RITUALS

Rituals change when we can learn to cultivate the witness of our lives. The witness is a place inside of us that is simple awareness – noticing, watching, not judging, just tapping into the present moment of what is happening to us. The witness is our focusing mechanism. A slice of us that is not attached that once revealed frees us from the need to attach to anything. Noticing our patterns of behavior is the first step to identifying them. How they are serving us? Do we need to detach from some of them and cultivate new more nourishing ones? Now we are asking intelligent questions. Our reality is a reflection of what we have attached ourselves to in the world. Our wishes create our universe, it is how it all goes down. OBSERVE!
Soon after I began to notice a shift in how I looked at things and circumstances, I noticed how rogue my mornings were unfolding. It was a clear sign that this was setting my intention for the day to show up. My unorganized life revealed anxiety and fear based energies. The soldier that I was, always kept marching and sometimes I did get someplace, but in reality I was on the highway to hell. As my awareness increased I noticed I was flailing around creating a pattern that was undeniably nothing less than insane. In a click of an instant I decided to change the pattern and see just what could come into play if I disciplined myself to a plan with regime. STRATEGIES!
Always a faithful early bird, I had no problem getting up and going. Upon rising I learned that a warm cup of lemon water was the ideal way to create digestive health helping flush the digestive system and rehydrate the body. Next I had a cup of coffee or tea. (no judging lol) It is soothing to quietly sip my hot java while I let my mind and body start to wake up and take notice. The slow beginning to the day became a way of honoring my humanity in a way that I had never tapped into before. The space I created while I began the rituals humbled me as I noticed how abusive I have been to myself. As I reviewed my old method, constantly jerking around life and bullying myself into random action, a sense of sadness oozed into my heart center. Emotions and feelings signaled me that this was so not cool. What the hell was I thinking? Well I just wasn’t. I had no idea how ridiculously hurtful my previously conditioned behaviors really were. Until this moment. CREATE SPACE!
I learned that the body has a way of storing energy. The energy is created by actions we perform which can make strong impressions in our minds. Once we decide something we want to do or think, energy forms with this intention. The more we repeat this action, the stronger the impression is formed. The more intense the habit, the less control we have over our mind. When our habits are ingrained in us it alters our body chemistry and thinking. In yoga we call this a samskara. In severe cases that we have altered our chemistry deeply we now have formed an addiction. This content floods our perception of ourselves and other beings. When I understood this, I realized that I was the creator of this. Which scared the shit out of me. Then the witness revealed to me that if I had the power to do it, I had the power to undo it. But, I had to trust and build the confidence to do it. Let’s face the facts, destiny is alterable. How do we know this? Because of people like Christopher Columbus, Mahatma Ghandi and Bill Gates. They changed the fate of the entire world. So if they can do that we can change our own. PERSONAL POWER!
Movement restores the natural health of the body. The motion helps stored energy flow helping anything locked inside to escape. So next on my list of changes was to get my ass moving. I always felt better when I worked out and it had to be first. It had to be done before any other form of serious thinking or doing because it was the release of negativity the stored in an energy form in my bod. Motion creates Emotion! I have to change my state if I was going to change how I felt about my life. So the ritual of motion in the morning was born. Yoga, running, swimming, dancing and pumping iron were my new go tos soon after I got up. This was key to body health which was also a gateway to mind health. Why? Because, It was a signal to my mind that I was now in charge of it. By creating healthy rituals that were out of the norm, and forcing myself to do them no matter what put the mind into a submissive state I don’t ever remember tapping into. In other words, it was a direct order to the mind. YOUR WORKING FOR ME BITCH. No longer was the mind in charge. Let’s face it, left in the driver’s seat was how this train wreck manifested. Wisdom was now taking over. SHAKE YOUR ASS!

Eating healthy was inevitable with more awareness of positive changes. I felt so much better when I ate lighter and leaner. I also started drinking a huge amount of water which had significant impact on how I felt and how much I ate! Lots of greens and plant based choices created an abundance of energy and my body began to change. Wow, I had no idea what an impact these new rituals were going to make! The toxins were moving out of my body and new energies were revealing themselves. Weight started to shed and energy started to appear as I navigated better food options and disciplined myself to stick with it. I mean hey it was the smart thing to do. And when you know better we must do better or the self loathing and guilty feeling surface. HOT BODIES!

Meditation and prayer actually brought all these new things into sight. This ancient form of listening to universal wisdom is the best gift I have ever given myself. I started to meditate 7 years ago and it was a gateway to mental freedom like I have never found anywhere else. When I stay on this game I stay free of all stress and anxiety I walk with confidant peaceful demeanor. I am like soaring with all that is and I am so connected to the highest good vibrations. Everytime I get off track, it is because I am not meditating and praying. End of story. WORSHIP!

Reading quality books, listening to empowering audio and watching real life documentaries were next on my list. I cancelled the cable TV and started only watching documentaries on the web and Netflix. I read only non-fiction and mostly eastern philosophy. I love to listen to fun meaningful music while I run, like PINK!, Indian music while I do Yoga, like Deva Premal or M.C. Yogi, wild music when I power dance like Flo-Rida, ACDC, and Nirvana and Reggae when I am chill dancing or just chilling!! Whatever the choices make those that speak to you and make you feel a bit!! STUDY!

Practicing new ways is at first a bit uncomfortable. But in comfort is where I found the most misery I have ever felt. There is a time and a place for comfort and when it presents itself you will know it, but it is in the discomfort of creating a new pattern I found the greatest power I have ever known. The capacity to grow. When I learned to get out of my own way and learn to replace old habits with new rituals, I saw my potential. We have the power to change and create a new destiny for ourselves. This is the deal. I prayed, “Please make me be who my kids need me to be.” Because hey, we all will do way more for them than we would do for anyone else. We are not wired to just do it for ourselves, that would be called selfish in the world we created. WTF? Then I meditated, and the witness spoke to me and told me I must change my rituals. At a place of complete surrender I was able to listen and obey. Soon my life became happier.  Chirping for Change….Peace and Namaste’