In this heart-centered episode of The Agile Self-Development Podcast, Helene returns a raja yoga class after a long time away — and is unexpectedly reintroduced to the powerful principle of ahimsa: the practice of non-harming. What begins as a quiet moment in a Raja yoga class becomes a soul-deep reflection on how we treat ourselves. This episode invites you to explore how subtle self-harm shows up in your life — and offers a set of grounding practices to reconnect with your wholeness through gentleness, awareness, and compassion.



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🔑 Key Takeaways:

•Ahimsa means “non-harming” — and applies to how we treat ourselves as much as others.

•Micro-harms like self-criticism, guilt-driven choices, and ignoring our needs wear us down over time.

•Self-development is not about pushing harder, but about returning to yourself with love.

•Alignment with ahimsa begins with daily, intentional, compassionate practices.

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

WTF IS Ahimsa?

Artificial intelligence is showing up everywhere—from work emails to vacation planning—but did you know it can also support your personal growth?

In this episode of Agile Self-Development, Helene explains how tools like ChatGPT can become your brainstorming buddy, personal coach, and idea generator—all without needing to be a “techy.” You’ll learn what prompt engineering really means (spoiler: it’s just asking better questions), how to craft prompts that get you the results you want, and simple ways to bring AI into your daily self-development practice.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

 * How AI tools like ChatGPT can support your growth journey
 * What “prompt engineering” means in everyday language
 * A simple 3-step formula for writing better prompts
 * Real-life examples you can try right away
 * Ready-to-use sample prompts for journaling, habit-building, stress management, and more

This starter kit gives you ready-to-use prompts you can copy, paste, and customize when using AI tools like ChatGPT. These prompts were created by ChatGPT, as a matter of fact! They're designed to support journaling, habit-building, stress management, and mindset shifts in your personal growth journey. 

Journaling Prompts 
• Give me five journaling prompts to help me reflect on my strengths at work. 
• Suggest journaling prompts to uncover limiting beliefs holding me back. 
• Provide five prompts to help me celebrate small daily wins. 

Habit-Building Prompts 
• Help me create a 30-day plan to drink more water and build a consistent habit. 
• Give me simple strategies to stay consistent with exercising, even if I only have 20 minutes a day. 
• Suggest ways to track and reward myself for sticking to a new habit. 

Stress Management Prompts 
• Give me three short, practical techniques I can use daily to manage stress as a working parent. 
• Suggest five quick relaxation exercises I can do during a work break. 
• Help me create a 10-minute evening routine to unwind before bed. 

Mindset & Positivity Prompts 
• Give me three positive reframes I can use when I feel like I’ve failed at something.
• Suggest simple affirmations I can practice daily for more confidence. 
• Provide strategies for shifting from negative to positive thinking when I’m overwhelmed. 


Tip: For the best results, add your own context when using these prompts. For example, mention your schedule, personal challenges, or goals so the AI can tailor its response to your unique situation. 

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

WTF Is AI & Prompt Engineering

It’s been awhile but I’m back with a new episode to share how to use an agile approach to break out of your funk. 

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

WTF Is A Funk

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

WTF Is A Mental Health Medical Leave of Absence

Listen in for the benefits of mental health days and how to plan to make the best of them!

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

S4 Ep1 - WTF is a Mental Health Day

Season 4 intro

Mental Fortitude is described as mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger, or temptation courageously. My guest on this episode is David Theriot, an ultrarunner and coach who understands that mental fortitude is pivotal to his success, very much akin to life's many other challenges.

David Theriot is an ultrarunner and coach who started running later in life after ACL reconstruction surgery.  He's run 45 ultramarathons, 16 of them of 100 miles or more.  He finds great joy in helping others come to the realization that they can do hard things.  He's coached runners from all over the world to finish their first or furthest Ultramarathon.  He also hosts the Run the Riot Podcast where he interviews runners from all over the world accomplishing amazing feats.

Lear more about David and how to work with him at http://info.runtheriot.run.

