Love University

Is something holding you back from achieving your dreams?  Maybe, you’re being held back by negative people, or perhaps by self-defeating thoughts in your own mind. If that’s the case, then things are about to change. It’s time to kick the negativity out of your mind and become the most powerful and loving person you can possibly be. On our Love University podcast, we recently had the pleasure of meeting up with Sean Kanan, star of Cobra Kai and the iconic Karate Kid franchise. Aside from being an award-winning producer and consummate actor (Young and the Restless, Bold and the Beautiful), Sean has written self-empowerment books (wayofthecobra.com) and dedicated his life to showing students how to overcome obstacles and reach their dreams. Here is some of the wisdom we learned from this special interview with Sean: *Be a Cobra. A Cobra is someone who is authentic, self-aware, empathetic, strong, and humble. They epitomize a blend of paradoxical characteristics that make them a Compassionate Warrior. They’re r

It seems like we’re living in crazy times. Violence, discord, and discontent seem to permeate the world. Yet, there is hope and a silver lining. We can transform our pain into power by following certain spiritual steps for self-regeneration. Our guest on Love University, Philip Goldberg, esteemed spiritual teacher and author (philipgoldberg.com), enlightened us with practical lessons for spiritual healing.  Drawing from his many years of study with Eastern Mind-Body practices, Philip shows us a roadmap to love, peace, and goodwill. Yes, we can save our inner and outer world and live wonderfully—it’s up to us.

    Does life sometimes get you down?  You try hard to find the answers for a successful, happy, and loving life, but you often come up short. If this sounds like you, then you’re about to receive some powerful solutions for your pressing problems and challenges.  In our latest Love University episode, Dr. Avila answers some of your most crucial questions for ultimate living. Here are some of the important things you will learn: *How to Handle People Problems *How to Get Ahead *How to Truly Relax *How to Handle Defeat *How to Find Someone to Love (and Keep the Love Strong) *How to Live a Joyous Life and Achieve Your Dreams

  There is a powerful way to access your greatest talents and achieve your grandest goals. It is called Brahmacharya—the use of sexual and romantic energy for a higher purpose. Our guest on Love University, Melissa Barragan, multimillion dollar real estate producer, applied the principle of Brahmacharya and explained how it led her to a powerful realization of self-love and transformation.  After initiating a lifestyle of romantic abstinence beginning in 2023, she achieved her biggest sale ever--$25 million in one day (Valentine’s Day, 2024)--and helped a loving family find their perfect forever home. Here are some of the highlights from Mellisa’s experience of personal awakening: *God Is Your Valentine. Although Melissa wondered if she would find romantic love after her Brahmacharya experiment, she realized that her true love was God (Higher Nature). Instead of feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day, she experienced a great feeling of unity and love with her Higher Nature as she spent the day with a lovely family

Do you or a loved one have a serious, life-threatening illness? Do you fear contracting a deadly disease in the future and having no hope for your recovery? If so, there is a way for you to rewrite your sickness story into one of triumph and peace. Our inspiring guest on Love University, Elizabeth Benedict, bestselling author and cancer survivor, shared her personal experience (Rewriting Illness) about illness (elizabethbenedict.com). On the show, she enlightened us about the realities of disease, love, and recovery. Here are some of the things we learned: *Medical Professional’s emotional reactions can influence a patient’s mental and physical state.  In psychology, mood contagion occurs when we pick up the moods of others—whether good or bad. A medical professional’s fears or negative emotions can influence the patient in a negative way. At the same time, positive emotions expressed by medical providers—compassion, optimism, and love—can also be healing forces to help the patient in their recovery. *There m

Do you get stressed, afraid, or sad?  Does conflict with others wear you down? If the answer is yes, there is a solution for you.  It is called empathy: caring and giving with intention—both to yourself and others. Our esteemed guest on Love University, Judith Orloff (drjudithorloff.com), empathic psychiatrist and New York Times bestselling author shared light on the “Genius of Empathy” from her new book with the same title. According to Judith, empathy is an important part of emotional intelligence and a powerful healing tool for ourselves and others.  Here’s what we learned from Judith about the amazing gift of empathy: *You need to start with self-empathy.  You may be hard on yourself, self-critical and attacking yourself about your flaws and mistakes. This is especially the case for sensitive and caring people who often excessively take on the psychological burdens of others and don’t know how to set healthy boundaries. If this sounds like you, it's important to put yourself in your own shoes and be an ad

