(Ai assist:) Inner Skilled welcomes author and meditation teacher Blair Abee whom shares his personal story of becoming a whistleblower in a government-affiliated small business program in San Diego nearly nine years ago. After exposing a psychopathic boss for employee abuse and fund mishandling, Blair was fired alongside her, ending his 25-year career abruptly. This traumatic event plunged him into deep meditation and spiritual journaling, leading to unexpected "downloads" of higher wisdom and soul contact—an experience that transformed his life.

What initially felt like devastation became a profound gift, propelling Blair to write seven books, develop "Higher Consciousness Meditation" (an inquiry-based practice bypassing traditional mind-taming for direct illumination), and embrace the core message that we are all eternal beings temporarily in human form. The discussion dives into metaphysics: reincarnation vs. rebirth, the nature of the self/soul, non-duality, ending suffering, and the middle way between eternalism and nihilism. Blair and Josh explore discernment in spiritual experiences, the role of trust and faith, ego's relief in surrendering control, and practical mindfulness triggers.

Blair emphasizes meditation as the most direct path to soul contact and enlightenment, sharing how his practice evolved from yoga in the 1970s to a deeper dive post-trauma. The episode highlights turning adversity into awakening, the importance of truth, and finding one's unique spiritual path—whether through Buddhism, Christ consciousness, or personal inquiry.

https://www.blairabee.com

https://www.instagram.com

https://www.facebook.com/authormeditation

0:00 - Introduction and Handling Technical Delays with Meditation Mindset

0:43 - Who Is Blair Abee? Author, Meditation Teacher, and Retired Consultant

1:14 - Blair's Whistleblower Story: Exposing Corruption in Government Program

2:08 - The Psychopathic Boss, Investigation, and Unexpected Firing

3:59 - Career Ends Abruptly: Trauma Leads to Deep Meditation Dive

4:20 - Journaling for Therapy Turns into Soul Contact and Spiritual Downloads

5:36 - Core Message: We Are Eternal Beings Seeking Soul Recognition on Earth

7:00 - "The Worst Thing" as the Greatest Gift: Reframing Adversity

7:55 - Parallels to Modern Whistleblowers and Disclosure Projects

9:50 - Psychopaths in Power and Challenges of Whistleblower Protections

10:49 - Debating Eternalism vs. Nihilism: Trap or Opportunity?

13:14 - Reincarnation, Graduation from Earth Lessons, and Rising Consciousness

16:07 - Reincarnation vs. Rebirth: No Permanent Self and Bad Habits Reborn

17:18 - Beyond Existence/Non-Existence: Buddha's Tetralemma

18:09 - Non-Duality, Oneness with the All, and Waking Up This Lifetime

20:52 - Investigating the Self: The Five Aggregates and No "I" Needed

25:02 - Soul as Eternal Spark vs. Impermanent Processes

28:08 - Why Forget Eternity? Deception, Loosh, and Gnostic Views

30:24 - Experience vs. Concepts: Trusting Your Direct Knowing

34:38 - Blair's Meditation Journey: From 1972 Yoga to Higher Consciousness Practice

36:34 - Higher Consciousness Meditation: Inquiry for Direct Illumination

38:03 - Daily Practices: Morning/Evening Sits, Mindfulness Triggers, and Ego Relief

41:37 - Adversity as Blessing: Thanking the Trauma for Awakening

43:02 - Wise Relationship to the Thinking Mind: Surrender and Trust in Spirit

44:41 - Faith as Trust in Your Highest Intention and Evolution

47:14 - Where to Find Blair: Books, Courses, Quiz, and Newsletter at blairabee.com

48:20 - Discernment in Downloads: Light vs. Dark and Heart/Gut Check

51:54 - Final Thoughts: Trust Your Experience Above All Else

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Towards the end of October 2025 I reconnected with Aaron Scott, a former Wall Street executive of nearly two decades who experienced a profound awakening about two years ago. Aaron discusses his new Amazon #1 bestselling book, Before We Forget: The Guide to Personal and Collective Awakening, which blends practical tools from his finance background with metaphysical insights to create a coherent path for reclaiming sovereignty.

