In this episode, we talk to Selena Maisonpierre about the power of journaling, figuring out your intention and connecting the work you do on the yoga mat to how you want to show up in your life.
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Selena is an International Yoga Teacher and Radiant Life Coach. She helps people embody the principles of health and wellness so that they can live fully integrated, embodied, lit up lives. She has taught students and coached clients across the globe and has consulted and created digital mindfulness content for yoga brands and mental health apps.
Social Media: @selena.maisonpierre ; www.selenamaisonpierre.com
Memorable Moments:
2:20 I started noticing that there was a real disconnect between the way people would show up on the yoga mat and how they would show up in the rest of their lives.
2:35 I just felt like the wellness industry was doing it wrong and was really doing a disservice to a lot of people. And what it was really promoting was kind of a compartmentalization of practices. So people would show up to yoga, almost like a check mark, like, yup, I did it. Or like, yeah, I meditated. And yet they would go into the rest of their life back to the exact same way that they had been doing it. And I was like, we're missing something, something's missing.
3:08 I really connected with this idea of like radiance, where, when you really are connected to yourself and you're really embodying and integrating all these aspects of you, you radiate.
4:18 Everyone comes to yoga at some point in their life when they really need it. And everyone comes to it for such a different reason. And it's really special to talk with people and hear, you know, what was that thing that led you into it? And usually it's not a very happy moment in your life that takes you there, but once you sort of tap into something and you attach to something within...wellness. You just sort of expand in these ways that you never could expect. And so I think that whether it's yoga, whether it's meditation, whether it's seeing a therapist, like whatever it is on a mental health level, just attaching to that one thing that feels personal to you and then being really open to the journey of where it takes you, I think is so special.
10:34 The yoga is the bodywork, the coaching is the thought work, but it's all leading us to the same place.
11:06 If you want to pick up a yoga practice or you want to start prioritizing your mindfulness, I always say, just start really small. Like, five minutes is better than nothing. And I also really encourage students and clients to really ask yourself why. So, don't just set some goal like "I want to do 15 minutes of yoga a day." Ask not only why, but what do you want to feel in doing that?
12:02 When you're connected to your intention and you let that lead everything, all of a sudden it's fun.
13:30 For so many years, the word "help" to me felt so negative, like a weakness of needing help, and I really want to encourage people to reframe help as support and community. And it's not that you can't do it alone, it’s that it's so much easier with somebody else, whether that's a coach or a therapist or a yoga studio or an app that pings you and reminds you, you know, don't forget to log in for your meditation. But reach out and create this powerful force of support for yourself. You don't have to do it alone.
15:37 One thing that I work with clients on is planning ahead. So some people come to me on a coaching sphere, knowing that I'm a yoga teacher and one of their goals of coaching is they want to incorporate more yoga or movement into their life. So we look at your calendar on a weekly basis, look at your calendar and fit in where are you going to do 20, 30 minutes, an hour of yoga and put it into your calendar so that it's just already there. And it's almost like a meeting with yourself. It's non-negotiable.
17:00 I also think that finding little triggers in your day that lead you into doing something.So what I mean is like, if you want to incorporate more meditation, pick a time of day. Is it right after you drink your coffee? Is it right before you go to bed? Is it right before you take a shower? I don't know, something that already exists in your daily routine and you just add on a little bit of extra time for whatever it is that you're trying to do. So you're not trying to totally reinvent your daily habits. You're just sort of tacking in a little bit more onto something that you already do.
17:50 I think really having this mindset when you go into building a new habit of like, you might not get it perfect every time and rather than beat yourself up for it, just know that there's always another day. There's always another opportunity to do it again. And you can just sort of like clean slate it, you know? Start over.
20:03 I really recommend journaling when you have a problem or when you have a moment where you think you kind of need to shift your mindset about something, to just start journaling and really ask yourself why. And just kind of like go down, why, why, why, why, why? And that's how I use journaling as little prompts just to take you deeper into yourself.
21:37 Until you journal, you kind of just loop around this mindset of frustration or whatever the feeling is. And then when you start journaling and you're like, okay, well, why am I mad about this? Okay. Why, why is that actually why I'm mad? Like why is this? And then you just kind of just go down these levels and I think it frees up your mental space so much because you can just move, move on from stuff that before felt like it was just totally heavy.
22:45 I'm at a point in my life right now, in this moment, where I just want gentle. I want warmth and I want support and so I need to give that to myself first.
