Can ONE question change your life? My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #94 is award-winning author, yoga therapist, and spiritual coach Jennie Lee, who believes the answer is yes. Jennie is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy.
She joined me to discuss her brand new book Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution (just published by Sounds True), in which she brings her practice home to readers everywhere by providing the tools to strengthen our psychological resilience through the process of conscious, introspective questioning.
"The question is, 'How do I keep the flame of personal evolution toward LOVE alive in my heart?' And 'how do I ignite the spark of spiritual awakening in others?'" says Jennie.
About Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution
Change is on everyone’s mind, but the first step toward any change begins within your own consciousness. In SPARK CHANGE: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Jennie Lee provides a 12-phase personal inquiry process to strengthen your vision of what change is needed and how you can accomplish it pro-actively with clarity and courage.
Through 108 introspective questions, you will learn to listen to your soul and determine what life is calling you to learn or express. Whether examining attitudes that hold you back, or investigating your true purpose, these guided inquiries will help build the psychological resilience necessary to accomplish change from the deepest reaches of spiritual consciousness.
Inspired by the source teachings of classical yoga, the principles of spiritual psychology, and her own inner journey, SPARK CHANGE delves into some of the most enduring questions of psychology, self-improvement, and the spiritual path.
In the book, readers will find:
• Self-reflection questions on 12 essential themes for personal transformation
• Strategies to move beyond limitation into potential
• Help identifying authentic purpose and how to put it into action
• Inspiration for implementing conscious change pro-actively
• Prompts to greater clarity, courage, and conviction
• Ideas for meaningful conversations and creative solutions
About Jennie Lee:
Jennie Lee is the author of three award-winning books on spiritual living, meditation, and yoga: Spark Change: 108 Provocative Questions for Spiritual Evolution, Breathing Love: Meditation in Action, and True Yoga: Practicing with the Yoga Sutras for Happiness & Spiritual Fulfillment. Her writing has also been featured internationally in magazines such as Mantra Wellness, Light of Consciousness, Yoga Therapy Today and many more. Her essay on the meaning of life was featured in the book Love by Nicolae Tanase.
Jennie is a certified yoga therapist (C-IAYT) who is passionate about helping people to create lives filled with purpose and joy. She has been in private practice for over twenty years.
In her counseling, she blends the universal ideals and practices of Eastern philosophy with the needs and challenges of modern Western living. Her coaching is based on studies in spiritual psychology, yoga philosophy, and body-centered psychotherapy. The diversity of professionals who have entrusted Jennie with their personal growth speaks to her ability to effectively touch a wide range of individuals. Doctors, lawyers, psychologists, celebrity actors, internationally acclaimed authors, military officers, and more have experienced positive change through working with her.
In addition to individual coaching, she has worked with management groups at corporations such as the World Surf League, National Association for Professional Women, Draper Laboratory, Prudential Locations Realty, and the Jeanne Geiger Crisis Center and made presentations on yoga, meditation, and mindfulness at studios, schools, and festivals nationwide.
When she is not writing or coaching, you will find Jennie surfing in Hawai’i or doing headstands on the tops of mountains, making her husband very nervous.
Visit her online at www.JennieLeeYogaTherapy.com.
###
My guest for Life on Purpose Episode #93 is Sky Nelson-Isaacs. Sky is a physics educator, speaker, author, and musician who has dedicated his life to finding his own sense of purpose, bringing together the connection between synchronicity, physics, and real life using research and his original ideas.
We had a great chat about:
For Life on Purpose Episode #85, my guest is world-class facilitator and transformation specialist Oren Harris. Described as "a being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world", Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with.
He joined me for an inspiring and in-depth conversation on all things related to Flow. We also discussed consciousness, trust, resonance, surrender, perspective, detachment, limitless living, and Oren's own life story/journey.
”Flow is often times perceived as something that is only accessible to spiritual masters, or during 'peak experiences'. This paints a picture of flow as something impractical, reserved for select individuals, select moments, or select areas of life.”
On the contrary, flow is highly practical, accessible to everyone, and applicable to all areas of life."
