What better way to end than to go back to the beginning. So we do, with a little science and a simple breathing technique to help reset and bring the body back to balance. Which is good, because we need balance so things like tweets from the maniacal administration don't throw us too far off our game.
The past 100 episodes have been a joy. Thank you for everything.
Until next time, keep breathing. And live to fight another day.
While your host has no voice to speak of, there's enough to squeak out a gentle reminder to take care of yourself. And that New Year's Eve is not the only time to set your intentions.
In this week’s episode of Yoga For the Revolution we talk about how we participate in our own lives. How we almost always have the ability to choose. Even when it seems like we have no choice, there is often some small sliver of reality we CAN choose, even if that is simply our own response to the world around us.
On this episode of Yoga For the Revolution we’re going to talk about IKEA and clutter and desire and efficiency. What happens when we're caught in the trappings of ritual or stuck between the competing desire to be more and have less.
Mentioned here, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo
On this episode of Yoga For the Revolution, we’re talking about how to stay resilient, and present, through mindfulness when the world takes yet another shift towards madness.
Meaning, what the hell are we supposed to do now?
Alvin Soon, “What Buddhists Do When Things Fall Apart”
For one-on-one coaching with me, a normal person who talks about real life, take a look at this seasonal special package.
Today on Yoga For the Revolution we'll talk about the difference between building resilience and mindfulness and ‘consumer self care’ and talk about how self-care can go beyond the self, to collective care.
If you are interested in one-on-one self care with me, either in person or remote, you can learn more here.
Here are some of the items and articles referred to in the show:
“This Is What Self Care Really Means Because Its Not All Salt Baths and Chocolate Cake”
“A Shift So Subtle: Presence As A Practice For Being Better For The Collective”
When things seem hopeless, when we don't know if we're doing enough, or even if what we are doing matters what else can we do but go back to the practice? Breathe and sit. Today on Yoga For the Revolution we talk about meditation: What we think it's supposed to be, what it feels like, why we aren't doing it and more.
We talk mostly about seated, mindfulness meditation but we do mention different kinds of meditation. Here’s Thich Nhat Hanh on Walking Meditation.
On this episode of Yoga For the Revolution, we talk about Yin - both as a concept and as a yoga style. And why it can help serve as an antidote to our modern world. I manage to hate on some sports fans and l serve up a grounding yin breath practice at the end as well.
Here’s a Yin Yoga 101 and a bit more about yin and fascia.
On this episode of Yoga For the Revolution, we talk about our physical bodies and our emotional relationship to them as well as our cultural impulse to control our bodies or other people’s bodies and how yoga fits in to all this.
The Myth of The Yoga Body by Lily Silverton
More information and wise words from Valerie Sagun at Big Gal Yoga.
Please check out the work of Dana Falsetti. This is her site and her Instagram.
Accessible Yoga has a very inspiring mission statement you can read here and dive into their work overall here.
Transition and revolution both start inside. During transitions, like going from summer to fall, we change our food and lifestyle to accommodate the change. Ayurveda teaches us how to weather the transition smoothly so we can keep being the most efficient version of ourselves we can be.
Are we losing our ability to empathize with fellow humans? Is it the fault of technology or the GOP? Today we discuss connecting and disconnecting, the difference between sympathy and empathy - and the ability to re-learn connection.
Here are articles and items referenced in this episode:
“I Don’t Know How To Explain To You That You Should Care About Other People” by Kayla Chadwick
“Keep Your Head Up: How Smartphone Addiction Kills Manners and Moods” by Adam Popescu
“Empathy: College students don’t have as much as they used to”
Today we’re talking about forgiveness, fear and laziness. We'll touch on why life requires more nuance than the good guys staying good and the bad guys disappearing - and how compassionate accountability is the only way forward. I’m also going to share a brief meditation on forgiveness towards the end of the show.
Here are a few items references on the show:
Louis C.K.’s controversial comeback attempt, explained
When the animal part of the brain takes over, can you ever escape the heat? We look at information from science people and the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda to understand what happens inside our bodies when we’re angry. And then we attempt to cool our jets for a bit.
Two people each take the same action. One does so out of protest, one out of compassion. Does intention matter? Yoga says yes. Today we discuss the gunas of intention when it comes to meditation, voting and everything else we do.
A few references from the show:
Mastering The Gunas: The Bhagavad Gita's Guide to Self-Transformation
Buddhist Leaders Condemn Child Separation at US-Mexico Border
What do Omarosa, America and the Lost City of Atlantis have in common? The three gunas, or qualities of nature. We talk through how Rajas, Tamas, and Sattva inform our values, our actions and our overall outlook on life.
The Play of the Three Gunas, by Esther Ekhart
Today we’re going to talk about neurons - and how friendships, social media and television can change who you are. We also discuss monkeys and how ayurveda can help us improve our support network.
Articles and items referenced in this episode:
"Do Trump's Tweets Spur Hate Crimes"
"The Power of Positive People: Are your friendships giving you a boost or bringing you down?"
The friendship influence quiz.
Hug a tree or talk to your houseplants. This week we talk about how nature can help us escape the addictive dopamine zombie loop of the Internet Age and get a little closer to our plant-based brethren.
Need some plants in your life? Go to The Sill.
In Part II of this discussion on happiness, we ask if humans built to be happy? Can we shift our focus from our external circumstances to our internal monologue? There's some talk of nihilism, I realize that all-positive-all-the-time is not my thing, and, I mispronounce the names of at least two people who are smarter than me.
Before we get into the science, here are a few ways you can speak out against the destruction of Title X, the nation's only family planning program.
DepartmentofReproductiveControl.com
Next! Lots of reference material for this episode. Here's a rundown.
”Nature didn't want us to get fat and happy too quickly. And likewise, if animals were designed to get depressed and stay depressed, that might not be very sensible either." Thanks, Andrew Oswald, PhD.
"Anything shiny and new in life — like a job, or a sweater, or a spouse — is exhilarating, until it becomes the thing we get sick of seeing every damn day." Good times about the Happiness Set Point.
"Many of our priorities around happiness are completely erroneous." Sweet. Let's learn some more about How to Be Happy.
"Happiness comes more easily to those who have adopted a certain way of looking at things." You're my kind of guy, Raj Raghunathan Ph.D.
Is happiness selfish?
There are horrifying things happening in our world. Are we allowed to be happy? We talk about the difference between happiness, comfort and denial and start to define what is and isn’t responsible on the road to happiness.
I mentioned this article with a quote from Poppy Jamie.
I recommend this publication, Black Girl In Om.
Fred Rogers was a total square and a revolutionary. Seeing the documentary, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” leads me to ask: Is it worth deconstructing the brick by brick layers of constructed resentment to find something Good within us? What would we do with that Goodness once we find it?
Here are a few articles and send-ups pertaining to Mr. Rogers and his show that I reference in this episode.