5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS
5) Shrink less, expand more!
A healthy dose of competition can be a beautiful thing... in the right context. But for this program competition is not a part of it. When developing a movement ritual competition inherently comes with notions of success and failure, doing it right and doing it wrong. Living in this duality is not a great mindset when setting a habit of self-care. Instead strive adopt an open mindedness and an open heartedness. And when you notice that you mind and heart have restricted back ... begin again!
4) Stay Curious
Trying something new often comes with discomfort. It's natural to shrink away from discomfort - especially when we are viewing it critically. We are naturally (and intelligently) wired to avoid things that hurt. Sometimes sensation is signaling a threat. However sometimes the discomfort of an experience isn't signaling a threat, but rather growth. My mantra when I'm trying something new and I am witnessing discomfort is "Stay Curious". When we approach sensation with curiosity instead of criticism we are able to relax a little bit. It helps to ask questions. What am I feeling? Is this feeling sharp or dangerous? Can I breathe through this? What would happened if I took a break and started again? How would I feel if I stopped all together? Stay open to your answers and trust your intuition!
3) Embrace Moderate Challenge
When we dive into something new often we try very hard for the first several days. Then, we hit a wall, and we stop. An overly aggressive start can cause burnout. All of my programs, and especially this one, are designed to inspired a ritual of movement and meditation. And for something to become a ritual it needs to be doable. So accept moderate, but obtainable challenge. Can you do more? Probably! But you can't always do more for an indefinite amount of time. Daily moderate challenges are helpful in avoiding burnout and loving your movement and meditation rituals. Remember, success doesn't come from what we do perfectly. It comes from what we do consistently!
2) Allow Plans to Change
Maybe your start on this program and notice that you need three rest days per week instead of two. Or perhaps you want to do the flow videos several times in a row because you like the familiarity of doing something more than once. Perhaps you double up some of the runs for longer workouts. All of these are TOTALLY OK! In fact allowing space for your plans to change is a great way to practice trusting your inner knowing. Everything I offer in this program is merely suggestion. You are your own best teacher.
1) Start Whole. End Whole.
Very often we try something new because we are looking to change or transform something in our lives. Striving for personal growth is admirable, but it can also be exhausting if we start from a mindset that we a broken and need fixing.
Healthy striving is possible when we start embracing what's happening right now in the present moment. And the reality is that you are never capable of being a failure. You are already a miraculous success, that has the capacity to take obstacles and transform them into wisdom.
One affirmation that helps me with this, especially when I notice that I am pushing myself too hard and from a negative space, is a quote by Nelson Mandela. In his wisdom he shared, "I never lose. I either win or learn."
You are wholly yourself now and you will be the same, fully whole, whether or not you finish all of the classes in this course of not. Every answer you seek, every finish line you hope to cross, originates from inside. What you learn along the way is valuable because it came from you.