About Oren Harris:
It’s difficult, if not impossible, to put a finger on exactly who Oren Harris is. A being who is living as Infinite Self within a finite world, Oren is a real life demonstration of the saying, “be in the world, but not of it”, and is capable of showing up in a vast number of ways to best serve those he is inspired to work with. There are a couple of things you can put your finger on, however. Oren is a world-class facilitator & transformation specialist, and his clients always reach their next level through working with him. Always.
No matter how far along an individual is in their personal or spiritual development, and no matter how large and impactful their expression has become, Oren has the special ability to clearly see the next level of their infinite potential that is available to them, and is able to masterfully guide them into embodying their next level of potential over and over again. Because of this, those who work with Oren usually become clients for life, as they realize the immeasurable value of having a being by their side who can see, speak to, and draw out all of who they really are every time they connect with him.
Oren’s ultimate “superhero” ability is something that comes naturally to him… so naturally, in fact, that he doesn’t even notice it most of the time, but its impact is very real and frequently life-changing for those who happen to experience it.
His presence activates people. Time and time again, individuals who cross paths with Oren, even if for a brief moment, report back that after their encounter with him, their expansion accelerated and significant shifts almost immediately started taking place in their lives.
Such is the power and consequence of being beheld with Unconditional Love, a rare and priceless gift that Oren has tapped into, consistently embodies, and shares with the world everywhere he goes.
Regardless of where you are on your respective path, if you’re an individual who is fired up about and wholeheartedly committed to fully engaging life and giving it all that you’ve got, then Oren is inspired to connect with, and potentially work with you.
What is Flow?
When you are in Flow:
For Life on Purpose Episode #84, my guest is internet entrepreneur, coach, traveler, and financial freedom enthusiast Tal Gur. He joined me for a great and in-depth conversation on his new book "The Art of Fully Living-1 Man. 10 Years. 100 Life Goals."
Shortly after turning 30, Tal himself these following questions: "Imagine knowing you had only 10 years to live - Would you change your life? How?"
Inspired by a late-night conversation with friends, and disillusioned with the trappings of "making it", he then drafted a list of 100 goals to achieve in a decade.
Through relentless focus, he traded his daily grind for a life of his own daring design as a location-independent entrepreneur and coach.
He tackled financial, physical, and spiritual dreams one by one: mastering English in pulsing Melbourne, completing Ironman New Zealand, creating financial independence, surfing at the world’s most sought-after beaches, and rebuilding a Peruvian family’s flood-ravaged home, among other adventures.
"What makes a life fully lived? Comfort? Conventional success? For me, it’s all about the thrill and satisfaction that come from a continuous quest for adventure and self-discovery."
About Tal:
My story has been written from many perspectives and been enriched by the people and places I've encountered along the way.
After leaving school, aged 21, I embarked on a long motorcycle trip in Australia & immediately fell in love with this remote, vast and spectacular corner of the world. I went back to my home country to pursue a bachelor's degree but the memory of that epic trip never left me.
In 2003, after several years working in the high-tech world and feeling there was something missing, I decided to change direction and follow a lifelong dream of mine: living and studying in Australia.
In late 2005, being inspired from the sheer enjoyment that came from pursuing my Australian dream, I made a conscious decision to pursue every big dream I have ever had. I started a long life goals list and gave myself 10 years to be completely finished with this project.
After a few blissful years in Melbourne, Australia, I sold everything I had, packed a small backpack, and left on a one way ticket to Nepal. This trip turned to be a fateful encounter, eventually leading me to leave my stable job, become an online entrepreneur, and travel and live abroad in various countries for more than than 6 years.
Ever since I remember myself I was intrigued with the endless possibilities of self-expression. I simply see life as a playground to express our deepest desires and experiment with the perceived limits of the physical world.
Looking at my life, I have come to realize that my life is not just one linear continuous journey but more as a recollection of different journeys and experiences.
I've learnt that it is definitely not all about the destination, but more about the journey. And the greater the challenge, the more satisfying it is.
Since my move to Australia, being inspired from the satisfaction and sense of achievement that came from pursing my Australian dream, I found myself constantly seeking new challenges, overextending myself in all aspects of life, ultimately resulting in very happy and fulfilling journeys.
