Mindful Emory Podcast

Thinking about the guests that I have had on the show, I want to speak about something they all have in common. And that is during their troubling, darkest, or most challenging times in their life, they all were able to hold their center. Whether they realized at the time, they were doing this or not, is not important. What is important is that all of them reached deep inside themselves and found the strength to continue on – to get through, and come out the other side with lessons learned, experience gained, grace, and dignity. Each of them held their center. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

In part 2 of Glen's interview, we continue where we left off with reflection on friendships, family, and going through changes in life with peace & grace. Glen shares with us reflections on life from his 20's, his 30's, the midst of his 40's, and where you sees himself in his 50's.

In part 1 of this interview, Glen speaks to how he has learned to live a mindful life with daily practice. Glen also speaks to finding his own personal power, as a divorced male in his 40's with 2 children and how that has impacted his life, his decisions, and heart.

In part 1 of our conversation with Rodney, we heard his story of making a choice early in life that put him on a path to be an educator. That choice allowed Rodney to understand who he is, where he wanted his place in life to be, and appreciate his life decisions. In part 2 of this conversation, you will hear how Rodney is helping others and the affects his tribe is having on others. We also speak about going through the pandemic with purpose and making the choice to take away the Monday blues on Sunday. And of course, Rodney shares with us his experience with mindfulness, when and how he was introduced to this path, and the ways he brings mindfulness into his life.

It was the spring of 99. Rodney had just graduated a year earlier from a rural high school where prom night had been decorated with extra policing and death threats for someone who wasn't like the majority of the good old boys. He had moved out on his "own" right after graduation and was trying to keep a roof over his head and food in his belly. Rodney was working a few part time jobs and going to a Community College to knock out some of the more affordable baseline credits before transferring to a 4 year university. In March of 1999 he received a letter in the mail stating he was the runner up for a $1200 scholarship and he had to be enrolled in a 4 year university to receive it. Rodney thought this was his only way out! So – he immediately began the work of applying to 12 of the MANY state universities and colleges and two private ones. Rodney waited and waited as the few short months trudged by. Letter after letter came back telling him that he didn't have enough credits to transfer in successfully. There was only one school out of all those he had applied to that would accept him on a transfer, thus granting him that glorious $1,200 and the hope of beginning to make a life for himself somewhere beyond the horizon where people like him could live free. At that time, he had to make a decision on his college major that would impact the rest of his life - and so he quickly chose education. Then bouts of depression, working full time, and tyring to be comfortable in his own skin while dodging the fiery arrows of conservative evangelical christians became too much for him. In early 2000 Rodney almost became a statistic. Suicidal ideation plagued his thoughts. Once again he took a semester off and lost the remaining 400 dollars of that cherished prize, However, by that time Rodney had found a counselor who would help him, he had a full time job that was helping to fund the bills, and then the bottomless pot of the mother-load college fund loans all proffered themselves to him! That doesn't seem like it's been 24 years ago. - but it has. Once he got on the path of early education, got in touch with his true self and said yes to opportunities in life that came to him, Rodney finds himself on a career path that is ideal, also partnering with a charter school to provide their sole Science curriculum for 5th grade, he works part time for Meta with Nourished Teachers, AND maintaining a somewhat peaceful homelife with the husband, the puppy, and their two cats.

In part 2, Ralph's world collapses around him and he struggles with how to handle the sudden change. What Ralph chose to do is something he learned from his 12-step program - and it is directly linked to living mindfully in the present. Ralph chose to go through what was happening in his life instead of trying to avoid it, cover it up, or mask it with outside influences. Ralph chose to stand right in the midst of all the chaos, confusion, hurt and pain - to truly know what was happening in the moment. And by staying in that discomfort, Ralph was able to clearly see his own strength, his true identity, accept himself for who he is in, and then turn his attention help and love those around him.

Ralph opens up about living a life that he feels was created for him by his controlling and abusive parents who forced him to live within the confines of a religion. Throughout Ralph's life, decisions were made for him by circumstance and others. It wasn't until Ralph turned 59 that he decided to choose himself, his happiness, and take control of his power. Enjoy part 1 of 2 of Ralph's story.

Emory discusses a reflection on the interview with Emma about having a choice in certain times of our lives. This episode is short, but introspective on how and when we make a choice in life.

Emma shares with us her life choices that have influenced the path of her life. Through her suffering, through her choices, she has become even stronger in her power, resilient, and courageous.

Emory continues the discussion of "I Had No Time To Choose What I Chose To Do" with reflection of past decisions and the decision makers. Let's explore the pivotal point in life - the teenage years. That time in our life is where we started to feel like our thoughts and dreams were ours to own – that time when we started to challenge our parents, their ideals and thoughts. Emory will take you on a quick reflection exercise in this episode.

