The OHMazing® Way with Beth Reese, PhD

Rabia Meghani on Managing Anxiety and Uncertainty with Ayurveda

“Your body is vast consciousness. It’s not just one thing. And if you allow your body to be a container for how you're feeling then you can be like, “ok, there is anxiety in this body of mine, but there is also hope in this body of mine, and there is faith, and joy…. You’re holding space for a lot of things, but you are not one thing.” ~Rabia Meghani Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and guest Rabia Meghani in a conversation about how to manage anxiety and uncertainty through Ayurveda. Rabia healed her dis-ease with C-Diff through practicing  Ayurveda, yoga, meditation, and then left her studies in graduate school to devote her life to supporting others in tapping into their limitless potential. Rabia works with individuals and also teaches with other organizations including Black Swan Yoga’s Teacher Training program.  “If you start to feel that you are this one thing (ie, anxiety, illness), you start to live in this limited space. And it’s wild to think that it’s all purely from your mind. You create barriers—invisible barriers—just from your mind. And if you were to understand the barriers never existed, you can tap into that limitless potential of yours.” ~Rabia Meghani In the first half of the podcast, Rabia and Beth discuss how we can reframe anxiety and uncertainty during times when life may occur highly stressful. Rabia also shares some of her life experiences that led her to focus on Ayurveda and yoga instead of pursuing a highly coveted masters degree in public and global health. In the second half, Rabia offers a meditation appropriate for most ages,and then offers tips for families to create grounding practices anytime and anywhere. Rabia Meghani is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Yoga Therapist, and Yoga Teacher. She leads the Ayuervedic sections for Black Swan Yoga’s RYT program. Rabia’s formal education is in public health and epidemiology. Merging her knowledge of disease and the ancient science of Ayurveda, Rabia aims to modernize Ayurvedic teachings and make them accessible to the masses. Her passion lies in harmonizing western medicine with eastern healing methodologies.   Rabia uses her knowledge of yoga and ayurveda to help those experiencing physical and emotional ailments. When it comes to healing, Rabia believes that one size does not fit all. This is why she works on the full person - mind, body, and spirit. When she is not on her mat or crafting teas and tinctures, you can find her exploring the beauty found in nature. Rabia lives in Houston, TX, with her husband and half dozen plant babies.  Connect with Rabia: Email: Rabiameghani@gmail.com  Web:  rabiameghani.com [http://rabiameghani.com/] Instagram: Rabia Meghani Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD

Richard Wilkinson on Resourcing Our True Self

“In my 20s I felt more comfortable and more confident in myself to just let go of the seemingly needy attachments of having all my friends like me and approve of what I was doing… and just really became myself.” ~Richard Wilkinson Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and guest Richard Wilkinson, RYT200, a yoga and meditation teacher and leader, in a conversation about the paths and possibilities of resourcing your true self. Richard also leads an iRest meditation—iRest yoga Nidra is approved by the U.S. Surgeon General and has been used by the U.S. military for over a dozen years. Richard is an international leader offering classes, workshops, and retreats individually and with his wife, Melissa Smith-Wilkinson.  “Over the years I’ve come to the point where it’s just basically be myself, and the people that are in my life will either be attracted to that or not, and the ones who are not attracted to that are welcome to move on.” ~Richard Wilkinson iRest is a meditative practice that is wonderful for those of us who are happy and healthy. It can bring us more peace and joy and can even invite insight into our conscious state. iRest has also been shown to be quite helpful for those of us who struggle with issues such as: anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, fear, grief. iRest yoga Nidra is approved by the U.S. Surgeon General and has been used by the U.S. military for over a dozen years. For more information on iRest Yoga Nidra, please view their website: www.irest.org [http://www.irest.org/] “Holding space for people to allow them to work to their capability is really important in the way that I work with folks…. Letting people work with whatever they are capable of and that can change from day to day, week to week, month to month. And I’ve found that it creates a community of feeling safe.” ~Richard Wilkinson Richard Wilkinson has been formally trained in Power Vinyasa Yoga by Frog Lotus Yoga in Massachusetts USA. He has taken additional Yoga Teacher Training from; Maureen Rae (Vinyasa Yoga), Jennifer Reis (Yoga Nidra), Alina Calinescu (Yin Yoga), Richard Miller (iRest Yoga Nidra), David Emerson (Trauma Sensitive Yoga).  He weaves all of my training into the variety of classes that he teaches: Gentle Yoga, Hot Yoga, Hot Power Yoga, Yin Yoga and iRest Yoga Nidra. Richard’s teaching style would be classified as educational, informative and inclusive of all levels. He also places an emphasis on the Mind/Body connection and assumes that we are all in need of recovering or re-discovering our own human wholeness, on one level or another.   Connect with Richard: email: richard@pranavayoga.studio phone: 505.557.7898 Skype: rick.wilkinson4 https://www.pranavayoga.studio/retreats [https://www.pranavayoga.studio/retreats] https://www.pranavayoga.studio/trainings [https://www.pranavayoga.studio/trainings] https://www.caregiverwellnessretreat.com [https://www.caregiverwellnessretreat.com/]   Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD

Mindful Moment: Sensing the 5 Senses

This quickie episode features a mindful meditation using the 5 senses as a means to connect the body and mind in the present moment nonjudgmentally anytime and anywhere—including out in public! Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and guest Jodi Golda Komitor, MA, E-RYT 500, RCYT, in a quickie mindful meditation practice that touches on each sense as a way to notice without judgement what’s happening in any given moment. This type of mindfulness of the body practice can be a powerful option for people who struggle with breathing, including people who have asthma and COPD, as well as generalized anxiety disorder. This mindful moment can be explored anytime and anywhere. It is a great tool for use in classrooms, homes, restaurants, during travel, and beyond! This Mindful Moment episode is drawn from a previously published podcast here on The OHMazing Way, #16: Jodi Golda Komitor: Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable. Jodi Golda Komitor is the founder of Next Generation Yoga® (NGY) - the first Kids Yoga studio in the world. Inspired by her background in education, Jodi Golda started Next Generation Yoga in 1998 in New York City, a company she operated for 21 years. While in leadership at NGY, Jodi Golda developed & implemented school & community-based programs, U.S. & international Teacher Trainings and multidimensional online offerings. Of course, she didn’t do any of this alone & is proud of the badass teachers, trainers & team with whom she hired, collaborated & grew NGY. Her passion for mentoring Kids Yoga entrepreneurs remains strong. She is the organizer of a noncompetitive, like-minded international business group called The Biz of Kids Yoga™. Through The Biz of Kids Yoga™, Jodi Golda provides private and group coaching to Kids Yoga & Mindfulness professionals.   Connect with Jodi Golda: Email: jg@jodigolda.com Founder, Next Generation Yoga: https://nextgenerationyoga.com/ Winner, Kids Yoga Service Award Author, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Yoga with Kids: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Idiots-Guide-Yoga-Kids/dp/0028639359 Coach, The Biz of Kids Yoga: https://nextgenerationyoga.com/the-biz-of-kids-yoga/ Creator, Whale Yoga for Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qn415ehzZ0 Star, Gaiam Kids Yoga Videos: https://www.gaiam.com/?q=kids%20yoga   Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD

Alison Cohen on Wholehearted Living: Understanding Implicit Bias and Growing Forward

"The challenge is that because we are human beings living in society we’re influenced and conditioned by all kinds of forces that can lead to us developing biases that are particularly destructive… and that cut us off from wholeheartedly connecting to others."  ~Alison Cohen, MST and Certified Mindfulness Teacher/School Coach Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and guest Alison Cohen, MST and Certified Mindfulness Teacher / School Coach, in conversation and practice with the critically important and meaningful topic of implicit bias. Alison first leads us through clear and concise definitions and examples of bias, explicit bias, and implicit bias. After skillfully laying a foundation, she then offers suggestions and leads practices to support us in increasing awareness of our own biases so that we can curate the wholehearted lives we wish to create.  "In terms of implicit bias, research has shown there are really only a few ways currently to work with it meaningfully. One of those, interestingly enough, is loving kindness practice, as well as mindfulness meditation." ~Alison Cohen, MST and Certified Mindfulness Teacher/School Coach One of the mindfulness tools Alison shares is a practice known as HALT. HALT stands for: H: hungry A: angry L: lonely T: tired While the origination of this may be from Alcoholics Anonymous, neuroscientists, like Dr. Dan Siegel, recommend this practice for parents and others. Using HALT can be integrated into daily living in a myriad of ways. For example, before picking up your kids from school or entering a personal or professional conversation, pause and scan the mind and body for signs of being hungry, angry, lonely or tired. Without making yourself right or wrong, notice if any of those exist. If one or more do, name a way you can take care of yourself in the next moments so that you cultivate responses instead of habitual reactions. When you notice one or more of the "HALTs", a practice could be to pause and notice the breath, then feet, then belly, then hands. You might also choose to name aloud what you’re experiencing and share what you need before moving forward: In this moment I want to name that I notice I am tired and would like ________ (ie,  to get some water, have a hug, take a walk, etc) before we continue. "What we are really talking about is love. And what are the barriers to really loving each other…. And if some of those barriers come from what we’ve breathed in and what’s been imprinted—the thumbs of culture—then each of us can make a courageous commitment to chip away at those in the name of love, connection, and ultimately what comes to mind, both individual and collective liberation." ~Alison Cohen, MST and Certified Mindfulness Teacher/School Coach Connect with Alison: Email: alisonc@soundstrue.com Web: www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonecoh Twitter: @1984AliCo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohenalison/   Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD

Alison Cohen on Mindful and Courageous Communication

“Courageous communication is one of the ways we can build towards the world we want to see.” ~ Alison Cohen Join The OHMazing® Way podcast creator, producer and host, Beth Reese, PhD, E-RYT, RCYT, YACEP, and mindfulness coach and mentor Alison Cohen in a conversation around mindful communication. Alison shares examples of mindful communication in the contexts of family and in schools. This podcast is the first of 2 conversations Beth and Alison had with the next one being on explicit and implicit bias. “Each of us wants to be able to live in ways that are aligned with our conscious values and yet part of being human is that sometimes we miss the mark!” ~ Alison Cohen In this conversation Alison references and wishes to share the following resources: * The engaged feedback checklist from Brene Brown's book Dare to Lead: Go to https://brenebrown.com/downloads/ [https://brenebrown.com/downloads/], then scroll down and click on "Engaged Feedback Checklist" * Mindful Communication one-page handout of mine that many students of mine have found helpful: attached (if it's possible to attach a document) * Ruth King's racial justice and social justice resource list: https://ruthking.net/racial-awareness-resources/ [https://ruthking.net/racial-awareness-resources/] * Books: Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication by Oren Jay Sofer, Mindful of Race by Ruth King, Blindspot by Dr. Mahzarin Banaji   Alison Cohen, MST  Certified Mindfulness Teacher / School Coach www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com 3 Essential Elements of Mindful Communication + Mindful Communication Tips (adapted from Dr. Lynn Rossy’s Mindful Communication work)   1. Cultivating Presence “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand. They listen with the intent to reply.” ~ Stephen Covey To become a more mindful, effective communicator, consider tuning into: • Your awareness level: What feelings, thoughts, sounds, etc. are you aware of before the conversation begins and as the conversation begins? • Your mind: Where is your attention in this moment? • Your body: What message(s) do you want your body language to send during the interaction? • Your intention: What is your intention for how you will show up during this interaction?   2. Listening With All the Channels “People begin to heal the moment they feel heard.” ~ Cheryl Richardson • Be present and listen “with all the channels,” especially during the first few minutes of any conversation. • In communication, especially difficult communication, connect with the sensations of your body (feel your feet on the floor and sense the movement of your breath) as a way of staying open to what the other person says. Difficult communication often brings up fear in us, and staying with the breath and the body can be grounding. 3. Speaking Wisely “Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something.” ~ Plato • If it’s appropriate, consider paraphrasing what you heard the other person say so that you’re sure you understood that person. We often only hear our version of what the person said. • [WE WILL NOT BE DOING THIS] Before giving someone your advice, ask if it is wanted. We love to help but sometimes people just want to be heard. Simply having a sounding board can often help someone tap into their own internal wisdom. “There are days when things are really rough. And, it’s different if you’re having a bad day and you’re sitting in front of a computer typing away, and when you’re working with a group of students who have dealt with oppressions of all kinds and have a fragile sense of being able to accomplish what you’re asking.” ~ Alison Cohen Alison Cohen cherishes any and all opportunities to integrate community-building, contemplative practice, social justice, and joy. She incorporates trauma-informed mindfulness into her instructional coaching and leadership work with educators, school leaders, and young adults. Alison also offers mindfulness-based courses and workshops throughout the US and mentors participants in Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield’s two-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training Program. She is a Mindful Schools Certified Mindfulness Instructor, an MBSR teacher, and an avid retreat goer.   Connect with Alison: Email: alisonc@soundstrue.com Web: www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com [http://www.mindfulchangefromtheinsideout.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonecoh [https://www.facebook.com/alisonecoh] Twitter: @1984AliCo LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohenalison/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cohenalison/]   Connect with Beth: Email: elizabeth@yoginos.com Web: www.yoginos.com Cell: +1 361 563 7448 Facebook: personal: www.facebook.com/elizreese Facebook: Yogiños: Yoga for Youth®: www.facebook.com/yoginos/ Instagram: yoginosyogaforyouth: www.instagram.com/yoginosyogaforyouth Twitter: @yoginos: twitter.com/Yoginos LinkedIn: Beth Reese, PhD