Grat-i-tude : What is Means to Me.

So grateful for Family, my #1 core value.

Grat-i-tude : The quality of being thankful. Readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Gratitude. It’s a very high vibrational feeling. It can lift someone up from “being a victim” to “feeling empowered”. It can change someone’s thought from focusing on “everything that’s going wrong” instead to “everything that’s going right.” Someone who was once seen as “selfish,” can now be seen as “giving and caring”. 

An Attitude of Gratitude has been scientifically proven to improve a person’s overall sense of well-being. Specifically their mental capacity. 

An article of Happify suggests, Scientists studying positive psychology found that a one-time act of thoughtful gratitude produced an immediate 10% increase in happiness and 35% reduction in depressive symptoms. The happy effects disappeared within three to six months. This shows that gratitude is an act to be repeated again and again.

I remember back to a time when I was really struggling. It was mostly self-imposed. I was over-consuming food and alcohol to cope. This was making everything harder. I was quick to judge, very defensive, and honestly wasn’t showing gratitude for anything that I already had…

A boyfriend that loved me, and I didn’t feel lovable.

A house with roommates, felt like I had no personal space.

Food on the table, felt like the biggest enemy of all.

It wasn’t until I hit a breaking point that I finally realized it was all happening because of who I was being.

It began with one small act of kindness; painting a picture for a friend. That project reminded me what it felt like to just be a good person. The “Ah Ha” moment was, “Wow, it feels really good too give back. I feel better than I have in a long time!” I started to feel better and better from this day forward. Small tiny shifts. Like practicing yoga, not drinking alcohol, moving out of the house, etc. All led me to where I am today.

I share this story because I know it can feel hard to practice gratitude when things don’t seem to be going your way. Life transitions can be tough. This is when you need a gratitude practice more than ever. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice gratitude when life feels great. It feels great because of that reason. Keep practicing. Gratitude is 100% free and 100% available to you in nearly any circumstance. You may have to dig deep to find it.

Remember, all it takes is one small shift, to feel even a little bit better then what you did before. Gratitude will always be on your side. It was always make you feel better. You will most likely change the lives of the people that surround you. You will always heal the world with the power of gratitude.

Gratitude Always,

Macy

Embodied and How to Live in the Flow

Embodied and How to Live in the Flow

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A yogi’s perspective to embody and live well.

I feel so embodied after I getting back from my very first Yoga Retreat experience. The Embodiment Project Yoga and Nutrition Retreat was hosted by Sue Van Raes of Boulder Nutrition, and it’s still vibrating through my cells. What this yoga & nutrition retreat reminded me is that it’s absolutely necessary to take a break. The Importance to surround yourself with people that inspire you, and hold sacred space for you is a non-negotiable. You have to take precious care of your Body, Mind, Heart & Spirit. Because if you are ignoring one of those areas within you, it’s a sure sign that you are not living life in true alignment.

Since the Retreat my yoga classes have been shall I say, softer. I’ve been creating more space for conversation and connection. I haven’t been cueing people to stretch further, rather stretch into where they’re at now. Everything has slowed down, and my students are feeling amazing after an hour together on the mat. There has been more of an emphasis on breath, relaxation, to meet yourself, check-in with the different parts of you, honor what’s going on in your life, and know that it’s okay to feel all the feelings – because they’re all neutral in the yoga practice.

I personally have been doing 5 minute check-ins throughout the day.

I’ve been more intentional with my class preparations, and how I’m showing up in communication. I even had a “Mindful Moment” at Jimmy John’s – of all places it’s the “freaky fast” place, and I chose to sit and eat my sandwich and sea salt & vinegar chips in absolute bliss. No cell phone, eating in the car, or scarfing the entire thing. All around me I saw people moving “freaky fast”, and all I wanted to do was invite them to my table and have a conversation with me over a Beach Club and Hydroflask full of water.

You don’t have to be a monk who sits on top of a mountain 20 hours a day to mediate in order to live your life embodied and in the flow. In fact, you don’t have to eat all organic, practice yoga, or be a blonde white female, either. To me, living embodied means taking the time to check-in with yourself daily. How does your physical body feel? What aches and pains or sensations are present? Is there spinning in the mind today? Can you notice the stories that are being told and how they make you feel? What’s waning on your heart? Are you following your passions and deepest desires? Is your heart pulling you toward something and are you listening to it or pushing away? Do you feel connected to your spiritual self? Or disconnected?

None of the answers you come up with are right or wrong. They just are.

You can’t fight with reality. Your perception of what’s happening in the now. When you take just a few moments to go inward, you can then take action from an embodied place. This action is what allows you to “live in flow”. Instead of forcing yourself to eat healthy, you begin to crave healthy foods because you know how you will feel after eating them. When you workout you do so by actually doing something fun that involves moving your body – not working out because you have fat to burn. The idea of being embodied and living in the flow should eventually trickle over into your work. You love what you do for a living and you also love receiving money for it. I want you to even consider your partner or primary relationship and if it feels in the flow/sensual/embodied.

The idea of living embodied and in the flow is a beautiful one. So why is it so hard for you to stay in the flow or to feel embodied all of the time?

It’s pretty simple, really. You are always evolving. Sometimes you make choices that evolve you closer to that state of bliss, and other times you makes choices that actually de-evolve you and hinder you from reaching that state of bliss. The more conscious you become of your thoughts/emotions/beliefs and actions, the more obvious it will be to you which ones are supportive and which ones are not. The work is never really done! Every day you are checking back in with yourself, hopefully multiple times a day, and evaluating what you need. Lifestyle Design isn’t just some frivolous thing that only the chosen few get to have. It’s available to anyone that’s open to receiving it. You can design a life you love if you believe you can. You can live embodied and in the flow more often than you are now.

It will take a commitment.

