664. Kinky Dopamine Secrets: The Neuroscience of Addiction, Pain and Pleasure - with Dr Anna Lembke
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Release Date: 01/07/2025
693. Out-training Parkinson’s: A Comeback Story - with Scott Hanley
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Scott Hanley joins me to talk about how he turned the tables on his Parkinson's diagnosis. We explore how mindset, movement, and a willingness to experiment played key roles in his recovery. We also talk about CrossFit, brain health, neuroplasticity, and the social disconnection that’s worsened since COVID. It’s a conversation packed with practical insight, big inspiration, and a reminder that it’s never too late to change the trajectory of your life. Connect with Scott on Instagram here: ------------------------------------------------------ Scott Hanley is a resilience and...
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Our New Membership Program: Embodied Flourishing
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Our new two-year membership program, Embodied Flourishing, is a supportive and pressure-free space to explore well-being, boundaries, embodiment, and more. Go beyond quick fixes for burnout or health struggles with a journey that empowers you to feel genuinely alive again. No more pushing through day after day. It includes: Carefully paced explorations to foster a deep-rooted sense of wellbeing. Practical tools to sustain health, calm, and meaning during life’s messy moments. Ongoing community support to share experiences, receive feedback, and grow alongside others who “get it.” If...
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692. From Burnout to Flourishing - With Mark Walsh & Dr Helen Machen-Pearce
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
I sit down with my friend and colleague Dr Helen Machen-Pearce for a real, raw conversation about burnout, healing, and what it actually takes to flourish as a human being. I share my personal story - how I pushed myself to the point of physical and emotional collapse, what it took to come back from that, and the lessons I learned the hard way. Helen opens up about her own experience with burnout and recovery, navigating illness and rediscovering herself through yoga and embodiment. Together, we talk about nervous system health, trauma, grief, overwork, purpose, and the quiet power of everyday...
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691. Why Regulating Your Nervous System Is So Important - with Dr. Helen
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
In this episode, I’m doing one of my not-so-solo solo casts - with Dr Helen Machen-Pearce in the room. We talk the power of nervous system regulation and how co-regulation plays a key role in well-being. This candid conversation dives into mental health, somatic practices, and how we connect as humans. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner or just curious about nervous system healing, this episode offers rich insights. We touch on how we’re building a new membership around this work. Find out more about 'Embodied Flourishing' and join us here: Check out more from Dr Helen here: ...
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690. Why Your Leadership Style Might Be Burning You Out – With Anouk Brack
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
In this insightful and grounded episode, I’m joined by Leadership Embodiment teacher and coach Anouk Brack to explore how centering and embodied practices can shift the way we lead, work, and relate - especially in high-stress or corporate environments. We unpack the neuroscience of stress and self-regulation, the hidden causes of burnout and bore-out, and how trauma can shape our leadership styles. Anouk shares practical tools drawn from her work with executives and organizations, alongside reflections on Dutch embodiment culture and developmental models of personal growth. Find out more...
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689. The Secret Weapon of Elite Soldiers: Breath, Discipline & Mindset - With Wouter Huizer
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Ex-Dutch special forces operator turned breathwork coach Wouter Huizer joins me to discuss masculinity, elite performance, and mastering the nervous system. We get into counter-terrorism, ethics, high-performing teams, anger, discipline, military identity, the “off switch,” up-regulation, insecurity, and refusing the shot. A punchy, masculine, and insightful chat with plenty of laughs and hard-won wisdom. Read more from Wouter here: ------------------------------------------------------ Wouter Huizer has had a distinguished career in elite military units, including the Marine Corps and...
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688. The Five Neural Networks of Enlightenment And How to Activate Them - With Fleet Maul
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Zen teacher and mindfulness pioneer Fleet Maull joins me for a deep dive into neurosomatic mindfulness, bearing witness, and the science of awakening. We discuss plunge practices, time in prison, the nuances of running summits, and the shift from the 60s to the 90s in spiritual culture. Fleet shares insights on trauma, self-regulation, the five neural networks of enlightenment, and “practice stacking.” We also explore the balance between conceptual and embodied mindfulness, the pitfalls of spiritual materialism, and what neuroscience reveals about awakening. A thoughtful, full-spectrum...
