Finding Your Radiance with Selena Maisonpierre

Memorable Moments:

• 2:20 I started noticing that there was a real disconnect between the way people would show up on the yoga mat and how they would show up in the rest of their lives.
• 2:35 I just felt like the wellness industry was doing it wrong and was really doing a disservice to a lot of people. And what it was really promoting was kind of a compartmentalization of practices. So people would show up to yoga, almost like a check mark, like, yup, I did it. Or like, yeah, I meditated. And yet they would go into the rest of their life back to the exact same way that they had been doing it. And I was like, we’re missing something, something’s missing. 
• 3:08 I really connected with this idea of like radiance, where, when you really are connected to yourself and you’re really embodying and integrating all these aspects of you, you radiate.
• 4:18 Everyone comes to yoga at some point in their life when they really need it. And everyone comes to it for such a different reason. And it’s really special to talk with people and hear, you know, what was that thing that led you into it? And usually it’s not a very happy moment in your life that takes you there, but once you sort of tap into something and you attach to something within…wellness. You just sort of expand in these ways that you never could expect. And so I think that whether it’s yoga, whether it’s meditation, whether it’s seeing a therapist, like whatever it is on a mental health level, just attaching to that one thing that feels personal to you and then being really open to the journey of where it takes you, I think is so special.
• 10:34 The yoga is the bodywork, the coaching is the thought work, but it’s all leading us to the same place.
• 11:06 If you want to pick up a yoga practice or you want to start prioritizing your mindfulness, I always say, just start really small. Like, five minutes is better than nothing. And I also really encourage students and clients to really ask yourself why. So, don’t just set some goal like “I want to do 15 minutes of yoga a day.” Ask not only why, but what do you want to feel in doing that? 
• 12:02 When you’re connected to your intention and you let that lead everything, all of a sudden it’s fun.
• 13:30 For so many years, the word “help” to me felt so negative, like a weakness of needing help, and I really want to encourage people to reframe help as support and community. And it’s not that you can’t do it alone, it’s that it’s so much easier with somebody else, whether that’s a coach or a therapist or a yoga studio or an app that pings you and reminds you, you know, don’t forget to log in for your meditation. But reach out and create this powerful force of support for yourself. You don’t have to do it alone.
• 15:37 One thing that I work with clients on is planning ahead. So some people come to me on a coaching sphere, knowing that I’m a yoga teacher and one of their goals of coaching is they want to incorporate more yoga or movement into their life. So we look at your calendar on a weekly basis, look at your calendar and fit in where are you going to do 20, 30 minutes, an hour of yoga and put it into your calendar so that it’s just already there. And it’s almost like a meeting with yourself. It’s non-negotiable. 
• 17:00  I also think that finding little triggers in your day that lead you into doing something.So what I mean is like, if you want to incorporate more meditation, pick a time of day. Is it right after you drink your coffee? Is it right before you go to bed? Is it right before you take a shower? I don’t know, something that already exists in your daily routine and you just add on a little bit of extra time for whatever it is that you’re trying to do. So you’re not trying to totally reinvent your daily habits. You’re just sort of tacking in a little bit more onto something that you already do.
• 17:50 I think really having this mindset when you go into building a new habit of like, you might not get it perfect every time and rather than beat yourself up for it, just know that there’s always another day. There’s always another opportunity to do it again. And you can just sort of like clean slate it, you know? Start over. 
• 20:03 I really recommend journaling when you have a problem or when you have a moment where you think you kind of need to shift your mindset about something, to just start journaling and really ask yourself why. And just kind of like go down, why, why, why, why, why? And that’s how I use journaling as little prompts just to take you deeper into yourself. 
• 21:37 Until you journal, you kind of just loop around this mindset of frustration or whatever the feeling is. And then when you start journaling and you’re like, okay, well, why am I mad about this? Okay. Why, why is that actually why I’m mad? Like why is this? And then you just kind of just go down these levels and I think it frees up your mental space so much because you can just move, move on from stuff that before felt like it was just totally heavy. 
• 22:45 I’m at a point in my life right now, in this moment, where I just want gentle. I want warmth and I want support and so I need to give that to myself first.

Dear Mind, You Matter is brought to you by NOBU, a new mental health and wellness app. To download NOBU, visit the app store or Google Play. 

This podcast is hosted by Allison Walsh and Dr. Angela Phillips. It is produced by Allison Walsh, Ashley Tate, and Nicole LaNeve. For more information or if you’re interested in being a guest on this podcast, please visit www.therecoveryvillage.com/dearmindyoumatter.