Higher Vibrations in Higher Education

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.

How to Find Your Way in Academia with PhD Candidate Lauren Mason

Lauren Mason is the creator and academic behind the platform Lauren Finds a Way.  Her academic Instragram includes curated content while her youtube channel shows more of the day-to-day PhD student vibes. Her goal is to share nuance behind the beauty of education. Lauren encourages us to embrace all parts of you and reminders to create patterns and habits that help you ground and find stillness within the ebbs and flows of academic life.
We also talk about:
"From my experience, I had a vision in my mind what is an academic, what is someone with a PhD like. I weighed myself against that and thought, I don’t fit that mold…We don’t all look the same or act the same…that’s one of the benefits of academia right now"
Now (through social media) we have access to a huge group of people pursuing a similar path
Loving the emphasis on learning in academia
We’re arriving at a time where people are becoming more transparent about experiences in academia (we get access daily to so many experiences)
Journalism major, decided to switch to psychology … wanted to gain expertise in something and then write about it rather than various topics
As an undergrad research assistant one of the things that helped me stand out was bringing research to them
When we have aspects of ourselves that people think “oh people with a PhD don’t have that” when we share it inspires others to take the chance, and not feel shame
When we compare ourselves to others it robs us of opportunity to shed our own light
The goal is to try to maintain balance—off balance in PhD journey for sure. One thing she's strict about (and shares openly) is that she doesn’t work on the weekend… Structured time away from work is one of the healthiest things she's done for herself
"And I think out of everything, all the lifestyle changes I’ve made to try to help with mental health, I think movement has been the best one, and the most impactful"
Lauren challenges herself to be authentic- sometimes we have highs and are acknowledge for our work but sometimes there are lows—along the way, transparent and authentic promotes health in the community
I get to choose how I want to use my time today, how I want to be creative today
Too many things on the plate in one day, not achieving very much at all…grant ourselves the ability to focus on one thing actually increases our productivity
Maintain health: sometimes we get out of balance, strategies to get back into it. Have grace with ourselves… let it go when you haven’t achieved or made a mistake
"Find myself gasping throughout the whole day, can’t catch my breath, mind is racing"… journals and lists help her find limits
Becoming more conscious (that we’re not taking care of ourselves); small challenges to do it, 5 min break, feels difficult reinforces it’s ok to take up space, change situation that you’re uncomfortable in and make yourself more comfortable
Learning to say no during PhD has been a journey; say yes to any opportunity that comes your way… pressure with developing your CV, you should take it and run with it… that isn’t working for me anymore
Start to rethink "I’m doing enough to meet my requirements… saying no has become liberating"
"Academia has a way of breaking you down… no one is going to build me back up, I have to build myself back up"
End of PhD is almost an identity crisis... we don’t even know what we know anymore Identify your skill set instead of parts that are missing
Remind yourself what you do, what you’re capable of doing. You have an idea of those things (skills) and you can communicate that with others
Flourishing: Waking up excited for the day is a good sign… feeling calm… feeling connected with those around me and in my community…laughing a lot, and in a lighthearted way
Writing, sharing, connecting, sharing your light with others…
More at:
https://www.instagram.com/laurenfindsaway/
https://www.youtube.com/@laurenfindsaway

How to use yoga as an inquiry for the classroom of life with Stacy Hemingway

Stacy Hemingway is a yoga teacher, practitioner, and philosopher who deeply engages in the ancient aspects of yoga in a modern (but contemplative!) space: the K-12 classroom. Her goal is to equip young people with yoga for the inquiry of the classroom of life—to learn who we are, stay in the seat of the learner, and grow. Stacy developed a 12-module yoga curriculum that aligns with the Social Emotional Learning objectives that are at the cornerstone of many K-12 curricula as a model for holistic learning.
We also dive into:
Our own observations, gaps, and experiences can lead us to develop a product that can be used
Yoga is so dynamic and complex, it’s our job to glean from and simplify this work
200-hour yoga teacher training simply starts an inquiry, a foundation of understanding
Conscious Classroom Yoga: What is it? It speaks to yoga and mindfulness and meditation and how we practice those in our daily life
Yoga as one of many options to explore what it means to be human
Contemplate, try multiple forms, reflect on experience—holistic and well-rounded learning experience—learn by doing; emodiment
How to achieve enlightenment or who to thank for your existence: the message is the same. We are a gift, and we are given the gift of embodiment so we share that in the world
Once you have enough fuel from rest and nourishment, then we really can focus on intentionally educating
Wake up every morning, and ask, “What will you stand for? What will you fall for? What’s your impact?”
The only constant is change, but people and systems resist
Standardize what we would like to teach while standing up for what we believe in without standing in judgement of others
Contemplate: Who am I (personal reality = personality)
Simplifying can make things easier for ourselves but also our community partners
“I planted the seed and I’m” waiting – if you have an idea, bring it forth!
 
