Doing the Hard Things.

This month marks the solstice and the beginning of summer. I actually usually find it a bit bitter sweet knowing the days are getting shorter after that. So this June I am diving back into my yoga practice, my asana practice which has definitely been wanting. I hope to be up to a 108 repetitions of sun salutation A by the 21. If anyone is interested in joining me, please reach out and we can hold each other accountable. I do have a picture of a chart I saved somewhere that I will try and follow.

That being said our mantra for June is:

Om Hrim Suryaya Namaha

Om is the universal sound, reminding us that we are all one, us, the earth and the stars. Hrim is the seed syllable for the energy and the sun, suryaya namaha means I bow to the sun. So this seems appropriate. You can hear me chant it 108 times here.

There were so many butterflies in my yard last week. It felt special and anmazing.

For me when I preparing to chant this or I am meditating on it, I hold my own power and belief in myself. I know what I am capable of, and if I am unsure I remember all the hard things I have done in my life. I lean into that. I have survived one hundred percent of the bad days I've had. That my friends is a perfect record! I remind myself to live in the now. I have this breath and the next and right now that is all I need. I remember I am not alone, that my feelings and emotions are part of the human experience. When I am vulnerable and share I become connected to others in a deeper and meaningful way.

I practice gratitude for the good things in my life even if they are small and fleeting. Like right now I am drinking a gin and tonic while I write this. The windows are open with a breeze blowing through and soon I will go for another walk. I say a quiet thanks to all involved before I eat. From Brahma (the creator of all or the earth) By Brahma (all the humans that went into getting my food to me from farmers, truck drivers, warehouse workers, grocery store clerks and who cooked it) for Brahma that I am created from the same stuff as my food and the stars will one day be that again.

I also reach for tapas or that fire of determination and the fire of your third chakra, your solar plexus. That our belief in our own abilities lies in fire and the sun. That I can do hard things. Be that getting back in shape or even in shape for the first time, being vulnerable with my people, or sharing my real self with new people. All take the same sort of determination.

I let the light of the sun shine on my thoughts and stories in my head so I can see them more clearly. I always come back to the words of Byron Katie, "is this true, is it absolutely true, who would I be without this belief" to help me see my stories more clearly. To see what is no longer serving me or keeping me safe. Time to put it away.

So that is our invitation this month. To lean into the uncomfortable. To do something hard. To stick to it and not give ourselves the easy out. To be vulnerable with our humans when we'd rather pull back. Amaze yourself.

Sun through the storm seems extra breathtaking. I am sure there is a metaphor there to lean into.