A yogi’s guide to social media…

I want to admit three things today, before telling a story:

1. I’m a yogi.
   
2. I love social media.
   
3. AND (that’s a big, intentional “and”)... for me, those two things can coexist.
   

But I haven’t always felt this way, and I know so many of us feel at odds with both "living yoga” and “showing up on social media.”



Perhaps it seems like your friends are living gorgeous lives. Or your home feels messy compared to the perfect backdrops of others. Maybe it feels like every other yogi is *clearly* doing more than you when it comes to living a spiritual life.


From this view of social media, it feels easier to just... abstain.


But when I felt this way years ago, I went IN instead of checking OUT. Here’s when it clicked...



I was nearing the end of my first trip to India — sitting under a Banyan tree, notebook in hand, furiously scribbling mind blowing realizations on the “Nature of the Self”.



My curiosity was piqued — how could I integrate these ancient, time-tested spiritual teachings with my modern life as a yogini in the West on social media?


His words stuck with me: “We show up on social media to make ourselves more available.”


That was the reply I needed! I would add that the “we” who is showing up is important. Are we approaching social media as our higher self? Or are we scrolling aimlessly, avoiding life — as our ego self?


This distinction matters — because these two versions of “Self” consume content in MUCH different ways.


[Side note: If you’re curious about how to tell the difference between these two selves that goes far beyond the content of my newsletters, either — shameless plug! — take a yoga teacher training with me, and/or read my bestie Brittany’s new book, “Dancing with Our Selves” ... it’s a whole book about discovering who’s in your driver’s seat!]

*Photo Credit Above: Alec Sills-Trausch

After I returned home, I noticed anytime Sean was on social media, he’d be laughing — like BELLY laughing. And of course, I’d get a ping a few moments later as the meme or reel arrived in my DMs.


I remember thinking: I wish my feed made me feel like that.


I recognized my typical ego behavior — an BOOM, like a bolt of lightening, I knew:


The algorithm doesn’t live out there, somewhere. The algorithm responds to ME. If I want my feed to be different, I need to approach the feed as a different version of myself.


The distinction is so subtle, isn’t it?


And it worked. I’m going to detail the 7 actions I took below  — as a yogi! —to revamp my relationship with social media:

1. It starts with Intention: Just like every yoga class I teach, I set an intention. I have this card on my altar that says “Your purpose is joy.” That became my intention with social media, both in my feed and in my own posts.
   
   
2. Play with Pause: I muted (instead of unfollowing) posts and stories from profiles (even folks I love) that made me feel down. I stopped trying to figure out why they triggered me, and simply pressed pause. I needed some space so I could fill my feed with what my higher self wanted more of. I still do this as needed, and then I unmute later on.
   
   
3. Show the algorithm I mean business: I started interacting with posts that made me laugh. Instead of lurking by all the memes and funny skits, I clicked that HEART. This simple gesture is how I showed the algorithm what I want more of. I do NOT click the heart if I feel less than joyful doing so.
   
   
4. Be a cheerleader for authenticity: I made it my personal mission to uplift, like and comment on posts, reels and stories from my students, my friends, and other personalities who I know are putting themselves out there in an authentic way. It’s like “shopping local” with attention instead of dollars + cents.
   
   
5. Unfollow the unnecessary: I realized I was following a lot of accounts because I felt “obligated”. As a result, I was scrolling past so much empty content that didn’t make me feel anything. So I unfollowed them. It’s OK to outgrow accounts that used to light you up.
   
   
6. Post with joy in mind: That nagging feeling of “having to post something” was really bringing me down. My words and photos never felt like enough — and I know this is a vibe so many of us feel. I still go through phases with this — and I stick to my intention. If it doesn’t bring me joy to post things, I go looking for joy IN. MY. LIFE. I know that if my life feels joyful OUTSIDE of social media, then that joy naturally seeps into my posts and content.
   
   I don’t seek joy ON the feed. Rather, I seek joy from life — and emanate that on my feed. Magically, the algorithm supports my intention, and living my life provides all the inspiration I need :-)
   
   
7. Take a break as needed: In yoga teacher training, I teach that conscious abstinence from anything (social media, coffee, biting your nails, you name it!) for a length of time is called a “tapas practice”. We let go of something that’s constant in our lives, so we can notice and experience the space it occupies. There is an intensity to this practice, which is the HEAT, or “tapas” as we stick with our commitment. Afterward, sometimes we go back to “the thing,” and other times, we let it go. No matter the outcome, we always learn a bit about ourselves along the way.
   

In writing this post, I found this “yoga pose” photo shown below and it made me laugh remembering this day.

Sean and I were on a beach on the Kenai Peninsula, and I was in a “yoga pose everywhere” phase. This was how I communicated “I”m a yogi!” back then.


I got on this massive stump and didn’t know what to do — and I was scared to stand up at first because it was so tall, and uneven. So I tried cow pose…  and it looked like I was doing... nothing! Sean had to confirm that I was, indeed, in position.


We laughed at the ridiculousness of it all — which is the whole point, no?


Sending love,
Mollie

PS  — In case you’re content to keep staring at your phone (no judgement, I’m here for that too!), here are some random Instagram accounts I’ve been loving lately:

• @sailing_with_phoenix — This guy is so honest and awkward, and that’s become his brand. He’s following his dream, and he’s showing up to tell us about it. I love watching him and def stalked his whole life when I found his profile.
  
  
• @kikirough — I’m fortunate to have the means necessary to eat well. And what I love about Kiki is that she takes basic ingredients, without all the pressure and fluff, and whips up something nourishing. I have run out of supplies in the arctic on more than one occasion where I’ve had to “make do” with what I have, and Kiki embodies that spirit... and she genuinely wants to help the world. I love that.
  
  
• @ridewithian — I found this guy yesterday, but I love what I’ve seen so far. He’s biking/traveling across Europe/Asia, and is currently in Iran / Israel and I find it WILD that he is there during this absolutely INSANE time. I also resonate with his vibe as a fellow midwesterner. He embodies a lot of joy in his vlogs. I love that.
  
  
• @charlieberens — If you’re not from the midwest, this might be lost of you. But Wisconsin is part of my soul lineage, and as such: I love accounts that make me laugh about life as a Sconnie! The accent is a real thing!
  
  
• @kamalarose.yoga — Y’all know I’m obsessed with “A Woman’s Gita” podcast, and Kamala Rose is one of the hosts. Her captions are so poignant for me as she speaks about women stepping into their roles as yogic / spiritual teachers. I have to tell you this quote from a recent post: “Spiritual authority doesn’t come from more certifications. It comes from a mentor who helps you remember your own voice. Lineage is not a scroll. It’s a living transmission — and it can be feminine. It can be you.”
  
  
• @TaylorSwift — of course I love her music. But what I love even more is the way she consciously shows up for her fans. I am so curious about way she’s mastered the art of intrigue, synchronistically setting launch dates, and putting out cryptic statements and photos, simply because her fans LOVE that she puts so much thought into it. I interact with her posts because my feed then shows me more Swiftie fan pages, which are absolutely FILLED TO THE BRIM with Joy :-)
  
  
• @garron_music — As I type this, I see he posted 12 hours ago saying he’s taking a two month break from social media! I love the way he phrased his plan. It feels uplifting, and I feel hopeful that he’ll do what he says: Come back fresh — because I truly love his content! In the meantime, scroll back in his feed forever and ever because his videos are so unhinged and hilarious. (If you’re not a fan of vulgar language here and there, maybe don’t scroll his feed!)