MindBodySpace

Regulating our breath can have a significant effect on our stress levels. Longer exhales can slow down your heart rate, which in turn can signal to your brain that you are calm.  Get a pen and paper for this scientific self-help exercise to see how this Chill Pill works for you. Let us know how you did! Take the poll on spotify!  Regulate your breath to calm down your heart rate and focus your att...

We all have our good days and bad days, but what if there was a way to strengthen a pathway in our brains that was better able to balance our emotional and reasoning brain?  This would help us perform at our best and lead us to make wiser decisions with our time. It could help us procrastinate less, get motivated, and really think ahead about what we want for ourselves. So how can we tone down tha...

Do you feel overwhelmed? Unable to get started on what you know you need to do right now? You're in the right place. In this mental exercise, we will use phrases to boost our dopamine levels, the neurotransmitter that makes us feel better, think clearer, plan, memorize, and learn better. Paired with a simple breath and muscle relaxation, this is a powerful tool you can take with you where ever and...

In this episode Fiona and Juna talk about psychometric testing and how organizational psychologists use it to coach executives. It's my monthly chat with Fiona Murden, my great friend, awesome mom, award-winning author, and host of Dot to Dot Podcast.  Each month we sit down to discuss the science and real life applications of topics that help us perform under pressure and achieve our highest pote...

I am honored to talk with Dr. Jessica Krant, MD, MPH, about our biggest organ, skin. We talk about how she, a prominent dermatologist in New York City, came to be certified in integrative dermatology and lifestyle medicine. We talk about her own journey to a healthier lifestyle — including losing 38 pounds — and how what we eat, how we sleep, and how much we stress affects skin.  Jessica is a boar...

In this episode Fiona and Juna talk about three ways to get feedback to increase self-awareness. We discuss three easy methods to gather information about ourselves.  It's my monthly chat with Fiona Murden, my great friend, awesome mom, award-winning author, and host of Dot to Dot Podcast.  Each month we sit down to discuss the science and real life applications of topics that help us perform unde...

In Part III Q&A with Angela Duckworth, she answers questions from our listeners. I am beyond thrilled to have Angela Duckworth as a guest on my podcast. She is most famous for her Ted talk ( > 23,432,260 views! ) and bestselling book — Grit, The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She's also actually brilliant, personable and generous.  As a former math and science teacher in public schools...

In Part II conversation with Angela Duckworth, we discuss what inspires her and chat more about resilience and grit. Tune in to Part III for Q&A. I am beyond thrilled to have Angela Duckworth as a guest on my podcast. She is most famous for her Ted talk ( > 23,432,260 views! ) and bestselling book — Grit, The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She's also actually brilliant, personable and g...

I am beyond thrilled to have Angela Duckworth as a guest on my podcast. She is most famous for her Ted talk ( > 23,432,260 views! ) and bestselling book — Grit, The Power of Passion and Perseverance. She's also actually brilliant, personable and generous.  As a former math and science teacher in public schools in NYC, San Francisco and Philadelphia, Angela is passionate about sharing her r...

One of my first students in my Science of Resilience class at the Juilliard Pre-College, Pablo Esquivel Noel, joins me for our monthly conversation on wellness and peak performance. Today we talk about his pre-performance centering routine which includes the Wim Hof Breathing Method .  The breath is a powerful natural tool that everyone can connect to. Pay attention to what your body tells yo...

In this episode Fiona and Juna talk about how sleep affects emotional regulation. We discuss three steps to managing our difficult emotions using the Acceptance Commitment Therapy model, which is used with success in coaching for high performance and for stress management. Rx Chill Pill — Meditate Your Brain to Resilience Podcast. It's my monthly chat with Fiona Murden, my great friend, awesome mo...

Nina Restieri is the founder and president of momAgenda. Previously, she has spent time as an advertising executive, as the president of a family business, and as a stay-at-home mom. Nina talks to me about what it was like to start a business as a mother of four young kids and how she kept herself on track of what was most important to her. She is now pivoting into her new role of helping overwhel...

