Resilience & Grace

Explore the five koshas, or layers of being in this meditation. The five sheaths include: Annamaya kosha (physical body)Pranamaya kosha (energy body) Manomaya kosha (mental body) Vijnanamaya kosha (wisdom body) Anandamaya kosha (bliss body). Each layer takes you deeper into your true inner Self as you rest in a state of joy and pure bliss. This episode wraps us season #5. Thank you for exploring a variety of yoga and wellness topics and meditation practices with me on this podcast. As I prepare for the next season, please share with me what you would like to learn more about. Is there a wellness topic or yoga practice you would like to learn or better understand? Share your thoughts with me at info@mary-mccarthy.comSubscribe to my bi-monthly newsletter and stay up-to-date with current offerings at www.mary-mccarthy.com

One of the main benefits o meditation and turning the mind inward is the ability to mindfully witness thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Tara Brach calls this our superpower. Mindful witnessing is having the ability to know you are aware of being aware. You become a neutral observer of your own life. The witness place inside you is simple awareness, the part of you that is aware of everything. Our gateway to a deeper sense of peace, freedom, and joy is understanding that you are more than your thoughts and emotions. The ability to witness without judgment allows you to respond from the heart and enriches your spiritual life helping your thinking-mind to gain clarity and confidence. Listen as Mary shares her journey and a simple practice to strengthen your inner witness.Go to www.mary-mccarthy.com to learn more about Mary and her offerings as a yoga instructor, wellness coach, and speaker on resilience and healthy aging. 

In this meditation, you will expand your awareness and notice physical sensations, thoughts, and feelings in the present moment. Witnessing the present moment is our superpower as humans.This practice helps us remember that we are more than our sensations, thoughts, or feelings. We also practice noticing without judgment and living a more mindful life. To learn more and practice present-moment awareness, join Mary in her online studio to access a comprehensive library of yoga classes. Visit studio.mary-mccarthy.com to learn more. You can also work with Mary one-on-one and schedule a wellness coaching session. Learn more at www.mary-mccarthy.com/coachingOm Shanti, Shanti, Shanti

While yoga studios are often relaxing, quiet, climate-controlled Zen environments, nothing can beat warm sunshine on your face, a gentle breeze on your skin, and the smell of cut grass and its coolness under the soles of your feet. In this episode, Mary shares 5 benefits of practicing yoga outside the studio or home. Heightens your connection to nature.Strengthens your balance skills.Deepens your meditation practice.Enhances your ability to soak in the view.Transports your yoga practice. The magic of yoga is that it can be done anywhere at anytime. Mary and Megan Reuther met onsite to talk about the benefits of outdoor yoga for a Wellness Wednesday segment on Hello Iowa. Listen here: https://who13.com/hello-iowa/wellness-wednesday-outdoor-yoga/Check out where Mary will be teaching outdoor yoga next on her Special Events page. 

Body scan meditation is a good way to release the physical tension you might not realize you're experiencing. It is a mindfulness-based intervention and involves paying attention to parts of the body and bodily sensations in a gradual sequence from your feet to your head. You are invited to lie down on a comfortable surface or sit in a chair with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the ground.Subscribe to my newsletter and stay current with upcoming special events, blog posts, and resources at www.mary-mccarthy.com

Did you know yin yoga and restorative yoga are not the same things? From the outside, the practices look similar because they both include long holds, utilize props, are slow and introverted practice, and focus on opening the body over time instead of through dynamic movement. If you are wanting a restful yoga practice to help you decompress and relax, do you know which one to choose? As a yoga teacher of both styles, I get asked this question often. From the outside, restorative and yin look very similar, but when you learn about where they came from and the essence of the practice, you will quickly learn they are quite different.Want to practice and try a yin or restorative yoga class? Join me online. I teach a monthly yin yoga class on the first Monday of every month from 5:30-6:30 pm CST.I teach a quarterly restorative yoga class on the Monday closest to a season change from 5:30 - 6:30 pm CST.Learn more about Mary McCarthy and all of her offerings at www.mary-mccarthy.com

