Moved To Meditate Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Deeper Dive - Focus Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

It's time for a new Deeper Dive theme! For the next month, we'll be exploring Focus, or the practice of concentration. This is all about how we pay attention to where our attention is going, either in stillness and meditation, or in a yoga/movement practice, or going about our day.

Focus is a really powerful tool, because it gives us more choice in what we give our attention to - and that can have a huge impact on how we feel, how our perspective is shaped, and where we're spending our time and energy.

This is an important skill to have, whether you are dealing with physical pain that takes up a lot of mental energy, or states like anxiety and worry that capture the mind, or if you're just struggling to process the intensity of news and politics these days.

You'll hear about:

practicing concentration in meditation, as well as in asana (yoga postures) and movement
how relaxing into a focused state works way better than trying to force it
what to do with all those thoughts
how concentration is actually different from mindfulness

We'll also nerd out a little with some neuroscience on the Default Mode Network that's active in your brain when your mind is wandering, and I'll give some examples of different "anchors" you can use to steady your mind in meditation.

Give it a listen, and practice Focus along with the MTM community all month (and beyond)!

As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, to receive the Deeper Dive worksheets on this month's theme of Focus, you can sign up for the MTM email newsletter here.

P.S. If you missed the newsletter because you're listening to this later, you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email me at mail@movedtomeditate.com and ask. :)

For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my Class Library at movedtomeditate.com

or the upcoming Mindfulness Circle I mentioned at movedtomeditate.yoga/livestream-classes.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache)

Navigating Change and Seasonal Rhythms with Emilie Reid Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, I talk with Emilie Reid, founder of Seasonal Intentions. Emilie helps her students and coaching clients find balance through seasonally-focused self-care routines that draw from Yoga, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine, and more.

This is a really fun and inspiring conversation that we somehow happened to record just before the Summer Solstice (or, Winter if you're in the Southern Hemisphere!). So, you'll definitely pick up some tips for navigating this next season and savoring its energy.

We talked about how paying attention to seasonal rhythms can benefit us on physical, emotional, and social levels, because it's not just about the "what" we do, but the "when" and "why." We touch on seasonal eating, movement and exercise routines, and how Emilie adapts her yoga practice throughout the year to stay in tune with her needs.

Like me, Emilie closed her brick and mortar yoga studio during the pandemic, and also recently moved to a new state. So, she has some excellent self-care suggestions to help during times of significant change...and you'll also hear what she learned during her stint as a volunteer organic farmer in Italy. Join us for this delightful conversation, and be inspired to embrace change with a little less stress!

To connect further with Emilie, visit her website at seasonalintentions.com or follow her on Instagram at @seasonalintentions_.

For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my Class Library at movedtomeditate.com

or the upcoming meditation classes I mentioned at movedtomeditate.yoga/livestream-classes.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Bodyfulness Practices & Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down Processing Jun 15, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is a continuation of the bodyfulness theme, picking up from two episodes ago when I introduced this Deeper Dive topic. Bodyfulness is also called "embodied mindfulness," "somatic awareness," or "mindfulness in the body." In this talk, I get a little more specific on some practices and inquiries we can use to explore and develop embodied mindfulness.

I talk about how I had an early experience in my yoga practice (in Savasana) that gave me a taste of deep, vibrant presence. And then, at another time, how I felt distant and separate from the present moment, even though I was in a beautiful place having a lovely experience.

We'll also cover the concept of Bottom-Up vs. Top-Down processing, and how these theories of perception might help us explain what is going on when we're feeling embodied or disembodied. Bottom-up processing is rooted in our sensory experience in the present moment, while Top-down processing relies more on concepts, memories, and cognitive frameworks to interpret our experience. We'll look at how our yoga and meditation practices utilize both types of processing, and consider when each might be useful.

Finally, I'll offer some suggestions for approaching re-embodiment, or enhancing your bodyfulness, in both yoga and meditation practice. This speaks to the question of using mirrors in yoga practice, how we incorporate alignment rules in asana, and how touch might be part of learning to "listen" to your sensations.

Hopefully, you'll come away with inspiration and some concrete ways to engage with this lifelong practice of bodyfulness.

As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, to receive the guided meditation and Deeper Dive worksheet on this month's theme of Bodyfulness, you can sign up for the MTM email newsletter here.

P.S. If you missed the newsletter because you're listening to this later, you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email me at mail@movedtomeditate.com and ask. :)

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my main website movedtomeditate.yoga.

You can find on-demand yoga classes and guided meditations in the Moved To Meditate Class Library that align with all that we discuss on the podcast. Let's practice together!

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Yoga as a Population Health Strategy with Kristine Weber Jun 08, 2022

Show notes

Today's conversation is with Kristine Weber, the founder of Subtle Yoga. Kristine is a leading world authority on the neuroscientific benefits of slow, mindful movement and an advocate for the use of these practices as a solution to the healthcare crisis.

Recently, the CDC (US Centers for Disease Control) put out new guidelines for the medical profession about chronic pain and the use of opioids, and they mentioned yoga in their report. I talk to Kristine about how significant it is that yoga was included as a potential intervention in the pain crisis, and how she's been involved in representing the yoga therapy field in this national discussion.

