Higher Vibrations in Higher Education

Samma Says: Feeling overwhelmed? Pause with me for 5 minutes

You're feeling overwhelmed? Who wouldn't be with what you have going on. Take a few moments to pause with me and greet and explore the sensation of overwhelm.
Own, invest, take authority of your sensation
Identify where it lives in your body
Stay curious and build a relationship with the sensation
Emotions are energy in motion
Energy in motion
Emotional flexibility is the goal; strength to change is the goal; this is a workout for your soul
Thank you overwhelm for alerting me. I am not broken, I am human. I needed this sensation to cue me to pause.
Thank you, but I don't need you, Overwhelm, right this moment.
What do you need right now?
Be aware without judgement, be kind to you.

How to be in the skin you are in with Terri Miller

Trigger warning: In this episode, Terri and I complete our conversation from the previous episode (How to take up space) and the dance that people have to engage in: Between dressing, presenting, and acting how we want and the repercussions of it. We talk about what people might think or say...and don't directly address what people might do, but we address that living out loud or the nuance of "living in the skin you're in" is challenging. We talk about how being sensual and dressing up does not equate to sexual, and there's a right use of energy for each of us to explore in our own ethics and parameters. But: When we try to hide ourselves, we're not helping to take up space. Other comments include:
-Practice- exposure therapy- of just doing it—showing up as yourself.
- When you live out loud there’s a possibility that people will say or do something...You can't tell people that they can’t say something.
-If you are living out loud, you have to figure out how you’re going to navigate it.
- Baffling that we can’t see ourselves how others have seen us
- There's a spectrum of low self esteem to egoic—where on the spectrum am I? I acknowledge the ways in which I was pretending in past.
- Based on our experiences (pain, shame, trauma), some of us have expanded and contracted
- Most people living life in a more feminine way have had those experiences where it’s not safe to live out loud
- What I put out and how it’s received are two different things
- I don’t want to be chosen anymore—as women we dress up to get attention—we are doing it for us.
- How do I do this, lipstick, be confident, be cute, and there’s a possibility that someone is going to say something. I can’t control it.
- We chameleon to fit, mold.. belong but I don’t even know how I like my own eggs (Julia Robert’s character on Runaway Bride-- not knowing yourself)
- Being chosen v doing the choosing
- Personal transformation of a divorce- taking all the layers of taking it off, chosen different, I don’t want to be chosen anymore, when I wear the lipstick or the outfit, I’m choosing
-Practice loving yourself, choosing yourself, being your best friend. Giving yourself grace when you don’t have enough water, food, or a best friend to hype you up.
- Trying to keep up, trying to be cute. To be chosen. To keep up. It’s never enough.
- Continuously treading water. Even when nobody says you’re not enough…
-More grounded and confident and sexier and whatever today than when we’re jumping around trying to get chosen
- I’m not here for your eyes, approval, permission—being sensual isn’t being sexual. Explore your own ethics, morals, practices. It’s complicated.
- They might think that I was looking for attention. Maybe they did maybe they didn’t
- When you're on autopilot, sometimes you forget to look at yourself in the mirror and say something nice. Give it a try!
- My new wish is to help someone get there before 37. Wisdom, confidence, age.. throwing stone to someone behind us.. love yourself, be your own best friend
- Accountability partners are important-- for when you can't see you the way someone who loves you does. If you've lost touch with a friend, you can always reach back out

