Is it healthy to be vegan? Why should you switch to a plant-based diet?
In this episode, I have a talk with Isabelle de Burgh. She specializes in creating plant-based alternatives to your favorite recipes, teaching young teens the significance of nutrition for mental health, helping eco-friendly & non-toxic brands gain awareness through social media, and functional nutrition for those with a lazy thyroid. She received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Southern California and has extensive training in health coaching through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. We talk about switching to a plant-based diet, a holistic approach to wellness, emotional eating and the effect of our metabolism on our everyday life.

Why move towards a Plant-Based Diet?

Synchronicity is what Carl Jung called it. In other words, meaningful coincidences. The day we released our podcast I check my Facebook, and I see Tara Brach post a short talk on the topic of moving towards a plant-based diet. The reactions on facebook were mixed, some enjoyed it and some were less positive about it. Central to her talk was the idea of compassion and how it applies to animals and the food industry. We will focus on metabolism, nutrients and the health benefits of eating vegan in this episode.

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet or vegan diet means only eating food products made from plants and not animals. Isa recommends using organically grown products which use soil that contains essential nutrients for our body. This might sound like an expensive choice, but ultimately you will find the food sustains your body well. There are numerous health benefits to eating vegan, including; no animal fats, lower cancer risk, improved bone and heart health. Important is to be mindful of what you eat and which plants contain the nutrients you need to eat.

A holistic approach to wellness

Isabelle talks about 9 pillars of wellness that create an essential feeling of happiness in our life. Those can guide you in working out where something might be missing
1. Emotional Wellness
2. Career Wellness
3. Spiritual Wellness
4. Physical Wellness
5. Financial Wellness
6. Aesthetic Wellness
7. Environmental Wellness
8. Social Wellness
9. Intellectual Wellness

If one of these is out of balance, you will feel out of balance. These things are interconnected and will not function as seperate entities in our lives. If that doesn’t make sense, remember the video game “The Sims”? You have to keep making sure those bars are in the green, and when one is red, your sim will not feel happy. I’m not implying we are videogame characters, but it does illustrate the point quite clear. Be mindful of those categories and the current state of those in your life.

Healthy vegan recipes

If you are still not convinced, maybe have a look at these amazing plant-based recipes. Central to moving from a meat-based diet to a plant-based diet is applying mindfulness in what you eat. What does your body need and how can you provide it. In our episode, we even talk about the significance of when to eat during the day. Is a healthy breakfast really the most important meal of the day? Is there enough protein in vegan food? Do you need supplements if you switch to a vegan diet? We got you covered.

Find out more

If you enjoyed what Isabelle talked about, make sure to check out here website here: https://www.isatales.com/

After this episode, I can really recommend getting in touch with a wellness coach. Figure out what your current diet is, what your ailments are and how you can work to improve it. Medicine can sure help, but if you keep on eating what is bad for you, it will be hard to stop the effects of that.

Let me know your experiences with plant-based diets. Did you like it? Do you still prefer meat and why? Write a comment below or simply join our Online Community here and @Christiaan me directly. I’d love to hear from you!

Warm regards,

Christiaan

The post Is it healthy to be vegan? appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Introduction to the podcast

In this episode, I have a talk with Robert J. Goodman, Ph.D., assistant professor at Northern Arizona University. Robert is a psychologist who examines the neurological, behavioral and psycho social consequences of mindfulness. In this episode, we talk about the influence of mindfulness on memory, regulating emotions, the practice of Satipatthana and aging-related memory decline. I’m sure this talk will help you understand why this practice is so important for each one of us. I’m joined by Tim Schofield from the UK, one of our community members who writes about non-duality and minimalism, who provides additional questions and input. 

Central questions to this podcast are:

• What is mindfulness in Psychology?
• How does mindfulness influence the way we experience and regulate emotions?
• Does mindfulness affect the content and accuracy of our (episodic) memory?
• Could mindfulness training be applied to seniors and buffer aging-related memory decline?
• Are there any downsides to mindfulness?

Foundations of mindfulness

What is mindfulness? Is it non-judgmental awareness? Is there a wrong way to do it? Robert talks about Satipatthana, the practice of the arousing of mindfulness in Buddhism. Applied to four domains; the body, feelings/sensations, mind/consciousness, and mental qualities. Mindfulness can be understood as an open and receptive awareness of experience as it occurs in the present.

