On this episode, we talk to Peter Walters about the power of a mindful practice, including yoga and meditation, and how starting small and simple is key.
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Peter Walters is a student of life and a teacher of yoga. He teaches classes online and in person, and also leads retreats and teaches at festivals around the world. His practices can be found on Audible, Headspace and Nobu. In his free time Peter loves mountain biking, teaching yoga to incarcerated individuals at San Quentin Prison, adventuring with his dog, Huckleberry and exploring the world! Find people on Instagram at @peterwaltersyoga
Memorable Moments:
4:13 It was like the more I did [yoga], the more layers were being peeled away of, who I was and who I thought I was. And it continues to get richer every, every practice really.
8:30 Yoga and meditation and so many of these practices are really enormous, valuable tools to help us come to the uncertainty and the unknown moments of life that will be earth shattering and shaking and painful and distressing.
10:42 I'm seeing tons of people struggling with stress, of just being on computers all day, and anxiety about showing up like this and not being used to seeing people in person, and depression for feeling isolated and lonely. And I felt that myself, you know, and the one saving grace for me and I think a lot of students that I get to support, is having a regular daily practice of self inquiry, whether that's through meditation, through mindful walking, through yoga asana, through, you know, a fitness class. But it's just to show up regularly, in community with other people that you get to see.
11:47 I love yoga practice because it's always here and it's always available. You don't need to get all sweaty. You don't need to put on a yoga costume. You know, you can just move and breathe with intentionality and we can switch from fight or flight to rest and reset.
13:47 If you win the morning, you can win the day. So, the very first thing I do and I always try to suggest people do is like, it's so silly, but make your bed. You know, start with a positive, simple action that anybody can do...it takes all of 20 seconds to just put the cover over that you feel like, okay, I took one positive, intentional step to make my space and my mind feel organized.
17:10 It can be hugely simple. And I want to really reinforce that. Like, it does not need to be a complicated process or practice to sit, breathe, close your eyes for a moment. That's it.
18:50 The practices that I teach are timeless and they've been, they've been happening for thousands of years. And they've always been there and they always will be here, you know, and they'll be remixed by the modern practitioner and teacher, but, in the end, it's just like whenever you're ready to pick them up, they're here. You know, we all know that if we sit and breathe, we'll feel better.
19:27 We set ourselves up for failure by front-loading everything to create this perfect idealized version of ourselves, you know? Once all this is complete, then I'll be done. But, the truth is...start really small, two minutes a day. And if you can do that for a week at a few minutes of sitting, movement, anything with intention with presence is a practice. And that could be mindfully walking, mindfully eating, mindfully doing the dishes, you know, it's just bringing full presence into whatever it is that you need to do.
20:04 That's why I say the practice begins on the cushion or on the yoga mat. And then, if you're doing it right, it follows you out into your life. Everywhere you go.
20:28 I don't think we should take what the internet is saying [or] is being more loud about as the thing we should be doing, you know? I think the practices that are worthwhile are timeless and we just need to do them. We all know what they are. We all know that if we eat the apple over the buttery sugary thing, we'll feel better, you know? So I think we all know what to do. It's just doing it. It's having the courage to pick the right option.
23:32 So I keep on circling back [to] how do I want to live out my days? You know, what could I do with my remaining breaths that feel significant and feel important and feel of service to other people? You know, I can live for me all my life. And I think we come to realize that's not very satisfying and fulfilling. You know, once you've made the money and done that, you're kind of like, okay, well, what now? That's an empty trap.
24:04 The spiritual teachers, the wisdom holders that came before us keep pointing to being of service when you don't know what to do, help somebody else.
24:41 When we can't find the well of self motivation to uplift ourselves, I just look and say, how can I serve you? That's always been my tool to feel better, is just get out of my own way, get out of my own head, get out of my own narrative and drama and try to support somebody I care about.
25:30 It's a sneak attack. We think helping somebody else is for them, but the truth is it's really for us, maybe more than it is for the other person. I think it's okay to be selfish in that, realizing that as much as I'm giving this to you, it's equally giving back to me.
