Lessons have layers. I’m hard on myself when I think I’ve learned a lesson, but I find myself right back in the same old limiting belief system and resistant thoughts. The truth is that there is no such thing as regressing in our life’s lessons. It might not always appear that way on the surface, but we are always learning and expanding. We must be gentle with ourselves when we find that we are learning a similar lesson by putting ourselves right back into a familiar negative feeling space. In those moments we are gaining the wisdom of a deeper layer of the lesson. We are discovering another layer of ourselves. And maybe we are back in that space to be a teacher for someone else. As a teacher, I know that I gain my deepest layers of understanding by sharing my experiences with others.
Abraham Hicks says that the contrast created by challenges, the internal struggle experienced when things just don’t feel right, is a necessary tool for growth. Every time we experience something that doesn't resonate with what we truly desire, we are confirming to ourselves what we do want.
During this morning’s meditation, I experienced the powerful peace of settling back into my inner-self. It was an all too familiar homecoming. Sometimes I don’t realize I’ve pinched myself off from my inner guidance until I feel the loving vibration of coming back home to my natural state of connection and inner peace. And each time I return with more wisdom. I’m also reminded of what I need to maintain my clarity and connection. That all too familiar feeling of anxious confusion is a reminder that I’ve cut myself off from my inner guidance system.
The following is a list of what I need to stay connected to my inner guidance. I will commit, once again, to trying to maintain this routine of loving self-care.
Joan’s formula for staying connected to my inner guidance:
- Daily Meditation — A must for quieting the mind noise and connecting to the guidance that comes from source, aka, heart, aka higher self.
- Physical Practice — I personally need to do my Asana (the physical practice of Yoga) a few times a week to balance my head, body and nervous system. I do other forms of physical activity, the necessary cardiovascular and strength training but nothing calms my body and mind like Vinyasa Yoga or even a gentle restorative practice (I think it’s important to note here that I clarified the difference between the physical practice of yoga and the other forms of yoga, i.e. meditation, self-study, etc. because we must remember that the Asana practice is a small part of what constitutes yoga. Yoga is the science of connecting mind body and spirit, not the science of becoming super bendy. But that’s a discussion for another newsletter.)
- Ask for Help — I have a tendency to withdraw, especially when I’m in a rough patch or when I feel overwhelmed. I’ve made a commitment to myself to actively reach out to my tribe: my friends and family. I am always supported, I am never truly alone.
“There is no subject of greater significance to you than relationships, for without others, you could not be you” —Abraham Hicks
- Sleep — I still struggle with this one but I feel the negative effects of lack of sufficient uninterrupted sleep in my mood and mental clarity.
- Time in Nature — As long as I’ve been on this earth, I’ve always been drawn to spending time nature. It is critical from me to connect to the natural rhythm of the earth. Finding quite time in nature has been my greatest challenge in Miami. I try to at least practice in the park or take a walk or bike ride every once in a while. But nothing compares to the exhilaration I feel when I can get out of Miami and into the mountains. In those moments I feel mother earth in my bones speaking the language of soul.