Megan Nolan helps people fully embody and become the ultimate version of themselves so they can make the impact they are destined to create.

Her humor and relatability break down barriers to yoga and meditation so that the benefits can be enjoyed by anyone, at any level of developing their practice.  She integrates positive intelligence principles to help debunk the bad stories and self limiting practices that arise from the voices of our saboteurs, and helps strengthen the sage wisdom that resides within us.

In this episode we talk about:

Honoring your true nature and finding aligned work

Breaking through the preconceptions of yoga

Finding a meditation style that works

Reconnecting to the power of breath

The committee of saboteurs that try to hold you back

Creating a morning routine that works for you

Megan is sharing her free 3 Step Morning Routine to help you align and energize your body and mind, available here: https://www.yogaatmydesk.yoga/a/2147496454/t5hzo98h

Connect with Megan online in her Facebook community, Elevated and Empowered Entrepreneurs: https://www.facebook.com/groups/eandeentrepreneurs

Susi Vine: Welcome back. I am so happy to have you with us today. For my conversation with Megan Nolan, Megan helps purpose driven entrepreneurs, align their mind, body, and spirit to their big vision so they can bring them to life with more ease and fun. And. Stress and struggle. So you can see clearly this is a conversation that has been faded to happen.

She’s a creator of the elevation method, which is her unique combination of yoga movement, breath, work, brain hacking techniques that help her clients in their businesses thrive. Nagin. Thank you for making time to join me. 

Megan Nolan: Oh, you’re so welcome. Thank you for having me. It’s great to be here 

Susi Vine: and know I love not that the, our listeners can enjoy, but our viewers certainly can this beautiful watery art behind you, and you’re joining us from Hawaii.

So you’re bringing us the spirit of the. 

Megan Nolan: Oh, thank you. Yes. I recently just got it. And I’ve decided it’s called peacock Wale, galactic space water. So for those of you that can’t see it. Now you have a random collection of words to hopefully make sense of 

Susi Vine: divinely inspired and absolutely on point. 

Megan Nolan: Right. I thought so too.

Not what Amazon called it, but that’s what I figured that it should be called.

Susi Vine: So I’d love to learn a little bit more about yourself and how you came to this space. Sharing your yoga, your philosophies. I’ve had the good luck to sit in on some of your programs and I love the spirit that you bring to your work and that inspiration. So how did you come to this space of cheering?

Everyone else? 

Megan Nolan: Thank you for that sweet compliment. And yeah, so I mean, like all of us it’s been a journey of evolution and some call it pivoting some colleges, natural progression on our journey. So I originally was in gerontology. So my background is in the study of aging and much to my point.

Confusion slash disappointment. When I graduated from university, I decided to move to Hawaii and become a personal trainer because I realized that I’m really sensitive and empathetic and working in a retirement home nursing home was just not for me and bless all the beautiful beings that do that, but it just wasn’t my path.

And so, yeah, that was in. 2005, moved to the big island and became a personal trainer and was studying and practicing yoga. And eventually just realized that that wasn’t the right spot for me. And my parents were beckoning me back home to Canada. And so I decided to move to the west coast of Canada and to BC.

And so I was like, I can’t do the freezing cold of the east coast, but maybe this will be better. That’s next step was an interesting one for me, because along the way, I was working at a gym and I was doing personal training and I just really didn’t align with that as much as the yoga element. And so became a personal trainer shortly or sorry, a yoga instructor shortly after and started to really blend those worlds and really saw the compliment of what comes from, you know, the mind body awareness, the breath, the internal.

Senses of the yoga practice, as well as the evolution of our upsells and awareness and love and accept. Combined with exercise, but I was living in a place where I was really, really unhappy. So Vancouver island, British Columbia is very beautiful as you know, like it is for a lot of the west coast, even in the U S as well, but it rains and it rains and it rains and it rains and rains.

And I literally felt like, ER, you remember him from Winnie the Pooh? Yeah. And so. It’s it’s one of those like plotting along sort of situations. And I, as I’ve been challenged by depression and anxiety for a good portion of my life and that really exacerbated it. And I was like, I can’t do this anymore.

I’m moving back to Y. So I moved back out here to Maui and, and I’ve done a variety of different things working for other people. And I started before the pandemic kicked off. I was doing work. So I was going into a variety of different local businesses and teaching yoga in the mayor’s conference room and in the power plants and in banks and in dentist office and doing all sorts of interesting stuff that I never would have expected, but was really loving, sharing these tools with people because.

Oftentimes, we get really intimidated by exercise or yoga if we’re not doing it. And you know, I’ve heard a million times, like I’m not flexible enough for yoga, or I can’t hire a personal trainer yet. I need to get fit before I do that. And so there’s a lot of stories that we have. And what I really love about the work that I do is being able to give people an experience.