Release tension from the body and mind as you turn toward clarity and inner joy. Cultivate tranquillity and bliss as you let go of your thoughts about the future and the past and lean into your innate joy.  Mary McCarthy is a Certified Health and Fitness Instructor with The American College of Sports Medicine and an E-RYT 500 yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance.You can schedule a FREE  consultation with Mary and learn more about what offerings may be best for you. Visit her website www.mary-mccarthy.com for more information.

WELCOME to season #5! I am kicking off this season with a very important topic that is near and dear to my heart, anxiety and mental health. May is National Mental Health Awareness month and I am sharing my journey with anxiety. Yoga and meditation are wonderful tools to help someone manage their stress and anxiety and in this episode, I will share with you specific practices that help me when I am not teaching on my mat. Here are a few additional resources you may find helpful:1. Yoga Nidra for Restful Nurturance (episode #60)2. Live Mentally Healthy3. #Together4MH Resources4. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Information5. Yoga with Mary in her Online StudioMary McCarthy is a Certified Health and Fitness Instructor with The American College of Sports Medicine and an E-RYT 500 yoga instructor with Yoga Alliance. You can schedule a FREE  consultation to learn more about her offerings.  To learn more about Mary and view all of her offerings, visit her website www.mary-mccarthy.com.  

According to the yoga tradition, the heart is the doorway to the sacred. It is the fountainhead of lasting peace and grace. This meditation is dedicated to guiding you to it. The luminosity of the light of the heart gathers in the center of the mind and this light is guided from the midbrain to the cave of the heart. As your body breathes in, you feel the light expand, and as the body breathes out, it contracts back to the heart center. In the final stage of the practice, you rest in the heart, the seat of grace.Thank you for listening and practicing these ancient yoga teachings with me. This is the final episode in season number 4. I am taking a break from publishing podcast episodes at the end of 2021 to collect and gather new content and meditations for you to enjoy.  I will return sometime in 2022 for season number 5. I welcome your feedback and suggestions. Please share with me what you would like to learn or practice. It can be a topic on healthy aging, mindfulness, wellness, or one of the ancient teachings of yoga. You can share your ideas with me at info@mary-mccarthy.comPlease sign up to receive my monthly newsletters filled with insights, resources, online class information, and special events happening in the midwest. My home page is a resource for you to return to and stay updated as well. Visit: www.mary-mccarthy.comOm Shant, Shanti, Shanti.Peace,Mary 

Practicing grace creates a balance between masculine and feminine energies. It is the yin to the yang. I chose "Grace" to be a part of my brand to remind myself and others that grace is something offered unconditionally. We do not have to earn it. Grace helps us remember we are love. We belong.In this episode, I share five tips on how you can open your heart and discover grace.See your to-do list and "deadlines" as fluid.Take breaks.Become mindful of your mindset and beliefs.Ask for help and collaborate with others.Practice forgiveness and say I'm sorry.As we move into winter and the holiday season, invite grace to be integrated with resilience. Experience the flow between both energies.Grace is amazing!

In episode #60, Mary shares one of her favorite yoga nidra practices called "Restful Nurturance." You will move through the different stages of this practice drawing yourself deeper into a state of rest.  Yoga nidra offers many benefits including time to rest and recharge, detach from negative emotions, move into transformation and expansion, and enhance sensitivity to prana or energy. You can read a short blog post about yoga nidra benefits. Read more. Next month I will share the importance of practicing Grace. Tune in on December 6th when I release episode #61. Please join me on the cushion or yoga mat for additional opportunities to practice with me.  Check out the classes I teach online at studio.mary-mccarthy.comLearn more about me and my other wellness services at www.mary-mccarthy.comOm Shanti, Shanti, Shanti. Peace.