Emory has re-launched his podcast after taking a break for a few months with a mini-series based on "I Had No Time To Choose What I Chose To Do" We find ourselves at times with life being thrust upon us with little to no time to properly react, prepare, and make a decision that is best for us at that time. Emory will explore and share with you his personal experiences in times where life came rushing in and others placed life in his life. Let's explore together.

We all have triggers in life. Those moments when something happens, someone says something, or does something that triggers us into emotions. It could even be a moment when we are presented with a temptation, like food, drink, behavior, and we instantly respond by giving in. And we wonder why. Why am I to quick to react, to give in, to say or do something each time this happens, someone says or does something or we have a temptation. If we take a moment and reflect on these triggers, we can see a pattern. And no matter what you try, no matter how many times we tell ourselves “I will not react to this” or “I will not give in to that temptation” – we do. We react to the same situation, the same words or actions done by others. We give into our temptations. Time and time again. We may even feel some guilt or shame around how we try, try, try to resist, and each time give in. First, I’m here to say – it’s okay. We are humans. We live in our earthly bodies and have so much stimuli around us. It’s okay that we have triggers. And for us to identify those triggers is a big step in our growth.

I want to dive into something that is around you each day, each moment, in your life – finding the center of whatever it is you are doing. And how that cultivates a mindful life. We take for granted these types of moments every day because we do things out of habit, without much thought really. But if I can show you how to push the pause button while you are living your life, you will find center again and again. And that is a beautiful way to discover mindfulness. So here we go ……. Let’s explore mindful moments and how to find your center in everyday actions.

Ever since I was a child, I remember watching and really enjoying The Peanuts holiday specials – the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas specials in particular. And through my childhood, I always identified with Charlie Brown – he was my favorite and I could see myself in him somehow. And each year, I would always watch those specials - even as an adult. It became a tradition for me. Over the past few years, I did not follow my tradition of watching the specials – sometimes I would watch one of the specials, sometimes I would not watch any of the specials. Well this year I made a pact with myself that I was going to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. And I did watch it. And while I watched the special, I had a moment where I realized something. The child I was at that time really identified with Charlie Brown because I saw myself in him. For you see, the entire show has an underlying theme of melancholy – much like my childhood.

Reflecting today on the year of 2020 A year filled with uncertainty, chaos, drama, anger, fear, confusion I experienced all of that Internally in my mind Externally in my observation To me from others To me from myself And all of these emotions, experiences, thoughts brought to me Lessons Knowledge Inspiration Through these lessons, knowledge gained, and inspirations I have changed I wouldn’t trade it for anything Who I am today, where I am today was destiny, my fate I take it all in and ask myself – what was the purpose of these experiences and lessons? To bring me where I am today To bring me to myself so that I may know myself better So I can do better So I can help in a better fashion So I can be a support to those around me For when I know myself better, I can be at my best for others I have grown this year – I feel it, I see it, I know it And I am ever grateful for this year I thank my God for guiding me through the storm of 2020 so that I come out the other side to a bright, beautiful end of the storm.

In this episode, Emory will share with you some of the research he has done about working with your shadow. Emory does advise you to do research of your own, as well, so that you may find a technique of working with your shadow that you feel most comfortable with.

Universe will always present something, someone or some place to us when we are ready or when we need it. And that happened to me not too long ago. You see, someone mentioned something to me about a subject I had never heard about. It piqued my interest, but I brushed it off casually. I did not seek to know more about this subject. However, over the next few weeks, I kept hearing snippets about this subject – in podcasts, on social media, and in my email in box. So, I kept thinking about this subject and in my own way, I came to some conclusion about what the subject was about. But it wasn’t until recently when I was forced to do some deep inner reflection that I finally got it – I understood why this subject was coming to me. You see, I was not in a good spot emotionally, spiritually, mentally. I just assumed it was due to this environment we live in today with quarantine, emotions running rampant, etc.

For everything that happens to you and around you is constantly changing – so do not hold onto that. Live here, now in the present. That is your gift to yourself.

Stop the rollercoaster! I want off this crazy thing!!!! Right now in the world, so many people are scared, angry, fearful, mean, and hateful. And I am just done dealing with all of the emotions spewed towards me by these people. So I am getting off the rollercoaster and made myself a promise to not play into the drama any more. I wish all the haters, the angry people, the fearful people - whatever you are going through is on you - not me. I am here for you, but I am no longer your lashing board to unload your emotions onto. I send you love, I send you peace, and I wish you the best of intentions from Universe to help you through whatever burden you are carrying right now.

