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Once we begin a routine of meditation, yoga, affirmations, or other practices to retrain the body and mind to a more “elevated existence,” we may notice some benefits right away – like feeling calmer, more centered, happier, sleeping better, and feeling more focused during the day. But as the saying goes: “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone,” and this is true for our spiritual path and practices.
Whether we wake up late and decide not to meditate, miss a few yoga classes, or just allow the craziness of life to get in the way, suddenly we feel … well off. We feel funky, frustrated and even depressed. We start thinking negatively, concentrating on what is missing in our life rather than what we already have, and then wonder what in the world happened!
I’ve fallen victim of my own self-sabotage, as I’m sure you have too! Recently I found myself dealing with a wicked sinus infection – the kind that makes your head pound in places you didn’t know your head could pound! Now, if you read my January Editor’s Advice column, you know I’ve embarked on a year of self-care, and my poor body was in need of care! But in taking care of my physical body, I sort of put my mental self on the back burner.
Now, granted, I needed to recoup from the infection, but suddenly I wasn’t meditating, making my gratitude list every day, and, of course, took some time off of yoga. Since I was dizzy sitting upright, there was no way I was getting into a downward dog!
But after a couple days, when my body started to feel better, I realized my mind was not as centered and happy as it had been. Instead of the day flowing effortlessly, and me marking off my to-do list with ease, I started focusing on all the things I needed to do, and how there isn’t enough time in the day to get them done. Rather than being grateful for all the amazing things happening in my life, I started looking at what was missing. Luckily, I realized this pretty quickly, and took a step back.
What was different in my life that could be causing this? Why had my mood suddenly taken a turn for the negative, especially since my body was feeling better? When was the last time I felt centered and on track?
DING! The bell went off, and with it came a powerful lesson. I didn’t realize how much my daily practices were helping me, keeping me in a calm and loving place, and outright making me feel damn good … until they were gone!
I immediately got back on track with yoga, meditation, green juice (yeah, I stopped that too!), and my current practices like The Magic and “May Cause Miracles” (read my January column for more on them!), and I’m happy to report I’m feeling good – both physically and mentally – again!
We are all souls inhabiting a human body in this life, and sometimes the human side of us takes the lead. For me, straying from my path brought a powerful lesson about how much of a difference it actually makes in my life.
Straying happens to all of us sometimes, but I’ve come to find, the more I stay on course, the quicker I notice when I’ve veered to the left or right, and the quicker I get back to center!
Blessings and love to you all!
Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher & Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine
Twitter: @ElevatedTammy