To learn more about Tal, visit: https://fullylived.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #75, Peaceful Warrior's Dan Millman returns to the show! Dan is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor. After an intensive twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan's teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his seventeen books — including the seminal Way of the Peaceful Warrior — and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world.
In this inspiring conversation, we discussed his brand new book, The Hidden School (Simon and Schuster), the long-awaited conclusion to the Peaceful Warrior saga. Dan takes readers on an epic spiritual quest across the world as he searches for the link between everyday life and transcendent possibility. Along the way, he uncovers lessons of life hidden in plain sight—insights pointing the way to an inspired life in the eternal present.
“In Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Dan Millman established himself as a master of teaching through story. Now, in this exciting adventure, he reveals how deep learning can be found in unexpected places. The wisdom he shares will illuminate many lives."
don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements
About: Dan Millman is a former world champion athlete, university coach, martial arts instructor, and college professor.
After an intensive, twenty-year spiritual quest, Dan’s teaching found its form as the Peaceful Warrior’s Way, expressed fully in his books and lectures. His work continues to evolve over time, to meet the needs of a changing world.
Dan’s seventeen books, including Way of the Peaceful Warrior, have inspired and informed millions of readers in 29 languages worldwide. The feature film, “Peaceful Warrior,” starring Nick Nolte, was adapted from Dan’s first book, based upon incidents from his life.
Much of Dan’s time is devoted to writing and speaking. His keynotes, seminars, and workshops span the generations to influence men and women from all walks of life, including leaders in the fields of health, psychology, education, business, politics, sports, entertainment, and the arts.
Dan and his wife Joy live in Brooklyn, NY. They have three grown daughters and four grandchildren.
To learn more about Dan's work, visit: http://www.peacefulwarrior.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #72, another "Soul Series" interview, my guest is author and minister Maria Felipe, who joined me for a fantastic conversation that can change lives. We discussed her unique story going from a successful (but ultimately unfulfilling) career as an actress, model, and Latina boxing announcer to spiritual teacher and motivational speaker.
And we talked about her brand new book, Live Your Happy: Get Out of Your Own Way and Find the Love Within (New World Library), in which she shares more than twenty years of experience studying and living the principles from A Course in Miracles (ACIM). Live Your Happy is not a philosophic explanation of the Course; it is a practical guide for living it.
The book includes real-world examples from the author’s life and from her students’ experiences. In nine crystal-clear chapters, she shows readers how to get the “cuckoo voice of the ego” out of the way, connect with their “inner teacher,” and access personal power and strength.
“This book is a simple but not necessarily easy guide to learning to live your happy. I will share practical spiritual tools to get you there, along with stories of my own journey and of people I’ve counseled. I empower my clients not by telling them what to do but by helping them understand that they have the answer within,” she writes. “I ask that you trust me and be gentle with yourself. Step by step, I will train you to listen to your right mind. In turn, you will become free to live in happiness consistently. You will even be happy when you have so-called ‘problems.’ How’s that for a miracle?”
About: a Cuban-American born in Miami, Maria Felipe stands at 5’9" tall with a towering personality to match. Her charisma has captivated thousands of viewers across the United States and beyond, as her pursuit of an acting career resulted in dozens of appearances in national commercials, hosting successful TV shows (including World Wrestling Federation shows with live audiences of 20,000), and traveling the world as a model.
After success in her field she felt called inward, and studied to become a Reverend with Pathways of Light, an accredited religious school inspired by A Course in Miracles.
Maria is a dynamic speaker in both Spanish and English. She leads services monthly at Unity Church in Burbank, where she created the church's first regular Spanish service, as well as performing services in English. Her talks now draw both Spanish and English speakers from all over Southern California. She also leads workshops.
Maria has created her own channel on You Tube by hosting MariaCoconut TV, a show designed to share and expand the message of love by interviewing other spiritual leaders. In 2013, Maria been a regular guest on Unity Radio, Awakening Together Radio and Center Of Light Radio.
She’s also recently appeared as a motivational speaker on TV shows and news programs for Univison, Telemundo and CNN. She has also spoken alongside prominent teachers David Hoffmeister and Gary Renard in Los Angeles, Mexico, and Greece.
