The Fully Mindful with Melissa Chureau Melissa

I remember the first time I saw a sign for Yin Yoga at a studio I was going to in downtown Portland. I peaked in one day, and saw what looked like a bunch of people super relaxed and blissed out. Needless to say, I was utterly freaked, and vowed never, ever, ever to go to Yin. 


For those unfamiliar with Yin Yoga, it’s a style of yoga–as I’ve learned from our guest today, yoga instructor Sarasvati Hewitt–that derived from the martial arts, adapted by Paul Greely and others in the US, and which draws on yoga postures that, essentially, you stay in for 3-5 minutes and sometimes much longer, really leaning into the stretch, and the silence.


I wouldn’t have been able to stay in one posture for so long at the time, and I certainly couldn’t imagine making myself comfortable. I was all in for Ashtanga Yoga, Crossfit, Mountain Biking–and any sport I could go hard and never stop. The more pain, the better.


I was not alone in this view….And I was not ready until I had to learn to get comfortable with slow discomfort, for truly being present with myself and taking care of myself. Until, I was ready.


Yoga teacher  Sarasvati Hewitt. was also initially aghast at a practice of slow, very intentional, very present, very slow–did I say slow–yoga. But she was equally intrigued by the science that supported this ancient-meets-modern-world practice.


And it turns out, according to Sarasvati’s intense studies into the neuroscience of yin, this yoga practice, treats sleep disorders, mental health conditions, addiction and general human-ness. In this conversation, we explore the science and the art of yin, how Sarasvati stumbled into this fascinating world of ancient art and modern science, how she is dedicated to teaching this style–and more importantly, how this practice can work for everyone.


Find Out More about Sarasvati Hewitt and her upcoming Yin Yoga Teacher training, classes, and retreat in Salyulita Mexico:


https://www.sarasvatihewitt.com
https://www.instagram.com/sarasvatihewitt/
https://www.facebook.com/sarasvatihewittyoga


Somatic Coaching and Transformational Breathwork with Melissa–


Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching and breathwork can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:
Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa 

Dr Paul Taylor Pitt, or Paul, as he insists being called, despite the many letters behind his name is an incredible teacher. He balances a genuine  self-deprecation with grounded confidence and curiosity and a spirit of collective experimentation. It’s pretty f*****g awesome.


No wonder he’s a successful organizational development & somatic coach,  having been recognized with awards such as HR Most Influential Thinkers 2022 from HR Magazine OD Network's 2023 Global Award for Organizational Excellence and Impact. Awarded to Do OD, among a long list of awards throughout his career.


But it wasn’t until one fateful day at the gym that he really found his calling—somatics. And he’s pursued a somatic/ embodied approach to his OD and personal coaching, and to say this has enriched his experience as well as his clients is an understatement.


Add to that his LGBTQ advocacy—including authoring a gay Scottish folk story—a first, and with a happily ever after ending, along with his podcasting and organizational development and coaching at Metamorphosish and you start to get the picture of this renaissance of a man.


In this conversation, we cover a lot. From defining exactly what embodied coaching is, how it differs from conventional conversational coaching, what its benefits are, how Paul was drawn to somatic coaching, and of course some conversation about the state of affairs with LGBTQI A+ community,  Scottish folklore and Barbie. 


So settle in, get cozy with a cup of tea—and feel like you are a part of this conversation, listening intently from a side chair. It’s the perfect way to relax and enjoy a fascinating conversation that’s sure to leave you wanting more. 


More about Paul:
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/drpaultaylorpitt/
Website: https://sites.google.com/taylor-pitt.org/meta/home/
Book: The Last Lighthouse Keeper on Lunan Bay



Find out more about Melissa and The Fully Mindful:
Somatic Coaching and Transformational Breathwork with Melissa–


Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching and breathwork can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:
Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa 

Life gets super clear when you’re about to die. And it was no different for Adrian Jones who was having a “widow-maker” heart attack. As he lay there on the hospital table for emergency surgery, three things became really clear: 1) He didn’t want his wife to fly home a widow, 2) He didn’t get to tell his kids he loved them yet that day, and 3) He was going to walk out of the damn hospital. 


And that was just the beginning. Seriously. This story! It’s like the Universe just lined everything up for Adrian Jones. And it did.


After walking out of the very hospital he was born in on his very birthday, he left with the clarity of mind that only those who have cheated death do. He had to find his birth parents. And then the Universe obliged in the most beautiful, even haunting way. And you just need to listen to this episode to know what I mean.


We talk about learning to listen to our bodies, the power of friendship and community, the synchronicity of the Universe, the beauty of family. What’s not to love here in this episode?


