-branded and re-named yoga nidra to call it a Non-Sleep Deep Rest Protocol. Which, on the surface, may seem harmless. However, Dr. Sharpe explains that those who have re-named yoga nidra, have also completely changed and diluted the practice.
She talks to me about why this is problematic, and how it can, and in some cases, how it already has, turned a traditional practice that has promising, science-backed benefits that she has found in her work, for things like insomnia and anxiety, into a gimmick that is oversimplified and misused both online, and even in research. Dr. Sharpe explains why this trickle-down effect from podcasters to scientific research is something we should be concerned about.
Link to Erica's Linked-In
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Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned mindfulness teacher. He’s taking what helped him excel in his professional life and heal in his personal life and now sharing this with others to help them do the same.
Jon's Website
Movember
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Andrew Tanner is the Founder of the American Yoga Council and the co-founder of the Berkshire Yoga Festival. He’s a yoga teacher himself and he helps teachers and studios make a career in yoga.
He explains to me the direction he believes yoga is going, how yoga studios and teachers could thrive as businesses, and how he plans to help pave the way to a more successful future for yoga with his American Yoga Council movement.
American Yoga Council Website
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After completing a PhD in Neuroscience and training in psychiatry, John Kruse began working with adults with ADHD - at a time when the condition was widely thought to be present only in children. He has written several hundred popular articles on ADHD and other mental health topics as well as posting more than 300 informative videos on his YouTube channel and hosting a weekly Q & A session. After three decades in San Francisco, he moved to the Big Island of Hawaii in 2022 where he continues to enjoy nature, hike, and run.
https://www.youtube.com/@DrJohnKruse
https://medium.com/@dockruse
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My guest today is Dierdre Rae, and she usually goes by the name Dee. She shares with me, very candidly, her battle with OCD, what it cost her and how she regained her life back with hard work and grit and by giving herself grace throughout the process.
I found Dee through her NOCD – online therapy and app page, and when I saw her social media page I knew I had to talk to her. Dee’s willingness to share the raw truth about living with OCD on her page is breaking the stigma of mental health, and she provides tools that help thousands with their mental health and OCD.
Dee is a certified personal trainer, life coach, and confidence mentor who helps people rewire their mindsets to become the best versions of themselves. Having overcome OCD, ADHD, eating disorders, and years of self-doubt, she now tries to empower others to turn their biggest struggles into their greatest strengths.
Link to Dierdre's Instagram
Link to NOCD App for OCD Help
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Dr. Hezel is a licensed clinical psychologist in New York State and an Assistant Professor and researcher at Columbia Medical Center/New York State Psychiatric Institute. Her goal is to create a warm, secure environment in which people feel prepared and able to address their concerns and meet their goals.
Dr. Hezel has trained extensively in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with adults and children suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and anxiety, mood, and personality disorders. She currently specializes in treating adults with OCD, anxiety, and depression.
Dr. Hezel has previously held teaching positions at Harvard College and Harvard Extension School. She has published numerous peer-reviewed articles about OCD and anxiety disorders, has presented her research at national and international conferences, and has guest-lectured at local universities.
Dr. Hezel believes in using treatments that are backed by science and that can be applied in a personalized and flexible way. She is committed to building a strong working relationship with her clients, ensuring that they are on board with the treatment plan, and listening attentively to their concerns. Her years of experience have taught her that people are capable of great change, and she continues to be humbled by their resilience and determination.
Dr. Hezel's Website
Columbia OCD Research
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Don Noble is an Instructor in the Department of Cell Biology at Emory University. He received his BS in Neuroscience from the University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2008, and his PhD in Neuroscience from Emory in 2016. Dr. Noble’s academic interests include understanding fundamental sensory processes that contribute to the benefits of meditation, with an emphasis on slow, deep breathing. For his PhD, he developed an animal model of the relaxation response by using operant conditioning to train rodents to slow their breathing, and pursued the idea that patterned activation of mechanically sensitive lung afferents can shift autonomic balance, decrease stress and pain, and improve performance. As a Postdoc, he pioneered remote respiratory recordings to investigate breathing deficits in the context of chronic pain after traumatic injury. Dr. Noble is passionate about integrating these ideas across fields, and adapting them to educational curricula that explore alternative and sometimes unconventional approaches to enhance well-being. His research publications to date have focused on the functions and mechanisms of slow, deep breathing as a voluntary portal to autonomic nervous system control, while ongoing physio-behavioral studies in his lab use chemogenetic techniques to elucidate how the simple, repetitive act of breathing can powerfully modulate mental states.
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About Amy:
Although I’m best known as a yoga therapist for my books and teachings on Yoga and mental health, Yoga for Depression (Harmony Books), Yoga Skills for Therapists (W.W. Norton), and my new card deck Yoga for Your Mood (Sounds True), my passion, ever since I picked up a pencil in the second grade, was to write a book with a character like Nancy Drew who could transport me to a world beyond my suburban bedroom. I grew up in Pittsburgh before it was green and beautiful. Like the darkened riverfront lit by the coal fires of J & L Steel, my world view was bleak. I read to find a brighter place in other worlds, and I wanted to write books that could meet that bleakness and transcend it. In pursuit of that desire, I returned to school, earning the Master of Fine Arts in literary fiction from Bennington College Writing Seminars in 2000.
My short fiction and poetry appeared in numerous literary journals. I received the Allen Tate Memorial Award for the Short Story and was a finalist for the William Faulkner Award for the Novel and for the Heekin Group Foundation Fellowship for the novel-in-progress. I also received Second Place, in the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition for Literary Fiction.
I began my love affair with yoga in the late 1980’s, after a successful career in television broadcasting that garnered the documentaries I wrote and produced national and regional awards but did not alleviate my chronic depression. When I started practicing yoga daily, with supervision, I was able to titrate off medication and find joy in the world once again. As my practice deepened, I wrote for magazines like Yoga Journal and Yoga International and wrote the first feature article about yoga and depression called “Yoga the Natural Prozac”, which appeared on the cover of Yoga Journal in 1999. My own recovery led me to research and write books on yoga and mental health, and I became passionate about sharing what had helped me heal with others who suffered.
In 2004, I founded the LifeForce Yoga® Healing Institute, which continues to train yoga teachers and health care providers in yoga practices appropriate in clinical and yoga therapy settings. I’m happy that the evidence-based yoga protocol for managing mood I developed is in use in health care settings throughout the world. This protocol is featured on audio-visual products, including the LifeForce Yoga series, an award-winning library of evidence-based yoga and meditation CDs and DVDs for mood management.
I love yoga and continue to teach workshops and trainings, but a book by my dear yogi brother and friend Stephen Cope called The Great Work of Your Life, set me on a course to reclaim my dharma. I returned to writing fiction in 2016, and though I have written several other novels, TEMPLE DANCER is the first to be published.
Amy's Website
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Susan Verde is a #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author and yoga-mindfulness expert. Susan has written over 20 books for children and adults, including all nine books in the New York Times bestselling I Am series illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Her picture book The Water Princess was an ALA Notable Children’s Book, Amazon Best Book of the Month, and New York Public Library Best Book. Her nonfiction book for adults, Say One Kind Thing, is an original essay collection about the power of positive self-talk and her reflections on motherhood. In addition to her writing career, Susan co-founded Enlightened Generation, a groundbreaking children’s clothing brand with an impact-driven mission. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in reading remediation and was an elementary school teacher for many years. She is now certified in yoga and mindfulness and teaches workshops for kids of all ages. Susan currently lives in East Hampton, NY with her 2 cats, 3 rescue dogs, and 3 children.
Susan's Website
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Reggie Hubbard, certified yoga and meditation teacher, senior political strategist, and influential changemaker who is paving the way toward a more conscious world by sharing techniques that cultivate peace and ease as a foundation. He is on a mission to help activists find balance while inspiring the wellness community to become more engaged, socially conscious citizens. He believes that when inner peace aligns with civic responsibility, it creates the foundation for meaningful, transformative change. I would love to discuss a guest opportunity for him.
Reggie has done extensive work with the Permission and Refuge program at Kripalu, which supports men in exploring emotional wellness and vulnerability. He recently shared insights from this work in Essence.
Reggie is the founder/chief serving officer of Active Peace Yoga, a practice whose mission is to make the practice of yoga and living the yogic lifestyle accessible to all, regardless of race, gender, body type or practice level. He advises yoga and meditation communities, studios, teachers, and the broader wellness industry on the importance of diversity and inclusion, helping to make the practice accessible to all by eliminating exclusionary cultures and habits.
His teaching style is designed for all levels and lifestyles, with the only requirement being an open mind. Reggie has studied extensively with renowned teachers such as Faith Hunter, Amy Ippoliti, Yogarupa Rod Stryker, Sri Dharma Mittra, Roshi Joan Halifax, Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach. He earned his B.A. in philosophy from Yale University and holds an M.B.A. in international strategy from the Vlerick Business School in Belgium.
Link to Reggie's Instagram
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Heather Mason, MA, MA, MSc, is the founder of The Minded Institute, The Yoga in Health Care Alliance, and joint founder of the APPG on Yoga. She holds master’s degrees in Buddhist Studies, Psychotherapy, Medical Physiology, and has extensive education in Neuroscience. Heather has been a yoga teacher since 2001 and specialised in yoga therapy for mental health since 2007. As a world leader on this topic, Heather has lectured at universities from Harvard to UCL and at an array of academic conferences around the world. She was the first person in the UK to train with the Boston Trauma Center to offer yoga for trauma, launched a yoga programme at The Maudsley’s Traumatic Stress Service, and has been training others in yoga therapy for PTSD since 2012. In 2023 Heather co-created the world’s first yoga therapy psychotherapy accredited training programme.
The Minded Institute Website
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Dr. Ali Seidenstein is an orthopaedic surgery resident at Johns Hopkins and longtime yoga teacher with nearly 20 years of experience which included three years living and studying in India. Before medical school, Ali was on faculty at NYU’s School of Engineering, where she continues to advise premedical students. Her Ph.D. research focused on how trauma and PTSD influence gene expression through epigenetic changes. She continues to bridge science and movement in her clinical research on yoga and musculoskeletal health, she currently is the lead on a clinic trial for Yoga and scoliosis. Ali is also the founder of Kids Who Care, a nonprofit she launched over 20 years ago to support youth advocacy and leadership. A third-generation orthopaedist, she is proud to carry on her family’s legacy in medicine.
She lives in Baltimore with her husband, a radiology resident, and with what little time they have left after the hospital, they can usually be found hiking, cooking plant-based meals, or planning their next adventure.
Ali's Website
Ali's Instagram
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Jivana Heyman, C-IAYT, E-RYT500, is the founder and director of Accessible Yoga, an organization dedicated to increasing access to the yoga teachings and supporting yoga teachers. He’s the author of Accessible Yoga: Poses and Practices for Every Body; Yoga Revolution: Building a Practice of Courage & Compassion; and The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga: Best Practices for Sharing Yoga with Every Body. His books, classes, and trainings support yoga teachers and yoga therapists in finding ways to bring creativity and collaboration into their teaching while still respecting the ancient yoga tradition. Learn more at jivanaheyman.com.
Jivana's Instagram
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Dr. Tracey Shors is a Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Rutgers University, where she is also a member of the Center for Collaborative Neuroscience. Dr. Shors has more than 150 scientific publications in journals including Nature, Science, PNAS and Nature Neuroscience, and her research findings have been featured in popular publications such as Scientific American, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and on NPR and CNN. Her research efforts were recently recognized with W. Horsley Gantt Medal from the Pavlovian Society for the"noble pursuit of truth."
Dr. Shors’ research program studies how our brains learn, including how they learn to ruminate on trauma-related memories and how this process can interfere with our everyday lives, while making still more memories. Dr. Shors is also focused on identifying effective tools for reducing repetitive thoughts that reinforce our everyday traumas. Her popular press book, Everyday Trauma (Flatiron,
2021), reviews the causes and consequences of trauma as well as the most effective treatments. It has been translated in six languages. Her brain fitness program, known as MAP Train My Brain combines “mental and physical” training with silent meditation and aerobic exercise to enhance brain health through effortful learning. To try out her free 6-week online course, sign up at
maptrainmybrain.com.
Dr. Tracy Shor's Instagram
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Dr. Susanna Søberg is a Danish scientist and expert in cold and heat therapy, with a PhD in metabolism. She's the founder of the Soeberg Institute and creator of the Thermalist Method and Søberg Principle, which combine cold and heat exposure to improve health. Søberg's research focuses on how deliberate exposure to heat and cold can improve metabolism, reduce stress, and promote longevity.
Susanna's Website
Susanna's Instagram
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Natalia Mehlman Petrzela is a historian of contemporary American politics and culture. She is the author of CLASSROOM WARS: Language, Sex, and the Making of Modern Political Culture (Oxford University Press, 2015), and FIT NATION: The Gains and Pains of America’s Exercise Obsession (University of Chicago Press, 2023). She is Executive Producer and host of the podcast EXTREME (BBC/Novel) and host of WELCOME TO YOUR FANTASY ( Pineapple Street Studios/Gimlet). She is a columnist for MSNBC, a frequent media guest expert, public speaker, and contributor to outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Atlantic.
Natalia is a Carnegie Corporation Fellow and a recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Grant. She is currently working on two new books, a short history of the school culture wars, and a history of the Hamptons, with historian Neil J. Young. She is executive producer of a documentary series based on FIT NATION, in development with TIME Studios. Natalia began her career as a public school teacher, and she is currently Lead Historian on the Jewish American Hidden Voices curriculum for the New York City Department of Education, forthcoming in 2025.
Natalia is Professor of History at The New School, co-founder of the wellness education program Healthclass 2.0, and a Premiere Leader of the mind-body practice intenSati. Her work has been supported by the Spencer, Whiting, Rockefeller, and Mellon Foundations, the Carnegie Corporation, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She holds a B.A. from Columbia and a Ph.D. from Stanford and lives in New York City.
Want a Better Relationship With Your Teen Children? Exercise With Them. -WSJ
Natalia's Website
Natalia's Instagram
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Leslie Kaminoff, co-author of the bestselling book “Yoga Anatomy” and creator of YogaAnatomy.net, is a yoga educator and internationally recognized specialist with over four decades’ experience in the fields of yoga, breath anatomy and bodywork. His approach to teaching combines intellectual rigor, spontaneity and humor, and is always evolving.
Link to Leslie's Instagram.
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Today, I share a podcast that I had the honor to be a guest on: The Brain Shaman Podcast, where I talk about why I started practicing yoga, how I went from college wrestler to men’s yoga teacher. I also discuss men’s health, men’s mental health, and why I believe yoga is uniquely equipped to help men work through their challenges and do so without it being awkward or forced. Please go support Michael Waite and the brain shaman podcast, he did a really nice job with this, I’m very pleased with our conversation.
The Brain Shaman Podcast
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Jonathan Rosenthal, MD is a neurologist in NYC and a yoga student of Sri Dharma Mittra. He is passionate about understanding how yoga affects the brain. He hosts educational events on neuroscience and yoga, conducts scientific research on yoga, and teaches yoga to clinical populations.
Jonathan's Website
Jonathan's Instagram
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Dr. Steffany Moonaz is a yoga therapist and researcher in Southern California. She serves as Research Director at Southern California University of Health Sciences and Professor at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She became curious about the importance of mind-body activities at a young age and has always had a passion and a curiosity about the healing power of mindful movement. She completed undergraduate work in biology and dance at Oberlin College, earned an MFA from University of Maryland as well as a CMA from the Laban Institute and spent eight years at Johns Hopkins University, helping to develop and evaluate a yoga program for individuals with the chronic diseases of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, which became the basis for her PhD in public health.
Along with ongoing research collaborations with major research institutions worldwide, Dr. Moonaz is working to bring yoga to people with arthritis directly, as well as educating yoga teachers and yoga therapists about the unique needs of this population. She currently leads Yoga for Arthritis teacher training programs and serves as a mentor for several emerging researchers who are working to study the effects of yoga for various health conditions. Dr. Moonaz also serves on the faculty of several other yoga and yoga therapy training programs, including Integral Yoga, Phoenix Rising, and The Mindfulness Center.
