#14: Scott & Lauri - Cass Phelps Flips The Script and Interviews Us

Nyei Murez, MA, is our good friend and a former teacher at the Hub. She is the founder of Creation in Flow, hosting programs for creative writers, musicians, and artists, as well as individual and group sound journeys. As a student of Carlos Castaneda and his colleagues Florinda Donner-Grau, Taisha Abelar, and Carol Tiggs, she studies and facilitates others in shamanic practices that originate in Mexico and California of ancient times. A flutist and sound dreamer, she helps others to use breath, movement, and sound as bridges to the wisdom and light of the soul. In this podcast, she shares how she applies what she learned from her shamanic teachers to how we tell stories as expressive artists. check out Nyei's offerings at: www.creationinflow.com Follow her on Instagram @creationinflow

Scott Schwenk is a Meditation Teacher, Master Coach and Mindful Alchemist. He was the one who introduced Lauri to breathwork, and the idea for the Hub was forged through the one-on-one sessions they did together. Scott's teachings, through a mixture of Dharma talks, Meditations and Breathwork Practices, guide seekers to explore their deepest selves leading them to live their lives free from tension and full of trust. For more information go to: www.scottschwenk.com and follow @thescottschwenk on Instagram

Kaitlin Huwe is a a multi-talented artist. She is an actor, singer, writer, the founder of wonderwell creative and much more. Kaitlin and I first met at UCLA, after I had graduated and while she was still a student. In this conversation we revisit the day that we met, why she got interested in yoga at such a young age, how she eventually started working and teaching at the Hub, and we dive deep on her unique journey as a human and an artist. follow Kaitlin @kaitlin_huwe and find out more about @the.wonderwell on Instagram and visit the wonderwell creative website for more information on upcoming events, and to become a founding member of the wonderwell embodiment studio. Listen to the full HUESA EP you tried to leave me burning on Spotify.

In this episode Cass takes the lead and interviews us, asking us questions about our journey together and providing valuable feedback and insight. Check out Lauri's new interior design website here: www.LauriWestfall.com

Cass is back on the podcast. Cass is a Somatic Movement therapist, certified Reiki Master, Sound Healing therapist and lifelong musician.  The Gift Process Live 3 Month Virtual Program Starts 1/17/2021. To register and learn more, go here: https://awake-one.com/gift-process Some of the topics that we cover in this episode are: The Eternal Foundation / Source Grounding Purpose The Relational Field: Co-Creating from Authentic Being Nature vs Culture Innate Essence  The Flow of Creation Internal Referencing vs External Referencing  Nature vs Culture and being disconnected from our Innate Knowing How the agreements of culture can leads to confusion about who and what we are The Three Phases of The Gift Process: RECEIVE — Discover your Gift. Understand the effortless path of Inspiration that lays before you. All life has an innate gift. It is the law of nature. Discovering and sharing our gift is an effortless process when you know-how. Our culture tells us that we are not enough and to look outside of ourselves to become whole. But your innate being knows better and your Gift is ready to guide and nourish you to realize your full potential.  NOURISH — This crucial step is often overlooked and is missing in all aspects of our education systems and western culture. Learning to nourish from our innate gift/power is the difference between a master and a novice. In this Phase, you learn to turn-inward and Receive all the brilliant, powerful aspects of yourself that you naturally carry and allow the essence of your being to continually fill you up with all the resources you require. This step gives you the innate knowing of your value and worth magnetizing to you the opportunities you desire.  SHARE — Once the internal Resourcing is in place we begin to overflow with our innate Gift and share it in effortless balance and sustainability.  We naturally start to bear fruit and SHARE from our Inspiration. Learning to share from overflow teaches you how to listen to your Gift and let it guide you through the in's and out's of Sharing Your Gift With The World. 

Ruben Rivera (@RubenRivera10p on IG) is a 1st Degree Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Eddie Bravo, he is the former head coach of both 10th Planet Santa Fe and 10th Planet Costa Mesa, and is currently the owner of 10th Planet Dallas. I had an awesome time chatting with Ruben about his perspective on growing up in Santa Fe, how he found jiu jitsu, overcoming adversity and continually working to become a better version of himself. It's always an honor to speak with someone who has a longstanding commitment to the mastery of a particular pursuit, in this case jiu jitsu, because I find these types of people tend to drop pearls of wisdom wherever they go, and if I'm paying careful attention, I can be fortunate enough to pluck a few of those pearls up and work to integrate them into my own practice. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. Ruben has a Jiu Jitsu fight this Friday August 21st at Fight 2 Win Dallas, which you can stream live on FloGrappling.com Some Topics Discussed: Santa Fe, the good, the beautiful and the challenging Ruben's journey to combat sports, martial arts and jiu jitsu DIY Boxing on the basketball courts Learning how technique often beats size and strength First being introduced to brazilian jiu jitsu via the documentary Choke featuring Rickson Gracie Learning his first two BJJ techniques informally from a friend: arm bar from bottom guard and scissor sweep Intuitively using that arm bar on his bigger cousin during an impromptu wrestling match Still not formally training BJJ, but arm barring fools whenever he got the chance Joining a band, getting carried away with partying and drinking, and getting called out for having a beer belly as a teenager Wanting to get in shape and having the light bulb go off to learn to fight and get into shape at the same time Finding Undisputed Fitness, and his first real martial arts mentor, Tait Fletcher Hitting that arm bar in his first formal BJJ class Having things finally start coming together as he started seriously training in martial arts Training and competing and how it naturally began raising the bar for his health and wellness, which created positive feedback loops that helped him feel better, raise his self-esteem and get out of debilitating pain he had lived with for years Developing personal authority when so called authority figures give poor advice Creating meaning and purpose, and specifically through a practice rooted in adversity Jiu jitsu and practicality over theory

