Resourcing the Revolution

life lessons

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!

Rebel Yogi Roundup: Volume IV

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The last time the roundup came around, it was still thoroughly (and sweatily) summer.

What a difference a couple of months can make!

And yes, I enjoy making up words.

As the east coast experiences a soggy, cool fall morning…

Here’s the best (and most hilarious) of what I’ve read over the past few weeks.

How to Be Perfectly Unhappy

This comic from the Oatmeal is fantastic. It may make you have all the feels. If you’re like me, it may even inspire you to write an entire post based on its premise.

I’m not happy because our definition of happy isn’t very good. It’s a monochromatic word used to describe a rich, painful spectrum of human feeling.”

9 Reasons Why You Should Practice Yoga

From the obvious reasons (lower stress and get more flexible) to the not so obvious (have better sex and smell better), this article breaks down 9 good reasons that yoga isn’t just for chicks.

Contrary to what you might think, [yoga is] not just a sport for sexy ladies. And we have tons of reasons why you should be doing it—other than picking up women.”

stillness-within

10 Reasons You Should Never Start a Yoga Practice

Wait. Wasn’t the last article I shared reasons TO do yoga? And now I’m sharing a link that says you shouldn’t? What’s up with that? Read this one in the spirit of good fun.

It will ruin chili cheese fries.”

The Surprising Truth About Creating Sustainable Watershed Solutions

Okay, okay. So maybe this one is cheating a little bit, since I wrote it. But hey — guest post for the awesome folks over at the Center for Watershed Protection. Because the people saving the world sometimes need to be reminded to take care of themselves.

You work hard to create a sustainable planet. But it’s just as important to create a sustainable life for you, so that you can continue to do your world changing work!.”

gold-nuggets

So there you have it. Some of my favorite things from the past couple of months!

I’d love to hear 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 time…

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.

Confessions of a Wannabe World Changer – Part 3

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It’s confession time. Again. (And again.)

I crashed and burned this week.

The past month has been… full.

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s been good full, with lots of positive, fun things: traveling down to North Carolina to hang out with my work team, getting ready for the Eco Fair, prepping the garden and getting everything planted, and getting the house ready (finally) for our housewarming party.

Last weekend we made a quick trip to visit family and see a presentation by Joel Salatin, and when we got back I dove headfirst back into work. Writing deadlines looming, meetings, last minute subbing for a yoga class…

It’s all been good stuff — how do you say “no” to any of the things that you really want to do, even if it starts to get overwhelming?

So I didn’t say no. I said, “I can make it all happen.”

And for the past week or so, I’ve been tired. Exhausted, even.

But I kept pushing through, looking at the calendar and thinking “if I can only make it to next weekend, then I can rest.”

Remember how I wrote a post a couple of weeks ago, and talked about our bodies being smarter than we are?

Well, mine is no exception. It started telling me to slow down, and I didn’t listen. I heard what it was telling me, but I thought that I could ignore what it was saying…

And, well. It schooled me: a solid crash that ended up with me laid up on the couch (where I had been longing to curl up and relax, but hadn’t given in to that desire).

I could have listened, backed off, and taken some time to unwind.

But, instead, I gave my body an opportunity to remind me why I should not only be listening, but taking action on the cues it gives me.

The rest of the week and this weekend, I’ll be taking it a little easier.

And then on Monday I’ll be back to it, one life lesson wiser, and hopefully a little more open to paying attention.

What about you, fellow changemaker? As the spring begins to bring more activity back into your life, are you listening for cues about when to relax instead of continuing to press forward?

The Zen of Getting Shit Done

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If you’re anything like me, you struggle with the number of things that you have to or want to get done on any given day (or week, or month). The thing is, we tend to overestimate the amount of stuff we can get done in a day, but tend to actually underestimate the amount we can do in a longer time period.

And, we get stuck in the “all or nothing” trap.

  • If I can’t do this perfectly, I’m just not going to start.
  • I don’t have enough time today to finish this project, so I’m going to start tomorrow.
  • Ugh. I don’t have the mental bandwidth to think about this right now. I’ll do it later.

Do you see a common pattern to all of these ways of thinking? Yup – shit doesn’t get done.