You might have to let go of something or someone in your life that you know is holding you back. It could be a deeply entrenched “toxic false belief” that you’ve been telling yourself over and over and over again in your head. Maybe you don’t love where you live; that will have to change. You hate your body so it will be hard to feel embodied. Feel stuck in a job that you absolutely hate but need the money. I say all of these examples because I’ve lived and transformed every single one of them.

My hope for you is that you are in search for Relief. 

That you are so ready to feel embodied and in the flow. All-in with this idea of being able to be in the body you have now, and to move through life in a whole different way – the flow way. Eat in a slow, and pleasurable way (without guilt or shame or tight control). Invite movement that feels joyful, stress relieving, open, and integrative (this might be yoga, but it HAS to be something you enjoy).

Once your survival needs are taken care of, and you’re feeding and moving yourself well (for you), you will be able to step fully into your power. Deliver your gifts, do what you were called to do, and gracefully be compensated for it. Spark a new flame in your love life. Meet all the right people, at the right times. And finally know how to live embodied and in the flow.

Feel like you need some guidance to live a life Embodied and in the Flow? Check out my newest creation – the “Embody your Life” Template below! It’s a one page handout that is super straight forward, and will ask you all the right questions. I suggest that you print it out and grab your favorite pen to journal out your answers. Enjoy!!

Namaste

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A FREE GUIDE TO EMBODY YOUR LIFE & LIVE IN FLOW

Go ahead and grab this template I created just for you to help you navigate Embodiment, what that means to you, and how to bring more of it into your super flowy life!

{Click the Green Button Above! <3}

Yoga Immersion 100 Hour with Pierre Couvillion

Yoga Immersion at its best. Settle in for some deep learning this Fall with a 10 Day Yoga, Ayurveda, Body Work & Breathing Immersion (100hr). Brought to you by Santosha Yoga School, founder Pierre Couvillion, and hosted at Maha Soul Yoga Studio in downtown Littleton. We welcome you to experience yoga at its true essence as we delve into yoga and its philosophy. We will also study meditation and breathing, the ancient study of Ayurvedic medicine, along with body work and yoga lab.

While this immersion can absolutely be taken to deepen your practice on its own, it can also be the beginning of your 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training.

Santosha Yoga School is accredited with both Yoga Alliance and the National Ayurvedic Medical Association.

The 10 Days are October 5 – 14th, 2018

Daily schedule

Friday Oct 5, 4-9pm

Saturday Oct 6 – Saturday Oct 13, 7:30am – 7:30pm

Sunday Oct 14, 7:30am – 3:30pm

Early Bird pricing: $995 paid in full by Sept. 1st 

$1495 thereafter

Partial attendance: $249 for any 20 hours, before Sep 1st

$299 thereafter

All classes will be held at Maha Soul in Historic Downtown Littleton. 5739 S. Curtice St. Littleton, CO 80120

 

I will personally be signing up for several 20 HR slots that fit my schedule accordingly, and this is something you can consider too. I’m already Certified to teach yoga at the 200 HR Level, so I’m using this Immersion to continue my education and learn from a Master Teacher like Pierre. I’m most excited to take this time for myself and to learn and grow my personal yoga practice, but also to become a better teacher. My teaching style is rooted in Yoga Therapy and personalizing sequences for students that best support their physical needs and limitations. It will be a great refresher for me to dive into Sanskrit, Chanting, Ayurveda, and Breathing Techniques that I haven’t really practiced much since my Initial 200 hr teacher training.

Watch the Video Below for a 10-Minute Interview with Pierre Couvillion and to learn more about the 100 HR Immersion!

AUDIO ONLY: Interview with Pierre Couvillion: 100 HR Yoga Immersion in Littleton, Colorado October 2018

For More Information on this Training please use the links above or visit https://www.santosha-school.com

 

Mind Body Eating Online Conference (Join at No Cost)!

Mind Body Eating Online Conference (Join at No Cost)!

I’m excited to share with you about a great event:
The Mind Body Eating Online Conference!

It went live on July 9, and you can register for FREE here:
https://ipe.isrefer.com/go/mbe-online/macymig

In a time when so many people are suffering from food- and eating-related challenges, life is asking us to embrace a fresh new perspective on healing and transformation. The Mind Body Eating Online Conference showcases the voices of more than 60 top professionals and thought-leaders to help us step into new possibilities and a healthier future.

Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, will be your host as we explore cutting edge thinking in the fields of nutrition, eating psychology, functional medicine, mind body wellness, cultural transformation, spiritual awakening, supplements and medicinals, environmental health and more. You’ll be inspired by experts from a variety of disciplines who each have something unique and innovative to share, and twice a day, you can join Marc in a live online Q&A session about the day’s topics.

The Institute has a great track record of producing high level and well-loved conferences, and I think you’ll be impressed by their engaging style and the fascinating collection of passionate people they’ve brought together for this event.

It’s time for an approach to nutritional healing that honors all of who we are – body, mind, heart, planet and soul.

Again, you can register for the Mind Body Eating Online Conference for FREE here: https://ipe.isrefer.com/go/mbe-online/macymig

For those of you who don’t know, I received my training as a Mind Body Eating Coach from the Institute for Psychology of Eating and Marc David back in 2013. I have been coaching ever since I completed my training, and I have been loving this Conference. If you are serious about learning more about the new frontier of health and wellness, you will not be disappointed. I remember the first Conference I attended like this, I ended up purchasing the entire Conference so I could re-listen to all of the knowledge and wisdom. Since I’m getting this to you already halfway through the Conference, you may want to consider doing this yourself!

I’ll see you there!

Namaste,

Interested in working with me as your Mind Body Eating Coach? Sign-Up for a 90-Minute Laser Coaching Session or Contact Me to see if you Qualify for my Private Coaching Program

" I came here to find freedom around food and find peace with my body. It was really starting to take over my life, I was being consumed by binge eating and was really unhappy with my body, and I needed to find freedom from that. I knew right away that I was in the right place because of how much Macy and I had in common. She made it such a safe environment and I felt like I could trust her. She was really invested in me which is what helped me dig deep.

