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Join Founder & Community Manager Doug Finkelstein on the Slow the Fck Down podcast, where we dive into the art of living intentionally. Each episode features guests who share insights on celebrating small joys, practicing gratefulness, and embracing the power of slowing down in a fast-paced world. Tune in and become part of the movement to slow the fck down.
Welcome slowpokes and aspiring slowpokes to the Slow the Fuck Down podcast, where we explore ways to bring stillness into our packed calendars. Today, I'm thrilled to have a great friend, Jonathan Schechter with me. Jonathan is a integrative specialist who centers his practice on combining breath work, nervous system regulation, and transpersonal meditation. He's certified in neurodynamic breath work and the oxygen advantage method. He's also in the process of certifying as a somatic experiencing practitioner and as a holotropic breathwork facilitator through Groff Transpersonal Training.
Speaker 1:He's the founder of Blue Magic Alchemy, where he provides courses and coaches on these practices and is the host of the Vital Point podcast, which explores how to integrate these practices for self development and transformation. Jonathan, welcome to Slow the Fuck Down. What did I miss in introducing you? And the question we're all wondering, what is a integrative specialist?
Speaker 2:Well, thanks for having me, Doug, first of all. And now I think that sounds great. What's an integrative specialist? So my work really crosses into multiple practices and modalities. So when I'm working with individuals, a session might include breath work, meditation, somatic experiencing, and nervous system work, as well as, you know, elements of transpersonal psychology.
Speaker 2:So it really depends on the direction that the client is exploring and what their intention is. And I find that that reflects in my offerings as well. Like, even though our main practice is breath work, I'm gonna sneak in some mindfulness and somatic awareness. And a couple of years ago, I started working in residential treatments, where my job title is integrative specialists, like, which describes practitioners and facilitators who aren't doing psychotherapy, but are doing similar work. So I prefer that to calling myself a coach, which I think has become like more characterized of, like, like a more hustle oriented approach.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean?
Speaker 1:Yeah. That's definitely the connotation that I have with with coaches for better or worse. So I'm hearing, integrating all these different modalities that you have experience in to match what will best serve your client.
Speaker 2:Exactly.
Speaker 1:So I'll start us off with how we start all of our group calls in the Slow the Fuck Down community. What are you celebrating and what are you grateful for?
Speaker 2:I'm right now I'm feeling grateful for, the I just did a holotropic breath work, training and retreat about a month ago. And I've I'm feeling really grateful not only for the training, but the some of which is just starting to, like, you know, sprout, or bear fruit if you like that, you know, analogy better, like, even though it's been a month since I had that retreat and I guess I could say that I am celebrating noticing that growth and the changes that are starting to happen in my life through that work and, you know, being able to track how I feel, and slow down and really be able to experience that. I think being, like, more present and embodied and just has a natural slowness to it and you know that oftentimes people are coming to that work like because of trauma or because they want to change but it's not just about that, you know, healing. It's also about just, like, being able to experience more of life. So I'm feeling, you know, a lot of gratitude for being in that space.
Speaker 1:I love fruit. I love life. Sounds
Speaker 2:great. Awesome.
Speaker 1:All right. Let's dive right in. So I think a lot of people struggle to even find the time to slow down in their day to day. So for people who feel like they can't carve out time for tuning into their breath and regulating their nervous system, what's your quickest, most effective advice for slowing down in just a few minutes or even a few seconds?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think, the quickest, most effective advice for slowing down really quickly is working with your breath, because your breath is intimately connected to your body and that felt experience as well as your connection to the present moment. Like, have you ever noticed that you can't focus on the breath that you took a minute ago or the breath you're about to take in a few seconds, but you can bring your attention to this breath that you're taking right now and notice what that opens up inside of you. And it's not easy to do at first, but it is really simple. You know, Ram Dass has been a huge influence on me in different ways, and I love how he would sometimes open a meditation by saying, take a few breaths to just arrive here.
Speaker 2:So it's just calling attention to the fact that we're really not present or, like, here in the present moment a lot of the time in our life, and there's a few different breathing practices and techniques that can be helpful as far as slowing down in a matter of seconds. And I would say the most effective way is to simply notice and allow your body to settle into that natural state, which, as I mentioned, is a lot slower just by nature. Right? It's it's flow, it's relaxed, it's so as far as, like, more specifics, taking slower, deeper, and by deeper, I mean, more diaphragmatic, breaths and breathing in and out of the nose are all things that signal to the nervous system and the brain that it's okay to slow down and that we're safe. It's okay to relax.
