What do you practice?
Not the obvious — sitting for meditation, getting on your yoga mat, or placing hands for self Reiki (to mention my favorites).
What is your hidden practice, your mind’s default, what your mind does when you aren’t telling it what to do (as in most of the time)?
Every mind has a practice, a habit it defaults to. Your mind is no different.
What does your mind practice when left on its own?
Does your mind practice gratitude or self-love? Or does it practice some variation of self-doubt or self-criticism?
Transforming your default
A conscious daily practice — one you choose and continue choosing each day — changes your mind’s default so when the going gets tough — as it does at times — your mind supports you instead of digging you in deeper.
Is there a practice you enjoy but practice sporadically?
Can you restructure your practice — and your expectations — so you actually practice every day? What amount of time could you commit to comfortably? Twenty minutes? Ten? Five? Two? One?
Consistent practice is possible
Even a minute of practice consistently each day is enough to transform your life.
It’s easiest to be consistent if you choose a time of your day to practice — as you arise or go to bed, before you eat, etc. You might need some support to start that habit, but soon you’ll enjoy your daily respite so much that you’ll look forward to it, and rely on its support.
Yes, the effort you can make is enough to transform your life. As long as you keep making it. That’s when it becomes a practice.
Time to choose
Choose a practice you feel excited about. Now is a good time. Otherwise, it becomes one more thing you have to do.
If you don’t have a practice, here’s one anyone can do: breathe.
Breathing is the easiest practice because your body already practices it. All you need to do is pay attention to a few breaths. Pay attention, as in enjoying a few breaths. Not changing your breath, but rather keeping the company of your breath.
If you already have a consistent daily practice, would you like to refresh it? Here’s an idea: as you start your practice each day, think of one thing you are grateful for. It can be a very small thing. There will be days when a tiny bit of gratitude is huge.
The real secret
The secret to continuing practice is motivation. If you practice defensively — because you want to change or be better or stop talking so much or whatever — you will run out of steam.
But if you practice from gratitude and self-love — simply because you are grateful to be, and this is the person you get to be now — your gratitude and self-love will continually refresh your practice. And your practice will continually refresh you.
Why not love yourself now? If you don’t love yourself, who will?
Then let your enthusiasm to take good care of yourself — for your own sake and the sake of those you love and those you don’t even know — carry you forward through this Year of Practice.
Supporting one another
Please tell us what practice you choose in a comment below. Then let’s support one another by sharing our #yearofpractice generously, inviting others to join us.
What goodness might we manifest in the world this year with our daily practice?