I was skeptical at first with the 'yoga side' of the healing, and now it's my favorite form of movement. I figured since it worked for her and helped her overcome binge eating than I ‘might as well give it a shot’. 

I got what I came here for, in different ways in what I thought I would. I was hoping that I’d lose a lot of weight, which I didn't, but now I look at life differently, I’m more loving to myself, I feel better in the exact same body that I had before. And now I know how to honor my body. I’ve learned ways to overcome negative thoughts and I’ve really gone outside of my comfort zone which has been the best.   

I think any girl struggling with binge eating, or anyone who is unhappy with their body or even any part of their life could benefit from working with Macy. I look at myself differently now and in a more accepting way. I really can’t imagine where I would be if I wouldn’t have done this. I’m really proud of myself for doing this, it was the best decision." 

Lexi Hardiek

3 Month Program, Eating Psychology Coaching, Student of Physical Therapy

"I came to Hungryoga to find freedom from stress and guilt that I had around food  and controlling exercise. I didn’t want my self worth to be reliant on what food I ate or how much exercise I was doing.

I felt like I was in the right place after my Discovery Coaching Call with Macy. I told myself that I was going to find the relief that I had been looking for, and I ended up getting what I came here for - even more than what I imagined.

I feel like a new person and like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Food isn’t a major issue anymore, and it used to consume my life. I would recommend working with Macy to anybody who struggles with their identity or finding who they are. I think they’d be able to figure that out through this program.

Courtney Cook

6 Month Program, Eating Psychology Coaching, C-Marie.com

I came to Hungryoga to get relief from feeling lost, and didn’t understand why I was self-sabotaging in many ways. I was just really tired of feeling that way. I wasn’t 100% sure I was in the right place, but had a really good feeling once I read Macy's testimonial on Facebook. It hit really close to home for me. I wasn’t skeptical about the program, but I had my doubts about truly coming to terms with how I was feeling and being able to change - and have the desire to do so. When I finally took Macy's advice and started doing artwork in the morning, I realized I wasn’t taking good care of myself. I was working out like crazy but wasn’t truly taking care of myself. I had to be okay with it being a slow process. 

I feel like I got myself back - the me that I remember years ago. My goal wasn’t to lose a ton of weight - I knew that that couldn’t be the overarching goal. I had to change what was ‘eating at me’.

I would recommend Macy's coaching program to several types of people. Anybody that's feeling lost, like they have tried every program out there, currently taking tons of diet pills, going for a quick fix intead of taking care of themselvecs, binge eating or have any kind of digestion or stomach issues, people using food or alcohol as a crutch, and people who have faithfully worked out for years and can't understand why they haven't seen the results they desire. 

Penny Sheldon

6 Month Program, Eating Psychology Coaching, Loving Mother & Wife

You reminded me that this isn't just me, other people feel this way too. When you showed me that there are other adult picky eaters, the way that made me feel was incredible. It reassured me that as an adult I'm not alone in this. The comfort and support you provided was amazing. You're awesome Macy!

Jordy Frankel

3 Breakthrough Coaching Calls - Eating Psychology Coaching Program, CU Student ~ Alpha Chi Omega

Needs before Desires to Make Dreams Reality

If I didn’t take care of my needs before my desires, I would always just be chasing my dreams.

My Needs, at the core, are what I need to feel like I can survive without living in a constant state of stress. Some of my needs are healthy food, lots of sleep, love, companionship, mindful movement, cleanliness, shelter, friends, family, self-care, knowledge/wisdom, nature, an abundant mindset, laughter, etc.

My Desires, of the heart, are what I ache for to feel like I’m living my life on purpose in the exact way it’s supposed to be lived. Some of my desires are to help women overcome binge eating; to introduce yoga to beginner’s and people that are suffering with pain. Other desires are to make a difference, go on worldwide retreats, receive my 500hr YTT, to be a Mother, to make more money, to have a team, to be a leader, to be an example, etc.

I have looked outside of myself for answers. I knew that I was suffering and I knew I was a big part of the reason why. Without taking care of anything that was right in front of me I decided to flee. To runaway from all the pain that I was feeling. At the time I didn’t understand that no matter where I went, or who I tried to become, I was still bringing my old self with me.

At first I faked it. I was pushing food away because it made me feel skinnier and more powerful. I acted like I knew what was best for me, and no one else’s opinion mattered. I was lucky enough to be taken care of by family, without that I wouldn’t have had a place to call home. I was living the “gypsy” life, free-spirited and open to really any new experience life brought me.

I was out chasing a dream. I had a deep desire to travel and see the world. I wanted to heal my self-sabotaging patterns and figure out how to make them stop. I wanted to “fix” myself really. I constantly felt broken, like I wasn’t enough. So I was obsessed with “getting better” so I could feel whole, like I was enough.

What I didn’t know then, and what I do know now, is that I have to take care of my NEEDS before my DESIRES.

I’m only able to achieve my desires and turn them into reality IF all of my needs are met. If I keep myself busy chasing after desireswhen I’m not even feeding myself properly, I’ll never be able to achieve my desiresfully. If my basic survival needsare not being met, then there’s no way I can meet my desires.

It’s easy to get needs and desires twisted and mingled together. Anytime I have a big goal I’m going after, and it feels tough/contracted/stressed/ or up-stream – the first thing I do now is look at my needs. 

I ask myself, “What do I really need in this moment?”

Most the time it’s related to self-care, stress reduction, tuning in, breathing, slowing down, relaxing, etc. Without fulfilling these needs then there’s really no point in going after my desire because in the end it doesn’t feel good. So no matter what I have to make sure my needs are being met, so I can feel the way I want to feel, as I go after my deeper desires.

I was first introduced to these concepts in my Lifestyle Design Coaching Certification with Abundant Yogi, and now I coach my clients through this process as well. In order to create a “Game Worth Playing” in my life (and business) I first had to decide…

How do I want to feel (most of the time)? 

