Consider a time when you exercised, did yoga, or meditated. Or, consider a time you went to a concert, ran through a rainstorm, or laughed really hard with friends. After any of these experiences, you may have felt free, lighter, and more joyful. Even if something uncomfortable or challenging was playing out in your life, you were able to glimpse your true state of joy despite the external chaos.
Read MoreTrust in something else outside ourself opens a door. Trust in our bodies to heal, emotionally or physically, relieves the fear of being damaged or sick. Trust in this life being unknown and unpredictable allows us peace despite chaos. The more difficulties we overcome, the more we begin to trust ourself.
Read MoreThe immediate reaction to anything painful is to get out. Stop the pain. End the suffering. We can hop out of the pain in several ways. If a person hurts you, you can get into a fight. You can lash out or create drama. You can use alcohol or drugs to numb. You can take naps (nothing against naps). You can shop, eat, or talk to yourself endlessly about all the reasons you are right and they are wrong.
Read MoreMy aunt reminds me there is always overcoming. There is always a path forward, even if it wasn't the path we had planned. Always in the overcoming, there is a BEcoming. A coming into a new Self, if we are brave enough to keep moving forward. If we drop the excuses of age and circumstance, if we simply keep going, more will always be offered to us.
Read MoreWe are all in this together - helping each other in our lessons, our inspiration, our personal growth, and along our paths. People are like real-life angels to guide us, we just don't know that about ourselves.
Read MoreThe first time I felt desperate enough to admit I couldn't do something on my own was when my drinking got really bad. I had read all the books and just wanted to know the solution so I could take care of the problem - not bother anyone. Recovery meetings became so much more than a tool to stop drinking. Somehow, by listening to others share their stories, stories that were just like mine, I felt heard and seen for the first time.
Read MoreYou fear confrontation will make you feel worse. So you shoulder it all, knowing you've done it before, and you can do it again. You know how to deal with you. It's other people that make you nervous, because you don't know what they will do, say, or think. What if they retaliate? What if they're mad? What if they don't like you???
This is conditioning. We are tricked into thinking the outcome will be worse if we express how we really feel. Or if we take action that will benefit us and possibly disappoint others. Or if we leave something unhealthy, abusive, or simply not in our best interest. We fear the consequence of others' responses more than we fear the burden of staying small.
The more we practice, the stronger we get. Poses become easier. Balance becomes attainable. Our emotional state is the same way - the more we practice honoring ourself, the easier life gets. No longer are we guilted into staying when our gut tells us to leave. No longer are we over-extended, when we know we need to back off.
Read MoreThe risk is worth it. We will not break open to the point of no return. Some of these past scars are begging to be healed. And to do so, requires a brave, open heart. I'm not saying to dive into the deep end with no regard for yourself. Chiseling down walls that we've necessarily built up over time as a means to survival needs to be done slowly, and with a compassionate understanding of Self. Start by forgiving yourself. Start with self-love. Start by looking in the mirror, and reminding yourself that you are loved, that you are brave, and that you CAN do this.
Read MoreA painful past can keep us stuck, and can feed our story that we are undeserving, or that the other shoe will drop. Holding onto the story is only hurting us, and keeping us from love.
Read MoreShining our brightest light with the world is scary. Being our most authentic and powerful self might mean losing people, relationships, core beliefs, and even parts of ourself.
Read MoreThis weekend I was reminded that it's ok to play. In fact, play is one of life's greatest joys and human capacities. Play is part of our true nature, and our true purpose. To experience joy in the moment IS a spiritual practice. It's called presence. And fear will always wedge its way in to remind you to get back to "work". But laughter in the midst of chaos is one of the greatest gifts. Play in the midst of pain is one of the greatest healers.
Read MoreSomething more than great photography happened during the shoot, something magical and significant with the mirror, my reflection, and the mask. As we photographed, a sort of other-world energy made itself present. We started to not be able to tell the difference between my reflection and my actual body on the other side. Which one was real? In the photos, it’s hard to tell. Who is looking at who?
Read MoreIt turns out honoring who you are, at your core, is the most important thing. Honoring your true self is the winner of all lists, the ultimate deal-breaker, and your ace in the hole. When you know who you are, and you honor that, everything always works out.
Read MoreWhen we do get what we want, we call it fate. When we don't get what we want, we call it failure. Is there a difference? What if the story you would write for yourself is far less than what you deserve? What if our tendency is to sell ourselves short?
Read MoreEveryone has self-doubt. Everyone has these stories about themselves. We all believe we are the only ones who fear our own capacity, but in fact, it is very human to wonder if we are enough. And it feels very safe to stay small, to let your ego voice rule and control you by keeping you in the story of "not enough" - not good enough, strong enough, smart enough, enough...
Read MoreWhen someone emerges from a situation better, stronger, more capable, it is because they actually acknowledged themselves. They allowed the difficult and painful sensations to rise and burn. They sat in the fire and felt the swell of life rise inside them like hot coals. In doing so, they discovered new truth, which allowed them to pass through the fire and emerge a different version of themselves. Maybe they discovered they were stronger than they thought. Maybe they discovered an old way of life that no longer served them. Maybe they released a past belief that used to habitually control them.
Read MoreOur true Self might be fighting to come out lately, and under normal circumstances, it already battles our ego for our attention. During times of stress, when we allow ourselves to slip into fearful behavior, the ego gains even more power, and our intuition takes a back seat. So how can you tell the difference? Your ego will be worried, afraid, self-criticizing, and anxious.
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