The Positive Effects of Frustration
I am frustrated...
I knew it was going to happen.
This is not the first time I have moved…
I knew that I was going to go from extremely busy to boredom.
I have a hard time with down time.
I have a hard time with taking a break.
I have a hard time with refocusing my energy.
I have been thinking about this move for over a year. I tried to prepare myself for the jump of the cliff of busyness.
I told myself it would be a great time to refocus my energy.
To get back to a routine of meditating, practicing every day.
To give my kids all the attention they need….
What I am discovering is that, my kids are older and don’t need me as much anymore.
It is hard to motivate myself every day, when I look at my calendar and see an empty planner.
It is weird, after studying something for the past 4 years, to not have a yoga or nutrition book to read, a paper to write, a test to study for or a new language to learn.
I can feel the instability in my thoughts, my yoga practice, my stamina and my food choices. Even though I am feeling of these emotions, I am not letting everything go to shit…I am motivated! it just feels like I am in slow motion.
I have multiple places that I will begin teaching in the next few weeks and a few more opportunities that I am exploring. I, along with my husband, have met with plenty of contractors, painters, closet designers and have made some big decisions for our house.
All that being said, I wonder how many of you out there feel a sense of frustration in your life like me?
Do you know how to cultivate an intention, give yourself direction and find meaning in your life?
I have amazing people in my life that I can reach out to express my vulnerabilities and ask for guidance. I believe for me to be a good health coach and yoga teacher, I need to be a part of a village. To ask for help when needed, to gain focus and in turn offer wisdom and guidance to others.
Part of my ability to offer wisdom, guidance and knowledge that I have gained to others, comes from my journey in life. Being transparent, sharing feelings and letting my clients know that I have been there….
As a result, of this time and space that I have right now, I am going to begin a personal sadhana. A sadhana means a daily spiritual practice. It is a practice that is your personal and individual spirit effort. A way to clear your consciousness and to relate to your potential. There are a few practices that one can decide to incorporate in a sadhana- exercise, prayer and meditation. It is usually done in the morning and before you start your daily responsibilities. This time of day is quieter and it may be easier to meditate and concentrate. If early morning does not work for your schedule, make time when it does work, and give yourself permission. This practice is bio-individual- there is no time frame, or wrong way to do it.
Here is a breakdown of each part with definitions and examples:
Exercise- can be a few movements that allow your body to wake up, warm up and open. For some, it could be some stretches in bed or on the floor, and for others it could be more active movement like yoga.
Prayer- can be a traditional prayer from your personal religion. If you are not connected to a religion, it can be a spiritual prayer like Ho’oponopono. Which is simply:
If you have never heard of this Hawaiian prayer, click on the link provided to learn more.
Meditation- There are so many ways to meditate. Sitting, lying down, with music or without. You can also add a mantra to your meditation practice. Mantras are statements that can heal our life’s energy (prana) or can be used to access different spiritual states of consciousness. They can be simple like, “I am strong”, “I am centered” or they can be in Sanskrit, the ancient language of India which today can be heard in Yoga classes. Yoga teachers may teach in Sanskrit or use both English and Sanskrit with their students. An example of this is the asana (pose) called Extended Triangle Pose or in Sanskrit, Utthita Trikon-asana. The most common mantra that you hear in a yoga class is Om. Om is said to be the first sound heard at the creation of the universe. You can say it over and over, as many times as you would like to help you settle and meditate, or simply once.
I hope that these words inspire you to take time to acknowledge your feelings, name them, sit with them and to create a personal sadhana to realize your potential. If you like the idea but find all this too much work to figure out yourself, well that is where I come in. Schedule, you free 30-minute conversation with me and we can figure out what areas of your life you need support.
Also, check out my website for recipes and more at wholebodywellnessandyoga.com
Melinda Janofsky