Memory and the mind

One of the key aspects of Robert’s research is the episodic memory and the influence of mindfulness. To break it down in short, we can talk about the memory in several ways: Sensory memory (very short), short-term memory, long-term memory, and the long term memory contains several kinds of memory, divided into two groups. Explicit memory or conscious consists out of declarative memory which consists of Episodic memory (events and experiences) and Semantic memory (facts and concepts). So why specifically the episodic memory? Mindfulness is described in early Buddhist canonical texts as a capacity which facilitates the “ability to call to mind things that were done and said long ago”. With mindful practice, we can learn to direct our attention. Attention is needed for much of our active memory and thus influences our experience of reality.

Emotions and the mind

Emotions and feelings arose as ways to get us to approach things or avoid them, as they were important to our survival. Emotions can easily get out of control. We all can remember times when it would have come in handy to be able to regulate them. Contemporary psychology sees emotion regulation as a central part of mental health, and the imbalance to mental disorders. With the practice of mindfulness, we can regulate our emotions to experience less stress and be more resilient in daily life.

Aging-related decline and mindfulness

I suppose some of us are familiar with a grandparent becoming less and less responsive to their environment. Their brain changes, their memory declines and their interaction with the world become staler. Can mindfulness help seniors experience reality in a more profound way? Can it help them stay in the present moment more, even if their memory starts declining? The full analysis of this study is not yet there, but Robert mentions a few amazing insights on this topic in the podcast.

Is mindfulness dangerous?

I’ve asked Robert the question: “What are the downsides of mindfulness?”. We hear a lot about why the practice is healthy or good for you. We also explore some of its possible shadow sides in this episode. Mindfulness and Psychedelics have something in common; they are able to change your perspective of the world completely.
These are things that won’t come up with a few sessions here and there, but talk about a longer intensive practice. Having a guide that understands your process and is trained in the practice might be a serious aid here. Not everyone will go through the same phases, but if you continue to dig deeper… it might be useful to get in touch with an experienced practitioner.

Want to know more?

If you would like to get in touch with Robert Goodman and his studies, make sure to visit his website here: https://in.nau.edu/psychological-sciences/robert-goodman/

If you would like to read more about our co-host Tim Schofield, visit his website here:
https://twschofield.com

I’d love to hear from you what your experience is with mindfulness and the above topics. Have you noticed a change when you started to practice? What happened to your memory and emotions? Share it in the comments here or on our discord community online.

Warm regards,

Christiaan

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The post Mindfulness & Psychology: Memory, Emotions and Aging appeared first on Meditation Mind.

In this episode, I have a talk with Frank Leder about mindfulness, compassion and vipassana meditation. Frank Leder is the founder of the TouchLife School of Massage in Europe. Frank is a direct descendant of Ruth Denison and is a teacher in her lineage in Europe. One of the central questions in this episode is: How do we develop patience and loving kindness in these hurried and stressful times? He talks about his personal journey into meditation, his experience in the practice and his advice for each of us applying mindfulness in daily life.

Setting the intention

Setting intention is a way to direct our life. Where are we going? Where do we like to go? Compassion is all about setting the intention to have the best intent for every person. May they be safe, may they be happy, may they be free, may they find peace. Our mind is an incredibly powerful tool and the effect of setting intentions and repeating them has been studied in both Psychology and Neuroscience. Practicing compassion and loving kindness is a radical way to shape our lives into something different from our sometimes reactionary and uncontrolled behavior. Compassion has the power to change us into a more loving, kinder and more happy person. Frank talks about ways to achieve this.

Cultivating compassion in the midst of turmoil

Compassion is easier said than done, there is no doubt about that. One of my favorite quotes on that matter is from Ram Dass “If You Think You’re Enlightened, Go Spend a Week with Your Family”. It proposes an important question: how can we practice loving kindness in stressful and difficult times? With both environmental and political changes that aren’t always that positive for us, how do we keep close to compassion?

Reflecting on interconnectedness

One of the main tools besides setting an intention is reflecting. Reflecting on the reason behind someone’s behavior. If someone hurts others, they are hurt themselves. Our interconnected state of being (made simple: monkey see, monkey do) means we are connected to the suffering of others. Take a moment to return to the breathe, and reflect on how you have behaved in times when you were hurt. Realize the change can only happen when setting the intention of compassion and doing it differently. “But aren’t they dangerous, shouldn’t they be stopped?” Mindfulness will give us the tools to respond in the best way possible in each and every moment.

