Want a happier and more creative life? Join Gita for conversations about developing a holistic lifestyle that supports your creativity and wellness. With her trademark inspirational vibe each episode focuses on practical tips and takeaway homework you can put right into practice. Gita is an accomplished writer, musician and yoga teacher who has spent thirty years teaching creativity. Get inspired and create a rhythm for your life that supports your creativity and wellness.
Episodes
Friday Jan 10, 2020
Friday Jan 10, 2020
Wouldn’t it be great to stop an icky drippy cold before it starts?
Or how about keeping it from developing into a sinus infection or bronchitis?
Stay healthy and well by practicing a new mindset and seven specific tips from this episode of The Gita Brown Show!
Get started now on your journey to wellness!
Visit https://www.gitabrown.com/the-gita-brown-show
to watch the video of this episode. See you there!
Thursday Jan 02, 2020
Thursday Jan 02, 2020
Do you want more for your life? Think it’s too late to follow your dreams or don’t know where to start?
Get seven tips you can use right away to take action towards your dreams today!
Our guest is Kristen Paulson-Nguyen, a writer and editor. An award-winning poet, Kristen got her start in writing at the Boston Globe as a correspondent where she where she wrote dozens of articles on everything from Joanne Chang’s banana bread to the World Series. At 49 she took the leap towards her dream of writing literary nonfiction and started writing a memoir. Kristen is also the writing life editor at Hippocampus magazine and busy mama to an amazing kid. She’s a testament to the skills and hutzpah it takes to follow your dreams!
Join us for this lively and actionable discussion and take notes so you can join us in pursuing your dreams!
Head over to gitabrown.com to watch the video of this episode or get a free transcript!
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
Thursday Dec 12, 2019
Do you have a dream for your life but have been too overwhelmed to start?
Do you make excuses about how you don’t have enough time, money, or support?
If you need a little help in getting started, or want to know how to move towards your dreams and keep you day job, look no further than this interview with Louise Miller.
Louise is a professional pastry chef and talented writer. Her books, The Late Bloomers’ Club and The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living have received rave reviews and are proof of the power of pursuing your dreams, no matter how busy your life is.
Listen in as Louise shares her practical advice for how you can create a life that is full of the things you love doing. The time for you to start following your passion is now!
Be sure to visit Louise here, she’s got some great upcoming classes and lots of wit and wisdom for you: louisemiller.net
Top tips from Louise on how to follow your passion:
1. Start small and simple! Take a small action towards your dream; this creates momentum and is sustainable.
2. Start scheduling time for your passion. Your calendar reflects your dreams so make sure to schedule in time to make your dreams a reality.
3. Find people who support your dreams. Take a class, find a mentor, hire a life coach, or connect with a volunteer group. Having people in your corner will make all the difference to your success and ability to stick with it!
4. Share your dreams with your family and friends; let them in on your passion project and enjoy the support.
5. Be yourself! So much of our creative blocks occur when we waste time waiting for the perfect day, time, or lifestyle to magically create our lives…instead just focus on being yourself. Keep it simple and know that you are enough!
Episode #13 – Follow You Passion and Keep Your Day Job
00:12 – Introduction
00:50 – Introduction to Louise Miller – Author of “The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living” and “The Late Bloomers’ Club”
03:15 – How Louise started and balances being a pastry chef and an author.
07:00 – Why do we block ourselves so much from writing or other creative endeavors?
08:50 – Feedback is important. Seeking out the right people to give you feedback.
12:00 – Owning that you are a writer.
13:00 – What can older women do to help millennials shorten timespan between having a dream and implementing it.
17:10 – Louise talks about blocking out time for writing. She also writes ideas and notes that come up throughout the day and jotting what comes next in her book so when she’s at the computer she’s not thinking a lot about that.
22:20 – Using social media to connect with other artists and create community.
32:05 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Thursday Dec 05, 2019
Have you ever felt like a failure? Like you just want to crawl into bed and hide?
Or maybe you have a dream you’ve wanted to start but have been too scared to try because you’re afraid of failing?
But imagine what life would be like if you could change the way you react to failure. What would it feel like if failure helped you achieve your dreams? How many cool new things would you experience if you let yourself think differently?
Here’s the deal:
Success is not the absence of failure. Success is the product of failure.
Failure is a key ingredient in success
You can train your brain to think differently and turn failure into a superpower. All you need is a new way to think about things and a few strategies to put into practice. Check out the show now and start and embracing the challenge!
Episode #12 – What to do when you feel like a Failure
00:12 – Introduction
02:20 – You’re not alone in feeling like a failure. Even the most accomplished people feel like a failure.
02:44 – It can be tough to be rejected publicly and privately.
04:20 – What would it be like if you thought of your success and failure’s equally. Instead of thinking of failure as the end, thinking of failure as part of success.
5:00 – Feel of failure is usually the human need for belonging that is feeling threatened.
8:20 – Gita’s story of what she thought was a failure.
11:20 – Think about the story you tell yourself about your failure. What about thinking of it as a success and move onto something else?
