RESONANCE

Michael Trainer

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.

  1. 16H AGO

    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

    Guest 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

    58 min
  2. FEB 17

    The Song That Wants to Live Through You

    On 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

    10 min
  3. FEB 4

    Unlocking Creative Invincibility with Josh Pais

    Josh Pais: https://www.instagram.com/joshpais/ Get Lose Your Mind: The Path to Creative Invincibility Josh'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 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 Takeaways Creative 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."Chapters 00:00Introduction and Background 05:09Exploring Creative Invincibility 10:41Methodology for Overcoming Resistance 15:20The Dance with Resistance 21:07Embodiment and Emotional Presence 26:28The 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

    43 min
  4. 12/03/2025

    Energy Leaks, Boundaries, and the Art of Letting Go

    Today 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

    9 min
  5. 12/01/2025

    The Power of Keeping Your Word: Commitment as a Path to Integrity

    In 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

    6 min
4.9
out of 5
374 Ratings

About

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.