Ep 144 Personal Training For Your Soul with Betsy Weiner

[00:00:00] Cynthia: You are listening to the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast. I'm your host, Cynthia Shockley, and I'm here to learn alongside you through meaningful conversations with health and wellness practitioners. This is your time to experience some mindset shifts, learn practical tips, and get excited about what is possible.

[00:00:22] We want you to own the power of choice in your personal well being journey. Let's discover what's possible right here in our Twin Cities community.

[00:00:33] You are in for a treat today. Betsy Weiner is a locally renowned and adored yoga teacher and soul coach who joins us to talk about living a big, juicy, messy life. She talks about how her training in yoga and Ayurveda supports her work with clients as they lean into creativity, joy, radical silliness, childlike wonder, and curiosity.

[00:00:55] I left this conversation feeling lighter and more connected to the simple truths in life. I hope you feel the same. For over 20 years, Betsy has had the great honor of guiding, teaching, facilitating, and mentoring, rooted in the foundations of yoga, pranayama, meditation, Yoga Nidra, mindfulness, and an integrative and holistic approach to whole life wellness.

[00:01:16] Tantra and the lineage of Sri Vidya and the Himalayan masters has been the main focus of Betsy's study, practice, and teaching. It is through these ancient techniques and their application to modern living that she finds the integration of where the inner self and the outer self meet.

[00:01:32] Betsy subscribes wholeheartedly to the belief that each individual is born with innate wisdom and joy. She finds deepest meaning in facilitating the process of guiding others towards the remembering of what they already know, that they are a spark of the divine and ultimately the architect of their own lives.

[00:01:50] She supports each client on building the scaffolding in which they will build their life that is most aligned with their inner truth. Betsy's unique approach utilizes her knowledge of coaching, yoga, Ayurveda, Pranayama, meditation, and Yoga Nidra to become what she calls personal training for your soul.

[00:02:07] The tools, techniques, modalities, and intuitive process join together to create the unique framework for each client's individual needs in order to build a life filled with more joy, meaning, purpose, freedom, and fulfillment.

[00:02:21] Thank you to our sponsors, Human Powered Health, the Minnesota Institute of Ayurveda, and Harvest Health and Wellbeing that make this episode possible. Here we are with the amazing Betsy Weiner. So good to see you.

[00:02:38] It's great to see you too. Thank you. 

[00:02:40] Yeah I'm so glad that we can reconnect and this is the gift of social media. I feel like where I can see little snippets of people's lives and then I can reach out when something really resonates with me.

[00:02:54] And so I know we've reconnected Betsy because. You shared something on Instagram about really living this big, juicy, messy life filled with imperfection. And I know just from knowing you and seeing you on social that you do radiate this self acceptance, this radical self love, and you do spread that message through your work and through your platforms.

[00:03:20] So I'd love to hear a little more about Your journey, what brought you into this space where you're able to embrace all the highs and lows? 

[00:03:30] Betsy: Oh gosh, that's a big question. Yeah, we're starting hard. Here we go. We're just going to jump right in. I love it. I love it. I so loved that quote and thank you for reaching out.

[00:03:41] I'm glad it resonated. And that is one of the beauties, of social media. I know there's a lot about it that's negative, but there's a lot of positive too, or it can be. So I'm glad you reached out. And you asked this great question. How did I get to this point? Wow. It certainly is a lot of things.

[00:03:58] But I think that quote really resonated because in the wellness world, especially that I've been moving in for many years, there can sometimes be this pressure to like, Live this perfect, meditate all day every day. I'm enlightened walking through the world. I swear, I don't want those shoes.

[00:04:17] I just saw or whatever it is, right? And it's taken many years of understanding, maybe, or committing, I should say, to the practices of really Coming to this point of maybe imperfection is the answer. Maybe this creative juicy, whole, holistic life is really what we're living, and maybe the practices are just ways to understand myself better in this big, messy world.

