Resourcing the Revolution

self care

I Am a World Changer (and My Time Has Come)

by Leave a Comment

RY-Manifesto

How can we expect to create a balanced, sustainable world for ourselves and future generations if those of us who are creating change are doing so in an unsustainable, imbalanced way?

Fellow change maker,

Our time has come.

For too long we have stood by, mired in the fight, watching as the world heaved in chaos around us. With each passing day we dug in deeper, clenched our teeth and put that much more of ourselves into the effort. As time passed, we found that the struggle was starting to wear on us, to create cracks in our strength, and we considered giving up. And we woke again the next morning with the enormity of our task weighing on us: “If not me, who? If not now, when?” We braced ourselves, took a deep breath, and shouldered our burden anew. We reassured ourselves with the thought that we were making a difference, laying ourselves on the line, giving ourselves up for the greater good.

Because, really. Our fight is important. Imperative, even. The future rests in our hands, and we have this moment, this fleeting opportunity to turn things around, to be the change we wish to see in the world. What could be more important? We are but one small piece of a grander vision and if we have to sacrifice ourselves to make the world a better place, that seems to be a worthy way to have spent this life…

Right?

But sometimes we get this flash of an idea, this glimmer that maybe things don’t have to be this way, maybe we don’t need to be martyrs for the cause. We hear a voice that raises the question: what if? We start imagining the possibilities, but then our old ways of thinking win out again, and our imagining turns to what will be possible after we win this fight, what could be, if only this one last step could be completed, this last set of conditions could be reached. If only. And we think – maybe we’ll get there one day, but not yet.

And again I say to you, fellow change maker: our time has come.

What if there is a better way to create the change we wish to see in the world, and what if it’s possible right now? What if we can step outside the current system and create a new possibility, a new paradigm?

I believe that the best way for us to bring positive change into the world is to create it within ourselves.

I don’t have all the answers, but we each have to start somewhere. I invite you to come along on this journey with me, where we can begin to discover a new way of bringing our positive change to the world by first cultivating it in ourselves. Together, we can find a simpler and more sustainable path to creating positive impact.

Gone are the days of us flinging ourselves upon the pyre of our cause, flaming brightly for but a moment before we are reduced to ash, used and burnt out, unable to continue on our path. What if, rather than burning out, we were able to create a sustainable path to change? Instead of the current revolving door model of change making (where on one end, fresh faced and energetic young dreamers come in the door and systematically turn into the jaded, burned out souls who come out the other side), what if we were able to create an ever-growing ocean of balanced, energized and empowered change makers?

My goal for the Rebel Yogi community is to reach out into the world, empowering thousands of world changers to improve their lives through yoga, while also creating a sustainable life balance as they make their lasting mark on the world.

This is the future that I see, the possibility that I believe in – and I can’t do it alone. I believe that, with yoga, we can change the world – and I see the possibility that we can create together by bringing the Rebel Yogi way of life to changemakers all over the world. Thank you for your company along the path, as we create this journey together. The community starts with you and our shared journey as we learn how to increase our impact in the world while decreasing the impact on ourselves, and then share those stories with each other.

I started working on the manifesto for Rebel Yogi back in February.

Yes, it has taken me almost seven months to finally give myself the kick in the ass I needed to get it finalized and out into the world. To be honest, I kept falling into the “all or nothing trap,” thinking that it had to be perfect before I could put it out into the world. Long story short, it’s been a struggle to ship.

Along with the manifesto, I have included the invitation that some of you may recognize from the funding campaign that I ran back in the spring. It felt fitting to share the words with you again, since the manifesto goes hand in hand with the invitation to join the Rebel Yogi revolution.

And, please share the manifesto far and wide. Our time has come!

How to Let Go and Relax (Even If You Think You Don’t Have Time)

by Leave a Comment

In this hectic world of to-do lists that stretch on for miles, appointments and meetings that take up too many of our working hours, and the general frenetic pace of life in the modern world, sometimes it can feel impossible to actually relax.

Relax? That’s the thing we do on vacation, right?

But given that somewhere around 50% of vacation days are left unused in the United States and two thirds of those on vacation still do work while they’re gone, it begs the question: when do you actually take the time to relax and recharge?

If our “time off” is no longer relaxing, how do we give our bodies the time they need to recharge?

Confession time: how much time do you actively waste on any given day?

