Be like Mike! Listen to this quick pump-up episode to learn how you too can be competitive like Michael Jordan...according to The Last Dance on Netflix.

Explore the concept of ikigai -- the Japanese proverb that  means the reason you jump out of bed each morning.

Sure does! Listen now to find out the wellness lesson Billie Eilish teaches us in her beautiful new single "My Future," released on July 30, 2020.

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
I can't seem to focus
And you don't seem to notice I'm not here
I'm just a mirror
You check your complexion
To find your reflection's all alone
I had to go

[Pre-Chorus]
Can't you hear me?
I'm not comin' home
Do you understand?
I've changed my plans

[Chorus]
'Cause I, I'm in love
With my future
Can't wait to meet her
And I (I), I'm in love
But not with anybody else
Just wanna get to know myself

[Verse 2]
I know supposedly I'm lonely now (Lonely now)
Know I'm supposed to be unhappy
Without someone (Someone)
But aren't I someone? (Aren't I someone? Yeah)
I'd (I'd) like to be your answer (Be your answer)
'Cause you're so handsome (You're so handsome)

[Pre-Chorus]
But I know better
Than to drive you home
'Cause you'd invite me in
And I'd be yours again

[Chorus]
But I (I), I'm in love (Love, love, love, love)
With my future
And you don't know her
And I, I'm in love (Love, love)
But not with anybody here
I'll see you in a couple years

Netflix is now streaming The Last Dance docuseries which follows the Chicago Bulls' 1997-98 season and it is giving me the energy I need to finish out 2020. Now It’s time for you to channel the championship energy Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the rest of the Bulls team brought to the world as well as learn about the mindfulness behind the greatest athletes.

This episode is based off the 2015 HuffPost article Michael Jordan's Mindfulness Meditation Coach: The Secret Weapon of Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and You By Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee, Contributor Co-Hosts of Inspire Nation
Hey Big Vibers! Welcome to the third episode of the Big Vibe Energy podcast. I am a huge Netflixer these days and I was suggested to watch The Last Dance docuseries. It aired first on ESPN in April 2020 and then as of July 19, 2020 … Netflix is now streaming it on their platform. The docuseries follows the Chicago Bulls' 1997-98 season from start to finish, while also covering the rest of the chapters in Jordan's remarkable career. And honestly… it is giving me the energy I needed to finish out 2020. Ever since I started the 10-episode series… I have been channeling the championship energy Michael, Scottie Pippen and  the rest of the Bulls team brought to the world. So you could say I have been a little obsessed with researching the mindfulness behind the athletes. In my research I found this amazing HuffPost article written back in 2015 by the Inspire Nation co-hosts Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee. So I am going to read you some of article and also introduce you to all the wellness coaches behind the greatest athletes of all time.

The article titled Michael Jordan's Mindfulness Meditation Coach: The Secret Weapon of Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and You first introduces us to George Mumford. He's the mindfulness coach and secret weapon behind Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippin as well and many of the most successful NBA players and teams in the sport. He’s also the author of the Mindful Athlete…which I am obviously ordering ASAP. And could possibly even be our first official Big Vibe Energy book club read. I’ll want to hear from you, my listeners, about the your thoughts on the book. I even have a way to let you all send a voice message to my podcast host and I can replay it on air. So let me know on Instagram if you that sounds fun.   

Anyways…back to George — And I am quoting from the HuffPost article here.. “In college George wanted to play for the NBA, ironically, his roommate was the incredible Dr. J himself. But while Dr. J went on to greatness on the court, George struggled badly with injuries, pain and later addiction. It wasn't until George found mindfulness, that'd he'd make an equally impressive mark on the game.” So George ended up studying under Jon Kabat-Zinn who is the author of the famous book Wherever You Go, There You Are, and also the founder of the wonderful Center for Mindfulness in Medicine at the University of Massachusetts.

But before George hit the lockers in the NBA..  he actually helped prison inmates.. And I quote..”George began teaching mindfulness to a program for prison inmates. While there, George discovered how he could help inmates take triggers that once caused incredible anxiety and even violent melt-downs, and flip them on their heads, so these same triggers helped them become quiet, introspective, and even more peaceful.” DANG WHAT IS THAT METHOD? I’ll have to make a mini-episode on that one… so… STAY TUNED.

Ok so after that program he meets Phil Jackson and takes on the challenge of mentoring MJ, Scottie P and the other big personalities on the team. And get this.. since was the late 90s…mindfulness wasn’t really a common term yet… so George couldn't even use the word mindfulness. It was considered too out there. Instead he had to be ..and I quote.., “a chameleon; carefully choosing words that wouldn't scare the players.” For example.. he still doesn’t use the word compassion… instead.. he says something like, Don't be hatin' on em!" That is so interesting to me and I am so grateful mindfulness is becoming mainstream and is also one of the reasons I started this podcast… I want to help be a little part of normalizing the work it takes to develop true mental strength.

He worked with Phil Jackson on the following mindfulness lesson and this is the BIG VIBE ENERGY MINDFULNESS LESSON OF THE DAY:  five fingers, one breath and one mind, in essence community building, or as George puts it "putting the we before the me, while nurturing the me"--where each individual brings his own skills, but let's go of his ego, the entire team works together as one.

