Podcast
RESONANCE
Hosted by Michael Trainer · EN
Welcome to RESONANCE. I'm your host, Michael Trainer.
For 30 years, I've traveled the world learning from the best minds in neuroscience, healing, and human potential—from traditional wisdom keepers to Nobel laureates, from elite performers to researchers at the cutting edge of brain science.
What I've discovered: we've been optimizing the wrong thing. Peak performance isn't about doing more—it's about connecting deeper.
RESONANCE explores the science and soul of transformative connection. Why some conversations change us while others leave us empty. Why certain relationships heal us while others drain us. What I call "the More"—that unmistakable quality when two minds truly meet.
This show brings you the insights of the world's leading thinkers on connection, neuroscience, and what it means to be fully human in the 21st century.
23episodes
Episodes
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The Identity Shift That Changes Everything | Amy Purdy
Apr 400:55:45Tap to summarizeWhat happens when everything you thought defined you disappears? In this powerful conversation, Amy Purdy shares how losing her legs at 19—and later facing another life-altering health crisis—forced her to rebuild her identity from the ground up. We explore: Why identity—not circumstance—determines your life trajectory The real power of visualization (used by elite performers and in survival) How gratitude rewires your physiology and your future The hidden strength inside vulnerability and being fully seen Turning adversity into your greatest advantage This is not just a story of resilience—it's a blueprint for becoming more you than ever before. Connect with Amy Purdy Website: https://amypurdy.com Book: https://amypurdy.com/bounce-forward-book/ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GBZNYTGB About the Book Bounce Forward is a powerful guide to transforming adversity into growth, featuring 21 tools to help you build resilience, reconnect with your strength, and live beyond limits. Connect with Michael Trainer Website: https://www.michaeltrainer.net Book (Resonance): https://www.resonance.biz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaeltrainer Brought to you by MTE — More Than Energy, the performance formula designed for those who live life at full resonance. Trusted by top performers worldwide, MTE blends adaptogens, nootropics, and essential minerals to fuel focus, vitality, and flow — without the crash. Code Michael Elevate your day, sharpen your mind, and feel More Than Energy. 15% OFF YOUR ORDER:: https://getmte.com/products/mte-daily-energy-wellness?ref=MICHAEL Action Items Practice daily visualization to reinforce goals Cultivate gratitude to shift perspective Lean into vulnerability to deepen connections Use challenges as opportunities for growth Chapters 00:00 The Power of Visualization in Achieving Goals 12:46 Resilience Through Adversity 16:03 Facing New Challenges 20:46 Tools for Overcoming Adversity 24:44 The Power of Vulnerability 42:09 Transforming Through Relationships 47:57 Bouncing Forward: Embracing Change Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →No More Nice Guy: Robert Glover on Shame, Initiation, and the Art of Building a Great Life
Mar 2001:15:35Tap to summarizeBrought to you by MTE — More Than Energy, the performance formula designed for those who live life at full resonance. Trusted by top performers worldwide, MTE blends adaptogens, nootropics, and essential minerals to fuel focus, vitality, and flow — without the crash. Code Michael Elevate your day, sharpen your mind, and feel More Than Energy. 15% OFF YOUR ORDER:: https://getmte.com/products/mte-daily-energy-wellness?ref=MICHAEL In this episode: What a nice guy actually is — and why they're often the least honest people in the room Toxic shame, anxiety management, and the chameleon dynamic Why boys raised without masculine initiation spend their lives seeking feminine approval The New Warrior Training Adventure and what it means to be reborn in front of your father The Temescal, the coals, and why challenge is the technology of transformation Generation Z: the most informed, least initiated generation in history Self-discipline vs. accountability — and why accountability wins every time The Great Cake metaphor: purpose, men's community, challenge, exercise, spiritual practice, service Why making a woman the cake — instead of the icing — is where men most reliably go wrong The feminine as weather: why seeking approval from what has no structure will never work "It's a sin to say no when you should have said yes" Resources mentioned: No More Mr. Nice Guy — Dr. Robert Glover The Way of the Superior Man — David Deida 4,000 Weeks — Oliver Burkeman The Unbearable Lightness of Being — Milan Kundera Touching the Void (film) The Mankind Project / New Warrior Training Adventure Scott Galloway — masculinity and the failure of elders drglover.com integrationnation.net Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Don't Let Your Love Die on a Napkin
