Personal Rituals

When something feels missing in your life and you can't quite figure it out, what do you do? How much time do you spend with yourself? Usually not much time. We are all busy with work, family and life responsibilities that can be overwhelming. Take time to get in touch with yourself and learn about things that can rejuvenate the mind, body and spirit. Whether it's mediation, yoga, reading or even just simply be yourself doing nothing. Create a set of time for "personal rituals" pursuing your hobby or to do the things that make you happy. There are many ways to unwind and nurture your soul.

When feeling overwhelmed or out of touch, take two minutes and do one, or a combination of, the following:

2-minutes to Mindfulness. Speaking of no judgement, mindfulness is “paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally,” as defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I learned two mindfulness practices for regulating attention and getting in touch from Chade-Meng Tan’s “Search Inside Yourself.”

Way One: Bring gentle and consistent attention to your breath for two minutes. That’s it. Start by becoming aware that you are breathing, and then pay attention to the process of breathing. Every time your attention wanders, just bring it back very gently.
Way Two: Sit without an agenda for two minutes. Life really cannot get much simpler than that. The idea here is to shift from “doing” to “being,” whatever that means to you, for just two minutes. Just be.

Establish Personal Rituals. Get clear on energizing rituals that turn you inward. A few of my ideal favorites include: morning visualization of how I want the day to feel and what is dying to be born, reading quotes, going through my pictures on iPhoto, savoring a cup of tea, 2-hour blocks of creative time, and yoga.

“Don’t worry about where or who you’re going to be in five years. Like high school, you will look back and wish you had done so many things differently. Know that and do them differently now. Focus on what’s in front on you. Work on the relationship you have with yourself first. Slow down. Enjoy today. It’s okay to not know. Eat alone in restaurants. Stop trying to prove something. Seek growth instead of validation. Be heard. Have non- negotiables. Go somewhere. Pull from your Solid Self as much as you can. Process (get therapy). Don’t compartmentalize people. Love fearlessly, even if you’ve been crushed before. Eat clean. Toss your scale. Pull yourself out of the victim role. Exercise your forgiveness muscle (you will need this). Don’t be concerned with what others think of you. Accept your story. Don’t chase paper. Seek truth. Be patient.” — THE ANGRY THERAPIST: Twenties 

Every day I would remind myself of this "to-do" list:

1. Trust your journey.
2. Breathe.
3. Nourish your soul.
4. Smile.
5. Be love.

"You need not worry about your worries. Just be. Don't be restless about ‘being quiet’, miserable about ‘being happy’. Just be aware that you are and remain aware - don't say: “Yes I am; what's next?” There is no ‘nex’t' in ‘I am’. It is a timeless state". ~ Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj

Attracting Interest

What are the things that I would possibly do to make life more enjoyable? What helps me to feel good? What is your passion?

I do have many passions -- I love photography, reading words of wisdom, inspirational story, taking pictures, decorating and so forth. Sometimes I find it a little hard to pick one a day. To attract happiness and interest in your life can be achieved by setting your intuition. Perhaps that’s just finding time you set aside to read, listen to music, take a brisk walk, get in shape, window shopping or even spending time alone to enjoy a cup of tea or simply being outside with nature – and it can be a few minutes every day. 

“You create your future with the power of your intention. Intention is simply the conscious act of determining what you want now. Health, harmony in relationships, happiness, money, creativity, and love will come to you in the future, based on your powerful intention now. Intend every day the way you want it go, and you will deliberately create your future life”. ~ The Secret Daily Teachings

Here are some of my favorites to start off the day:

Meditation
What a better way to calm and clarify the mind... transform fatigue into energy... and even improve health. Study shows that meditation can actually unify mind, body and spirit and help you start enjoying the best health of your life. "Meditate. Life purely. Be quiet. Do your work with mastery. Like the moon, come out from behind the clouds! Shine". ~ Buddha 

Yoga
It's been said that yoga has the power to change life for good. It's a matter of letting go and allowing my body to do what it felt was the most natural thing. According to ParaYoga founder and Tantra scholar, Rod Stryker: Yoga helps you remove the obstacles that obscure who you really are, that it helps you come into a fuller expression of your true nature. "We're not transforming into something we aspire to, we're transforming into the very thing that we are innately: our best Self". If practiced correctly, yoga asana breaks down the psychological, emotional, physical, energetic, and psychic obstacles that inhibit us from thriving, he says. I think yoga is the best way to a healthier lifestyle. "Yoga is the practice of tolerating the consequences of being yourself ". ~ Bhagavad Gita

Simple Pleasures
It can be the pleasure of sweets, the pleasure of love, or the pleasure of deep practice. Whether it is taking a risk or no risk at all -- having something to look forward to every day sometimes is the biggest dare of all. Being alone with yourself is also a good thing but try to find the time to meet people. You never know what you might discover in a day that can teach us a lesson -- get outside and explore. There's no excuse not to give a few minutes of your day for better future. Do the things that make you smile, laugh and do more of that!. "Make time to enjoy the simple things in life".

You deserve a day where worries don't get in the way of anything. A day where... even if some people are insensitive or unkind, you're not going to mind because the blessings you received are far greater than the burdens you experience. Remember always focus on positive energy. Intentions + Affirmative Action = Great Result!

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ~ Albert Einstein

“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” ~ Unknown

LIVE positively in the present and CREATE a beautiful tomorrow TODAY, right here right now. Don't put your past in the future.



Life is full of beauty -- notice it and embrace it! Life is either daring adventure or nothing -- Live with good intention!!