Best NTR Podcasts (2024)

1
A NtR Short: Four Characters in the Brain (and How to Talk to Them!) 17:57

1h ago17:57

17:57

We have four “characters” in our brains: two in our left hemisphere and two in our right. These characters have vastly different concerns and focuses, and when we find ourselves mired in the more self-absorbed or anxious characters, we can feel really stuck. In this episode, following the work of Jill Bolte-Taylor, we explore a way of getting unstu…

1
A NtR Short: Feeling Like a Fraud? Confronting Imposter Syndrome Head-On 11:17

7h ago11:17

11:17

Imposter syndrome is a very specific type of tyranny, under which many labor. It is the fear of being found out, of being exposed, of being revealed a fraud. It destroys freedom and consumes energy, leading to exhaustion. In this episode, we explore the roots of imposter syndrome and a pathway for confronting it—even stopping it right in its tracks…

1
A NtR Short: Micro Mindfulness: Simple Practices for Living in the Abundant Present 19:57

11d ago19:57

19:57

The goal of life is, in some sense, simply to become present. In this episode, we explore micro mindfulness, through which we can train and habituate our bodies to live in a relax, restful, and regulated state (in polyvagal theory, what is called a ventral-vagal state). By recognizing “glimmer moments”—moments of everyday beauty and peace—and then …

1
In Search of a New Story: Turning to Earth and Soul to Renew Spirituality (A Second Conversation with John Philip Newell) 1:10:59

14d ago1:10:59

1:10:59

In this second conversation with John Philip Newell, we explore how Celtic spirituality informs a movement back to the soul and to the earth. By framing our core human essence as well as the material world as good (contra much of the dualistic philosophy and theology that has guided Western history), we can discover deeper ways to be human beings. …

1
A NtR Short: The Freedom of “It’s Not About Me” 18:06

1M ago18:06

18:06

In this short, we explore the power of immersing one’s self in a simple four-word phrase: “It’s not about me.” It’s a mantra that has the power to reorient our thinking and our entire neurobiology, as we learn to see ourselves as a small part of something much bigger, removing the pressure that can build up when we take our ego, our emotions, or ou…

1
A NtR Short: Left Brain/Right Brain: Meditation, Neurobiology, and the Power to Become Present (Becoming Present II) 22:48

1M ago22:48

22:48

We live in a left brain world. The brain’s left hemisphere is generally concerned with being explicit, certain, and in control. The right hemisphere, in contrast, is focused on story, metaphor, space, and connection. Shifting to the right brain can open up a world of possibility, as we become more concerned with what we experience and how we’re con…

1
Dealing with Beliefs that Keep Us Stuck: Anger, Advocacy, and the Power of “Hell No” Energy (Storytelling IV) 41:17

2M ago41:17

41:17

We all have automatic negative thoughts and beliefs that can keep us stuck. What's to be done? In this episode, we explore how the unresolved arousal in our stories can lead to beliefs that produce terrible fruit in our lives. And we explore the resource within our agency to renounce those stories, advocating for our freedom. Finding this “hell no”…

1
A NtR Short: The Problem with Meditation: Letting Go of the Small Self to Find the True Self (Becoming Present, Part I) 19:44

2M ago19:44

19:44

Meditation is great, its benefits incredible. And…most of us resist it. Not just because we are busy, but because meditation—like any space of quiet—would have us face stories and beliefs that we prefer to avoid. In this episode, we explore our resistance to meditation and, hand-in-hand, a practice that may help us look forward to learning meditati…

1
Arousal is the Soul of Every Story: A Path for Naming Fulfilled and Frustrated Desire (Storytelling III) 43:18

3M ago43:18

43:18

Every story is an arousal story, because arousal is the soul’s ultimate energy: we long for connection and become panicked at the possibility of disconnection. Arousal, in this sense, is far greater than sexual arousal—it is the energy animating all things. In this episode, we explore the idea of resolved arousal and unresolved arousal, with plenty…

1
A NtR Short: Living Beyond Self-Protection (A Simple Embodiment Practice for Increasing Agency) 8:01

3M ago8:01

8:01

In this short, we explore the importance of naming our emotions at a granular level as well as exploring how “negative emotions” may be (1) protecting us while (2) keeping us from what we long for. The more fluency we gain in naming our emotions and how they function to protect but also limit us, the more agency—which expresses itself as choice and…