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 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: Selena is an international yoga teacher and radiant life coach. She helps people embody the principles of health and wellness so that they can live fully integrated and bodied lit up lives.
She has taught students and coached clients across the globe and has consulted and created digital mindfulness content for yoga brands and mental health apps, including our own mental health and wellness app Nobu.
Allison: All right. Well, Selena, thank you so much for being on the show today. Would you mind introducing yourself to our audience?
Selena: Sure. My name is Selena Masonpeirre, and I am a yoga teacher and a radiant life coach.
Angela: Elena, I'm so excited you're here. And as many people may know, but not everyone. I want to make sure that they do, you are the star of a lot of our yoga content and in the fabulous Nobu app and some of the other mindfulness meditation.
So I just really am so thrilled that you're here to talk to us a little bit more today because I think it's so important that, you know, the folks that are going into the app, or if you haven't been in the app yet, check it out. Selena's there, she's very present. But I, I just thought you did such an amazing job and there's so much about what you brought to so many.
Excuse me. So many of those pieces that I just, I was really important to, to go into a little bit more detail. And one of the things I know folks are going to want to know a little bit more about is what the heck are radiance coaches. I love it, but tell us more about what that means and sort of what you're, what you're helping people to attain with that.
Selena: Yeah, thank you so much. It's so special to be on the app and now to be able to be in conversation deeper, kind of cause there's so many layers to wellness and mental health and mindfulness. So, I've been teaching yoga for about six years and I started noticing that there was a real disconnect between the way people would show up on the yoga mat and how they would show up in the rest of their lives.
I noticed that a lot with women, but, but just kind of a general observation. And so, I just felt like the wellness industry was doing it wrong and was really doing a disservice to a lot of people. And what it was really promoting was kind of a compartmentalization of practices. So people would show up to yoga, almost like a check mark, like, yup, I did it. Or like, yeah, I meditated. And yet they would go into the rest of their life back to the exact same way that they had been doing it. And I was like, we're missing something, something's missing. So I launched my coaching practice to fill that gap. And I'm a certified health and life coach, but I really connected with this idea of like radiance, where, when you really are connected to yourself and you're really embodying and integrating all these aspects of you, you radiate. And you see people on the street who just have this aura about them and it comes from within. So that's where Radiance coach came from.
Allison: I love it and I think radiant and radiance is just such a beautiful word. Anyways, it's one of my words of the year. So very attracted to that right now. And you are, you're like glowing, so you definitely embody all of this.
And I love that. So, um, for people that are listening right now, she is a true living example of somebody who does this, who lives this. And I'd love to kind of get into that a little bit more because you know, for Nobu and the app, you know, we designed it for individuals that are on various stages and phases of their own wellness journey.
But for so many of us, it was deeply personal. So would you mind sharing just your connection to the cause and what really draws you to help people?
Selena: Yeah, I think what you just said of being deeply personal, kind of hit it right on the spot. Everyone, I'll come from yoga. Everyone comes to yoga at some point in their life when they really need it. And everyone comes to it for such a different reason. And it's really special to talk with people and hear, you know, what was that thing that led you into it? And usually it's not a very happy moment in your life that takes you there, but once you sort of tap into something and you attach to something within the wellness industry, I don't want to say industry, within wellness. You just sort of expand in these ways that you never could expect. And so I think that whether it's yoga, whether it's meditation, whether it's seeing a therapist, like whatever it is on a mental health level, just attaching to that one thing that feels personal to you and then being really open to the journey of where it takes you, I think is so special.
Angela: Yeah, I completely agree and I know Alison and I both have our sort of personal experience that we've shared here and there. I'd love to hear, you know, a little bit more about what brought you to what you're doing and how you really feel that personal connection, or, you know, if there's a little bit more behind that, that you are open to sharing.
Um, but I, again, I think that, you know, when we spoke initially to that, you had really made those connections, I think, with, with your clients. And they really, it seemed to connect with you on a lot of different levels that I know. Alison and I similarly feel, with those that we work with as well. So can you share a little bit more there?
Selena: Yeah. So I started my yoga journey, I suppose when I was 17, I think, I had been on a competitive dance team in high school and I was all geared up to be captain and I woke up one day completely out of the blue and I walked into the kitchen. I was like, I'm going to quit dance team.
