Plant Yourself merch designed by my daughter, Yael Zivan.

Stress

The Stunning New Science of Breathing:
Dr Ryan Robinson on PYP 422

Ryan Robinson, DDS, is a unicorn in the medical world: a dentist who helps people open up their airways and learn how to breathe properly.

Breathe properly? What are you talking about?, I hear you say. If I’m alive, then I must be breathing properly, right?

Not exactly.

Read More

Empathy is Stronger than Fear: Glenn Murphy on PYP 416

Glenn Murphy returns to Plant Yourself to talk about how we can self-regulate our emotions and actions during a time of great societal upheaval and division.

We talk about our own impulses to “fight” with others, and where there’s a messy intertwining of good intentions and unresolved psychological issues.

We discuss the physiology of the stress response, particularly as it relates to the shame and guilt that accompanies some of our attempts to right wrongs and redress injustices.

Read More

The Practice of Compassionate Self-Care During Times of Crisis: Bojana Jankovic Weatherly, MD on PYP 411

Dr Bojana Jankovic Weatherly is one of my favorite physicians, double board certified in internal and integrative medicine. She has also trained in functional medicine, nutrition and mindfulness.

Dr Jankovic Weatherly is a real stickler for evidence of efficacy, whatever modality she’s exploring or recommending. Which makes her a very reliable podcast guest, especially when talking about topics not fully embraced by mainstream medical practice.

And, she’s a mom struggling to homeschool two children in a New York apartment while working full time from home.

Read More

Self-Care: PYP 394

Some of us have had more time for self-care over the past few weeks than we even know what to do with. And we’re loving it.

How can we take advantage of this time to make ourselves, our families, our communities, and our societies healthier and more compassionate?

Read More

Stress and Resilience in the Time of Pandemic with Glenn Murphy: PYP 385

Glenn Murphy returns to the podcast in the nick of time, to help understand, manage, and overcome stress reactions and symptoms in this time of fear, lockdown, and uncertainty.

He shares an evolutionary perspective on why this pandemic produces stress responses unlike other typical stressors, and offers exercises, solutions, and mindsets to help us get through and build our resilience along the way.

Read More

The Illusion and Reality of Control: PYP 382

In a world in which we have virtually no control, how do we assert control in a useful way?

Read More

Lost in the Land of the Liars: PYP 371

There’s a logic puzzle, well-known to those of us who never dated in high school, about an island that’s inhabited by two tribes – the Liars and the Truthtellers. It’s impossible to tell them apart by looks.

You’re on this island, at a fork in the road, lost and confused, and you want to know which road takes you to the village. Especially because the other road leads to a dangerous dragon.

You meet a native of the island, and get to ask one question. What question can you ask to find your way to the village?

Read More

Should You Sanitize Your Environment?: PYP 363

The public health crisis was going to be unprecedented, and catastrophic.

As the Americans clumsily extricated themselves from the Vietnam War in the early 1970s, tens of thousands of US troops would be returning home. And by some estimates, 90% of them had become addicted to heroin during their tour of duty.

Read More

Stephen Porges, PhD, on Safety as the Most Important Thing: PYP 340

For my money, Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory has done more to improve our ability to heal and grow and thrive as a civilization than any other scientific breakthrough of the past 50 years.

Its advances over prior understandings of the human nervous system, psychology, and experiences of states like well-being, happiness, and love – are profound. Paradigm-shifting. And, unlike a lot of theory, incredible practical and applicable to our everyday lives.

Read More

The Health Benefits of the “Poor Mans’ Meat” with Jeff Chilton: PYP 313

Today’s a huge departure for this podcast. For the first time, we explore the virtues of eating something other than plants.No, don’t worry. I haven’t gone paleo or keto or carnivore (although one of my prior guests has (SMH)). I’m not into fish oil or organic beef liver or hummingbird tongue.Today we explore an entire kingdom that can boost our immune function, mood, and possibly bring us sanity: fungi.

Read More