Emory guides you through a simple mindful meditation. Listen when you can be in a quiet place that allows you to sit for a little while. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Day 6 of the Mindful Lessons finds you smack dab in the middle of a stressful situation and struggling to find a way to respond without going off the deep end! Emory presents you with the final lesson in this series of Mindful Lessons on how to pause and observe the situation before you respond. We all have stressful situations in life that trigger us to just react without thinking and often times we regret our reactions. Listen to this lesson as Emory presents to you a great tool to help you respond in a wise manner.

Pause before you respond. Today is a good day to not just react immediately to things that come to you. In situations that would typically provoke you, remember these 3 things: Step away mentally from the situation Experience the situation Do not evaluate the situation So we look into the situation and evaluate your thoughts and feelings towards the experience and do not rework the narrative (but he placed the wrong order) This way you can observe the situation without reacting to it immediately. Join Emory on this lesson for more details.

Lesson 4 of the 7 day series in Mindful Lessons brings you a practice of Mindful Eating. When you sit down to a meal, find a quiet place, turn off your cell phone, and really be in the moment with your meal. Take note of the temperature, the smell, the taste, and the site of the meal in front of you. Emory encourages you to practice Mindful Eating everytime you have a meal. And over time, you will be able to do this practice even when you are with others at a meal.

Emory brings you day 3 of the Mindful Lessons in a 7 day course. On this episode, you will think of 10 things you are grateful for and why. This lessons appears to be simple, and it is meant to be simple, however, thinking of 10 things you are grateful for and WHY can sometimes be a challenge - particularly when you are not living a mindful life - in the moment - in the present. Do not be discourage if you cannot think of 10 things to be grateful for - if you only get 6 or 7, then keep repeating this lesson until you get to 10. Enjoy and share with your friends - and stay tuned for the next lesson!

In this lesson, Emory asks you to be mindful throughout your day by being thankful for all the little things in your life. From your morning coffee, to that hot shower, to being thankful you have a car that gets you from point a to point b. When we can pause during our busy lives and take stock of all the little things we usually take for granted, we are bringing ourselves back to present - back to center - back to a mindful state. Stay tuned with each lesson and on day seven, Emory presents a guided Mindful Meditation.

Day one of a seven part series with Emory where he presents one simple mindfulness technique each day. Today's lesson is setting the intention for your day from the moment you wake up to when you place your feet on the ground. Thank you Thank you for this day Thank you for another opportunity to experience my life And remind yourself a few times throughout your day of this mantra so that you stay centered and focused. Stay tuned each day for another lesson with a guided mindfulness meditation presented on day seven. Namaste.

The beginning of a refresher of the back to basics of mindful living. Emory speaks of some techniques you can incorporate into your daily life to bring you back to center, to be focused, and to be mindful.

My Soul Dances My Soul Sings With the joy of becoming me Each year, on my birthday, I remind myself of this saying and reflect upon my journey. Listen in as I reflect upon my life with fondness for the people that have known me and the events that shaped me.

Let's get back to the basics here and chat about what mindfulness is, and how we can improve our mindfulness practice. Emory shares with you some techniques that will help you bring your focus back to the present during those times that you get caught up in emotions, the past, or worries of the future. We even discuss how to ground yourself during meditation so you can come back to the present and continue with your meditation.

This week, Emory speaks about how no matter how centered and mindful you are, there could be events and people from your past that you still carry around with you. Emory instructs you how to drop the past drama, how to avoid the drama today, and encourages you to stay centered.

The power to forgive others is a way of us to free ourselves of burden and feel lighter. But do you realize that forgiving ourself for our role in the conflict with another person is a vital part of forgiveness? Listen in as Emory explains his idea regarding this topic.

The month of July is all about the Heart Chakra. Join Emory as we journey through the power of love, the power of I Am Loving - we will explore how to freely give love so love comes back to you, how to appreciate love for your own self, and how to live heart-forward.

Emory brings to you this week the conversation with yourself of "I am worthy of my own self-love" with loving kindness. This week you will learn how to respond instead of react to your own self-talk and activities that will assist you with this lesson. Remember - you are worthy, you are loving, you are kind. Namaste

Emory brings to you the mantra of I Am Worthy in this episode and how through living a mindful life, you can tap into that power of I Am Worthy. The Solar Plexus chakra is the source of our personal expression and serves to help us realize our worthiness. Stay safe and continue your practice of living a mindful life.

Listen to this relaxing meditation with Emory as he guides you through a body relaxation, and focus on connecting with your Solar Plexus Chakra. This chakra is the home of the mantras: I am worthy I am worth my weight in gold I am worthy of my own self love Return to this meditation any time you need to connect with your inner power, your self confidence, and your worth. Namaste

Wrapping up the month of May and the Sacral Chakra, Emory explores the affirmation "What I have is enough" Being present, and being alright with your current place in the universe, is key to allowing more into your life. And that begins with you acknowledging that what you have right here, right now, is enough. You have willed all that you have into your life through your thoughts, actions, and words. So what are you thankful for in your life right now? That is where the universe listens and brings you to your path. Listen and connect with Emory - and suggest topics for future episodes.