And I think my mom's jaw just like dropped, like no one expected it. I don't know where it came from. It just felt so true to me that I just wasn't going to do it again. But in that I, all of a sudden had all this free time and had no idea what to do with it. So I joined the YMCA and I started going to yoga classes and yoga just felt really familiar to me.
It felt, you know, I love stretching. I love elongating, but I think at the time, I didn't know, as a 17 year old, but I felt just so much better when I left a yoga class and with no real interest into why at the time, I just was like, oh, this is great. And I continued that through college. I continued that when I moved to New York City and I was working in advertising and yoga just felt like something that I always came back to without really a deep curiosity as to why it just was always kind of present in my life.
And then a yoga studio opened up near me when I was moving apartments in the city and something just clicked where I was like this, this practice, just all of a sudden just hit something inside of me where I was like, this is it. Like, I need more of this. And so, I had already kind of hated my job.
I knew that working in advertising wasn't really what I wanted to do and I just started dreaming about teaching yoga and finally kind of made that leap and same what I just like you take a leap in one direction and doors just open that you could never imagine. And so yoga just kind of led me deeper and deeper.
And I think, fueled a lot of, eating, like disordered eating. It healed a lot of confusion and indecision about what I wanted to do in my life, because it just brings you, it's just such a deep connection to yourself and for me as well, I've always been really connected to my body, but I realized after a couple of years that I was actually using my yoga practice to disconnect even more.
And so when I made that link, I was like, oh, I'm really not embodying and then I started feeling, oh my God. And then that just opened up so much more. So I've been able to kind of shepherd my clients and students through that journey as well of, you know, first you learn how to do a warrior pose and then you start to be like, why does this matter?
Allison: So much of what you said resonated and I think both Angela and I have experienced just how beneficial it can be personally. But then also it means so many people have reap the benefits of yoga and, you know, even with Advanced Recovery Systems, we've incorporated yoga in so many of our centers from the very beginning, to help individuals with addiction and really cope with stress and just really be able to pour their energy into something else.
I know it was something that was introduced to me in my own recovery, as well, on the eating disorder side of things. It has so many benefits, but you don't have to be in a negative place or be struggling with something to reap the benefits of yoga. It's really one of those things that you can come to at any time, like you said.
Angela: Yeah, absolutely and I know too, just from my own personal experience. I think similarly, I didn't realize at the time how much I was benefiting from it. And I think Selena, I think what you were saying earlier, about, you know, stretching and elongating and things like that, that I was being taught sort of in a, in a medical model when I was going through a lot of medical issues that I had as a child growing up, and then finding that there's this, thing that has existed forever that can really help me, that I just start sort of pivoted to that.
And I've found that that's just a part of my daily practice now, and it's more a lifestyle and a part of a routine versus, you know, again, I think how a lot of times it's really marketed to us. So what a full circle you've gone through to kind of arrive there?
I think that's just amazing. So one of the things I'm curious about too, just as you've worked with different people, it sounds like maybe primarily women, but just anyone who's sort of interested in incorporating, you know, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, things like that. What, what are you finding in terms of, you know, how to really begin that practice and then stick with it versus all of the stuff that we get caught up in, which is why am I not doing it as well as that person over there? Or I should be an instructor by now, I've been doing yoga for so long or like all the things we get caught up in. But what are you finding there?
Selena: I think that's such an interesting question and I'm going to speak from the yoga teaching and the coaching, and I kind of joke. I'm like, okay, the yoga is the bodywork. The coaching is the thought work, but it's all leading us to the same place. I think when you're trying. Oh, and also one thing that you said too, is it's really a lifestyle, which people who aren't into yoga or not yet, it's such an eye roll. It's like, oh, I've heard that a million times. Like, yeah, it's a lifestyle, but then you start doing it and you see the domino effect of all these other areas of your life that start to change without you trying.
And I think that's amazing. And so in order to get into it, From the very beginning. Like if you want to pick up a yoga practice or you want to start prioritizing your mindfulness, I always say, just start really small. Like five minutes is better than nothing. And I also really encourage students and clients to really ask yourself why.
So don't just set some goal. Like I want to do 15 minutes of yoga a day, ask not only why. But what are you, what do you want to feel in doing that? And if you get to the root of what you want to feel, if you want to feel calmer, if you want to feel more open, if you want to feel less anxiety, then you focus on that being the motivation behind what you're doing, as opposed to this totally arbitrary 15 minute goal. That doesn't really mean anything, cause you could do something for 15 minutes and not feel changed at all. But if you go into those 15 minutes wanting to feel insert, whatever it is, then there's an intention behind what you're doing.
