In this episode, I talk with Jeff Sorensen, founder of breathARMY. He shares how the breath became the central tool in his recovery from trauma, addiction, and mental illness. We explore how his years of substance use, time in a Mexican prison, near-death experiences, and struggles with identity led him to discover how breathing habits influence and reflect the nervous system, emotions, and perception of reality.

Jeff explains the power of returning to a natural, effortless breath and how awareness of the breath can help release fear, old patterns, and habitual ways of being. We also discuss how meditation, plant medicine, yoga, pets, and time in nature supported his journey, and how he learned to channel intense energy and emotion into practices that foster healing, presence, freedom, and personal growth.

Connect and Learn More:

Website: breatharmy.com

Facebook: @breathARMY

Instagram: @breatharmy

Resources:

Books

• A World Made New by Paul Selig
• The Quantum Revelation by Paul Levy
• Wetiko by Paul Levy

People

• Paul Levy
• Paul Selig

In this episode, I talk with Steven Puri, co-founder of the focus app Sukha and former Hollywood executive, about focus and flow — what it feels like, why it matters, and how to increase it. We cover a range of tools and techniques, including: sound, physical space, to-do lists, community, solitude, time of day, and simple items like a pencil, paper, and a timer, along with lessons from Hollywood on creating great work and fulfilling your dreams.

Connect and Learn More:

Website: thesukha.co

Email: Shared in the episode

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/steven-puri

Resources Mentioned:

Apps: Brain.fm, Endel, Forest, Todoist

Books: Deep Work by Cal Newport, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Indistractable by Nir Eyal, The Net and the Butterfly by Olivia Fox Cabane & Judah Pollack

Companies: Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Disney, Dreamworks Animation, Fox Corporation, Hilton, LucasFilm, Marvel, Meta, M. Fredric, News Corp, Nike, Oura Health, Pixar, Spiegel, TikTok, Twitter, Universal Studios, Vine, YouTube

Movies: A Good Day to Die Hard, Alien vs. Predator, Ant-Man, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Independence Day: Resurgence, Live Free or Die Hard, Mission: Impossible III, My Best Friend's Wedding, Rain Man, Stargate, Star Trek, The Island, The Mask of Zorro, The Wolverine, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

People: Alex Kurtzman, Bob Iger, Bob Orci, Chase Carey, Dean Devlin, Elon Musk, Evan Spiegel, Francesco Cirillo, George Lucas, Hephaestus (character), Jake Paul, James Clear, James Dean, John Diemer, Judah Pollack, Logan Paul, Mark Zuckerberg, Marie Curie, Michael Jordan, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Nir Eyal, Olivia Fox Cabane, Pablo Picasso, Prometheus (character), Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ronald Bass, Ronald Emmerich, Rupert Murdoch, Spike Jonze, Steve Jobs, Tony Mauro

Places: Austin, Bali, Chiang Mai, Cyprus, Kathmandu, Puerta Vallarta, San Francisco, Vienna

Podcasts: Deep Questions with Cal Newport

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Paul Taylor, author, neuroscientist, exercise physiologist, and host of The Paul Taylor Podcast. He is an expert in hardiness, the science of turning stress into strength.

Modern life is quietly weakening us through the way we eat, move, sleep, socialize, and use technology. By introducing stress, challenge, and discomfort in safe and deliberate ways through exercise, nutrition, temperature, sunlight, and other natural experiences, we can regain our strength and hardiness. This idea is rooted in hormesis, the concept that exposure to manageable stress or challenge can strengthen the body and mind.

We also discuss Paul’s lessons from his upbringing in Ireland, his time in the military, and his experiences as a parent, in sport, and through personal challenges. He shares practical ways to build hardiness in daily life: move regularly, play outside, eat mostly minimally processed foods, limit screen time, set simple rules and routines, gradually increase effort, and reflect on how you spend your time. Seeing life as a challenge and viewing stress as a chance to grow helps us step out of our comfort zone, so we can strengthen ourselves physically and mentally and be better prepared for whatever life throws our way.

Connect and Learn More:

Website: paultaylor.biz

Instagram: @paultaylor.biz

Podcast: The Paul Taylor Podcast

Books: Death by Comfort, and the upcoming The Hardiness Effect

Resources Mentioned:

Books: Antifragile, Elite Minds, Enchiridion, The Black Swan,

People: Arrian, Bengt Saltin, Bente Klarlund Pedersen, Epictetus, Frank Booth, Friedrich Nietzsche, Grant Schofield, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Seneca, Stan Beecham, Walter Mischel