Tell us a bit about you and how you got here.
About 6 years ago, I was working in the media department of a Dallas-based company called eWomenNetwork, and I had a side health coaching business called, Rejuvecise. My mission was to combine my passion for healthy living, exercise, yoga, and Health Coaching to help people create a lifestyle they love. That is until I worked with my first adult.
I discovered that adults tend to be stuck in their ways, and very slow to change. I was at a point in my life that I wanted to make a big difference in the world. I remembered how both of my parents, who were educators, made such a lasting impact on the lives of their students. So, I decided to switch my intention to helping youth create peace and joy in their lives through a mindful practice, like yoga.
Through connections I had in the Dallas school district, I landed my first gig teaching yoga for teen athletes. I couldn’t possibly be in multiple schools by myself, so I asked the owner of Move Studio in Dallas to send an email to her yoga teachers to see if any of them had a desire to work with youth. I got an email back from a veteran yoga teacher, Tida Chambers, with a long list of experience she had teaching yoga to youth as a full-time yoga teacher for over a decade.
That spring we started with 1 school teaching high school athletes. It was such a success that in the fall Tida and I became business partners and formed Live Free Yoga. Our dream from the beginning was to bring yoga to all students, and that dream came true when we were hired by the Dallas school district to integrate our yoga program, Mindfulness in Motion, into 20 schools.
In the meantime, social-emotional learning (SEL), had become a required part of the curriculum in all schools. Mindfulness is a key component of SEL, so Tida and I began creating professional development workshops in mindfulness for educators. So far, we’ve taught our Intro to Mindfulness workshop to educators in several districts including Dallas, Plano, and Leonard. In addition, we teach yoga to the Garland district staff twice a week.
When the pandemic happened, we had to shift gears and teach all of our classes online. Luckily all of the schools we were in continued with our virtual classes. There was a short break when COVID-19 first hit, but we were able to complete all of our programs.
Garland reached out to us last June and asked us if we had any professional development programs in mindfulness that we could offer their staff in a bigger way. We came up with several proposals, one of which was our Lighter Being program – a 14-week mindfulness video series. Once they signed on for the program, we got busy over the summer. We shot and edited 14 videos, created the website LighterBeing.net where people and access the videos, and wallah! We also offer it to individuals as well.
What drew you to this work?
I got my 200-hr Yoga Teacher certification back in 2006, but I was busy working my “day job” in broadcast television and radio to do anything with it. But, yoga has always been my savior. It keeps me present, balanced in mind and body, and induces an overall feeling of joy that I feel from the inside-out. If I want to make a big impact in the world, helping others find that same sense of internal peace will create a ripple effect for positive change.
How can we “declutter” our minds?
Breathe. Seriously, it takes only one deep conscious breath to help us become present in the moment. Mindfulness practices like yoga, conscious breathing, and meditation give us the pause we need, so we can respond carefully rather than react impulsively to a stressful situation. When we are present, we are not in the past or the future, which is where fear, doubt, and worry live. Our mind becomes cluttered with thoughts that hold us back or make us behave in a way that doesn’t serve us well. Simply becoming aware of your breath and sitting in stillness for any length of time will clear out the clutter in your mind, and ground you for whatever comes up next.
What do you think is the connection between inner and outer environment?
I think our outer environment reflects what is going on inside our minds. If you live in an environment that is cluttered, then I believe your mind is cluttered as well. And…vice-versa. If our minds are cluttered with too many thoughts and
to-do lists, it will lead to clutter in our outer environment.
This is why I’m so excited to be collaborating with you on our upcoming online workshop, “Lighten Your Path to Prosperity in 2021: Discover your power to create sustainable change from the inside-out.” Our work aligns so perfectly. We help you find clarity on the inside and you help people find clarity on the outside.
Is there a way to achieve internal balance that will translate into other areas of our lives?
Internal balance takes practice. That’s why yoga and mindfulness are called practices. Sure, you can take a break every once in a while, when you need it, but if you practice mindfulness consistently, research shows it literally changes your brain. Imaging reveals that your primitive survival brain (the amygdala), which is responsible for fight, flight, or freeze is less active in people who have a consistent mindful practice.
Once you achieve that balance, you will respond more positively to stress and you will find that you get more joy out of life. For me, my mindfulness practice includes yoga, mindful walking in nature, and meditation. When I am consistent, I am basically a happier person. It’s kind of like my Prozac. Likewise, if I miss a day, I am more on edge. I have more negative thoughts, and I worry a whole lot more.
What is the Lighter Being Program?
Lighter Being is a 14-week video mindfulness series guided by Live Free Yoga Co-Founder, Tida Chambers. We wanted to be sure that people can easily fit it into their busy schedules, so each video is only about 15 minutes long. Each video progresses from the previous video, so by the end of the 14 weeks, people should have enough practice to continue on their own.
All the videos are themed with the idea of developing a strong mind, brave heart, wise body, and noble spirit. Each video is structured to include several different mindfulness practices including a personal check-in to develop self-awareness (the key to making positive change, conscious breathing, a short gentle movement practice (can even be done in a chair), and guided relaxation.
Where can readers find you online?
You can earn more about our Live Free Yoga programs at LiveFreeYoga.com. You can learn more and purchase our Lighter Being program at LighterBeing.net. And of course, you can email me at Phyllis@livefreeyoga.com.
What is the one thing you want people to take away from this interview?
Find time in your day to just breathe. Follow your breath in and out. Connect your mind and body. That is a great first step towards developing a consistent mindful practice to help you manage stress and find inner peace. And there is nothing we need more than that right now.
