Loss and Resilience amidst the Maui Wild Fires with Megan Nolan

Joined by Megan Nolan, author of "The Warrior's Journey: Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Entrepreneur", we discuss her experience of grief and loss in her community as a result of the massive Maui Wild Fires that ravaged the island in August of 2023.

Megan can be found at her website, www.thewarriorsjourneybook.com, where you can find her book and connect with her. 

Transcript

0:01

Hello, and welcome back to the grief channels podcast. We are in season two and I am your host, Amanda. Kernaghan from remember grams. A small business dedicated to helping you support those in your life. Experiencing grief. I hope you'll consider sending someone a personalized card or grief support box shipping within the us is always free. And we treat each order with special care paying attention to every detail. In today's episode, we explore the topic of a community and grief. This type of thing happens when natural disasters occur such as the Maui wildfires that happened this past August of 2023. Which is the focus of today's show, as well as in times of large scale losses, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and in times of war. Like we're seeing right now impacting so many people are from around the globe. Personal loss is one part of grief, but it's layered in complexity when it is shared by your neighbors and our communities. Today, we're joined by Megan Nolan, author of the book, the Warrior's journey. She works with entrepreneurs and is the creator of the mindful strength method. Which is a unique combination of yoga, toning exercises, and mental fitness to help people be holistically, healthy and sustainably successful. Let's take a listen. Yeah.

Megan: 1:17

Aloha, everybody. My name is Megan Nolan, and I'm really grateful to be here with you and share my version of the story of the tragedy that happened here on Maui in August of 2023. August 8th is the day that the fires happened and it started out like a somewhat normal Tuesday. Although at that point there was already a storm warning and there was already what would become the Kula fires or the upcountry fires had already started when I left for work to go teach my normal yoga Lahaina. And so as I was driving to work I Remember thinking to myself, wow, this wind is crazy. And it was blowing everywhere. Pom fronds, coconuts, you know, think it's Hawaii, right? So we have all these beautiful tropical features, but my car was rattling with the wind. And so we were experiencing the winds of a hurricane that was hundreds of miles out in the Pacific ocean. And we were feeling these winds that were eventually upwards of 60 to 80 miles an hour. And so really intense winds. And. I drove to the yoga class and I passed what had just started what would become the Lahaina fire that consumed Lahaina town. And so went and taught my outdoor yoga class to the soundtrack of fire truck sirens and flying palm fronds. And I told the guests at the hotel, it's best for you to stay at the hotel because the power is already out, gridlocked traffic already. I left the hotel, although I normally would have stayed over in Lahaina on Tuesdays. Because I had a whole series of sessions that I normally would do, but my clients were freaked out cause they thought the roof was going to blow off the top of their house. And so they canceled the session. Gratefully, because that would have left me in Lahaina a lot longer. And so I departed from the hotel and took a drive that normally would have taken about 10 minutes. I was in the car for almost three hours on roads that we learned the next morning had been consumed by the fires. I sat in the car and, you know, when you did what you normally do when you're stuck in traffic, you know, I was kind of staring out the window and listening to the podcast and cleaning up the console, you know, but it was crazy traffic and nobody's going anywhere and there's cops, it was just a mess already. And this was at nine in the morning. And so then, you know, to the point that the wind was so crazy that I put a blanket to guard the, in the glass of the driver's side window because coconuts, flying ponds, all the things. And I just eventually made it and I got home and. I was so exhausted from just that experience, you know, of just being in that gridlocked traffic. And so I took a nap and I woke up and then they were saying that the fire was getting way worse. And then we were just seeing crazy stuff on social media. And we woke up the next morning to apocalyptic scenes that maybe many of you saw. And You know, the coming weeks, or I guess these last few weeks have really been this really intense experience of loss and grief because collectively, all of us are affected, as it is a part of our community, and you know we live on the most isolated landmass on the planet that happens to also be a volcano. And so, you know, we kind of are in a vulnerable situation as it is but it really lends to being. A strong community and the Hawaiians by nature are very resilient. I mean, like, they found these islands by navigating in canoes using celestial navigation, like, you know, they're incredible. And so, but there is, there's been a lot of changes over the past few decades. And so, The impact of it has been felt by everyone. And so the, tragedy, it was, you know, a devastating tragedy. Almost a hundred people lost their lives. Thousands of people lost their homes. Many people lost their businesses. There, my friend lost three homes and a business. And, you know, and so it's like the depth of the impact is, is it was immediate and now is lasting so two days ago I spent hours packaging up biotoxin binders for people that are going back to sift through their homes, the what it was their home, you know, and because the toxicity levels and so it's really the emotional experience that has come as a result of the fires. Has been really intense for me. And then of course there's the layer of like the survivor guilt of, you know, well, I'm okay. I'm in my house right now. I have my dog, I have my partner, I have my job to, you know, degree. I'm self employed and it was affected by that. Cause most of, as I said, most of my work was over there and going back over there was a devastating experience. And so it's like, I believe that grief is an emotion that really takes us into a very tender place within ourselves. And it really allows us to access that vulnerability because it really highlights the vulnerability of, of life and how everything is so fleeting. And, you know, how at the same point we are as humans, we're, we're very resilient, you know, and Maui and Hawaii, very resilient. And, and, you know, we will be able to move forward in time, but we're also extremely fragile. You know, and so it's, it really, for me, has been a huge investigation of, like, what's really important, you know, and because I think that's what happens a lot of the time in a grief situation is nothing feels important because we're in this, like, space of. loss and this gaping hole has been created in our hearts and our lives and in our community, you know, to whatever degree the situation someone finds herself in, but it really gives a perspective, you know, if we allow ourselves to sit in it, and I know we'll go into this about some of the tools from the yoga practice and the tools that I use to help to navigate this, but You know, I myself have spent many years of my life running from hard and heavy emotions because I didn't want to be consumed by them. And I could feel my tendency to want to spring into action. Be it this was slightly different because it was legitimately an emergency situation where action was needed, but that was my default avoidance strategy of like, okay, what can I do, I'm going to go and volunteer and I'm going to do this, you know, and go into that go mode and, and so, yeah, I'll stop there because that was a lot, but I do have more to share. Yeah,

