Holiday Gift + Solstice Blessings

Blessed holidays ~ 

I recently opened up the memoir I began writing 12 years ago and re-read the introduction. I was amazed to see the wisdom I had gained as a 22 year old millennial was still so valuable and relatable to my current life. 

I realized I've gained many new subscribers since the publishing of my book in 2017 so wanted to let you know it exists and is available on Amazon for holiday reading or gifts.  

Order the book on Amazon

I'm including a preview of the introduction below. Maybe you'll find you can relate to it too...

With love, 

Meredith

~~

We all have access to an infinite source of wisdom that lies in our bodies.

The first time I set foot on a yoga mat and began to really let myself feel the intensity of sensations and emotions that were lying beneath the surface, I wanted to run away. At first I avoided going back to yoga class, hoping that distractions like sugar or prescription pills from my doctor would take away my suffering instead. 

Fortunately, I soon realized that repressing or distracting myself from my emotions and sensations caused just as much and often even more suffering. It was then I knew running away was no longer an option. 

Through allowing myself to just be with my sensations and my breath, my journey began, and this book emerged. When I found that space of stillness, of silence, a space of no desires, no attachments, of pure witnessing presence without any need to change myself or my life, I formed a connection with the one place I can always rely on: my body, my breath, and my own innate wisdom. 

From that place, I began to listen deeply and to take action. I found the courage to take bigger leaps, follow my callings, and love myself through my challenges. It was then that the magic of life—a realization that the universe was conspiring in my favor to give me the exact experiences I needed to heal—helped me discover a deep, pervasive connectedness to everything and everyone around me, and a trust in a force greater than myself. 

My hope for you is to connect to a place of stillness and love within. A place where there is nothing you need to change. A place where you can love yourself no matter what thoughts, challenges, or situations arise. And from that place, to take steps forward, to follow your own inner callings, and to know that whatever happens in life, you’ll be able to come back to this stillness and self-love. 

Sometimes, life gets hard. It’s inevitable. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned through the years, it’s that if I can sit with the intensity of any emotion, any difficult sensation, and remain equanimous, calm, and composed, everything will be okay. The nature of these sensations—indeed all challenges of life—is to be impermanent, arising and passing away. 

This insight was confirmed during a conversation with my friend Karen at the end of our ten-day silent meditation retreat taught by S. N. Goenka. She had asked one of the teachers a question about the pain she was experiencing in her body, hoping that through feeling her pain, she would find relief, and that one day, just maybe, her pain would go away and never come back. The teacher looked her right in the eye and said, “Billions and billions of times better than your pain suddenly going away would be you continuing to have pain for the rest of your life and no longer suffering through your reaction to it.” 

The point is not to push away our pain but rather allow ourselves to just be through whatever arises. 

I chose to retain the real names of the saints and sages in this book. If you decide to further study their teachings, I ask that you do so with the purest intentions and utmost respect. In a similar vein, if you visit places that are mentioned in this book, know that every experience is unique, and your own journey will unfold, most likely, very differently from my own. We are each on a distinct and remarkable path to liberation, and no one person’s journey can ever be recreated, and that is part of the beauty of it. 

I write of my time in India not to speak on behalf of an organization or teacher, or to encourage others to follow my footsteps, but rather to authentically share the magical events and synchronicities I experienced when I tuned into my body’s wisdom and listened to the guidance I found there. Most of the names in this book have been changed out of respect for the privacy of the people I met on my path, except for Shankara, who gave his blessing and now travels the world under one of his many other names. 

Each chapter begins with a mantra, a short phrase with a sacred vibration that you can repeat in your mind to bring yourself back to the present moment. I discovered these mantras through my travels, and you’ll learn their meanings throughout the stories. The chapter titles are written in Sanskrit, except for the last chapter title, which is written in Pali, the language spoken during the time Buddha walked the earth. I invite you to use these mantras in your life as little seeds of wisdom, leading you to your own discoveries. 

P.S. You can also download a designed version of the introduction right here.

Winter Solstice Blessings

The darkest day of the year is upon us. The veils are getting thinner. The 21st marks the Winter Solstice, and the day after Christmas marks a full moon in Cancer (western astrology) and Gemini (Vedic/sidereal astrology).

On this darkest day of the year may we all receive the nourishment, love, and safety inherent in the darkness. And as we reclaim the feminine in our culture, may we welcome the sweetness of the light and the days getting longer without bypassing the gifts the darkness holds for us - the gifts inherent in our challenges, in our deepest feelings, in the unknown and within the darkness of our womb. 