Dr. Moonaz’s work has been covered by Time, HuffPost, the Baltimore Sun, and U.S. News and World Report. She has been invited to speak at Emory University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins Palliative Care, and the Smithsonian. Her Arthritis-Friendly Yoga DVD, produced by the Arthritis Foundation, became their best-selling product when it was released in 2013. Her first book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis: A whole-person approach to movement and lifestyle, was published by Singing Dragon Publishers in December of 2018, and she has contributed to several other widely used yoga texts. Her second book, Driving Home, a memoir, was released in 2024 by Freisen Press and shares an unforgettable year of identity, responsibility, and the unexpected lessons of adversity.
Steffany's Website: https://www.arthritis.yoga/
Steffany's Instagram: @yogaforarthritis
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Dr. Anoop Kumar communicates a new vision of true health system based in a more comprehensive understanding of you as a whole human being. He is a Board-Certified emergency physician and Co-founder and CEO of Numocore, a company building the new health system with a focus on healing, cure, and activating human potential.
Website: numocore.com
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Abha Karki Rajbhandari, PhD
Assistant Professor
Departments of Psychiatry
and Neuroscience
Friedman Brain Institute
Brain and Body Research Institute
Center for Affective Neuroscience
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Email: abha.rajbhandari@mssm.edu
Lab Page: https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/karkilab/
Dr. Rajbhandari is an Assistant Professor in the departments of Psychiatry and
Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Rajbhandari obtained her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied the role of the amygdala sub-regions in regulation of stress and sensorimotor gating via norepinephrine and the neuropeptide- corticotropin releasing factor. Prior to joining Mount Sinai, Dr. Rajbhandari was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California-Los Angeles, where her research focused on understanding the role of the neuropeptide, pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide in regulation of fear and stress behaviors via amygdala sub-regions. At the Icahn School of Medicine. Dr. Rajbhandari’s team focuses on the brain, vagus nerve and body mechanisms of fear, stress, and anxiety.
Outside of lab, Dr. Rajbhandari is a whole-body health enthusiast and spiritual seeker through Yoga and Vedanta. For her, yoga is not just something done on a mat; it is woven into every aspect of life. Born in Nepal, she moved to the United States to pursue higher education. While her spiritual journey began in Nepal, she continues to explore deep questions about human existence through the lenses of logic, reasoning, knowledge, and mysticism. Abha is passionate about bridging the gap between scientific and spiritual understandings of life.
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Kian Heiat serves as a Community Development Manager at Movember overseeing university and sports participation at the organization. He has been with the team for almost 5 years and currently works out of our New York office.
Movember Website
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Zoe Mantarakis is an Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education at the University of Texas at Austin. She has logged decades teaching in Austin's yoga studios and was voted Austin's Best Yoga Teacher in 2014. As a Yoga Teacher Trainer she has certified more than 75 students at the 200hour level. She created and established the Yoga Specialization degree path within the KHE Dept at UT and is graduating her first cohort in May 2025. Her field of interest is exploring the places where modern science and medicine corrleate, corroborate and validate ancient yoga wisdom. She is a loving mother to 3 children.
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Anthony Robles
www.anthonyrobles.com
- 3-time wrestling All-American and the 2011 NCAA Division I National Champion
- Two Time ESPY Award Recipient including, Jimmy V Award for Perseverance
- Internationally renowned motivational speaker to Fortune 500 companies
- 2012 Inductee, National Wrestling Hall of Fame
- ESPN College Wrestling Expert and Analyst since 2012
- 2013-16 member of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition
- Member of the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games
- Featured in a 2014 prime time TV special on TBS in Japan and viewed in 15.5M homes
- Published Author, Unstoppable
- Nike Athlete
- 2015 National Wrestling Media Association's Broadcaster of the Year award
- 2017 Inductee, Arizona Sports Hall of Fame
- 2018, Guinness World Record Holder for pull-ups in one minute with 62
- 2020, Guinness World Record Holder for pull-ups in one minute with an 80 lbs pack with 23
- 2021, Guinness World Record Holder for pull-ups in one minute with an 60 lbs pack with 30
- 2022, Inductee, ASU’s Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame
- Ben Afflect and Matt Damon Produced a film on Anthony’s life for distribution on Amazon Prime, January, 2025
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Jerome Teelucksingh is one of the leading men’s rights activists. He is a senior lecturer at The University of the West Indies in Trinidad & Tobago (in the Caribbean). Jerome has published articles and spoken at academic conferences on masculinity, fatherhood and gender relations. In 1999, he initiated International Men’s Day on 19 November in Trinidad and Tobago. Also, he would later begin the observance of World Day of the Boy Child on 16 May and The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Men and Boys on 31 January. In 2022.
Jerome's e-mail: j_teelucksingh@yahoo.com
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Clayton is dedicated to empowering individuals and teams to achieve their full potential. With over three decades of leadership experience in financial services and nonprofit organizations, he has seamlessly transitioned his expertise into performance improvement as a freelance trainer and executive coach for several prestigious international training companies.
Clayton’s passion for neuroscience is backed by a certificate in the Foundations of NeuroLeadership, enhancing his understanding of how the brain influences leadership and performance. A committed meditator for more than 23 years, he has completed an intensive two-year program to earn a certificate in teaching mindfulness and deepens his practice through annual week-long retreats.
Clayton collaborates with both established and emerging leaders to identify and overcome barriers to awareness, connection, and perspective. He mentors a mindful approach, helping individuals and teams unlock their true potential. His evidence-based methods, rooted in the synergy of neuroscience and mindfulness, prioritize measurable results—fostering enhanced performance and promoting personal well-being.
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Ashley-Nicole Russell, Esq. is an award-winning family law attorney, author, and speaker who is changing the way divorce is perceived around the world. She is widely-known as a dedicated, passionate, and trustworthy attorney with integrity. She is committed to protecting her clients while understanding the needs of their families. As a child of divorce and divorcee, she brings a unique, relatable, and personal understanding to AN|R Law Offices and the communities it serves. As the first collaborative law firm in eastern North Carolina, AN|R Law has office locations in Greenville, Raleigh, Beaufort, and Wilmington.When her parents divorced, she faced years of hardship and adversity due to the impact of traditional litigation and the lack of shared parenting laws. This experience inspired her to pursue law and find a better way for families to divorce.Ashley-Nicole graduated Magna Cum Laude from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She went on to attend North Carolina Central University School of Law where she graduated Magna Cum Laude and earned a Juris Doctor and a Certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Dispute Resolution Institute. Ashley-Nicole trained and obtained membership with the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals and co-founded the North Carolina Collaborative Attorney Network.With more than a decade of experience in collaborative law, Ashley-Nicole knows first-hand how this model benefits families during separation and divorce. This method, which Ashley-Nicole used in her own divorce, allows the couple to move forward peacefully with understanding and respect. She is the author of The Cure for Divorce Culture and the host of the Divorce, Healthy! podcast. She is an advisor for co-parenting app Fayr and is a member of the national board of directors for the National Parents Organization. She also serves as the Vice President for the Carteret County Bar Association.As an expert in divorce culture, Ashley-Nicole has appeared on various multi-media platforms to discuss collaborative law, conflict resolution in the workplace, and the future of divorce in America. Ashley-Nicole has been featured in Forbes, The Washington Post, and ABC, NBC, and CBS news affiliates. She actively shares her mission nationwide by speaking at events, conferences, and trainings focused on family law, human resources, and mediation. She is committed to sharing information to help families navigate the emotional and legal aspects of separation and divorce.
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Dr. James L. Nuzzo isan exercise scientist and men’s health researcher. Dr. Nuzzo has published over 80 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, and he writes regularly about exercise, men’s health, and academia at The Nuzzo Letter on Substack. Dr. Nuzzo is also active on X @JamesLNuzzo.
James' Substack: https://jameslnuzzo.substack.com/
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Ann Swanson teaches yoga and meditation to busy people with busy minds. She is the author of the books SCIENCE OF YOGA and Meditation for the Real World. Ann wasn’t a naturally “chill person,” and meditation didn’t come easy to her. Overcoming chronic pain and anxiety led her to India to study yoga, to China to explore tai chi, and to earn a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy. Now, Ann teaches accessible yoga and meditations that you'll actually do.
Get Ann’s books and free bonuses at www.MeditationForTheRealWorld.com and www.scienceof.yoga
Ann’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AnnSwansonWellness
Ann’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scienceof.yoga/
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Warren Farrell, PhD, has been chosen by the Financial Times of London as one of the world’s top 100 thought leaders. His books are published in 19 languages. They include The New York Times bestseller Why Men Are the Way They Are, and the international bestseller The Myth of Male Power.
Dr. Farrell presented the findings of The Boy Crisis (2018) worldwide, from the White House to the Norwegian Parliament. It was a catalyst for bipartisan legislation for father involvement in Florida. He is currently working on The Man Crisis.
Dr. Farrell’s most recent book, Role Mate to Soul Mate: The Seven Secrets to Lifelong Love(2024),is based on his teaching couples’ communication for the past 30 years to more than a thousand couples and psychologists.
Warren Farrell has been a pioneer in both the women’s movement (elected three times to the Board of the National Organization for Women in NYC) and the men’s movement (called by GQ “The Martin Luther King of the men’s movement”). He advocates for a “Gender Liberation Movement, freeing both sexes from the rigid roles of the past.” The challenges he faced also advocating for boys and men is the subject of a 2025 documentary, The Boy Crisis: Cancel Warren Farrell, nominated for “Best Documentary” by the Idyllwild Film Festival.
Dr. Farrell has been interviewed repeatedly by Oprah, Barbara Walters, Tucker Carlson and Jordan Peterson, and also by Peter Jennings, Sean Hannity, Katie Couric, Larry King, Regis Philbin, and Charlie Rose. He has frequently written for and been featured in The New York Times and publications worldwide. Warren has two daughters and lives with his wife in Mill Valley, California, and virtually at warrenfarrell.com.
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Dr. Josine Verhoeven, senior research and mental health psychologist at a depression clinic connected to the Amsterdam University Medical Center. Her research focuses on both the biology and psychology of mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety disorders. We discuss her recent work showing that antidepressant medication and running have similar effects on mental health. Furthermore, exercise, in this case running, had more favorable outcomes on physical health measures.
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Emma Johnson is a business journalist, gender equality activist and founder of Wealthysinglemommy. A former newspaper and Associated Press reporter, Emma has been featured as an expert on separated families for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Elle, CNBC, NPR, TIME, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Doctors, and many more.
As an activist, Emma promotes equal parenting for separated families through the production of media projects, authoring The 50/50 Solution and speaking to groups, including at the United Nations Summit for Gender Equality, at Google and before state legislative bodies. Emma lives in Richmond, Va., with her son and daughter.
Click here to purchase Emma's Book!
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Grit and Grace: Be willing to throw it all at the wall with Yoga with Jake.
Jake Panasevich carved out a path to be a disseminator of the benefits of yoga with an emphasis on reaching men and athletes. In looking at his offerings and success, I got the “he’s so lucky” mindset. I saw that he had this cool career of writing, disseminating, and teaching yoga—and felt envy. On this episode we dive into the day-to-day variety of activities he faces to match his grit and grace. And, we get the origin story of why this is such an important target audience for him. Jake talks about being on a college wrestling team in an incredibly toxic environment – which launched his aversion and mistrust of men. However, through trying to get in shape without wrecking his body and beyond that, a community finding community, he came to the mat. Now he offers “Yoga with Jake” predominantly for men and athletes—healing himself while helping others get embodied. Don’t miss some of the honest and practical takeaways of this episode, including:
First yoga class: Did everything “wrong” but felt better
In both teacher training and journalism, get your feet wet, get yourself out there
Three tips to reach more men in your class: 1) be direct—do this for this benefit, 2) focus on connection—show them you care, and 3) avoid energy jargon
Focus on seva- selfless service as the primary archetype of an instructor
Give everyone permission to be themselves
Become masterful at active language and landmarks
Feedback is love, it’s a positive thing, pushing a skill further, progressing.
Ask: is this “better, worse, or the same” rather than vague “is this good?
Knowing where you want to be of service; your audience, your mission as a teacher
There is a very real struggle in the hustle of making a living as a teacher
The work is fun and meaningful but requires efforting. It’s the balance of effort and ease, just like in a yoga practice
It’s still a lot of work to plan and fill a workshop- even at 20 years and help from a studio; there’s so much to juggle, relationship with studio owners, self-worth tanks if you don’t get a raise, etc.
Yoga teachers are good at getting people to feel into their feelings; but you have to constantly business develop
Be with family, nurture relationships
The space is not saturated: know yourself, know your audience. Stay flexible.
Real distrust and aversion to men- thinking no guy would be someone I want to connect with
Listen to peer and mentor- be willing to try
Yoga teacher and entrepreneur, throw a lot at the wall, a lot won’t work.. but “the obstacle is the way”
Teach what you learned while still in the middle of it all
Flourishing is “not resisting, letting go”. It’s loving your life with all the different flavors, invite them. Find the beauty in the mundane.
Stepping on the mat does not mean you’ll no longer step in dog shit
Can’t experience success all day every day
Get back to who or what I am—and match those practices.
Honesty is love, honesty is showing you care.
Just go out and try it. Intend. Action matters.
Throw it at the wall—this is the “school of action.”
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Don Hubin is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at The Ohio State University, former Chair of the OSU Department of Philosophy, and Founding Director Emeritus of the Ohio State University Center for Ethics and Human Values. He received his B.A. with honors from the University of California at Davis (1972) and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arizona (1976 and 1978). He has been on the faculty of the Philosophy Department at The Ohio
State University since 1977. Don served as chair of the Department of Philosophy from 2006 through 2013 and from 2005 through 2015 he served as an Associate Editor of Ethics, one of the two leading journals in moral philosophy in the world.
Don specializes in ethics, philosophy of law and political philosophy. He has worked on a variety of topics, including theories of distributive justice and the nature and justification of cost/benefit analysis under an NSF grant. He currently has two primary research interests: first, the nature of practical rationality and the relationship between morality and rationality; and, second, the nature and basis of parental rights and responsibilities. Selected publications on the second topic include:
- “Parental Rights and Due Process,” The Journal of Law and Family Studies, 1:2(1999)123–150;
- “Daddy_Dilemmas_Untangling_the_Puzzles_of_Paternity,” The Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, 13(2003)29-80;
- "Reproductive Interests: Puzzles at the Periphery of the Property Paradigm," Social Philosophy and Policy, 29(2012)106-25;
- "Fatherhood," International Encyclopedia of Ethics, Wiley-Blackwell, (2013),
- "Fractured Fatherhood, an Analytic Philosophy Perspective on Moral and Legal Paternity" Journal of Family Theory & Review, 6(2014)76-90, and "Procreators' Duties: Sexual Asymmetries," Oxford Handbook of Reproductive Ethics, (forthcoming 2016).
For more than a quarter of a century, Don has been involved in the shared parenting movement, serving as the leader of a state-based shared parenting organization in Ohio before creating a chapter of National Parents Organization (NPO) in the state. He joined the National Board of NPO in 2014 and became Chair of the National Board of NPO in 2019. Don also serves on the Board of Directors of the International Council on Shared Parenting (ICSP). Don has served on several state commissions, including the Ohio Child Support Reform Shareholders’ Group (2001–2003) and the Ohio Child Support Guideline Council (2003–2005).
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Dr. Sarah Hill – researcher and professor at TCU, lead science advisor for 28 Wellness,and the author of “This Is Your Brain On Birth Control.” Sarah’s groundbreaking research has resulted in close to 100 research publications and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, The Economist, and on television shows like Good Morning and Today. Sarah is also a sought-after speaker, consultant, and media expert in the area of women’s hormones and sexual psychology. Her new book, "The Period Brain" is due out in September.
Social Handles:
Sarah is on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Her handle is the same across all platforms. Social Handle:
@sarahehillphd
Relevant Links:
Website:
http://www.sarahehill.com
Where to find her book (This Is Your Brain On Birth Control):
https://www.amazon.com/This-Your-Brain-Birth-Control-ebook/dp/B07MYLLP21
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Dr. Christopher Thurber is Dr. Christopher Thurber is an award-winning writer and thought leader who has dedicated his professional life to improving how adults care for kids and to enhancing the experience of adventurous young people who are spending time away from home. A graduate of Harvard and UCLA, Dr. Thurber has served as a psychologist and instructor at Phillips Exeter Academy since 1999.
An entrepreneur from a young age, Dr. Thurber founded Prep4School.com and Prep4Camp.com to teach young people how to prevent intense homesickness and make joyful, successful transitions to boarding school and summer camp. One of his first Prep4 videos won a Telly Award for Best Non-Broadcast Instructional Video.
