Ep 26: Practicing Mindfulness with Cory Muscara

Cory Muscara is an international teacher and speaker on the topic of mindfulness meditation. He regularly appears on the Dr. Oz show, where Oz has introduced him as "one of the nation's leading experts on mindfulness meditation". In addition to speaking to executives at Fortune 500 companies and at various events across the world, he has taught mindfulness-based leadership at Columbia University, and currently teaches positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania where he completed his masters degree under Dr. Martin Seligman. In 2012, Cory spent six months in silence living as a monk in Asia, practicing meditation 14+ hours each day. He has presented mindfulness workshops and retreats for organizations such as Bank of America, Prudential, Johnson & Johnson, Travelers & Colgate, as well as universities such as NYU Stern, Wharton, and Tuck Business School. His meditations have been heard more than 4 million times in over 40 countries. WHERE TO FIND Cory ONLINE: Facebook Instagram Twitter Website Finding Your Home Online Course 31 Days of Mindfulness   EPISODE SUMMARY: What drew me to Cory was his positive energy, which is why I wanted him on the show. He talks on how he became practicing mindfulness even in a world of chaos. Everyone can practice mindfulness and it can be different for everyone. You can do meditation, yoga, tai chi, and more, but where does someone even begin? As an expert in mindful meditation, Cory says it starts with some form of self-awareness. Ask yourself how you are doing emotionally, physically, spiritually, etc. For some, others can feel content with where they are, or it could be a huge wake up call to start making changes. Practicing mindfulness gives you the tools to use when you find yourself struggling with something. One of my wake up calls was when I realized that I wasn't yelling at my kids because they were driving me crazy, it was because I wasn't fully taking care of myself! Having that self-awareness has made a big difference in my own motherhood journey. Do you struggle with awareness and being present? Not only do I run multiple businesses, I'm also a mother and wife. It's like living a rat race sometimes and at the end of the day, I forget about taking care of my needs because I'm just exhausted taking care of everyone else. But, no matter what, the universe is always telling us to slow down. Cory teaches us how to take the time to start listening to our body and taking care of ourselves. When you prioritize self care, it impacts everything else that's important to us. "I think life is just a series of setting expectations for ourselves, failing in one way or another to meet those expectations, and having hope for what the next moment could look like." - Cory Muscara Although some of us struggle with meditating for 1-5 minutes, Cory shares his experience meditating for 14 hours with monks in Asia for 6 months. What a commitment! Let's Connect! See all that Jennifer has to offer at Shamelessly Feminine! Join The Shamelessly Feminine Facebook Group and continue the conversation! Connect more with Jennifer on Facebook and Instagram!