Mar 600:06:22Tap to summarizeMy grandfather was six foot four. Always in a suit. Captain in the US Air Force. A man of very few words. Throughout his entire life, he never once told my father that he loved him. Not once. That silence — the gap between what we feel and what we express — is the central wound of our time. In this episode, I share the story at the heart of my book RESONANCE: what happened when my father decided to break a generational cycle of unspoken love, what my grandfather did with a napkin that said everything his words couldn't, and what I found in my father's desk years later during his final days. I also explore what Dr. Matthew Lieberman's research at UCLA reveals about why this matters neurologically — how social pain activates the same brain circuits as physical pain, why the Surgeon General has declared loneliness equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, and why the Harvard Study of Adult Development found that relationship quality predicts health and longevity more powerfully than diet, exercise, or genetics. This is not about self-improvement. This is about the question most of us are afraid to ask: can you let someone all the way in? RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection publishes May 5, 2026 with BenBella Books / Simon & Schuster. Pre-order at resonance.biz Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Awakened Sleep: Why a 5,000-Year-Old Science Says You've Been Sleeping Wrong — and What It's Costing You + How to Create Conditions for Epic Rest
Feb 2700:57:58Tap to summarizeGuest Bios Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar, BAMS, MD (Ayurveda) One of the most academically accomplished Ayurvedic physicians in the Western world. Former personal physician to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Bestselling author of Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life and co-author of Awakened Sleep. Faculty at numerous integrative medicine programs. Trained in both classical Ayurvedic medicine and modern clinical research. His work bridges 5,000 years of Vedic wisdom with cutting-edge neuroscience and AI-driven health research. Renowned globally for his clinical expertise and his ability to make the ancient tradition accessible, scientific, and immediately practical. Dr. Sheila Patel, MD Board-certified family medicine physician and a leading voice in integrative health. Former Chief Medical Officer of the Chopra Center. Co-author of Awakened Sleep. Dr. Patel's clinical practice synthesizes conventional medicine with Ayurvedic principles, meditation, and mind-body approaches. She has spent decades helping patients understand the connection between emotional regulation, sensory awareness, and physical health — with sleep as the connective thread. Brought to you by MTE — More Than Energy, the performance formula designed for those who live life at full resonance. Trusted by top performers worldwide, MTE blends adaptogens, nootropics, and essential minerals to fuel focus, vitality, and flow — without the crash. Code Michael Elevate your day, sharpen your mind, and feel More Than Energy. 15% OFF YOUR ORDER:: https://getmte.com/products/mte-daily-energy-wellness?ref=MICHAEL Key Themes & Timestamps [00:00] Introduction — launching Resonance, the long tail of a book [02:28] What is Awakened Sleep? The Vedic perspective on sleep as a journey into consciousness [06:13] Modern science validates ancient wisdom — the convergence [08:13] The doshas explained — Vata, Pitta, Kapha and your sleep constitution [14:24] Universal sleep principles — temperature, light, timing, and the Stanford AI study [17:19] Personalized sleep — why one size doesn't fit all [20:00] The nervous system connection — parasympathetic tone and sensory overload [23:47] Your evening meal is your sleep prescription [25:50] The world has changed more since 1992 than in the previous thousand years [28:14] Orthosomnia — the new tech-induced sleep disease [29:09] Email apnea and text apnea — we literally stop breathing [30:15] Somniphobia — the fear of being alone in the dark (and why loneliness is the real insomnia) [37:47] Breath as medicine — the yogic prescription for sleep [40:11] Mantra, sound, and the neuro-associative conditioning of sleep [42:27] Creating your evening routine — the practice Michael is starting tonight [45:05] The dress rehearsal for dying — sleep as a journey into consciousness [51:17] Awakened Sleep as meditation's companion — the fourth state of consciousness [56:04] Geography, doshas, and the places that heal us [59:56] Vedic astrology, the eclipse, and the chapter we're entering [1:02:49] Closing — guiding us home in a noisy world Key Quotes Dr. Suhas: "We are doing a dress rehearsal of dying every night. We go to the same place where we were before we were born and long after we will be gone." "Sleep outweighs diet and exercise. If you rank lifestyle things, sleep is even higher ranked than diet and exercise and loneliness." "Orthosomnia — about 40% of Gen Z adults are experiencing sleep anxiety because of the gadgets they are wearing." "Where your attention goes, that's where the energy is flowing." "These techniques are not free. They are very expensive — because the most expensive commodity right now is me time." "An introspective sage is awake when the rest of the world is