We make decisions each day. We ruminate on whether it was the "right one." We lose perspective of our safety- our present. And our future. We often go to our "worst case scenario" instead of our "best case scenario." Tune in to this Samma Says for a guided meditation to engage your scenes and identify the best case scenario.

We are not doing this academic work for anything except to be of service. Of service to the greater good, to our communities that we hope to empower, to provide answers to really tough questions. We are doing this to be vessels of service. We need to remember why we are doing what we’re doing. It’s hard to do that when something is absconded with or taken out of context, like service. On this episode, I talk a little bit of trash about service within academia. We’re expected to be of service to keep the system running and rolling. Asked to serve dept, college, university, our topic-area societies/organizations and greater scientific community with the gift of our time. Time is our most precious commodity.  But then we’re asked to review peer review journal articles, conference abstracts, presentations, webinars, guest lectures, ccommittee service...To do this and to do that—all for free. And at the end of the week, we sit back and think, "I didn’t actually even move the needle on the things that I’m paid to do.” Why do we continue to agree to this and work 60, 80 hour weeks because we’re spending so much time serving the greater good that we’re not serving our labs, students, selves, and families, because we’re doing all this service to be an "internationally recognized whatever." It’s because I was tricked by the word “service.” I want to be of service.I believe in putting in my time, energy and efforts—and it’s not altruistically necessary: It’s all to feed and fuel that we matter, that our opinion mattered along the way I used to get a little excited when people would invite me because it meant that my opinion matters. We have to know that our opinion and our work matters and how to appropriately compensate.   Need to make this idea make it to the ears and hearts of administrators, of people who can rethink the infrastructure and think hey, maybe we should be compensated and level of peer review can be graded or valued, instead of getting shitty feedback that took 20 min or less and doesn’t advance the science Money is energy. Money is an energetic exchange of your efforts. Yoga principles for flourishing in academia and beyond, I’m recognizing that part of my lethargy, overwhelm, burn out is root chakra imbalance is based on how much time I spend in service to the “suits”—the people making money off of the business of education.   I invite us to advocate for any opportunities to be compensated for your previous time. Your time, efforts, expertise are so appreciated, thank you for being part of this system and cycle of positivity and overwork or overwhelm.

You're feeling overwhelmed? Who wouldn't be with what you have going on. Take a few moments to pause with me and greet and explore the sensation of overwhelm. Own, invest, take authority of your sensationIdentify where it lives in your bodyStay curious and build a relationship with the sensationEmotions are energy in motionEnergy in motionEmotional flexibility is the goal; strength to change is the goal; this is a workout for your soulThank you overwhelm for alerting me. I am not broken, I am human. I needed this sensation to cue me to pause.Thank you, but I don't need you, Overwhelm, right this moment.What do you need right now?Be aware without judgement, be kind to you.

Trigger warning: In this episode, Terri and I complete our conversation from the previous episode (How to take up space) and the dance that people have to engage in: Between dressing, presenting, and acting how we want and the repercussions of it. We talk about what people might think or say...and don't directly address what people might do, but we address that living out loud or the nuance of "living in the skin you're in" is challenging. We talk about how being sensual and dressing up does not equate to sexual, and there's a right use of energy for each of us to explore in our own ethics and parameters. But: When we try to hide ourselves, we're not helping to take up space. Other comments include: -Practice- exposure therapy- of just doing it—showing up as yourself. - When you live out loud there’s a possibility that people will say or do something...You can't tell people that they can’t say something. -If you are living out loud, you have to figure out how you’re going to navigate it. - Baffling that we can’t see ourselves how others have seen us - There's a spectrum of low self esteem to egoic—where on the spectrum am I? I acknowledge the ways in which I was pretending in past. - Based on our experiences (pain, shame, trauma), some of us have expanded and contracted - Most people living life in a more feminine way have had those experiences where it’s not safe to live out loud - What I put out and how it’s received are two different things - I don’t want to be chosen anymore—as women we dress up to get attention—we are doing it for us. - How do I do this, lipstick, be confident, be cute, and there’s a possibility that someone is going to say something. I can’t control it. - We chameleon to fit, mold.. belong but I don’t even know how I like my own eggs (Julia Robert’s character on Runaway Bride-- not knowing yourself) - Being chosen v doing the choosing - Personal transformation of a divorce- taking all the layers of taking it off, chosen different, I don’t want to be chosen anymore, when I wear the lipstick or the outfit, I’m choosing -Practice loving yourself, choosing yourself, being your best friend. Giving yourself grace when you don’t have enough water, food, or a best friend to hype you up. - Trying to keep up, trying to be cute. To be chosen. To keep up. It’s never enough. - Continuously treading water. Even when nobody says you’re not enough… -More grounded and confident and sexier and whatever today than when we’re jumping around trying to get chosen - I’m not here for your eyes, approval, permission—being sensual isn’t being sexual. Explore your own ethics, morals, practices. It’s complicated. - They might think that I was looking for attention. Maybe they did maybe they didn’t - When you're on autopilot, sometimes you forget to look at yourself in the mirror and say something nice. Give it a try! - My new wish is to help someone get there before 37. Wisdom, confidence, age.. throwing stone to someone behind us.. love yourself, be your own best friend - Accountability partners are important-- for when you can't see you the way someone who loves you does. If you've lost touch with a friend, you can always reach back out

