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11 Nov admin No Comments

Hey QT, what’s your IQ & EQ?

Remember when IQ was the only form of measuring your intelligence?

A high IQ can get you only so far in this world. For example, high IQ can land you a high paying career, but to be successful in that job, you have to have a high Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

Studies have found that, “people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70 percent of the time.” Why is that? Well it’s because they perform higher in their EQ.

What’s Emotional Quotient?!

“Emotional intelligence affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.” Travis Bradberry, the author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0. The basic 4 Pillars of EQ are up to us, it’s our choice. Our choice to understand, have self control, have empathy, and have conflict resolution. Easier said than done, but understanding the 4 pillars of our EQ is key.

1. Self Awareness

Accurate Self-Assessment, understanding your strengths and weaknesses and their effects.

2. Self-Management

Emotional Self-Control, an important part of emotional maturity, controlling your feelings and/or expressing them in the appropriate settings is a key skill.

3. Social Awareness

Empathy, one of the pillars of the ability to form connections with others, understanding and acknowledging others’ emotions.

4. Relationship Management

Conflict Management, having the skills to improve relationships, negotiate, and lead. The ability to settle disputes, differences of opinion, and misunderstandings.

Your Emotional intelligence level impacts not only your personal well-being, but also contributes to your success and ability to connect with others. The stronger your EQ, the more consciously interactive and less reactive you are.

The psychologist who popularized the term emotional intelligence, Danial Goleman believes, “Emotional Intelligence abilities — rather than IQ or technical skills — emerge as the ‘discriminating’ competency that best predicts who among a group of very smart people will lead most ably.”

You may be smart, but that may not be enough in today’s job market. More companies are also looking for those who are emotionally savvy. According to Goleman’s Emotional Competence Framework, we humans have 25 emotional competencies spread across 5 general dimensions of emotional intelligence — Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, Motivation, Empathy, and Social Skills.

Curious where your EQ strengths and areas of improvement lay?

You can take action now to gain personal insight into your EQ. See below…

Gaze at this chart for a few minutes.
Let yourself absorb and understand the meaning of each 5 categories.
Write or type your competency in a number form in your notes for each category on a scale 1-10. (10 being a perfectly aligned competency). What is the honest # for you for each of these personal and social competencies?
Take note of where your lowest numbers are and focus on these areas to grow your EQ.

Since Emotional Quotient or EQ, is a skill, and a skill that anyone can learn, what if we practiced this skill?

We can improve our Personal Competencies (Self-Awareness, Self-Regulation, and Motivation) and Social Competencies (Empathy and Social Skills) to greatly improve our lives. Are we as a society overvaluing our IQ? What if our focus was on the quotient variable we have control over?

To demonstrate that it can greatly improve our lives, top current recruiters state that success in the workforce in relation to the importance of EQ, cannot be understated. Experts state that this is especially the case for “knowledge workers, millennials and members of the creative class, who simply don’t respond to old-school methods of motivation in the workplace.”

What’s even more interesting, Trevor Blair from Manpower recruiting company said some business types continue to think of EQ as some “fluffy, new-agey mumbo that has no place in a fast-paced company,” the smart companies are realizing the true value of EQ.

Blair reports, “The fact is, no leader can reach their potential without it.”

“In order to understand other people and what motivates them to perform at their best, you first have to understand yourself.” Enhancing EQ, not only enhances leadership potential, it can also translate into real dollars, according to Bradberry. “People with a high degree of emotional intelligence make more money — an average of $29,000 more per year than people with a low degree of emotional intelligence,” he writes.

“The link between emotional intelligence and earnings is so direct that every point increase in emotional intelligence adds $1,300 to an annual salary.”

The good news is that unlike IQ — which is considered to be static and unchangeable no matter how much you study or work to improve it — emotional intelligence can be boosted and grealty improved.

These three words are guaranteed to impact your emotional intelligence, ‘It’s my choice’. Saying this to yourself throughout the day reminds you, you can determine your EQ in owning that it’s your choice to behave a certain way. It’s your choice to think the way you think, feel the way you feel and act the way you act.

For example, it all boils down to it’s your choice; to forgive or to be angry, do something or do nothing, and to have compassion, or not. Every decision you make is going to determine how emotionally intelligent you are.

Interested in finding out what your EQ is and how to develop it?

Consider these 3 resources;

A. UC San Diego Extension through its Center for Life/Work Strategies offers what is known as an “EQ-1 2.0” assessment. After the assessment, a person meets with a licensed career coach to review the results and provide recommendations.

