Episode 60 Bite Sized: TRUE NATURE Meditation

I think the biggest reason why I’m still swooning over the Westcoast Trail is because it allowed me to be fully immersed in nature, something that I truly love. When we allow ourselves to do more with what resonates with our soul, we’re brought back to our true nature. Our true nature is what our heart naturally opens to before we decide if we can or can’t, should or shouldn’t and if our natural inclinations are “realistic” or not.

Inspired by my hike along the Westcoast Trail, I’ve created a

10 minute guided meditation to help reconnect you with your true nature - that inner knowing that subtly guides you toward your highest purpose if you can just tune in.

We breathe to the mantra SO HUM (I AM THAT).

I AM THAT of Universal Consciousness.

I AM the connection between all things.

I AM all of creation.

Music Credits:

Meditation Free Music Alexander The Miracle Sound (orangefreesounds.com/meditation-music-free) 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Episode 59: Intuition - 5 Things That Block It + 5 Practices To Build It w/ Intuition Coach Michelle Fortuna

If you’ve been on the soul searching train for a while then there’s a good chance that one of your goals is to get a hang of tuning into your intuition/higher self/universe (whatever you’d prefer to refer to it as).  You've been tinkering around, trying to get that inner compass to click into place so that you can make more choices that serve your highest self. In turn you'll enjoy the ease of flowing along in alignment. Fear will still hang around but then you’d have the insight to recognize it and the gumption not to be led astray by its charms.

  Bliss will feel more like a close friend rather than a distant relative. That’s what I’ve been working on too but I’ve been stumped with how to get to that place!

I thoroughly understand the benefits of listening to your intuition but the steps to getting there have always seemed vague to me.  It’s one of those powerfully abstract phenomena that comes with simple instructions but is mystifying to understand (and then of course once you understand it, it’s really quite simple).  Like love.  How do you know that you’re in love?  Can’t totally explain it, it’s different for everyone; but the gist of is that that you just know. 

That’s what I’ve been sitting on until one day, to my sheer delight, I found out that there are such things as Intuition Coaches!  I’ve joked about hoping for an intuition bootcamp or something but I didn’t think there way anyone out there who did this.  It was like an actual real-life fairy godmother had been dropped onto my lap.  I am so ecstatic to share this latest episode with you where I get to talk to Inuitive Coach Michelle Fortuna.  Michelle teaches people how to develop and recognize their intuitive skills to bring more love, ease and joy into their lives.  Michelle helps us understand what intuition really is from body messages to messages from the universe; then we get to dive deeper into understanding how to actually practice our intuition (yes, like a muscle it’s something that you need to practice) and what blocks us from tapping in.  The best part of all this is that I get to ask Michelle WHY? when given “simple” tools.  She’s generous with her patience as she gives the tread to continue on this journey.

Episode 58 Bite Sized: Adventures On the WESTCOAST TRAIL

Okayyyyy finnneeeee…..I guess it’s time to admit that summer is over and we’ve shifted into a new season.  There’s been a lot of resistance around letting go of summer this year for me.  For one, there were two weeks at the end of August where the skies turned dark grey from the passing smoke of the BC wildfires.  It was so thick that the sun looked like an orange egg yolk the whole time.  When the haze finally lifted, we found ourselves thrown into the frigid chill of autumn.  Another reason why I don’t want to say goodbye to summer is because it was SO. MUCH. FUN!  What’s not to love about sundresses and strappy sandals; ice cream trips and warm walks under the moon; plus I was lucky to squeeze in a few trips too!  I wish my winter jacket hadn’t already made its debut but I suppose it’s the most peaceful choice if I surrendered to the divine force of mother nature and embrace the new season of fall. 