His best-selling family resource, The Summer Camp Handbook, was recently translated into Mandarin to help launch the youth camping movement in
China. And his most recent book, The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure: A Positive
Approach to Pushing Your Child to be Their Best Self, was described by The Atlantic as “a tour de force” and “the rare parenting book that respects both parents and children.”
Schools, camps, and forward-thinking organizations on five continents have invited Dr. Thurber to deliver keynotes, contribute articles, and lead workshops for all audiences. He and his wife, Simonida, are the proud parents of two boys
(Danilo, b. 2002, and Sava, b. 2004). You can learn more about Chris and access premium content on DrChrisThurber.com.
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I am an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department of Arizona State University where I teach graduate and undergraduate courses in child development, and conduct original research. I received a Ph.D. from University of Michigan, in Developmental Psychology. I have published approximately 75 articles in peer reviewed scientific psychology journals and books, including research on the effects of divorce on children's health. I have received research grants from the National Institutes of Health, including a 10-year longitudinal study of the role of fathers in adolescent and young adult development. I have testified as an expert witness in approximately two dozen child custody and relocation cases in approximately 15 states. I have been invited to present research findings on parenting time and parent conflict to policy-makers in Japan, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. I chaired the committee at the Arizona Legislature that produced a comprehensive reform of the state's child custody statutes to “maximize the child’s time with both parents,” which became law in 2013.
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Dr. Mark Allen is a double board-certified psychiatrist specializing in child, adolescent, and adult mental health. He completed his medical education and general psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, followed by a child psychiatry fellowship at New York-Presbyterian Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. He also spent a post-fellowship year with the Canterbury District Health Board in Christchurch, New Zealand, further enriching his global perspective on mental health care.
Dr. Allen has advanced, sport-specific training, including the International Olympic Committee’s Diploma in Mental Health in Elite Sport, the FIFA Diploma in Football Medicine, and the ISSP’s Certificate of Additional Training in Sports Psychiatry. Currently, he serves as Chairman of the American Board of Sports & Performance Psychiatry (ABSPP) and is a member of the editorial board for Sports Psychiatry: The Journal of Sports & Exercise Psychiatry.
In his clinical practice, Dr. Allen works with athletes across all levels, from high school to Olympic and professional competitors. He is honored to serve as the consulting psychiatrist for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. Beyond his practice, he contributes to the athlete mental health community through his roles on the medical advisory boards of two non-profits—The Hidden Opponent and Alston For Athletes—and as a contributor to the youth sports mental performance platform MaxU.
Based in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Allen enjoys spending his free time playing golf and pickleball, hiking, and relaxing with his wife, two sons, and their beloved fur-kids.
Mark's Info:
Website
LinkedIn
Instagram
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Nick Nowak lives in New Hampshire with his wife and two children. He is currently the Dean of Students at Cardigan Mountain School and the Leadership Director at Camp Belknap. Nick is the owner and founder of GoodMenders LLC, offering training, coaching, and keynotes for youth and adults to develop moral masculinity, principled leadership, and better culture. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading, writing, meditating, exercising, and playing outside. You can connect with Nick on LinkedIn or by reaching out to nick@goodmenders.com.
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It’s one thing to be born with a gift. It’s another thing entirely to use it.
Kenny Bednarek could’ve just been a kid from Wisconsin that ran fast, but this kid had a dream. And as we know, it’s the dreamers that make history.
Ensuring his name became legend, Bednarek captured the world's attention when he first claimed silver in the 200m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Following that monumental achievement, 2021 seemed to be a victory lap for Kenny.Claiming four Diamond League wins in Lausanne, Zurich,Doha, and Gateshead; and another in the World Continental in Ostrava, Kenny was awarded “Most Consistent Track and Field Athlete,” Diamond League Champion, and made history as the first sprinter to ever run sub 20 in 10 wind-legal races in a single season.
Although he's definitely encountered his share of difficulties,Kenny takes even hindrances in stride. Demonstrating his tenacity in 2022, he not only claimed silver in the World Championships 200m - just seven months after breaking a toe– but also acquired two Diamond League wins in Rabat andRome. In 2023, shortly after suffering a grade two hamstring strain and grade three fascia tear, he made the USA team and finished 5th at the World Championships 200m, followed by his complete domination in Brussels, where he earned the Diamond League title.
With his injuries a thing of the past, Bednarek has shown us that a healthy Kenny is a dangerous Kenny. With four personal bests and two coveted titles to add to his collection, personal bests and two coveted titles to add to his collection,this is undoubtedly the best season of his career.
We caught a glimpse of what Kenny had in store when he started the year with a 100m win in the World Continental Tour in Kenya; followed by a personal best of 19.67 and a tremendous win at the Doha Diamond League. Victorious yet again in the Prefontaine Diamond League, he went on to achieve two more personal bests during the Olympic trials-clocking 9.87 in the 100m and 19.59 in the 200m. This was the first time Bednarek made all three teams (100m, 200m,and 4x100m) at the Olympic trials; and with the distinction of being a two-time Olympian, Kenny made certain he left the 2024 Paris Olympics decorated with silver for a second time in the men's 200m.
While it didn’t seem possible to top his already exceptional year of achievements, consistent with his character, Bednarek went on to attain his fourth personal best at the Zurich Diamond League with an incredible 19.57 in the 200m. And finally, to conclude a most magnificent season, Bednarek bolted to glory with a spectacular win at the Diamond League meet in Brussels and the distinction of being crowned the Diamond League Champion.
In any event, it has been truly remarkable to witness the rise and reign of Kung Fu Kenny. He's transformed from underdog to 2x Olympic silver medalist, 10x Diamond League winner, World Championship Silver Medalist, 2x Diamond League Champion, World #2 in the men's 200m,and the silent warrior that's here and coming for it all.
Click here to follow Kenny on Instagram!
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Sarah Schoppe-Sullivan is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and a Faculty Affiliate of the Institute for Population Research. Professor Schoppe-Sullivan received her B.A. in Psychology from Northwestern University, and her M.A. and Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She has been on the faculty of Ohio State since 2003. Professor Schoppe-Sullivan is a nationally and internationally recognized expert on coparenting, father-child relationships, and young children’s social-emotional development. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, the Association for Psychological Science, and the National Council on Family Relations. Her research has been funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Professor Schoppe-Sullivan is a member of the editorial boards of the Journal of Family
Psychology, Parenting: Science and Practice, and the Journal of Family Theory and
Review. She has also received numerous awards recognizing the high quality of her teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, including the OSU Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching. Most recently, Dr. Schoppe-Sullivan received the Joan N. Huber Faculty Fellow Award in OSU’s College of Arts and Sciences.
Click here to visit Sarah's website!
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Ceci Craft is the Director of Mental Performance, Life Skills and Education for the Philadelphia Phillies. She received her B.A. from Bates College in Maine where she captained the women’s soccer team in 2005. She then went on to attend the University of Wales, Bangor, one of the premier Sports Science institutions in Britain. At Bangor she received her MSc in Applied Sport and Exercise Science. Ceci’s work at the University of Wales, Bangor focused mostly on Transformational Leadership Behaviors and its effects on role function within a team.
Ceci has spent a combined 10 seasons as a mental performance coach in Major League Baseball. She spent her first 6 seasons with the Cleveland Guardians and the past four seasons coaching the Phillies.
As a mental performance coach Ceci assisted players and staff at the Major League level of the organization in the continued development and integration of programs and services that enhance performance and mental and emotional development. She also has recently taken on directing the Life Skills and Education Program supporting Phillies players in learning English, completing high school and having basic life skills to compete both in the Dominican Republic and the United States.
Ceci previously worked for the United States Army for a combined 7 years from 2008-14, 2019-2021 working for the Special Warfare Center and School, primarily with Special Forces soldiers, and was the “Head of Performance” for the Special Operations Cognitive Enhancement Program (SOCEP), and went on to direct the program.
Click here to visit Cici's LinkedIn!
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Dr. Peggy DeLong is a psychologist, known as The Gratitude Psychologist. She teaches people how to harness the power of gratitude, joy, and nature to live their best lives, especially through difficult times. She does this through speaking engagements, psychotherapy, on-line courses and programs, books, and even bracelets.
Peggy is the author of: 1) I Can See Clearly Now: A Memoir about Love, Grief, and Gratitude, 2) The Gratitude Journal: A 365 Day Gratitude Journey, and 3) Feeling Good: 35 Proven Ways to Happiness, Even During Tough Times. She is also the owner of LOVE in a Bracelet, where she designs bracelets for mental health, coping with grief and loss, and inspiration.
For the past 10 years, she has hosted the Women’s Weekly Wellness Walks, as well as periodic women’s hiking events for spiritual growth and personal development.
Peggy is also the owner of Peaceful Present, Future Flourish, where she teaches methods for wellbeing and personal development for young adult women and their mothers using her Prioritize P.E.A.C.E. Method. (Positivity, Exercise, Achievement, Connection, Empathy).
When she’s not focusing on her businesses, you’ll find Peggy in the mountains, downhill or telemark skiing, kayaking, hiking, or mountain biking.
Peggy's: The Grateful Day: Five Day Challenge!
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Jett Stone, Ph.D., is a writer and clinical psychologist on a mission to improve men’s mental well-being and bring their inner life into full color. Stone went to undergrad at the University of Michigan and earned two master’s degrees in journalism and psychology from Columbia University. He completed his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Adelphi University and continued training at the Manhattan Veterans Affairs Hospital. Stone eventually founded a clinical practice in Connecticut, focusing on individual and couples psychotherapy. After years of psychotherapy with a diverse range of men, he authored Quiet Your Mind: A Men’s Guide, a comprehensive book of his creative, evidence-based strategies for overcoming worry and rumination.
Outside of his practice, Stone is an organizational consultant for Work Haven, helping leaders thrive in high-stress careers. In addition to Psychology Today, his writings and contributions have appeared in the New York Times, American Institute for Boys and Men, the Guardian, and Fortune.
Click here to buy Jett's book!
Click here for Jett's instagram page!
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Sonia Azad is a two-time Emmy award-winning health journalist, global yoga retreat leader, and wellness influencer based in Dallas, TX.
With more than 20 years of extensive work experience in media (TV, print and radio) Sonia has covered: crime in Houston and Chicago, politics in Washington, D.C., immigration in San Diego, International Law in The Netherlands. She also worked in newsrooms in College Station and Waco, TX.
In 2012, The Texas Associated Press Broadcasters named her one of the best reporters in the state.
Most recently, Sonia spent 7 years as Dallas' premier health reporter at ABC affiliate WFAA-TV.
She is now a health and wellness contributor on national TV for Dr. Phil's network, Merit Street Media.
Sonia started her own wellness company in 2023 to focus on her podcast, media training, and wellness classes. With more than 1,200 teaching and training hours over the last 10 years, Sonia serves as a continuing education provider for Yoga Alliance. She is trained in 23 lineages of meditation, myofascial release, Yin and Vinyasa yoga. She leads corporate wellness events, hosts yoga retreats around the world and trains professional and student athletes in movement science and mindset.
Sonia has a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Texas, plus a Masters of Legal Studies and a Masters of Journalism, both from Northwestern University.
Sonia is also a contributing show host on PZTV!
Click here to visit Sonia's website!
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Emily Perrin, LMSW is a mental health therapist and mindfulness and performance coach located in Philadelphia, PA. Emily is a former DI soccer player at the University of Virginia and former DI soccer coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Emily is the founder of Perrin Wellness and Performance and Co-founder of the Unbroken Athlete. She holds a masters in Clinical Social Work from the University of Denver with additional clinical training and experience in trauma, trauma informed care, the nervous system trauma, suicide, mindfulness, meditation and more. Through her company, Perrin Wellness and Performance, Emily has worked with athletes and coaches around the country including programs at Stanford, Duke, Villanova, Penn and Michigan. Emily also serves as the Director of the Medical Advisory Council for a non profit, Morgan's Message, dedicated to increasing awareness around mental health for student athletes.
Emily's Website!
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Ruth Whippman is a British author, journalist, and cultural critic living in the United States. A former BBC documentary director and producer, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Time magazine, New York magazine, The Guardian, HuffPost, and elsewhere. Fortune described her as one of the “25 sharpest minds” of the decade. She is the author of the book America the Anxious, which was a New York Post Best Book of the Year, a New York Times Editors’ Choice and Paperback Row pick. She lives in California with her husband and three sons.
Link to Ruth's Website!
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Dr. Erica Dale (website): My research interests involve understanding mechanisms of spinal learning within the context of breathing function. Within the respiratory neural control network there are several known spinal mechanisms underlying plasticity and they all lead to a long-lasting increase in phrenic motor output; a direct correlation to contraction of the diaphragm and, thus, breathing. I have shown that hypoxia-inducible factors can act as neurotrophic stimulators of the phrenic motor network to elicit facilitation in much the same way. A large portion of my current research focus is aimed towards activating phrenic motor networks via electrical spinal cord stimulation to enable functional recovery of breathing after upper cervical spinal cord injury in rodents. Recently published work utilizing this model in a closed-loop stimulation paradigm has shown promise for eliciting plasticity within the respiratory motor network.
Dr. Alicia Vose (website): My research program is dedicated to enhancing motor recovery and developing innovative rehabilitation strategies for individuals with neurologic injuries. The primary focus of my lab is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying airway protection – specifically, the sensorimotor control of swallowing, cough function, and the coordination between breathing and swallowing—in populations impacted by neurologic impairments. With over a decade of clinical experience diagnosing and managing swallowing disorders (dysphagia) in neurologically affected populations I am committed to advancing therapeutic interventions that harness synaptic plasticity and support functional recovery. By investigating neurologic conditions such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury, my research laboratory aims to pioneer evidence-based rehabilitation strategies that leverage neuroplasticity to drive sustained improvements in upper airway functions, including swallowing, phonation, respiration, and cough reflex integrity. Our interdisciplinary and translational research approach bridges basic science with clinical application, advancing both therapeutic outcomes and scientific understanding in aerodigestive health.
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Joe De Sena
Founder and CEO, Spartan
Joe De Sena – Founder and CEO of Spartan, the world’s leading endurance sports and wellness brand –has demonstrated his entrepreneurial drive since his pre-teens. After building a multimillion-dollar pool and construction business in college, and creating a Wall Street trading firm, De Sena set his sights on
transforming 100 million people through the Spartan lifestyle.
De Sena has grown Spartan into a global sport and wellness brand encompassing all things “tough fitness.” With its 10 million+ strong community, Spartan creates transformational experiences, products, and content to help people, companies and teams tear down boundaries and expand what they believe
possible. Spartan’s portfolio of tough fitness brands has expanded beyond obstacle racing events into Spartan Training, Spartan Trail, DEKA, La Ruta, and Tough Mudder. Throughout his lifetime, Joe has competed in any extreme sports adventure he could find, testing his mental and physical endurance against nature.
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Kathryn H Schmitz, Ph.D., M.P.H., FACSM, FSBM, FTOS, FNAK, FSEM, is a
Professor in the division of Hematology and Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She serves as the Associate Director of Population Science, Co-leader of the Biobehavioral Cancer Control program, Co-leader of the UPMC Hillman Survivorship program and Director of the Moving Through Cancer Exercise Oncology Program for the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.
Dr. Schmitz’s research focuses on people living with and beyond cancer and
investigates the role of exercise in improving physiologic and psychosocial outcomes, including symptoms, treatment tolerance, and other chronic diseases. In addition, Dr. Schmitz studies technology based supportive care interventions (that include physical activity) to improve outcomes among advanced cancer patients. She has held NCI funding consistently since 2001. She has published over 350 scientific peer reviewed papers, some in prestigious journals such as JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, and Journal of Clinical Oncology. Her well regarded research on resistance exercise and breast cancer related lymphedema has been translated into a physical therapy delivered program called ‘Strength After Breast Cancer’ that is available in over 1000 locations across the United States and beyond. Dr. Schmitz was the moving force behind two American College of Sports Medicine development processes for exercise and cancer guidelines for patients in 2010 and 2018. She founded the Moving Through Cancer initiative of the American College of
Sports Medicine, which has a bold goal of making exercise standard of care in oncology by 2029. She has written a popular press book to raise awareness about exercise for cancer patients and survivors entitled ‘Moving Through Cancer’ that was released by Chronicle Books in October 2021. She is the winner of numerous awards, most notably the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine, the Citation Award from the American College of Sports Medicine, and the Clinical Research Professorship from the American Cancer Society. In fall 2023, she was inducted as an Honorary Fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Scotland. She is the past president of the American College of Sports Medicine.
