Take a brisk walk in nature while contemplating what next step you can take.

A full two months has passed since my last blog post and I want to apologize for the hiatus. A lot of wonderful opportunities have come into my life over the past two months, one of which brought me to travel unexpectedly and others of which have caused me to reprioritize. Each of these opportunities were eagerly welcomed though, since they were all invited into my life by me earlier this year in my goal and intention setting.

Speaking of which, I wanted to reinvigorate each of you to connect to your original goals and intentions set forth for 2010 and to evaluate any breakthroughs or obstacles you’ve already experienced. What better day to embark on this than March 4th. Why March 4th you might ask? Well, one of my favorite days happens to be March 4th because within its very title it has the essence of powerful, deliberate action…get it?…March Forth!

March Forth has been one of my favorite little celebrations for several years now. I don’t recall where I first put “two and two together” but for a while now I’ve been using it as a perfect time to reconnect with the goals I set for myself two months prior on New Year’s, to beckon the energy of Spring closer (now only about two weeks away) and to ramp up my motivation, ambition and initiative. I remember leading a yoga class a couple of years ago on March fourth in which I instructed powerful poses like Warrior II and III as ways to embody the March Forth energy.

Whether doing strengthening yoga poses, courageously confronting an issue, or expectantly visualizing the change you desire, I encourage all of you to enjoy the energy of March 4th and to March Forth confidently in the direction of your dreams!

In Balance,
Jenica

Sometimes a practice can benefit from instruction or collaboration.

A practice is generally referred to as “habit or custom” as well as “a repeated performance or systematic exercise for the purpose of acquiring skill or proficiency.” While a practice can be a craft, skill, trade or profession it can also be considered a meditation, a discipline, or a commitment. In all cases, it involves continuous time and energy, as well as focus and patience which, with all the distractions of modern life, it seems that nearly everybody could benefit from. For these reasons I believe that “having a practice” of any variety, is a worthwhile pursuit for anyone.

Practicing something, whether it’s gardening or guitar, enables an individual to exercise not only their focus and patience but also their need for self-acceptance. Perhaps most important of all, it provides people with powerful evidence of progress which can lead to stronger self-worth. At the same time having a practice can take people within for solitary reflection and at other times can benefit greatly from collaboration with others. I’ve seen this in a recent recommitment I’ve made to yoga; one of the key practices in my life.

As a registered yoga teacher I’ve received many hours of yoga training and have provided yoga instruction for individuals ranging in age from 18 to 90. So recently when I joined the local YMCA in order to attend yoga classes, rather than teach them, I pondered why I was seeking instruction for something I already knew how to do. As I thought about it I discovered that I wanted yoga to be even more of a habit in my life than it currently was, which attending frequent classes would accomplish, but I also had the goal of acquiring a greater proficiency, which I hoped would come from quality instruction by other teachers.

In only two weeks, I have seen my yoga practice evolve to the next level, simply by joining my energies with those of others engaged in the practice, as well as being open to learning alternative styles and techniques from my instructors. For me personally, I realized that what my practice needed most at this time was the incorporation of the collaborative experience. At other times in my life, I’ve found the greatest rewards in personal practices in which I was my own best teacher.

Whatever the case for you at this juncture, I encourage you to practice, practice, practice.

In balance,
Jenica