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

S3 Ep6 - WTF Is Mental Fortitude with David Theriot

In today's episode, we delve into the fascinating topic of self-awareness and its importance in our lives. Self-awareness is the ability to introspect and understand one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. We'll discuss why self-awareness matters, how to cultivate it, and the benefits it can bring to our personal and professional lives.

Visit http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com [http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com/] and click "Free Guide" in the top menu to start creating your own personal vision statement.

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

S3 Ep6: WTF is Self-Awareness

On this episode, you'll hear from Dr Robert Pepper, author of Some People Don’t Want What They Say They Want [https://www.amazon.com/Some-People-Dont-Want-What/dp/1974252868], and a therapist who’s been running groups for over twenty-five years and has a special gift in helping member’s resolve conflicts with relationships, both personal and professional. In group therapy, members learn to resolve obstacles to developing healthy relationships through interactions between members of the group. Listen now to learn more about what group therapy can do to support healthy relationships.

Reach out to Rob at drpepperphd.com [http://www.drpepperphd.com].

Bonus thoughts from Dr. Pepper around the topic of using your friends to replace therapy:

There are at least two reasons why friends and family can’t replace group therapy.  Frankly, I believe it's quite psychologically naive to think that group therapy is unnecessary if a person has good friends and family. Good friends and family complement group therapy; they don’t replace it. For one thing, good friends and relatives usually aren’t objective. They have their own biases and opinions about what is best for us. And as "Dear Abby" has so brilliantly observed: "Unsolicited advice is always self-serving". Group members in a secure group environment, are in a better position to see our needs and foibles more clearly.

           Second, and to my mind more importantly, social relationships are not designed to absorb the full impact of our own, nor friends, family and a life partner’s feelings. In group therapy the directive to members is: "Say everything." That is clearly not a wise thing to do in non-therapy relationships. That is because there are some powerful, “dark” feelings that are better left unsaid in close, intense, personal relationships. They are better said in the safe context of a secure group. To share every thought and feeling with a loved one can be hurtful and damaging to the relationship. In group therapy it’s different. At the same time, our closest friends and relatives are there to provide TLC when we need it, while group members are there for us only weekly at a specific time and place. The restrictions prohibiting outside contact and physical contact in the group, plus the contract, ensure that there will be no real-life consequences to group interactions and that group is a safe place where members’ words can’t come back to haunt them in their personal or professional relationships. 

Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

S2 Ep 5 - WTF Is Group Therapy with Robert Pepper PhD

Have you found yourself feeling “exhausted” and to the point of feeling overwhelmed and depressed? Well you’re not alone. Business and Life coach Joey Drolshagen is back with us to share how exhaustion is leading to a skyrocketing number of people experiencing depression and ways we can avoid the pitfall.

Joey Drolshagen is a master mindset coach, author and Professional Speaker; and founder of the Subconscious Mindset Training method. Named one of the top Coaches in America for three consecutive years, in The NYC Journal and Disruptors Magazine, Joey is known for helping countless individuals to transform their lives through retraining their subconscious conditioning! He’s been seen on FOX, NBC, CBS, and e’s spent decades traveling the country, helping people move past obstacles to overcome adversity and create a life they absolutely love.

Connect with Joey at https://IFGTcoach.com [https://ifgtcoach.com/]

Mention Agile Self-Development at https://coachwithjoseph.com [https://coachwithjoseph.com/] for a free 30-minute consult coaching session with Joey Drolshagen!

Go to https://dynamic.ifgtcoach.com [https://dynamic.ifgtcoach.com/] to access the FREE Dynamic Vision Roadmap video Joey mentioned on this episode. 

 



Visit us at http://www.agileselfdevelopment.com!

S3 Ep 4: WTF is Exhaustion with Top Coach Joey Drolshagen

Become your best self, one version at a time. This podcast offers a roadmap for personal growth and self-improvement for body, mind, and spirit. Learn how to apply successful strategies used in business and other walks of life to achieve your personal goals and live your best life.

Helene Amster Kopel

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