Waking Up Bipolar with Chris Cole | Bipolar disorder, spiritual awakening, and everything in between.

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole speaks with Matthew Gindin—freelance journalist, former Buddhist monk, educator, meditation teacher, and friend of the late Michael Stone. Michael Stone was a dharma teacher with an international sangha, a social and environmental activist, hatha yoga instructor, husband, father, author, and the embodiment of a life driven by heart-centered action. In addition to the miracle that is the life of Michael Stone, he occupied a bipolar body. I came across today’s guest, Matthew Gindin, when reading his article for the prominent Buddhist publication, Tricycle Magazine, titled, “Putting to Rest the Myth of the Heroic Self." Read the entire article here: https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/putting-rest-myth-heroic-self/ In addition to the moving words from Matthew, I was struck with a lightning-like evocation by the message from Michael’s life partner, Carina Stone, in an official statement from the family. She wrote, “As versed as Michael was with the silence around mental health issues in our culture, he feared the stigma of his diagnosis. He was on the cusp of revealing publicly how shaped he was by his disorder and how he was doing.” Read the full statement here: https://www.lionsroar.com/official-statement-on-passing-of-michael-stone-released/ If you feel moved to do so, a gofundme page has been created for Michael Stone’s family. Please consider a donation here: https://www.gofundme.com/carina-stone-family-fund As you’ll hear in our discussion, Matthew’s life has been touched in deeply poignant ways by this intersection of mental illness and spiritual unfolding. In this interview, I did not hear one word uttered from Matthew’s lips that did not pour from the oceanic depth of heart-centered dharma. Matthew Gindin, formerly a Buddhist monk, is a journalist, educator and freelance writer located in Vancouver, BC. He is the Pacific Correspondent for the Canadian Jewish News, writes regularly for the Forward and the Wisdom Daily and has been published in Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, Religion Dispatches, Situate Magazine, and elsewhere. He also writes on Medium from time to time. Follow Matthew Gindin on Twitter @MatthewZGindin JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole speaks with Andy Behrman—author of Electroboy: A Memoir of Mania, published by Random House and translated into six languages. Behrman is a mental health advocate and speaker who promotes mental health awareness and suicide prevention, speaking to college audiences, mental health care professionals and local and national mental health support groups. Andy's writing has been published by The New York Times Magazine, New York Magazine and he is a frequent contributor to mental health websites. Behrman has appeared on Anderson Cooper 360, NPR Radio and on the cover of Bipolar Magazine. He was interviewed by Stephen Fry for his documentary, “The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive” which aired on the BBC, and he will appear in a documentary called “In His Own Mind,” a film which traces his illness over a period of decade directed and produced by Brian Cresto. Andy lives in Los Angeles with his two daughters who are ten and twelve years old and never dreamed he would attend a Parent Association Meeting. His newest projects are the feature film version of Electroboy, which is currently in development, as well as a written sequel to his book. Andy’s work is near and dear to my heart for multiple reasons. He is a male voice for mental health and shares intimate, often painful details of his life—adding disarming humor and wit—in order to increase visibility for his own life and those he serves today. As a father with two little boys, I look up to Andy as someone who trail-blazed before me and is balancing fatherhood and activism. For more with Andy, visit electroboy.com and follow him on Twitter @electroboyusa JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole speaks with Monica Cassani, writer and creator of the website Everything Matters: Beyond Meds, a site that documents and shares many natural methods of self-care for finding and sustaining health in body, mind and spirit. Much of Monica's writing also deals with wider issues in the socio/political and spiritual realms as they pertain to mental health and human rights issues surrounding psychiatry. Monica Cassani has seen the system from both sides – as a social worker and as a person whose life was severely ruptured by psychiatric drugs. She writes critically about the system, as well as about holistic pathways of healing without medication now having gone through a transformative healing process herself. In this podcast episode, Monica explains what she calls the "Somatic Imperative," in which the body invites, and often demands, yielding to deep somatic wisdom and ultimately the call to heed one's heart. As part of Monica’s visit with us, she has extended a very generous offer for listeners. Click the link below for a PDF compilation, basically a customized ebook (over 20 pages of her writings), related to The Somatic Imperative we just discussed, covering topics like somatic mysticism, meditation, informed consent, and as you heard in the podcast, the ability to hold space for multiple truths. This is an extremely generous gift so do not miss out. https://beyondmeds.com/monica-cassani-pdf-prepared-for-podcast-waking-up-bipolar-with-chris-cole/ JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole speaks with Dr. Steve Prentice, Doctor of Chiropractic and author of Wrecked: Why Your Quest for Health and Weight Loss Has Failed... And What You Can Do About It.  Dr. Steve Prentice, practicing chiropractor and health contrarian since 1996, has spent his career questioning the status quo and challenging the accepted norms. His experience working with thousands of patients over 20 years led him to create what he termed “the stress-centered approach to health,” and he now leads his patients through the process of restoring their health and quality of life while rejecting many of the restrictive and obsessive health recommendations of the day. In his most current work, Wrecked, Dr. Prentice introduces these concepts to a wider audience for the first time. www.healthnutrehab.com JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole discusses the tall order of using one's voice with intention and awareness, so as to show up to life with mindfulness and congruence.  JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole discusses the relationship between humility and confidence, especially for folks with bipolar questioning their worth and integrating spiritual experiences. JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com

In this episode of Waking Up Bipolar, Chris Cole discusses what he calls “The Spiritual Mania Fallacy,” where folks with bipolar mistakenly equate spiritual awakening with mania or manic psychosis. JOIN THE DISCUSSION at FB.com/groups/wakingupbipolar Chris Cole hosts the Waking Up Bipolar podcast, focused on the intersection of bipolar disorder and spiritual awakening. He is the author of The Body of Chris: A Memoir of Obsession, Addiction, and Madness, inspired by his own journey of spiritual unfolding and mental health challenges. Chris Cole offers life coaching for any number of mental health conditions, specializing in bipolar disorder and spiritual emergence. Chris’s experience with addiction, disordered eating, body dysmorphia, psychosis, and spiritual emergency allows him to relate to a wide range of clients. He utilizes a holistic approach to mental health which views wellness in physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual domains. Learn more about Chris and his work at colecoaching.com. The Waking Up Bipolar podcast in now available on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | apple.wakingupbipolar.com Google Play | google.wakingupbipolar.com Stitcher | stitcher.wakingupbipolar.com TuneIn | tunein.wakingupbipolar.com wakingupbipolar.com