1
A NtR Short: A Simple Gratitude Prompt for Radical Life Change 15:25

3M ago15:25

15:25

In this Short, we confront our human and cultural tendency to focus on what we don’t have rather than what we do. This pressure keeps us from being here and now, in reality, which is the only place we can experience joy. Through focusing on what we have rather than what we want, we can shift everything about our perspective. As always, we explore t…

1
A NtR Short: The Evil of "Should" (Freeing Your Life from the Tyranny of Who You Are Supposed to Be) 13:44

4M ago13:44

13:44

In this Short, we confront the pervasive pressure that the word “should” can exert in our lives. In considering how we actually change—becoming the people we want to be—“should” has very limited power to transform us at our deepest levels. Instead, we must practice being held, which requires a different energy and orientation to life. As always, we…

1
Finding Agency: Cultivating Our Power to Choose (Storytelling Part III: A Conversation with Daphne Larkin and Christy Bauman) 1:08:00

4M ago1:08:00

1:08:00

This conversation with Daphne Larkin and Dr. Christy Bauman is an exploration of the importance of knowing and telling our hard stories. Through real life-examples, we survey how telling stories creates greater flexibility in our perspective, resilience in our attitudes, and kindness in how we hold our own narratives, as we become empowered to live…

1
A NtR Short: Owning the Morning: Writing Your Grounding Story 14:06

4M ago14:06

14:06

In this Short, we explore a simple two-step practice for seizing the day rather than letting the day seize you. The practice is straightforward: a commitment to spend a few moments in a slow, unhurried posture combined with a consistent engagement of your “grounding story.” In this episode, we explain what a grounding story is, how to create one, a…

1
A NtR Short: “Discharging a Loyal Soldier”: How to Release Parts of Us That Once Kept Us Safe…and Now Keep Us Stuck 13:14

5M ago13:14

13:14

In this Naming the Real Short—a bonus episode in our Storytelling Series—we explore the idea of “discharging a loyal soldier,” which is releasing a belief/part of us that kept us safe but now keeps us stuck. By thanking the part, releasing the part, and re-assigning the part to a new role, we can transcend the places where we’ve got mired and move …

1
You’re Not Crazy for Talking to Yourself: How to Dialogue with All Your Parts (Storytelling Part II) 35:58

5M ago35:58

35:58

The person that we are includes many parts, organized around our true Self. But many times we feel stuck, because we believe our most frustrated or seemingly dysfunctional part is our actual identity, or because we don’t how to integrate our parts into a greater whole. In this episode, we consider the reality that you aren’t crazy for talking to yo…

1
A NtR Short: Far From Rome (How Celtic Spirituality Changes How We See the World) 12:01

5M ago12:01

12:01

In this episode—our first Naming the Real SHORT—we explore the two primary ways that Celtic spirituality helps us see the world differently than the way promulgated by Western Imperial Christianity.By Brandon Cook

1
Telling Hard Stories: The Power to Heal Our Bodies and Transform Our Souls (Storytelling Part I) 38:48

5M ago38:48

38:48

Human beings tend to resist and avoid; it’s a default state for us. But resistance and avoidance lock us into a life of gray horizons—on automatic, far from the thrill of fully feeling or fully flourishing. And yet we are never without tools to get us unstuck. In this episode, we explore the incredible power of telling hard stories for reinventing …

1
Finding the Garden Within: Dealing with the Brain’s Inner Voices of Accusation (Science, Scripture, and Spirituality Part IV) 57:33

6M ago57:33

57:33

Most people feel, to some degree, that they are on trial, that they must prove themselves and “be enough.” Some people experience such accusations in the form of an inner critic who torments and even terrorizes. How do we transcend such inner accusation? In this episode, we look at ancient wisdom as well as modern neuroscience—including the researc…

1
The Feminine, The Uterus, and the Divine: A Conversation with Dr. Christy Bauman 1:00:50

6M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

In this conversation with Dr. Christy Bauman, we explore the wisdom of the womb and the infinite guidance it offers us. In a world where God has largely been conceived of as male, what does it mean to embrace the divine feminine and the wisdom of womanhood? Ultimately, Christy invites us to become those who do not look away—from reality, from life,…

