Do you love to learn? Grow? Practice new things? Experiment even?
I’m drawn to study, learn, and implement. Without implementation, the study and learning seem a bit pointless, a dead end, a puddle instead of a means to something greater.
I’ve been studying Ayurveda, habit science, and identity evolution with a teacher, mentor, and dynamic community for the past decade. Like any word, Ayurveda can have many different meanings and definitions based on who you ask, where they studied and their life experience or what pops up on your google search.
If we breakdown the meaning of the word we can see the root of the word Ayurmeaning life and Veda meaning teachings or knowledge.
To me, this practice is a desire to really live fully in our knowing. It’s choosing to do something that we know deep down is not good for us – by ignoring or overriding our intuition or simple common sense, which inevitably leads to trouble down the line.
Sometimes it’s only little things, like feeling uncomfortable after eating a big meal, or tired after going to bed really late, they (alas!) all add up to future consequences which manifest in a variety of ways.
Think about that for a minute. If you are living in what you know you are living in alignment. When you are in alignment with your values and beliefs about yourself you are living in integrity, which is an experience of wholeness.
This kind of wholeness promotes vitality, energy and optimal health. Every day we are making small choices that are either in sync or out of sync with this trajectory towards wholeness. In Ayurveda, this is one of the three roots of disease. Living out of integrity with what we know.
Curious as to where your current gap is?
Take a minute to identify one area in your life where you know you are currently out of alignment, lacking integrity between what you understand would be best for you and yet you are resisting it.
Then, flip the coin and see where you are currently in integrity with what you know. Because there are always areas where the other is true.
This is a concept in the yoga tradition called “prajnaparadha”. This is the act of disregarding what you already know and disrespecting what you’ve learned from past experiences. Most of us can relate to this on SOME level….can you?
I know this one well, which is why I lead a group of women on a journey towards narrowing this gap between knowing and action and desire and implementation and increasing integrity of the body, mind, and heart.
Stop going against your better judgment, unapologetically embody your potential and remind yourself you don’t have to do any of this alone. These are topics we cover in the yearlong lifestyle mastery program, Embody Ease. Learn more about it today.
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Rachel Peters is a yoga teacher, yoga health coach, lifestyle and habits expert, easeful living advocate, and lover of wild places. She leads others towards Embodying Ease through a yearlong wellness & lifestyle journey to dissolve perfectionism, embody daily habits that promote mental clarity, overall ease, and deeper connection to life on this wild ride of modern living. Learn MORE today!