In episode #59, Mary shares her experience of how resilience has been a part of her journey, helping her continue to show up and persevere. She explains why cultivating resilience may be more beneficial than searching for happiness.Resilience is your ability to withstand or recover quickly from setbacks or difficult conditions.Resilience is a skill.Benefits of Resilience:Increases your chances of successGives a sense of independence, self-efficacy, and self-worthPositively correlates with physical health, morale, and life satisfactionOffers you a more positive outlook on lifeMakes you less prone to anxiety and depressionPromotes successful agingHow can you cultivate Resilience?ConnectRemember Your WhyListen and FeelRebalanceRechargeIf you are interested in learning more about Cultivating Personal Resilience and would like to include this topic in your next training or add it to your next conference or convention lineup, please contact me. I speak and educate groups and individuals on the importance of resilience and how it helps combat stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue.Learn more at www.mary-mccarthy.com

 In episode #58, Mary shares a meditation from Kristen Neff's book, Fierce Self-Compassion. The meditation is titled, Breathing Yin & Yang. In Ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang is a concept of dualism, describing how opposite forces may actually be complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. Yin represents grounded Earth energy: It is receptive, cool, dark, and tied to the moon, the oceans, and the shade. It is usually associated with feminine energy.Yang represents the sun: It is light, expansive, and usually associated with masculine energy.When we balance the opposing but complementary forces of yin and yang in our modern lives, we can achieve more vibrant and sustainable health. Connect with Mary and practice yoga or meditation online. You can also work with Mary one-on-one. Mary is a wellness coach inviting individuals to experience how clarity of purpose transforms and enhances your personal journey and creates a pathway to living the best version of your life possible. Schedule a complimentary discovery session and learn more about all of Mary's offerings on her website: www.mary-mccarthy.com

Yoga is a journey. It invites us to explore our heart's desire while connecting our mind, body, and spirit. It inspires us to be present with where we are in life right now. Your yoga practice can last a lifetime. Mary shares the many benefits of yoga in this podcast episode. Listen to the variety of physical, mental, and spiritual benefits experienced once you roll out your yoga mat or sit down to meditate and breathe. You can practice yoga online with Mary. She offers weekly mixed-level, gentle, and chair yoga classes. She also teaches a weekly yin class. You can take a look at all of her offerings on her online studio website: studio.mary-mccarthy.comYou can learn more about Mary on her website www.mary-mccarthy.comPlease subscribe and leave a review. The next episode is a meditation balancing the yin and yang energy within. 

There are many ways to meditate. Bringing your awareness to the center of the mind, also known as the 3rd eye center, can help bring stillness to the mind and break the distractions or thoughts racing through your consciousness. Take a moment to pause and feel light radiate from the center of the mind. You will leave this meditation feeling a deeper sense of peace and ease. To learn more about my offerings, please go to my website www.mary-mccarthy.com or follow me on social media @mmresilienceandgraceBe sure to check out my updated website launching Wednesday, October 6, 2021. Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti (peace)

Welcome to season #4! I am kicking off a new season at the start of a new season, fall. Fall brings the start of many shifting seasonal transitions. First, it is back to school, then comes weather changes and shorter daylight hours, and finally, we begin to move into the fall and winter holidays.My business is also going through a transition. Over the past few months, I have been working with a team of professionals to help me create a new website and online studio. Running Robots will host my website and hey, Marvelous will host my online studio. My new website (same URL: www.mary-mccarthy.com) will look and feel different. I am so excited (and nervous) to share these changes with all of you! In addition to my online classes, I am now offering individual and group wellness coaching, online courses, and presentations on a variety of wellness topics. Make sure to check it out and follow me on Instagram and Facebook for special sneak peeks before the big reveal.In this episode, I share seven tips on how you can successfully navigate transitions with resilience and grace. Whatever it is that you need, offer the gift of self-compassion and loving-kindness to yourself and take time to listen to the subtle, intuitive messages from your everyday life guiding you along the way.Subscribe and listen today!

