Resourcing the Revolution

Transforming Advocacy

The Unexpected Benefits of Being a Beginner

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When is the last time you tried something you’ve never done before?

Or, better yet: when is the last time you approached something familiar with the eyes (and mind) of a beginner?

Toward the end of last year, I decided that I needed a kick in the arse to get my personal yoga practice back to a more regular schedule. To help me get back in the swing of things, I signed up for the Wanderlust 21-Day Challenge.

It’s a free challenge that takes about 20 minutes a day, and by the end you’ll be familiar with 60 yoga poses and a vinyasa flow practice.

Since I’m a Hatha teacher and practitioner, I decided that learning a new style would be a good way to kick off the new year.

That being said, between the time I signed up and the challenge started earlier this week, I managed to get myself back into a regular practice that’s split between home and in-studio.

When Monday rolled around and I started to watch the first video, my immediate reaction went something like this:

“They’re starting with how to sit comfortably? I’ve been doing yoga for almost a decade! I don’t need to know how to do this. Get me outta here!”

Being comfortable can be painful

The good news? I didn’t listen to that voice.

I stayed planted on my mat and kept the video running, despite the mental protestations running through my head.

And what I discovered by the end of that 20 minutes surprised me.

By putting aside my preconceived notions and sitting with my discomfort, I slipped back into beginner’s mind.

Rather than pretending I knew everything there is to know – which is SO not the case – I gained much more than just 20 minutes of asana practice.

The teacher becomes the student

As a yoga teacher, I do my best to explain the asana practice in a way that makes sense to my students, that allows them to feel their way into the poses in a safe and beneficial way.

And while I come from a teaching lineage that has very precise language for this, there’s still so much that I can learn.

By opening up my mind to a different approach, I’m learning as much about how to describe the poses to my students as I am about how they feel in my body.

All this because I allowed myself to step back onto my yoga mat as a beginner.

Taking beginner’s mind off the mat and into the world

This experience has me thinking.

Where else in your life can you bring this in?

Are there places in your life where you just go with the flow, sticking to what you know because it’s how you’ve always done it?

While doing what you’re good at – in a way that you’re comfortable with – is an efficient way to work, there may be some surprising benefits to bringing a beginner’s mind to your life and work.

What is one small area where you can bring a beginner’s open mind and curiosity into your experience? Let me know in the comments!

Why You Suck at Setting Priorities (and How to Fix It)

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There’s always something standing in the way of what you want to accomplish.

For most of us, it’s an excuse:

“I don’t have enough time!”

Or…

“I have too many things on my to do list. I can’t possibly add anything else.”

Does any of this sound familiar?

If so, keep reading.

Why you’re always unbalanced

I’ve spent the past few years examining what it takes to live a balanced life.

Sometimes I feel like I almost get there.

But often, something knocks me back off track and I feel like I have to start all over again.

And while things like getting the right kind of exercise, improving your sleep, eating well, taking time for mindfulness, and surrounding yourself with a supportive community are all equally important to creating balance in your life, there’s one aspect at the root of everything else:

Setting priorities.

And I don’t mean just making a huge list of all the things you have to do and then randomly assigning them a spot in your schedule (or on your already overloaded to do list).

If you’re like most people, you aren’t sure how to figure out what’s really important.

When you look at trying to cut down your task list, it’s often so overwhelming that you just want to give up.

There’s got to be a better way!

I’ve been a little MIA on the blog this month, but there’s a good reason why.

I’ve been busy behind the scenes working on a fix to this priorities issue.

It’s a short, 2-week email course that will help you if you struggle with FOMO (fear of missing out), entrepreneurial ADD, and general overwhelm. It’s designed to help you set clear priorities and eliminate any busywork that’s holding you back.

Rather than another tired productivity “hack” designed to help you find more time (can you hear my eyes rolling?), it will allow you to focus on the things that really matter — the priorities that will move your world changing work forward.

Set yourself up for success

The course material is being tested by an awesome group of beta testers over the next few weeks, and will be ready for prime time by the beginning of 2017.

Until then, take a good hard look at your to do list and your priorities, and see if they’re working for you.

