WEBVTT - Meditation and Mindfulness for the Miles Ahead with Peloton Instructor Kirra Michel 0:00:00.450 --> 0:00:02.820 Life is always challenging no matter where you are, but 0:00:02.820 --> 0:00:06.510 it is... I have a really nice, beautiful life. I 0:00:06.510 --> 0:00:10.080 had a nice, beautiful life, but I just couldn't find the joy inside. So 0:00:10.140 --> 0:00:13.830 I was definitely running, hoping to find something. But it 0:00:13.830 --> 0:00:16.500 turns out, no matter where you go, there you are. 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:18.840 So the depression came with me, it followed me. 0:00:24.750 --> 0:00:27.630 Welcome to Set the Pace, the official podcast of New 0:00:27.630 --> 0:00:31.200 York Road Runners, presented by Peloton. I'm your host and 0:00:31.200 --> 0:00:35.280 Peloton instructor, Becs Gentry. This is a special day for 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:39.360 me because today marks my one- year anniversary as co- 0:00:39.360 --> 0:00:43.200 host of Set the Pace, partnering, of course, with the 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:47.310 wonderful CEO of New York Road Runners, Rob Simmelkjaer, who 0:00:47.700 --> 0:00:50.400 as luck would have it can't actually be here to 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:54.360 celebrate with me today, but I am told by our 0:00:54.360 --> 0:00:57.930 wonderful team that we apparently have a recorded message for 0:00:57.930 --> 0:01:01.560 him. So Lou, let's play that. 0:01:01.830 --> 0:01:04.860 Hey, Becs, I'm sorry I can't be there this week 0:01:04.860 --> 0:01:08.610 for your anniversary show. I cannot believe it has been 0:01:08.610 --> 0:01:11.220 a year since you joined us on Set the Pace, 0:01:11.220 --> 0:01:14.789 and it has been so awesome having you as my co- 0:01:14.790 --> 0:01:18.209 host. I think about all the fun we've had together 0:01:18.209 --> 0:01:23.610 from your amazing connection to all of our runners and 0:01:23.610 --> 0:01:26.670 the great interviews we've done. So much fun talking about 0:01:26.670 --> 0:01:31.319 both of our running adventures, especially you and your unbelievably 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:35.940 inspiring journey in the Great World Race, which I think 0:01:35.940 --> 0:01:38.069 was one of the coolest things we've really had to 0:01:38.069 --> 0:01:41.160 talk about on Set the Pace. And then, of course, 0:01:41.160 --> 0:01:43.920 there's the advice you've given me on my running and 0:01:43.980 --> 0:01:47.490 how valuable that was. I still remember how helpful your 0:01:47.490 --> 0:01:50.730 advice to me in Tokyo was in getting through that 0:01:50.730 --> 0:01:55.290 race. So bottom line is people love you, our listeners 0:01:55.290 --> 0:01:59.010 love you. All of your students at Peloton love you. 0:01:59.190 --> 0:02:00.930 They all want to meet you. They all want to 0:02:00.930 --> 0:02:04.230 talk to you. They all love listening to you on 0:02:04.230 --> 0:02:06.510 Set the Pace because you've made such a positive impact 0:02:06.510 --> 0:02:09.780 in so many of their lives. And of course, most 0:02:09.900 --> 0:02:14.280 importantly, we love hearing all of the stories from home and 0:02:14.610 --> 0:02:19.680 about Tallulah and all the excitement with Austin and him 0:02:19.680 --> 0:02:23.460 running as well and his London adventure, and Berlin coming 0:02:23.460 --> 0:02:26.070 up later too. So the whole family is part of 0:02:26.070 --> 0:02:29.880 the podcast, and we absolutely love that. So happy anniversary. 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:31.830 It's great to have you. I feel like I'm talking 0:02:31.830 --> 0:02:34.500 to my wife right now. Happy anniversary, honey. Just kidding. 0:02:34.500 --> 0:02:38.310 Happy anniversary on Set the Pace. It's been great having 0:02:38.310 --> 0:02:41.760 you and we will do many, many more shows together. 