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…..

Hope can bring positive energy into our lives in so many different ways. Even when physical health is challenged or spiritual beliefs are still new and fragile, just knowing that there are other people out there working on something similar to what we’re going through can make all the difference. In spite of distance, diversity and details we can make a connection and it feels like we can tell each other’s stories without ever having met. No matter what’s going on in your life today, good or bad, big or small, I want you to know that you’re not alone. I believe this whole thing works best when we work on it together.

Hey Everybody, welcome to the Hope Challenge Episode! This is Marta with some practice tips, a simple method for creating a starting ritual and ideas for regular connection practice. If you haven’t listened to the other Hope Episodes yet you might want to go back for the Talking Points introduction and Study Journal for some mindful preparation for this practice. If you’re ready for the Practice Challenge I do hope you’ll to stick around until the end for a short guided mediation that ties everything we’ve been working on together with the principle of Hope and how to start growing more positive energy in your everyday life.

Now that we have identified some triggers that point to the need for connection practice it’s time to work on creating new a starting ritual that can be used as a reminder to practice before any habitual mental process or behavior takes over.

Most of the work that we do with Hope is simply adding to the Truth Foundation and growing that stable Energetic connection. Hope asks us to start watering that seed for something new that we planted with the Principle of Truth and we actually can do a lot of that work with our thoughts.

Once we’ve identified an Energetic Source of some kind we need to set up a regular watering schedule, what we’re calling practice, to encourage deep roots for sustaining this new and wonderful thing that we’d like to see growing in our everyday lives. We’re looking for habits that get us moving in that new direction and reinforce the connection with positive Energy. Maybe it’s something as simple as just playing along here. Maybe you take what you learn listening to this and apply it in a more personalized way. Whatever it is, with regular practice something will happen when you give this your concentrated attention. We’re back to that idea of universal law and the example of the seed. If you keep watering it and if it’s getting the light that it needs for nourishment, it will crack open and start to grow. It’ll start opening up and moving out in every direction, before it even breaks the surface, even though that process might seem like such a small thing, it’s the beginning of everything!  

A popular saying with some yoga teachers is ROOT to RISE and I believe it makes sense here. Just like that little seed, with regular doses of positive energy, Hope strengthens the connection, it fortifies that anchor point, with deep roots to keep us stable as Faith in something more begins to grow.

For many of us something physical is a good place to start the process, even if the physical effort is minimal the connection with the physical body is something tangible and often the easiest to recognize at first.

Another option can come from spiritual traditions and religious practices like praying, or meditating or maybe something as simple as just being outside and appreciating nature. And if that’s already something that you’re in the habit of doing or something that you have done in the past that resonates it can be easily applied here.

If you’re ready to add a new starting ritual that applies specifically for Hope just remember that this really is just an experiment that you’re doing on you and there is no way to it wrong. You’re only goal is to see if you feel any different when we’re done.

If you’d like to create a starting ritual with a more physical aspect you can build on the grounding practice from the Truth Challenge here by following the instructions for standing with intention and adding to it by simply reaching up. That’s it. Maybe look up… and see if you feel any different. This is going to look and feel like a salute to the yogis but if that’s not you, maybe do a quick search on power posing or victory stance research for more inspiration, or add any kind of intentional movement that makes you feel a sense of growth and expansion. I’ve actually even done this using light weight dumbbells, kind of like a shoulder press with intention and slow deep breath. If that appeals to you give it a try!

You can use this simple movement as a form of meditation as you mindfully breathe back and forth between these two positions. You can just stand there reaching and grounding, and consider the idea that we root to rise. You can stay for as long as you like or incorporate any kind of exercise that promotes an energetic shift and then just take the time to take a few notes about how it went. It’s good to notice even subtle changes in the way you feel after any exercise, activity or practice.

I’ll give you a moment to here in just a second to make sure you have anything you might need close by before we move on. I always recommend a study journal or practice planner to record your experience but this is mostly a mental exercise so you can play along right now wherever you are and go back to reflect at another time or even just take a couple of notes on your phone as a reminder of what comes up.

We’re gonna take a quick break here to acknowledge our sponsors while you find a quiet spot, a comfortable place to sit and anything else you might need to get ready. We’ll be right back with the Hope Practice Challenge.