More at: https://consciousclassroom.yoga/

How to Flourish Instead of Languish with Dr. Maike Neuhaus

Dr. Maike Neuhaus is a digital nomad and flourishing coach who aims to help us identify “what am I happy to struggle with” to guide us into a growth mindset. Her research background is in positive psychology and self-leadership. She helps individuals and organizations understand what humans need to flourish to create impacts that excite them in life or at work. She broadens our minds in terms of different opportunities for what to do with a psychology background. Tune in for a number of gems, including, but not limited to:
I want to keep it real here for your listeners—I couldn’t find my purpose early on—I’ve been struggling with it the greater part of my life.
I leveled up and skilled up—learning about positive psychology and self-leadership—and created my own business...and while it looks nice and flourishing, it didn't feel that way all the time.
Research started with the curiosity that there are those who are flourishing those who are languishing
Positive psychology as a way to explore what’s happening rather than just pathology of “what’s wrong”
I used to be an expert once...admitting that is uncomfortable...but in a PhD you start to understand all the things we don't know. You carry the risk of not being right... (and remember) your intention is to be of service.
Languishing, isn’t defined as the opposite of progress; but it has to do with stagnation. Flourishing is fully alive and with purpose
Why is academia great: Forefront of knowledge; explore and expand our knowledge base; pleasure and privilege
How is it most failing: Academia lost time to just think, converse, and have headspace
Direct quote, “academy crushed my soul”
My favorite self-care activity—now habit—is to ask myself, "what do I need right now?" Ask first thing when you wake up: how am I? What do I need right now? Repeat throughout the day.
More at: https://www.theflourishingdoc.com/

How to work in a way that works with Alison Miller the Dissertation Coach

Dr. Alison Miller is an academic entrepreneur with a PhD in clinical psychology. Over the last 23 years, she has served graduate students by helping them learn to "work in a way that works." We have a heart-centered and candid conversation about the psychologically damaging aspects of the academy that can be changed, one dissertation at a time. 
Dr. Miller knew she was allergic to academic culture, so she developed The Dissertation Coach. She saw that students were struggling, people were leaving without degrees, and that they did not have enough institutional support for graduate students-- and she could fill that gap with process-oriented project management, accountability, and heart-centered support. Ultimately, challenging and changing the relationship to academic work.
We specifically talk about:
- People (including those in the position of power) are under-mentored or mis-mentored
- We need co-working spaces to not feel alone on this journey
- She wants students to be better able to manage the doubt and desire to leave
- How do we work in academia as a human
- Teach people to know and learn how to work and do so that works for us as human beings
- It’s 2023, it’s time for academic culture to upgrade itself, it’s stuck in a different era
- Students are experiencing trauma (loss of parent, miscarriages, major health crises) and the typical response is callousness
- There is hope, it can get better
- More people in academia waking up; more aware of themselves, that they impact other people—if you are conscientious that people are on the receiving end of the manner in which you mentor
- Some people think they've been granted permission to treat students poorly
- Institutional betrayal- example learning about empathy in a psychology department but the students aren’t being met with empathy
- Writing is a practice, it takes work, it's a skill and craft that we gain over time
- We should banish “you should know this" from your vernacular
- You are working in a system that is not awake and conscious yet. You’re not rewarded for that. People aren’t hired on their people skills 
- Let’s make this system better, thrive to learn while they're here. We’re responsible for making the change where you aren’t brutalized for years getting your degree
- Our #1 priority is regulating our own nervous systems.
- Om nama nama- bow to something greater than yourself
- You don’t need to fix anything, you’re not broken. How am I now? What version of me has shown up here? What am I trying to do? Are they compatible with the work I need to do? Can the answer be grounded in the reality of my unfolding experience
More at: https://www.thedissertationcoach.com/team/alison-miller-phd-dissertation-coach-owner-and-founder-of-the-dissertation-coach/