Getting back on track…
I love to run. I’m actually one of “those” runners who uses TWO apps to track their run. You know, just because. Well, I knew because of winter weather I had been inconsistent with my running. I noticed I was struggling to keep pace with my usual minutes per mile. In fact, I was running 45 to 60 seconds slower per mile than usual. Most people would say, so what? But to an athlete, you start to ask yourself, why? I didn’t feel tired. I was doing my usual stretching. What was going on?
I decided to take some time to get really quiet, actually for a completely different reason. As I sat in meditation, I felt prompted to ask my soul, “what does my body need?” I got two answers. One was, “rest.” The second thought said, “your hips are too tight.”
It was night so I decided to go to bed early – like 8pm early. I was surprised when I slept until 5:30am. Then as I went about my morning routine, a reminder of an event I had showed interest in popped up on my phone. A yoga teacher in town was offering a class - just for runners. I had completely forgotten – but it was in an hour and it wasn’t too late to sign up. So I did.
It made me nervous. One, showing up alone to things where I don’t know anyone isn’t my favorite. Two, I am cautious with Yoga because of a slipped disk in my back. But despite these two anxieties popping up, I knew this was an opportunity being presented to me.
I needed a teacher to help me stretch in new ways, and to go deeper in areas where I was already flexible.
So I threw on some clothes and headed over. It was EXACTLY what my hips, legs, and back needed. When I got home, I took off on a run and immediately felt my stride lengthen and my time return to it’s previous state.
It made me think how we can apply this lesson to our personal and spiritual growth. We WILL face resistance as we grow and change. We may even find ourselves going backwards or falling into old habits. When this happens, it is helpful to Remember:
1. Find time to be quiet, meditate, and breath
2. Learn to ask our SOUL what it needs (this takes practice!)
3. Look for and act on opportunities that come your way, and give yourself permission to accept help
If you are on a journey of spiritual awakening, you likely have a lot of growing pains right now. Just know it is OK to accept help. You don’t have to walk this journey alone. You ARE NOT a failure if you get stuck, fall back into habits, or realize you have hit a ceiling and don’t know which direction to go.
Schedule a chat with me. Let’s see how I could help. I know how hard this time can be.
Maybe if you are reading this, it is the opportunity you’ve been looking for.
All My Love My Friends,
Reh