This lesson “.. the five fingers, one breath and one mind” concept helped Michael learn to and I quote..”how to not push distractions away, but instead embrace them, to become fully aware, noticing and observing everything around him, and then to let it all go; stepping out of his own way and taking THE SHOT in the 1998 playoffs as we all remember so well. And according to George, Michael Jordan said ‘that Zen Buddhist stuff’ really works!”

The article ends with a little more about the life of George… I am quoting..”George says he walks around in a state of love, blessings, and continuous forgiveness.” I think we should stop right here and I am going to reread that… “he walks around in a state of love, blessings, and continuous forgiveness.” That is GOALS.

So let’s do our Big Vibe Energy mantra of the day… I continuously forgive. I continuously forgive. I continuously forgive. I continuously forgive.

I’ll end this episode with Georges wish for us all…”Through mindfulness he hopes you'll discover something sacred inside of yourself, and live with greater joy, love, and compassion.”

I am the light and the light is in me / “Namaste” means “the light in me honors the light in you.”

One of the reasons I started this podcast is because I’d like to say I can confidently say YES to this question. I have finally started loving every inch of myself after 32 years … and now I am going to share what worked for me.

1. Therapy taught me to forgive myself. I recommend every person to seek out a therapist. You go to the doctor to check your body…You  go to the dentist to check your teeth, now you need to go to therapy to check on your mental health.  You can see therapists by appointment, via TeleMedecine like Zoom calls or online chat. 
​
2. You spend the most time with yourself, which is why the tone and content of your internal dialogue is incredibly important to how you feel about yourself. That’s why I started reciting mantras. ​

3. What is a mantra? I think the Chopra Center explains it best - “A Mantra, or vehicle for the mind, is the ancient practice of repeating a word or phrase multiple times." You may unconsciously work with mantras on a daily basis. For example, do you ever catch yourself saying, “I hate my body” or “This is never going to work” or “I’m not good enough”? Those are indeed mantras, though negative ones, which only serve to feed the thousands of other Negative Thoughts in your mind. In fact, most of the thoughts you think are ones repeated from the day before, and the day before that. Each thought you think creates a little groove in the circuitry of the brain. Since that’s the case, you really ought to be more selective about which ones you’re hammering into your brain! I have a whiteboard sticker stuck on my mirror and I say “I AM” mantras every chance I can remember. They range from I AM ORGANIZED to , I AM PATIENT to I AM GLUTEN FREE. They can be anything you want. Just make sure to pick something you want to improve on and say it in the present “I AM” — this habit will literally re-wire your brain and improve your life.​ ​

 The Big Vibe Energy podcast is a mix of inspiring quotes, mindfulness lessons, breathwork, anger management, yoga, and upbeat music to inspire and radiate your soul with positivity.

The first Big Vibe Energy episode is inspired by Oprah's book What I Know For Sure and explores the seven things I know for sure. So here we go! Here are 7 Things I Know for Sure:

1. If you want to love somebody else and get in a relationship… you have to love yourself first
2. Dolly Parton is a National Treasure
3. Therapy should be part of everybody’s wellness routine
4. Yoga is the best form of holistic exercise
5. Our breathe is our super power
6. Mantras are a must
7. Awareness is enlightenment

EPISODE 1 INTENTION 

Here's the article I refer to in the episode about three powerful categories of intentions by Yogi Kimberley Stokes and Paul Dallaghan. https://www.gaia.com/article/3-ways-set-intention-your-yoga-practice

• Gratitude: Even in stressful or impossibly tough times, we are lucky to have something in our lives. These are the things that make life a little easier, a little more enjoyable and that make you a happier person. Take a few breaths to focus on the things, the people and the situations in your life that you are grateful for.
• Forgiveness: Let’s face it: none of us are perfect. We’ve wronged people, and people have wronged us. It’s not always intentional and unfortunately, it’s just the way the world works. Take a few breaths to reflect on the things you’d like to be forgiven for, and sending a few forgiving thoughts towards people who have wronged you. In short, this just means letting go. Holding onto bad feelings just doesn’t do us any good.
• Guidance: In life, we can’t do it all alone. Sometimes we just need help. Reflecting on this helps us to realize that we need help (which is half the battle sometimes!) and makes us much more likely to look in the right places for help. Take a few breaths to think about what you need help with.

EPISODE 1 MANTRA

I AM AWARE

Mantras are short statements that carry important meaning. Think of mantras as powerful affirmations that help invoke a positive shift in mind state. https://www.yogiapproved.com/yoga/10-mantras-set-powerful-intention-yoga-practice/
​

EPISODE 1 QUOTE

The American spiritual teacher Gary Zukav, “The more aware of your intentions and your experiences you become, the more you will be able to connect the two, and the more you will be able to create the experiences of your life consciously. This is the development of mastery. It is the creation of authentic power.”

EPISODE 1 SONG / ARTIST SPOTLIGHT 

Dolly Parton's song Better Get to Livin' from the album Backwoods Barbie

EPISODE 1 MINDFULNESS LESSON OF THE DAY: 

ECKHART TOLLE CHAPTER

MINI YOGA SESSION — I was practicing Bikram Yoga for 5 years before COVID changed the world… so now I practice in shorter bursts at home and now these are my go-to daily stretches that I learned. 

BVE Yoga Vibes (my favorite stretches to do) downward dog and heel stretches, shoulder stretch, heel pull and sitting double pigeon

NAMASTE
I am the light and the light is in me / “Namaste” means “the light in me honors the light in you.”

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