A term known as "languishing" has been coined by a sociologist named Corey Keyes. Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness. It is the neglected middle child of mental health. An antidote to this "meh" attitude is a concept called, "flow." We can move from languishing to flourishing when we give ourselves blocks of uninterrupted time inviting ourselves to be present in the moment. A regular yoga and meditation practice can give us opportunities to practice present-moment awareness. Click here to read the New York Times article on Languishing. Practice yoga with Mary and learn about her classes and special offerings online at www.mary-mccarthy.comFollow Mary on social media @yogabymaryThis episode wraps up season #3. Mary will begin season #4 later this summer after she has launched her updated website and online class platform with Namastream. 

This yoga nidra practice is based on the ancient technique called, Shitali Karana. You will be moving awareness on the effortless flow of your breath. The benefits of this yoga nidra practice provide an energetic rest, enhancing sensitivity to prana and the pranamaya kosha. A feeling of transformation and expansion can happen and detachment from negative emotions. You will deepen your relaxation and surrender to each breath. Emptying and letting go with each exhale and filling or renewing with each inhale. 

Many of our daily routines have been restricted or modified over the past year during the coronavirus pandemic. It can be difficult to find the motivation and the time to exercise. It is no longer just the "Freshman 15" but now many are experiencing the "Quarantine 15" which grew to the “COVID 19." Finding time to exercise or maintaining an exercise routine at home can seem more like a chore than something we want to do. However, exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have for staying physically and mentally healthy. Mary shares tips on how to incorporate more movement into your daily routine.April is Move More Month. Schedule a one-on-one with Mary or attend one of her weekly classes online.www.mary-mccarthy.com

The Manipura Chakra is located in the navel center. This special gem is our center for insight, intuition, and inner illumination. Hold your attention in the abdomen as you simply observe the belly expand and contract increasing energy and life force to the navel center.

Give yourself permission to rest. Our brains need more downtime to process and manage all of the information we are bringing in. Downtime is as important to the brain as Vitamin D is to the body. Mary shares 10 "mini rest breaks," a way you can relax in all of the in-between moments of your day. Mary will continue to create and publish episodes monthly. You will receive a new episode in two weeks. Mary is moving from a weekly to a bi-monthly schedule. Enjoy!Connect with Mary online at www.mary-mccarthy.com

In episode #49, Mary speaks from her heart sharing the projects she is working on and a special Koshas training she is currently taking with Yogarupa Rod Stryker in the Parayoga system. Mary will begin to offer new podcast episodes bi-monthly (instead of weekly) starting in March 2021. She will share teachings and practices filled with resilience & grace.

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the eightfold path includes the niyamas. The second niyama is Santosha. Santosha means complete acceptance or contentment. You can practice santosha on and off your yoga mat. Mary shares tips how to add more contentment into your daily life. Read her October 2020 blog on santosha.

Transform your thoughts into ease and contentment. Follow your breath as a wave of vitality and renewal flood the body while letting go of thought and effort.

"Because I have a choice, I choose love." Deepak ChopraOur heart space is where our light comes from. Our entire world is lit by the heart. Mary shares ways you can bring more compassion, love, and joy into your life and thrive.Nourishing ideas:Go outsideRestBreatheEat nourishing foodHydrateMove your bodyCreateConnectPractice gratitude and lovingkindnessBlue Zone Recipes for nourishing meals.To learn more about Mary McCarthy and read this blog post on her website, visit mary-mccarthy.com

Relax into a yoga nidra meditation at the heart welcoming love into your mind and body. As you deepen your breath and move into the practice, you can allow your body to rest and your mind to rest. Mary will guide you through a 61-point rotation of consciousness and a visualization experiencing a deep sense of peace. The love you are searching for is already within you. You are love. You can rest in the loving energy that fills your heart and your whole body. Wake up from this meditation feeling relaxed and renewed with a sense of hope and love.