Then,

What do I need to do in order to feel that way?

And,

How can I make these into supportive processes and systems?

Lastly,

What are my 1-3 big goals/desires to manifest and accomplish?

Through this process of “Creating my Game Worth Playing” I’m able to have a clear roadmap and guiding intention in my work and life. When I reverse engineer and focus on the way I want to feel first, then figure out what I want to do/how it’s going to work out/what it all looks like – I will be lead me to my ultimate desires. I will also be able to see it through and make sure it happens because it feels so goodthat it’s bound to happen.

Kris Ward of Abundant Yogi states, “Remember to put needs before desires. If you try to chase desires before your needs are met, you won’t be on stable footing. You’ll feel chaotic versus grounded and clear.”

Needs are almost always connected to that little girl (or boy) within. The one that gets hurt, that feels the feelings, that holds the past traumas, that still needs to be taken care of by the Adult Self. Desiresare more like the Teenager/Rebel/Ego inside that wants to get noticed, be worthy, and be prestigious. Desires have a bit more masculine energy to get things done and to be accomplished. Desires are definitely not a bad thing. They are much needed to be creative and to see our dreams become our realities.

All I’m saying is, check in with needs and make sure they are being met before chasing desires. Take care of the entire vision. It’s easy to lose in the pursuit of a desire if needs are not tended to first. If something isn’t feeling quite right, then it’s not quite right. Create a “Game Worth Playing” for the long haul. Decide how it’s going to feel, what it’s going to look like, how it will provide support and accountability, and what the ultimate goal is. Get crystal clear on that, and be amazed to look back at a life created by design, not default.

Light & Love,

 

 

Life Story: How I went from a Mess to a Success

Life Story: How I went from a Mess to a Success

How I went from Hating to Absolutely Loving My Life Story.

My work schedule has never been so flexible. I’m able to block off time when I have friends and family in town, but also increase my hours when I need to work some longer days. I truly love my life story. I get to help people feel better in their bodies by showing them how to stretch, breathe, and move properly. I teach people how to live their life story by design, not default. I coach people how to have a positive relationship with food and body image. My clients find their freedom again.

I love to cook meals and eat healthy. I have the time to plan and prepare my food so I’m not stressed out about what I’m going to eat next. Not only do I provide high quality food for myself, but for the people (and pup) that I love and care for everyday. I practice mindful eating, enjoying every bite that is put into my mouth. I’m grateful for all the wonderful experiences that involve delicious foods. I don’t judge myself of my food choices because I’m tuning into what my highest self needs to get relief.

I invite pleasure into my life story with open arms. I’m not afraid to give myself some dark chocolate, a 90-minute massage, or go out dancing with the girls. The most pleasurable thing of all is being my goofy, fun, creative self; hoping that the people around me will join in the shenanigans!

After reading the book, Taming your Outer Child by Susan Anderson, I learned how to listen to Inner child’s needs and desires, be proactive towards Outer child’s behaviors and actions, and inevitably strengthen my Adult Self.

My passion for the great outdoors is shared with all my local clients and friends.

I organize groups to go hiking, biking, and camping. Nature has always helped me unplug and become more present. The feeling that I get after reaching the top of a mountain has to be shared with others. My physical environment is just so perfect for me. I get to live in the beautiful state of Colorado, while only a short drive away from my home in Kansas. I love all the sunshine, the rain, the snow, and the beautiful fall colors. I can imagine my kids growing up here and living the life story of their dreams.

I have the positive kind of stress in my life (well, most the time). I strive to live in Parasympathetic Nervous System dominance; in more simple terms, the Relaxation Response. Most the time 10 deep breaths, Viparita Karani  (‘legs up the wall Pose’), or a hot bubble bath is just what the divine was calling for.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without my fiancé, David. He’s my biggest motivation to live life to the fullest, and to be the best I can be. He has taught me how hard work and showing up consistently every day is what’s important.

BUT my life story was not always this way…

Just five years ago I was working my first corporate management job out of college. The hefty salary blind-sighted me from the terrible schedule and work-life balance that was ahead. While David had a normal 8-6pm schedule, I’d be leaving the house at 12pm and getting home at 5am. We never had supper (yes, I say supper!) together, and he would be asleep on the couch waiting for me to come home. I still remember it was the first time in my life I didn’t see fireworks on the 4thof July.

The team I worked for didn’t take me seriously. I was a 22 year-old female manager in charge of a 30 person team that included mostly males ages 18 – 50. Many of them had been there for years, and had way more job knowledge than I, yet I was their boss. This environment was the perfect example of living my life story by default. It seemed like everyone was ‘bleh’ about their job, did enough to get by, and didn’t really care that much about each other. I knew that I wasn’t fulfilling my greater mission.

My love for cooking was no longer. I simply didn’t have enough time or energy to make any meals. My “eating rhythm”, which I learned about later as a Mind Body Eating Coach, was completely out of whack from working the night shift. The quality of my food diminished, I had to multi-task while eating over my break, and I was living off of vending machine cappuccinos to stay awake.

Nothing in my life story at this time was pleasurable. I had no social life, my love life was suffering, and I developed a negative relationship with food and body. I began binge eating and drinking alcohol as a coping mechanism to numb out to all the things going wrong in my life. This was my way of surviving with all the tough emotions and situations that were thrown at me.

Looking back and referencing Susan Anderson’s book Taming your Outer Child, my Inner Child’sneeds and desires were not being met, my Outer Childwas acting out by binge eating and drinking, and my Adult Self was so weak that it had no control over anything in my life.

The kind of stress I had at this time was debilitating. I was living in Sympathetic Nervous System dominance, also known as “The Stress Response”. Constantly in survival mode, I was either ready to fight and defend myself or shut down and freeze. I had forgotten what it felt like to be happy, open, integrated, and turned on.

