056 Living a Mindful and Congruent Life with Andy Gray

Andy Gray is a software and technology expert, helping organizations be more effective in their use of technology. He has coauthored two books published by Cambridge University Press and is a frequent speaker nationally and internationally. Andy has a deep interest in spirituality and was aProgram Director for a non-profit education and retreat center. Andy has completed a two-year Art of Spiritual Discernment training and has attended many retreats and workshops on the topics of spiritualism and mindfulness. Andy also has a podcast called ‘A Congruent Life’.

Contact Info

• Website: www.acongruentlife.net/mindfulnessmode  (This page has some bonuses for Mindful Tribe)
• Personal Page: www.grayandy.com
• Podcast: A Congruent Life
• Twitter: @grayandy

Most Influential Person

• Belden C. Lane, Professor Emeritus of Theological Studies, Saint Louis University

Effect on Emotions

• I think mindfulness is really primarily about presence, about being present in the current moment. I would like to think that's positively affected my professional life in the way that I relate to other people. Sometimes we get into these corporate situations where there's a lot of disfunction, a lot of political maneuvering, a lot of emotion. I think that being mindful and being present has a way of diffusing that, of getting into a place where you can see beyond the immediate behaviour and really understand and connect with people on an individual, deeper level, listening to the things they are saying beyond just the words that are coming out of their mouths.

Thoughts on Breathing

• Breathing is great. Breathing is something that I completely underestimated the power of. We all breathe, of course we need oxygen. Our lungs need to work in a certain way to be able to exist. My experience with breathing is truly incredible. I've worked with a breath coach that was a significant eye-opener for me. What we are able to do without physical touch, but just through our breath is amazing. Deep conscious breathing is a tool that we always have with us. We always have our lungs, we have our bodies, so we can instantly access this way of being present, of calming ourselves down, of being conscious and in the moment in the places where we get these adrenaline spikes, or these fear responses or these flight responses.

Suggested Resources

• Book: Loving What Is by Byron Katie
• App: The Pomodoro Technique / Brain.fm and FocusAtWill.com

Advice for Newbie

There's no right way to do any of this. I tend to be a perfectionist by nature and so if I'm exploring something new I've got to figure out the right way to do it. There's no such thing with mindfulness. It's really just about being willing to jump in and figure out what works for you and give it a try without worrying whether you're doing it right or not.