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…..

I might not be a mental health expert, but I have done an awful lot of work with people who are struggling with their thoughts and want to start making a change. I know this method works because I’ve seen it work over and over again. But I also know that every situation is different and sometimes the best advice I can give is to go get professional help. If you need help from someone who specializes in what you’ve been going through, go do it now. Change might not be easy… But change is always coming, and now is always a good time to start getting ready for it.

Hey Everybody! This is Marta and I want to welcome you to the Truth Practice Challenge! If you haven’t listened to the first two episodes yet you might want to go back to the Truth Talking Points for an overview of the Principle and the Study Journal Episode to prepare for what we’re about to do right now.

Today I want you to challenge yourself to take everything that you’ve learned so far and put it all together to create a new habit and a reliable method for changing your state when you need it most. I hope you’ll to stick around until the end for a short guided mediation that affirms your understanding of the Truth Principle and how you can use it to start living with even more authenticity today.

Before we do anything at all I’d like to give you a few ideas about what you might want to have close by, and it’s so great that this is a podcast because you can put it on pause if you ever need more time to write something down, or think something through, or if you ever need to gather a few things that might add to the value of your experience. I always recommend having a study journal and practice planner to record your experience and something to write with. Now you can do this anywhere with nothing at all to write on but if you do I would highly recommend that you come back and listen again as soon as you can, to seal the practice with your reflections. Of course, you don’t have to do any writing to get something out of what we’re about to do, but I do think there is huge value in creating a concrete record of what you’ve been doing to make a change and what you want to see happening in your life. You don’t NEED the practice planner to do this either, but it is an excellent reference that does enhance the process and make it easier to organize your thoughts. If you’re interested in a free downloadable version of our Principles Practice Planner, we’ll explain how to get one at the halftime break. Even though what we’re about to do isn’t exactly yoga, if you’ve got a yoga mat that’s a nice addition and if you’ve got any other comfort props, like blankets, pillows or bolsters that you use you might want to have those handy as well. You absolutely do not need to change your clothes for this but it’s nice if you’re wearing something comfortable, and if you’re not into yoga I want you to know that you don’t even NEED to do anything very physical to play along. What we’re about to do is simple, and even though it is yogic in nature, much like the principles themselves, this is universal wisdom. This is just stuff that your body can easily recognize as useful exercise and you don’t even have to stand up to do it if you don’t want to… If you can, I would, but you don’t have to... You can be seated or even laying down for this to work.

We’ll start with some tips to create an exercise for physical grounding that you can use as a kind of starting ritual all by itself. I wasn’t sure about adding any kind of standing practice to a podcast, but I decided to make an exception. We will put a couple of short clips on our YouTube Channel if you’re looking for a visual reference, but the process is so accessible and straightforward that it’s easy to explain and easy for almost anyone to do. It’s also what I like to call an all-purpose practice because you really could apply this to any Principle, with or without any specific intention at all and it would still be valuable.

Whether or not you want to play along with the physical part I think it’s good for us to talk briefly about why this kind of thing works. One of the great things about the body itself is that it can’t really be anywhere else but here. It’s pretty easy for most of us to get caught up in physical sensation and right now we can use that to our advantage. Now your mind on the other hand, is time traveler, it loves to wander around in the future and the past so we want to start using physical connections, even extremely subtle and simple ones, to create an anchor point in this moment. You can actually do this with only your breath if you really pay attention to the sensations that go along with it and use your imagination for the rest.

I want you to know, again, that you absolutely do not need to be into yoga to do this because for our purposes, it’s really just standing with intention to get grounded. The really great thing about this standing version of the grounding practice is that you can do it anytime with or without additional guidance. Working on good posture for optimal energetic flow and feeling your connection with the earth are your only immediate objectives. I like to do this outside with bare feet on bare earth if possible but no matter where you are, even if you’re sitting or laying down, your goal is find a connection point where your body meets the earth and picture a spot just below the ground, creating an imaginary channel or sometimes called a grounding chord and picture yourself drawing on the earth’s energy AND releasing anything that is not serving your true nature and purpose. Maybe that spot stays just a few inches below where you’re standing, or maybe it goes all the way to the earth’s core! But for most people, picturing something about a foot below the physical connection point is attainable. You can have your eyes open or closed. You can apply specific breathwork or meditation or you can just stand there breathing naturally, letting things be the way they are… Even if you’re standing in the middle of chaos you can use this method. Standing strong, breathing slow and deep, listening for that calm, that quiet, that silent, unchanging Truth and wisdom that’s always there just beneath the noise.

You can put me on pause again and stay there for as long as you like or come back to this any time, either as a standalone practice or with the guided mediation. Even if you just do this and nothing else for a minute or two you’ll very likely experience at least a slight shift that helps to change your state and encourages the feeling of presence.

You might want to find a spot in your journal to record your experience. A simple label like Standing Grounding Practice and the date is all you need and just adding anything that you noticed about the experience.

Make sure you still have anything you might need for meditation nearby. We’re going to take a quick break here to acknowledge our sponsors and we’ll be right back with a new starting ritual and guided meditation.

