Freedom

Freedom begins in the moments we feel triggered or threatened, yet we are able to withdraw from our stress response. It happens when we have the ability to create space to observe rather than react; this is where the real spiritual practice lies.

Our true power lies in our ability to choose to observe, rather than react in each moment of discomfort. Our power lies in our choice to choose love over fear over and over again. And this magic is only learnt when we are engaged in the ever changing world around us. There is no easy hack to deeply create this.

This gift happens when we are not caught up in our ego. It happens when we are able to withdraw our senses and when we have the ability to see things from a different perspective……from the perspective of love.

The act of yoga and meditation are beautiful tools to calm our mind, to regulate our nervous system and to give us an insight into how our mind works. But the ‘real’ practice is the practice that continues off our yoga mat and in how we show up in the world around us. It happens when we are gifted moments of challenge. And even though we may not see it at the time, these challenges are true gifts. Gifts that open our hearts even just a little more. They turn up to show us where we are stuck in our old belief system and to help reveal our shadows. They are gifts to help us find our unique path back to a more loving place.

For me a deep yoga practise gave me many tools to change the way I showed up in the world. It gave me tools to find more peace in the world, but still I was left chasing more. I still didn’t feel satisfied and often my reactions still ruled my life. I used yoga as a crutch to stop me from feeling the uncomfortable in my life, as a form of avoidance. It became an addiction and something I was dependant on to feel at peace.

 Thankfully my children and my most challenging experiences where my biggest teachers. And they still are… They taught me to take complete self-responsibility in every uncomfortable encounter and to reach into my tool belt to find ways to tap into the unwavering love within me, the love that we all have access to if we choose. They taught me how to more regularly tap into this love even when I feel threatened, rather than automatically tapping into that fear that would often strangle me.

I feel so blessed that this life is still teaching me this and helping me to go deeper into this practice daily.

So today why not observe your moments of discomfort, take a deep breath, find space and peace and then reengage in the moment in a loving way. Celebrate the discomfort and feel into it, rather than busying yourself trying to avoid it. The discomfort is only temporary and its there to teach you something special.

Love is the true healing elixir of life. Without fear, love is all there is!