To officially close off summer, I’d love to share about one of my favorite trips that I’ve EVER taken.  This summer I did the Westcoast Trail and it was beyond spectacular!  We hiked along the edge of Vancouver Island, weaving our way between the lush rainforest and beachy sea breeze.  If were weren’t being hugged by the trees, we were playfully discovering the crabs and starfish on the ocean shore.  How spectacular to be immersed in nature for four whole days!  Nature is something that I connect most with and being on the Westcoast Trail brought such a powerful sense of grounding.  I felt an unshakable sense of certainty that I seem to always crave.  I think the soul can recognize when you’ve come back to your true nature. What a great reminder this trip was to do more of what we connect with.  It doesn’t have to be a big thing – if you love the ocean and you live by one (lucky duck) then make sure you’re out there often.  I hope this episode inspires you to go out and do what connects you so that you too can be in a sense of awe, wonderment and powerful grounding.  I also include practical details so you can prep for your trip too should you decide to do it one day 😉 

Tell me, what brings you back to your true nature?  And how do you do more of that?

Episode 57: Understand How Energy Flows in You With Chinese Medicine with Caitlin Donovan

There are many ways to understand the energy around us.  In western philosophy, when we talk energy we use a scientific lens.  We logically categorize each finding into its own tidy compartment: kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal energy, chemical energy, gravitational energy…(yes, I loved my science courses * nerd face * 😉 ) We try to create something tangible out of the unseen – and I’d say we’ve been quite successful at it!   We take these concepts to help us understand the world around us – another thing that science has been quite successful at too!  But that’s not quite what I’m interested in learning these days when it comes to energy.  I’m more interested in the deeper workings of energy within ourselves – not just how something works but the big picture of how everything integrates together (mind, body, spirit).  This is where systems of Eastern Philosophy can help!  Today we talk about how energy flows within ourselves based on Chinese Medicine.  Caitlin Donovan, an acupuncturist, herbalist and face reader with a Master's degree in Chinese Medicine is here to teach us all about it.  As Caitlin puts it - in our western world, we process information in a linear fashion whereas with Chinese Medicine everything happens in a circle.  You need to see all parts together to understand the picture.

Episode 56: What's Blocking You From Attracting the Abundance You Desire with Tanner Kennedy

In this episode, we talk about M-O-N-E-Y.  A topic that many shy away from even though we all want and need it.  Why is that?  Probably because there's so much stigma around money plus our own complicated relationship with it.  We want it but we're afraid to admit to wanting it.  Maybe we somehow came to know it as evil.  Maybe deep down inside we don't feel like we deserve it.  Or maybe it's because we think that wanting it makes us greedy people and the last thing you want to be is evil especially when you want to do nothing but heart centered work and make a positive change in the world.  See, it's complicated.

Here's the thing though - if you truly want to do heart centered work or have creative freedom, you need to be financially viable!  If you're not financially sustained, all you'll be thinking about is how to make the next dollar so that you can pay rent or have lunch.  Tanner Kennedy, Law of Attraction Money Mindset Coach & Founder of The Own Your Worth Project talks to us about how to approach this topic and what's really blocking us from the abundance we desire.

"Think about it this way, the more you have, the more you'll be able to continue your work and help others.  Scarcity mindset makes us think that our gains take away from other people but that's just not true".  

Before you listen in, I want to point out that when we refer to "entrepreneur" it doesn't mean that you need to have a full fledged business.  This applies to you even if you're selling art on the side, crafts on Etsy or teach Yoga classes!  Happy Listening!

Episode 55 How to Show Up Authentically Even In Times of Struggle with Jenny Ravikumar

Jenny Ravikumar is a devoted yoga practitioner, yoga teacher, reiki master, certified crystal healer through Hibiscus Moon and owner of the Barefoot Yoga Shala studio based in Massachusetts.  Most recently, she started a successful non-profit, Yoga for Families of Addiction.  As the name implies, this non-profit provides healing for friends, families, and spouses of addicts.  Through Jenny's own experience she found that there are many yoga platforms to help addicts themselves get through their struggles but there was nothing out there to help the people who love the addicts.  With Yoga for Families of Addiction, Jenny creates holds space and creates sacred sessions to help friends, families and spouses of addicts get through the tough stuff like shame, co-dependency, anger and forgiveness.  We cover a lot of interesting topics in this episode including a short pit stop on how it's possible to fuse together religion and yoga, but the main topic here is how to stand in our truth and show up authentically even in times of great struggle. 

