They Feel Your Energy Before You Say Hello

Before a word is spoken, people already sense our energy. Our pace, our stress, our mood, our openness. They feel all of it, whether with strangers in passing and with the people we love most at home.

So, there's a small practice worth returning to before we speak: noticing our state, and gently shifting it.

In this talk, Cara explores what it means to become aware of how we're showing up, and to change it on purpose, so we can enter any room as the person we most want to be. She shares the simple, common-sense resets she's leaned on for nearly thirty years as a yoga teacher: stillness, breath, time in nature, music, and cold water. These are small interruptions that help the nervous system settle in a matter of seconds.

Transcript

Who you are, Speak so loudly, I can't hear what you're saying. Ralph Waldo Emerson said that about 100 years ago, Something like that. In other words, Your body. Is already speaking to the other person before you open your mouth. We are reading each other constantly. So knowing how you're showing up is really important. I'm Cara Bradley and this is Sparked. And today I want to talk to you about being aware of your state. Knowing how to shift your state so that you can show up exactly how you want to show up for every situation. We're constantly reading each other. We do it all the time. We know each other's moods. We know each other's speed. Availability, Friendliness, Before we even start talking to each other. This is an incredible gift that we have as humans. Think about it. When you're driving in your car, You can feel the energy of those cars around you, Of the people in those cars. You can feel their energy when they speed up right behind you, Or when they're revving their gas pedal at the red light. You can feel their speed, Their stress, Their tension. Or you can feel their chill. If somebody's just going slow, Taking their time, Letting you go ahead of them. We are reading each other all the time. This happens all the time in meetings, Even on Zoom calls. You can feel where someone else is at. You can feel their impatience or their judgment. You can feel their enthusiasm for what you're saying. You can feel their friendliness or their availability or their curiosity. We're reading each other constantly. So we want to be really careful. With how we're showing up. Especially at home. When we walk into our home after a day of work, If we are not careful, We can carry all the stress of the day right into the house. And you may notice this with others as well with your partner, You may know his or her state of being. Before they even give you a hug. We are reading each other constantly. Pay attention to your own state. Be aware of what you're bringing into the room. And then shift what needs to be shifted before you even say hello. I know this really well because as a yoga teacher for almost 30 years now. I've become so aware of who I am. When I walk in the studio. I know that my students are going to feel my presence, Whether that be a speedy presence, A stressed presence, Whether they feel me preoccupied with something that just happened or my availability and my joy and my excitement to teach them a class. I've become so hyper aware of who I am when I walk in the studio that for me, It's a non-negotiable to set my state for a few minutes before I walk in the room. And how do I do that? Just by pausing. By reading myself, Checking in. And by doing anything that is necessary. To shift my state so that I can show up in the words that I love the best, Strong, Calm, And clear. That's how I want to show up for every yoga class. But for now, It's really important to understand. Is that. People are going to read you. They're going to read your energy. They're going to read your speech. They're going to read if you are interested in what they're saying or interested in who they are. They're going to read it all. They may not be able to express it in words, But we feel each other out constantly. So how do we become aware and then shift? It's super easy and you're doing it all the time anyway. First, Just check in with yourself. Check in with yourself over and over. And a really great time to do this is when you're transitioning. From. Car to office. From. Car to home. Whenever you're transitioning from one place to another. It's a really great time to just pause. And check in. How am I doing? What is my state? Right now. Am I calm? Am I open? Do I feel relaxed? Do I feel rushed? Am I distracted? Where am I? Without judgment. Just be honest with yourself. So pausing and checking in is really key. And then, If you need to make an adjustment, If you're low and you want to be higher, If you're too high and speedy and you want to be more balanced, Then there's one of the state shifting practices that you can do. They're called mini wind state shifters. Listen, They're common sense. They're common sense state shifters that you can do in a matter of seconds to minutes. It just depends on where you're at. A great time to do these mini wind stage shifters is in your car before you head home or before you head into the office, Or even before a meeting, Before a presentation, Before meeting a friend for coffee. Before anything, Check in. Because remember who you are speaks so loudly. They're not going to hear what you're saying as much as they're going to feel your energy and who you're showing up as. So, What are some of the mini-wind state shifters? Simple. Number one, Just be quiet, Be still. Gosh. There's so much movement in our lives that just to be still even for a minute or two. Can change everything for us. Just to be quiet. For a moment. Can cause our entire nervous system. To come back into balance. Just like that. There's always the breath. Breath is super simple. It really does work. It is your key lever. To shifting your nervous system. It is your key lever. For shifting your state of being. If you're low. Then really work on some inhales. If you're feeling lower, If you're feeling too speedy, Then really focus on extending your exhales. It's intuitive. Listen, Babies know how to do it. You know how to do it. So find some stillness. Check in with your breath, Maybe sit out in nature for a little bit. That's always an incredible way to rebalance. Put on a great song, Some music. That helps us to shift our state really easily. Get a drink of water, Splash cold water on your face. These are all interrupts that can help us reset, Rebalance. Re-regulate. So that we can show up in the state that we want to show up in. You can do this, My friend. Who you are shows up before you say hello. So become super aware of who that is. Before you step in the room. Make those necessary shifts. Those state shifting practices are right there at your fingertips. And that way you can show up in your bright self. In your open available self in that friendly manner so that you can show up. The person you want to be in every situation.

Reviews

Thank you so much as always. Very settling and strengthening.

Love this Cara! I’m also a yoga teacher and quite well known in the small village where I live and bump into people a lot, especially in the local supermarket. I try to remind myself that they may see me before I see them so I try to be aware of my posture and demeanor, ever- ready with a smile and a quick chat.

Currently I am experiencing very low energy having returned from extended travel abroad. I realize that going in to teach a yoga class I have to find that perfect balance between authenticity and good vibes.

This is not normally an issue for me and I’m happy for your helpful talk. I try to arrive early but some students may be parking at the same time as me so I will make sure I am gracious in transition (and not get mad at my yoga bag, or myself, when I struggle to get it out of the car!!

Thank you 💗🙏☺️

So freakin’ INTERESTING!! Cara, this is something I never even considered. I am truly excited to start practicing how I show up, and to see the shift in my interactions as a result. Once again: SCORE, baby!!!