13:00 – Think about your failure as a stepping stone and visualize the next success. You’re retraining the way your brain thinks.
15:35 – Winning is just temporary. What’s permanent is your soul or your higher self.
18:20 – Be intentional about how you are going to deal with failure.
19:00 – Bless something before you do it.
20:30 – Give yourself time to grieve. Then give it a timeframe to reenter the social stream.
24:05 – Success is the product of failure.
24:50 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Nov 21, 2019
Thursday Nov 21, 2019
Do you want to keep your brain full of energy and creative juice? Have you ever had brain fog or find it hard to keep your focus?
We need your full potential to shine and in this episode you’ll learn a concrete, scientifically proven method keep your brain sharp, young, and healthy!
Meditation doesn’t have to be hard or complicated. You’ll learn two techniques that you can start doing right away. Get benefits like:
Reduce fear response
Reduce stress response
Keep more cognitive ability as you age
Regulate your emotions
Improve ability to learn new stuff
Start simple and start small. Each meditation only takes three minutes to learn and with daily practice you’ll join the millions of people who have experienced the benefits.
Think you don’t have time? Jump to minutes 11 or 21 and give it a try for three minutes! Let’s get started, take action now!
Episode #11 – Keeping Your Brain Young: Three Minute Meditations for Busy People
00:12 – Introduction
01:20 – Check in with yourself – Do you have brain fog, can you concentrate, do you rely on caffeine and sugar to make it through?
01:57 – Are you doing great but need to kick it into another gear to get more done
04:20 – Gita’s story about starting with meditation – helped her feel better, decrease anxiety and helped her during very difficult period in her life
10:00 – Short meditation
14:20 – You can do meditation anywhere and it doesn’t take a lot of time – keeps your brain young
14:55 – A study shows that long term meditation had increased gray matter in several parts of the brain. 50 year old meditators had same amount of gray matter as people half their age (most brains shrink)
19:31 – Left Hippocampus part of the brain got larger. This area is learning, memory, emotional regulation.
20:50 – People that meditate – blood pressure is lower
21:20 – Meditation using a mantra
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Thursday Oct 31, 2019
Have you ever had trouble sharing your gifts with the world? Like when nerves get the best of you and it’s hard to speak or perform when it counts? We need your creativity and your presence!
But it can be hard to get up in front of people and share our gifts. Whether you’re presenting at a meeting, performing onstage, or getting up in front of your peers, it can feel like a struggle to remain connected to your strength when you feel vulnerable and exposed.
All you need is a strategy to follow. And in this episode of The Gita Brown Show you’ll learn a strategy to use that will keep you connected to your purpose, calm your nerves, and help you communicate with confidence!
Episode #10 – How to Communicate with Confidence
00:12 – Introduction
02:07 – Are you intentional when it comes to addressing your performance anxiety
03:21 – Gita’s story about performance anxiety
07:10 – Gita noticed that after breathing and meditation helped with performance anxiety
08:20 – Olympians know if they train their mind and right psychology, they come out on top
09:17 – Shifting the anxiety to increase your performance
11:15 - Don’t loose sight of the “why” you are performing
14:18 – Talking about vulnerabilities – about things that get in the way from performance
15:40 – Breathing and moving before performing
18:10 – If you have a negative thought, have a positive thought. If you have a negative body reaction, take deep breaths to counter
19:30 – Breath slowly and deeply before a presentation or a big meeting
19:50 – Be It: catch phrase to bring the why and the breath together
21:51 – Summary: Frame it, breath it, be it
23:07 – Pick one of the strategies and practice – frame it, breath it, be it
24:00 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
Thursday Oct 17, 2019
We all hold onto stuff. Emotions. Relationships. Dead end jobs.
We know these things are wrong for us. But without any concrete way to learn how to let go, we remain stuck.
I’ve been there, too. A decade ago I felt stuck in my marriage. I watched, helpless, as my husband abused alcohol and drugs. We met when we were just twelve; his joy and sweetness was such a natural part of my life that I called him "My Buddha."
As his behavior changed and became more dangerous I knew I had to leave the marriage; but I was terrified that he would become homeless or die without my care. And in that dark moment I was stuck. I was afraid to stay and afraid to leave. But. I realized that in order to hold onto the love I felt for him, I needed to let go of our marriage.
It’s not easy, this letting go thing. And I share my story with you so you know that you’re not alone. And so that you know that it is possible to train yourself to let go.
Learn three simple techniques that you can use, right now, to start practicing how to let go. You can be emotionally free and balanced; I believe in you! Let’s move forward!
Episode #9 – How To Let Go
00:12 – Introduction
01:14 – Dr. Kallie Snyder quote – “I get frustrated when people tell me to ‘let it go’.”
