From Himalayan Caves to Healing Chocolate: Lisa Reinhardt on Meditation, Mindfulness, and Cacao as Medicine (006)
Release Date: 06/18/2025
Healing Isn’t in Your Head: Why You Can’t Bypass What Lives in Your Body with Brittny King (012)
The Vitalist
What if the stories you’ve been telling yourself—about your worth, your happiness, your healing, aren’t the truth? In this raw and revelatory episode, Brittny shares her journey from high-performing “happy girl” to a deeply embodied woman rewriting generational patterns. From hiking Mont Blanc on her honeymoon to navigating postpartum anxiety and uncovering childhood trauma through motherhood, Brittny holds nothing back. She’ll show you how a single belief like “everything is figureoutable” can become a lifeline, why you can’t outthink a dysregulated nervous system, and how...
info_outline
Music as Medicine: How Your Heart Can Rewire Your Nervous System at 60 BPM with Barry Goldstein
The Vitalist
What if music isn’t just something we hear, but something our bodies remember? In this powerful episode of The Vitalist, Grammy-winning composer, producer, and sound healing pioneer Barry Goldstein joins us to explore music as medicine. From heart coherence to brainwave entrainment, Barry breaks down how rhythm, intention, and vibration interact with the nervous system, emotions, and even the cells of the body. He shares his journey from burnout as a mainstream record producer to becoming a “musitarian”, someone who uses sound to uplift humanity. Through personal stories, scientific...
info_outline
Turn Toward the Fear: Why Stillness Is the Hardest (and Most Healing) Thing You’ll Ever Do with Akshay Nanavati
The Vitalist
Let us be real with you: most people aren’t actually afraid of failure, pain, or fear itself. They’re afraid of being still long enough to feel any of it. In this episode, Dr. Keiko sits down with Akshay Nanavati, a former Marine, ultra-endurance athlete, and author of Fearvana, who went from addiction and self-harm to attempting the first ever solo ski crossing of Antarctica, pulling a 420lb sled. And no, this isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about building the courage to face the parts of yourself you’ve been running from. We talk about: Why fear isn’t your enemy, it’s...
info_outline
From Overwhelm to Inner Wisdom: The Get Quiet Method Explained with Elaine Glass (009)
The Vitalist
In a world that praises the hustle and drowns us in noise, what if the most rebellious thing you could do… is get quiet? In this soulful conversation, Dr. Keiko sits down with Elaine Glass, author of Get Quiet, transformational coach, and former dental hygienist, to explore what actually happens when we stop doing and start listening. Elaine has sat with over 40,000 people. She’s heard their fears, their stress, their longing for peace. And what she’s found is something we all need to hear: healing doesn’t happen in the noise. It happens in the stillness. You’ll hear the story...
info_outline
What No One Tells You About Your Cycle, Your Gut, and Getting Pregnant with Dr. Samantha Ess (008)
The Vitalist
If you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels off, what your gut has to do with your fertility, or how to actually prepare your body to conceive, this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sammie pulls back the curtain on what most women were never taught about their bodies. From cycle literacy and hormone balance to gut health, environmental toxins, and the truth behind “unexplained infertility,” we dive into the real, root causes that impact your ability to get pregnant and how to heal them. Whether you're just starting to think about having a baby or you've been trying...
info_outline
Longevity Starts at Your Feet: Dr. Emily Splichal on Barefoot Science, Mobility & What Most People Get Wrong About Walking (007)
The Vitalist
Your feet aren’t just for walking, they’re the foundation of your posture, your performance, and even your longevity. In this episode, Dr. Emily Splichal, functional podiatrist, barefoot science expert, and founder of Naboso, breaks down the overlooked role of the feet in whole-body healing. You’ll learn why 10 seconds of single-leg balance predicts your lifespan, how foot posture impacts your spine and pelvis, and why the way you’re walking might be limiting your mobility, stability, and overall strength. We dive into: The $0 exercise Dr. Emily gives all her patients How your feet...
info_outline
From Himalayan Caves to Healing Chocolate: Lisa Reinhardt on Meditation, Mindfulness, and Cacao as Medicine (006)
The Vitalist
What if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate? After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness. ...