How to take up space with Terri Miller

Terri Miller brings her expertise in education to create plain language to disseminate science and policy to a very broad audience via the Federal Trade Commission. She provides us with strategies to cultivate grace for ourselves, and to give us time and space for learning, growing, and sharing. Terri and I talk about science, and life, and distraction and presence all at once and how we find friends to be mirrors on our work-life journeys (hint: it's just life). Terri shares that she is not a yoga practitioner or scientist by trade but that this podcast and the samma says reminders help her get energy out and remember to breathe-- helping to show that this podcast is for all: In and out of the academy- those who love or are less familiar with yoga principles. Other mental chatter-stopping takeaways are:
Is it ever enough? It’s not, so on this moment I will take a breath and just be to try to find the balance of being a professional, a high performer and being able to stop in the middle of that and just breathe
“What works” for wellness is found by “trail and error on what works for you: Right now a tool is to live in all the spaces of your house- take up this space that I’ve purchased. Using all the space—shake up the monotony of “this is what I do”
How do you unlearn or learn that other people’s opinions about me (appearance, activities) doesn’t define you? It starts with “confidence at home… is in the everyday things… and conversations.”
You don’t need “their” permission. Not everyone has to like you… who you are and what you bring to the table and what your values are (is never based on someone else's opinion).
Talking to ourselves the way our best friend would speak to us… how do we become one of our own best friends…Maybe that’s the cheat code to be our own best friend and boost each other (to speak more kindly to ourselves in our own minds)
You think these things in your head… but when you do it in practice, it’s a moment to walk into a room not caring what other people think. I am going to take up all the space. I don’t need permission.
Give interns or student staff a seat at the table so they can understand context. Either at big meetings or when not appropriate, one on one… Have empathy, creating space…giving pieces that they need to tie it together… carve out the time to have those conversations. Being intentional about their time with you. There are things they want to get out of the time with you and a lot of that doesn’t happen without intention
The practice of …being in the seat of a learner and having a curiosity about things ideally would help you to remember that you have not always known the things that you know…and that you don’t know everything
“One thing that has been so helpful during this “intimidating work, imposter syndrome, am I enough, there’s not enough hours in the day, is this the right fit… did I make a bad career choice/decision.” Is to run into the fire and set up 1:1 with your boss. Creates the opportunity to show what you’re bringing to the table and to get feedback
Flourishing is when I have carved out space for people who are important to me
How important it is to not should on yourself. When you’ve given what you have to give, leave some grace for yourself. And in that moment you carved for yourself, don’t “should.”
Find Terri on Linked In at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-miller1/

