The DPO Project

The Challenges of Honesty, By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore the challenges of being honest and why it ultimately leads to liberation.  We've all heard the phrase, "I just need to get this off my chest," well that's what it feels like when you can be honest in a situation.  It's tough and comes with liability for whatever consequences come after but it's also freeing.  We just need to make sure we're not burdening the listener.  Currently, honesty is not rewarded in the sociology-economic landscape and we see that with our politicians.  Master Zi and Vindesh discuss how opt-outs can navigate these muddy waters while remaining true to themselves.

Therapy, By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Master Zi and Vindesh explore therapy and it’s role in your own personal growth.  If you don’t learn how your childhood trauma plays a role in your life, then your romantic relationships will.  Anytime you type in therapy or couples counseling, a slew of self proclaimed love guru’s flood the pages.  You want a high value man? You have to be a high value woman.  It gets pretty complicated fast.  The guys talk about how they’ve become open minded to therapy for navigating their relationships because they opt for personal growth.

Free Thinking, By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss the liberation and liability of being a free thinker.  When we look back in history, we often find that people who dared to invent and innovate, were often on the fringe of society.  Galileo was punished for believing the earth wasn't flat and set out to prove it.  He became an outcast.  We need to be challenged to evolve and Zi talks about the repercussions of not changing.  Just asking questions begins the process and they discuss why the current cultural landscape is not set up for evolution.

Jumping Ship, By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Master Zi and Vindesh discuss when it's time to "jump ship" and move on from something that no longer works for you.  Everything costs energy. When it comes to our health and well-being, sometimes what we put in is more detrimental to us than beneficial.  This podcast we ask Master Zi, how do we know its time to move on? When it's right for us and when it's not? 

Standard American Relationship pt. 2, By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Master Zi and Vindesh continue the conversation about relationship dynamics in the West.  Master Zi explains the difference between yin and yang and how the balance has been interrupted by misunderstanding.  Relationships take work and like a garden, must be nurtured to fruit. They discuss current trends in the cultural landscape and how the gender plurality movement is changing dynamics for young people. 

SAR, by Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Zi and Vindesh explore the "Standard American Relationship."  Just like the Standard American Diet, how we approach our relationships can be just as unsustainable.  An article by Justin McCurry for The Guardian on September 13th, 2022 inspired the guys to talk about the newest phenomenon in Japanese youth culture.  The article "Record Number of Younger People are Rejecting Marriage" indicates young people are ditching traditional partnerships, are overworked and less interested in sex.  Zi shares his insight on how this affects overall health and why intimacy is the anti-dote to stress.  They talk about why it's important for our overall health to have community and share close moments with loved ones because it extends our life.  If we don't have this in place, loneliness becomes a silent killer.

Traumatic Event Response, by Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Zi and Vindesh explore how traumatic events shape our physiology.  Stress is unavoidable, but we can manage it to improve our health rather then age us.  Zi discusses studies that show the presence of a loved one or a community helps offset bad stress.  One of the major predictors of good health is the presence of oxytocin.  A hug, snuggle, or an intimate meal  with a loved one is enough to take your physical body from distress to "eustress," the good stress.  Since we know this now, why aren't we practicing more compassion as a society? Zi shares his insight on why chemical reactions affect our behavior.

Cultural Mimesis, By Master Zi and Vindesh

Who owns culture? This week Zi and Vindesh once again explore the cultural appropriation movement.  Dr. Rob Hoffman, an acupuncturist and professional musician joins us briefly this week.  They discuss how this movement may have started and why the boundaries are often blurry.  Zi explains why cultural blending is an important phenomenon and how it helps us grow.  Like bacteria in a dish, if we don't have diversity, we see health complications.  It's important to have reverence for the knowledge each culture provides us, but if we don't share it, then we may lose out on some great opportunities. 

What’s in the Food? By Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Zi and Vindesh are back to discuss the correlation of diet and mental health.  A healthy diet doesn't just pertain to what we eat.  Zi shares his thoughts about current health trends and why we are already in crisis.  It's important now more than ever to source our food and we must also be mindful of the relationships we nurture.

Invironment Vs. Environment, by Master Zi and Vindesh

This week Zi and Vindesh discuss why your external enviroment directly affects your internal "invironment."  We've all heard the age old saying, "you are what you eat," but there is way more to it.  This episode Zi shares what he means by invironment, and how we can cultivate a holistic environment.  As long as we can recognize when we are out of alignment, we can work on it.  Almost every religion or philosophy has a common thread, to go within and seek answers.  The guys discuss how modern society is shying away from this belief and why it's contributing to the decline of our overall health and well being as a species.