If not, don’t lose hope. A solution is on the way.

I’ll let you know when it’s ready!

Do you have trouble setting priorities? Does your to do list feel like it might crush you under its weight? Let me know what you’ve been struggling with in the comments!

Overcome The Violence of Overwork and Modern Life

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Think that overwork and burnout is a new phenomenon? Something that only came about with the dawn of personal computing and an ever-quickening pace of life?

Turns out, not so much.

Back in 1966 Thomas Merton wrote the following, in Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander:

There is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which the idealist most easily succumbs: activism and overwork.

The rush and pressure of modern life are a form, perhaps the most common form, of its innate violence. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns, to surrender to too many demands, to commit oneself to too many projects, to want to help everyone in everything, is to succumb to violence.

The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. It destroys the fruitfulness of our own work, because it kills the root of inner wisdom which makes work fruitful.”

My guess is that if you look hard enough, you’ll find examples of humans pushing the edges of our physical and mental capabilities from the earliest days of our existence.

What changed since those early days of human overachieving?

Looking at Merton’s quote, the word that stands out is “modern”.

We have reached a point in human evolution where the tools we’ve created allow us to do more, better, faster… but we as a society haven’t learned where our boundaries are. We haven’t caught up to our technology.

We’ve reached a place where we can actually choose to do less — without fear of death or physical harm. But yet a psychological need to stay ahead of the curve – to not become irrelevant – has caused us to fear that choice.

Some questions to ponder:

What if it was time to let go of your need to do more, more, more?

What if you could focus, pick the things that are truly important, and let the rest go?

What if, instead of burning the candle at both ends and rushing your life away, you could slow down and actually (oh, I don’t know) enjoy the ride?

Tame your to-do list

Here’s my challenge for you this week: take a look at the crazy list of things you have on your to-do list, and get rid of at least one of them. Not in a “kick the can down the road” way, but in a “let it go forever” way.

I know there’s something on that list you’ve been dreading or putting off forever. Let it go. Done. No more guilt hanging over your head because you haven’t done it yet, or you feel like you should.

Now take a deep breath, and see how you feel. Lighter? Less guilty?

Good.

Let’s start to take back this one precious life we’ve been given, and dedicate it to things that bring us joy.

No more guilt-ridden to do lists. No more causing yourself violence by committing yourself to too many projects.

Simplify. Find the things that bring you energy and enjoyment.

As Howard Thurman said, “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

How to Use a Digital Detox to Bliss Out Your Summer

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Isn’t summer supposed to be time for vacation, and for slowing down?

These days, it feels more like life starts ramping up in the spring and goes full speed through the summer and fall.

And while long days, warmer weather, and lots of events to attend can make for a great summer… it can also make for one frazzled changemaker.

With so much on your plate, and so much fun stuff to do, how can you keep up your pace and not wear yourself out?

Enter an old idea, with a new twist.

Detox, of the digital kind

You’ve likely heard about detoxing your body — juice cleanses, detox programs and the like.

You personally may not use them or believe that they work, but the general concept is to aid the body in processing excess crap in your body by eating cleanly for a particular period of time.

Well, did you know that taking a break from technology can help your brain to get rid of some of the clutter that gunks up your neural pathways?

By giving yourself a break from screens, you give your mind a chance to settle and process, and to clean up anything it doesn’t need.

This process is Rebel Yogi tested. We implemented a 24-hour tech fast once a week in our house, and even though we haven’t been perfect about keeping up with it, I can really tell the difference the weeks when we do!

A 24-hour technology fast

Here’s an example of how it can work:

Friday evening at 5 pm, all computers in the house shut down. (Not just shut the lid, but powered down and unplugged.)

The internet and wifi get powered down.

The home entertainment system gets unplugged. No television, no radio.

Phones become just that — a phone. No internet browsing, no apps. (You may decide to make an exception for text messages.)

You may also want to decide if a reading device like a Kindle counts. I’ve gone back and forth about my Paperwhite, since it’s technically supposed to mimic paper, but most weekends I skip and just pull out a good old fashioned book.