Adam Ticknor (www.adamticknor.com/ @adam_ticknor on IG) is a dear friend and one of those amazing people who from one perspective may seem like a paradox or a walking contradiction, but from another perspective represents how seemingly dualistic or mutually exclusive things combine to form an inseparable whole. In this episode we explore how a sniper trained in the mastery of violence can simultaneously be a gentle and kind purveyor of peace in service to humanity. I love people and ideas that require one to drop preconceptions and embrace paradoxes in order to come to a deeper understanding and appreciation. Adam, his personal philosophy and this conversation definitely do that for me. You may not agree with everything that is said in this episode, though fortunately that is not the point. Check out Adam's website for more information on his Online Body Language Course, plus Health, Wellness, Survival & Tactical concepts. Some topics discussed: Working at a library in high school and recognizing similarities between christianity, buddhism, taoism, parables and how they applied to  Flow state and being Present in outdoor activities Violence as a tool to be used with discretion rather than it using you Coming to a deeper understanding of Taoist ideas through becoming a sniper i.e. becoming one with nature to blend in because lives depend on it Learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable from an early age Being unique and not adopting an identity or path from the external world Apprenticeship and experientially dense education vs information dense education Learning with high stakes, i.e. Life and Death Effective communication as a key to flow in relationship and teamplay Duality of Violence and Peace Incorporating body language consciously into communication How suppressing negative emotions creates patterns in the body by locking up tissue How body language relates to physical performance Using body language to facilitate win-win situations Practicing a spiritual practice versus embodying, integrating and living a spiritual practice

Lorenzo Hernandez is the owner of Undisputed Fitness (www.undisputedfitness.com/) in Santa Fe, NM, the founder of Movement Unlimited (www.movement-unlimited.org/), a husband, a father and a leader. Before he became any of theses things, Lorenzo undertook a heroic journey of transformation that took him from living the fast life, moving millions of dollars worth of cannabis, to federal prison. Prison is where Lorenzo truly took responsibility for the life he had created, and where he first started becoming a leader, coaching fellow inmates through crossfit workouts while serving his sentence and completing his rehabilitation. Once on the other side of incarceration, Lorenzo has not looked back and now leads an amazing family of coaches and students at Undisputed Fitness, in addition to helping lead his family of two children with his wife Jennifer. We discuss his journey in detail and also highlight lessons learned and tools acquired along the way.  Some topics we discuss: The effect of not having a strong/healthy male role model while growing up Physical Abuse, Acting out and finding identity through "being cool" and partying Writing as a creative outlet for self-directed healing  Developing emotional awareness Dealing (or not dealing) with abuse, trauma, tragedy and loss Going from casually selling drugs to moving millions of dollars worth of cannabis The Ultimate Saturn Return: Going to Prison at 30 Being accountable and truly taking responsibility for your actions and mistakes The road to redemption, training and learning to coach and be a leader while in prison How to lead and build a team that continues to grow and evolve Creating a welcoming and supportive growth environment Learning to train adaptive athletes - Movement Unlimited

In this episode I interview my good friend Jarrett Babincsak. I'm particularly pleased with this podcast because of the ground that we covered. We start out by discussing how we initially met, which was through our passion for hunting and the outdoors. We then cut into the meat of the conversation where we discuss starting a journey of self-awareness and healing, dealing with old wounds and traumas, being affected by anxiety, depression and suicide and finding support in transforming and releasing old baggage in order to reconnect with our true nature, specifically as men. Some topics that we cover: Hunting as a Spiritual Pursuit Hunting and Conservation, protecting wild animals and wild places for those still "within the womb of time" (full Teddy Roosevelt quote below) Being open to changing your mind/beliefs, growing and evolving Connecting to our Essence to unwind the false personality Starting a journey of self-awareness and healing to reclaim our Essence Acknowledging, identifying and taking responsibility for transforming trauma and releasing baggage Finding outlets and support as men for being vulnerable and giving voice to what needs to be felt, processed or resolved Depression, anxiety, suicide and social stigma around mental/emotional health & wellbeing Living with trauma response patterns far after the traumatic events have ended Having compassion for ourselves where we come up short Reconnecting with our true nature / inner child Finding and creating supportive containers to do this type of work    Jarrett's Article In Outdoor Life: https://www.outdoorlife.com/alone-together-father-son-hunting-story/ Full Theodore Roosevelt Quote that Scott butchered in the show: "Defenders of the short-sighted men who in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things sometimes seek to champion them by saying the 'the game belongs to the people.' So it does; and not merely to the people now alive, but to the unborn people. The 'greatest good for the greatest number' applies to the number within the womb of time, compared to which those now alive form but an insignificant fraction. Our duty to the whole, including the unborn generations, bids us restrain an unprincipled present-day minority from wasting the heritage of these unborn generations. The movement for the conservation of wild life and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method."

Our close friend Joerael Numina (website: www.joerael.com and Instagram @joerael_gangthewolf) joins us on the podcast to discuss his visual art practice and its complex universe. Some topics that we cover include: Finding The Path as an Artist Graffiti Culture Ethics within an "illegal" Counter Culture The Medicine of Graffiti Complexity in Art, Culture, Relationships and Communication Holistic Approach to Creating Public Works of Art Raving as a Path to Healing Cultivating Change via Compassion, Conviction, Respect & Action