sleeping." — Bhagavad Gita Dr. Sheila: "Sleep is an active process. It's not just rest — it's an active rest." "So much of depression, anxiety is that disconnect from nature, disconnect from community. Everyone's all in their own individual bubbles." "Pick the weeds, plant some seeds, water them with gratitude." "We have so many tools within us — and with our breath, it's free." Michael: "I think a lot of us as humans have lost our way with all of the conflicting signals. And it's hard in a noisy world to find true signal that reminds us of who we are and how we can find our way home." Resources Mentioned Awakened Sleep by Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar & Dr. Sheila Patel Change Your Schedule, Change Your Life by Dr. Suhas Stanford Medicine AI Sleep Study (January 2025) — 65,000 participants, 600,000 hours of sleep data, predicting 130+ health conditions Oura Ring — wearable sleep tracking Vedic Meditation / Mantra practice Temescal (traditional sweat lodge) ceremony Bhagavad Gita — "Yānishā sarva-bhūtānāṁ tasyāṁ jāgarti saṅyamī" Rathri Sukta — Vedic hymn to the twin sisters Usha (dawn) and Nisha (dusk) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Connect Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar: [website] | [Instagram] Dr. Sheila Patel: [website] | [Instagram] Michael Trainer: michaeltrainer.net | @michaeltrainer | Resonance Podcast Pre-Order Resonance Resonance: The Art and Science of Human Connection arrives May 5, 2026 from BenBella Books. Foreword by Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art. "Outstanding. I wouldn't change a word." — Steven Pressfield Companion Substack Read Michael's full essay on this conversation: "The Dress Rehearsal for Dying: What Vedic Sleep Science Reveals About Why We Can't Connect" — exploring how orthosomnia, somniphobia, and the loneliness epidemic collide with the Resonance framework and the Seven Pillars of authentic connection. https://substack.com/@michaeltrainer Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →The Song That Wants to Live Through You
Feb 1700:10:07Tap to summarizeOn finding your band, becoming an instrument for the more, and the roadmap to reconnection in an age of loneliness.Welcome to Resonance.After five years of writing and thirty years of research, I'm beginning to share what has become a magnum opus on human connection: how we call in and build the right relationships in our lives, how we become instruments for the music that wants to live in the space between people.In this episode, I explore:The concept of "the more" — the unique song that wants to live through each of usWhy we need to tune our instruments in an age of noise and competing signalsHow to distinguish between resonance and dissonance in relationshipsThe loneliness pandemic: why we're more disconnected than at any point in history, despite being more "connected" than everWhy the quality of our relationships is the single greatest predictor of our long-term health and happinessThe roadmap to reconnection we desperately needKey Quote: "We are so besieged by erroneous signals telling us that a Rolex or a nice car is success. But any billionaire in their 80s would give up everything they have to have what you have now: time. That's our true wealth. So the question becomes: how do you spend your precious time? And there's no more noble way than understanding who you are, the song you're meant to sing, and who you're meant to sing it with."#Resonance #HumanConnection #Loneliness #Relationships #PersonalGrowth #Meaning #Purpose #Community #LonelinessEpidemic #SocialConnection #MichaelTrainer Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Finding Your Center and Signal in a Noisy World
Feb 1300:08:39Tap to summarizeCasa Violeta: https://www.casavioletatulum.com TakeawaysFinding center is essential in a noisy world.We are wired for community and connection.Loneliness is a growing issue in modern society.Recognizing the places that recharge us is crucial.Certain environments can drain our energy.It's important to distinguish between zones of concern and influence.Practicing energetic hygiene helps maintain personal space.Self-care practices are vital for mental health.We regulate each other's nervous systems.Finding joy in simple, analog experiences is important.Sound Bites"The world has changed more since 1992.""How do we get our groove back?""We need more people to be grounded." Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Unlocking Creative Invincibility with Josh Pais
