Life Off the Mat Living a Life of Excellence and


Purpose in Five Simple Steps


By: Elizabeth Aleksinas


The warm candlelit room deeply calms me and the soft, peaceful, voice of the teacher draws me into a deep state of relaxation and bliss and finally, I am home. Home on my yoga mat, away from the fast-paced, plugged-in world, where I normally, or per- haps abnormally, dwell.


A My body is comfortable here; my


mind at ease. We move gently from one asana to another and I am transformed. Transported to a place where all is well. Class seems to magically fly by. I reluctantly roll up my mat and vow to return as often as I can! Now begins, ‘real’ life, off my mat, a deliberate day-by-day, moment-by- moment, quest to live a life of excellence and purpose.


Five Simple Steps to Living a Life of Excel- lence and Purpose…Off the Mat.


1. Discovering Mindfulness Mindfulness is a deliberate, on purpose


practice to connect with yourself and others on a deep, physical, emotional, and spiritual way. Mindfulness is centuries old, and has been adopted from the Buddhist practices of meditation. The main goal or purpose of mindfulness is to be in the present moment at all times. When you are deeply mindful there is no judgment of others or yourself. It is freedom! It’s important to practice mindfulness each day, moment by moment. Why? It is an on-purpose way of redirect- ing your thoughts and not allowing precious moments of your life to slip away.


Mindfulness leads to a life of excellence and purpose. It helps you be aware of the moments of your life, good or bad, light or dark, happy or sad. Just simply being aware


28 Natural Nutmeg - May/June 2015


hhh…the sweet aroma of incense fills my senses and my soul. The worries of the day begin to fade.


and mindful of what you eat, think and say will change your health and well-being. Being aware of how you spend your time and with whom dramatically impacts body, mind and spirit.


However, mindlessness is where most


of us invest our time. Arriving at a destina- tion and not knowing how we arrived, over- eating and not remembering what or if we ate, and so on, are results of mindlessness. Living this way will ultimately lead to a less than par life. Spend a few moments each day quietly sitting, focusing on your breath, clearing your mind, and setting an intention to live in-the-moment, even if just for today! This simple step, just five minutes a day, will help guide you toward a more mindful way of living.


2. Discipline “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through.” Zig Ziglar.


This simple phrase explains clearly


why discipline is a crucial step. Creating a schedule or plan each day will help you to stay on course and begin to change the abnormal pattern of your life.


Discipline


is defined as “to bring to a state of order.” Antonyms to discipline are agitation, chaos, disorder, and negligence. Creating goals or priorities each day may help resume order in your life. Sticking to your plan is impor- tant if you want to experience great results. Don’t be over zealous with your list, just make it simple. How do you wish to live your life—in chaos or order? It is really up to you!


3. Live without Fear Fear is often described as False Evi- dence Appearing Real. Fear is a deeply


paralyzing emotion. We spend so much of our lives being afraid. Afraid to step out of our comfortable box, afraid to say something wrong, afraid to offend, and afraid of what other people will think or say. We bombard our days and nights with endless news pro- grams that are full of fear based stories. Our day is on fear overload. Fear will ultimately immobilize us and send us into withdrawal. Perhaps creating a fearless mantra, to ease some of the toxic effects of fear, will help. Some mantra examples might be, “I am not afraid,” “No fear,” “I release all fear.” Create your own fearless mantra. Be a warrior and fight for your life!


Repeat your mantra several times each


day. Say it out loud, in the car, before bed, when you rise, or silently at your desk! Writing the mantra on several notes and ar- ranging them throughout your home, office, or on your computer screen will remind you daily to be fearless!


4. Acceptance “Once we accept our limits, we go


beyond them.” Albert Einstein This is the big one! Learning to accept


where you are and who you are is the glue that will bring all the other steps together. Please do not interpret acceptance for giving up or giving in.


Acceptance is an action


step; a call-to-action to appreciate where you are in your life, to determine how and where you want to go, to define your dreams and desires, and to enumerate the steps to accomplish your dreams and desires.


Before moving forward to there, you must first genuinely feel happy, here. To be- come your true authentic self, try repeating the Serenity Prayer each night before bed, allowing pure acceptance to flow.


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