[00:04:47] And then how do I translate that in the work that I do? And I think it's just taken years of commitment to practice, asking myself the questions and then forgiving myself a lot along the way. I think those things have hopefully led to where I am today. I hope I answered the question, 

[00:05:06] Cynthia: yeah it sounds like it's been the journey from buying into the story that we have to tell. be perfect in order to be healthy in order to be happy. You should be checking all these things off your list every day to live that yogic perfect lifestyle. And then still waiting. Yeah. And then we discover, wait a minute, we're still human and imperfections, a part of the game here. Yeah. 

[00:05:36] Betsy: And how do you forgive yourself for just Letting yourself, or maybe it's more having compassion for yourself over and over again for being the version of yourself that you are in that moment.

[00:05:49] I think that's maybe the translation of maybe a sitting practice. If I'm sitting in practice, practicing compassion for myself, translating it into daily life is really where the practice comes into living it. So there's this beautiful Almost like a highway of here's my practice. And then the highway is Oh, well now I'm actually living it.

[00:06:11] Like I'm having compassion for myself in these moments of imperfection. Cause I've been practicing it sitting. So now I can practice it living. I think that's the beauty of how they, they work with each other. 

[00:06:24] Cynthia: I love that transition to practice it sitting to then practicing it living. And I know for a lot of people, that's a really rough transition to try and bring that practice off the yoga mat, off the seated meditation to then in real life to be able to make those shifts because we're just creatures of habit.

[00:06:47] And how would you say? You support your clients who desire that practice in life, but they maybe feel a little stuck transitioning from practicing sitting or on the mat. 

[00:07:01] Betsy: Yeah. Part of it starts with accepting where you are right here and right now. And so I think one of the greatest gifts That I can give to clients is giving them permission to be how they are as they are.

[00:07:17] I think we need more of that in daily life. We put enough pressure on ourselves. So working with clients, one of the gifts that. I feel like I can offer is giving them permission to be who they are right now. And I get to observe that and see that I think just sitting in that space of acknowledging what's happening right now is the best thing that could happen for almost anybody.

[00:07:40] We all need to be seen and understood and validated in some way. And it's from that place. The revelation of them. What do I need to do next? That is where it unfolds. If we're so busy applying what somebody else has told us, I'm supposed to do this or I'm supposed to be this when you're really sitting in that space.

[00:08:01] It's an opportunity to say what do I need right now? What would make sense for me and having that reflected back? I think that's really the beauty of That relationship with clients is being able to reflect that and then ask questions to get them to that place of how does that transition work for you or what works for you when you need to go from, a difficult situation to something where you have to show up and be present.

[00:08:26] How do you get to utilize the tools you already have? Is there compassion? Is there permission? I think those are some of the pieces that come into play in that coaching relationship. 

[00:08:39] Cynthia: So having that self compassion, having permission to just be who they are now, because then they can actually see where they're starting.

[00:08:49] With kind of that clear lens so that they know what the logical next step is instead of Oh, here's what I should, quote unquote should be doing Like I should be doing my yoga practice every single morning for 30 minutes right at sunrise But it's actually i'm actually starting at not doing anything right now, so what's the logical first step 

[00:09:13] Betsy: Right and that's the that is the beauty of That relationship again is letting hearing someone say to you, could you start with just taking a breath in the morning?

[00:09:24] Could you just start there? You're transitioning from sleeping, being unconscious, right? To consciousness. Is there something you could do to even bridge that gap? Because then you start to implement, you start to feel, right? That felt sense is how we make real long lasting change. It's not just going to be this logical, practical way.

[00:09:47] So that feeling, that in yoga, we call it the Bhavana, right? The feeling of what does that feel like in that bridge and that transition to just take a deep breath in my body, just an inhale and an exhale. Give that usually opens the door to curiosity and wonder about I wonder what it would be like to maybe take three breaths or 10 breaths, or what would it feel like to implement that throughout my day?

[00:10:12] Like, where can I give myself permission to do those things so I can come back to, like you said beautifully, that sense of clarity, and then I'm choosing from that place of clarity. 

[00:10:22] Cynthia: And I really appreciate to the term you've come up with for what you do personal training for your soul. Tell me how you came up with this phrase because I absolutely love it.

