Resourcing the Revolution

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Rebel Yogi Roundup: Volume VII

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This spring and summer have been big for Rebel Yogi.

Since the last roundup post, this happened:

And if you could see behind the scenes right now, oh the things I have up my sleeve for the fall!

But until I can spill the beans about what’s next, here’s some of your favorite shares to tide you over, curated from my reading over the past few months.

Why You Should Ditch Your Work-Life Balance

It’s the new American Dream — one day the stars will align and your life will be in perfect balance, with enough time to do everything you want and still make enough money to live comfortably. Gary and Jay at The ONE Thing remind us that while we may never attain that “perfect” balance, it’s okay to shift around and aim for what they call “counter-balance”.

Whatever you’re doing, be fully present. This is the secret of counter-balance: bringing our full attention to the effort at hand.”

The 7 Behaviors That Help Us Thrive in Chaotic Times

The folks at Steady Ground have put together a list of behaviors that will help you keep up with your worldchanging work, in a way that won’t burn you out.

When we’re in bad shape, our power is diminished — we’re less creative, more reactive, and less able to plan strategically. If we intend to stay active and effective in the world, we have a responsibility to tend to our spirits.”

The Brain Literally Starts Eating Itself When It Doesn’t Get Enough Sleep

Um… wha?! This post had me seriously reconsidering my priorities, and putting sleep back up near the top. I don’t want my brain turning into a cannibalistic zombie, and I’m sure you don’t either. Eww…

Think of it like the garbage being cleared out while you’re asleep, versus someone coming into your house after several sleepless nights and indiscriminately tossing out your television, fridge, and family dog.”

80% of Top Business Leaders Meditate

According to Tim Ferriss, the number one common thread top performers had in comparison to most other people… is that more than 80% of them were using some form of daily meditation practice to get better results in business.

I find that meditation is very very helpful for avoiding anxiety and it’s the reset button for the rest of the day… it’s basically a warm bath for your brain.”

That’s it for this round. To stay in the loop and not miss out on any of the awesomeness headed your way this fall, sign up for the Rebel Yogi mailing list (at the top of your screen or in the right sidebar) or “like” the Rebel Yogi Facebook page.

And let me know how you think the series is going — anything you’d like to see more of, less of? Or if you’ve read anything recently that should go into the next roundup, send it along!

Until next time…

Rebel Yogi Roundup: Volume VI

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If you’re like any of the entrepreneurs I know, the beginning of 2017 has been like someone poured rocket fuel into your business engine tanks.

Projects catching on, taking off, and generally flinging you forward — ready or not.

And because I know what this “hold on for dear life until the ride slows down” pace does to your schedule (and desire to even think about looking at your computer for one more second if it’s not work-related)…

I’ve done you a favor and gathered together some of my favorite posts from the past 2 months.

Let’s dig in!

Rhythm of Breathing Affects Memory and Fear

This post dives into some pretty cool stuff that goes on in your body and brain related to your patterns of inhalation and exhalation. And how cool is it that you can tap into this through your yoga practice?

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered for the first time that the rhythm of breathing creates electrical activity in the human brain that enhances emotional judgments and memory recall.”

Tell Yourself You Like Your Workout, You’ll Do It More

This New York Magazine “Science of Us” post shows that you can manipulate yourself into thinking you actually like to exercise. So say it with me – “I love ____.” [insert whatever kind of movement you’d like to do more of]

The better you feel about something, the more likely you are to do it. Attitude begets behavior.”

Lack of Sleep Turning You Into a Pissed Off 2-Year Old? I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS.

As you might guess, the #ladyboss behind The Middle Finger Project isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. In this post on lack of sleep, Ash is both hilarious — and totally on point…

And we all know this. It’s not like the act of sleeping is some ancient hidden secret. But none of us really take it seriously because the benefits of getting a good night’s sleep don’t come printing out of your earlobe every morning like a receipt for a parking meter…”

Why the Left Brain/Right Brain Divide is Bullshit

The folks at FutureCrunch are pretty awesome. And they think that science has a PR problem. In this post, they look at why our current ideas about right brain / left brain… well, they’re not everything we might believe.

You are not a label. Your brain is not a computer. It has an amazing ability to reorganize itself by forming new connections between its different components, allowing you to continually learn new things and modify your behavior. It is the most complex organism we know of in existence, and gives you a deep wellspring for scientific thought, wild bursts of creativity, abstract reasoning, and astounding acts of love and kindness.”

So there you have it.

A little bit of cursing. Some good neuroscience. And a few fun posts to read during your down time…

Haha. Just kidding. I mean, during your time you specifically blocked off for reading and learning. Yeah. That’s it.