Of it so that you can recognize, wow. Okay. This is something that I can do just because I can’t stand on my head and contort myself like Cirque de Solei. I can breathe. I can become aware of how I’m holding my body of what’s happening in my mind and giving people a sense of. How transferable this tool set is, and it’s great for us to stand on one foot on the yoga mat, but like really what it’s teaching you is that you’re strong and that you can do hard things and that you can come back into that steady state of awareness and all, and you know, really using that wisdom wherever you.

So that’s a long, you know, short variation version of my story. 

Susi Vine: Oh. But I love it because, you know, I think that as we’re, we’re moving forward on our path, we feel like, wow, this isn’t, you know, am I going in the right direction? Am I getting there quickly enough? Where is this actually going to take me? But in hindsight, all of the pieces.

Like it, it makes sense. It was the logical progression. We just had no way to see it yet. And I love that you started out in gerontology. I think that’s really fascinating when I was working in the senior service industry, as some of us call it, there are some real thought leaders in that space that just fundamentally have important messages that we all need to get.

It’s not just about aging and being happy at the end, but. That was my light bulb moment. It’s about everything we do along the path as we’re getting there so that we can be happy at the end. You know, we can’t just wait, put it on hold and say power and through right now. And this is no fun, but when I get there, it’s going to be great because we don’t get any guaranteed.

If you haven’t been practicing and building that foundation, what are the odds really? That that’s when you’re going to have that pivot. So, so I worked as a senior move manager and I help people downsize and move out of their family homes. So I was not the person that they were excited to see, tried to bring a happier spin on things, but it’s a, it’s a difficult time because a lot of things change and we can be hard on ourselves when we feel like we’re losing our independence at that stage.

So I appreciate that. Knowing yourself. And how much, you know, how deeply you would carry that process of other people in serving them that that’s for other people, but not quite for you, but with that perspective, then coming back to inspire people to be active. Now that’s really the spark that I have to, to say, right?

This is the responsibility that we carry. And so I think that, you know, you help people ask those questions. What, what is the method that I like? Is it yoga? Is it more, you know, traditional fitness? Starting with breath work. So, so do you also do meditation and breath work through those? Was it through teaching yoga or through the corporate wellness programs that you started to integrate more aspects in your teaching?

More 

Megan Nolan: through the yoga and. Into the corporate wellness programs as well, because people were really interested in that because there’s been such a beautiful discussion around meditation and how powerful it is for our productivity and our focus and for our quality of life. And so that was definitely something that a lot of the businesses and the industries wanted to bring in.

But bringing in a way that people would receive, because as we know, you know, I think the stat is like about 80% of people that start meditating don’t continue. So, because it’s so challenging and that’s, you know, admitted me. Like I have worded it for a long time because it was like, I can’t do this.

There’s just like chattering all the time. And so yeah, it was woven in through there and. It was really beautiful to give people that experience, like for that for one point one time when I was seating in the, in one of the power plants here on Maui. So just to give you a little visual, everyone was wearing coveralls, you know, like work, work clothes, and they were wearing work boots and, you know, older gentlemen.

And, and so the whole time it was 20 minutes session. And. Like, you know, they were into it and they were making the, you know, I’m really working hard. I’m really focusing on this sort of face or, you know, you can also interpret that as like, what is this? This is ridiculous. Who is this person? You know, of course your brain is going a million different directions.

I’m like, they hate this. Oh, this is awful. You know, they’re not liking it at all. Like, who is this little like tattooed? What is she doing here? And then one of the men after came up to me and said, no, one’s ever told me how to breathe before. I feel like you just gave me the most important information I ever could have.

And I was like,

You know, and so it was so special to me. And especially because here in Hawaii where the breath and as it is in yoga, the breath, the highs so revered. And so understandably because it carries that beautiful life force energy, our prom, our vitality, our motto, whatever you want to use cheap. And so it’s so revered, but it’s so it’s interesting to me because it’s not really something that people are taught unless they go to yoga or breath work class or Pilates speaks to it, the meditation.

So it’s one of those things. That’s a really a beautiful unifying ground for all of us, you know, and, and especially over these past two years, really, really honoring and respecting and appreciating our breath in our lungs and our body and our health and our vitality. 

Susi Vine: Yeah, and I think it’s so true. It feels abstract, you know, and, and my, my aha moment in terms of breathwork is, you know, what, we’ve been doing it since we were born, but that doesn’t mean we recognize what it means and how we can use it to our benefit.

So that’s so powerful to give people that awareness and light bulb moment and make it applicable to, you know, bring it out of. Less tangible, more spiritual space. Like you say, when it’s workplace wellness, these are people who are in a mindset of we’re here to do work. So when you can tie that to the benefits of better work, better focus, more success than, oh, the light bulbs are really going off.