May your Solstice be blessed. May we remember the power in the darkness. May we welcome the light.

Yin Yoga for Acceptance

Join me in this 75 minute restorative yin yoga practice to practice deeper allowing and acceptance for yourself, your life and others exactly as they are.

Find more yoga videos right here

3 Characteristics of Charismatic People

When I first joined a Toastmasters group I was a little taken aback at how nice everybody was to me.  The other members went out of their way to get to know me, ask about my interest in improving as a speaker and make me feel at home in an environment where I felt uneasy meeting so many new people.  

I felt so good leaving that first meeting that I went back again and again until I eventually joined.  Sometimes I wondered what made this group so inviting to be around...

Then last week, I learned their secret: charisma.

After our meeting one of the members started telling me about the 3 most important characteristics of charismatic people.  As he spoke them, it made total sense to me, "This is how these people are approaching their life, everyday," I thought.

I've been applying these principles for the last few days and it has made a huge difference in my interactions. 

I feel more confident meeting new people, have less social anxiety, and am making more genuine connections.  I am walking away from conversations feeling really good.

Since these have made such a difference in my life, I wanted to share them with you today so you can start having more uplifting conversations and interactions right away...

3 Characteristics of Charismatic People

1. Unrelenting Positivity

When people have the ability to see the bright side in any situation, it benefits everybody around them.

I love being around positive people because they are holding a higher vibration - a vibration that will attract more good into their lives.  

Through meditation and awareness of my thoughts, I've been able to catch myself when I start going down a negative spiral.  I now easily bring myself back to the moment and remember what's going right in my life and what I'm grateful for.  

2. Child-like Awe and Wonder

It is a gift to see the world through a child's eyes.  There is so much appreciation for the little things:  the butterfly that lands on the flower, the birds singing in the morning, the warmth of the sun shining on your face.  

I've been bringing more child-like awe and wonder into my life by spending time with my cat, Quan Yin.  In the early evenings we've been walking into the back field together to watch the sunset.  I love watching her excitement as I give her my full attention and let her lead the way.  Then, when she rolls on her back, waiting for me to pet her belly, I can't help but smile in appreciation.

3. A Genuine Care For Others

I used to unconsciously worry about how I was being perceived, wondering if others were going to like me.  I realize that way of thinking just took me out of the present moment and left me feeling empty after an interaction.  

Now I am focusing on, "How can I make this person feel like the most important person in the room?"  

It completely changes the energy.

A huge part of charisma is genuinely caring and wanting the best for other people.  This shifts the energy off of me and to the person I am talking to.  Since I've brought this awareness to my conversations, we both leave feeling better than before.

These principles have also affected my speaking and yoga teaching.  

If I got up in front of a group and worried about what the audience was thinking of me the whole time, I would miss out on making an authentic connection, and probably leave feeling like I could have done better.

However, if I can focus on what I want to GIVE and how I want to make the people in the room FEEL, then it is always a win - win situation.

Do you ever find yourself uncomfortable in social situations or getting stuck in your head when meeting someone new?  

I invite you to try out this technique this week.  AND - I'd love to hear how it goes for you in the comments below.

With love, 
Meredith

5 Steps I took to face my fear of teaching yoga

I remember being terrified to teach my final class on the last day of my yoga teacher training.

I sat in the corner doing pranayama while my fellow teacher trainees gathered up their courage to teach.

Ever since my first yoga class, I felt inspired by my teachers, powerfully leading their class through the sequences. The thought of becoming a yoga teacher myself was terrifying, but I also had a little bit of excitement when I imagined it.

Up until my teacher training, my biggest fear was using my voice.

When it came time to give a presentation in middle school or high school, I had trouble finding my breath. I realized it was my body’s way of protecting me from the possible embarrassment of speaking up. However, by college I saw how this fear was holding me back in all areas of my life.

After four years of dedicating myself to my yoga practice, my curiosity and excitement about teaching grew, so I packed up my bags and went to Mexico for my first teacher training, ready to face my fear.

The supportive people in my training helped me begin to unlock the fear, but when my turn came to get up in front of the room to teach, I was shaking.

