Identify Your System and Commit to Consistency

Most will agree that 2011 was filled with plenty of challenges and while these have not been “fun” (my judgement), they have provided unlimited opportunity for growth. Life always has its ebbs and flows, and for some reason this year seemed to be a bit more turbulent than before. Instead of breathing through the discomfort and putting my head down, surrendering with trust and faith, I felt so far tipped off my axis I didn’t know which way was up. Eventually reaching a pinnacle of disgust running around like a chicken with its head cut off searching relentlessly for answers, I finally stopped and asked myself…. “WHAT IS GOING ON? I’ve been here before and I know how to help myself, so why does this seem so different?” And in this stillness I began to realize exactly what was happening – I’d lost connection with my inner guidance and trust in self. I’d been searching outside myself looking for answers and letting external voices guide my decisions, all the while denying my own intuition. WOW. Painful to look at but honesty is everything, especially when it comes to personal growth and transformation. Knowledge is power and with this insight, I began moving forward yet again committed to checking in with myself and honoring what was right. Inevitably falling back into that space of well known inner turmoil and unpleasant external circumstances, there were missing ingredients. And then the AH-HA moment— I’d lost consistency in my daily spiritual practices. It all became crystal clear and suddenly I remembered what to do, and in remembering what to do, I began remembering what NOT to do.

SO where did I go from here? Recommitting to the mat and to my daily meditations. Up to this point I had been practicing, but the actual practice was inconsistent in form – the time of day, the routine, the location, the instructor…. The search for “my teacher” led to sampling various vinyasa/power based classes around town and increased levels of frustration. Additionally I began adding and subtracting different meditations and exercises on an ed hoc basis. And then my heart guided me back to Ashtanga Yoga and Transcendental Meditation, the two systems that I know work for me.

The two most important ingredients I have found in navigating through the tides of life with grace and ease have been some form of a daily spiritual practice whether it be via meditation, yoga or something else which provides a platform for quieting the mind and dropping into the zone, and CONSISTENCY. Consistency requires dedication, discipline, and COMMITMENT (hello LA), but without these elements there is no foundation for success. My advice? Find what works for you and stick with it! Trust that what you have chosen is the right thing and commit to practicing every day. As you do, watch the magic unfold as your internal and external existence will begin to transform and blossom into all you never even imagined.