For 

Megan Nolan: sure. And it was so awesome. Like one of the other students at our credit union came up to me and told me, you know, we had been doing sessions for a couple of years at that point. And, and she came up and said, you know, I wanted to tell you because I had you on the airplane with me the other day. And I was.

What’s that. And she said, you know, my whole life I’ve been terrified of when we land in a plane, when the plane lands, I’ve been so scared my whole life. And for some reason, as we were about to do it, you know, and they’re like telling me to buckle up and all that. And, you know, remember when we could fly on airplanes and so, you know, getting you ready to land you, but you know, the plane was getting ready to land.

And she said, you know, all I heard was you like. Soften your body begin to breathe slowly and deeply. And she’s like, honestly, I’m normally like puffing into a paper bag and I literally was able to just be with the whole process. And I wasn’t, I didn’t throw up and I wasn’t scared. And I was like, my heart, this makes it all worthwhile.

Susi Vine: When we connect to that power that we have, that we are not subject to our biological reaction, but we can actually start to turn that around. That’s so profound. 

Megan Nolan: Yeah, you weren’t in the 

Susi Vine: little bird on her shoulder. 

Megan Nolan: I know I’ve heard that a few times, but never in that setting before normally bumps stand up straight

and have that effect on people.

Susi Vine: And, and to, I mean, in addition to the power of breath work and connecting with that, I think, and I’m sure that you have heard. And so for anyone who’s listening to our show thinking to themselves. Yeah, yeah. Meditation I’ve tried it, it doesn’t work for me. Like how do you, how do you plant the seed that okay.

Maybe it hasn’t. 

Megan Nolan: Mm. Yeah. And that’s a good question. Yeah. So real quick little story is that, as I mentioned earlier, I avoided meditation for a long time because I just, I couldn’t just like my brain just being bumping bum. And so I avoided it for a long time and I was like really feeling a little bit fraudulent, you know, cause it’s teaching yoga and a huge component of yoga is, is the goal of yoga is to be able to quiet your mind and all that.

And I was like, oh, what am I even doing? And so. Yeah, I avoided it for a long time. And then my grandmother was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and started to lose her. Ability to, you know, have a memory and all of that. And so it’s quite a detrimental and anybody that’s listening, if you’ve had that experience, it’s really sad and it’s scary.

And me being me, I was like, well, you know, genetics, of course my brain was like, oh, worst case scenario. And then, but I was like, okay, what’s be proactive. So what can we do? And so I started researching and it’s been a significant body of well validated research. That meditation is one of the most powerful tools that we have to not only.

Allow our new brain cells to continue to develop and mature, but stick around and change the overall structure and function of our brain. So I was like, okay, you don’t have to tell me twice. I’m going to learn to meditate now. And so I went to my teacher and I said, you know, I’m just really struggling.

This is very hard for me to do what can I do? And she said, well, you haven’t found yourself. And I was like classic yoga teacher answer. I was like, what do you mean by that? She said, okay. So here’s the thing. Think of your mind, like an elephant, elephants are very curious and there’s such beautiful animals, right?

And so elephants are very curious. And if you think of elephants, you’ll often see them holding a stick in there. Right. So holding a stick in their chunk or holding the tail of the elephant in front. Right. So if you think of, when you see the elephants walking, they’re holding onto something and that’s for a reason, because they’re very curious.

So they use their trunk to explore, they pick up things or they’re, you know, they’re, they get distracted. And so. Their handlers, their keepers. We’ll give them something to hold on to. So your mind is like an elephant. It’s very busy. It’s very curious. The nature of the mind is to think, and it’s all over the place, so you need to give it a stick.

And I was like, oh, that makes sense. Okay. So then, you know, I started exploring. Tie some meditation doing different mudras or repeating certain words. And that, to me, I find helpful because I’m kind of a busy mind as you already understand, is that like, I probably need to be doing like three or four things to actually get my mind to be quiet.

So it was, it was a bit of a journey, but one of the things that I really love to share is that. It doesn’t have to be that traditional, what we think of meditation. Like you don’t have to light your incense and sit on a pillow on the floor and, you know, repeating home or whatever it is, unless that’s your jam.

You literally can reach the calmness and the centered quality. That is the essence of meditation by doing things that you’re already doing. Paying attention to the sounds that you can hear. Like if you just sit for a moment and you just close your eyes and you breathe and notice what sounds you can hear my voice obviously, but what in your room or in the car, like tuning and using these different aspects of your physical being even something as simple as really lightly rubbing your fingertips together.

