It's Where I Am with Zandra Polard

Kevin Krall 0:00
You're listening to special programming brought to you by it's where I m.com The content of this program does not reflect the views or opinions of 91.5 Jas and more the University of Nevada, Las Vegas or the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education.

Unknown Speaker 0:41
Good morning Las Vegas. Welcome to it's where I am with Zondra polearm. Today's guest is Dana Matt. Dana is a wellness practitioner, yoga instructor, author, and educator. But first, here is your host, Sandra Polare.

Unknown Speaker 1:03
Hey, awesome. Thanks for that lovely introduction.

Unknown Speaker 1:07
You're welcome.

Unknown Speaker 1:08
Thank you. We have I have my angel here. My actual Angel was my mother. Smith, Rick app. Thank you. Welcome. It'll be co hosting with me today. If you have any questions, just let me know. We'll have you participating. Okay. So welcome. 91 point back jazz and more to the show. So as you know, we have Dana Mack. Dana, are you with us?

Unknown Speaker 1:39
Yay. How are you?

Unknown Speaker 1:42
Well, you know, I'm you're working my sexy voice today. So kind of bear with me.

Unknown Speaker 1:48
Right. Are

Unknown Speaker 1:49
you hearing me? Okay.

Unknown Speaker 1:51
I can hear you very well.

Unknown Speaker 1:53
Awesome. Awesome. So Dana, you are fully loaded. You do a lot of things Sr.

Unknown Speaker 2:02
I do a lot of things. Joe,

Unknown Speaker 2:05
I mean, your nine to five, your nine to five, right? You're working with kids.

Unknown Speaker 2:13
Right, nine to five. I'm educator also. I teach adult. So at the university level for adults, teachers who are clearing their credential. Okay, and getting their credential. Yes. So

Unknown Speaker 2:30
So you're working with the kids? And the kids. You're working with kids who have on the autism spectrum, right? Yes, yeah. And then you're working with the adults, so they can get the

Unknown Speaker 2:45
children? Yeah. All right. Without those on? Yes, yes.

Unknown Speaker 2:49
Wonderful. Thank you for all that you do. I have a very close friend who is blind. And her child has. She is on the autism spectrum. So that's, you know, kind of a lot fully loaded there. So we have lots of pick me up talks. And then, so you do yoga. Now yoga, I find is very relaxing, and healing. So tell us about the yoga instructor. How was that? What are you doing? To know? Yes, like yoga classes or something? Right.

Unknown Speaker 3:35
Right. Yes. So I started yoga, practicing yoga myself in 1999. And it was a healing modality that I turned to when I was presented with many challenging things that were just happening back to back in my life. Losing my grandmother losing a job breaking up with my ex having some health issues, and everything was just happening at once. So I turned to yoga. But one thing about it is most people know about the physical. And when you learn about yoga, and you begin to practice, that is just a small portion of it. It's about the mind, on how to calm the mind and how to be able to be in control of the mind so that the mind is not controlling you. And so one thing I didn't mention is because of that, I became a mindset coach to help you with.

Unknown Speaker 4:44
We didn't introduce that part of you yet.

Unknown Speaker 4:51
And it's kind of it just works hand in hand with the meditation and the mindfulness and the yoga simply because Are most of the things that ALS or that we want to deal with, often from the mind and our subconscious. And so having someone and a modality that's in the physical to help you to work through those challenges, and to figure out, you know, where is it that I am having limiting beliefs? What can I do to turn it into a more positive spin? And what does my self talk, you know, sound like? Okay, so things are important. So

Unknown Speaker 5:37
if I were to break this down in lay terms, what you're saying is, if not, you don't take yoga just because maybe your back hurts. You take yoga as well. Because maybe you might be stressed out. And Yoga will help with that as well. Is that right?

Unknown Speaker 6:00
Right. So anytime you move in the physical via yoga, or any exercise that's going to help you. But what I'm saying is, it's also a mind thing. You Oh, yeah, no, I

Unknown Speaker 6:14
totally get Yeah. My sister tried to get me to do yoga, many years ago, and she just kept saying, you know, no, your back hurts. And yoga would really help. And she said, you will have less stress. You try this yoga thing? I probably would have done it a lot sooner. Right? Right. Yeah. So I get it, I get it.

Unknown Speaker 6:43
We move the body is going to help to eliminate stress, because it's going to reduce our cortisol level. So anytime you're feeling stressed, you want to move, you know, you don't want to be sedentary, you want to move your body.

