Moved To Meditate Podcast

This episode of the podcast is a guided meditation-in-motion, intended as a dynamic (yet gentle) way to explore Metta or Lovingkindness Meditation. You might think of it as a complement or alternative to the traditional seated Metta Meditation practice. (The meditation itself will start at ~ 3:30 after a brief introduction.) Metta means lovingkindness, goodwill, friendliness, or benevolence. We'll...

In this episode of the podcast, I'm talking with Francine Ang about the joys and challenges of teaching yoga and mindful movement during tumultuous times. Francine shares what it's been like leading classes in her community since they were impacted by the recent LA Fires, and we reflect on what it means to find ground through practice. You'll hear about Francine's background growing up in a Chines...

Yes, AI meditation is a thing now. So, in today's episode, I'm taking a look at how the current rapid expansion of AI tech is reaching the meditation world…and why I don't think human meditation teachers are going to be replaced by these tools anytime soon. Like me, you may be immediately skeptical that AI can play a role in a deeply human activity like meditation. However, there are several ways...

In this podcast episode, we're exploring Somatic Dance as a form of movement therapy. My guest, Anika Voy, is a trained psychotherapist who helps her clients and students find authentic self-expression and healing through dance. Anika explains that "the dance floor is a microcosm of our life," and describes how creative movement can be used as a tool of discovery, as well as self-expression.  We t...

Happy All The Holidays! It's almost the solstice and the end of the calendar year, so it felt like a natural time to pause and reflect. In this short episode, I recap some of my favorite podcast moments from the past year. A few themes really stood out across multiple conversations: the symbiotic relationship of mindful movement and meditation practices what it looks like to integrate (or de-compa...

This episode is an EPIC conversation with my friend Nyk Danu about the question of if, when, how, and why we use yoga props in Yin Yoga. Nyk is the host of A Yin Yoga Podcast, and she reached out to propose this crossover episode to share on both of our shows, because the no-props-in-Yin myth is a topic near and dear to both of our hearts. So what you'll hear here is less of an interview and more...

This week's episode of the podcast is a short post-election reflection - just me sharing some of what's currently on my mind and what's sustaining me right now. This one is a little different, because I don't really hide my political views, but I also don't usually make them a focal point of my teaching. While I certainly have opinions and I care deeply about the issues, I also respect my students...

This episode of the podcast is a conversation about overcoming Imposter Syndrome. I'm speaking with meditation teacher Lou Redmond, and together we explore this very common fear that often holds good people back from truly expressing their creativity, leadership, and potential in the world. Imposter Syndrome is a form of self-doubt that causes us to worry about being enough, knowing enough, or hav...

In this episode of the podcast, we're exploring the idea of Mindful Movement as a form of "cross-training" for your awareness. It's a fun metaphor for how Mindful Movement and meditation can fit together and enhance each other, and it might just inspire you to try something new! In fitness, cross-training is the idea that it's healthy to round out your routine with different forms of exercise like...

Today's podcast is an exploration of life as a Highly Sensitive Person (or HSP), with my friend and colleague Erica Webb. Erica and I sat down for a deep dive into our shared experience of high sensitivity, and how we work with these traits in ourselves. This is something I've been looking at more closely over the last several months, and I knew that Erica had been speaking about HSP more, as well...

It's our 100 th episode! To celebrate this podcast milestone, we have a special episode this week, featuring the voices of the Moved To Meditate Podcast community. I wanted to do something different for our 100 th episode, as a way of saying thanks to all who have been part of the podcast so far. So, I asked podcast listeners and guests to call in with messages about what they practice and why.   ...

This week on the podcast, Amanda Hanna joins me for a juicy discussion about what trauma-informed yoga is (and is not). We give examples of the questionable trends and marketing messages we've seen lately, related to trauma healing, Somatics, Yin Yoga and other movement practices. Amanda Hanna is a seasoned Yin Yoga Teacher Trainer and leader of Trauma-Informed Facilitator trainings, with an acade...

In this episode of the podcast, I'm talking with Jivana Heyman about accessible meditation. Jivana is the founder of the Accessible Yoga movement, and he has plenty of insights to share about how meditation practices can be relevant in our world today. You'll hear about Jivana's own personal journey of learning meditation, and his perspective on how an inward practice like meditation can help duri...

Are you a movement teacher who secretly worries that your classes might be too repetitive or boring? In this episode of the podcast, I'm going to encourage you to embrace repetition as a valuable part of Mindful Movement practice. When I was a newer Yoga teacher, I felt that pressure to come up with a brand new class plan and fresh sequences every week. I thought that if I repeated the same practi...

This week's podcast episode is a gentle movement meditation to help channel and clear the agitated energies of stress or anxiety. (The meditation itself starts around the 4:44 mark, after a brief introduction.) This practice is intended to help you "complete the stress cycle" by engaging your body's natural fight/flight impulses through a few simple Qigong movements, with an emphasis on mindfulnes...

In this episode of the podcast, I'm covering six common mindfulness myths - things I think people often get wrong about mindfulness and meditation. Don't let these trip you up, or stop you before you even start! I hate to see people miss out on the benefits of mindfulness because they've heard a confusing mix of messages about how it works. Some of these myths have unfortunately convinced a lot of...

This week's podcast episode is a guided Walking Meditation practice! The meditation itself starts just after the 5-minute mark, after a brief introduction to Walking Meditation. Walking Meditation is a traditional form of mindfulness practice, and it's a great example of meditation-in-motion! If the stillness of sitting meditation doesn't appeal to you, this might be another avenue for exploring m...

What is the role of alignment in Yoga? Is technique always the best route to safety in Mindful Movement? In this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing my take on these important (and big) topics through another excerpt from the book I'm writing.  The working title of my book is Teaching Mindful Movement , and here you'll be hearing a section where I reflect on what it means to teach movements respon...

Have you heard of Somatic Movement and wondered "what exactly is that?" In this episode of the podcast, I'm sharing a brief excerpt from my work-in-progress book, where I give an overview of the field of Somatics and describe how I use these movement practices. The working title of my book is Teaching Mindful Movement , and you'll be hearing a brief section I've written about Somatics. This is par...

This week on the podcast, I have a very special conversation with Anne Cushman, a pioneer in the field of mindful yoga. Anne is a senior retreat teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, where she founded the first multi-year Buddhist meditation training for yoga teachers.  Anne Cushman has dedicated her life to the embodied Dharma path, equally exploring the wisdom traditions of yoga and Buddhism...

This week's podcast episode is a guided breath meditation for sleep. I made this recording a while back, and I felt inspired to share it on the podcast now, since the last episode was a guest interview on sleep with yoga therapist Monica Le Baron. (The meditation itself starts at approximately 6:34, after a brief intro with a few updates about my book-writing process, the schedule of upcoming podc...

This week on the podcast, I have a conversation with Monica Le Baron, the author of Sleep Simplified: Simple Tools To Reduce Anxiety, Finish The Stress Cycle and Sleep Like a Queen . Sleep is crucial for overall health and affects many aspects of our well-being, including metabolism, immune system, brain function, and mood. If you struggle with insomnia, the good news is that you can improve your...

This episode of the podcast is a gentle moving meditation, exploring what it feels like to slow down. We'll be playing with pace as we do two very simple motions, observing the sensations in the body, and how movement can often influence our mental activity and nervous system state. The meditation itself starts at 3:10, after a brief intro. As we practice this meditation, you will check in with yo...

In this episode of the podcast, you'll hear from two experts on neurodiversity-affirming mindfulness practices, Sue Hutton and Jan Wozniak. We'll be talking about how Mindfulness Meditation programs can be offered in a more inclusive way for autistic adults, those with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence. My guests, Sue Hutton and Jan Wozniak, work together at the Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmen...

This week's episode is a 10-minute guided meditation designed to help you cultivate joy. To include an awareness of the good, delightful, and joyful aspects of our experience is an important practice for developing inner resilience. (The meditation itself starts at about 8:20, after a brief intro to the topic.) There is a lot going on in the world that is distressing and disturbing – and those iss...