The Urban Monk Podcast

In 2019, former bodybuilder Aaron Alexander published his book all about the eponymous method he developed himself: "The Align Method: 5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind, and Stress-Proof Life." He thinks our bodies speak more than one language – and depending on how connected you are to its pain and joy, you may not be able to understand what it’s telling you. And then how will you know when you’re aligned and when you’re not? How will you read the signal? Alignment isn’t just a yoga buzzword – it means a lot more than that, and it’s informed by more than how advanced your practice is. Tune in as we talk about compensatory practices (both Western and not, male and not), the importance of heightened senses to our nervous system, why nutrition means more than diet, the two biggest factors in miscommunication, and so much more. 

How long is it going to take for the emotional tectonic plates of society to shift from grounding in foundation and tradition to exploring lofty ideals and leading with imagination? Who did ancient cultures believe they were worshipping when they looked to the heavens for advice? How do we respond to good times, to chaos, to tough times? How did our ancestors? These are the kinds of questions that keep Dr. Rachelle Dixon busy in her practice and in her personal development. We got to dig into how astrology can be used as an optimization tool to guide us towards our best lives, even if you choose not to believe in it. She's spent her life as a doctor, healer, and educator trying to instill belief in one's own intuition into those she works with – and the stars are often a historical and contemporary source of wisdom from which to draw. Pedram and Rachelle wax astrological about where we've been, where we are, and how we can prepare for where we're going. 

If your first reaction to drinking the olive oil in your cabinet is to check the date or gag, you're probably using olive oil as distant from a fresh olive oil harvest as the tea in your cupboards are from Chinese botanicals. T.J. Robinson, former chef and professional olive oil tester and judge, had such a revelation upon tasting his first fresh olive oil that he not only never went back... But he started a Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club that sources from four different seasonal harvests per year in order to deliver perfectly aged olive oil made from the highest quality olives that can be certifiably found. He talks me through a taste-testing of his latest batch, debunking all sorts of myths about the health benefits, cooking uses, and grocery store varieties of olive oil along the way.

Ron and Johanna Melchiore have been living off the grid for decades, but what does it mean to go off the grid? How disconnected must one be? Ron and Johanna join Pedram Shojai and discuss their experience in having their own chunk of wilderness. What was it like getting started? How did they build their home? How do they get food? How do they collect water for cooking, drinking, and bathing? And what do they do during the winters? Pedram asks about the freedom of having the land work for you but also the potential dangers of being isolated. Becoming an independent homesteader does not mean fully disconnecting from society, but what complications could still arise? Is this something anyone can do?

"Plants often look like what they're for," Evan Cohen tells Pedram Shojai. For many of us who have lived in urban environments all of our lives, this can be a difficult concept to grasp. This week's guest to The Urban Monk Podcast discusses the benefits of how plants in certain cases can have obvious benefits just based on what they look. How can we determine the energetic signature of plants and how can we harness their essence to benefit our health?

We don't need to tell you, but 2020 has been quite the wild ride! With so much going on from the US Presidential election to the pandemic to wild weather events such as wildfires and hurricanes, it's hard to just focus! Attention is being pulled in every direction. Social media is even monetizing attention! So how do we get our focus back to ourselves? Pedram Shojai here on The Urban Monk Podcast wanted to take a moment to discuss the importance of drawing attention back to yourself. With how media can divert our attention to things that may not be affecting us in the moment, it can be hard to focus on your own needs. What is important to you? What goals do you have? And what are you doing to reach those goals? Pedram gives some tips based on his studies with Chinese Medicine on how you can make yourself your own main focus again.

Everyone is exhausted! We all run into walls. We have trouble waking up in the morning and we go for the cup of coffee or tea to pick us up, but by the afternoon we crash. We do we continue to ride these waves of highs and lows of energy? Why do so many of us suffer from chronic fatigue? The usual suspects of stress and lack of sleep are obvious, but what if there was more to it? Is it the food we eat? The lack of exercise? Could it be unchecked mold building up in our homes? Do we have to drastically change our lives to live a life full of energy? Or are the minor changes and shifts we can make that add up to leave chronic fatigue behind?

Kawasaki Disease is a condition that causes inflammation in the walls of some blood vessels in the body. It's most common in infants and young children. Recently there have been cases of a Kawasaki-like disease associated with COVID-19 appearing. What does the early research show? Pedram Shojai invites pediatrician Dr. Pejman Katiraei back to give a ground-level view of what he's currently seeing. Is this emergence of Kawasaki Disease a concern for parents? On top of everything else to worry about during the pandemic, how can we best protect children from this potential illness?   This video is part of our new course, Raising Healthy Kids, part of the Urban Monk Academy.   Try it free for 2 weeks: https://secure.theurbanmonk.com/academy/raising-healthy-kids

News used to be just the facts. But nowadays media has become highly charged, fear-based grabs for ratings. While it's important to be an informed citizens, sometimes the dour news can be extremely detrimental to our own outlook on the world while adding undue stress into our lives. Guest John Biffar, founder and president of PeaceVision, has a different approach. John through PeaceVision produces original video aiming to be free of negativity, politics, and violence while showcasing paths towards positive change. How is John able to bring to light stories of positivity in a society of click-bait headlines? How does John hope to provide people with actionable ways to achieve more peace in their own lives? How can we be conscious of the media we consume and how that affects our own lives in the era of coronavirus and COVID-19?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues many people are looking to whatever they can to take preventative measures against the coronavirus risk. Washing hands and sanitizing surfaces are great steps, surely, but what about other over the counter remedies? Dr. Elroy Vojdani and Dr. Pejman Katiraei join Pedram Shojai on this episode of The Urban Monk Podcast to discuss how certain measures might actually be more damaging to the gut and the gastrointestinal tract that might work against the immune system. What is happening in the gut and the immune system when we are infected with COVID-19 or other viruses? Why does infection affect some with terrible symptoms while others are asymptomatic? How is the mucosal immune system a front line defense and how can we bolster its effectiveness through lifestyle? Is the conventional traditional medical model able to study viral infections from a holistic perspective?