Find out more about Adrian Jones here:
Adrian Jones is a financial services veteran and the host of the Profound Awesomeness podcast.  Having survived a widow maker heart attack in the fall of 2016, he has set out to share his story with the goal of helping and inspiring others.  Through writing, speaking and podcasting, Adrian hopes to shine a light on what makes us human and explore what it means to survive and come out the other side living with more meaning, intent and purpose.  Ultimately, Adrian seeks to understand what makes us human in a way that lifts people up and leaves them changed.


https://profoundawesomeness.com/


https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profound-awesomeness/id1568956808


https://open.spotify.com/show/42UDRxSUrSbePpty4746oi


Find out more about Melissa and The Fully Mindful:
Somatic Coaching with Melissa–
Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching and breathwork can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:
Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa

Dr Jenny King , Co-Director at the Center on Trauma and Adversity Associate. Professor at Case Western University, neurobiologically-informed doctor of social worker, therapist consultant, and author and I sit down for an intimate conversation on trauma and somatics, breathwork, and more. As a trauma specialist deeply interested and trained in the neurosequential model of therapeutics (NMT) developed by Dr. Bruce Perry as well as traumatic stress in the breath, Dr. Jenny King has developed techniques that work for her clients, and for herself. She’s a big believer in amassing easy, accessible tools we can use daily to bring our nervous systems in balance. 
As we discuss more fully in this interview, there is no magic practice that works ALL the time for ALL the people. What works for you one day might not be as effective as the next. After all, she explains, we are a complex person, full of all that brought us to this moment, which is also unique. 
Dr. Jenny and I also explore how we collectively, but uniquely (weird, right?!) experienced the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic trauma,and how, frankly, it’s not over. 
While there’s been a cultural push to bury our heads in the sand and not look at how this affected us—whether because loved ones became ill or died, or because our way of life so radically changed then and now. As humans, we are widely adaptable which is amazing, but sometimes we adapt to hide from difficult emotions. And, collectively, we’ve done a pretty damn good job of that. But we are experiencing the consequences of that collective head in the sand. 
Dr. Jenny and I explore what we can do to move from this collective malaise to health using those easily accessible tools that work so well—the breath, movement, being vulnerable and sharing our truth with others we trust and love. We get curious about where we are, and really see it and experience so we can learn from it and move on, growing all the while.
I know you’ll love this conversation with Dr. Jenny King, and you’ll want to know more.


Find out more about Dr. Jenny King:
Web: https://drjennyking.com
Insta: @drjennyking
Facebook: @drjennyking


Find out more about Melissa and The Fully Mindful:
Coaching with Melissa–
Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching and breathwork can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:
Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa

Lucas Rockwood wasn’t always an international yoga and breathwork and yoga entrepreneur, author and leader doing Ted Talks, and speaking at Yoga Alliance, Meta, and Noom. Like many of us, pain ended up being the great persuader. Like me, and like some of the listeners here, he overused substances as a way to cope. In a way, they were his solution—until they no longer worked, and instead, turned on him.


That’s when Lucas Rockwood found yoga. He describes himself as a little lost,  physically inflexible, but with a thirst for knowledge. He wanted to know everything about yoga and perhaps more importantly, about the one thing we all do every day that is integral to life—breath.


But none of his yoga instructors at the time could really say much about breathing—other than that we should all be doing it, especially in yoga.


Such began his lifelong pursuit of the mystery and magic and more importantly, the science of breath and the body. 


In this short-form interview, we cover a lot of ground: how simple breathing exercises can change our lives, decrease stress, improve sleep, and make us whole and healthy. 


Listen in as one of the world’s leaders in yoga and breath—and entrepreneurship—got his start, why breathwork is so important to us all, and why and how we all can do this and lead happier, healthier lives.


Find out more about Lucas Rockwood here:


Founder / YOGABODY®Watch his TEDx on BreathingListen to His Podcast on iTunesHis Book: Yoga Business MasteryEmail lucas@yogabody.com
YouTube 251K subscribers


Find out more about Melissa and The Fully Mindful:
Coaching with Melissa–
Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching and breathwork can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:
Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa 

Every day we take steps forward. We move. We develop. We improve.

That's all good, for sure. But sometimes to move forward, we need to be still, be present, rest.

So that's today's practice, my friends. Practicing resting in the breath, in the moment.

Coaching with Melissa–


Book a free, no-strings attached call to find out how embodied coaching can help you uncover your worth, discover who and where you want to be, and catapult you into your purpose:


Book a Free 20 Minute Call with Melissa 


Check Out the Fully Mindful Website, with Prior Episodes of TFM, including free mindfulness practices