B. In addition, the Center for Life/Work Strategies also offers a three-hour workshop on the importance of EQ twice a year.

C. Email Learn Pure Wellness company as we are happy to give you a free EQ assessment; learnpure@gmail.com

Filled Under: Blog,Latest Blog,Uncategorized Posted on: November 28, 2017

09 Sep admin No Comments

living with awareness is JAMA yoga

To me, many things can be a yoga practice for example, jumping into the ocean, sitting still for pranayam, athletics, sailing, riding a motorcycle, etc. and yet sometimes the day to day challenges of bills, errands and negative people are my most ultimate yoga practice. The journey around connecting my highest self – my most compassionate reactions, and positive thoughts is my most challenging type of yoga! Some days taking a vinyasa yoga class is the easiest thing I did that day.

I thought whoa yes, L I F E – what an epic journey around movement of posture, position and attitude in this world! I put this simple conscious awareness into practice and found myself shifting rapidly toward happier experiences. In fact, I’ll share that I truly reinvented myself through this JAMA practice – a Journey Around Movement + Asana (position).

When we’re faced with these challenging situations, and negative people that pop up into our lives (or set up camp), it can automatically stir up a sh*t storm of painful, or limiting thought patterns. Riiight?! It’s unfortunate, but true.

To me yoga is making an effort to live in a high state of awareness and mindfulness. When I sense myself kicking up dust as the storm hits, I just create less visibility. Versus, if I become still and be patient until the storm passes, it creates insight and understanding and I actually gleen lessons from the sh*t storm!

This is the perfect way to process these autoresponder negative patterns of behavior and thought. This journey around life as a yogi begins with mindfulness of our asana (our position in this world), basically constantly asking ourselves, ‘What is my position in this situation, and how am I reacting to it?”, and “What are the affects of my position (asana) in this situation?”.

This heightened awareness of our impact allow us to roll into ownership of the situation and take responsibility for seeking our most positive outlooks and feelings despite the barriers.

Whatever I find myself doing, whether it’s a hobby, work or something in-between… the FIRST thing is mindfulness; bringing it into the moment, and taking the situation into a state of current awareness with no anticipation into the future.

As we take note of our reactions (thoughts, verbal and physical responses), our behavior becomes more acute and astute, our minds become more controllable, vs the uncontrollable and this mindful thought process draws us into the here and now. As humans, we all have this heightened awareness within us, once we start practicing it, we realize how to create more peace during conflict and compassion in the midst of challenging times. We can change our reactions or behaviors to align to be positive with positive outcomes. When the outcome is not ideal, we can control how we see it and react to it by taking a moment to bring a deeper connected awareness to life’s JAMA (journey around movement + asana)!

JAMA has unintentionally created not only a way of life for myself in yoga, dance and mediation, but with curiosity from my students …

JAMA has grown into a unique style of yoga, creating a successful life of it’s own to be shared and practiced by whomever it resonates with!

If you’re a bit curious about JAMA, enter your email with us, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have.

Namaste

Filled Under: Blog,Latest Blog,Uncategorized Posted on: September 28, 2016

03 Mar admin No Comments

What is Hatha vs Vinyasa vs JAMA Yoga?

Hatha Yoga is derived from older sanskrit texts and holds many styles of yoga under it’s large umbrella. The word Hatha is general and refers to the practice of physical yoga postures, so Ashtanga, Vinyasa, Iyengar, JAMA and Power Yoga classes are all Hatha Yoga. The word “hatha” can be translated as the yoga of activity, and as “sun” (ha) and “moon” (tha), the yoga of balance. Hatha is a willful yoga as poses are often held for a minimum of 1 to 5 minutes. I thought my shoulders and arms would fall off at the 4 minute mark of my first Adho Mukha Svanasana (down dog)! In Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Swatmarama introduces his system as preparatory stage for physical purification that the body practices for higher meditation or Yoga. It’s based on asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathing techniques) much like Vinyasa and JAMA yoga (Journey Around Movement and Asana). Vinyasa and JAMA further personalize your yoga practice through the use of intention and mantras. JAMA yoga takes Hatha yoga another step further by integrating qigong and dance movements into the asanas (postures) to both align chakra, and balance the nervous system. JAMA yoga, the journey around movement and asana has a cardiovascular element, and emphasizes the activation of deep personal and community connection. JAMA yoga adds elements of movement (dance) because this added element teaches the body new neuromuscular and neurochemical activation patterns – improving one’s ability to focus better, align the body, let go of pain sooner and drop into meditation faster.

