Jay Shetty was never a monk - EP52

Jay Shetty was never a monk - EP52

Jay Shetty had us fooled until we actually looked into his past. The quotes, the enllightment, the living in caves... so much to unpack here. Why is no one talking about this?? More details: Jay Shetty built a self-help empire on a monk story, and a 2024 Guardian investigation by John McDermott found a lot of it doesn't add up. We went through the whole thing. He officiated Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez's wedding, sat down with Biden at the White House, made the Time 100 Creators list, spoke at Princeton, and built On Purpose into one of the biggest podcasts out there. He's the chief purpose officer of the Calm app and wrote Think Like a Monk and Eight Rules of Love. So we wanted to actually look at the story underneath all of that. We get into the monk story and where the timeline starts falling apart. There's the "three years in an ashram near Mumbai" version, and then there's the Watford, England version. The caves. The ISKCON and Hare Krishna background. The Pandava Sena youth group. Gauranga Das. What he even means when he calls himself a "Vedic monk." Most of this comes from the Guardian's reporting, plus his own old blog that quietly went private right after their lawyers got involved. Then there's the quotes. Nicole Arbour called out the stolen quotes back in 2019, well before the Guardian article ever came out. We talk about the plagiarism, the deleted posts, the crisis PR firm he brought in, and the SEO cleanup that buried most of it for years. Coffeezilla's covered this too. The part that surprised us the most was the Jay Shetty Certification School. The life coach course, the price reveal on the sales call, the MLM-style commission setup, the accreditation claims tied to real universities that denied any affiliation, the Ofqual mention, and the University of Chichester cease and desist. We also get into his New York Times interview, the health content on his podcast, and how almost nobody in the mainstream has actually pushed back on any of this. We're not telling you what to think here. Pretty much everything we cover comes from the Guardian's reporting or stuff that's already public, we just put it all together in one place. Watch it, look into it yourself, and let us know where you land in the comments. Are you still a fan? Big shout out to John McDermott, the journalist behind this. The Guardian article is called "Uncovering the higher truth of Jay Shetty" and it's worth a read. John, if you ever see this, come on the podcast.

The hard conversations Canada is forced to have right now - EP51

Our hearts are with anyone affected by either of these tragedies. What are your thoughts on the topics we discussed? Leave them in the comments. More details: This one was heavy... We sat down to talk through two moments in recent Canadian history that hit the whole country hard, and honestly they're both still tough to wrap our heads around. First up is the Tumbler Ridge shooting. An 18-year-old killed her mother and younger brother at home, then drove to Tumbler Ridge Secondary School and opened fire before ending her own life. A BC school shooting like this almost never happens here, and it's forced a lot of uncomfortable conversations. We get into the gun control Canada debate and why firearms that were seized got returned to the home, the mental health crisis at the center of it all, what it means to be a transgender youth dealing with mental health struggles and a family that couldn't accept it, the role bullying may have played, and how hard it is to find rural mental health support in a small town. School shooting Canada searches spiked after this, and we wanted to talk about the victims and not just the headlines. The part that surprised us most was the AI angle. There's now an OpenAI lawsuit tied to this, with claims the shooter used ChatGPT to plan things out months earlier. We dig into ChatGPT safety, what Sam Altman has said and promised, the push for AI regulation Canada and a real duty to report law, and the messy privacy vs public safety question that comes with all of it. Premier David Eby has been involved in pushing this forward. Where's the line between protecting people and watching everything they type? We don't have a clean answer, but we go back and forth on it. Second half we shift to the Humboldt Broncos crash. If you're Canadian, you remember exactly where you were when you heard about it. We talk through that junior hockey tragedy, the 2018 bus crash Canada will never forget, and what happened at Armley Corner Saskatchewan, the same intersection that had a 1997 fatal crash years before. Then there's Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the truck driver, and the Sidhu deportation fight that's heating up again. He pled guilty right away, served his time, and now faces permanent resident revocation and removal under serious criminality rules. This is where it gets complicated. Chris Joseph, the former NHL dad who lost his son, is pushing hard for deportation. Others, including some of the victims' families, have forgiven him. We talk about dangerous driving Canada and the eight-year sentence, the distracted driving peat moss tarp detail that came out, gaps in truck driver training Canada, and how Punjabi truck drivers get painted with one brush every time something happens on the road. That ties into a bigger conversation about systemic racism Canada doesn't always want to look at, and what the Punjabi community Canada deals with daily. We get into the immigration debate Canada keeps having, the deportation debate Canada side of it, how the Canadian justice system handled both cases, and the whole justice vs forgiveness question. Is sending him back actually justice, or just punishment for his wife and kids? Two tragedies, a lot of grief, and a lot we're still figuring out. Our hearts go out to every family affected by both. Love thy neighbour, and we'll see you next week.

Almost shut us down at episode 2 but we made it to 50 - EP50

We had a goal when we started. It was to hit at least 50 episodes. And we're actually here... even though it legit almost got shut down after just TWO episodes. We reflect on the journey here and take a moment to talk about what we've learned, how we've changed, and what's ahead. If you have been following us since then, or any time thereafter, we really appreciate each and every one of you. If there's anything you want to see us discuss, any feedback you have on the show, or even just want to say hello - leave it in the comments!! Or you drop a line in our anonymous box if you're shy. Thanks again to everyone who listens and watches, and we're excited for the next 50 episodes that are to come!