Jenny's own story is that she was married to somebody with an alcohol addiction and went through a traumatic divorce.....all the while completing her 500 YTT, opening up a yoga studio and taking care of her new baby boy.    How did she continue to teach from her heart and show up authentically for the community even while all this struggle was happening?  Listen in to find out! :) 

+ Key Nuggets: (click here)

One torrentially important message I picked up in this conversation is that your YOGA exists at all times. Even through the tough times. Actually, even especially in the tough times. Regular practitioners or yoga teachers may feel like they "should" be the perfect zen image but that's so not true. As Brene Brown says:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.” When you're going through something traumatic, it's natural to hold onto what feels good. Sometimes what you hold onto is good, sometimes it's something not so good. For Jenny, that's when she discovered the world of essential oils, energy healing and crystals. What emotions do families of addiction go through? Co-dependency Shame – a lot of ppl don’t share what’s going on their world because they want to keep their friend/spouse/family safe and on a pedestal Anger Forgiveness How did Jenny continue to teach from a place of authenticity during her traumatic divorce? She would never teach on something that she wasn't feeling. For example, if she cried her eyes out that day, she wouldn't teach about joy because the material just wasn't there at that moment. But instead, the focus would be on something like forgiveness. That's a yoga teacher's example but even if you're not a yoga teacher, you can apply this and find authenticity in your day to day interactions. For example, answering authentically to "how are you?". Doesn't mean you need to divulge everything that's wrong but rather than saying "great!" when you're not, it could simply be "I'm happy to be here". What helped and continues to help Jenny through her struggles is her toolbelt. When times get tough, she comes back to: Breath Essential oils Crystals Reiki Tools like the ones listed above and our yoga practice (of course) are the modalities that can get you through healing. What's in your toolbelt? One of Your Biggest Lessons So Far:

In Jenny's words....

The two biggest lessons I've learned as a teacher is that (1.) I'm CONSTANTLY learning from my students and my son, they are always my best teachers. And (2.) as I continued to run my studio AND create a new non-profit, I was finalizing a traumatic divorce and am raising my son as a single mom every day. The journey isn't always easy, the lessons will continue to pop up over and over.... but with resilience, LOVE & compassion, we can dig deep to find strength we never knew we had.

What is one nugget of wisdom that you would share with fellow seekers who are on this journey of growth and transformation?

BREATHE. A transformation isn't meant to be beautiful. It's meant to bring up the ugly, rip open your heart and be a messy battle. If were easy, everyone would do it. Continue to breathe into love. Stay in the present. Have faith. Know you're supported. Because I promise, if you can hold on for a few more breaths, it will be beautiful on the other side.

Links:

If you have any questions for Jenny or want to learn more, connect with her through:

Websites: www.jennyravikumar.com www.barefootyogashala.com www.yogaforfamiliesofaddiction.com

Email: jenny.ravikumar@gmail.com

FB: @jennyravikumar @barefootyogashala @yogaforfamiliesofaddiction

Episode 54: Getting Over Self Doubt with Tara Wagner

Tara Wagner is a breakthrough coach who helps identify what's holding you back from your next level of success.  In other words, she's an expert in helping people get over their self-doubt! How timely since I just talked about this in Episode 51.  This conversation with Tara is like an expansion of the topic of self doubt, imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs.  In specific, we talk about awareness (how do you even realize the limiting beliefs you have in the first place?), root cause (where do most of our false beliefs come from), and what to do about it!  I love Tara's perspective not just because of her spunky disposition but also because she manages to take a practical approach that's grounded in spirituality.  Yes the universe works in mysterious ways and there is such thing as divine timing; but we are also living in a human world and each of us have been granted with a predictable, computer like device in our noggins, so why not learn how we can learn to use both sides of the coin toward a happy, meaningful life?  Listen in and prepare to be uplifted!!