[00:10:40] Betsy: It's so funny. I was actually at an opening of my friend's brother's cider house. In downtown Minneapolis, shout out to number 12 and we were at the grand opening and big party. And I was talking to a friend of a friend and he was asking like, what do you do? And I started thinking, what do I do?

[00:11:02] How do I explain not really a life coach? And I'm not really, how do I. Put it all together. I bring these other facets and I just came up with it on the spot. Maybe it was divine intervention. And I just thought I'm I said, I'm a personal trainer for your soul. It's like a personal trainer.

[00:11:18] You go to someone when you need to really get in there and understand how your body moves and what's going to be the best course of action for you physically. And I thought yeah. I do that for people about their soul, like I'm a personal trainer to come in and give you those tools, the bicep curls for your brain, maybe the squats for your heart.

[00:11:39] I don't know how else to say that, but it's the this idea of translating. We have trainers for all of these things, right? Business and body and all of that. And it's this, I guess it just unfolded. I'm a personal trainer for the soul. We work together one on one so that you can reveal what is the most aligned version of you that is already within you.

[00:12:03] Cynthia: Yeah, gosh, I love it so much. And just like our world is designed at this point in a way that maybe allows the body to soften, it's, like we have these jobs 40 hours a week, you're sitting and, our world's just designed in a way that you might need that personal trainer to teach you, to inspire you, to get you into action again.

[00:12:29] It makes so much sense that we might need this personal trainer for the soul, because the world's also designed to maybe disconnect you a bit from the soul, and just to follow the protocol, here's step one, step two, step three just do what's laid out and, don't ask questions.

[00:12:48] At least that's what we're taught as children, and then as adults, suddenly we're supposed to figure it out. 

[00:12:52] Betsy: It's Right. Exactly. Exactly. And I love the way you said that the trainer is helping you to get to what's already there. I really encourage people to remember that there's nothing to add.

[00:13:07] We have enough on our plates. We are overstimulated overextended. I feel like information comes at us like a fire hose and Honestly, again, coming back to this idea of permission to turn off the fire hose for a minute, build the filter. There's nothing to add. There's, you don't need to bring more in.

[00:13:31] I love this description too, and I can't remember where I heard it, so I'll give credit to whoever said it. I can't remember, but that yoga and its practices are practices of subtraction. It's what can we. Let go of that's not us. That's not who we are. So it's the same thing with personal training.

[00:13:51] In a way, you're not adding. It's like this, and I'm not saying removing body any of that, but it's this idea of letting go of what's not yours. What doesn't serve you? What's not yours to hold on to? All of those pieces. And so I think there's a beauty in this idea of subtraction.

[00:14:09] What can we. I keep coming back to it, but what can we let go of? That's not us. How do we get closer to who we are? 

[00:14:19] Cynthia: Oh, I love that concept, that it is a practice of subtraction that we already have plenty going on and maybe it's more so what can you release? What can you simplify?

[00:14:32] Just reconnecting to. The truth that's already buried right there. It's just, it's right there. 

[00:14:38] Betsy: Yeah. Yeah. So there's a beauty in its simplicity to, this idea of, like you said so well, if I'm not doing this practice, meditating for this long doing this and it's specific and there are times and places for that, of course, but for most of us, most of the time, what could we do to implement the strategies for daily life, how do we make it work for us?

[00:15:03] So it doesn't become something separate from us, but it becomes something embodied and it's then how we experience the world. 

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[00:15:44] This podcast is made possible by the Minnesota Institute of Ayurveda. It is a local, woman owned, private, licensed career school that provides evidence based health and wellness training and certifications, integrating the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda with conventional healthcare to make it incredibly accessible to our communities across the metro.

[00:16:06] Find out how an advanced Ayurvedic practitioner or health counselor certification might amplify your career opportunities. If you want to enhance your wellness practice skills or explore a new career, please contact the Minnesota Institute of Ayurveda. They are accepting applications for fall 2024.

