Talking truth about "self improvement" as it relates to health, overall wellness and expressing the truest version of you. This is Marta Mrotek with Something Honest…..

It’s easy to look someone else’s life and point out what’s wrong or what needs to change, but for most of looking inside of ourselves is much more difficult. And sadly the same thing goes for seeing the good things. So much of our trouble comes from not being able to see ourselves as we really are… Maybe we’re afraid of what we’d find. I mean, what if we found something in there that was truly horrible? Or maybe even scarier in some ways, what if we found something that was more brilliant than we ever imagined?

Hey Everybody, this is Marta with the Courage Challenge! If you’ve been following along in order, and doing the work, you’ve got an inventory that you can use as a kind of roadmap for Transformation and what needs to be done next. We’ll talk about that what comes next part in the Integrity Episodes but for now we want to look at the results of that assessment and create a practice for feelings of protection so that we can explore them even further.

If you haven’t listened to the other Courage Episodes you can go back to the Talking Points for an introduction and to the Study Journal Episode for detailed instructions on how to take an honest inventory. I hope you’ll to stick around until the end for a short, guided mediation that focuses on moving energy that we need to start breaking old patterns.

We’re working on increasing feelings of protection and safety as we move further into the process of self-exploration. We’re never really done with the first three Principles we’re just adding on to them, building on that Foundation. And at this point you might feel like you’re a little kid again, playing with blocks and just learning about how keep a structure strong as it gets more complex. I keep saying this whole thing is simple, and it is, but it isn’t always easy. When you started looking at the past and the future with new eyes you can start identifying the patterns and understanding some of those more complicated emotional responses.

In the yogic tradition that I practice and teach most there are many methods for we call Svadhyaya or the study of the Self. One of the first things recommend is the study of spiritual texts. It doesn’t specify what exactly must be studied which is good for us because it leaves that to your discretion. Religious and spiritual writings of all kinds can lead to an understanding of  who you really are and most of them include certain restraints and observances, things you shouldn’t do and things that you should, to help you get closer to not only a specific deity but to the spark of that Energy that lives in you. Most of them also include rituals of some kind that can help us connect and most of them do have at least some amount of instruction on how to make an honest assessment of your life.

I love the way 12 Step Programs explain the process, but I especially love the way the Yoga Sutras turn every process into tools for practice. Last time we talked about those five afflictions and how we can use them to recognize the patterns in the inventory that we’ve taken. When I’m training new teachers we go even further to explore obstacles that might be keeping us from creating a regular practice, and while we won’t go too deep with this I’d like to just bring a few points to your attention.

Now that you’ve got your inventory all written out, or at least you’ve followed along mentally so we’re all on the same page, you’ve got a whole bunch of information to work with. One of the things that helps to sort it all out comes from our friend Patanjali as he lays out the antaraya, or the obstacles that come between us and true knowledge. He’s not the only one who talks about this, so you’ll see this same subject in other traditions with some variations. Some say there are nine obstacles, some say ten and one even says there are 13 but you don’t really need to know them all to get an idea for how to use them and come to an even deeper understanding of your inventory.

If you’ve been doing the writing and you don’t have your journal out yet, I’d pause here real quick and go get it just so that you can glance at it from time to time to see if any of what we’re about to talk about applies to what you’ve written. You don’t have to think too hard about any of this just see if anything comes up as I go through the list.

The first obstacle in most traditions is physical illness or injury, which makes a whole lot of sense. Yoga almost always start with the most obvious physical examples and works its way in to something much more subtle. If there’s anything that you’ve been writing about that relates to injury, illness or disease of any kind just notice how that might have played a part in the beginning of a pattern. The examples are endless but one that I know for sure is that the patterns that go along with opiate dependency can be traced to a simple need to alleviate physical symptoms of pain. That’s pretty common. The next is lack of interest or enthusiasm and maybe because it often follows a time of physical weakness. But it can also come up in relation to many other emotions, sometimes out of simple frustration, or mental exhaustion. The list goes on with doubt or indecision, carelessness or negligence and lack of physical energy or laziness. Any of those could lead to feeling stuck and the beginning of a pattern that points to a need for clarity, motivation or inspiration. It goes on to include cravings and all kinds of attachments to pleasures of the senses, that desire to repeat pleasurable experiences and addictions to things like food or drink or sex. As we move down the list, they start to get more subtle with things like false perceptions and misunderstandings that so often play a part in our fears and the resentments that we hold. Finally consider the patterns that can come from feeling like your not making any progress or able to maintain any of the progress that you’ve made in the past.