What you’re doing there is quieting the noisy chatter of the monkey mind or the. Part of your brain that wants to keep you in like the fight, the flight and struggle. And it’s quieting that part of your brain that lends to the self-sabotage and then all the stall tactics. And by focusing on that, whatever that is, the breathing, the fingers, the lists of meaning, the smells, whatever it is, you’re activating the higher centers in your brain, your prefrontal cortex, which is your wise safe.

Self that is the one that you tap into meditation. So you get the same benefits of meditating by doing things you’re probably able to actually do a little more readily and you can do them while you’re listening to somebody talk like it’s really easy to just softly rub your fingertips together rather than be like, okay, hold on.

I got to go to the bathroom. What’s that? Okay. I’ll be back. You know, we tend to kind of put it on a pedestal and for good reason, it has amazing benefits. But if you can do something that you’ll actually do. And then you’ll feel that calming aspect. That is what the benefit of yoga and meditation. Yes.

Susi Vine: And you are starting to talk about some things that I know are going to lead us down. Another really fascinating line of conversation, because I know that you are you practice and help people understand aspects of positive intelligence and the way that we can incorporate that, you know, a lot of people might be familiar with, you know, Your inner gremlin or that critical voice, but there’s, there’s some more that we can do to kind of recognize those influences I’ve tended to recommend.

Even before I was really diving into positive intelligence, but understanding like it’s more like a committee, right. And when we try to hit the mute button and quiet them down they just get really resilient. They come back twice as loud and just as strong. So we can’t hit the mute button. I always kind of thought about having a, you know, meeting around the table, but there’s some ways in which we can engage with those different aspects or influences or voices.

So I’d love for you to share a little bit about. You know, beyond the inner gremlin, like what are all these players that are coming to the four? 

Megan Nolan: For sure. Yeah. So the inner gremlin, if you will, or the inner critic is one of the committee, which I lovingly call the shitty committee. Yeah. I’m going to apologize if that word offends you.

But the reality is is that they, they just talk shit. They don’t do shit and they make you feel like shit. So we shouldn’t have gotten the shitty committee. So the inner gremlin or the inner critic is the one that we all have in common. And that’s the judge. And not only that. It criticize us or have like nasty things to say about ourselves.

It also speaks to the situation and others. So that’s the part of us that has that sort of running negative dialogue about everything you’ve done wrong. You know, when you wake up in the middle of the night and like your brain just wants to tell you all the things you messed up on in your whole life, it wants to ruminate on that because all of these characters in the committee are driven by fear.

And anytime you’re feeling that negative emotion, you know, that. The MC and I love your analogy of like having a board meeting, because that is what it’s very much like, and it’s, you know, we all have ones that are more predominant that are like our main player. They’re kind of like the main character, if you will, in the committee and then sort of back up like, you know, understudies, but we all have these different.

Characters or these different voices that tend to push us in different directions that are basically your brains. And you can kind of think of it. Like they guard the perimeter of your zone of familiarity. Because every time you go up to that edge of like, Ooh, I want to try something new in my business, or I’m going to, you know, learn this new cooking thing for my partner or whatever it is your brain’s like, whoa.

No, that’s a little bit dangerous. Someone’s going to laugh at you or you’re going to like, someone’s going to be mean on Facebook or it’s totally going to flop. So all of these voices, like kind of guard the edge of that zone of familiarity and are doing their best to keep you safe because that’s what your brain is hardwired to do is to keep you alive so you can continue the species.

Right. And so that’s what it’s triggering is the fight or flight aspect of your. And so these voices, which you’ll notice are tend to kind of push you forward of like, yeah, maybe once you have this number of money’s in your bank account, or maybe even you have this number of people on your email list, then you’ll finally be good.

Then you’ll finally be successful because right now, not enough, not enough, you know, and that’s very. Conditional happiness of like, once you get there, then, then you’ll feel good about yourself. Then you’ll get the wand and tap them ahead of being worthy and enough and good enough and all of that. But whereas the other part of you that why self that is the one that we connect you in meditation, the higher self or the Sage, or the elevated version of you that has all the wisdom has all the answers knows that you’re a Maine.

You’re incredible. And you are constantly on a journey of evolution and growth, and there’s going to be ups and downs and you’re going to make mistakes, but that version of you accepts it and doesn’t like, you know, make you feel like crap for weeks. It’s like, okay, well that happened. How can this become a game?

How can this become something that will help you to learn and to grow? Because if we stay on the other side of the fence with the shitty committee, they’re gonna like subject you to more negative feelings of like, oh, you should’ve done it better. Okay. This time we’re going to make it perfect. Or, you know what, no I just going to go like clean out some drawers or look on YouTube or whatever it is.