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Dr. Harden founded and directs the Physical Activity Research and Community Implementation (PARCI) Laboratory within the department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech. As a registered yoga instructor and academic, she uses science and the personal experience of clients, patients, and participants to promote physical activity. Her passion and emphasis on physical activity behaviors is underscored by its ability to improve psychological and physiological outcomes. Over the last decade she has published 118 peer reviewed journal articles and has an international reputation as a leader of the application of the RE-AIM framework to ensure evidence-based interventions are translated to real-world settings. Her work has garnered over $29 million in grant funding, primarily through the United States Department of Agriculture.
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Scott Glassman, Psy.D. is a licensed psychologist and author of A Happier You: A Seven-Week Program to Transform Negative Thinking into Positivity and Resilience. Dr. Glassman founded and currently directs the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. His seven-week wellness program, A Happier You, has been featured on SiriusXM and NPR. Dr. Glassman is also a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and has been a speaker and trainer at many national and regional organizations, including the American Psychological Association. He is also a periodic contributor to the health section of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
MS in Applied Positive Psychology Program
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Christina Sell has been practicing asana since 1991 and teaching since 1998. Known for her passion, clarity and creativity, Christina’s teaching style is a dynamic and challenging blend of inspiration, humor and hard work. Masterful at synthesis, her ability to harvest and transmit the unique contributions of various yoga methods is unparalleled. Christina believes that yoga practice can help anyone access their inner wisdom, authentic spirituality and clarify their highest personal expression.
Christina draws inspiration from many master teachers in Iyengar Yoga, Anusara Yoga and Bikram Yoga. She is a certified Anusara Yoga teacher, has authored three books, hosts a podcast, and maintains an active teaching schedule presenting seminars, intensives, trainings, and workshops worldwide.
Christina has a BA in Counseling and Education and an MA in Integrative Education and Curriculum Design. She resides in Bellingham, Washington with her husband, two very affectionate cats, and the world’s best dog, Locket. She enjoys practicing yoga, writing, reading, cooking, hiking, mountain biking, and lifting weights.
Author of three books on yoga and body image, Christina explores concepts of perfectionism, compassion, and self-acceptance through the lens of yoga philosophy, personal reflections, and a passion for transformational inner work. Yoga From the Inside Out (2003) describes her initial awakening to the process of making peace with her body through yoga. My Body is a Temple (2009) uses the metaphor of building a temple to outline principles of spiritual practice and growth. Her most recent book, A Deeper Yoga, is the most distilled, authentic rendering of her insights and experiences regarding yoga, body image, and maturing on the spiritual path.
Christina's Website!
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Dr. David Sacks is a psychotherapist, performance consultant, writer, and coach. An alumnus of Stanford and Florida State Universities, David has been a licensed psychologist since 2007, practicing in Tennessee and Florida. He completed his internship and postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University.
As both a therapist and consultant, David helps others to make specific adjustments in their ways of operating and, importantly, to understand the “bigger picture” to achieve lasting results. He uses a humanistic, strengths-based, and scientifically-informed approach, delivered with empathy, to help his clients learn, grow, and change.
David's Website.
His Book: Extreme Balance: Paradoxical Principles That Make You a Champion
Dr. Goldenberg is the Associate Director of the Helfgott Research Institute. He is passionate about how we evaluate and utilize evidence. He is an NIH-funded researcher with numerous publications in high-impact scientific journals such as JAMA and the BMJ. He is faculty for the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine as well as Helfgott, where he teaches critical evaluation of the medical literature and advanced evidence synthesis. His love for teaching integrative evidence-based medicine led him to found the DrJournalClub website and Podcast. He received his Doctorate in Naturopathic Medicine from Bastyr University and his Bachelor's in Molecular Biology with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. He is a past President of the Gastroenterology Association of Naturopathic Physicians and a Fellow of the American Board of Naturopathic Gastroenterology. His clinical focus is on integrative approaches to gastroenterology conditions with a special focus on small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. He sees patients virtually at the Goldenberg GI Center. His interest in evidence has taken him from clinic to courtroom, recently co-founding a Research Contract Organization focusing on brain injury litigation and forensic epidemiology. He is a Diplomate in Forensic Medical Science and is a PhD Student Candidate at Maastricht University studying Forensic Epidemiology under Dr. Michael Freeman, the founder of the field.
Laurel Beversdorf is an international yoga educator, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and E-RYT 500 with a BFA in Acting from Ithaca College. She empowers individuals to discover they are stronger than they thought, inspiring them to ask, "If I can do this, what else is possible?" Laurel created the Yoga with Resistance Bands teacher training and co-developed Movement Logic tutorials and the Bone Density Course: Lift for Longevity to support this shift in confidence and mindset.
Through her virtual studio, Laurel teaches small group weekly strength training sessions and offers an extensive class library that includes yoga and strength. Her approach is a creative departure from the mainstream, aiming to redefine what it means to move and exercise for enjoyment and longevity. Laurel resides with her family in Huntsville, Alabama.
Instagram: @movementlogictutorials and @laurelbeversdorf
Dr. Sarah Court is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, and provides in person and online rehab sessions that blend her decades of yoga, Pilates, and physical therapy experience for people with neurologic and orthopedic conditions. She emphasizes the importance of building strength for resilience at all ages. Sarah is also a co-founder of Movement Logic, a resource for continuing education tutorials and the highly successful barbell lifting program, Bone Density Course: Lift for Longevity. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and after her experience with surgery and chemotherapy, she created a FREE online video exercise series for people going through, or recovering from cancer treatment, available on her website. Sarah has a BA in Art and Architecture from Princeton University, and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Mount St. Mary’s College. Sarah lives in Los Angeles, and you can find her at sarahcourtdpt.com or on Instagram at @sarahcourtdpt.
Dr. Julia C. Basso is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise at Virginia Tech and the Director of The Embodied Brain Laboratory. She also holds affiliate faculty positions in the Virginia Tech School of Neuroscience and is a Fellow at both the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Center for Health Behaviors Research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion. With a PhD in Behavioral and Neural Science, a BA in Dance, and certification as a yoga teacher, Dr. Basso's work bridges the fields of art and science, focusing on the body-brain connection and using movement to enhance brain function and physiology. A Renée Fleming Neuroarts Investigator, her research has been featured in prominent outlets such as The New York Times, Dance Magazine, Psychology Today, Virginia Living, and National Public Radio. In addition to her scientific work, Dr. Basso creates dance performances and artistic installations that explore the visualization and sonification of brain activity.
Julia's website: www.embodiedbrainlab.com
Josh Izewski is a professional runner who won this year's Philly 10k with a time of 29:48, that’s a 4:48 mile pace! He joins me to discuss his win at the Philly 10k, his performance at Olympic trials and what it's like to be a professional runner. He provides great advice for runners of every level on self-awareness, injury prevention, pace, diet and mentality.
Hilary Achauer is a San Diego-based freelance writer covering health, fitness, and wellness. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Slate, and she spends her free time surfing, lifting weights, and working on her first novel.
Click here to visit her website!
Dr. Erica Sharpe is a clinical human researcher at the National University of Natural Medicine, and a professor of chemistry at SUNY Canton. Erica specializes in yoga nidra (yogic sleep) and natural medicine. She joins me for a follow-up conversation about the content of a traditional yoga nidra practice and why it is important to follow it. Yoga nidra has exploded in popularity, and there are many variations of it on apps and the internet - Erica provides clarity about a traditional yoga nidra practice to find the science-backed benefits.
Yoga Nidra Book: https://www.biharyoga.net/yoga-nidra.php
Traditional Yoga Nidra : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL5-AJL0_w6y7ewvHnm4M4SfdLnuBzF--L&si=4-A9DuC0qnPgNCqf
Dr. Kate Pate is a PhD neurophysiologist, coach, entrepreneur, and researcher. Her doctoral research focused on respiratory neurophysiology and understanding the brain-breath-body connection. She explored her fascination around this subject further and through a different lens by later becoming a yoga, meditation, and breathwork instructor. This included obtaining her RYT200, somatic meditation training, and trauma-informed yoga training for the military community.
During her postdoctoral fellowship and early faculty days, Kate's research focused on redox biology as it relates to inflammatory disease processes and injuries, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury. TBI has always been a primary area of interest for her - from a scientific perspective as much as a personal one, having sustained multiple head injuries herself.
Kate later became a medical school professor and research director before being pulled into industry where she became a program director for a new combat casualty care military research program. Because she had a brother who was a medic in the Special Operations community at the time, this seemed like a perfect way to apply her research skills in a more meaningful way.
Eventually, Kate decided to start her own organization with a close friend and business partner, and she founded Coruna Medical, a military-specific medical company that creates innovative solutions to address the medical problems facing military service members and veterans. By spending so much time working with active duty service members, veterans, and first responders in the medical space, Kate made lots of friends among these communities and soon realized that many within her network were struggling with complex health issues. What began as her best attempt to explain physiology, TBI, stress, toxic exposures, trauma, and mental health soon turned into her passion and then her purpose.
When Kate decided to make helping her friends an official career path, she pursued formal coaching training rooted in a transformational recovery perspective, which included specific training around psychedelic integration and addiction recovery. This was followed by training in functional medicine through The Institute for Functional Medicine, and then further training in psychedelic medicine as a facilitator. She cares deeply about her faith and the spiritual health of others, and to that end she is currently pursuing a graduate degree in theology.
Kate has served on multiple boards, worked with numerous organizations – including the NFL – and has made many podcast appearances over the years. In her spare time, you can find her breathing in the fresh mountain air.
Kate's instagram: @doc.pate
Beth Linker, a former physical therapist, is an author and professor of the history of science, disability, and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Her most recent book, Slouch: Posture Panic in Modern America, reveals the little-known and surprising origins of our fears and ideas about poor posture. Her writing has appeared in The Boston Globe, Time, Psyche, The New England Journal of Medicine, and U.S.A. Today.
Get the book here: click here!
Beth's website: bethlinker.com
Dr Torkil Færø is a GP and emergency physician, documentary filmmaker,
author and photographer. Over a 26-year career as a freelance doctor, he has
worked all over Norway, had hundred thousand consultations and thus gained
a unique picture of the diseases that plague us. He learned that the cause
is most often found in the stresses our lifestyles place on our bodies. When
his father died at 73, he realized that he had to change his own lifestyle. Being
40 pounds overweight, under-trained, over-stressed, under-slept and drinking alcohol daily, he learned that this life- style could deprive him of decades.
Using wearables he found a way to track and regulate his nervous system and
physiology. Færø is an award-winning photographer, author of The Camera
Cure, and has made TV films about his pilgrimages to Nidaros and Santiago de
Compostela. An inveterate traveller, he has visited over 80 countries, and speaks eight languages. He lives in Norway.
THE PULSE CURE has dominated the Norwegian best-sellers lists for 69 weeks and counting. This is the first and only book that teaches how to use wearables to track
heart rate variability and gives a practical and holistic plan to improve overall health. The Pulse Cure is translated into seven languages.
Instagram: @doc_torkil
Krystle Zuniga PhD, RD, CSO, LD
Assistant Professor of Instruction, Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Texas at Austin.
Owner, Cancer Nutrition HQ.
Krystle is an experienced clinician, educator, scientist, and science communicator. Her research in the area of nutrition, physical activity, and cancer has been published in Cancer Prevention Research, Journal of Nutrition, Nutrition and Cancer, and Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. In addition to her current position as Assistant Professor of Instruction in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at University of Texas at Austin, she is a board certified oncology dietitian and owner of the private practice and social media account Cancer Nutrition HQ, where she strives to combat misinformation, share the latest research in nutrition and cancer, and translate the science into everyday actions cancer survivors can take to support their health and quality of life with nutrition. Krystle is also a founding board member of the Moving Beyond Cancer Collaborative, a non-profit that provides accessible and affordable integrative oncology health and wellness services.
Kelly Chase is an entrepreneur, social influencer, speaker and reality TV star best known for her role as a castmate on the breakaway hit Netflix show, Love Is Blind. Audiences across the globe fell in love with Kelly for her genuine personality, unwavering confidence and her commitment to staying true to who she is.
Kelly is the founder of the coaching program “Goddess Magic” which combines business strategy and mindset and relationship coaching to help women act like the person they desire to be, improve their confidence, and master their self-worth, creating a life they crave.
The road to self-love and confidence has been an important part of Kelly’s journey. Kelly has overcome a number of personal challenges including body image insecurities and financial debt. As a survivor of sexual assault, Kelly knows how it feels to be voiceless, and has made it her mission to empower women to find their voice and step into their confidence.
Kelly is a sought-after speaker who shares her story of overcoming personal challenges and motivates others to do the same. With over 400,000 followers on social media, Kelly uses her platform and voice to inspire others to “chase life” and make the most of where they are in their journey.
Host of the ChaseLife with Kelly Podcast
Motivational Speaker, Entrepreneur & Content Creator
@chaselifewithkelly : Instagram
ChaseLife with Kelly on YouTube
@iamkellychase : TikTok
www.chaselifewithkelly.com
Jay K. Harness, MD, FACS is the Chief Medical Officer at Maple Tree Cancer Alliance. He is an emeritus breast surgeon at both St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA and Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, CA. He is a recent Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of California, Irvine. He spent 28 years of his career in full-time academic positions.
Dr. Harness received both his MD degree and training in general surgery at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. He then remained on the faculty at Michigan and developed one of the first United States academic multidisciplinary breast cancer centers in 1985. Dr. Harness left the University of Michigan in 1989 and spent two years at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston where he also established a multidisciplinary breast cancer center at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center. Subsequently, he came to Oakland, California in 1991 to join the University of California-East Bay Department of Surgery where he was a Professor and Chief of Surgical Oncology at Highland General Hospital. The opportunity to develop his third multidisciplinary breast cancer program at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, CA came in the summer of 2003. He started his fourth multidisciplinary breast cancer program at Northern Inyo Hospital in Bishop, CA in 2016.
Over the years, Dr. Harness has been known for his work in the fields of endocrine and breast surgery, as well as the use of ultrasound in surgical practice. He is a member of several national and international surgical societies and associations. He is a Past- President of: The American Society of Breast Surgeons (ASBrS), the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons (AAES) and Breast Surgery International (BSI). He has authored over 100 scientific articles and book chapters and has been the lead editor of 3 textbooks. The Breast Cancer Answers Book, and Operative Approaches to Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: Indications, Techniques, & Outcomes are his most recent books. He is a co-founder and Medical Director of Breast Cancer Answers, which is a Social Media video site for breast cancer patients, family members and friends. (www.breastcanceranswers.com) He is also the founder of Cancer Fitness, which is an educational website about the nature and value of Exercise Oncology Programs. (https://cancerfitness.org/)
His current focus is making “Exercise Oncology” a standard of adjunctive care for cancer patients nationally and internationally.
Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society.
Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021 and 2023; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017. She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Her 2019 book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley), has been translated into 15 languages. Edmondson’s latest book, Right Kind of Wrong (Atria), builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing, and practicing the science of failing well. First published in the US and in the UK (Penguin) in September, 2023, the book is due to be translated into 24 additional languages, and was selected for the Financial Times and Schroders Best Business Book of the Year award.
Visit her website here: amycedmondson.com
Laura has her Master’s in Couples and Family Therapy and has recently started her work in a PhD program studying Applied Behavioral Neuroscience. Laura is interested in studying the impact of water therapy on the vagal tone as a way of reconceptualizing PTSD treatment and our understanding of suicidal ideation. Laura is also a hybrid coach, specializing in in water confidence and strength training. In Laura’s free time, she spends her time painting, taking the dogs to dog beach, skiing, surfing and diving.