0:02:42.150 --> 0:02:45.480 Oh, my goodness, not me crying, not me crying over 0:02:45.480 --> 0:02:48.570 that. I cannot believe it has been one year of 0:02:48.570 --> 0:02:52.620 doing this incredible podcast, and it has been, as Rob 0:02:52.620 --> 0:02:57.089 said, just wonderful with the incredible guests that we've had 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:01.019 since I've been co- host with Rob. It's eye- opening, 0:03:01.110 --> 0:03:05.250 heart-opening in all the most wonderful ways, and I can't 0:03:05.250 --> 0:03:08.310 wait to continue to bring this brilliant podcast to you 0:03:08.370 --> 0:03:12.750 all and enjoy Miles with you. Talking of Miles, what 0:03:12.930 --> 0:03:16.350 a weekend we have just had. I'm sure a lot 0:03:16.350 --> 0:03:19.769 of you, if not all of you, tuned in on Monday 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:26.010 to watch the 129th Boston Marathon take place. There were 0:03:26.010 --> 0:03:30.450 records broken, there were battles to be had, there were 0:03:30.450 --> 0:03:33.389 hills to be eaten up, and boy did every single 0:03:33.389 --> 0:03:36.300 runner do it in style this year. It was a 0:03:36.300 --> 0:03:39.810 beautiful day up in Boston. The sun was shining, the 0:03:39.810 --> 0:03:43.200 wind was hardly blowing. And we had one of our 0:03:43.230 --> 0:03:47.100 previous guests, Sharon Lokedi, take the crown on the women's 0:03:47.100 --> 0:03:51.060 professional field. And we had John Korir, whose brother Wesley 0:03:51.240 --> 0:03:54.480 also in the past has won Boston Marathon. So two 0:03:54.480 --> 0:03:58.140 brothers, isn't that incredible, have both won the Boston Marathon. 0:03:58.290 --> 0:04:02.790 So congratulations to those two and to the all of the 0:04:02.790 --> 0:04:07.740 incredible runners who took part in Boston Marathon this year. 0:04:07.740 --> 0:04:12.750 You are all unicorns. But this weekend, let's talk about what's 0:04:12.750 --> 0:04:16.620 up ahead. This weekend here in beautiful New York City, 0:04:16.800 --> 0:04:20.700 we have the Maybelline Women's Half. Maybelline New York is 0:04:20.700 --> 0:04:23.520 proud to be the official title partner of the newly 0:04:23.520 --> 0:04:28.080 renamed Maybelline Women's Half, taking place on April 27th in 0:04:28.080 --> 0:04:31.830 Central Park. In partnership with New York Road Runners, this sold- 0:04:31.830 --> 0:04:37.110 out race brings together 5, 000 women for 13. 1 0:04:37.110 --> 0:04:42.210 miles of empowerment, strength, and community, and represents Maybelline's continued 0:04:42.210 --> 0:04:46.410 commitment to supporting women and mental health through movement connection 0:04:46.650 --> 0:04:50.250 and their global Brave Together initiative, which provides long- term 0:04:50.250 --> 0:04:55.170 support for those facing anxiety and depression. This year, Maybelline 0:04:55.170 --> 0:04:58.740 is once again partnering with NAMI, the National Alliance on 0:04:58.740 --> 0:05:02.520 Mental Illness, to raise awareness and funds during this powerful 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:07.080 event. Now, running? No problem. Come out, cheer loud and 0:05:07.080 --> 0:05:10.529 stop by the race day festival at the Nuremberg Bandshell 0:05:10.529 --> 0:05:16.620 for entertainment, activities, and free Maybelline samples and giveaways. That 0:05:16.620 --> 0:05:20.310 to me sounds like exactly where I would want to 0:05:20.310 --> 0:05:23.610 be spending my Sunday if I was here in the 0:05:23.610 --> 0:05:26.700 city. So to all of the incredible women who are going 0:05:26.700 --> 0:05:29.100 to be towing the line in Central Park this weekend, 0:05:29.580 --> 0:05:31.529 this is one of my favorite races of the year. 0:05:31.529 --> 0:05:33.839 I'm actually upset that I'm not going to be here 0:05:33.839 --> 0:05:36.570 because I will be cheering Austin on in London for 0:05:36.570 --> 0:05:40.290 the London Marathon. So I want you all to channel 0:05:40.380 --> 0:05:46.289 love, community and passion for rising up together as one 0:05:46.290 --> 0:05:49.710 and supporting our friends and those in our community who 0:05:49.710 --> 0:05:53.880 are suffering with anxiety or depression right now. So come 0:05:53.880 --> 0:05:57.960 together, run those miles and shine bright, May is Mental 0:05:57.960 --> 0:06:01.469 Health Awareness Month. So in preparation for that, and also, 0:06:01.529 --> 0:06:06.150 of course, this weekend's Maybelline Women's Half my lovely friend 0:06:06.150 --> 0:06:09.419 and Peloton instructor, Kirra Michel, will be here today to 0:06:09.420 --> 0:06:12.839 chat to us about her running journey and also lead 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:16.200 us through a meditation specifically for all of our runners 0:06:16.200 --> 0:06:20.490 out there. Also, later in the show, New York Roadrunner 0:06:20.490 --> 0:06:23.490 member Andrew Kyle is going to share how he is 0:06:23.490 --> 0:06:28.260 celebrating his 40th birthday year. And finally, today, we have 0:06:28.260 --> 0:06:32.790 a special Med Minute with HSS. HSS's Allison Greer will 0:06:32.790 --> 0:06:36.180 be here to talk best training practices when you have 0:06:36.180 --> 0:06:40.380 multiple races on your docket, something I could have done 0:06:40.380 --> 0:06:41.460 with last year. 0:06:41.970 --> 0:06:44.760 Looking for new ways to keep you moving? Step into 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:48.660 the strongest and fastest version of you with the Peloton 0:06:48.660 --> 0:06:51.719 app, whether you're chasing a new PR or just getting 0:06:51.720 --> 0:06:54.659 started, be the runner you want to be with program 0:06:54.660 --> 0:06:58.620 designed by experts who've run the race themselves. Track your 0:06:58.620 --> 0:07:02.970 progress in real time, celebrate every win and stay motivated 0:07:03.150 --> 0:07:06.270 every mile. Learn how to transform the way you run 0:07:06.510 --> 0:07:12.450 with the Peloton Tread or Tread Plus at onepeloton. com/ race- 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.890 training. Peloton, the official digital fitness partner of New York 0:07:16.890 --> 0:07:17.580 Road Runners. 0:07:18.270 --> 0:07:23.040 Today's guest is my dear friend, Kirra Michel. Kirra is, 0:07:23.040 --> 0:07:28.260 of course, a Peloton yoga and meditation instructor whose grounded 0:07:28.260 --> 0:07:33.720 presence and powerful classes have inspired thousands. Originally from the 0:07:33.720 --> 0:07:37.170 coastal town of a Lennox Head in Australia, Kirra's childhood 0:07:37.170 --> 0:07:41.610 was filled with movement, from surfing, dancing, and gymnastics to 0:07:41.610 --> 0:07:45.060 everything outdoors. But it wasn't until she moved to New 0:07:45.060 --> 0:07:48.630 York in her twenties that she discovered the transformative power 0:07:48.630 --> 0:07:52.170 of yoga and meditation, tools that have helped her navigate 0:07:52.170 --> 0:07:58.200 burnout, perfectionism, and personal healing. Now, from the Peloton stage 0:07:58.260 --> 0:08:02.190 to Times Square and beyond, Kirra teaches with a beautiful 0:08:02.190 --> 0:08:07.050 mix of strength, softness, and soul. And she's here with 0:08:07.050 --> 0:08:09.180 me on Set the Pace today to talk about the 0:08:09.180 --> 0:08:14.400 intersection of yoga, mental health, and mindful movement for runners. 0:08:14.550 --> 0:08:15.630 Kirra, hello. 0:08:17.070 --> 0:08:18.990 Ciao. Thank you so much for that intro. That was 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:21.780 really beautiful. So thank you. And I'm so excited to 0:08:21.780 --> 0:08:22.230 be here. 0:08:22.650 --> 0:08:25.830 Yay. I am so honored to have you here. I 0:08:25.830 --> 0:08:29.640 know Rob, my co- host, is really, really down that 0:08:29.640 --> 0:08:31.740 he is missing this conversation with you. 0:08:31.740 --> 0:08:34.290 I know. 0:08:34.380 --> 0:08:36.120 We spend a lot of time together in the green 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:40.170 room at Peloton, and Kirra and I are kindred souls 0:08:40.170 --> 0:08:44.219 from very different sport backgrounds, but I think our heart 0:08:44.220 --> 0:08:48.420 and soul lay in very similar places. So I've always 0:08:48.420 --> 0:08:51.300 felt such a bond of honesty with you. I feel 0:08:51.300 --> 0:08:53.970 like I can always be my complete open Becs book 0:08:53.970 --> 0:08:55.500 to Kirra, and she's like, " I get you." 0:08:56.490 --> 0:08:58.080 Yep, yep, yep. Absolutely. 