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This piece is part of a month-long Wanderlust and YOGANONYMOUS series about the power of journaling.
The power of ritual and ceremony should not be overlooked—especially for the modern yogi. Much of our lives these days are spent running around, and as a result it’s critical to set aside time to slow down and connect to your self and your spirit with intention.
A Sacred Ritual
A daily journaling ritual where one spends 10 minutes in reflection is potent. This provides time to listen, recalibrate, remember, and honor yourself. It offers a deep source of nourishment and an opportunity to bring greater depth to your life practice.
We can make anything sacred. According to Webster’s dictionary “sacred” is defined as “highly valued and important: deserving great respect.” The words we choose in both our inner and outer dialogue tell our story. They are a form of svadhyaya. One of the five Niyamas in the eight-limbed path of yoga, svadhyaya means “self-study,” and journaling is one of the greatest tools we have for studying ourselves. Journaling illuminates our blind spots and supports our ability to see things from all angles—not just one particular vantage point—so we can move beyond being stuck and into the power of yes.
Let journaling and the strength of yes inspire you to take a leap of faith to create new stories and explore new dreams, as they are the pathway to creating a new reality that reflects abundance, creativity, and love of self.
Journaling actively invites us to ask questions and engage life with curiosity. It helps us to go beyond self-limiting belief and learn how visioning is the art of creating a new reality—for all matter begins in thought form. Through the powerful vibration of yes we mother (“matter”) the thought to make it materialize. Choosing how we use sacred words allied with the some writing exercises will help you manifest greater (and more immediate) transformation.
Saying Yes to Life
When you say yes to something, you are automatically saying no to something else. For instance, in my life exercising my right to say yes to meditating at the start of each day is a way of avoiding email, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as the first things I do in the morning. Practicing yoga is a ritual I say yes to each day, and therefore, no to accumulating mental worry and stress. I have the privilege of saying yes to making healthy food choices with any implied no to junk food.
Each and every opportunity I have to say yes sets up a love boundary. This keeps out unhealthy habits or behaviors that diminish my joy. Yes gives me authority (adhikara) over writing my own life story instead of feeling as if it’s been given to me to simply play a part not of my own choosing. Yes puts me in the driver’s seat of my life instead of feeling like I’m sitting in back without any control of the wheel and the direction I go.
I am, after all, playing the lead role in my life story and not just that of an understudy.
A Personal Yes List
I have made a point at the beginning of each year to make a personal “yes list.” I’ve been doing this for seven years. I know it works. Write down the key things that give you strength and inspiration. Ask yourself: Do the items on this list support you in waking up each day with enthusiasm to live your best life? Does what you list empower you to feel more passionate about your intentions and/or resolutions? Think about the power of yes in your life:
- Are you conscious and alert to your yes choices?
- Do you say yes more than you say no? Why?
- What does saying yes mean to you?
- What do you say yes to? Make a personal yes list.
This year my yes list contains yoga, meditation, travel, writing, tribe, self-care, kindness, and unplugging.
When you decide you are clear on what you say yes to, then everyone and everything is there to support you. As is written in The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
Finally, don’t forget to post copies of your yes list where you can see and reference it everyday. You can even take a photo of it and put it as your screen saver. Revisit the power of yes and your personal list when journaling. Use these rituals to affirm and help manifest what you want the most of in your life so you can love yourself more, love your day, and love your life!
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Silvia Mordini is a writer and happiness coach. For 20 years her expert passion has inspired people to connect to their joyful potential. Born in Ecuador, proud of her Italian heritage, Silvia developed a sense of global citizenship early on. In young adulthood she was ran over by a car—a life-changing accident that led her to discover the “alchemy” of yoga to heal and transform. A serial “yogapreneur,” Silvia has owned two yoga studios, founded international Alchemy of Yoga Teacher Training School, and Alchemy Tours where she guides retreats worldwide. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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