The Wellness Driven Life Show

Meditation does not require a quiet mind. Jeff Patterson, founder of The Yielding Warrior and Portland Tai Chi Academy, breaks down the five regulations of the meditative arts, the three pillars of yielding, and why getting distracted fifty times in twenty minutes is fifty repetitions of finding your way back to center. Jeff has spent 37 years in the meditative and martial arts, 32 of them teaching. He tells the story of the two monks and the mud puddle, which is really about what we keep carrying, and he lands on the practice underneath it all: catching the first sign of imbalance before it gains momentum. ▶️ SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss what's next: https://youtube.com/@thewellnessdrivenlifeshow?sub_confirmation=1 EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 "You're still carrying her" — the two monks 00:54 What if the strongest thing you could do is stop pushing 02:48 Chopping wood, the first school, and the Marine Corps 03:40 The boxing coach who changed everything 05:10 "Isn't that for old people in the park?" 07:42 The five regulations of the meditative arts 08:12 Regulating the body, and what your posture is telling you 09:35 The myth of the quiet mind 10:21 Distracted fifty times, and why that is the practice 11:20 The mud puddle, told in full 12:26 Mental health, and what we choose to leave behind 14:39 Why the euphoric state is not the point 15:55 Yielding, broken into three pillars 16:47 Physical yielding, redirecting force instead of meeting it 17:34 Mental yielding, and the first sign of imbalance 18:54 Emotional yielding, the decision before the emotion 19:35 Why everyone yields, and why almost no one sees it 22:31 Six months in the basement, and the day it clicked 27:32 The free Yielding Warrior app 29:07 One year of consistency, and the cave you do not need WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY 🌀 Why yielding is redirecting force rather than giving in, and why it works in a conversation the same way it works in a push 🧘 The myth that meditation means a quiet mind, and why getting distracted fifty times in twenty minutes is fifty repetitions of finding your way back to center 🌿 What one year of consistency gives you, and why you do not have to retire to a cave to get it ABOUT JEFF PATTERSON Jeff Patterson is the founder of The Yielding Warrior and Portland Tai Chi Academy, where he has taught Tai Chi, Qigong, breathwork, and meditation for 32 years, with 37 years of his own practice behind it. He holds black belt equivalency across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Eskrima, Muay Thai, Kenpō, Tai Chi, and Qigong, and he is the author of "The Yielding Warrior." Jeff's free app (reset practices, ritual practices, tracker, journal): https://app.theyieldingwarrior.com https://theyieldingwarrior.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@TheYieldingWarrior STAY CONNECTED Get the newsletter: https://drivenlivin.com/newsletter-sign-up Join The Drive Collective: https://drivenlivin.com/community Visit Driven Livin': https://drivenlivin.com PRODUCTION CREDITS Hosted and executive produced by April Chavez. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmchavez/ Video production by Manlee J. Chavez. https://www.linkedin.com/in/manleejchavez/ Music by Steve Stuntz. https://www.youtube.com/@stevestuntz9303 The views expressed by guests on The Wellness Driven Life Show do not always reflect those of April Chavez or The Wellness Driven Life Show. For more details and a disclaimer, visit https://drivenlivin.com/guest-agreements. #TheYieldingWarrior #JeffPatterson #Yielding #TaiChi #TWDLS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🙏 The Science of Gratitude: Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik on why thanking more, not wanting more, builds real resilience. Gratitude gets dismissed as a soft sentiment, or lumped in with tarot cards and crystals. Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik makes the harder case: gratitude is a measurable science with real effects on the body and brain, and it holds up even when life breaks your heart. A six-time Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, Ph.D., and CUNY Professor Emeritus known as the Gratitude Wrangler, Debra returns to The Wellness Driven Life Show to talk about her newest film, "I Thank, Therefore I Am." Watch the full episode and SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss what's next: https://youtube.com/@thewellnessdrivenlifeshow?sub_confirmation=1 EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 A 9% longer life, the study that opens the show 00:24 The hook, and welcome to the show 01:35 Meet Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik 02:38 From the opioid films to gratitude 05:37 The 2:30 Mincha Moment, a practice since 2010 08:22 Why gratitude gets lumped in with tarot and crystals 09:34 Gratitude for cynics: the 50,000-nurse study 11:22 The brain science: Christina Karns and Joel Wong 12:22 Gratitude as a habit you build 13:55 Sign me up: the case for an easy practice 14:18 Tammy Treadwell, from hardship to Harlem seafood soul 17:10 A quick break 18:16 Love, and gratitude