27:24 So what's important to me is just to keep diving in, you know, like you think you reach a layer with your partner or with a friend of connection and understanding, and then you say, no, no, no, clear that away. Let's go deeper.
27:17 One more thing [that] is really important to me is to keep setting down my stories and assumptions about myself, about life, about other people, about the political party I don't agree with. It’s just to keep being a total beginner, to keep emptying myself, to keep letting go of all my associations of who I am or what my name is, what my gender is and what I like and what I don't like and just keep letting go, which is to say, keep accepting the moment as it arrives for me. And that's been such a cool, powerful, practice. Because you go into every moment being like, okay, well what's, what am I going to learn here?
29:02 We come into everything with our big backpack full of stuff, like, these are my opinions, these are my beliefs and, and we're closed off to other possibilities, you know? So just to arrive at each moment as empty as possible, almost childlike, big eyes and ready to learn and to be wrong and to have our minds changed.
Dear Mind, You Matter is brought to you by NOBU, a new mental health, and wellness app. To download NOBU, visit the app store or Google Play.
This podcast is hosted by Allison Walsh and Dr. Angela Phillips. It is produced by Allison Walsh, Ashley Tate, and Nicole LaNeve. For more information or if you’re interested in being a guest on this podcast, please visit www.therecoveryvillage.com/dearmindyoumatter.
Allison: Hello and welcome to the Dear Mind, You Matter Podcast. My name is Allison Walsh, I’m a long time mental health advocate and Vice President at Advanced Recovery Systems. On each episode I will be joined by my colleague and clinical expert, Dr. Angela Phillips. This show along with our mental health and wellness app Nobu, are just some of the ways we are working to provide you with some actionable tips and tools to take care of yourself each and every day.
So sit back, relax, and grab your favorite note taking device. It's time to fill your mind with things that matter.
Angela: Peter Walters as a student of life and a teacher of yoga. He teaches classes online and in person, and also leads retreats and teaches at festivals around the world. His practices can be found on audible, Headspace and Nobu.
In his free time, Peter loves mountain biking, teaching yoga to incarcerated individuals at San Quentin prison, adventuring with his dog Huckleberry and exploring the world.
Allison: We are so glad that you are on the podcast today. Would you mind introducing yourself to our audience?
Peter: Sure. My name is Peter Walters. I'm originally from the east coast in Boston, and now I live here in Marin, in Northern California, and I teach yoga.
Angela: I'm super excited to have you on the podcast because as some may know, but not everyone we've had the opportunity of working together. We were able to put together some content and you're just one of our stars of the Nobu app. You've done so much for us. And, and again, we're just excited to dig into some topics that we love to talk to you about, but one of the things I've really enjoyed and, and Alison and I both enjoyed talking to folks about lately, including each other is really like our personal connection to what it is that we do.
Right. And so I'm just curious, because I don't really think that you and I ever talked about this, but how has sort of your, you know, your prior work, your prior life experience really led you to what you're doing now?
Peter: Yeah, that's a great question. You know, I think in, in some, bigger context way, like everything you've done and haven't done lead you to, to your vocation, to your passion, which is to say struggles with mental health or family issues or relationship issues may lead somebody to become a therapist.
For me, I think a lot of physicality and spiritual curiosity that wasn't met with religious connection, all kind of ushered me into finding yoga, um, in a more direct way. You know, I found yoga in high school and joined the yoga club. And I think at the time it was more of a, uh, lots of pretty girls.
And that was, I was the one guy with 25 girls and that was appealing at the time. And then I sort of lost yoga for many years. And then I think in maybe 2010, my partner at the time in San Francisco brought me to urban flow, which is, it was, it was a studio in the middle of San Francisco. And I remember walking in and it was 150 people packed in this room, half naked, sweaty, classical Indian music blaring, incense wafting everywhere.
And it looked like everybody was on drugs. I felt like I was at like, like Woodstock in the sixties. But everybody was just high on the energy of, of being together and, the energy of the teacher and the teachings and it all was coalescing. And I immediately felt like I was in the right place, a weird place, but the right place.