At least 12-hours of my working days were spent in a warehouse with no windows, no outside access, and no creative outlets. When I would walk outside from work I could smell the Lay’s potato chip factory and wanted to ‘vom’ every single time.

After 11-months of not wanting to give up, thinking that if I quit than I would be a failure, I finally came to a breaking point when my primary relationships began to crumble. I knew that in this life I had to learn how to love myself, body, spirit, work, environment, people, and mission.

That’s when I found yoga.

My Aunt Dianne lives in San Francisco and has always been that quirky spark of inspiration to me (I remember growing up she wanted me to join the circus). I didn’t listen to her then, but I did hear her loud and clear when she invited me to come stay with her and do a Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Garden SF. My Mom was a huge component in this happening too. Thanks Momma. 

I thought, “What a perfect way to find out who I am, and what I want to do. Plus, I’m unemployed so lets live it up!” I must admit to you that the biggest reason why I up and left for San Francisco, no questions asked, was to help me through my binge eating and drinking habitual cycle. I felt helpless, out of control, lost, and very lonely. I was guilt and shame ridden. I didn’t know much about yoga at the time, but I did know that it would provide me a healing and supportive journey back to truth.

I learned so much in my time in San Francisco. Sure there was yoga philosophy, asana, anatomy, adjustments, and cueing; but the life lessons that this Midwestern girl learned about people, life, culture, and art meant just as much. After I completed my immersion training, I took the rest of the summer to travel the West Coast visiting friends and up to Alaska for a family vacation. I had been aching to travel again ever since I got back from studying abroad in Italy. It felt so necessary at the time.

Once I got back home from my adventures, I immediately started teaching at Healing Touch, my mentor Annette Terry’s massage office. I’m so glad I did this because I had the confidence to teach and the knowledge was fresh. I had healed many emotional wounds, but binge eating was still showing up in my life and sabotaging my success. I’m a continual learner, and got online to seek more wisdom on what was going on with me.

It didn’t take long to find my next calling, The Institute for Psychology of Eating based in Boulder, CO.
After attending a conference I immediately signed up for their Mind Body Eating Coaching Certification. It was an intensive online program that taught me the foundations about how to overcome binge eating, overeating, binge drinking, negative body image, poor digestive health, and so much more. It was a long journey to dig deep into my emotional and spiritual realms, and to live a fully expressed physical form. The more I learned, the more I practiced. This new lifestyle allowed my unwanted symptoms to slowly dissipate. In this time I also moved to Colorado, started a new job as a Wellness Coordinator for Ascent Therapy Clinic (physical therapy), and moved into a new home with David.

As a Mind Body Eating Coach I began attracting clients that had similar stories to mine.

 I have been able to help people feel better about their relationship with food, quit binge eating, develop a healthy body image, discover long time food sensitivities, cut back on wine, bring light to sugar addiction, hormone imbalances, bloating, eating speed, eating rhythm, and so much more.

I truly love helping people, especially women, through their eating and body challenges, but I’ve also realized something. 

That it’s hardly ever about the food.

Your binge eating, or other unwanted habit, is showing up in your life because you are not living authentically to you!

Look at all the aspects of your life – career, family, financials, primary relationship, spirituality, sexuality, hobbies, friends, physical environment, etc. 

What is no longer serving you?

Which aspects are holding you back from being the authentically you?

Do any of these areas in your life cause you more stress than relief?

Take a moment to reflect here. I want you to pause, take a deep breath, and be a witness to your own life. 

My last certification as a Lifestyle Design Coach taught me how to be self-employed and fully focus on Hungryoga (Yes, even more so than a Business Degree). I’ve learned so much about mindful marketing, and what it takes to run a freedom based business. Now I coach other entrepreneurs and business-women how to take charge of their schedules and charge what their worth. I’m passionate about guiding people away from doing jobs they hate, and really going after what their heart is set on in my Lifestyle & Career Design Program

I tell you my life story because I am a Coach. I’m here to be open, vulnerable, and deeply listen to your life story. I don’t want you to hide anymore. There is no guilt or shame with how your life is now. There are so many people just like you searching for help and relief with the exact same issues – binge eating, overeating, hating their job, hating their weight, and hating life all together.

I want to help you get to where I am now, only way faster than how I got here. It’s time to feel free in your body and not be ashamed of your imperfections. The limits are off with your desires and your purpose. Now you can charge forward with confidence in knowing that you are ‘on the right path’.

I want to leave you with this…

 

“You attract the way you act. You act the way you think. And you think the way you choose.”

Design Life the Way You Want it!

Design Life the Way You Want it!

Can you be open to the idea that you really can Design Your Life the Way You Want It?

For a long time, I didn’t believe this was possible. 

I was stuck in a job I didn’t enjoy, living a lifestyle that didn’t align with the way I wanted to live, and was sabotaging myself with food, negative thinking, and victim mentality. 

Can you relate?  I feel like a lot of people can, especially young women.  In the Lifestyle Design Vlog below I talk a little bit more about my story, and how Lifestyle & Career Design Coaching changed my life. Once I was able to get the courage to quit my job, and make the huge steps and investments needed to change my thinking and trajectory of my life, it all started to click.  What I really hope you take away from this video is that you have to believe that it can happen for you. The universe isn’t going to give you anything that you don’t believe is possible.  This is one reason I love to work with people who desire to change their psychology, improve their own lives, and make a difference in the world by doing what they love. 

So if you desire to…

– Create a Life & Career You Love

– Change Your Mindset to Become More Abundant

– Reverse Engineer Your Schedule to Fit Your Ideal Lifestyle

– Gain the Courage to Quit Your Job & Follow Your Heart

Then you should Start by Watching this video below! Get inspired by listening to my story and the tips that I share. Surround yourself with positive people and positive energy. Partner with a coach or a teacher that has been through what you are wanting to transform.  Once you watch the video I want you to leave a comment! Let me know what this video inspired you to take action on in your life! Share with a friend that you feel needs to hear this message. The first FIVE people who reach out to me about this video will receive a complimentary Laser Coaching Session with me! That’s a $250 value so don’t miss out! I’m excited to see who is ready to take action and transform their life into one they absolutely love!  XO,  

I hope you Enjoyed this Video! Remember to Reach out to me for a Laser Coaching Session & Let me know what your biggest takeaway was! 

