The Practice: Recent Episodes
Brooke Davidson
To be human is to experience groundlessness, but we seem to be getting an extra does of unpredictability lately. Join yoga teacher, writer, and independent yoga & mindfulness consultant Brooke Davidson every week as she unpacks the challenges and joys of being human in this unprecedented time. Each episode will delve into a different aspect of the practice of living, leaving you empowered to go out into the world as your best self, embodied.
This episode delves into the nuances of work ethic — is our work our value? Does quitting something imply a lack of ability? How do we know when we are doing the work we’re meant to be doing?
I’m this episode we explore 2 ways to reframe how we strive for balance between our jobs and the rest of our lives.
Do you ever find yourself in the midst of a decision, unsure of what choice to make? There are often little clues as to what the right answer is, although it can be challenging to say “no.” Listen into this episode for a few signs your answer should perhaps be “no.”
In this episode of "The Practice," I sit with guest Haley Schroth and we talk about the simple yet profound truths relating to the nervous system. In this conversation, we overview how healing and regulation happen AND how those journeys can perhaps be easier in community and when equipped with helpful tools. If what you come across here piques your interest, consider joining us for a month-long program - Sustenance - dedicated to these learnings: https://thefulfilledfork.practicebetter.io/#/6286f1d38b7f735b8a364f95/bookings?c=63c4d0c0c11f0a8023c96bf0&step=course
What do phone alarms, stress levels, and scheduling have in common? Listen in to find the answer to that along with some insights into how intentional scheduling can be a form of self care.
Now more than ever, there’s great controversy surrounding New Year’s resolutions. Is setting a goal a form of self judgment? Is the lack of a goal a sign of complacency? How do we truly step into the new year in a way that feels good and nourishing and aligned? Listen in for three different ideas on how to approach the new year and all of the pressures that come with it.
“Boredom” is often cast as a negative thing, but it might just be our ticket to more creative thinking, better problem solving, and a general sense of calm. Tune in to hear why.
To honor some thing is to keep what is true in view. How do you see and honor both the truth of your context and reality, as well as the truth of what is meaningful and right for you? Listen in for some inspiration on realigning with what matters most.
In this episode we explore the difference between kindness and niceness and delve into the balance of caring for others and oneself.
In this episode we look at the difference between orienting toward goals versus orienting toward ways of being. Listen in for a perspective shift that might just add some ease and freedom into your life.
In this episode, we look at the choices present within each and every moment, and discuss how freedom brings with it a great deal of responsibility. This episode might be a bit jarring, but it might also be quite empowering. Listen, and if you are curious on how you can take back some power in your day-to-day life.
The word “love” has a variety of implications, but what does it actually look like in practice, and beyond the realm of romance? Tune in to find out.
Do you ever feel guilty for taking a break? Or perhaps you feel a physical discomfort when trying to relax? Or maybe you’re just tired of moving at a pace that doesn’t feel sustainable, much less - fulfilling. Tune into this episode for a look into the concept of rest which addresses why it might feel hard or uncomfortable AND why it is so crucial to choose anyway.
How can we see others without jumping to judge them? How can we accept where we ourselves are at on any given day without judging or attaching to expectation? Listen in for some ideas.
In the season three kick off we explore the evolution of humans as a herd species and question how our social practices align with our social needs.
In this episode we take a look at fear and discuss its usefulness as well as its drawbacks. We talk about mindfully navigating risk and recognizing the utility of external support when pushing beyond our comfort zones.
In this episode, we take a look at the idea of success and start to question many of the common definitions. By the episode’s end you will hopefully have a clearer definition of what success means to you and thereby a clearer standard against which to give yourself and your decisions.
Intentions aren’t enough; we need actions. And action can only happen if we are willing to talk to each other to truly understand; if we’re willing to search for our common ground beneath all our differences; if we’re willing to show up to the table and do the work. So…I give you this. Some insights, some question, and a challenge.
A lot of things go into finding your purpose in life, not the least of which include: awareness, curiosity, and trust. If you’re at all striving to make greater meaning in your life, you might give this episode a listen and see what comes up for you.
I recently challenged myself to infuse all that I do with artfulness. Listen in for a little insight into how that looks and what I have learned along the way.
How often have we been asked what we want to do with our lives? And how often does that question feel like a heavy looming pressure on the decisions we make right now? What if, instead, we asked ourselves what we feel excited about presently — what if we could use moment to moment feedback to guide ourselves instead of placing some sort of arbitrary goal post far into the future? Listen in for some conversation on just that & some insights into how we can decrease the amount of pressure we out on ourselves while simultaneously living in a way that feels more aligned.
While we are all familiar with what hope is, we don’t always recognize its discrete components. Hope is partly the ability to envision a goal, and partly the agency to execute steps toward that goal. The feeling of hopelessness, then, can be attributed to a lack of vision or a lack of agency. Listen in for some ideas on how to further cultivate hope within yourself as well as some practical steps in developing both key components of white hope is.