The most unbelievable man in hockey went missing (and was found alive) | Ernie "Punch" McLean - EP49

Ernie "Punch" McLean has to be the most unbelievable person in hockey history. There's so many stories he has and we could get only get through so many. You'd never know he's 93 if you were to meet Ernie. He's got a ton of energy and still sharp as ever. I'm proud to be part of The Ernie Punch McLean Legacy Foundation, as we work towards recognizing Punch with a statue potentially right outside Queen's Park Arena, where he achieved 4 straight championships for the New Westminster Bruins. The Foundation has a simple yet powerful vision: to bring lasting meaning and presence to the stories and memories that connect us. The goal goes beyond the statue itself. The Foundation aims to create a shared space that sparks conversation, remembrance, and pride within the community. Every community deserves a tangible symbol of its spirit, a place where legacy meets inspiration. Community members can support the campaign by signing the public petition and making donations at https://punchlegacy.com. The Foundation is also seeking a major corporate partner to help accelerate the project timeline. More Details: We sat down with Ernie Punch McLean, a true BC hockey legend and one of the most memorable people in Canadian junior hockey. At 93 years old, Punch is still sharp, still mining for gold up north, and has so many stories from a life that sounds like it’s from a movie. He built a junior hockey dynasty with the New Westminster Bruins, leading them to four straight championships in the Western Canada Hockey League (also known as WHL history) and winning back-to-back Memorial Cup titles in 1977 and 1978. Before that he coached the Estevan Bruins and helped set up farm teams like the Chilliwack Bruins. His teams played old school hockey with real hockey toughness, a big aggressive roster that earned them the nickname McBride Street Bullies in the Broad Street Bullies era. He emphasized positional hockey, team culture, hockey leadership, and building a strong farm team system so talent kept flowing through. Punch shares how he got the nickname, his wild hockey referee stories, throwing a garbage can on the ice, and the time he jumped onto the ice to defend a player. He talks about moving the team to Queen's Park Arena in New Westminster, the packed crowds that sometimes pushed the Vancouver Canucks to the third page of the sports section on the local newspapers. We hear about players he developed like Stan Smyl, Barry Beck, and Billy Ranford, plus the Wayne Gretzky story from when he coached a young Gretzky on Team Canada. He brings up insights about hockey scouting, hockey draft secrets, hockey rivalries, and what made the 1970s junior hockey scene so unforgettable. Beyond the rink, Punch opens up about his life as a pilot and construction businessman, surviving a plane crash that cost him his left eye, and his wilderness survival story while working as a gold prospector in BC gold mining. He also reflects on Saskatchewan hockey, the prairie hockey roots with teams like the Humboldt Indians (original name of the Humboldt Broncos), connections to legends like Scotty Munro, Bill Hunter, and Nat Bailey, and run-ins with teams like the Portland Winterhawks and Flin Flon Bombers. We touch on hockey coaching legend tales, hockey coaching tactics, hockey in the 1970s, CHL history, Canadian hockey legends, BC sports history, his BC Sports Hall of Fame induction, and thoughts on the modern game. At 93 years old, Punch still rides the SkyTrain to Canucks and Vancouver Giants games. This man is a BC Sports Hall of Fame and Hockey Hall of Fame name, and if New Westminster ever builds a proper sports Hall of Fame, his should be the first plaque on the wall.

Why being "Sikh" has nothing to do with religion (was everything we were taught wrong?) - EP48

*Watch episode 44 to watch the first conversation we had with Raj* Our first conversation with Raj from @sikhadelic.healing was a unique one to say the least. We weren't sure what kind of response we would get, but we knew we personally learned a lot from it. Just a few months later, we're pleasantly surprised to see how much of a positive response we received, also with a lot of questions. We decided to ask Raj these questions and get his perspective. If you haven't watch the first conversation, we highly recommend you watch it before watching this one. What are your thoughts on what we talked about? More details: We brought Raj from Sikhadelics back for a second conversation after the overwhelming response to our first episode. We get into the comments and questions people had, especially around the topic of psychedelics and Sikhi. Raj clarifies the difference between recreational use and using psilocybin, mushrooms, and cannabis as medicine for trauma healing, anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD. We talk about why so many people get triggered by this topic and where that fear comes from. Raj breaks down how everything is mind-altering: sugar addiction, social media addiction, even chai, and why we draw arbitrary lines around what's acceptable. He explains PTSD and how psychedelics, along with psychotherapy, can help people on their healing journey. The conversation goes deep into Sikhi, spirituality, and whether Sikhi is a religion or a spiritual path. Raj explains what dharma actually means. It's not religion, it's a code of discipline that leads to fulfillment. We discuss Gurbani, the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Gobind Singh, and Guru Tegh Bahadur, and what's written in the Guru Granth Sahib. He shares the story of Guru Tegh Bahadur's ring and the significance of jewelry in Sikhism, along with his thoughts on tattoos in Sikhism. We get into the meat debate and what Guru Nanak Dev Ji actually said about the non vegetarian Sikh debate. Raj explains that everything is living and breaks down why body as temple means something deeper. We talk about gurdwara politics, destination weddings, Sikh weddings, and what Anand Karaj actually means. Raj shares what it means to take Amrit and become Amritdhari, joining the Khalsa. We discuss the kirpan, the five Ks, Shastra Vidya, and the warrior mindset. He explains hukam, oneness, Ik Onkar, and connecting with Waheguru. We cover Paul Stamets' story of stuttering relief through a psychedelic experience, and discuss soma, DMT, ibogaine, and ayahuasca. We talk about meditation as a flow state, different forms of discipline, and how Ayurveda connects to understanding your body. Raj shares thoughts on reincarnation, Hemkund Sahib, water consciousness, and how Sanatan Dharam connects to Sikhi. We discuss Sikh history, ancient texts, faith and spirituality, religious rules vs personal beliefs, Western religion influence, therapeutic use of mind-altering substances, and intentional living. Follow Sikhadelics on Instagram: @sikhadelic.healing and @yothatssikh on Tikok!