A bonus episode this week focusing on the Sacra Chakra affirmation of "What I Do Is Enough" Emory provides insight on how to recognize you are doing enough. How you approach each day with solutions, creativity, and self-esteem can bring about a change that you will recognize. Join along and sink into the power of yourself.

This week, Emory brings you an exercise in "Who I am is enough" which ties directly into the Sacral Chakra. Listen as Emory gives you insight on how to bring your Sacral Chakra into balance and have confidence that you are enough.

This quick 5 minute meditation guides you with getting in tune with your sacra chakra with breath work and visualization. Start your day off with this beautiful meditation and set the tone for the rest of your day to be filled with joy.

The month of May brings us to the Sacra Chakra - a powerful place within our energy fields that connects us to our emotions, creative expression, sexuality, and abundance in healthy ways. I encourage you to discover your connection to this chakra and how it affects your emotions, your expression, your sexuality, and how you are grateful for all the abundance in your life now and coming to you.

As we close out April with the power of I Am Grounded, I Am Safe, I Am Secure, Emory guides you through a meditation. The root chakra deals directly with our safety, security, and grounding. Through this meditation, you will feel the security within you and around you. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Emory speaks about the power of I Am Safe - am important feature of the Root Chakra. Harnessing your own power to stand firmly in your own and to balance your Root Chakra really helps you with dealing with anger, fear, trauma. The Root Chakra is the base for your Chakra system. Emory reveals some important realizations he had while working on his Root Chakra - particularly with his family trauma from his childhood. Have a listen!

I am grounded is the mantra of the Root Chakra, which is the chakra we will discuss for the month of April. Listen as Emory brings you some sound advice on bring your awareness to your Root Chakra, activate that power and stay grounded.

Mag Dimond is the award-winning author of BOWING TO ELEPHANTS, Tales of a Travel Junkie (which hit #1 in 5 countries on the day it launched and won Best Indie Biographies & Memoirs from Kirkus). Her book has been compared to EAT, PRAY, LOVE in professional reviews and has received accolades from many thought leaders in the mindfulness space, including Jack Kornfield. It’s full of stories of her travels around the world, self-discovery, healing, food, and so much more at magdimond.com Mag figured out that she was never really seeking enlightenment. Instead, she discovered how to ease her own suffering from Buddhist meditation and her travels around the globe. “Happiness starts with loving-kindness,” she says. And a good way to start is with this free meditation at BowingToElephants.com/gift Mag has been a world traveler since age 11 — living with her mother in Italy for 3 years — and has traveled the globe. Once a 10 year hospice volunteer, Mag is a practicing Buddhist and dedicated member of Spirit Rock Meditation Center north of San Francisco. Mag’s essays are on Elephant Journal (being read by almost 2 million people).

In continuing with our 2020 Vision of the Power of I Am - we focus on I Am Happy. You have control over how you respond to this current time we live in with the Covid19 Virus. You can give into the paranoia and chaos, or you can allow yourself to find the good in the time you have today. This episode talks you through how to find the good in your day, how to be alright with what is going on, and to remember - life goes on. So enjoy your time - enjoy your self - enjoy your loved ones.

This guided meditation will help you find your happy energy flow whenever you need a reprise from stress.

Loving all parts of your self is essential to living a mindful life. The way you treat yourself, the way you speak to yourself, the way you view yourself is vital to learning and gaining growth. This episode explores how you can explore and appreciate each part of yourself and learn to love all parts of yourself.

Laura Owen is the owner of Pink Iron, an empowering female gym that embraces anyone and everyone to step into their own power. In this episode we discuss the power of I Am and I Am Loving. Laura is a dynamic, strong woman that juggles life, love, family and friends with a fierceness that I truly admire.

The month of February focuses on the Power of I am Loving. And we start off with exploring how we show up to others in our life. Self-care recharges our batteries, but we also need to have empathy and compassion for ourself. In this episode we discuss the benefits of showing empathy and compassion for ourself helps us to show empathy and compassion to others in our life.

How are we living our life in a socially mindful fashion? Are you listening intently while in the presence of others? Or are you constantly on your phone checking social media? Is your source for a social connection held within your smart phone or in face to face interactions with others in real life? This episode will explore the differences and how we can make a mindful intention to connect with others.

A guided meditation that helps you recognize and live from your true intentions. 2020 is the year of clear vision and living with intention.