Then… enjoy your weekend! Saturday evening, you can power everything back on and get back to life as usual. (Or, you can even wait until Sunday morning if the calm and silence is too good to give up.)

But what the heck am I supposed to do?!

You may be twitching a little bit just thinking about going without internet or any of your devices for a whole 24 hours.

The first couple of times you try this, you’ll likely find yourself reaching for your phone out of habit, or wishing that you could Google something…

But with a little bit of preparation, your digital vacation can be super refreshing (and productive)!

Every Friday at 4 pm, I make a pen-and-paper checklist of all the things I need to do that don’t involve technology or screens. My list is usually longer than I can get through in one 24 hour period.

Meals become an opportunity to have a conversation. This time is also useful for catching up on your reading list (books, no screens) and being creative — I’ve had a lot of fun with breaking out my coloring books and colored pencils, but you should do whatever feels like it would be fun for you.

And, maybe that’s just hanging out in your hammock, taking a nap, or going out to hang out with friends.

Relax your brain, refresh your summer

Whatever you decide to do, keep it (mostly) fun.

My experience is that Saturdays feel SO long. Rather than time disappearing in the internet vortex, you get to experience every moment fully.

Distractions (at least of the digital variety) go by the wayside.

And your summer gets that much more fun — and relaxing.

So take a look at your calendar and see if you can block off 24 hours this week to give your brain a break.

If you give it a try, let me know how it goes. Here’s to your blissful summer of 2016!

A Welcome Back, and Where I’ve Been

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Two years ago, Rebel Yogi first saw the light of day — what started as a January 2014 “lightbulb” moment took shape as a first post on March 19th and my teacher training that spring, with all the pieces falling together at what felt like lightning speed.

Yoga has always been a guiding marker in my life, a stake in the ground while the rest of the world spins wildly around it.

In the time since I wrote here last, I taught in yoga in three different states during a transition back to the east coast to be closer to family, and did my “best” to keep up with my meditation practice.

And during this time of transition, life happened, as it usually does. Finances, the day to day… and a decision.

Putting an intention out into the world, I announced that there were big changes coming to Rebel Yogi that fall. Little did I know how literally those changes were going to take shape.

I like to think that the universe has a sense of humor; while I intended to take a break from writing on the site while I made some changes, I didn’t intend for what happened next.

With the financial belt tightening to a point where I couldn’t ignore it anymore, I took a job. I don’t regret this choice, because it taught me more than I could have ever imagined, but it pulled my focus almost entirely away from anything and everything else.

There’s a balance to life, and I had let mine get all kinds of out of whack. When you’re in debt with no new funds coming through the door, there’s no possibility of balance — there’s only the stranglehold that it puts on every aspect of your life.

So with this decision, I spent the next year bringing my finances back into balance… while pretty much ignoring every other facet of my life.

Long story short, and with a fast forward to the end of last year (because really, all I was doing was sitting in front of my computer working), I reached another decision.

This time the transition was to work that (so far) seems to fit really well into the rest of my life, as well as the opportunity to finally put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and start writing again.

I’ve missed you all dearly, and have so much that I want to share with you from my time of silence — including more mistakes that you can learn from (I seem to be pretty good at making those) and some pieces of wisdom that I’ve gleaned along the way.

So sit back and relax, and let’s take a trip down “lessons learned” lane.

Nourishment is a cycle

We all know that we need to eat, to fuel our bodies and replenish our energy — same thing goes for our cars, our electronics. But do you ever think about the fact that so many pieces of our lives require a cycle of nourishment?

Not only food, but also our sleep patterns, our exercise… and even our finances.

I’ve come to realize that my time away was an opportunity to replenish my financial nourishment, which had almost dried up. Every business has to bring money in the door, so that they can continue to provide their products or services to the people they serve.

It was the same with me. I had spent too long without focusing on the inward cycle of financial nourishment, and it took some time to bring myself back from that point.

Even the “right” thing can be wrong

And yet, even though I was replenishing my finances by taking that job, I was also swinging the pendulum to the extreme opposite end of the spectrum.

Yes, now I was bringing money in the door, but at what cost? When you spend so much time working, under a heavy load of both work and stress, you’re still out of balance.

