Michelle Amussen

Listen to Building Rock Star Resilience with Em Capito LCSW, MBA, RYT

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, my perspective continues to evolve. There are times that I have felt tremendous gratitude, connection, presence, and other times of sadness, fear, and loneliness. I’ve started to contemplate the things in my life that I really do have control over. It might have taken an earthquake (and more than enough aftershocks) in the midst of a pandemic to realize how little control I do have. One foundation that I keep coming back to that has given me stability is my mindfulness practice. I can’t change what will happen but I can choose how I respond. I’m also reminded of the resilience that each of us has within us. No matter what our age, we can overcome obstacles and find joy despite our trials.

When it comes to the power of resilience, I knew exactly who I wanted to interview! Em Capito LCSW, MBA, RYT might argue that we find meaning in life in spite of our trials. Em is an unconventional psychotherapist specializing in holistic mind-body resilience, in particular through intentional discomfort, highlighted in her recent TEDx talk on Resiliency Field Trips. Em is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a certified LifePower yoga teacher, and a Dharana Method meditation teacher with a private practice in South Jordan.

I invite you to listen to my interview with Em: Building Rock Star Resilience. Em will guide us on how we can navigate this time with a “hero’s journey” mindset. My hope is that you will also realize how far you have come, how resilient you truly are, and the innate wisdom you already embody.

Here are a few of the topics we cover in the interview:

• The power of Resilience
• The Hero’s Journey Framework
• COVID-19: what is in our control
• The importance of creating healthy routines
• You are an “expert” on you
• Hierarchy of Resilience
• and much more…

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Listen to How to Find Presence as a Parent During Challenging Times with Cathryn Lokey, MS/Ed.S

It is March 2020 and we are in the middle of a pandemic. These are particularly challenging times, for all of us, there is no question.

How do we find peace and presence ourselves and with our children during these unpredictable times?

I cannot think of anyone more appropriate than Cathryn Lokey, MS/Ed.S, to dive into this complex topic with me. Cathryn worked as a school counselor for 12 years where she designed and implemented an innovative school-wide guidance and counseling program with a foundation in mindfulness. Cathryn recently gave a talk for the TEDxFSU conference, in which she spoke about her passion for children, the importance of compassion, and the vital need for courageous approaches to solving current social problems. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Learning and Cognition at Florida State University and conducting research on children’s perceptions of mindfulness and their experiences of its practices.

Discussion points

• How do we talk to children about the current pandemic
• How do children respond during times of stress
  • Different approaches for times of mild and extreme stress
  • How stress impacts our ability to learn
  • Children sharing their feelings is a privilege
• Permission to let go of parent guilt
  • Should academic progress be the biggest focus right now?
  • The most important thing we can learn from this experience is to love unconditionally
• Recognizing our judgments about our own emotions
  • All emotions have value
  • Asking yourself, is this an appropriate emotional response to what is happening?
  • Our brains are wired for negativity
• What are the impacts of stress on the body
  • TEDtalk How to Make Stress Your Friend
• Our individual state is powerful.
  • The science of Heart Math
  • ‘We don’t always have to be “doing something” to make a big difference. When we release resistance and calm ourselves, doing our best, without judgement, it has an impact on ourselves and others and, some scientists say, the world.’ -Cathryn Lokey

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Listen to Responding vs. Reacting

To learn about our Mindfulness classes click HERE</

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Listen to Awareness of Feelings

• Each of us, children and adults alike, tend to respond to our feelings in a rather habitual way.
• We typically reside somewhere along the continuum of ignoring (suppressing) feelings or being controlled (overwhelmed) by them.
• Mindfulness helps give us insight into the patterns we have with reacting to our feelings. With practice, we can “have our feelings without our feeling having us;” meaning, we are aware of our feelings without them controlling our behavior.
• The way we respond to our feelings can directly impact our own suffering. Consider the equation below:

Pain x Resistance= Suffering
Unpleasantness x Wanting Things to be Different= Upset
(child friendly version)

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Listen to Noticing Pleasant Events

• “The mind is like Velcro for negative experiences,” psychologist Rick Hanson is fond of saying, “and Teflon for positive ones.”
• How can noticing pleasant events rewire your brain to be more positive, connected, and empathetic?
• Strategies for how to notice and connect more to positive events throughout the day.

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Listen to Thought Watching

• Mindfulness gives us the ability to notice our thoughts in a non-judgmental and curious way.
• All of us have an inner critic. Dr. Amy Saltzman refers to this inner critic as, “unkind mind.”
• Once we start bringing awareness to when, why, and where “unkind mind” shows up, we can be more in control of how we choose to respond.
• Keep in mind that some thoughts are simply that: just a thought. We don’t need to try to judge, fix or change them. With the analogy of our own “thought bubbles”, can we notice our thoughts come and go? If you wait long enough, the bubble will eventually “pop”, the thought will go away, and a new thought will emerge.
• Thoughts are not facts. Perceptions of ourselves and others are not always accurate.

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Listen to an Introduction to Mindful Eating

• How to introduce mindful eating to your child.
• How does mindful eating relate to daily life?

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Listen to How to Make Yoga a YES for Everyone with Denise Druce.

In this episode, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to interview Denise Druce. Denise Druce holds a special place in my heart. It is because of her yoga teacher training, Yoga Assets, that I am a yoga instructor. I can’t wait to share with you how yoga teacher training (aka transformation) changed my life. We also dive into Denise’s TEDx talk, How Yoga Training Re-Creates Prison Environments for Inmates.

Here are some of the topics we cover:

• Why yoga teacher training?
• What sets Yoga Assets apart from other trainings?
• Taking yoga where it isn’t: into the Utah prison systems
• Denise’s mission and non profit: Yoga Forward
• What can yoga teach us during quarantine?

For nearly four decades, Denise Druce has been inspiring people to live healthier, happier lives. She calls herself an Elevator…when you’re around her, you’re going up! Denise has taught a wide variety of fitness classes over the years, from step to indoor cycling to her current and lasting love, yoga. She teaches her students to stand at the “Soft Edge of the Hard Place” in fitness and in life. Her non-profit Yoga Forward is “taking yoga where it isn’t”…prisons, shelters, schools, and shopping malls. She has a Masters Degree in Public Health, is a Yoga Alliance E-RYT500, and is a breast cancer Thriver. She spends most weekends on the road, making the world a better place by getting more people trained to teach yoga everywhere. Denise and her husband, Michael live in Salt Lake City with their three boys.

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Listen to an Introduction to Mindfulness

“Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”- Jon Kabat-Zinn

“Mindfulness is paying attention in the here and now with kindness and curiosity so that we can choose our behavior.” – Dr. Amy Saltzman

Discussion Points:

• Brief Introduction from Michelle
• What Is Mindfulness?
• What is the latest research?
• How can I teach mindfulness to my child?

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