Speaker 2:And then you can there's lots of different ways that you can build on that.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I love that answer. And I catch myself all the time holding my breath carried away in, the good and the, the more, not so good situations. And I I'll breathe. I'm like, oh my God, how long was I holding my breath?
Speaker 1:Like, when was the last time I took a breath? And then even if it's just for a few seconds to just kind of re regulate myself, get back to a steady breath, and focus on nasal breathing will bring me back to a baseline to where I want to be fairly quickly. And I'm like, oh, I should do this all the time. And then before you know it, whether it's 30 seconds or an hour or a day goes by and, I catch myself doing it again. So yeah, I fully agree that that presence and, just being with your breath and feeling into it is, honestly, it can solve, like, 90% of anyone's problems.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And and and it's just building on that awareness. Right? Like, it you know, for for some people, it might be putting a hand on the chest and a hand on the belly so that as you're starting to take deeper breaths, you're, you know, noticing more about, like, where your breath is going and and what your breath is like in this moment. For other clients, I might suggest something like putting your hands at the bottom of your rib cage so that you can really get more focused in on the making the breaths deeper, which doesn't necessarily mean, like, breathing into the belly.
Speaker 2:It's really getting the diaphragm involved. And then for other people, it might be like, hey. Just notice, like, the sensation of your feet on the floor or the way that your body is being supported by the chair that you're sitting in, as you're starting to breathe. So those are all just ways to start, like, building on that baseline of, awareness.
Speaker 1:And I'll also add it can be a combination of those things. And the the me today, it might be feet on the floor, the me tomorrow, it might be feeling into my diaphragm. So it's a constant evolution. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Awesome. So a lot of people deal with anxiety and racing thoughts. I'm sure you do at times too. What's your go to technique to help quiet your mind and rediscover your inner stillness?
Speaker 2:Yeah. My go to technique is mindfulness based, meditation, but I will say that my approach has evolved in the past few years to include a lot more somatic and felt awareness based on my, you know, my own integration work that I've been doing and also my training as a somatic experiencing practitioner. So my experience that I've had working with clients is that when people start to get curious about things like quieting the mind and connecting to inner stillness, they either gravitate towards a more mindfulness, like, top down approach or a more somatic, like, bottom up approach where they're more in the body first. And then as they continue to practice, you know, you usually learn to develop new practices that, like you said, like, complement or, take what you're already doing and and continue to expand it. Right?
Speaker 2:Like, so, you know, for some people, meditation is much harder in the beginning than, say, doing yoga or, breath work. And then for other people, connecting to what's happening in their body, feels like a completely foreign language or a foreign experience to them. Right? If I if I'm talking about, things in sort of the somatic language and really getting into the felt experience, which has less to do with words and thoughts and more about just being with the feelings that are inside of you, they look at me like I'm speaking a foreign language. So it's it's really, I think, about where, it makes sense and feels good for you to start as an individual.
Speaker 2:And then we can always, like, continue to build out your your own toolkit and your own, practice for really dropping in and getting quiet.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I think the more tools, the better. It's tough if all you have is a hammer to to to achieve much, to build a house, to to build a shed. But the more experience you have with all of these different practices, you can feel into just that. You can feel into it.
Speaker 1:Right now, I feel like breath work or mindfulness or a combination of both. Or I've never experimented with doing yoga while doing breath work. And you can really, just feel into the vibe of what your body wants, as opposed to it being simplified down to I'm either sitting on a cushion or I'm not. And that's my only choice.
Speaker 2:100%. And I actually use that that hammer analogy, yesterday in a group. You know, it's like, what's the saying? Like, if if you only have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. So you might start there, but then as you continue to develop your own practices, you, you know, you're you're building that toolkit that toolbox for yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Well said. Alright. We'll be right back with our final question. Slow the fuck down is brought to you by air With billions of daily active users, air is one of society's most popular tools today, trailing only Instagram.
