The Recap of February 2022 Episodes — In Case You Missed It (#200)

Usually, my job on this show is to interview world-class experts in different domains. But this episode is an experiment and a quick recap of 2 episodes Dr. Gail Brenner — Be Empty of the Exhausting Story of “Me”, The End of Self-Help, Conscious Life and Embodied Living, Suffering Is Optional, Healing from Early Trauma, and More and Amanda Tempist Jade — Stocking the Furry Edges and Caverns of Possibility, Saying YES to Personal Transformation, Dragon at Heart, Grief-Remembrance, Equine Informed Experiential Inquiry, and More published in February 2022. I took the first 15 mins of each episode and combine them into this single episode. If you enjoy the short version of each guest’s interview, you can listen to the guest’s full interview.

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

Continue reading “The Recap of February 2022 Episodes — In Case You Missed It (#200)”

Beth Tyson — Childhood Trauma Consultant and Mental Health Educator (#197)

“All the treatment in the world won’t be enough for a child who returns to a home or school with dysregulated adults.”

“A child who can show you his rage does not think you are an easy target, he thinks you are someone who won’t abandon him”.

Beth Tyson

Beth Tyson, MA, is a psychotherapist, childhood grief and trauma expert, and a children’s book author. She earned several years of experience as a clinician working with children and families and as a teaching assistant in the graduate program for counseling psychology at Eastern University.

While practicing as a trauma therapist within the child welfare system, Beth earned her certificate in adoption from Rutgers University. Beth is a CASA advisory board member and a Voices for Children Coalition partner, advocating for youth in the foster care system in Delaware County, PA. Beth uses her expertise in childhood trauma to help families and organizations operate from a trauma-sensitive and healing-centered approach. She helps her clients understand the biological impact of trauma on the brain and autonomic nervous system.

Beth is a mental health educator who uses trauma-responsive models to implement the skills necessary for the emotional well-being of children impacted by trauma and other adverse childhood experiences (ACES). She provides educational training to schools, workplaces, non-profit organizations, caregivers/families, among others. 

In the last year, Beth was featured in Forbes, InStyle, PsychReg.org, PsychCentral.com, The United Ways of CA, RVN TV, BYU Radio, and many other media outlets advocating for foster and kinship families impacted by trauma and loss. Beth’s tender-hearted children’s book A Grandfamily for Sullivan is about a koala who is suddenly raised by his grandma when his parents are unable to keep him safe. Her book is a tool for parents and professionals to help children cope with BIG emotions after trauma and adversity.

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

Connect with BethWebsite | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

Continue reading “Beth Tyson — Childhood Trauma Consultant and Mental Health Educator (#197)”

Jon Macaskill on Positive Effects of Mindfulness, Cultivating Calm and Peace, Confined Masculinity, Healing through Therapy and Psychedelics, and More(#194)

Jon Macaskill is a retired Navy SEAL Commander turned leadership and mindfulness coach. During his 24-year Navy career, he served in multiple highly dynamic leadership positions from the battlefield to the operations center and the board room. His style of teaching leadership is unconventional yet highly effective. He is passionate about helping people and organizations become the best versions of themselves through mindfulness coaching, keynote speaking, and grit and resilience training.

After graduating high school, he served briefly as an enlisted sailor in the US Navy before receiving an appointment to the US Naval Academy and graduating from there with a BS in mathematics 4 years later. Jon served in Iraq, Afghanistan, off the coast of Somalia, and in Panama.

After retiring, he served briefly as the Deputy Executive Director for the veteran nonprofit, Veteran’s PATH. He now runs a podcast called Men Talking Mindfulness; does keynote speaking engagements on developing leadership, grit, and resilience; and owns his own consulting company, Macaskill Consulting, LLC. In all three roles, his desire is to improve cultures and individuals through mindfulness, meditation, vulnerability, and compassion.

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

You can also supplement this podcast with resilience training at find courses.

Connect with JonWebsite | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: Psychedelic plants and compounds are illegal in many countries, and even possession can carry severe criminal penalties. None of this post constitutes medical advice or should be construed as a recommendation to use psychedelics. There are serious legal, psychological, and physical risks. Psychedelics are not for everyone—they can exacerbate certain emotional problems, and there have been, in very rare cases, fatalities.