1
New Course Announcement- "The Art of Anger" with Jessica Lacy 3:18

7M ago3:18

3:18

Learn to access and express your anger artfully for greater confidence, advocacy and intimacy. Anger is commonly seen as wrong or taboo which can generate shame around it whether you experience it often or not. Anger is a gift that when understood, felt, and integrated can increase flourishing. Register now at https://namingthereal.com/product/the-…

1
Celtic Spirituality and New/Ancient Ways Forward: A Conversation with John Philip Newell 1:19:43

7M ago1:19:43

1:19:43

We live in a time of crisis, with faith in traditional institutions and power structures falling precipitously, leaving us a dearth of meaningful narratives to which to cling. Many are deconstructing their faith as they find their own spiritual practice hollow. In this conversation with the celebrated spiritual thinker and writer John Philip Newell…

1
Is There a God?: Why How We Talk About God Matters, Whatever Our Belief (Scripture, Science, and Spirituality III) 1:14:29

7M ago1:14:29

1:14:29

What we are we talking about when we talk about God? The God image that has dominated Western history is of an “old man in the sky.” Even if we know this image is metaphorical and laughable, it nevertheless dominates the Western imagination: God is “up there,” transcendent, and we are “down here.” In this episode, we discuss why how we talk about G…

1
Discharging Shame: Energizing Our Bodies to Live in Freedom 1:07:32

8M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

There is perhaps no experience more visceral and soul-consuming than shame. And shame is opportunistic—it can enter our lives and bodies not only through things we’ve done, but by things done to us. Further, we can often feel absolutely powerless in the face of shame. But we do not have to resign ourselves to hopelessness. A life of flourishing of …

1
To Change Your Life? Sit With Discomfort: A Conversation with Dr. Anna Lembke 1:00:50

9M ago1:00:50

1:00:50

Our culture is in crisis, revealed in skyrocketing rates of anxiety and depression, even (and especially) amongst the most comfortable and well-off. Dr. Anna Lembke, author of Dopamine Nation, diagnoses our cultural crisis as rooted, in part, in the "druggification" of our society. Specifically, she explains how addiction functions writ large acros…

1
Christian Nationalism Part II, with Dr. Stephen Backhouse: How American Christians Are Trained to be Anti-Christ 1:04:18

9M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

In part 2 of a conversation with Dr. Stephen Backhouse, we explore how Christian Nationalism trains people to be anti-Christ. You cannot walk the way of Jesus—the way of non-violence and of caring for your neighbor, let alone your enemy—while abiding by the tenets of nationalism. Understanding these dynamics helps us not only understand our own liv…

1
The Rise of Christian Nationalism with Dr. Stephen Backhouse 48:36

10M ago48:36

48:36

In this conversation with Dr. Stephen Backhouse, we explore how the philosophy of 19th century Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard illuminates the dynamics of our own day. Specifically, how the phenomenon of Christian Nationalism—the fusing of Christian spirituality with the lust for power (which ultimately obliterates the former)—seems to recur i…

1
No Arrival, Only Balance: Living in a World of Flow (Science, Spirituality, and Scripture II) 1:09:21

10M ago1:09:21

1:09:21

We are often tempted to orient our lives around some sort of arrival point—enough money or fame or religion to give us certainty, to give us power, but flourishing life is about learning to live in the surrender of constant tension and balance. In this episode, we explore how balance underlies all of reality and how pursuing balance will lead us in…

1
Living in Balance and Connection (Scripture, Science, and Spirituality I) 58:19

11M ago58:19

58:19

In this new series, “Scripture, Science and Spirituality,” we will explore what it takes to flourish as human beings in the midst of a culture that is increasingly disconnected and despairing. Using the wisdom of the Judeo-Christian scripture as our guide, we will focus on the nature of desire, what actually satisfies our desire, and the practices …

1
New Episodes Coming Soon! And Restoried Group Coaching Process Launching in November 2:38

12M ago2:38

2:38

Season 3 Part II will be dropping soon, with new episodes about spirituality and what it means to be fully human. In the meantime, learn out more about the 12-week Restoried Coaching that is launching in November. This coaching process will cover all the fundamental practices and disciplines of change and transformation and is designed to support y…

1
A Conversation with Vanessa Trine about Internal Family Systems: Unburdening, Healing, and the Process of Ongoing Wholeness 1:10:52