Terri Miller brings her expertise in education to create plain language to disseminate science and policy to a very broad audience via the Federal Trade Commission. She provides us with strategies to cultivate grace for ourselves, and to give us time and space for learning, growing, and sharing. Terri and I talk about science, and life, and distraction and presence all at once and how we find friends to be mirrors on our work-life journeys (hint: it's just life). Terri shares that she is not a yoga practitioner or scientist by trade but that this podcast and the samma says reminders help her get energy out and remember to breathe-- helping to show that this podcast is for all: In and out of the academy- those who love or are less familiar with yoga principles. Other mental chatter-stopping takeaways are: Is it ever enough? It’s not, so on this moment I will take a breath and just be to try to find the balance of being a professional, a high performer and being able to stop in the middle of that and just breathe“What works” for wellness is found by “trail and error on what works for you: Right now a tool is to live in all the spaces of your house- take up this space that I’ve purchased. Using all the space—shake up the monotony of “this is what I do”How do you unlearn or learn that other people’s opinions about me (appearance, activities) doesn’t define you? It starts with “confidence at home… is in the everyday things… and conversations.”You don’t need “their” permission. Not everyone has to like you… who you are and what you bring to the table and what your values are (is never based on someone else's opinion).Talking to ourselves the way our best friend would speak to us… how do we become one of our own best friends…Maybe that’s the cheat code to be our own best friend and boost each other (to speak more kindly to ourselves in our own minds)You think these things in your head… but when you do it in practice, it’s a moment to walk into a room not caring what other people think. I am going to take up all the space. I don’t need permission.Give interns or student staff a seat at the table so they can understand context. Either at big meetings or when not appropriate, one on one… Have empathy, creating space…giving pieces that they need to tie it together… carve out the time to have those conversations. Being intentional about their time with you. There are things they want to get out of the time with you and a lot of that doesn’t happen without intentionThe practice of …being in the seat of a learner and having a curiosity about things ideally would help you to remember that you have not always known the things that you know…and that you don’t know everything“One thing that has been so helpful during this “intimidating work, imposter syndrome, am I enough, there’s not enough hours in the day, is this the right fit… did I make a bad career choice/decision.” Is to run into the fire and set up 1:1 with your boss. Creates the opportunity to show what you’re bringing to the table and to get feedbackFlourishing is when I have carved out space for people who are important to meHow important it is to not should on yourself. When you’ve given what you have to give, leave some grace for yourself. And in that moment you carved for yourself, don’t “should.” Find Terri on Linked In at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-miller1/

