We Are All Vibrators

I follow Marie Forleo because she's hilarious and shares great advice for people interested in becoming entrepreneurs and basically rocking out an awesome life. She hosts Q&A Tuesday's on Marie TV and every week she tackles a pertinent topic and/or question from her subscribers. I had fallen behind in watching her weekly videos but today I watched a few to catch up. Turns out that she recently posted on a topic related to the fact that our new McNair scholars will be presenting in just a few days - overcoming fear and shyness.

Click HERE to check out the short video. Scroll down to hit play.

Now, I realize that not everyone might feel as if they are shy, but I would venture to guess that most people (myself included) feel a bit of anxiety (or fear) before speaking in front of others. You have another practice session tomorrow - I invite you to check out this video by Marie to gather up three tips that just might help you reframe how you feel about presenting. The goal: be your best no matter what you are feeling.

Here's the gist:

• You are a vibrator. Your body is a mass of atoms. Stop associating your feelings (like nervousness or anxiety) with something bad. Just recognize that we all vibrate with different feelings and emotions - it's not good and it's not bad. By just experiencing what we are experiencing - without putting a label on it - we can simply experience it and move on. Easy peasy.

• Nickname your vibes. This one cracks me up but I think it can work. Instead of putting a name to your feelings like "I'm nervous" or "I'm scared" - call it something else - something light and funny. Josh uses the example of "shushi" - "I'm feeling shushi" - that's it! It reduces any negativity that might be associated with it and simply accepts that we are vibrating and feeling a bit of shushi at the moment. What name will you come up with?

• Ride it, don't hide it. Take any vibrations you might be experiencing when it comes to presenting and just see it as creative fuel - it's something that's going to propel you into action. Let that energy empower you instead of trying to downplay it. Try to speak authentically from whatever place you are finding yourself. Both Marie and Josh stress that if you allow yourself to feel whatever it is that you are feeling fully, it usually only lasts for seven to twelve seconds. That's all.

The bottom line - reframes can be really powerful in our lives.

Here's the challenge that Marie poses:

1. Tell us the sensation/emotion, that you struggle with most, that you would like to "overcome."
2. Describe the emotion in terms of vibrating atoms. What does it feel like?
3. Nickname your vibes and commit to riding it and not hiding it.

>>>>Be sure to click on this week's ACTIONABLE to complete the challenge.

Try this out when you practice your presentation this week and put it to use on Thursday at the symposium!

McNair Color Runners

We choose to take a "holistic approach" with our scholars.  We want our scholars to do research, go to grad school and get their Ph.D.'s--yes.  But really, we want them to be rock stars in LIFE.  In order to do things--like get your Ph.D. (no big, right?)--you've gotta have it together (on lots of levels).  Baseline--you've gotta be solid in how you take care of yourself.  If you aren't, the foundation from which you do any work or strive for any goal won't sustain you.  I like to say that you have to be solid in the EAT--SLEEP--MOVE categories, if you will.  What does this have to do with being a Color Runner?  Read on...

So, last year, we were talking about how yoga was making us feel stronger. We were talking about having a scholar garden during the summer.  And then Julie started talking about running.  Now, I've never classified myself as a runner--a trotter perhaps--but I'm open to new possibilities.  I was also dabbling with this idea of working with a personal trainer--something that scared me but I knew would be good for me.  I was tired of being a wuss.

Before...

Julie started researching 5K's and we thought it might be fun to do it as a group---with the scholars. Not a ton of options locally, she came across the Color Run in Ann Arbor.  Now, if you aren't familiar with the Color Run's (held in most major cities) - check it out HERE.  It's the "happiest 5K on the planet" -- for sure!!

Running partners for life!

We do yoga on Wednesday's together during the summer--the luxury of consistency during the summer is spectacular.  Besides yoga, a couple of the scholars started training for the 5K (Katelyn was our leader!) and started sharing how it's going.  Julie and I took this inspiration and started running more.  Julie did her first 5K in June!  Even though some scholars weren't "especially keen" on the idea, they were willing to come along as "Color Walkers" (there's always a ton of those!) and to cheer the group on.  What was cool is that we had a group goal (of doing the Color Run mid-July) and we had something to look forward to.  I had never done a run despite being surrounded by runners--my husband Ken, his brother, his Dad--all marathon-type runners. Luckily my training sessions really helped strengthen me and build my confidence in this regard.

