Mindfulness Mode

Gretchen Bridgers is a teacher coach. For the past four years she has been helping new teachers in her school district as part of the New Teacher Project. She has a master’s degree in Curriculum and Supervision and is also anauthor, having written the book:  “Elementary Education 101: What They Didn’t Teach You In College. Gretchen has a blog and weekly podcast called “Always A Lesson”, which inspires educators across the globe.Contact InfoWebsite: www.AlwaysALesson.comPodcast: Always A LessonMost Influential PersonLouis Sachar (Author of There's a Boy in the Girl's Bathroom)Effect on EmotionsJust not taking things personally. Realizing that people have, what my father calls 'head trash', or previous tapes. They are taking things out on you that have nothing to do with you at all.Thoughts on BreathingNot so much breathing, but listen, pause and respond. So that pause could be a breath but its that reflection, that gathering of thoughts to remain neutral.Suggested ResourcesBook: Crucial Conversations: Tools For Talking When the Stakes are High by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler, Laura RoppeApp: Facebook Groups - Specifically 'Encouraging Teachers'Advice for Newbie Reflect daily on how you could have handled anything that occurred differently or just take some actionable steps so you are growing and getting better each day. Hold yourself accountable for just growing and not being perfect.

Drew Hume is an expert at Thai massage. One of the things he says often while delivering a massage is ‘Slow it down’. Drew believes it helps us all to just:  SLOW … IT ... DOWN. Drew’s Thai massages clear your head and make you feel like he has a surreal connection to your body. From this you can tell Drew isa great person to talk to about Mindfulness. Drew was born in Australia and now lives in Toronto, Canada.Contact InfoWebsite: www.navina.caTwitter: @NavinaTaiYogaInstagram: @NavinaTaiYogaMost Influential PersonS. N. Goenka, a Burmese-Indian teacher of Vipassanā meditation. Born in Burma, he moved to India in 1969 and started teaching meditation.Effect on EmotionsIt's helped me maintain a little bit more equanimity in that I get less caught up in the big negatives and less caught up in the big positives and I can maintain a little bit more equilibrium in how I respond.Thoughts on BreathingI think its a great way to educate yourself on restrictions and tensions within your own body and I also think its a great tool as a reset button if you take an extra deep breath whenever you feel stressed or challenged. It just gives you a little bit of space to make other decisions.Suggested ResourcesBook: The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman DoidgeApp: Notes and Calendaring (Taking notes and recording events in a calendar helps me to stay in the present moment)Advice for Newbie Avoid frustration. When you think that it's an unsuccessful meditation, your reaction to that is still part of the mindfulness practice. Step out of the frustration and just keep bringing it back in.

Kara Stricker created her Oma Chocolate business, from a simple desire to feel more happiness. With a hundred dollar check, she walked away from her studies in college. Thousands of chocolate recipes later, she found happiness living in her heart. Incorporating ayurvedic spices to thebitterness of the dark chocolate encouraged her to become present to her emotions and gently exercise them like muscles. Kara believes in healing through mindfulness, that is being present to what she’s feeling without the judgement. Kara says, "It really boils down to accepting oneself and being yourself. Simply allowing myself to "love what I love". Many wonderful things began to change in her life - including breaking through her writer’s block and meeting her husband, Dave.Contact InfoWebsite: www.OmaChocolate.comEmail: KaraStricker@OmaChocolate.com Most Influential PersonDr. Wayne DyerEffect on EmotionsI feel more positive (rather than negative) emotions in my everyday life. If I feel negative emotions, it feels more balanced and there's much more love and grace to welcome them in. I just just let them be.Thoughts on BreathingEveryday my breath or my holding back breath is a real immediate indicator of how to slow things down, be more mindful, and be engaged in the moment in a more relaxed way.Suggested ResourcesBook: The Dreams We Carry by the poet Olave HodgeBook: You Can Heal Your Life by Louise HayApp: My Timer on my phone.Advice for Newbie I would say, ask yourself the question, "What brings you joy and happiness?" It doesn't matter what you love, take that one thing that you love so much and practice it every day, be with it everyday.

