Experimenting with your practice

There are few things in this world that delight me more than a simple framework that helps make sense of- and practically apply- an abstract or seemingly ambiguous process. In training this weekend, I was reminded of Kolb's Experiential Learning Cycle, which is a fantastic tool to apply when you are learning something new and especially in experimenting with your personal self-development and wellness practices (which is my intention for this newsletter and my YouTube channel). It looks a little something like this:

It's really simple, and when you intentionally make sure you go through each stage, you will get the most out of trying on new practices and experiences! I find it fun to think of my personal practice (yoga, meditation, movement, reflection, etc) as an ongoing experiment and invite you to think of it that way too 😉 You can also apply this to anything you are learning to do, just for you (learning a hobby, your workout and fitness routines) or for you in relation with/to others (interpersonal skills, parenting, leadership).

So on to the cycle! I'll break it down for you as it applies here, to the practices of mindful movement, meditation, and self-regulation I share here.

Stage 1: Concrete Experience

Try something new, or try something differently! Hate to break it to y'all but you can't learn from experience if you only read, listen, or watch about it (this is me reminding myself as well 🤣). The nice part of thinking about it as an experiment is that you aren't committing to do this thing for the rest of your life, just to give it a try, whew! So for this context, that might look like trying:

• A guided meditation
• Breathwork
• Mindful movement (tai chi, yoga, qigong)
• A wellness experience (float tank, sound bath class, workshop)
• And many more!

Stage 2: Reflective Observation

This is where you get to put on your scientist/researcher hat! How did this practice or experience go for you? If you had a specific objective in mind, how much did it move the needle towards relaxation, or energizing, or quieting your mind (or whatever your goal was)? Some reflection questions for y'all:

• How did your nervous system respond? Was the experience calming or activating?
• What thoughts emerged?
• Did any images come to mind?
• What sensations did you notice in your body, if any?
• What emotions came up for you?
• In general, did it feel pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral?

Stage 3: Abstract Conceptualization

This is the learning part of the cycle!! You collected the data in the reflection stage, and now you get to make sense of it. What does that data tell you about yourself in general, or about you in relation to this kind of practice? What did you learn? Some specific questions (also go nuts making up your own):

• Did the practice resonate with you (does it seem to be something that helped, and/or you'd like to keep doing?)
• How might you tweak the practice to make it work even better for you?
• Where in your routine might you be able to sneak more of this in?
• Can you think of ways to apply this practice in your day-to-day, such as at work, or with your kids, or when you're hanging out with friends?
• Is there any spark of curiosity to learn more practices like this, or to learn more about the practice (how it works, different techniques, etc)

Stage 4: Active Experimentation

This is the fun part!! You take what you learned in Stage 3 and form hypotheses for practicing again. Some ideas based on the practices I've shared:

• That yoga stretching felt great, I'm gonna try doing it after one of my daily dog walks.
• That breathing practice was super calming, I'm going to practice it a few times before my family time at Thanksgiving and remember to step away and do it if need be during the visit.
• That guided meditation was so relaxing, I think I will see if it helps me fall asleep faster and work it into my bedtime routine.
• I liked that practice so much, I want to see if there are classes I can attend live in my area.
• I think my kid, or spouse, or friend would benefit from this. I'm going to share how it helped me and invite them to practice with me next time!

And speaking of experiential learning...

I tried something new for the video this week, courtesy of an idea from my lovely neighbor Zsu Zsi (same "Zhh" sound as "Zsa Zsa Gabor" 🥰). She took me up on my offer of taking requests for practices, and asked for yoga for wrists and shoulders as she has been doing a lot of laptop-based work. Then she offered to be in the video with me, and invited me to her lovely patio garden as our filming location! 🪴🌞💗

Breaking it down by the experiential cycle, here is how it went for me:

• Stage 1: New experience: I tried filming with someone who was practicing with me in person.
• Stage 2: Observations: It was fun! Conversation emerged organically, and Zsu Zsi gave some great feedback for how the practice went for her as we did it. It felt rejuvenating to spend time with all her lovely plants and under the trees around her patio.
• Stage 3: Abstract conceptualizations: I really want to teach more people live in person, I love that felt sense of connection practicing in real time with someone. I enjoyed filming in a new location - it provided a freshness and excitement as opposed to sticking to one of my previous spots at my house.
• Stage 4: Active experimentation: To be clear I haven't done anything yet 🙃but here are some ideas for protocol I want to try out:
  • Seeing if any of my lovely readers want to record a practice session with me for something they are interested in to share on YouTube...even if we just record on Zoom 😉
  • Try filming on the beach! Will probably feel like a dork while I'm doing it with other beachgoers around but will be worth it 🤣
  • Offer to do a calming breathwork 30 minute workshop as a lunch and learn at work to share with my co-workers

This week's practice

Here it is y'all! Big thanks to Zsu Zsi for being in the video with me, and sharing her garden with us as a filming spot 🙏 💗 Hope y'all enjoy, it will make a fantastic little 12 minute desk side 💻 stretch break- you don't even have to get up from your chair!

In deep appreciation,

Carly

Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter!! If you know anyone who would benefit, I would be delighted if you shared the love and passed it along 🙏

I greatly appreciate any feedback, comments, or requests for practices/info. I've got a lot of knowledge and skills to share with people, so tell me what ya need and we'll see what I can do!! Simply respond to this email to send me your thoughts 😊