We’re going to stop at nine but there can be more, and I bet you’re getting the idea. If you start looking at your inventory as a puzzle and inspect it, investigate it from a more objective point of view you might actually be able to see how you got here and what needs to change just as clearly as you can see it in other people. Remember at the beginning I said that it’s usually easier for us to see both the good and the bad in someone else? So easy to sit back and watch their patterns play out and talk about what they could do to make a change for the better… But what if you could do that for you? I really think you can.

To me it’s almost like we’re two people. There’s one that’s walking around all caught up in this physical experience and the thoughts that go along with it. But I believe there’s another one, and I think that one is actually the original, always there in the background but most of the time not getting much of our attention. And it doesn’t mind, it already knows that everything is going to be okay and this is all just part of how it goes and that we’ll come around eventually and remember that we already know all the answers because IT knows that you’re always connected, even when you’re not feeling it, even when you’re ignoring it, there’s no way that you could ever lose that part of you completely. You can use everything that we’re doing here to make that connection stronger. And when you start using some of these simple methods as a way to step back and see it all from that Higher point of view you’ll be in that same space with that Higher version of you. In time you can actually become the witness of your experience. Still participating, still feeling, still involved and living your life but with a deeper understanding of this really big picture.

Now I’m not pretending to be enlightened but I do know that once I got serious about applying the Principles with intention, I wasn’t so afraid anymore. I wasn’t so afraid of the unknown or even death, even though I still have a lot of those kinds of things unfolding all around me. Being able to sit with that super smart, stable, unchanging part of me lets me feel all of my feelings without getting swept away in them. And when fear comes up, cause it still does, I don’t have to go into that pattern of spiraling thoughts. I can look at it, I can study it and be honest about why it’s happening, and the next time it comes around I can see it even more clearly and fear starts to fade. And maybe best of all when things really get tough, I know how to tap into that part of me where it’s easy to see the Truth and peace is always available. There’s a place inside you where there’s all of the energy and all of the encouragement that you could ever need for any challenge. And in that place there’s a special sense of safety and protection that I just haven’t found anywhere. No matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets in the outside world, this inner relationship that we have with a Higher Power, with that little spark of that Energy that you carry can give you the Courage to make it through anything.

The whole process of self-study and self-exploration can bring up memories and emotions, but we don’t have to get lost in them. We’ve stirred everything up but that’s part of moving energy around and we’re starting to see the pattern so we don’t have to follow it this time.  and that can be an exciting thing.  Courage says it’s still okay to be afraid, I’m going to give you what you need to do this anyway. We’ve got that strong foundation in place and now we’ve got more than enough energy to start building something new.

Physical Practice

If you’re interested in pursuing the more physical aspects of the practice, I got just a ton of feedback asking me to keep the poses in here so we’re going to add on Fierce Pose this week. There are a few ways to move into this position and you can practice every posture as it stands alone but I like to keep putting them together so for this one we’ll start right where we left off. Once you get to the end of the mini sun salute from last time, resolve in a forward fold for Surrender, and from that position, with feet together and your hands on the ground, knees are bent now. Trying to keep knees over ankles as much as you can and from the hips to the ground nothing changes, that’s your foundation. With your next inhale sweep the arms up and press the palms and thighs together. If you pull your biceps back toward your ears the chest lifts, look up toward your thumbs to hold. Take as many breaths as you like here, and you can resolve this posture by either folding forward again or by driving the arms straight up to standing. And if you like it, move through the whole thing again, now you’ve got four poses going here.  When you’re fully engaged in this one you’ll look kind of like a lightning bolt from the side and that perfect for what we’re doing here! This is the energy that comes in the middle of the storm. But now it belongs to you. We’re building on both the grounding and connection practices from the Truth and Hope Challenges, taking what we learned there and using it here to physically express the Energy that comes with Courage.

Another image that always comes to me for this one is somebody just about to dive into deep waters, really prepared and taking a big breath to get ready. If you’ve ever watched a little kid at the edge of a pool mustering up the Courage to go in headfirst you can probably picture it pretty easily and appreciate how it applies to the work that we’ve been doing. If you need a visual for this you can find the clips from this episode on our YouTube channel and I’ll make sure you’ve got an image there to reference.

We’re going to take a quick break here to acknowledge our sponsors. Go find a quiet spot, a comfortable place to sit and anything else you might need. We’ll be right back with the Courage Practice Challenge in just a moment.