Laura's Instagram: @lauragordon__
If you would like to stay in touch about my Online, Yoga For Dudes, Brand-New Beginner's series, reach out to me directly:
E-mail: jpanasevich@gmail.com
Text: 267.275.3890
Laurice (Lauri). D. Nemetz, MA, BD-DMT, EYT500, LCAT, CIAYT is an adjunct professor at Pace University having taught classes in yoga, myofascial anatomy and more at the Pleasantville NY campus since 2004 and is a 2020 Pace U. President’s Award recipient for Outstanding Contribution. In the summer of 2021, Lauri was awarded the position of Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, for Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL (2021-present). She is also a licensed Creative Arts Therapist, a member of the American Association for Anatomy, a board-certified member of the Academy of Dance/Movement Therapists, a registered yoga teacher at the experienced 500-hour level, past President of the Yoga Teachers’ Association (YTA), a Stott Pilates instructor, a certified yoga therapist and an occasional kayak guide! Lauri graduated from Wellesley College (Art History and French), earned a Master’s degree in Dance/Movement Therapy (Psychology) from Goucher College, with additional extensive postgraduate anatomy education.
Her yoga lineage includes Tao Porchon Lynch, Karin Stephan, Leslie Kaminoff, David Hollander, and Kim Schwartz among many more with who she is fortunate to have learned from. In therapeutic work, she aligns most closely with Rogerian and Jungian theories and this combined study has informed her work with a number of diverse populations including work with trauma survivors, autistic children, neonatal and general rehab populations. Her current private work combines work from her varied background and focuses on guiding individuals to reach their fullest potential physically and mentally.
Currently an independent anatomical dissector with several projects (more in the anatomy tab) including KNM dissections (with Leslie Kaminoff, Yoga Anatomy), Lauri is additionally a lead dissector with the international team of the Fascial Net Plastination Project. She regularly presents at conferences including the American Association for Anatomy, Experimental Biology, the Fascia Research Congress, the American Dance Therapy Association, and Movement: Brain, Body and Cognition Conferences (Oxford University; Harvard Medical), and loves teaching in yoga teacher training programs. Her workshops in both anatomy and movement have included locations in Canada, Brazil, Germany, Costa Rica, and across the U.S. She has a chapter on dance/movement therapy in the Creative Arts Therapies Manual (2006) and has published several articles including in the International Journal of Arts Medicine and upcoming in The Anatomical Record.
Her book, The Myofascial System in Form and Movement (2023) (click here for more information) is being published by Handspring Publishing, a respected imprint in bodywork, anatomy and movement. She is particularly passionate about studies of environmental space, art and science communication. She considers herself an explorer looking to connect people through meaningful movement conversation to their own bodies and each other.
Lauri's instagram page: @wellnessbridge
Lauri's facebook: Lauri Nemetz
Lauri's book: The Myofascial System in Form and Movement
Contact me:
Email: jpanasevich@gmail.com
Phone: 267.275.3890
Website: yogawithjake.com
Instagram: @yogawithjake
Reach out to me directly if you are interested in my upcoming, online, Yoga For Dudes - Brand-New Beginner's
Dr. Joy is the Chief Medical Officer for Lore Health. Prior to that, she served as Senior Medical Director for Wellness and Nutrition at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City, UT. She received her B.S. and M.D. degrees at the University of Minnesota, and M.P.H. from the University of Utah. She completed her Family Medicine Residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, MN. She is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Utah School of Medicine in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, and in the College of Health Department of Nutrition & Integrative Physiology. Dr. Joy is the Past President of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the Female Athlete Triad Coalition. She Chairs the Exercise Is Medicine Governance Committee for the ACSM, and serves on the Board of Directors, and Chairs the Healthcare Sector for the National Physical Activity Plan. Her research interests lie in the areas of diabetes prevention, physical activity promotion, and the Female Athlete Triad.
For information about my upcoming Online Yoga For Dudes, Brand-New Beginner's Course - email me directly at jpanasevich@gmail.com, or call or text me at 267.275.3890.
Mike Alpert was the President/CEO of The Claremont Club from 1997 – 2020. Located
in Claremont, California, The Claremont Club is a full-service athletic, aquatic, tennis,
wellness and social facility encompassing 19 acres. During his time at the Club he
created a dedicated team with a sense of ownership and accountability; developed a
club culture of a passionate and value-based entity and created a focus on making a
difference in people’s lives.
Mike has served on the Northwest Athletic Club Association Board of Directors and is a
past President of the California Clubs of Distinction. He is also an Advisory Board
Member of the Medical Wellness Association. Mike is a recipient of the Richard S.
Kirkendall Award: one of only two non-educators to receive this award from the
Claremont Unified School District; The REX Roundtable Ben Franklin Award; The
Ontario/Montclair School District Stone Cutter Award and The Medical Wellness
Association Distinguished Community Service Award.
Because his passion is for the chronically injured and the chronically ill, Mike has been
presenting “Exercise is Medicine” to universities and organizations internationally
including Israel, Italy, Madrid and Ireland. He believes that now, more than ever, the
health care industry and the fitness industry must join efforts in treating and preventing the progression of disease and the effects of injury.
Presentations include the following:
International Health, Racquet & Sports Club Association
Club Industry
California Clubs of Distinction
Fit Life
Medical Wellness Association
All REX Roundtable Conference
REX Europe Madrid, Sapain
Exercise is Medicine, Israel
REX Roundtable Italy
International European Congress Forum
City of Hope
American College of Sports Medicine
Rotary International
University of California, Riverside
Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona
Mike currently works as the Chief Operating Officer at Smart Health Clubs, a member
facing software solution for Health Clubs.
Resources: Cancer and Fitness: cancerfitness.org
Dr. Elias Aboujaoude is a psychiatry professor, researcher, and author at Stanford University, where he heads the Anxiety Disorders Section and OCD Clinic. He has also held positions at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of California in Berkeley, the University of California in San Francisco, and the University of York in the United Kingdom. Besides OCD, Dr. Aboujaoude's research has focused on the interface between technology and psychology, both in its negative manifestations (e.g., video game addiction, online narcissism, cyberbullying, effects of online privacy violations) and positive applications (e.g., telemedicine, virtual reality therapy, AI-mediated digital therapeutics). His entrepreneurial projects include cofounding the first Silicon Valley video-enabled therapy platform.
In addition to peer-reviewed scientific publications and academic books, Dr. Aboujaoude has authored general-audience books, including Virtually You: The Dangerous Powers of the e-Personality (a New York Times Editors’ Choice) and articles for the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Harvard Business Review, the Financial Times, the Chronicle of Higher Education, and Fortune. His work has received broad coverage, including by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, National Geographic, TIME, Newsweek, Congressional Quarterly, NPR, CNN, ABC, NBC, and BBC. He has lectured in over 20 countries, including at scientific, specialty, or general-audience events (e.g., World Psychiatric Association, US Department of Defense, University of Miami convocation, Stanford Alumni Association).
Purchase Dr. Aboujaoude's New Book Here!
Dr. Mitchell joined the University of Florida in 2015 as a Preeminence Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Physical Therapy and McKnight Brain Institute. He founded and directs the UF Center for Breathing Research and Therapeutics (BREATHE) and the NIH-funded graduate and postdoctoral training program of the same name. A major focus of BREATHE is to understand and treat impaired breathing and airway defense (swallowing/cough) caused by neuromuscular injury or disease. Dr. Mitchell also serves as Deputy Director of the UF McKnight Brain Institute. For the past three decades, Dr. Mitchell pioneered studies of neuroplasticity in the neural system controlling breathing. Areas of active investigation include: intracellular and intercellular mechanisms of long-lasting respiratory motor plasticity triggered by repeated exposure to brief episodes of low oxygen (intermittent hypoxia), the ability to harness that intermittent hypoxia-induced spinal plasticity to treat respiratory and non-respiratory paralysis following spinal injury and during motor neuron disease (ALS), cell-based strategies to treat breathing deficits, and the impact of systemic inflammation on breathing and its control. Investigations span intracellular, intercellular and physiological systems level mechanisms, and translation to humans with acquired or neurodegenerative neurological disorders (SCI and ALS). Dr. Mitchell grew up in California where he received his B.S. (Biological Sciences) and PhD (Developmental and Cell Biology) degrees from the University of California at Irvine. After two years of post-doctoral training at the Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine in Goettingen, Germany, he moved to the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After one year as a postdoc, Dr. Mitchell became an Assistant Professor in 1981, and then the ranks to become Professor and Chair of the Department of Comparative Biosciences (17 years) and director of the NIH funded Respiratory Neurobiology Training Program (14 years). He chose to leave the University of Wisconsin for the opportunity to join the University of Florida and create the BREATHE Center. Dr. Mitchell has been recognized for his research and teaching accomplishments, including a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award, the Norden Distinguished Teacher Award, the Pfizer Research Award on multiple occasions, the Steenbock Professorship for Behavioral and Neural Science, and distinguished lectureships from the Society for Neuroscience (SFN), American Physiological Society (APS), Association of Chairs of Departments of Physiology (ACDP), American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA), and the Oxford Conference for Modeling and the Control of Breathing.
Amber is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research is in the field of neurogenetics where she studies how genetic variants contribute to sleep dysfunction and psychiatric disorders. She is interested in the evolution of sleep and circadian rhythms and how to leverage both for better physical and mental health.
Amber is also an elite runner. Although she mostly runs for fun, she races competitively and has run times including 15:37 for the 5k, 52:15 for 10 miles, and 2:31:35 for the marathon.
Follow Amber on instagram: @a.to_the.z
I began my life’s work in two communities on opposite sides of Boston, one predominantly Black, the other predominantly White, both made up of hard-working, low-income families. For twelve years, I worked alternately as a community organizer, a journalist, and a counselor alongside people struggling to navigate circumstances largely stacked against them. Where they went, I went—to their homes, their
schools, the streets, the courts, even prison. The experience was a master class in hard-earned resilience on the one hand and learned helplessness on the other.
That experience eventually led me to return to school to figure out how to inspire and empower people to create systems that work for them, not against them. As an undergraduate at Boston University and as a doctoral student at Harvard, I had the privilege of learning from and working alongside some of the world’s best thinkers on how to navigate conflict and effect change in all kinds of systems from families
(David Kantor) to organizations (Chris Argyris, Donald Schön, Ed Schein, Peter Senge) to nations (Howard Zinn, Roger Fisher).
For the past 40 years, I have led long-term change efforts in some of America’s most iconic businesses and cutting-edge nonprofits. Along the way, I discovered that it is possible to turn intergroup conflict into a powerful force for constructive change. Out of this fundamental insight, I developed an approach to conflict and change called Leading Through Relationships (LTR)TM with frameworks and tools captured in my own and others publications and used around the world by my colleagues and students.
In addition to dozens of articles, I am the author of Divide Or Conquer, The Elephant in the Room, and Remaking the Space Between Us, and the co-author of Action Science with Chris Argyris and Robert Putnam. As a partner at the Monitor Group, I chaired Monitor University, and as chief executive partner at New Profit, I led a culture change effort that readied the firm for future growth.
I share my life with negotiation expert and Getting to Yes co-author Bruce Patton, my husband of 30 years, a rambunctious border collie rescue, and a junkyard mutt.
Gina Poe has been working since 1995 on the mechanisms through which sleep serves memory consolidation and restructuring. Dr. Poe is a southern California native who graduated from Stanford University then worked for two post-baccalaureate years at the VA researching Air Force Test Pilots’ brainwave signatures under high-G maneuvers. She then earned her PhD in Basic Sleep in the Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program at UCLA under the guidance of Ronald Harper then moved to the University of Arizona for her postdoctoral studies with Carol Barnes and Bruce McNaughtons looking at graceful degradation of hippocampal function in aged rats as well as hippocampal coding in a 3-D maze navigated in the 1998 space shuttle mission. She brought these multiunit teachings to answer a burning question of whether REM sleep were for remembering or forgetting and found that activity of neurons during REM sleep is consistent both with the consolidation of novel memories and the elimination of already consolidated memories from the hippocampus, readying the associative memory network for new learning the next day. Moving first to Washington State University then to the University of Michigan before joining UCLA in 2016, Poe has over 80 undergraduates, 6 graduate students, and 6 postdoctoral scholars, and has served in university faculty governance as well as leading 5 different programs designed to diversify the neuroscience workforce and increase representation of people of the global majority in the STEM fields. At UCLA she continues research and teaching and Directs the COMPASS-Life Sciences and BRI-SURE programs and co-Directs the MARC-U*STAR program. Nationally she is course director of the Marine Biological Lab’s SPINES course and co-Directs the Society for Neuroscience’s NSP program which earned the nation’s highest mentoring honor in 2018. These programs have served over 600 PhD level trainees over the years.
The Poe lab investigates the mechanisms by which sleep traits serve learning and memory consolidation. Memories are encoded by the pattern of synaptic connections between neurons. We employ tetrode recording and optogenetic techniques in learning animals to see how neural patterns underlying learning are reactivated during sleep, and how activity during sleep influences the neural memory code. Both strengthening and weakening of synapses is important to the process of sculpting a network when we make new memories and integrate them into old schema. Results from our studies suggest that while synaptic strengthening can be efficiently accomplished during the waking learning process, the synaptic weakening part of memory integration requires conditions unique to sleep. The absence of noradrenaline during sleep spindles and REM sleep as well as the low levels of serotonin during REM sleep allow the brain to integrate new memories and to refresh and renew old synapses so that we are ready to build new associations the next waking period. Memory difficulties involved in post-traumatic stress disorder, Schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease and even autism involve abnormalities in the sleep-dependent memory consolidation process that my lab studies. Keywords: Sleep, learning and memory, PTSD, memory consolidation, reconsolidation, REM sleep, sleep spindles, Norepinephrine, LTP, depotentiation, reversal learning, optogenetics, electrophysiology, tetrode recordings, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex.
Website: https://poe-sleeplab.weebly.com/
Adriaan Louw, PT, PhD
Adriaan earned his undergraduate, master’s degree and PhD in physiotherapy from the University of Stellenbosch in Cape Town, South Africa. He is an adjunct faculty member at St. Ambrose University and the University of Nevada Las Vegas, teaching pain science. Adriaan has taught throughout the US and internationally for 25 years at numerous national and international manual therapy, pain science and medical conferences. He has authored and co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles related to spinal disorders and pain science. Adriaan completed his Ph.D. on pain neuroscience education and is the Director of the Therapeutic Neuroscience Research Group – an independent collaborative initiative studying pain neuroscience. Adriaan is a senior faculty, pain science director and vice-president of faculty experience for Evidence in Motion.
Kerrie is a MELT Master Trainer, Groove facilitator, Yoga instructor and owner of Balance Total Body Fitness. As one of six Master Trainers selected by MELT creator Sue Hitzmann to train other instructors to teach MELT, she has led MELT Lab Trainings and Instructor Level 1 Trainings across the country and is now busy assisting Sue with all levels of training online.
Over the course of her MELT career, Kerrie has studied extensively under Sue Hitzmann, leading groups and mentoring instructors in all levels of the MELT curriculum. Kerrie brings over 14 years of concentrated study to her delivery of the method and is widely known for her positive and accessible teaching style. She teaches all ages and abilities, and designs custom MELT Maps for clients dealing with complex medical issues.
When she is not leading MELT Trainings, Kerrie works as the Head of Instructor Training and Teaching Assistant Trainer for the MELT Method, teaches monthly MELT Introductory Workshops and weekly classes in Western Massachusetts and leads wellness retreats at Kripalu and other locations.
Fascia and feeling good. You’ll be hard-pressed to find more of an expert on those two topics than Sue Hitzmann, creator of the MELT Method—a pioneering self-treatment that can ease and prevent pain while it boosts performance.
A fitness star turned sought-after neurofascial science educator, Sue is an internationally recognized manual therapist, exercise physiologist, and founding member of the Fascia Research Society. But she’s most known as the dynamic creator of the MELT Method—her innovative self-care technique became the topic of her New York Times best-selling book, The MELT Method, and its 2019 follow-up, MELT Performance.
In a word, Sue’s knowledge of human anatomy could be called encyclopedic. And her passion for helping others create astounding, measurable change in their bodies is evident in every lecture, training, and class she leads. Her empathy for people in pain began with her own journey out of a debilitating case of plantar fasciitis and experiences as a manual therapist. Driven by curiosity and a quest for a holistic understanding of pain and the effects of aging, her thousands of hours of neurofascial research and clinical application with clients laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most game-changing techniques to hit the wellness and fitness industries—MELT.
This groundbreaking, clinically proven program offers a do-it-yourself answer to the root cause of issues rather than temporary relief. It’s the antithesis to surgery, pills, and ‘put a bandage on it’ approaches. As Sue’s private practice grew, she painstakingly developed custom soft rollers and hand and foot treatment balls—consistencies designed to restore calm and efficiency in the body by mimicking a therapist’s touch—giving her clients, and eventually the world, the power to learn to heal themselves. Today, countless people have used MELT to restore their whole-body efficiency and discover a newfound sense of vibrancy and health.