Please note, I’m not talking about the stuff you do for fun, the things you do that you find relaxing, or anything that falls under the category of mindfully enjoying yourself. I’m talking about the “I’m bored and don’t have anything better to do, so I guess I’ll [fill in the blank]” – mindlessly surfing the internet, flipping through the channels, staring blankly at your smartphone…

If you added up that time, I bet that we could all find at least 20 extra minutes every day, or even every couple of days.

So why am I focusing on this seemingly insubstantial amount of time? Because actively using those 20 minutes, even a couple of times a week, can make a huge difference in your stress levels. Yup. You heard me right: changing the way you use a small chunk of your day can actually make a noticeable difference in your overall health.

One of the practices that I learned during my teacher training is a process for deep relaxation called Yoga Nidra. If you followed along while I was at the Ashram, you might recall that I didn’t sleep for the first 19 nights. I am convinced that the only reason I didn’t get really sick or have a complete mental meltdown was the fact that we were doing Yoga Nidra at least once a day.

The numbers vary depending on who you ask, but doing a Yoga Nidra session (which can be anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes long) can provide benefits equivalent to somewhere around four hours of deep REM sleep.

During Yoga Nidra, you don’t actually fall asleep – you hover in a state between waking and sleeping, in conscious awareness. And when you come out of a particularly good Yoga Nidra session, it feels… well, freaking amazing. I find that my experience leaves me somewhere in the middle of completely relaxed but also rejuvenated. You won’t have that same groggy feeling that you sometimes get from taking an afternoon nap, and your brain will be clear and ready to get back to work. Or, if you do a session right before bed, it can help you to fall asleep faster once your head hits the pillow.

Because I’m awesome, I want you to be able to experience the yummy goodness of Yoga Nidra any time you want. I recently recorded an audio version of the practice, and I’m giving it away for free*!

I think by now we’ve all realized that we can find at least 20 minutes a couple of times a week to do something awesome for ourselves. So do yourself (and me) a favor and go grab your copy of the recording. Give it a spin, and then report back. I want to hear the stories about how Yoga Nidra has impacted your stress levels!

 

* Technically for a trade, because we all know that nothing is really free. Sign up for my mailing list, and I’ll send you a copy of the recording! If you join the mailing list, I promise to only send you awesome things, and to never share your contact info with nasty spammers – scout’s honor.

Saving the People Who Save the World: Adventures in World Domination

by 1 Comment

Three weekends ago, I had the chance to hang out with over 3,000 of my favorite people. Those of you who have been following along for a while might recognize the World Domination Summit (WDS) as that place where I met a whole bunch of the people I’ve interviewed for Changemaker Q&A, or you may very well be one of those awesome people who came into my life due to WDS (hey you!).

I’m one of the old timers – those who have been in attendance at every WDS since the beginning. This was my fourth year at the event, but with one big difference – instead of being an attendee, this time around I had the opportunity to see behind the curtain and to serve on the Ambassador team. Given how many awesome people I’ve met during the event, and the number of opportunities that have arisen due to those connections, this year it really felt like it was time for me to give back.

If you’ve ever been to WDS, you know the energy that comes from being around thousands of world changers all in one place. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I distinctly remember standing at the front of the room during the inaugural event with my friend Brandon and getting the craziest goosebumps I’ve ever had; we were talking about the similarities in projects we had been involved with around the BP Gulf oil spill, and that connection was so powerful that it was like we were tapped into a power grid.

And, if you haven’t been to the event, take my word for it: it’s intense. I knew going in to the event that it was going to be a challenge to honor my own Rebel Yogi work – taking care of myself. I was scheduled out for three really long, intense days and if my history was any indication, I had to be very careful about listening to my body during the event.

I could feel it even from the first couple of hours at the pre-party on Thursday night: this was going to be a challenge. Being in the room with so much energy, catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, I could feel my body starting to take on the tense edge that comes along with being in that kind of situation. Even breaking away for dinner with just a couple of other people, I could still feel the tightness in my gut when I got home.

The next morning dawned bright (er, dark) and early, and I got to Pioneer Square just after 6 am to start laying out yoga mats for the Great Namaste world record attempt. Five hours and 808 attendees later, the mad rush of the attempt was over but my day was just getting started. After doing registration for the Jonathan Fields RevolutionU Academy and sitting in on the talk, it was time to head over to meet and greet at the official opening party.