Unknown Speaker 6:59
Yeah, and then that yoga centers, you're right with the breathing. So I was watching one of your yoga. What is it you have on YouTube, tell us about what you got on Oh, YouTube,

Unknown Speaker 7:13
I'm presenting five different breathing techniques or strategies from a yoga science perspective, called primary Yama. And like the vital air that we breathe, and then how to use that to help, again, the buddha mind to control our thought patterns and to breathe properly, many of us are breathing in a way that actually induces more stress, where, you know, taking short breaths, we're breathing from our mouth, we're using our trust, where we should actually be using our belly and breathing from the diaphragm, and taking in more oxygen to help us with so many different ailments. And the different techniques that I'll be teaching, the one that you saw is an introduction, video. And then there'll be a series of five and their successes, and each one building up on the other. And all of them, you would want to do either before you meditate, or before you begin your yoga practice, because it helps to open up the chest cavity, it helps breathing sinus issues with high blood pressure with some of the ones that I am putting on their hat help with losing weight. So many different benefits that you can get just by learning to breathe properly. And especially with racing fast and anxiety. It can be subdued, just learning how to calm yourself using your own breath.

Unknown Speaker 9:00
And we'll be able to do that anytime we want. Because it's on YouTube. Right? Exactly.

Unknown Speaker 9:05
Yes, exactly.

Unknown Speaker 9:10
And now what about I know you're a motivational speaker as well? What do you what are some of the things you talk about? Is it yoga?

Unknown Speaker 9:20
I definitely include yoga in the talks. But depending on what you call me in to speak on it can range from decluttering your space decluttering the mind of how to start a yoga practice how to start a breathing, you know practice that's incorporated with yoga, and I focus on the eight dimensions of wellness. Many of us

Unknown Speaker 9:48
what are those? What are the eight dimensions of wellness? Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 9:51
many of us think that we should solely focus on you know, physical and social, emotional mental, but there's also financial, there's also environmental, there's also the spiritual. And when you look at all of the dimensions, it plays a role in who you are overall as a person. And if you're lacking in one area, you're gonna see it spill over into other areas of your life. And so there's an assessment that takes place where you can answer questions to find out exactly what is the reality? And where are you and all of these dimensions. Then, from there, what can you do to if they're if you're presenting at a between between zero to 10? If you're presenting at a four or five in certain areas, well, how can I get it to attend to that I am, you know, showing and being the best me that I can be? And what can I do to take steps to get there. So it's all encompassing. The program that I present from a wellness perspective is comprehensive. So we look at all different areas. So that so not just focusing on one you're focusing on on I'll give them off physical, spiritual, emotional, occupational.

Unknown Speaker 11:13
Write them down. Environmental Sam, again, start again, we're writing down. Yes.

Unknown Speaker 11:18
Number one, physical to number two.

Unknown Speaker 11:26
There is a spiritual three, three, emotional, emotional. For

Unknown Speaker 11:36
occupational,

Unknown Speaker 11:37
occupational, yeah. And then we have intellectual intellectual. What number are we on? What's that? What's the how many?

Unknown Speaker 11:49
Yeah, should be fine.

Unknown Speaker 11:51
Okay. All right. was six,

Unknown Speaker 11:55
environmental?

Unknown Speaker 11:59
What's going on around us?

Unknown Speaker 12:00
All right, going on around us? Are you taking time to be in nature as well? Financial?

Unknown Speaker 12:11
Okay, and then social. All right.

Unknown Speaker 12:18
And those are the eight dimensions

Unknown Speaker 12:20
of wellness of Well, yes.

Unknown Speaker 12:24
So do you just do? Do you have workshops as well, for these eight dimensions?

Unknown Speaker 12:34
No, it's funny, should ask that I'm working on a program that will be presented in Compton, with several other team members that I'm working with, who basically present and those areas that I gave you, okay. And I created a group called the Renaissance global move. And the blueprint is this, going into urban areas, and being able to hold workshops, that focus on all of those different areas, for free, helping the community to be able to access, say, financial information, someone in the community wants to learn how to buy a house, or how to save or, you know, what to do as far as health insurance or life insurance, and figuring out different ways to build their future and have lucrative financial. Yeah, that

Unknown Speaker 13:41
makes sense, because all of those things affect they affect us mentally, right.

Unknown Speaker 13:47
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely.

Unknown Speaker 13:50
Oh, that's awesome that you do that?

Unknown Speaker 13:52
Yeah. So yeah,

Unknown Speaker 13:54
but what about the people who are not in Compton or in California? What do you have for them? So

Unknown Speaker 13:59
this is the blueprint there. But for me, if you're looking to have a workshop with me, there's two ways either hire me to design a workshop where you are, or I am producing online courses right now that you can pay to have access to and have me again, like you were saying with the YouTube videos, doing them wherever you choose, because they are online.