0:08:58.080 --> 0:09:00.810 Whether it's Tim Tams or chocolate. 0:09:02.070 --> 0:09:04.620 Yep, missing home. Even though our homes are different, they're 0:09:04.620 --> 0:09:05.640 similar, but... 0:09:06.090 --> 0:09:10.050 Yes, exactly. So let's talk about that. Let's talk about 0:09:10.050 --> 0:09:14.550 home. Now, a lot of people who maybe don't do 0:09:14.550 --> 0:09:18.990 your Peloton classes or don't follow you yet on Instagram, may 0:09:18.990 --> 0:09:24.030 not know that your family is actually American, but you 0:09:24.270 --> 0:09:28.110 are Australian growing up, as we said in Lennox Head, 0:09:28.110 --> 0:09:32.610 Australia, and you moved to New York in your twenties. 0:09:32.910 --> 0:09:34.290 Just give us a little background there. 0:09:35.309 --> 0:09:37.590 Okay, so I'm actually, yeah, my dad is from New 0:09:37.590 --> 0:09:41.520 York, my mom's from Delaware, and I was born in 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:45.420 Santa Cruz, California. So when I was three months old, 0:09:45.420 --> 0:09:48.090 my parents moved to Australia with my older brother and 0:09:48.090 --> 0:09:51.420 myself. And so I grew up, I'm an Aussie, but 0:09:51.420 --> 0:09:55.740 with very American parents. So I'm a little bit culturally confused. 0:09:57.330 --> 0:09:59.429 I love that, but it makes so much sense. 0:10:00.300 --> 0:10:02.550 Yeah, yeah. It's the best of both worlds, I think. 0:10:02.790 --> 0:10:05.309 And where I grew up was just the most gorgeous 0:10:05.670 --> 0:10:09.179 beach life, surf town, mellow place to grow up, so... 0:10:09.600 --> 0:10:12.870 Yeah. Wow. Even if you'd stayed in Santa Cruz, that 0:10:12.870 --> 0:10:16.860 would be also very beachy, very surf life. But now 0:10:16.860 --> 0:10:19.890 you have a little more calmness, let's say, from the 0:10:19.890 --> 0:10:22.319 Australian side of life. 0:10:23.370 --> 0:10:27.569 Yeah. I think California and Lennox is, they're kind of 0:10:27.570 --> 0:10:31.829 similar, just with, well back 30 plus years ago, just 0:10:31.830 --> 0:10:34.170 a lot less people than California had. 0:10:34.679 --> 0:10:38.819 Very true. Okay. So you moved here in your twenties. 0:10:39.150 --> 0:10:43.199 And you have openly said that it was obviously exhilarating. 0:10:43.200 --> 0:10:46.470 Moving to New York is going to be exhilarating, but 0:10:46.470 --> 0:10:49.650 it was also quite tough for you. So take us 0:10:49.650 --> 0:10:53.100 back to that time. What were you chasing? What were 0:10:53.100 --> 0:10:55.080 you trying to leave behind? 0:10:56.790 --> 0:11:00.150 Yeah, so I was studying full- time and working full- time 0:11:00.150 --> 0:11:06.330 in Sydney. I was studying architecture, and I was just 0:11:06.360 --> 0:11:09.360 struggling. My mental health was struggling. I was dealing with 0:11:09.360 --> 0:11:12.960 depression with a little bit of anxiety, and I just 0:11:12.960 --> 0:11:15.000 was confused about the direction of my life. I was 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:17.280 three and a half years into my studies and just 0:11:17.280 --> 0:11:19.140 not quite sure if this is what I wanted to 0:11:19.140 --> 0:11:27.090 do anymore. So on a whim, I finished my assignment 0:11:27.090 --> 0:11:29.460 off at 2: 00 AM on a Sunday morning, closed 0:11:29.460 --> 0:11:32.370 my computer and said, " I'm done." I'm going to defer 0:11:32.460 --> 0:11:35.550 uni for a year. So deferring, as you know, is just taking 0:11:35.550 --> 0:11:38.219 a year off. So I went to work the next 0:11:38.220 --> 0:11:41.460 day, told them I'm done. I went to uni on 0:11:41.460 --> 0:11:44.069 Monday, told them I was done. And I bought an 0:11:44.070 --> 0:11:49.800 round world ticket. So I went to Indonesia, Singapore, India, 0:11:49.800 --> 0:11:52.290 Qatar, New York. And I think a lot of people 0:11:52.380 --> 0:11:54.360 when they hear that, they're like, " Oh, she did her 0:11:54.360 --> 0:11:58.020 eat, love, pray moment." No, I was just running. I 0:11:58.020 --> 0:12:01.350 hated yoga, I hated meditation. So for all the runners 