I fall into this trap all the time. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret: I’ve been sabotaging myself with this very thing pretty much every day since I got back from my teacher training. I have this gloriously long list of things that I intend to do for Rebel Yogi, many of which are time sensitive, and most of which are still sitting on my to do list, staring me in the face and inspiring large amounts of guilt every time I push them off.

I know this intellectually – if I could just break these big tasks into small bits and do one thing each day, I would have already accomplished most of what’s on that list. But, because I let myself think about the fact that they are all “big important” things, I psych myself out, and then I do nothing. I give myself an excuse, and I push things until tomorrow, or next week. And then next week the cycle starts all over again.

But what if we could start to train ourselves out of this “all or nothing” mindset?

What if, instead of looking at the big, important things that we want to accomplish and allowing the mental chatter to overwhelm us, we simply looked for the one small first step we can take. What if we took that step, no excuses? And what if we allowed ourselves to feel accomplishment around that small step instead of guilt around procrastination?

My guess is that we would all accomplish a whole lot more than we are now, and be much more relaxed in the process.

So what’s the balance? How can we start to convince our inner critic that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, that giving ourselves permission to “do something” is just as important, if not more?

What’s the first small step you can take today?

Now go do it.

2012 (A Year in Review)

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2012-review_6402012 was the year that it was all supposed to end (again). December 21 wasn’t that long ago, and it turns out the Mayan calendar didn’t foretell the end of the world. Maybe it was just a big shift in cosmic energy at play, or maybe it was just another year, another spin around the sun.

Whatever 2012 was for any of us, it has now drawn to a close, the back cover closing on chapters already written, our quests coming to an end and 2013 laid out in front of us, a new blank journal upon which to sketch out the coming days and months.

Rather than a chronological remembering of the past year, I offer instead a categorical retelling of the year past and a small glimpse into the year ahead.

Environment

We Are Power Shift – I was selected for the inaugural National Leadership team at the end of 2011. As a team, we started planning at the beginning of the year, and were able to come together in person for a long weekend in Washington, DC this past February. Since then, we’ve been busy getting things going behind the scenes, tweaking and changing as we went along. This month, we’ll be announcing a new and improved organizational structure for the team.

350.org – This year saw my biggest involvement with the national group to date, but will most likely not be my biggest year ever. The week after I got back to Charlottesville from the Power Shift planning weekend, I got a call from 350, asking if I could get on a plane the next day to go to Minneapolis for their National Leadership Summit. After spending this second long weekend with amazing activists, I was ready to take on the world!

The next month, I was invited to an event at the White House with 350’s policy director. In May, I pulled together a day of action for Climate Impacts Day with the help of the folks with the local Transition movement. One of the most exciting developments happened toward the end of the year, when we were finally able to get the interest and involvement necessary to start a regional chapter of 350. It’s called 350 Central Virginia and we are having our first public meeting at the end of January!

EarthWeek – 2012 was the year I took the helm of Earth Week as Chair of the Board of Directors, and my first Eco Fair as the person in charge (described by the former Director as “s/he who gets the most email). We saw a change in venue and a very successful day, despite 55 degree drizzly weather. This year, we’re expanding even more and already working on the 2013 Eco Fair.

Vegetarian Festival – What happens when the group who was planning an event for the past 15 years decides that it’s time to move on to other things? In most places, the festival would have died, but this year saw a group of private citizens pick up the reins and run with it. I was contacted to be a part of the planning group who put together this year’s festival, and even though we only had about 2 months of planning time, we managed to pull off an amazing event.

Personal

When the time came to start thinking about how I was getting across the country for the second World Domination Summit, I realized that this could be the perfect opportunity to check an item off the ‘ole bucket list (which I don’t actually have, but apparently you can check things off a non-existent list). I got to work and planned out my across the country by train route – the trip ended up being quite the adventure, with several last minute changes to itinerary and route; it ended up looking something like this:

Amtrak from Charlottesville to the middle of nowhere, WV * derecho * 2 different charter buses to Chicago * Amtrak from Chicago to Portla… whoops!… Seattle (due to a coal train derailment) * overnight in Seattle * Amtrak to Portland * a week in Portland, and another awesome WDS (link) * Amtrak to San Francisco * three days exploring San Fran * a far less eventful flight back to the east coast than the first year (aka I got back the same day I left, and with my luggage in tow)

Despite the adventures (or perhaps because of them), I’ve been officially bitten by the travel bug. I’m headed back out to Portland in a week, and am working on the logistics for a trip to Oslo, Norway in April. I’m looking forward to whatever adventures the world has in store.

