Step out of the Stress Slow-Cooker

The relief you seek from the negative effects of stress you’ve endured over the past two years is on the Path of the Yogin.

We all agree these past two years have been equivalent to sitting in a slow cooker of stress hormones, not knowing what surprise ingredient will be tossed in or taken out next, and a dwindling hope that it will be unplugged and cleared out soon. 

According to a series of studies that have been published in the past few years, there are three main psychological drivers of stress:

They are:

1. Lack of predictability

2. Lack of control or agency

3. The salience or importance of an event 

When these are ongoing, our nervous system remains on high alert, which leads to the manifestation of the physiological symptoms you are likely experiencing. Such as, fatigue, overwhelm, lack of motivation, anxiety, irregular sleep or more severe medical conditions such as high blood pressure, hypertension, irritable bowel, and reproductive suppression, to name a few. 

Here is the good news. 

Yoga provides the teachings, practices, and tools that give us the insight and skills we need to change our relationship with stress, take responsibility for what we can control, strengthen our focus and awareness to perceive differently, and reconnect with the unshakeable inner-stability that remains present regardless of the constant change and flux in life. The insight and skills of yoga empower us to change our inner-environment so that chronic stress cannot take hold. And the Path of the Yogin is our offering to  guide you toward the tools that will help you create a healthy rhythm and relationship with the stresses we are under.

We invite you to face these very real world problems with proven tools that have been passed down from ancient yogins - the original scientist that gathered enough evidence to prescribe these systems of healing the body and mind while they also walked the path toward liberation and self realization.

We are not simply suggesting that the study of ancient wisdom will fix everything , nor are we proposing that we meditate our worries away or bypass reality as it is. 

We are saying that Yoga is an embodied system of healing. It is the process of learning how to  include every part of who you are in order to transcend the instability of these changing times   and regain inner-stability. 

One of the ancient yogic systems we have included in our program is the study and embodied exploration of the eight limbs of yoga. Understanding the purpose of the eight limbs gives us insight into how to use these practices as tangible tools for today. 

The Yamas and Niyamas are the first two limbs and are what guides us to learn how to harmonize our inner and outer relationships while taking responsibility for ourselves.

The third limb, Asana, is a tool to guide us in how to release stored tension and trauma, while also strengthening and building our body-wide resilience.

With Pranayama, the fourth limb, the practice of controlling and extending one’s life force, knowing how and why we breathe, and how our breath patterns are negatively affected by chronic stress, we can retrain our breath to provide more safety signals in our body and guide us back into optimal health. We can use our conscious breath to generate calm all the while limiting the negative impacts of uncertainty. 

The fifth limb, Pratyahara, is a clear and efficient path to practice withdrawing from the constant stimulation around us, to release desire, and to soothe our aversion, so we can learn how to be with “what is” rather than remaining stuck in a cycle of wishing things were other than they are. 

Dharana, the next limb, is translated as “stop the flow” and is used to foster focused attention and deep concentration. In doing so, we gain insight into how to shift from feeling scattered and overwhelmed, which is the cause of our constant seeking or avoiding that keeps us locked in repeating negative patterns. 

Dhyana, is the seventh limb, and it translates as meditation or meditative absorption. This is the peace we are really seeking. No longer dependent on something outside of us to feel at ease, we attune to the real peace that stays with us regardless of circumstances.

And, Samadhi, the final limb. This is bliss. It is undisturbed by any egoic desires, expectations and attachment. It is full liberation. Today, Samadhi is better understood as Integration. It is the state of health and wholeness, with a resilient brain and nervous system that gives you the ability to remain present, grounded and connected to your deep wisdom as you move through life.

We can achieve this with the power of presence and the connection to consciousness that allows us to recognize our choices in every moment. 

After two years of living with fear and uncertainty, change is in the air and we can choose how we would like to move forward. Do we continue along the path of suffering, cycling through the instability of an overwhelmed nervous system and the incessant stimulation of distraction and blame? Or, do we step on The Path of the Yogin and allow the tools of inner-stability that yoga offers to be what transforms us into who we are capable of being?

xoxox

Inspired Yoga & Wellness Team

Why choose The Path of the Yogin...

The Path of the Yogin

Begins February 27

Have you ever been struck with the question “who am I?”

Have you ever felt the pull to discover your unique purpose or felt the subtle, yet deep, sense that something is missing?

Do you have parts of your psyche, or life, that make you feel like you are standing at the edge of a fire? Perhaps you have a recurring fear that you lack the understanding, support and resources you need to step into the transformative flames of conscious change? Or perhaps you are ready to take that step and are seeking a way to do so that provides you with enough space to breathe and rest along the way.

If you have asked any of these questions, or had similar thoughts, you are a yogin. And this program is for you.

We have a shared desire to feel better, be better, do better, and we know that taking care of ourselves is a must. Yet we are overrun and overwhelmed by the roles we play in this life and the commitments that arise from these roles.

It is no surprise to anyone to hear that the time we are living in has substantially increased collective strife, by way of uncertainty, lack of control, and more flux and change than what is comfortable for most. An added problem to this cocktail of unpredictability, is that collectively these problems surmount to a state of constant stress and is feeding into what was already was a growing epidemic of mental and physical health struggles. 

The key here is: the problem is not the problem, it is our relationship to the problem that is the problem.

If we don’t create space for what can truly cure our incessant restlessness and avoidance, then all we are doing is putting on one bandage after another. The feeling of having “not enough space” is a signal from your nervous system that you are overloaded and in an unsustainable place for your long-term health.

There is no shortage of quick fixes and we may have habitual ways we can distract ourselves and even override the messages we are receiving. But as you know, what you push away and avoid simply gets louder and more demanding for your attention.

The Path of the Yogin is our curation of a cure as we invite you to deal with these very real world problems with the tools that have been passed down for centuries. Yoga is meant to be discussed, explored, experimented with, shared and adapted to meet the relevant needs of the present. As a system, it teaches the practice of:

• how to take responsibility for ourselves (yamas and niyamas)

• how to release stored trauma from our tissues (asana)

• how to use our breath to shift nervous system states (pranayama)

• how to withdraw from external stimulation to be with our internal environment (pratyahara)

• how to develop choice and mastery in what we focus on (dharana)

• how to expand our perspective from my reality to a global awareness (dhyana)

• how to be an integrated and blissful soul while walking this earth in an intelligent body (samadhi)

We are not simply prescribing ancient wisdom study, nor are we proposing that we meditate away our struggles or bypass reality as it is. Yoga is an embodied system of healing, where we include every part of who we are as we transcend the instability into the depths of our inner-stability. 

The Path of the Yogin program is for you if you are ready to bring choice and empowerment back into your life, to listen to your wise body-mind that is telling you to slow down and, ultimately, be guided and supported out of the cycle of suffering and back to the wisdom that is already inside of you. 

Imagine …

Imagine what it would be like to experience the support, compassion, structure, resources and content needed to transform the direction of your life towards liberation. 

Imagine an experiential course that mimics the flexibility of a healthy brain and nervous system, offering stability and support while honoring your personalized needs and desires. 

Imagine 18 weeks of inspiring content, holistic practices to strengthen your body and mind, a nurturing and adaptive team of teachers who have the goal to re-connect you with you, and a supportive community of other humans stepping into the fire as well. 

The Details …

This 18-week program is focused on merging your individual needs and goals with history and tradition of the 8 limbs of yoga, to cultivate the emergence of the wisdom you seek. 

Our five modules are as follows:

• Your Purpose: Creating the path for conscious change and how to apply the principles of yoga to ourselves and our lives as we study, live and grow

• The History and Philosophy of Yoga: Where we came from, where we are now, and the awe-inspiring hope of where we are headed

• The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: An expertly guided translation and supported journey through how to apply this wisdom and inquiry to your life

• The Bhagavad Gita: An expertly guided translation and supported journey through how to apply this wisdom and inquiry to your life

• Subtle Anatomy: How to know and be the mover of your own energy

The recorded content of these modules will be available weekly and will include lectures, reflection homework, mindful movement, breathwork and meditation practices.

We view homework as a tool, not a rule. If your goal is to get Yoga Alliance certified, there are some expectations in what you complete. If your goal is to be the best human you can be, we hope our homework offering is a guideline and spring-board for your own creative intuition.

We will enjoy time together with six live online gatherings and, throughout the course, you will have five hours to use for personalized collaborative mentorship and coaching with your teachers.

Logistics

We meet online through the Inspired Yoga and Wellness portal. Each week we will release a new set of lessons and practices so that you can engage with mindfulness and consistency.

Our schedule will be as follows (all times in Mountain Standard Time): 

Opening Circle: Sunday, February 27, 9:30 to 10:30 am

Online Gatherings: 

Saturday March 12, 9 -11 am

Saturday April 9, 9 -11 am

Saturday May 7, 9 -11 am

Saturday June 11, 9 -11 am

Closing Ceremony: Sunday, June 26, 9:30 to 10:30 am

The time we are living in now is giving us a choice. Do we continue the path of suffering, cycling through the instability of an overwhelmed nervous system and the incessant stimulation of distraction and blame, or, do we step on The Path of the Yogin and allow this fire to be what transforms us into who we are capable of being. We hope you choose to join us on this path.

Here’s a little video I put together to share some inspiring conversation between Nora, Erin and I as we discussed what we are so excited about in this program. Enjoy.

As with-in, so with-out

One of the most profound phrases I have heard from one of my teachers is: “What’s true on one level is true on all levels.”

The immense possibility in this statement is also where the immense danger resides. As the concept of “truth” is multi-faceted and is over-used in situations where it’s not appropriate. The type of truth that I am referring to here is the kind that is proven to be true after experiencing and experimenting and observing it arise as the most probable truth with the information and understanding we currently have. The kind of truth that when you use it as a mental model in other complex areas of existence, it illuminates with resonance and fluidity, perhaps even opening new perspectives that weren’t viewable before. 

Another important aspect of this is to include space for the assumption that you could be wrong. Regardless of how true it feels, or how true it appears, or how perfectly the parts seem to align at any point in time, we keep ourselves humble and open to continue learning and bringing in new information by always allowing space and celebration for being wrong, to re-think, and think again. As another common adage I love goes: “Admitting we are wrong is simply admitting we are more right than we were yesterday.” 

So with that being said, the “truth” I am interested in exploring today is the notion of “as with-in, so with-out.” In what context am I referring to?