And after that first class, I was, you know, I was laying in Savasana in a pile of sweat, puddle of sweat and crying and something really rich had transformed in me. And I couldn't quite place it, but it was, but I kept coming back. And it all got deeper and deeper each class, you know, over the years, it transformed from what was a very physical practice of stretching and strengthening and sweating into a psycho, emotional, spiritual experience.
It was like the more I did it, the more layers were being peeled away of, who I was and who I thought I was. And it continues to get richer every, every practice really. So that's sort of the short, finding yoga journey.
Angela: I love that you had that sort of transition because I've talked to so many people who sort of start on one end of the spectrum with, with yoga, especially sort of like a Westernized approach. Right. And then they sort of find a completely different path. That definitely sounds, I think, very similar to what you're speaking to, but, did I hear you correctly that your high school had a yoga group?
Peter: Yeah, we had a yoga club. Yeah, I think, I think the gym teacher taught it..
Angela: That’s so cool.
Peter: Yeah. I don't have any strong memories of it, but..
Angela: I really missed out on that
Allison: Yeah I didn't have that either, you went to a way cooler school than me. I'm just kidding. Love my high school, if anybody's listening.
Angela: That's awesome. So, Peter, remind me, were you, we talked about this awhile back where you formerly, is it an EMT or?
Peter: Yeah.
Angela: Did you spend some time? Okay. Can you speak a little bit about that? So, since you have now revealed that this has sort of been a part of your life, sort of like yoga, mindfulness, meditation, all of that. I'm just curious, like, how did that play into that role? Alison and I work a lot as you know, with, you know, firefighters, first responders, paramedics.
And so, you know, that's one thing I wanted to dig in with you about as well.
Peter: Yeah. I think when I, when I was little, I had this simultaneous desire to be rich, just generally rich and have all the things, but also I want it to be a firefighter and a police officer and an EMT. I wanted the, I loved, like I used to, I'd be at like a restaurant, I'd see a cop walk in and he had a patch and I was so, I loved the patches.
So everywhere I went as a little kid, I'd be like, can you send me a patch? And so I collected patches and my mom sewed them on all my outfits and costumes. I think I've always been drawn to the service work. The, the, the roles in society that are, that are helping people in times of crisis. And I've always wanted to help people.
And in high school, I started this like a safe rides business. So on the weekends, when kids were at parties and drinking, we offered free, safe and confidential rides home. So I always wanted to help. Yeah. When I got to college, one of the classes that was offered as an elective was an EMT course. So I just jumped on it and it was fascinating to learn all the quick tips and techniques of, you know, immediately reading a scene and reading the signs of life.
And now I feel so much more equipped to, to show up to any situation and be of help. So yeah, I mean, in college being an EMT, mostly meant getting drunk kids out of situations into the hospital. You know, the most interesting times were the training days. I went to school in Hartford, Connecticut, which is a pretty dangerous gang ridden city.
So the ride alongs with the ambulance were really intense and meeting people in all sorts of scenarios of physical and mental distress, was really illuminating. And I got to see that more as I did this. I also used to work on sailing ships, traditional sailing ships. So after I got certified, I would become a medical officer at sea.
So you'd get all sorts of interesting, again, physical and psychological emergencies, and how to show up and stay calm and present and really support people. My mom about a year ago had what seemed like a stroke and ended up being Bell's palsy, but I remember watching the firefighters and EMTs walk down and just quickly assessing her and they all seem so calm.
I was amazed. They were just like, it's just another walk in the park and just like, okay, how are you feeling? Not, not intense, not eyes freaked out. They were just calm and cool. And that's what I've always admired. These people working to support others.
And, you know, sometimes their darkest days and, yoga and meditation and so many of these practices are really enormous, valuable tools to, to help us come to the uncertainty and the unknown moments of life that will be, you know, earth shattering and shaking and painful and distressing.
How can I come with a bit more presence and a bit more ease in my body. So yeah, being an EMT was really illuminating for me.
Allison: Truly everyday heroes. Right. I think there's so much just like you said, the composure and how they keep everybody else calm and the situations, and, you know, they're responding to really tragic and traumatic events at times.
