Carrie Vick is the founder of Forward Factor Coaching and Consulting. She helps women and teams thrive forward, from feeling limited to limitless!
Carrie is also a Mom to 4 and a Dog Mom. Going from corporate to being her own boss, she needed a way to release the stress and grief that she was going through. This led her to a breathe and recover class where she found the power of Yoga Nidra.
Routine | Routine of Yoga Nidra
Carrie’s constant in her routine is Yoga Nidra. Practicing it every night as she goes to sleep and during sleep.
- Lay flat on your back
- Listening to a guiding meditation, you will be directed to focus on certain things as well as explore experiences and your surroundings.
Success
Carrie defines success as living and leading a happier, healthier, peaceful life. An improved state of life.
Connect With Carrie Vick
Website: https://www.carrievick.com/
Connect: https://www.carrievick.com/stayintouch
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrieavick/
Mastermind: https://theeminentfactor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/the.forward.factor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.forward.factor/
Transcript
Hannah Mitrea 0:05
Hello, everyone, this is Hannah, your host and you are listening to the success is routine podcast. Our show is on a mission to talk to leaders in life and business that have achieved success and to learn what their routine is, if you’re ready to create your routine to success, you’re in the right place. Now let’s get started. Welcome back. Everyone to success is routine Podcast. I’m super excited to have Carrie Vick with us. We have been in masterminds together. And I’ve loved hanging out with her and then learning that we literally lived one town away from each other. It’s I’m really excited for her to be on here and share her routine of yoga practice. And Carrie avec is the founder of the Ford factor coaching and consulting. So welcome to the show. Thanks, Hannah.
Carrie Vick 0:49
Glad to be here. Yeah.
Hannah Mitrea 0:52
So I know you’re going to be talking about yoga, and like specifically the yoga nidra.
Carrie Vick 0:59
And saying, right, that the pronunciation varies depending on who you are, where you’re from, I say Nidra some people roll the honor. It varies. Yeah.
Hannah Mitrea 1:11
Good, good. Not terrible. I guess I thing it neitra Yoga Nidra. Alright, well, before we jump into like yoga, Nidra share a little bit about you like, what’s your story? And then we’ll talk about how that routine came about.
Carrie Vick 1:27
Yeah, my story. I think first and foremost, I’m a mom of four. My mom, Doc, Doc mom, the dog mom, humans, dog mom of one. coach and consultant founder afford factor, have spent a lot of years in the corporate world leading Customer Success teams. And I think aside from that, I feel maybe because of all that, I have had a lot of stress, a lot of anxiety and like just driven from a busy, hectic schedule, you know, I mean, you’re for kids, you’re trying to juggle all the activities that go along with them, and how does all of that fit into a work schedule? And what if that particular week you’re traveling for work, and I was hungry to understand natural, healthy ways to manage the stress. And then just find some peace, you know, to like escape from it and better learn to to manage some of that anxiety, you know, when it comes up in the moment. And then you fast forward a couple of years, and I had an injury to my leg and was struggling through physical therapy and getting full mobility and strength back in that leg. And that’s what really had me dive into, like my yoga practice more specifically. So I don’t know, I think it was just like coupling, the yoga practice and the the Nidra meditations. There’s just a perfect balance for me.
Hannah Mitrea 3:04
And I know that you’ve worked like in corporate America, you work with, like large companies. And so I know, a lot of that just had to come from that world. Where you doing the yoga and the yoga nidra meditation nation while you’re in corporate America, or did all that kind of come after, like, did you have a yoga practice? Like, like from always?