15 + 11 =

The Ultimate Wealth & Achievement Summit in Denver, Colorado

 

Wealth & Achievement Takeaways from Tony Robbins, Robert Herjavec and Gary Vaynerchuk 

I don’t always write, but when I do I want it to be inspiring and intentional.

We (my husband and I) just got back from the Ultimate Wealth & Achievement Summit in Denver, CO where several motivational speakers and transformational coaches spoke throughout the course of the day. Top three including Tony Robbins, Robert Herjavec and Gary Vaynerchuk.

I immediately got home, let my dog out, and started catching up on emails and ‘the little things’ that still needed to get done for Hungryoga on a typical Thursday.

And then I paused.

What the fuck am I doing?! Why am I focusing on this little stuff that doesn’t really matter that much when I could be harnessing the ENERGY that I’m in right now.

(More on Energy, in a minute)

After that instant of reflection I thought to myself, “What do I truly want to FOCUS on right now?”

Answer – I want to write out and share what my takeaways were from today. I want to see what really stood out to me without just regurgitating my notes, and speak from my heart what I was able to receive today.

Which leads me to think, “What does that MEAN to me? Why is this important to me right now?”

Answer – I am a Coach. I am a Coach that wants to be more of a Coach. Who desires to be a Leader. I am a person that has always wanted to help others, and show them that they can change their story if they don’t like what they see. I want to become more wealthy and achieve more by helping others become more wealthy and achieve more. 

Okay, awesome. This feels really really good.

FEELING is really fucking important. You can’t change your existence, you can’t change your life, you can’t do things differently without changing the way you FEEL.

Since the beginning of this year I have been putting more personal research/time/energy/effort into learning more about wealth, abundance, mindset, law of attraction, getting what you want, making more money.

Abundance was my word for 2018, (thanks Jacki Carr!)

And I think it’s fascinating.

The whole concept of get clear on what you want, know why you want it, focus on it, believe in it, see it, FEEL IT, know that it is yours, vibe with it, attract it, and receive it (or even something better) is fucking AMAZING to me. I believe that this whole process is what attracts more wealth and achievement into your life.

The three keynote speakers – Tony Robbins, Robert Herjavec and Gary Vaynerchuk – were the ones advertised for a reason.

These three brought the best ENERGY, and of course, have the most wealth (as we Googled their net worths). 

They DECIDED how their speeches were going to go WWAAAAYYYYY before they ever happened. Visualized what they’d look like, how they were going to interact, what stories they would tell, what they wanted everyone to learn from them, etc.

AND – they were themselves.

I’m sure every speaker there did some form of this to prep for their speeches in front of thousands of people. Maybe these three had more practice, more charisma, the advertising, the right timing of their speeches. My own personal opinion.

WHO CARES. This is what I took away from them:

Robert Herjavec went first (out of these three) and I totally loved his story.

Something that all three of these speakers had in common is that they came from tough upbringings. Robert, was an immigrant that came to America on a boat with his Dad and family in poverty. I could relate to how much he loved and cared for his Dad and the sacrifices he went through to take care of his family to make sure there was food on the table. Robert admitted that he did not come from an abundant mindset (my words, not his). That his father worked hard in a factory his entire life without ever complaining about long hours or tough work because he took care of what he had to take care of. He was able to buy a house, put food on the table, and take care of his family. Robert mentioned his Dad’s most memorable and worthy moments was selling the house for $16,000 (I think this was in the 70s?) and writing a check to a homeless shelter for that exact amount.

What an amazing human being 

You’re telling me, that you worked sooooooo hard, to give it all away?!

Yep.

Do you want to know why he did that?

Because of the way it made him FEEL. That money, was just energy. That exchange of wealth to feed hundreds of less fortunate souls was worth an equal or even MORE VALUE than what Robert’s Dad felt that day. It was the absolute best FEELING of his whole entire LIFE.

Again, all my words, and what I took away.

So Robert, thank you, for that story about your Dad. It has re-inspired me to make my own wealth so I can help more people. It reminded me that money is just an exchange of energy. The more money you are able to create the more impact you can have on the world around you. Money is not evil. Wealth doesn’t have to be so HARD. Money is money is money is money. There’s plenty of it out there. It’s just a matter of having a BIGGER PURPROSE THAN YOURSELF to have it and go get it.

Vibration. Raised.

Gary Vaynerchuk, “you son of a bitch” you’re next.

Seriously, this guy cussed like a fucking sailor the entire time. Probably why I’m so openly able to write the exact same way. Not necessarily completely from this conference, but cussing isn’t so fucking bad. It comes back to the idea of ENERGY and how much of it the word has. Us judging people for using cuss words is due to our conditioning. I appreciate a nicely used cuss word every now and then. I think it’s relatable, energetic, and brings a connection to the right people.

Anywho.

Gary is all about Social Media. Also an immigrant, he helped his father build a multi-million dollar online wine seller by becoming one of the first big customers of Google AdWords. So he was buying words like “wine” for $0.30 per click and their company would be the first to pop up, and the conversion rate was insanely high!
Now he loves the Facebook, the Twitter, and the Instagram – as do I – but he’s become known as a genius in the social marketing world and has a lot to say about it in a very direct way.

“Go. To. Fucking. Work.”

Quit complaining. Quit living in the past. Quit missing “the good ole days when kids played outside” because that’s not how it IS anymore, and it’s NEVER going to be like that again.

I know. I loved jumping on the tramp with the sprinkler underneath too.

But if you own a business, or work in marketing, or anything where you need to PROMOTE yourself, you need to be investing and UNDERSTANDING Facebook Advertising and Instagram Influencer Marketing.

