Wonder Your Way To Brilliant

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I explore seven disciplines or practices that help us to remain grounded during these unprecedented times of uncertainty. Without some discipline, it is easy for us to become consumed by anxiety, which is neither helpful for our physical or mental health and well-being. Taking on even one of the seven disciplines offered in the podcast can provide profound grounding support. 

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we explore why it is important to get curious about the ways we have been re-shaped by the outside world and how to relocate the authentic version of ourselves. We look at why it is absolutely critical for each of us to live a unique and brilliantly authentic version of ourselves… and how the world literally needs for this to happen.  

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we explore life as a chapter book. From the moment we take our first breath until we take our last, we will pass through many segments, each one important in its own way. Each one part of the unfolding story of our life. Each one having value. And yet… How often do we pause to consider what the value of THIS moment is rather than remaining stuck in one from the past or speeding ahead trying to get to some time or space in the future? 

Many of us are so busy because we believe that our value and worth comes from what we do or achieve. And while many people are in leadership roles because they were good at getting things done or solving problems, this is not often what makes them most valuable as a leader. So, where does our worth come from it is not from doing or solving?  And what value do others have that we may not recognize if it does not show up in the form of a ‘product’ or achievement?   

You can only paint a wall blue if the paint in your can is blue. However, most of us want to be loving and kind people in the world, but we often fill up our proverbial paint can with either traces of or masses amounts of criticism, disgust, judgment, and/or pessimism. Unfortunately, when we fill ourselves up with negative self-talk, this is what fills our paint can. Whether consciously or unconsciously, this is the paint we will put on the walls of our lives. On today’s episode, we talk about how to fill our ‘paint can’ with the colors we wish to use the paint the world.

How do you know when you are in the presence of a yogi? It is not something you read or see, but something that you feel; the energy is compelling. On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I speak with Dr. Christine Kiesinger, a friend, colleague, speaker, writing, teacher, coach, and yogi. When Christine described the first yoga teacher she ever took a class with, she acknowledged, “From the moment I saw this woman, I knew I was witnessing yoga.” Tune in as she shares how the practices of yoga helped her to overcome panic attacks and anxiety and how she now lives yoga every day of her life. 

At some point, each of us gets curious about the existential questions: Who am I? What am I? For Henry Yampolski, yogi and founder of the Living Peace Institute, yoga is about pursuing these answers. On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant Henry shares some reflections about how we can go about thinking about who we are (and who we are not) and what we are (and what we are not). Henry’s teachings are powerful and can help us transcend the limitations we often impose upon ourselves because of our limited notions of who and what we are. 

Let’s just say it, life is complicated! There is so much to figure out about ourselves, other people, how the world works... And where pray tell, is the manual for how to find our way? On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I have a spectacular conversation with Kilkenny Tremblay, Yogi, and Founder of Sanctuary Yoga and Mindfulness located in Philadelphia, PA. Having grown up in the yoga tradition from a very young age, Kilkenny shares the inner technology she learned that provided her a way to navigate all the complexities of life. 

On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I have a spectacular conversation with Kilkenny Tremblay, Yogi, and Founder of Sanctuary Yoga and Mindfulness located in Philadelphia, PA. This was an amazing gift for me as Kilkenny is magical. Having grown up the child of yogis (how many of us can say that?!), yoga has been the foundation of her entire life. We have been exploring Ishvara Pranidhana, the final of the Niyamas, as the call to surrender. But surrender to what? Kilkenny offers a powerful response to what can feel like a challenging question or call to practice. 

As we head into Thanksgiving week, we tend to have gratitude on the mind. There are many beautiful reminders for us to pause and remember all that we have in our lives to feel grateful for. On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I invite you to broaden your typical thinking about the things that make it onto your gratitude list. What would it mean to not only express gratitude for the things that make you ‘feel good,’ but to embrace and truly experience gratitude for that which feels challenging? And why would you want to do this anyway?   