Carrie Vick 3:28
Yeah, that’s a good question. I had stumbled onto yoga, at a regular gym, you know. So regular gym, we all have in our neighborhoods, and they have different classes, Zumba, you know, all the different cardio classes. And I’d stumbled on the yoga nidra or I’m starting I said, Well, I’m a yoga class. And it was not what I expected. It was very fitness oriented. And I don’t know, that was a big, big push on strength and balance. And I don’t know it had a very fitness flavor to it. And you know, I did it a few times. It didn’t just love it. And shortly after I lost my mom in 2016, I was still working in corporate America. I stumbled on a local yoga studio. Just that’s all they do. There is yoga. And they were offering a eight week session. I think it was like $20 for each class, but over the course of eight weeks, and it was called Breathe in recovery. And I don’t know why. But her marketing to me just hit me at a place that I needed. I was like, I need to breathe. I need recovery. And I need to just find some peace and better ways to manage this grief. Right? I was walking I was running miles and miles and miles every week trying to navigate that grief and I just wasn’t able to just Maybe sit with it. And, you know, acknowledge it and feel it. And then let it go and move forward with my day. And so I went to this breathe in recovery. And I fell in love with the studio. It was unlike a yoga class I’d ever been to was very restorative laying in positions for a long period of time, three to five minutes each, you know, but you’re propped up and you’re just relaxing deeper and deeper into the positions. And then for the first time, she wrapped up the class with a 20 minute Nidra meditation. I left feeling energized and almost euphoric, which sounds strange. But, you know, it’s just this newfound energy that I had. And I left thinking that’s so bizarre, I laid on a mat, I stretched, and I did a meditation. And I felt like I had slept for about three hours. And it’s just crazy energy. 20 minute meditation session.
Hannah Mitrea 6:07
Yeah, that’s crazy. Like, because I think, like yoga and meditation, you’re talking about being in these poses for three to five minutes. And I’m like, Oh, my goodness, I have to like, stay still this whole time. Like, you know, I had an MRI last week. And like, hopefully, I don’t even know how you’re taking photos, because am I staying still enough for this? Still,
Carrie Vick 6:28
yeah. And I knew, I mean, breathe to recovery, when you are laying still even not in the meditative state. But when you’re laying still in that hose, you feel that you feel the need to like wiggle your feet, or your legs or ideally way. And every time that you feel that need or urge to move, you just focus on your breath, and the pattern of your breath. So you’re, you’re re centering your thoughts back to just physically what’s going on with you and just relaxing in that pattern of your breath. And it changes you at the cellular level. It’s, it’s very interesting. I mean, when you geek out like I do and read all about it, because I was I was hungry to know more. What was this thing I just experienced, and I went back every week for eight weeks and fell in love with the studio. And I mean, got much deeper into my yoga practice as a whole and then later became a yoga teacher and instructor and studied there. So it’s definitely taken a lot of twists and turns. But that to your original question. I mean, yes, it definitely started while I was working in corporate and I think it was really spawned by just navigating through grief. And you know, life is hard. And we all have challenges and things that come up for us, you know, at different in different seasons, and how we choose to deal with those things. And come out on the other side of them. You know, that’s our choice. It really is like our intentional choice that could have turned to alcohol and you know, binge eating, or whatever that may be, but I was running hundreds of miles and, you know, looking for a way to clear my head and find some peace. I was really looking for those natural, healthy approaches.
Hannah Mitrea 8:16
I love that. I love that you’ve you found it too, with this yoga meditation, and I cannot say the word. I’m going to screw it up every time. Yoga Nidra. Okay, perfect. So okay, so you’re going to the yoga studio, eight weeks. We’re going every day, we’re going like twice a week. Like, what kind of routine was that? And then like, then we’ll let’s talk about like, how to actually do that yoga nidra. Yeah, and create that routine.
Carrie Vick 8:48
Yeah. So I was going. So the first breathe in recovery. It was every Monday night for eight weeks. And honestly, at that point in my life, that’s about all I could commit to. And that was probably hard for me. Like, why did I have to put on yoga clothes now at the end of a busy workday, and I’m leaving kids at home and all the chaos there but but I found so much benefit from it that I did continue to go back. And she taught a Friday class that I fell in love with it was very similar to that. And now they have more offerings at that class, because it’s more and more people are finding it. There’s just been such a great demand for it. And so, I think now my yoga practice is probably three to four times a week. I wish it were every day. Right but it is it is quinoa multiple times a week routine. Yeah, the neitra though, is every day. Okay. Yeah.