Mandy: 8:04

you know, I think it's It's an interesting experience to talk about because so many of my guests come on and we're talking about a very personal, solitary experience of loss that is very unique to the person who's speaking, whereas I think. This is a little bit more rare where you have this collective experience of grief where your neighbors and the community that you live in is all experiencing varying levels of impacts and also just the grief that comes with that. And you have so many added layers you have like the global community, who's looking in and watching this tragedy from afar and I'm sure at the beginning there was aid and help being sent in but Obviously, our current age is very distractible, and so I think So many people just have moved on and forgotten that it even occurred and that people are still feeling the impacts of it. And that in and of itself can lead to more grief. And then you also have this layer of Maui and Hawaii relying a lot on tourism. To bring in your economy and to like fund the economy there and then the way that that was impacted. And I know I've also seen things about tourism and tourists coming and not hearing or recognizing the

Megan: 9:25

intense

Mandy: 9:27

loss that just happened there and, you know, coming at it as a place of vacation instead of coming at it with that kind of empathy. So there's just incredible layers to what it. You yourself, but also just your community in general are facing together.

Megan: 9:44

Yes. Yes. All of that. Absolutely. Yeah, it is. And it is a really unique situation because there's an individual level of each of us having our own unique experience and being affected by it to varying degrees. Because as you said, I think it's over 52 percent of our Maui community relies directly on tourism as Their revenue source, whether that's through employment at a hotel or having their own business, like my partner, his business is through Turo, which is basically like Airbnb for your car. And so, you know, he has jeeps on there and instantly was getting, I think the total was, he reclaimed some of it, but it was over 10, 000 worth of loss, and that's actually quite minimal compared to a lot of other people. And so. It's a really kind of a fine line because we are so tourism reliant, but in Lahaina specifically, I believe was responsible, I believe for 15 percent of the tourism economy for the entire state and significantly more of that, more than that for Maui alone. So there is an important thing to remember about That because the livelihood and we're, you know, admittedly, we're barely just bouncing back after COVID because of the impacts of that. But there is such a reverence that needs to happen because as you said, it's been alarming that people come back and I didn't even know about this whole like sect of tourism called dark tourism that people want to go and see stuff like this. Oh, I didn't know about that either. No. That's just a hard no in my books and I understand and I give the space for people, we each have our own flavors of curiosity and what have you, but out of respect for what happened and lives lost, absolutely not. And that's, I believe initially what the government was really trying to protect people, but then they're also driven by the economy and the needs. And so it's, there's just a lot of. There's a lot of voices in the conversation and there's a lot of needs that, you know, need to be met that aren't necessarily being met. And so, you know, it's a complicated situation, as you can tell, for so many levels. And then there is the level of cultural awareness that needs to happen because now what, you know, this land is Loaded with, with toxins. And so in order for it to rebuild, they have to go in and excavate deep layers. And there's, you know, there was already cultural sites that were affected directly by the fires. And then beneath the layers of the ground, there's where there has been burial sites that are uncovered, you know, and so it's just like, it's a really complicated situation. So the depth of it, the depth of the grief and the processing that happens, you know, is, it's, And it's still happening and I think will happen for years is this is a very traumatic event and it will have lingering effects for people. And so, yeah, it's, it's a lot. Yeah, and

Mandy: 12:35

I'm, I'm curious to hear a little bit about how you have maneuvered through this period, but also if you can share how your community has maneuvered through it together, and like how those things have been similar and different. What strategies you guys have used or what you've seen.