07:22 – Gita’s story about her past relationship
11:00 – She realized the more she tried to hold onto her relationship and what she thought the relationship should be, the more the love drained through
13:00 – Trying to hold on to things – emotions, relationships – trying to grasp the ungraspable
14:13 – The only thing you can hold onto is the recognition of your soul
15:59 - When we struggle to let go, we’re stuck in our emotion, stuck in our heads
16:28 – A simple way to help get unstuck is to breath in and when you breath out exhale and relax and release
19:13 – When you think of a dark thought, substitute for a better thought
20:25 – Bring person or situation into your mind and create a mantra (ex: may she be happy, healthy productive, may she be connected to her soul, may I be free from my attachment)
21:38 – Letting go comes down to managing your thoughts about the situation
24:20 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Oct 03, 2019
Thursday Oct 03, 2019
Do you feel like you’re running around all day long, but at the end of the day find yourself wondering what you actually accomplished?
Wouldn’t it feel great to live in a state where there is no hurry yet everything gets done? Imagine how awesome you would feel if you felt relaxed and like your day could just flow easily!
At the heart of productivity is a flow state where you use just the right balance of effort and ease. It is totally possible to train yourself to live this way; by practicing this simple relaxation technique you learn to let go and allow your mind to settle. When your mind is clear your productivity will naturally follow.
Listen to examples of three people who use this technique and then practice along as I guide you! It’s easy and super chill, I promise!
You are going to feel more clear and relaxed and I know that your productivity will grow. Let’s get started!
Episode #8
00:12 – Introduction
01:35 – Gita discovered ways to be more productive – made her rethink entire life
03:00 – Productivity is there for us all
03:15 – There are many systems for getting more productive
04:00 – At the heart of productivity – being in a flow state or fully present
05:20 – Relax and Let go to get more productive
06:50 – Story about Ghandi and relaxation
08:24 – Gita’s story about finding a new type of yoga which let her to the path of relaxation
12:00 – Bringing student through relaxation before lesson – student played with beautiful and relaxed tone after relaxation
18:00 – Technique for relaxation
25:00 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Thursday Sep 19, 2019
Are you a creative person? Do you write, draw, plant gardens, or make music?
Have you ever wanted to level up your creative output but weren’t sure how to do it without sacrificing your wellness or free time?
Your creativity is a reflection of your wellness and soul; start a simple system today to help you find your creative flow.
Listen in as we talk about how you can develop a mindset to help you feel inspired to create. You’ll also get tips for the best mindset to use during your creative burst. You will also get a short and sweet sample of a quick routine you can do to prep your body and mind to feel joyful and to harness your max creative power.
Since I’m a “Clarinerd” we use music as a specific example in this episode; I also use all this stuff to help my writing, too! We are all creative and express this in different ways, take these ideas and run with them!
Let’s get creating!
Episode #7 – How To Amp Up Your Musical Performance
00:12 – Introduction
01:35 – Have you ever been burned out/had performance anxiety?
02:20 – There’s always a way to get a little higher
02:45 – Remember why you got into music
04:00 – Remember your music is important – Everything that is being created now is a reflection of the times
06:27 - #1 limiting factor in not reaching full potential is the mental and physical preparation before making music
09:30 – You need a systematic set of practices to help you get into flow
11:00 – Remember why you are practicing – the greater way
12:45 – Be aware of your body
14:20 – Body warm-ups: Take 5 minutes to step back and warm up body before practicing
19:40 – Do a mental scan of your body to see what is tense
24:34 – Chant for Peace
Thursday Sep 05, 2019
Thursday Sep 05, 2019
Burned out?
Every now and then we all hit the wall. Whether it’s stress from your career, care taking for a family member, or any other massive life event, we can all relate to being exhausted and feeling like we’ve lost the joy.
The good news is that there is a whole team of people waiting to help you recover. It’s time for you to discover your personal wellness team.
I’ve totally been there. Twenty years ago I was living on Diet Coke, takeout food, five hours of sleep every night, and a work schedule that was truly insane. On the outside I seemed to have it all; husband, nice home, thriving career, and I looked healthy. But I was exhausted, constantly sick, and had lost my joy. Thank goodness I had yoga and a wellness team that kept my head above water, and when my marriage ended I had my wellness team on speed dial! Fast forward twenty years and lots of healthy habits later and today I’m sharing my tips with you. You get to learn my top tips for finding a wellness team that will help you recover from burnout.
My friend, your ability to be productive and joyful is directly correlated to your health and energy. Watch now and take that first step to creating your personal wellness team and bring back your joy!
Make sure to hop over to gitabrown.com for full transcript and my top tips!
00:12 – Introduction
01:45 – If you don’t manage your health, no one will
02:39 - Do a reality check – Do you feel burned out or do you feel burnout coming
04:50 – Gita’s story to burnout
08:25 - #1 person you need to see is your primary care physician
10:00 – Get a massage therapist to work out kinks in body, improve blood circulation
13:22 – An acupuncturist, acupressurist or a tradition Chinese medicine practitioner – preventing yourself from getting sick
15:50 – Get a personal trainer before you run a 5K, going to the gym for the first time, or other activity
19:00 – Go outside; it's free and proven to improve your health21:50 Tell your family and friends about your wellness team and recruit them to help!
24:35 – Chant for Peace