Thoughts like “I should..” or “If only…” indicate that we are pushing against the reality of our current experience. And only when accepting where we are can we act from a place of power. Tune in for some discussion of the different ways in which we push against reality and some ideas on how to empower ourselves to act from where we are.
Tune into this episode for a look into the difference between joy and happiness and and examination of how connection can facilitate greater joy in your life.
Our core values guide all we do and often make the difference between feeling good about a decision versus feeling regret. If we aren’t clear on our values, though, we can tend to live by default instead of by design. Tune in for some conversation on this topic that might help you clarify your own values and then proceed to live by them.
There are a lot of challenges surrounding apologies - in both receiving and delivering them. Listen in for some ideas on how to apologize in a way that aligns with your values (not just social norms) as well as ideas on how to receive apologies in a way that validates the experience and other person involved.
Caring for oneself is often depicted as taking luxurious bubble baths putting on facemasks and eating decadent chocolate cake. In reality, there are far more useful, practical, and meaningful steps we can take in building a relationship with ourselves. Listen in for three solid ideas.
What does it take to retire the futile and frenetic tendencies toward perfectionism? How do we set ourselves up to find contentment in what is “good enough”? Listen in for some thoughts.
We’ve all been there: a conversation turns unexpectedly heated, and we notice our heart racing and skin temperature rising. What do we say or do next? How do we navigate the moment in a way that aligns with our values? Listen in for ideas relating to digital and in-person interactions.
How many of your habits come from a place of love? How many come from a place of striving — to be ‘more’ or ‘better’ or ‘enough’? If any tend to come from the latter category, listen in for what might be a helpful and nourishing reframe.
Counterintuitive though it may be, choosing ease can actually be the more productive option - and one that is so often dismissed in our culture. Tune in for a a few examples and ideas of how this might look in your own life.
The fear of missing out can have a huge impact on decisions we make. In addition to that, we often worry that saying “no” might prevent a future opportunity or otherwise negatively impact us, when really it can give us the ease we desire. Listen in for a guiding question to help you make decisions in a way that aligns with who you truly want to be.
We’ve all heard about the “fight or flight” response, but in reality the nervous system is more nuanced than that. Understanding how the body responds to stress can help you to grow in awareness of yourself and to understand that the body always acts in service of survival — an understanding that can lead to greater self compassion.
Being around family isn’t always easy or pleasant, and there are some clear reasons for why that may be the case. There are also, however, actions and understandings that can bring more ease into those moments. Listen in for some ideas that you can carry with you this holiday season.
So often we view challenges as things that hinder us or hold us back. But what happens when we actually face up to them and take them on full force? Sometimes the energy of that encounter is enough to propel us further than we could have imagined – further than we could have gotten by tiptoeing through the challenge. Listen in for ideas on how this might look and how to implement it into your own life.
Sometimes it can be helpful to understand why we are feeling a certain emotion or reacting a certain way. Other times though, identifying an origin or creating a story only gives that emotion more power. Sometimes the best thing we can do is not create a story and instead simply acknowledge what’s there for what it is. Listen in for some ideas on how this might look as well as how to implement this practice in your own life as a means of creating healing and liberation for yourself.
Emotions are inevitable. However, they don’t always need a story or to carry some big meaning. Listen in to learn how you might better sit with your experience without the need to fully explain or step away from it.
Growth is a beautiful thing, but it is not always pleasant and it’s rarely ever easy. The process of growing involves grief in many forms — tune in for a conversation on this topic and some insights as to how to embrace the process of growth - messy parts and all.
What is a “passion project” and how might creating one help you feel more fulfilled? Tune in for some ideas.
How can choosing exploration over expectation infuse your life with greater joy and ease? What does it even look like to choose exploration over expectation in any given moment? Tune in for some ideas, including how this might look in relationship with others.
Maybe you struggle to trust your gut feelings. Or maybe you struggle to feel your gut at all; either way, that voice of intuition is there for reason and can be an incomparable guide if approached with intention. Listen in for some ideas on how to cultivate your intuition, how to trust your gut, and also how to tell if something is a gut feeling or just fear.
Fast fashion, instant messaging, social media, non stop news releases… we live in such a frantically paced world. So how do we navigate it mindfully? What can a single individual person do to make a difference in this busy culture? Tune in to find out.
This episode starts by debunking the myth of “soulmates” and then offers some insights about relationship in general, because it isn’t all rainbows and unicorns but it IS freaking powerful when done mindfully. There might also be some useful reminders in here for folks already in a committed relationship.