1y ago1:10:52

1:10:52

In this follow-up to our series on Internal Family Systems, therapist Vanessa Trine takes us deeper into the IFS framework. She unpacks what IFS is as well as how understanding and implementing its core tenets can lead to a much fuller and whole-hearted experience of life—a life of deep meaning, purpose, and connection.…

1
A Conversation with Megan Dietrick: Transcending Religious Trauma and Fear-Based Cultures 1:03:30

1y ago1:03:30

1:03:30

Megan Dietrick (meganraecoaching.com) is a Methodist worship director as well as a coach who helps people recover from religious-based trauma and cultures of fear. In this episode, which hits on a number of ideas previously discussed in this podcast (purity culture, faith deconstruction/reconstruction, a critique of evangelical Christianity), Megan…

1
Don't Believe Everything You Think: How Understanding Collective Illusions Can Lead to Flourishing (Our Cultural Crisis Ep XVIII) 1:03:35

1y ago1:03:35

1:03:35

What if we are mistaken about what other people actually believe? Turns out...that’s often the case. In this episode, we explore the reality—and the implications—of collective illusions, which is the social phenomenon of people mis-perceiving what the majority actually thinks or believes. Following the work of Todd Rose and the think tank Populace,…

1
Transcending the Dopamine Trap: The Neurobiology of Pain and Pleasure and How to Balance Your Life (Our Cultural Crisis Ep XVII) 1:00:47

1+ y ago1:00:47

1:00:47

Dopamine is the brain’s reward chemical, crucial for regulating human motivation, desire, and focus. Yet never in human history have so many dopamine-delivery vehicles (from sugar to social media to online shopping) been so pervasive. We live in a dopamine-glutted world. And the overabundance of dopamine creates continual pitfalls of over-indulgenc…

1
How Sight Comes from Slowing Down: Interpersonal Neurobiology and the Fine Art of Unhurried Living (Interpersonal Neurobiology Part II) 1:03:16

1+ y ago1:03:16

1:03:16

We live in a hurried age, that’s obvious. And yet we still fail to grasp how imperative slowing down and living in unhurriedness is for everything that matters in life. In this episode, we explore why and how slowing down matters so much and what it opens up for us. And we explore six practices that you can engage to live in unhurriedness, even if …

1
Recovering Lost Connections: Trees, Bees, and the Miracles of Interpersonal Neurobiology (Part I) 1:05:02

1+ y ago1:05:02

1:05:02

We live in a disconnected world—increasingly alienated from ourselves and our bodies, from the natural world, and from others. Much of this disconnection is catalyzed by hyper-individualism which sets self-expression above self-transcendence. This episode is about encountering the seeming intelligence of the universe which seems to be constantly in…

1
A Conversation with Barbara Sunofsky: The Myth of “Healed” and the Process of “Endless Healing” 1:13:10

1+ y ago1:13:10

1:13:10

Brandon sits down with one of his heroes to discuss the process of becoming a fully flourishing human, even when it involves walking through trauma and grief. An exploration of mindfulness, presence, the importance of sex, and the need to tell our stories. We start with the reality that we are never fully “healed,” but that life is an ongoing proce…

1
RE-POST: Are You Happy Now? (Ep 21) 39:23

1+ y ago39:23

39:23

Are you happy right now? And what do we even mean when we use the word "happy"? Our society has implicit notions of what happiness is and how we attain it, but often these notions are incomplete at best and backwards at worst. In this episode, we explore a rubric for happiness and some practical steps for becoming truly, wildly happy.…

1
Making the Unconscious Conscious: How the Brain Works and How Knowing Can Change Your Life (World of Emotions, Part III) 1:13:46

1+ y ago1:13:46

1:13:46

When we think of the brain, what probably comes to mind (pun intentional) is our conscious thinking. And while our pre-frontal cortex and verbal processing is amazing, ninety-five percent of our intelligence is non-verbal, occurring outside of our conscious intelligence. In this episode we explore the “iceberg” model of brain functioning with its t…

1
The Bio-Spirituality of Emotions: Why Being Honest Can Literally Save Your Life (World of Emotions, Part II) 1:11:03

1+ y ago1:11:03

1:11:03

We tend to think of emotions as things that “just happen,” and there’s a lot of truth in that. But it’s also true that we have far more agency to cultivate and develop our emotional life in specific and stunning ways, changing the experience and direction of our lives. We don’t have to become stuck in emotions or live devoid of emotion. In this epi…

1
World of Emotions I: Choosing Our Emotions, Changing Our Lives 1:02:45

1+ y ago1:02:45

1:02:45

We tend to think of emotions as things that “just happen to us,” and indeed that is part of our human experience. But we may also miss the degree to which we have a say over and agency in what emotions we experience and how we experience them. In this episode, the first in a short series on the world of emotions, we explore what Dr. Brené Brown cal…

1
Telling Stories and Transcending Trauma, Together: (Another) Conversation with Dr. Alex Gee 41:40

1+ y ago41:40

41:40

We deconstruct trauma by telling stories. In this episode—another conversation with Brandon’s cousin, Dr. Alex Gee—the story of their black and white family is told in greater detail. But this episode is not just about race; it’s about we connect, how we tell hard stories, how we be human with each other, and how we transcend trauma together.…

1
A Conversation with Dr. Alex Gee: Race, Trauma, and What “Woke” Actually Means 1:16:40

1+ y ago1:16:40

1:16:40

In our first interview, Brandon, a white man, sits down with Dr. Alex Gee, his black cousin, to discuss family, race, trauma, and what “woke” actually means. Because they have both been pastors (in Alex’s case, still is a pastor), their conversation culminates in a discussion of good/bad theology and the reality that “white theology” often eschews …

1
Anger as Advocacy: Unfreezing Our Bodies as a Path to Flourishing 1:01:17

1+ y ago1:01:17

1:01:17

We live in a traumatized world where everyone has some degree of pain and trauma to be addressed. In this episode, we explore Peter Levine’s work around trauma and how it gets frozen in our nervous system through an immobility (or “freeze”) response. Recognizing this reality can change everything, as we discover our need to complete trauma response…

1
NTRN: LIVE: Quick Update with Daniel Breuer 14:57

1+ y ago14:57

14:57

New information, new segments, new EVERYTHING, amongst so much more. Host and Creator of the Night Talks Radio Network, NTR: LIVE and NTR: Daily, Daniel Breuer explains all the new features, broadcasts, smaller side-segments, brand-new "NTR: New Music NOW" and of course, the insanely incredible new guests that we have planned for season 4: "Memorie…

1
NTRN: LIVE: Quick Update with Jennifer Gregerson 35:14

1+ y ago35:14

35:14

The "Night Talks Radio Network" is changing things up for season 4, even its very own name. "Night Talks Radio Network" will now be known as "NTRN." Simple. Easy. To the point... NTR: LIVE, NTR: Daily Co-Host and now the Host of her very own "Daily" segment spin-off, "NTRN: Astronomical Insights with Jennifer Gregerson." The brand-new show can been…

1
The Path to Whole Brain Living: Understanding the Brain Science Behind the 4 Characters in Our Heads 1:07:14

1+ y ago1:07:14

1:07:14

This episode follows the work of neuroscientist Jill Bolte Taylor, who experienced a stroke and had her left brain (including verbal processing) go off-line in an instant. Her story leads us into an understanding of the four "characters" in our brains (two in the left hemisphere and two in the right), which are the sources of our self-focus, our fe…

1
Truth Versus Social Justice: The Conflict in the American University and in American Culture (Our Cultural Crisis Ep XVI) 1:12:59

2y ago1:12:59

1:12:59

Classically, the purpose of a university is the pursuit of truth. But according to Jonathan Haidt and other sociologists, there is a movement in American universities to replace the quest for truth with a quest for social justice. This, as it turns out, is a major issue and is reflective of currents and issues in American society more generally. In…

1
Trauma, the Breath, and the Body (Mindful Living, Part III) 1:18:54

2y ago1:18:54

1:18:54

Trauma can keep us from living mindfully. This episode—part 3 in a mini-series on mindful living—has two parts: we start with an exploration of what trauma is and how it gets stored in our bodies. Then we turn to practices, including meditation and others practices that involve our bodies, with the goal of developing fully embodied lives that are r…

1
The Power to Change Our Thinking (Mindful Living, Part II) 1:03:04

2y ago1:03:04

1:03:04

We all have chatter in our brains, and our brain is where so much of life's battle is: the mind can make us miserable, or it can set us free. In this episode, we explore scientifically-backed methods for changing the conversation in our brains, including Ethan Kross's notion of "distanced self-talk," Chip and Dan's Heath guidance on how to make bet…

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