So there’s all these different stall tactics that they play with. And I like one thing that you mentioned that is really helpful for people is when you start to notice these habits of yourself, make it a character. Like, like it is the one on stage and like give it a name, you know, like the shiny squirrel, if you tend to be really distracted or whatever, or like Petra, the perfectionist or whatever it is so that you can say, oh, oh, there you are again.

And you got to play with them a little bit. You can, you know, cause they’re going to taunt you, they’re going to say nasty things to you. You have to kind of be able to be willing to, you know, use the breath. Take a step back or do whatever it is to reboot and then say, you know what, oh, I see what you’re doing there.

Really. I never do anything. Right. I’ve never done anything right before. No, that’s not true. And you can play with them a little bit because then it gives you that space. And that willingness to be curious, that’s so important. 

Susi Vine: Mm, yes, yes. 110%. And I love that you, that you refer to that because I think that spirit of curiosity and playfulness, right.

And like not taking it as seriously as they want to be, or as Portant important as they make themselves out to be. But just kind of having that relationship where you can have a back and forth and say really, really is that true? Have you always been right? And when we can feel so much more empowered and strong.

And this time I’m going to do it differently. Right. Let’s let’s bring the Sage back to the microphone. 

Megan Nolan: Yeah, yeah, exactly. And it is it’s that, that willingness to stay in that place of awareness. And that’s so huge because whenever, and so the thing is because they drive us forward in fear of like, oh, you’re never going to be good enough.

Or like, oh, you should have done it better. Or there’s guilt or any sort of, one of those like tight, restrictive, negative emotions. You can bet that those are that’s one of those members of the committee has the mic and they’re the ones that are making you feel that way, because they’re creating the thoughts, which then lends to your emotions.

Right? And so that’s going to affect how you feel and what you do, because if you’re starting to feel like crap and you know, you’re never good at. And then of course, you’re going to go and like lay on the couch and watch Netflix again. So anytime you start to recognize and use that as sort of like a Ooh, like hand on the hot stove, like, oh, won’t do that again.

And of course they’re going to hijack us. And that happens until I have this in the best of us. It happens to all of us, you know? And so it’s that willingness to be witness to those different characters that are at play and do whatever it is that makes you feel good. It helps you to feel grounded. Some people that’s yoga, some people that’s, you know, gardening or painting or whatever it is to find that stillness so that you’re getting reprieve from that noisy chatter.

And you’re like, oh, this is where I’m really feeling good. This is where I’m captain. And I know I’m really good at this. And I’m here for a reason, you know? That self-talk, that might, might feel funny and silly to people at first, but it’s really so powerful because you listen to your own chatter all day long.

So it’s, wouldn’t it be to your benefit to start speaking a little bit more nicely to yourself? I’m saying that because I’m working on a, to believe me, but it’s one of those things, right. 

Susi Vine: So true. And, and you said you know, earlier. It, these voices come from fear, right? And that’s what our body, our mind is wired to respond to.

It has gotten us to this point. It’s just that our biological evolution hasn’t matched our social evolution. And so, you know, when we respond to everything that could be stressful from fear, then we’re obviously not able to grow the way that we can. And so. Catching yourself and coming back, catching yourself and coming back, it’s like coming back to your meditation practice, we’re actually strengthening those neural connections and that reflex so that instead of the fear reflex that love, reflects that acceptance is stronger and more able to.

You know, lift us up and push us forward as opposed to pulling on the reins and holding us back. Mm 

Megan Nolan: mm. And you, you really touched on a good point there that it it’s like anything. It’s a practice and it’s literally, you know, especially when you’re first starting to strengthen your ability to even when.

This dialogue and be able to shift it it’s as soon as you get, they get wind that you’re like, whoa, she’s onto us. You better believe they’re going to come back hard and they’re going to come back sneaky. And so it’s like, you just have to sort of be on a vigilant awareness of it because it’s going to be constant, you know?

And it’s like, when you’re learning anything, like, remember when you first started driving and you were like, I can’t even talk. Don’t even look at me. I have like so many things. I enjoy it. Like, it feels overwhelming because there’s so much coming at you. But it’s really that, that willingness to be present.

And I mean, life is gonna end, you know, especially the past few years, there’s things thrown at us constantly. So it’s really just being witnessed to that and being willing to stay open because you’re right. Like everything is hardwired from millions of years ago and we haven’t really caught up, but that’s our work.

I believe that’s our work as, as conscious beings is to learn and grow and evolve. And this is a huge part of that. 

Susi Vine: Hmm. Yes. That’s some work we can prescribe to

so that we can keep on growing on that wisdom. Right. So we don’t have to keep all learning the same lessons, you know, we can keep on moving that evolution. Hmm, that’s beautiful. And being that this episode is coming out early in the year. I know a lot of people are focused on how to make the most of their new year to stay true to their intention if that’s what they set for themselves, but to really help themselves make their strongest step forward.