Right. And so, you know, I have such a greater appreciation. My husband was an EMT, before he went to law school. And then of course, once we got into really working with the firefighters about five years ago, just my level of appreciation and gratitude for all first responders just went through the roof and it's just really, really, really amazing work.
Selflessly putting yourself on the line every day to help others and so important. So thank you for doing that and thank you for all you do on the yoga side of things too. And I want to get into really the mind-body connection, if we can and what you're seeing, the benefits of that being, and then some of the tools and techniques that you've learned in your practice and really how, how it all relates.
Peter: Yeah. I mean, these days people have been given a totally new life for many of us. From going out into the world and going out into work day in and day out, you know, the commute to work, the meeting, tens, dozens, hundreds of people in a day, looking at people, locking eyes, all this, all the passing moments in our days, we, we now sort of forego, and we just, wake up in the morning, we eat our breakfast, drink our coffee and then open your screen.
And there you're in meetings and typing and, and this is for lots of people. And you're on your computer most of the time, on zoom conversations, and we're missing a lot of the human moments of real connection and real presence that were so fundamental to many of our lives and lifestyles.
So, I'm seeing tons of people struggling with stress of just being on computers all day and anxiety about showing up like this and not being used to seeing people in person, and depression for feeling isolated and lonely. And I felt that myself, you know, and, and the one saving grace for me and I, and I think a lot of students that I get to support.
Is having a regular daily practice of self inquiry, whether that's through meditation, through mindful walking through yoga Asana, through, you know, a fitness class, but it's just to show up regularly in community with other people that you, that you get to see. You know, cause even as we are across the world from each other, we get to be here now.
We get to connect eye to eye and feel each other in this way. So yeah, I think this time has been both sweet and that we've been gifted, something new that we can talk about later. Also challenging for lots of folks. And I love yoga practice because it's always here and it's always available.
You don't need to get all sweaty. You don't need to put on your yoga costume. You know, you can, you can just move and breathe with intentionality and we can, we can switch from, you know, fight or flight to rest and reset. You know, we can really work on the nervous system, from home, you know, we don't, we don't need the, I was gonna say, we don't need medications, but they are definitely important at certain times.
But we're getting all sorts of new tools and doing this from home is really helpful I find.
Angela: I think with everything you're saying, just kind of like the reset and then of course now it's a new year and a lot of people use that as sort of a timeframe to also do something similar.
So lots of resetting going on or lots of, sort of new change that people are just sort of being forced to, you know, hopefully become more comfortable with, but how do you recommend, you know, you said kind of routine. And of course, you know, we know that’s one of the best ways to create change and to set new momentum. But what are you seeing or what do you typically recommend for those who really just want that, like a daily dose of, you know, what might bring joy to them or, you know, make them feel calm or, you know, other such emotions that maybe they're not able, or haven't been able to tap into when really, like you're saying, you know, it, it sort of. May have shifted for a lot of folks from sort of a rat race in person to now a rat race on, on a computer. Right? So it's like this ordinary, I'm doing the same thing every day.
How, how do you sort of frame that for other people and for yourself to where you're getting sort of a benefit from, you know, whether it's yoga or other tools that you use?
Peter: I always say if, you know, if you win the morning, you can win the day. So, the very first thing I do and I always try to suggest people do is like, it's so silly, but make your bed, you know, like start with a positive, simple action that anybody can do.
You have, you know, it takes all of 20 seconds to just put the cover over that you feel like, okay, I took one positive, intentional step to make my space and my mind feel organized. And, from there, like, so this month I've been, um, facilitating a daily morning, 30 minute practice, first thing in the morning, It’s just sitting quietly, you can call it meditation or just sitting, deliberate breathing pranayama as the yogis would say and Asana, so gentle movement.
And this is a movement that we have 20 year olds and 70 year olds in the practice. So I want to make really simple, techniques that anybody can use to just to start your day with not on autopilot, because it's so easy to, you know, your alarm goes off, you roll over there's your phone, and then you have this notification scrolling party of, okay, what's on the internet.