Composer and Juilliard graduate, Pablo Esquivel Noel joins me to talk about how he merged his two passions, wellness and music, into Fusion, a music meditation experience for live audiences. This episode ends with a meditation on Pablo's original composition, "Interlude" ASMR mix. I am excited to announce that Pablo will be joining me every month for a discussion on staying well and performing at...

From an Ivy League dean and a college admissions expert, a guide to help parents support their children as they navigate their way to college. The College Conversation is a comprehensive resource for mapping the path through the college application process that provides practical advice and reassurance to keep both anxious parents and confused children sane and grounded. Rather than adding to the...

In this episode Fiona and Juna talk about how we're often railroaded into a track when we are good at something. We discuss how to understand yourself and how to clarify what to stay with through thick and thin, and as Elizabeth Gilbert says, "So the question is not so much “What are you passionate about?” The question is “What are you passionate enough about that you can endure the most disagreea...

Why is it that when one "stops drinking" it seems to be more of a stigma than if one continued drinking as usual? Clare Pooley is determined to make sober fun. New York Times Best Selling author of The Authenticity Project and The Sober Diaries, Clare started writing when she decided to get sober. Clare was a stay at home mom, trying to be the best mom that she could be, when one day, she realized...

Alcohol, the Brain, and Prevention: Learn some surprising facts about alcohol use, the developing brain, and ways to prevent lifelong abuse or problematic use. All materials are for informational and entertainment purposes only. Episodes are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment of any health condition or problem. Any questions regarding your own health should be addressed wi...

In this episode Fiona and Juna talk about consciously finding mentors or role models for behaviors or characteristics that we want to strengthen within ourselves. We can find people we admire, formally or informally. We talk about where to find them and how to know which ones are right for you. We also talk about "copying" others vs. learning from others. We talk about how even people we look up t...

This simple meditation which concludes with a bell, is the 10 day challenge continuation from my 10 day mini-course on Insight Timer (will be published soon). This meditation has no music and no usual introduction because it's meant for you to download and use anytime, anywhere, and eventually, for you to be able to use without needing the audio guidance. Please do not operate a moving vehicle and...

This simple meditation which concludes with a bell, is the 10 day challenge continuation from my 10 day mini-course on Insight Timer (will be published soon). This meditation has no music and no usual introduction because it's meant for you to download and use anytime, anywhere, and eventually, for you to be able to use without needing the audio guidance. Please do not operate a moving vehicle and...

This month was all about relationships but how about our relationship to ourselves? This mini meditation helps you reconnect to your body helping you connect with kindness so you can nurture and care for yourself. The somatosensory nervous system is what we're tapping into on this meditation in order to elicit our relaxation response, the antidote to our stress response. Click the share button and...

Whether you're single or not, you'll get some unique insights on how we meet the special people in our lives. Join me on this Valentine's Day with Jon Birger, an award-winning magazine writer and author of two dating books — Date-onomics: How Dating Became a Lopsided Numbers Game (2015) and Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge (2021). A former senior writer at Fort...

Rx Chill Pill — Meditate Your Brain to Resilience Podcast. It's my monthly chat with Fiona Murden, my great friend, awesome mom, award-winning author, and host of Dot to Dot Podcast.  Each month we sit down to discuss the science and real life applications of topics that help us achieve our highest potential. This episode is about how we can find what we value in our romantic relationships, s...

This mini-meditation will elicit your Relaxation Response, the antidote to your stress response, while you visualize a situation from your past. Have you ever regretted something that happened? Something you said? If you're a normal run of the mill human, the answer is an emphatic "yes". Perhaps you overreacted or you handled a situation less than optimally. Or maybe there's something you want to...

Meditation is not just about sitting still with a mantra. Meditation is also a form of deep learning. Since New Year's Resolutions are so notoriously difficult to stick to, I wrote a guest blog on School of Thought Blog at the Revolution School to shed some light on how we can have a better chance at learning more efficiently. Here's a little recap and practical tips on how to Reflect to Move Forw...