Since MELT’s arrival in the early 2000s, Sue has personally trained thousands of certified MELT instructors from around the world. MELT has been integrated into the practices of medical doctors, massage therapists, pilates and yoga instructors, fitness professionals, and more.
She currently divides her time between New York City and the Florida coast.
More about Sue
- Sue’s qualifications include certifications in neuromuscular, craniosacral, and lymphatic drainage therapies. She earned her Masters in Exercise Science at NYU.
- Sue has been a leading presenter for national organizations such as IDEA, ECA, and PMA.
- Through MELT, she’s an accredited continuing education provider for ACE, AFAA, NASM, PMA, and NCBTMB.
- She’s appeared on podcasts and television programs like Nightline, The Dr. Oz Show, Good Morning America, and The Rachael Ray Show.
- MELT has been featured in magazines including SELF, More, Prevention and many others.
- Prior to MELT, she appeared in some of the top-selling fitness videos of all time.
- She’s held a private manual therapy practice since 1998, working with clients who suffer from a wide range of issues, injuries, disorders, diseases, and dysfunctions.
Martinus Evans has run over eight marathons since his doctor told him to “lose weight or die” in July 2012. Since then, he’s also coached hundreds of runners and founded the Slow AF Run Club, a community of over 20,000 members worldwide. He is also the author of the book Slow AF Run Club: The ultimate guide for anybody who wants to run. When he’s not running races around the world, he enjoys speaking passionately about issues related to size-inclusivity, mindset, DEI and mental health.
Matinus' Instagram: @300poundsandrunning
Slow AF Run Club Instagram: @runslowaf
Sandy Abrams is a longtime entrepreneur, 2x author, 2022 TEDx Speaker, Chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s Breathe Initiative and a Board Member of Health & Human Performance Foundation. She’s now focused on Well-Being and Mental Health; sharing 30+ years of experience utilizing the power of breath & mindfulness in business and life. Her book, Breathe to Succeed (2019) is endorsed by Arianna Huffington, Mark Bertolini/Former CEO Aetna, execs at Google, SAP, Sage software and the U.S. Air Force. Sandy has shared her C.E.Om Breath & Mindset experiences with several Google offices, WW HQ (formerly Weight Watchers), frequent featured speaker at Canyon Ranch resorts since 2019, McKinsey & Co., Facebook HQ, Pepsi, YPO,Women Presidents Org., Sage software, LinkedIn HQ, Lululemon, Goldie Hawn's MindUP Foundation, Brain Tap app and a speaker at women's and entrepreneurial groups, conferences, leadership retreats etc. Sandy's sensibility about "breath as meditation at the speed of life" resonates with the fast pace of modern life. She’s on a mission to empower people to create their optimal energy for well-being & success...one deep, mindful breath at a time.
Born and raised in Utah, Craig Terry is well-traveled and has lived in various places in the US. He recently retired from a successful career in sales and sales management, and now is an amputee peer mentor, a licensed certified life coach, and a motivational speaker. These things help him converse with, and understand people's needs from their different viewpoints.
In October of 2020, Craig was riding his new Harley after trading in his old one of 15 years. A mile and a half from home he was hit broadside by someone not paying attention. He and his wife were both injured, but his injuries were more severe, resulting in his left leg being amputated below the knee. While in the hospital he decided he would be in charge of his life and the amputation wouldn't define him as a person. He set about rebuilding his life and his internal persona, strengthening his self-image. Yoga has helped him to do so. He's now a self-described "yoga addict" and loves how it helps keep him centered in his soul. Yoga, especially Accommodative Yoga taught by Abigail Atkinson has been his go to because it helps keep his hip joints, leg, and lower back open and loose, which helps deal with his day-to-day movements with his prosthetic leg.
Follow Craig on Instagram: @craig_terry
Matthew Dewar, Ed.D., is a professional educator, speaker, and author. For fifteen years, he has researched the impact of mindfulness and emotion regulation practices on teaching, learning, and leadership in schools. More recently, he has focused on enhancing health and performance through breathing behavior analysis and heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training.
Dr. Dewar is also the founder of Matt Dewar, LLC, and the creator of the Stress Better® Framework, which he has shared with collegiate and professional athletes, Fortune 500 executives, colleges and universities, first responders, and military personnel. Dr. Dewar authored Education and Well-Being: An Ontological Inquiry, The Mindful Breathing Workbook for Teens, and The Stress Better Solution (forthcoming). His work has been featured on TEDx, NPR, Thrive Global, the National Wellness Institute, and many podcasts.
As a boy, Robert M. Sapolsky dreamed of living inside the African dioramas in New York’s Museum of Natural History. By age twenty-one, he made it to Africa and joined a troop of baboons. Although being a naturalist appealed to him because it was a chance to “get the hell out of Brooklyn,” he never left people behind.
In fact, he chose to live with the baboons because they are perfect for learning about stress and health in humans. Like their human cousins, baboons live in large, complex social groups with plenty of free time, Dr. Sapolsky writes, “to devote to being rotten to each other” – for a baboon or human, “stress” is rarely about evading a lion. Instead, it’s mostly about members of your own species psychologically stressing you. And this is precisely when stress-related disease arises, Dr. Sapolsky explains in his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. And like people, baboons are good material for stories. His gift for storytelling led The New York Times to suggest, “If you crossed Jane Goodall with a borscht-belt comedian, she might have written a book like A Primate’s Memoir,” Dr. Sapolsky’s account of his years as a field biologist.
Sapolsky’s unique perspective on the human condition comes from his more than thirty years spent as both a field primatologist and a laboratory neuroscientist. As a result, he effortlessly moves from discussing pecking orders in primate societies (human and baboon) to explaining the neurochemistry of stress—in ways that even science-phobics readily understand.
What fascinates Dr. Sapolsky most about human behavior is a paradox – we are both the most violent species on earth, as well as the most altruistic, cooperative and empathic. In his most recent book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, he examines how every act – heroic, appalling, or in between – is caused by the neurobiology that occurred a second before, the environmental stimuli minutes before that triggered that neurobiology, hormonal influences during prior hours….all the way back to childhood and fetal experience sculpting our brains, and the effects of genes, culture, ecology and evolution.
Out of this comes a perspective that as biological organisms, we have far less free will than usually assumed; Dr. Sapolsky’s most recent work focuses on how to think about this, whether considering the actions of a murderer, or the actions for which you are praised. This synthesis is the basis of his new book, Determined: A Science of Life Without Free Will (Penguin/Random House, October 17, 2023).
Dr. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, a professor of biology, neurology and neurosurgery at Stanford University, and a research associate at the National Museum of Kenya. His 2008 National Geographic special on stress, and his on-line lectures about human behavioral biology, have been watched tens of millions of times. The humor and humanity he brings to sometimes-sobering subject matter make Dr. Sapolsky a fascinating speaker. He lectures widely on topics as diverse as stress and stress-related diseases, biology and the free will debate, the biology of our individuality, the biology of religious belief, depression, memory, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer’s disease.
BSc(Hons), MSc(A)PT
As a movement aficionado, Tiana Ringer specializes in training and rehabilitation integrating superficial and deep fascia tissue release, acupuncture based trigger point work, movement analysis, soft mobilizations, strength and power development, aerobic exercise prescription, neurological and concussion based treatments, along with the knowledge and applications of biochemistry and nutritional science through her work as a team member with Science of Sport & Health.
Throughout her many years in the fitness and health industry, Tiana has observed, studied, and mentored under professionals in their fields of healthcare. Currently, she works as part of the Science of Sport & Health team alongside a renowned global expert in exercise endocrinology, biochemistry, and clinical nutrition. Tiana applies her knowledge of the physical and chemical changes that occur in men and women to implement individualized methods of attainment of health and well being.
Tiana’s skills and unique approach is a culmination of education as a physical therapist, kinesiologist, fascial stretch therapist, and a broad base of movement modalities. Tiana herself is a highly accomplished and versatile athlete— a semi-professional classical dancer, certified Russian Vaganova Ballet technique instructor, Olympic weightlifter, professional wrestler, and specialist in aerial acrobatics.
Tiana received her Bachelor of Science (Specialized Honors) in Kinesiology from York University and her Masters of Science (Applied) in Physical Therapy from McGill University.
Tiana believes that optimal health is a trifecta of movement, nutrition, and mental health. Her clientele includes A-list actors, NHL & AHL hockey athletes, CFL and NCAA football athletes, dancers, national and Olympic-level gymnasts and weightlifters, WWE professional wrestlers, corporate leaders, and health focused individuals. It is through the optimization of body mechanics, pain reduction, and awareness that her client’s achieve longterm functional independence, an essential component of longevity.
Danielle Friedman is an award-winning health and culture journalist and a regular contributor to The New York Times Well section, where she has written about everything from the joys of being a slow runner to the importance of pelvic floor conditioning. She is also the author of Let’s Get Physical: How Women Discovered Exercise and Reshaped the World, which was selected as a New Yorker and Financial Times Best Book of 2022. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two young sons.
Follow her on instagram: @daniellefriedmanwrites
Nick Heath, Ph.D., is a breath coach, researcher, and writer living with type-1 diabetes. Nick’s formal education is in atmospheric science, but he has spent the last 7+ years studying, teaching, and applying breathing principles in his life and with others. He is a certified Oxygen Advantage® coach, a Level I Pranayama teacher, and a member of the Global Wellness BREATHE Initiative. Nick is the creator of The Breathing Diabetic and BreathLearning.com.
Abigail is a Utah-based yoga teacher and educator. She became dedicated to sharing yoga with others after it helped her recover from a devastating stroke in 2012. Her mission is to spread adaptive, inclusive yoga throughout Utah and beyond. Abigail teaches at studios in Utah County, specializing in adaptive, yin, restorative and gentle yoga. She lives in Orem, Utah with her family and loves hiking, reading, and herbalism. Stay connected with her on Instagram at @adaptiveyogautah, @wellwithabigail or check out her website at wellwithabigail.com.
Rodrigo Cerdá, M.D., MPH, is senior vice president of Health Services and chief medical officer at Independence Blue Cross (Independence). He leads Independence’s collaborative efforts to bring together health insurers, hospitals, and doctors together
to improve access to well-coordinated, high quality, and affordable health care to the region. He is also the company’s chief clinical spokesperson.
Dr. Cerdá has overall corporate responsibility for population health, case and condition management, provider experience, medical mangement and policy, and health value optimization. Before joining Independence, Dr. Cerdá was managing director for Integrated Health Services at PA Consulting and Aetna International in the United Kingdom. Prior to that, he worked at McKinsey and Company in the US and the UK advising health care payers, providers, governments, and nongovernmental organizations with a focus on value- based care and public health. During that time, he maintained a position at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School as an attending physician and clinical instructor.
Dr. Cerdá serves as president of the American Diabetes Association’s Community
Leadership Board for Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware. He also serves on the
advisory boards for Managed Healthcare Executive and HealthShare Exchange of
Southeastern Pennsylvania, a regional health information organization.
He is a Fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and a member of the
American Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and the American
College of Physicians.
Dr. Cerdá completed his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania, his residency
in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, his master’s in public health at
Harvard, and his bachelor’s degree at Yale. He is a diplomate of the American Board of
Internal Medicine.
He lives in the Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with his wife and
two boys.
This is a segment on improving men's health that I'm featured on for the "Better Off Podcast" by For29 Philly. It is hosted by Drew Anderson and sponsored by Independence Blue Cross. Please listen to their podcast, they are doing great work providing practical tools to help improve your health. I'm joined with Dr. Rodrigo Cerdá, Senior Vice President of Health Services and Chief Medical Officer at Independence Blue Cross.
This is a great, down-to-earth discussion about all things involving men's health, from men's mental health, what men should do as far as exercising as they age, my men's yoga class in Philly, building community, the misconceptions around men's health and the little quirks that make men different while approaching their health. I am thrilled with how this conversation went.
Charles Raison, MD, is a Professor of Human Ecology and Psychiatry in the Department
of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Raison also serves as Director of Clinical and Translational Research for Usona
Institute, as Director of the Vail Health Behavioral Health Innovation Center, Director of Research on Spiritual Health for Emory Healthcare and as Visiting Professor in the
Center for the Study of Human Health at Emory University in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Raison’s
research focuses on the examination of novel mechanisms involved in the development
and treatment of major depression and other stress-related emotional and physical
conditions, as well as for his work examining the physical and behavioral effects of
compassion training. More recently, Dr. Raison has taken a leadership role in the
development of psychedelic medicines as potential treatments for major depression. He was named one of the world’s most influential researchers by Web of Science for the decade of 2010-2019. With Vladimir Maletic he is author of “The New Mind-Body
Science of Depression” published by W.W. Norton in 2017.
Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Ph.D. has been fully engaged in biomedical research on the
efficacy of yoga and meditation practices in improving physical and psychological health
since 2001. He has practiced Kundalini Yoga since 1971 and is a certified instructor. He
is the Director of Research for the Kundalini Research Institute, a Research Associate at the Benson Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine, a Research Affiliate of the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He has conducted clinical research trials evaluating yoga interventions for insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic stress, and anxiety disorders and also for adolescents public schools and workers in occupational settings.
Dr. Khalsa works with the International Association of Yoga Therapists to promote research on yoga and yoga therapy as the chair of the scientific program committee for the annual Symposium on Yoga Research and as editor-in-chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. He is medical editor of the Harvard Medical School Special Report An Introduction to Yoga and chief editor of the medical textbook The Principles and Practice of Yoga in Health Care .
Sarah Platt-Finger is the Director of Chopra Yoga at IIN, and the co-founder of ISHTA Yoga, LLC. Sarah coauthored the book Living in the Light with Dr. Deepak Chopra, which has received international acclaim as one of the most practical and inspiring guides to modern day yoga.
Sarah received her 500-hour Yoga certification in the ISHTA lineage in 2004 and was initiated as a Yoga Master by her husband, Kavi Yogiraj Alan Finger, in 2013. Since then, Sarah has made it her life’s purpose to share the authentic teachings of yoga worldwide. She helped develop one of the most renowned Yoga Teacher Training programs in New York City that expanded internationally to London, Sweden, Germany, Japan, and Australia. Sarah most recently helped develop and teach as a Lead Trainer in the Chopra Yoga 200-hour Teacher Training with IIN, a fully digital yoga course that is accredited with the Yoga Alliance.
Sarah believes that the practice of yoga on the mat is a reflection of the reality we create off the mat, and that a deeper awareness of our physical, mental, and emotional patterns can bring us closer to the essence of our being.
Ryan Whited, a dedicated Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist since 1996, has a profound passion for his work. Armed with expertise in athletic performance and injury prevention, along with certifications in Gait Analysis, Mobility, and ongoing education in Neuro-Immunology, he ceaselessly enriches his knowledge through diverse courses. His profound grasp of biomechanics, human performance, and pain neuroscience informs the foundation of the Training as Treatment approach at Paragon.
In each session, Ryan infuses his extensive training experience to benefit clients, for their athletic goals, pain, surgery concerns, or struggles with injuries. As the visionary founder of Paragon Athletics, he coaches clients to sidestep surgeries, recuperate from injuries, and transform pain, empowering them to joyfully return to sports and cherished activities. Reach out to him at ryan@paragonathletics.com to embark on your transformative fitness journey.
