Inner Skilled

(Ai assist:) In this practical teaching, I use the military saying “Leave no man behind” and apply it directly to meditation practice. Just as soldiers commit to never abandoning their comrades, we can make the same solemn commitment to our meditation object — whether it’s the breath, a sensation, a mantra, or any anchor. Even when the mind wanders, when it feels difficult, or when strong emotions...

Melissa Llarena is a career coach with 14 years of experience helping high-achieving corporate professionals worldwide. Melissa shares her pivot during the pandemic from corporate coaching to integrating meditation and mindfulness after relocating to Australia with her family. Now back in the U.S., she uses these practices to navigate intense life challenges like caring for aging parents and raisi...

(Ai assisted:) I sit down with Manuj Aggarwal, a seasoned technologist with over 30 years of experience and four AI patents. We explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, human consciousness, and ethics. Manuj shares his journey from working with tech giants like Microsoft and IBM to developing AI solutions that empower individuals and communities. Manuj talks about the potential of AI t...

[Disclaimer: for informational purposes; this is not to be considered medical advice, at least from me.] (Ai assist edit:) Dive into ancient wisdom meets modern healing! Erica Siegel a Florida acupuncturist for years reveals how Taoist 5 Elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) mirror your body's "weather patterns." From childhood "fire energy" to menopausal dryness, (I invite her to give me som...

(Ai assist:) Jill Lublin, 4x bestselling author of The Profit of Kindness, reveals how genuine kindness drives business success, better publicity, happier clients, and stronger relationships—backed by research showing kind companies outperform others. Discover: Kindness Circles: Free monthly Zoom gatherings (3rd Wednesday) for global networking, collaborations, & elevated vibes—with guest spea...

(Ai assist:) Tim Thomas, a former Australian commando turned sleep and breath work advocate shares his powerful journey from the battlefield to personal healing, revealing how his experiences in the special forces—where sleep deprivation was a tactical weapon—shaped his mission to help others reclaim restful sleep. Through candid stories of combat, trauma, and recovery, Tim discusses the devastati...

(Ai assist:) In this contemplative talk, we continue exploring water metaphors and invite a natural deepening of awareness. Simply by forming the intention to meditate—whether you close your eyes or not—you can access deeper states almost by default. We normally learn through thinking, reading, studying, and direct experience. But meditation opens a door to something much deeper that is rarely tau...

[Ai summarizes thus:] Josh hosts a mindfulness session titled "Thought Process Thursday," focusing on unwinding thought processes to aid healing and address short- and long-term emotional needs. The session begins with a bell ring and a guided exercise of three conscious breaths, encouraging participants to meditate while he speaks. Key Themes and Reflections Personal Stories and Loneliness : Josh...

(Ai assist:) I speak with Elizabeth Makepeace, a healer from Australia with 28 years of experience in spiritual work. Elizabeth shares her journey of transitioning from identifying as a healer to embracing her role as a guide who supports others in moving from healing to creating. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's inherent wholeness and shifting focus from fixing perceived brokenn...

In this episode of *Innerkilled* Brett Michael Phillips shares his remarkable journey from tech enthusiast to spiritual healer. Hailing from Las Vegas, Brett recounts his early days as a self-proclaimed nerd, immersed in Dungeons & Dragons, Star Trek, and video games, with dreams of becoming a video game developer. His academic path led him to MIT, where he discovered the internet and pursued...

(Ai assist:) In this gentle guidance, we explore the powerful metaphor of anchoring a sailboat. Just as a sailor must remain vigilant in open waters until finding a safe place to drop anchor, we often stay in a state of heightened effort and watchfulness in life and in practice. Learn how to recognize the right moment to “cast your anchor” using your meditation object—whether the breath or another...

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[Ai assist:] I sit down with Chris Champion, an entrepreneur and AI innovator, live from Napa Valley during the PGA Open. In this engaging episode, Chris shares his journey from becoming the youngest commodity broker in America to diving deep into the world of artificial intelligence. He discusses his book  AI or Die  and explains how AI is revolutionizing productivity, generating over 4...

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

[ Most of the Wisdom Wednesdays are on my other integratingpresence.com channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmHBy3jSQd-_Otf30cnRpOU3AyIiFcnju ] [Ai assisted:] In this Sept 10, 2025 episode of Wisdom Wednesdays I dive into a topic sparked by a recent podcast: "confession as accusation." I explore how confessing my own faults can sometimes mask accusations toward others, reflecting on my...

This Aug 24, 2025 Insight Timer live event (also streamed https://youtube.com/live/iFA_PUltzxU on my Integrating Presence channel) explores mainly three often overlooked areas of the potentially many aspects of Metta (Loving-kindness, or Goodwill) on a conceptional level and in practice. One is how its opposite of ill-will comes into play. Another is the notion of consent on the levels of intentio...

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the moments leading up to formal meditation—especially sitting practice—there is often a subtle transition period. What’s needed in that space? What supports a smooth shift from ordinary activity into stillness? When working with an object like the breath, it’s helpful to ask: what does the breath need? Or more precisely, what are the perceived needs of the breath in this moment? What about eve...

(Ai assist:) Stephanie Trager is a transformational coach and medicine woman and together we explore the shifting landscapes of life, death, and conscious living. Amidst a personal experience of loss, Stephanie shares her unique perspective on death as a sacred portal, shaped by a near-death experience at 17 months and her multi-dimensional journey. The conversation delves into the nature of ident...

(Ai assisted summary:) Brief reflections on the potential future of AI and its role in shaping human experience online. While acknowledging hopeful perspectives—such as arguments that AI lacks motivation to act malevolently—the discussion also explores more dystopian possibilities. These include scenarios where centralized AI could manipulate the internet into personalized, edited versions, distor...

The description for the Aug 18, 2025 IT Live event: Yes, it’s another tech metaphor—but let’s be clear: we are not machines, and we’re not trying to become them. Right? This is just an outline, a broad overview meant to spark shared insight into some of the key components of the human experience. We’ll begin with our foundational needs—food, rest, shelter, reproduction or intimacy (or simply touch...

Outer, Inner, Micro, Macro — Zooming In and Out In meditation, there’s often a natural noticing of where phenomena are perceived—whether they feel internal or external. For instance, we see a form with the physical eyes: the eyes meet an external object, and eye consciousness arises. Yet even with the eyes closed, visual images may still appear. At that point, there’s the internal sense faculty th...

In everyday life, there often seems to be some sense of control, agency, or choice—and sometimes, not at all. Whether or not control actually exists is a larger philosophical question. But when it comes to meditation practice, particularly mindfulness of breathing, the perception of control can feel very real. That’s what this reflection is about. Meditation often begins with short morning session...

Here's how AI summarized my talk: Reflections on a set of online community agreements for an upcoming meditation retreat, aiming to comment with curiosity rather than judgment. Appreciation for the retreat’s generosity and the positive intentions—creating a safe, brave, supportive space—but I also feel some of the guidelines may be overly prescriptive, politically loaded, or potentially constraini...