I had all of the things and yet, I was at this point where I didn’t want to live.

I believe this is one of the most important episodes of Stay Grounded I’ve ever recorded.

Suicide is a big killer among men my age and there’s a common thread – we don’t know how to talk about depression or feelings of isolation, or how to ask for help and support during dark times.

When I first met Chris Plough, I was deeply moved by his depth of empathy, care, and sensitivity. This is a man who’s experienced suicide from both sides. Not only has he been close to taking his own life – the first time aged just 16 – but he lost both his parents in a homicide-suicide.

In this vulnerable conversation, Chris shares the emotions involved so we can better understand what it feels like to have suicidal tendencies. He also explains the tangible steps we can all take to help someone transform their suicidal thoughts into something beautiful.

Suicide is taboo, and it shouldn’t be. Fortunately, Chris found support from an empathetic friend, which helped to kick-start a journey of compassion and unconditional self-love. Now we can all learn from his experiences – so we’re better positioned to support people who need it… and be there when someone feels alone.

In this beautiful episode, Chris and I explore:

1. What is self-love?
2. The role of patience in your self-love journey.
3. How to be an empathetic listener.
4. The three isolation creators.
5. How to share suicidal thoughts to help a listener receive them.
6. The difference between conditional and unconditional love.
7. Using self-care to honor yourself and avoid dark places.
8. What your vulnerability can invite in others.
9. And more…

Chris is on a mission to ‘Liberate Humanity’. He’s doing this through his work at AdventureX where he creates experiences that provide space and freedom for people. He’s also a sought-after speaker who makes space to be an empathetic witness for people who need it.

https://www.youtu.be/AR8wz3NLz10

Chris Plough

There’s so much wisdom in knowing yourself.

How do you create an inspiring vision for your life and then turn that vision into your everyday reality?

I believe we all have an idea of the kind of life we want to live. We all have dreams we want to fulfil and an inner knowing of who we could be and what would make our hearts sing.

The question is, are you giving yourself permission to articulate that vision and then take the steps necessary to bring it to life?

If this is an area of your life where you could do with a hand, this episode’s guest is your man!

I’m super pumped to introduce your new friend, Mr Jason R. Ayers.

Jason is an entrepreneur, operations optimizer, process engineer, and relentless problem-solver with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He has spent most of his life studying leadership, the psychology of achievement, performance management, systems, marketing, automation, business, and sales.

He’s a certified Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner, which helps him to get his clients into action when they’re feeling stuck, trapped, or blocked.

Above all, Jason is a problem-solving Integrator who empowers people to not only create their visions but to expand them into their fullest potential. So if you’re looking for a shot of inspiration so you can live into the fullness of who you are and your vision for your life, this episode is for you.

Jason is an incredible human who moves through life with a beautiful tempo and speed. He’s a man who’s passionate about doing the inner work necessary to extract your true vision, and is well versed in dancing with the shadows as well as the light.

I just loved diving into the rabbit hole with this inspiring man to talk about all of this good stuff!

1. How to create the space to be introspective.
2. Why time is relative.
3. Exactly where do our limiting stories come from?
4. The importance of exploring shadow work.
5. Why playing small keeps you safe.
6. The important difference between desire and choice.
7. How travel can shift your perspective.
8. Jason’s mountain analogy for limitless living.
9. What happens when you make the choice to not walk this path alone.
10. How to save yourself a lot of anguish.
11. And more.

If you know you could be doing more with your life and you’re excited to discover the right path for you, I encourage you to carve out some time for Jason. You never know, you might just hear the thing you need to move forward in an aligned and inspired way.

JR.ason Ayers

Mindfulness is being aware and accepting of our present moment experience with curiosity and compassion.

What is the soul?

Why are we afraid of dying?

How can we feel more present, peaceful, and connected to the truth of who we are?

It’s not often you get a chance to discuss questions like these with a mindfulness thought leader with the depth of experience and insight like Mitra Manesh.