Kate Erickson is an expert at Systems and Processes and she helps entrepreneurs and business professionals get their act together with their own systems. Kate is on the Entrepreneur on Fire team andis John Lee Dumas's partner in business and life. She is also host of the Audio Blog Podcast called, Kate’s Take. In addition, Kate is also author of the book, The Fire Path: A Beginner's Guide to Growing Your Online Business.Contact InfoWebsite: www.eofire.comPodcast: Kate's TakeEmail: kate@eofire.comMost Influential PersonJohn Lee Dumas has really encouraged me and challenged me to be mindful.Effect on EmotionsIt's really gotten me more in tune with myself. I know myself better now than I ever could have imagined.Thoughts on BreathingI've been doing some studying and research on practicing breathing and it really helps me take my focus off anything else.Suggested ResourcesBook:Essentialism by Craig MceownApp: The Twelve Minute Athlete AppAdvice for Newbie A really powerful book that triggered for me this idea of living in the now, is the book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

Michael Sandler is an all-round fascinating person. He loves to move and have fun and he’s an avid athlete who’s had more than his fair share of injuries including being hit by a car when bicycle racing in France and being walloped by a motorcycle while mountain biking in Colorado. Back in middle school, Michael ran to and from school to avoid bullies onthe school bus. Since his high school days, mindfulness and meditation have been part of his daily life, and he now meditates an average of 2 hours a day. Today Michael is a best-selling author and online entrepreneur. Interestingly, he has had a knee surgery and sinus surgery both done without any anesthetics, just with the power of the mind and meditation. You can hear Michael on-line on his popular podcast, Inspire Nation.Contact InfoPodcast: www.InspireNationShow.comMost Influential PersonClaudio (his greatest teacher who believes we have it all too complicated. He says it's as simple as going silent)Effect on EmotionsHugely so, because I've become a lot less reactive. I'm a lot less of that super ball, bouncing from one thing to the next. And I'm a lot more present in myself. By present in myself, I mean I don't take ownership in the balls that are thrown at me or bounced around by others around me. If somebody throws me a fear ball, I'm able to say, 'wait, that's not mine'.Thoughts on BreathingThere's conscious and unconscious breathing and I'm always trying to come back to my breath, consciously. With that said, my voice has changed over the years, and the voice that you hear on air is much more because of my mindfulness practice. It used to be 'up here' and that's because I was breathing high in my chest and I was talking really fast, and never taking a deep, full, slow breath. And so focusing on the breath calms me, brings me back into that present moment, gets my mind quieter and allows me to achieve all the things that I've achieved. So the breath really is the metronome, the heartbeat, the guide to everything.Suggested ResourcesBook: Natural Meditation by Dean SluyterApp: None. I leave the electronics behind as much as possible.Advice for Newbie Focus on the breath. Just go to the breath. That can be as simple as, you're on the bus or on the subway on the way to work in the morning, just take one minute and feel the breath coming in, feeling the breath going out. Just starting from there and expanding from there. Or you're at work, at your computer, you're starting to get a little bit stressed out, go into the breath, breathe in. One, two, three, Out, one, two, three. I like throwing a count on it, that's my app, is just counting. Just drop right back into the breath.

Nirmala Daniel Erway is a spiritual teacher and author who is a deep believer in the positive benefits of mindfulness. He offers one-on-one, non-dual spiritual mentoring over the phone or through Skype. His mentoring is an opportunity to discover that limitless love is ourtrue nature and is possible at every moment. He has written several books including a poetry collection called Gifts With No Giver. Nirmala lives in Sedona, Arizona and has a website called Endless-Satsang.com where he shares his thoughts through ebooks and videos.Contact InfoWebsite: www.endless-satsang.comMost Influential PersonEveryone I’ve ever felt love for, including Nealum and my wife.Effect on EmotionsIt hasn’t changed them, except in their duration. When you’re in this place of curiosity, openness I find it interesting. When I feel sad, I go right down into the center of that sadness and notice all the associations and feelings. I’m so fascinated with it. I digest it, I get the sadness. aThen it’s almost gone in the moment I pay that much attention to it. It’s hard to call it sadness anymore, it’s just a new experience showing up.aThoughts on BreathingWhen they do studies of mindfulness & meditation, they've found that anything you do to change your breathing will put you into a meditative space. Anything you do to your breath will change your state of consciousness.Suggested ResourcesBook: Living From the Heart by Nirmala (free on Nirmala’s website)App: TimerAdvice for Newbie Just play. If you can approach it like a game, a form of play or curiosity, that's the best way to learn.

