40 Days Week 1: Presence

I am leading our studio's 40 Days to Personal Revolution program. This past Monday was our first meeting and the beginning of the 40 Days. I will share the letters I send to the 40 Days participants here. This is not so much my writing, but my recapping of Baron Baptiste's writing in his book 40 Days to Personal Revolution, which is the guide for this program.

Hello 40 Days Revolutionaries!

Congratulations on taking the first step towards your own personal revolution and committing to this amazing program! It was wonderful to get to know each of you a little last night and I am so honored to share this journey with you! Here is a re-cap of our first meeting:

WEEK ONE: Presence (or Awakening!)

• Focus on waking up and becoming fully present in body, mind, and your life
• If at any point you realize you are disconnected, take a time out, come back and begin again
• We need to get quiet enough to see the underlying truth of our behaviors and self-defeating patterns to be set FREE!!

Law 1: Seek the Truth

• The highest form of repentance is self acceptance. Seek the truth so you can grow in a pure, more authentic way
• "The bad news is good news" ~ Baron Baptiste
• Have the courage to open up and come face to face with yourself - it hurts a little sometimes but this is what it means to have a personal revolution
• Self acceptance: "The curious paradox is that when I accept myself just as I am, THEN I can change" ~ Carl Rogers
• What is standing in the way of you living the life you want to live?

Law 2: Be Willing to Come Apart

• Don't make things happen; ALLOW them to happen
• There is so much in life we can't control, but we are always fighting to be in control.
• Fighting has to do with getting. When we put out a get mentality we'll be got. But when we relax, we receive.
• When we control, pressure builds up and then eventually it bursts bringing us to our knees (into crisis)
• At this crossroads is where spiritual growth is: We can shut down and get resentful, OR we can break up, break with, and break through to new ground
• This can be humbling and painful - but it's where wisdom and growth come from

Week 1 Homework:

Yoga:
4 Studio practices
2 Home practices - 20 minutes - just get on your mat
1 Day active rest - spend time with the people you love doing the things you love to do!

Meditation:
5 minutes first thing in the morning. 5 minutes at night before you go to bed. Begin the habit of just sitting.

Make sure to set yourself up for success by creating a comfortable seat. Be still and quiet. Come back to your breath, body and hands… If notice you are into your thoughts, re-aim and begin again and again :)

Make sure to set a clock or alarm so that you can immerse yourself in the meditation instead of looking at a clock to determine how much time you have left. You may also want to create a special place for your meditation: set up an alter, light a candle, fill a corner of the room with things you cherish. This place will take on a special feel and help bring you into your meditation each time you return.

Cleansing Diet:
We are what we eat! Start to become aware of what you put into your mouth. Follow what intuitively feels right to you in your diet but be willing to try things on during this program. In small chunks you can add new foods and habits to your diet. Remember we have 40 days - change doesn't have to occur overnight!

• What are your hot and cold body patterns?
• Are you deficient (need to BUILD) or excessive (need to CLEANSE)?

The goal is to reach a state of equilibrium in your body so you have the energy to support living the life you want to live!

Reading:
Intro, Week One Presence through page 100, and Laws 1 and 2

Excavation Questions:
Week One pg. 100:
Journal your answers to all five questions. You may also want to journal on why you chose to do the 40 Days program and your commitment to the program (what we discussed last night).

I am available to support you throughout this program. Your fellow awakening revolutionaries are here for you too! Attached you will find the participant contact list.

I hope the first day of your journey has been great so far!

With love,
Sara