We’re back and ready to practice! Set your journal off to the side and make sure you’ve got a place to be as comfortable as you can. This starting ritual is very similar to the one we created for Truth so it may be even easier to remember.

We’re going to pretend that you just noticed that first seemingly negative thought, emotion or physical reaction that points to the beginning of a downward cycle that you’d like to work on breaking. As soon as you notice it happening, stop what you’re doing, and unless you’re driving or some other activity that needs visual focus, close your eyes, or at least lower your gaze to inhibit visual input. You can do this next part mentally if you’re hands are full, but if your hands are free this time we’re going to start with the thumbs touching the tips of your index fingers on both hands…. This is actually where we left off last time. Once you’ve got that connection take a slow deep breath, tapping into grounding energy as you take a big breath in through the nose and there’s a big sigh to let it out through the mouth. Pause and hold feeling the physical connection point between the fingers until the lungs are completely empty as you breathe in move the thumbs to the middle fingers and take an even slower, deeper breath, extending the time it takes to fill the lungs, pausing for moment at the top of the breath, and extending the time that it takes to empty… Breathing in now, thumbs to the ring fingers, and again another even slower, even deeper breath, see if you can fill the lungs from the bottom to the top and the front to the back pause and lengthen the pause at the top of the breath, letting the energy grow, and this time when you let go, let it all spill out. Empty the lungs completely and see if you can extend the pause at the bottom of the breath… Last one, breathing in very slowly, adding the little fingers to the ring fingers and thumbs at the same time, just adding the little finger to the connection you’ve already got, and this is the most intentional breath, filling the lungs to capacity, holding on and dropping into that pause at the top… and when you can’t hold it anymore, let it all go. Emptying completely, checking in with a light focus on the hand gesture, with the thumbs, ring fingers and little fingers connected and the middle and index fingers extended. Maybe with the palms facing up to invite more energy and then letting the breath come back, moving in and out through the nose only, slow, deep and even. Holding here, check in with that physical contact point between your fingers. This is prana mudra, the hand gesture for energetic connection. Stay here breathing, letting the air move in and out naturally for as long as you like… Affirming any energetic shift, recognizing any change in your state 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 grounded, or stable or peaceful on a regular basis… or maybe it’s something very specific that you’d like to see showing up in your everyday life. Stay here until you recognize the desire to move, but don’t move just yet. This is when you ask yourself, “What next?” Starting Rituals are meant to help you get into the moment and out of your head so that you can answer that question effectively. “What next?” Maybe right now the answer is physical practice of some kind or deeper meditation and this little ritual is just what you needed to get started. But it’s something that you’ve been putting off or avoiding and maybe this is what you needed to start getting it done. Or maybe this was enough to get your mind moving in the right direction and now you’re ready to go back to whatever you were doing before with the right kind of energy. And when you feel like you’ve got an answer and 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, get your pen and finish that sentence on the first line with something like, “I take a few slow deep breaths to connect.” If you’re not working on a specific trigger take a moment to write something, as few or as many words as you like, about your experience.

Now you’ve got two starting rituals to choose from, and even though we are using them here in connection with specific principles, it’s important to mention that YOU are the one who knows what feels right. Any of these rituals can be applied to any of the work that you’re doing. I think the most valuable practice and the most authentic advice comes from following that internal guidance. There are so many situations where we could use a little extra energy, and this can be applied to any of them.

So now we’re ready to take the practice one step further with a short meditation for Hope.

This one is most often done in a seated position, but again, it can certainly be done from a standing or reclined position as well. If you’re sitting on the floor it’s nice to sit tall with a straight spine and if you’re sitting in a chair it’s good find a straight back and have bare feet on the floor. You can always incorporate props like blankets, bolsters or pillows if you’d like and then make any adjustments that you need so that you can be still. Much of this will be very similar to what we did with Truth so maybe grab whatever you used or wish you had for that meditation. Put me on pause here if you need to, I don’t mind...

Okay, Are you ready? Here we go. Close your eyes, or at least lower your gaze and take a big deep breath and let it out with a long soft sigh.  And let your mental touch be very light as you consider whatever you’re working on and why… Are you working on making or repairing a physical connection? Maybe that includes making new connections in the brain? Is there a mental connection that needs to be drawn or broken? Do you think this Principle brings up something that you’d like to release or something that you’d like to create or grow? If there’s something that needs more positive energy in your life… whatever it is, just let it be there in the back of your mind without any negativity at all for a just a few moments and see if there is anything that you might be able to learn from it.