On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant I offer up a poem by Rudyard Kipling, “If”, which speaks to what Surrender is and what it promises on the other side. If you are like most of us humans, you may be resistant to the concept of surrender or still feel unclear about what it looks like from moment to moment. If this is the case, take a listen to the powerful and instructive words of Rudyard Kipling. 

On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant we talk about how we respond to the way life responds to our plans. There is a rare day when just about everything goes according to our plan, but how often does that actually happen? And how much suffering occurs in our lives when the plan is disrupted? On this episode, we explore what it means to plan and then surrender… what it means to stop fighting the way life unfolds and how to begin skillfully navigating the mystery that is greater than us.

In the past, I have talked about Newton’s 1st and 2nd laws of physics and their relationship to coaching as I see it. This episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant relates to Newton’s third law: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” What I have come to realize about the practice of Svadhyaya (self-study) is that the more intense an experience is for us, there is going to be an equal and opposite reaction. If the experience is difficult for us, then we may first feel an intense amount of struggle, suffering or resistance. However, as we master the practice of Svadhyaya, we learn how to transform this energy so that it can be wildly instructive and often times propel us forward in ways we never imagined. 

When we look through a pair of tinted sunglasses, it makes sense to us that if the glasses are tinted brown, everything we see through them will have a brown tint. What we may not be aware of is that even if we are not wearing sunglasses, we are all walking through life with ‘tinted lenses.’ On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant find out how you can discover the ‘tint’ of your world lens? How are your lenses shaded? How does it impact not only what you see in the world, but your experience of the world as well? This is a powerful exploration into Svadhyaya or self-study. Come and take a deep dive with me.

Have you ever wrapped a very precious gift in a box and then placed that box inside another, which you then placed inside another box and so on? This episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant begins to explore the Niyama of Sadyaya or Self Study, a process that can often feel like the ‘hoax’ of opening all of those boxes. Listen in to today’s episode as we explore ‘what’s the point’ of this self-study.  And then journey with us throughout the month as we look at HOW to do this productively. 

On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we take a final look at Tapas, the Niyama of Self-Discipline and what the point is anyway. As much as we like to think that we can control any part of our world, THIS is assuredly the illusion. The unexpected is around every corner; we never know what is coming next. Join me for this week’s episode where we discuss turning moments of disappointment, frustration or crisis into moments of grace. 

What is the purpose of self-discipline? Whether you are someone who embraces discipline or you are someone who struggles with it, what is the point? Sometimes self-discipline is mistaken for control. “If I am consistent about something, then I can control my environment.” But I do not believe control over the external world is the treasure hidden within the practice of self-discipline. On today’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we unpack both the purpose and practice of self-discipline and peak at the treasure that awaits on the other side of this spiritual practice.  

It is a truth of nature that sometimes things need to die in order for new life to blossom.  Leaves fall and new growth appears on the trees. The trimming of bushes gives rise to healthier growth. We shed thousands of cells every day from our bodies making way for new, healthy ones to grow. While the shedding of what no longer serves is a regular part of the natural world, we can have a very hard time when it plays out in our human world. Relationships end, jobs end, children, grow and leave home, we age… and many of us suffer.  On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we begin exploring the Niyama of Tapas, the practice of self-discipline that enables is to encounter the shedding with strength, resilience, and wisdom.

What keeps us from experiencing contentment? On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, we explore the six most common barriers to contentment and offer a powerful strategy for overcoming any and all of the six. If you have chosen a life path to align yourself more with Santosha/Contentment, tune in.

On this week’s episode of Wonder Your Way to Brilliant, I am grateful to be speaking with my friend, colleague, and teacher, Henry Yampolsky. Henry is the President of the Living Peace Institute and a truly earnest practitioner of yoga. If you have any question about what ‘contentment’ really is, whether you have ever really felt it, and how you can expand your access to this experience, you will want to listen in to this conversation. Find out on today’s episode.