Sharon Roemmel will help you find your life’s purpose through yoga. She is a wellness and life coach, however learning with Sharon is not your usual Yoga experience; she’ll help you get connected to your divine supportand she’ll use mindfulness to help you claim true balance in your life. She has taught Yoga for over 20 years and believes Yoga is the perfect tool to help you align your body, mind and spirit.Contact InfoWebsite: www.practicallyenlightenedyou.com See the Amazing You AssessmentMost Influential PersonDan McLeod, Sharon's first serious yoga teacher - he embodied mindfulness with his yoga practice, his teaching and his groundedness.Effect on EmotionsHelped me be more connected to them and helped me realize that anger is not something I have to hold back. I can feel anger and let it move through me. I tell people they can spend a lot of money on medical diagnostics or they can check in with their breath and that's a great, free, diagnostic to see where they're holding, how relaxed they are in the moment. They can learn a lot from their breath.Thoughts on BreathingBreathing is one of the limbs of yoga. I like to use breathing as a diagnosticSuggested ResourcesBook: Full Catastrophe Living, by Jon Kabot ZinnAdvice for Newbie Start small, pay attention to your breath even for one minute, one time a day. Start paying attention to your body. Go for the low hanging fruit: if you're someone who finds it challenging to tune into your emotions, don't start there. Then as you get adept at one level, you move to another level.

Bryce Prescott studied finance at Brigham Young University and has a keen interest in business. In fact, he is an entrepreneur and business consultant with several successful business endeavors under his belt.  Bryce helps business people take their businesses, their health andtheir lives in general to a higher a level of excellence. Bryce also has a podcast called ‘Rules of Success’ which has spawned a companion program called 'Apply The Science' which focuses on the principals of the book, 'The Science of Getting Rich' by Wallace D. Wattles.Contact InfoWebsite: www.rulesofsuccess.comPodcast: rulesofsuccess.comTwitter: @iamMrPrescottInstagram: @iamMrPrescottMost Influential PersonT. Harv EckerEffect on EmotionsMindfulness has affected my emotions and it allows me to observe them. It's more challenging to observe the emotion when it is positive and supportive than when it's negative, but it's the same practice nonetheless. I'm able to, from a different vantage point within my mind, recognize what the emotion is and diffuse the negative emotions like anger and frustration.Suggested ResourcesBook: The Science of Getting Rich by Wallace D. WattlesBook: Conversations with God by Neale Donald WalschApp: The Holosync Program by Bill Harris (Centerpoint Research Institute)App: CalmAdvice for Newbie I would encourage them to check out one of these guided meditation programs. Go to www.choprameditation.com and get the 21 Day Challenge. Just try it. It's 15 to 20 minutes a day. Do it in the mornings in a quiet place. I would also recommend you to journal right afterwards.

Pat Flynn is an online entrepreneur, a father and husband who puts family first and is one of the most personable, friendly business owners I know. Pat was laid off from his day job in 2008 and then started an online business. His blog and podcast called ‘Smart Passive Income” is wherePat shares amazing, abundant content and is completely open and transparent about his online learning experiences. Pat attributes mindfulness and meditation as part of the reason for his success.Contact InfoWebsite: www.smartpassiveincome.comBlog: Smart Passive IncomePodcast: Smart Passive IncomeTwitter: @patflynnMost Influential PersonElon Musk (Founder of Tesla, SpaceX and SolarCity)Effect on EmotionsIt's helped me get in tune with what's happening and also figure out how to get deeper into what those things are. Sometimes when I have conversations and I ask questions, whether I'm the one who's needing help or someone else, the surface level questions don't really get into the root of the problem. Like the Toyota Manufacturing strategy of the five whys, it's when you get deeper into those conversations that the realness comes out. So I try to be mindful of the fact that people's initial answers aren't necessarily 'the' answer.Thoughts on BreathingI'm a trumpet player and I would be very focused on breathing. Now I'm taking singing lessons on Skype to try to improve my public speaking and breathing has been very important with that. And so breathing is actually, in a lot of things, the foundation for great things. And so for those things, specifically the performance stuff, I make sure to focus on breathing because it's just the foundation of creating good sound. In life in general, it's just nice to breath in terms of giving yourself space. I work hard as an entrepreneur, but I also schedule in time to breath, or have spaceSuggested ResourcesBook: Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan HeathApp: Calm App and the 5 Minute Journal AppAdvice for Newbie If you don't know what it's supposed to be like, it's ok. You're going to figure it out for yourself over time. You should get connected with other people who do know what mindfulness is about. You can learn as you go, you don't have to get it right the first time. You may not even know what you're doing at first, but the more you are conscious about the fact that you're trying to put this into your life, the more likely that it will.