The world as we see it is a reflection of our inner world. This is not to excuse behaviour that is unjust, or excuse ourselves from an important cultural uprising as if it's just as illusion. Rather, this is a broader perspective that is inclusive to recognizing that yes, it is illusive and a reflection of our inner worlds, AND, we are alive, material beings and it is important to contribute and be a part of our small and wider world communities. This is a Both/And scenario. 

The reason why I am inspired to write and explore this at this point in time is because I get the sense that there are far too many people who are more aligned with the material world and seeing the problem as “out there,” outside of themselves, and not seeing that an important part of the work is doing a U-turn with that finger and getting curious about what’s going on inside. 

As with-in, so with-out.

You most likely have had the experience of feeling like there is a part of you that doesn’t have your best interest in mind. We call these parts the saboteur or the addiction, and we describe them negatively with characteristics like impulsive, grandiose, weak, overbearing, cowardice, fearful, anxious….to name a few. They are the parts that steer us towards thoughts, feelings and behaviors that are out of alignment with who we think we truly are or what we desire for ourselves and our lives. They are the parts that we are frustrated with, confused by or infuriated with. We try to avoid or subdue, or excuse or blame on external conditions. 

And yet, when you turn towards these parts, listen, hold space for their stories of how they got their role, the fears, pain and intense emotions they are trying to protect your system from, the beliefs they carry about what’s possible, and the general sense of isolation and burden they carry, something magical happens. Compassion and understanding changes the relationships in your system. These parts start to recognize that we all have a common goal, that they don’t have to carry these burdens on their own, and in fact, can release them and step back into a more flexible, supportive and freedom filled existence where their attributes are needed and appreciated and no longer demonized. The magic is in the generous listening, and that requires a connection with the wise adult within, the historically taught Higher Self, the loving witness that provide consistent loving with-ness. 

As with-in, so with-out. 

We humans all want the same thing, and some are carrying more burdens for all kinds of unjust reasons, and act, think and believe in service of protecting their fears and their most vulnerable parts. Of course they do! We all do this. There may be a surface level illusion of separation as we express our different experiences, and hear different beliefs, opinions, and labels used to create silos and othering, AND, we can include that while seeing past that.

Look for the parts in you that are doing the best that they can with the information, resources and support that they have to protect what is feared and what feels like intense vulnerability in the system, and then remember that this is the common human condition. Blaming or othering or putting others down to make ourselves feel more right is not the way through. Step back. Slow down to be compassionate with every part within you, and that will lead the way to the pervasive compassion within and between all of us. Love and compassion are not simply passive, forgiving and soft, they are fierce, full of accountability, persistent, and passionate for justice. 

As with-in, so with-out. 

xoxox

Why do I love yoga?

Why do I love yoga? Because yoga saved my life. And I know I am not alone in that belief, as I have heard many yoga teachers and students proclaim the same sentiment. 

I have come to a place in my life where I recognize that the most real things in life, and the only thing that I actually have some semblance of control over, is the space between things, otherwise known as relationships. At the time of my first yoga teacher training in 2014, my relationship with myself was so unhealthy and difficult to manage that I tended to do everything within my power to avoid it. I was in the grip of many addictions, all of which were coping mechanisms to manage the pain I felt in every moment and in what seemed like every cell of my being. This pain was overwhelming, confusing, and embarrassing, and so far I had not found a strategy or path that did anything more than momentarily relieve some pressure or distract me from what was always lingering and waiting for me. 

When I stepped into yoga teacher training, with my now co-facilitator Nora Maskey, I did so with the intention of following a nudge that I had felt countless times in moments of bliss during beautifully guided yoga classes. I did not think I would become a yoga teacher, and instead was focused on what I thought would be a Life Coaching career - not realizing how intertwined and inseparable these two “paths” would become. 

For me, yoga was the path back to my aliveness. It has led me into dozens of trainings and experiences that have guided me into the core of my suffering and unraveling of my pain and struggle. It has taught me how to love my body, how to move in diverse ways, how to be with myself when I am in need of being seen, heard and loved, and how to express from the union of my whole body and see through the lens of my heart. Yoga, true to its name, has re-united my internal system and with the omnipresent essence and energy that permeates everything. 

This is why we created The Path of the Yogin. A path to bring us back to ourselves, to uncover what is real and what is illusion, and to re-stabilize in our internal unchanging nature where healing is our birthright. 

One of my favorite components of The Path of the Yogin program is our weaving of the yamas and niyamas into each module to expand the content in a way that supports the embodiment of these vital principles and practices. 

Described by Donna Farhi in the book Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit, the Yamas and Niyamas are…“the empathetic descriptions of what we are when we are connected to source.” Or in other words, they are the keys to optimizing our relationship with source, with ourselves, and with others. 

I remember the first time I learned about the yamas and niyamas in my first yoga teacher training. I immediately had the sense of how important these principles and practices were, and an excitement for the clear path laid out in front of me. This was soon followed by intense frustration that I couldn’t remember or hold on to all 10 notions in my psyche right away. A familiar desire for instant knowing and a deep lack of contentment with what is now shone light on where my loving attention and studentship was required on this path. It became a practice of choosing one at a time, week by week, revisiting, reading, and practicing, until all ten yamas and niyamas were committed to memory and weaved into my daily life. A surprising gift that kept on giving, as new layers, insights and inquiries would reveal themselves as I stayed the course with curiosity and a willingness to keep learning. 

I am excited to share this journey with you. Are you ready to step onto the Path of the Yogin?

The Magic of your Throat Chakra

Sneak Peak of module 6 in my Space to Breathe program

Year Long program *2 spots left, begins January 2, 2022

Breathwork Masterclass Workshop Series

The Throat Chakra (visshuddha: "to purify") is symbolized with the element of ether or space and is the portal for respiration and self-expression, which includes the right to speak, to be heard and to listen generously. A healthy throat chakra allows us to feel the immense space within and around us, to express with resonance, to harmoniously collaborate with others, and to communicate with space, creativity, rhythm and inclusion, all of which cultivate more WE Consciousness versus the I Consciousness. To be the best communicators we can be (with ourselves and with others), we need to practice the ability to pause before we speak, to think again to update our beliefs and perceptions. And like any habit, it gets easier, more efficient and more effective with practice.

T.H.I.N.K: Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind?

Effective Expression includes the energy you are emitting with body language, the words you speak and think, and the tone you communicate with. Total communication can be broken down as 58% body language, 35% tone of voice, and 7% content or words spoken. We communicate with so much more than the words we use. Generally speaking, we attune to the moment on the inhale and we express primarily on the exhale. Therefore, how you breathe, the quality of your inhale, the felt experience of your exhale, and your ability to breathe with spaciousness and ease, are all reflected in the quality of your expression and communication.

"Only through self-expression does the outer world get to know what is inside of us. We only know what's inside someone when they choose to tell us. Self-expression in the fifth chakra is a counterpart to the sensate reception coming in through the second chakra. In the second chakra, we opened a gate that allowed the world in through our senses. In the fifth chakra, we open a gate that allows our inner self to get out into the world." - Anodea Judith (Eastern Body Western Mind)

There is reactive momentum and responsive momentum. Reactivity is momentum driven unconsciously, literally a re-enacting of the past, and serves to protect, defend, or fight what is happening in the moment. A reaction is a drama played out in an effort to sedate and control the cause of our upsetting experience. The theme of all reactive behavior is blame and revenge, clear signs of a nervous system that has been activated into its survival role, and this will be reflected in how your breath is moving or not moving.

Responsive action is momentum rooted in taking charge of our inner discomfort, being with what we feel and then choosing our response from the loving attention of Higher Wisdom. Response-ability arrives as we step back and notice the reactive loops beginning to play out, and pause to connect with the breath with our full attention. A response is a conscious choice to contain and constructively internalize the surfacing energy with the intent of healing past wounds so we can show up with compassion, curiosity and inclusivity. We respond by unconditionally feeling the emotional state unfolding within us without outwardly projecting it onto others. We notice our nervous system reacting as if there is danger afoot, and we turn inwards to meet the activation with our own loving presence, consequently increasing safety signals and gifting us the space to "think again." To be response-able is to recognize we are able to respond deliberately regardless of the initial impulsive reaction.

Our voice and our respiration is often a naked display of what is going on internally. In this module we take our breath exploration and practice a layer deeper to get to know the pause that allows an authentic and spacious discernment between reaction and response, recognizing again that the breath is both the message and the messenger.

In this module, we explore the complex relationship between oxygen and carbon dioxide, and the immediate and profound impact this has on your felt experience, rhythm of breath and quality of expression. It is here, at the level of chemistry, we begin painting a picture and building a clear path that connects how we breathe and our ability to expand the window of tolerance and elevate the physiological baseline that is dictating the pace of your breath.

What you will discover here is that using mild air hunger techniques is a powerful and efficient way to access positive stress resiliency that leads to retraining your innate breathing reflex towards a longer, softer, smoother rhythm.

Before we dive in, use these reflection questions to create some clarity in your current expression habits and how they may be compensatory patterns due to a low or fixed threshold. As we take our journey onwards into this vital step of breath mastery, pay close attention to how your communication shifts and changes.

Do you often express yourself honestly and openly when you need to? What/when is this true for you, and what/when is this not true for you?

What stands out to you in your own expression habits and patterns?

What do you truly desire for your own expression? How do you want to feel about your ability to communicate (i.e. listen generously and express yourself)?

Curious to learn more or be a part of this deep dive into your breath and its grip on your psyche? Join me in the Space to Breathe program, or reach out for a one on one coaching experience.

marinmccue@gmail.com

The Practices of the Yogin

You are invited to join our online community!

We at the Inspired Yoga and Wellness collective have dreamed up a live online offering designed to inspire consistent and creative experiences and foster an optimal environment for inner evolution. With less focus on what’s not working in this world, and more time and attention on our inner journeys, these live online sessions will create space for the deep knowing that when our own cup is full we can then be a catalyst of positive change.

Welcome to The Practices of the Yogin!

A healthy mind and body is a flexible mind and body. Creating a diverse and structured formula for optimal well-being requires persistent practice, a deep reverence for ourselves, and the ability to surrender. That's what we have created for you!

Details:

We invite you to join us for regular live Zoom sessions to experience our collective offerings within a unified theme of feeding ourselves the nourishment we need - body, mind and soul. These 90-minute sessions will be an opportunity for you to be guided with mindful movement, breath, self-inquiry, and mindset tools as we explore a multitude of ways you can cultivate focus, effort, effortlessness, and discipline - all key ways to nurture yourselves along the path of the yogin. 

Each month will be its own container, a journey within a journey. You are welcome to join us for a minimum of one month. We believe deeply in the power of commitment to create a conscious community and collective of healing and growing, and we would love for you to take the leap into this journey with us. 

