The DPO Project

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss active listening and why clear communication is essential for sustainable relationships.  It's worth developing this skill set and doing reflective exercises to understand what your communication style is and how to improve it.  The guys take a look at what exactly is active listening by drawing from their personal lives. 

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss why art is so important for the well-being of humanity.  Art can be an inspiration or catalyst for change, which is why it's so often banned.  There are many studies on why art therapy, music theory, and dance has a positive effect on emotional regulation and is cathartic. This is why we need to protect it from A.I. because it's the most human way of express...

On this episode Master Zi and Vindesh ask themselves, "what do we truly want."  It's easy to get lost in the daily chaos. We are in the habit of our attention being diverted by family, co-workers, social media.  Furthermore, entitlement and drama pulls us away from our truest desires.  We could spend a lifetime getting lost in the rabbit hole, but whats the anti-dote? Master Zi shares why it's imp...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh talk about the rise of A.I. and the potential, life threatening implications of using this technology.  On one hand, not at all A.I. tech has evil intentions, but then again, it is being programmed and made by humans.   Pioneers of this tech have already stated warnings about misusing artificial intelligence.  We explore how current society trends are prepping us to...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss why learning how to control your mind and thoughts is the most valuable skillset you can set out to achieve.  Breathing techniques are a great tool to bringing us in the present because it requires complete focus to maintain the rhythms.  The guys talk about why cognitive decline is becoming rampant and why stilling the mind is essential for our health.

This week Master Zi and Vindesh pick up where they left off only this time, they offer up solutions and philosophies that serve as an anchor during chaotic times.  This episode we focus on gratitude and why it's the main pillar of contentment.  Gratitude puts us in the present immediately.  We don't express it enough with our loved ones, and that's becoming problematic in our relationships.  Maste...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh introduce part one of a two part conversation that is very concerning to them.  They discuss the underlying mental health issue that is becoming more and more common, especially in crowded cities.  Resiliency is key to maintaining our cool during times of high stress, but with the current upswing in violence across the country, we ask, "what is our threshold for hum...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh continue the conversation about recent research and revelations in neuroscience.  This title seems dramatic, but that's because the research regarding cognitive function is finally sounding the alarm on why current health trends have devastating long term effects.  The slow drip of death is stress that accumulates over time and begins to wear out different parts of...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss new research and revived information from the world of neuroscience.  The most alarming trend is the number of younger people experiencing Alzheimers and other cognitive impairing diseases.  Signs of brain deterioration can begin in the 30s and 40s, which means it is no longer an old age disease. Master Zi shares what that looks like for younger generations...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore the meaning of Buddha and the many ways we see this teaching expressed today.  Master Zi shares his personal stories of how certain family members or athletes display this path daily.  Buddha understood the importance of duty and spoke of fulfilling your duties without seeking validation.  The path to buddhahood is available to all of this because it isn't a...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss the concept that the first definition of love meant unsolicited devotion.  This meaning has been lost in this current society because somewhere along the way love and relationships have become transactional.  As we steer farther and farther away from this idea, we find that our overall health declines.  The guys discuss this topic after Vin’s family trip to...

This week Master Zi and Caitlin discuss what's really important in life, which is being in the now.  Vindesh is on vacation in India and having a great time with his family in their homeland.  The experiences they make there will definitely be life long memories.  Memories are all we have at the end, and that's why Master Zi has a special message he'd like to share on this podcast.  Our community...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss the news cycle and how it doesn't always benefit us.  Vindesh reads from The Mahabharata, a Vedic philosophic text from thousands of years ago.  The Mahabharata is an epic.  The stories are timely in the sense they reflect the human condition, which honestly hasn't changed that much.  We still have petty wars, famine, kings, and despite having access to know...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss current pop-culture trends and why mass censorship is ruining relationships.  The petty dictator is the voice within that chimes when you feel like you need to police other people’s opinions and thoughts.  We look at why entitlement stifles growth and why the search for inner peace will lead you way from inner peace.  The guys also give their take on Chris R...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss why it's important to understand cause and effect.  Understanding what caused the event to happen is a key to preventing or being better prepared for it if it happens again.  We see this play out with health all the time.  We know processed foods have additives that aren't beneficial to our health at all, so we see a rise in diabetes.  It doesn't just stop a...

This week Zi and Vindesh discuss tough love and ask, "is it ever unhealthy to love too much."  Zi shares his philosophical insights on how love is described by the yoga sadhus and ancients.  Perhaps, we can love those too much to the point that we enable them or their unhealthy habits because we think it's best for them.  We see this in the west with relationships, we love our parent or spouse who...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss the importance of taking the time to reflect and know yourself.  As it is said in the Tao Te Ching, “those who look for other’s approval will always be their slave.”   If we can learn to better understand  the self, then we have an opportunity to navigate the world with less woes.  Fate is a wayward mistress that will visit us at the worst time, but at least...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh welcome a guest, Rob Stone, who is a student of Zi's to the podcast.  Rob was invited on this podcast episode because he wanted to learn more about current dating trends and hear Rob's experience especially with online dating. Zi asks the question that if we're not trying to create and maintain quality relationships, then are we just waiting to die?  Statistics show...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh talk about the myths of the sustainability movement.  Electric cars, green packaging, and ditching natural gas are not the end all be all towards saving the planet.  In fact, the hunt for the minerals and elements to make these "green" versions are just as disruptive.  This narrative has moved into our every day lives and interactions with people.  How far can we ta...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh have a conversation about mourning and moving forward after a period of grief.  Grief plays a big role in our lives and we do it whenever we've lost something we've really cared about or loved.  In the west, we're given a few days to take the time and bury our dead, but then are expected to get back to work and life like it never happened.  It's important to move on...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore what makes Finland the happiest country in the world. What are the markers of happiness?  We also talk about how control stifles happiness.  It’s challenging dealing with uncertainty, but if we allow room for divine intervention, it can ease our suffering.   The guys discuss why they think controlling behavior is destructive.

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss the intricacies of navigating relationships with close ones even when it's challenging.  Zi is a big fan of dynamic meditation as a technique to use when you find yourself in awkward or unpleasant situations.  We all have that one person in our family that we need to exercise a lot of boundaries with.  If you've ever asked yourself, "how do I deal with so-so...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh continue to explore the current health trends and reflect on the closing of 2022.  Master Zi shares one of his favorite Taoist excerpts, "a master takes bitters everyday, because every day is hard." We talk about why it's hard to practice gratitude and what gets in the way of our contentment. Life is bittersweet so we might as well enjoy the ride!

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore a world without substance.  It sounds bleak at first, but every generation has faced a moment where they are confronted with new technology and culture shifts.  What makes this one so different? AI, crypto, and VR are amazing advancements.  What isn’t advancing is the human condition.  This week Zi shares excerpts from the Tao and Vedas in order to understan...

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore reciprocity and what that really looks like played out in our daily lives and relationships.  All relationships have a mutual benefit, or at least they should.  This is a principle from the Vedas, which Master Zi elaborates on it's meaning in the contemporary moment.  As the year comes to a close, we are often pulled in so many directions with holiday partie...