Turned out that one of dear mentors--Dr. Shelly Hinck--came along too!  What a treat!  We went down the night before and hung out in Ann Arbor.  What a treat!  We had shirts made up that said, "We Are McNair" -- pretty cool.  We felt pretty cool.  People tend to "go all out" at these Color Run's - you start out in white (accompanied by such embellishments as tutu's and tube socks) and then you end up -- in FULL COLOR.  The best part (perhaps?) is the end where everyone gathers and releases all of their remaining color and dances around and is HAPPY.  Did I mention it's the happiest 5K on the planet?  :-)

After...

All in all--what a great activity to add to our repertoire of McNair activities--all meant to feed into our "group growth" and "empowerment."  We posted on Facebook (of course) and a ton of McNair alumni commented on how they wished we would have done that when they were in the program. So we decided to make it an annual event and invite anyone who wants to attend with us to come out and "Be McNair."

I know Shelly's in and I'm working on some of our other mentors.  McNair alumni--come back to Michigan for a visit and be a McNair Color Runner!!  Our 2013 group--I'm expecting you to be in!! Maureen said she's going this year too!  Julie is already working on her speed and Kim just started running with her personal trainer.  Too cool!  Me?  I want to start running more (if the snow ever goes away) and my goal is a 10-minute mile (this is a good pace for me, a bit of a stretch, but achievable).  Later in the summer I'm planning on doing a 10K.  The Color Run will be great prep!

:-)

Island Time

Hello all, Lynn asked that I post this affirmation. As we rush into finals and to the pseudo-freedom that awaits us in summer, I often find myself wondering about why we do things the way we do and why we rush everything we do. This of course got me thinking about other cultures and how they differ from our own. I have found that these affirmations are a good place to take note of how we currently view our lives against the backdrop of the world, our futures, and our current states of mind. So, per Lynn’s request here is my most recent affirmation. --Justin C.

Island Time
As I prepared for my trip to the Marquesas I was bombarded with references to “Island Time.” People spoke as if the flow of time was actually slowed by the remoteness of the islands. Now that I am here I get their meaning. This would be an interesting topic for a cultural anthropologist to study, had they the endurance to drift back and forth between cultures. Is it the longer days that make people move without any sense of urgency? Is it the rhythm of the ocean that guides their pace? Who knows? All I know is that adjusting back to American life is going to be painful. Sure we awake at dawn here on the island, but somehow it is easy to rise with the sound of roosters and waves to greet you. I dread the sound of my alarm clock calling me to a fast paced college life. I love college but I think the musician Jack Johnson got it right in his song “Breakdown.” I think Americans could stand to slow down and appreciate the world a bit more. I will never understand why we all wish to rush through life and only relax in our retirement years. I am reminded of the saying “Youth is wasted on the young.” Perhaps if we all learned to enjoy each day by following the rhythms of Island Time we would not have to wait until we are old to truly appreciate life.

Speak Easy

Hi, all - thought you might enjoy the following piece on how yoga can help with public speaking - I felt it particularly relevant since most of you are exploring how yoga can improve your life on *many* levels and you are all getting ready to present your awesome research!  --lmc

Check out the following link or see below: http://www.yogajournal.com/lifestyle/3120

Speak Easy

By Karen Macklin

If you're an anxious public speaker, don't panic. Yoga's tools for working with the breath and mind can help calm you when you have to give a speech or show up for a job interview. Performance anxiety occurs when your limbic system reacts to a stressful social situation as if you were in physical danger. You can stop the reaction, explains Dr. Sat Bir Khalsa, a professor at Harvard Medical School, by slowing your breath. In a study conducted from 2005 to 2007, Khalsa and psychotherapist Stephen Cope, who directs the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living in Lenox, Massachusetts, found that a regular yoga program that includes breathing practices helped young professional musicians control their performance fears.

Another way to ease your nerves is by focusing your attention, Cope says. "The more focused your concentration becomes on your task, the harder it is to be distracted by anxiety." Yoga's philosophical teachings help as well, Cope adds. Apply the lessons of a key text called the Bhagavad Gita: Be detached from the fruits of your actions. Do your best and devote the results to something greater, such as a higher power, your new career path, or the wedding guests eagerly awaiting your toast.