+ Click here for the Key Nuggets

---

• Conditioning of nasty thoughts like “I can’t”, “I need to be quiet”, "I'm not enough" are things we grow up with that eventually holds us back
• Everyone feels the imposter syndrome – not just people who are starting out. Anytime you’re ready for the next level you will feel it. It’s normal!
  • You take some of the struggle away when you realize that the ups and downs are all part of the process
• How do you bring awareness of this limiting belief in the first place?
  • Ask yourself different forms of the same question until you hit a spot – that spot will feel like truth whether it just feels like a ton of bricks, or maybe make you cry.
  • And it’s in this awareness that you can begin to take the first steps to heal
• One of the most common limiting beliefs is that "I'm not good enough" complex. How do you know if you have this limiting belief? Well the “I’m not enough” complex shows up in….
  • Not being able to take compliments
  • Nerves
  • Throat closing up
  • Resistance
  • Paralysis
  • Thoughts like “who am I to do this?”
• Another limiting belief that Tara had gone through was that she was “too much”
  • She received messages as a child (from herself and outer world) that she was too loud, too opinionated, and that people can’t handle her energy
  • Nobody explicitly told her this but it’s important to realize that there are many messages that we receive without being explicitly told. It could simply be the exasperation in somebody’s reaction to you that sets it up.
• This leads to the point that we can only look through the lens/perspective that we currently have now and that’s perfect. Sometimes we may misinterpret something but the point is that we did the best we could with what we had at that time.
  • There are phases of life where we take in most messages: toddler years and in our preteen/teen years. These are the ages of formation. As teenagers, we begin to develop our core beliefs
    • In Tara’s work with her clients, the majority of the beliefs that hold them back stem exactly from preteen/teen years. We misinterpret ideas and end up with beliefs like "the world’s not safe" "I'm not lovable" "I am loved" and being able to trust in relationships….
• It’s totally normal to make of what we have at the time but there is an expiration date and at some point these beliefs become unhelpful. There comes a point when we're ready to do something big and beautiful and it will question the existing belief systems. What we actually need is a system to help determine when an old belief system no longer serves, dismantle it and reshape into new, helpful beliefs. We need to learn to create a new pattern.
• How to breakthrough limiting beliefs now that you’ve identified them? Tara shares one method:
  1. Look at the behaviour
  2. Look at the emotions behind it
  3. Look at the need behind it
     • If you’re struggling to meet this need, look why. That’s when you get into the core beliefs
• The real trick is to train your brain to run through this process where you can easily identify the behavior, emotions, needs and limiting beliefs. From there you can choose your actions with awareness. Tara suggests to think about this like potty training a puppy. This way, you can approach it with love, non judgement and without any self deprecating self talk.
• Next, to start reshaping that limiting belief. Tara loves using affirmations, use of essential oils, EFT, and even just simply taking action to reaffirm what you want to think and feel. With that said, just the awareness – the turning on of the lights in a dark room, will change the shadows.
• In practicing the four steps above, you'll gain EMOTIONAL FREEDOM
• Give yourself as many experiences as you’re drawn to. All paths lead home.
• What action can you take now to start taking in the new belief you want to have? (ex. "I trust in people", "I am worthy"…)
  1. The brain is a practical thing and when we use it as such it can be quite advantageous
  2. We need to constantly reinforce beliefs and you can do it by taking action, which is far more reinforcing than just sitting and waiting to feel good. Tara uses the analogy of a cookbook – you can’t just read the recipe over and over and just get it. You actually need to go through the motions of taking out the ingredients and cooking.
• If you don’t take action then you don’t change anything
• One powerful question to continuously ask yourself is: What would your most compassionate, loving, best self do despite the worry, fear, laziness, hold-backs?

