Get Your OM On

Ever since I booked my ticket on the BEST SELF Magazine train, I have been surrounded by thought leaders and trailblazers in all genres – coaching, meditation, nutrition, education, fitness, the arts, even politics – all working to shift the world. And they each, in their own unique way, literally seem to exude inspiration from their pores. They are my new BEST SELF family, not bad company right?! They say friends are the family we choose. Their work makes me want to do better work. Their motivation, their contribution to uplift the collective consciousness, prods me to reach further, to try harder and to flex my muscles in ways I thought I was limited.But the reality is that nothing is a perfect process, we’re all a work-in-progress and we must remember to refrain from the addiction to the search and/or from thinking that what works for others will necessarily work for us. Sometimes true centering is to simply quiet the chatter and the voice from within that tells you – you need more: more enlightenment, more success, more stuff. We can get so caught up in the act of seeking that we forget to look out the window - missing the ride, the expansive view, the divinity of the present moment (even in all of it’s untidiness).I hit the ground running each day, literally. There’s a dog to walk, a teenager to wake up, a magazine to edit, a blog to write, a world to tackle. I’m not one to slowly embrace the day – when I awake, my brain is off and running, kick-started with the first eye opening. And while I have my morning ceremonial rituals before the sun rises - prayers, intentions, a stretch or two, the lighting of a candle and some quiet moments (all accompanied by a cup of coffee), my “monkey-mind” nudges her bossy-pants self right to the forefront and attempts to take control of the place from the get-go. That over-achieving part of my brain operates in sound bites, moving at a rapid pace through life, checking things off my endless mental To-Do list. On the exterior, I’ve got this covered and all buttoned up: I am woman-hear-me-roar: mother, businesswoman, Editor-In-Chief, seeker, resident laundry maven. My daily list of tasks is chock full, and more often than not - I get them all checked off. But to what avail, I ask, as I fall exhaustingly into bed each night and press REPEAT.For me, routine has always created a sense of calm within the storm, no matter what has been going on in my life. And even with a self-care practice firmly in place, you can create room for unexpected whimsy and embrace being perfectly imperfect. I drink green juices in the morning, I try to squeeze in some form of exercise, I eat a healthy diet, I think happy thoughts, I try to be my best self each day – but I also like red wine, have been known to drop the “F” bomb, lose my patience, indulge in too much cheese and I don’t go to yoga class. The last time I went to a yoga class, I almost popped every blood vessel in my head trying to do a headstand I had no business doing. No yoga and no headstands for me (nothing against yoga, as a matter of fact – I seriously bow to all yogis out there and their regular practices). Yoga and I parted ways, arnica in hand.It’s not a perfect science people. Open your life to what inspires you to be your best self, to stretch towards your passion and purpose on this planet. If you can connect to it on a yoga mat, go forth and find what works for you. Find what you are meant to do in this world – and keep searching until you do. A life’s mission isn’t for a select few. You came into this world with your own distinct voice and calling. Your mission is your mission - do you know what it is? Surround yourself by those who love you for who you are, will love you along the journey all the while prodding you to keep on blossoming into the best you. I call them my “Dream-Keepers.” Most of all, love YOU – for the yesterdays that led to here, for the sacred present moment and for the dream of limitless possibility.However you get your OM on, be it a yoga class, a walk in the woods or dancing around your room singing at the top of your lungs in your underwear, we all need to find our own modality, our way to bring calm to the chaos, our way to hear the voice within that desires our greatest soul-calling to manifest. When we ignite that spark, the Universe conspires with us. But as unique as your individual DNA is – so is your path.I joke about my yoga experience, mainly to use it as a metaphor for other emotions. Who knows, perhaps I’ll find my way back, maybe not. For now, I love my pilates, my meditation practice, my walks in the woods with my dog and all other forms of active meditation. It’s just my roadmap…and it’s always open to detours and new stops along the way.Find your way back to YOU each day. That’s the game-changer. What you have been seeking has been there all along.Namaste.