Why?

Because Google AdWords is now just “an okay way to market” and has become oversaturated, more expensive, and it’s a lot harder to get your ATTENTION!!!

Getting Your Attention – is Gary’s #1 Goal.

He said that we would be IDIOTS not to invest 6-15 hours of time learning how to do paid marketing for ourselves/businesses on Facebook/Instagram THE RIGHT WAY. Start investing in testing our markets and creating ‘social real estate’ before it changes in 24-36 months. Because it’s getting more and more populated, expensive, and saturated just like Google AdWords has.

This reminds me of something else that was an overarching theme at the Ultimate Wealth & Acheivement Conference…

We are living in the most abundant time in history. We have the best opportunity of ALL TIME to create wealth for ourselves.

You know what the speakers all did next?

Pulled out their cell phones. Cell phones, are changing the world. They have become the singular most important thing to us as individuals. 

So Gary I thank you. Because I was one of the hundreds of people that stood up when you asked, “Who here has ran a Facebook Ad and not been successful at it?” And you are right, I was lacking education, know how, and give a fucks to actually make it successful. To actually invest enough money and time into it to match how much I believe in what I have to offer and to study the metrics that I’d get back from it. I tried to take action, but without knowledge and follow up I wasn’t successful.

Here’s to work blocking that into my schedule.

And Now…. THE MAN

THE LEGEND

THE REASON WHY EVERY SINGLE PERSON CAME TO THIS EVENT.

– TONY ROBBINS –

He’s more loud. More energetic. More charismatic than anyone else.

Hince why his net wealth is around $480 MILLION. 

The only thing he did less than Gary V was cuss.

He was great though. Of course he was the last speaker of the day, because who could follow up Tony Robbins?

That’d be a sad day for them.

I’m sure like many people in the National Western Complex, I felt like Tony Robbins was speaking right to me. I think he even said, ‘I’d be a complete idiot if I was able to speak in front of 50 million people and not know how to speak/influence/relate to them’.

What I do know for sure that good ole’ Tony and I have in common is the power of MOVEMENT. If you want to gain energy, move your body. If you want to shift your state, move your body. If you want to change your mind, MOVE YOUR BODY!
Tony states that MOTION = EMOTION

So he had us up and down and clapping and screaming and high fiving and shaking and doing all the things to help keep our energy up. I felt it. I know what he’s talking about. It’s what I do for a living. I help people improve their psychology with food and body image by first finding movement that they enjoy, that feels good to them, and shift their biochemistry.

Then, we’ll chat mindset and psychology. Once your body has moved and released stuck energy you are more able to get to the brain. You can then examine why negative thoughts and limiting beliefs are coming up for you and be able to choose differently.

Thanks Tony, for reminding me of how important the work is that I’m doing as a yoga teacher, mind body eating coach, and lifestyle designer. Hungryoga is here to help you stay hungry for life. When things get tough, I’m here to help you see the deeper lesson. If you’re struggling with food, I’m here to help you see the gift behind it. If you hate your job, I’m here to remind you of what you’re passionate about and how you can take steps towards a new career that’s more fulfilling. If there are other areas of your life that aren’t going the way you hoped, I’m here to help you see what’s holding you back.

 

David & Macy at Ultimate Wealth & Achievement Summit

David & Macy Graham at the Ultimate Wealth & Achievement Summit

 

All in all, if you have a opportunity to go to an event like this but it means taking the day off, finding a babysitter, or locking your dog up longer than usual, do it. Just do it. Put yourself, your business, your dreams, your desires first. Nothing is going to change unless you start doing something different. Surround yourself with people that uplift you, inspire you, and encourage you to go after your heart’s desires. In the end we all have the same amount of time in our days, but it’s up to us to decide how to spend it. It’s up to us to recreate our lives into what we want. No one else is going to do it for you. You have to believe in you before anyone else is going to believe in you. So get after it! I’m excited to see/hear what comes next for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Smashing Self Sabotage – Coaching Call on Binge Eating & Alcohol

Smashing Self Sabotage – Coaching Call on Binge Eating & Alcohol

Smashing Self Sabotage - Coaching Call on Binge Eating & Alcohol

by Macy Graham | Smashing Self Sabotage

Welcome to the first Smashing Self Sabotage Coaching Call to be released on the blog!

Smashing Self-Sabotage, or “SSS” for short, is a coaching call series specifically designed to smash self sabotaging patterns, thoughts, and beliefs that hold us back and keep us from:

  • living the life we truly desire

  • believing in ourselves and what we have to offer

  • reaching our goals

  • feeling the way we want to feel, most of the time

  • loving ourselves unconditionally

  • experiencing deep and personal relationships with others

This call requires a commitment to transformation, coupled with a deep desire to heal from any form of self-sabotage that you may be experiencing. You will begin to get crystal clear on what it is that’s making you sabotage, how those actions make you feel, and then be able to shift to a better feeling story.
Here are The 4 Underlying Tenets of Smashing Self Sabotage
  1. What you resist, persists
  2. What you focus on, believe in, think of – will become true
  3. There is always a deeper meaning to your suffering
  4. No one else can help you, but you.
There are a few resources that I want to introduce you all to, that we will continue to reference throughout this call series.

#1 – Taming your Outer Child by Susan Anderson 

Inner Child, Outer Child & Adult Self
You may have heard the term your “Inner Child” before – it’s pretty common terminology in the self-help world. I first heard of the terms “Inner Child” “Outer Child” and “Adult Self” in the book Taming your Outer Child by Susan Anderson. This book was a game changer for me, and truly helped me identify my inner child, outer child, and adult self. It got them working together instead of against each other. In the call I explain more in my own words.
Your Inner Child is that little girl within you, that still has some old wounds or traumas that hurt her. The Inner Child still needs a lot of nurturing and tending to. She needs a Momma Bear to hear here out, listen to her cry, and give her a big hug when she’s hurting. Self Sabotage is
Your Outer Child is the honerey teenage version of you – that loves to be a rebel and act out in ways that don’t make sense to really anyone but her. When you think
Adult Self is the ‘grown-up’ for everyone.