If you were there, you may have seen me dancing like a fool, high-fiving, cheering, and generally carrying on in the greeting-line of orange-shirted Ambassadors on your way in to the party. It was at about that point when I realized that I was starting to crash, hard. A little bit later, I found myself talking to an old friend, almost swaying from exhaustion, realizing that I hadn’t eaten since lunch. It was then that I made probably the best decision I had up to that point: I talked to our volunteer coordinator, asked if I could leave, and did. I took the bus back to the east side of the river, grabbed a healthy dinner and then headed home for a relatively reasonable bedtime.

Now, that may not sound like much of an accomplishment, but for me, this was huge! If it had been even last year, I would have ignored the signs that my body was giving me. I would have pushed through, probably not eaten until really late that night, and only managed to get a few hours of sleep. But, knowing what I do now, and knowing that I had two more really intense days ahead of me, I made the smart choice, and took it easy.

The next two days of the conference were a balancing act. I was scheduled to take lunch breaks, which I took advantage of. When asked to do something during my break, I politely let them know I needed to go eat. I had a backpack full of healthy snacks, and a water bottle that rarely left my side. I took a nap during my lunch break on Sunday where I crashed so hard that I drooled on myself. Yeah, classy, I know.

All in all, the weekend was another amazing experience. Getting to be an integral part of the experience for so many other people, giving out thousands of high fives and smiles, and seeing WDS from the other side was truly awesome. Did I push myself a little too hard? Probably. But, did I do better than previous years? Absolutely.

It’s like I have talked and written about on a regular basis: it’s all about the journey. We’re all learning as we go. We stumble and fall, and we learn from it; then we do a little better the next time around. This year’s WDS was a success for me. I had the opportunity to hang out with some of my favorite people in the entire world, to make new connections and to reaffirm how important the work is that we’re doing in this world. And, I heard the same thing over and over when I talked about what we’re doing with Rebel Yogi: “how can I get involved” and “wow, I really need that, when can we start?”

I came out of this year’s event both slightly exhausted and completely recharged. We are all doing such great work in this world – let’s keep it up, and keep finding our balance as we go along. We’re all in this together, and it’s going to be one hell of a ride.

The Rebel Yogi Origin Story – Part 3

by Leave a Comment

Back in April, a friend and fellow yogi requested that I do a more in-depth exploration of the “receiving the call” piece of the origin story. I’ve been mulling it over for long enough now that I think I finally have a proper response. The particular line from part 2 of this story follows:

That summer was a life changer. I went from armchair activist, signing e-petitions and not much else, to full out environmental activist. I was entrenched in the fight, had skin in the game, and was ready to take on the world. I had received the call loud and clear, and I knew that one of the reasons that I had been put on this earth was to save it.”

There are quite a few stories out there that involve the person who receives their call having a voice speak to them from above, some physical manifestation, or something a bit more obvious. To be honest, mine wasn’t quite like that.

My personal version of hearing the call was more of a certainty, an inner voice – that moment where there was no more hesitation or fear around the action that I needed to take, just the knowledge of what I had to do.

My certainty came with the words of one James Hansen, quoted by Bill McKibben in an email that went out to the 350.org mailing list. When one of the nation’s top climate scientists says that mining and burning a particular form of fossil fuel energy is essentially “game over” for the climate, it tends to get your attention. For me, it certainly did. I stepped up and became more involved in the fight than I had expected to – risking arrest, laying my body on the front lines, stepping up and saying loud and clear that if the fossil fuel companies wanted to wreck my planet, they would have to go through me to do it.

I tried to find the original post on the Tar Sands Action website, but things have been dismantled a bit since they joined up officially with 350. I did manage to find a post at another blog that has the full text of the email that changed everything.

So what does this have to do with you?

You’re a world changer. You wouldn’t be here reading this if you weren’t. But maybe you haven’t quite figured out exactly what it is that you are meant to do. Maybe you’re wondering if you’ve “received your call” but somehow missed it in passing; maybe you’ve been dabbling here and there, or throwing yourself full force into something you think might be “it” but you’re just not 100 percent sure.

My take is that if you have to wonder if you’ve found “it”… you haven’t.

It doesn’t mean you won’t. In fact, I’m sure that you will. But it’s like most things, in that it’s worth the wait, and it works a whole lot better if you don’t force it. If you find yourself in that not being quite sure camp, keep exploring! The exploration can be incredibly fulfilling, and worst case, you’ll figure out what “it” isn’t – which brings you one step closer to what is. And the closer you get, the more certainty will come with the path.