Megan: 12:54

Yeah, it was really incredible to see because people were very mobilized initially. Like they had to stop telling people to bring clothes because they were like, people just didn't know what to do. So they're really trying to bring, you know, it really, it brought out the best and the worst essentially. And so, yeah, so there was an incredible mobilization initially because the roads were blocked off. So people were literally taking their boats and their planes and flying stuff over to people. And so that was just so beautiful to see, you know, and so beautiful, like that's incredible to see. And so a lot of the, the tools of navigation have been that connection because that's so important when we experience an impactful event like this is to know that you're supported and seen. And so that has been really helpful for people. And I know that there's been some initiatives and, and ones that I'm already part of, and that will be unfolding more in the future of empowering people with these, with tools of. Processing the survival stress of an incredible trauma like this and because we're not really taught to do that. And interestingly enough, some of the things that are validated by understanding modern understanding of our human body and how we process trauma. Process stress are actually ones that are so beautifully intertwined to the Hawaiian culture of dancing and singing and connection and coming together in ceremony and ritual. And so I know that there's been a lot of that in different ways, because that's so important for people to be able to. Process the residue of the event, which is what trauma is. It's, it's a residue of an event in our body, the way we hold onto it because we're not able to complete the stress loop because we're not really taught to do that. Like shake out your feathers, you know, like the birds do after they have a kerfuffle or like the dogs do when they, you know, have a scrap and then they walk away and they're fine. They're regulated as humans. We just hold onto it and we talk about it and we go through it again and our mind wants to be in it. And so what I've been really. honored to do and be able to share with people are the tools of yoga and breath work to be able to bring them, bring some movement in their body, moving through some of the energy of that using breath work very specifically, which has loads of scientific backing to it as well. And so There's been some really incredible initiatives. I went to a workshop and it's in motion now through an organization called the Center for Mind Body Medicine. And they actually have been helping areas around the world have that have had other climate disasters or shootings or other issues. And they go in and they teach people these tools. And so I'm going to be part of that initiative of empowering people with tools and they're incredible. You know, they're incredible. Like and so it's really impactful and it's, it's simple stuff like shaking, shaking, and cause shaking completes the stress loop. It signals to the brain that, okay, we're going to release this tension from the body and then we reset. And so shaking and dancing, you know, and stuff like that. And so that's been really amazing to see these, like you said, from around the world, there has been a global interest because people, you know, I've lived here for 12 years and every time I tell people, they're like, Oh, really? Oh, you're so lucky, you know, and so people were reaching out from around the world and asking about the person that they saw on front street that had the birds. And so there, you know, there's been this beautiful level of global support. And so that's been really incredible to see. And so so those are some of the tools in the community. I'm actually doing part of a fundraiser next Sunday called release. And so using the tools I just mentioned of yoga and movement and shaking and breath work and stuff as a fundraiser for members of our community, who are DJs that lost all their equipment and that was their livelihood. So we're going to do a silent disco fundraiser. And so I myself created a fundraiser where I was giving people the tools of yoga. And so. It's been great to be able to share with that. And so those