"Those who looks outside, dreams.

Those who looks inside, awaken."

~ Carl Jung

Investment:

We have created a tiered registration system in hopes that whether you are in financial strain or abundance, we have an option that will allow you to register without creating undue stress in your system. We know how important your healthy nervous system is and we want to do everything within our power to make this journey feel supportive and inclusive. If there is anything we can do to support you further, please reach out. 

Dates:

Our journey officially begins on Sunday October 31 from 10 am -11 am MDT.

Halloween is a day that represents darkness, mysticism and magic (in our eyes at least). On this special day, Adrienne will lead a morning session that provides a fun and light-hearted overview of the FEED acronym we have been playing with in our latest offerings. Read about FEED in our blog here.

Adrienne will include light movement, a focus on mindset, as well as goal setting techniques to support you in setting your foundation and sparking some excitement for the explorative and transformative journey ahead.

Register for one to four months of practice with us and receive this first session a welcome gift.

Plan to attend classes on Thursdays in November, from 9:30am-11am Mountain time. Each class is themed around a different aspect of the FEED acronym. Please see the schedule and descriptions below!

The classes will also be recorded so that you have access to them throughout the month and you can view them again at your convenience.

On the last Sunday of the month Adrienne will offer time to reflect on your insights from the last month, as well as explore new tools for your ongoing development, discovery and nourishment needs. 

We are excited and honoured to explore the unfolding path of The Practices of the Yogin with you!

From our hearts to yours,

The Inspired Yoga and Wellness Collective

Nora, Adrienne, Marin, Erin

How to boost your immunity with breath

How you breathe is both a window into your current nervous system state as well as influencing what state you are in. This is referred to as bottom-up and top-down processing. The rhythm of your breath naturally changes based on your brainstem’s moment to moment assessment of your metabolic needs and nervous system state, triggered by the changing levels of carbon dioxide present in your blood (i.e. bottom-up) and the internal appraisal of safety and danger inside, outside, and between you and others. 

When we are aware of how and why our breath changes and consciously assess whether the change in breathing rate is appropriate, as well as determine what state is needed or wanted in this moment, we can take control of our breathing and be the conscious driver of our nervous system (i.e. top-down). 

Why would we want to do that? Because we have an innate ability to heal, along with the ability to feel and experience a wide range of diverse sensations, emotions, thoughts and behaviours, and many of us are stuck in a small range of activation - which we are not meant to be in for long periods of time without reprieve, restoration and recovery. Another adage that I strive to live by is “flexibility over consistency,” which is alluding to the key of optimal health and well-being as diversity and movement through our various states, rather than, again, being stuck in a small range of activation. 

Immune Health and Breathing

Our immune strength is intricately connected to how we breathe. So much so that we can also say that lung capacity and respiratory diaphragm rhythm and pliability are the greatest indicators of life span. It’s important in this modern world for us all to balance the need to listen to social and cultural expectations for the collective health while still maintaining and honoring our ability to care for our own health and well-being from a place of resilience and self empowerment. There is a heightened sense of responsibility and a decrease in fear when I perceive my health in this way. While there are many tactics to employ to gain skills in your offense, this post will hone in on one simple place to start: nose breathing.  

The nasal cycle rhythm refers to the natural change from one nostril dominance to the other (generally at a 3:1 ratio air flow) in intervals of 90 minutes to 2.5 hours, while more or less (along with desynchronization) generally leads to disease, lethargy and depression.

So, what’s the point of this rhythmic change in nostril dominance?

There are a few theories, most of which center around moisture, pathogen clearance, general nose maintenance and differences in modes of processing connected to the left and right brain hemispheres.

The nose is the only organ in the entire body - other than the sexual organs and breasts - that contain erectile tissue. This erectile tissue controls the size, shape and angle of the air passages, thereby regulating air flow through the nasal passages. It is the erectile tissue that automatically alternates air flow between the right and left nostrils by alternately shutting off one side. As one nostril dominates the other, the more dormant nostril has the opportunity to rest, build moisture, and support immune function by removing whatever's been snagged by the tiny hairs and mucus before it has an opportunity to move into the body or fester with infection.

"What researchers eventually managed to confirm was that nasal erectile tissue mirrored states of health. It would become inflamed during sickness or other states of imbalance. If the nose became infected, the nasal cycle became more pronounced and switched back and forth quickly.

The right and left nasal cavities also worked like an HVAC system, controlling temperature and blood pressure and feeding the brain chemicals to alter our moods, emotions, and sleep states." James Nestor, Breath

Depending on the qualities or attributes that you want to foster more of, you can play with right or left nostril dominance breathing. It is suggested one can selectively activate a hemisphere depending on which functions are mostly needed at a certain point in time. It is well known that the left hemisphere (masculine) is responsible for language processing whereas the right hemisphere (feminine) is for visual processing.

Commit to Nose Breathing

We commonly hear about our gut microbiome and the importance of keeping that flora healthy as a pillar of our physical and mental health. Did you know that your nose has its own microbiome as well and is also a major contributor to your physical and mental health?

Your nasal passages are lined with microbiota as well as local nitric oxide that is specialized within your nose. By breathing through your nose most of the time, you strengthen your ability to fight off infection and create an additional layer of immune defense. When you refrain from mouth breathing, including predominantly while exercising and while sleeping, your nasal microbiome grows stronger, and your tolerance to carbon dioxide increases (huge benefits!). 

Nitric Oxide is produced inside the nasal cavities (referred to as local N.O.) and the lining of the thousands of miles of blood vessels - endothelium - throughout the body (systemic N.O.). It is essential for health and wellness at the cellular level as an anti-inflammatory agent. Breathing gently and slowly through your nose facilitates the transfer of nitric oxide from the nostrils to the lungs. Slow ease-full breathing increases the concentration of local and systemic Nitric Oxide which improves blood circulation, airway dilation and reverses build up of cholesterol and plaque in blood vessels (among many other positive impacts). Breathing through your nose, as well as humming, can boost Nitric Oxide six-fold and facilitate the absorption of up to 20% more oxygen.

A commitment to nasal breathing is a necessity for good health and for the improvement in physical, mental and emotional stability and performance. The benefits include:

- Filtering, warming, and humidifying air before it is drawn into the lungs

- Regulating the heart rate

- Enhancing the flow of nitric oxide in your nose to lungs, as well as in the lining of your blood vessels

- Better oxygen delivery throughout the body

- Reduced lactic acid as more oxygen is delivered to working muscles

Quick note on exercise:

For those of you who already have a habit of mouth breathing when you exercise, this will be a tough one to commit to. It requires that you slow down and maintain a level of exertion that allows you to breathe through your nose for at least 95% of your workout. Over time, your body will adapt and you will find yourself pushing hard and able to maintain nose breathing for longer and longer periods of time. It is worth slowing down so that when you speed up it is done with your whole mindbody health in mind.

"The health benefits of nose breathing are undeniable...Immune function, weight, circulation, mood, and sexual function can all be heavily influenced by the amount of nitric oxide in the body. Nasal breathing alone can boost nitric oxide sixfold, which is one of the reasons we can absorb about 18 percent more oxygen than by just breathing through the mouth...

Breathing slow, less, and through the nose balances the levels of respiratory gases in the body and sends the maximum amount of oxygen to the maximum amount of tissues so that our cells have the maximum amount of electron activity...[A] Japanese study in humans from 2013 found that mouth breathing delivered a disturbance of oxygen to the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with ADHD. Nasal breathing had no such effects." - James Nestor, Breath

In general, at rest, we need to practice breathing through our nose with these guidelines:

1. Breathe Light: Inhale less air in and exhale fewer times per minute. Work towards the sensation of breathing so light, soft and quiet that the hairs in your nostrils don’t move. 

2. Breathe Low and Deep: This is not to be confused with a big breath with the intention of filling up to your fullest capacity. When all respiratory muscles are working together, this is felt as a deep and low expansion and relaxation. We want to feel our breath in our pelvis, low belly, low back, waist, low ribs, and lower lobes of the lungs. This deep and connected movement facilitates a flexible diaphragm and consistent healthy movement for your lymphatic system to support the drainage of toxins in your body.

3. Breathe Slow: We each have our own threshold or baseline for carbon dioxide tolerance, and that is what triggers the impulse to breathe. Work towards a balanced, slower breath, with the goal in mind of 5.5 seconds inhale (slow, deep and light) and 5.5 seconds exhale. 

For those of you who struggle with a blocked nose, before you head to your doctor for alternative methods, try these first. 

- Buteyko technique

- How to drain sinuses

- Breathe right strips and/or hold nostrils open with fingers while breathing slowly to get N.O. flowing and reduction in inflammation. Do this several times throughout the day to retrain your breath to move through your nose with ease. 

For more exploration, practice, depth and discovery, check out my Space to Breathe program or join myself and my IYW team for the Path of the Yogi program (contact us with interest and we will share more details soon!)

Retrain your breathing to be more conducive to optimal health

Imagine an elastic band and the slow stretch and release. This movement that begins at rest, stretches until there is tension, then releases back to rest. Each time that stretch happens, when it’s done gently, creates a new threshold of where that elastic can stretch to without breaking or losing its elastin quality altogether. That’s how we want to approach breath practice.

This is an individual process as each one of us starts with our own baseline or threshold and we each have our own window of tolerance that we need to work within for this practice to be constructive. Slow and steady is key to ensure we do not overwhelm the nervous system and turn this practice into something that is producing more strain than benefit.

I have found that the best place to start with this practice is to remember that a little bit of stress is totally healthy and good for the system, as long as we honor the space and time needed after bouts of stress to regulate and come back into a state of calm connection. Breath practice becomes an opportunity to connect with ourselves in whatever state we find ourselves in, as well as the ability to show our body that we can turn stress on and then we can turn it off. Eventually this completely changes your relationship with stress, as something that serves a purpose and does not leave us stuck in an activated state. Flexibility is the cornerstone to optimal health.

In Rhythm we Trust

Flexibility leads us to discover the wisdom and emergent properties of rhythm. We are not static beings. It is best to think of life, moments, change and growth as a rhythm that oscillates between two poles. We can tap into an ever-expanding and sustainable wave of growth with an exponential trajectory AND constant stability or still point. Your body was self-formed, spirals within spirals creating tubes within tubes, all conducted by the pulse, rhythm and leadership of your heart. A swing in one direction can and will create an equal and opposite swing, and when we tap into momentum, we can use this natural movement of energy to support our growth in a healthy and optimal rhythm of effort and surrender.

