I decided to do this project because as we start blurring the line between physician prescribed lifestyle change, and  self tracking and personally-driven lifestyle change (that looks a lot like the medical intervention) I wanted to know a bit more about PHI (Protected Health Information). It was fun, and it was informative, and I got to experience working at the state.

Then yesterday I finished my last actual class in the MPH program. I’m now one research project and one thesis away from an August graduation. For the last 3 years I’ve been studying public health, seeking to understand what I had begun to explore around the way yoga and health fit together.  In the last 3 Years I’ve learned alot, met a alot of great people, been taught by alot of great professors.  And I’m looking forward to finishing up, and being able to apply this hard won knowledge to make each business that much more effective.  We’re on a mission…health through health practices.  Lots to do!

Rich

I know ALOT about diet, weight and health.  I know alot about theories of health behavior change.  I have lots of personal practice striving to be healthier, to lose weight, to more consistently do what I know I should do – be disciplined!  But, as I know – any you probably know, too – just knowing something doesn’t seem to do it…there’s lots more going on than just not knowing.

In this piece by Alice Randall, we get a cultural view of why she thinks black women wind up fat…that its intentional, determined, and culturally almost per-ordained. It illustrates  how damn near impossible it is to try to change the prevailing trend that is taking our society into the abyss of a society where totally avoidable levels of diabetes are becoming the norm, rather than an unfortunate outcome for the unlucky few.  We’ve normalized behaving in a way that makes us sick, so now we are having to normalize being sick.

We each have a culture that defines to a large degree the way we relate to our own health behaviors.  While Alice Randall’s view of the black woman’s relationship to weight is eye-opening to many of us, I think it would be useful for us all to do some personal soul searching…what about me, and my personal culture and beliefs?  Why do I continue to behave in a way that is inconsistent with what I ‘know’ is healthy for me?  In that journey of self discovery, you just might find a clue to your own simple, complicated yet very personal path to a sustainably healthier lifestyle.

For the some years I’ve been studying behavior change, both in my pursuit of my MPH and in my work in designing the Shanti Health Network Personal Health Coaching program.  I know where I’m headed – acting positively, enlisting the best of the ancient sets of practices and knowledge that is yoga, and integrating more modern understandings of neuroscience, behavioral science and behavior analytics.

As we build out the group of organizations that I’m associated with (Yoga Yoga, The Natural Epicurean and The Shanti Health Network) the most central aspect of our work is to positively support personally directed, professionally supported behavior change.  We are interested in supporting people to thoughtfully design their own lives, and using whatever technology, knowledge and skill they can bring to bear to be happier, to be healthier and to serve and to contribute to that same path for others. Sounds easier than it really is – as I know so well from my own struggles, and working with others to make changes.

In early 2010 the Institute for the Future began asking a series of questions about the future of persuasion, such as:

• What are the new directions of change in persuasive tech?
• What are the new directions of change in the science and art of persuasion?
• Who is likely to gain more persuasive power, and who to lose it, over next decade? What might be new obstacles to persuasion?
• What are the implications of these changes in the next decade in the areas of: Learning, Marketing/Advertising, Working/Belonging to an organization, Health, and Governance/Politics.

The post about this inquiry was originally written on Jan 16, 2010, and you can read it here.

The report is comprehensive, useful and dense. Its a great review if you’ve been tracking this work for some time, and its a solid foundational introduction if you are relatively new to this area. The report came out last year, and you can access the summary and a powerpoint deck here. While this work is slightly dated given how quickly things are now moving, this is a great place to start as you work with yourself and others through the holiday season…

It turns out that most of us set New Year’s Resolutions, and most of us don’t achieve them (less than 8% do).  Maybe we can think a bit more about what we determine to achieve in our lives before we set any resolutions this year, and possibly even become more effective at achieving what we set out to achieve…and maybe its worth focusing on gratefully achieving more happiness and health!

Rich

I’m a few days in, and I’m finding I need to keep paying attention and learning if I want to be successful in this change.

And its Day 7….watch Chris talk about Namaste!

Rich

I listened to Bitsy talk about Om on the 6th day of the Challenge. I’m still getting started changing my diet…after so many years of paying attention to food, this is really the first concerted effort I’ve made to be strictly vegan….so far, I continue to struggle with the ‘getting ready’ part….it takes much more planning to ‘be vegan’ than to be ‘mostly plants’….its fun and useful to have this new perspective, as I work to design what will become the Shanti Health Coaching system.

Rich

Today – Day 5 – you get to watch Chris P talk about Flow Based yoga – enjoy!

Rich

For example, I have noticed that I am struggling to do something differently than I had when I first began on Tuesday, after the Free Day of Yoga. First, I had to get myself intending to change…then I had a day or two of change ‘just happening’…today,  I have found that I need to work a bit more at it, already.

Tomorrow, as I know from earlier attempts to change a pattern of behavior, I must push a bit more deeply to regain some momentum.

BTW, its so funny, but not uncommon…..losing weight, feeling better…it doesn’t seem to push me forward, in some ways, the progress makes my committing to change even harder!  No worries…I shall keep going….36 more days to go!  I just have to keep practicing!

Here’s the link to the Day 4 video…Ashtanga with Clayton.

Rich

As Pattabhi Jois was known to say…’Practice and all is coming‘…

Consider watching Mehtab talking about Kundalini Yoga on the Day 3 video.

Enjoy your practice!

Rich (Raghurai)

The thing about personal change in health behavior that most excites and interests me is the simple wonder of it all.  Here is it, the second day in my journey to eat a vegan diet. I’m watching myself consider theory, notice my beliefs, my self efficacy (or lack of it).  However, regardless of the beliefs I seem to have or want to have, there is some ‘magic’ in my behaving anew in a particular way….this is where my wonder and awe live….for me, and for all of us….

Change is a wonder….!

Day 2 of the 40 Day Challenge is happening….watch this great short video by Lori about hatha yoga!

Rich