Cope, a frequent public speaker, uses this technique before going on stage: "I scan the audience to find someone who looks like they might need to hear what I have to say, and I offer my speech to them."

Yoga in Action: 6 Tips for Public Speakers

Reframe the Situation. If you can see the event as exciting rather than terrifying, you physiological response will be less intense.

Get Grounded. Feel your feet on the floor. Imagine them rooting into the earth, drawing your nervous energy into the ground.

Take Slow, Deep Breaths. Slowing your exhalations will immediately calm the nervous system.

Focus. Remember your task and focus on it the same way you might focus on a difficult yoga pose. Don't think about anything else.

Practice Awareness. If fearful thoughts do arise, simply watch them come and let them go; don't feed into them.

Let Go of the Outcome. Show up, do your best, and offer the fruits of your actions to something larger than yourself.

Take the Edge Off. For pre-performance tension, herbalist Carol Brzezicki of Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center in Vermont suggests oat seed extract. Put one or two dropperfuls in water and take it 30 to 60 minutes before showtime. High in minerals, this herb soothes without making you sleepy.

March 2012

Mindfulness in Everyday Life

Back in April, I posted to our blog on mindfulness and how it can help us to live better by being more present to our lives. I think everyone knows how much I enjoy encouraging our scholars to explore tools that can help them grow on many levels - yoga and meditation being two very significant tools in my mind. Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s work on mindfulness is interesting, and I think, a great entry point to the practice of becoming more mindful. I’m meeting with each of you this week and I’ll be chatting about this, in addition to inviting you to listen to a short podcast of Dr. Kabat-Zinn from Public Radio’s “On Being” with Krista Tippett. There are a ton of cool programs on this site, by the way. You know, for in your spare time….

I posted the podcast on SharePoint (if you wish to download it and listen) and here is a link to the transcript of the podcast, which also includes a link to download it from Public Radio’s website. I’m also including a link to Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s bio and short video of him encapsulating the primary focus of his work. Finally, we have a “McNair IPod” that I will be “passing around” to interested parties….I have a variety of items on the IPod; you might find some of them interesting and/or useful and/or fun!

Transcript from On Being – Opening to Our Lives
http://being.publicradio.org/programs/2011/opening-to-our-lives/transcript.shtml

Dr. Kabat-Zinn’s Bio and Short Video
http://www.eomega.org/omega/faculty/viewProfile/a274a257be0c65faeca0ec1277c22ec1/?content=PPC&source=1G.SEF.KBZNJ.bio&gclid=CMmhjoXksakCFUa8Kgod_n1iOw

Cheers!

McNair Warriors

It’s so cool to see the group all together in Warrior Pose. Really, how cool is that?! First, I am happy that everyone kept an open mind during our Intro to Yoga workshop. Pretty much since starting this job, I have struggled with wanting to help our scholars more in dealing with stress, moving beyond “sticking points” from their past, finding balance and just feeling stronger and more confident as individuals overall. I deeply believe that yoga is one solution to this challenge. It’s funny since I actually started exploring the benefits of yoga myself over ten years ago while living in Boston, and am just now incorporating it into our McNair offerings.

Besides the obvious physical benefits of getting the blood pumping, strengthening muscles and increasing flexibility, yoga offers the opportunity to reduce stress and tension by using breath to focus the mind. Yoga gives us the space to step outside our demanding schedules and learn to become more present in our lives. By breathing and focusing on the present moment, we can become more productive and content from moment to moment. I know for myself, I feel ten times better on days that I practice, on many levels. I feel more relaxed and capable in dealing with daily demands and pressures; I also feel happier. What’s great about exposing more people to yoga, like each of you, is that more people will reap these potential benefits. Practicing with one another and sharing our experiences during this process also leads to further camaraderie among the group! I honestly can’t wait to stand witness to this unfolding for those who wish to participate. Scholars from last year’s group started exploring this tool this past summer and now our new group is welcome to join in…

I would like to close this post with several sentiments expressed by Charlotte Bell, an experienced yoga teacher and author of, “Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life.” I know that Friday’s session was challenging. Trying something new can be challenging. I encourage you to stay with the challenge to see what benefits might come to you as a result. Charlotte writes about the poses, like Warrior I, “Each person’s expression of a pose is a perfect expression of his/her Self in that moment.” She goes on to say:

“We learn to relax into where we are. We can give up the struggle to attain something we believe is lacking in our experience. With this shift of intention, asana practice becomes not just a mechanical performance of a pose (or an exercise in frustration if our bodies are not willing to go there). It is a way to become familiar with our wellspring of equanimity that does not depend on `perfect’ conditions. Each time we tap into our own center of peace, even when the physical sensation accompanying an asana is quite intense, the peace that is intrinsic to us becomes more accessible to us in the rest of our lives.”