Jess Matthews Dr. Jessica Matthews is here to “surprise and delight” us with her authenticity and reminders as she weaves life lessons, including some from yoga principles such as the yamas and niyamas and a near-death experience, into everyday life. My biggest take away from the conversation was how to show up as yourself, in all spaces. Who you are in the classroom, on the street, or on a podcast could be the same person. And, the less time we spend pretending, the more time we can spend toward our true north, which is creating spaces for students to learn and grow. We wrap with the reminder that you only have one life: so there is no “work/life” balance—it’s just a balance. Other highlights include: An ongoing subject worth discussing: whether you want to be called by your “Dr” title or notHaving great relationships is one facet of a greater whole, great relationships are rooted in compassion. When we see others who are struggling, who don’t show up in their best way… we meet them with genuine compassion. We have no idea what they are navigating in their life.I can only control my inner world: my own thoughts, response, and in turn actionsYamas and niyamas are guiding principles for how we interface with the worldThe importance of us to have honest dialogue about actual things that happen- staya. Speak truthfully in a nonviolent way (ahimsa). Kind candor.Genuine curiosity about an exchange, the players involved… no stereotypes or generalizations. Broach certain subjects with kind candor in mind.  Nutshell version of “what is life.” Just being a human is a very intricate journey and so is my professional one… they are intertwined… because I’m a person who shows up in all these placesRoot issues are not attended to… prevention chronic disease and the very things that prevent them can also effectively treat them.I know so much about the human body… people “know” they should mitigate stress but they don’t do those things… so I went and got immersed in behavioral scienceConcerned about the revenue generating nature of yoga teacher trainings (YTT): about the amount of money and then who would have access to those training; so she built a YTT at community college. Accessible, cost effective, and the quality is high.I work with real, whole people(People) operate from the place they know… they give you options, A or B… a natural evolution for an educator. … we can’t be told what’s possible by people who don’t know what’s possible.Positive psychology has a lot of misinterpretation… it is not saying that we discount the totality of the human experience—there is inherent suffering—life will have not bright spots… shift away from toxic positivity… but to shift in mentality to look for a moment to look at what is going right?I’m an optimist and a realist… the optimist in me sees more value given… to wear all the hats (academy, industry, clinical) stay on same mission that we’re here to serve the students. Same shared page is recognizing that there is value in having diverse experiences. Our true north, our shared mission is the studentsShe developed a coaching conference with the ideas that: Speakers compensated; price should be something that is accessible; and you know what also, it could serve the greater good. So she engineer a lot of things.(A healthy lifestyle) is a practice, not a perfect, continual recalibration always… seasons of life and professional journey turning up and down dials“Values are front and center; health and wellbeing, relationships; … I don’t stray. They are very solid and firm. How much I’m in them (may shift)”Yoga and mindfulness practices apply in life. What we do on the mat is such a small sliver of living mindfully.Busyness is not a badge of honor—around 46 minStretch opportunity- challenge me but that’s actually supportive of change. The right amount of discomfort, not a huge change… just a right amount of stretch to move the wheels in the direction you want to go. What works for one person (or what I assume about someone), we don’t know all the intricacies of people. Unique motivators; what are you called to do in your life.Life is exactly what it is: not permanent, not guaranteed. If this was my last day to roam on earth, what would I be doing? Operating principles (even before near death experience).“Waking up with joy to live fully (oh you’re energetic and upbeat) nope, I’m human… there have been some things that are… difficult. If I wake up every day and ask how can I be of service among the challenges – among the dark spots. The darkest of dark isn’t fully dark. Flourishing is the opportunity to live this day to its fullest.”Emotional wellbeing says have an array of emotions… but in those difficult times, what can I be grateful for. Perspective is at the heart of flourishing, at the heart of wellbeing… to live “the good life.”We all hear “work life balance” you have one life… I don’t know how else to say it. You have one. Multifaceted nature… but one life and opportunity to discern how do we really find meaning in our own life, so we can flourish… live it as fully as we can for the amount of time we get the privilege of living. Recognize your one life—professionally personally.Constant pretending is what’s bothering so many faculty and staff. Pretending to be the good whatever. Instead find the effortlessness of being you. More at: https://drjessmatthews.com/

