Moved To Meditate Podcast Addie deHilster

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 mindfulness.
This practice is often used as a type of formal meditation, but one of the special benefits of Walking Meditation is that it trains us to be aware during an ordinary, daily activity.
I find that when I practice Walking Meditation more often, it seeps into other moments. I might be walking somewhere, and instead of staying lost in thought, I start feeling my feet or my breath, hearing sounds, or seeing what’s around me. Those brief, spontaneous opportunities to touch into the present moment are incredibly valuable – it helps me find my composure, to feel less pulled in a million directions, or to savor a sweet moment more vividly.
I also wanted to record some basic instructions for Walking Meditation because you don’t really get full as-you-go guidance for this practice at in-person meditation groups and on meditation retreats. For obvious practical reasons, the teacher has to give you all the instructions upfront, then send you off to do the walking on your own. So, having a recording might be helpful to practice along with at home, especially if you are newer to this kind of meditation!
All you need for this practice is some space to walk several steps in a straight line and turn around. We will be walking back and forth along that path. I recorded this practice indoors, simply walking across my yoga mat (and maybe a foot beyond). Hallways work well, too. You can also take this practice outside if you have a safe, peaceful place to walk.
With some practice, your Walking Meditation can become a portable mindfulness tool that supports you throughout the day! Walking to the kitchen, walking to your car, walking to a meeting (even at normal walking speed) - you can ground yourself in the present moment while you’re involved in the movements of your life.
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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.
And, you can sign up for your "Library Card" to access this month's FREE practices in the Moved To Meditate Class Library!
Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).

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 responsibly. We will address the issues of technique and alignment, the role of the teacher, and how mindfulness can support safety.
We train as movement teachers because we want to help people feel better in their bodies. The last thing we want is to unintentionally cause harm through the practices we guide. However, my best advice for teaching safely might not be what you think. 
In my time in this field, I’ve observed a trend for Yoga and movement teachers to take on a lot of responsibility for “keeping people safe.” This desire to ensure safety takes various forms: some undertake detailed studies of anatomy and biomechanics, or mastering the skillful use of props, while others may emphasize ideals of Yoga alignment, or the precise execution of forms in Qigong. Some of the Somatic movement styles put a great deal of focus on achieving “correct” posture, as defined by the prevailing theories in their school.
For quite a while in the Yoga world, structural alignment was considered the best means to ensure safety. But, as the teaching community has gradually learned more about the brain and nervous system, and has begun applying principles of tissue mechanics and pain science to Yoga, we can see that safety is much more multi-faceted than just positioning our bones and joints in a particular way. As we’ve become more aware of the range of differences between individual bodies, it has also become clear that there is no universal set of alignment standards that work for everyone. 
You’ll hear about:
how being overly focused on alignment can sometimes cause injuries, rather than prevent them ways that alignment and technique can become entangled with our cultural conditioning and take us further away from embodiment when studies of anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics are most helpful the value of choosing simple, low-risk movements that support mindfulness and that are natural extensions of our students’ existing daily movement repertoire  So, if technique is not our best guarantee of safety, then is there still value to giving instructions on precision and form? If we cue movements in a less prescriptive way, will our classes become a sloppy free-for-all that leaves our students wondering what they are even doing? 
I will give some examples of how teachers can provide enough structure and clarity for students, while also allowing space for individual needs. We will explore a “middle way” with alignment in which technical cues can be used as a form of mindful inquiry, rather than rules to be followed. 
I hope the perspective I offer here will help you feel more empowered in your teaching, and that it will relieve some of the pressure of thinking you need to have all the answers to keep your students safe!
If you have feedback to share after hearing this section of the book, please contact me. I would love to know what you find intriguing, challenging, or helpful. 
And, if you’d like to be notified when my book Teaching Mindful Movement is ready, sign up for updates here!
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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.
Find more info about the donation-based Teacher Masterclasses at movedtomeditate.yoga/teacher-masterclasses.
Get the dates for the next Mindful Movement Teacher Training at movedtomeditate.yoga/mmtt.
Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @a

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 part of a longer chapter that covers a few different movement modalities I like to include in my practice and teaching.
Somatic Movement seems to be kind of a buzzword lately, and I’ve had a few people reach out to ask what “somatic” actually means. While some may just be using the term for marketing purposes, Somatics actually refers to a whole field of body-based practices that emphasize the awareness of internal sensations. 
This broad term can refer to styles of movement (like Feldenkrais and Hanna Somatics), somatic psychotherapies, somatic approaches to dance, and hand-on bodywork methods (like Rolfing and Craniosacral Therapy) that grew out of the Somatics movement.  
In this excerpt I will offer a succinct background on the field of Somatics, where and when it originated, and who the major figures are. You’ll hear a few tidbits about how the Somatics field was developing amidst the mid-twentieth century’s cultural shifts, including the introduction of Eastern practices like Yoga and Buddhism to the West. I also note that there is an effort nowadays to decolonize Somatic practices and investigate where Euro-Centric biases may have been imbedded in their development.
After this history and background, I also share how I use Somatics as part of my Mindful Movement teaching and practice:
To increase embodiment and awareness of subtle sensations Refine “building-block” movements, leading to greater ease in complex movement patterns Release deeply-held tension and down-regulate the nervous system Gently engage the body when there’s pain, through these gradual and non-threatening movements I hope you will enjoy this preview of my book, Teaching Mindful Movement! If you have feedback to share after hearing this section of the book, please contact me. I would love to know what you find intriguing or confusing, or if you think of something related to Somatics that I should consider including in this section. 
And, if you'd like to be notified when my book Teaching Mindful Movement is ready, sign up for updates here!
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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.
Find more info about the donation-based Teacher Masterclasses at movedtomeditate.yoga/teacher-masterclasses.
Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).