The pace, depth, rhythm and coherency of your breath is an expression of your brainstem's assessment of the necessary dose of energy your body needs for anticipatory performance. If you are stuck in a nervous system state, your breath will match what the nervous system is communicating. For example, if you are overwhelmed and heading into a shutdown response, you breath will likely become slower, yet rather than a coherent rhythm, more likely there will be an aborting of the exhale before it reaches it's satisfying release or complete absence of breath, exemplifying the dissociation and vacant body experience of shutdown. Or, if your body is at the beginning phase of sensing danger (even just through thought alone), and activation is rising, it will signal the breath to be prepared for action by breathing quick, shallow, chest dominant, with tension, and potentially even pauses in breath felt more as a bracing (versus a collapse or dissociation in the shutdown response), as this is a subconscious reaction to suppress, dull or avoid intense or painful feelings. The breath shows us what is going on inside, it is like a window that gifts us in-sight to explain behavior, thoughts, postures in the body, and the perspective(s) you currently have access to. Or in other words, your psychology resides in your physiology.

The word "psyche" comes from an ancient Greek word that means "life force" as in the energy that is animating the body through breath. When we know our breath intimately, we have access to the inner-workings of our own psyche.

It is your physiology that is driving the pace, rate, tone, and quality of your breath while it also informs the fundamental functioning of your psychology. By learning the intricacies of breathing and when, how and why to dance the line of guiding the breath versus being guided by the breath, we can be conscious navigators of our mind and body and optimize our mental and physical health.

Inhale and Exhale in Rhythm

Your inhale is connected to your Sympathetic Nervous System, and exhale is part of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. These two systems are meant to work harmoniously as two poles or opposites that together create the rhythm of life. To breathe well is to increase the heart rate and sympathetic tone on the inhale, and release/let go with the exhale, decreasing heart rate and stepping into a parasympathetic tone (referred to as Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia). High heart rate variability is only accessible in a relaxed state as the healthy oscillation of sympathetic and parasympathetic tone can flow. In a stress state, heart rate variability is flat, our breath locking us in a pattern which doesn’t oscillate because the breath remains strained.

Practice:

Lay down or settle into a seated posture with your hands wrapped around your low ribs on either side of your waist.

As you inhale, gently squeeze to contain your low ribs slightly, to slow your inhale down and ensure you are directing your breath to expand from your pelvis and low belly first.

As you exhale, relax your hands and feel the gentle nurturing touch as your exhale slow releases.

With each breath, guide your inhale and exhale to slow down until you settle into a sustainable rhythm where the inhale and exhale are around the same duration.

Breathe in slow motion (which is relative to whatever your rhythm was when you started this exercise) as if a slower breath expands the present moment for you to notice more.

Continue for at least three minutes to give your heart time to syncopate with the rhythm of your breath.

After a few minutes, release your hands and just relax into breathing in whatever way feels good and natural in that moment. Notice the difference between being the guide and then stepping back and witnessing your body be breathed, being guided.

Balance between being the Guide and being Guided

When your deliberate breath practice “steps on your reflexes“ you are acknowledging that your reflexes are not in sync with what is truly needed in this moment. A self regulating, or autonomic, system is not necessarily self optimizing. Guiding our breath and occasionally initiating a conscious stressor serves a purpose as we can learn to meet it and relax, resulting in a reduction of dysregulation in lower level stressors that we experience throughout life. A good rule of thumb every time you pause to tune into your breath is to include both being the guide and letting go to listen and be guided by your breath. We need to build lots of safety as we start noticing the breath, and using curiosity and receptivity to how your body is naturally breathing is a great way to increase safety. The spotlight on the breath can feel alarming at first, and if we try to change it too much, too quickly, we risk creating more activation and increased difficulty in feeling relaxed in our breath practice. As you increase tolerance to carbon dioxide, your breath will naturally become slower and smoother without force or manipulation. Keep breath practice and manipulation for specific and deliberate times of the day. Otherwise we must allow and relax and observe the breath.

xo

If you would like to learn more and take your journey of optimizing your health with breath to the next level, check out my Space to Breathe program and reach out with questions.

**This video comes from module 1 of my Yoga Nidra and Pranayama online program, and guides through the basic foundational steps of connecting with your breath to cultivate a nourishing rhythm.

Move your body during and after you experience mental stress!

The more I learn and experience the wonders of the human body, the more amazed I am at what it is capable of and what it holds onto. The body is a living and breathing storehouse of your past and the meaning you have made, consciously, subconsciously and unconsciously. Your life’s narrative is written on the biological pages of your fascia.

How we breathe and how we move (among all of the other “how we ‘x’ statements) is either sustaining, creating or atrophying our body and the trillions of cells we are composed of. The purpose of this blog post is to focus on one fascinating aspect of our nervous system and how we can support ourselves to release stored charges before they build up to become larger issues.

A bit about breathing:

When our vital organs are receiving the oxygen they need, there is a positive correlation with glucose levels and nitric oxide - which is a chemical that reduces inflammation, and supports the free flowing and open communication within our entire bodily system. When communication is happening with ease internally, we can trust the flexibility and resilience that emerges, and every exhale becomes an opportunity to rest, restore, and regenerate. When there's enough carbon dioxide present, the oxygen we breathe in that hitches a ride on the red blood cells to travel through the body can be released and utilized in the busy tissues where it’s needed.

If we don't engage in movement, physically or by way of emotional release, after quicker breathing that is preparing for action (as is the case when we experience a mental stressor without physical exertion or release), our body doesn't have a natural intervention, and instead, we adapt to lower levels of carbon dioxide as the new baseline and we get trapped in a quicker breathing rhythm that is maintaining dysregulation in the nervous system.

As the threshold for carbon dioxide is reached, your brainstem triggers your diaphragm to facilitate an inhale. What’s fascinating here is that we each have a different threshold for carbon dioxide, and this can lead into chronic dysregulation when carbon dioxide tolerance is lower than what is actually optimal.

Why does this matter?

Because if your brainstem is triggering a quicker breath than what is optimal, that will keep your nervous system in a state of hypervigilance and occasionally or chronically in a place of shutdown, and we do not have access to our innate ability to heal when in this pattern.

A simple place to start is to recognize when you are experiencing a mental stressor and get your body moving. Shake, wiggle, reach, bend, bounce, punch, push, pull, cry, scream, holler, make noises, etc. Use the actions as a way to reconnect with your breath as you release what was building and guide yourself back into a place of feeling calm and connected. This will ensure that you are not moving further into patterns of stuckness in dysregulation and a new pattern of feeling what is real in each moment while training your mind and body to come back into a place of safety and regulation.

What if your habitual pattern of breathing is already quite dysregulated (over breathing and under breathing)?

This is where is starts to get a bit more complicated. Start with awareness. Notice how you breathe, what patterns arise for you, and what it feels like when you practice slowing your breath down for a sustained period of time.

In my next blog post I will dive deeper into how we can retrain our breathing to be more conducive to optimizing our mental and physical well-being.

Are you fascinated by the potential we have in our body? Are you curious to learn and explore what’s possible when you truly understand how to breathe? Do you desire an immersive, flexible and explorative journey to embody this wisdom in your fascia? Join me for my year long program, Space to Breathe

Why explore the lessons and insights of the Fall Equinox?

I have noticed an interesting pattern in myself and others for a long time now. When on the precipice of change, expressions of discomfort and impatience arise to the surface. It’s as if we want time to move faster as we enter the “space between” or the process of transition, yet this is also where we have the opportunity to learn the most.

Change is constant, and therefore, the space between “here” and “there” is ultimately infinite. When we can learn how to gracefully flow with the river of change - rather than force, fight or pretend/avoid - we get to be conscious contributors in our life, weaving our own creative threads into the collective tapestry. To settle into this flow with an open mind and an open heart is what decreases the amount of perceived uncertainty and significantly increases our sense of control. This is a huge contribution to our mental well-being, as decreasing uncertainty and increasing sense of control will reduce the overall amount of cortisol in the body and open us back up to our innate ability to restore, learn and heal.

With the massive amount of media and air-time spent on how to avoid contracting COVID-19, I have been struck by the limited amount of education and support being shared around ways we can each improve our health and well-being, rather than simply avoid contact, wear a mask and wash your hands as preventative measures.

The more time we spend in worry, uncertainty, fear, and focused on our struggles with a sense of being stuck, the more incoherent our breathing will become and the more incoherent our heart rhythms becomes. We have the ability to heal and strengthen our immune system when we know how to foster flexibility (over consistency) in our breath, movement, mindset, and nourishing habits.

How we navigate the constant change of seasons, days, relationships, careers, roles and responsibilities, is intimately connected to how we navigate our mental and physical health. When we take a step back to look at the rhythm of change, we see patterns and possibility for growth, predictability and surprise, and wise analogies that create a map for navigating the unknown.

Let's celebrate the Fall Equinox together on Zoom!

My team at Inspired Yoga & Wellness has put together a four-session series, traversing the Fall Equinox (Tuesday September 21 to Thursday September 23; 630pm to 8pm, and Saturday September 25, 10am to 12pm mdt) that will weave various forms of theory, meditation, self-inquiry, movement science, mindset and nutrition to curate experiences that will alter your perspective on the power and possibility in transition.

Each session will be led by one of our faculty members. We will take you on a hero’s journey in the form of a voyage through the stages of life and change and how to cultivate balance in the midst of transition. We can all step boldly and confidently into the unknown with everything we need for it to be a nurturing and growth inducing adventure.

We will meet on zoom:

Session 1: Tuesday 6:30 pm - 8 pm with Marin McCue

An introduction to the Hero's Journey and why it is so powerful as a map and template for change. Learn how that map can be used to not only help you point out where you are now, but also highlight where you have been and where you are going. We will explore how to honor the collective journey while equally honoring your own personal experience. You’ll walk away with simple practices you can use to self-regulate along the way.

Session 2: Wednesday 6:30 pm - 8 pm with Nora Maskey

As we cross the threshold into the unknown we meet the chaos of the unfamiliar along with allies and obstacles. The fire of effort is required to burn away what once and create space for something new. You will be guided inwards through a yoga practice to embody transition and recognize strength in opening to include opposites.

Session 3: Thursday 6:30 pm - 8 pm with Erin MaCaig

The Initiation is not quite over, as effort is not complete without surrender. Come ready to reflect and re-think what you thought you knew about your direction and gain insight and clarity from the experiences you have moved through thus far. Slow down and enjoy a deeply restorative practice, followed by lessons in how to be a conscious communicator, preparing for your journey "back home."