Blue Zones Project® is a community-wide well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier. The program is based on principles identified during an ongoing twenty-year worldwide longevity study commissioned by National Geographic, and detailed in the New York Times best-seller, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, and The Blue Zones Solution by Dan Buettner. I interview Shannon Wohlford and Dr. Allen Weiss in their roles as marketing manager and being the Chief Medical Officer, respectively.  Through this discourse we also touch on: -Can we create a model and transform communities and create a healthier way of living? We do this through a  Life Radius Approach: We do our work through people, places, and policy. - Busyness of life—we have to look inward and ask, “what is important to us at the end of the day?” What is important for me and my own personal wellbeing and stand up for what we want out of our life. If we want a long, happy life—that’s a turning point for people who are curious about Blue Zones.  -Faith, family and friends...In the Blue Zones (people believe in) a higher power that brought them a sense of hope. Centenarians (100+ years of age) are prioritizing relationships. - You can live a longer, healthier, happier life...Little by little we can make these changes...Orthodox medical community is (finally) realizing prevention saves money. - Medical school needs to be about emotional interaction not just anatomy and physiology. - Ultimately, we have a whole healthcare industry that is predicated on a certain amount of sickness. - People need salaries and benefits, but they stay (at their job) when they feel respected and rewarded. -We have to meet people where they are....Nothing has to be monumental to make a great day great, or a great lifetime.   More here: https://info.bluezonesproject.com/

Whenever I ask myself, "why am I doing this podcast?", I remember you-- the person I hope is finding solace in the experiences shared through the myriad voices on the podcast. In an upcoming episode with Drs. David Pena and Elizabeth Berry, David asked about my yoga journey and we grabbed my response for a separate episode. As the 'avatar' of your principal investigator or someone sitting in a seat you wish to be in in the future, I hope to break down some of the power dynamics and share about how professors are humans, too. And... how yoga saved my life: - Breathwork was the gateway to my journey - By breathing I felt, rather than talking, ranting, journaling... trying to fix - We need time off, we need play. We need emotions. Soft skills are really essential to navigate human life -I am grateful even for all the pain and suffering that led me to my mat so I can return again and again.

In this episode, I have a candid and fun conversation with Drs. Nick Holton and Jon Beale who are antifragility and flow researchers, respectively, with an overall emphasis on flourishing or, living the good life. To that end, they are intentional educators who aim to distill deep philosophical questions and empirical data to determine how you might apply these concepts in your own life. They do this, in part, as co-hosts of Flourish FM podcast.   Other specific highlights of the conversation include: Acknowledging that flourishing is a broad conceptFlourish FM is great fun for them—they have a deep desire to talk about science and make it accessibleThrough the show and conversations, audience members can choose what level of academic rigor makes sense for them. They warn us against becoming “Podcast intellectual”—don’t trust everything you hear; you have a role as the recipientTheir goal is to be “data driven, but not data dependent” and discern “anecdata and me search”Share science that is accessible, make it tangible so people can increase probably of living good life; doesn’t mean feeling pleasant and good all the timeWhat do we mean by resource intensive: Books, time and money are all finite resources, so Flourish FM aims to make this science more accessibly: “Podcast can democratize”There is no perfect way to get knowledge, no perfect study. But come from a lens of “do no harm”Scientism – excessive believe in the power or value of science. Not anti-scientific but yes, anti-scientistic. For example, there are benefits of science and arts and humanities. None of different values   Only do a PhD if you have an intellectual itch; getting a PhD “should humble the hell out of you, tiny little bit about tiny little field, study of a gnat’s ass”Flourishing might include: (1) key areas of life are going well: close relationships, work/education, health (both mental and physical) and personal development; (2) your perception that those 4 domains map to reality; (3) leading a meaningful life; (4) morally good life; (5) fulfillment (potential and sense of life satisfaction; and (6) how much your communityFlourishing is top down, bottom up, outside in...Top down: Thinking about your thinking (mindset, expectancy, gratitude, benefit finding); Bottom up: physical sensations and the mind-body connection; Outside in: you don't flourish in a vacuum...attitudes, mindset, etc. all influenced by our environment.Don’t focus too much on “achieving” flourishing —just be aware and flow Links: LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook @drjonathanbealeInstagram  @flourishfmpodcast@jonnybeale@dr.nickholton Flourish FM links: https://www.flourishfmpodcast.com/LinkedIn & Instagram @flourishfmpodcast Facebook & Twitter @flourishfmcast  Measures of flourishing: https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/