Find out more

If you enjoyed what Frank talked about, make sure to watch the video above or visit his website here (in German):
http://www.achtsamkeitsmeditation.net/

I’m glad to hear what you think of this podcast. Leave a comment here or join our community and simply @Christiaan there in our chat channel. We are also uploading all of our podcast episodes to Insight Timer, so make sure to visit us there.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Mindful Massage, Climate Change & Compassion appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Together with Greg Jacoby, we talk about meditation retreats in this podcast episode. Why should you join one? What should you look for? What are the benefits and risks? Greg has organized and been part of numerous meditation retreats such as the Vipassana 10-day retreats and retreats with Swami J. The summer meditation retreats are coming up and we give you some insight into why you should or shouldn’t join a retreat. Here are our 9 tips to prepare you for your first meditation retreat.

9 tips to prepare yourself for a meditation retreat

1. It’s going to be just you and your mind

Sure, you are together with other people. Yet, in a way, you aren’t. Especially if you are going on a silent retreat, it will mostly be you and your own mind. Your thoughts, emotions, and perceptions will be your main concern. Make sure you are fully committed to the decision of going to a meditation retreat. Make sure you feel comfortable attending a retreat. Don’t stretch yourself too much, if it’s not the right time yet, it isn’t the right time yet. It will be worth it, but simply be prepared to spend some alone time with your mind.

2. Sitting still is hard

Whatever meditation retreat you are going to attend, there will be a lot of sitting meditation involved. Some retreats do 10 hours a day, some do 5 hours a day. In any case, prepare yourself for some serious sitting. We can tell you, it will be hard. There will be times you might wish to be somewhere else entirely. We can only say, it will be worth it. Don’t worry about having the perfect posture too much, but do make sure your knees touch the pillow and your back is straight. If you can’t sit full lotus, just sit in Burmese. Don’t force yourself into something you can’t do for longer than 10 minutes. While it may seem like it, this isn’t a marathon race where you compete with others. This isn’t a time to prove yourself as an extreme athlete. Sitting still is hard, make no mistake about that.

3. It’s not a competition

No doubt at times your mind will start to compare yourself with others and their practice. You might see someone in front of you, or your teacher, sitting perfectly still without moving a single muscle. There might be frustration boiling up and a feeling that you aren’t succeeding. This is normal. Just because someone is sitting still doesn’t mean they are practicing well. Just because someone is moving often, same story. We all have our own things to deal with, our own path to walk, so take your time and accept whatever comes up. It’s not a competition.

4. Take care of yourself

Food and a sleeping place will be provided for. You won’t have to worry about attending to your daily needs in this way. Make sure that you do attend to other needs that might pop up. We are not talking about desires here, but about simple practical things. Are your knees hurting a lot? Maybe try to put a pillow underneath them to make them touch the floor. Have an extreme headache? Try to drink more or possibly even ask for some small medication. While it seems hard to distinguish, you will still be operating under the laws governing our universe. Yes, meditation is training your mind but it’s not going to make you a superhero. Take care of yourself and your needs when necessary. Don’t force yourself too much.

5. Teachers are humans

Weird right? Sometimes it’s hard to imagine someone with so much insight and a perfect posture is anything but a Buddha. We are not telling you they aren’t to be respected, but just make sure you keep your expectations in check. Teachers are humans too, and they will not always see everything and be able to attend to everything. If something they say doesn’t resonate with you, let it be for now. If they do something you feel strange about, just talk with the retreat spokesperson. There is no need to try to pretend they can’t make mistakes. Just keep a certain amount of respect and commit to following their instructions as much as possible.

6. Things might seem extremely annoying

Whether it is that coughing person behind you, or the girl who seems to move like a tree in walking meditation, you might get extremely annoyed by small things. Flies buzzing around your head, the lack of variety in food, your mind will try to find any excuse to get very annoyed. Don’t worry, it’s not them, it’s you. And we mean that in a loving way, it’s your agitated mind that can’t attend the regular playground. Without all the distractions, it will possibly get rather obsessive about small things. Just keep going, it will disappear by itself.

7. Check yourself before you wreck yourself

In the podcast, we talk a bit about the benefits and risks of attending a meditation retreat. What are the risks? Well, working with the mind can be a dangerous thing. If you have a past in mental health issues, especially relating to personality disorders, it might be a good thing to take that into account. Consult your doctor before jumping into this. Meditation isn’t a cure-all solution. It’s a tool to help you deal with life and the mind. So what are the benefits of a retreat? Our mind is constantly busy in daily life dealing and processing things, a retreat can be a time to process and allow yourself space to do this. A time to dedicate to yourself, to deal with unprocessed events and thoughts. A meditation retreat is a perfect time to relax, take a step back and observe what is going on.