One of Your Biggest Lessons So Far:

It’s okay to trust people. Ultimately it leads back to love -you can give love and you can receive love.

What is one nugget of wisdom that you would share with fellow seekers who are on this journey of growth and transformation?

Don’t take it too seriously. Learn to laugh at all of it – the thoughts, the emotions….there’s so much healing that laughter can do. Don’t get lost in your character!

You can have the same experiences and learn the same things without the suffering, and the stories and the spiraling.

Links:

If you have any questions for Tara or want to learn more, connect with her through:

Website: xotara.us (this is where you can also get her FREEBIE Self Care in Seconds)

Instagram: @tarawagner

Episode 53 Bite Sized: 5 Minutes to Get UNSTUCK

Feeling STUCK can be so uncomfortable.  You're in a place in life or in your mind where you don't want to be and just can't seem to get out.  It's sticky and stuffy and frustrating.  Unfortunately being stuck is one of those inevitable situations that we will find ourselves in from time to time.  Just like fear or self-doubt.  What we can do with this feeling is to bring awareness to what it's telling us and find a way to release that stagnant energy.  In other words find ways to get UNSTUCK.  

In bringing awareness to the feeling, figure out how it feels.  Does it feel dull, listless, unmotivated (what  label as stuck in a funk); or does it feel like you're spinning your wheels but you're trapped (stuck in a rut).  Our natural tendency is to push harder toward what we want when we're stuck so we go out to paint nights, cooking classes.....and fervently chase inspiration or the next creative breakthrough.  At times, that's exactly what we need and then voila! we regain our freedom.  But if you've tried it all and it's still not working, then it means that you need something else.  That something else is that you're tired and need to listen to the ongoing lesson of taking PAUSE.  

That brings me to the second part where we find ways to release the stagnant energy.  Pause, breathe and connect back to what's been disconnected.  Listen in for a 5 minute pranayama (breathing) exercise to help shift your energy and get you on your way to getting unstuck!

Music Credits:

Concentration Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) 
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Episode 52: PART II Gettin' Oily With It - How to Use Essential Oils with Mia Mitchell

Here is Part II of the conversation that I had with the lovely Mia Mitchell!  Last week she shared the heartfelt story of her darkest hour - loss of a best friend, the downfall of a marriage and contemplation of a life not worth living.  In essence, Mia's story is a powerful voice for mental health awareness.  With time, Mia healed and now has a successful essential oils business where she helps others in their own healing journey.  In Part II of our conversation, we focus on the thing that helped her recover: Essential Oils!  How they help, how to use them (ie. on chakra points) and Mia'a top 10 favorite oils for healing. 

Episode 51 Bite Sized: Perfect NOW. You Are Perfect Right NOW.

Self-doubt creeps in from time to time and it's probably never going to fully go away.  Everybody experiences this feeling, even millionaires and world renowned self-help experts.  Even with their major successes, they still get a niggle of this self-doubt from time to time.  If even proven successes don't prevent self-doubt from coming back ever again, then we must learn to navigate this feeling.

I've been going through a bout of imposter syndrome myself.  I was trucking along all fine and dandy then Bam!  It just hit me - an overwhelming feeling that I knew nothing at all and a major questioning of what the !@#$ I'm doing at all.  I sat with this for many days before I realized that the culprit was a hefty dose of self-doubt (that's the thing about feelings - if you're not paying attention you just fall into it).  Apparently I needed it as a very important reminder of how perfect everything already is....of how perfect I already am.  Listen in to hear what I learned! 

Episode 50: PART I The Dark Knight Of The Soul. A Journey From Depression to Self-Love with Mia Mitchell

Mia Mitchell is a beacon of light who works to guide others into a life they love by using essential oils as her trusted tool.  This lovely Australian lady’s heart centered essential oils business stems from a reason more deep-seated than passion if you can imagine.  I dare say (after hearing her story) that this is the truest form of expression of herself.  A manifestation of her soul’s purpose, born from her darkest hour. 