Dr. Vicki Baker’s passion is helping others advance in their careers. She uses her deep curiosity of organizations and an interdisciplinary approach to ask big questions about our skills, talents, and interpersonal dynamics. When prompted about, "How do you feel like an expert? How do you know when “you’ve made it”, she shares that there's a challenge, especially for women and POC, in sharing your confidence in your knowledge and abilities, and communicating that confidence in a way that’s "socially acceptable." Dr. Baker lights up when talking about students, faculty, and stories.  Other highlights include: Expertise in mid career: Questioning “What’s next” since the milestone has been met.Not interested in research for the sake of research – wanting to impact the day to day existence and livesI’ve learned ____. How do I use it? How do I improve communities and lives?In midcareer, often, you’ve met your milestones and still have career runway left. Keep asking: What’s my value add? My impact? How do I benefit others?White woman, full professor is a privileged position, not acknowledging that can be “quite frankly, dangerous”Focus on contribution: What do you want it to be? And if that seems too big, start with: Where do you find the most joy?Admin well intention but ill equipped, bring in multiple perspectives—academy wide resources neededInfluential without being an “influencer”Tenured and promoted but still need guiding lightVolunteer for service positions that lead to overall contribution, can’t be upset if people in positions of power don’t know what you’re trying to “value add”The best part of the job is daily interactions with undergraduate students and personal stories with faculty across the academyYour life is precious and you are precious, grant dollars are not preciousCan’t add hours but be more thoughtful with the hours you do haveContent and grounded in identities that matter to you, where those identities are safe on visible displaySpace, community, connection is where higher ed is at its bestWeekly projects; boundaries for no work on weekends; walk away= sacred rest and scholarly work of sabbaticalSustainable programming for mid-career faculty support Inside Higher Ed article, Leading with Yes: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/07/01/how-overwhelmed-and-burned-out-faculty-can-reframe-saying-no-opinion

Pranav is an undergraduate research scholar who is interested in aerospace engineering and machine learning. Big concepts with huge implications and application. He merges his desire for creativity, art, and science, by discussing with other scientists what they do, how they do it, and why. He believes scientists themselves are the other side of the research coin: The truth seekers. Pranav knows that "learning is constant, never ending; research is the same, step by step, we move forward. It’s a puzzle, piece by piece and not knowing the whole picture necessarily." He encourages other young scholars to use platforms for their benefits, like LinkedIn for intentional networking and truth seeking (what does this specific job do, what are the qualifications, how did you get there). Follow along as he grows Beyond Sc!ence Magazine at https://www.instagram.com/beyondsciencemagazine/   Book recommendation: Atomic Habits

Dr. Viola Lanier is the epitome of a healthy form of busy-- working as a medical liaison, leading a non-profit, and being present with her family. Each of these roles lights her up and lets her know she's using her degree to be of service to others. We dive into the mis-education society has around different terminal degrees and the roles each type of "doctor" plays in your cancer journey. We specifically talk about how a cancer diagnosis and recovery centers on treatment/response rather than other needs beyond medicine. Tune in for other takeaways including: Sometimes we need to say, “It’s been a big day,” instead of “I’m busy” or “ok”Drop expectation or plan and give people some time to connectWhy do we have a job? Trying to fill a needThere’s always a need, but can there be some grace (in your schedule and to yourself)Social media as your water cooler break – it doesn’t take much to acknowledge that something resonatedSociety has misinformed us all; the doctor you see is an MD and the doctor you don’t see is your scientific doctor—both play huge rolesFor me to feel safe I have to have boundaries: establish them share themAs I’m getting older I’m done with unvaluable connection… some things will bring value to you, space, person... but if no one is getting value, that connection isn’t meant to drag out and that’s okWhat’s spiritually nourishing for me? Owning what my new awareness and beliefs are... not being afraid… not betraying myself; not shrinking backAwareness campaigns create activism and advocacy not (necessarily) asking for anything from healthcare providerWe share our wins and losses, knowing that they didn’t select me where I am at the time, we don’t know what else is going on behind the scenes Book recommendations 7 stages of Spiritual SuccessAnatomy of the SpiritMyth of NormalYou Can Heal Your Life   More From Viola: Linked in : https://www.linkedin.com/in/viola-lanier-2016/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.violalanier/Young Women Crush Cancer Inc.