How to recalibrate within your one precious life with Dr. Jessica Matthews

Jess Matthews
Dr. Jessica Matthews is here to “surprise and delight” us with her authenticity and reminders as she weaves life lessons, including some from yoga principles such as the yamas and niyamas and a near-death experience, into everyday life. My biggest take away from the conversation was how to show up as yourself, in all spaces. Who you are in the classroom, on the street, or on a podcast could be the same person. And, the less time we spend pretending, the more time we can spend toward our true north, which is creating spaces for students to learn and grow. We wrap with the reminder that you only have one life: so there is no “work/life” balance—it’s just a balance. Other highlights include:
An ongoing subject worth discussing: whether you want to be called by your “Dr” title or not
Having great relationships is one facet of a greater whole, great relationships are rooted in compassion. When we see others who are struggling, who don’t show up in their best way… we meet them with genuine compassion. We have no idea what they are navigating in their life.
I can only control my inner world: my own thoughts, response, and in turn actions
Yamas and niyamas are guiding principles for how we interface with the world
The importance of us to have honest dialogue about actual things that happen- staya. Speak truthfully in a nonviolent way (ahimsa). Kind candor.
Genuine curiosity about an exchange, the players involved… no stereotypes or generalizations. Broach certain subjects with kind candor in mind.  
Nutshell version of “what is life.” Just being a human is a very intricate journey and so is my professional one… they are intertwined… because I’m a person who shows up in all these places
Root issues are not attended to… prevention chronic disease and the very things that prevent them can also effectively treat them.
I know so much about the human body… people “know” they should mitigate stress but they don’t do those things… so I went and got immersed in behavioral science
Concerned about the revenue generating nature of yoga teacher trainings (YTT): about the amount of money and then who would have access to those training; so she built a YTT at community college. Accessible, cost effective, and the quality is high.
I work with real, whole people
(People) operate from the place they know… they give you options, A or B… a natural evolution for an educator. … we can’t be told what’s possible by people who don’t know what’s possible.
Positive psychology has a lot of misinterpretation… it is not saying that we discount the totality of the human experience—there is inherent suffering—life will have not bright spots… shift away from toxic positivity… but to shift in mentality to look for a moment to look at what is going right?
I’m an optimist and a realist… the optimist in me sees more value given… to wear all the hats (academy, industry, clinical) stay on same mission that we’re here to serve the students. Same shared page is recognizing that there is value in having diverse experiences. Our true north, our shared mission is the students
She developed a coaching conference with the ideas that: Speakers compensated; price should be something that is accessible; and you know what also, it could serve the greater good. So she engineer a lot of things.
(A healthy lifestyle) is a practice, not a perfect, continual recalibration always… seasons of life and professional journey turning up and down dials
“Values are front and center; health and wellbeing, relationships; … I don’t stray. They are very solid and firm. How much I’m in them (may shift)”
Yoga and mindfulness practices apply in life. What we do on the mat is such a small sliver of living mindfully.
Busyness is not a badge of honor—around 46 min
Stretch opportunity- challenge me but that’s actually supportive of change. The right amount of discomfort, not a huge change… just a right amount of stretch to move the wheels in the direction you want to go. What works for one person (or what I assume about someone), we don’t know all the intricacies of people. Unique motivators; what are you called to do in your life.
Life is exactly what it is: not permanent, not guaranteed. If this was my last day to roam on earth, what would I be doing? Operating principles (even before near death experience).
“Waking up with joy to live fully (oh you’re energetic and upbeat) nope, I’m human… there have been some things that are… difficult. If I wake up every day and ask how can I be of service among the challenges – among the dark spots. The darkest of dark isn’t fully dark. Flourishing is the opportunity to live this day to its fullest.”
Emotional wellbeing says have an array of emotions… but in those difficult times, what can I be grateful for. Perspective is at the heart of flourishing, at the heart of wellbeing… to live “the good life.”
We all hear “work life balance” you have one life… I don’t know how else to say it. You have one. Multifaceted nature… but one life and opportunity to discern how do we really find meaning in our own life, so we can flourish… live it as fully as we can for the amount of time we get the privilege of living. Recognize your one life—professionally personally.
Constant pretending is what’s bothering so many faculty and staff. Pretending to be the good whatever. Instead find the effortlessness of being you.
More at: https://drjessmatthews.com/

How to Live to 100: Lessons from the Blue Zones with the Blue Zones Project Shannon Wohlford and Dr. Allen Weiss

Blue Zones Project® is a community-wide well-being improvement initiative designed to make healthy choices easier. The program is based on principles identified during an ongoing twenty-year worldwide longevity study commissioned by National Geographic, and detailed in the New York Times best-seller, The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, and The Blue Zones Solution by Dan Buettner. I interview Shannon Wohlford and Dr. Allen Weiss in their roles as marketing manager and being the Chief Medical Officer, respectively. 
Through this discourse we also touch on:
-Can we create a model and transform communities and create a healthier way of living? We do this through a  Life Radius Approach: We do our work through people, places, and policy.
- Busyness of life—we have to look inward and ask, “what is important to us at the end of the day?” What is important for me and my own personal wellbeing and stand up for what we want out of our life. If we want a long, happy life—that’s a turning point for people who are curious about Blue Zones.
 -Faith, family and friends...In the Blue Zones (people believe in) a higher power that brought them a sense of hope. Centenarians (100+ years of age) are prioritizing relationships.
- You can live a longer, healthier, happier life...Little by little we can make these changes...Orthodox medical community is (finally) realizing prevention saves money.
- Medical school needs to be about emotional interaction not just anatomy and physiology.
- Ultimately, we have a whole healthcare industry that is predicated on a certain amount of sickness.
- People need salaries and benefits, but they stay (at their job) when they feel respected and rewarded.
-We have to meet people where they are....Nothing has to be monumental to make a great day great, or a great lifetime.
 