We’ve all been there: it’s Sunday evening, and dread has settled in the pit of your stomach as you contemplate jumping back into the work week. Even as you feel it you recognize the conundrum of how worrying about work is taking away the weekend even while it’s still there. So how do we move past that? How do we stop the Sunday Scaries in their tracks and enjoy the weekend? Listen in for some ideas.
What do goals and joy have in common? Often they come with plans and a focus on the future. And while plans for the future are good, it’s also important to find ways to enjoy the present moment. Join me for a conversation centered on how we can more fully embrace change and also more fully experience joy, right here. Right now.
We could all rattle off a list of asked what we care about, but often those ideals don’t actually line up with our current experience of life. So how do we close the gap between our ideals and our reality? Listen in for some ideas.
Have you ever been afraid to try something new? Or have you ever started something that you were initially excited about but then lost motivation for? If so, give this episode a listen. Brooke shares some key tips and insights on both starting AND sustaining hobbies.
Mantras aren’t just things that monks chant. They can be created and utilized as a means of increasing awareness and aligning with our best selves in all aspects of our lives. Listen in for some ideas on how that might look in day to day life.
While we all sometimes crave a slower pace, it isn’t always obvious how to make it happen. Listen in for some ideas on how to slow down in your daily life, thereby cultivating more presence.
Sometimes setting a boundary can feel offensive, and sometimes receiving a boundary can fee hurtful. But always boundaries aren’t insults but rather invitations to trust - ourselves and others. Listen in for some examples and ideas on how to navigate boundaries with greater grace and ease.
The values we practices aren’t always the values we aspire to, but how do we breach the gap and find better alignment? Tune in for some practices that might help you 1) determine your values, 2) prioritize them, and 3) live in a way that fully aligns with them.
If you ever find yourself sucked into the spiral of anxious thinking, consider giving this episode a listen. Discover a framework for thinking in those times by mindfully considering what is possible versus what is actually probable.
Some seasons of life are chaotic. We feel rushed and like our to do list will never see completion, and it often somehow leads to feeling simultaneously OVERwhelmed with tasks yet UNDERwhelmed with day to day experiences. So... how can we take pause and ground ourselves back into meaningful living? Tune in for some ideas.
Doing a new thing is hard...until it isn’t. Every romantic relationship will fail...until one doesn’t. Ultimately, failure is not a negative or detrimental thing, but rather a prerequisite to success. Listen in for some ideas on how a shift in mindset might offer greater ease and contentment to you in your life.
While guilt can be a reminder to better align with our values, shame is entirely destructive and serves only to lessen our self worth. Listen in for some distinctions between guilt and shame and for some valuable ideas on how to eliminate shame from your life.
Despite what the media portrays, self care isn’t just bubble baths and glasses of wine. In fact, it’s foundations are composed of far more meaningful yet simple things that can be done all throughout any day. Listen in for some ideas on how to better nourish yourself.
How often do we forsake honesty for nicety? Tune into this episode for some ideas on how to say “no” without feeling the need to say sorry or make an excuse.
What is the origin of yoga? Are western practices culturally appropriate? Tune in for one perspective and for an invitation to share your own ideas on the topic.
Rene Descartes once said, “If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.” So often we hold beliefs that are handed down or otherwise expected of us, but if we only pause and allow room for questioning we can unearth what truly resonates as true. Listen in for some ideas on how this might look and how it might benefit you in general.
Although routines can be incredibly useful and efficient, they can also breed stagnation and mindlessness. Tune into this episode for some insight on how disrupting routine might benefit you.
You can feel scared AND excited. Sad AND joyful. Content AND unhappy. The truth is that no experience is ever one-dimensional, and recognizing that allows us to more fully ground ourselves in truth. It is only from present reality that we have any power anyhow.
Do you ever walk away from a conversation feeling depleted? Exhausted? Unheard? Do you ever walk away from others feeling energized? Connected? Uplifted? The difference likely comes down to the fact that some interactions are energy-producing while others are energy-depleting. Listen to this episode for some ideas on how to navigate either more fruitfully in your own life.
What makes you joyful to be alive? And why should you pay attention to it? Join Brooke as she discusses the importance of these joyful moments as well as how to further cultivate them in your own life.
Join Brooke for a look into building confidence and self assurance as she discusses how confidence is formed through taking risks and cultivating resilience.
“You never know what worse luck your bad luck saved you from” - Cormac McCarthy. You also never know how limiting the labels of “good / bad” can be until you take a step back from them. Join Brooke as she explores a way to broaden our perspectives and release the emotional burden of labels.
Yes, a mindfulness practice can apply to the way you manage money, too. In fact, any sort of consciousness surrounding spending is indeed mindfulness. Tune into this episode for a few helpful strategies to ensure that your spending aligns with your values and, ultimately, aids you in showing up as your best self.
Where are my indecisive people at? For years, I struggled to make even the simplest decisions of where to go eat or what movie to watch. Join me as I share out 3 strategies that have made decision making a much easier and less stressful process for myself. Hopefully they can do the same for you.
The way we talk to ourselves ripples into everything we do. It affects our attitude, our self worth, and how we interact with others. In order to keep growing, we simply MUST be willing to be a beginner, and in order to fruitfully be a beginner we MUST be willing to laugh at ourselves, even when the learning gets challenging and vulnerable. Listen in for some examples and ideas on how to rewrite that voice in your head to be more supportive of all you do.
Usually when we hear talk of the ego (especially in yoga!), it’s cast in a negative light. However, The ego itself itself isn’t inherently good or bad: it just is. Listen in for some insight into how you might note the ways your own ego impacts your life for better and for worse so that you can interact with it more intentionally.
Are you curious about what meditation is and how it might impact you? If so, give this episode a listen. I cover some common misconceptions as well as the benefits of meditation as well as some ideas on how you can try it out for yourself.
A life of honesty, vulnerability, and trust may not be easy to cultivate, but it is quite simple. And it all starts with you. Cultivating those traits first in your relationship with yourself allows you to move through the world more intentionally as well as cultivate those traits within relationships to others. Listen in for some ideas.
"A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it; it just blooms" - unknown. How often in your own life do you find yourself comparing yourself to or competing with others? Competition stems from a feeling of lack and / or fear; listen into this episode for some ideas on how to instead foster feelings of gratitude and appreciation which can help you connect and collaborate with others without feelings of comparison or competition clouding the way.
Most of us would like to exercise in a daily basis, but most of us also struggle to make a habit of it. Join Brooke as she looks at how to build a sustainable habit of moving your body on a daily basis.
In a time when asserting opinions (via bumper stickers, hats, you name it!) is trendy, how do we filter through the feedback in order to only consider those ideas that actually hold value? How do we ourselves know when to offer an opinion? Listen in for a simple practice that can help you wade through feedback you both receive as well as give in order to determine what to consider as well as what to offer.
Whether it’s “Zoom fatigue,” “decision fatigue,” or plain old “tiredness,” we all experience exhaustion from time to time — maybe even more frequently in this unprecedented year! Instead of “combatting” this sensation as our culture often promotes, learn how to more fully acknowledge and re-energize so you can reengage more meaningfully with your life.
What we call “balance” is often actually a more rigid thing. Join Brooke as she deconstructs what “balance” truly is and how it looks in day to day life.
When was the last time you felt truly alive and filled with wonder? How might you tap into that feeling more regularly? Give this episode a listen to hear 3 ways to more regularly invoke this sensation.
You can create a deeper, truer relationship - with yourself or another - as soon as you choose to be authentic instead of just “nice.” Consider how you sacrifice authenticity to “niceness” and thereby undermine your core beliefs, and ask yourself, “What might it look like if, in this moment, I chose to be both honest and compassionate?”
Some days (weeks...years...) things feel a bit heavy or hopeless. The amount of suffering (whether in our personal lives or in the world as a whole) feels like too much. So how do we move throughout our days feeling positive and hopeful? How to we remind ourselves that this, too, shall pass? Tune into this episode for 3 key strategies to cultivate a little more lightness and ease into your day to day life.
Have you ever thought about leaving something that feels secure in order to pursue your passion? If so, what has held you back? Give this episode a listen if you need a reminder that the universe is capable of orchestrating beautiful and meaningful things for us, if only we remain open.
Our current political (and social!) climate is very much divided. How do we converse with others whose views oppose or even contradict our own? How do we maintain friendships when there are gaps we know we can never quite bridge? Listen in to hear a simple yet effective strategy to building empathy and understanding amongst parties of entirely different experiences and perspectives.
How can you establish boundaries with your work so that 1) you move through the work day with greater presence and 2) you leave work AT work when the day is done? Tune in for a couple helpful strategies.
Body image is a perpetual struggle in our society. And often time that stems from a couple different facets: 1) industries that benefit financially from us being dissatisfied with our bodies, and 2) the internal desire to have control over some element of our lives. Listen in to this episode for some helpful practices to foster a compassionate relationship between you and your body.
We’ve all experienced the pleasantly productive state of motivation, but the unfortunate truth is that it isn’t always accessible. So how do we show up in our day to day lives with the ability to still get things done? Tune in for a relevant conversation on motivation, discipline, true self care, and devotion, and how these 4 things, when used in conjunction, can give your life the spark it needs.
The unpredictable nature of life can be unsettling. While we sometimes find periods of predictability and normalcy, the truth is that it takes very little to upset that (COVID anyone?). So how do we accept this groundlessness? What does it feel like to stop wanting and just be okay with what is?
What does it mean to enter into a “practice mindset”? What are the benefits of such an outlook? And how can you step into that place of acceptance and empowerment? Join Brooke as she talks through this idea, explaining the title of the podcast in the process.