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[00:16:31] Cynthia: I know yoga is where you started your journey and like coaching is something that just it came. I feel like even as a private yoga instructor, you just, coaching happens because people bring more than just their, what they need in like a physical asana practice.

[00:16:49] It's like the whole thing, the whole package of who the human is. . Yeah. And what do you feel are some of the yoga teachings? Not just the asana, but like more of the spiritual teachings that you find yourself Reinforcing again and again with your clients. It's like maybe a popular topic that comes up 

[00:17:08] Betsy: Yeah, I think the yamas and niyamas are great I think they're super practical and accessible.

[00:17:15] Those are things that you can easily look at and say, if I look at these, if I look at these yamas and niyamas from the Patanjali's yoga sutras, right? If I look at these things, I can use them as a litmus test almost, am I living in a state of nonviolence toward myself and thought and word and action?

[00:17:34] Most of us aren't, Literally murdering people. So for the most part, we're doing great so far. Hopefully, if you're listening and you feel no. But I think, this idea of living in a state of nonviolence towards yourself, it's looking at them as a litmus test.

[00:17:50] Am I taking more than I need? What does that mean? Can I look at that? Am I taking things that maybe aren't mine? And that means taking on someone else's pain or someone else's idea of who you're supposed to be. And am I practicing contentment in daily life and how or where can I do that?

[00:18:08] I think these are really practical examples. And the beauty of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras is that it was really a way to codify Yogic living in a dualistic world. There's, there are multiple areas of yoga that are non-dual. And of course the minute you start talking about non-dualism, it becomes dualistic.

[00:18:29] But , so we can laugh about that, but. It's one thing to live in peace and harmony with everything and to know that you're a part of the universe and the universe is part of you. And that's beautiful and incredible if you can live in that state as much as possible. And we're also human beings in this imperfect world, going all the way back to the beginning of the conversation.

[00:18:49] How do I live this juicy, messy, creative, imperfect life? And the Sutras are really a beautiful I think a really beautiful way to bring that into daily life. So I think the Yamas and Niyamas come up a lot with clients where I'll give them sort of a sheet, a basic, here's what it is.

[00:19:09] Deborah Adele's book is amazing, Yamas and Niyamas. That book is amazing and small. So it's a nice way to understand those things as well. And so that comes up a lot and I think just, the yogic principles of breathing, the yogic principles of breathing. What does it mean to live in union? What does that feel like regularly?

[00:19:32] How does that work for you? Certainly discussions around Dharma and Sankalpa and Vikalpa come up a lot with clients. Those come, from the Gita and from the Upanishads. So it's really pulling from the wisdom of the sages that came before us and then understanding how do we apply that to our daily lives.

[00:19:53] Nothing's super esoteric generally. Most people, it's just. You still have to fold the laundry, you still have to do the dishes. I'm not sure that a full, dissolution of the individual is the best idea when you need to pick your kids up from soccer or whatever. So it makes it hard.

[00:20:12] So those are the pieces that come up. 

[00:20:14] Cynthia: Yeah. Yeah. And I love that awareness and that invitation to not feel like you have to, again, like it's not about the perfection. It's about the imperfection because we are souls. Having these human experiences and we have to engage in the human world to survive.

[00:20:37] Betsy: Or not, it could also be like, is there beauty in that frustration? I would call that a very advanced practice is to like, can I take a very difficult situation or something heavy or dark or painful and actually see the beauty, the gift Of what that's bringing to me that to me, that's like an advanced, I'm putting air quotes, but like that's an advanced practice is to, sit in a lot of discomfort, like even in your meditation practice, when I teach the community meditation, sometimes I'll have people say I was really restless.

[00:21:09] I was so restless. And it's that's a gift, right? Oh, cool. You were restless. That's awesome. What was that about? Could you sit in it? Could you be in it? Not react to it. Now that's practice for daily life. That's how you do it. When you feel restless. You sit in it. That's a gift too.

