Thursday ~ Week 3
“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
~ Jim Rohn
Good morning lovely!
Happy Thursday! Let's start this day with some consciousdeep breaths. Twirl your wrists and ankles around, move your neck in gentle circles, wiggle your fingers and toes, lengthen your spine, engage your core. Inhale and exhale through your nostrils. Relax your shoulders and rotate them backwards and forth, soften any places that you hold tension... and then settle in with your feet grounded upon the earth. Gentle humming, or bee breathing is most welcome. This is a safe place, you are safe, this is a love space, you are loved.
How are you feeling? How is your internal weather? Have you been nourishing your inner eco-system? Are there less tornado warnings? More rainbows and puffy clouds?
Before I get into today's topic I wanted to add one more thought I had as an addendum to yesterday's Intermittent Fasting notes. The idea of an "eating window" I realized, could be deceptive, possibly suggesting, that in those (8) hours you are not fasting you can eat all the time. But our bodies still need to rest and digest between meals even in the eating window. Again, maybe that's obvious, but I didn't want to be vague.
Throughout the class we have been discussing the idea of morning and evening rituals, and of creating nourishing practices throughout the day ~ moments to journal, moments to hum, movement snacks, and so forth. Collectively these make up our daily disciplines.
As many of you will know, I was quite inspired by Gabrielle Roth when she came to lecture at Integrative Nutrition 20 years ago, and I remain enamored with this quote.
A few morning ago in my journal I found myself reflecting more about my own daily disciplines. Specifically I was thinking about how, to the outsider, this might appear as rigidity… from my warm lemon water, to my yoga practice to my morning writing and handstands... (and etc), I have a whole bunch of what I refer to as my daily disciplines, or non-negotiables.
But what I know to be true for me, is that these daily disciplines provide the total opposite of rigidity ~ they allow for so much flexibility and well being.
Thinking about the discipline of dance or music or writing or really anything a person wants to do well... it's all about the continuous practice. Showing up even when you don't want to. This is how we get where we want to go. The same is true with all these lovely gifts of wellness.
In relation to this subject and our class, I would love. you to ponder a few things:
What do you conjure in your mind when thinking of yourself as free spirited?
What disciplines are currently a part of your life that help you to be flexible and non-rigid?
Do you naturally rebel or avoid the idea of discipline? (Is this language, or is it more deeply rooted than that)?
What daily choices help you feel more alive in your body?
Where in your life could a little more structure actually create more ease or freedom?
What nourishing habits feel supportive rather than restrictive?
Are there disciplines you already practice lovingly without even calling them discipline?
What foods, rituals, or rhythms leave you feeling clear, grounded, energized, or calm?
Can you feel the difference between control and self devotion?
What small act of nourishment could become a sacred daily practice for you, rather than another task on a list?
We all have a lot of non-negotiable daily rituals in our lives already ~ brushing our teeth, showering, taking out the trash... but sometimes when it comes to designing a wellness discipline, folks can show a bit of resistance (which is all good to explore as well, there is something juicy at the other end of that information too! Not failure ~ just information). And of course, if it's just the wording you don't like, you can absolutely refer to these as rituals, promises, ceremonies or practices.
However you phrase it, this is about showing up for yourself with a sense of dedication, willingness and love. And as we come toward the close of class, I think it will be really beneficial to really hone some delicious rituals to take with you.
"Discipline is not a cage, but a structure that allows the spirit to be free to express itself." ~ (unknown, but potentially Gabrielle Roth)
Chores as Rituals ~
In the same vein, I think there is so much beauty in bringing intentionality to everything we do. When we approach even our simplest routines ~ such as cooking a meal, washing dishes, or putting away the laundry ~ as rituals or mini ceremonies (vs chores), they become more enjoyable. You may remember me talking about one of my moving meditation "chores" ~ that of ironing napkins. For most of my adult life I would not have dreamed of ironing napkins, but now I really like it because I infuse the practice with something spiritual and lovely.
Rather than thinking about an item on our to do list as "one more thing to do" this way of thinking brings about an awareness to what we have to do anyway, (vs being on auto-pilot).
Approaching tasks this way can help us to slow down and quiet our nervous system amidst all of the busy-ness and chaos of the world. Adding humming or bee-breathing to these little moments only enhances the magic medicine.
And when we can get a little more present, we might even start to remember that we "get" to do the dishes because we were lucky enough to have eaten a meal, we "get" to make the bed because we were fortunate to have slept in one... It's the little things, becoming the big things.
So that's some big food for thought for you this Thursday morning.... if you feel like sharing your thoughts in our what's app group, I'd love to hear from you.
Let's go and be so mindful as we move through our day...
See you tomorrow...
With so much love,
Sacha xxx
PS one of the things we discussed in our zoom call was fitting everything in that we want to do. I think I shared this a week or so ago, but definitely recommend this podcast about time management: making time for the things you want to do (not just the things we have to do). I think it aligns well with this topic of making time for our daily rituals.
PPS - more thoughts on daily disciplines:
Gabrielle Roth was a dancer and musician who founded Five Rhythms.
She believed that a body in motion can create stillness of the mind and spirit.
Discipline = freedom can translate across many areas but in regard to what we are doing here: inviting in daily routines and rituals, making nourishing choices, and so forth... can lead us to be more free in our bodies, minds, hearts, spirits.
In other words, liberation comes from constant, devotion to our practice. (Devotion = love, loyalty, priority, enthusiasm).
Showing up day after day, even when you don't want to, even when it feels hard.
Maybe you would like to explore moving your body in the ways of 5 Rhythms: flowing, staccato, chaos, lyrical and stillness, to create a wave of energy.
"These principles act as a map for embodiment, guiding you to move through different states of being, to release physical and emotional tension, and foster self-discovery, with the core philosophy that a body in motion will heal itself." ~ GR
Further food for thought:
Optional bonus extras can be found under Daily Chapters: Week 3. There are lots of articles, videos, podcasts; yoga & movement videos; google docs; and morning routines.
The website will be open to you for one month after class closes.
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