Mind Over Matter

Welcome back to Season 2 of the podcast!

On today's episode we have Dr. Mitchell Abrams. Dr. Abrams is a Canadian Radiologist, keynote speaker, teacher and founder of NexGenHealth Ltd. Abrams completed his medical degree and radiology specialty from Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, holds a subspecialty in Magnetic Resonance Imaging from the University of Toronto and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. Dr. Abrams is an Associate Professor at Michael G. Degroote School of Medical Sciences and was Department Chair of Diagnostic Imaging at Cambridge Memorial Hospital.

Early in his radiology career, Dr. Abrams was diagnosed with Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, a disease that can lead to sudden cardiac death in seemingly fit and healthy young people. He required open heart surgery in order to prevent the worst-case scenario. Through his various roles as a patient, physician and department chair, he experienced the inner workings of our healthcare system first hand, and became acutely aware of the limitations and gaps in our current western model of care. This realization became a passion and drove him down a path of research and experiential learning with experts around the globe, looking at different approaches to healing. In particular, Dr. Mitch’s background in radiology and his understanding of physics, supported a deep investigation into the nature of who we truly are and how we thrive. The intersection between his life in science and this powerful experience with healing, provided the foundation of what his life-mission has become - to support and promote a more holistic model of healthcare. As part of his mission, Dr. Mitch initiated a social enterprise called NexGenHealth to bring forth a new paradigm in self-care, patient care, and community wellness.

In this episode, we talk about: 

- Dr. Abrams' life story

- The intersection between science and spirituality

- Why meditation is a powerful tool for connection with self and others

- Why mindfulness is even more important now than ever

Get in touch with Dr. Mitchell Abrams: 

Instagram: @dr.mitch.abrams

Website: https://nexgenhealth.solutions/

Zoom meditation sessions Mon-Fri at 6pm: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89113664876

Welcome back to our final episode of the season!

We are taking a moment to reflect on the past year, the last season of episodes & guests and I'm so happy to have you along on this journey. If there has been an episode that you have liked this season, please DM me on instagram or send me an email on thewellevated@gmail.com. I would love to know!

In this episode we talk about:

• Some of my favourite guests from this season
• 3 lessons I've learned in 2021
• Where to go from here

New season begins in February. Thanks everyone, for all your love & support. x

Today I have the pleasure of sharing my interview with Dr. Aarti Soorya (MD), a board-certified physical medicine and rehabilitation physician, who combines conventional medical training with leading-edge concepts in biomedical-functional medicine. Her approaches include holistic prevention and alternatives, detoxification, physical modalities, nutritional therapy, herbs, chelation, and medications (when needed). Known for being ahead of the curve, Dr. Soorya’s career path in integrative medicine began long before attending medical school as a research intern for the University of Michigan’s integrative medicine program. There she observed firsthand how a comprehensive, whole-person approach led to profound and life-changing results for the patients she worked with. During her hospital years at Washington University, Dr. Soorya received numerous accolades, including her role as chief resident physician and “Resident of the Year” for her work ethic, leadership qualities, and excellent bedside manner.

In this episode we will be talking about:

• Dr. Aarti Soorya’s journey of being a functional medicine physician and why she chose this career path
• How we can regulate our nervous systems to live better
• Tips to optimize your brain health & manage your stress levels
• Why sleep is important for the restoration of your brain & body function; AND how you can capitalize on your Zzz’s for better living!

Today I sit down and have a powerful conversation with Ironman Triathlete & Resilience Speaker, Molly Kennedy. Molly grew up in a dysfunctional family with addiction, abuse, neglect, abandonment, suffered from an eating disorder, was suicidal and a runaway at 15 years of age. Despite all the odds, Molly persevered forward to become a bodybuilding champion, an Empire State Games Gold Medalist, has finished a full Ironman Triathlon, worked as a health educator, coach and now tells her story internationally to youth.   In this episode, we talk about why it's important to shift your mindset by "do the work", how negative self-talk changes the way you show up, and what kinds of opportunities vulnerability has created for Molly.  Molly is the author of the book, “Creating the Champion Within: How to Get UP When Life Knocks You Down”. You can visit her website here & follow her on her Instagram (and Facebook, Twitter) social media @flipyour20_. Book Molly as a speaker for your next event: mollykennedyspeaks.com. 

sit down with me today & let's talk about burnout & protecting our energies. especially in a time of the global pandemic, this can be hard. even though we're at home, we mistakenly assume that people have permission to access our energy 24/7 - which inevitably leaves us feeling exhausted, burnt out and overwhelmed. it's something i'm learning to get better at as well - so let's talk!

In episode 3, I am accompanied by Canadian Olympian and resilience speaker, Sarah Wells! Sarah speaks about how she overcame obstacles in her athletic career and how she dealt with her setbacks. You might have seen her compete in the 2012 London Olympics, 2015 Pan Am Games Toronto, and The Amazing Race Canada. In this episode, Sarah offers 3 pieces of advice to anyone who wants to build their resilience; we also talk about taking risks, how challenges have made us grow, and a fun rapid fire round of questions! 

The book Sarah spoke about: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

How you can book Sarah for speaking: sarahwells.ca; instagram & twitter: @sarahwells400mh

today, we're getting vulnerable and talking about the hardships and obstacles we face. and how it's so hard to put mind over matter in those situations but going through rough waters can make us realize how absolutely resilient we are. i share my experience after being in an unfortunate incident & having to navigate the criminal justice system - all while i faced difficult emotions. we often ask ourselves "why me?" while we go through rough waters as well. but i'm going to let you answer that question in this episode. so here's a quick breakdown of what we talk about on today's episode: • i share my story about how i found my "why me?" • i share my victim impact statement + pieces of advice that really helped me create my own turning point • why self-victimization is self-sabotage. LINKS: Canada Suicide Prevention Service at 1-833-456-4566 (24/7) or text 45645 (4 pm to 12 am ET). Crisis Line: (416) 408-4357 Survivor Support Program: (416) 595-1716.

let's talk INSIDE WORK! each episode will consist of a thought-provoking question which  i'll ask you at the beginning. we'll then revisit it at the end of the  episode, i'll share some of my thoughts on that question + i'll tie it  into our episode! - a fun way for us to do the "inside work" together.

here a little sneak peek on episode 01:

• an intro about who i am, how i got into wellness + meditative practices

• where you can begin on your wellness journey if you're just starting out

• what it means to do the "inside work" and why it's more valuable to start inside first

• a quick + easy strategy for you to begin

Welcome to the Mind over Matter podcast!

Click to listen to a little bit of what we're going to talk about here, on this podcast - some of which is resilience, championing our inner selves, and translating personal growth into empowering ourselves and others! 

I hope that you will join me biweekly on Mondays on your favourite podcast platform.

*Thank you to the DukeofEd, Canada Corps and the Government of Canada for funding and sponsoring this non-profit passion project.

*Music by Artist: Lyfo Track: High