*Friday we will take time off for reflection, time in nature, and an opportunity to watch a replay on a session you may have missed.

Session 4: Saturday 10am - 12pm with Adrienne Gross-Leibham

We complete our journey, coming back home to ourselves and stepping back into the "ordinary world" as changed beings. A guide through breath, nutrition, movement and mindset to experience the nourishment and inner-stability of strong and flexible mental and physical health. Followed by a short and sweet closing ceremony with all facilitators.

All times are in Mountain Daylight Time
*Session links will be provided upon completion of registration.

Three payment options:

$50 ($52.50) - Minimum donation
$150 ($157.50) - Full registration per participant
$300 ($315) - Financially stable and able to sponsor a second participant

We would love to have you be a part of this journey with us. Register for your spot today!

https://inspired-yoga-and-wellness-inc-3.square.site/

Program for you!

Yoga Nidra and Pranayama

8 module program on teachable

In this online, self-led program, you will learn the why and how of the stages and layers to the yoga nidra practice and why and how to retrain your nervous system with functional breathing and elevating your tolerance to carbon dioxide. This is a program for those who are ready to be an active participant and creator in your own healing.

Yoga Nidra and pranayama are powerful practices that foster:

• meditation (presence)

• deep restoration (healing)

• focus (self-control)

• fine-tuning awareness (discernment)

• the mind architecture you desire (manifestation).

When you know the geography of your nervous system and how to soothe it, suddenly a new world of exploration and creation opens up. To dive deep into the subconscious system and change beliefs, habits and programs simply through the practice of feeling more, being with yourself, noticing reaction and changing the story of fear and protection into one of allowing, expanding and healing.

To practice observing one’s body and mind without reacting, getting lost or taken over by the stories or distractions that can often consume our regular waking life is a key to this practice. When we don’t react to our reactions, and stay in curious mindful awareness and observation, we get access to the deeper material that has been driving those reactions. Because we are not just the product of what has happened to us, we also move, protect, express, see, believe, think, and behave based on what we have made our experiences mean. 

When we remain relaxed, patient and spacious in observing this subconscious material manifest, we can update our belief systems and create space around impulse so we have new found choice and freedom. Essentially meeting the root cause of our dysregulation and loosening the grip around it so we can heal and release it.  

“I’m astounded by Marin's ability to distill large bodies of work into tangible teaching points and effectively communicate them. Marin’s attention to create a safe, open and comfortable space may be her biggest asset. For those looking to broaden their horizon of what deep-rooted wellness means, look no further. For those who struggle with remaining present and are seeking repose, look no further. If you want to increase the richness in moments, Marin has the tools and perspective that can materially improve your life.”

Dr. Ryan Allen 

What to expect:

• Start anytime

• Move at your own pace

• All content can be downloaded so you have lifetime access

• 8 modules facilitated through the platform Teachable, an organized and user-friendly space that will guide you through each stage of the practice we are exploring, as we build a personalized template of discovery from intention, goals, limiting beliefs, and self-empowerment.

• a 30-40 minute coaching video (recorded from a live zoom call) with experiential learning for each module,

• a booklet full of content and self-inquiry questions to supplement your practice,

• Breathwork videos to guide you through a sequential practice from simple functional coherent breathing to mild air hunger and conscious connected breathing,

• 2-3 meditations or yoga nidra recordings (per module) that guides you deep into your subconscious to uncover the jewels of wisdom needed as we venture into the vast terrain of your mind and body,

• Bonus resources emailed to your inbox as each module opens up for access (podcast episodes, articles, videos) to supplement the areas of growth and learning that interest you most.

  Join me for this journey inwards and watch the outer world change.

"Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens."

Carl Jung

Watch this 12 minute webinar to get more details on the practice of Yoga Nidra.

Enjoy this 15 minute Heart Compass meditation to access the wisdom you seek.

“I have been to many yoga nidra classes in the past and I must say I never understood what I was "doing". I feel like it was never fully explained and it's liberating to now have this knowledge.”

- Angie H., recent grad of program

Follow this link to get started!

There are many reasons why someone might be resistant to this kind of practice, and all are valid. And on the other side of that resistance is the wisdom you seek. If you are curious to learn more, I would love to connect on a call. Whether you are seeking personalized support, interested in a program, or simply want more resources or access to some yoga nidra audios or classes, I would love to hear from you. 

Book a discovery call with me - marinmccue@gmail.com

"Yoga Nidra may be even more beneficial than sleep for creating change as it involves both deep rest and focus simultaneously. When you have alertness and focus, acetylcholine and adrenaline mark those synapses for change. In deep rest the change takes place. Most amount of concentration followed by the most amount of restoration. A sense of urgency increases the degree of plasticity."

- Andrew Huberman

This program is deeply influenced and inspired by the work of:

Stephen Porges, The PolyVagal Theory

Deb Dana, Befriend Your Nervous System

Richard Schwartz, Internal Family Systems

Daniel Siegal, MIND

Andrew Huberman, ‘The Huberman Lab’

Michael Brown, The Presence Process

Tanis Fishman, The School of Sankalpa

Tell me what perfection is...

Episode three of season three of my podcast was such a delight to facilitate. I find it to be so fascinating to reflect on the journey of various concepts and beliefs in my life, and how they have evolved into a release or into a deeper rooting. The notion of perfection has played an important role in my self-inquiry, and it was such a treat to share that journey and hold space for others who are all in their own unique relationship with this concept.

Below are a few minutes from the beginning of this episode transcribed for your reading pleasure. Find the links to the full recording at the end. Enjoy, xox.

Marin: I'll give you some context into tonight's topic. It really popped up for me actually in our last recording. Where the word perfect was used so many times in so many different ways. And I just became really curious about that, of the different ways we're using it. Sometimes it was positive, sometimes it was negative, sometimes it was something you can never reach. It was hyperbolic often, being used in a way where it's like, well that's not really what I meant, it's just like, that's the word I use because it's this nice exaggeration that we throw around all the time. Right, “I'm dead tired”. Well, are you really? “I'm as fast as the wind”. What does that mean? 

We say these things that are just kind of an analogy, but it's hyperbolic. And that's one of the first things one of my teachers said when I broached this topic with her about what do you think about perfection, and she said, a lot of the English language is hyperbolic. And that's really all I have to say about it for right now and I was like that's genius. That's a huge part of what makes this concept so confusing is the different ways that we use it. 

…..

And so there's a few different concepts - or I'll go with the word container - that we can use to understand perfection. Not only does perspective matter, but so does scale. As well as what type of language am I using, is this hyperbole, or am I being really serious about what I'm saying? And as I will get more into kind of playing with different ways of discussing this and exploring it, but I wanted to start with sharing that the only thing I really know for sure is that when I claim perfection as now. my whole body settles. 

Like it's, it's this internal striving for more or what's next and control and this is wrong, all of that just settles, because I confidently step in and claim, “no it's perfect”. And being this nerd with the nervous system, I know that when I feel so calm and settled and soft, there is space for alternative pathways, for sampling new information, for noticing things that I've never noticed before, because I feel safe. And to me, this practice that really has been introduced because of Beth, of claiming perfection as now, I've now been able to link it to what happens in my nervous system. 

So everything else is contemplation. It's interesting, some will be opinion based on experience, but that's the one thing I wanted to start with because it's what I can say I know this for sure because this is my visceral experience on a daily basis. 

So, you know, kind of trying to frame what our definition of perfection is. That's really all I wanted to kind of put out there to start with is, that's what I know, that's what I'm feeling. 

I am curious to hear from you Beth, when it comes to this discussion, this inquiry around perfection, whether it's how you would define it, or, or what you want to start with, you want to say about perfection.

Beth: Yeah, I think I'm going to start with what my teacher said, and then I'm going to move into kind of where it all kind of began for me. And this came up with my teacher, about two years ago. We were in conversation about some big -  probably cause and effect and karma or something like that -  and I just remember having this moment and we were in a circle and I looked at him and I said: “You think people are perfect too!” And everybody went silent. And I was like, oh did I say something wrong. And he just looked at me and he said, “If you say so”.

And then we moved on with the conversation. Which was, I mean I sat with that for a really long time and it's true. If I say so that's true, that is my reality. So then I kind of had to sit with, well (a) Why did I feel so uncomfortable? Why did the room go silent? Like what, what's the problem? I finally spoke my truth in a room that I thought was safe and it didn't feel safe so why what's the problem?

And so now I'm going to take you back to kind of where I think the issue started for me is, is growing up with a severely disabled sister. And when you have a disabled sister, she's just your sister, period. And then one day you go to school with her, and you realize everybody else thinks there's something wrong with your sister. Everything, the way she looks, the way she talks, the way she dresses, the way she thinks, the way she moves. Everything! 

And being a child and watching every other child, every other child, pointing out making fun of somebody for having all these “imperfections”, was so confusing. It was so confusing. And so I grew up really almost angry like “she's perfect! Why can't you see she's perfect? What is wrong with you, that you can't see she's perfect? There's no problem with her.”

“Well, you know, Beth, she's never been able to do math like you.”

“Yes She Can! I know she can. I know she can because when I take her downstairs and I spend three hours teaching her math she can do math. It’s that you don't want to take the time to teach her to be able to do what you think is going to make her perfect.”

And so, as I got older, that's like the reality I'm walking around and in the world, is a whole bunch of people that have agreed to this collective consciousness of humans are flawed. And I, I'll be honest, it really just totally confuses every single cell in my body, why every single human wants to claim, and own the fact that not only are they flawed, so are you. But it's okay you're flawed because I'm flawed too. We're both flawed. And it just like it really confuses me. There's very few things that I have been met with more resistance in my life than people who want to tell me why not only are they not perfect, I'm not perfect, and the world's not perfect. And it, like I said it's just very very confusing. (A) that not only do you want to clean that for yourself, but the fact you actually want to put that energy on everybody else walking around in the world. 

You know, and the next layer that I'm going to go into is like, why, why are we doing that. I think it's because, as a collective consciousness, several of us are separate or have separated ourselves, or have been taught to be separate from our spiritual self. And our spiritual being is in the present moment; perfect. It is a reflection of divine love and light. There is nothing wrong with the present moment. And if you claim there is then show me one piece of evidence that says that this present moment is not perfect. 

And so I think that that's, you started talking about space and time, it becomes about achievement. Perfection becomes something we have to acquire as opposed to being something that we are. But then becomes the question of stagnation. Well then, then we're stagnant, we're not progressing. Well, really?