0:12:01.350 --> 0:12:08.670 out there who are like, I can't meditate, yeah, neither could, I 0:12:08.670 --> 0:12:12.660 was looking for, I think, my purpose. I was looking 0:12:12.660 --> 0:12:15.179 for something to be passionate about again. Something to give 0:12:15.179 --> 0:12:18.059 me life. I also wanted to see how privileged I 0:12:18.059 --> 0:12:21.900 was. I wanted to go to different places and see 0:12:22.890 --> 0:12:25.980 how easy... Life is always challenging no matter where you 0:12:25.980 --> 0:12:31.589 are, but it is... I have a really nice, beautiful life. I had a nice, beautiful life, 0:12:32.610 --> 0:12:36.210 but I just couldn't find the joy inside. So I 0:12:36.210 --> 0:12:40.679 was definitely running, hoping to find something. But it turns 0:12:40.679 --> 0:12:44.610 out, no matter where you go, there you are. So 0:12:44.610 --> 0:12:49.439 the depression came with me, it followed me. And I 0:12:49.440 --> 0:12:51.360 ended up in New York. It was kind of by 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:57.960 accident. I ended up staying here indefinitely. And New York 0:12:57.960 --> 0:13:01.229 just kind of gave me a second to, it was 0:13:01.230 --> 0:13:03.870 so exhilarating, it was so full on, there was so 0:13:03.870 --> 0:13:07.440 much happening that I kind of just threw myself into 0:13:07.440 --> 0:13:12.120 work. I threw myself into a new life, but eventually 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:13.140 it all caught up to me. 0:13:13.830 --> 0:13:13.831 Mm-hmm. 0:13:13.831 --> 0:13:14.311 Yeah. 0:13:15.809 --> 0:13:20.790 Wow. So when you say it caught up to you, 0:13:22.080 --> 0:13:27.390 is that because you feel like you continued to utilize 0:13:27.390 --> 0:13:31.650 the same patterns of overworking yourself, heading towards that burnout, 0:13:32.760 --> 0:13:37.110 and you didn't necessarily change the way your day looked? 0:13:37.110 --> 0:13:41.699 So tell me about what a day back then looked 0:13:41.700 --> 0:13:44.790 like, and then now what does your day look like. 0:13:44.790 --> 0:13:48.390 Yeah. So you're completely spot on. So I've always used 0:13:48.420 --> 0:13:54.179 work and fitness as escape mechanisms or tools just to 0:13:54.210 --> 0:13:57.240 kind of get by. It helps when you're good at 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:00.809 the things as well. You get accolades for being good 0:14:00.809 --> 0:14:04.380 at these things, even though they're just, not just, but 0:14:04.380 --> 0:14:09.300 they can be used as tools to... avoidance tools. So 0:14:09.750 --> 0:14:13.890 back then, okay, so when I moved to New York, 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:17.550 I was in the restaurant industry. I was working in 0:14:17.550 --> 0:14:21.240 nightclubs, which is just so against everything but... I don't drink. 0:14:22.410 --> 0:14:25.590 I'm not a big partier. So some of these things 0:14:25.590 --> 0:14:32.130 just weren't in alignment with what I really believed in. I 0:14:32.130 --> 0:14:33.960 was making money in that world and I was trying 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.090 to get into, eventually, I was trying to get into 0:14:36.090 --> 0:14:39.000 the world of fitness and then in time meditation and 0:14:39.000 --> 0:14:43.140 yoga. So I was working in the evenings, and then 0:14:43.200 --> 0:14:45.330 I would finish late. I would take the train home. 0:14:45.990 --> 0:14:49.380 And then sleep for a few hours, and then get 0:14:49.380 --> 0:14:52.440 up nice and early and start my life in the fitness world. 