Life is not always smooth sailing. Part of living means accepting the fact that change is going to happen whether we like it or not, and sometimes having to go through difficult times. I like the many ways life is often described to somehow help us understand that everyone experiences problems and that we are not alone in our struggles.
Here are a few:
- “Play the cards you are dealt”
- “Life is a long and winding road”
- “What goes around, comes around”
- “Life is like a river. Sometimes it runs smooth and slow past beautiful trees and landscapes and other times, it is raging and rushing”
- “The only thing certain in life is death and taxes”
- “When one door closes, another one opens”
Because life can be so uncertain, it is important to ground yourself through daily rituals that help you feel stable and centered so that you can handle anything that comes your way with more confidence and ease. Throughout the years, I have explored many ways to ground down and feel more rooted in who I am and how I respond to what life throws at me. Recently, I attended a workshop at Wanderlust Yoga and ironically, the rituals I have been practicing for years, were described as GEMS.
G- Gratitude- I wake up each day feeling gratitude for my health and a new day of life. I begin by saying affirmations to myself in the present such as: “I am grateful”, “I am abundant”, “I am love”, “I am trusting”, “I am enough”. Before going to sleep, I end my day with prayer by giving thanks for all the things that occurred whether good or bad, reminding myself to trust that all happened as it should have.
E- Exercise- My sister once told me many years ago that exercise was just as important as brushing your teeth. She asked me, “Would you go a day without brushing your teeth?” and this simple question changed my entire perspective on exercise and why we need it. Moving and sweating is the way we clean our body of toxins so that we have more energy, feel good, and look good.
M- Meditation- Sitting still in silence creates a space for ourselves like no other. I view meditation as the union of me with my higher self and the channel to get there is through connecting with breath. When I am one with my breath, I am able to shift to a place where “the me is looking in” and observing all of the thoughts that run through my mind as though they are waves in the ocean that come and go. The beauty of these waves is that I don’t have to ride them or run from them, I simply just observe with curiosity and openness to what they are saying. Some of my most creative moments are during these 10 to 15 minutes of my day.
S- Supplements- Unfortunately, the foods we eat on a daily basis do not have all of the nutrients we need because many of the nutrients are lost when food is cooked or because it is not grown organically. It’s important to take vitamins and/or drink vegetable juices that help to supplement our diets. If you are not a big fan of taking vitamins, consider buying yourself a juicer and start your day with a vegetable juice packed with the nutrients needed for energy and a healthy looking glow. Who knows, you may even be able to kick a caffeine habit to the curb once for all.
Try to start incorporating GEMS into your daily life and see what happens.