Are you an intuitive and sensitive (feeling) person? Perhaps you’re someone who loves psychology, philosophy, spirituality, and finding the meaning of life. If that’s the case, then you may be an Idealistic Philosopher, the rare personality type (about 4%) who believes that “love is the perfect place: quiet, peaceful, and kind.” On Love University, Dr. Avila began a new series on the 16 LoveTypes (Myers-Briggs romantic styles) based on his classic bestseller LoveTypes. In this segment, Dr. Avila reveals the qualities of the Idealistic Philosopher personality and how they can find and keep love. Idealistic Philosophers (INFP on the Myers-Briggs) have these characteristics: Internal (Introvert) Energy, represented by the letter I.  They primarily get energy from their own thoughts, as opposed to socializing with other people. Although they can be quite talkative and sociable at times, they can get tired talking too much and may need to retreat to a private and quiet place to recharge their batteries. Intuitive/

What if I told you about an unsung hero, an American diplomat and businessman, who did incredible things to help America and the world during World War II? This man, one of America’s leading industrialists, put his business career on hold to help save European Jews during WWII, assist in deposing Mussolini, the Italian dictator, and block Germany from succeeding in the war.  On Love University Podcast, we had the pleasure of learning about this mystery man, Myron Taylor, courtesy of award-winning legal scholar, Evan Stewart. In Evan’s latest book, “The Man Nobody Knew,” Evan painstakingly recounts unknown and fascinating details about Myron’s influential, yet modest and humble life, and the way he helped save many lives during WWII. A fascinating portrait of a man who sacrificed for his country and the world, Myron’s life is an inspiration to many of us today who realize that history can, and does, repeat itself.

Once in a while you meet a person who is endlessly fascinating and an absorbing conversationalist. This is who we met when Donna Spruijt-Metz joined Dr. Avila on Love University Podcast.  An Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Public Health at USC, a former professional flutist, and an acclaimed poet, Donna enlightened us on various life topics and inspired us to find our true inner nature and develop a love for learning.

If you or a loved one is on the Autism spectrum, or if you have been curious about this condition, then you’re about to learn some fascinating things about this often-misunderstood diagnosis.  On our Love University podcast, we had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Sneha Mathur, autism expert, as she enlightened us on the truth about those who are classified as being on the “spectrum.”  Sneha talks with Dr. Avila about the natural diversity and creative potential that these unique individuals may possess. Although a number of them can have challenges in social and behavioral areas, they may also exhibit great qualities of creativity, intense focus, loyalty, the ability to detect patterns, and passionate productivity. According to Sneha, what was once viewed as a severe mental disorder can be reconceptualized in a more positive way that respects the abilities and contributions of these extraordinary people.

Imagine if you had to disguise your race and gender or risk capture and death?   This is exactly what happened to William and Ellen Craft, an enslaved married couple in the Deep South during Pre-Civil War times. In 1848, Ellen, whose mother was half-white, disguised herself as a white male slaveowner and her husband, William, played the part of her slave as they traveled North to escape slavery.  Since Ellen couldn’t read or write, she tried to bypass any nosy questioners by having her arm in a sling and pretending to be sick. With various close calls and harrowing situations, they eventually made it North and became activists for anti-slavery. Through it all, their love for each other kept them safe, physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Join celebrated author, Ilyon Woo, and Dr. Avila as they discuss the amazing lives and journey of William and Ellen Craft on Love University, based on Woo’s NY times bestselling Master Slave Husband Wife.  It is a story that will melt your heart and inspire you to re

“My father was kidnapped and killed when I was young. I fell into a deep depression and almost lost the will to live. But then, during my darkest hour, I discovered the magical words “Live More” and my life transformed. I realized that I had more to live and I could teach others about the amazing possibilities of life. I became a Ms. Universe contestant and pageant winner, as well as one of the top real estate producers in the nation, with over $200 million in sales. I work with celebrities and everyday people to help them buy their dream properties. I am Melissa Barragan, the Queen of Florida real estate, and this is my story. Please tune into Dr. Avila’s Love University   and listen as we discuss the secrets of Living, Loving, and Being MORE. I did it and you can do it too.  Love and Blessings, Mellisa. @liv_mor."