Key topics include:

• Defining Awakening: Moving beyond esoteric buzzwords to practical awareness—peeling back societal indoctrination (e.g., over-identification with jobs, money, or performative life) to reconnect with one's true self/soul and divine intelligence.

• Systemic Detachment: How economy, education, religion, and medicine disconnect us from natural rhythms, coherence, and internal alignment, leading to trauma and fragmentation.

• AI as the "apex of disembodiment," rooted in scientific materialism, reducing humans to metrics and utility. It mirrors greed-driven systems (venture capital, military-industrial complex) and risks replacing human connections (therapy, tutoring) for efficiency/profit. Benevolent potential exists for augmenting consciousness, but current paths lead to control via data mining, predictive models, and technocracy.

• Insights from Wall Street on greed, manufactured scarcity, central banking as power retention, and risks of digital IDs/crypto as new control mechanisms. No "grand cabal"—more nuanced competition among ego-driven players.

• Consent & Power: We embody and consent to systems; reframing reality (inside-out living) revokes power from externalities.

• Paradigm Shift: Quantum physics validates ancient hermetic principles (vibration, polarity, reciprocity), proving consciousness as reality's foundation—not materialism. This demands evolution beyond old epistemologies.

• Practical Tools: Breathwork, meditation, somatic practices as daily essentials; finding internal coherence to radiate collective change.

Aaron emphasizes empowerment: Anyone can transcend limitations by seeing the world clearly, living from inner truth, and fostering higher consciousness. We close with a shared aspiration for universal awakening and freedom.

[ Hermeticism was also brought up and the huge Thoth presentation I mentioned even though I don't really connect much with the manner of presentation the info has depth I hadn't heard much of elsewhere: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6RDcWNUTNE ]

Our previous chat: Conscious Investing and The Illusion of Performance-Based Identity with Aaron Scott

https://shows.acast.com/innerskilled/episodes/conscious-investing-and-the-illusion-of-performance-based-id

https://www.theaaronscott.com

New Book: https://www.amazon.com/Before-We-Forget-Collective-Awakening/dp/1969372230/

The Evolved Podcast With Aaron Scott

https://www.instagram.com/theaaronscottofficial

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Ai assist:) Veronique Ory – dancer, theater founder, yoga guide, and granddaughter of Holocaust survivors – shares one of the most romantic family love stories you’ll ever hear, how intergenerational trauma can become intergenerational strength, and simple daily practices that help us remember: we are already worthy, we can choose joy on purpose, and we don’t need one more thing to shine.

0:00 – Intro & Welcome Veronique Ory

0:19 – Who is Veronique? Dancer, storyteller, theater founder & yoga guide

2:04 – The ancient power of gathering around stories

3:18 – Yoga, “right view,” and becoming your own ophthalmologist

6:30 – A beautiful Holocaust-survivor love story: the motorcycle & honest intentions

9:58 – Is old-fashioned romance coming back?

14:15 – Intergenerational trauma & choosing empowerment instead of victimhood

19:20 – You don’t have to DO anything to shine – the worthiness conversation

24:11 – Aspirations vs affirmations & rejoicing in others’ joy

26:37 – Morning routine: no phone until you’re centered

30:14 – Feeling the feeling you want WITHOUT the “thing” – non-attachment practice

33:07 – The stolen sneaker story & purging one item a day

36:49 – Generosity, Lakshmi energy & giving is receiving

41:10 – Holidays, homemade gifts & cooking with what you already have

44:14 – Energy leaks, delegation & the “ice vs steam” full-body yes test

49:38 – How to work with Veronique – book, membership, retreats & Italy 2026

55:31 – Closing blessing: May all beings realize awakening

In this soul-nourishing conversation, Veronique Ory takes us from 1940s Hungary to modern-day Los Angeles, sharing the motorcycle courtship story of her Holocaust-survivor grandparents, how storytelling around the fire is the original human gathering, and why everything starts with “right view.”