Now it’s your turn. Let me know what you think of the series — anything you’d like to see more of, less of? And if you’ve read anything recently that should go into the next roundup, send it my way!

Until next time…

Rebel Yogi Roundup: Volume V

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Here we are again.

The end of a year is fast approaching, and the holiday madness is well and truly begun. I don’t know about you, but I must have deleted hundreds of Black Friday and Cyber Monday emails this past week…

So how do you stay in the moment during one of the busiest (and most stressful) months of the year? How do you end 2016 in a graceful way, and move into 2017 with clear intentions?

This month’s roundup brings you the best of the best, curated from my reading over the past few weeks — compiled to help you navigate the year end transition.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

Harvard Unveils MRI Study Proving Meditation Literally Rebuilds The Brain’s Gray Matter In 8 Weeks

Don’t have time to meditate? This Harvard study might just convince you otherwise… 8 weeks to rebuild your brain in major (positive) ways? If you start this week, you’ll have fresh gray matter by February!

Although the practice of meditation is associated with a sense of peacefulness and physical relaxation, practitioners have long claimed that meditation also provides cognitive and psychological benefits that persist throughout the day.

This study demonstrates that changes in brain structure may underlie some of these reported improvements and that people are not just feeling better because they are spending time relaxing.”

Meditation for People with Absolutely No Patience

Ever feel like meditation just isn’t for you? Feeling antsy, squirming around, your brain on fire because you’re forcing it to sit still? This meditation practice may be for you.

Some days you’ll notice that you’re more easily distracted and other times you’ll observe Jedi-like powers of concentration.”

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David Whyte on How to Break the Tyranny of Work/Life Balance

In this intriguing post, David Whyte explores the concept of work-life balance, and concludes that we should stop thinking in those terms. Instead, we should look at the 3 separate facets of our lives as “movable conversational frontier.”

The current understanding of work-life balance is too simplistic. People find it hard to balance work with family, family with self, because it might not be a question of balance. Some other dynamic is in play, something to do with a very human attempt at happiness that does not quantify different parts of life and then set them against one another.

We are collectively exhausted because of our inability to hold competing parts of ourselves together in a more integrated way.”

8 Yoga Poses That Inspire Gratitude

And what would a post-Thanksgiving post roundup be without throwing a little bit of gratitude into the mix? 😉

Regardless of how you do it, practicing gratitude can help you get out of your head and gain a fresh perspective by reminding you of the positive things in your life and focusing your attention on someone else’s well-being.”

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So there you have it.

A hand-curated set of posts and quotes that I hope will encourage you to end 2016 on a high note.

As we wrap up this year, let me know what you think of the series — if there’s anything you’d like to see more of, or less of— or, if you’ve read anything recently that should go into the next roundup!

Until next time… and next year!

I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings.

How to Stop Judging and Just Be in the Moment

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You know the feeling.

It usually pops up when you’re thinking back on the way some situation went.

Or maybe you’re just sitting still, trying to be in the moment.

For a minute or two, everything is perfect.

You’re breaking down the situation in your head…

Or maybe you’re in the flow, lost in the present moment, enjoying it.

When suddenly…

Judgement rears its ugly head.

Rather than subjectively thinking about your situation, or just being in the moment, your brain starts to judge.

What’s wrong with you. What went wrong in the situation. What could have been even worse. What the other person was probably thinking…

And just like that, your whole outlook has changed.

No more quiet moment. Instead, you’re wound tight, caught up in the negative.

Your brain sends you into a tailspin, and you spend the rest of the day caught up in a constant cycle of what could have been. What should have been.

But what if there was a different way to approach your ego-maniacal judge-y self?

Observe and report

One of the things I’ve been talking about at the beginning of my yoga classes is the idea of observing.

Being in the moment, and trying not to judge. Just allowing whatever is… to be.

Noticing. Here and now.

And maybe, just maybe, allowing yourself to be okay with whatever is going on.

Knowing that things might not be exactly as you had hoped or expected. Feeling that your body is doing something different than it was yesterday or last week. And really seeing if you can be okay with it.

It’s far easier said than done, but I believe that it’s something you can learn to do with a little bit of practice, and a fair amount of patience.

One of the major keys of meditation is allowing your thoughts to occur without engaging, without judging. Just let them happen, and let them float away.

In the same way, you can start to let go of judgement before it settles in and ruins your party.

The mind-body connection

Here’s a couple of examples of how you might start to integrate this practice into your day.