when life is hard 21:35 Jeff Johnston, gratitude through loss 23:30 The little things, and malted milk balls 24:19 Clarence, and the ripple effect of one sentence 27:28 Where to find Debra, and a grateful goodbye WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY 🧠 How a gratitude practice measurably changes the brain and body 💛 Why gratitude holds up in burnout and grief, not only on good days ⏸️ A simple 2:30 daily pause you can start today ABOUT DR. DEBRA GONSHER VINIK Dr. Debra Gonsher Vinik is a six-time Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker, a Ph.D., and CUNY Professor Emeritus, known as the Gratitude Wrangler. Her films have taken on food insecurity, the opioid crisis, and immigration, and her newest, "I Thank, Therefore I Am," grounds gratitude in neuroscience and lived story. https://www.gratitudewrangler.com STAY CONNECTED Newsletter: https://drivenlivin.com/newsletter-sign-up The Drive Collective: https://drivenlivin.com/community Driven Livin': https://drivenlivin.com PRODUCTION CREDITS Hosted and executive produced by April Chavez. Video production by Manlee J. Chavez. Music by Steve Stuntz. The views and experiences shared by guests are their own. Guest agreements and disclaimer: https://drivenlivin.com/guest-agreements #GratitudeForCynics #DebraGonsherVinik #IThankThereforeIAm #ScienceOfGratitude #TWDLS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to rewrite the subconscious programs running your life. This is Part 2 of our conversation with cell biologist Bruce Lipton, author of "The Biology of Belief." In Part 1, Bruce showed us that our genes do not run our lives. We do. Now comes the part that changes everything: how you actually rewrite the programming you have been living inside, and why the science of it reads like a story of hope. In Part 2, you'll explore: - Why "The Matrix is a documentary," and the red pill nearly everyone has already taken - The three ways to change a subconscious program, and the one that never works - The science that says spirit is real: your cells as antennas, and the broadcast that makes you you - Why the new evolution is cooperation, not competition, and what it asks of us now CHAPTERS 0:00 We are the caterpillar in the cocoon 0:56 Welcome back: this is Part 2 2:38 "The Matrix is a documentary": the red pill 3:22 Falling in love, and stepping out of the program 5:00 You were programmed before you were born 7:49 Three ways to rewrite your programming 8:41 One: self-hypnosis in the theta state 10:10 Two: habituation, the Renee Zellweger lesson 14:05 Three: energy psychology and super learning 16:39 The science of spirit: your unique antennas 19:11 The body is a TV, spirit is the broadcast 21:20 Each of us is a piece of God 22:01 You were born into heaven 25:33 The new evolution: you need less than you think 31:18 Evolution is cooperation 32:43 Closing: it's all consciousness ABOUT BRUCE LIPTON Bruce H. Lipton, PhD, is a cell biologist and a pioneer of epigenetics, the science of how the environment and our perceptions shape genetic activity. A former research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, he is the bestselling author of "The Biology of Belief," which has reached readers in more than 50 languages, along with "The Honeymoon Effect" and "Spontaneous Evolution." His new book, "Beyond Darwin: How Epigenetics, Quantum Science, and Cooperation Shape Humanity's Future" (BenBella Books), is out August 18, 2026. Pre-order "Beyond Darwin": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beyond-Darwin/Bruce-H-Lipton/9781637749364 More from Bruce: https://www.brucelipton.com START WITH PART 1 "Beyond Darwin: Bruce Lipton on the Cocoon Before the Butterfly": https://youtu.be/1S5gxVmbhl8 ABOUT THE SHOW The Wellness Driven Life Show is a Driven Livin' production, hosted by April Chavez, where each week a guest helps us look at what it means to live well, in body, mind, and spirit. Each premiere includes a live quiz in the chat. Subscribe for new episodes every week: https://youtube.com/@thewellnessdrivenlifeshow?sub_confirmation=1 Go deeper with us at https://www.drivenlivin.com With thanks to BenBella Books. #BruceLipton #Epigenetics #BeyondDarwin #SurvivalOfTheMostConscious #WellnessDrivenLifeShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Epigenetics, and why you are not your genes. This is Part 1 of our two-part conversation with cell biologist Bruce Lipton, author of "The Biology of Belief." What if the chaos all around us isn't the end of the world, but the cocoon before the butterfly? Bruce Lipton has spent his career showing that our genes do not run the show the way we were taught. The environment does. And that changes what is possible for our health, our beliefs, and who we can still become. In Part 1, you'll explore: - The stem cell experiment that shows a cell's fate is written by its environment, not its DNA - Why, in Bruce's words, "there is no gene that causes cancer," and where dis-ease actually begins - How the first seven years of life program the beliefs we spend adulthood running on - The caterpillar, the cocoon, and what has to dissolve before something new can take form CHAPTERS 0:00 There is no gene that causes