“We tend to react to life instead of respond to it but when you're able to recognize when negative thoughts arise and choose to not act on them, not to say them, not to believe them and throw them into the mindfulness gap, you can create this whole different version of yourself.” – Cory Allen
How can we stop reacting to life and instead embody a consciousness, mindset, and presence?
Wellness + Wisdom Episode 301
Host of The Astral Hustle podcast, Creator of the Release Into Now course, and Author of the newly released book, Now Is The Way, Cory Allen, joins host, Josh Trent, for the second time on Wellness Force to discuss how the brain is naturally wired to become easily distracted, how to let go of thoughts that don't serve you, and how to effectively be in the present moment, dial down your anxiety, and clarify your thoughts.
Discover how cutting out the distractions, taking your deep breaths, and starting to live from a place of response and peace can help you embrace each moment.
Listen To Episode 301 As Cory Allen Uncovers:
[1:30] Am I My Thoughts? Or Are They Leaves In The Wind?
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Core Allen's background and what you can expect to learn from this interview.
- The Astral Hustle podcast
- Release Into Now course
- Now Is The Way
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The negative loop we find ourselves in when we dwell on thoughts that no longer serve us (3:10)
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How we can control our lives by controlling our minds.
[5:55] A Great Wave Of New Consciousness
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Why this great, new wave of consciousness is what he's the most grateful for right now.
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The great support, enthusiasm, and love he has felt during the creation and launch of his book, Now Is The Way.
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What download he received that inspired him to write, Now Is The Way.
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Universal human problems and experiences that he discovered we all have in our individual lives. (9:00)
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Why he doesn't tend to hesitate when a door opens for him to take on a new challenge or project.
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The cycle of putting out a little bit of himself into his art, being rejected, and then humbled by the experience. (11:00)
[12:00] The Brain's Evolutionary Hangover
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Why we can become slaves to what's happening to the stimuli outside of our body if we are not mindful.
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What unconventional mindfulness is and why Cory sees his book, Now Is The Way, in that light.
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Our brain's evolutionary hangover that is causing us to still suffer from issues in the modern world such as being highly self-conscious and unable to understand other perspectives of living.
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How the internet, social media, and the need to stand out from everyone else have made it easier for us to stay in this evolutionary hangover and be entirely self-involved.
- It's totally normal to find yourself focusing too much on yourself and what others think of you because that trait is programmed within us.
- How to bring yourself back to the moment when you find yourself being self-conscious.
[19:10] The Mindset Of A Warrior & The Heart Of A Child
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How to have the heart of a child by being open to others rather than closed and judgemental.
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His own reshaping and inner work to re-emerge with a new, open heart which helped him get past the facade of social context and identity projection of others.
- The old anger that he used to hold onto from his family's environment when his parents got divorced when he was four years old.
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Why his mother put him in a mental institution at the age of 14 because she thought he was weird and unstable when really he was just very creative and different than her and she didn't have the tools to help her see that.
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The emotional manipulation, conditional love, fearful parenting and feelings of isolation that he suffered from which then led him to feel resentful, sad, and angry during his younger years
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Why no parent is perfect and we're all going to mess up as we go through different experiences, feelings, and thoughts when raising a family even if none of them are traumatic.
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The simple fact that all of our sufferings are relative based on our personalities, mindset, and experiences.
[26:00] Life Lessons For Greater Mindfulness
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The life lessons we can learn about being more mindful by observing children.
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How meditation can help us let go of resentfulness, pain, and negative thought patterns.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
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What he learned from the work of Nietzsche to help him better understand himself, his thoughts and how his mind works.
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His obsession with studying Western philosophy for hours at a time for many years.
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How he transitioned from Western to Eastern philosophy and meditation to greater expand his learning and self-awareness.
- Robert Anton Wilson
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Why we become so fixated on the thought loops in our mind even if some of them might not even be our own but from another past life.
[30:00] Letting Go Of Thought Loops
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How and why we identify and understand ourselves through the stories that we create about our lives.
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Our ancient brain's ability to conceptualize which was useful hundreds of years ago but not so much now when we're focusing all of our energy on something meaningless to do with our jobs, relationships, or future.
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How pausing during a negative or critical thought and then engaging with something else can help create new ideas, experiences, and water down any negative loop patterns.
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What he did for himself to let go of his own thought loops that were taking up his time and attention.
[35:00] Creating A Relationship With The Uncertainty Monster
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The absurdity of allowing yourself to get so wrapped up in an idea that's really unlikely to happen.
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How Cory helped a colleague overcome stress simply by telling him to but a “Breathe” reminder on his phone every hour.
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Various tools to help us overcome uncertainty, stress, and come back to the present moment. (38:00)
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The impact of visual cues that will help you relax, be still and let go of uncertainty and stress.
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Creating a morning routine that allows you to take time for yourself and start your day off with a healthy mindset.
