Many people have learned the hard way that if you want to change something in your life, such as losing weight, you must first find the energy inside you to put towards changing a routine. In this final episode in a series with Dancing with the Stars’ Julianne Hough, Dr. Daniel Amen and Tana Amen discuss how you can find and raise that energy to fuel your transformation.
Dr Daniel Amen:
Welcome to the Brain Warrior's Way podcast. I'm Dr. Daniel Amen.
Tana Amen:
And I'm Tana Amen. In our podcast, we provide you with the tools you need to become a warrior for the health of your brain and body.
Dr Daniel Amen:
The Brain Warrior's Way podcast is brought to you by Amen Clinics, where we have been transforming lives for 30 years using tools like brain SPECT imaging to personalize treatment to your brain. For more information, visit amenclinics.com.
Tana Amen:
The Brain Warrior's way podcast is also brought to you by BrainMD, where we produce the highest quality nutraceuticals to support the health of your brain and body. To learn more, go to brainmd.com.
Dr Daniel Amen:
We're here with Julianne, and we're just so grateful for your time and all the things you're adding to the universe. When patients come to Amen clinics, we always think about them and four big circles. So what's the biology? And for us it's their brain. What's their psychology? It's their mind and how they think. What's their social circle? You become like the people you hang out with. And the spiritual circle, which is why the heck do you care? What's your deepest sense of meaning and purpose?
Dr Daniel Amen:
And so when you think about Dan's, there's clearly a biological piece to that, a physical piece, but we've already talked about how it can optimize your mind, and often it's as social connection. And people can connect with you through the program, and a spiritual connection, which is why do I do this? Why am I on the planet and how does this help? And I love how you talked about setting up your day to be meaningful and purposeful. So these four circles, that's how people get sick. Biologically sick, psychologically sick, their relationships are sick, or they're void of meaning and purpose, which is happening at greater levels now because of all the gadgets that we've sort of lost that why am I on the phone?
Tana Amen:
A lot of people are fearful and they lack a sense of hope in the moment right now. So we need to stay connected in a positive way. And I like what you're doing because what we're doing is filled with positivity and hope. And one of the things that I really love that you were talking about is you can do it based on your physical abilities. If you've got bad knees or you're in a wheelchair or whatever it is. But also before we came back on, we were talking about intensity. I'm assuming you can also add your own intensity level, right? So I'm one of these people who is very intense just by nature.
Tana Amen:
My personality is just very intense, which is why I practice martial arts instead of yoga. So, but I know that yoga is good for me, so I can probably do some combination of that if I'm hearing you-
Julianne Hough:
Yeah, absolutely. So our philosophy is built in the elements. So if you think about earth, that's strength, that is foundation. So we can build muscle and strength there. We also, instead of thinking of yourself as intense and all this, oh, you're just fiery, you just got a fiery, passionate, and intense is good. I'm intense as well, but like, "Oh, I just need to activate some of that fire." And then, "Oh, you know what, my yoga and my flow is much more water and resistance. I can build resistance. And then air is all about like either celebration or letting go." So we combine mindfulness, we combine that psyche of really surrendering our mind to our body and visualizing into the elements, but then activating the different energies that the elements give us.
Julianne Hough:
And we're all different and unique. And what works for me is going to work different for someone else. And so when you can understand your elemental constitution, so my four is, I start with air, then fire, and then water, and then earth, that's my constitution. But someone else's might be water, earth, fire, air. It might shift for them. And so what they need might be different. And so when we do our method, it's very specific to how your body wants to move.
Tana Amen:
And do you help people find their elemental?
Julianne Hough:
Yes.
Dr Daniel Amen:
How do you do that?
Julianne Hough:
We worked with an ayurvedic specialist and we created an elemental blueprint quiz, where we find your constitution and we're able to design breath work classes, mindfulness classes, movement classes, or a combination that can help you to become your most full self and whatever works for you. We can also give you a little fire breath work that's two minutes right before you go into a meeting. So you can feel very focused and direct. But those different constitutions. So if you put for me, if I put fire and air together because they're my top two, that means that I'm going to be in my creation and my innovation mindset because those are my top two elements that are formed. The creative and innovation process.
Julianne Hough:
My middle two, which is my fire and my water, when I combine those two, that's more my authenticity of where I really live. When I combine my water and my earth, that's when I know my purpose. So when I'm feeling really unsure and maybe I'm too creative and I'm not getting anything done, I need to like, "Ooh, let me connect to my earth and my water. Oh, that's what I'm here to do. This is my purpose. This is my why." And so knowing-
Tana Amen:
It helps you ground.
Julianne Hough:
Yeah, it helps me ground, but some people's purpose might be in fire and air, who knows? And so knowing that though gives us the awareness and the ability of what works for me might not work for you, but it's all natural. It's built in the elements that are around us. So we can eventually give exercises, but we can give supplements and food and nutrition that is really designed for you.
