Ancient Spirituality in India birthed the path of yoga, which contains a principle called “dharma”. We can understand a person’s individual dharma as their purpose and role and duty in this human life. This role is different for every single person, and just like we see in nature’s perfect cycles and ebbs and flows, every person plays their role for the evolvement of consciousness and for the mysterious dance that is life. Everyone will play their role regardless of whether or not they know they are playing a role, but if we bring some consciousness to our duty to our personal dharma, we can live a life that has less suffocation and suffering, and more understanding, patience, and compassion. We find greater breath, greater peace, regardless of whether one’s current circumstances are objectively peaceful or chaotic. 

As we begin to identify less with our ego, our aversion to pain, and addiction to pleasure, which is constantly changing, and more with our soul, that core sense of “being” and “aliveness” and “connection” that does not change, we come into balance. The balance of identifying evenly with both ego and soul fuels a life that is impactful, creative, and meaningful in the physical world, while still knowing that everything ends. But just because everything ends, that doesn’t mean we become nihilistic or apathetic, which will just add to our suffering. It means we do our life work regardless, because we have a reverence and duty to the mystery and intelligent unfolding of life. 

Tommy is back! In our previous conversation, episode 19, we spoke on mechanisms to lift ourselves from the dark chapters of our lives. Once you begin to gain momentum, through devotion, discipline, and faith, a space opens up where you finally feels like you can breathe again, like life has color again. From this space, you can think, see, and move with greater clarity in this world. Today’s conversation explores how to within this space, move with confidence, passion, grace, and humility, in order to live a life that is balanced, fulfilling, and aligned with your personal unique purpose and calling. 

Follow Tommy on instagram! @tomello3 ;-)

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Alright, that's it for the show notes!
We would LOVE to answer your questions on the show! Send them into thishumanthingpodcast@gmail.com or through the social media links above. 

And don't hesitate to get in touch about anything else, I'd love to connect!

peace in... peace out!
thanks for kickin it with us. 
& keep doin your thing ;-)

Episode 20 of This Human Thing was recorded on May 1, 2021 in San Diego, CA and Walla Walla, WA. 

I get into these ruts in which I am constantly disappointed in myself and life and everything feels forced and pitted against me. Whenever I'm in a chapter of my life that is particularly dark, I have learned to really listen. To drop all the resistance (when possible) and use it as an opportunity to connect deeper... even if I can't recognize it in that moment because everything is clouded. I don't want to romanticize anything, it's not all epiphanies, there's lots of anger and devastation and despair in there, but each time I come around, I come around more compassionate, and more connected to myself, and with a deeper passion to want to love and serve others. So even though it sucks and it's horrible, I am grateful for it. At least, that's how I choose to view it. And discipline has proven to be such an important tool for me getting myself out of those low places (when the time is right... which can be a very mysterious thing).

Tommy quotes in this episode  "What is life teaching me right now?" And when we can learn to pause, even in the darkest times, to take a breath and a step back... viewing our character in this human life as even something outside of ourselves, it can give us a moment of much needed relief to recalibrate.

Tommy always has such positive and charismatic energy and I am so pumped to have had this conversation today. We cover lots of topics in this episode like how practices like yoga directly affect our nervous system, the lenses we view life through, reactivity, fear, trauma, and wrap it up with a breakdown on how we can use the chakra system as a helpful and cool allegory and system pointing to how to create a life of freedom from the ground up.

Follow Tommy on instagram! @tomello3 ;-)

Follow This Human Thing:

for updates and behind the scenes!

✧ instagram: @thishumanthing
✧ facebook:  @thishumanthing

✧ visit the website & subscribe to our newsletter! ✧

You can tune into This Human Thing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and watch the video recording of the episode for extras on youtube!

Support the Show!

If you'd like to support the show, check out the patreon page!
Or contribute one time on paypal.

Also, leaving a rating and review on the podcast (apple, spotify, or google) really helps us get your feedback and expands the show out to more ears :-)

Want a sticker? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Then send me a DM.
Share the podcast with your friends and family if you liked it!

Alright, that's it for the show notes!

We would love to answer any questions you may have on the show! Send them into thishumanthingpodcast@gmail.com or through the social media links above.

And don't hesitate to get in touch about anything else, I'd love to connect!

peace in... peace out!
thanks for kickin it with us. 
& keep doing your thing ;-)

Episode 19 of This Human Thing was recorded on February 27, 2021 in San Diego, CA and Seattle, WA. 

You may have heard this a million times, but we often get so excited for and so obsessed with the result that we miss the journey. And if we’re not paying attention to the journey we’re going to get lost.

Happy 2021! (or as I shout out in the audio... "happy 2020" lmao)
And WELCOME to Episode 18 of This Human Thing!! :)

In this conversation, Kärin and I share our own intentions for the new year as well as discuss practices and techniques to making those goals a reality instead of just an ideal to crawl towards. In my opinion, motivation and inspiration are bullshit. They're bullshit to the extent that on their own, they're not enough to bring about real change and transformation. But loving and patient discipline, to bring about freedom rather than restriction, are what will truly get you to a place of joy and fulfillment. That kind of approach is called devotion. And devotion sheds feelings of victimhood, entitlement, fairness, and insecurity. Devotion sheds you of wanting to simply grow to inflate your own sense of self or "get something" and "fix all your problems" and shifts you to a place of operating out of love. A love that only wants to bring about harmony and connection in your own life and in that of those around you.

There is nothing inherently wrong with you. There are merely ways in which you are "missing the mark"... in which you are behaving ineffectively or inefficiently. Accept and love yourself sincerely from exactly where you are and then move forward with devotion and discipline with a deep desire to enhance your clarity and your integrity of interaction with this life. Find freedom FROM the beliefs and behaviors that are keeping you contracted to realize your freedom TO expand, connect, create, love, and serve in this life.  because why not? yolo.


Follow This Human Thing:

for updates and behind the scenes!

✧ instagram: @thishumanthing
✧ facebook:  @thishumanthing

✧ visit the website & subscribe to our newsletter! ✧

You can tune into This Human Thing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and watch the video recording of the episode for extras on youtube!

Support the Show!

If you'd like to support the show, check out the patreon page!
Or contribute one time on paypal.

Also, leaving a rating and review on the podcast (apple, spotify, or google) really helps us get your feedback and expands the show out to more ears :-)

Want a sticker? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review. Then send me a DM.
Share the podcast with your friends and family if you liked it!

Alright, that's it for the show notes!

We would love to answer any questions you may have on the show! Send them into thishumanthingpodcast@gmail.com or through the social media links above.

And don't hesitate to get in touch about anything else, I'd love to connect!

peace in... peace out!
thanks for kickin it with us. 
& keep doing your thing ;-)

Episode 18 of This Human Thing was recorded on January 13, 2021 in San Diego, CA.