#45: Deep Mind Training - Michael Taft

#45: Deep Mind Training - Michael Taft

Author: FitMind: Neuroscience, Meditation & Mental Fitness Training June 9, 2020 Duration: 38:38

Michael Taft is a meditation teacher, bestselling author, and podcaster.

He teaches meditation at top tech firms like Google and is a core faculty member of Wisdom Labs in San Francisco and an official advisor to the Therapeutic Neuroscience Lab. He has served as editor-in-chief of Being Human and long-time editorial director of Sounds True.

Having meditated in various traditions and techniques from Zen temples in Japan to yogi caves in India, Michael has a ton of experience (over 35 years) in training his mind. He also interviews top teachers on his popular podcast Deconstructing Yourself.

In this episode, we talk about Michael's journey to the east and through advanced meditation practice, worldviews and frameworks for understanding the mind and meditation, the trials and potential pitfalls of adapting ancient methods for a modern context and the future of meditation in the West, and his general advice for finding the right meditation practice and refining it

And if you enjoy this podcast with Michael, which I think you will, then I encourage you to check out his books The Mindful Geek, Nondualism, and Ego.

FitMind Neuroscience-Based App: http://bit.ly/afitmind
Website: www.fitmind.com


What if the most impactful training you could do wasn't for your body, but for your mind? The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology explores that very idea, moving beyond simple self-help to examine the tangible science behind cognitive well-being. Host Liam McClintock, founder of FitMind, sits down with an eclectic mix of world-class experts-neuroscientists mapping the brain's pathways, psychologists unpacking behavioral patterns, Buddhist monks with millennia of contemplative wisdom, and elite athletes who apply mental discipline at the highest levels. Their conversations delve into practical applications of mindfulness meditation, the principles of Stoicism, emerging brain technologies, and the pursuit of sustainable productivity and happiness. This isn't just theoretical discussion; it's a deep dive into actionable strategies, grounded in research, aimed at strengthening your mental resilience. Each episode serves as a session for your cognitive toolkit, reflecting the core belief that understanding and training the mind is our most vital frontier. Tune in to this podcast for a thoughtful, evidence-based guide to building a healthier, more focused, and resilient inner life.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The FitMind Podcast: Mental Fitness, Neuroscience & Psychology
Podcast Episodes
#50: Clinical Psychology, Meditation & Sleep - Tucker Peck, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:04
Dr. Tucker Peck is a meditation teacher, clinical psychologist, and founder of Drugfreesleep.com. He holds a PhD in Clinical Psychology with a focus on the scientific study of meditation's effects on the mind, brain, and…
#49: How Porn Rewires the Brain - Donald Hilton, MD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:15
Donald Hilton, MD is a neurosurgeon and internationally recognized expert on the neuroscience of pornography. Dr. Hilton is currently listed in Best Doctors of America and serves as a clinical associate professor in the…
#48: From Businessman to Monk - Sean Fargo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:27
Sean Fargo is the Founder of Mindfulness Exercises, where he has taught meditation to some of the top executives in the world at companies like PG&E, Reddit, and DocuSign. Sean is a meditation instructor at Google and ad…
#47: Taking Control of Your Brain - Jill Bolte Taylor, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:58
Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist with the 7th most viewed TED talk of all time, titled "My Stroke of Insight." She's been named by Time Magazine on a list of the 100 most influential people in the world and was…
#46: The Mind of a Memory Champion - Nelson Dellis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:05
4x USA Memory Champion Nelson Dellis tells us how to remember (and forget) anything. Nelson Dellis is an American memory champion, mountain climber, and consultant. He has won the USA Memory Championship four times and i…
#44: The Science of Happiness - Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:31
Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD taught the most popular course in Harvard history and helped give rise to the positive psychology movement with his research into happiness. He lectures and consults globally for multinational corpora…
#42: Nutrition & Behavioral Change - Michelle Zellner, MSc [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:58
Michelle Zellner is the Founder of Better Beings and the author of The YOU Revolution. She's a former competitive gymnast and holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology, which has helped inform her work as a wellness coach…
#41: The Psychology of Self-Transcendence - Steve Taylor, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:31
Dr. Steve Taylor talks about self-transcendence and peak experiences (terms famously coined by Maslow) and gives a psychological view of what causes them to occur. Steve is an author and psychologist who comes highly end…
#40: Creating a Stress-Proof Brain - Melanie Greenberg, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:50
Melanie Greenberg is a clinical psychologist and consultant who wrote the bestselling book The Stress-Proof Brain. An expert on stress management and general wellbeing, she draws on neuroscience, mindfulness, and positiv…