29 Feb Practice
Artwork by Andrea Bowers, originally from The Angels, illustrated by Walter Crane.
What do I mean when I say “practice”?
Practice is a noun and a verb. As in: I practice (v) my practice (n).
You define what your “practice” is.
As you become more diligent in your practice, more specific about its boundaries and more welcoming of it into your everyday moments, you begin to embody your practice. You become what you’re practicing. Precise and particular, mindful, deliberate, conscious, more fully aware.
What’s my practice? Breathing, movement, Reiki, study, journaling, meditation. I practice throughout the day. I really couldn’t function without these tools, not efficiently. They keep me grounded. Your practice can be anything.
If you don’t have a practice, might I suggest yoga? It’s my favorite way in (I loop in everything I listed above into my yoga practice), and from where I am learning to step into the power and responsibility of conscious choice. That is, of making conscious choices for every. single. choice. Or as many as possible. Choices I make with my actions, choices I make with my words, choices I make with my thoughts. Minimizing reactions in favor of responses. Even down to my inhales and exhales.
What’s right for you? I can’t tell you that, my friend, but you sure can. You have all the answers. Sometimes it just takes a little uncovering. When in doubt, maybe start by uncovering the strength and flexibility in your body. That’s a pretty un-subtle way in. You can do this in a hatha yoga class, especially one that gets you really focused on a single point in the moment. You start to discover all the things you were previously unconscious of, but in discovering them, you’ve become conscious of them. Like magic! But not really. It doesn’t just happen because you wish hard enough. You have to work at it. You have to actually do the practice.
What are you doing in your practice? Have you established one? Do you stick with it? Have you noticed that if you just keep practicing, your life begins to unfold much more smoothly?
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