[00:21:28] So I feel like there can be so much pressure to like the advanced, if I'm sitting all day, every day, or like you said, I'm on my yoga mat for a certain amount of time, I can wrap my legs around my head or whatever. That's not necessarily the answer. It's an answer, to a question, but ultimately, Could you even see the gift of the difficulty that seems like a better way to approach, maybe not better, but certainly a more nuanced way to bring the practice to life.

[00:22:02] Cynthia: Yeah, I just, this reminds me, even this morning I taught a yoga class and one of my students was there like super early, showed up before me and he goes, Cynthia, I figured it out. And I'm like, what he's like, I've been so annoyed that this class is. starts later than my other classes. So I always think it's a 7 45 a.

[00:22:28] m class, but it's not. And so I keep, I'm a creature of habit. I show up way too early every time. And he's I've been so annoyed, but I realized. This is the yoga. This is the practice to really face that feeling and discomfort and to accept it and to just be and he's so thank you and it's just so cool to see how yeah, like those nuisances those like annoyances the things that hurt you They can actually be your greatest teachers 

[00:23:03] Betsy: If you can get there sometimes, that's great.

[00:23:05] Sometimes it's just annoying and that's fine too. But yeah, but what a cool experience for him too. That's great. Yeah. 

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[00:25:00] Cynthia: You also utilize things like Ayurveda pranayama meditation and yoga nidra.

[00:25:05] And I know things are under the umbrella or sister side by side Yeah. With yoga. But share a little more about how you work with your clients and discern what people need and how you use these tools. 

[00:25:18] Betsy: Yeah, discerning what people need is the greatest gift of all, because we are connected as human beings. So it is truly my greatest pleasure and honor to sit with someone and really listen. So I think the best way to discern what someone needs is to be in their presence in some way, whether it's through the phone or in person. And. To really listen. So asking questions to see what's going on with people.

[00:25:45] I try to like the thing that's beautiful about coaching is it's very individual. So the one on one work, especially but the idea is to ask questions to get people to where they need to be right now. What is, what does it look like right now? What's going on for you? What are some of your obstacles?

[00:26:01] What's some of the frustrations? What's coming up? And I think if you have strep throat, there's a Antibiotic that works on that, right? There's a specific one that, that's true in some ways, I think with clients, it's Oh, you have this, some, an ailment, a spiritual ailment of some kind, which most of us have in some way there are beautiful practices, like an anti, here you go, it's an antibiotic for the soul, less side effects.

[00:26:29] Less side effects, no probiotics needed for that one. But no, but I think there's this beauty in being able to pull from these techniques and tools. So whether it's looking at someone's Ayurvedic, I'm not an Ayurvedic doctor, but I have studied some Ayurvedists. So being able to look at some of those modalities, are there breathing practices that might be beneficial for someone whose dosha is really, one of the dosha is really out of balance.

[00:26:56] Certainly meditation practices. I feel like I call it like meditation RX, right? It is, it's almost like a prescription, there are practices that are really beautiful from the lineage that I have had the great fortune to be able to study and practice and teach. Why would I keep those to myself?

[00:27:14] Those are to be offered to the people who need them. That's to be shared. So if there's something around the heart or there's something around self confidence, or there's something about feeling disconnected from your intuition, there are really beautiful practices. To use, to utilize, to bring that into your life adding to your spiritual toolbox.

[00:27:35] Same with breath work same with yoga nidra. The practices of nidra are incredibly powerful, incredibly healing. These are things that have been life changing, not just You know, for me, certainly for the people that have been practicing for thousands of years, these practices are divine. So I think being able to pull from this toolbox, like I said, that I have had the great fortune to be able to have access to being able to offer those tools to someone else as well.

[00:28:05] And then seeing how that unfolds in clients is just incredibly powerful. The act of really active listening and reflecting, asking questions and then utilizing those tools. What makes sense in the moment? What makes sense for a period of time and then getting feedback from clients as well.

[00:28:24] That was really working, but I noticed this came up. Oh, great. Then we get to work with that. So it really is A powerful union. I don't know how else to say that, but it really is a union in a sense of how do we do this together? When we're embarking on something difficult, we don't just need the backpack that only has a flashlight in it.