are ones that I've been really using the shaking one specifically, because especially for me, my own personal experience of grief is a very contracted, restricted, frozen feeling of self protection. And that's normal, right? Because if you think about it, you're protecting your heart because your heart feels very vulnerable. Your body kind of closes in around it to give you that sort of, Sense of being held in a way, you know? And so what we do in the shaking process is literally, it's just like, it sounds like just put on some music and I don't wanna make too much noise, but just kind of shaking your body and and letting it move through your whole body. And you may feel silly, you know, and that's okay. And that's it. But what we're doing is creating that safe space that's been really helpful. And then another practice. That I learned about because a book that came across my path very early on in this journey is called When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chandran. And so she's a Buddhist teacher and monk, and she teaches about the practice called Tonglen, and so Tonglen is a really beautiful Buddhist practice where we, when we encounter these hard and heavy negative emotions, we first. Go into our body. We breathe and we get connected to the vastness. So they suggest that, you know, you look at, at the sky and you see how vast it is to remind yourself that there's no end or beginning, you know, or oceans or, you know, whatever, something that's like vast to you. So connect to that energy first, because we don't, sometimes we get worried. We're going to get stuck in it, which is often why we avoid feeling hard emotions. So we get to that vastness and then we breathe in that feeling of sadness or grief. And we imagine that it's passing through us and creating the opposite emotion. And so whatever that feels like to you, you know, for me, when I was in the sadness, it just, it's not necessarily going to the extremes of I'm happy and I'm joyful, that feels like too big of a reach. So if we're in grief or sadness, maybe the opposite is to exhale peace. And so you breathe in that feeling of. whatever that is. And for me, it was the loss and the sadness and the devastation. And I breathe that in, but you know that there's no beginning or no end. And so you, on the same breath, you exhale peace. And it's like, you're breathing it in and out through every pore. And it's this interesting sort of, Allowing yourself to feel it, but knowing that there is an out because for me, the sadness and the gripping intention of grief has at times, and this is, it's a process and it's a practice of compassion ultimately, but has felt like there's no end to it, you know, and it's like, it takes you to your knees at the most like random moments, you know, you'll see the color red because that's the, the color of Lahaina and it's like, Oh, and you just feel it just take you down. And so what it allows you to do the Tonglen is to just. Feel it and then experience right away the opposite to it, or, or just a little bit more ease. And so it really does give you that peace that we're seeking to be able to heal. And so that practice and you can do guided practices and she walks you through it on YouTube. And so it's spelled T O N G L E N if you want to look into it more, but it's in an ancient practice where it takes us into that tender space of the heart. And allows us to begin the process of healing.

Mandy: 20:23

I love that these are a couple simple things that people can try that aren't talked about widely, so listeners may not have ever heard of these practices. Even the shaking, which is such a simple concept, but we don't hear about that often. You know, I talked to so many people who've been through grief and who have struggled and That has never come up as someone's coping mechanism or something that helped them get through some hard moments. So I just love that you're offering some really concrete practices that people can try on their own to help them get through some difficult moments. So how else did you, you know, you were involved in yoga and teaching yoga prior to this event. How do you think this experience has changed your own practice and changed the way you practice yoga?