And I think I've seen it with yoga students. I've seen it with coaching clients when you've, when you're connected to your intention and you let that lead everything. All of a sudden it's fun.
Allison: Totally, and I think that, you know, yoga is so beneficial. I know we've really been harping on that, but there are so many other tools and resources and practices. I know that you recommend, but would you mind sharing a few more with the audience too, that you think would be beneficial for those tuning in?
Selena: Sure, are you speaking in terms of yoga or coaching or just..
Allison: Really all of the above, right. I mean, maybe even some meditation, some different mindfulness practices. Things that the audience can do or possibly contemplate or consider incorporating into their own lives so that they can live the healthiest version of themselves on a daily basis.
Selena: A big piece that I like to encourage people to ask themselves, looking at their communities. I think, especially if you're trying to pick up something that's brand new, grab a friend or a family member and join forces I suppose, and doing it together. And, you know, you can call it an accountability partner or whatever, but, but having somebody that also feels the same way as you, and is excited to try something new, just to have that sort of like feedback of community in, in trying something.
I recommend that and then I also really recommend, I hope that this is the dream for 2022 is the word help. And for so many years, the word help to me felt so negative. Like a weakness of needing help, and I really want to encourage people to reframe help as support and community. And it's not that you can't do it alone, it’s that it's so much easier with somebody else, whether that's a coach or a therapist or a yoga studio or an app that pings you and reminds you, you know, don't forget to log in for your meditation. But reach out and create this powerful force of support for yourself. You don't have to do it alone.
Angela: I love that you mentioned that because we were, I think reading some sort of like research or something in terms of reframing for folks who are reaching out for a variety of reasons. And one of the biggest trigger words was help, because it is that sort of dirty word that people don't really you know, can maybe connect with because of all of the connotations and, you know, just not wanting to be perceived as that person that can't do it on their own, or isn't strong enough, I'm using air quotes.
Right and so we did reframe a lot of that to support, but I think you're absolutely right. It's whatever that person needs, whether. We're going to frame it, you know, linguistically as support or help. It's all trying to get at the same thing. Right. And so, I don't know. I just think that that's really interesting that you, that you point that out.
Another thing too, Selena is how do you typically recommend people get to that point of, of really creating more of a habit out of these types of things? Again, whether it's yoga, meditation, I love that you speak to intention, like, you know, setting an intention every day is something that I've forced myself to do.
Just so that I do have that sort of way to, to kick off for the day. I know that's really helpful for me. What are other ways that people can really, you know, make sure that they're fitting it into their life in an authentic way?
Selena: Yeah. One thing that I work with clients on is planning ahead. So some people come to me on a coaching sphere, knowing that I'm a yoga teacher and one of their goals of coaching is they want to incorporate more yoga or movement into their life. So we look at your calendar on a weekly basis, look at your calendar and fit in where are you going to do 20, 30 minutes, an hour of yoga and put it into your calendar so that it's just already there. And it's almost like a meeting with yourself. It's non-negotiable. Maybe you move it an hour because something else comes up, but you, you do it that day. And that takes a little bit of self-discipline. But I do think that planning ahead and putting it in there and visually seeing like, okay, this is happening really helps when you're trying to adopt that initial habit. When you're trying to like, get the momentum off the ground.
And I also think planning ahead in terms of vacation or rest as well, because I think we get so caught up in our lives and this goes something small from the rest of, you know, 15 minutes of meditation to something bigger, like really taking time off, planning ahead because otherwise you get so wrapped up in your habits on a daily basis that you hit.. I mean, it happens to everyone, you hit burnout and then you look back and you're like, oh my gosh, three weeks ago, I needed to take a break, and I didn’t. So I do think that planning ahead is a really strong tool.
And then I also think that finding little triggers in your day that lead you into doing something.So what I mean is like, if you want to incorporate more meditation, pick a time of day. Is it right after you drink your coffee? Is it right before you go to bed? Is it right before you take a shower? I don't know, something that already exists in your daily routine and you just add on a little bit of extra time for whatever it is that you're trying to do. So you're not trying to totally reinvent your daily habits. You're just sort of tacking in a little bit more onto something that you already do, if that makes sense.
Allison: Totally. I'm a huge fan of habit stacking and, you know, attaching it to something that already exists and then like building on that and, and doing it over time and not trying to do it all at once. Right. So just incorporating one at a time until you have a nice rhythm and flow.