2012 also granted me recognition of the importance of stillness and introspection. As a birthday present to myself, I spent four wonderful days in complete silence at Satchidananda Ashram in October. Better known as Yogaville around this area, one of the key teachings at the ashram is that “truth is one, paths are many.” Spending such an extended period of time in silence (no communication, no electronics, internal silence) was an intense experience, but the feeling of joy that comes from stillness and being purely in a moment is something that I have tried to bring with me into my everyday life. I have been more diligent about my yoga practice this year than ever before – I have been practicing since 2008, but have shifted my priorities to ensure that I take time on the mat at least twice a week (more if possible).

Charlottesville had a special visitor the week I returned from my retreat – the Dalai Lama spent a day in the city, giving two separate talks on health, peace and compassion. I picked up tickets for the “cheap seats” in the Paramount for the live broadcast, which turned out to (probably) be much more pleasant than being crammed into the Pavilion with thousands of other people, unable to see or hear him!

Design and Writing

This year, the safety net was removed. From the first day that I started my business, I always had a part time safety net under me. This past January, I transitioned out of that part time job after finishing up a contract with the company. I’ve been learning the true meaning of the feast and famine cycle of freelancing, and being out on my own has resulted in some hard-learned lessons. The good news is that it’s the end of the year and I’m still standing. This year will see some additional evaluation of my business and where I am headed, but I have survived my second year of being in business – I call that a success!

I did some serious investing in my business this year, taking a couple of classes and continuing to build my network. I’m learning more every day, and continue to apply lessons learned to my business practices. Another in my list of firsts (and learning experiences) was taking on the responsibility of founding a cooperative business. I’ve been working as part of the marketing team, focused on communications and social media.

One of the greatest experiences of the year was participating in the second Charlottesville Startup Weekend. It’s a crazy weekend where entrepreneurs, developers, designers and business folk come together to start a company… in a single weekend. Friday night saw the lineup of pitches (I hadn’t planned on pitching, but got up anyway, and actually ended up with votes for my idea!) and by Saturday morning, teams had formed and we were off. I joined a rogue team (who ended up getting voted “most likely to get acquired…”) that is still working on our mobile application. The bestie app is currently in beta, and we’re looking at a late winter launch of a Kickstarter campaign!

I have been a member of Writer House here in Charlottesville for a couple of years, but this year I also joined an online group of writers called The Literati [affiliate link]. Started by my friend Dave, this group has really shaped my vision of who I am as a writer, and has been the inspiration for a lot of soul searching and dedication to finding and fine tuning my authentic voice.

And, finally, what year would be complete without NaNoWriMo? This was my sixth year as a participant, and my fifth win, crossing the 50,000 word mark with a few hours to spare. I started the month with a vague idea of what my novel was about (spaceships, a dying Earth) and flung thousands of words at the page every day. I also spent quite a bit of time at Writer House write-ins with some of my favorite people, word warring and cursing at our screens. All in all, another successful and entertaining month.

Lessons Learned

One of the greatest lessons I learned this year is the necessity for authenticity in all things. If I am to help others find their authentic voice in the online sphere, to help them mold and express their brand, then I must also be true to who I am and “know thyself”.

I had several instances this past year where friends or colleagues recommended my work to someone else, but in their advertising sold me as something I’m not. Needless to say, when those potential clients or partners looked at my work with what we’ll call “incompatible expectations”, things didn’t turn out well. After it happened again, it hit me – if I cannot pinpoint precisely who I am and what I offer to the world, then how can I expect others to understand and champion my work?

This year, my early focus will be on refining the inner, authentic workings of who I am and what I have to offer this world, so that I can accurately brand myself and my business.

Time Marches On

So, 2013. Here we stand, on the precipice of great things. I know not what the future holds, but I hold within myself the keys to shaping my path. With clarity of mind and presence of being, I take my first steps into the new year, tracing my story onto the waiting blank pages.