Joleen Emery is a Minneapolis-based entrepreneur, mother of four, and yoga teacher with a whole lot on her plate. Watch our conversation about topics ranging from infusing gratitude into your everyday routine to going beyond basic yoga poses to find so much more. Enjoy Joleen’s energy and contagious laugh!
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I NEVER INTEND TO BE A PERSON WHO WORRIES, BUT I DO. SO HAVING A MEDITATION PRACTICE BECOMES PRETTY CRITICAL TO STAYING HAPPY.
I was very resistant to anything but the [yoga] poses for a long time…. And then when I started to see things very differently in that the poses are just one tiin tiny element to the whole yoga puzzle.
… Once I flipped the switch and opened my brain to all the possibilities, the importance and validation of having a meditation practice made itself very clear to me.
IF YOU’RE A PERSON LIKE ME WITH THIS PERPETUAL DRIVE AND THIS PERPETUAL ENERGY TO KEEP GOING, IT’S SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR ME TO BE REALLY HAPPY WITH WHAT I HAVE BECAUSE I’M IN PERPETUAL DRIVE. SO IF I’M NOT PURPOSEFUL ABOUT SITTING DOWN AND REFLECTING ON THAT AND HAVING SOME SPACE FOR GRATITUDE, IT’S AMAZING HOW QUICKLY I FORGET HOW ABUNDANT MY LIFE IS.
I HAVE THIS PERPETUAL MOTION OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS. ONCE I STARTED MY MEDITATION PRACTICE, I LEARNED THAT THE ABILITY TO SLOW DOWN AND BE IN A MOMENT ACTUALLY GIVES YOU MORE MOMENTS BECAUSE YOU’RE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHEN YOU’RE IN SOMETHING GREAT. AND BEFORE I STARTED TO PRACTICE, I WAS ALWAYS CHASING THE GREAT THING.
all we’re really saying is take a minute to be inward. That’s it. That’s all it is. Take a minute to focus on one thing, and that one thing could just be your breath. And once you do, it’s so freeing of the “[not] enough’s” and that’s just a gift…. You are enough and you always have been.
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AS MENTIONED…..
Filmed at Yess Yoga on occupied land in Minneapolis, MN.
Filmed, edited by Maggie Dimmick of Ethel Studio