I suspected that Mia had an incredible story to tell and this suspicion was confirmed just a few minutes into our conversation.  What I planned to talk to Mia about was essential oils and how they can help us in our yoga practice and everyday lives.  And we did talk about that! ...Eventually.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, a hidden gem of a story was waiting to be revealed.  When I asked Mia about how she came to find her love of essential oils, it turns out that it started from a dark place.  A place of anxiety, depression, and very, very, very difficult experiences (I put a “very” in for each of the obstacles she shared) including the loss of a loved one to suicide.  It was clear that beyond which essential oils are best for meditation or giving you energy, there was a strong message to be shared.  Mia’s story is a powerful voice for the awareness of mental health issues.  Her messages are clear and true as can be  

“It’s okay to not be okay” 

“In every moment you have a choice.  While making a choice might be hard, you still have one”

You’ve probably caught on by now that this interview went for much longer than anticipated!  I’ve split it into two parts for you.  Today, I present to you PART I where you’ll hear Mia’s story about mental health.  Next week I’ll release PART II where we tap into her expertise on essential oils.

Episode 49 Bite Sized: 5 Ways To MOVE FORWARD Now that You Know You're On The Wrong Path

In the last episode of Bite Sized I talked about the importance of knowing when to quit and how it can be just as important as the power of perseverance.  The wisdom is in knowing when to do which.  In this episode I talk about what to do with that information.  So you have an inkling that you need to quit something in your life. Now what?  Where do you even go from here?  I've been there many times - not ready to actually take the leap because I haven't got the slightest idea of where to place my foot.  I've reflected on my personal experiences and lessons to distill 5 action steps that can help you reset your compass so that you have at least a little bit of idea which direction to go.

Episode 48 Bite Sized: 5 Signs That You Should Probably QUIT

Thank you for tuning into the final episode of launch week for my new segment, BITE SIZED!  Today I answer the question that I ask all of the guests I interview:  What Is The Biggest Lesson That You've Learned Along the Way?

My biggest lesson is that

QUITTING is just as important as PERSEVERING and takes just as much courage.  The wisdom is in knowing which is which.

Quitting has such a negative connotation attached to it and it basically equates with failure if you decide to give up.  But is it really that bad?  If you think about it, sometimes the resistance to quit stems from the same reason that we resist to persevere: The Fear of Failure.  Before you make a judgement on whether to quit or persevere, you need a few more pieces of information.

I share my personal story of the trials and tribulations it took for me to learn this lesson (it got handed to me a few times before I totally understood).  In reflecting on my experience, I found 5 signs that suggest it's probably time to quit; and of course, I share them with you!

So, what'd you think of this episode?? Let me know in the comments below or email me hello@curiousmonki.com

Episode 47 Bite Sized: How To Keep Going Even If You're Scared

Welcome to the very second episode of BITE SIZED!

Transitions are never easy even if it's a change for the better.  Career change, ending a relationship, starting a new endeavor....it's scary to take a leap of faith!  But once you hear what your heart truly desires, you can't really go back.  Today I talk about how to keep going even when it's scary and I share with you my two greatest pieces of inspiration that kept me (and still keeps me) going when that low vibe self-doubt starts to kick in.

Resources:

That speech that Oprah did that helps me get through the thickest of doubts.

Episode 46 Bite Sized: NEW DREAMS How to pivot when you change your mind about what you want

I'm adding to the goodness with a new segment called BITE SIZED.  In these short 15-20 minute episodes I go solo and completely candid to deliver a dose of inspiration, knowledge or sum up golden nuggets from past episodes.  It's my way of amplifying the good vibes :)  I haven't reached enlightenment or anything like that yet but hey! I've picked up a few nuggets of wisdom on my very own journey and I want to let you in on it.

Bite Sized episodes will be hot and ready for you at the beginning of every week (still deciding on an exact date...maybe Tuesdays??); and don't worry, the longer interview episodes are still happening!  There's so much knowledge and experience to learn from each other, I can't see it stopping.  You can still expect the interviews at the end of the week.

