Dr. Andrew Weil: Expanded Consciousness, Breathwork & Matcha
Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.
After sharing a cup of ceremonial cacao with Dr. Weil and his team at his Tucson home, we got to sit down to discuss all things wellness, consciousness and entrepreneurship.
By the end of the interview, you’re going to crave a cup of matcha. Order the best ceremonial matcha on matcha.com, learn how to make the perfect bowl of matcha, and watch Dr. Weil demonstrate it on YouTube.
In this episode we discuss:
- Why Dr. Weil loves matcha green tea
- Dr. Weil’s morning routine (it starts at 4.30am!)
- Dr. Weil’s thoughts on coffee
- The most effective anti-anxiety, anti-stress practice Dr. Weil recommends
- The simple breathing and meditation techniques Dr. Weil practices
- The 6 simple principles of wellness
- The importance of spending time in nature
- How Dr. Weil practices boundaries with technology
- Why Dr. Weil doesn’t often check his social media accounts
- Dr. Weil’s thoughts on virtual reality
- What does drinking ceremonial cacao have in common with picking up your phone to check social media?
- How going to South America in 1965 to collect plants resulted in spending time with Amazonian tribes and developing love for coca
- Why coca is his favorite plant for energy, improved digestion and connection with nature
- The massive difference between coca plant and cocaine
- Why he considers plant medicine safer than lab-produced drugs
- Adaptogens and mushrooms (and adaptogenic mushrooms)
- How Dr. Weil’s became a successful entrepreneur (it wasn’t always that way)
- How he went from being a home cook to a successful restaurateur
- Why he created a mushroom-based skincare line with Origins
- The role that intuition plays in Dr. Weil’s life and business
- Why breathwork is the most essential component to transforming consciousness
- How Dr. Weil gives back
- What success means to Dr. Weil
- The role that dogs play in his life and wellbeing
- Dr. Weil’s recommendations for feeling focused if you have ADD
- What expanded consciousness means to Dr. Weil
Guided 4-7-8 Breathing as explained by Dr. Weil:
Mentioned in the intro:
Conscious Social Media Program
Resources:
- Dr. Weil’s Matcha brand
- How to make matcha
- Dr. Weil’s matcha lemonade recipe
- True Food Kitchen
- Dr. Weil: All about mushrooms
- Dr. Weil’s books
- The anti-inflammatory diet
- True Food: Seasonal, Sustainable, Simple, Pure Cookbook by Andrew Weil and Sam Fox
- What is kuzu + my favorite kuzu recipe on Breakfast Criminals
- The Weil Foundation
- Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine
- How a Japanese bamboo matcha whisk is made
Connect with Dr. Weil:
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Quotes by Dr. Weil:
- “Of all the techniques that I’ve learned and remedies that I’ve found, I’ve gotten the most positive feedback on the 4-7-8 breathing technique. I’ve done it for probably 25 years and I owe a lot of my health to it. It’s the most effective anti-anxiety, anti-stress measure I’ve ever found.”
- “When people ask me if I drink coffee, I say I don’t do hard drugs.”
- “Cacao is a stimulant with a lot of positive effects.”
- “Social media has a large potential for time wasting.”
- “I can’t imagine living without the internet and devices, but I think it’s important to set limits.”
- “Nature is the master chemist.”
- “As a physician, I’m very aware of the problems caused by use of single compounds. There’s a tremendous number of very serious adverse reactions to the drugs that we rely on. You don’t see that with plant medicine. They’re much safer and often the effects are much better.”
- “The body has a tremendous capacity for healing.”
- “Breathwork is the most essential component to transforming consciousness.”
- “The more you give away, the more comes to you to give away. There’s something about being an open conduit that allows more to flow through you.”
- “Trust yourself and your inner wisdom.”
- “I worry that extreme limitations of [how we eat] undermine social connection.”
- “Things that we consider inanimate are conscious. To me, that’s the ultimate reality.”
- “Expanded consciousness is the ability to experience not just your personal consciousness, but something that connects you with everything.”