More here:
https://info.bluezonesproject.com/ 
 

Samma Says: How yoga saved my life, with breath as the gateway

Whenever I ask myself, "why am I doing this podcast?", I remember you-- the person I hope is finding solace in the experiences shared through the myriad voices on the podcast. In an upcoming episode with Drs. David Pena and Elizabeth Berry, David asked about my yoga journey and we grabbed my response for a separate episode. As the 'avatar' of your principal investigator or someone sitting in a seat you wish to be in in the future, I hope to break down some of the power dynamics and share about how professors are humans, too. And... how yoga saved my life:
- Breathwork was the gateway to my journey
- By breathing I felt, rather than talking, ranting, journaling... trying to fix
- We need time off, we need play. We need emotions. Soft skills are really essential to navigate human life
-I am grateful even for all the pain and suffering that led me to my mat so I can return again and again.
 
 

How to translate outside of the ivory tower-- being the bridge

In this episode, I have a candid and fun conversation with Drs. Nick Holton and Jon Beale who are antifragility and flow researchers, respectively, with an overall emphasis on flourishing or, living the good life. To that end, they are intentional educators who aim to distill deep philosophical questions and empirical data to determine how you might apply these concepts in your own life. They do this, in part, as co-hosts of Flourish FM podcast.
 
Other specific highlights of the conversation include:
Acknowledging that flourishing is a broad concept
Flourish FM is great fun for them—they have a deep desire to talk about science and make it accessible
Through the show and conversations, audience members can choose what level of academic rigor makes sense for them. They warn us against becoming “Podcast intellectual”—don’t trust everything you hear; you have a role as the recipient
Their goal is to be “data driven, but not data dependent” and discern “anecdata and me search”
Share science that is accessible, make it tangible so people can increase probably of living good life; doesn’t mean feeling pleasant and good all the time
What do we mean by resource intensive: Books, time and money are all finite resources, so Flourish FM aims to make this science more accessibly: “Podcast can democratize”
There is no perfect way to get knowledge, no perfect study. But come from a lens of “do no harm”
Scientism – excessive believe in the power or value of science. Not anti-scientific but yes, anti-scientistic. For example, there are benefits of science and arts and humanities. None of different values   
Only do a PhD if you have an intellectual itch; getting a PhD “should humble the hell out of you, tiny little bit about tiny little field, study of a gnat’s ass”
Flourishing might include: (1) key areas of life are going well: close relationships, work/education, health (both mental and physical) and personal development; (2) your perception that those 4 domains map to reality; (3) leading a meaningful life; (4) morally good life; (5) fulfillment (potential and sense of life satisfaction; and (6) how much your community
Flourishing is top down, bottom up, outside in...Top down: Thinking about your thinking (mindset, expectancy, gratitude, benefit finding); Bottom up: physical sensations and the mind-body connection; Outside in: you don't flourish in a vacuum...attitudes, mindset, etc. all influenced by our environment.
Don’t focus too much on “achieving” flourishing —just be aware and flow
Links:
LinkedIn, Twitter & Facebook @drjonathanbeale
Instagram 
@flourishfmpodcast
@jonnybeale
@dr.nickholton
Flourish FM links:
https://www.flourishfmpodcast.com/
LinkedIn & Instagram @flourishfmpodcast 
Facebook & Twitter @flourishfmcast 
Measures of flourishing:
https://www.authentichappiness.sas.upenn.edu/

How to find success after tenure with Dr. Vicki Baker

Dr. Vicki Baker’s passion is helping others advance in their careers. She uses her deep curiosity of organizations and an interdisciplinary approach to ask big questions about our skills, talents, and interpersonal dynamics. When prompted about, "How do you feel like an expert? How do you know when “you’ve made it”, she shares that there's a challenge, especially for women and POC, in sharing your confidence in your knowledge and abilities, and communicating that confidence in a way that’s "socially acceptable." Dr. Baker lights up when talking about students, faculty, and stories. 
Other highlights include:
Expertise in mid career: Questioning “What’s next” since the milestone has been met.
Not interested in research for the sake of research – wanting to impact the day to day existence and lives
I’ve learned ____. How do I use it? How do I improve communities and lives?
In midcareer, often, you’ve met your milestones and still have career runway left. Keep asking: What’s my value add? My impact? How do I benefit others?
White woman, full professor is a privileged position, not acknowledging that can be “quite frankly, dangerous”
Focus on contribution: What do you want it to be? And if that seems too big, start with: Where do you find the most joy?
Admin well intention but ill equipped, bring in multiple perspectives—academy wide resources needed
Influential without being an “influencer”
Tenured and promoted but still need guiding light
Volunteer for service positions that lead to overall contribution, can’t be upset if people in positions of power don’t know what you’re trying to “value add”
The best part of the job is daily interactions with undergraduate students and personal stories with faculty across the academy
Your life is precious and you are precious, grant dollars are not precious
Can’t add hours but be more thoughtful with the hours you do have
Content and grounded in identities that matter to you, where those identities are safe on visible display
Space, community, connection is where higher ed is at its best
Weekly projects; boundaries for no work on weekends; walk away= sacred rest and scholarly work of sabbatical
Sustainable programming for mid-career faculty support
Inside Higher Ed article, Leading with Yes: https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2022/07/01/how-overwhelmed-and-burned-out-faculty-can-reframe-saying-no-opinion

How to be a scientific truth seeker with Pranav of Beyond Sc!ence Magazine

Pranav is an undergraduate research scholar who is interested in aerospace engineering and machine learning. Big concepts with huge implications and application. He merges his desire for creativity, art, and science, by discussing with other scientists what they do, how they do it, and why. He believes scientists themselves are the other side of the research coin: The truth seekers. Pranav knows that "learning is constant, never ending; research is the same, step by step, we move forward. It’s a puzzle, piece by piece and not knowing the whole picture necessarily." He encourages other young scholars to use platforms for their benefits, like LinkedIn for intentional networking and truth seeking (what does this specific job do, what are the qualifications, how did you get there). Follow along as he grows Beyond Sc!ence Magazine at https://www.instagram.com/beyondsciencemagazine/
 
Book recommendation:
Atomic Habits

How to appreciate the ’doctor you don’t see’ with Dr. Viola Lanier

Dr. Viola Lanier is the epitome of a healthy form of busy-- working as a medical liaison, leading a non-profit, and being present with her family. Each of these roles lights her up and lets her know she's using her degree to be of service to others. We dive into the mis-education society has around different terminal degrees and the roles each type of "doctor" plays in your cancer journey. We specifically talk about how a cancer diagnosis and recovery centers on treatment/response rather than other needs beyond medicine. Tune in for other takeaways including:
Sometimes we need to say, “It’s been a big day,” instead of “I’m busy” or “ok”
Drop expectation or plan and give people some time to connect
Why do we have a job? Trying to fill a need
There’s always a need, but can there be some grace (in your schedule and to yourself)
Social media as your water cooler break – it doesn’t take much to acknowledge that something resonated
Society has misinformed us all; the doctor you see is an MD and the doctor you don’t see is your scientific doctor—both play huge roles
For me to feel safe I have to have boundaries: establish them share them
As I’m getting older I’m done with unvaluable connection… some things will bring value to you, space, person... but if no one is getting value, that connection isn’t meant to drag out and that’s ok
What’s spiritually nourishing for me? Owning what my new awareness and beliefs are... not being afraid… not betraying myself; not shrinking back
Awareness campaigns create activism and advocacy not (necessarily) asking for anything from healthcare provider
We share our wins and losses, knowing that they didn’t select me where I am at the time, we don’t know what else is going on behind the scenes
Book recommendations
7 stages of Spiritual Success
Anatomy of the Spirit
Myth of Normal
You Can Heal Your Life
 
More From Viola:
Linked in : https://www.linkedin.com/in/viola-lanier-2016/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.violalanier/
Young Women Crush Cancer Inc.