What's the, you know, what's in social media, what's in the news, the text messages, the calls that what's, you know, what's my agenda for the day. And if we can just resist doing that, if we can resist the chemical impulse to like reach for the, for the, for the shiny object for the big dopamine boost, maybe we can feel better.
You know, maybe we can start to reset our nervous system, to crave an easeful morning. You know, it doesn't mean you have to skip the coffee, but it means to not jump into those high intensity mental activities, that's Instagram, that's Facebook, that's, that's CNN, the news, whatever. And instead like, okay, maybe I just turn off my alarm, I go to get my tea and then I go sit quietly and it could be for two minutes, you know, it doesn't have to be this hour long stoic meditation.
It doesn't, you don't even need to have a technique. You can just sit on a cushion or on a chair and close your eyes And breathe deeply for a few moments. Like that's, that's plenty. And I think, uh, the, the whole industry around yoga and yoga studios, uh, can scare people away. You know, I think I have to be skinny.
I have to be flexible. I have to be in shape. I have to have the right outfit and that can be really intimidating for many folks. So the more we can simplify it is by just saying. Let's just sit down and take five breaths together, you know, and, and relax our shoulders. And we don't need to bring sunscreen in it.
We don't need to bring even the idea of spirituality just to say, let's sit and watch. And at the same time, you don't need to make it hyper scientific, you know because that can be scary and that can be something to push somebody away. It's like, I want simple, I want easeful movements, intentional breathes and a few moments of quiet.
And if we can start our morning like that, wow, you're, you're setting up your whole day for really intentional present meetings and moments with friends and partners and kids and the dog. And, and for me, it really turns me on, in a way that, um, social media or email scrolling or news, well not first thing in the morning.
So yeah, it can be hugely simple. And I want to really reinforce that. Like, it does not need to be a complicated process or practice to sit, breathe, close your eyes for a moment. That's it.
Allison: Well, I love all of what you're saying and I'm subscribing to winning the morning. Like I freaking love mornings, right?
Like that is my jam. That is like, if I don't have my morning, I am nowhere near as calm. I don't know if I'm ever really calm, but I am nowhere near the level that I can be. If I give myself the gift of time, because once the day starts, it almost sometimes can feel like it's running you, right? Like if you're not really intentional about it.
And I think that morning time of like. Here are my intentions for the day. Here are things that I'm doing for myself, right? I'm, I'm winning by making my bed, right. No matter how crazy the day gets the beds made. So that's a good thing. Right. Um, and thank you for talking about simplifying it because I think there's a natural tendency to want to over-complicate things sometimes. And when we overcomplicate things, we give ourselves excuses to not do them, rather than just take that time and energy and start something new. Try something new, try yoga, try meditation. Try breathwork. It can literally transform your whole life.
So thank you for highlighting that. Are you seeing any particular areas that people really want to focus on this year? Have you noticed any trends or anything different maybe than in years past?
Peter: Not, not. I mean, no, I guess I would say like the practices that I teach are timeless and they've been, they've been happening for thousands of years.
And they've always been there and they always will be here, you know, and they'll be remixed by the modern practitioner and teacher, but, in the end, it's just like whenever you're ready to pick them up. They're here. You know, we all know that if we sit and breathe, we'll feel better, you know? And it's just doing it and new year's of course is always the perfect time that everybody gets really gung ho like, okay, finally, I'm gonna start meditating every single day for two hours a day, I'm going to do yoga every day.
I'm going to work out every day. I'm gonna go run every day. I'm going to only eat kale, you know? And like we set ourselves up for failure by like front-loading everything to, to create this perfect idealized version of ourselves, you know. Once all this is complete, then I'll be, then I’ll be done.
But, the truth is that like, start really small, two minutes a day. And if you can do that for a week at a few minutes of sitting movement, anything with intention with presence is, is a practice. And that could be mindfully walking, mindfully eating, mindfully doing the dishes, you know, it's just bringing full presence into whatever it is that you, need to do.
That's why I say the practice begins on the cushion or on the yoga mat. And then, if you're doing it right, it follows you out into your life. Everywhere you go. It can be a moment to be wakeful. So maybe there are trends, you know, maybe more people are practicing breath work. Maybe it would, you know, taking cold showers and cold plunges.