Unknown Speaker 14:28
So we talked about yoga. We talked about wellness practitioner, we talked about your being an educator. Yes, but you are also an author. For those who don't know, Dan has been on the show before. It's been what, over a year since you last. Tell us about your book.

Unknown Speaker 14:55
I wrote a children's book, titled The past I read who loves flip flop? Why? Because I love pirates. And I love this watch. Yeah,

Unknown Speaker 15:06
I was reading that you. You'd like to travel and collect flip flops?

Unknown Speaker 15:11
I do. I do. And it's so funny. I bought a pair last night I was at Ross, flip we all got it. Yes, yes, my T shirt. So here's a t shirt, t shirt fanatic who, I love T shirts as well. And so the book is presented from the eyes of an eight year old young lady, her name is Mackenzie. But in the pirate world, she's known as Black Mack. And she has this dream of traveling and going to pirate con. So she can display her treasure, you know, like the convention like when you go to Comic Con, and she's amped and just elated to go. And she, you know, stalks her ship, gets her first made her Rottweiler bogey and they're headed, you know, out to pirate con, join these other pirates. And then when she gets there. She's kind of discouraged by bullies. And we know that's what pirates tend to do. But then she flips it on him. She puts it out on and I won't give it away. But you can definitely get it on amazon.com walmart.com target.com and Barnes and Noble.

Unknown Speaker 16:32
Hey, don't forget, don't forget because you know, I'm from Altadena to SF. SF Romans, y'all. Yes,

Unknown Speaker 16:39
yes, yes. And I'm working on getting it up at westerns. And out to Deena we were we were in talks, and then the pandemic kind of made it a little difficult. I'm gonna go in touch back then. But I'm also at San Marino, toyon, bookshop, actually, they just send me an email, the copies that I have there of all sold out, so I gotta go replenish. But Santa Anatolian bookshop in San Marino actually has it. And so the themes of the book are bullying, anti bullying, inclusion, similarities and differences and holding dear to what you feel is special to you and not letting anyone take that away from you. If you think you know, you collect marbles and that specialty, you don't let anybody tell you that those are not special, whatever it is that you decided to

Unknown Speaker 17:29
collect. Couldn't do. That's right. You have collected, you know,

Unknown Speaker 17:33
if you collect, you know, belts, or, you know, belt, what do you call the buckles, whatever, whatever makes you happy, whatever makes your heart sing and hold that near and dear to your heart and never let anyone take that away from me.

Unknown Speaker 17:47
I love and I love that you dress up. Is it every year? And you read to the kids?

Unknown Speaker 17:56
Yes, well, so because I'm looking

Unknown Speaker 17:58
at a picture for those who can't see a picture of you in a pirate's costume. Right? Yes. Talking about your book and your realism children. So tell us about that. So October is National

Unknown Speaker 18:16
Bullying Prevention Month. So that took place in October. So I don't just dress up for you know, that assembly it's whenever someone you know, has me to come out to read the book. Oh, really? Was you have? Uh huh. Okay, was any event, an assembly that was in October for National Bullying Prevention Month. And again, because the major theme of the book is anti bullying. It was, you know, just apropos that I would come and present the book and dress up and talk to the students about anti bullying. And I didn't even know.

Unknown Speaker 19:00
I didn't even know there was an anti bullying in October. Yes. You know, we get so caught up with breast cancer awareness right. Now we forget about the kids who have no idea anymore. But you know, right. Yeah, that's something to remember for me. Yes.

Unknown Speaker 19:19
And the Yes. And one of the important things that came out of this. So it was from preschool all the way up to middle school, the assemblies that app presented. But in the end, they all signed a anti bullying and contract, large piece of paper where they agree to either be an upstander versus a bystander, meaning you won't stand around and watch. What will you do if you see bullying, and how will you you know, promote to acceptance and inclusion at the school, and they all had on their way out, they all got to sign. It was beautiful. It was beautiful. Yes.

Unknown Speaker 20:09
So do you have those pictures on your website? Because I know you have a website you're going to tell us about,

Unknown Speaker 20:13
you know, I am creating a montage of that aren't on my site as of yet, but they will be and we're working on a video that encompasses all of these different students that I did speak to just waiting on a few releases to get back to me.

Unknown Speaker 20:34
You know, I'm so glad we met

Unknown Speaker 20:38
away and I had a real parents there. There was a real parent. Oh,

Unknown Speaker 20:42
excuse me. Period is real. He is apt she is actually less Bella. She is absolutely real. I just want to give a shout out to our girl Chrissy Robinson as how we met. She. She told me she told me one of my favorite people. Yes, I definitely want to shout out with the thank you so much.