We dive into:

• Healing intergenerational trauma without falling into victimhood
• Why worthiness isn’t earned – you were born with it
• Turning jealousy into vicarious joy
• The morning routine that keeps social media from hijacking your nervous system
• Feeling the feeling you want NOW (without waiting for the job/partner/thing)
• The sneaker story that cured a shopping urge and sparked daily decluttering
• Generosity as the ultimate happiness hack
• Cooking and giving from what you already have
• “Ice vs steam” – the full-body yes/no test for every decision

Veronique’s book & membership “Shine On and Off the Mat” → https://yogawithveronique.com

Instagram → https://instagram.com/veroniqueory

http://facebook.com/theveroniqueory

7-day free trial of the Shine membership (live classes + global community) → link in bio

Italy Yoga Retreat 2026 → details on website

If you’ve ever felt “not enough,” rushed, or addicted to buying the next thing – this episode is medicine.

Which moment resonated most with you? Drop it in the comments – we read every single one. 🧡

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

(Ai assist:) Asher Lester spent 20 years as a pediatric behavioral analyst treating thousands of kids on the autism spectrum, then became a full-time Krav Maga instructor and breath/meditation teacher. In this raw, wide-ranging conversation he reveals:

- Why autism diagnoses skyrocketed from 3–5 in 10,000 to 1 in 32 — and the uncomfortable environmental factors no one wants to talk about

- How he went from being brutally bullied (40+ punches while pinned on the ground) to teaching self-defense and inner peace

- The shocking study: AI can identify you with 96.8% accuracy just from 24 hours of your breathing patterns (you have a “breathing fingerprint”)

- Why hyperventilation/“super-ventilation” techniques (including some popular methods) are dangerous and based on bad science

- The exact way to breathe (bottom-of-rib-cage demo) that calms the nervous system instantly and improves meditation, sports performance, and daily life

- Why schools secretly maintain zero-tolerance self-defense policies that teach kids to be passive victims

- The missing link between violence capability and true peace: becoming a “balanced warrior”

If you’ve ever felt anxious, struggled with meditation, worried about raising kids in today’s world, or wondered why everyone seems so on edge — this episode is a goldmine.

0:00 🎯 Intro – Welcome Asher Lester

0:58 😔 Losing His Best Friend at 11 – What Drove Him Into Psychology

2:15 🧠 20 Years Treating Autism & Behavioral Disorders

5:40 🤼‍♂️ From Therapist to Full-Time Krav Maga Instructor

8:18 🫁 Your Unique “Breathing Fingerprint” (96.8% AI identification)

10:25 ⚠️ How Stress Makes Us Hyperventilate & Dissociate in 30 Seconds

14:20 🧬 Why Autism Diagnoses Exploded (1 in 32 kids) – His Real-World Theory

18:50 🔥 Toxins, Fire-Retardant Furniture & Epigenetics

23:20 🐵 “We’re All Nervous Apes” – Origin of the Name & Negativity Bias

30:40 📰 Reframing Terror on Live TV – A Nervous System Masterclass

41:30 💔 Brutal Bullying Stories (and Why Schools Enable It)

48:10 🏫 “Snitches Get Stitches” – 5-Year-Olds Already Know

54:30 🚨 Why Zero-Tolerance Self-Defense Policies Harm Kids

1:00:00 🧘 Proper Breathing vs. Hyperventilation Myths (Wim Hof warning)

1:09:00 ❤️ Diaphragmatic Breathing Demo – Bottom-of-Rib-Cage Technique

1:14:20 🧘‍♂️ Best Way to Start Meditation (5 perfect setup breaths)

1:18:00 🫶 Where to Find Asher – Classes, 1-on-1, Fundamentals Course

https://www.nervousapes.com

https://www.instagram.com/nervousapes

https://www.facebook.com/trea.drake

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A beautiful, intimate conversation with longtime Zen practitioner and author Lee Carlson about his 15-year student-teacher relationship with the legendary Peter Matthiessen (author of The Snow Leopard, Paris Review founder, and former CIA operative turned Sōtō Zen master).

Lee shares how Matthiessen helped him navigate profound openings — including a life-altering loving-kindness (metta) experience where the entire room dissolved into pure interconnected energy — and what it truly means to study with an awakened teacher.

From the paradoxes of Zen, the importance of sangha, the transformative power of the breath, and Matthiessen’s gentle reminder that “at the end of the day, just teach them how to breathe,” this episode is medicine for anyone walking a contemplative path or longing for authentic transmission in a teacher-student relationship.