The pandemic of COVID-19 has changed the world and how we all interact with one another. But for many of us this pandemic has also affected our jobs, our schools, our livelihoods. While it is important to remain safe and follow social distancing guidelines, how must we change our mindsets on how we earn an income? Pedram Shojai invites Robert Kiyosaki to The Urban Monk Podcast. Robert is the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad. He discusses how we must think about cashflow and the system many of us find ourselves trapped in. That is the system that has now broken during a pandemic. How can we leave the rat race to become financially independent and prepare for the next economic downturn?

2020 is off to a wild start! The world is chaotic. How do we find a calm respite while balancing work, children, dinner, and errands that take over our lives? Pedram discusses how he uses qi gong to still the chaos of the world.

Marijuana and its various forms are getting a second look from both the general public and the medical community. The scientific community is diving deep into research of CBD and its potential various medical applications to heal but without the psychoactive effects. What is the new research on the healing properties of CBD? Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Leonard Leinow to discuss how CBD can help patients heal.

Contemporary life provides us with infinite opportunities. We can immerse ourselves in the vast, enticing world of digital media. But living in this 24/7 hyper-reality comes at a steep cost: left unchecked, it poses serious risks to our physical and mental health, relationships, and even the ability to control our thoughts. David Perlmutter, MD joins Pedram Shojai on The Urban Monk Podcast to discuss how the culture around us can affect us. Based on the latest science, Dr. Perlmutter reveals the mental hijacking that undermines each and every one of us, and presents the tools necessary to think more clearly, make better decisions, strengthen bonds with others, and develop healthier habits.

Stem cells were once controversial due to their method of acquisition but the research has advanced and there are new ways to gather stem cells. The benefits of using stem cells to heal are great and Pedram Shojai himself has been using stem cells to help heal a previous hip injury of his under the supervision of this week's guest, Dr. Harry Adelson! How do stem cells work and where are doctors now getting them from? What is the success rate and what can someone using stem cells reasonably expect?

Flint, Michigan was only the tip of the iceberg. From big cities and suburbs to the rural heartland, chemicals linked to cancer, heart disease, obesity, birth defects, and lowered IQ routinely spill from our taps. Many are to blame: the EPA, Congress, a bipartisan coalition of powerful governors and mayors, chemical companies, and drinking water utilities—even NASA and the Pentagon. Meanwhile, the bottled water industry has been fanning our fears about tap water, but bottled water is often no safer. So then what is the solution? Pedram Shojai welcomes author Seth M. Siegel back onto The Urban Monk Podcast to discuss the current state of drinking water how to ensure the water coming out of your tap is safe to drink.

When you invest your money in either the banks or on Wall St. have you ever considered what your money is actually doing? What impact does your money have when you put it into a savings account or a retirement fund? Is your money going towards companies that you would want to do business with? And how can you tell if a company is actually doing good, not just on a financial sheet, but for the world and its environment? Martin Whittaker, founding CEO of JUST Capital, takes out the guesswork when trying to find ethical places to invest your money. He joins Pedram Shojai on The Urban Monk podcast to discuss the current state of finance and how that is impacting the world at large.

Toxins are everywhere and they're difficult to avoid. Even when we try our best we may still be exposed to harmful toxics that affect our health and wellbeing. What sort of toxins are we being exposed to regularly and how do they affect us? Pedram Shojai welcomes Urban Monk Podcast regular Tom Malterre back to the show to discuss the ongoing research into endocrine disrupters that mess with our lives.

Are women showing off their full authentic selves? Traits labeled as "feminine" such as sensitivity, intuition, or feeling emotional were once disparaged as weaknesses and both men and women were encouraged to shut down these aspects of their personalities. Author Amy Stanton challenges old and outdated perceptions that feminine traits are weaknesses and the book The Feminine Revolution revisits those characteristics to show how they are powerful assets that should be embraced rather than maligned. It argues that feminine traits have been mischaracterized as weak, fragile, diminutive, and embittered for too long, and offers a call to arms to redeem them as the superpowers and gifts that they are.

Many people enjoy a glass of wine whether it be with dinner or just a way to unwind after a long day at work, but have you ever thought about what's actually in your wine? Wine doesn't actually list the ingredients on the bottle. Well Todd White of Dry Farm Wines joins Pedram Shojai on The Urban Monk Podcast to discuss exactly why that is. Todd also talks about the process in which wine is mass produced and the troubling toxins that may actually be the cause of some headaches associated with wine. What does it take to remove the wine of these toxins? What is the end result for the taste and flavor of the wine?