The time I spent in that high-octane environment just reminded me that at this point in my life, I need to pay far more attention to my stress levels than I was able to in that situation.

It’s easy to come back too fast

I think we all have this tendency — we think that we can accomplish far more in a short period of time than we actually can.

And when we’re starting something new, it’s easy to get really excited and try to take on ALL THE THINGS at one time.

I had spent so much of the previous year since my diagnosis being careful about how much I took on, that when I finally decided to come back, I just jumped in the deep end. I survived, but I didn’t do myself any favors in the process.

Looking back, it would have been far more beneficial to ease in a little slower, rather than my dramatic cannonball reentry!

We only have 100% to give

I was at a writing workshop with Jon Morrow last April, and one of the things that he said really stuck with me.

He was talking about how becoming the best writer you can possibly be meant that there would be some kind of sacrifice — was it going to be your relationships, your health, your job, or your hobbies?

It might feel a little extreme, but he hit on something important: we only have so many hours in a day, so much focus, so much energy. Where are you putting yours?

So many of us (myself included) think that we can sacrifice our health, without actually realizing that’s what we’re doing.

  • We sleep too little, because we don’t have time for sleep, and it’s an easy thing to sacrifice in the short term.
  • We don’t eat well, because cooking takes time that we could better spend elsewhere.
  • We don’t exercise… because? Time!

Our bodies are smarter than we are

In doing all of this, we start to cause long-term damage to our bodies. We give up something that’s really important, without noticing.

But here’s the thing:

Your body knows better than you do. And it’s generally giving you lots of signals when you’re doing things it doesn’t like.

The problem that we run into is that our society moves so fast that we don’t actually take the time to listen to what our bodies are saying. It may have to scream at you before you even notice.

That’s where having a regular exercise program and doing something every day to be mindful comes in handy — it starts to tune us in to what our bodies are telling us.

You have to give yourself permission to take it slow

In this mad dash of a society that we live in, it’s easy to get swept away in the current of “go-go-go”.

Distractions are everywhere. It’s so easy to fall into a rut and let your health be your last priority.

And time passes by so quickly that the times where you think, “oh, it will be okay. I just have to deal with this for a little while” can turn into a significant amount of time before you realize it.

It’s not an easy thing to do, but there comes a time when we have to say “enough” and give ourselves a break. Despite what society says, we don’t have to do it all. We can step away from the mad dash.

Yes, we might miss out on some things, and we’ll figure out that the world will keep spinning without us (which can be quite damaging to the ego).

But when we take the time to slow down and be in the moment, choosing our actions with intention, we have the opportunity to really start to enjoy the things we choose to experience.

So I’m back. Now what?

I’ve been doing a lot more here in Charlottesville over the past few months – teaching yoga at a local studio, doing more festival yoga – and I have some more fun events and workshops up my sleeves.

And like I mentioned in the beginning of the post, I’ve picked up a whole bunch more “wisdom via mistakes” to share with you as we continue down this path together. That means I’ll be writing regularly again on the blog. (I promise!)

If you’ve been here with me since the beginning, thanks for sticking around. And if you’re new here, welcome!

I’m so grateful to be traveling the path (again) with you.

7 Self-Care Hacks: An Insider’s Guide to Political Action

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In honor of the People’s Climate March taking place this weekend in New York City and around the globe, I want to share some tips I’ve learned in my years of being involved with large-scale political action. (A note for those of you who don’t get involved with this type of thing, you can also use these same ideas when you’re traveling to large conferences.)

Let’s face it: being involved in days of large-scale action doesn’t exactly lend itself to an environment that is beneficial or conducive to self care. In fact, it’s often exactly the opposite. Long days, most often outdoors, with a stressful lead up… that often end up with us crashing afterward. We push ourselves so hard getting to the finish line that our bodies often collapse right after, leading to sickness and general exhaustion.

But what if there was a way to alleviate some of this stress, and make our participation in days of action a little bit easier on our bodies, and a little bit more fun in the process?

That’s where I’m headed with this post today, and I hope that you can make use of some (or all) of the ideas below as you head to New York or one of the solidarity events this weekend (or the next time you’re out getting your world-changing on).