Hannah Mitrea 9:47
And so, do you do it in the morning and night? Like let’s talk about the whole routine. The beginning, alright, so jumping everywhere. How what does that routine look like?
Carrie Vick 9:57
Yeah, for me, the Nidra is at night And we all have our normal bedtime routine, wash your face, brush your teeth, whatever that may be. When I go to bed, I have a very easy time falling asleep. But I find that I have a hard time staying asleep. And I have a hard time waking up feeling rested. And that’s that’s been a lifelong journey for me. You know, my biological clock is more of a night owl. So I want to stay up at night, even though I’m physically and mentally tired. So I was really curious, this yoga nidra. And how I would do that for 20 minutes in a yoga studio, and feel refreshed, like what happens if I do that as I’m going to bed every night. And I found and there’s tons of apps out there for meditation, and tons of them have yoga nidra in them and guided meditations, which are very similar. And I found I don’t even know what she’d be called. Maybe she’s a yoga instructor, maybe she’s a Nidra instructor, I don’t even know what she would technically be called. But I found one that has, she has several different recordings of different Nidra meditations. And I looped them back to back. Because I would find that, okay, I would, you know, listen to her meditation for 20 or 30 minutes, and it would end. And then about an hour later, I’d wake up, and I’m fully energized. And I would think, Okay, now it’s midnight. Now what I do, yeah, so I lose several of her meditations back to back, and gives me about four hours, I’m asleep. But I’m subconsciously aware. So yoga, Nidra is a state different than a meditation where you sit on a mat, and you know, you see the typical, you know, meditation pose, or yoga nidra is done laying down, the, you know, facing up, and your arms are typically just down at your sides. And you are laying there, I mean, in a place of just utter comfort, you know, so don’t wiggle around and, you know, get distracted with that urge to move. And most of them do a include a what I would say, it’s a guide, through making connections to each part of your body. So you may start with your right thumb. And as you’re thinking about what they’re going to cue next as maybe your right finger and then to the palm of your hand or the back of your hand. It’s you’re concentrating on sending energy to what they’re cueing, just like a yoga teacher would cue a class. So they’re calling out different body parts, and you’re at rest, and you’re thinking about those body parts. And as you’re consciously sending energy there, you feel warped, in that body part because you’re concentrating on that. But that also clears out all the noise and what I want to call monkey brain, all the noise that exists in your head every day. Sometimes I don’t even make it awake before I finish the cue of all the different body parts. Like you’re already falling asleep already. Yeah, I am already asleep. So you’re you’re consciously was that the right word I want to say is you’re consciously asleep. But also. That’s very, very interesting. But it is it’s like these altered states where that awareness stays present. And so just like it’s almost like a dream state
Hannah Mitrea 13:40
is what I would call it like lucid dreaming.
Unknown Speaker 13:44
Yeah, because your subconscious is hearing the, the meditations and the cueing of the body parts. And so it’s, it’s staying focused on that even though you’re asleep. And that’s part of what is that regenerative process? And I there’s been tons of studies that show how minutes of Nidra can translate to hours of sleep. And so like the more and more I dug in to understand that, it’s like, Well, no wonder why I feel so much better after I do
Hannah Mitrea 14:16
that. In the morning when you wake up. Do you feel like way more refreshed after?
Carrie Vick 14:23
I do? Yeah, I really do. I feel like I’ve gotten a much deeper sleep. So not necessarily I’ve gotten a longer sleep but I do feel like I’ve gotten a much deeper sleep.
Hannah Mitrea 14:33
And then do you feel more fresh? Like you’re actually like more awake because I know when I get up sometimes I’m like dragging like even if I slept eight hours I feel dragging. So do you are you able to wake up easier to just like, go to the day like I’m so curious about it?