Unknown Speaker 21:13
Are you Terry? Yes. He's amazing. And

Unknown Speaker 21:18
then you know, my mom. Our face lit up. When you say Webster's girl. Yeah.

Unknown Speaker 21:23
I called her Webster all the time. All the time.

Unknown Speaker 21:29
Before I got on, I was just there. I got a box to ship a package. I just left there before I

Unknown Speaker 21:37
don't know. Webster's is a very small, like general store in Altadena up in the mountain there. So I also have a post office

Unknown Speaker 21:47
in there too. Okay. Pharmacy

Unknown Speaker 21:56
will shout out to Webster's shout out to Chrissy. And thank you, Dana, for letting us know the dimensions

Unknown Speaker 22:06
of wellness. Wellness.

Unknown Speaker 22:09
Yes, we got to work on. Yes, absolutely.

Unknown Speaker 22:14
Always take those and put those at the forefront of everything you do. Nothing else matters if you don't have your house

Unknown Speaker 22:21
and give us that YouTube channel because you know, my husband and I need to do some yoga at home.

Unknown Speaker 22:25
Absolutely it is. Dana Mac, da na, Ma, cc

Unknown Speaker 22:33
CC y'all will see that we'll see. So if you have a little time to yourself in the morning, afternoon or night, check her out. Go to our YouTube channel. You know, get your breathing home. Get your mind right.

Unknown Speaker 22:55
No mind right. Absolutely. So thank you again,

Unknown Speaker 22:57
is there anything else you want us to know before we let you go?

Unknown Speaker 23:02
Because we need to promote more love and kindness at this time. I believe that messages that we can you know present that can help us do that. Always going to do send you love T shirts too. So I have two T shirts that can help do that I have a peace, love compassion and bliss t shirt. And I have a joy, kindness, gratitude and happiness t shirt. And those are both available at Dana mac.com And I think just when we read the words you know and it'll lighten their spirit and make you feel a little lighter with so much heaviness going on in the world and so many things that have happened and transpired that anytime that we can add a little light to the situation that those teeth are my light that I'm adding and so if you're interested in helping me to add and bring more light and if you go to my website I have a variety of colors and all sizes

Unknown Speaker 24:03
that's beautiful well I'm a medium Yes. And you can say my to the radio station on the text

Unknown Speaker 24:15
can't girl thank you again for coming on.

Unknown Speaker 24:17
Wait. Mama sighs What's that mom? Or

Unknown Speaker 24:21
finish? Yeah, I would like

Unknown Speaker 24:26
to hear with me right now actually, I'll give you my mom's address.

Unknown Speaker 24:30
I can drive to mom's house because you want

Unknown Speaker 24:33
you right down the street actually from our so I'm going to texture and you can drop off our shirts. Thank you.

Unknown Speaker 24:40
Yes. So sprinkle kindness like glitter lady.

Unknown Speaker 24:47
Right Las Vegas you hear that was sprinkling God love happiness amongst each other in our community. Especially with ourselves. Don't Forget about you when I

Unknown Speaker 25:01
say that's right about you. Yeah. Thank you for having me.

Unknown Speaker 25:05
Absolutely. Thank you, Dana.

Unknown Speaker 25:06
Thank you. Listen, like

Unknown Speaker 25:11
you're so we're still here. So mom, what did you think this was your first time on the radio? Were you nervous?

Unknown Speaker 25:17
No, I wasn't nervous. I was just trying to take in all you know what she was talking about?

Unknown Speaker 25:24
Yeah. So you write in your notes. Oh, yeah. Any girl? Make sure you remember. Right. All right.

Unknown Speaker 25:33
The AP mentioned areas of wellness.

Unknown Speaker 25:38
Okay, well, we know you do you want to you want to go over them again. Give us the eight real quick. The

Unknown Speaker 25:43
eight. The eight dimension areas of wellness. Thank you, teacher our physical, spiritual, emotional, occupational, intellectual, environmental, financial, and social. That's

Unknown Speaker 26:09
why child as well my mom is saying. Thank you for being here. Mom.

Unknown Speaker 26:15
You're welcome.

Unknown Speaker 26:16
I love you. I love it. Hey, and I love y'all tonight as much as her but I love you too. Thank you make sure you are checking out. It's where I am every Saturday at 7:30am. Thank you. Oh, and I know those videos have been short. They're coming back at you. For now. Check me out. K u and v.org. Or the podcast Apple, Spotify, Google Amazon. And I'll see you next week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai