The Changemakers’ Toolkit
You’re a Changemaker, and the world needs you! You can’t afford burn-out, so we are giving you tools to fuel yourself while you are helping others.
Changemakers’
Tool · 1 of 6
Turn the Arrow of Discernment Toward Your Own Heart
In conflict, we often blame others and become embattled. The key to power and freedom arises when you take open responsibility for what is happening. By turning the arrow of discernment toward yourself, you step back into your power as an individual and learn to approach challenges with wonder and collaboration instead of shame or blame.
Connecting to the tool
The Red Flag Practice
This is a self-inquiry practice. By asking yourself a set of questions, you can learn what is motivating your thoughts or actions. You can do this as a journaling exercise or as an internal dialogue. These will help you detect the red flags, which are cautioning you to take a moment and become aware if you are overly externalizing or internalizing uncomfortable emotions.
— Technique —
Write your answer to the following questions:
- What is your current difficult situation?
- What emotions are you caught in?
- Are you blaming? (others or yourself) If so, who?
- What story are you telling yourself about the situation or person?
- Can you turn the arrow back to your own heart and find your piece in it?
- What is true?
Bringing it into the Workplace
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Take a deep, mindful breath and identify what you feel.
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Notice if you are in victim/villain mode and identify who is playing what role in your story.
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Turn the arrow back toward your own chest with compassionate awareness, knowing you are neither victim nor villain.
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Be willing to claim your part to empower yourself.
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Open, connect and learn.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
Changemakers’
Tool · 2 of 6
Live as the Eye of the Storm
Storms happen every day: stress storms, emotional storms, family storms, unworthiness storms. How do you cultivate ability in this? How do you stand in wisdom and integrity? To live as the eye of the storm is to connect with the depth of who you are. Learn to embody an unshakeable sense of being, no matter the situation.
Connecting to the tool
The Column of Light
The spinal column houses your nervous system which has paramount importance in maintaining equanimity. This practice draws your focus deep into the energy of the nervous system in the spinal column. You utilize the imagery of an ongoing column of light to soothe and balance the nervous system and the brain.
— Technique —
- Focus in the spinal column from the tailbone to the top of the head.
- Inhale deeply and fully and imagine the energy of the breath flowing upward from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.
- Pause for just a moment, one or two seconds at the top of the head.
- Exhale from the crown of the head back down to the base of the spine, completely releasing the breath.
- Pause for 1 or 2 seconds with your focus at the base of the spine.
- Continue this breath for 5 – 20 minutes.
Bringing it into the Workplace
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Inhale up and down the spine and get centered, gathering your energy back into the central column of the spine. Intentionally ‘pull in’ like a tortoise pulling into his shell, then follow your awareness up and down the spine, calming your nervous system.
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Be aware of the swirl of thoughts, reactions and emotions but notice them all as passing sensations, like storm clouds passing through the sky.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
Changemakers’
Tool · 3 of 6
Consume or Be Consumed
Either you consume the world, or the world will consume you. This is a wild, powerful teaching in applied mindful awareness, where you must fully digest a situation or it remains stuck in your consciousness, blocking the flow of creativity. Learn to use it all as fuel for the fire of your own transformation.
Connecting to the tool
The Fire Breath
The Breath of Fire is a rapid, short and powerful breath. It is an excellent tension burner. As you learn the breath, the focus is on the exhale. As you progress, the inhale and exhale are balanced.
— Technique —
- Set your intention to ‘burn’ what you no longer need, be it anger, stress, anxiety or unworthiness.
- Inhale one-quarter of a full breath. Exhale forcefully as you pull the navel in towards the spine. Repeat. The breath will make a ‘locomotive’ sound.
- Begin slowly. Speed and coordination will come with practice. As you gain mastery, repeat the breath once per second.
- Continue for 1 minute, then practice a long deep breath for one minute.
- Repeat this sequence 3 times.
- To end, inhale deeply and hold the breath in softly for a moment, without struggling. Feel the energy of the breath build. When you are ready, exhale, releasing any residual stress or tension, having burned away what you do not need.
- Sit peacefully for a few moments and notice what has changed.
Bringing it into the Workplace
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Find a quiet place alone.
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Practice the Fire Breath and imagine burning what you do not need.
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On the last exhale, imagine ash and smoke rising from the fire in your belly, the fire of transformation. Use it all as fuel for increasing mindful awareness.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
Changemakers’
Tool · 4 of 6
The Art of Non-Reaction
When you are caught in a moment of negative reaction, the power of a deep breath can free you. The breath acts like a wedge, placed between you and your hurt, anger or habitual behavior. When you take a conscious breath, it creates a gap for compassion, connection and creativity to move into, liberating you to make an expansive choice.
Connecting to the tool
The Victory Breath
The sound of this breath acts as a reminder to breathe more deeply and make a conscious choice, rather than react unconsciously. The breath acta as a wedge between you and habitual reaction.
— Technique —
- Sit with your spine upright and long. Set a timer for 5 minutes.
- Close your eyes and turn your focus within. Actively pull your mind and attention inside your body. Become soft, quiet and focused.
- Breathing in and out through your nose, listen deeply to the sound of your breath, observing its natural rhythm.
- Begin to exaggerate the sound of the breath at the base of your throat, like a sighing or “H” sound with your mouth closed. Take longer deeper breaths as you make this sound. Try to fill your lungs completely, then empty them until there is no breath left. Listen intently to the sound of the breath traveling in and out of your body. Notice any and all sensations that you feel, but try not to react to them, just noticing and being present. Listen and follow wherever the breath takes you in that moment.
- Imagine that your ongoing thoughts are like clouds, passing across the sky of the mind. You don’t catch hold of any of them but let them drift through and remain focused on the breath. Allow everything else to drop away. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it.
Bringing it into the Workplace
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Take a deep, intentional breath and softly exaggerate the sound of the breath at the base of your throat, creating a subtle sighing sound on both the in and out-breath.
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Exhale just as deeply, creating a complete expulsion of the breath.
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Continue these deep, expanded breaths until you gain enough awareness to create a conscious response rather than a reactive one.
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As you first learn this practice, you may only be able to ask that everyone give you a minute, but you can change dramatically, one conscious breath at a time.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
Changemakers’
Tool · 5 of 6
Drink as You Pour
There is a lot of buzz about work-life balance, boundaries and learning to say no. People are expected to pour everything they’ve got into their work, leaving little for their deeper fulfillment.
The concept of “drink as you pour” teaches you to use your work as part of the practice, not as separate from it. In this, you open to the flow of sacred consciousness pouring through you, saturating you as well as all those you touch.
Connecting to the tool
The Heart Source Breath
Share the light of the Sacred through the work you do in the world.
— Technique —
- Close your eyes and turn your focus within. Actively pull your mind and attention inside your body. Allow your body and mind to become soft, quiet and focused.
- Breathing in and out through your nose, listen to the sound of your breath, observing its natural rhythm.
- Focus at the top of your head, and then a few inches over your head. In yoga, this space is called the “sky of the heart.” It’s a space to connect to the sacred source of your tradition, the light of spirit.
- As if you were taking in that light, breathe in from above your head, traveling straight down your spine to the center of your chest, the spiritual heart.
- As you exhale, infuse the heart center with that light, until the well of the heart feels full. This may take a few breaths or 100 breaths, but breath by breath fill your cup.
- Once your heart center feels full, begin to inhale down from above, and exhale out through the palms of your hands, infusing your hands with energy and light. By filling your heart and your hands with the light of the sacred, and sharing it through the work you do out in the world, your work becomes juicy and joyful.
Bringing it into the Workplace
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Become aware of your breath and deepen it.
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Inhale down from above, breathing in the sacred source of your tradition or the energy of the universe. Take this into the center of your chest, the heart of your being.
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Exhale and send this energy down both arms and out through the palms of your hands, infusing your work and everything you touch with reverent awareness.
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By filling your heart and your hands, the work you do out in the world becomes juicy and joyful, as you share the light of the sacred through your actions.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
Changemakers’
Tool · 6 of 6
Happy on the Way to Happiness
What is the difference between contentment and complacency? How do you maintain equanimity without settling? We must learn to love ourselves exactly as we are, with our flaws and imperfections, but we must do this while remaining committed to our own growth, expansion and evolution. Learn to be happy while you grow, cultivating joy in the process of both being and becoming.
Connecting to the tool
Gratitude Practice
This is a self-inquiry practice. By asking yourself what you are grateful for today, you can re-center yourself and begin to operate from the “cup half full.” You can do this as a journaling exercise, spoken with a colleague or friend, or as an internal dialogue. This practice will reconnect you to a feeling of well-being, remembering there is so much to be grateful for.
Bringing it into the Workplace
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List 3 things you are grateful for today. Science has shown this practice releases endorphins in our brain and physically changes our mindset.
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Add this to your daily to-do list or as a reminder on your calendar.
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Repeat 1 – 4 times per day for 40 days.
Going Deeper
Sacred
Leadership
Who is Swami Jaya Devi?
Get to know spiritual teacher Swami Jaya Devi, a master of living the yogic teachings in the modern world. Swami’s joyful and down-to-earth style makes these teachings deeply relevant and accessible.
Diving
Deeper
Weekend Immersions
Throughout the year Swami Jaya Devi offers deep dive weekend trainings that consist of highly interactive spiritual teaching sessions and heart-opening guided meditations.
Mindfulness
at Work
Create 24/7 Consciousness
If you want to bring Swami Jaya Devi and/or our mindfulness team to your own event, we offer various options that will fit your needs. Contact us and we’ll work with you!
Urban Yoga
Ashram
Explore Kashi Atlanta
Visit our website and learn more about who we are and what we do.