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Speaker 1:Well, we're all juggling so many external demands, work, family, whether it's time to replace the one pair of sneakers we've been wearing for the past 3 years. That's my current one and everything in between. How do you recommend people stay committed to their wellness routines, especially when life gets chaotic?
Speaker 2:This is such a great question. I would put it like this. The way to stay committed is to commit to yourself. Just like you put gas in your car and change the oil and whatnot so that it keeps running, you have to take care of yourself the same way. And maybe like a deeper like, to go a deeper layer or get to go a layer down is to start to understand what's preventing you from loving and valuing yourself enough to prioritize your own wellness.
Speaker 2:And that doesn't have to be elaborate to start with. Right? You can start right where you are. And all that to say that life will get chaotic at some point. And so that's another reason to commit to your own well-being because, you know, the saying goes, you can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.
Speaker 2:And that's something that I support my clients in doing. And I love that metaphor because becoming a better surfer has a bunch of different skills and components to it, and, you know, it's gonna look a little bit differently for for each surfer.
Speaker 1:I love both of those metaphors, the car gas tank and the surfer. And it makes me think, you know, with the car gas tank, you get notified when gas is low to, to go fill it. And I think there are ways to, build that into your life and into my life. And I think of journaling is a great one to really get in touch and hear what my body needs and feel into that. Being present and taking a few breaths, slows things down really, is a way to look at all the different indicators and see see what my body needs.
Speaker 1:So yeah. And and metaphors really land. It's, it's a good way to communicate that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I like it too. And and I agree a 100%. You know, the and and the more that you're working on your car, like, the easier it gets to to notice when there's, like, a little you know, the a belt's a little off or there's a little sound or, like, even maybe before the light comes on, you're already really tuned into the way that the car is usually running. And when it's just, you know, maybe a degree or 2 off as opposed to like, wow, we really need to take it into the shop for an overhaul because it's been way too long.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And, anytime I ever hear someone give the advice, like treat yourself how you would treat a friend coming to you with this problem, I'm always like, oh, I am way too harsh on myself. Like I, I would always meet a friend with, with love and kindness and do whatever I could to help, and always be constructive in that way where it's, it's not the same when, you know, my inner dialogue. So it's that's really great advice too.
Speaker 1:Anytime I think one is able to hear that advice, it it's a benefit because I think a lot of us struggle with that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I love that as well. I I agree a 100%. It's, why is that so much easier to, extend the things that we know that we should be extending to other, you know, to ourselves, to other people? And then it's a little bit harder when we're doing it internally.
Speaker 2:Right?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good question too. My, my hunch is it's a mix of ego of, you know, really, thinking we're hot shit and, and also the fact that we're with us a 100% of the time. Like we can't escape ourselves really, where someone else's life situation and problems are coming to. We visit it for a while and then we go back to being with ourselves 99% of the time. So we know all of the what's been swept under the rug and everything with ourselves and that makes it, makes ourselves more critical.
Speaker 1:Where even so, if we knew what was under the rug for our friends, it wouldn't change how I felt. I'd still do my best to help. I wouldn't judge them. I'd, I'd if anything, I'd trust them and like them even more for sharing and being vulnerable. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Those those are my thoughts on that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. The Lance for sure. And, yeah, I totally agree. It's If I can treat myself the way that I treat other people, then, I'm in a good spot.
Speaker 1:Agreed. Alright. We'll close out with one thing. What is one sentence, one thing that if it's the only thing people got to hear from our conversation today, you would be happy?
Speaker 2:I would say, the most profound change in your life, begins with the simple act of being present with your breath. And through that, you can tap into the abundance of healing and transformation that's already within you.
Speaker 1:Be present with your breath. One thing. Love it. Jonathan is an integrative specialist and breathwork coach supporting clients in person in Tucson, Arizona and online all over the world. You can join his email list and get a 3 week free trial for his Blue Magic Alchemy online breathwork community at bluemagicelevate.com or find him on Instagram and other social media as blue magic alchemy.
Speaker 1:Thanks for being guest number 2, Jonathan.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for having me, Doug.
Speaker 1:And to all our Slowpoke listeners, thanks for tuning in. I live for feedback. So DM me on Instagram at slotfdown.space. Let me know what you thought of the episode and any ideas for future episodes until next time. Slow the fuck down.