[00:28:44] We might need, other things in the backpack to get to where we're going. And it's I feel like I get to help bring those tools in the backpack for a period of time to help someone to support or facilitate someone getting To that next place in their life where then they can take the backpack and continue on their own.

[00:29:03] Again, that was a very lengthy answer, but I hope I answered the question in some way. I tend to ramble. 

[00:29:10] Cynthia: Yeah. I love that. It is a union, right? So it's a partnership. It's being able to be that person for your client who has, maybe done this camping trip before this hiking trip before. So you're like, Oh, I kinda know my way around. I know what tools like we can use or what might come in handy. So you can really lean on that. Experience and intuition to then be that support for someone else. And so all these tools, because it's helped you, you know when it might help another person and like what about their situation calls for a certain tool to be used in that moment.

[00:29:49] Betsy: Yeah. Yeah. And as much as it's prescriptive, it's not prescriptive, right? Like as much as it's me saying, Oh, it seems like this might be a good fit. But sometimes, people not. Sometimes it's worth asking, what do you think about this? What do you think about this practice? Or what do you think about going into this area of something like yoga nidra or looking more at your dosha and what's going on?

[00:30:12] Or let's take a look at how you're moving. Is there a way that you like to move that you haven't moved in a long time? Do you, did you used to love to dance, but you haven't done that for years? Oh, maybe. You want to revisit that. So I think there's this opportunity, like you said, like I've been on the camping trip before, why can't I get the tent up this time?

[00:30:31] It's okay let's figure that out together. And that really is, that is the beauty of that relationship for sure. 

[00:30:38] Cynthia: Yeah. And that's what I love about coaching is it's not telling someone what to do, but really just offering the resources, offering the option and.

[00:30:49] reminding people it's all their choice, right? It's their choice. It's their journey. It's their life. So even in this partnership, like you're the one making the calls. And so that's super empowering. And I know it's really a big part of your mission to help people Build this life that tunes into their inner truth You know We talked about having that clear lens so that they can then make those choices that are aligned with what is true for them Is there maybe?

[00:31:21] one tool That you feel like is a, an easy one, something that would be available to anyone who knew about it just to like tune into that inner truth, right? So anyone listening, is there a simple little thing that you feel like they might benefit from? Yeah, 

[00:31:43] Betsy: I think probably one of my favorite tools is when you're making a decision about something.

[00:31:51] It's to ask your body the question and then see where you feel it in your body. If there's some part of your body that's Oh no, we're not going to do that. And you try to override it mentally Oh no, but this is what I'm supposed to do. That sort of vibe, right? That feeling again, that felt sense that when you're asking yourself a question, it's like, Is this something I want to do making a decision?

[00:32:16] It can be as simple as do I want oatmeal for breakfast? It doesn't have to be like, do I need to move to another country or something? But listening in your body, our body is giving us signals all the time that we have been overriding. For too long. And so the greatest tool I would say for that getting back to that inner knowing or inner intuition is ask the question of your body.

[00:32:40] Don't just ask it of your head, ask it of your body and see where you feel it. See what it feels like. Get really curious about it and then make a decision from that place instead of that sort of mental space of this is what I'm supposed to do or how I'm supposed to answer. Thank you. 

[00:32:57] Cynthia: Yeah. So again, things that are already there, right?

[00:33:02] But being able to tune into it instead of ignore it. Yeah. 

[00:33:06] Betsy: Certainly there are simple, think the simple practices of, take one breath, take one breath throughout the day. Certainly if that helps you get back in touch with yourself. But again, it's that overriding. And we talked about this, a little bit before too, but, I, and it's not just women, it's men as well, but we have lost touch with The full bodied understanding of ourselves, we just, we've outsourced it so much, whether it's, I think I wrote a post about, hacking.

[00:33:36] I don't want to hack my life. I don't, there's no hack. I want to just be in it. So what does that feel like if I'm really listening? I need to get familiar with what that feels like. And so it's revisiting re introducing yourself to yourself in a way. Okay. 