Continue reading “Jon Macaskill on Positive Effects of Mindfulness, Cultivating Calm and Peace, Confined Masculinity, Healing through Therapy and Psychedelics, and More(#194)”

Dr. Gail Brenner — Be Empty of the Exhausting Story of “Me”, The End of Self-Help, Conscious Life and Embodied Living, Suffering Is Optional, Healing from Early Trauma, and More (#189)

“Suffering is optional

Dr. Gail

Dr. Gail Brenner, Ph.D. is a psychologist, author, speaker, and lover of truth with a fire that burns brightly. She is an expert in healing from early trauma and brings years of experience with individuals and groups. Her work lovingly illuminates our everyday humanness with the deepest spiritual truths, and she is known for creating the safe space needed for inner exploration. 

Gail has special expertise working with older adults and their families in the transitions of aging, death, and dying. She was an assistant clinical professor at the University of California San Francisco where she trained physicians and maintained a clinical practice. She has published numerous professional articles on coping with stress and chronic medical illness and is the author of the award-winning The End of Self-Help and Suffering Is Optional. She loves healthy living and exploring different cultures through international volunteering.

She received her B.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University and her Ph.D. from Temple University. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Florida and a clinical internship at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Palo Alto, CA. She has special expertise working with older adults and their families, bringing clear seeing and compassion to the transitions of aging, death, and dying. As a member of the clinical faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, she helped physicians develop communication skills and learn to address psychosocial issues with their patients. She has authored numerous published articles on coping with stress and chronic medical illness. And she has consulted with staff of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities about aging, dementia, and caregiving and given presentations to the community at large on these topics.

Check online 5-session course with Gail Brenner, Deep Trauma Healing: Finding Ease and Well-Being in Everyday Life

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Sticher, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

Connect with GailWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn | Youtube

Continue reading “Dr. Gail Brenner — Be Empty of the Exhausting Story of “Me”, The End of Self-Help, Conscious Life and Embodied Living, Suffering Is Optional, Healing from Early Trauma, and More (#189)”

Mark Coleman — From Suffering to Peace, Freedom from the Inner Critic, Recognizing Pre-Verbal Traumas, Finding Peace in the Body, Mind, Heart and World, and More (#185)

The Nishant Garg Show

Mark Coleman is an inner and outer explorer, who has devotedly studied mindfulness meditation practices for three decades. He is passionate about sharing the power of meditation and has taught mindfulness workshops and meditation retreats in six continents for the past twenty years.  Mark is a senior meditation teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and has taught there since 2000. Mark holds a MA in Clinical Psychology and draws on his extensive experience in working with people as a therapist and coach.

Through the Mindfulness Training Institute Mark leads Professional Mindfulness Teacher Trainings in the US and UK annually.  Mark likes to share the fruits of meditation to wider audiences and founded The Mindfulness Institute, where he has brought mindfulness training programs to companies and the nonprofit sector across North America and Europe. Mark is a trainer for  the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, developed at Google and teaches on their teacher trainings.

Mark is an unabashed nature lover and, through his organization Awake in the Wild, he shares his passion for integrating meditation and nature. He leads wilderness meditation retreats from Alaska to Peru, taking people on inner and outdoor adventures. Through Awake in the Wild, Mark also leads year-long meditation-in-nature teacher trainings in the US.

Mark is the author of From Suffering to Peace: The True Promise of Mindfulness, Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Help Free You from the Inner Critic and Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery.

Mark lives in Marin County, California and enjoys spending his free time hiking, biking and kayaking.

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

Connect with Mark: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Awaken in the Wild

Mark’s book:

Continue reading “Mark Coleman — From Suffering to Peace, Freedom from the Inner Critic, Recognizing Pre-Verbal Traumas, Finding Peace in the Body, Mind, Heart and World, and More (#185)”

My Personal Favorite Podcasts from 2021 and 2020

Whenever people asked me what my personal favorite podcasts are, I always struggled to answer this. I always responded with a smile — “how can you differentiate among your children, who’s your favorite and who’s not?”