Megan: 21:13

It was a forced rest, you know, like we, we hear about that sometimes if we don't take a break, sometimes the universe will make us take one and what happened was that in that feeling of being frozen in the grief and being devastated and in shock, it was a, a pause. And I. Really saddened the realization that, you know, beyond the grief and the confusion and the loss, I was actually quite exhausted. I had just written and released my first book in June and I launched that and then I launched a new program and I led the program and I, it's a lot, you know, and I realized that this wasn't sustainable and going back to my And one of my earlier statements of like, what is what even matters at this point, like, what is the point of all of this, you know, and I just felt like it felt like the work that I was doing. In only in the approach, only in the languaging that I was using at that time because I thought that's what people were, and it's what people were asking for, you know, I'll just tell you I was talking about boosting your booty and toning your touchy. And I was like, this just feels so freaking empty to me right now, you know, and, and it was the contrast of where I was in that moment. And so. It really gave me the opportunity to take a step back and just recognize that how I was doing things wasn't how I wanted to continue to do things. And I wanted to continue, and I obviously have and I will for sure, continue doing the work that I do, but I realized that I was just kind of playing in my comfort zone and I was doing what was easy and silly and fun, but I was really missing the depth of The true effect of what I was doing and what I want to be able to support people with, and, you know, after doing a much deeper dive into. Understanding what happens when we go through stressful experiences, understanding what happens when we go through intense, stressful moments that really trigger us. And, you know, this was obviously on a very large scale, but I've served entrepreneurs. And so, you know, we have big T traumas. This was a big T trauma quite obviously, but we have little T traumas of things that, you know, really upset us or what have you, or, or, or losses that happen. And so recognizing that the work that I do is so impactful. On the level of our nervous system, because that's our true emotional wisdom is in our body, but yet most of us live from the neck up, you know, and, and growth, because it's such a heavy emotion sort of forces us into our body, at least for me, because there was that, like, Oh, feeling in body. And so it really allow me the space and I, you know, classically being a. Recovering hyperachiever defaulted, as I said earlier into like, okay, what can I do? I got to volunteer. I'm going to, I'm going to create my own fundraiser. You know, and then I was like, no, what are we doing here? We're doing the exact same thing. And so it was really a practice of compassion and patience. And it did, I felt like I was in a fog, you know, and. Many of us did and some of us still are and I am to a varying degrees, but you know, in the example of a fog, like sometimes it's so thick, if you've been to San Francisco, it's so thick, you can't even see. And then it starts to kind of clear and you start to get a sense because it just, I had no way forward. I didn't feel like I wanted to do what I was doing or, you know, I, it was one of those like aptly named life changing experiences, you know, in many, many ways. And so. It really has allowed me to recognize that I see the incredible value in what I'm doing, and I know it from both a spiritual and a scientific perspective. And it's time. It was time to really go deeper, both in myself and in the work that I do and how I serve my community because it's incredibly vital. All these tools,

Mandy: 25:28

you know, I think your recognition that that grief. Sits inside of our bodies and the fact that we are so accustomed to living in our heads and our minds and not focusing on our bodies. But grief really is one of those things that impacts like every part of you. And for me. I think moving my body was a really crucial piece for me to move through healing and to figure out what was really happening in deep inside of me. And so I think yoga and breath work are all part of that is like really trying to move that through your body. And you can't do that By only thinking about it, unfortunately and, you know, I think it does often lead us to this place of more authenticity for ourselves and the life that we're leading. It's such a common experience to sort of look around and say, what am I doing? And brings mortality front and center thinking about the fact that life changes very quickly. And yeah, I just think it's such an important, it's such a devastating thing to have happened to you and to your community, but also important for you going forward to take the lessons that it gave you and apply it to the work that you're doing. And, and I love that. You know, in, in the shift you're making in your personal work is also coming through in this community that you're offering to your community these different ways of helping other people heal. And that's