Lauren Mason is the creator and academic behind the platform Lauren Finds a Way.  Her academic Instragram includes curated content while her youtube channel shows more of the day-to-day PhD student vibes. Her goal is to share nuance behind the beauty of education. Lauren encourages us to embrace all parts of you and reminders to create patterns and habits that help you ground and find stillness within the ebbs and flows of academic life. We also talk about: "From my experience, I had a vision in my mind what is an academic, what is someone with a PhD like. I weighed myself against that and thought, I don’t fit that mold…We don’t all look the same or act the same…that’s one of the benefits of academia right now"Now (through social media) we have access to a huge group of people pursuing a similar pathLoving the emphasis on learning in academiaWe’re arriving at a time where people are becoming more transparent about experiences in academia (we get access daily to so many experiences)Journalism major, decided to switch to psychology … wanted to gain expertise in something and then write about it rather than various topicsAs an undergrad research assistant one of the things that helped me stand out was bringing research to themWhen we have aspects of ourselves that people think “oh people with a PhD don’t have that” when we share it inspires others to take the chance, and not feel shameWhen we compare ourselves to others it robs us of opportunity to shed our own lightThe goal is to try to maintain balance—off balance in PhD journey for sure. One thing she's strict about (and shares openly) is that she doesn’t work on the weekend… Structured time away from work is one of the healthiest things she's done for herself"And I think out of everything, all the lifestyle changes I’ve made to try to help with mental health, I think movement has been the best one, and the most impactful" Lauren challenges herself to be authentic- sometimes we have highs and are acknowledge for our work but sometimes there are lows—along the way, transparent and authentic promotes health in the communityI get to choose how I want to use my time today, how I want to be creative todayToo many things on the plate in one day, not achieving very much at all…grant ourselves the ability to focus on one thing actually increases our productivityMaintain health: sometimes we get out of balance, strategies to get back into it. Have grace with ourselves… let it go when you haven’t achieved or made a mistake"Find myself gasping throughout the whole day, can’t catch my breath, mind is racing"… journals and lists help her find limitsBecoming more conscious (that we’re not taking care of ourselves); small challenges to do it, 5 min break, feels difficult reinforces it’s ok to take up space, change situation that you’re uncomfortable in and make yourself more comfortableLearning to say no during PhD has been a journey; say yes to any opportunity that comes your way… pressure with developing your CV, you should take it and run with it… that isn’t working for me anymoreStart to rethink "I’m doing enough to meet my requirements… saying no has become liberating""Academia has a way of breaking you down… no one is going to build me back up, I have to build myself back up"End of PhD is almost an identity crisis... we don’t even know what we know anymore Identify your skill set instead of parts that are missingRemind yourself what you do, what you’re capable of doing. You have an idea of those things (skills) and you can communicate that with othersFlourishing: Waking up excited for the day is a good sign… feeling calm… feeling connected with those around me and in my community…laughing a lot, and in a lighthearted wayWriting, sharing, connecting, sharing your light with others… More at: https://www.instagram.com/laurenfindsaway/ https://www.youtube.com/@laurenfindsaway

Stacy Hemingway is a yoga teacher, practitioner, and philosopher who deeply engages in the ancient aspects of yoga in a modern (but contemplative!) space: the K-12 classroom. Her goal is to equip young people with yoga for the inquiry of the classroom of life—to learn who we are, stay in the seat of the learner, and grow. Stacy developed a 12-module yoga curriculum that aligns with the Social Emotional Learning objectives that are at the cornerstone of many K-12 curricula as a model for holistic learning. We also dive into: Our own observations, gaps, and experiences can lead us to develop a product that can be usedYoga is so dynamic and complex, it’s our job to glean from and simplify this work200-hour yoga teacher training simply starts an inquiry, a foundation of understandingConscious Classroom Yoga: What is it? It speaks to yoga and mindfulness and meditation and how we practice those in our daily lifeYoga as one of many options to explore what it means to be humanContemplate, try multiple forms, reflect on experience—holistic and well-rounded learning experience—learn by doing; emodimentHow to achieve enlightenment or who to thank for your existence: the message is the same. We are a gift, and we are given the gift of embodiment so we share that in the worldOnce you have enough fuel from rest and nourishment, then we really can focus on intentionally educatingWake up every morning, and ask, “What will you stand for? What will you fall for? What’s your impact?”The only constant is change, but people and systems resistStandardize what we would like to teach while standing up for what we believe in without standing in judgement of othersContemplate: Who am I (personal reality = personality)Simplifying can make things easier for ourselves but also our community partners“I planted the seed and I’m” waiting – if you have an idea, bring it forth!   More at: https://consciousclassroom.yoga/