People magazine once referred to Maria Felipe as ’’Una Campeona Sin Rival,’’ which means a champion without rival. This is an apt label for this young, vivacious and talented actress, host, and minister. And the gifts she can share with countless others continue to multiply as she allows the expression of her talents to be guided by the inner light of God.
To learn more about Maria's work, visit: https://www.mariafelipe.org/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #71, my guest is psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD, who joined me for an enlightening and hope-filled conversation about her new book Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD and Anxiety (New World Library).
Ayahuasca, a psychedelic brew from the Amazon rainforest, is entering the Western lexicon through the popular media, the internet, and first-person reports. Considered a medicine by practitioners, the tea has great therapeutic potential that is just beginning to be studied. As a result of her own personal experience with ayahuasca, Dr. Harris was inspired to research how this medicine was being used in North America in the largest study of this kind to date. Listening to Ayahuasca describes her findings, including miracle cures of depression and addiction, therapeutic breakthroughs, spiritual revelations, and challenging or bad trips.
“This book is intended for people considering ayahuasca and for people drinking the medicine. I hope it will help them integrate their insights and visions into their daily lives. There is much work people can do on their own to maximize the healing that ayahuasca offers,” writes Dr. Harris. “I also hope this book will inform psychotherapists about the process of integration after ayahuasca ceremonies, so they can provide a supportive and respectful container for the unfolding of healing.”
About: Psychologist Rachel Harris, PhD is the author of Listening to Ayahuasca: New Hope for Depression, Addiction, PTSD and Anxiety. She was in private practice for thirty-five years working with people interested in psychospiritual development. During a decade working in research, Rachel received a National Institutes of Health New Investigator’s Award and published more than forty scientific studies in peer-reviewed journals. She has also consulted to Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations.
Rachel was in the 1968 Esalen Residential Program, Big Sur, CA. This intensive six-month program focused on meditation and body work. In the early seventies, Rachel studied with Dorothy Nolte in the movement system, Structural Awareness, based on Dr. Ida Rolf’s Structural Integration (Rolfing). Rachel also co-edited the Journal of the American Dance Therapy Association for three years. Awareness of how people live and move in their bodies has always been an aspect of Rachel’s approach to psychotherapy.
During the mid-eighties into the early aughts, Rachel led workshops at Omega Institute, NY and Esalen Institute, CA. She wrote Twenty Minute Retreats: Revive Your Spirit in Just Minutes a Day with Simple, Self-Led Practices (NY: Holt, 2000). This book describes many of the psychological, meditative and body awareness exercises she taught in her workshops.
In 2005 Rachel traveled to a retreat center in Costa Rica and serendipitously found herself with the opportunity to drink ayahuasca with Ecuadorian shamans. The morning after her first ceremony, Rachel began asking questions about the therapeutic potential of this medicine. She conducted a three-year research project with Lee Gurel, PhD that resulted in “A Study of Ayahuasca Use in North America,” published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs (Summer, 2012).
Rachel has a married daughter, Ashley Mason, who sings in the chorus at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. Rachel is the co-author with Dorothy Nolte of Children Learn What They Live and Teenagers Learn What They Live (NY: Workman, 1998 and 2002) and the author of 20 Minute Retreats (Holt, 2000). Rachel spends eight months of the year on a remote island in Penobscot Bay, ME and winters in Napa, CA.
To learn more about Dr. Harris' work, visit: https://www.listeningtoayahuasca.com/.
For Life on Purpose Episode #70, my guest is transformational photographer and coach Robyn Ivy, who has 20 years of experience helping clients transform themselves by shifting their focus and learning to see their world through a new lens.
Robyn joined me for an inspiring conversation about photography as a tool for transformation (a conviction I share), her life and work, and PROJECT 3.8, the compelling campaign she started to raise awareness for pediatric cancer. Robyn brings a deep understanding of what holds people back and brings it into the light so it can be seen and overcome.
"Have you ever stopped to consider that the way we look at and experience our world is often done by default? Did you know that our vision can be strengthened, like a muscle, and when we exercise it, it transforms, changing the way we view our world and ourselves?"