You'll hear about:

Kristine's practice background and yoga training in India
the profound benefits of a slow, mindful yoga practice (and how that might not be the same thing as "gentle" or "beginner" yoga)
what the medical community tends to misunderstand about chronic pain
what the Bio-Psycho-Social-Spiritual (BPSS) Model is and how it relates to yoga philosophy and practice

We covered a lot of ground in this fascinating conversation, including the question of whether yoga therapy will one day be covered by health insurance (in the US), and what it will take for government and healthcare institutions to embrace yoga as part of the public health strategy.

To connect further with Kristine, visit her website at https://subtleyoga.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @subtleyoga.

For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my Class Library at movedtomeditate.com.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Deeper Dive - Bodyfulness May 25, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm introducing the theme of bodyfulness, or mindful embodiment, which will be our MTM Deeper Dive for the next month! We'll talk about what "bodyfulness" means, how it relates to mindfulness, and why it's something that can enrich your life and your practice, if you pay attention to it.

Embodiment is a huge topic - it's a subject that's looked at through different lenses by researchers, scholars, thinkers, and practitioners in a variety of fields. I'll give a little background here, and discuss different terms that may be used to describe how we consciously inhabit our physical form.

But more importantly, you'll hear about why bodyfulness (or mindfulness in the body) is something you'd want to bring into your practice. Many of us feel somewhat disconnected or distanced from our visceral, embodied existence, and coming back to the body is about being fully here in this life.

You'll also hear why the term "mindfulness" may not be fully capturing the full scope of what is actually included in the practice, since the body is actually the foundation for developing present moment awareness.

This is a pretty far-reaching discussion! So give it a listen, and let me know what your take-aways are.

Resources and links:

The book Bodyfulness: Somatic Practices for Presence, Empowerment, and Waking Up in This Life by Christine Caldwell, PhD
The Satipatthana Sutta (Four Foundations of Mindfulness) translation by Thanissaro Bhikkhu on Access to Insight
Episode 33 of the MTM Podcast – Human-Centered Embodiment and Yin Yoga with Amanda Hanna

As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, to receive the Deeper Dive worksheet on this month's theme of Bodyfulness, you can sign up for the MTM email newsletter here. The worksheet is designed to support your personal, creative exploration of this theme, and it's coming out the first week of June!

(P.S. If you missed the newsletter because you're listening to this later, you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email me at mail@movedtomeditate.com and ask.)

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my main website movedtomeditate.yoga.

You can find on-demand yoga classes and guided meditations in the Moved To Meditate Class Library that align with all that we discuss on the podcast. Let's practice together!

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

So You Think You Can't Meditate (Part 3) - Anxiety & Strong Emotions May 18, 2022

Show notes

In this week's conversation, I'm continuing the "So You Think You Can't Meditate" series with a reflection on how to work with anxiety and other strong emotions in meditation practice.

If you'd like to catch up with the previous discussions, the first episode in this series was Episode 23, which covered some of the common roadblocks in meditation, like expectations and misconceptions that hinder practice. Part 2 was Episode 27, where I talked about practicing with physical pain.

Like with physical pain, meditation can be very helpful for anxiety or mental/emotional distress, but we have to work with those states quite skillfully. Generic, basic meditation instructions might not be enough to create the conditions for safety and the intended outcome of relief.

Here you will learn a few techniques to apply in your meditation that may help you get a lot more benefit from how you're practicing.

You'll hear about:

the key to transforming anxiety and strong emotions through meditation
how to recognize when you're getting stuck in thoughts or overwhelmed by feelings
a more nuanced interpretation of sayings like "the way out is through" or "you have to feel it to heal it"
what focal points might help you be more present and less lost in anxious thoughts and feelings

If you've heard meditation is helpful for calming anxiety and finding emotional balance, but you've struggled with the practice, this episode is for you. I hope you will find some helpful options and insights so you can truly benefit from all that mindfulness has to offer!

For more info, check out these related episodes:

Episode 15 – Walking Meditation as Moving Mindfulness
Episode 23 – So You Think You Can't Meditate (Part 1)
Episode 24 – Deeper Dive: Metta (Lovingkindness)
Episode 27 – So You Think You Can't Meditate (Part 2): Practicing with Pain

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my main website movedtomeditate.yoga.

You can find on-demand yoga classes and guided meditations in the Moved To Meditate Class Library that align with all that we discuss on the podcast. Let's practice together!

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Observation vs. Enhancement Mode in Breath and Asana May 11, 2022

Show notes

Today's episode is about how we pay attention when we practice yoga or mindfulness meditation. Specifically, I'll be talking about working with "observation mode" and "enhancement mode."

The idea of paying attention TO attention might sound kind of subtle at first, but it's really interesting when you see how attention and intention lead to actions and efforts in your practice. It starts to clarify that sometimes the growth or depth in our practice can come more from HOW we are practicing than exactly WHAT (poses or techniques) we are practicing.