info_outline
Your Skin Is Smarter Than Your Products: Dr. Michelle Jeffries on the Skin’s Clock, Hormones, and Light (005)
The Vitalist
What if your skin could tell time, and was trying to tell you something deeper? In this mind-shifting episode of The Vitalist Podcast, Dr. Michelle Jeffries, triple board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Skin Clock Method, blows open everything you thought you knew about skin. She takes us on a journey through integrative dermatology showing how your skin is more than just a barrier. It’s a messenger. A memory keeper. A sensory organ that reflects your stress, emotions, rhythms, and story. We talk trauma, time, hormones, fascia, light, and the daily rituals that help your skin...
info_outline
Your Ring Isn’t Smarter Than You: Dr. Jen Huberty on Intuition, Hormones & Health (004)
The Vitalist
Just because your tracker says it, doesn’t mean your body agrees. Dr. Jen Huberty reminds us: intuition is data too. What if the key to better health isn't another wearable, protocol, or “science-backed” trend, but learning to trust your inner wisdom? In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Huberty, behavioral research scientist, former Head of Science at Calm, and founder of Fit Minded, to explore the intersection of science, self-worth, and spirituality. With over 190 peer-reviewed publications and $10M+ in research funding under her belt, Dr. Jen’s insights are as...
info_outline
The Science of Flower Essences and What Nature Knows That We Don't with Katie Hess - Ep 003
The Vitalist
In this episode of The Vitalist, we’re joined by Katie Hess—flower alchemist and founder of LOTUSWEI—for a rich conversation about the subtle yet powerful world of flower essences. We explore what flower essences are, the science behind the intelligence of plants, and how flowers communicate with us, often beneath the threshold of our awareness. Katie shares how nature speaks in quiet, potent ways, inviting us to slow down, tune in, and access our deepest gifts. This episode is a call to remember our connection to the natural world and to let it guide us back to our own innate wisdom....
info_outlineWhat if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate?
After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Daily life in a remote cave, immersed in silence and Tibetan teachings. (1:21)
A messenger arrives at her cave with an invitation that leads to rare teachings from a Tibetan master. (2:45)
From growing up in a small town to living in a cave. (5:53)
Meditation isn’t about “emptying the mind.” Lisa reframes it as a grounded, embodied practice accessible to anyone. (6:49)
Most people won’t live in a cave, but everyone eats. Lisa found that chocolate could open the same door to presence. (8:11)
Lisa describes traditional Tibetan practices that have been done for hundreds of years and engage the whole body. (9:35)
Lisa shares how she prepares for her meditation practice by first noticing the space in the room. (11:12)
Lisa invites you to “try on” your fundamental goodness. (13:52)
How daily meditation practice softens any defensiveness. (15:43)
We explore how meditative, tonal chiropractic and meditation complement each other. (16:18)
Lisa shares a teaching from Brene Brown on softening difficult emotions. (17:56)
Fluent in Tibetan, Lisa explains how language shapes perception and why certain meditative states are hard to access in English. (20:02)
Lisa explains how in the Tibetan lineage, teachings were passed down human to human, not through an app or book. (21:04)
How mind blown concepts are condensed into one syllable in Tibetan. (22:07)
The meaning behind the name “Buddha” and how every Tibetan name means something. (22:59)
Back in the U.S., Lisa discovered that chocolate was the secret to teaching the West about meditation. (25:03)
Lisa’s first experience of chocolate as a meditation. (26:13)
How to use Wei of Chocolate as a 2.5 minute meditation to shift your day. (26:45)
How chocolate can be good for you, and the secret to what makes it healthy. (28:45)
She unpacks what’s often hidden in mainstream chocolate, like soy lecithin, processed sugar, and pesticide residues. (33:05)
Like water, chocolate holds intention. Lisa reveals the science of cacao’s crystalline structure and how it transmits energetic healing. (34:53)
Lisa’s current favorite? Cherry Bomb. She shares how to connect with her in Phoenix or online. (35:46)
RESOURCES:
Wei of Chocolate - use code THEVITALIST for 10% off your first order
Never miss an episode. Subscribe to get notified about what's coming next.
Follow us @TheVitalistPodcast
Visit us @KinfolkOptimalLiving