--Excerpted from “Pursuit of the Perfect Pose”

Taking Time for Yourself – Amidst the Crazy Schedules We All Keep

I’m happy to see everyone during our recent seminars and bowling outing. It’s nice that we can take the time to keep up with happenings in everyone’s lives despite the hurried nature of most days. It’s also important to take some time for yourselves to relax, reflect and just *do nothing* so that you can recharge your batteries and remain in a good state of mind and body for handling all of your tasks at hand – applying to grad school being just one of those “tasks” for most of you at this point in time. Keep going, you are all doing great! Next semester is when your hard work will definitely pay off! Here is a Winner’s Circle from Lou Tice that speaks to this notion of *taking time.*

How can the ancient tradition of Sabbath help you perform better at work and feel energized and much more creative? The ancient idea of Sabbath makes sense in mdern times, too, and not just in a religious way. How often do you set aside some time for yourself where you entirely alter your routines? That is what is supposed to happen on the Sabbath, or on a sabbatical, which comes from the same root word. Sabbaticals are sometimes necessary if we are to stay fresh and creative. A highly successful businessman I know took nine weeks off from his job. He called it a sabbatical, and he went to Maine where he designed a barn and took a photography course. When he came back to work, he told me that he was filled with new ideas and felt much better equipped to lead. Now, perhaps you are not in a position to take nine weeks off. But no matter how busy you are, you can build in some time for short sabbaticals, even if they are only two or three days at a time. Get off the main thoroughfare of your life and live in an entirely different way for a while! Walk instead of ride. Plant trees if you work in an office. Take a computer class if you plant trees for a living. You get the idea. You will find yourself feeling refreshed, revitalized and renewed. Try it and see.

--Lou Tice, The Pacific Institute

Inner Calm

Much thanks to Tammy Griffin who continues to gives us great information and instruction on how to deal with stress and how to minimize its effects in our daily lives. I know for me, incorporating meditation and yoga into my daily flow is proving to have GREAT benefits. Just taking a few moments to breathe helps to focus my mind on the task at hand and let go of distractions (like continuous thoughts and inner judgements) that are just a part of life. Try to incorporate some of Tammy's suggestions for yourself. Who do you want to be? Bert or Ernie? :-) On my "to-do-list" is to create a "stress management kit" for the resource room....stay tuned!

Finally, I sincerely hope that at least some of you have stayed with the "Winner's Circle" listserv - there are such great nuggets of wisdom delivered on a daily basis - they are short and sweet, but I find them profound. On Friday, Lou wrote about instead of being overwhelmed by a huge task at hand (i.e. applying to grad school!) that you should just take small steps and do small things that will help move you forward in the process, rather than remaining stuck. Great advice! Here's that post:

Sometimes, "a lick-and-a-promise" is a lot better than nothing and can keep you from feeling overwhelmed. I'll tell you what I mean. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by a huge task that is facing you? Do you ever feel paralyzed because you can't see your way through to the other side? Henry Ford once said that any task, no matter how large, is manageable if you break it down into small enough pieces. A very busy and wonderfully efficient woman I know says she belongs to the "lick-and-a-promise" school of housekeeping: because of her busy schedule, she doesn't have time to thoroughly clean things very often. So, instead, she takes a minute here, a minute there and does what she can. "You'd be surprised," she says, "how many dishes I can wash in a minute – and there are many, many times throughout the week that I have a minute to spare, but almost no times that I have a free hour.... so I do what I can when I can, and play catch-up later." This philosophy makes sense to me, and applies as well to troubles as it does to tasks. Don't stand around wringing your hands when there's trouble and you're not quite sure of the best thing to do. Wade on in and get to work on some part of the problem, even if the full solution isn't apparent to you yet. When we rouse ourselves to action, it builds our confidence, which can lead to more action and a better handle on the solution.

--Lou Tice, Pacific Institute