I found myself repeating the same and realized that it’s time to write about it. When something keeps appearing in life, it’s a sign from life telling us something. Better to listen to life as one of my friends says life gives you a curriculum. Well, I finally decided to write about it rather than dodging this question every time.

Yes, every podcast episode is very dear to me as so much work goes behind the scenes. To shortlist my favorite ones was challenging and I had to think about some criteria to limit the list.

The criteria are:

  • I’ve become friends with the guests.
  • The podcast did exceptionally well beyond my expectations and self-judgments.
  • The podcast was very self-satisfying to me even though it didn’t do very well in terms of downloads.
  • Guests introduced me to their friends for future guest potential. Therefore, I’ve interviwed 185+ experts from different areas.
  • They have coached me in some capacity.
  • Guests promoted the hell out of the podcast on their social platforms and newsletters.

Below is the list of podcasts. This list is in the decreasing order of publishing date. It’s not in the order of my favorites.

1) Mo Edjlali — Inner state of being, Mindful Leadership and Contemplative Practices, Uncovering Unconscious Beliefs, Processing Grief and Sad Emotions, and More (#176)

2) William Richards (Bill) — The Promise of Psychedelic Substances, Studying with Abraham Maslow, Psychedelics and Mystical Experiences, Administering Psychedelics Psychotherapy, Origin and The Future of Psychedelics, End-of-Life psychedelic Psychotherapy, and More (#174)

3) Rhonda Magee on Inner Work and Healing Ourselves, Mindfulness in Race and Justice, Resolving Conflicts and Handling Difficult Conversations, and More (#172)

4) Denise Shull — The Role of Emotions in Decision Making, Resolving Mental Blocks, Performance Coach to Professional Athletes, Understanding the Feelings, Experiencing Peak Performance, and More (#169)

5) Dr. Romie Mushtaq — Optimizing Brain Health, Cure for Busy Brain, Restore Sanity, Sleep, & Sense of Connection, Wellness Paradigms, Connection with Divine, Root causes of Depression, and More (#167)

6) Raj Sisodia on Wholeness and Healing, Spiritual Journey in the Himalayas, Mind Maps for Writing, Ayahuasca Experience, Feminine and Masculine Energy, Conscious Capitalism, and More (#159)

7) Ora Nadrich — Questioning your Thoughts, Transformational Thinking, Cultivating Calm and Relaxed State, Mindfulness in Motion, Dream Work, Live True, and More (#158)

8) Debbie Millman on Deep Relationships, Creativity and Growth, The Importance of Therapy, Hope and Resilience, and More (#154)

9) Sarah Sarkis on Mastery, Psychological Flexibility, Emotional Skills and Self-Regulation Practices, Relationship with Risk, Sense of Wellness, and More (#153)

10) Jeremy Hunter on The Quality of Life and Attention, Meaningful and Engaged Life, Why Moments Matter, Japan Bathing Culture, and More (#152)

Continue reading “My Personal Favorite Podcasts from 2021 and 2020”

The Top 30 Episodes of The Nishant Garg Show from 2021

Thank you to all of you to make The Nishant Garg Show successful and take it to the next level. It would not have been possible without your support. I hope this mission will help you live mindfully and learn new habits and routines to live with abundance and manage the struggles and challenges of life.

The Nishant Garg Show has listened in to 32 countries based on Spotify statistics.

Here is a list of the Top 30 episodes downloaded/listened to in the decreasing order of the downloads in 4-5 weeks of publishing an episode. Each episode is unique and dear to me. I owe a huge thank you to all the listeners and guests on the show.

Please enjoy!