Lynette Renda is a writer, with a masters in Fine Art and Creative Writing. She’s written 2 novels as well as abundant online content.  Lynette is also a motivational speaker and coach and has an activeFacebook group called Motivate Me Ultimate Support System. She was an English teacher in a school for 12 years before moving on to become entirely devoted to entrepreneurship. Lynette believes mindfulness has delivered focus and clarity directly to her doorstep and as a result it has ultimately changed her life.Contact InfoWebsite: motivatemepodcast.comemail: lynette@motivatemepodcast.comPodcast: Motivate Me (Join the Motivate Me Ultimate Support System on Facebook)Most Influential PersonDr. Wayne Dyer (Lynette has 'Inner Wisdom', Volume 1 and 2 and she listens to his podcast)Effect on EmotionsIt's given me permission to be empathetic, to touch base with my feelings in a way that lets me [connect] like with nature, it puts me in a place that allows me to feel more openly and regularly without me thinking there's something wrong with me.Thoughts on BreathingGetting more oxygen into your body is great for your body, your energy levels and your focus. Specifically getting six deep breaths at a time is really great for your body and your energy level. Also what I've learned is that listening to your breath during meditation can calm yourself down ... it's about listening to your breath. Doing that distracts you from everything else that's going around, enough to relax.Suggested Resources Book: Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life from the Core by Dr. Bruce Schneider App: HeadspaceAdvice for Newbie Take the time to really understand what it means to be mindful and  to understand that by being mindful you are really building a relationship with yourself. It is going to change your entire life and your entire perspective on life. Be mindful, get to know yourself better and look at the world through those new lenses. You will see that you're going to get more out of life because of it.

Neil Sattin is a relationship expert and loves helping people just like you have fun, deep, meaningful relationships that matter. Neil loves to feed his curiosity about people and understands howcomplex relationships can be. Neil has been trained in Strategic Intervention through the Robbins-Madonnis Institute, and has completed a training in Source Point Therapy, by Bob Schrei & Donna Thomson. Neil has a thorough understanding of the corporate environment, having been involved in the corporate world for 15 years. Neil is also a podcaster; his show is called Relationship Alive. Neil and his partner are working on a new project called The New Love Paradigm.com.Contact InfoWebsite: www.NeilSattin.comWebsite: www.thenewloveparadigm.comPodcast: 'Relationship Alive' on itunes or StitcherMost Influential PersonMy father - he's been really influential in my life.Effect on EmotionsIt has effect my experience on my emotions so that they have much less power over me when things aren't going well.Thoughts on BreathingIt's integral to the way I personally practice mindfulnessSuggested ResourcesBook: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer and The Heart of Zen by Denis KellyApp: Inner Balance by Heart MathAdvice for Newbie So many new doors are going to open for you now that you're in this practice. Just get curious and really just be observant of how mindfulness is affecting you.

Anthony Hayes lives in West Palm Beach, Florida and grew up in Yonkers, New York. In 2008 he was a deckhand on a ship with Sea Shepherd Global, saving ocean wildlife from the treacherous Japanese Whaling Fleet. From 1999-2005 he was a DJ. In 2011 he studied to bean ordained minister at Universal Life Church Monastery. At one point, Anthony wrote, “the last 10 years have encompassed some of the darkest, most trying times of my life.”  Anthony has a podcast and blog called Me, Myself and I Radio, and he uses his podcast as a tool to inspire his audience. Anthony is also busy writing a book called, The Science of Being. Anthony is a strong believer in mindfulness and uses it in his life on a regular basis.Contact InfoWebsite: www.MeMyselfAndIRadio.comPodcast: Me Myself and I RadioMost Influential PersonAnthony's uncle who was one of his martial arts teachers. Anthony says, "He showed me a lot of ways to look inward."Effect on EmotionsMindfulness has helped me realize how deep my emotions actually go and how to look at situations a little differently and be able to analyze them a lot more.Thoughts on BreathingEverything starts with the breath. The more you're able to control the breath, the more you're able to control the rest of your body. Breathing is the end all, be all of everything mindfulness anywhere in life.Suggested ResourcesBook: The Science of Self Realization by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami PrabhupadaApp: Headspace.com by Andy Puddicombe - There is a great free app there, excellent for beginners or seasoned mindfulness people.Advice for Newbie Forget what you think you know because you have no idea. Try it (mindfulness). It can not hurt to try it.