Dr. Maike Neuhaus is a digital nomad and flourishing coach who aims to help us identify “what am I happy to struggle with” to guide us into a growth mindset. Her research background is in positive psychology and self-leadership. She helps individuals and organizations understand what humans need to flourish to create impacts that excite them in life or at work. She broadens our minds in terms of different opportunities for what to do with a psychology background. Tune in for a number of gems, including, but not limited to: I want to keep it real here for your listeners—I couldn’t find my purpose early on—I’ve been struggling with it the greater part of my life.I leveled up and skilled up—learning about positive psychology and self-leadership—and created my own business...and while it looks nice and flourishing, it didn't feel that way all the time.Research started with the curiosity that there are those who are flourishing those who are languishingPositive psychology as a way to explore what’s happening rather than just pathology of “what’s wrong”I used to be an expert once...admitting that is uncomfortable...but in a PhD you start to understand all the things we don't know. You carry the risk of not being right... (and remember) your intention is to be of service.Languishing, isn’t defined as the opposite of progress; but it has to do with stagnation. Flourishing is fully alive and with purposeWhy is academia great: Forefront of knowledge; explore and expand our knowledge base; pleasure and privilegeHow is it most failing: Academia lost time to just think, converse, and have headspaceDirect quote, “academy crushed my soul”My favorite self-care activity—now habit—is to ask myself, "what do I need right now?" Ask first thing when you wake up: how am I? What do I need right now? Repeat throughout the day. More at: https://www.theflourishingdoc.com/

Dr. Alison Miller is an academic entrepreneur with a PhD in clinical psychology. Over the last 23 years, she has served graduate students by helping them learn to "work in a way that works." We have a heart-centered and candid conversation about the psychologically damaging aspects of the academy that can be changed, one dissertation at a time.  Dr. Miller knew she was allergic to academic culture, so she developed The Dissertation Coach. She saw that students were struggling, people were leaving without degrees, and that they did not have enough institutional support for graduate students-- and she could fill that gap with process-oriented project management, accountability, and heart-centered support. Ultimately, challenging and changing the relationship to academic work. We specifically talk about: - People (including those in the position of power) are under-mentored or mis-mentored - We need co-working spaces to not feel alone on this journey - She wants students to be better able to manage the doubt and desire to leave - How do we work in academia as a human - Teach people to know and learn how to work and do so that works for us as human beings - It’s 2023, it’s time for academic culture to upgrade itself, it’s stuck in a different era - Students are experiencing trauma (loss of parent, miscarriages, major health crises) and the typical response is callousness - There is hope, it can get better - More people in academia waking up; more aware of themselves, that they impact other people—if you are conscientious that people are on the receiving end of the manner in which you mentor - Some people think they've been granted permission to treat students poorly - Institutional betrayal- example learning about empathy in a psychology department but the students aren’t being met with empathy - Writing is a practice, it takes work, it's a skill and craft that we gain over time - We should banish “you should know this" from your vernacular - You are working in a system that is not awake and conscious yet. You’re not rewarded for that. People aren’t hired on their people skills  - Let’s make this system better, thrive to learn while they're here. We’re responsible for making the change where you aren’t brutalized for years getting your degree - Our #1 priority is regulating our own nervous systems. - Om nama nama- bow to something greater than yourself - You don’t need to fix anything, you’re not broken. How am I now? What version of me has shown up here? What am I trying to do? Are they compatible with the work I need to do? Can the answer be grounded in the reality of my unfolding experience More at: https://www.thedissertationcoach.com/team/alison-miller-phd-dissertation-coach-owner-and-founder-of-the-dissertation-coach/

Don't wait until you hear permission to be yourself from someone else. Don't wait for graduation, promotion, rewards, grants, publications or any other external validation of who you are to step into your work, fully you, fully alive. Happy wrap of season 1. Can't wait to see how we flourish.