I can look back on myself 10 years ago and I am not the same person but I don't think I'm any more perfect. I don't think I'm any more perfect today than I was 10 years ago, or 20 years ago or 30 years ago, nor do I think I’ll be anymore perfect 20 years from now. It's just a whole bunch of now moments that are strung together. And if you're in the Now moment, there is no other answer other than for me; you're perfect. And I'm perfect, and I can only see you in the same light that I know my truth as. 

Marin: Thank you. Yeah, you know that the story that is coming up for me is one of the first times that I played, or that I taught yoga. It was at a family reunion in BC, and I was teaching. I have a pretty large family, I grew up Mormon, so when we all get together, it's like, lots of people. 

So, early in the morning for these three days, I said that I would lead a yoga class outside for any of the family who wants to join. And my dad came to, I think all three of them, and on one of the mornings, I was saying things along the lines of, like, you've got to accept yourself for who you are. Accept this moment, it's all there is. Right. What if you are exactly who and where and, you know everything that you're meant to be in this moment, like just a lot, a lot of that as the theme of like just radical acceptance.

And my dad pulled me aside after and challenged me on that. And he said: You know I don't know if I agree with this, like, just accepting things as they are things that you were talking about. And he said, you know, his worry was that if people are really to just accept that this is what it is that yeah they'll stop trying. It'll turn into this, this passive lifestyle of like well I'm perfect, so why try or, you know it is what it is, so I'm just gonna lay back and wait for the universe to come knock on my door and tell me what's next. 

And similar to the way you described Beth, I sat with this for a long time. Right. It was a moment where I was like hey there's truth in what he just shared, but something's off. Like, that's not the whole truth. And what I realized years later through continued practice and study is, oh, it's non-dualism, that I was feeling. We were both right. Yet this incessant fear of passivity or stagnancy or I'm not going to be enough, I won't achieve the things that I need to achieve, to be, “successful”. 

That's a very extreme fear that will lead us into, well, equal and opposite extremes in all different directions. Right, it's the push and pull. If we are really heavy or focused in one area, it's going to throw everything off balance. And so that became a big part of my practice as recognizing that okay if I'm going to speak to acceptance and perfection, you're perfect right now. Well, I also need to include... well, what does it mean to be both perfect and adaptable? What is it to be in this place of radical acceptance, yet still acknowledge that I have desires and goals? I do want to achieve things. I'm just not so attached and fixated to these achievements that I think that's all that it is, or that's all that there is, and that I’ll suffer if I don't receive it. Right, that's to me like nervous system dysregulation, I'm not going to be happy until I get x. Well, what if I don't get x? And what if I get X and it's not what I thought it was going to be, then what? 

Right, so it's about recognizing that when we come back into regulation, back into this moment, back into the perfection that is now. Well now I have choice, and I have energy, and I have possibility all around me. And I can just be so content, right here. So, every step of my journey now is something that I savor and I enjoy because now is perfect,

And I will say that I think an important part of this journey as well is recognizing what your current beliefs are and knowing that it's okay to slowly make your way into claiming perfection now, because that might be quite a leap, for some. I know it was for me. Originally, when I was kind of tracking back my journey of my relationship with perfection, and it started with, I must be perfect. Right, classic perfectionist. And always disappointed. Always let down because I was never perfect. It drove me crazy. 

And so then I flipped into, oh, I can be both. I'm perfectly imperfect. And that felt really good for a long time. It did, it was liberating, actually, to be perfectly imperfect. And only a couple years ago I slipped into striving for is a negative feedback loop. It's suffering. I had a very strong stance, I didn't like the word perfection. I didn't want to use it. I thought it was wrong. Leading me back into, yeah it felt initially like it was leading me back to this place before where I had a lot of suffering. Right, so I didn't want to use it. 

And it was through conversations with Beth, where it was a little bit like, “what's wrong with claiming perfection?!” Like, she's so charged about it, and I love it because I was like, I need to pay attention to this, there's something here. 

And, and I have to say in our interactions there have been moments where it's like, I just don't know, like I still like this perfectly imperfect, and I still don't know if I want to use the word perfection just because of how misleading it can be. But I honestly can say now as I said in the beginning that this is, this is a daily practice for me now, of just pausing and going this moment is perfect. And it's just everything. Like, oh if it's perfect, I can be here. I don't have to refuse reality anymore. If my whole body says yes.

Beth: It frees you to be. There is no more need for doing. You can be. You can be a being, a human being. You know, again, it's not that human doing, it's like the perfection has become attached to a doing-ness. You know, it's something that we're chasing, we're acquiring something. You know, I wish I remembered who said this quote but “desire is the source of all suffering.” Right, and so like making perfection something that you're desiring in the future causes the suffering.

And I'm even gonna say suffering is perfect. Suffering is perfect. I've been through major traumatic events that I've had to consider well then Beth is that perfect? Yeah, I do believe if I could step back far enough, who am I to  say it wasn't perfect. Horrific things have happened that I've been witness to, you know, and nobody would ever think that that was perfect. But years later I can look back and be like wow that happened and that happened, we all know the butterfly effect right. If you can stand back far enough, who are you to say that it wasn't perfect? It might have been really scary. It might have been really awful. It might have been really dark and filled with shadow, but that doesn't mean it wasn't perfect. 

Full episode on Apple Podcasts

Full episode on Spotify

Energy Sovereignty

In episode two of season three of my podcast, Beth and I brought in a special guest - Shawna Robinson - to speak to Energy Sovereignty. This conversation taught me so much in regards to what I am already doing really well when it comes to being responsible for my own energy, as well as some simple tips on how I can bolster and enhance my energy work even more.

One of the practices that I have been playing with daily since this episode is visualizing an energy shield in my morning ritual. Each day it is slightly different, and I have loved the creativity and deeper connection and awareness this has brought into my field.

Below are a couple of short excerpts from our conversation, and a link to get access to the full recording. Enjoy xox

Marin: What comes up for me is the importance of Co-regulation. Of course it's really important to understand how to self regulate, but we also have the privilege to be in friendships and partnerships and families and workspaces, where we can be around other people that we can feel safe with. And when the energy is good as Igor is bringing in this fall of light, this joy and this love, it uplifts everyone. It's such a gift. When we can take responsibility for our own energy, that's what heals the people around us. We make them feel safe and calm, and they start touching into the joy inside of them. So when we do this practice for ourselves, it just becomes infectious in the best way. So thank you, I'm feeling your love and your joy and your sparkle and it's such a gift.

Beth: I like how you said, infectious. I think Shawna and I were actually just talking about how, for each person that really steps into that energetic sovereignty, they touch 10,000 other people.

Shawna: Yeah, and it can go higher too. 

Guest: Hi everybody. I just wanted to thank everybody for having this Zoom meeting, this is wonderful. It's amazing how things come into your life at just the perfect time. I think last week I was talking to my friend about this being a sovereign being, and how we get to choose the reaction and the reality around us. I kind of just wanted to share some tips I guess, or something that I've been practicing. Back to the example of, you know somebody cutting you off. It doesn't come naturally, but we tend to take things very personal. But sometimes, what that person does is on them and it doesn't have anything to do with you. And actually it's most of the time, it's on them. And so, or if they you know, show you a finger or whatever the negative that comes your way, I find that saying “oh it's on them” is almost like an excuse and then you're taking that responsibility of abuse on them, and that works okay too. But if you were to try, just try, again it's not always easy and sometimes it feels forced, but send them love.

Just send them love because they say we're all connected and sometimes it's very hard for us to recognize that we're connected. But if you send them love, then I guess that just, then you're also responsible for that situation and for that scenario.

And then another little thing but again, I've been practicing is the gratitude, which you can create the reality. So simple example, you're driving on the road and the light turns green just for you. You know when you approach that light and there's no cars and the light just like turns green, right there. And so you say thank you, simple, and it can be really anything. An elevator at your floor when you press the button. A person's smiling at you at the park. It can be really anything, but recognizing that is amazing and then you just say thank you and move on with your life. And then if it's a negative situation sometimes we can even say thank you for the negative for the negative situations. But keeping the emotions in line.

So you say thank you, it doesn’t have to be emotional so you are keeping your negativity in control, but you can still say thank you. For example, you know, if you lose money, you can say thank you for just taking the money and not somebody's life or health. So gratitude, sending love, and not reacting to the negative. Just recognizing the negative and stopping right there, and be like okay.

So it's like a pendulum. So if you're reacting negatively to something you are pushing the pendulum back, and it just gets stronger and stronger. But if you're not reacting you're not pushing the pendulum and then everything kind of comes in balance. So those are just little things. 

Shawna: And love is the highest frequency there is. I think there is so much wisdom in what you just shared because love is the highest frequency, full stop.

Beth: Yeah I was thinking that’s like a shielding practice. I use a mantra when negative things come at me. I literally feel my heart, like the door slams shut. It’s like “you did what?!” And my heart closed! And when I feel that, there is a mantra that goes off in my head, “oh, I love you deeply and completely and I always have and I always will and there’s nothing you can do that will change that.” And I repeat that over and over in my head and I actually feel my heart open back up. Would that be considered a shielding practice?

Shawna: 100% yes.

Marin: You know, so initially that heart slamming shut is a protection. Right. It’s one of the many multifaceted ways that the body tries to protect itself. Which is so amazing that it can do that. And when you can notice it, and use a mantra like that that provides a sense of safety, and like “this moment is perfect” and open you back up to love, that protection is not needed anymore. So it does relax. That is such a great reminder.

(later on)………….

Shawna: If I may add into that. If we pull this back to an energetic practice. If we pull this back to looking at how we're managing our fields, and what our intentions are, and the frequency that we're putting out into the world. I'm not saying it's going to eliminate “bad” things from happening, but your frequency is really the only guarantee that you have in life.

That frequency is going to determine what you attract, what you deflect, what sticks on you, what doesn't. So a lot of those things that may be fearful or stress inducing, if we have an empowered practice that we are mindful about on a daily basis, those things don't come into our fields, they just don't. And I can, I can say that from my experiences over the last five years, there are things that just don't come into my field. They're not welcome, that frequency is not allowed in, that frequency has no business being in this sphere.

And so when we're talking about stress, this practice could be one way to set you up in your day, where we're maybe freed up for the good stresses. Right, we maybe have the capacity to handle some of those more challenging, negatively stressful things better, because you're starting to come at it from a place within your own self, that gives you the ability to handle it from a higher frequency or from a higher perspective, or from a much more “in your body” kind of place. So I'm just going to pull all that stress chat back to an energetic level that I think some of these practices can absolutely bolster or insulate you towards some of those negative stressors.