I'm seeing that on the internet, but like, I don't think we should take what the internet is saying as like, it is being more loud about as, the thing we should be doing, you know, and I think, I think the practices that are worthwhile are timeless and we just need to do them. We all know what they are.
We know, we all know that if we eat the apple over the, you know, the buttery sugary thing we'll feel better, you know? So I think we all know what to do. It's just doing it. It's having the courage to, to pick the right option.
Angela: Absolutely. I love that. Totally agree. And it is interesting too, that, you know, a lot of times, I think when people are sort of more or less like discovering, this is a new thing or, you know, and at whatever point in their life, they're maybe subscribing more to yoga, mindfulness, meditation, whatever that thing is for them.
Right. And they actually have had the opportunity to take some time. Maybe they've been forced to take some time. Maybe they've been a lot of the time. Right. And now they're really seeing potential benefits of that, but I think you're right. It's just, it's been around forever. Right. And this isn't anything new, but it has been really fun to see how more and more people are incorporating it into their daily life and how much benefit is there.
But one of the things I also wanted to ask you. I think for a lot of folks. I know that, that I see in a lot of people that we talk to just, you know, based on the field that we're in, there's a lot of. There's a lot of questions around, you know, personal meaning in life and just how we fit into the world.
Right. And I remember when you did some of those, you know, I know you call them kind of Dharma talks or whatever, you know, kind of meditation related, sort of process work. I think tha speaks a lot to where we're at, what we're thinking, how we're processing while we're doing all of these things too.
And again, sort of going back to that connection between our sort of our thoughts and our bodies and how we're moving and what we're thinking, but I'm just curious, you know, what helps you or what have you seen help others to, to really move forward when we're sort of feeling this stuck-ness around meaning and loss and you know, just where we are in the world right now with so much going on that we can't predict.
And what's that been like?
Peter: Yeah. What a rich full question and, and it's, and it's hard becaue when I think about like, meaning and like, and like the meaning of life, the big question. I keep on, like, I’m reaching for meaning, but I, I keep circling back to, there is no meaning that like, we're on this, we're on this rock and we're cruising through the universe at unbelievable speeds and my life and your life.
And the life of humanity is a blink in time and time space. So I keep on circling back. There is no meaning how, but more importantly, how do I want to live out my days? You know, what, what, what could I do with my remaining breaths that feel significant and feels important and feels of service to other people.
You know, I can live for me all my life. And I think we come to realize that's not very satisfying and fulfilling, you know, once you've made the money and done that, you're kind of like, okay, well, what, what now? That's an empty trap. So, the spiritual teachers, the wisdom holders that came before us keep pointing to being of service when you don't know what to do, help somebody else.
That always works for me whenever I feel down and low and like, oh, what, you know, what's the meaning of all this. It feels so empty, you know? I circle back to how can I serve, maybe that means teaching a yoga class, maybe that means seeing somebody who is having a tough day and on the street and offering them something or calling a friend and say, is there anything I can do for you?
How can I support you? You know, like, when, when we can't find the well of self motivation to uplift ourselves, I just look and say, how can I serve you? That's always been my, my tool to, to feel better is just get out of my own way, get out of my own head, get out of my own narrative and drama and try to support somebody I care about.
Yeah, that's, that's what I would share.
Allison: Well, I love all of that. And I think all of us on this call and interview love being of service to others. I think there are so many people that are realizing how much that does fill up your cup and help somebody else simultaneously that no matter what else you achieve, that doesn't have the same feeling, meaning and ability to help others.
Peter: So, yes, it's a sneak attack and that like, you know, we, we think, we think helping somebody else's is for them, but the truth is it's really, for us, you know, maybe more than it is for the other person. And like, I think it's okay to be selfish in that, realizing that as much as I'm giving this to you, it's, it's equally giving back to me.
And these days that's very important.
Allison: Yeah. Gotta fill up around cups too. So important. All right. Well, Peter, one of the questions that we absolutely love to ask everybody that comes on our show is at this point in your life, what matters most to you right now?
Peter: Well, the initial reaction is to say my new puppy Huckleberry Finn, but that's only on one level.