Making final adjustments to your physical position and agreeing to be still. Consider applying prana mudra with the thumbs touching the ring and little fingers, with the middle and index fingers outstretched and take a few breaths on your own to start growing your connection with something entirely good. Feel the connection points, wherever your body is making contact with the ground… without any tension or tightness… and imagine that seed of Truth, planted firmly in the Earth Energy just beneath you. Big breath in now and big sigh to let it out, setting an intention to make a connection, “I am connected to the Source of all Hope.” Finding the natural rhythm of breath, using what you’ve learned about setting a grounding chord, whether standing, seated or even reclined fully, just picture that spot just beneath the place where you are touching the ground and as you picture that seed that you have planted imagine the roots of your intention starting to grow.  Creating an even stronger anchor point, growing more and more stable energy.. burying down into the soil and up toward the surface… reaching up just about to break through and make a connection with the Energy that comes from the sun.  The breath is still moving, slow and deep, as you imagine that perfect seed getting everything it needs to thrive. Knowing that whatever intention you have planted is sure to grow in time. Whether it’s something that will take physical form or something more spiritual, believe that as it roots it will most certainly rise up and show up as something new and meaningful in your experience. Reaffirming and still growing that energetic connection, take a few breaths here to see and feel the most positive outcome possible. And then take a moment to be grateful for it. If it still feels hard to be grateful for something that hasn’t quite happened yet, go back to thinking of anything, even just one small thing, that’s entirely good right now, just the way it is no matter how small, hold onto that… and then start reaching for that something more. Tap into Source Energy and grow that good feeling stable energy. Give this a few more breaths and see if you can believe in this. What could you do to believe it more? Be open to any ideas that could help you make a deeper connection… Remember to pay special attention to the thoughts that seem to come from out of nowhere. Allowing them to come even if you don’t understand them fully just yet. Knowing that whatever comes up from the quiet mind is valuable. And taking just a few more breaths here to see if you feel any different than you did when you started. Always checking in to affirm any energic shift, any healing that might have happened or might still be happening and affirming any specific intentions that you may have set. When you’re ready to open your eyes and move make it slowly. And give yourself some time to write about your experience.

If you’d like to add one more journal prompt for reflection ask yourself, “What do I believe about the Source of Positive Energy?” These are questions that you can ask yourself over and over again to process your practice and go even deeper. The answers may always be the same or they might be changing all the time so it’s always worth exploring it until it feels like the entire process is complete. You’ve got a few days before we get started on Surrender so I hope you’ll take your time to work your way through this episode and practice what you’ve learned as often as you can. It really is the repetition that helps all of this to sink in…

Challenge Question

Which brings us back to this week’s challenge question for Hope… and now it’s your turn to answer, ““What helps most when you feel hopeless?” Knowing that hopelessness can come in so many different forms and intensities you can briefly explore the emotions that come up and then see if it helps to reframe that question in a more positive way on more time, “What makes you feel hopeful?” And I’d love to think that the work we’ve been doing has given you new ideas for how you might answer that question. What are some of the big and small things that make even a small shift in your perspective? Check out the details for how you can respond in the description links.

If you haven’t checked out our YouTube Channel yet, it’s a great way to get a little bit of visual guidance for the Challenge Episodes and another way to enter this season’s drawing. All you need to do is subscribe and comment on the Challenge Episode Video, even if it’s just with one word so that we know you’re out there. If you comment on all 12 you’ll have another chance to win. Look for the link in the description to subscribe to our channel, and be sure to hit the bell for notifications.  Find links to post about your experience with this principle on your favorite social media platforms and find more details about how to enter this season’s drawing for our new Principle Intentions Card Deck and Guidebook.

Thank you all so much for listening. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate you and I so hope that this podcast is already making a difference in your life. Be sure you’re all set up to get notifications and come back to start working on the Principle of Surrender with more talking points, a brand new challenge and more practice tips. Remember, we’ve got three episodes dropping every week to help you get more and more connected with the truest part of you.

Although we do gratefully accept donations of any size to keep this podcast going and to support the ongoing mission of Wellness Meetings we want you to know that you are already supporting us and so appreciated when you subscribe and share on any platform. Check the links to find show notes on somethinghonest.com 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. See you next time!