The Reality Check Podcast

Are we doomed to repeat our past? To inflict upon our children what was inflicted upon us? If we are a product of our genetics intersecting with our environment, how can we break the cycle once and for all? In this episode I story of my past and why that has led me to give away all 17 of my books for free. Want all of my books for free? Just sign up to my email list! If this episode has resonated...

No talking. No writing. No touching. Just 10+ hours a day meditating for 10 days straight… In this episode I share my experiences on a 10 day silent retreat at Dhamma Aloka , under the instruction of S.N. Goenka where I learnt the technique of Vipassana meditation. Here I share the lessons learnt, the insights acquired, and give my analysis of the experience. Simply put, it was one of the most pro...

What do you do when you are genetically predisposed to have negative reactions to antidepressants, have lost your job, have had little success with talking therapies, and have not yet processed the trauma of the past? Answer: Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) This episode is a collaboration with Dr Jenelle Tupek , director and founder of Balanced Membranes Heath Education , and the host of t...

What is scarier: sitting in silence or the fact that you are afraid to sit in silence? In this episode I discuss how technology has granted us the ability to endlessly occupy the space that was once filled with silence. The benefits of which are obvious: education, entertainment, content and connection - but at what cost? What do we lose by blocking off access to such a fundamental aspect of the h...

It feels like every tradition has a prescription on how you should sit; where to hold your hands, what to do with your eyes, and how you should handle sleepiness and pain are all prescribed. For advanced practitioners, these suggestions should be heeded, but for beginners, they can be a hindrance - one that can be so off prescriptive and off putting that it may cause said beginner to stop practici...

Part product of the past, part vision for the future, part desire to live a meaningful life, part belief that I can make a difference … In this episode I break down the reasons why I feel compelled to share my soul online, discussing the journey I took to get here and where I am hoping to go. If you are wanting an in depth look at ‘my why’, this is for you. Links mentioned: Under The Influence, Re...

How much of our reality do we create? Not from a ‘woo woo’ sense, but as a function of the result of the interaction between our past and our particular genetic predispositions? If we have faced significant life challenges, and have a fearful disposition, there is a chance that we will view the world and our future pessimistically. Alternatively, if we have had success, and have a positive disposi...

Buy more. Do more. Be more. Consume more. Watch more… This seems to be the mantra of modern society and it is kill us. We are losing our communities, forgetting our art, and wasting our lives, all in pursuit of an ever diminishing in value dollar and ever rising expectations to keep up with the proverbial Joneses. In this episode I read the poem ‘ capitalistic desire ’ from my book Wage Slave: The...

The difference between expectation and reality is often the source of significant discontent. Life trains us to search for ideals: the perfect partner, job, life, outcome. Unfortunately this almost never arises and even if it did, it would be fleeting. Thus there is a real potential for ongoing and almost contentious self inflicted suffering. Thankfully, happiness is closer than you think. By embr...

What greater gift can you give someone than the gift of presence? When you are fully present, mindful, and in the moment, you are able to give all those around you access to the best version of you, and thus the moment they are in with you. In this episode, I share with you a guided meditation that I have released on Insight Timer . It is based on the intersection between the following two quotes:...

‘Stuck Inside My Mind’ Freestyle improv poetry. Watch the video on Instagram , and read the full poem here . Current offerings: - Insight Timer : guided audio courses & free meditations - Skillshare : video courses on personal development - How To Get Your Sh!t Together : the last self-help book you will ever read - Bound To The Wings of a Butterfly : best selling poetry collection - How To Wr...

The more you know about yourself the better choices you will make and thus the better life you will lead. In this episode I share some recent instances of deep personal insight where I discover things about myself that are both good, bad, and ugly. I share the importance of such discoveries as well as the ways in which I (and you can) foster further insights into your own nature. Resources mention...