Megan: 26:59

a real gift. Thank you. I appreciate that. And it does feel like a gift you know and that was. I knew that, you know, we all, we've heard all the analogies, I don't need a prop, but fill up the cup, put on the mask, and that's really what I recognized that it needed to have happen, because I'm a giver, you know, I was like, okay, spring to action, what can I do, and And so being able to experience this and make my way through it and then be able to support others from a place of knowing and authenticity, like you said, that feels like the most important gift. And, you know, I really try to take a perspective that. Life gives us opportunities. Life gives us gifts and like as atrocious as this was. And of course, like 100%, we would take it back if we could and have it never have happened. But we have the opportunity to go forward and to learn and to grow and to evolve from it, you know, and that's a process and, and that gift and opportunity certainly doesn't come right away, especially with something of this magnitude. But It's, it's something that we can, we can begin to look for, right? Like these little glimmers and, and these little signs of healing. And that's really what this is about, right? And I imagine that's the intent of this show and this podcast is to give people little bits of hope, you know? Right. And the one sign of hope that you likely have seen as, you know, the banyan tree is 150 years old in Lahaina and it survived. And it's getting more leaves every day, you know, so it's just a beautiful reminder. That's incredible. Of resiliency. Wow.

Mandy: 28:42

Is there anything you think listeners should know about, like, how as a global community we can support in times of natural disasters and things like that? What is the best way for people on the outside to help the people who are going through something like that?

Megan: 28:59

That's a really great question. Yeah, I had. Yeah. In addition to what I learned about dark tourism, I had no idea that there's this other thing called disaster capitalism that people capitalize on experiences like this. And so I think it's just really important when you are looking to do donations, because that's really helpful, is that You know, helping people get back on their feet. And so what we did with ours was we, we purchased target gift cards and just to give them like, to go buy new underwear, you know, and like just personal stuff that you don't even think about. And you're like, Oh my God, I don't even have any bras anymore. You know, like it's crazy, just stuff like that. And so I would really look at more, the grounds grassroots organizations to direct your funds to because, yes, of course, you know, FEMA and Red Cross were helpful, but like the direction and the usability of the funds is sometimes questionable. And so really doing your research and looking to people on the ground nearby, obviously not directly affected, but those that are in support, that would be the best use of if you're able to make financial donations. And then, yeah, I think that would be a really great. Great place to start.

Mandy: 30:10

I so appreciate this conversation and just hearing about the experience of the people on Maui and, and you in particular, how like you have been changed by this experience. I think it's really powerful. And I know you mentioned that you had a book that came out in June. So congratulations. You're still in your first year. Can you share what the name of your book is?

Megan: 30:33

It's called The Warrior's Journey, Ancient Wisdom for the Modern Entrepreneur. And you can go to the warriorsjourneybook. com. And that way we can connect and you can get the book, but also a special bonus meditation that comes along with it. That is infused with the magic of Maui and is actually a guided meditation at the beach. So you get to see the beauty of Maui and listen to the waves as well. So yeah, if you head over to the warriorsjourneybook. com and it truly is about making the inner shifts that we are talking about here, and it is. Specifically was directed towards entrepreneurs, how we can use the tools of yoga to create the inner shifts to see the outer results, but it applies to all humans. So if you're not an entrepreneur, you're still the CEO of your life. So

Mandy: 31:20

awesome. I'll definitely put all of your links in the show notes. Is there anything else that you would want to leave people with before we wrap up?

Megan: 31:29

Well, despite what you might see on social media, the practice of yoga is not really training you to become a Cirque du Soleil acrobat. The practice of yoga is truly about self awareness. Self acceptance and ultimately self love and I'd say that when we go through intense experiences of loss and grief, that's a really beautiful time to take the tools of yoga and implement them into your life because through the breath, through the movement that we spoke to earlier, but just in a place of that gentle self compassion, which is the The magic of so many wisdom traditions and cultures around the world. And that's where we can access that is in the heart space. And when we're in the grief and when we're in the heart space, because we are so vulnerable and raw, it really does give you access to more of that wisdom. And just to be really gentle with yourself in the process and recognize that, you know, there's still a little version of you inside your heart that is that inner child that is sad and scared to, you know, and you get to support yourself in this process and, and so reaching out for help. And that was another lesson of just seeing, you know, how it was helpful to be part of the community, but learning to ask for help. And it can sometimes be hard when we're sad, but looking to you, you know, and because sometimes the thing with grief is like, it's awkward. People don't know what to say. You know, they just want to take it away. And they're like, Oh, I'm sorry. You know, my condolences. And it's because we don't really know how to deal with these emotions. Right. And so, you know, and just having maybe like for somebody, this, this. Came to me of like, maybe a code word, you know, like, I don't know, peanut butter. I don't know, but like, if you are really needing some help, but you just, you don't have it in you to ask for help, but like, that's when you send to somebody and that's when they know, like, okay, come over and I don't know what to say. And it's going to be awkward, but all I need is for you to just sit here with me because I don't want to be alone right now. You know, that's sort of like, maybe that's what peanut butter means, but like something to that effect. So really beginning to become resourceful because the thing is, is that People want to help us, but they don't know how to help if we don't ask. And when we don't ask because we don't know what to say either, then it's awkward and then we get even more isolated. And so it's kind of, it's an opportunity to learn about yourself and, and to be really humble because it's actually really powerful to ask for help. But again, not really something we're conditioned or trained to do very well. And going back