Fortunately, this time was different. The deep breathing practices I had learned in the training helped me find my breath, and I stood knowing everyone in the room wanted me to succeed. As I began to speak, I surprised myself with how much I knew and how poised I felt in the seat of the teacher. I discovered a new side of myself I didn’t know was there before.

Eleanor Roosevelt says, “The very next thing you need to be doing is what terrifies you the most.”

Over the years, I’ve taken this to heart and learned that when I feel fear (and a little bit of excitement), life is presenting me with an opportunity to grow.

I learned that we experience fear when we encounter an unfamiliar experience. When I faced my fear over and over again, it became easier each time.

Not only did it become easier, but it became enjoyable.

Unfortunately, after my training, my familiar fears crept in and I felt like I was right back where I started. I had a little bit of courage knowing I had done it before, so I decided the only way to get rid of my fear of teaching was to simply go out and do it, again and again.

I now teach five of my own classes each week. Facing this fear has prompted me to face other fears in my life, knowing I am fully capable.

I know how hard it can be to start out teaching, so I compiled this list to share the most important steps I took that helped me break through my initial fear. 

1. I Spoke the Fear

When I started telling people about my fear, it took away its power.

Before I started speaking about my fear, the fear was just in my mind, and I had no escape from it. However, when I started sharing with people about my fear of public speaking, I started finding solutions. I met other yoga teachers with similar fears when they were first starting to teach and I started feeling less alone.

It was so refreshing to get the fear out of my mind and into a conversation.

2. I Got Support

When I started speaking my fear, one friend recommended I see a voice teacher.

I liked the idea, so decided to take lessons. My teacher showed me how to use my breath lower in my diaphragm and taught me exercises to strengthen my voice.

After several years of teaching I began meeting other women who had completed a yoga teacher training but had not yet started teaching, so I created a program for new yoga teachers to openly share their fears, strengthen their voice and practice teaching. I called it the Young Women’s Yoga Sangha and started offering the program in the Bay Area. I saw that when these women talked about their fear, they were intimately supported by each other, and that support gave them the courage to face it.

When I didn’t have anyone to talk to about my goals and dreams, my mind started telling me, “I’m not good enough, I don’t know enough, I can’t do this…” and almost convinced me not to do it.

Having a consistent supportive people in my life encouraging me, made the next steps so much easier.

3. I Celebrated My Successes

I did not go out and face my biggest fear right away; I started small.

I taught my family and a couple close friends. I then felt ready to face the fear in front of strangers after having those key positive experiences first.

Every time I took a step to face my fear, I celebrated my success and reminded myself of those successes every time I felt afraid to move forward.

4. I Let Go of My Story 

Before having a regular teaching schedule, my story was, “I can’t do this, I have never been good at talking in front of groups, and therefore I will never will be good at it.”

This was not even true! Just saying it out loud felt crazy. It was a story my mind made up to keep me “playing small.”

When we live in our story, we tend to procrastinate. We’ll be on Facebook, check our email again and again, or distract ourselves with food, alcohol, sex or anything else we can use to avoid taking action.

So how did I get out of my story?

First, I recognized that there was a story, then I wrote it down until it had no meaning anymore. I saw the words, and what it really was, a story.

Marilena Minucci says, “Your story can hold you hostage or it can set you free. You get to choose.”

Make a choice to write a new story, and remind yourself of that story every time you see your old story play out. Be held accountable, speak the story, and write the story as much as you need to see all it is is a story, and then let it go.

In the book Daring Greatly, Brene Brown talks about cultivating the bravery to just be in the arena. Being in the arena shows you are living in alignment with your values.

No matter what the outcome is, you are daring greatly and living your truth of courage.

When I faced my fear, connected to what I value and wrote a new story, I learned that whatever the outcome was, I was setting an example and becoming an inspiration just by taking action.

5. I Connected to My Bigger Picture and Vision for Myself and For the World 

The biggest step I took to face my fear was ask, “Why is it important for me to face this fear?” and “Why is it important for me to make this next step?”

When I asked “Why?” I saw that the purpose of teaching was actually more important than my fear.

It became painful not to share the knowledge I had learned. I saw it wasn’t about me anymore.

If I wanted to create a more conscious and compassionate world, I needed to face the fear.

If I wanted to help people live without pain in their body, I needed to face the fear.

If I wanted more people to rest and love themselves first, I needed to face the fear.

When I approached my fear from this place of service to myself, and all the people who could benefit from my teaching, it became much easier to feel the fear and do it anyway.

{Published on elephant journal}