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How directing your attention to things you really love like a morning coffee, workout, or meditation can make an impact.
[41:10] Mindfulness Is Strength Training For The Brain
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Why people are so restless because it's easier for them to wrestle with nothing than to sit with it.
- The struggle we face to observe, accept, and let go of negative thoughts and emotions within the mindfulness gap.
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Why we're conditioned to react to something that happens to our lives instead of effectively responding to it.
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We are are not our thoughts but our thoughts put in action.
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It's okay if you can't 100% let go of your negative thoughts in the moment; the important thing is that you try and apply the tools you already have.
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How to naturally rewire the brain by indulging in positive thoughts rather than negative and critical ones.
[46:10] Rewiring Your Meat Radio
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The difference between dwelling on thoughts that you “crave” vs. thoughts that you are “hungry” for and need to address. (47:40)
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Steps we can take to wake up right now to new revelations when our heads have been underwater for so long with all of these stories that we tell ourselves.
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How to hold yourself accountable for your new way of thinking and own story.
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The fact that change won't just happen over time; it takes patience, effort, and nurturing to really see future results.
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His equation for real change: consistent action and time. (51:00)
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What kind of people you should look out for to help you create the best Wellness Tribe for your needs.
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Why can't force people to change or have a completely new mind shift but we can be there for them along their journey.
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What wellness means for Cory in our modern world. (58:00)
[click_to_tweet tweet=”When you're able to recognize when negative thoughts arise and choosing to not act on them, you can create this whole different version of yourself. – @HeyCoryAllen ” quote=”When you're able to recognize when negative thoughts arise and choosing to not act on them, you can create this whole different version of yourself. – @HeyCoryAllen “]
Now Is The Way by Cory Allen
Click here to get your own copy of Now Is The Way by Cory Allen
Now Is the Way: An Unconventional Approach to Modern Mindfulness
The modern world has overwhelmed us. Anxiety rates are high and we’re more distracted than ever. We're suffering. But it doesn’t have to be this way. By learning how to control our minds, we can control our lives. In this book, I offer a fresh guide to mindfulness for you–a person living in the strange and beautiful times of today.
What makes this book unconventional? I’ve built a new bridge between knowing and doing. Now Is the Way will not only give you mental clarity, but also reduce your anxiety, help you find your purpose, and increases your focus. It will teach you how to stop reacting to your life and start living it. Right Now.
Now Is the Way: An Unconventional Approach to Modern Mindfulness
Power Quotes From The Show
[click_to_tweet tweet=”We are not our thoughts. We are our thoughts that we put into action. You get to observe your thoughts and choose which ones you want to put into your world. – @HeyCoryAllen” quote=”We are not our thoughts. We are our thoughts that we put into action. You get to observe your thoughts and choose which ones you want to put into your world. – @HeyCoryAllen”]
Our Limitless Potential To Learn And Love
“We live in times that support higher thinking while at the same time we live with a brain that was designed for safety and reaction. The dance steps between the two arenʼt taught in traditional school. Encapsulated into each one of us is the limitless potential and a lifelong lesson of learning and loving. It takes the heart of a child and the mind of a warrior to live life well.” – Josh Trent, interviewing Cory Allen
We Are Not Our Thoughts
“We are not our thoughts. We are our thoughts that we put into action. We get to observe our thoughts and choose which ones we want to put into our world. You don't have to be perfect at this mindfulness practice either; just recognize when you're about to go down a dark road of inner conversation.” – Cory Allen
Building Mindfulness Muscle
Creating A Whole New Version Of You
“We tend to react to our life instead of respond to it. We all want to be that person who is free of judgment and is more kind, patient, present, loving and is able to connect with the people in their lives at a deeper level. However, there are these emerging negative qualities that lead us to dwell on these negative thoughts and criticisms. Those ideas will rise and pass through because there is no space and we tend to react quickly to them rather than observe, think, and respond to them. However, by being able to recognize when negative thoughts arise and choosing to not act on them, not say them, not to believe them and throw them into the mindfulness gap, you can create this whole different version of yourself.” – Cory Allen
Links From Today's Show
- Organifi
- The Astral Hustle podcast
- Release Into Now course
- Now Is The Way
- 206 Dan Pardi
- Friedrich Nietzsche
- Robert Anton Wilson
- Viktor Frankl
- Altered Ear
- Cory Allen
About Cory Allen
Cory Allen is an author, podcast host, meditation teacher, composer, and audio engineer. On his podcast The Astral Hustle, he finds ways for us to live with more wonder and less suffering by speaking with leading experts in mindfulness, neuroscience, music, and philosophy. The Astral Hustle has been downloaded millions of times and was featured by the New York Times. Cory has taught thousands of people how to meditate with clear and concise methods in his online meditation course Release Into Now. He is also a distinguished music producer who has released more than a dozen albums and engineered hundreds of records for other artists. He lives in Austin, Texas.
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