Wintering by Katherine May is a beautiful book to pick up right now. She shares her personal experiences with winter and the many ways we can come to terms with it and find a way to live with it so we can endure it a lot better. Mary truly loves the season of winter and this year she has tried snowshoeing, took her family downhill snow skiing, and found herself sledding down hills with other kids laughing the entire way down.You can listen to Katherine May's interview on NPR.org. Learn more about Mary and her online offerings at www.mary-mccarthy.com@yogabymary on Insta and FB

In this meditation, you will connect deeply to your breath. Your breath fills you with vitality and light. Visualize a golden egg shape seated at the center of your heart. This golden egg radiates healing light around your body. You can plant the seed of your Sankalpa at the heart resting in the golden refuge.

Mary shares the steps in creating a Sankalpa, a sacred intention from the heart. Learn the ancient teachings inviting you to pause, listen, and create your own sankalpa.

Mary led this special meditation on Election night 2020. It begins with a letting go meditation bringing ease throughout the body and transitioning into a Metta meditation of lovingkindness. You can practice this meditation again and again when you are feeling anxious and want to calm the mind and body welcoming in positive energy and lovingkindness.

We made it to the end of season 2. In this episode, #40 "Let Go & Get Grounded" Mary shares inspiring ideas and ways you can bring harmony into the body and mind by slowing down, giving room for reflection, and creating a state of ease with our relationship to change. Autumn is the perfect season to "let go".

Explore the power of a gratitude practice shifting your awareness to aspects of your life you are grateful for. A gratitude practice connects us to our innate joy. You will experience a heart-opening practice that is independent of any challenging conditions you may be experiencing right now. Step into the practice of gratitude.

"Yoga is the journey of the self, through the self, to the self" The Bhagavad Gita. Often the question is asked, what is the purpose of practicing yoga? Is it to become more present, more patient, more flexible, more creative, more self-confident, more loving, more mindful - or to be? This is the paradox of practicing yoga. Do I have somewhere to go or is there nowhere to go? The answer...Yes. Both.

Mantra is a meditation technique that helps you to take your mind to quieter, calmer levels of thinking. Mantras are often referred to as vehicles for the mind because with focus on the repetition of a mantra, other thoughts swimming in the mind dissipate and the mind shifts toward mental clarity and stillness.The So Hum mantra has a special meaning in Vedic philosophy and is often the mantra given to those new to the practices of yoga and meditation.So Hum is a phrase comprised of two Sanskrit words. The literal translations are:So: “That” Hum: “I” Therefore, the translation of So Hum is “I Am That.” According to many Vedic scholars, “That” refers to the Universe, and therefore, the So Hum mantra symbolizes that we are all connected to the universal energy which continually nourishes and supports us. It is of the same concept of “oneness”, of being one with the Universe, and all that is in it.So when we chant the So Hum mantra in our mind while meditating, we are saying, “I am ONE with the universe.”Mary shares with you the benefits of practicing this mantra with the Dhyana Mudra. Connect with Mary anytime at www.mary-mccarthy.com

Svadhyaya means, litterally, "to recollect (to remember, to contemplate, to meditation on) the Self." It is the effort to know the Self that shines from the innermost core of your being. This Niyama asks you to pay attention to what you are doing, how you are doing it, and why you are doing it. Svadhyaya challenges us to be honest with ourselves. Mary teaches yin yoga the first Monday of every month. You can join her online from 5:30 - 6:30 pm CST and email info@mary-mccarthy.com for the Zoom link. Yin is a wonderful way to drop in and explore the different sensations of the body and thoughts of the mind. It is a practice to boost your immune system helping you rest and relax. You can learn more about Mary online at www.mary-mccarthy.com

In this meditation, Mary guides you and invites you to become aware of sound, breath, sensations and thought. With a witnessing mind, you enter into a state of peace. You as the observer and the one being observed are One. You will rest in a state of present awareness.

