We've all been trying to make sense of the senseless killings in Paris, Beirut, and Kenya. Pedram really wanted to capture an evolutionary perspective on this important subject so we can start to move forward. He invited important thought leaders for a roundtable conversation around how we can peacefully find a solution to terrorism in a way that's inclusive and well-thought through.

Here are the thought leaders who shared:

Gregg Braden
Stephen Dinan
Barbara Marx Hubbard
and
Elza Maalouf

Tom Malterre joins Pedram Shojai on The Urban Monk Podcast this week to discuss toxic chemicals. In this engaging dialogue Tom reveals which toxic chemicals are affecting us in our everyday lives. Where they are coming from? He then goes on to explain how to avoid them as well as how to detoxify them from our bodies if you have been exposed. In a world that is full of potentially harmful toxins, this information is vital to maintain a healthy personal state.

Let us know what you are going to do in your lives to minimize your contact with harmful chemicals.

In this weeks episode of The Urban Monk we have a very special guest. A Green Beret with 3 combat tours under his belt, Scott Mann joins Pedram Shojai. They discuss his hands-on experience on the ground in the war stricken Middle East and why our strategies there have failed. How can we strike a balance of having a positive influence in the Middle East while not creating immense instability?

Tune in and find out!

World renown hydrologist and geologist John Lambie joins Pedram this week to discuss the water conditions around the world. John has worked with large companies and cities for over 30 years in water research and systems. He brings his expertise to this compelling episode where John and Pedram tackle the current state of water in our world on both a macro and micro level.

No matter where you live in the world water is a life essential. Let us know what you think!

David Gershon, a visionary and founder of The Empowerment Institute is Pedram's guest this week! David works with the United Nations as a foremost thinker in behavioral change and community empowerment. In this episode he discusses the new projects he's been working on including the Cool City challenge which aims to reduce CO2 emissions. 

Tune in and let us know what you think of David's endeavors and if you think they really can change the world.

This week legendary Futurist Duane Elgin joins Pedram Shojai in The Urban Monk Podcast! Duane has worked with the top echelons of government and written a multitude of books on the topic of humanity's future. He discusses his past experiences, what he's currently working on, and where he sees our evolution moving towards.

Do you agree with his predictions and views? Tune in and let us know!

Guest Lewis Howes joins Pedram Shojai to discuss the importance of discovering what truly matters to us so that we may live fulfilling lives. He calls it discovering your greatness. Through his life's journey in sports and personal development he has found his path to greatness. In this podcast Lewis shares how his journey can profoundly impact yours.  

Let us know how this can be applied to your life.

Guest Eugene Cooke is a badass urban farmer. He joins Pedram Shojai on this week's Urban Monk Podcast. Eugene discusses how Urban farming is done, the difference it can make in communities, and how any one of us can utilize small scale farming in their backyards.

Can the idea of urban farming help you?

Tune in and find Out!

Guest Alex Jamieson was the vegan chef from the movie "Super Size Me" and author of the book "Women, Food, and Desire." She Joins Pedram to discuss eating habits, urges, desires, and her journey in and out of veganism. Is it wrong to listen to our bodies? Tune in and find out!

Pedram Shojai welcomes fellow filmmaker Jeff Hays to The Urban Monk Podcast. Jeff Hays is a documentary filmmaker who aims to create intelligent conversations surrounding contentious issues such as the pharmaceutical industry, GMOs, vaccines, and the attacks of September 11. He discusses the power of film to create change in culture and how the little guy can truly make a difference.

Pedram Shojai welcomes his friend Abel James to The Urban Monk. They discuss what Abel has been up to recently. Abel has been taking some time to play more music, but discusses how one passion can sometime overtake another. They also dive into topics of conscious capitalism and marketing in the current world.

Some of us might have images of gold medal athletes as being the ones who trained the hardest and that's what creates champions, but is there more to being an elite athlete besides physicality? Pedram Shojai welcomes Jeff Spencer who has trained not only athletes, but entrepreneurs and entertainers, on finding their best selves. Becoming a champion is more than just hard work and training; there's a mental component to be factored. Pedram and Jeff dive into how important this factor is in becoming a champion. What does it take to craft champions? How can we all become champions in our lives even if we're not competing on an Olympic level?

What happened to the goddess? Many early cultures worshiped female deities, but where did they all go? On this episode Pedram Shojai welcomes Kaia Van Zandt who has looked into the disappearance of the goddess. The take a look at history through the development of religion and also get into a discussion about how women are treated and viewed today. How does the disappearance of female deities affect the view of women in present society? Also in looking at the past how does the lens of the present affect how archeologists look back?

Pedram Shojai welcomes guest Nick Polizzi to The Urban Monk. Both are new fathers and while the change to becoming a father wasn't anything unexpected, the changes and effects in their lives as the result of having a child was beyond anything either of them could have imagined. The two discuss in depths the joys and pains of being a father and how all the advice from their friends could not have prepared them at all for the changes that resulted from having a kid.

Welcome to the pilot episode of Pedram Shojai's new podcast, The Urban Monk! You may know him from his other podcast, The Health Bridge, but here Pedram has started another podcast that will focus more on lifestyle rather than health directly. Health Bridge will still continue but another podcast was conceived to allow more of a discussion on a broad range of topics. On this first episode, David Wolfe joined Pedram in studio to discuss the challenges of trying to avoid toxins in the current world we live in. They discuss issues such as indoor air pollution, especially in commercial buildings where thousands of people work. How can you have any control over the air you breathe if you have to work in a building for eight hours? What other toxins might be hidden in unexpected areas.

As this is a new podcast and we're still messing around with the format, please comment and give us a review on iTunes and let us know what you like about the show and what you would like to see us do differently! We're very open to suggestions to make the show the best it can possibly be!