Tana Amen:
That's so interesting.
Dr Daniel Amen:
And people can learn about the themselves at kinrgy.com? Is that right?
Julianne Hough:
Yes, exactly. Yep. That's right.
Dr Daniel Amen:
K-I-N-R-G-Y.com.
Julianne Hough:
Yes. And just to give you a little insight about what the name represents. So kin represents tribe and community and family. Kinder is a German word for child, kinesthetic or kinetic movement. And then energy. And we really believe that when we can raise our vibration energetically, we're moving into an energetic health place in the future is where I believe we're headed. And if we can really shift our energy, then we can shift our mindset and then we can have the ability to change our body.
Julianne Hough:
And so sometimes I feel like people are trying so hard to lose weight, and then everything will be fine after that. But to even get to the point to work out or do something for their body, they have to have the mindset. But to even get to the mindset of that, they need to feel like they have the energy to do that. So when we can help by giving people this energy that they feel alive, "Oh, now I have better thoughts. Oh, now I have better thoughts, now I can actually execute. I can go." So we're really in the, I don't even want to call it business, but in the business of creating extraordinary energy for people.
Dr Daniel Amen:
And that's what people need because once you have energy, then you can do something with it. During the pandemic, I've been talking a lot about mental hygiene and how mental hygiene is as important as washing your hands, that disinfecting our thoughts. And what you can add during this time is a different routine, because a lot of people, especially now that they just found out they're going to be staying home another month or two, that coming up with a routine that helps rather than a routine that hurts them is absolutely essential to thriving during this time.
Tana Amen:
Yeah. So our good friend Byron Katie is a friend of ours. I don't know if you're familiar with her.
Julianne Hough:
I love Byron Katie. Oh my gosh. And my mother does too. I would love to meet her.
Tana Amen:
So we've spent a lot of time with her. I did her nine day class, which is mind bending. So, but she said something that was just so interesting many, many years ago to me. And I've always remembered it and taken it in. You can have the same incident seem very different to people. You put someone in a cell, and to a prisoner, you put them in solitary confinement and to that person, that's death. But if you put a Buddhist monk in solitary confinement, it's the greatest gift you can give him. Why? Because of what's in here.
Tana Amen:
And so I was thinking about that in relationship to what's going on right now. We're telling people to stay home. And some people, you're seeing the craziest of things come out in people. Some people are not only completely fine with it, they kind of like it. They're thriving on it. And then I'm seeing other people just lose it. And so why? Because of how they're hardwired and they don't have control over what's going on in their minds. And so yeah, I'm actually sort of enjoying the time at home. I don't know what people are talking about when there's nothing to do. I'm busier than I've ever been, but it's weird. But I think it's because of how we think. We've got to learn how to ground and how we think and discipline our thoughts around that. And so it's so interesting.
Dr Daniel Amen:
Wow. Unfortunately, we have to stop. What a joy to meet you. Thank you so much for your time.
Julianne Hough:
My pleasure. Thank you.
Tana Amen:
Yes. You're so lovely.
Dr Daniel Amen:
We'd love to stay connected. There's probably some brain research and people who do the program versus those who don't. I've published studies on meditation before and after, and I've published studies with supplementation and how it can help. But there's a brand new study you'll like on table tennis, people who had Parkinson's Disease, significant improvement in their symptoms. And for me, table tennis and dance are the world's two best sports because no brain injuries. And in table tennis you have to get your eyes, hands, and feet all to work together while you think about the spin on the ball. So it's aerobic chess, but dance can connect you to yourself and to others in big ways.
Tana Amen:
Well, I love what you're doing also though, in addition to the dance part of it, you are helping people to really learn about their energy and help them connect and stay grounded in what you define as the way to stay grounded. Because I think that through this time right now is what's going to rarely help people. So I think if people can connect, so kinrgy.com, they can stay connected and learn more about that and especially kids, families together. But just helping them find another way to just keep their mind engaged and focused and learn about their body and breathing and being grounded is amazing.
Dr Daniel Amen:
And we'll post all of this.
Julianne Hough:
Thank you. Well, again, I just, I want to say thank you and I feel honored to even just be having this conversation. And I think it's so needed and in the world that we are in right now, and I believe that this younger generation is, I mean we always say it, but they use this is our future, and to be able to educate them in a way that they feel seen and heard and expressed is so important. So yeah, I just, I want to do my part in contributing. So I appreciate you allowing me to share my passion and my truth and my contributions. So thank you.
Dr Daniel Amen:
Great. Thanks so much.
Tana Amen:
Thank you.
Dr Daniel Amen:
You're listening to the Brain Warrior's Way. Stay with us.
Tana Amen:
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