It took me quite some time and a lot of twisting and turning along my path to find environmentalism as a cause, and even more time to figure out that I had Rebel Yogi in my future. Do I consider any of the time or effort that I put in to getting here a waste? Absolutely not. Everything that I did, each organization that I worked with or cause that I championed, each step led me one step closer to where I am today.

So enjoy the exploration, savor the journey while you’re a part of it, and when your own “it” comes along, you’ll know.

—

Michael Margolis wrote a post recently about origin stories that provided the inspiration for this series of posts. This is part 3 – here are part 1 and part 2.

Confessions of a Wannabe World Changer – Part 2

by 2 Comments

It’s confession time. Again.

If you recall from my original confessions post, one of the key tenets of Rebel Yogi is this: you, fellow change maker, are just as important as the work that you are doing.

I came back from the Ashram feeling so good – better than I had in recent memory – and I guess I thought that I could just charge full speed ahead again. Finishing up with teacher training meant that I had the foundation built for moving forward, and I could get back to normal.

What I forgot is that my “normal” no longer is. Add on to that, I forgot to do my own work.

And this week, my body has been reminding me of that fact. It started small: not eating quite as well as I could, not getting to bed at a reasonable hour, letting the stress of this new project start to build up, not keeping up with my physical yoga practice. The pushback started small, too. An ache here, a little bit of sluggishness in the mornings; nothing I couldn’t push through.

Now let’s stop for a moment. See what I did there? I was noticing the fact that my body was giving me signs, but I decided to ignore them, to push through. I feel like I should know better by now, but it’s just a good reminder that we’re all constantly walking this path. Sometimes we stumble along the way. Rather than letting those stumbles take us off the path, we have the opportunity to stop and pause, to reset, and to move forward again with a renewed sense of who we are and why we’re doing this – to champion our selves as we do our world changing work.

I had intended to post up something else today, but it felt like I needed to come clean and be honest about what’s going on behind the scenes. I hadn’t intended for the “Confessions” post to turn into a series, but here we are! We’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week. This week is all about recharging, reflecting on how to move forward, and really committing to taking care of myself along the way.

I hope that my stumbles can help serve as a reminder for everyone out there to take some time this week to do the same.

Caring Sucks: Why We Shouldn’t Do It

by Leave a Comment

Yeah, you heard that right. I know what you might be thinking: she’s gone over the edge, lost it, let go of her grip on reality. But, do me a favor and stick with me.

You might not have paid attention, but there’s a definition of the word “care” in the dictionary that frightens me. To care brings us worry, anxiety, trouble, concern, stress, pressure, strain; sorrow, woe, hardship…

Let that sink in a minute.

We “care” deeply about our family and friends. We “care” deeply about our causes, the work that we are doing in the world. There’s usually a laundry list of people and things that we “care” about – did you ever imagine that you could be causing yourself harm by caring?

To go a little bit deeper into what I mean, I’m not asking you to actually stop caring. It’s just that there’s a dark underbelly to the way that we world-changers tend to go about things. When we care about something so deeply that it brings overwhelming stress and anxiety into our lives, maybe it’s time to take a step back, take a deep breath, and reexamine what we’re really trying to accomplish.

Yes, the things that you are working on are important, perhaps even life-altering. (We are world-changers, after all.) That being said, is your work more important than you?

Stop.

I know the answer that just went through your head, because it’s the same answer that I came up with as well. Take a second to think about it, though – to really think. Examine the question, and then reframe: what would be lost to the cause if you were no longer around to champion it? Imagine the world, minus the world-changers. How much more of an impact could you have if you brought a whole, happy and healthy you into the game?

Now, I want you to answer that question again: is your work more important than you?

I have a theory that we can actually increase our impact by taking a step back to care for ourselves. If one out of every 50 people is doing world-changing work, but going about it in an unsustainable way, burning out, eating poorly, getting sick often, always stressed… what kind of impression does that make to the other 49 people looking in at that person?

What if that person were to take a step back and take care of themselves, going about the same work with enthusiasm, a peaceful demeanor, good health and a positive outlook? My bet is that far more of those 49 onlookers would be willing to give that lifestyle a try versus the alternative example.

So here’s my challenge to you: quit caring. At least quit the kind of caring that makes you fifteen different kinds of stressed, and replace it with the kind of caring that allows you to provide what is necessary for your health and happiness as you go about making a difference in the world.

This is the basis of what I’m looking to bring into the world with Rebel Yogi – the good kind of caring. Do you have thoughts, comments, counter points? Let’s discuss!