What do you find is your strongest practice or how do you help yourself get centered? So you can move through your day and stay aligned. 

Megan Nolan: Yes, that’s a great question. And then that’s so important to remember, and also to think about it, like from the intention perspective, rather than a resolution, because the resolve is to put an end to something and cut something off.

So look at it from like, what do you want to do? How do you want to feel? What direction do you want to move in? What’s going to bring you closer towards the goals that you’ve set for the year or the ways that you want to feel your big vision, what happened. So once you have that in mind, How you want to feel?

My most powerful tool is a morning routine, and that doesn’t have to be a big extravagant affair if you don’t have time for that. Some people do not everybody. And it really is creating that intentional window of time for yourself, especially for parents or caregivers. That might be just a few more.

But that really is so powerful and don’t discount those few moments. Cause you can shift your inner state very quickly. And if you are committing to today, I’m going to be aware. I’m going to be kind, I’m going to be loving to myself or whatever it is, setting that intention for yourself and truly stepping into and embodying that.

So for me, that’s really what a monument. You know, some people like to integrate journaling into that or meditation or tapping or belief work or whatever it is. And to me that, and it can look different every day, you know? Cause there’s a variety of different tools out there, depending on what will help you on your journey of evolution.

You can weave those in. But for me, it’s definitely that intentional window of time of my morning. 

Susi Vine: Beautiful. And how did you come to put your own into practice? Because I appreciate that. You’re saying it can be whatever works for you. People tend to hear the million dollar morning or this or that, and it’s an hour, it’s an hour and a half.

So thank you for permission to make it fit. 

Megan Nolan: Your welcome. 

Susi Vine: How did you, how did you zero in on how this could, could work for you could apply to your life. 

Megan Nolan: We it’s a funny story. So a little bit of backstory is when I was five years old. My parents took us to your universal studios, which is in Florida.

It’s like an amusement park where they, you know, all sorts of movie exhibits, et cetera, et cetera. And so my parents thought it’d be a really cool idea to go see a 3d map. And it was my first one and I was so excited and it was called the birds by Alfred Hitchcock. And it was completely terrifying. I was five years old.

I was terrified. And so the birds would fly at the camera and laying on the person in front of you. And all you could see you as their beaks and their tablets. I for the most of my life have been terrified of birds, but have subsequently come to realize that what I was doing with the birds, by focusing on their beaks and their talents and ignoring all other aspects was actually what I was doing with myself.

I was really just focusing on the faults and the flaws and the setbacks and mistakes and all of it, and not being willing to see all of the other good things that I’ve brought to life. And this is, you know, still definitely part of my journey to this day, but it’s really, you know, recognizing that there’s, there’s so much more.

Beyond the, the, like the things that we see beyond what the saboteurs, the committee would have to believe. Right. So that was, you know, hijacked by them for a long time. So I tell you that because a few years ago, I accidentally adopted a rooster and keep remind them a little bit scared. Still I’ve been really working on it.

You know, I got like all sorts of bird stuff tattooed on me. It’s part of my journey now. But. Yeah. So here in Maui, we have a situation in many other warm tropical places as well, is that there’s no real predator for chickens and roosters, so they just run free. And so in my backyard, there was a mama hand and all her little baby cheeks though, so cute, you know, bumping around in the backyard and do that thing where they all get under the Monaghan and they, you know, you don’t even know they’re there.

And then she stands up and it’s like scattered. And so it was quite cute, you know, and still. You know, cut them in your hand. There’s so little, not that I touched them cause I was still scared. And so one day there was no lemme hen and I was like, oh crap. You know, they’re out there. And there’s probably at that point, you know, probably a good 15.

And so they’re still puttering about in the backyard and, you know, drinking from the banana plants over here and eating the bugs and all the things. And my mama handles gone. Like, this is not good. There’s traffic, there’s cats. There’s longest, like this is not gonna end well. So I’m out there. You know, I mentioned that I was sensitive and empathetic.

I’m out there crumbling up the gluten-free bread and putting down the chemo and doing all the things, you know, and I’m still like scared. So one day there was only one left. They all kind of, you know, nature had its course. And so I’m like, oh, I feel so bad. And there’s only one hand, you know, and fun fact about chickens is that you don’t know that they’re rooster until they reach out of lessons.

So. I wouldn’t have adopted him. If I had known he was a rooster. I’ll just tell you that. And so chirpy his name. He was out, he kinda like come up to the window right here and like, beep beep beep beep on the window. And so we had all sorts of funny escapades. So the reason I’m telling you all of this is because at first I was like, oh man, this is real.