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, since she started her practice in the 1980s. Her teachings and writings skillfully express the intersections of philosophy, meditation, movement, creativity, and real-world practice.
We talk about why it has been important for her to center mindfulness in her yoga practice, and how yoga asana and pranayama allowed her to truly absorb the Dharma teachings beyond a conceptual understanding. You’ll hear how she defines mindful yoga, and how cultivating mindful awareness enables us to meet all of the contents of our experience - on the mat and off.
She also shares some fascinating history, as someone who had a front row seat to the development of yoga and Buddhist Dharma culture in the West. 
You’ll hear about Anne’s time working as an editor and writer at Yoga Journal (in its early days), including her experience interviewing BKS Iyengar. She also shares what it was like being one of the first teachers to offer yoga practices on Buddhist meditation retreats at Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
We touch on issues like balancing tradition and innovation, moving between spiritual communities, drawing from multiple lineages, and the potential of cultural appropriation. Anne emphasizes that yoga and meditation have always gone together and that asana was always intended to be in service of the transformation of heart and mind.
Enjoy this inspiring and insightful interview with a true mindful movement trailblazer!
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Guest Bio: Anne Cushman is a pioneer in the integration of mindfulness, embodied meditation, and creative expression. A senior retreat teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, she founded the first multi-year Buddhist meditation training for yoga teachers. She’s the author of the memoir The Mama Sutra: A Story of Love, Loss, and the Path of Motherhood; the novel Enlightenment for Idiots (honored by Booklist as one of the top ten first novels of its year); the mindful yoga book Moving Into Meditation; and the India pilgrimage guide From Here to Nirvana; and her essays on spiritual practice in daily life have appeared in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, O: The Oprah Magazine, Lion’s Roar, Tricycle, and many other publications. She is a guiding teacher for the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program, which has trained thousands of teachers in more than 70 countries. She mentors mindfulness practitioners and writers worldwide and leads retreats and classes both in person and online with a focus on creativity, embodiment, connection with nature, and daily life practice.
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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.
To learn more about Anne Cushman, visit her website at annecushman.com
And, learn more about the Dharma, Yoga, and Mindfulness Training (DYMT) at Spirit Rock Meditation Center
Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads  at @addie_movedtomeditate.

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 podcast episodes, and some background on today’s guided practice.) 
Many of us suffer from sleep disturbances from time to time, whether it's due to stress, hormone changes, interruptions to our schedule, pain or illness. This breath practice is one of my go-to tools for a night when I need to soothe my body back to sleep.
This is a simple practice that guides you through a process of relaxing your body and lengthening your exhales. As we practice counting the breaths, we focus the mind on the present moment, setting aside thoughts of the day.
Gradually moving into longer and longer exhales helps to slow the heart rate and down-regulate the nervous system, which promotes peaceful sleep. 
You could do this practice to wind down at any point in the evening, or right in your bed as you drift off to sleep.
So, I hope you’ll find a comfy spot to practice, and enjoy this guided breath meditation for sleep. Thanks so much for listening!
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For more links and resources mentioned in this episode, find the show notes at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast.
You can find the info on the April 13th workshop, Movement That Unlocks Mindfulness, at movedtomeditate.yoga/events.
And, you can sign up for your "Library Card" to access this month's FREE practices in the Moved To Meditate Class Library!
Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).

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 sleep with some simple yoga therapy practices like the ones we’ll be talking about in this episode.
In this interview, Monica shares her knowledge about sleep in such a warm and relatable way, including her own story of recovering from insomnia and depression. She provides insights into the types of yoga practices that are good before bed, including how she uses Yoga Nidra (or “yogic sleep”) practices.
You’ll hear about:
the four stages of sleep and how many hours you need each night
what sleep has to do with setting healthy boundaries
why you need to “complete the stress cycle”
and how it helps to savor a mantra or affirmation like you would savor chocolate cake or guacamole.
Monica also emphasized looking at internal reasons for the habits that impact sleep, not the just surface manifestations like phone use or caffeine intake. And, she offered examples of some reflections and practices you can use all day to set yourself up for better sleep at night.
Give this episode a listen, and take a step towards improving your sleep, energy, mood, and health!
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Guest Bio: Monica Le Baron MBA, C-IAYT, is the award-winning and bestselling author of Sleep Simplified: Simple Tools To Reduce Anxiety, Finish The Stress Cycle and Sleep Like a Queen. As a certified yoga therapist, she helps women with sleep disorders get a good night’s rest. Her passion for helping others was sparked after burning out at her corporate job and using yoga therapy techniques on herself to heal from insomnia, chronic pain, stress, and anxiety. When she’s not helping ambitious women get their beauty sleep, you can find her reading a good historical novel or hiking the mountains of her hometown in Chihuahua, Mexico.
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Be sure to check out the episode page on my website at movedtomeditate.yoga/podcast for the link to Monica’s yoga nidra practice, and additional resources.
Learn more about Monica Le Baron at her website https://monicalebaron.com/
Find her book Sleep Simplified in English or the Spanish language edition Simplifica tu Sueño, which was just released in the last few weeks! 
Thanks so much for listening! Feel free to reach out through my website with any episode requests, topics you'd like to hear about, or guest interview suggestions. You can also connect with me on Instagram or Threads at @addie_movedtomeditate (for mindfulness, movement, pictures of Pacific Northwest nature, crocheting projects, and my adorable kitty, Mustache).
P.S. As I mentioned during this episode, there is a special workshop coming soon! Join me for Movement That Unlocks Mindfulness online on April 13th, and learn to meditate in a way that works for you. We'll explore gentle Mindful Movement practices, as well as variations of traditional meditations that don't require complete stillness. Workshop Info: https://movedtomeditate.yoga/events/