Yesterday, a friend asked me how to meditate, that talk inspired this episode. Here is my guidance for absolute beginners: 1: sit comfortably (no pain or sleepiness) 2: set a timer for 5 minutes 3: pick a meditation object (breath, vision, sound) 4: when you notice a wandering kind, bring it back to focus. A successful session is one that you complete, ideally every day! For further instruction on...

When you dedicate yourself to one thing, the lessons learnt begin to help you with everything. In this episode I discuss the quote by Miyamoto Musashi 'If you know the way broadly you will see it in all things' - applying the lessons I have learnt in martial arts, poetry, meditation, chess and life to one another, discussing the intersection between them all, as well as some of the implications an...

Two weeks ago I began transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to treat my depression, anxiety and PTSD. 10 sessions in and I am starting to see significant progress. In this episode I share my experiences of the process and my hopes for the future. Current offerings: - Insight Timer : guided audio courses & free meditations - Skillshare : video courses on personal development - How To Get Your...

The moment we label something, it is limited. The label isn’t the truth, it is a representation of, it’s a finger pointing to the moon, it is a suggestion of possibility that always falls short of reality. In this episode I share the following poem and muse about its implications, leaving you with the spiritual practice of looking beyond the label, to see what it is pointing to, pulling it all the...

In this session I share the audio from my presentation in the Breaking Boxes ‘Power Of Connection Summit’, where I joined seven other presenters over two days to talk on all things connection. My talk was titled ‘Connection From Within The Darkness’ - I talk about the disconnect we often feel to ourselves and the world following trauma and how we can being healing from it. This session begins with...

Life will shoot us with the first arrow - these are real injuries, setbacks, losses and pain. But the greater cause of our suffering comes form ‘the second arrow’ - the fear, anxieties, ruminations, and other internal mechanisations that we dwell upon. In this episode I discuss the concept of the second arrow, as well as how we can use it to eliminate significant amounts of excess (and useless) su...

In this episode I share a guided meditation that I shared on the Insight Timer app. What if you were to give thanks in advance for the wonderful things that were going to happen? - And what if you used that question to reframe your gratitude practice into the future? In this session we contemplate this concept and suggest how it could be adapted to reduce anxiety and increase positivity and presen...

In this session I share a guided meditation that I shared on the Insight Timer app. This track is an invitation to explore the beauty of the present moment. To stop the rush and to settle into the now. It begins with a discussion of the benefits of finding opportunities to meditate through out the day and then goes into a mindful story. Join me on a journey towards the peace of the present moment...

This is the story of a dark night of the soul, of traversing the depths of despair, and of rebirth. It is the story of transformation from a shadow version of myself into my embodied fullness. It is the story of reintegration with my body after years of trauma, and of letting go of old wounds and identities that no longer serve me. It is a story of reframing my inner world, from victim hood into s...

Will mindfulness meditation lead to enlightenment? In this talk I respond to an email from follower on Insight Timer who has found some contradictory advice relating to their meditation practice and the goal of enlightenment. I go deep on the different interpretations of awakening presented by different practices/instructors, and offer some guidance for everyone moving forward. If this episode has...

Every Christmas season I talk on this topic, because every Christmas season I am reminded of just how overwhelming, panic inducing and confusing it all can be. Thankfully I am learning from the past and have realised the need for intervention, prevention, and pre-emptive attention to self-care and preparation to stay sane over the next few months. So with that said I want to share with you the fol...

Last night I woke enraged. At the world. At my family. At my job. At myself. I was lying in bed in a state of utter tension; with a headache, racing heart, and complete emotional overwhelm. Then, a moment of detachment. A breath. A reminder of my mindfulness practice and the realisation of two fundamental truths of my current predicament. 1: All of my pain was coming from inside of me. In that mom...

Perhaps like me, you are struggling with a collection of symptoms and functionality issues. Some days are amazing, but other days you just fall apart. The people around you have suggested that perhaps you may have ADHD or ASD or some other kind of neurodivergence, but you are unsure if you should seek a diagnosis. The stigma, shame, and self blame block you form acting, yet you know that if you do...