[00:33:54] Cynthia: Yeah. Oh, beautiful. Betsy, clearly you know your stuff.

[00:34:00] You've been on many hikes and many camping trips of the soul. So if anyone is looking for that kind of support and guidance, how do people work with you? What are their options to get connected? 

[00:34:14] Betsy: Yeah, reaching out via my website. It's just Betsy Weiner dot com. And I'm pretty good about getting back to people within a day.

[00:34:22] Just reaching out there. That's one place to do it. I do have a meditation. I teach out of my house in Minneapolis. I do that once a month and it's a powerful way to gather in community to raise vibration to connect with other like minded people. Individuals, it's always a really interesting group of people, and there's a different focus and meditation each month.

[00:34:44] And those I post, they're on my website, but I also get that out in a in an email. If you're on the email list, certainly they can find me through Instagram.

[00:34:54] I think it's Betsy L. Weiner. I'm on Facebook, spotty on Facebook. But those are the places to, those would be the places to connect. Yeah. 

[00:35:04] Cynthia: Perfect. And, all the links mentioned will also be in the show notes if anyone wants to take a peek and explore. But It's been such a fun conversation, Betsy, and I feel like we've gone many different places of, what it means to be human, what it means to tend to the soul.

[00:35:22] If there was one takeaway that listeners left this conversation with, what would you hope that it would be? 

[00:35:28] Betsy: I think it sounds a little cliche, but the truth is when people say things like you are enough and everything you have is already within you, it's all about love, loving yourself, having compassion for yourself.

[00:35:42] I suppose I could jump right on the bandwagon and say all of those things as well. But I would add to let people know that the search. To understand those things about yourself is really a worthwhile search. Don't give up on yourself even if it's not there right now, maybe if you don't feel like you're enough or you don't feel as connected as you would like to yourself in some way, maybe you don't feel innate joy and compassion in this moment that the desire to want those things is enough and that's okay.

[00:36:21] I feel like that it's important, it's one thing to take the sort of cliched, statement. It's something else to say to yourself, it's okay if you don't feel that right now or all the time. But the fact that you want that in some way is the gift in itself. That's the beauty of being alive is that you can keep looking, that's okay.

[00:36:43] And also maybe just not taking it all so seriously, there is great power and laughter that just innate, free, joyful, silly, whole body laugh that you watch little kids and their silliness and that freedom that comes with it. And really that joy, that ebullience is like the divine experiencing itself.

[00:37:10] So giving yourself permission to laugh more regularly, be silly. Let yourself really give yourself the freedom to laugh and be silly. Don't take it all so seriously. You don't have to, it's okay. 

[00:37:24] Cynthia: Yeah. That reminds me, I had a meditation teacher who just reminded me that we're basically aiming to be children again, like to have that, to talk about like negative, right?

[00:37:38] Like what are you releasing? What are you letting go of? All the layers of shoulds as adults that we build up. If we can get rid of all that, then we can get back to that essence that like childlike wonder and ease and awe and like laughing at everything.

[00:37:52] Oh, that can be the goal. I like that 

[00:37:56] Betsy: right before you knew before someone told you, or you thought something about yourself. What was that little version of yourself that was just ready to laugh, ready to be silly, ready to experience joy, right? It's you're exactly right. I love, thank you to the meditation teacher who taught that to you.

[00:38:15] Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.

[00:38:18] Perfect.

[00:38:19] Cynthia: Thank you so much, Betsy, for your, yeah, just for your time, your expertise, your energy, and it just, everything that you're doing to make this world a more beautiful place. 

[00:38:32] Betsy: Thank you. I appreciate that. Thanks, Cynthia. Really appreciate it.

[00:38:37] Cynthia: Thank you so much for listening to the Well Connected Twin Cities podcast. Did you learn something new? Did you feel that spark of hope and excitement for what is possible? Because so much is possible. Tell us about it in a review on Apple podcast. Not only would we absolutely love hearing from you, but these reviews help our ratings and help other curious minds like you find this resource.

[00:39:02] We are always better together. Thank you again, and see you next time.