Tyler Bishton teaches the Feldenkrais method of somatic education, enabling people of all age groups to move more easily. He is also a Martial Artist and Massage Therapist, workingwith clients to help them move along the continuum between impossibility and elegance. He brings people into being Mindfully present in many different ways , until it becomes as easy for them as breathing. Tyler believes that as you expand your awareness of how you think, sense, feel and move, the possibilities for personal improvement and human development are limitless.Contact InfoWebsite: www.tylerbishton.comMost Influential PersonMoshe Feldenkrais, the Creator of the Feldendrais MethodEffect on EmotionsIt has given me a space to decide what I want to do with the emotion that I'm experiencing, whereas before I would react kind of in a knee-jerk way and just fly off the handle, I now have the ability to take a deep breath, take a step back, and chose how I want to respond and see if that's different to the way I'm feeling.Thoughts on BreathingI use it like a canary in a coal mine situation. I have developed a habit that if I feel myself breathing in a way that I don't find comfortable, I let that set off the alarm bells in my head that I'm missing something. That's an opportunity for me to become present and make the changes that are more useful for me at that time.Suggested ResourcesBook: Feldenkrais: The Busy Person's Guide to Easier Movement by Frank WildmanApp: Meistertask App (Task Management Software) and MindMeister (an online MindMapping Software) These two apps link back and forth.Advice for Newbie Start right now. And when you find yourself not doing it, start again.

Pompe Strater-Vidal is a monk in the Soto lineage of Zen Buddhism and has been teaching meditation for over 35 years. She studied art at the San Francisco Art Institute and atAnderson Ranch in Colorado and is trained specifically in Shodo, the Japanese Zen art of brush calligraphy. Pompe recently hosted the Relax and Breathe Summit, an on-line event where amazing guests helped the audience learn simple mindfulness breathing techniques to release tension and reduce stress. Contact InfoWebsite: www.RelaxAndBreatheSummit.comWebsite: www.PompeStraterVidal.comemail: pompe@relaxandbreathsummit.comMost Influential PersonSuzuki RochiEffect on EmotionsI've learned to dis-identify from my emotional reactions, so less reactive.Thoughts on BreathingBreathing is a crucial element of mindfulness practice. Breathing is something we always do when we're alive. If I bring my awareness to breathing , it always pulls me back into the present moment. It's very simple, I can do it wherever I am, whatever I'm doing.Suggested ResourcesBook: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki RochiApp: www.RelaxAndBreatheSummit.com A 3 Video Series Called Relax and Breathe NowAdvice for Newbie I would say give it a shot. What have you got to lose ... some stress?

Nate Hockstra is an Elite Results Coach for the most well respected and the most popular peak performance coach in the industry. He’s coached over 300 people and logged over 2000+ hours of 1 on 1 coaching to help people get massive results in their life.  Previous clients Nick has worked withrange from a United States Navy Admiral, A-list Hollywood celebrities and industry leading, 8 figure entrepreneurs.Contact InfoWebsite: www.natehockstra.comMost Influential PersonA person who suggested mindfulness back in Nate's twenties.Effect on EmotionsIt allows me to be aware of my emotions, then also lean into those emotions and figure out what they're trying to tell me or what it is that I'm experiencing. From that awareness, I'm able to change what I'm experiencing so it's almost like mindfulness has allowed me to become more masterful over my emotions.Thoughts on BreathingBreathing is everything. The way that you breathe determines the way that you feel. Just last night, I could feel myself a little off, and I knew it was because I was breathing shallow. I took twenty minutes and sat up against the wall, closed my eyes and became one with my breath. Twenty minutes later it was like I was a new man. Breathing is everything.Suggested ResourcesBook: The Way of the Superior Man by David DeidaApp: Timer (on Phone)Advice for Newbie Learn to become aware of the state and the emotions that you experience on a moment to moment basis. Become aware of the way you feel and don't distract yourself. Don't push it away, lean into what it is you're feeling. Out of that you're going to understand so much more about yourself. You'll be able to permanently make changes whereas distraction is only a change for the moment. Do some journaling around the way you feel about your life. Meditation is always a great start, but start out with one or two minutes, rather than twenty minutes.