Ep: 218 Shauna Shapiro

Shauna Shapiro is a professor, author, and internationally recognized expert in mindfulness and compassion. Dr. Shapiro is the author of Good Morning, I Love You. She has been an invited speaker for the King of Thailand, the Danish government, Bhutan's Gross National Happiness Summit, the Canadian government, and the World Council for Psychotherapy, as well as for Fortune 100 companies including Google, Cisco Systems, Proctor & Gamble, and Genentech.  The New York Times, BBC, Mashable, the Huffington Post, Wired, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal have all featured her work, and nearly three million people have watched her TEDx talk "The Power of Mindfulness." Dr. Shapiro is a summa cum laude graduate of Duke University and a fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, co-founded by the Dalai Lama. Introducing Shauna Shapiro What problem do you solve? She's going to solve two problems for CHARGERS today. Shauna will solve your wandering mind which is when your life is on autopilot and you can't focus or concentrate. She will help you find more compassion for yourself and treat yourself with kindness. Show Notes: When you make a mistake and shame yourself it shuts down the learning centers of your brain. You get stuck in the habit patterns you're trying to change. Self-compassion releases dopamine which turns on the learning centers of the brain and activates motivation. It gives you the strength and courage to move forward. A failed habit is just learning ways that don't work for you. Whatever you practice grows stronger. It is natural for your mind to wander. The key is discipline and compassion. They go hand in hand together. Mindfulness is a way of being present and focusing moment by moment. Mediation is the exercise or practice you do to train your mindfulness. Mindfulness has a lot of great benefits like reducing stress, strengthening your immune system, and improving your sleep quality. Mindfulness can decrease bias and increase decision-making and compassion. The first step to meditation practice is knowing your intention. Why are you doing it? Why is it important? The second thing is knowing when you are going to do it. She recommends doing it first thing in the morning or right before bed. The third thing is to set ridiculously unambitious goals. Start small and meditate for a minute or five. Then work up to more. Finally, be kind to yourself. Recognize that you can begin again in any moment. Adjust, pause, contact your body and mind, and begin again. Know that there is a science behind mindfulness. It's never too late to change. Begin. Practice makes change. Shauna Shapiro's Recharge Round What habit do you think has led to success in your life? Shauna's biggest habit is the 'Good Morning, I Love You' practice. She wakes up, puts her hand on her heart, and treats herself with kindness. If you had one do-over, what would it be? She would've stated how important it was to be on her own team and been a friend to herself sooner. Connect with Shauna: Shauna's website: drshaunashapiro.com Instagram Learn more about Gary's Mastermind group at goascend.biz/mastermind/