I really, really, super really want this to be valuable for you.  It's my deepest intention to inspire you, spark a transformation within you or give you that second wind when you don’t think that you can keep going.  I'm going to keep trying to keep delivering value but I also need your help!  Please let me know what you think of these episodes by leaving a comment below or hello@curiousmonki.com.  And if you really love what you hear, please give me some big love by leaving an itunes review.  

As I keep saying, we have so much to learn from each other that can help us along our own paths.  This journey is your own but you're not alone!

Episode 45: Seven Things That Make A Remarkable Yoga Teacher Training with Rachel Scott

Rachel Scott is a yoga teacher trainer, instructional designer, and writer.  She regularly contributes to Yoga International and is the author of Wit and Wisdom from the Yoga Mat and A Yogi's Guide to Dating.  With over 4000 hours as a yoga teacher trainer, her passion for helping yoga educators create excellent trainings certainly shows through.  I am so grateful to have Rachel and her captivating energy on this episode!  You've probably guessed by now that the topic is all about Yoga Teacher Training.  In specific, Rachel helps us understand what separates an exceptional training from a disappointing one.  You're going to want to listen in whether you're considering taking your first yoga teacher training, continuing yoga education or playing around with the idea of being a teacher trainer yourself.  Rachel breaks down the reason why sometimes amazing yoga teachers deliver a less than satisfying training, prepares you with pertinent questions to ask if you're looking into taking a training, and lays out what makes a remarkable teacher training (spoiler alert: part of it falls on the responsibility of the student).

I wish I could tell the whole wide world about this one because so many people struggle to find a good yoga teacher training.  It's not something that you'd want to roll the dice on either, seeing as how each training is thousands of dollars.  Rachel's advice is worth its weight in gold!  So if you know somebody who would benefit from this info, keep the good vibes going and SHARE THIS EPISODE!

Many thanks to you for joining me.  Now, plug in those headphones and listen away!

Resources:

Rachel's article on Yoga International: How to choose a yoga teacher training  

Rachel's free course on how to create a teacher training

Episode 44: Yoga Philosophy 101 - Are We One with Nature or Separate? with Anne Douglas

Anne Douglas of Episode 30: Messages from Our Bodies and How Anahata Yoga Can Help You Listen is back on the show and this time she's here to talk yoga philosophy.  Perhaps you'd really like to understand the philosophy of yoga but words like "vedic" "samkhya" and dates older than 1995 makes your brain want to take a nap.  Sanskrit and history are not your forte.  No problemo, start here!  Who better to explain this stuff than a patient, knowledgeable teacher who happens to be passionate about how yoga philosophies help us resolve suffering.  In this episode,  Anne helpfully explains the two major schools of thought in yoga philosophy: dualism versus non dualism.  Basically, are we one with nature or are we separate with nature? Depends.  We go into depth to understand what these two philosophies mean in the bigger picture as well as to how we relate to life individually.  By the end of the episode, you'll be cooing about purusha and prakriti like it ain't no thing.  This episode is loaded so buckle in and get your learnin' on!

Episode 43: Fearless Self Love with Andrea Catherine

"There is no one straight path"

This nugget of insight seems to be a recurring theme throughout the conversations that I have with my marvelous guests.  Their paths are colorfully weaved with discovery and changes.  For the most part, their stories don't follow a linear trajectory.  In fact, it's the dynamic quality that brings so much inspiration and aliveness! Restaurant owner turned yoga teacher, engineer turned yoga studio owner, law professional turned shaman....

I think what's so alluring about these stories is that these people stopped to ask themselves somewhere along the way "what do I truly want in life?" and then mustered the courage to try and figure it out!  "What do I truly want in life?" and "How can I be happy?" are questions that we eventually ponder.  Growing up, we're taught to pave our lives out in one straight path and to fear the unknown, but the heart desires truth and purpose, and those things might not be on the pretty paved road.  That's why stories of daring leaps perk us up.