About Robyn: Much like the world around us, I am constantly evolving—driven by an intense passion to help businesses and individuals transform themselves by learning to see their world through a new lens. As a professional photographer, visual brand strategist, creative director, speaker and coach, I explore opportunities from a variety of perspectives that help my clients see the possibilities, truths and solutions to problem that remain invisible others.
For nearly two decades, I have encouraged others to step outside the box, shifting their focus to tell a different story about themselves; one in which the heart of who they are and what they stand for shines through for all to see. The impact of storytelling is very real, and I pride myself on uncovering the deeper message behind my clients’ brands and communicating it to the world through powerful imagery.
In 2016, I created Project 3.8, a compelling visual campaign to raise awareness for pediatric cancer, born from the heartache of a close friend losing her 8-year-old son to Rhabdomyosarcoma. I produced a traveling gallery of 20 large scale metal portraits of children ages 3-18 who were either active in their fight against cancer or celebrated survivors.
The show’s inspiration, Dorian J. Murray, was our only angel. While I learned much from this experience, my mission was simple: to teach people to “see” childhood cancer in a different light and the impact is has on far too many families. Project 3.8 moved thousands of people and, I’m happy to say, will be an annual event.
I share this with you because of how passionate I am about helping people see themselves and their cause from new and unexpected vantage points. When you understand what holds people back and bring it to the forefront so it may be overcome, there’s truly no limit to what you can accomplish.
Whether you’re looking to create new pathways to growth, increase ROI, find innovative solutions to difficult problems, or guide others in the direction of our true purpose to make a difference in this world, I want to be part of that journey. I want to be part of your journey.
Through my photography, I shoot for a wide range of commercial, corporate and editorial clients, as well as entrepreneurs and those who want to change the world. I also offer workshops and speaking presentations on how to transform your business, your brand or your life by changing your viewpoint.
Now that I’ve told you about what I do, I’d like to tell you a bit about who I am. Though I’m a native New Englander, in my heart, I am a citizen of the world. At 15, I spent a year in Germany as an exchange student and it changed my life! Traveling became embedded in my DNA and I spent my youth finding ways to see more of the world. A free spirit by nature, I love a great road trip and the kindred spirits you meet along the way.
Long before I was a professional photographer, I worked with baby chimpanzees in Africa, led German tourists on adventure camping trips in Alaska and beyond, taught English to folks in Europe, and spent a year working my tail off with an anti-hunger coalition in Vermont.
In 2001, I became a mom and began life’s most valuable journey: raising my two boys, who have quickly (yet not quietly) become teenagers. I'm pretty obsessed with Instagram and I’ve promised myself that one day, I will learn how to knit!
To learn more about Robyn's work, visit: http://www.robynivy.com/.
Have you ever asked yourself what is your life purpose? Have you considered what you are doing here and whether you are on the right track to being fulfilled?
For Life on Purpose Episode #68, my guests are world-renowned Human Design experts Chetan Parkyn & Carola Eastwood. They joined me for a fascinating and timely conversation about a tool that can help answer those questions: Human Design and their brand new book The Book of Destinies: Discover the Life You Were Born to Live (New World Library). The book offers readers the opportunity to use the place, date, and time of their births to reveal their Life Theme, which offers a portrait of their true nature and allows them the peace of knowing who they really are.
“Just like the storyline of a book, or the theme music to a movie, there is a unique, consistent, and recognizable undercurrent to your whole lifetime. It is your Life Theme, which is your melody, your part in the symphony of life, and only you can play it,” say Chetan and Carola. “Knowing and accepting your particular Life Theme is truly transformative. Embodying this awareness gives you reassurance and clarification about your life purpose.”
About Chetan Parkyn: Chetan Parkyn has been giving Readings to people of all walks of life and all nationalities for over 35 years. He has spent the past 23 years mastering Human Design. He is more than a leading practitioner of the system. As the author of the first major book on the subject, which has been translated into eleven different language versions, he has made it his mission to bring Human Design to the whole world.