8. Not everything works for everyone

It can happen something doesn’t work for you. It might even be that it works for most people but not for you. They say “the exception confirms the rule”. There is no need to worry if something doesn’t work for you. Maybe there is something else on your path that needs attending to. There is a reason there are so many different traditions and teachings who offer meditation. If Zen doesn’t resonate, maybe check out Vipassana. If you don’t feel comfortable with Buddhism, go check out more secular meditation approaches. You don’t have to force yourself into some criterion. Just commit to what you are doing, give it a fair shot and simply move on if it isn’t for you at this time. If you find sitting crushingly hard, maybe find a retreat with more walking meditations. If you practice Hatha Yoga, go find a retreat that does Hatha Yoga.

9. Going back into the normal world after a retreat can be overwhelming

After time in a retreat, things are a bit different. There is probably a lot of calmness and mindfulness in what you do. You might not notice the difference that much, but once you head back into the ‘normal’ world, you will be able to tell the difference. After a silent retreat, you might be overwhelmed with everyone suddenly talking again. We recommend you don’t immediately start getting back fully into your daily life after a retreat. Just take a day or 2 of rest after doing a retreat. Allow yourself the time to process what happened and give it a proper place in your life.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community on Discord
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Meditation Retreats: 9 Tips to get Ready appeared first on Meditation Mind.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk with John Vervaeke, Doctor of Philosophy and award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in the departments of psychology, cognitive science, and Buddhist psychology. We talk about his practice, his journey into meditation, his unique approach to western philosophy, eastern philosophy and evidence-based science. Various topics will be talked about including the psychedelic revolution, what enlightenment exactly is and what the higher states of consciousness entail.

Bridging the gap

John is passionate about bridging the gap between western philosophy, eastern philosophy, and evidence-based science. His practice includes a variety of methods and techniques. We go through his morning routine and talk about Tai-Chi, Qi-Gong, Pranayama, Vipassana, Metta practice, Prajna (a non-duality practice), Yoga and Lectio Devina. Don’t worry, we’ll dig into what some of those things exactly mean. Traditionally, Lectio Divina has four separate steps: read; meditate; pray; contemplate. We talk about the best way to approach this way of reading contemplative texts. John advised the book “Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina” by Michael Casey as an introductory read on how to approach this practice.

What exactly is the meaning crisis?

John talks about the meaning crisis and zombies in the West. This theme of meaning has become very central in our podcasts. Finding your meaning, your purpose, your bliss. Even with the West turning away from religion, there is no way to turn away from meaning. Meaning is essential for our mental health and physical well being in the process. We talk about what might be a way out of this crisis. The following quote might describe perfectly what it entails:

“[Find]…what can we salvage, transplant and regrow from these [ancient] wisdom traditions so that we can cultivate a new ecology of practices that are directly engineered to be responsive to the meaning crisis so that we can awaken from it in a way that alleviates a lot of this suffering and perhaps give us some guidance towards how we can re-connect with a pathway both individually and collectively for seeking a flourishing way of life.”

– John Vervaeke

Give up the magic bullet

There is no way one thing is going to cure all. No one medicine or one way is going to save you and me from suffering. Instead, it’s a collection of approaches and methods that can benefit us. John calls for an examination of both Western and Eastern philosophy, it’s spiritual traditions and integrate it in our way of living. There is no need to return back to an old way. We can simply find a way to integrate this wisdom in our modern world and time. Whether it is Daoism, Catholicism or Paganism; it will have something that is worth extracting and applying in this time and place.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about John Vervaeke, take a look at his YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpqDUjTsof-kTNpnyWper_Q

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community on Discord
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post What is the meaning crisis? with John Vervaeke appeared first on Meditation Mind.

In this episode, I talk with Lou Redmond, who is a meditation teacher and writer. Central to this episode is finding your bliss, the hero’s journey, and belief in action. We talk about how Lou went from addiction to alcohol to a complete change in his body and mind. He found his path and supposedly his destiny. We deconstruct what happened to him and why he had the courage to quit his job and go on a soul searching journey. We talk about his meditation practice and his teachings on Insight Timer.