All three yogas (Hatha, Vinyasa and JAMA) begin with a focus and intention. Every style of yoga offers a unique combination of postures that correspond with the chakras, small and large muscle groups and YOUR SOUL if the intention is there. ALL levels, every BODY (from stiff beginners to athletic dancers) are encouraged to sample different styles of yoga and diverse teachers until one resinates with you. There is a yoga style out there for everyone.

Tags: what is hatha yoga, what is vinyasa yoga Filled Under: Blog,Latest Blog,Uncategorized Posted on: March 26, 2016

01 Jan admin No Comments

Group yoga vs a solo practice

There is incredible power walking into a sacred space that’s been created for you. Group yoga classes, workshops and retreats offer profound improvements in ways you’ll never experience practicing solo.

I believe there’s a time and place for group classes, versus a solo practice. When I want to process something really big, I go to my solo practice. When I want to energize myself, it’s 50-50 whether I take my practice to my community in a group class, or take my it solo. There are benefits to both as they serve different purposes.

Group yoga classes are a great places to connect with like-minded people, learn and feel deeply supported and challenged. As a yoga teacher, my livelihood is based on people attending my classes and workshops. However, I believe that the art of yoga is only deeply and fully understood when you experience it by yourself, totally alone. Classes and retreats offer human and community connection often times leaving you in a higher than normal energized state, and yet in a world that’s overstimulated, the classroom can be just that, OVERstimulation; talking, music, scents, movements the your body isn’t asking for, volume of the music, the instructor, temperature, personalities, ect. I believe it’s much more difficult to tune into your practice in a group setting, but easier to feel energized.

Solo Practice challenges: You’re faced with your own successes and demons in your solo practice. Do you want that? Sometimes I feel ready for it because I see faster self-development by stepping into every aspect of me (both the perceived ‘good’ and ‘bad’).

I also enjoy going at my own tempo. You choose where, how and when to do your yoga. You’re alone so if you wake up naked and drop to the floor for some nude meditation, or chaturangas – it’s your yoga party, you can do whatcha want – no judgement!

Personally, in my solo practice I’m able to dive more deeply into my breath and thoughts. It offers a deepening of my mental/emotional/spiritual connection and allows me to integrate it into the asanas (positions and movements). I can’t go as deep into my spiritual realm in most public classes, or in a group settings. A solo practice is something to build up to, reaping great rewards of uninhibited movements, tapping into the ebb and flow of your body more intensely feels rewarding and inspiring!

The release of endorphins and energy I receive when I am in my solo practice is unparalleled to anything else. Sometimes this is from a blissful practice, other times it’s facing ‘demons’ of negative self talk, or thoughts that I discover I was avoiding for weeks or months. Facing this head on in a solo yoga practice always results in a quieting of the negative mind for me.

I’ve also discovered in my own practice, and having spoken with hundreds of yogis – that there’s a profound sensuality—a gentle eroticism that takes place solo. I’ve never felt this kind of freedom anywhere else, it’s like a new kind of tantric unraveling. Unleashing the sensuality of your solo yoga practice is like pandora’s box if you will, once you begin this freeing journey around movement of body, mind and spirit it’s something you crave!

I recognize that it’s not easy to muster up the motivation to practice without guidance.

Hopefully you’ve felt a twinge of inspiration to start with one pose and breathing before or after bed time. Keep in mind solo practice requires some experience and a bit of training with a yoga teacher, in private lessons, or beginner classes but once you feel comfortable with a hand full of poses – combine these asanas and observe the effects. Ask yourself, what’s opening up, or where am I feeling tightness? Continue to observe as you experiment with what feels right and what doesn’t. Yoga is intuitive, trust yourself.

When most of us first encounter a group yoga experience – it’s such an intense setting that the contract to practicing alone can feel near impossible. However, yoga in my opinion, is about quieting the space around you to tap deeper into your personal connection with your divine, diving in AND THEN if you choose to connect to external stimulation (people, nature, etc.) let that deepen your experience to your personal practice. Physical yoga is just 1 of 8 limbs of what yoga as defined by Patanjali. I see yoga as a lifestyle, it’s how we think, act and feel, so yoga to me IS a very personal practice of self-realization.

I said this when teaching a dance workshop to hundreds of students, ‘our first dance partner is ourselves, our second is the ground and our third partner is human!’ Let’s continue to practice really ‘being’ with ourselves as our first partner in this life!

Filled Under: Blog,Latest Blog,Uncategorized Posted on: January 11, 2016

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