#1: Denise Shull — The Role of Emotions in Decision Making, Resolving Mental Blocks, Performance Coach to Professional Athletes, Understanding the Feelings, Experiencing Peak Performance, and More ( Episode #169)

#2: Sarah Sarkis on Mastery, Psychological flexibility, Emotional Skills and Self-Regulation Practices,   Relationship with Risk, Sense of Wellness, and More (Episode #153)

#3: Loch Kelly on Awakening, The Way of Effortless Mindfulness, Creating Spaciousness, Meeting with Anthony de Mello, and More (Episode #146)

#4: Jeremy Hunter on The Quality of Life and Attention, Meaningful and Engaged Life, Why Moments Matter, Japan Bathing Culture, and More (Episode #152)

#5: Ruchika Sikri — Head of Well-being Learning Strategy at Google (Episode #133) 

#6: Debbie Millman on Deep Relationships, Creativity and Growth, Importance of Therapy, Hope and Resilience, and More (Episode #154)

#7: Ariel Garten — Co-founder of Muse: The Brain Sensing Headband, Meditation Practice, Kill Your Inner Critic, and Much More (Episode #136)  

#8: Ora Nadrich — Transformational Thinking, Dream Work, Questioning your Thoughts, Cultivating Calm State, Life Gazing Practice, and More (Episode #158) 

#9: Dr. Dan Tomasulo — Learned Hopefulness, Science of Happiness and Hope, Cherishing Relationships, The Craft of Storytelling Writing, and Much More (Episode #131)

#10: Dr. Maria Sirois  — Overcoming Victim Mentality, Happiness in the Darkest Times, Finding Meaning in the Suffering, Lessons Learned from the Hospice Facility, and More (Episode #129)

#11: Dr. Ronald Siegel — Full Catastrophe Living, Escape vs Engagement, Restoring Moments of Sanity, Healthy Romantic Relationships (Episode #132)

#12: Marisa Porges, Head of The Baldwin School — The Power of Connection, Military Veteran, Building Adaptability and Courage, The Habit of Obsessive Note-Taking, and More (Episode #151)

#13: Kelly Boys — The Blind Spot Effect, From Autopilot to a Life of Insights, Developing Intelligence, Stepping out of Lifelong Patterns, and More (Episode #126)

#14: Raj Sisodia on Wholeness, Healing and Spiritual Journey, Mind Maps for Writing, Ayahuasca Experience, Feminine and Masculine Energy, Conscious Capitalism, and More (Episode #159)

#15: Della Duncan on Right Livelihood, Relationship with Money, Reducing Suffering, Sexual Violence Prevention, Buddhist Economics, 5Rhythms Dance, Finding Moments of Happiness, and More (Episode #160)

#16: Terri Lonowski — The Maven of Soulful (Episode #156)

#17: Jordan Harbinger — The Maker of The Jordan Harbinger Show and The Larry King of Podcasting (Episode #145)

#18: Dr. Susan LaCombe — Coping with Trauma, Emotionally Available Therapist, Somatic Models, Connection of Trauma with Nervous System, and Much More (Episode #135)

#19: Hunter Clarke-Fields on Raising Good Humans, Healing Childhood Trauma, Mindful Parenting, Doing the Inner Work, Expect Humanity and More (Episode #161)

#20: Cindy Vuu — Meeting with Dalai Lama, Foundation of Happiness, Living a Good Life, Interdependence and Impermanence, and More (Episode #155)

#21: Bryan Robinson on Work Addiction Recovery, Internal Family Systems(IFS) Therapy, Helping Recover Alanis Morissette, Why Relationships Fail, Doing Nothing, and More (Episode #165)

#22: Maureen Healy — How to Build Resilience in Children, Emotionally Healthy Child, Emotional Self-Regulation, and More (Episode #157)

#23: Dr. Romie Mushtaq — Optimizing Brain Health, Cure for Busy Brain, Restore Sanity, Sleep, & Sense of Connection, Wellness Paradigms, Connection with Divine, Root causes of Depression, and More (Episode #165)

#24: Nina Paul — Calming Anxiety and Distress,, Emotional Resilience Work, Emotional Freedom Tapping(EFT) technique, Therapy and Healing Modalities, and More (Episode #166)

#25: Michael Ostrolenk – The Emergent Human, Exploring Optimized Mind, Body, Health, Embodied Spirituality, Transcend Limits (Episode #141) 

#26: Wendy Quan on The Calm Monkey, Beating Cancer, Taking a Leap of Faith, and Much More (Episode #137) 

#27: Dr. Jacinta M. Jiménez — ‘The Burnout Fix: Overcome Overwhelm, Beat Busy, and Sustain Success’, Science-backed steps to address Burnout and increase Resilience, and More (Episode #168)

#28: Judi Miller  — Healing Inherited Trauma from Ancestors, Forgiveness Recipe, Past Life Connections, 90 seconds rule, Reflections to Open Your Heart, and Much More (Episode #128)

#29: Daphne Rose Kingma — Finding True Love, Coming Apart, Why Relationships End, Living Through Crisis, and More (Episode #150)

#30: This place has ties between the two below episodes as they’ve got the exact same # of downloads.