Selena: And I think really having this mindset when you go into building a new habit of like, you might not get it perfect every time and rather than beat yourself up for it, just know that there's always another day. There's always another opportunity to do it again. And you can just sort of like clean slate it, you know? Start over.
I have some clients who will start journaling and then they're like, and then I stopped journaling. And then I feel so bad about journaling that I don't journal. And I, you know, and I'm like, you can pick it back up, you know. There's no journal police, you just start doing it again.
And I want to bring this back as well with habits, come back to the feeling that you want. How do you want to feel? And let that be what guides your habits.
Angela: I love that and I love the journal police. So I've definitely had a lot of clients who are in that same realm too. And I think even myself, I'll just sorta think about that.
And, try to pick up one of my old journals and feel guilty and so it is nice to then just, you got to crack it open and just get back in there.
Selena: And that guilt is only yours. Like no one else..
Angela: Nobody cares. Nobody cares but me. That's what's so great about it, right? No, but I, I love so with, with journaling, everyone knows I'm a huge proponent of that.
I know Alison is too, but where do you find that, that has been really helpful, you know, obviously, maybe for yourself, but for your clients, where are you really, you know, sort of bringing that into the, the full connection, is that something that sort of right away or you're saying this is really important in terms of, you know, maybe a daily documentation or, you know, where are you finding that journaling is really helpful for, for the folks that you're helping.
Selena: That's a good question. I have journaled my entire life, off and on, not every day, but it's, it's writing has been such a therapy for me, I suppose. So I don't look at it necessarily as documentation, but more. And this is how I work with clients too, is just start to write and see what comes. So how I work with clients.
And I also send out a newsletter on Mondays with journal prompts, because I think just getting sort of the thinking and the pen running, and then you'll surprise yourself with what comes up for you. So I really recommend journaling when you have a problem or when you have a moment where you think you kind of need to shift your mindset about something, to just start journaling and really ask yourself why. And just kind of like go down, why, why, why, why, why? And that's how I use journaling as little prompts just to take you deeper into yourself. And sometimes when you start journaling, you already talk yourself into a new place. You, you, you kind of already talked yourself out of the anxiety or the sadness and you kind of like lead yourself up and out, or you stay in there for a little bit and it takes a little while, and then you read through things and you, you like prove yourself wrong at times. If that makes sense.
Allison: Absolutely. I love to use the mentality of seven levels deep. So when you were saying, why, why, why? Like whenever there's a change or a new opportunity or something, that's got me in a funk over something. It's like, why going at least seven levels, to really uncover it. And then when you get that type of clarity, it's like sometimes we stay so surface level and accept that to be the reason as to the emotion or why we're feeling the way we are. But when you really allow yourself to expose those true emotions, those feelings..
Selena: Those emotional states are those, those moments that you have really strong feelings about something like whether it's a, we can use an example of maybe it's a judgment of somebody in your life.
And you're like, oh, this person is just making me so mad. Until you journal, you kind of just loop around this mindset of frustration or whatever the feeling is. And then when you start journaling and you're like, okay, well, why am I mad about this? Okay. Why, why is that actually why I'm mad? Like why is this? And then you just kind of just go down these levels and I think it frees up your mental space so much because you can just move, move on from stuff that before felt like it was just totally heavy.
Allison: Exactly. And sometimes it feels good to rip those journal pages out and throw them away
Angela: and light them on fire.
Allison: Yeah. You know, whatever floats your boat there. But anyways, well, Selena, I am so glad that we had the chance to share space and time with you today. One of our favorite questions that we love to ask everybody that comes onto the show is at this point in your life, what matters most to you right now?
Selena: That's a really beautiful question. Right now, what matters most for me in my life is being really gentle with myself emotionally and physically. I lean towards, I am a New Yorker, you know, we like to make things super hard and I'm at a point in my life right now, in this moment, where I just want gentle.I want warmth and I want support and so I need to give that to myself first.
Angela: I love that. I'm right there with you on that one, Selena. Why don't you go ahead and let our listeners know where they can find you on social media or otherwise?
Selena: Yes, I would love to have you join me on social media. It's, on Instagram I'm @selena.masonpeirre and you might have to check the spelling for that and my website is SelenaMasonpeirre.com
Angela: Great. Thank you so much, Selena.
Selena: Thank you.
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