The Leap of Faith

Faith, trust or belief. Three words that can mean something totally different for each person. In the west, we’ve started to associate the word ‘Faith’ with something resembling ignorance, prejudice and a biased view. When talking with Lou Redmond, we talk about faith in action. This means it is a faith that expresses itself into actions, and not just into sitting, wishing and waiting. There is no magical voice in the clouds telling us unreasonable things, this is a different thing. There will be times we feel like we are led into hard times or strange places, but with faith in our actions, we will be able to persist in what we believe. This belief can be love, hope or success. What is your leap of faith?

Finding your Truth

“The truth will set you free.” Well, what if the truth is there is no one truth for every person? What if all our perspectives are valid in some way, and we all see reality from a different angle? The striving for truth and justice had some horrible consequences in the history of mankind. Again and again, we seem to desire a one-method-for-all approach, something to magically cure us of anything and everything. Time to find your truth, the thing that is valid and important for you at this point in your journey. Whatever any deity or teacher tells you, you have to find it to be your truth. You have to make it work and be the master of your own life and destiny. We talk about finding your bliss, finding what works and unraveling your truth.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Lou Redmond, take a look at his website:
https://www.louredmond.com/

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community on Discord
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Finding Your Bliss appeared first on Meditation Mind.

In this episode of the podcast, I talk with Maria Fernanda Leaño, who is a New York based Artist & Journalist. She uses her alter-ego name Malinche for her work and performance. Malinche is passionate about building bridges; bridges between cultures, races and countries. She is passionate about shifting our perspective on who we are and who others are. We talk about her journey into spirituality, meditation & mindfulness and how she discovered her passion for changing perspectives.

La Malinche

Central to Malinche is the story of La Malinche. La Malinche acted as an interpreter, advisor, an intermediary for the Spaniards in the 1500’s. Malinche is captivated by this story and the impact she had in history. Malinche has a passion for building bridges between people and uses her art to do so. We talk about her past and how she grew up. The boarding school she went to when young created a connection between cultures & religions all over the world. Exposure to different traditions & cultures shaped her into a multicultural person.

Psychomagic & Art

She references Alejandro Jodorowsky, who uses psychomagic to create awareness in his movies and art. Psychomagic uses the powers of dreams, art, and theater to heal deep wounds and is a Shamanic Psychotherapy. In her performance and in her art, Malinche aims to create awareness and touch the hearts of people visiting. Malinche is an alter-ego, a way of expressing art and awareness through performance.

Shamanism

Malinche is deeply connected with the native Mexican tradition and culture. We talk about Shamanism, a practice where one reaches altered states of consciousness to see and interact with a spirit world and bring these energies into this physical world. The Shaman is considered a (natural) medicine doctor, who can support and heal people with the use of plants and herbs. We talk about her experiences and insights from the retreats she visited.

Change your vision

It boils down to a clear message: “Change your perspective”. Whether you think you believe in the truth or not, there are different ways of seeing the world. Through meditation, mindfulness and many spiritual practices, we can shift our mindset. Our consciousness expands and we are able to open our heart and mind to those around us.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about Malinche and her art, make sure to check out her website

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Shamanism, Psychomagic & La Malinche appeared first on Meditation Mind.

Creativity & Mindfulness

In this episode, I talk with Recording Artist Helen Denham from New York, about her experience with meditation & mindfulness throughout her life. Besides meditation as inspiration for her writing, she uses a dream journal and reality checks to maintain her awareness throughout the day. We explore what performing, recording, and writing have to do with mindfulness. Central to singing and performing is using your breath in a beneficial way. Every moment and motion influences your voice and every inhale will determine the power of the next note. We dig into how mindfulness is important to her performing.

Dreaming and awareness

Lucid dreaming has been a personal interest of mine for over 5 years and I’ve recorded a dream journal consistently for around a year. In this time, I noticed how my memory improved, my visualization abilities got stronger and most of all, how much my dreams connect with my daily life. Why do dreams matter? How can we use it for our practice of mindfulness? I talk with Helen about her upbringing and how she, from a young age, started to record her dreams. What impact does it have on her life and practice? Can they enhance our experience of daily life? We’ll talk about this subject in the podcast.

