Catching Big Fish: TM, Creativity & Authentic Living with Criss Cain

Catching Big Fish: TM, Creativity & Authentic Living with Criss Cain

In this episode, Donielle sits down with Criss Cain — tour photographer, videographer, podcast host, and right-hand person to rock legend Ann Wilson of Heart — to talk about how Transcendental Meditation found its way into his life and what's unfolded since. The conversation covers creative breakthroughs, the courage it takes to be authentic in a buttoned-up industry, and what it's like to warm up a sold-out arena crowd with stand-up comedy — all by staying effortlessly in the moment. The David Lynch thread Lynch's influence runs throughout the episode — from his MasterClass metaphor about fishing for ideas at different depths, to his famous quote: "Meditation makes you more and more you." Criss reflects on what that has meant in practice: more space, slower speech, more self-trust, and a low tolerance for inauthenticity in an industry full of it. In this episode you'll find: * How a chance meeting over David Lynch sparked Criss's TM journey * The morning routine (yes, it involves dancing to Britney Spears) that changed how he creates * How TM directly fueled the launch of his podcast After Dinner Thinks with Ann Wilson * The story of cold-emailing Ann Wilson's manager and nine years later walking her on and off stage every night * What it's like to do stand-up comedy in arenas with 15 minutes of prep — and why TM was his secret weapon * What the mantra actually is (and why it having no meaning is the whole point) * David Lynch's "ideas are like fish" metaphor and why it still resonates "If there's love, it's fine. Always." — Criss Cain ---------------------------------------- Connect with Criss: * Podcast: After Dinner Thinks with Ann Wilson — Spotify & YouTube * Instagram: @thecrisscain [https://instagram.com/thecrisscain] ---------------------------------------- Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast [http://tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast] We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com [theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com] Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org [http://www.tm.org] Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need it. Follow us on social and send us your questions, stories, and topic ideas — this podcast exists because of you.

Already Genius: Tapping The Creative Intelligence Within

How have some of the most brilliant minds in the world tapped into their creativity and is there a way to sustain access to it? We’ve all heard of the flow state – the most coveted expression of inner and outer alignment that comes in many different forms. It’s a form of creative intelligence that manifests through spontaneous right action, frictionless flow and the undeniably effective, creatively inspired problem solving to life’s every-day challenges. In this episode, the three hosts discuss creative intelligence in both its manifest and unmanifest forms – not only the inner well it manifests from inside of you, but also how it moves through each individual nervous system in its own individualized creative expression. Dive in! In this episode: * What is Creative Intelligence? * How have some of the most brilliant minds attempted to access it in the past? * What does it have to do with the flow state? * How does it manifest differently for every individual? * Is there a way to sustain access to it? * How does TM help you access your own creative intelligence? * How is problem solving a form of creativity? * How does creative intelligence help facilitate mind-body connection? * Can creative expression be integrated for consistent availability? * Why does being in flow with your own creative intelligence feel so good? Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast [http://tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast] We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com [theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com] Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org [http://www.tm.org] Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Up-Armoring the Mind: Jonny Mize on TM and the Resilient Warrior Program

Everyone comes to TM  for different reasons and on a different journey. Some come for peak performance… others for mental health, spiritual evolution, stress management, etc. And every once in a while, someone comes along from an undeniably tumultuous path that not only benefits from the technique but also has the heartfelt desire to learn how to facilitate it for others based solely on the fact that it made such a pivotal difference in their healing journey. Our guest this week fits this description perfectly. Jonny Mize is a childhood trauma survivor, military veteran, impassioned musician and Transcendental Meditation teacher who has seen the profound impact of this technique ripple throughout his life and the lives of those he teaches as well. This is his story. Jonny learned TM after returning home from his Army combat deployment in Afghanistan where he served as a welder up-armoring vehicles for Special Operations command. After experiencing how easy and effective TM is at removing stress and anxiety while bringing himself back to balance and peace, he realized he had to become a Certified TM teacher and share this technique with his fellow warrior community. Today, Jonny is honored and grateful to be serving the Warrior community once again with the Resilient Warrior Program, up-armoring the mental and emotional health of our San Diego community. In this episode: * How does childhood trauma motivate the healing journey? * The power of music as therapy * Can TM be a support for those prone to social anxiety and self isolation? * What does it feel like to bring calm with you into the storms of life? * How can this technique help you go from external to internal regulation? * How did this technique give Jonny his life back? * How can TM help with trauma-induced anxiety and PTSD? * What profound results has Jonny seen in his students? * What sets this technique apart from other meditations? * What made him want to become a teacher? * How does this technique continue to change his life? Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast [http://tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast] David Lynch Foundation Veteran Programs: https://www.resilient-warriors.org/ [https://www.resilient-warriors.org/] We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com [theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com] Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org [http://www.tm.org] Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett

Healing the Healers: Who Takes Care of the Caretakers?

This week we continue our dive into the powerful work that the David Lynch Foundation is doing with Kelly Malloy, Director of Heal the Healers Now initiative in New York City. Kelly Malloy learned TM as a child, and after rediscovering TM in college and completing teacher training in 2015, she moved to New York to teach with the David Lynch Foundation. When the pandemic hit in 2020, she pivoted to serve healthcare workers — and hasn't stopped since. In this conversation, Kelly shares what that work looks like, why it matters, and what she's witnessed on hospital floors across the country. In this episode: * How the Heal the Healers Now initiative was born during the 2020 pandemic and has grown to 100+ hospitals across 17 states * The very real toll of burnout, compassion fatigue, and chronic stress on nurses, doctors, and other healthcare workers * Stories of transformation — including a night-shift nurse who used TM to ease the transition between work and home life * Why hospitals are starting to invest in TM * Research from Duke, Harvard, and Georgetown documenting TM's impact on burnout, anxiety, depression, and insomnia * Why meditating isn't selfish — especially for caregivers who give everything to others at work and at home * The case for ancient practices in modern life, and why the need for stillness is greater than ever Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. David Lynch Foundation: davidlynchfoundation.org [http://davidlynchfoundation.org] Heal the Healers Now: healthehealersnow.com [http://healthehealersnow.com] Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast [http://tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast] We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com [theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com] Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org [http://www.tm.org] Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett ----------------------------------------

Can You Really Meditate In A Fire Truck?

When it comes to our first responders, few of us truly understand the toll it can take on not only their physical health, but their mental health and quality of life as well. Having to consistently respond to that level of disaster is a big ask for any nervous system. James Colford is no different. Having been born into a family of first responders, the job seemed like second skin to him at first. His journey through the recovery and recalibration of that level of chronic stress management is worthy of admiration and Transcendental Meditation has been foundational in his journey. James Colford is a former Fire Lieutenant and Paramedic with 16 years of service in the fire service. As a Transcendental Meditation practitioner, he experienced firsthand the impact the practice can have on the stress, trauma, and cumulative toll associated with first responder work. That experience evolved into action, leading him to partner with the David Lynch Foundation to help bring Transcendental Meditation programs to fire departments and public safety agencies across California. In this episode: * What does chronic stress look like for first responders and their families? * Why mental health was long considered taboo in first responder culture. * The mind-body connection — and how TM supports it on the job * Does TM work even if you're a skeptic? * Is there a noticeable difference on the days you do meditate versus the days you don’t? * How can TM strengthen connection in first responder families? * Fight-or-flight vs. parasympathetic state — and why it matters. * How does TM compare to other meditations for chronic stress management? * What does it look like to be able to meditate effortlessly and anywhere? And how can that support your day-to-day life in the first responder world? * Meditating effortlessly, anywhere — even in the truck on the way back from a call * How TM can help with anxiety, sleep, and communication under pressure * Why James believes every firefighter and first responder should learn TM Dive in each week for real talk on meditation, meaning and modern life. And let us know what resonates with you. After all, this podcast was created with you in mind –  to support the human condition by optimizing the human experience. Watch, listen, and connect here: tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast [http://tm.org/theinnerwellpodcast] We'd love to hear your thoughts. Email: theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com [theinnerwellpodcast@gmail.com] Find your local TM Teacher: www.tm.org [http://www.tm.org] Original Music Composition by Jessica Sharman Bennett