Carrie Vick 14:49
I wish I wish I could say yes, I’ve heard this from other people who who do this as a routine. I’ve heard pretty consistent feedback that they wake up feeling energized, refreshed. I’m always really curious to understand, like, what’s going on in their season of life? Is it a, you know, a peak season or a valley season, you know, good or bad, and where’s their mindset throughout the day otherwise, and if there’s like a correlation there. But I, I’ve never in my entire life really woke up feeling like, yes, it’s time to get out of bed and take on the day. But maybe again, I feel like my biological clock, I want one logical clock wants me to stay up late. I get really creative late at night, if I have any content to write or presentations to put together. That’s oddly for me, after midnight. cannot explain it at all. So I don’t know that I that I feel disappointed necessarily. I don’t wake up feeling super energized. But I do notice throughout the day, I don’t hit those big, big slumps of feeling tired. Like I used to before, you know, you know, late morning or early afternoon when you feel like you’ve already had a long day. You know, just feeling that afternoon slump coming, I don’t necessarily feel that like I used to.
Hannah Mitrea 16:19
Yeah, no, that’s awesome. And so you started it with just Mondays. Now you do it daily. So like, how are you able to stick to creating this routine? I know that like, like, even when something feels really good, like exercise or things like that, we still struggle to stick with it. Because, you know, it’s all this time, all these things. So what helped you really stick to this? And did you struggle to stick to it at first? Or was it pretty easy transition?
Carrie Vick 16:43
You know, I think I think I struggled to stick to it at first. And I think that was because I didn’t quite understand the value that I was getting out of it. And I’m not sure if that makes sense or not. But I was I was doing it, I would feel more rested. Throughout the day, I felt like I had more energy even transitioning from the morning or the afternoon into the evening. But I don’t think I realized like, this needs to be a routine this needs to be you know, just as important to me as drinking, you know, liters of water and eating healthy. And when you think about our healthy patterns, you want to eat well sleep well, you know, and feel well. And I would notice on some really stressful days, and I would go to bed, and I would just be trying to relax and go to sleep. I feel tension in my shoulders. Like I just couldn’t relax my head even on the pillow. And more importantly, I started noticing this tightness in my jaw. I think I’m trying to go to sleep here. Why am I why am I holding tension, almost like I was gritting my teeth, you know, as I was trying to go to sleep. So one night I started thinking okay, like relax my jaw, relax my shoulders, and I just had this big aha moment that I’m, I’m really kind of starting to cue yoga nidra for myself, why don’t I just relax and listen to one. And it really became that overnight thing just to let go of some of that anxiety. And you know, stress that I was taking the bed with me because that certainly has to impact sleep.
Hannah Mitrea 18:25
Oh yeah, definitely. Going to bed with like, it’s like never gone to bed. It’s a fight or things like that. It’s just creating my stress. But I completely understand why you said you didn’t see that value right away. And I think a lot of people struggle with meditation because of that. Like, especially at the beginning, sit here and be quiet. Like and just sit with your thoughts or things like that is a very hard thing to like, understand, like, I I have a full morning routine meditation is still not part of it yet. It’s just like, couldn’t get the I haven’t got there yet.