Modelling & Self-image

Helen has experience in the world of modeling, and from her story it is clear that isn’t always an easy world. It’s a world of perfectionism and incredibly demanding performance. To look into the mirror and accept yourself might not come as easy. Especially when media and marketing portray your gender in a specific way. Do you really have to meet these standards? How can you find acceptance and self-love in a world full of comparing minds? Instagram can be a helpful tool and a destructive weapon. To sell yourself, or to be yourself? We talk about the impact of these things and how Helen deals with it.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about Helen and her music, make sure to check out her music here

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Lucid Dreaming, Creativity & Mindfulness in performing appeared first on Meditation Mind.

From Business management to being a nomad

After a personal crisis, Alasdair decided it was time for change. He quit his job, sold his belongings and took a one-way ticket out of the country. He traveled through Europe, Asia and North America. Currently, he lives together with his fiancée Julie-Roxane in France, in a tiny home they renovated together. Does that sound ideal? I imagine it won’t for everyone. He had a six-figure income in the San Diego start-up scene, in an e-commerce business. He found his way to the position of general manager of a multimillion-dollar international business. A lot of success after just getting out of college. So why would you leave that?

Zen Mind, Nomad’s Mind

It was a really stressful lifestyle and his health started to decline. What kicked his “awakening” off was a 3-day ayahuasca retreat in Peru. Alasdair came back and ended up in an even more stressful job. In the morning, he found himself waking up to crushing anxiety. He started daydreaming about traveling and studying Zen. He found a zendo around the corner and started visiting, met like-minded people and started to practice Zazen. Zen practice helped him bring his attention to the body and the breath.

Time to change

He started to deal with the things that weren’t working. He ended the relationship and ended his business partnership. Alasdair knew he wanted out, and realized that the things that kept him here were gone. He bought a one-way ticket and started to travel. He started to find a new perspective on how to live, admitting failure because things weren’t going well. Time to change. Slowly meditation started to seep into all the aspects of his life.

Mindfulness in waste

Mindfulness of waste is important when living as a nomad. Using organic compounds and manage waste in the right way. Becoming aware of the needs of the environment and ourselves. Being aware of what we eat and what impact it has on our mindset and our health. The interconnectedness of all things happening inside and outside ourselves. The way he manages his finances has become a mindful practice too. He does an awareness practice where he looks at what he spends and how it makes him feel. He has some other insightful methods to transform your finances from an annoying errand into a mindfulness practice. We talk more about this in depth on the podcast.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more about Alasdair or would like to follow his journey, make sure to check out his website: https://www.alasdairplambeck.com/
And if you enjoy his talk, he has a podcast together with his fiancée here:
http://www.thefaroutpodast.com/

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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The post Nomad Lifestyle & Mindful Finances appeared first on Meditation Mind.

In this episode, I talk with Shereen, known as ‘Law of Positivism’ on Instagram. She is a meditation teacher, writer, certified Hatha yoga teacher and Reiki 2 practitioner. We talk about her spiritual journey from business and marketing into energy healing, astrology and Reiki. Her mission is to create a higher positive vibration in the world, connecting with others and sharing her passion. We explore exactly what she does, why she does it and what you can learn from it.

Energy healing and Reiki

We explore how Shereen got into meditation & mindfulness. From a demanding job to teaching yoga and meditation, she talks about several things that she discovered on her journey. One of them is high sensitivity, how it affects her day to day life and how she found her strength in this personality trait. Energy healing is an alternative medicine approach which aims for healing and channeling energy to the other person. When she had her first session, something opened up and her perspective changed.

Angel cards & Astrology

Shereen mentions “What the Bleep Do We Know?!”, a film that talks about the spiritual connection between quantum physics and our consciousness. One of her many inspirations in following the path she is currently on. We talk about angel cards. Cards used for guidance in your every day life, to connect with a higher energy for support and inspiration. Another thing she is very interested in is Astrology, another way to connect with a higher energy and learning divine information.

Divine Feminine

Coincidentally (or maybe not), we recorded the podcast on the 8th of March, recognized as international women’s day. We talk about the meaning of the Divine Feminine to Shereen. What is the strength of the feminine when walking the spiritual path? It is a subject close to her heart. She calls it the “womb bearers”, the power of being able to carry and birth a child. We talk about the pain of periods and why it can become something to raise your awareness instead of annoy you.

Want to know more?

If you’d like to know more about Law of Positivism, take a look at her website: https://www.lawofpositivism.com/

If you’d like to talk about this podcast or have comments and ideas, please let me know by joining our community here https://discord.gg/FKWFeYq
Simply use @christiaan or send me a DM! I would love to hear from you.

With warm regards,

Christiaan Neeteson

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