1. During yoga (or apply this to whatever form of exercise you’re loving these days)

It might go something like this:

You’re sitting cross legged at the beginning of class. Sukhasana. “Easy pose, my ass,” you think. Your left hip is all sorts of tight, and your brain scrambles to try to remember if you did something stupid to deserve the discomfort. Then you remember the fight you had with your friend the day before, and you start to rehash it… before you remember you’re supposed to be focusing. “Dammit! Get it together. Everyone else in this class obviously has an easier time with this.” Your hip hurts. You can’t focus for the life of you. Your friendships are falling apart. Nothing is going right… Judge. Judge. Judge.

But what if you tried this instead:

You’re sitting cross legged at the beginning of class. Sukhasana. Easy pose. You notice that your left hip is all sorts of tight, and you send the breath down that direction with a mental message to see about letting go. Maybe it works a little bit. Maybe it doesn’t. But you’re aware of the discomfort, and you do your best to be okay with it. If you find thoughts intruding, you acknowledge that they’re making an appearance. You bring your awareness back to the breath. Inhale. Exhale. Maybe even smile. Your body talks, your mind starts to wander. Back to the breath. Inhale. Exhale. Again and again.

2. On your way to a (potentially stressful) meeting

You might experience this:

You’re ten minutes away from the coffee shop where you’re having the meeting. In reality, you’ve been going over the conversation in your head for hours. You imagine what you’ll say, and your brain goes wild with all the possible ways that the conversation could go wrong. You imagine the person you’re meeting with getting angry, and your heated response. You stockpile the comebacks just in case you need them. You notice that your stomach is in knots and you’re unconsciously clenching your fists and your teeth. You let out an exasperated sigh. Why do you always get so carried away? When you arrive at the coffee shop, you’re already stressed and ready for a fight.

But what if your experience could be something like this instead:

You’re ten minutes away from the coffee shop, and you’re taking your time getting there. You notice that the sky is a beautiful shade of blue, with tiny wisps of clouds here and there. It’s a warm day, and there’s a slight breeze. You allow yourself to think about what drink you’ll order when you get there, but when your mind tries to drift to what the conversation might bring, you take a deep breath and bring your focus to a building that you’re passing. You never noticed it before, even though you cross this street quite often. When you arrive at the coffee shop, you take another deep breath and walk inside. Whatever happens, will happen.

How would this change your experience?

Be in the here and now

Now, the next time Judge-y McJudgerson tries to take over, you know what to do.

When you notice the judgement start, take a few deep breaths to let it go. Even if you’re into the spiral when you catch it, release it.

The more you start to notice, the easier it will get.

And the more you can notice, then think “Hmm… Okay…” and move on, the easier it will get.

So what do you think? Less judging, more allowing yourself to be in the moment (whatever that moment may bring)?

Give it a try, and let me know how it goes!

I’m working on this one with you. Every day. Every breath. Every moment.

Rebel Yogi Roundup: Volume III

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How is it August already?

While the summer has sped by, there has been no shortage of great content. And since the summer months are made for fun and relaxation, this month’s roundup includes some fun and hilarious stories from around the web.

Here’s the best of the best, curated from my reading over the past few weeks.

The Surprising Benefit of Being Bad at Yoga

In this hilarious and poignant post, a yoga overachiever goes from trying too hard to be perfect to feeling comfortable in her own body.

I was struggling so much that all I could focus on was the truly important stuff. And being perfect simply wasn’t important.”

6 Scientifically Proven Benefits Of Mindfulness And Meditation

It seems like meditation is all the rage these days. And with more and more scientific data backing up the claims, it’s for a good reason.

We now have the ability to do the one thing that was never possible before—see how these practices change the wiring and the makeup of our brains.”

tension-relaxation

5 Signs it’s Time to Do Less

Marc takes a look at our culture’s tendency to do more, more, more. Contrary to popular belief, more does not necessarily make us happier.

Most of us have a tendency to do as much as we possibly can – cramming every waking minute with events, extravagances, tasks and obligations. We think doing more will get us more satisfaction, success, etc.  When oftentimes the exact opposite is true.”

I Switched to a Standing Desk, So Now You Should, Too

In this hilarious, satirical look at the standing desk craze, Tom lays out the facts he believes about standing… at least until the next WebMD article comes out.

Sitting… looks ridiculous and shameful—like you’re afraid to admit exactly how tall you are—and is terrible for you. The human body simply wasn’t meant to be folded up for long stretches, like a sad pretzel. It was meant to be held ramrod-straight at all times, like a noble pretzel stick.”

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From the science behind mindfulness to a couple of reminders to do less (and take ourselves less seriously), this month’s roundup was a lot of fun to put together.

Let me know what you think of the series — anything you’d like to see more of, less of— or, if you’ve read anything recently that should go into the next roundup!

Until next month…

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!