The Yoga Pants Podcast

11 - The Eating Confessional

We wrap a lot of emotion around our food, and we often tie negative emotions to our food journeys. We are starting a series on Eating & Nutrition that starts with our own food journeys. In this episode we open up about our relationships with food and how what we put in our mouths has impacted our health, self-esteem and more. 
We also recognize that many people suffer from disordered eating of all kinds. Our goal is not to minimize anyone's struggles with food, but to normalize that we both have complicated histories with food and eating. In other words, we want to emphasize that you are not alone! 
We called this episode the Eating Confessional because it felt like a safe place to share the highs and lows of our own journeys, not because we think there are any sins involved in eating!
Takeaways:
1) Eating has to be about what feels good to you. Every body is different.
2) The side effects of experimenting with eating patterns will lead to empowerment.
3) If there is negative self-talk in your head, think about this question, "Who wins when I feel this way? Who benefits when I feel bad about myself?"

10 - Behind the Skirt: What it Takes to Run a Women's Activewear Brand

From the outside, beautiful, great-fitting women's active apparel suddenly appear on an energetic, inclusive website. It's like magic - or is it? 
For 15 years, Skirt Sports was owned and operated by Nicole and her team. In September 2020, ownership was passed to Sarah who has experience running a women's event business but no experience making women's apparel from the ground up. Fortunately she is surrounded by much of the same team that was on board prior to the baton pass, and even more fortunately, Sarah has all the qualities needed to take the baton and run with it. Including and maybe most importantly, the 4th takeaway - an ability to ruthlessly prioritize. 
Today S & N talk about some of the important details that go into creating a successful clothing line. There is so much more than you see on the surface. And with Sarah's introduction to the business, it's refreshing to start on the ground level again.
 
Takeaways:
1) You'll never be right, but you can get close.
2) You are not alone, but you have to put yourself out there first.
3) It's all about the details.
4) Ruthless Prioritization is the key to survival!

9 - DIY Guide to Getting Faster

Lots to absorb in this one!  There are some proven ways of getting faster and we share some great tips in this episode!
Takeaways:
1) If you want to get faster and you have the means, get yourself a coach, guide or mentor.
2) In order to get faster, you need to do a lot of your training much slower and a small amount of training way faster. It seems counterintuitive
3) You can't jump right into going faster. You need to do some work first. Good form and Strength work need to be in place first.
4) Even if you are doing all the right workouts and they don't go well, it's okay. You still showed up, you still did it and it still counts toward something. 

8 - What the Heck is Mindfulness?

We've all heard about it, but most of us don't know what the heck it is. Today we talk all things MINDFULNESS with guest Adina Crawford. Adina is a mindfulness coach who teaches "Mind, Body & Breath Through Mindfulness." Adina shares some insights and tips into how you can practice mindfulness daily and how it can change your life. 
Takeaways:
1) Mindfulness is connecting with yourself, connecting with your breath & being present.
2) It's important for us to do it because it decreases stress levels, makes you a happier, kinder person and in general will bring you better health. 
3) It's easy to do. 

7 - Keep Showing Up: The Power of Persistence

Persistence = one of the traits that successful people have a lot of!
We talk about what it means to have persistence, why it's important to "KEEP SHOWING UP," and how motivation and habit play a role in the positive benefits of being persistent in your approach to life and business.
Sarah's Takeaways:
1) There is incredible power in showing up and being present.
2) When things are uncomfortable, but you've made a decision to push through them, that is when you will truly be tested and your greatest rewards will appear.
3) Seek out mentors, friends, experts; you are not alone in your journey. Reach out to others. Just ask! 

6 - Honor Thy Recovery with Coach Marcia Kadens

Meet Coach Marcia Kadens who joins us today to share insights about the most often overlooked component of training - RECOVERY. There is lots to take away in this episode including a list of recovery tools, how to use them and how our recovery needs change through our lives. 
Sarah's Takeaways:
1) Listen to your body.
2) You will get in better shape when you let your body recover properly.
3) Recovery can be active.
4) If you're going to commit to the training, you need to commit to the recovery as well.

5 - The Power of Habit

Coffee & Bacon & Avocado!
That's where the subject of today's conversation started. We were talking about cravings, about things we love, guilty pleasures, whatever you want to call them. Then we realized that it may be more powerful to talk about the behaviors behind these cravings instead of spending 45 minutes salivating and getting ramped up on caffeine!
Habits, good and bad and every kind in between, make up pretty much every action we take throughout our days. 
We talk about the Habit Loop (Cue, Routine, Reward) and the resulting CRAVING that helps us make habits stick, the line between addiction and habit, and we share some habit stories including a pretty awesome one from Sarah. 
Takeaways: 
1) To stop a bad habit, one strategy is to replace it with a good (new) habit instead of leaving a gaping hole
2) Our lives are made up of little microhabits. So take the time to think about your life that way.
3) Our big habits are also made up of little microhabits. So to change the big ones you need to look at the little ones.
4) Stick with it. Habits don't form in one day for most humans. It takes time to create the habit loop and the subsequent craving. If a habit isn't working, change the cue, routine or reward - play around with it until you find the right combo!
 

4 - Chasing Happiness

The pursuit versus the reality! Sarah & Nicole hash through the concept of happiness and found themselves down all sorts of rabbit holes including The Jonas Brothers ("They're grown now." - Sarah), the opposite of happiness (depression), tips to increase your happiness and many more holes like these! 
Sarah's takeaways are based on the 4 things that are required for happiness/longevity per Blue Zones research. When you have all of these, you are on the right track to happiness.
1) Someone to love
2) Something to do
3) Something to look forward to
4) Some way to give back, to contribute to the greater good of your community

3 - How to Make a Mantra for 2021

Nicole leads Sarah through a basic mantra and goal-setting session - perfect timing for the new year. Sarah's mantra developed in a 5 minute session --> Embrace ME so WE can be stronger.
Takeaways:
1) Goals are important.
2) Goals can change.
3) It is important to align those things that bring you joy with the things you are going after.

2 - Best of 2020

Even in the worst year many of us can remember, the best can still rise to the surface.
Takeaways:
1) Something beautiful can come from sh*t. What is your "lotus flower" of 2020?
2) In the worst year, there are still good things.
3) You can have a little bit of all of it. Slow down. Restabilize. Bring in more family time.