Brett Larkin is the founder of Uplifted Yoga® and the author of Yoga Life: Habits, Poses, and Breathwork to Channel Joy Amidst the Chaos. Her Online Yoga Teacher Trainings have set the standard for quality online certification since 2015 and matriculated thousands of yoga teachers. Brett’s award-winning YouTube channel with over half a million subscribers and Uplifted Yoga Podcast empower you to actively design your life using yoga’s ancient wisdom. Yoga enthusiasts love her courses on Kundalini Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, and the Uplifted Yoga® Academy. Learn more at BrettLarkin.com
Christopher A. Lowry, Ph.D. is Professor in the Department of Integrative Physiology, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, and Center for Microbial Exploration at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder), with a secondary appointment in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) and Center for Neuroscience, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, a Principal Investigator in the Department of Veterans Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System, VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education, & Clinical Center (MIRECC), director of the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Laboratory at CU Boulder, and Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Military and Veteran Microbiome Consortium for Research and Education (MVM-CoRE). He is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of Wyoming where he received training in comparative endocrinology. Dr. Lowry was a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. Dr. Lowry’s research program at CU Boulder focuses on understanding stress-related physiology and behavior with an emphasis on the microbiome-gut-brain axis, designed to lead to novel, microbiome-based interventions for the prevention of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Lowry has been a principal investigator on 6 NIH grants, and numerous foundation and industry-sponsored projects. His research accomplishments have been recognized through many awards, including recognition by the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation for Top 10 Advancements & Breakthroughs by Foundation Grantees in 2016. He is a Co-founder of one CU Boulder startup biotech company. Importantly, Dr. Lowry has mentored numerous undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to successful independent careers in academia, industry, and medicine.Christopher Lowry Lab
Katharine Phillips, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry, DeWitt Wallace Senior Scholar, and Residency Research Director at Weill Cornell Medical College, and Attending Psychiatrist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. Dr. Phillips is internationally recognized for her expertise in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). She has been conducting research studies and treating patients with BDD for more than 30 years. Her studies have included investigation of BDD’s symptoms, prevalence, morbidity, course of illness, and relationship to other disorders such as OCD. Because no BDD-specific measures were available, she developed and tested BDD screening, diagnostic, severity, and insight measures. She has also conducted and published most of the medication studies of BDD, and she has co-developed and tested CBT for BDD. Her scientific studies on BDD were continuously funded by the National Institute of Mental Health for more than 20 years.
Dr. Phillips led the effort to include the new chapter of Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders in DSM-5. She has published more than 350 articles and chapters in scientific journals and books, and she has authored or edited 11 books, including multiple books on BDD. She has given more than 600 presentations around the world and more than 500 media interviews. Dr. Phillips has received many honors and awards for her research, clinical work, and other academic contributions. Her awards for her research studies on BDD include a Special Presidential Commendation from the American Psychiatric Association and the Outstanding Career Achievement Award from the International OCD Foundation.
Known for his love of donuts, dirt, and running with a massive smile, Tim Tollefson is a professional ultra-runner for CRAFT Sportswear that is facilitating difficult conversations around mental health in sports. Throughout his career he has won ultramarathons across the globe in distances from 50K to 100 miles. Tim is a 3 time USATF National Trail Champion, and a 2 time US Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. While on the surface he carefully curated a balanced life of perfection, for more than 20 years he has battled body dysmorphia, OCD, general anxiety disorder, and an eating disorder. Tim is a licensed physical therapist at the Mammoth SPORT Center and founder and head crafter at Mammoth Trail Fest - a community oriented trail running event hosted in his home of Mammoth Lakes, CA every September.
Click here for the video that accompanies this podcast.
Dr. Maren Nyer is the Director of Yoga Studies and the Associate Director of the Research Coordinator Program at the Depression Clinical and Research Program (DCRP), Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Her research interests include the treatment of mood disorders and associated symptoms, specifically developing and evaluating innovative and complementary and integrative treatments for depression. She completed her pre-doctoral psychology internship at MGH/HMS. After that, she worked as a post-doctoral fellow at the DCRP, until obtaining a staff position in September, 2012. She holds a BA in Psychology from Cornell University and a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Click here to view Dr. Nyer’s research.
She was the principal investigator for the clinical trial on how hot yoga may reduce depression, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Here's what Nyer said about the study: This study was a more rigorous follow up to an original, open study that we did with heated yoga. The results suggested antidepressant benefit, so the next step was to do a controlled study with a larger patient sample. We recruited 80 patients with depression, and randomly assigned half of them to heated yoga (which they could attend at any of two affiliated yoga studios that collaborated with our team) and the other half to a waiting list as a control intervention, both for 8 weeks. Patients were encouraged to attend at least twice weekly or more, depending on their schedule and availability of classes. We found that people who received the heated yoga intervention experienced a significantly greater improvement in depressive symptoms, compared to the patients who were assigned to the waiting list. They received these benefits attending only approximately one class per week.
Gil Hedley, Ph.D., has been teaching integral anatomy via dissection labs, keynote events and lecture tours since 1995. Gil has created an approach to anatomy coherent with the holistic body philosophies of body explorers from various treatment modalities, as well as teachers from the yoga, pilates, and fitness industries. He has documented this approach extensively through this website, gilhedley.com, which contains hundreds of hours of content explored from the Integral Anatomy perspective. Gil is committed to ensuring that Integral Anatomy education is accessible to all, worldwide, and offers free education through Easy Rider membership on his site as well as his YouTube channel to support his mission of "rebranding" the human body as a gift. In 2023-2024, he is embarking on his international "Nerve Tour" to bring his recent findings in the lab to communities across North America! Find out more at gilhedley.com.
Pallav Kosuri uses a physics-inspired approach to discover fundamental mechanisms in biology. Pallav was born in Sweden and studied physics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. After a short stint at CERN, he was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics at Columbia University in New York. As a Ph.D. student in the lab of Dr. Julio M. Fernandez, Pallav co-invented an Atomic Force Microscope (US Patent 9,880,088) that can apply precisely calibrated forces to single protein molecules while measuring their mechanical response. Using this new microscope, he pioneered the use of mechanical force to study how disulfide bonds are formed during protein folding (Cell 2012).He also used this new microscope to investigate the molecular source of muscle elasticity and discovered a novel chemical mechanism for modulation of muscle stiffness (Cell 2014). After graduating, Pallav moved to Harvard University where he did a postdoc in the lab of Dr. Xiaowei Zhuang. At Harvard he invented ORBIT, a method that uses DNA origami to directly measure molecular rotation. Pallav used ORBIT to discover that RNA polymerase rotates in discrete ~35-degree steps during transcription (Nature 2019), and he is now building on this discovery to investigate transcriptional regulation at the single-molecule level.
As an Assistant Professor at the Salk Institute, Pallav leads a diverse team of researchers to investigate fundamental principles of function in biomechanical systems, ranging from molecular machines to muscles, and with a focus on the mammalian heart. His group takes a cross-disciplinary approach that relies on innovation in biophysical and computational methods and imaging techniques. As part of these efforts, he is pioneering the use of single-molecule microscopy to map the architecture of the heart. With these studies, his vision is to create a framework for understanding the connections between genetics, structure, and mechanical function of the human body.
Lesley Paterson has competed in over 400 triathlons, and she is a 5 x World Champion professional triathlete turned writer/producer, based in LosAngeles. Originally from Scotland, Lesley has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Film and, together with her psychologist-turned-screenwriter husband, Simon Marshall, own Brave Art Entertainment, a film production company in Los Angeles. Their first film was ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (Netflix, 2022), directed by Edward Berger, which went on to win seven BAFTA’s, including Best Adapted Screenplay and a National Board of Review win for Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2022, Lesley was nominated for an Academy Award for the Best Adapted Screenplay. The film went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best International Feature. Together with her husband, she is the author of the best-selling book, The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck down and Rise to the Occasion.
Rachel combines thousands of hours of teacher training experience with her academic expertise (MSc Online Education) to help yoga teachers and studios create transformational educational experiences. She supports students, teachers, and trainers to share their passion, find their voice, and inspire others. In addition to authoring five books, she has written for Yoga International, YogaUOnline, and the Huffington Post, and exuberantly shares her knowledge through her coaching, YouTube channel, online courses, and free online classes. Find her at rachelyoga.com or on social media at rachelscottyoga.
David Lesondak, BCSI, ATSI, FST, FFT, VMT is an Allied Health
Member in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at
the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), where he is
the Senior Structural Integrator and Fascia Specialist at UPMC’s
Center for Integrative Medicine.
David is the author of the international best seller Fascia: What it
is and Why it Matters, currently in 10 languages and 2 editions.
His follow up book, as editor, Fascia, Function, and Medical
Applications was nominated for a 2021 British Medical
Association.
He has contributed chapters to the 2nd Edition of Fascia: The
Tensional Network of the Human Body, and the 2nd edition of
Metabolic Therapies In Orthopedics. He contributed to the 4th
edition of Joe Muscolino’s Kinesiology.
His podcast, BodyTalk with David Lesondak, is listened to in 42
countries and in 2022 made the Top 10% Most Shared Shows on
Spotify
Now in his 15 th year at UPMC, David specializes in helping people
improve physical function, resolve pain and restore resilience.
Prior to that he spent 13 years managing and practicing at multi-
disciplinary clinic in Sewickley, Pennsylvania.
David’s natural ability to forge successful connections led to
educational ventures with renowned researchers and practitioners
in the field of fascia, including a faculty position with Anatomy
Trains continuing education from 2003-2008. In 2009 he
collaborated with Anatomy Trains author Thomas W. Myers on the
production of Anatomy Trains Revealed – a three-DVD legacy
media companion to Myers’ book that went from the theoretical
realm of the and into the anatomy lab itself!
From 2010 - 2017 David teamed up with Robert Schleip, PhD,
who headed the Fascia Research Project at Ulm University,
Germany. Together they produced over 100 hours of educational
content for both clinicians and researchers who wanted the latest
in fascia science. Sensing he was not content with just being
behind the scenes, and gauging his aptitude, Robert invited David
to lecture on the current science around fascia and the mind/body
connection at the 2014 Fascia Summer School.
A gifted and inspired speaker of all things fascia, David has been
an invited speaker and workshop facilitator to such diverse groups
as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Workshop on Myofascial
Pain, the Academic Consortium of Integrative Medicine, the LA
Clippers, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Australian, British, and
Polish Fascia Symposiums, the World Fascia Congress, the
International Fascia Research Congress, the Anatomy Trains
Master Class Series, the University of Arizona College of
Medicine, and many others.
Previous to entering the healthcare field, David’s various career
incarnations were in television, advertising, and the funeral arts.
Including over a decade-long stint as a DJ on WYEP-FM in
Pittsburgh. He maintains an avid interest in music and can be
sometimes be heard at Pittsburghs’s singer/songwriter Open Mic
scene.
David' Website: www.davidlesondak.com
The International Association of Structural Integrators Website: www.theiasi.net
Matt Fitzgerald is an acclaimed endurance sports author, coach, and entrepreneur. His
many books, including bestsellers How Bad Do You Want It? and 80/20 Running, have
been translated into more than a dozen languages. Matt is a cofounder of 80/20
Endurance, the world’s leading provider of online training resource for endurance
athletes and coaches, and creator of the Coaches of Color Initiative, a nonprofit
organization that offers a comprehensive apprenticeship program for aspiring BIPOC
endurance coaches. Married since 2001, he lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he operates Dream Run Camp, a pro-style training camp for runners of all abilities.
Ellen J. Langer was the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard, where she is still professor of psychology. The recipient of three Distinguished Scientists awards, the Arthur W. Staats Award for Unifying Psychology, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Liberty Science Genius Award, Dr. Langer is the author of eleven other books, including the international bestseller Mindfulness, as well as The Power of Mindful Learning, Counterclockwise and On Becoming an Artist. Her trailblazing experiments in social psychology have earned her inclusion in The New York Times Magazine’s “Year in Ideas” issue. She is known worldwide as the “mother of mindfulness” and the “mother of positive psychology”. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Here we discuss her new book: "The Mindful Body, Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health."
Tanya Bentley, PhD, is Co-founder and CEO of the Health and Human Performance Foundation (HHPF), a non-profit research organization that brings together experts and organizations from around the world to study how breathing practices relate to health, well-being, and physical and mental performance. Their current research focuses on breathing practices for mental health, women’s health, first responder performance, and various clinical conditions. HHPF is also a trusted source of curated scientific content on the benefits of breathing practices among all populations. Tanya holds a Bachelor’s of Science from Cornell University, and a Master's and PhD in Health Policy/Decision Sciences from Harvard University.
Raised in Florida, schooled in Tennessee, steeped in southern California and heat-tested in Texas, Denis brings 14 years of fitness leadership to Peloton. With an athletic history ranging from college football to aerial acrobatics, and a musical taste to match, Denis will keep you moving, grooving and guessing what comes next.
Brittany Fair is the author of The Neuroscience of Yoga and Meditation and a science communicator at the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center based at the University of Washington. With a background in philosophy, ecology, medical studies, and neuroscience, she has taught courses at universities and workshops nationwide. She is the former president of the San Diego Science Writers Association and currently teaches science writing at UC San Diego Extended Studies. Outside of work, she is a competitive triathlete, yoga teacher, and twin mom.
In the U.S.today, an estimated 40 million people take advantage of the incredible mental and physical benefits that yoga has to offer. Of these 40 million yogis, only a quarter of them are men. This staggering gender disparity is improving, as more and more men feel inclined to reap the health benefits this practice has to offer, but there is still quite a bit of work to be done.
In this episode of A SENSe of Wellness, Susan Greeley, MS, RDN, sits down with Jake Panasevich, who is a yoga instructor with over 16 years of experience. Specializing in yoga for men and athletes, he's worked with male professionals on the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and the Philadelphia Union, and he teaches a popular grassroots men's class in Philadelphia. Jake and Susan address the massive gender gap within this wellness practice, the societal norms and constraints that cause barriers for men practicing yoga, and the profound effect of positive reinforcement on the male psyche. In addition to hearing about the role of yoga in the world of professional athletes, listen as they talk about yoga's positive impact on treating pain and managing stress, weight loss, sleep and mental health, and much more.
Learn more about Jake Panasevich here: https://guidetoself.com/
Follow Jake at: @YogawithJake
Listen to other podcast episodes: https://ccphp.libsyn.com/
Dr. Tom Walters is a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of pain and movement disorders. He is the founder of Rehab Science and dedicates his time to teaching people about human movement, pain, and how to most effectively recover from injury.
Tom's book, Rehab Science: How to Overcome Pain and Heal from Injury was written with the specific intention of teaching others how to treat pain and injuries on their own and contains comprehensive rehab programs for the 50 most common injuries and pain issues.
Topics Covered: Time Restricted Eating or Intermittent Fasting and it's effect on: Acid Reflux, microbiome, energy, fasted workouts, the brain, mental health, depression, panic attacks, anxiety, long-term fasting, effects on athletic performance, sports where weight loss is a factor like MMA, wrestling, exercise, relative energy deficit in sports (REDS) injury: women lose their periods, sleep, impact in the brain. Firefighter feasibility study, shift work, his free app: My Circadian Clock, his personal circadian habits
Satchin Panda, PhD is a Professor at the Salk Institute in California, where his research focuses on the circadian regulation of behavior, physiology, and metabolism in model organisms and in humans. Dr. Panda discovered a blue-light sensing cell type in the retina entrains our master circadian clock, affects mood, and regulates the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Recently, he discovered that maintaining a daily feeding-fasting cycle – popularly known as time-restricted feeding (TRF) – can prevent and reverse metabolic diseases. Based on a feasibility study in humans, his lab is currently carrying out a smartphone-based study to assess the extent of circadian disruption among adults. Dr. Panda has received the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research, Dana Foundation Award in Brain and Immune System Imaging, and was a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences.
Dr. Satchidananda Panda, PhD
Satchin Panda, PhD is a Professor at the Salk Institute in California, where his research focuses on the circadian regulation of behavior, physiology, and metabolism in model organisms and in humans. Dr. Panda discovered a blue-light sensing cell type in the retina entrains our master circadian clock, affects mood, and regulates the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. Recently, he discovered that maintaining a daily feeding-fasting cycle – popularly known as time-restricted feeding (TRF) – can prevent and reverse metabolic diseases. Based on a feasibility study in humans, his lab is currently carrying out a smartphone-based study to assess the extent of circadian disruption among adults. Dr. Panda has received the Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research, Dana Foundation Award in Brain and Immune System Imaging, and was a Pew Scholar in the Biomedical Sciences
Link to Dr. Panda's Website.
Tiffany Cruikshank, L.Ac., MAOM, is the founder of Yoga Medicine®, a community of yoga teachers focused on fusing science and research with traditional yoga practices to serve the medical communities with a mission to help people thrive and live their best lives.
Tapping into her medical background in Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Sports Medicine and Orthopedics, Tiffany’s teaching is guided by a strong anatomic focus and her ability to convey a clear understanding of complex subjects. Tiffany’s passion is empowering people with tools to support their health. She loves training teachers to understand the inner workings of the body in order to individualize therapeutic yoga practices and she has trained over 15,000 teachers around the world since 2002. She has taught yoga for 28 years and has treated thousands of patients over the past 20 years. More than anything she knows what it feels like to feel great and how it can impact every aspect of our lives and she loves helping people find that.
