Getting back to Practice

With the shuffle from summer to fall schedules behind us, routine is taking over. This means back to practice for many of us. Having a healthy diet, getting on the yoga mat, back to our studies, focusing and meditating can once again become paramount. Though it seems almost globally that things were a bit hectic and off kilter for the month of September and the beginning of October, now seems the time to return to what works, our individuals practices. Getting back to practice feels good for the mind and body. Its a  familiarity and a rigidity and strictness that build health and wellness. Maybe this can be a time not only to get back to good, but to add a new practice or rekindle with a past practice that served you well.

Taking this into consideration, I decided to get back to counting blessings in the morning, afternoon and night. I feel rich focusing on what is good and I noticed during heightened moments of whining, I felt poor and stressed! After only a few days, I feel my mood starting to shift and more positive light glowing from inside out. For me, naming beauty, calling out what is good is a practice that restores my energy and faith. A new practice I am taking on is saying "no" more frequently. I can't do everything, although for a while I certainly tried. I am taking back my schedule, my energy and my time. Rather than feeling  like my work is mundane and I'm tired and overwhelmed, I am being responsible to do slightly less so I can perform better and with more inspiration. I had also reduced the time I was practicing yoga asana in studio, and now I am steering myself back to the 4-5 times a week that had served me so well before. Let's see how this serves me as I continue to get back to practice.

Is there a practice you stopped doing that you'd like to start up again? If so, what is it? Set an intention to make it your practice and then go make it happen. 

Is there a practice you'd like to begin? Perhaps geared to  self-compassion, discipline, love, firmness, flexibility, focus or having more fun? Those are just a few possibilities. If you never try, you never will. So determine what you'd like to have more of in your life, and set your intention to practice it. Create attainable/doable goals like saying mantra or getting out to DO what makes these things true. For example, for self-compassion, make a list of why you are amazing/what you've accomplished today. For discipline, write down your desired bedtime and wake-up time all week and make sure you get to bed and up on-time. Making a list and crossing off as you go is a way to do Tapas which in sanskrit refers to incremental disciplined practice.

Enjoy these ideas and feel free to share more!

Here is my Flow and Grow 8-12 year old class practicing working in harmony and restoring balance together.