Carrie Vick 18:56
Yeah, and that meditation in the traditional sense that a lot of us think of, you know, setting, clearing your mind trying to not think of anything. That was very difficult for me. Very, very difficult. I mean, I have that, that monkey brain and those thoughts are always spinning around and to do list and you know how I’m going to fit everything into one day. So that’s a very, very hard thing for me to just sit and not have the thoughts or conversely with a guided meditation like a like a yoga nidra it’s, it’s redirecting my thoughts. You know, so I do have to find some times that my mind will start to wander and I’m like, Okay, pull it back over here. Okay, now I’m thinking about my knee and my ankle. And there’s certainly other meditative dialogue, you know, that happens in that that guided approach but I have to redirect myself sometimes still in that
Hannah Mitrea 19:56
part. I like that. Is not quiet. There is somebody be telling you, okay, do this next and go here. And you mentioned just now how there’s other things in it too. So like, can you kind of share like what like other than, you know, sent energy to your hand or your foot, what are some other things that they go through, to really understand, like, what that routine looks like, of Nidra,
Carrie Vick 20:18
ya know, most of them in the very beginning will open up. And it’ll start with, you know, lying on your mat, or wherever you are, and finding a place of comfort, you know, where you can set and rest. And then it’ll take you to me releasing the tension in your jaw, releasing your forehead, which is something we also don’t think about a lot, you know, but we’re frowning, and we’re holding some kind of tightness there and our muscles, releasing your shoulders and sort of walk you through some of that, and then maybe some notes of scenery, you know, brought in, you know, think about the wind, you know, blowing gracefully, as you’re melting into the mat. So there’s an, everyone has a different, what I want to call it. theme, I feel like every reading meditation has a theme. And so it’s, you know, walking you through these peaceful, very calming scenarios. And, and I’m really drawn to the need for instructors to have a very calming, soothing voice, and, and not any music. The music is very distracting for me. And she’ll say, you know, clear your mind, clear your thoughts, be present with where you are now, and incorporate all like riceville context, you know, into. But one of the things that I really, really love that comes after a lot of the body scan session, is where they take you on a guided tour is what I want to call it. And they’ll introduce you to, you know, you’re walking along a stream, and you can hear the ripples of the water flow. And, you know, you see an animal in the distance, oh, you know, it’s several deer. And, and so it’s this full visual that she’s painting for you. And you see a mountain in the distance. And as you get closer, there’s a cave, and there’s a light, and you go into the cave, and what do you see, a lot of people will be so deep asleep by that point, that they might wake up and remember what they saw. Some people won’t remember what they see, you know, in that light. But that is that’s a powerful thing for me is that that guided journey. Again, it’s distracting the normal thoughts in your mind. And you’re, you’re almost getting excited about where you’re going to end up on that journey.
Hannah Mitrea 23:01
That’s interesting. It’s like any, it really makes you aware of your surroundings and aware of the little things that you might be ignoring. Yeah, that’s going on to really be present.
Carrie Vick 23:14
And that’s a good point. Because a lot of those meditations do bring and, you know, your five senses, what are you feeling? What are you seeing? What do you smell? You know, you might pick a berry off a tree, can you you know, can you taste it? And a lot of them are also that guided experience is a nature because there’s so much healing and grounding in nature.
Hannah Mitrea 23:37
Now, yeah, interesting. All right. Well, let’s talk about the success that having the yoga nidra practice in your day to day and I know we’ve talked a lot where, you know, I’ve already seen like, little glimpses of that success for you, I think, but share with us like what is that success and you know, not all success is monetary. success can be so many different things, from happiness to relationships to help business clarity. So what is that success that you’ve gotten from doing yoga? Nidra?
Carrie Vick 24:06
Yeah, for me, it’s, it’s really been centered around that that goal of living and leading a happier, healthier, peaceful life. It’s, it’s a better life. It’s a it’s an improved state of life. From what I was experiencing before I stumbled across a breathe in recovery class. It’s an improvement to the quality of life that I had before starting, you know, a regular yoga practice, let alone starting the regular yoga nidra routine. So I think that routine very specifically, I do feel happier, I do feel healthier. And when something stressful comes up during the day or an anxious moment where I’m going to speak, you know, in an event and everyone can understand that fear. Feeling of a little bit of stage fright. You know, as you go to public speaking, I’m able to let go of a lot of that anxiety in the moment. And so I feel like, I don’t know that breathing, just that whole experience, you know, I can, in the moment, just take a couple of deep breaths and release some of that tension just in the body. And then I can go, and public speak, and I’m completely fine. And I lived through it just like any other time I had to public speak, but I’m not carrying all that stress and tension with me, you know,
Hannah Mitrea 25:34
into it. Yeah. I think that’s amazing. And, like, I was just talking to someone earlier about how, you know, holding on to that stress is really living in your past. And you’re bringing that with you. Whereas, so I love that with this yoga nidra. It’s, you know, pushing you into the present, and getting rid of that past. So you can be present and move forward without bringing these burdens with you. It’s not that it racism, it’s just, you can live in a different state. But
Carrie Vick 26:05
yeah, and I look at it too, like I’m choosing, I’m choosing to live in the present, you know, and I’m choosing to go onto a stage or a public speaking, you know, kind of a form, and I’m choosing to not bring that level of anxiety with me. And there’s something that happens with just reframing that from, I’m stressed, I’m anxious to, I can choose to let go of that anxiety. And knowing how to regulate your breath, or just relaxing certain body parts to, to help you physically get there, because the mind is a powerful thing. And when the mind tells you, you’re nervous and stressed and anxious, the body tends to follow, and we our body will tend to suffer, you know, the upset stomach, or you’re grinding your teeth or carrying that tension in your muscles. But when your mind says free, be present, let it go. Again, it’s a powerful thing. And you can make that choice.
