The commitment to an exquisite life!
I have found myself (more times than I care to admit), dreaming of something really big – a big vision of what I desire to do, create and enjoy in this life, only to cut it short by putting it somewhere waaaay out there in never-never land, or simply dismissing that I could ever be capable of THAT. (oh, yes, THAT thing)
Now if you’ve been following me for awhile, you may be thinking “what is she talking about?”, but you see, you mainly see my successes, not my failures (learning opportunities).
First the big dream was to create empowering and transformational retreats in beautiful locations for women . . . which finally manifested after a few years of resisting, making believe it was not important . . . and a few failures.
Now, I’ve been dreaming of up leveling this into a more comprehensive, supportive and complete experience (more on this soon).
I just recently had the opportunity finally create what had been incubating inside for years and present it to a very trusted mastermind group I am a part of.
The feedback was so supportive, my confidence soared, I felt energized and enlivened, things started to feel possible . . . and then I freaked out.
Yup, total complete yogini freakout. : )
“Maybe I should not do THAT.”
Perhaps it will still be good if I don’t infuse every part of what I know to be whole, complete and profoundly healing for the women involved as well as the planet and consciousness.
“I’ll just make it smaller.”
I was starting to find reasons why I couldn’t do what I really wanted to do. The usual like: too busy, not enough money, too far away, the dates I want are not available, etc.I suspect that if you are reading this, that you too have some big dreams, a longing, a calling, a purpose, a passion . . . whatever you want to call it, it’s important.It’s important to you (and your health and wellbeing), and here’s a little tip: It’s important to the health of the planet. So, without further ado, here are my “secret” tips to get things rolling in the direction of your dreams with ease, grace and joy . . . even (and especially) if you feel stuck and hopeless.
- Step away. If you keep yourself running in the same loops, in the same activities, same thought patterns, etc, you will keep getting the same results (and continue to feel heavier and more bogged down). You have probably heard this before. It is vital that as a woman of purpose (or really any woman that wishes to live a healthy, fulfilling, enjoyable life) that you step away from the day-to-day. My suggestion is to go on retreat. I know it feels scary! Particularly if you have a family or a business that depends on you (or so you believe). You must take time out, it’s imperative. And the truth is, your business, family, artwork, students . . . will thank you for it in the end. Trust me on this. I resisted for years, and still resist now. I just ignore the resistance, and trust my inner cues (which I have gotten really good at noticing).
- Create a vision ritual. This means allotting time EVERY day to connecting to your dream. This could be a meditation, journaling, vision board, dancing, singing, praying, reading inspirational materials, researching places or things that are aligned with your vision. I found that I would often discount my dreams as being impossible because I believed they would cost too much money, or require something I didn’t have. I found that researching, going through the motions, acting as if, reading about others who had success broke down the barriers I had imagined to be there, and dreams started to become real.
- Commit to self-care rituals. These are those small, yet profound daily rituals you create to support your body, mind and emotions. I can’t stress enough how important these are! What I notice for myself is that when my commitment issues or resistances rise up, I start trying to find ways to procrastinate doing my yoga practice, going to bed at a decent hour, even drinking enough water. These are all sneaky self-sabotage tricks. It’s a way to throw yourself off –center, and make it feel even more impossible to create your dreams. My advice? Just show up . . . with love. Show up with compassion. If you need to spice things up to make your ritual attractive add a cinnamon stick to your water or play some fun music while you practice yoga or buy a beautiful new silk meditation cushion.
- Get support. Seriously, a mentor, guide, coach, program . . . these are all key to success. The first couple of times you invest time, money and energy can feel scary, and you’ll feel like you want to be in control, know exactly what to expect and get an iron-clad guarantee. This is so understandable, but not realistic. Instead, my suggestion is to trust your instincts or intuition. Trust your body wisdom. Find someone that you feel uplifted by, that shares similar values and that has accomplished things in life that you would like to move towards. In other words, someone who has, does, or is a lot of what you desire to have, do or be. Then ask your body – “is this the right person?” Then listen. If there is constriction and a decrease in energy, that would be a “no”. If there is a rise in energy, a feeling of excitement (perhaps tinged with fear), then this would be a “yes”.
Dreams are for living, not putting up on a shelf to get dusty. Your vision is important.
If it feels important, take a deep breath, make the commitment and say “yes”!
In fact, come visit us on the Yoga Body Nutrition Facebook page and state your commitment to yourself and your big dream. I know this type of proclamation to a supportive group helped me so much, even if it felt scary. You have my full support.
much love and inspired bliss,
Ana