Marin: Yeah, and I appreciate you framing it as positive stress and negative stress because I think that actually helps delineate a little bit more of what I was referring to when it came to actually some stress is good. Like, taking a cold shower is stressful. It activates your nervous system, but it's good for you when you're engaging in the practice to boost your immune system and to use it as an opportunity to practice breath work. To run stairs, that's a stressor. But it's a positive stress experience because you're choosing it. You're mobilizing your body and you are activating your system, you also are doing a lot of other really good things at the same time.

So it's different than moving into fight or flight or shut down or being stuck in chronic stress. So even something that started as a positive stressor; if you stay in that activated state and you don't regulate out of it, it turns into chronic stress and that destroys your body. But being alive - aliveness, mobility - these are types of stressors. Eating food, digesting, that is a stressor. Right, so being alive is a stressor. It's just about managing it, making sure that we are regulating.

I always come back to rhythms. As long as there's flexibility, there's health. If there is stagnancy or, you know, a really incoherent rhythm, then something's off. But if we can move flexibly through all the different states of our nervous system, then that's, that's health.

Full episode on Apple Podcasts

Full episode on Spotify

Getting vulnerable about vulnerability

Season three of my podcast began a couple of months ago, and this time around the majority of the episodes thus far have been a live recording on the Superseed yoga platform with my good friend Beth Davis. We host these live gatherings for anyone who wants to listen in as Beth and I unpack and tease apart a concept we are curious about, and then we open the discussion for anyone to contribute or ask questions. It has been an amazing experience so far.

Episode 1 was all about vulnerability. Below is part of the transcript from the episode, followed by a link to listen to the recording.

Marin: So, the first question that we want to pose together is, well, what is discernment? And how does it play a role in vulnerability? Discernment means good judgment. Right? So what is it to have good judgment when you are also practicing vulnerability? 

And this one really speaks to me because I'm someone who loves vulnerability. And for a few years I thought vulnerability was just speaking whatever was on my mind, whatever felt like truth in the moment and it always felt really raw and powerful. And I had a few situations where I was approached after sharing something with the question of, “you know, do you think that was maybe too vulnerable?” And my first reaction to that was taking offense. “What do you mean? How can you say that? There's no such thing as being too vulnerable!” 

And because I'm also a very curious person who loves to be in self inquiry, that question stuck with me for a long time. What does it mean to be too vulnerable? Like, what the hell does that even mean? And that took me into this conversation on discernment, and how that's an important part of vulnerability. And where that brought me to was understanding the difference between containment versus suppression. 

I don't want to push something down or avoid it. But I also know that containing is really important. Some things are uncooked and processed or premature. And if they're spoken, before they've been processed for a little while, it can make the conversation a little bit more difficult. And so to me, discernment, with vulnerability is the process of slowing down. Making sure that when I feel something that is really raw, vulnerable, that I first meet it myself before speaking it out into the world.  That I turn towards what I'm feeling and I make sure that I feel stable and I'm getting to know the layers and the depths of what it is moving through me before I voice it or express it.

Another piece of that, though, is recognizing that it's going to be imperfect. And you're going to make mistakes. And that's okay. But it's the process of just coming back and slowing down and meeting what's there. So that there's this inner stability, even in the raw sharing, or asking or expressing of any kind. It just reminds me of how when I've shared something really premature with someone, and I'm feeling unstable, well, now they're feeling unstable. And now it's too unstable people in a really difficult conversation. And again, that's okay. You'll find a way through it. But it can be a lot easier if you take the time to find the stability in yourself first. 

So Beth, what comes up for you from that question?

Beth: I think there's a couple of things that popped out at me right away. One was you mentioning that it's not going to be perfect. And I have the complete opposite view. I believe everything is perfect. And perhaps it was perfect in the sense that it was just an opportunity for you to learn how to move forward next time more in alignment with something that feels good to you.

The second thing is, ease, you talked about how can I make this easier. And so anytime you're dealing with vulnerability, finding a way to cultivate more ease for yourself and by doing so, you will also do do for the other people around you.

And then the last thing, I think that the more that you work through consciously practicing being vulnerable, the better you become at having worked through creating ease, recognizing that the goal being to create safe space, not only for yourself but for the people around you. So I guess that would be in that stop, that pause, in that time that you take to breathe. The question being ‘how can I make this space safe for myself and this person in front of me?’ 

And then I'm not going to say it's a more perfect conversation. It's a different conversation that I think will feel better as you move to be more in alignment with who you truly are. 

Marin: I love that you brought In safety. That's such an important part of it. When two people feel safe in a conversation, they can go a lot further into the unknowns together.

Beth: It's interesting that you started the conversation saying how fitting it is that we chose vulnerability as the first topic. We met a few minutes before you guys joined and I was like, ‘I feel so vulnerable!’ You know and that's perfect for us to be able to discuss that. And in that space between us meeting and you all joining us, Marin really cultivated safe space. So we did, we practiced a couple of breathing exercises, we connected to our heart, we read a couple of things. And we really got grounded inside of ourselves so that we could cultivate safe space for each other and then for all of you. Because the goal here is to lead a discussion that I hope opens up into a beautiful flower where some of you actually want to contribute to the conversation and perhaps broach being vulnerable with us.

Full episode on Apple podcasts

Full episode on Spotify

My Philosophy

Are you curious about what a coaching program with me looks like?

My philosophy:   

Where are you now and where do you desire to be?

We are creatures of habit; accidental and intentional. With knowledge in how habits are formed, where our beliefs and self-talk comes from, how our emotions inform our orientation and moment to moment perception, and how to develop a reverent connection with your heart, we can conserve and create quality energy. With that energy, we can step into a witness role where change and mindfulness becomes second-nature.

Emotions are at the root of every moment and life experience. Your emotions impact your ability to pay attention and what you pay attention to. Emotions influence your memory, capacity to learn, the decisions you make and the judgement and beliefs you see the world through.

If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, your brain is not in a state conducive to connection, learning, growth, creativity or resiliency.

Understanding how emotions impact relationships and communication, as well as how to regulate and offer a safe space for connection for others to regulate, will have a huge impact on the health of your business and your life.

The longest and hardest journey in life is from the head to the heart. It's also where we discover the wisdom and liberation we seek.

It is with compassion and mindful practice that we discover the pathway towards our deepest desires of feeling whole, happy, and aligned in purpose. We are not just what we eat, we are also what we think, perceive, experience, say, do and ingest through our senses from our external and internal environment.

We are relational beings and are more efficient and productive when we feel supported and are held accountable. Whether you simply need a "tune-up" or are seeking a longer term support system to learn and be held accountable, I am here to get creative with you.

I know everyone works at different paces and are in different places, and I am here to meet you where you're at. When we develop a new relationship with self-discipline, purpose, and passion, we all are capable of living the best life possible. 

Send me an email with questions - marinmccue@gmail.com

What is "samskara"?

Recall the last time you experienced a physical wound, and how you adapted your movement and activities to avoid aggravating that wound further. Imagine that same wound was accidentally touched or bumped against something, and the sharp or explosive reaction that caused you to pull away, curl in to protect, or express clearly to others that they must be more careful around you. All of these potential reactions are valid, as our drive to survive is a powerful internal system that seeks comfort and avoids pain.

Now imagine that this same wound never heals. How would your life be forever impacted if you were always on high-alert to ensure your wound is not touched?

In yoga philosophy, such wounds are spoken of as samskaras. They are the energetic and emotional wounds from traumatic moments that were too overwhelming for the support and resources available at the time. While the natural and healthy cycle of hardship is rupture and repair, samskaras are the ruptures that did not get repaired, leaving behind knots of disconnection. Rather than remaining in the explicit suffering of a rupture with no repair, the body separates that part of you experiencing the trauma and moves it into the implicit realm, as if that part could curl up around the wound to carry the emotional burden while "the rest of you" can continue on functioning in the world.

While this is a wise and important adaptation for humans to survive in a (at times) cruel and unpredictable world, the samskaras will continually derail the free flow of energy into the loops or obstacles of limiting beliefs that block our growth, yet their intention is to protect these deep wounds from being touched or from experiencing the familiar pain these wounds hold. Well intentioned in their creation, samskaras point us towards where we need to direct love and attention within to guide this stuck energy back into its free flowing nature.

As a practice of non sleep deep rest, yoga nidra facilitates a potent brain wave state that is conducive for transformation. When we approach this practice with the reverent curiosity to see and know our samskaras, we then can use the word medicine of sankalpa to nurture our wounds while we feed our subconscious a new narrative.

What makes this a unique and personalized un-covering is the understanding that we are complex, and while we have many "wounds," we must learn how to patiently discover which wound is closest to the "surface" and begin the unraveling and healing with sankalpa from there. In doing this, we heal and release stored energy of wounding one layer at a time, and the changes in our daily life will be evident as we have more space for presence and less time spent in defensive, protective and autopilot ways of being.

Want to learn and experience more?

Join me for an 8 month program to deep dive into the stages of the yoga nidra practice as a template for releasing the “old” and creating space for the “new".

Join me live on Sunday’s at 10am mst (starting April 18) for a weekly yoga nidra practice on Super Seed. Sign up now to get your first two weeks free.

Breath and Rhythm

Breath and Rhythm

Your brainstem houses an important system (The Reticular Activating System, or RAS) that receives and organizes all sensory data in priority and relevance to survival (based on belief, experience, current state and neuroception) and sends the salient information to the Thalamus (which acts like the mailroom or lead switchboard of the brain). The RAS is like a net that catches all stimuli and filters our what is salient to then direct that further into the brain for processing.

It's like a bloom of stimuli congregating at and through the brainstem, feeding information to various parts of the brain blooming in intervals at a speed of 20 to 80x per second (20-80Hz). An internal metronome that speeds up or slows down in an attempt to match the internal environment with the external environment. Generally speaking, the quicker the metronome, the more consuming (or loud) the sense of self becomes.

Also within the RAS, is the Respiratory Central Pattern Generator, the area that controls the unmanipulated natural breath; i.e. how you breathe when you are not paying attention to your breath or when you watch your breath without interfering. Depending on how fast the bloom of information is pulsing through the RAS, the rhythm of our breath will be impacted, speeding up or slowing down depending on the internal metronome's pace. While your present moment natural breath is a tangible source for knowing your current Nervous System state, it's also the entry point to consciously go inward and regulate what needs healing and reframing.

What does this mean?