0:14:52.860 --> 0:14:55.200 So I was kind of working these two full- time jobs and 0:14:55.200 --> 0:15:00.450 not really sleeping, which when, by that time, taking care 0:15:00.450 --> 0:15:03.330 of myself did become a big aspect of my life. 0:15:03.810 --> 0:15:06.810 And because I was working basically these two full- time 0:15:06.810 --> 0:15:09.180 jobs, I didn't really have time to take care of 0:15:09.180 --> 0:15:11.790 myself. I didn't have time to eat healthy. I didn't 0:15:11.790 --> 0:15:14.460 have time to work out. I didn't have time to 0:15:14.550 --> 0:15:18.060 have these daily rituals and these practices that I had 0:15:18.060 --> 0:15:22.710 eventually started to implement to create a little grounding in 0:15:22.710 --> 0:15:29.400 my life. So yeah, nowadays my life looks very, very, 0:15:29.400 --> 0:15:32.790 very different, and I'm really grateful for that. But I 0:15:32.790 --> 0:15:36.840 usually get up and I meditate. Now, meditating did come 0:15:36.840 --> 0:15:39.239 in time when I moved to New York. Life was 0:15:39.240 --> 0:15:42.780 so busy and so chaotic, and there was millions of 0:15:42.780 --> 0:15:46.350 humans around me, and I just felt this energy that 0:15:46.350 --> 0:15:49.950 I couldn't figure out how to ground. So meditation is 0:15:49.950 --> 0:15:55.980 something that I started. And I started with this sangha, 0:15:55.980 --> 0:16:01.800 this community called Dharma Punx. And there, everyone is tattooed, 0:16:01.980 --> 0:16:04.770 everyone has piercings, everyone has strange colored hair or strange 0:16:04.770 --> 0:16:07.950 haircuts. So it's just like the quirky weird people. It's 0:16:07.950 --> 0:16:12.510 like the weirdos. So we went to feel like we 0:16:12.540 --> 0:16:15.300 belonged, and there was, like I said, community, a sangha 0:16:15.300 --> 0:16:21.480 there. And I remember being there, and my teacher, he's 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:27.720 really interested also in neuropsychology. If it wasn't for him, 0:16:27.720 --> 0:16:30.000 I don't know if I would be really into meditation 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:35.790 because I have what's called monkey mind, where every human 0:16:35.790 --> 0:16:38.640 does, it's all over the place. We ping pong and 0:16:38.640 --> 0:16:41.790 then you add social media and technology into it, and 0:16:41.790 --> 0:16:47.100 we're just everywhere but here. So he kind of explained 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:49.890 meditation to me in a way that made sense. I 0:16:49.890 --> 0:16:52.350 wasn't trying to make my mind stop or still or 0:16:52.350 --> 0:16:57.090 go blank, but just becoming aware, feeling really grounded physically 0:16:57.090 --> 0:16:59.880 in my body, using my breath to help down regulate 0:16:59.880 --> 0:17:03.060 my nervous system. And then becoming more of the observer 0:17:03.150 --> 0:17:06.300 of the busy monkey mind rather than trying to make 0:17:06.300 --> 0:17:11.730 it stop. So that became a daily thing for me. 0:17:11.730 --> 0:17:14.670 And for a long period of time, it had to 0:17:14.670 --> 0:17:16.500 be, it was like this is my non- negotiable. I 0:17:16.500 --> 0:17:18.690 have to meditate every single day, and sometimes it's 20 0:17:18.690 --> 0:17:21.330 minutes, sometimes it's 45 minutes. And even that became too 0:17:21.330 --> 0:17:27.240 restrictive for me. So now I try to meditate every 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:29.100 day, and if I miss it, I miss it. And 0:17:29.100 --> 0:17:31.800 that's a big release for me that I didn't allow 0:17:31.800 --> 0:17:36.030 for a long time. I have meditation practices, breath work 0:17:36.030 --> 0:17:40.290 practices. I try to journal a decent amount. I have 0:17:40.290 --> 0:17:44.220 to spend some time alone. Just adding these little different 0:17:44.220 --> 0:17:46.050 practices helps so much. 0:17:46.290 --> 0:17:50.580 Yeah. Oh, my gosh, that's all so interesting. And I 0:17:50.580 --> 0:17:54.060 think it is a beautiful thing to recognize that everybody 0:17:54.060 --> 0:17:59.460 has monkey mind. I love that description. I call it 0:17:59.460 --> 0:18:04.080 squirrel, like when a dog sees a squirrel, like, " Squirrel, 0:18:04.080 --> 0:18:07.980 squirrel." But you are so right, especially if you live in a 0:18:07.980 --> 0:18:12.960 metropolis, like New York, you a hundred percent suffer from 0:18:12.960 --> 0:18:18.000 this constant hamster wheel of stimulation right in front of 0:18:18.000 --> 0:18:22.560 your face. And it seems like such a wonderful journey 0:18:22.560 --> 0:18:25.710 that when you found the Dharma Punx, you found