Recognized more broadly as a health and wellness expert, Tiffany has worked with professional athletes and celebrities around the world. She created the Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine program at the Nike World Headquarters Wellness Center and served as the Acupuncturist and Yoga Teacher at the Nike WHQ for 7 years. While she was there, she took on a secondary specialty in Female Health and Fertility to serve a large need there and found another passion, empowering female reproductive health.
As a healthcare provider her goal has always been to empower patients with tools to support optimal health for a lifetime. MFR has always been an important part of that, and such the fascia and ongoing fascial research has been a passion of hers for the past 2 decades. Fascial training, through yoga and MFR, is an important part of her work in Sports Medicine and Orthopedics.
Tiffany is also the founder of the Yoga Medicine® Seva Foundation, a nonprofit that works to fight human trafficking and sexual exploitation through efforts of education and entrepreneurship.
Author of two books: Optimal Health for a Vibrant Life and Meditate Your Weight. Tiffany is dedicated to providing resources for those who wish to optimize their quality of life and functional capacity. Tiffany also runs the Yoga Medicine® podcast, and posts new practices weekly on Yoga Medicine Online.
She has been on the cover of over 15 magazines and has been featured as an expert in numerous publications including New York Times, WebMD, Prevention Magazine, Forbes, Huffington Post, Wall Street Journal, Yoga Journal, Women’s Health, Glamour, Marie Claire, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Shape, Men’s Health, LA Times and many others.
Peter J. Hotez, M.D., Ph.D. is Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics and Molecular Virology & Microbiology at Baylor College of Medicine where he is also the Co-director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and Texas Children’s Hospital Endowed Chair of Tropical Pediatrics. He is also University Professor at Baylor University, Fellow in Disease and Poverty at the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Senior Fellow at the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs at Texas A&M University, Faculty Fellow with the Hagler Institute for Advanced Studies at Texas A&M University, and Health Policy Scholar in the Baylor Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy.
Most recently as both a vaccine scientist and autism parent, he has led national efforts to defend vaccines and to serve as an ardent champion of vaccines going up against a growing national “antivax” threat. In 2019, he received the Award for Leadership in Advocacy for Vaccines from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. In 2021 he was recognized by scientific leadership awards from the AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) and the AMA (American Medical Association), in addition to being recognized by the Anti-Defamation League with its annual Popkin Award for combating antisemitism, and in 2023 he received the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science ) Award for Scientific Freedom and Responsibility for his “scientific work in vaccine development and his work as a public voice promoting and defending vaccines.” Dr. Hotez appears frequently on television (including BBC, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC), radio, and in newspaper interviews (including the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal).
Dr. Weizhe Hong is a Professor of Neurobiology, Biological Chemistry, and Bioengineering at the University of California Los Angeles. His research aims to uncover the fundamental neural mechanisms underlying social behavior, with a specific focus on empathy and prosociality. Dr. Hong earned his Ph.D. degree in 2012 from Stanford University and was a Helen Hay Whitney Postdoctoral Fellow at the California Institute of Technology during 2012-2015. In 2016, he joined UCLA as Assistant Professor, and he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2020 and to Full Professor in 2023. He is also the recipient of a Young Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience, an Early Career Award from the Society for Social Neuroscience, a Mallinckrodt Scholar Award, a Vallee Scholar Award, a Searle Scholar Award, a Packard Fellowship in Science and Engineering, a McKnight Scholar Award, a Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship, and a Sloan Research Fellowship.
Link: A Multi-Brain Framework for Social Interaction
Link: Neural Basis of Prosocial Behavior
A former Division I distance runner with 10 years of coaching experience, Matt brings an encouraging energy grounded in athleticism to his teaching style. An avid cyclist, runner and traveler, Matt inspires Members to discover how strong they really are, and how fun training can be.
Link to Matt's Website.
Link to Matt's Instagram.
Kay S. Hymowitz is the William E. Simon Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and a contributing editor of City Journal. She writes extensively on childhood, family issues, poverty, and cultural change in America. Hymowitz is the author of The New Brooklyn: What It Takes to Bring a City Back (2017), Manning Up: How the Rise of Women Has Turned Men into Boys (2011), Marriage and Caste in America: Separate and Unequal Families in a Post-Marital Age (2006), and Liberation’s Children: Parents and Kids in a Postmodern Age (2004), among others. She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, The New Republic, New York Newsday, Public Interest, The Wilson Quarterly, and Commentary.
Hymowitz has presented her work at many conferences, sits on the board of the journals National Affairs and The Future of Children, and has been interviewed on numerous radio and TV programs. Hymowitz holds a B.A. in English literature from Brandeis University and an M.A. in English literature from Columbia University.
Lainie is a Licensed Occupational Therapist who specializes in pelvic health therapy. She embodies a holistic approach to care and considers the whole person to help them get back to what is meaningful in their life. Her goal is to help people connect with and regain function and confidence in their own bodies, especially “down there”. Lainie lives in Asheville with her husband and chocolate lab, Rio. She enjoys biking, baking, and reading.
Jonathan Pageau is a renown, French Canadian, liturgical artist, public speaker, and writer from Quebec. He’s known for his art, where he carves Eastern Orthodox icons, designs and other traditional images. He is the chief editor of the Orthodox Arts Journal, and also hosts The Symbolic World blog, creating a space for contributors to write articles on symbolism.
He also runs a YouTube channel with over 170k followers, and The Symbolic World podcast, where Jonathan explores how ancient symbolic patterns inform our experiences of the world and can re-enchant contemporary life.
His most recent project is a series of fairy tale books that will have a postmodern and symbolic twist while preserving the integrity and beauty of the stories we all know and love. The first one is a retelling of Snow White, beautifully illustrated by the artist Heather Pollington.
His website is : www.thesymbolicworld.com
Snow White and the Widow Queen Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/symbolicworldpress/snow-white-and-the-widow-queen
Dr. Jason Stevens is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with fourteen years experience in the field of clinical nutrition. He received his Master's degree in dietetics from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 2008, and his Doctor of Clinical Nutrition from Rutgers University in 2021. As part of his doctoral studies, he completed an advanced practice residency with Dr. Susie Gronski, DPT, working primarily with men with chronic pelvic pain, and was awarded a medal for outstanding clinical performance from Rutgers University for his work. After graduating, he joined Dr. Susie Gronski's integrative health team, which focuses on men's pelvic and sexual health. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Stevens is a full-time college professor and has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses on a variety of nutrition related topics. He has received teaching and faculty excellence awards for his work in higher education.
Topics Covered:
How men should be eating to optimize their pelvic and sexual health.
How diet, exercise and mental health contribute to a bigger picture view on men's pelvic and sexual health.
Common mistakes men make around nutrition.
The social media/click-bait trap.
Supplementation, vitamins and pharmaceutical intervention.
Viagra and ED.
Self-awareness.
Fad diets such as carnivore and keto diet.
Fasting and it's effectiveness.
How Dr. Jason become a specialist in men's pelvic and sexual health.
And much more!
Specializing in men’s pelvic and sexual health for over a decade, Dr. Susie Gronski is a Licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy, Certified Pelvic Rehabilitation Practitioner, AASECT Certified Sexuality Educator, sexuality counselor, an international teacher and author of Pelvic Pain the Ultimate Cock Block. Dr. Susie is the founder of an interdisciplinary pelvic and sexual health clinic exclusively for men. Learn more about Dr. Susie and her team here: https://drsusieg.com/.
Topics Covered:
How to identify a problem.
What is the pelvic floor for men?
A misleading message on male sexual health.
Sexual and digestive health is physical, mental and emotional.
How to locate and ‘work out’ your pelvic floor or kegels for men.
For improved sexual and urinary function.
For better bowel and gas control.
Yoga for male pelvic floor health. Poses, How and Why
Rachel Lando is a teacher of yoga, movement, and anatomy. She is the founder of Patient Care Movement, co-founder of Mindful. Summit County, and hosts Anatomy and Physiology for Improved Fitness, CE workshops for yoga professionals, movement enthusiasts, and the chronic illness community.
Rachel felt called to yoga and mindfulness following her diagnosis in 2012 with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune condition. She has since eased into a personal movement and meditation practice, certified as an E-RYT200, and pursued advanced education in mat + reformer pilates, Yoga Tune Up®, Roll Model Method®, Breath and Bliss, biomechanics, trauma-sensitive yoga, and mindfulness. She lives in Park City, UT, where she enjoys teaching weekly classes, being outdoors and spending time with her husband, her 7-year-old daughter, and her dog Jet.
Jack Feldman is a distinguished professor of neurobiology at University of California Los Angeles and David Geffen School of Medicine Chair in Neuroscience. He is a pioneer in the field of respiration by discovering the areas of the brain where inhalations and exhalations are initiated. He is also a co-author of a paper published in March 2022, in the Annual Review of Neuroscience titled Breathing Rhythm and Pattern and Their Influence on Emotion.
According to Feldman, when we experience something, we see, hear and smell it simultaneously via different paths (eyes, ears, nose) into the brain but we perceive it as one object, which is a process called binding. The rhythm of our breath, which we can control, is playing a role of binding, as well as in many other processes going on in our brains. By modulating our breath, we can modify these processes, changing our mood and behavior.
“By disrupting the circuit, what happens is you feel calmer, you feel better,” Feldman says. “If you’re clinically depressed, changing your breathing pattern might help relieve your depression. If you’re clinically anxious, it might help relieve your anxiety. Not only acutely, but if you do it successfully over multiple days and weeks, it can actually begin to change that circuit for long term relief.”
Jill is a pioneer in forging relevant links between the worlds of fitness, yoga, athletics, massage, and pain-management, having studied movement and the human body for more than 30 years.
She is the author of the best-selling books, BODY by BREATH, and THE ROLL MODEL,and creator of the fitness formats Tune Up Fitness® and The Roll Model® Method. Miller is also a contributing author to the medical text, FASCIA, FUNCTION and MEDICAL APPLICATIONS.
Known as the Teacher’s Teacher, Jill has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Shape, Men’s Journal, Good Housekeeping, Women’s Health, Yoga Journal, Self, and on the Today Show, Good Morning America and featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network. She has trained thousands of movement educators, clinicians, and manual therapists to incorporate her paradigm shifting self-care fitness programming into athletic and medical facility programs internationally.
Jill is a wife, mother of two children and a rescue dog, a dark chocolate lover and has recommitted to her first love, singing.
Dr. Tom Walters is a board-certified orthopedic physical therapist that specializes in the treatment of pain and movement disorders. He is the founder of Rehab Science and dedicates his time to teaching people about human movement, pain, and how to most effectively recover from injury.
Tom's book (Rehab Science: How to Overcome Pain and Heal from Injury) will be released on May 30th, 2023. The book was written with the specific intention of teaching others how to treat pain and injuries on their own and contains comprehensive rehab programs for the 50 most common injuries and pain issues.
Dr. Alhamza Al-Bayati is a neuroendovascular surgeon and vascular neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Stroke Institute and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
We discuss everything involved with stroke including how someone like my previous guest, Michael Johnson could suffer a stroke, despite being very healthy.
Michael Johnson, a four-time Olympic track champion, suffered a stroke five years ago. Here, he talks about his biggest keys to stroke recovery success.
Deepak Chopra, world-renowned spiritual teacher, public speaker and author, has dedicated his life to help others. At 76-years-old, Chopra continues to practice yoga, breathwork and meditation every day. His personal practice and modern interpretation of yoga philosophy is the basis for his new book “Living in the Light,” which will be released in January.
In his book, Chopra lays-out a 30-day program that unpacks the eight pillars of raja or royal yoga. Each principal is accompanied with exercises to put these theories into action. The book is co-authored by Chopra’s yoga teacher, Sarah Platt-Finger, who organizes a set of 50 yoga poses, their benefits and how to practice them.
Here, Chopra explains his purpose for writing this book and shares his personal thoughts and yoga routines.
My guest on the podcast is Dr. Claudio Gil Araújo, dean of research and education at the Exercise Medicine Clinic, CLINIMEX, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Here, he unpacks a recent study which he is the principal investigator on, that shows having better balance is linked with a longer lifespan. Specifically, that an inability to stand on one leg for 10 seconds in later life nearly doubles the risk of death from any cause within the next decade.
The findings were published in June by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The researchers found that the proportion of deaths was nearly four times higher among those who couldn’t complete the balance test as compared to those who could.
During the study, researchers observed participants and their ability to complete a balance test for seven years. One in five participants failed to balance on one leg for 10 seconds at their initial screening. Over 50% of the patients between the ages of 71 and 75 were unable to complete the test compared to 5% from ages 51 to 55.
This association between being unable to balance and higher risk of death is consistent when other factors are considered, such as sex, age, BMI or health conditions including obesity, hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease.
While the study did not examine cause and effect, it did expose a correlation between balance and lifespan.
Dr Arújo says, quote: “People should test their balance like they check their blood pressure. In many situations in your daily life, you have to stand on one leg. To get into the car, to get up and down stairs. You’re balancing on one foot and then the other.”
Congressman Ritchie Torres speaks out about his personal struggle with depression and how he has become an advocate for mental health.
Panic attacks, depression and crippling anxiety led Chari Hawkins to develop mental resilience training. Here are her tips.
Certain types of yoga can produce a natural "high" that can help those recovering from addiction. For Troy Jackson, yoga proved to be such a powerful recovery tool that he’s now a yoga teacher.
Jackson went on to receive a master’s in social service and became a licensed social worker. He currently works as a licensed psychotherapist and a yoga teacher. He prays often, and he is grateful for the small gifts in his everyday life, something he missed while in the throes of addiction.
“I wanted to die every day,” Jackson says. “I was too afraid to kill myself, so I was just trying to do it slowly. When I was using, I hated myself. I hated others around me. It was a miserable existence. Now, one of the first highs I get every morning is the fact that I’m alive. Life’s good. That’s a high in itself.”
Dr. Anna Lembke, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. She’s also featured in the hit Netflix documentary, The Social Dilemma and her new book "Dopamine Nation" is a New York Times Best Seller.
Dr. Erica Sharpe is a clinical human researcher at the National University of Natural Medicine, a professor of chemistry at SUNY Canton who specializes in yoga nidra (yogic sleep) and natural medicine. In this podcast she discusses the traditional aspects of yoga nidra as well as the science based benefits of it.
Dr. Robert Sallis is a family and sports medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fontana California. He’s the director of sports medicine fellowship at Kaiser Permanente, a clinical professor of family medicine at UC Riverside School of Medicine and chief medical officer for the Los Angeles Football Club.
Dr. Sallis was the principal investigator of a study published in the April edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine that observed nearly 50,000 adults with COVID-19. Researchers found those who met the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' physical activity guidelines of at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity showed significantly lower risks of hospitalization, ICU admission and death due to COVID-19.
He shares the significance of his findings, He provides some theories as to why exercise helps lessen the severity of covid symptoms, and how someone who’s been diagnosed with covid should start back into an exercise routine safely. He also discusses the problem with the messaging around how to handle the pandemic. And how we can be more prepared for the next pandemic.
Team Physician, Seattle Seahawks and UW Huskies, Editor-in-Chief at the British Journal of Sports Medicine , Professor at University of Washington and Director, at UW Medicine Center for Sports Cardiology discusses his recent research on COVID-19 and college athletes. He also speaks on safely returning to exercise post COVID-19 infection and the affects exercise can have in lessening the severity of COVID outcomes.
Vaibhav Diwadkar, professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral neurosciences at Wayne State University School of Medicine discusses the effects of cold exposure.
Dr. James DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy, discusses the profound benefits of sauna use and heat therapy. Along with other methods to help bolster health throughout our lives.
Dan Gable is probably the most successful wrestler that’s ever lived. Here, he shares his secret to working through adversity and finding success both on and off the mat. It’s through a tool anyone can use — the sauna.
Dr. Giselle Petzinger is a neurologist at University of Southern California who specializes in Parkinson's Disease. She unpacks the topic of exercise-induced neuroplasticity. How exercise, both aerobic and skill-based, bolsters circuitry in the brain to help prevent Parkinson's and slow disease progression.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL years, U.S. Olympian Colleen Quigley has completely revamped her training to focus more on her mental fitness. With the postponement of the 2020 games, she's using her mental fortitude to transform a set-back into an opportunity.