We’re back and ready to work on creating an Energy Moving Ritual for Courage.

Energy Moving Ritual  

At this point you should have three starting rituals that you’re using as reminders to change your state and come back to a strong Foundation when you notice anything that triggers one of those mental cycles that you’d like to break. All of them have to do with connections in some way. I want you to keep using them, separately or all together, as you use your emotions for guidance but we’ll start adding on to them today with our first energy moving ritual.

As we make our preparations for practice today, you’ll want to make sure your journal is close by, find a comfortable place to sit. I will say that you probably won’t want to do this one in the middle of, you know, the mall, but you can do it mentally by focusing on the breath anywhere, anytime.

We’ll start the energy moving ritual in the same way as the last starting ritual. We’re still going to pretend that you just noticed that first painful or seemingly negative thought, emotion or physical reaction that points to something this time that brings up some kind of fear or what we might call dread. especially in relationship to facing resentments and harms from the past. Again, this doesn’t have to be a great big thing and it doesn’t even have to be something that feels negative, anything that brings up the hesitancy to look inside is a good cue. As soon as you notice it happening, stop what you’re doing, and unless really need your eyes open right now, close them, or lower your gaze. You can do this next part mentally if you’re hands are full, but if they’re free this time we’ll start by rubbing the palms of the hands together. This works best from a seated positions but even if you’re standing or fully reclined. Breathing normally and increasing the amount of friction between the hands until they start to get hot and when it feels right hold them out in front of your chest like you’re holding the sides of a big glowing ball of Energy. At first the sensation here is strong, the edges of that energetic ball are almost tangible. Hold here until the energy start to fade and then bring the hands to the center of the chest, so the palms are pressed and all the fingers line up in prayerlike position…. and take a slow deep breath. Tapping into any amount of connection that you can conjure and a connection with the Source of all Power. Big breath in through the nose and as you exhale push both hands out in front of you, with the palms facing out like you were pushing something away. Inhale and bring the hands back into that prayer posture, hold for just a second at the top, and exhale to push the hands out until the arms are fully outstretched. Next inhale, as you bring the hands to heart center pull in everything that’s good, pause at the top to feel it and exhale to push out everything that’s standing in your way. And with the palms still facing out draw a physical or mental circle of protection. If you draw your arms out to the sides and twist back and forth slightly, you’ll see what I mean. I’ve done this with all of my little ones and they always like to add a bubble and a shield… most of my students like that too… And give that a couple of breaths and resolve with right hand held up at your side as if you were taking an oath in court, this the seal of fearlessness. And just keep breathing, making a connection with that energy for Courage and let your left hand rest on your leg or in your lap with the palm facing up mirroring the hand gesture for Surrender, in what we sometimes call the beggar’s bowl. Still grateful, still accepting each moment as it comes...

Stay here breathing, letting the breath move naturally… Affirming any energetic shift, any healing that may have happened or might still be happening, recognizing any change in your state or shift in perspective and allowing any information that floats to the surface of your attention. Taking special note of what you’re feeling now. Maybe take a moment to mentally or verbally affirm your intentions, maybe that’s just to feel more secure… Staying here until you recognize the desire to move, but not moving just yet... And asking yourself, “What’s next?” And whether that answer leads to more physical practice, maybe just staying here with me for the meditation. Anything that encourages the movement of energy but this ritual is asking a deeper question. What’s next about all of those things on your list? Are you ready to look at them differently? It’s okay if the answer is no… some of those things take time. Maybe this is just motivation to face an uncomfortable situation. Or a reminder that it’s okay if some of these highly charged emotions come up over and over again. Keep coming back to this whenever they show up. When you’re ready to open your eyes do it slowly, see if you can hold still here for another breath or two and if you have your practice journal nearby, pick up your pen and write about your experience. If you’d like a prompt for this maybe try something like.. “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid to fail?” Take your time here and come back when you’re ready for the meditation.

Now you’ve got three starting rituals and an energy moving ritual to choose from. Practice with them often, even on the littlest things that come up in everyday life. My littlest grandbaby does this one with his big brothers every night before bed. He’s just barely two years old and somehow he already knows that this makes him feel good before he goes to sleep. There are so many moments where we could all stand to feel a little more protected and so many benefits to feeling more courageous in difficult times.