your 0:18:25.710 --> 0:18:30.960 teacher who made you feel that you're accepted into this 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:36.540 awesome community and showed you that meditation wasn't the same 0:18:36.540 --> 0:18:39.270 for everybody. Because I think that is a stigma that 0:18:39.270 --> 0:18:41.940 has been attached to, not just meditation and yoga, but 0:18:41.970 --> 0:18:46.109 all sports, like running. It's not all the same. It's not 0:18:46.109 --> 0:18:48.570 all the same for everybody. We've had this conversation one- to- 0:18:48.570 --> 0:18:52.320 one in the past. Do you remember the first time 0:18:52.320 --> 0:18:56.220 you actually meditated though, and you were like, " Oh, this 0:18:56.220 --> 0:18:57.420 is amazing." 0:18:58.980 --> 0:19:02.310 Listen, I don't know if there was like, no, there's 0:19:02.310 --> 0:19:05.220 no moment where I'm like, " Oh, that's it." It's one 0:19:05.220 --> 0:19:08.340 of those things where, I've never classified myself as a 0:19:08.340 --> 0:19:11.250 runner. I love fitness. Running has never been my thing. 0:19:11.790 --> 0:19:14.430 And so now I'm dipping my toe into it, because 0:19:14.430 --> 0:19:16.649 I realized that I need some cardio in my life 0:19:16.650 --> 0:19:21.300 and it's good for my heart. And I'm not at 0:19:21.300 --> 0:19:23.490 the stage yet where I've hit that runner's high or 0:19:23.490 --> 0:19:29.280 that steady state. I'm still struggling. But I know that 0:19:29.430 --> 0:19:33.480 I'm putting effort in and I'm doing one foot after the 0:19:33.480 --> 0:19:35.520 next, after the next, after the next, and I'm trying 0:19:35.520 --> 0:19:37.740 to focus on my breath while I'm doing this. And 0:19:37.740 --> 0:19:42.570 it's similar with meditation. No, I don't remember the very 0:19:42.570 --> 0:19:47.910 first time that I did it because, similar to running, 0:19:47.910 --> 0:19:51.300 like I'm running even if I haven't gotten to the 0:19:51.300 --> 0:19:54.510 steady state or to the runner's high yet. So meditators 0:19:54.510 --> 0:19:57.540 are still meditating while they're sitting in there, just observing. 0:19:57.780 --> 0:20:01.950 They're watching the mind. So I don't want people to 0:20:01.950 --> 0:20:05.639 think that meditation, I'm waiting for that moment, and until 0:20:05.640 --> 0:20:08.850 I get there, I'm not there yet. I want people to 0:20:08.850 --> 0:20:12.359 realize that just sitting and being still, and I know 0:20:12.359 --> 0:20:15.359 that, I mean, I don't want to generalize everyone, but 0:20:15.359 --> 0:20:18.060 I know a lot of runners like, you like to 0:20:18.060 --> 0:20:23.100 be busy. Running is a constant thing. So that even the 0:20:23.100 --> 0:20:28.170 thought of sitting and being still can sound really scary 0:20:28.170 --> 0:20:30.330 to so many people, the way that running sounds scary 0:20:30.330 --> 0:20:37.080 to me. So it's given yourself the grace to realize 0:20:37.080 --> 0:20:39.629 that if you're finding a little bit of stillness, even 0:20:39.630 --> 0:20:42.960 if the mind is still crazy active, that you're actually 0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:48.390 working towards, you're putting the reps in towards softening, releasing, 0:20:48.390 --> 0:20:50.909 noticing tightness in the body. Can you release in that? 0:20:50.910 --> 0:20:53.820 Can I release my jaw? Okay. My mind is really 0:20:53.820 --> 0:20:55.889 busy. Can I just sit with the busyness of my 0:20:55.890 --> 0:21:02.580 mind? We're not trying to get somewhere. There's no specific destination. 0:21:02.580 --> 0:21:05.160 We're working with what we have. And if right now 0:21:05.160 --> 0:21:07.500 we have monkey mind, cool. Let's work with monkey mind. 0:21:07.500 --> 0:21:10.320 Let's just watch it, instead of being like, " I'm not 0:21:10.320 --> 0:21:14.310 there yet." That's what I'm trying to not do with running. 0:21:14.310 --> 0:21:14.459 Yeah. " Where is this peace and quiet?" 