Feb 400:43:18Tap to summarizeJosh Pais: https://www.instagram.com/joshpais/Get Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative InvincibilityJosh's work: https://committedimpulse.com Brought to you by MTE — More Than Energy, the performance formula designed for those who live life at full resonance.Trusted by top performers worldwide, MTE blends adaptogens, nootropics, and essential minerals to fuel focus, vitality, and flow — without the crash. Code MichaelElevate your day, sharpen your mind, and feel More Than Energy. 15% OFF YOUR ORDER:: https://getmte.com/products/mte-daily-energy-wellness?ref=MICHAELTakeawaysCreative invincibility allows for full access to creativity.Emotions should be welcomed, not judged.The mind often acts as a protective mechanism.Increased body awareness enhances creativity.Confronting fear is essential for personal growth.Living in the body is crucial for emotional health.Suppressing emotions can lead to mental barriers.The unknown can be a source of magic and creativity.Nurturing creativity is vital in uncertain times.The legacy of 'Lose Your Mind' is to inspire self-discovery.Sound Bites"The body keeps score of our emotions.""We need to party with our emotions.""Nurture your creativity in uncertain times."Chapters00:00Introduction and Background05:09Exploring Creative Invincibility10:41Methodology for Overcoming Resistance15:20The Dance with Resistance21:07Embodiment and Emotional Presence26:28The Legacy of 'Lose Your Mind' Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Full Moon, Full Heart: Rituals of Renewal and the Power of Living as an Offering
Dec 500:08:35Tap to summarizeTonight in Uluwatu, under the brightest supermoon we’ll see for the next 17 years, I dropped into a powerful download about the future of Resonance — and about the future of human connection itself.In this episode, I share:✨ Why full moons act as natural rites of passage🌊 How the ocean and awe reset our nervous system🔥 The breakthrough vision for the 2026 Resonance Summit🤝 Why living as an offering changes your destiny🌀 What the transition from the Year of the Snake to the Fire Horse symbolizes📱 The lost art of energetic hygiene in a distracted age🌙 How the Moon, Sri Lankan Poya days, and ancient rhythm can guide modern livingThis is an invitation to step into 2026 with ceremony, clarity, and connection — and to reclaim the practices that bring us back to center. Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →Energy Leaks, Boundaries, and the Art of Letting Go
Dec 300:09:08Tap to summarizeToday on Resonance, I’m coming to you from Uluwatu with a message about the power of editing — not in the sense of doing more, but in the courageous act of removing what no longer serves. Culturally, we’re taught that happiness comes from accumulation: more doing, more having, more striving. But in relationships, and in our own inner world, the truth is often the opposite. Fulfillment lives in subtraction.I share a recent real-world experience with someone who showed all the signs of connection on the surface, but ultimately revealed a deeper pattern of gaslighting, blame, and energetic misalignment. It forced me to confront something I’ve carried since childhood: the impulse to abandon myself for harmony, to take responsibility for emotions that aren’t mine, and to stay connected to people who haven’t earned the privilege of my presence.In this episode, I dive into why we repeat lessons until we claim the boundary we’ve been avoiding, how unresolved inner voices manifest in the people we attract, and why editing your relational field is essential for stepping into the next chapter of your life. Most importantly, I share how facing discomfort without numbing it is part of becoming the integrated man I choose to be — one aligned with resonance, partnership, family, and true integrity.If it’s not a full yes, it’s a no. Boundaries are love. Editing is liberation. And every person we release creates the space for the people who are truly meant to walk with us. Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
Transcribe →The Power of Keeping Your Word: Commitment as a Path to Integrity
Dec 100:05:33Tap to summarizeIn today’s episode of Resonance, Michael Trainer broadcasts from Uluwatu, Bali to unpack one of the most overlooked superpowers in modern life: commitment.At a time when flakiness has become normalized and integrity is increasingly rare, Michael explores why honoring your commitments is the cornerstone of both self-trust and relational depth. From navigating a last-minute Wi-Fi crisis to honoring a 30-day daily publishing challenge, he shares a firsthand story of choosing integrity over convenience—and the identity shift that choice reinforces.Michael zooms out to look at how traditional cultures, tribal structures, and Dunbar’s number remind us that we are fundamentally interdependent. In an era hyper-focused on the individual, he makes the case for reclaiming a “we-centered” mindset, where honoring your word becomes an offering to the collective.You’ll hear how commitment builds internal power, why integrity creates momentum for your dreams, and how following through on his first book opened the portal to his second. This is a call to revisit your promises—to yourself and others—and remember that your words are seeds. When tended, they grow gardens. When neglected, they leave deserts.A grounded, potent reminder: keep watering what you’ve planted. Your future is listening. Michael Trainer has spent 30 years learning from Nobel laureates, neuroscientists, and wisdom keepers worldwide. He's the author of RESONANCE: The Art and Science of Human Connection (March 31, 2026), co-creator of Global Citizen and the Global Citizen Festival, and host of the RESONANCE podcast.Featured in Forbes, Inc, Good Morning America. Follow on YouTube
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