This is a lot. So keep in mind. I was still in my process of trying to figure out, like, why was everything so difficult in my life and why am I not happy? And like, blah, blah, blah, blah. And so every morning he would wake up and you know, about four o’clock in the morning and do his thing. And he’s a solid, happy outside my window, four o’clock in the morning.

And I’m like, oh, this is annoying. Why don’t we do adopt a rooster and then of course the committee is like, oh, good on you for being nice. Now, as we haven’t been that, you know, and I believe my, my core belief is that we are all more powerful than we give ourselves credit for. And so I was like, okay, I get to decide how I’m going to handle this situation.

And, you know, keep in 

mind, 

Megan Nolan: I’m trying to like, make my love and peace here with the birds. And so I’m like, oh, this is not like, the irony is not lost on me. That I now have a rooster that I’m trying to learn to love. And so I was like, well, what can I see about him? What can I notice about him? So, you know, animals have so many lessons to teach us and they have, they represent a lot of things.

And of course, roosters represent they’re the beautiful totem of the morning right there. Like that’s, that’s their jam. They love to. Get up and cock-a-doodle-doo. And so I was like, okay, well, what can I begin to learn from him? And so, you know, first, first and foremost, he’s very consistent. He would literally do that every morning at four in the 4 24 30, like around four o’clock typically you can get up and he would do his thing every day.

And so I’m like, okay, This is important because consistency is really important in anything that we do in order to learn and grow and evolve. And so I’m like, okay, chirpy, got it. Consistency. Here we go. And then, you know, it continues on, I’m like, okay, he’s very consistently waking up every morning and doing his thing and celebrating the new day.

And I’m like, okay. Yeah, consistently wakes up and he celebrates each new day. And I think that’s very important for us to remember is because when life is challenging, when you’re in a pandemic, when you like in deep with your business, it can feel really challenging to celebrate life. But life is a blessing and, you know, it’s so important for us to be grateful and come back to that, that we have a day together that we have a day to do whatever it is that you get to do.

Right. And so he was very much a reminder of that celebration. And so I was like, okay, Yeah, this is getting good. Maybe this is why I adopted a rooster after all. And so, you know, so he’s up there being consistent, doing his thing and celebrating the new day, singing this little song and I’m like, I probably wouldn’t have called him chirpy.

If I had known he was a rooster, I want to call them something else with C because he just stretched around the yard and he’s like, yeah, he’s just rocking it. And I’m like, wow, he’s so confident. He’s so confident. He’s just literally, he just is, you know, Cool looking risk herself. And I’m like, wow, this is really important.

Like, he really is so alien body mint of who he is. Like, he just rocks it everyday and he doesn’t really care. He just like, does this thing, you know, he probably doesn’t know better. I don’t know too much about the evolution of the rooster brain, but you know, he’s just doing his thing. And so I’m like, wow, he’s just really old.

And there is that beautiful celebration of confidence. And so it really reiterated to me that in order for us to get the results and get to where we want to be and how we want to feel and how we want to show up and who we want to really be, it takes practice, it tastes consistency. It takes celebration and recognition of who you are and what you bring to the table and what you’re magical, you know, feathers and songs are like not your faults and flaws, but all of your goodness, but all of you right.

Celebrating and really. Integrating all of that and recognizing who you are is amazing and who you are is who you get to be. And so to show up from that place of empowerment and confidence and really shine. And so, yeah, it really was, you know, an interesting journey and I really had no idea that, you know, it start out or end that way, but it really is a beautiful reminder because I think it’s important that.

We’re witness to how powerful you really are. And like, you get to choose how you’re going to show up every day. And if you’re willing to be consistent and loving and patient with yourself, you will become that confidence expression of you and feel good and everything. 

Susi Vine: Oh, my goodness. I love it. I love it.

I love that curiosity, but just being present to the lessons you can find and glean and take forward from that. That’s so incredible from this. You could have chosen to look at it differently. You could have chosen to pull the head over the pillow over your head every morning at four 30, and maybe, maybe you slept until five 30.

Megan Nolan: Right. Yeah. I had your plugs in. So, I mean, there was all, there was all sort of things, but yeah, he’s relentless. I 

Susi Vine: did choose to, you know, what can I take from this? And how can I integrate this? That’s so powerful. I think that there’s definitely situations. And every day that we can come back to that curiosity and say, what can I take from this?

So beautiful. And we need that, right? We need that consistency. Put in a new practice, a new thing that’s going to write until we know that it’s going to serve us or not. We can try out something else, but we don’t know until we’ve given it that opportunity. So, oh, I love it. I hope that’s some good inspiration for people with their morning routines.