Have you found yourself full of judgment? You may be finding yourself these days feeling soft on the outside and hard on the inside. Decision fatigue is real and we need our practice now more than ever. Practicing yoga on our mat including standing poses and gentle backbends can help us shift. Lessons learned on the mat can be taken into our lives off of the mat as we move forward with a strong body and a soft heart.

Dr. Andrew Weil has taught the 4-7-8 breath to help reduce anxiety, help a person get to sleep, manage cravings and control or reduce anger responses. This technique can be done anytime throughout the day. Children can practice this as well to calm the mind preparing for a good nights rest.

In this meditation, we will bring our awareness to our heart and mind. With conscious awareness, we will bring a balanced presence to these two areas. You will rest in the perfect balance between the guiding forces of your mind and heart.

In this episode, Mary shares self-care rituals that help bring her into balance. Let's hear from you! What self-care practices help you manage stress and bring balance into your life? Share with us on FB and Instagram @yogabymary Don't forget to sign up for Mary's monthly newsletter at www.mary-mccarthy.com Stay safe and well friends. Namaste

Tara Brach shares with us in her latest book, Radical Compassion, the acronym RAIN. R - Recognize what is going on; A - Allow the experience to be there, just as it is; I - Investigate with interest and care; N - Nurture with self-compassion. Listen as Mary shares with you how she uses RAIN to help her during these challenging times when she feels anxious and angry. You can read this blog on Mary's website: https://www.mary-mccarthy.com/post/r-a-i-n-a-practice-of-radical-compassion

Pranayama is a powerful tool that can affect our mood and emotions. The breath and the nervous system are intrinsically linked. Stimulating the vagus nerve with these five breathing practices can help calm the mind and decrease stress helping us stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.

In this episode, Mary shares her journey from teaching in-person classes to online using Zoom. It has not always been easy, but her years of experience and love of learning have helped Mary transition to a new way of teaching yoga during a pandemic.

"Grace, not Perfection" is the title of a book I have on my shelf, wanting to make time to read. I see the beautiful cover, I am inspired by the title and I know there are rich gems for me to savor and take in. Grace is a word that has become a larger piece of the conversation during this pandemic. Hopefully, you have received a little more grace from your family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. But most of all I hope you have given yourself a little more grace.

Rest in the healing energy from the heard during a 20-minute yoga nidra practice. Mary will guide you through the practice inviting healing energy and light to travel through your body as you come to rest in the heart center feeling love, compassion, forgiveness, and gratitude.

Where should you place your attention during meditation? Mary explains the benefits of shifting your awareness to one of the three centers during meditation practice. You will learn about the centers in the naval, heart, and mind. This episode ends with a short meditation inviting you to feel the power in each of these areas of the body.

In episode #24, Mary shares a few words written by President Obama today, June 1, 2020, in response to the national protests happening across our country due to the killing of George Floyd. He helps us understand what is happening and why and how to act for justice and peace. A "Prayer for Peace & Comfort" is shared and a short meditation on the powerful mantra words, Lokah Samastah Sukino Bhavantu. This mantra means, "May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to that happiness and to that freedom for all."

In honor of Memorial Day, Cultivate a Warrior's Heart with a heart-centered meditation practice. Turn inward and breathe into your heart with a willingness to feel your world, focus on something of beauty to you and acknowledge what nourishes your soul.

When survival gets triggered, go back to these four basic practices:1. Ritual & Routine2. Rest & Digest3. What you Focus on Grows4. Gratitude

Are you struggling to stay calm and serene? Mary shares her self-care routine encouraging you to reflect and remember the practices that bring you joy, peace and ease.

Viloma means "against the natural flow." This pranayama or breathing practice separates the inhale into three parts and allowing the exhale to release with ease. You will feel calm and relieve anxiety with this practice.