Mandy: 34:07

to this idea of being gentle with yourself, and you mentioned how powerful and important yoga can be and breathwork can be in a grief experience. But what do you say to people who say like, well, I've never done yoga or I'm very not flexible and like I feel like that wouldn't be a place for me to. To get involved. You know, I think there is some intimidation when we look when we see yoga on social media. It is people who are very flexible who are in positions that maybe our bodies aren't used to being in and we're nervous about venturing into that space. So what do you say to people who don't have a history with

Megan: 34:48

yoga? I'd say that's honestly a great place to start because it's really being open minded to it. And there's a lot of resources online. If you even just Google yoga for grief, it's very gentle. And that's, that's really it is just learning how to be gentle. And I understand it can be really intimidating, right? Cirque du Soleil pretzel type. moves, not, not the real, real deep yoga. And so looking for maybe a beginner's class, but I think where you, especially if you've gone through something that's really emotionally intense, then I would, there is trauma informed yoga, depending on the severity of your situation. That's really important because it's really working with the nervous system. But beginner's yoga, yoga for grief, gentle breath work, like you can Google those things, and you can have a good starting point and to just be to move really slow. And typically, if you are in grief, you will be moving slow anyway, you know, and just to be kind of think of it like a melting process, right? Like if grief is a virginity that freezes us, In a time and space emotional state, then the breath and each day and these tools can begin to melt us a little bit melt that tension away and that hardening of our heart and soften that a little bit. I love that.

Mandy: 36:08

Thank you. That's such great advice for everyone and I just love that you said be gentle with yourself because I think that sort of encompasses the whole, this whole idea of approaching something new and something that might feel scary. But also just grief in general, like we have to be let go of some of our personal expectations and anxieties when it comes to grief and just face what's there and what's in our bodies. And one of the ways to do that is by moving our bodies and allowing ourselves to be in that space. So thank you so much for coming on and sharing your story.

Megan: 36:41

Thank you so much. It was lovely to be here and an honor to share the story and to help people to understand a little bit more about what happened here and how it directly affected our Maui community. And so thank you for all of the love and compassion that you share through this show. And it was really. An honor to be able to share these tools with everyone. And I look forward to connecting. So come on over to the warrior's journey book and check that out. I would love to meet with you over there. And if you had any questions about yoga or anything, feel free to connect. And I know you're going to drop the link. So come and feel free to send me a DM on Instagram. And I'd love to chat if there was anything that stood out to anybody that you'd like to go deeper on, please feel free to reach out.

37:23

I hope you enjoy today's episode. My heart goes out to the community of Mallee as they continue to grieve and rebuild and to so many other communities currently experiencing widespread loss. Because Megan works in the yoga space. As a writing prompt today, I will leave you with an open-ended topic. Write about an experience you have had with yoga. This can be anything from the first time you attended a yoga class. To the impact has had on your life or simply what your thoughts and feelings are about it based on what you've seen and heard. Thank you so much for listening, please make sure you subscribe. Share this episode with anyone who could benefit from it and does always visit remember grams. Anytime you need to send a little love to someone who is grieving. Thank you and have a wonderful day