An entrepreneur’s son by upbringing and an engineer by training, Chetan has fully explored both the mystical and the technological worlds. He’s been a deep-sea dive engineer and a devoted student of meditation. Travels in India and time spent in the company of the enlightened mystic, Osho, finally opened Chetan to his own purpose — helping people develop self-knowledge.
The details of how Chetan discovered his abilities came about through a reading he experienced from a Chayyashastri (Shadow Reader) in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1979. Finding himself no longer satisfied with everything he had understood about himself especially in the field of engineering, Chetan was guided to have a session to find some personal clarification. Chetan was given a transfixing view of himself in all aspects of his life. He was told things about himself that he had long forgotten, barely imagined, or never considered important. At the end of the session, the Shadow Reader asked Chetan to come and work with him : ".......because you know how to do this kind of work."
Completely startled by the depth of the information he had just received, Chetan declined the invitation. The Shadow Reader laughed in response and told Chetan that it did not really matter .... "because you are going to do this work anyway," he said. "There is a system that is going to come into your life, and you are going to write books about it, and introduce it to many thousands of people all over the world, and you are going to transform their lives.....and my advice to you is to find a way of reading for people that you like and practice it so you are ready."
A week later, Chetan met a Psychic Palm Reader who for 10 minutes showed Chetan about many of the lines and markings in a hand. At the end of the 10 minutes, the Psychic Palmist closed up Chetan’s hands and said : "That's enough! Now go practice!" And for the next 14 years, Chetan gave Readings for everyone who held their hands out to him. He also studied numerous systems of divination and ways of revealing people to themselves.....all the time wondering what this "system" the Shadow Reader had been talking about could be.
In 1993, Chetan met a man called Ra Uru Hu, who had been given Human Design and who first introduced it to the world. Chetan worked with Ra over the next 7 years, beginning his journey towards fully mastering the system. Chetan’s unique gifts include a balance of technical skill and pure intuition. In addition, Chetan is a compelling speaker — fun, inspiring, down-to-earth and personal. Simply through hearing him, many experience the beginnings of deep inner change.
As Chetan studied Human Design over many years, gave thousands of personal and partnership Readings, he began to realize how few people had access to its extraordinary riches. In 2000, he felt called to make the system accessible to a far wider audience. Chetan began offering Trainings and Seminars along with his life-partner Carola Eastwood. The couple also started training Practitioners in the art of giving wholesome Human Design Readings. But this was not enough.
In 2009 Chetan wrote the first major book on Human Design, published by Harper Collins UK, and in 2010 by New World Library in the US, and subsequently in many other languages. Combined with powerful free software, the book makes it easy for everyone to create and interpret his or her own Life Chart. Recently, he and his wife, Carola created the first On-Line Human Design Comprehensive Report. Thanks to Chetan Parkyn, Human Design today is becoming available to the whole planet. And as more and more individuals live in alignment with their unique design, the quality of life on Earth will change!
About Carola Eastwood: Carola Eastwood has been a Human Design consultant, teacher and coach since 1999.
Prior to that she had an established counseling practice and an Astrology clientele in Santa Fe, NM and in San Diego, CA. She has been author of the monthly column, “Planetary Cycles” published by the Life Connection since 1988, and is a highly acclaimed astrological consultant and intuitive counselor. Carola has appeared on national TV, hosted radio shows, and spoken at national conventions.
As a young woman, Carola discovered her passion to help others awaken to a richer view of themselves and their world, by finding their inner essence, that core of being within each person that is the Spirit expressing in form.
She undertook years of post graduate training in a variety of human development disciplines, including psychology, psychosynthesis, past life healing therapy, intuitive reading arts, and the science of spirituality. When she discovered Human Design, she realized that this was the missing piece of the puzzle in helping others to change their consciousness and create their own destiny.
Today, she co-presents Human Design seminars and trainings alongside her husband and partner, Chetan Parkyn. Carola created the experiential seminars as a tool that quickly puts one in touch with one’s own Human Design, and with the Designs of others. She also assists Chetan in presenting Human Design Consultant Trainings.
Her passion is to assist others to awaken to their own power to create the life they have always dreamed of.
To learn more about Chetan and Carola's work, visit: http://humandesignforusall.com/.