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687. Masculinity, Meaning, and the Modern Crisis - With The Warrior Philosopher
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
The Warrior Philosopher joins me for a dive deep into the intersection of philosophy, masculinity, and the struggle for meaning in the modern world. Drawing on Nietzsche, Mishima, and the ideals of the warrior poet, we explore how strength, aesthetics, and discipline shape a life of purpose. We also discuss the alienation of modern men, the consequences of comfort and decadence, and why rediscovering struggle might be the key to a deeper existence. What does it mean to live with virtue? How do we balance strength and beauty? And is there still a place for aristocratic values in a world...
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686. The Truth About Yoga, Healing, and Reinventing Yourself - With James Rafael
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
In this episode, I sit down with James Rafael, a yoga teacher and movement expert with a fascinating story. We explore his journey from addiction to recovery and how yoga became a tool for healing and transformation. The conversation also delves into queer identity, the role of aesthetics in the yoga world, and the ongoing debate about depth versus surface appeal. Along the way, we challenge assumptions about what it means to be a teacher, a student, and a person navigating the modern wellness landscape. This is an honest and thought-provoking discussion for anyone interested in yoga, personal...
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685. The Gender Divide, Peak Woke, and the Return to Tradition - With Mikaal Bates
The Embodiment Coaching Podcast
Mikaal Bates joins me for a thought-provoking discussion on the growing divide between men and women, the shifting landscape of masculinity, and why more people are turning back to traditional values. We explore the impact of feminism, the rise of the "trad wife" movement, and the unintended consequences of modern social trends. We also discuss how movement practices like dance and weightlifting influence male and female energy, the loss of real community in modern life, and why so many feel like they are living in an "insane asylum." This conversation challenges conventional thinking and...
info_outlineWhat do kink, dopamine and addiction reveal about the human experience? In this fascinating conversation, Dr. Anna Lembke, Stanford Psychiatry Professor and author of Dopamine Nation, unravels the secrets of addiction and the delicate balance between pleasure and pain. We explore topics such as the neuroscience of kink, the psychology of addictive personalities, and how contemporary issues have reshaped our culture.
With thought-provoking insights, Dr. Lembke examines the hidden forces driving our behaviours - from the "drugification" of modern life to the surprising connections between shame, spirituality, and recovery. We delve into the psychology of craving, the lessons addicts can teach us about resilience, and practical steps anyone can take to avoid falling into dopamine traps.
This episode might challenge some of your conventional thinking (hello pain) while offering grounded, science-based advice for living a more balanced and intentional life - to make sure you get a bit of aftercare to ease the journey. It’s perfect for anyone who's curious about avoiding addictive habits and enjoys a laugh along the way. Refreshingly human and deeply inspiring for all.
Learn more about Anna here: https://www.annalembke.com/
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Anna Lembke, MD is professor of psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic. A clinician scholar, she is the author of more than a hundred peer-reviewed publications, has testified before the United States House of Representatives and Senate, has served as an expert witness in federal and state opioid litigation, and is an internationally recognized leader in addiction medicine treatment and education.
In 2016, she published Drug Dealer, MD – How Doctors Were Duped, Patients Got Hooked, and Why It’s So Hard to Stop (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2016), highlighted in the New York Times as one of the top five books to read to understand the opioid epidemic (Zuger, 2018).
Dr. Lembke appeared in the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, an unvarnished look at the impact of social media on our lives.
Her latest book, Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence (Dutton/Penguin Random House, August 2021) was an instant New York Times and Los Angeles Times bestseller and has been translated into 35 languages. It combines the neuroscience of addiction with the wisdom of recovery to explore the problem of compulsive overconsumption in a dopamine-overloaded world.
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