I think it's just going deeper, it's two folded. It's one, it's going deeper into life and into relationship, which is to say I was having a dinner party the other night and there was all these disparate conversations happening between people asking each other about their life and their work and, and whatnot.
And that was cool, but I also felt a little removed. So I said, let's unify the conversation. Let's say what has been a great teaching that you've received during these last two years of pandemic, and then everybody was in a relationship. So what have you learned from your relationship? What has been challenging your relationship to really like to go deeper into stuff?
There's so much surface level stuff. There's so much to look outwards at, like the news and the politics and the virus and the vaccine or not vaccine and the mask or not mask. Like there's so much stuff being thrown at us on the media that, that doesn't really have, it's on the surface of something, but I want to go deeper into what it means to be human and what it means to be in relationship with ourselves and others.
So what's important to me is, is just to keep diving in, you know, like you think you reach a layer with your partner or with a friend of, of connection and understanding, and then you say, no, no, no clear that away. Let's go deeper. What's the truth? You know, so that's been really important to me and, but the next one is, is present moment awareness.
It's a simple thing to say, but harder to do. You're in a conversation with somebody and you find yourself thinking of, okay, well, what am I going to say next? How am I going to respond instead of just listening instead of just taking it in. And maybe you're washing the dishes and you're multitasking, you're listening to a podcast, you're listening to music.
You're thinking about something else. Instead of when you're washing the dish, wash the dish. When you're driving your car, drive the car. When you're eating food, eat food, just to be with the thing to be with the person. And then one more thing is really important, to me is to keep setting down my stories and assumptions about myself, about life, about other people, about the political party I don't agree with.
It’s just to keep being a total beginner, to keep emptying myself, to keep letting go of all my associations of who I am or what my name is, what my gender is and what I like and what I don't like and just keep letting go, which is to say, keep accepting the moment as it arrives for me.
And that's been such a cool, powerful, practice. Because you go into every moment being like, okay, well what's, what am I going to learn here? Instead of being like, Nope, well, this is what I like, and this is what I know. And this is who I am, you know? Because we do that. We come into everything with our big backpack full of stuff.
And like, these are my opinions, these are my beliefs and, and we're closed off to other possibilities, you know? So just to arrive at each moment as empty, as possible as almost childlike, big eyes and ready to learn and to be wrong and to have our minds change. Like I thought about the other, I was like, when was the last time I really changed my mind about something, but some belief I held, you know, and, and that's so hard to do.
So just to keep letting go. I know it's a few things but..
Angela: You've reached your limit. No. Well, I love that. First of all, we now know what it's like to go to a dinner party at Peter's. So if you do, be prepared people, all right. I really, I really love that. I think, you know, personally, I relate to that because I think one of the things I really enjoyed during the pandemic was sort of.
Fostering relationships on a deeper level. So I think that was, you know, it definitely hits home with me that, you know, we, we did have the opportunity to, to go deeper and not just, you know, when you are seeing friends, you know, because at whatever point in time, back before we were in more of a bubble, right.
It was just sort of that more of a surface level. And it really allowed, you know, the people who were closer, maybe in our bubble at least to be able to really go deeper, have some of those conversations that I don't think we would have had otherwise. I really appreciate that and of course everything else.
And I love that;’s really like, that's sort of, how you emulate yourself that way too. I know when we work together, you, you do seem like. You are in you like you're open to receive. And I think that really comes across in someone's character and their personality. So I just, I, we appreciate that so much about you and that's why I think we've enjoyed working with you so much.
And I think it comes through on the content that you create too, which is why Allison's family loves it. We love it. Our viewers love it. So thank you again so much, Peter, for joining us. Can you share how our listeners can follow you on social media or otherwise?
Peter: Sure. My Instagram is @PeterWaltersyoga and my website is peteryoga.com.
So I offer zoom classes, a couple i ofn-person classes in the bay, and I lead retreats and workshops all over the world of course I have classes on Nobu and other platforms. So I hope to see you somewhere in the practice.
Angela: Great, thanks again, Peter.
Peter: Yeah. Thanks for having me.
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