Stay on target. My friends, keep working that morning centered and strong so you can do what you want with your day. And I want to say too in terms of working with Meghan, you don’t have to be in Hawaii. We evolved on online. And so I’d love for you to talk a little bit about how people can connect with you.

Keep on gleaning, these pearls of wisdom and Maybe get a little bit of inspiration for their own morning 

Megan Nolan: routine. Yes, absolutely. Thank you. So I do have a really fun and easy to intubate resource. So it’s my three-step mini morning routine. So you can keep it as short as you want it to be. Like, you can make it into two to three minutes or 30 seconds.

If you need to shrink it down that much, or you can expand it into. You know, depending on what you want. So the framework is there for you. And so it’s really designed to help you to create that empowering morning routine, to truly align and energize your body and your mind and your spirit because of.

All interconnected within yourself. And when you can do a practice, when you’re going to have the tools that helps you on every single layer and level simultaneously, then not only is it super beneficial for your overall health and your vitality, but then it has beautiful ripple effects into your day, into your week and into your life.

And so that. That’s something that I’d love to share, and it’s a really easy to follow and it really follows my, my other sorry, my elevation method. And that is really helping you to connect with your big vision and begin to embody that version of yourself now, and the energy of that version of you today by activating it within your body.

And then deciding from that place of internal awareness and alignment. Three actions you’re going to do today. And so it’s a mini commitment to yourself as well as to your goals and to your vision so that it gives you that tool set. So you not only feel awesome, but you’re ready to show up and shine 

Susi Vine: beautiful with that clarity and you know, a path a through line.

So we’re not spinning out and starting fresh every day. What was I just doing? What am I here to do, but get clear, get focused and feel like you’re moving forward and committing to yourself and what you want it. Beautiful. I love it. So we’re going to have the link to that in the show notes. So people can pick that up and connect with you and stay plugged in as to what you’re creating and offering moving forward.

Because I think that. Really, it’s just so powerful how you’ve been able to take your life experience and your observations, because you’re just one of the rare gems who’s just chosen to be fully present to the process, instead of saying, Nope, I don’t want any of that. Nope. That doesn’t work for me, but okay.

Why did this show up? What can I learn from this? How can I bring this into something that’s actually going to serve me and move forward? I think that’s the kind of light that we all need. I love that. And, and I’ll ask you if there’s anything I haven’t let you share with us yet. Or do you have something since I love to inspire people to live with less stress and more flow, is there something when the stress starts mounting, that is a good go-to for you that people can use to reset or recenter themselves?

Megan Nolan: Mm. And I’m like, Ooh, just one really. Okay. Oh,

I would say the most powerful tool that we have and is so easy to use is literally just a deep breath in, through your nose and let it out slowly through your mouth.

Repeat as needed, 

Susi Vine: bring back that. 

Megan Nolan: Yeah. Yeah. You hear it there. Right. And that’s why it’s so powerful. Like in and of itself, just the breathing, which is like so well validated as one of the most stress reducing tools like within 3d breaths, your, your nervous system starts to shift, but you can integrate so many of the tools that.

Speaking to today, like if you’re just using that intentional awareness of the breath, so you can feel the sensation of the breath. And then when you exhale, you can hear that ha sounds you can literally be doing it as you’re listening to it, which will really use the physical sensations of your body to quiet you down to center you, to ground you and subsequently, you know, you know, dial down the saboteurs and activate the Sage.

And so the really that’s, that’s the, that’s the word? And remembering to do it. So yeah. I mean, maybe you need to like tattoo it on your hand or something or wherever, just take a deep breath. I’m just joking about that part. Not really, but like, you know, how your mom or your auntie or your grandma or somebody, you know, when you’re all fired up, like the first thing they want to tell you is like, oh, just take a deep breath.

And you’re like, that’s not what I need to know. It is what you need to do, but it’s a matter of remembering to do it. Right. And so yeah, if anything, you’re going to do. It was helpful, but even just a one deep breath, 2, 3, 4, if, if you can, that would be a great start. 

Susi Vine: Beautiful. The simple tools and we have the tools, right?

Just a matter of developing that trust and looking into that compass to see what it is. 

Megan Nolan: Absolutely beautiful. Yeah. Because you know, just the last thought is that the simple tools are so powerful and they’ve been, they have lasting power because they’re so powerful and because they’re so effective, but sometimes we’re like, Ooh, what’s the next best thing.

We like to over-complicate things. Yeah. Being bunked, shiny squirrel.

Exactly. 

Susi Vine: Yep. The core. Come back to the core. 

Megan Nolan: That is it. 

Susi Vine: Beautiful. Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and your light and your insight. I’m such a joy to have you on the show. Thanks for joining. 

Megan Nolan: Thank you so much. It’s been so fun. Lovely to chat and connect with your community. Thank you.

Take care. You too.