We’re back and ready to work on creating a Starting Ritual. If you are following along in order you have already written about what you’d like to work on at the end of the Study Journal Episode. But if you’re ever coming back to work on something that you wrote down during a previous episode or personal practice session and it’s been a while, you’ll want to take more time to look at what you wrote and think about why you wrote it. Even if you just finished that last episode, take a moment to refresh your memory. If this is something that comes up for you on a regular basis see if you can identify the last time it happened and how that felt. Can you think of anything that helps you recognize this particular thought process or behavior before it actually happens? How does it start? If you haven’t written about any of this already you might want to pause and do it now, we’re just taking a second to refresh our memories so you can join us and use this as a quick mental exercise to get ready.

If you’ve got a study journal going, make sure you’ve got Truth Starting Ritual at the top of the page. And just beneath that should have, When I…. and that one item that you’d like to work on from the Starting Trigger Exercise. If you’re just joining us now, you’ll want to have something like, “When I start doing or thinking about whatever it is that you don’t want to do or think about. OR When I want to do or think about something that you do actually want to do or think about…”  That’s near the top with the date somewhere nearby. Remember, you don’t want a period at the end of this first sentence so we can come back to finish that statement and reflect after the meditation at the end.

Now you’re ready to identify a starting ritual that reminds you to practice before that habitual mental process or behavior takes over. Since this is our first practice challenge ever our goal today is to make sure that you’ve got at least by the time we’re done!

Set your notebook aside and make sure you’ve got a comfortable place to sit, knowing that in real life situations you can do this in any position, without any preparation at all. That really is why we call this a practice, almost everything that we’re doing together is practicing, repeating a simple method so that you can remember it and use anywhere, anytime when you need it.

We’re going to pretend that you just noticed that first nagging thought, emotion or physical reaction that points to the beginning of the cycle that you’d like to work on breaking. As soon as you notice it, stop whatever you’re doing, and unless you’re driving or involved in some other possibly dangerous activity, close your eyes, or at least lower your gaze to reduce visual input. You can do this next part mentally in a pinch but if your hands are free bring the tips of your thumbs, on both hands, to touch the tips of your little fingers on both hands…. Then take a slow deep breath. Don’t try any fancy breath-work just yet, just a big breath in through the nose and a big, audible sigh to let it out through the mouth. Pause here feeling the physical connection point between the fingers until the lungs are completely empty. As you breathe in move the thumbs to the ring fingers and take an even slower, deeper breath, seeing if you can extend the time it takes to fill the lungs. Pause just for moment at the top of the breath, and extend the time it takes to empty them so it’s a bigger exhale. Breathing in now, thumb to the middle finger, and again another even slower, even deeper breath, see if you fill the lungs from the bottom to the top and the front to the back feeling the ribs lift and expand, pause and extend the pause at the top of the breath, letting the energy build.. and this time when you let go, really let it go, empty the lungs completely and see if you can extend the pause at the bottom of the breath. Last one, breathing in, thumbs touching the index fingers, this is the most intentional breath, filling the lungs to capacity, expanding out in every direction, holding on and dropping into that pause at the top… and when you just can’t hold it anymore, let it all go…. Emptying completely and then letting the breath come back, moving in and out through the nose, slow, deep and even. Holding here, check in with that physical contact point between your fingers. The hand gesture for wisdom and information seeking. Stay here breathing without any real manipulation of air flow for as long as you like. And you can let the backs of your hands rest on the knees or thighs with the palms facing up, or if you like it better you can always bring the palms facing up. Usually palms facing up is more of an invitation for more energy, palms facing down for grounding. Affirming any energetic shift, acknowledging any change in your state and allowing any information that floats to the surface of your attention naturally, without any active thoughts. Take 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 some kind of physical movement or practice or deeper meditation and this little ritual is just what you needed to get started. But maybe there’s something that you’ve been putting off or avoiding and 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. 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, pick up your pen and finish that sentence on the first line with something like, “I take a few slow deep breaths to get grounded.” Take a minute to think about what that means to you and even if you’re not working on a specific trigger take the time to write something, anything, just a few words, or many, about your experience.

This is your first starting ritual, just taking a few slow deep breaths. Even if you never add anything else to your practice, this one simple breathwork experiment can be a powerful catalyst for creating something new and positive in your life.

Now that you’ve got a starting ritual and a physical expression for grounding, we’ll take the practice one step further with a short meditation to tie it all together.

Today’s mediation is most often done in a seated position, but again, it can certainly be done from that strong standing posture as well. I would recommend trying it both ways, just come back to this episode anytime and experiment with what works best for you. You don’t have to sit in any special position for this but 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 nice to find one with a straight back and have bare feet on the floor. Make any adjustments that you need so that you can be still. Put me on pause here if you need more time and then we’ll get into it.