With the last few interviews, there seems to be another layer emerging. That is: 

"What you desire can change."

Ah yes, life likes to keep it exciting doesn't it!  Just when we think we've figured it all out, the tides turn.  The key is to continue tuning in and pivoting as needed.

In this episode, we get to hear about just that as Andrea Catherine opens up candidly about her next leap in life.  Andrea is currently a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, Ayurvedic health counsellor and host of the podcast, Fearless Self Love.  Her new calling is calling though and she's in flux to move toward her dream of creating a space that's a destination for travelers, locals and folks in transition.  We also talk about self-love - what it means, how to do it, and how the practice of it has helped Andrea arrive at where she's at today.

Episode 42: How Founder of Yoga Boss Babe Combined Two Opposing Passions to Create a Successful Business w/ Elizabeth Nguyen

Elizabeth Nguyen is a yoga teacher and founder of Yoga Boss Babe, a subscription box to help yoga teachers grow a thriving business.  This girl works with a stunning amount of dedication, authenticity and passion!  She is in love with her business and life today but like all great creators, there was quite a bit of travelling to get to this leg of the journey.  In fact, the first business she ever created was one that she didn't totally love.  She eventually went with her gut feeling and searched for an idea that made her feel excited and passionate.  One thing led to another and she came up with YBB!  There are so many rich lessons in Liz's story including how to know when an idea is truly for you, what challenges to expect when you pursue what you love and what it takes to succeed.  Plug in those headphones and get the idea juices flowing!

Resources:

Books:

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – inspired Liz to slow down and come up with more of a mindful response vs a reactive response; and to let go when it doesn’t matter enough.

She means business by Carrie Green – the book that helped Liz come up with the idea for Yoga Boss Babe

Episodes referred to (create hyperlink)

Episode 2: A Healing Journey with Alison DuRussel

Like Liz, Alison was interested in helping people via the healthcare system.  And like Liz, she started to wonder if there was a natural remedy that could alleviate the number of pills that patients ended up relying on.  Listen to Alison's story of how she went from pharm tech to massage therapist to yoga teacher and to sound bath healer.  

Episode 3: Mastering the Business of Yoga with Amanda Kingsmith

There are so many paths that you can take your yoga career.  Like Liz, Amanda is also helping yoga teachers flourish via their own unique path.  Listen to this episode for the three key items that you need to have for a successful yoga career.

Episode 41: Searching For True Desires and Manifesting It To Life with Awilda Rivera

Awilda Rivera is a yoga teacher, spiritual advisor and success coach who has dedicated her life to help empower others to succeed.  She’s navigated a few twists and turns in her own life as she transitioned from being a law professional and into the world of spirituality and wellness.

A cardiac episode in her late 20's brought Awilda to face a very real truth in her life.  Ever since the age of ten she’d been committed to becoming a lawyer.  She took a sense of responsibility in being the first person in her family to go to college and held high expectations of herself to not disappoint.  Yet as she lay there in the hospital bed, with only one and half years of law school before graduation, she could no longer deny that this wasn’t what she wanted anymore. 

The question that surfaced after admitting this to herself was “what intention do I want to live my life with? What kind of intention do I want my work grounded in?”  She pinpointed that her passion was to help others.  The journey that ensued was onerous, messy and wonderful.  By following the thread of "wanting to help people" Awilda was able to hone into exactly how she could help.  Today, she’s not only living her dream by helping other people live their dreams, but she’s also an inspiration for the multi-passionate soul who loves more than one thing and wonders how it could possibly come together. 

Tune in to hear the rest of her story!  In this grounded conversation Awilda shares valuable wisdom about pursuing what you love and how to manifest it to life including mantras and mudras that you can use.

Resources:

Book to learn more about mudras

 Mudras Yoga In Your Hands by Getrud Hirschi