SALON TALKS

Yoga and juicing alone won't save you, says Mastin Kipp

Need to claim your power? An Oprah-endorsed best-selling author has advice on how to get past your "aha moments"

By Mary Elizabeth Williams

Senior Writer

Published September 24, 2017 8:30AM (EDT)

Best-selling author, entrepreneur, speaker and coach Mastin Kipp has gone from struggling with his own addictions and disappointments to being called "one of 100 awakened leaders who are using their voices and talent to elevate humanity” by Oprah Winfrey. Now, in his new book "Claim Your Power: A 40-Day Journey to Dissolve the Hidden Blocks that Keep You Stuck and Finally Thrive in Your Life’s Unique Purpose," he offers a tough-love blueprint for identifying the early traumas that hold us back from taking healthy risks and making positive changes.

"The first thing you have to do is be willing," Kipp said during a recent "Salon Talks" conversation. "If you're unwilling, then nothing will work for you. . . . You have to understand that wherever you are in your life, your best thinking got you here."

Then, he says, you have to "actually decide to do the work. So many people have aha moments but not an aha life, because they're addicted to aha moments and they think that breakthroughs are the end."

People struggling to change, he said, "tend to go from low-level coping to high-level coping. Maybe instead of drugs, alcohol, violence, bigotry, etc., they do quinoa and green juice and yoga and think that that's going to change their life."

"What I focus on is doing the underlying emotional work, to have that stuff fuel your purpose, instead of just helping you cope better," he added.

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By Mary Elizabeth Williams

Mary Elizabeth Williams is a senior writer for Salon and author of "A Series of Catastrophes & Miracles." Follow her on Bluesky @maryelizabethw.

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Claim Your Power Health Mastin Kipp Oprah Winrey Original Video Salon Talks Self Help Wellness