If you’re ready to move on, I love going straight into the meditation to tie it all together while we’re still in the zone. Today’s mediation is most often done in a seated position, but again, it can always be done from a standing or reclined position if that feels better for you. If you’re sitting on the floor sit tall, try to keep your shoulders over your hips and the crown of the head lifting up. If you’d like to sit in a chair, look for one with a straight back and low enough so your feet can comfortably touch the floor. Make yourself comfortable and then make any adjustments that you need so that you can be still. Pause here if you need and then we’ll begin...

Okay, ready? Closing your eyes, or at least lowering your gaze to move away from visual distractions is you can, taking a big deep breath, and letting it with a long sigh…  Keeping your mental touch light, consider whatever you’ve been working on and why… Maybe you have a better understanding of some of those old patterns now. Or at least maybe we’ve stirred the energy up enough to start looking at why certain emotions keep coming up?  It could be something really obvious, but even paying attention to the subtle patterns and emotions that might be pointing to something bigger.  Do you think this Principle brings up something that you like to release, like fear or resentment? And could you turn that around and reframe it? As something that you’d like to create or grow, like Courage or feelings of safety and protection? If there’s anything that’s coming up from your inventory that you’re ready to explore from let this be an opportunity to learn from it without having to think about it much… whatever it is, just let it be there in the back of your mind without any judgement for the next few minutes.

Consider applying Abhaya mudra, even if it’s just for a few breaths, sometimes it’s nice to start with the right hand up in that oath taking position to remind yourself that you’re protected. Safe to tell yourself the Truth, the whole Truth and nothing but the Truth… If it gets tiresome you can always set your hand down. Maybe to match the left hand in your lap with the palm facing up, accepting whatever comes up… Making final adjustments to your physical position and agreeing to be still…. Taking a few breaths to draw on the energy of the adventurer, the hero... knowing that sometimes we have to stir things up a little bit to see them more clearly… mentally reaffirming that circle of protection and the energetic shield that you’ve created.  Reminding yourself that it’s safe to explore…

Big breath in and big sigh as you set your intention to learn from the patterns of the past, “I have the Courage to look inside.” Finding the natural rhythm of breath imagining yourself standing up to any of those demons from the past with no fear. Looking them square in the face, taking away any of the power that you’ve given them. Reclaiming that power, reaffirming your connection with Source of all Power and protection.

Coming back briefly to the idea of all that energy moving in the middle of a storm. Concentrating that energy now, harnessing it and channeling it. You’ve already set a grounding chord here and you know you’re connection is strong, so there’s nothing to be afraid of, you know you’re protected and safe to explore. Not just accepting the change that comes but ready to dive in, fully prepared and focused, really plugged in and learning from it and Faith is growing. Making peace with the past and preparing yourself for the next adventure.

Maybe some of those thoughts that seem to come from out of nowhere are making more sense… allowing them to come, even if you still don’t understand them fully. Reminding yourself that all information that comes from this place is valuable… Exploring every opportunity and fearlessly facing every challenge with new eyes.  

Taking just a few more breaths here to affirm any energic shift, any healing that might have happened or might still be happening and affirming any intentions that you may have set…. And see if you feel any different than you did when you started, affirming that energy is in fact real, and you do have the power to change your state at any time. If When you’re ready to open your eyes and move make it slowly. Taking the time to write about your experience. If you’d like a final prompt for reflection ask, “What needs to be explored, healed or grown in me?” You can pause here to answer or just make sure you come back to write.

We’re wrapping things up by coming back to our Challenge Question for this week…

Challenge Question

We’ve been asking, “What needs to be explored more deeply?” How could exploring one of those old patterns break any cycle that relates to an underlying fear or resentment? I hope the answer to that question is becoming more clear with every episode. We’d love to hear your answer. We’ve got lots of ways for you to respond. Check the description to find the links so we can get connected.

If you’re ever looking for visual cues, follow the links to the Something Honest YouTube Channel. That’s also a chance to enter this season’s drawing, just subscribe and leave us a comment so we know you’d like to play. Look for that link in the description and be sure to hit the bell for notifications. Or check out our website for more details and more ways to play.

I want to thank you all so much for listening. Be sure you’re all set up to get notifications and come back to start working on the Principle of Integrity. We’ve got all new talking points and a new challenge for next week. Remember, we’ve got three episodes dropping every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to help you create a regular practice for the exploring the Truest part of you.

Check the links to find show notes on the podcast page and go to wellnessmeetings.com for more about the Wellness Meetings Method….. Something Honest is a Wellness Meetings production with original music composed and produced by James Mrotek at Mrotek Media.

This is Marta Mrotek sending out all the love and gratitude.

Until next time… Let’s get to work on being well.