Your current state, "sense of self," the sensory data your brain is paying attention to, what you are aware of and what you make it all mean, is directly linked to this internal metronome that can be accessed by slowing down the breath and gifting your brain slow, calm and consistent space to receive, reorganize and reappraise in mindfulness.

"The respiratory center located in the brain continuously monitors blood pH, carbon dioxide, and to a lesser extent oxygen. When the level of carbon dioxide in the blood increases above programmed levels, the respiratory center transmits impulses that tell the respiratory muscles to breathe in order to remove the excess gas. When we breathe too much over a period of hours to days, as is the case of chronic stress, the respiratory center adjusts to a lower tolerance of carbon dioxide. Having a lower than normal tolerance to carbon dioxide results in the respiratory center increasing the rate of impulses to the respiratory muscles. The result is habitual overbreathing and excess breathlessness during physical exercise." - Patrick McKeown

Why is this important?

Knowing the relationships between these areas of the brain and the rhythm of your breath illuminates the correlation between HOW your are breathing and your current perception and experience of self, others and the world. As well, we can see that our breath patterns can get stuck when what we need and want is a flexible breath that appropriately matches the current needs of the body.

Your Psychology is in your Physiology

The Insula is a key limbic structure that interacts with the heart, pericardium, diaphragm, etc., and receives information on an emotional and affective level. This informs your heart about your emotional state. If the RAS is saying "this is what you should pay attention to," the limbic system is saying "this is how your should feel about it." (Michael Hamm, neurofascial approach)

The Insula plays an important function in the re-representation or reinterpretation of interoceptive signals, which we can access when we learn to cultivate more space for feeling rather than the quick assumptions or actions that are reactions from past experience. To change a belief, we must first change our perception of self. And to change our perception, we must explore the space of feeling unconditionally, or as I like to say "don't just do something, feel something."

In simple terms, when we notice an urge for action or a story/belief, rather than charging forward, instead we want to practice slowing down and tracking sensation as we slow down the rhythm of the breath.

As Stephen Porges, father of Polyvagal Theory, says, “Story follows state.” If you feel disconnected from yourself or others, or caught in cycles or hysterical patterns, it's possible your internal environment is responding inappropriately to external stimuli. In other words, the Nervous System is "trying" to take perceptions of the outside world (exteroception) and merge those with the perceptions of the inside world (interoception) and link them so we can operate in our environment appropriately (proprioception). When things are out of sync, you can take action by “holding the hand of your breath” and guiding your system to settle and access calm so that you can be with what is arising rather than being “taken over” or overwhelmed or avoiding it all together.

The act of conscious breathing with a coherent (5 or 6 seconds inhale and exhale) and functional rhythm is what revives a sense of synchrony in the RAS and supports harmony in the brain. Harmony in the brain results in more space and energy for growth, awareness, practice, course-correction, patience, compassion, and upgrading beliefs and perspectives. It's like shifting from trying to balance and pay attention to various chaotic waves to a state where all waves move together harmoniously. Even quick breathing, when engaged in consciously and therapeutically (Conscious Connected Breathing, for example), when done for short periods of time, can act like medicine as bouts of acute stress increase our immune strength and when we complete the cycle by regulating and coming back to calm connection, we increase our resiliency and expand our window of tolerance.

Want more?

Watch this 36 minute clip from a workshop on Optimal Breathing and the Rhythm of the Nervous System from Inspired Yoga Institute’s virtual day retreat.

Join me for an 8 month program to master the practice of Yoga Nidra, optimize your breath and befriend your nervous system.

Tune in and optimize your rhythm with nervous system and breath work

I haven’t written much publicly in a while. I have been enjoying more space and attention in journaling as I workshop my own processing and dive deeper into novel realms of exploration that require more containment before I share openly about what I am discovering.

A part of me really misses the habit I once had in being disciplined with my writing and how that led to writing and publishing my book three years ago. I would love to write another book in the next decade of my life, as reflecting and creating with words is one of the most magical and deeply satisfying things I enjoy in my life.

As someone who has spent much of my life living stuck in a nervous system survival state, I am thrilled to have an understanding of how amazing the autonomic nervous system is and how to befriend it and utilize the fucking magic that is a regulated nervous system. Knowing the geography, the mechanics, the chemistry, and the psychology of the breath and it’s intimate relationship with the nervous system is one of my most gratifying passions.

Before I continue, I feel compelled to acknowledge and speak to the fact that learning how to regulate one’s nervous system is a privilege for those who also have an environment to live in that is conducive to safety, welcoming and nurturance. While anyone and everyone would benefit from understanding their nervous system functioning more vividly, it saddens me to think of so many children - and adults that used to be children - exposed to a cruel world without a safe person to predictably co-regulate with. I feel an urgency in learning, practicing and sharing because of the potential impact such knowledge and skills are for human beings.

Your current nervous system is the product of the dna building blocks ascribed to you, in relationship with every experience you have had in your life, how you reacted to it, and how long it took you to get back into a regulated state. We are shaped by our experiences as our experiences are shaped by us.

How you react and to what, how you think, what you think about, how you move, how you sleep, how you cope, what and how you eat, how you move towards or pull away, how you connect with your self, with others, with the world around you, and with spirit, all emerge from the nervous system platform you are currently inhabiting. Your unique rhythm is programmed into your nervous system and is either flexibly moving and adapting and being listened to and nurtured, or it is fixed, ignored and suppressed through over-ride and misunderstanding, resulting in a dried out and rigid state, severing you from connection and restoration.

Your internal rhythm is either flexibly moving and adapting to the changes of each moment - which is either “appropriately” matched or misreading cues based on prediction errors - or it can get stuck in one state, inflexibly fighting or bracing against the changes of each passing moment.

The result? We disconnect from our surroundings, we shift into a protective stance of emotional reactivity, and we play out stories of our past rather than co-create as embodied beings intimately alive with presence in the now.

By exploring my own rhythm I was able to notice and show self-compassion towards a pattern of feeling a slow and steady escalation towards overload, a story of “this is too much,” and a subsequent shutdown of my senses, disconnection from others, a story of separation, and a narrowing of my focus to the mental realm where issues like shame, guilt, self-criticism and loneliness were all battling for attention. In my late teens and early twenties, I developed many coping strategies to avoid or distract myself from my overwhelm. I shopped, I drank, I exercised, I watched tv, I partied, and sometimes even socializing, reading or working on something healthy and productive were also utilized as ways to escape, or at least momentarily get a break from my incessantly dysregulated mental landscape.

Now that it has been almost 10 years since I started this journey of understanding, befriending and reshaping my nervous system, some insights have become clear:

1. The deeply programmed internal rhythm each one of us has, began shaping in utero as an embryo developing lungs. The early life experiences we had in regards to co-regulation and self-regulation are the foundation of current breathing patterns that arise unconsciously. We restrict our breathing to restrict our feeling.

2. Tending to one’s own rhythm is equally important as consciously attuning and harmonizing with the rhythms of others. Knowing how to self-regulate is essential, and knowing how to co-regulate is a biological imperative.

3. Thinking in terms of rhythm is a great way to notice where and what feels stuck. A healthy rhythm is a flexible rhythm, a dynamic dance of push and pull.

4. “I am listening.” In order to effect change, we need to listen. Healthy, sustainable change is found in the emergence of a healthy rhythm. Learn to slow down, turn towards what arises with self-compassion, feel and listen with patience and curiosity, and you’ll be initiated into a relationship with the wisdom that is your body.

5. Show kindness and friendliness to your nervous system when it steps in to protect. These are the best moments for self-discovery and integration. Something has been triggered and now you get to turn towards it with compassion and curiosity and potentially unburden it from the unconscious pattern of protection and invite it back into a healthy and flexible place.

6. There are certain breath patterns and reminders that support the body in its vitality and resilience. Listening to our current patterns illuminates where there is stuck-ness, and practicing specific breath techniques throughout your day can gift you support in reshaping your nervous system’s sensitivity and expand your window of tolerance.

So, where does one start? You can begin by setting an alarm or reminder to be heard and seen every 90 minutes with the prompt to stop what you’re doing and turn towards your breath. Gift yourself 30 seconds to 3 minutes to relax your belly, breath slowly and smoothly in and out through your nose, and tune into your innate ability to restore and re-appraise simply by guiding your breath into a balanced and soothing rhythm.

Want more?

On March 23, 6-9pm mst, join me for a virtual workshop on zoom to learn the language of polyvagal theory to equip yourself with a map of your nervous system, followed by experiential practice with breath, meditation, visualization and putting pen to paper to capture the language and visceral experience of your own nervous system in action. Learn how to listen, self-track, and what steps to follow to develop a daily practice for befriending your nervous system.

When we breathe together, we grow together.

xoxo

How to Breathe your way into stress reduction

Pause and notice your reactions and recognize that they are actually effects of your habituated predictions. Respond with ease, love and compassion to allow the charged energy to be seen, loved and felt before any action or meaning is landed on. After feeling unconditionally, choose the action that aligns with your highest self. Over time, you can retrain your brain to predict in alignment with what you desire

Easier said than done, right?

Sometimes the brain fog or stickiness of our charged emotions can appear too big or overwhelming to overcome. A daily practice of connecting with self and ingesting several minutes of safety with intentional breathing techniques is what we need to create the space and energy for awareness and change.

Stress is not inherently bad, but too much of anything is no longer healthy. Chronic stress is wrecking havoc on the mind and bodies of people all around the world, and leaves us susceptible to extreme reactions and complications to the normal exchange of viruses and bacteria that make up who we are.

When stress becomes chronic, meaning there is no break from the hustle and overload of working from home, homeschooling your kids, breathing fast and shallow, or navigating the constant uncertainty of a global health pandemic, the brain stays in protection mode and doesn’t get the message to turn off that stress hormone cascade. The result: parts of the brain that are needed for balance, memory, perspective, and accessing safety begin to atrophy and shrink while other parts - like the amygdala - grow larger and more robust, causing an increase in emotional instability and reaction of fear.

It is time to take control back. As we approach the end of the year, we need to commit to the daily practices that the body needs for optimal opportunity to restore and create new healthy habits.

Below are a series of breathing techniques for you to experience and play with as part of your daily routine. For a personalized experienced to learn and practice mindfulness, meditation and breathwork, I am offering up to three sessions at a special holiday package price, and am happy to customize in any way based on your needs or the needs of a loved one that you would like to gift this to.

Add in some gentle movement before and after, and check out my Yoga Nidra program coming up in the New Year to set yourself up for the support and inspiration needed to make the changes you desire.

This is your year to take full responsibility for your health and wellness. xoxo

marinmccue@gmail.com