REGULARITY

This is part of a series on my journey through the 18-ities that were highlighted in Happinez Magazine. You can read how the article spoke to me here, and also check out the first -ity: serenity.

Confession: I have a hard time with the second -ity: regularity. It's a love/hate relationship. I desperately claw for a routine that will lead me towards my soul's purpose, but tend to give up easily if I don't get quick results. I don't put 100 percent into things because I doubt that it will benefit me, that I will succeed, if it's the right choice, or I'm just being plain lazy.

I think regularity can come in many forms. It can be waking up and meditating before getting ready for the day, telling someone how much you care about them, or dedicating time to something you love everyday.

The things that become regular will definitely impact your life. An action can start off as an occasional occurrence, and quickly develop into a habit, so it is important to be aware and intentional about what you do and how you treat yourself. If you look in the mirror and tell yourself you're ugly it can easily escalate and manifest in your mood, what you accomplish, and how you treat others.

The Happinez article wrote: "Regularity forms the basis of spiritual practise; it's the best way to calm a restless spirit. It's for this reason that ashrams have a strict daily routine. Habits form grooves, like millstones, which in time become smooth. It takes time but once a groove is etched, it can be forgotten because it's been indelibly printed in our memory. So get up a fixed time and meditate at a fixed time. Take the time to reflect on the day's events, and cherish that moment."

Both of the photos were taken 11.18.15. What a beautiful sunset in Michigan.

What are some of your current regularities?

To be honest, mine have been unhealthy lately. After a recent breakup and not being sure about my next career move, I have not treated myself in the best way. But you know what? Now that I have been honest with myself and am aware of these actions, I can create steps to move away from these patterns.

What regularities would you like to incorporate into your daily routine?

I have started to meditate, but have not made it a full-blown regularity. I need to create a time to do that every day because it allows me to slow down and tune into my body. It is common for people to keep their lives in busy-mode 24/7 and this isn't healthy. The result? Physical manifestations of stress.

I would also like to take time to reflect on my day as a part of my new regularity. I tried to start doing this in the form of "pits and peaks" where I would go through and find something that didn't go so well and something good that happened. I tend to look back at my life and wonder what even happened, and this would make me reflect on how I live my life.

Another regularity that I would like to enforce is writing and reading. These are two of my passions, but I tend not to parcel time for them. I am distracted with things that do not benefit my life like television and surfing useless things on the internet. I can do those things in moderation, but be aware of how much time I spend on those things and realize what will benefit me the most.

Last but not least, I need to tell my loved ones what they mean to me. This can be in the form of a simple "I love you" or sending a card to someone saying that I'm thinking of them. This regularity comes with another stipulation -- I need to really access my relationships and be true to myself on how I feel about them. These words can't be said just to be said, they need to come a place of purity.

I hope you take a look at your regularities and think about how they serve you. Make intentional regularities and you'll be a lot happier. I'll try to do the same.

SERENITY

This is part of the 18 -ities practice, where each week I'll think about a word taken by spiritual leader and yoga master Sri Swami Sivanada, the writer and composer of The Song of Eighteen Ities. Read the introduction here.

"1.) Serenity 

Tranquility, acceptance, a feeling of peace. A moment of serenity is where it all begins. In this state of serenity, our mind is motionless and nothing disturbs our thoughts. Serenity is like a forest pool on a calm day. The pool's surface is as smooth as glass. If we come closer, we can see right down to the bottom of the pool."

 The first thought that came to mind when I read that excerpt from Happinez Magazine was my daily meditation. I might describe the details of this meditation at a later date, but the reason I do it is to center myself. When I concentrate on breathing and finding my center -- not daily tasks, issues that have come up, or anything else weighing on my thoughts -- I can truly find serenity.

The power of breath is truly amazing. Taking long, deep, intentional breaths can be extremely soothing. We all breathe shallow breaths most of the time, but engaging the belly into the exercise of breath stretches those muscles and moves that oxygen through your body.

Another thing that brings me serenity is being out in nature. There's a certain stillness, but also activeness that resides in the forest, garden, or at the beach. All the sounds around you are natural. There aren't cars whooshing by, or a TV blaring, but instead, the sound of rustling leaves and waves crashing. It allows you to see the beauty of what is earthly-made.

I also feel a sort of serenity when I'm creative writing, just scribbling down words or phrases that come to me. It almost feels like a brisk wind urging me to get this down on paper because I'll need it someday. It's a kind of relief that is soothing and energizing all at the same time.

What comes to mind when you think of the word SERENITY? I'd really love to hear.

Growing starts with introspection. Start with the -ities

Bookstores are my downfall. Whenever I walk into a bookstore, you can almost guarantee I won't walk out empty handed. At a very young age, I watched my mom hustle over to the magazine section of any store, looking for inspiration in pictures atop lifestyle and party magazines. It's been a tradition that whenever we waltz into Barnes and Noble, we head straight for the magazines.

Last week, I did not falter in this ritual. The lights shone bright overhead as I scanned the Stampington magazines (my favorite) for a new issue. I had all of them. But I kept scanning and as my eyes trailed the shelf, I saw an ornate pink pattern framing a woman doing anjali mudra (yoga term for what looks like prayer hands). The cover said "follow your heart" and "do you know what makes you happy?" with the slogan of "positive, wise, & loving life." So many things spoke to me on the cover that I had to open the pages and take a peek.

Glancing through, it brought positivity and the yogi spirit to life through beautiful pictures of nature, Buddhist temples, art, and words. There was an article on the importance of intentional breath, the influence of singing bowls, and one of my favorite articles talked about becoming introspective on blessings we have and exploring them through the 18 ities.

What are "ities," you ask? Words that end in -ity. Words like serenity, regularity, absence of vanity, sincerity, simplicity, veracity, equanimity, fixity, non-irritability, adaptability, humility, tenacity, integrity, nobility, magnanimity, charity, generosity, and purity. And those are the 18 highlighted by spiritual leader and yoga master Sri Swami Sivananda.

"Eighteen virtues. Think of them as words written on notes hanging in a forest along the path we travel - life's path," the article reads. "They are reminders of what we should look out for along the way, what we should investigate, what is important and what we can learn."

The intention is that you explore the -ity for a week and it will give you deeper insight into life and yourself. Always seeking ways to find more connection with myself and the encompassment of life, I decided to challenge myself to this journey. I encourage you to also take a deeper look at these words and try to decipher how they position in your life. If you're hesitant, you can always follow along on my 18-week voyage.

Stop back tomorrow for the first jump -- SERENITY.