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I am co-author with Maren Showkeir of Authentic Conversations: Moving from Manipulation to Truth and Commitment (Berrett-Koehler, 2008). A critically acclaimed business book, Authentic Conversations challenges conventional wisdom on key business and workplace practices and presents concrete new ways to consciously make ordinary conversations the primary driver of workplace change.

In May 2013 our second book was published by Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., called Yoga Wisdom at Work: Finding Sanity Off the Mat and On the Job. This unprecedented guide shows how practicing the full range of yogic concepts—the traditional “Eight Limbs of Yoga”—leads to a productive, creative, and energizing work environment and features examples from professions like law enforcement, teaching, banking, filmmaking, medicine, and many more. But beyond that, this book is an invitation to use all of yoga’s teachings to cultivate the spark of the divine that dwells within each of us.

I have had the privilege of being featured in dozens of leading print and online publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Huffington Post, New York Post, Leader to Leader, CNNMoney, Chicago Tribune and in hundreds of newspapers around the world.

I am a founding partner of henning-showkeir & associates, inc. For nearly three decades, I have been helping individuals and organizations improve business results while creating workplaces where people can find meaning and purpose. My work is grounded in the belief that individual choice must be authentically engaged for organizations to successfully create cultures of commitment and accountability. In my consulting career, I have advised hundreds of public and private sector organizations—from Global 1000 companies to entrepreneurial and non-profit enterprises—and aided in strengthening their results by distributing organizational power and influence. I also coach internal and external business consultants, executives and managers assisting in defining and developing their work.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in industrial and business education from Miami University, where I was a scholarship athlete, and I have a master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University.

I enjoy cycling, traveling, reading, yoga, music and time with my children and grandson. My wife, coauthor and business partner, Maren and I live in Phoenix, Arizona.

Description

The absorbing, definitive account of CrossFit's origins, its explosive grassroots growth, and its emergence as a global phenomenon. One of the most illuminating books ever on a sports subculture, Learning to Breathe Fire combines vivid sports writing with a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be human. In the book, veteran journalist J.C. Herz explains the science of maximum effort, why the modern gym fails an obese society, and the psychic rewards of ending up on the floor feeling as though you're about to die. The story traces CrossFit’s rise, from a single underground gym in Santa Cruz to its adoption as the workout of choice for elite special forces, firefighters and cops, to its popularity as the go-to fitness routine for regular Joes and Janes. Especially riveting is Herz’s description of The CrossFit Games, which begin as an informal throw-down on a California ranch and evolve into a televised global proving ground for the fittest men and women on Earth, as well as hundreds of thousands of lesser mortals. In her portrayal of the sport's star athletes, its passionate coaches and its “chief armorer,” Rogue Fitness, Herz powerfully evokes the uniqueness of a fitness culture that cultivates primal fierceness in average people. And in the shared ordeal of an all-consuming workout, she unearths the ritual intensity that's been with us since humans invented sports, showing us how, on a deep level, we're all tribal hunters and first responders, waiting for the signal to go all-out.

Reviews

“Filled with personal insights and stories that carry yoga into the world of daily decision making.… It is wonderful to see the foundations of practice brought to life in such a confident, sincere, and thoughtful way.” — Pandit Rajmani Tuganait, Chairman and spiritual head of the Himalayan Institute “Maren and Jamie show that yoga is not just about poses—the practice is about creating the stillness of mind that will allow you do the work you were meant to do. Seriously, read this book!” — Russell Simmons, cofounder of Def Jam. “The [Showkeirs] bring the deepest teachings of yoga alive by showing exactly how to bring our yoga—and our best selves—into the world.” — Judith Lasater, PhD, author of Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times. I heartily commend Maren and Jamie for describing the wonderful gifts that yoga can bring to the workday. I believe, as they believe, that work is life, too. To paraphrase the lululemon manifesto, “This is not your practice life; this is all there is.” – Christine Day, Former CEO lululemon athletica. A significant contribution to the body of literature bridging East and West, the Showkeirs’ work provides a powerful guide for applying the principles of yoga to develop human potential and enhance work satisfaction. Highly recommended. —Howard C. Cutler, MD, coauthor of The Art of Happiness (with the Dalai Lama). "It is common these days to speak of how we can "embody" our values and lead from authenticity. This book is the best practice manual I've read for how to embody our integrity. I am grateful to Maren and Jamie for bringing together the disciplines of yoga and leadership. This is a generous, insightful and eminently practical book, offered with an open heart from years of experience." - Margaret J. Wheatley, author of many books, including Leadership and the New Science and most recently, So Far From Home: Lost and Found in Our Brave New World.

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Jamie Showkeir

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Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness

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