cancer 0:34 Welcome, and meet Bruce Lipton 2:40 The microscope and the "little people" 4:36 You are a community of 50 trillion cells 7:15 Three dishes, three fates: the stem cell experiment 10:02 Skin-covered culture dishes: thoughts become chemistry 12:50 Programmed to feel like a victim of your genes 14:48 "Give me a child until seven": the first seven years 18:31 The adopted children and inherited cancer 20:25 Why this civilization is not sustainable 27:20 Survival of the most conscious: April's story 28:26 The conscious mind vs the subconscious program 34:41 The caterpillar, the cocoon, and the imaginal cells 37:12 The imaginal cell, and what Part 2 opens ABOUT BRUCE LIPTON Bruce H. Lipton, PhD, is a cell biologist and a pioneer of epigenetics, the science of how the environment and our perceptions shape genetic activity. A former research scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, he is the bestselling author of "The Biology of Belief," which has reached readers in more than 50 languages, along with "The Honeymoon Effect" and "Spontaneous Evolution." His new book, "Beyond Darwin: How Epigenetics, Quantum Science, and Cooperation Shape Humanity's Future" (BenBella Books), is out August 18, 2026. Pre-order "Beyond Darwin": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Beyond-Darwin/Bruce-H-Lipton/9781637749364 More from Bruce: https://www.brucelipton.com PART 2 "Beyond Darwin: Bruce Lipton on Survival of the Most Conscious" premieres Wednesday, August 19, 6 PM Pacific. ABOUT THE SHOW The Wellness Driven Life Show is a Driven Livin' production, hosted by April Chavez, where each week a guest helps us look at what it means to live well, in body, mind, and spirit. Each premiere includes a live quiz in the chat. Subscribe for new episodes every week: https://youtube.com/@thewellnessdrivenlifeshow?sub_confirmation=1 Go deeper with us at https://www.drivenlivin.com With thanks to BenBella Books. #BruceLipton #Epigenetics #BeyondDarwin #BiologyOfBelief #WellnessDrivenLifeShow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🐝 Overwhelmed by too much to do? Jones Loflin, keynote speaker, beekeeper, and author of "Focused as a Bee," breaks down how to focus in a distracting world, the six permissions that make rest possible, and what a hive of honeybees taught him and his daughter Sydney about presence. We spend our days busy, and end them wondering what we actually accomplished. Jones has spent thirty one years helping people out of that loop. His answer is not another productivity system. It is permission. Permission to be unavailable, to recharge, and to give your attention to what matters most. Watch the full episode and SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss what's next: https://youtube.com/@thewellnessdrivenlifeshow?sub_confirmation=1 ⏱ EPISODE CHAPTERS 00:00 The question: what are you carrying that was never yours? 01:07 Meet Jones Loflin 02:40 From "Who Moved My Cheese" to the hive 05:14 How a gift of bees became a book with his daughter 07:14 Busy vs focused: why the words matter 09:47 Presence, phones, and being with the person in front of you 12:19 The three things you must be unavailable to 15:25 The book that arrived beautifully, and why intention sticks 19:00 What the hive knows about priorities 22:07 Pouring into yourself first: Jones's morning practice 25:13 Quarantining your worry 26:46 Something to look forward to every single day 30:54 What Jones is creating next 34:02 "Go as far as you can see": the Zig Ziglar close 🐝 WHAT YOU'LL TAKE AWAY 🐝 The difference between busy and focused, and why a small word change shifts your whole day 🌿 The three things to make yourself unavailable to when you need to focus ✨ Two practices for a quieter mind: quarantining your worry, and keeping something to look forward to ABOUT JONES LOFLIN Jones Loflin is a keynote speaker, coach, and beekeeper, and the president of Helping Others Prepare for Excellence Inc. He is the author of "Focused as a Bee," co-written with his daughter Sydney, along with "Juggling Elephants," "Always Growing," "Getting to It," and "Getting the Blue Ribbon." Before speaking, he was an educator, and he served as the Trainer of Trainers for "Who Moved My Cheese?" He holds a BS and an M.Ed. from North Carolina State University and lives in North Carolina. https://jonesloflin.com 🧭 STAY CONNECTED Get the newsletter for fresh episode alerts and SIP-aligned reflections: https://drivenlivin.com/newsletter-sign-up Join The Drive Collective community: https://drivenlivin.com/community Visit Driven Livin': https://drivenlivin.com PRODUCTION CREDITS Hosted and executive produced by April Chavez. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilmchavez/ Video production by Manlee J. Chavez. https://www.linkedin.com/in/manleejchavez/ Music by Steve Stuntz. https://www.youtube.com/@stevestuntz9303 The views expressed by guests on The Wellness Driven Life Show do not always reflect those of April Chavez or The Wellness Driven Life Show. For more details and a disclaimer, visit https://drivenlivin.com/guest-agreements. #FocusedAsABee #JonesLoflin #Focus #Overwhelm #TWDLS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices