Higher Vibrations in Higher Education

Grit and Grace: Be willing to throw it all at the wall with Yoga with Jake Jake Panasevich carved out a path to be a disseminator of the benefits of yoga with an emphasis on reaching men and athletes. In looking at his offerings and success, I got the “he’s so lucky” mindset. I saw that he had this cool career of writing, disseminating, and teaching yoga—and felt envy. On this episode we dive into...

I learn from Dr. Margie Serrato that, from both a human and anthropological perspective, we often believe lies and justify rather than reconcile with the fact that we’re wrong: in relationships, politics, etc. anywhere we “misstep.” This is where we start our almost 2 hour discussion. Based on her research and identities, Margie started to talk about rest, love, and care for others in the fear and...

VA Crenshaw is a dancer, yoga practitioner, rapper and educator… never just one thing. She questions: can I be an educator and a rapper? Yes, yes you can. One person can be kind and genuine, and quick-witted, and wearing a cute outfit. How do we be more like kids before “adults” get involved? More apt to give complements and follow our passions instead of what we're "good" at? We carry shame we do...

Dr. Jaclyn Margolis is an associate professor of applied behavioral science and department head. I found her Instagram profile TheWorkplacePhD (which has since been rebranded to JacMargolisPhD), where she shares the journey of applying behavioral science in her own life—from gratitude practices to leading by example as a leader in her department. We jump in in this episode that we might have exper...

If you've ever hid parts of yourself; felt challenged by fashion or presentation of "you" for the lab, classroom, or conference; or were uncertain of where your "real" self v academic self begin and end-- this one's for you. Rebecca gets me with so many zingers like How am I complicit in hustle culture? It’s challenging to have your body on display. Academia often puts seriousness and intellect op...

Whether you are struggling with self worth or finances or how to role model health in the workplace, wellbeing architect and coach, Johnika Nixon, has some insights to soothe your soul. Johnika shares about her journey in higher education, in shedding old beliefs, and finding practices that help her get embodied. When discussing flourishing, she states, "just like you would research a plant, you n...

Tune in to a conversation with my friend and colleague, Betsy Walker an Ayurvedic counselor and owner of Rasa Wellness. We learn about the art of daily living through her deep study and practice of ancient Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a path to physical vitality and wellbeing. We talk about how to apply these concepts in academia and beyond. Overall the discussion is about embracing the nature and purpos...

Monika Staab ((soon to be Dr.) is awaiting her certificate for a PhD in adult and continuing education—specifically related to international comparison in educational processes. She shares about the need for courage and vulnerability to step into joy and ease on the academic path. As a dissertation coach, she is in a “learning rhythm” with the clients. And, she reminds us all that when we let go o...

In reflecting on her stellar career thus far, Dr. Heather Leach brings a lightness to the journey. She recounts how she started her education but was “there for the soccer”… finding the degree came separately. Unsurprisingly, to me, she found Health and Exercise Science. Through an internship at NASA she learned what the research was… then came a MS and PhD and Postdoc and when we talked, she was...

When people are told that they are overly sensitive or thinking too much—instead of lauding gifts of insight and protection—they feel isolated and alone, and start to wonder, “Is there something wrong with me?” This was the genesis of Miriam Verheyden’s experience with her own self-doubt, intrusive thoughts and… eventual understanding of depression, alcohol misuse, and PMDD. PMDD is premenstrual d...

Dr. Natalaya Androsova, a writing and dissertation coach, studied linguistics & the communication and cultural aspects of language for her PhD. When I recorded this episode with Dr. Androsova, I felt so seen, safe, and held by her energy and trust with the universe. What I left knowing was that my inner writing critic isn't about my prose: It’s about my inability to prioritize time. Each of us...

When I wanted to speak with someone about how to weave more faith and spirituality into my work as an academic Tamra Andress launched into my mind. Tamra is a best-selling author, spiritual entrepreneur, coach, podcaster, and ordained minister. She also happens to be someone I’ve known since 9th grade. When I stepped away from social media, she was stepping in and up with a colorful platform that...

We all have those moments that challenge us: Do we belong here? We can use our senses to revisit the moment without being overwhelmed by it. In this brief guided visualization, we embrace a moment where we felt that we didn't belong, process it, and balance the sacral chakra of connection and creativity.

On this episode, I interview Drs. Dave Pena and Elizabeth Berry. Elizabeth posted on Instagram about pursuing a PhD being anxiety provoking. She wondered: Where are the expectations coming from and why do we (as people) perpetuate it? It’s seen as a rite of passage. Is that reason enough? She thinks, wait my boss and committee members went through this too, and her “brain goes to would I ask these...

We make decisions each day. We ruminate on whether it was the "right one." We lose perspective of our safety- our present. And our future. We often go to our "worst case scenario" instead of our "best case scenario." Tune in to this Samma Says for a guided meditation to engage your scenes and identify the best case scenario.

We are not doing this academic work for anything except to be of service. Of service to the greater good, to our communities that we hope to empower, to provide answers to really tough questions. We are doing this to be vessels of service. We need to remember why we are doing what we’re doing. It’s hard to do that when something is absconded with or taken out of context, like service. On this epis...

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...

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 "li...

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 frie...

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 podcas...

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 Z...

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 sea...

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 t...

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...

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 t...