0:00 – Welcome & technical difficulties

0:25 – Who is Lee Carlson? (25 years of Zen, journalism → authorship)

1:01 – Peter Matthiessen: The Snow Leopard, Paris Review, and the early Western Zen wave

3:52 – The CIA backstory & how people (including Matthiessen) changed

9:28 – Sōtō vs Rinzai, compassion in Zen, and stripping away the extras

14:35 – The Beat Generation, Dharma Bums, and the 1960s–70s spiritual explosion

18:18 – Zen is big on heart & love (despite the minimalist reputation)

19:49 – The irreplaceable value of a real teacher + sangha

23:29 – Wise friendship is the whole of the path (Buddha to Ānanda)

30:07 – Dokusan, eye-to-eye interviews, and life as practice

31:27 – The life-changing metta opening: the room dissolves into one bright pearl

35:21 – Peter’s response: “Oh, how wonderful” + Dōgen’s “The whole world is one bright pearl”

38:03 – Where to find Lee and his book

39:37 – Peter’s final teaching: “At the end of the day, just teach them how to breathe”

40:45 – Closing blessing

https://leecarlson.life

A Single Excellent Night: A Man, a Mentor, and a Moment in Time:

https://www.amazon.com/Single-Excellent-Night-Mentor-Moment/dp/B0FTTP6DFT/

https://www.facebook.com/LeeCarlsonAuthor

https://x.com/LCarlson_author

https://www.youtube.com/@LeeCarlsonAuthor

https://www.instagram.com/leecarlsonauthor/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/LeeCarlsonNirvana

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this heartfelt conversation, high-performance coach Rob Tracz shares his journey from an overworked strength & conditioning coach (12–15 hour days, 7 days a week for years) to becoming a “Prime Performer” coach for young entrepreneurs and side-hustlers. Rob opens up about the personal cost of hustle culture — deteriorating health, lost relationships, and missing precious time with his father during his final months with pancreatic cancer.

Through these hard lessons, Rob discovered that true success isn’t more money or hours worked — it’s living in alignment with your deepest core values, cultivating self-awareness, and building a life that still has room for relationships, joy, and reflection.

A powerful episode for anyone who’s ever felt trapped in “robot mode,” chasing the next milestone while life passes by. Learn practical ways to slow down, reflect consciously, use values as your compass, and build a thriving side hustle without burning out.

0:00 – Intro & casual weather chat

1:07 – Who is Rob Tracz and what he does today

3:25 – Childhood: “Dweeb Rob” discovers personal development through sports

6:53 – Becoming a strength & conditioning coach

7:55 – The dark side: 12–15 hour days, 200 weeks straight, “robot mode”

8:28 – Losing relationships and missing time with his dying father

9:11 – The turning point and redefining success through core values

11:33 – Tying self-worth to achievement & the need for life “brakes”

13:21 – When to intervene vs. let someone learn the hard way

15:54 – Current trends: moving away from “sleep when I’m dead” culture

17:20 – Using AI for deeper self-reflection and gratitude

20:07 – Growth without purpose is cancer — redefining success on your own terms

23:36 – Core values as the map, goals as the mountain

26:21 – Rob’s unique edge: adaptability + radical awareness

28:12 – Turning weaknesses into strengths through conscious reflection

30:20 – One core message: “Reflect more consciously”

32:12 – Wrapping up + Rob’s current work

35:25 – Conflict resolution, power dynamics, and working with pro sports teams

39:06 – Final message: Reflect more consciously

vid version: https://youtu.be/NwOqaslr16M

Main Website — https://robtracz.com

Podcast: Surviving the Side Hustle — https://robtracz.com/podcast (or https://survivingthesidehustle.com)

https://instagram.com/robtracz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-tracz-ms-cscs-55a4b3146

Older Training Site (TAPS) — https://taps-training.com (still active but secondary to his current coaching focus)

https://www.facebook.com/robert.tracz.750

https://youtube.com/@coachrobt2143

Want to be a guest on Inner Skilled? Send Josh Dippold a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/innerskilled

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.