#2 The 6 Root Causes of Self Sabotage – taught to me by Kris Ward of abundantyogi.com – where I received my Lifestyle Design Coaching Certification

In the call I go over the 6 Root Causes of Self Sabotage, and relate it to myself and my own experiences. I also give you some tips on how to not succumb to these root causes and smash self sabotage before it goes too far.

Here they are in short:

  1. Stuffing or Ignoring a Negative Emotion
  2. Too Much Hustle and not Enough Self Care & Connection
  3. Trying too hard to measure up, then zooming too far out setting goals
  4. Blending work time with leisure time (aka living in the gray zone)
  5. Resisting like crazy because we’re believing our own made-up stories
  6. Trying to manage what isn’t ours to manage

#3 is filling out your Prep Form for the call and receiving one-on-one coaching with me. You are responsible to fill out a Hot Seat Prep Form before each call if you want 1:1 coaching during the call. This is not required, but this is really where the magic happens. We will go in order of who submitted their form first.

Here are some journal exercises that you can also do on your own.

THE INNER WORK:
  • Write all your self sabotaging patterns
  • Notice what these instances taught you about yourself and self sabotage
  • We are looking at these stories with the intention to release and reframe
  • Is the beliefs I picked up around this memory ultimately true?
  • Go through each of these stories and begin to write a story that feels better around each one

Radio Interview with All Business Media FM

I had a lot of fun doing this interview about Hungryoga with All Business Media FM.
They are an advertising company based out of New York that specializing in helping businesses create media to get their work out into the world. They loved what Hungryoga had to say, giving us a rating of 8.6 / 10.

Listen to the Interview below, or read the transcript to get to know me and Hungryoga just a little bit better!

Company Background: My online business hungryoga.com is a platform for Mindful Movement, Mind Body Eating & Lifestyle Design Coaching. I offer private coaching specifically for women struggling with binge eating, emotional eating, and negative body image. I also coach people who desire to become coaches or entrepreneurs how to make that transition and reverse engineer their lives into the exact lifestyle that they desire. I have online courses available for people interested in learning Yoga and Mindful Movement; including my Beginner’s Yoga Online Course, the Backyard Beauty Series, and the Chair Yoga Online Course. You can see all of these offering and also lots of free content over at www.hungryoga.com. 

Tell us about your background of your business and yourself.
My name is Macy Graham, and I’m the sole Coach and Owner of Hungryoga.com. Hungryoga was founded in 2014, and has been growing ever since. I started Hungryoga after quitting my corporate management job with a deep desire to help women have a positive relationship with food and body. I myself struggled with binge eating and negative body image in college, which is what led me to become a coach in the first place. I’m a Certified Yoga Teacher, Mind Body Eating Coach from the Institute for Psychology of Eating in Boulder, CO, and a Lifestyle Design Coach certified through AbundantYogi.com. I currently live in Littleton, Colorado and in my spare time I love to go to yoga classes, go on hikes, invest in personal development, and cook homemade meals at home.

What inspired you to pursue your profession?

Coaching and Teaching Mind Body principles and practices to help women overcome their struggles with food and body, is my biggest passion in life. In yoga they call this your dharma, our highest calling. For me it’s a non-negotiable to help women transform their lives and actually have a positive relationship with food and body. I know how painful it is to be in the cycle of shame and guilt with food and hating your body. I’m so inspired to share that it is possible to live life a different way, and actually enjoy the skin that you’re in while not having to obsess about food.
Why do you think yoga is so benefical for people struggling with food?
The practice of yoga isn’t just great for you physically, but mentally and spiritually too. Yoga really allows a person to slow down and get present which is an important concept for anyone that binge eats or emotionally eats. It’s really important for people to have the tools to drop into a relaxation response, or the Parasympathetic Nervous System. It’s easy to live in a stressed state, or the Sympathetic Nervous System dominance. The practice of yoga teaches a person how to stay calm, present, and to just feel really good in the moment (and body) they’re currently in.
Where do you see yourself in the near future?
I see myself leading Yoga & Mind Body Eating Retreats here in Colorado. I’m also working on building my library of Online Courses and Digital Content so I can work with people from all over the world. Something that’s really important to me is creating freedom in my life and the lives of the people I work with. Financial freedom, work freedom, and location freedom are all important as I look into the future and start my family. I truly believe this work is healing the world and the feminine nature, and I’m grateful to be a part of this movement.
I’m super grateful for this experience and for every single one of you tuning into this powerful work. It is possible to create a life you love, and to no longer feel guilty about the person you are. No one else is like you, and that’s absoltuely amazing! That means that no one else has gone through your experiences. They can’t provide what you can uniquely offer. There’s no such thing as competition! It’s time to take the pressure off, learn and grow into the person you’ve always dreamed of, and let go of any limiting beliefs holding you back from that vision.

If you are struggling with food it’s trying to teach you a deeper lesson.  

Take better care of yourself. Stop numbing out to the reality of you life. Reflect on what is really happening, and what is no longer serving you. Food issues show up when other areas of your life are not being fulfilled. For everyone it is different. You may hate where you live. It could be your not in the right job. Maybe you are in a bad relationship. Family issues. Spiritual confusion. Mental Illness. And so much more…

I hope you enjoyed listening in on the interview or reading through the transcript! I felt like All Business Media FM did a great job of capturing what Hungryoga is all about, and asked the right questions for the right people to find me online. If you resonated with this interview, and think we would make a good team to work together, reach out! All of my info is listed above. Head over to my Coaching Tab if you are ready to dive into private coaching with me. Whether you are struggling with food and body, or feel lost in becoming a coach and building your online brand, I’m here to help!

I’m on your side,