Fionna Boyle is a professional Mariner and naval officer—and also my cousin. She helped me revamp my entire calendar and perspective of work—in October of 2021. It’s taken over two years to get to a place of balance. We've learned a lot along the way and share some anecdotes here, in this episode. Overall, we discuss the influence of each person—their experiences, their grief, their values, their strategies to let off steam—all influence the workplace culture. Some key takeaways include: Time is our greatest currency: There’s no such thing as multitasking (handle/maneuver), be presentEveryone has different schedules, routines, social norms, expectationsEveryone experiences grief through some form or another I may never have this moment with someone againWe are the teachers but also the students, everywhere we goFEAR: face everything and rise OR face everything and runI know what I know, but we’re going to grow and learn together. Then, we dance with cycles of fear and courage to build confidence and competenceWe do things sometimes because they’re comfortable, familiar, doesn’t mean it’s bestI’ve been rushing to an elbow patch to be taken seriously. Presently, I am 36 and I keep saying I'm "almost 40"... what is that?1 degree shift of our whole culture lab, ship, etc. we can shift our energetics and end up somewhere differentIndustry agnostic: caring about the people who have your backIf you’re parroting someone who isn’t healthy- how does that help us create health in our cultureBeing a valued member of a team is not a natural byproduct—as a leader, you can facilitate togethernessThe pulse of the world is interconnectedKeep singing in the lifeboats. We rise together.Industry or career cycle New, rolling sleeves, gung-ho- learning and receiving modeMiddle management- 8-10 years—commitment, reflection, transition – what am I doing here do I want to staySalty dogs- 10,000 hours master in your craft- time to pass on to othersTraining and dissemination of everything we have learned More from Fionna here: https://www.maritimemomentum.com/ https://www.instagram.com/maritimemomentum/

May these practices help you show up who, what, & how you want to be. Start "A" practiceBe ready to evolve, slowlyDefine or redefine what "it" means to you (it: health, yoga, success)Bonus tip: Create your own rules; embrace intimacy (in to me see) with yourself.

Noelle Whittington, E-RYT500, YACEP, has been a yoga Teacher since 2006, is the author of Morning and Evening Affirmation Journal, creator of Soul Alchemy Course, and has been a Yoga Teacher Trainer and mentor for Yoga studios since 2012. She wrote, produced, and performed the Mother Ocean theme song for HVHE. We do a deep dive into the layers and aspects of yoga that have helped us reach our current selves, including the gem that "to flourish [is] to take a breather from the human experience and lean into the cosmic." Stick around for the live performance at the end.  Some of the key takeaways include: If you’re being your true, authentic self, you’ll (potentially learn) that you’re not for everyoneEveryone is trying to be connected and respected, choose where you want to be.When you grow, you can’t take everyone with youYou might find yourself on the other side of heartbreakMindfulness practices the earlier the better—integrating yoga principles in education!—and also, better late than neverYoga can be all the things—playful asana and quietude to find yourself.We all experience trauma, and some of us have the circumstance to process this, including the Homes of Hope Orphans who, who reach out for touch, connection, and love—a partial inspiration for the “ocean refuses no river”Love and acceptance through small gesturesSome connections with people are not positive, but they are importantIf we want to get free, no one can be left behindDon’t rely on social media for reality—“We are human, and we are divine.”Learn the differences between discernment and discipline, and watch your practice growTending to the needs of your body are challengingWhat is fulfilling and unfulfilling? Non-judgement for your day, practices, or the past-- just move forward in the present momentSound and music helps embody rhythm, mantra is a way to quell anxietyMantra is a practice tool; manas (linear thoughts of the mind) tra (to cross over, or bridge)Inhale: please; Exhale: thank youCongruence and harmony versus "balance"Om Mani Padme Hum: We are always That radiant jewel of infinite compassionThe practice is forgetting and remembering More at: http://narayanishakti.com/