Okay, Are you ready? Here we go. Close your eyes, or at least lower your gaze to put away that visual stimulation. Take a big deep breath, breathe in, and let it out with a long soft sigh…  Now let your mental touch be very light as you consider whatever you’re working on and why… Are you working on changing your physical state? Your emotional state, or your state of mind? Are you trying to let go of something or create something new? Maybe you’re seeking information or clarification about something that’s been coming up for you recently. Whatever it is, just let it be there in the back of your mind without any judgement, just allowing it, and giving it the permission to be your teacher.

Settling in and agreeing to be still for just a few minutes…. Consider applying gyan mudra with the thumbs and index fingers touching and take a few breaths to tap into that connection with the earth. Feel the heavy spots, the connection points, wherever your body is making contact with the ground just beneath you…but without any tension, gripping or tightness… and know that the earth itself is more than strong enough to support you and any burden that you might be carrying. Draw from that strength and take a slow deep breath. Big breath in and a long soft sigh to let it go. Knowing that it’s okay if your mind wanders briefly, just coming back to the sound of my voice over and over again. Knowing that there’s not way to do it wrong. This is the practice…

Breath is moving, slow and deep… Setting an intention to be fully present, “I am firmly grounded in the Truth of the present moment.” Air moving in and out through the nose… Using what you just learned about setting a grounding chord, whether standing, seated or even fully reclined, picture that spot just beneath the place where your body is touching the ground… and then see if you can extend it even further, sinking down like an anchor, holding you close like a tether as it buries down into the soil…. Grounding down to make a connection with the Energy that comes from the Earth Star… The breath is still moving, slow, deep and rhythmic as you imagine yourself planting the seed of your intention. A perfect seed of any kind, knowing that what you plant is what you will receive in time… Make it something that’s entirely true, something pure, something that you want to see showing up in physical form or something of a more spiritual nature. Clearing away any obstacles and making sure you’ve still got that energetic connection. Take a few breaths here to see and feel whatever it is that you’d like to bring into your experience. Then take a moment to be grateful for it. If it’s hard to be grateful for something that hasn’t happened yet, try thinking first of something, anything, even just one small thing, that’s entirely good right now, in this moment, just the way it is… Something really honest and really simple, like the way the grass feels under your feet or the way the air feels on your skin. Maybe for being able to recognize that quiet, the silence and strength that’s always there just beneath the noise. Give this a few more breaths and see if anything floats to the surface of your attention. Maybe you found the gratitude for the seed you planted, but if you’re not there yet, the gratitude for what you have right now is more than enough for today. There is a very good chance that your mind has already become much more quiet, but it’s okay if it’s not, just notice and be still… Paying special attention to thoughts that might seem to come from out of nowhere, without feeling any need to judge them or even understand them fully. Remembering that whatever comes up from the quiet mind is valuable information, even if you don’t understand it just yet. 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 then take a few moments to write about your experience. If you’d like one more question to use for further reflection you might go to an unstructured part of your journal and ask, “What is true about where I am right now?” Write for as long as you like or make a mental note and promise yourself to write it down as soon as you can. Anything that comes up in these quiet moments is worth your attention. Nothing is either positive or negative at this point, it’s just information that might be immediately useful or useful as a reference in the future.

There are many options for starting rituals and we will definitely explore others in future episodes, but I want you to know that this first one, for Truth, can work for anything. It’s kind of an all-purpose practice that’s simple, easy to remember and easy to do anywhere. I really recommend that you practice this ahead of time, and practice often, it’s great way to reset, a great way to start the shortest meditation practice ever and practicing ahead of time is the best way to be prepared to use this technique when you need it most.

Challenge yourself to repeat today’s practice at least once a day, or even just parts of it, maybe multiple or many times daily. Use what we’ve done here to work on any subject, with or even without a notebook, until it really sinks in and belongs to you. This is such a useful tool for acknowledging and appreciating whatever is happening in this moment, creating a different point of view, a strong foundation for change and method for seeking the Truth.

Challenge Question

Which brings us back to this week’s challenge question for Truth… and now it’s your turn to answer, “Do you think it’s harder to hear the Truth it, or to tell it?” Remember, if you’re looking for the deeper meaning consider it not just hearing it with your ears coming from someone else’s mouth, but maybe whether or not it’s hard to even recognize? Is it hard to hear that quiet voice inside? And when you do hear it how does it feel? If you think it’s harder to tell it, go a little deeper than just saying something honest and consider how it feels to express it? I hope it’s at least a little easier to do now that you’ve had a chance to practice.

Once again if you’d like to play along, there is no wrong way to respond, just post about something that came up for you or resonated with you while working with the Principle of Truth. Check us out on your favorite social media platforms, consider joining our Facebook Group, we’ve got links in the description or you can always go to somethinghonest.com for all the details on the show notes page.

I want to thank you all so much for listening. It is my most fervent hope that this podcast is already serving to make a difference in the way your day is going and hopefully at some point a change for the better in every area of your life. Make sure you’re all set up to get notifications and come back to start working on the Principle of Hope with a brand-new challenge topic and more practice tips. Remember, we’ve got THREE episodes dropping every week to help you get 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! Let’s get to work on being well.