Scott Shute, Head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn on Full Body Yes, Changing Work from the Inside Out, Creativity, and More (Episode #147)

Kristi Roe — Lessons learned from 9/11, Creating Shared Meaning, Building Organizational Resilience, Handling Difficult Conversations, and Cultivating a Greater Sense of Purpose (Episode #130)

Please enjoy. Thank you so much for all your support. Your support drives me to do the work. This belongs to you all.


The Nishant Garg Show:

This show and blog is about helping Entrepreneurs, Tech Founders, Startup Enthusiasts develop Emotional and Mental health and be more human in their work and personal lives. I interview entrepreneurs, authors, mental health professionals, leadership executive coaches, psychologists, and many more For any questions, please contact me. If you have enjoyed listening to my podcasts, please subscribe to the new podcast updates on Itunes please provide your reviews on Itunes which will really help me.

William Richards (Bill) — The Promise of Psychedelic Substances, Studying with Abraham Maslow, Psychedelics and Mystical Experiences, Administering Psychedelics Psychotherapy, Origin and The Future of Psychedelics, End-of-Life psychedelic Psychotherapy, and More (#174)

The Nishant Garg Show

William A. Richards (Bill) is a psychologist in the Psychiatry Department of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Bayview Medical Center, a consultant/trainer at sites of psychedelic research internationally, a teacher in the Program of Psychedelic Therapy and Research at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and also a clinician in private practice in Baltimore. His graduate degrees include M.Div. from Yale Divinity School, S.T.M. from Andover-Newton Theological School, and Ph.D. from Catholic University, as well as studies with Abraham Maslow at Brandeis University and with Hanscarl Leuner at Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany, where his involvement with psilocybin research originated in 1963.

From 1967 to 1977, he pursued psychotherapy research with LSD, DPT, MDA, and psilocybin at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, including protocols designed to investigate the promise of psychedelic substances in the treatment of alcoholism, depression, narcotic addiction, and psychological distress associated with terminal cancer, and also their use in the training of religious and mental-health professionals. From 1977-1981, he was a member of the psychology faculty of Antioch University in Maryland. In 1999 at Johns Hopkins, he and Roland Griffiths launched the rebirth of psilocybin research after a 22 year period of dormancy in the United States. His publications began in 1966 with “Implications of LSD and Experimental Mysticism,” coauthored with Walter Pahnke. His book, Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences was released in English by Columbia University Press in 2015 and has since been translated into 6 additional languages—hopefully, more coming.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: These plants and compounds are illegal in many countries, and even possession can carry severe criminal penalties. None of this post constitutes medical advice or should be construed as a recommendation to use psychedelics. There are serious legal, psychological, and physical risks. Psychedelics are not for everyone—they can exacerbate certain emotional problems, and there have been, in very rare cases, fatalities.

Please enjoy!

Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or on your favorite platform.

This podcast is brought to you by Newsletter. If you’d like to learn more about what I am reading, new documentaries, what I am learning new, recent podcast updates, things I am experimenting with, or anything —which I share extensively in my weekly short and sweet “Friday Newsletter”. No spam ever! I hate that too!

Connect with Bill: Website | Bill Richards Center for Healing

Book: Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences 

Spotify playlist: Psilocybin Research: John Hopkins, Sacred Knowledge, William A. Richards

Blog post: End-of-life Psychedelic Psychotherapy and Psychedelics Awareness

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Continue reading “William Richards (Bill) — The Promise of Psychedelic Substances, Studying with Abraham Maslow, Psychedelics and Mystical Experiences, Administering Psychedelics Psychotherapy, Origin and The Future of Psychedelics, End-of-Life psychedelic Psychotherapy, and More (#174)”