We'll explore how modes of observation (or receptivity) vs. enhancement (or deliberateness) show up in breath practice, and how breathing is approached differently in yoga than it is in mindfulness meditation. Then, I offer an example of using a Yin Yoga pose to play with both modes.

You'll also hear some ideas for how it might be useful to apply these ideas to active yoga asana (postures), especially in terms of "alignment." When we rely heavily on deliberate/enhancement approaches to asana, often the practice starts to feel a bit technical and cerebral. Including more curious mindful observation can sometimes return us to the felt sense of the body so that alignment can emerge from the inside out.

Listen in for a useful framework you can use to deepen your awareness, and to benefit from the different modes of attention.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my main website movedtomeditate.yoga.

You can find practices that align with and support these podcast topics in the Moved To Meditate Class Library.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Human-Centered Embodiment & Yin Yoga with Amanda Hanna May 04, 2022

Show notes

This week on the podcast, we're talking embodiment! This is a thought-provoking conversation with my guest Amanda Hanna, whose work navigates the intersections between yoga and movement, mental health, and social justice. We talk about trauma-informed, human-centered perspectives on what it means to be embodied, and how yoga practices (including Yin Yoga) can be part of the toolkit we use to explore and inhabit the body.

We discuss definitions of embodiment, and why it can be valuable for our well-being, and as a way of being in the world. We also talk about the downsides of over-idealizing the concept of embodiment, and how bringing one's full attention into the body can actually be a very confronting experience at times.

The conversation covers several of the reasons why many of us experience ourselves as "disembodied" (due to cultural norms, familial traits, instances of trauma, etc.). Amanda offers a refreshing reminder that, by disconnecting, our amazing nervous system is sometimes acting to protect us from overwhelming moments.

You'll hear:

how yoga from the perspective of outside validation differs from the yoga of embodied choice
weaving trauma-informed principles into embodiment work and yoga/movement practice
how to begin the process of re-embodiment in a gradual and sensitive way
benefits and challenges of Yin Yoga from a trauma-informed perspective
how social justice connects to embodiment and movement practices

There are a lot of insights to glean from this conversation! Give it a listen and let us know what your favorite take-aways are.

To connect further with Amanda, visit her website at https://www.somapsych.org/ or follow her on Instagram at @soma.psych.

As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, there is a limited-time special on 6-month memberships to the Moved To Meditate Class Library! It's a really good deal, and a great way to explore practices that align with all that we talk about on the MTM podcast. Info on the Class Library is here.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my website movedtomeditate.yoga.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Deeper Dive - Mudita (Joy & Gratitude) Apr 27, 2022

Show notes

In today's episode, I'm introducing the next Deeper Dive theme, which will be Mudita for May. Mudita is the practice of joy and gratitude, and an important way to cultivate balance in the mind.

I will describe how to cultivate gladness, joy, and celebration for others and their good fortunes, as well as gratitude for your own blessings. But, first you'll hear about why we need such a deliberate way of practicing joy - because of the negativity bias that our brains evolved to help us survive dangers.

We will also touch on some of the challenges that often get in the way of joy/gratitude, especially "comparing mind." And, we'll contemplate the question of "Is it even ok to feel joy in the midst of so much suffering in the world?"

After listening, I hope you will feel inspired to be more mindful of what's good and beautiful around you, and to take in all the moments of joy that are available to you.

As mentioned at the beginning of the episode, to receive the Deeper Dive worksheet on this month's theme of Mudita, you can sign up for the MTM email newsletter here. The worksheet is designed to support your personal, creative exploration of this theme, and it's coming out the first week of May!

P.S. If you missed the newsletter because you're listening to this later, you can still get the worksheet. All you need to do is email me at mail@movedtomeditate.com and ask. :)

I also mentioned that there is a limited-time special on 6-month memberships to the Moved To Meditate Class Library! It's a really good deal, and a great way to explore practices that align with all that we talk about on the MTM podcast. Info on the Class Library is here.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my website movedtomeditate.yoga.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

Life and Practice Evolving Together (Part 2) with Mike deHilster Apr 20, 2022

Show notes

Mike and I are back with Part 2 of our conversation about our paths of practicing yoga and meditation! This is the continuation Episode 29, where we shared some of our stories of music school, stress, and early yoga experiences.

In today's episode, you'll hear about how we connected with our first meditation teacher, and how he made the practice seem accessible and relevant for us. We also laugh about Mike being a slightly-reluctant volunteer for my practice teaching during yoga teacher training, and how he came to like yoga despite that.

He talks about developing his own personalized 20-minute morning yoga routine, and whether he's being a "bad yogi" because he often does it while watching ESPN on TV. (Spoiler alert: I think he's actually being quite mindful since his whole practice is based on feeling what movements his body needs in the moment.)

We also reflect on how, for both of us, the practice eventually expanded beyond our initial goals of stress relief and became a significant way to look at the "big questions" through direct experience.

We hope you'll enjoy hearing a little more about our quirks, how we practice, and how our experiences have shaped Moved To Meditate.

To connect further with me (Addie), check out my website movedtomeditate.yoga.

And, I'm on Instagram at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, yoga, and pictures of PNW nature and my adorable kitten, Mustache).

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