Hannah Mitrea 27:05
No, that’s amazing. I think the power of choice is so much of a success right there too. Because, like, I feel like that causes a lot of our stresses, we feel like we don’t have that choice. And so this creates a choice of am I holding on to this stress, and I’m choosing whether I hold on to it or not. I love that you’re able to get that and have that success. And, you know, have that clarity. I’m doing this practice of yoga nidra. So I have two more questions. I know you have to go. This one is so Okay, so someone, you know, maybe they don’t do yoga, maybe they do a different form of yoga, and they’re listening to this, and they’re like, Wow, I really want to have that, you know, a peace of mind that choice to get rid of the stress, what is that first step they can take, because maybe 20 minutes is like a lot for them. Maybe, you know, getting into a practice that they don’t understand yet is a lot, what’s the first step they can do to start bringing yoga nidra into their life.
Carrie Vick 28:10
I would say Google is always our best friend. You know, Google yoga, Nidra. Learn more about it. There’s free resources out there. The other recommendation I would have is looking at some of the meditation apps. And a lot of people are familiar with calm. I personally use one called Insight Timer. And there’s free capabilities on most of them. And then paid versions where you’re going to get additional bells and whistles, maybe like I do with streaming multiple meditations back to back and creating that that loop. But if you get onto those apps, and you search for Nidra or yoga nidra you’ll find some there and play with it. You can always lay down and do five minutes, right even if the meditations 20 minutes, just to five minutes, just experience it or put it on your your air pods and listen to it as you’re cleaning. You know, cleaning the dishes one night, multitask a little and just start wrapping your mind around. Okay, how can I incorporate this into maybe something I try out on the weekend? Yeah, awesome.
Hannah Mitrea 29:22
My other question I know we haven’t really talked about any, like personal development or anything like that. But is there one book that you would really recommend to a listener?
Carrie Vick 29:33
i And if you can see all
Hannah Mitrea 29:40
your reader
Carrie Vick 29:42
and then I reference headphones. I’m a big audible listener. I personally think presents by me cutie. She has a wonderful TED talk if you’re not a book reader. Her TED talk is amazing. And again, just Google Amy QT. Think it’s cod why TED Talk? It’s probably one of the most widely listened to TED Talks. I know it was about a year ago still, but her book on presence is pretty powerful. Pretty powerful. I’ve listened to it and probably read it multiple times. It’s one of those where the different season of life that you’re in, reread it or look at a certain chapter and find some different takeaways from it.
Hannah Mitrea 30:27
Awesome. I’m gonna write that down because I have not heard of it yet. So, but thank you so much for joining me Carrie and sharing about yoga nidra and that routine and that success is brought to you and my pleasure. Thank you for listening to success is routine podcast. If you found value in this episode, share it with a friend episodes go live weekly on Sunday at 8am. Start your week with the right routine, like follow and review the podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon music or wherever you’re listening during the success of routine movement and get exclusive downloads and content from the guests go to www dot success is routine.com and follow the conversation there or on social media. Until next time, remember