Mitra is a UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center Instructor with over 3.5 decades of experience in this area. She also has a private practice where she works with celebrity clients as well as multinational corporations including Merrill Lynch, Hugo Boss, Amazon, and more. Her North Star is making conscious living and working more available and accessible to the global community.

As you know, presence and staying grounded is something I’m passionate about so I couldn’t wait to dive into Mitra’s wisdom. And we went deep – discussing topics we all think about but are secretly afraid to explore.

I absolutely LOVED this conversation. So much of what Mitra said touched me at a soul-level, and I’m sure the same will be true for you.

Tune in now to hear about:

1. What is the soul?
2. Mitra’s five-part definition of mindfulness [don’t miss this].
3. How to work with your ego so it doesn’t hold you back.
4. Where the ego obtains information to define its identity.
5. Why a gratitude practice balances out your overthinking, doubting mind.
6. Why we don’t need to be afraid of death.
7. How celebrities really feel on Oscar night.
8. The three child parenting analogy that explains mindfulness perfectly.
9. How a heart monitor revealed the secret of life to Mitra.
10. The ‘right’ path to oneness.
11. And more…

Born in the East and trained in the West, Mitra’s approach blends corporate training with Eastern inner-work practices to help people live, love, and lead more consciously at home and at work.

A meditator since 1985, Mitra has studied extensively with renowned teachers and explored various disciplines including Taoism, TM, and meditation.

On top of all of that, she’s also the host of the Lights On podcast as well as the creator of InnerMap – a mindfulness storytelling and coaching app for ‘anyone, anywhere, at any level’.

I just know you’re going to love bathing yourself in Mitra’s wisdom. Her insights and experiences are going to connect with you on a deep level leaving you feeling empowered, inspired, and excited about how you can live your life in a more mindful way.

Mitra Manesh

Every emotion serves us, but once we know how it’s serving us and why, now we have a choice of how to use it as a tool.

There’s no question that our minds are a beautiful tool for enhancing our human experience. But what happens when you overuse your mind and neglect the wisdom in your body and feelings?  If you rely on one aspect of self, you’re not coming from a place of wholeness. If you’re not tapping into the emotions created by your body, you’re missing out on a whole chunk of knowledge ready to enrich your experience of life.

There’s just one problem…

Why are we so afraid of the way we feel? Fortunately, this episode’s guest – the magical Kristi Worful – has some much-needed answers.

It’s not uncommon for people to struggle with their emotions. From a young age, we’re taught that some feelings are good while others are bad. We’re taught that some emotions are OK to express while others need to be pushed right back down. It’s left us in a state of confusion and distrust about what our body is ready to teach us.

It can take courage to experience your emotions fully. But as you’ll hear in this episode, the more you allow, the bigger your capacity becomes for richness, fullness, and unapologetic self-expression.

If you choose, your emotions can be your gateway to expression and purpose.

As the creator of Sanga and an experienced consciousness practitioner, Kristi Worful is highly skilled at empowering people to explore, work with, and process their full emotional spectrum.

Sanga is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before. This empowering ecosystem blends the art and science of human transformation. Through her studio in Utah, Kristi guides clients through an immersive sound and visual art experience, which opens the subconscious mind and rewires the brain for creativity and healing. It’s a magical experience that helps people connect with their heart, tune into their desires, and connect more fully with their higher self.

Listen to this episode to hear about:

• The specific stages of human awakening.
• How do you build the courage to trust your intuition?
• Why is it so hard to be honest with yourself?
• What is authenticity?
• The true purpose of desire.
• How do you make a decision when you fear it will cause your life to unravel?
• Tips for working with your emotional patterns.
• The transformational impact of accessing a healing space

Kristi Worful

EP. 130 When you just leave your mind alone for extended periods of time, you start to see profound depths and profound stillness

We live in beautiful times where meditation is no longer a fringe ritual. You can even practice on your phone in the comfort of your home any time you choose!

This is good news because meditation as a practice offers profound benefits. You can expect everything from the ability to create stillness and clarity to an awareness of the vast potential we have as humans.