Plan Ahead!

1. Do your research. Find out how you’re getting to the event, and give yourself plenty of time to get there. Maybe even build in some extra time. When large groups of people converge on an area, there’s often traffic congestion – and that includes not only traffic on the road, but public transit and pedestrian traffic as well.

Giving yourself extra time will help to alleviate our number one issue: stress. Less stress getting to the event = a good start to the day!

When you’re making your travel plans, also make sure to do at least a little bit of research about the area you’ll be in. Take a minute to see where things like restaurants, coffee shops and grocery stores are, just in case you need to make a pit stop at some point during the day.

Along these lines, it may help to have a plan that’s just slightly off the beaten path. Have you ever tried to stop at a coffee shop where thousands of other people are converged? Sometimes walking half a mile can make the difference between standing in line for an hour; plus as an added bonus, you’ll get your body moving!

2. Dress appropriately. Check the weather forecast. Several times. Plan your clothing for the most likely possibility, and then check the weather again the night before you leave. You want to have a raincoat if it’s raining, or sunscreen and a hat if it’s going to be hot and sunny. And, you don’t want to have a whole lot of unnecessary gear to lug around – taking the minimum amount that you need is a careful balancing act, but it’s totally worth the extra planning time.

Wear comfortable shoes. Plan for how much walking you will be doing, between getting from transit to the event area, during the event itself, etc. How many hours will you be standing on your feet? This single item may very well make or break your day.

3. Be Flexible. You know that saying about the best-laid plans? Well, yeah. Having a plan is good, but being okay with that plan changing is a must in situations like this. If you’re the uber-planning type, have a backup plan, or a plan A, B and C. But again, be prepared to improvise. Again, we’re aiming for keeping the event as low stress as we can.

And, sometimes the unexpected adventure that finds you is exactly what you needed. Be open to serendipity!

Sleep

4. Get enough sleep before the event. Hopefully you’ll be able to get in solid nights of sleep in the week leading up to the event. (Organizers, I know you’re laughing uncontrollably right now, but hear me out.) I know that there are only so many hours to get a million hours worth of things done in the lead-up, but also remember how much more efficient you are when you’re not running on empty.

Getting a good night’s sleep can mean that you’re more efficient in your execution of the things you have to do – rather than running around in a fog, you can keep a sharp mind, and the hours you have can be more effectively used.

5. Sleep on the way to the event. I know, I know – it’s hard to do, especially if you’re traveling with other people who are also super excited about the event that you’re headed to. That being said, taking a couple of hours to catch some zzz’s on the bus, the train, or in the back seat of the car you’re carpooling in can be really beneficial. Even a 20 minute nap can help.

I would recommend bringing along a travel pillow – one of those that you can roll up or squish into a tiny little bundle and strap to your backpack. They’re low weight, and take up hardly any room, but they make your travel napping so much more comfortable, and probably a lot more restful. No one likes the neck stiffness that comes from falling asleep with your head against a train window.

Or, take along the Yoga Nidra recording I made for you, and do a modified session. You probably can’t find a perfectly quiet place to lay down, but you can still do a good bit of the practice during your travel time. And think how awesome it will be to arrive at your destination all relaxed and recharged!

Nutrition (Fuel for the Body)

6. Take water. Either carry a couple of water bottles with you, or maybe a single water bottle that has a built-in filter. (I don’t travel without my filter bottle.) Staying hydrated is super important to our health, and especially when we’re outside, or traveling, or a combination of the two. Yes, it probably means having to stop by a port-a-potty during the day, but those couple of minutes aren’t worth getting dehydrated over. Seriously.

7. Take snacks. I don’t know about you, but I get seriously cranky if I don’t eat. I never, ever leave home without at least a few granola bars in my backpack when I’m headed to a direct action or large event. Even if I can’t find any other food to eat during the event, I know that I have enough in my backpack to keep me going during the day.

 

How many of these things do you usually incorporate into your routine when you’re traveling to events? Do you have any tips to add?

I’d love to hear them in the comments, and I look forward to seeing you out on the streets!