0:21:15.119 --> 0:21:18.600 Yeah, yeah. Where's my steady state run? It's not here yet. 0:21:20.369 --> 0:21:22.740 Okay. You've just nailed the best analogy, and you may 0:21:22.740 --> 0:21:27.511 have just convinced me to try meditating again, because I do not do it. 0:21:27.511 --> 0:21:27.781 You used to. 0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:32.850 I use running as my meditative state because that does 0:21:32.850 --> 0:21:35.580 quiet my mind. It really, and that took ages for 0:21:35.580 --> 0:21:37.800 me to be able to get there. Anyway, this isn't 0:21:37.800 --> 0:21:42.540 about me. Okay, so let's rewind to when you first 0:21:42.540 --> 0:21:47.310 joined Peloton after finding your way in yoga and meditation 0:21:47.310 --> 0:21:51.510 and becoming a teacher yourself, which involves spending a lot 0:21:51.540 --> 0:21:55.530 of hours of study and practice in the yoga world. 0:21:56.220 --> 0:22:03.419 You went from leading classes in quite intimate, calm studios 0:22:04.109 --> 0:22:08.580 to classes being broadcast to thousands and thousands of people 0:22:08.580 --> 0:22:12.240 around the world. Do you remember how you felt after your 0:22:12.270 --> 0:22:13.770 first live Peloton class? 0:22:14.820 --> 0:22:18.899 Gosh, so I deal with a lot of anxiety and 0:22:18.900 --> 0:22:24.840 a lot of nerves. I mean, listen, after it was 0:22:24.840 --> 0:22:28.320 exhilarating. It was, " Oh, my God, I did that." That's 0:22:28.320 --> 0:22:30.540 wild. And it's so strange as well because you're in 0:22:30.540 --> 0:22:34.140 a room with no one. No one. Just the cameras, 0:22:34.140 --> 0:22:38.490 eight cameras. But on the leaderboard, you know that there's 0:22:38.490 --> 0:22:40.919 hundreds of people, that thousands of people are going to 0:22:40.920 --> 0:22:43.560 take it at home. But so afterwards, I was exhilarated. 0:22:43.800 --> 0:22:49.680 Beforehand, I was so, so nervous. And again, using these 0:22:49.680 --> 0:22:53.790 practices, down regulating, breath work, finding a little bit of 0:22:53.790 --> 0:23:01.409 peace and quiet and envisioning. So using visualization meditations where 0:23:01.650 --> 0:23:05.010 I can just see myself doing the thing, doing the 0:23:05.010 --> 0:23:09.720 damn thing. And then also just trusting that I've done 0:23:09.720 --> 0:23:13.680 enough. And I think sometimes I also deal with imposter 0:23:13.680 --> 0:23:16.530 syndrome from time to time, and just trusting that I 0:23:16.530 --> 0:23:19.859 have done enough, I know enough, and trusting in myself 0:23:19.859 --> 0:23:22.320 that I could get through. Turns out, I got through 0:23:22.320 --> 0:23:23.188 it. I survived it. 0:23:23.189 --> 0:23:24.600 You did very well. 0:23:25.530 --> 0:23:29.760 Yeah. It was scary. But scary doesn't mean we don't 0:23:29.760 --> 0:23:30.300 do the thing. 0:23:31.050 --> 0:23:36.180 Yep, that's so true. Okay, talking of imposter syndrome, I 0:23:36.180 --> 0:23:42.570 think it's a very obvious word that goes with being 0:23:42.570 --> 0:23:46.560 a Peloton instructor, a celebrity. People do think of instructors 0:23:46.560 --> 0:23:51.480 as being celebrities. And I think we both feel very 0:23:51.480 --> 0:23:59.070 similar sometimes of, " What? What? I enjoy what I do. I enjoy my practice, and 0:23:59.070 --> 0:24:01.050 I get to share it with other people." But can 0:24:01.050 --> 0:24:03.030 you talk about, has there ever been a time where 0:24:03.030 --> 0:24:08.550 that celebrity aspect of Peloton has clashed with the authenticity 0:24:08.670 --> 0:24:12.750 of what you practice and how you keep it real 0:24:12.750 --> 0:24:13.350 to Kirra? 0:24:15.840 --> 0:24:18.510 I think, yeah, I've a really hard time with that 0:24:18.510 --> 0:24:24.210 word. Similar to you, everything you just said. I'm just 0:24:24.210 --> 0:24:25.679 doing what I love to do, I'm just sharing it 0:24:25.680 --> 0:24:28.050 with people, because this is the way my heart... This 0:24:28.050 --> 0:24:30.780 is the passion that I was looking for, that helps 0:24:30.780 --> 0:24:33.270 me with my mental health is being of service to 0:24:33.270 --> 0:24:39.840 other people. So I think the thing that I struggle 0:24:39.840 --> 0:24:43.170 with the most around this, honestly, is still social media, 0:24:44.730 --> 0:24:47.879