But what happens if you’re a ‘bad’ meditator?

And what layers are we really uncovering when we sit with stillness and become the observer of our thoughts?

In this powerful episode, mindfulness teacher Jon Krop explains how you can use meditation to live more skillfully in the modern world. His insights could be life-changing for you.

Jon Krop is a Harvard-educated lawyer and mindfulness expert who’s been meditating for over 13 years. Through his company Mindfulness For Lawyers, Jon has taught mindfulness at Harvard, Yale, the Pentagon, the world’s top law firms, Fortune 100 companies, and other organizations.

His obsession for mindfulness began at law school as he explored strategies to increase his grades and get a cognitive edge. After a chance meeting in Argentina led him to study with the Dalai Lama’s Latin American translator, Jon explored the spiritual benefits too. Although Jon has studied with traditional Buddhist teachers, his teaching style resonates with people who aren’t drawn to chanting, crystals, and new age overtones. If that sounds like you then you’ll especially love this interview!

Given our current times, an ability to create stillness, reduce stress, and increase mental clarity is more important than ever – and Jon is here to help you walk that essential path.

Here’s a taste of what Jon and I discuss:

• The story of Jon’s transition from law to mindfulness.
• The power of week-long meditation retreats.
• Jon’s response to coronavirus.
• The potency of impermanence and why we need to embody this reality.
• How to feel grounded enough to surrender.
• The potential of these times to spark transformation and transcendence.
• How do you empower someone who ‘can’t’ meditate.
• What is meditation supposed to look like?
• And more!

Check it out.

Jon Krop

EP. 126 My definition for hypnosis is ‘meditation with a goal’.

Why do we find it so difficult to do the things we really want to do? Why do we struggle to build the business of our dreams, create the abundance we crave, or attract the perfect partner?

In this episode, you’ll discover that all your beliefs and habits originate in your subconscious. You can’t rewire these parts of you through logic alone, instead, you need to access the power of suggestion – and that’s only available to you when your brain is in a theta state.

It’s for this reason that hypnosis is such a powerful and transformative technique. Guide yourself into theta state and you can dial down fear, and do the deep, inner work that rewires what you believe about yourself. Then anything becomes possible.

And in this important episode, Grace Smith – a pioneer in the hypnotherapy field reveals how. Listen to this episode and not only will you discover the theoretical reasons why hypnotherapy works. You’ll also experience the benefits through a group hypnosis exercise. Don’t miss it

After quitting her chain smoking habit with a single session, Grace Smith instinctively understood the immense power of hypnotherapy. Inspired to learn more about how the mind works, Grace committed to getting certified – then Alex changed her life…

Alex was left paralyzed when his convoy was bombed during a UN peace mission in Syria. In Alex’s first hypnotherapy session with Grace, he was able to move his left hand. This was the turning point for Grace and ignited her mission to make hypnosis mainstream.

Today, Grace is an author, speaker, and pioneer in the hypnotherapy field. She works with Fortune 500 CEOs, A-list celebrities, Olympic athletes, and government officials. She’s also the Founder of the world’s #1 provider of hypnosis education, products and services and leads a world-class hypnotherapy certification program. Her work has been featured in everything from Marie Claire to Forbes and Entrepreneur.

1. Why is hypnotherapy such an effective tool inside crisis and chaos?
2. How do you get started with hypnosis?
3. The importance of believability when using hypnosis to transform your life.
4. The real reason hypnosis can be a solution to just about anything.
5. The importance of going back to the source in hypnotherapy.
6. Why trauma-causing events always happen earlier than you think.
7. Grace’s personal journey to hypnotherapy.
8. The story of Alex and how hypnosis helped him break through paralysis.
9. And more…

Grace Smith

Pro Bono sessions for Essential Medical Workers working directly with COVID-19 Patients: Text “PROBONO” to (772) 932-5831 to be paired with a Grace Space hypnotherapist for a phone session ASAP