I'm going to answer this question in 3 parts:
 
1. Getting comfortable with the uncertainty
2. Understanding your why
3. Building affirmation
 
First, I want to address the uncertainty about how long this will last.  This is, by far, one of the hardest parts of this whole situation.  We have no idea how long it's going to last.  That uncertainty can be hard to wrap your mind around.  The world looks a lot different now than we knew it even a few months ago.  And, the fact is we don't know how long this is going to last.  We don't have a clear end point. 
 
What we do know is that when things assume some version of normalcy, the world will be a different place.  Whenever faced with a crisis, either individually or globally as we are now, it leaves lasting change.  Things can't go back to exactly how they were before this crisis hit.  All situations in life come to show us something.  To encourage us to dive deeper and learn more about ourselves and the world we live in.  And so, the first step in addressing your question is acknowledging the uncertainty.  And, finding acceptance with the world looking different from now on.  So, this is the first step.
 
Then, coming from this foundation of knowing that the world is changing.  We don't know which parts of our lives are going to remain the same, and which will parts will change forever.  So, from that starting point, I want you to examine your goals.  So, go ahead and jot some of those goals on a sheet of paper. 

Now, look at your list of goals.  And, I want you to think about your why behind those goals.  Why do you want to achieve those specific outcomes?  What do you hope to achieve in doing so?  How will it make you feel?  How will it impact your life and the lives of others?  Go ahead and take a few moments to jot your thoughts down.
 
Understanding your why, as you did in this exercise, will help you achieve your goals.  Tony Robbins talks a lot about your why in his RPM method.  RPM stands for Rapid Planning Method.  Simon Sinek also gave a great Ted Talk about understanding your why, and also wrote a book on the same topic.  The idea behind getting clear on your why is that it allows space for your how to unfold.  What I mean is you might have a clear idea on action steps you think you need to take to achieve your goals.  But, in this changing world, those action steps that you thought of a few months ago may not be relevant anymore.  And so, if you're looking just at the action steps or the goal without understanding your why, then that can feel very discouraging. 
 
But, if you know your why, then your mind will search for different ways to fulfill it.  Your mind will start to search for creative solutions and opportunities.  This happens automatically.  When you get clear on your why, you send a message to a part of your brain called the reticular activating system.  This is the part of your brain that filters out sensory messages.  It only lets the important messages get through to your conscious mind.  So, in this way, your mind starts to look out for any resources or information to help you achieve your why.
 
So, what I'm saying is your action steps and outcome might end up looking different than what you expected a few months ago.  Allow yourself to be open to that.  And, know that you can find fulfillment by making progress on your why. 
 
Yoga talks about it this way.  Yoga says perform your karmas, spiritually-aligned actions, and let go of the results.  In other words, perform actions that are aligned with your highest purpose.  Let go of your attachment to a specific outcome. 
 
So far I've talked about getting comfortable with uncertainty and understanding your why.  Next, I want you to build positive affirmations.
 
In other words, change your vocabulary from "I don't know if this will ever happen" to "I am resilient and creative solutions are all around me."  In other words, change your vocabulary from uncertainty and worry to affirmation and resilience. 
 
The words you use are powerful.  There's an entire field in modern psychology dedicated to this.  It's called Neuro-linguistic programming, or NLP.  From the Ayurvedic perspective, the words you use carry specific energetic vibrations. Energy attracts energy, and your thoughts create your perception of reality.  And, like I mentioned earlier, from the Western science perspective, affirmative statements tell your reticular activating system what to look for.  It also builds positive emotion that activates your dopamine reward pathway.  This makes you feel good, and so you end up wanting to seek out even more creative solutions. 
 
So, you can see that positive affirmations are more than just a woo-woo, new age practice.  There's actual science, both from the Western and Eastern perspectives, that back it up.
 
So, to recap and to answer your question, follow these 3 steps:
1. Acknowledge and accept the uncertainty
2. Get clear on your why
3. Build positive affirmations
 
So, I hope that answered the question and that you found it helpful.  Leave a comment below to let me know. 
 
If you have any other questions or other topics you want me to address, let me know that too!
 
Stay well.  Stay safe.

"Where shall I focus my thoughts right now?"

​I set this as a reminder to go off every 3 hours on my phone yesterday.  It was such a great reminder!  No matter what I was doing at the time, I paused and asked myself this question.  It helped me focus more constructively and intentionally.  For a bunch of the reminders, I was at work.  So, I was pretty focused on my work anyways.  But, the reminder brought greater intentionality to my focus.  It's a little hard to describe, but it was a subtle internal shift.  Each time, it brought me back to the bigger picture of what I was doing in the moment.  Each time, I broadened my perspective to consider, "Does this fit in with my priorities and goals?" 

I got the idea from an interview I heard of Brendon Burchard on Marie Forleo's podcast.  Buchard and Forleo are both amazing entrepreneurs, speakers, coaches, and authors.  In the interview, Burchard stated an interesting stat.  That the average person watches 4 hours of tv/day.  Adding that up, it comes out to 13 years over a person's lifetime spent watching tv!  Wow!  

Now, you may not be a tv watcher, but it could be youtube or the social media flavor of the day.  The point is that we all spend quite a bit of time in "distraction."  Now, I'm not talking about rest, spending quality time with loved ones or on self-care.  Those are vital activities that allow you to be the best that you can be.  

But, I'm talking about true distraction.  For me, I'll click on my Insta app, Facebook app, and then the Gmail app on my phone.  One right after the other.  Even if I just checked it less than an hour ago!  I don't even think about it!  I do it on auto-pilot when I have a free moment.  We all have our thing.  Whether it's going down the Youtube rabbit hole, or into the voids of the Internet world.  

Setting a reminder to ask yourself this question,"Where shall I focus my thoughts right now?" is so helpful in redirecting your focus and energy onto what really matters most to you.  Now, it could be that you ask yourself that question, and you're like,"I shall focus on Instagram!"  And, that's totally ok!  At least you gave it thought and awareness.  Shifting away from doing things just out of habit.  Instead, moving into intentional action with awareness.

So, give it a try if it speaks to you!  And then, let me know what you find!  Any new insights gained from this practice?  I'd love to hear all about it!  Leave a comment below and let me know!

Challenges are inevitable. Suffering is a choice. 

This was the topic of a podcast I listened to recently. In it, Marie Forleo interviewed Krishnaji and Preethaji. Marie Forleo, if you’re not familiar, is an amazing entrepreneur, business and life coach. Krishnaji and Preethaji are the founders of an organization called O&O academy. So, in this interview, they talked about the difference between challenges and suffering. Life will always present you with challenges. But, suffering, they say, is a choice. Challenges are the actual situation. Suffering is your reaction to the situation. Suffering comes from your mind’s thoughts and the emotions that those thoughts evoke. 

So, how can you move through life’s challenges without suffering? I’ll be upfront about this. It’s not easy. There’s the day to day challenges. Things like getting to work on time, getting your kids ready for school, or dealing with traffic. Then, there’s the bigger challenges that life throws at you. Things like the loss of a loved one, a new diagnosis, or a career change.  It maybe that a completely enlightened person would be able to move through these situations without suffering. But, for the rest of us, I think it’s possible to at least minimize our suffering. To find some sort of peace and acceptance within those challenges. Possibly even find happiness and gratitude. 

How?
The first step is awareness. Recognize that you’re suffering. Acknowledge the suffering. Maybe even start a conversation with it. Your feelings are valid. They usually show up as a message. So, ask it: "Suffering, what are you hear to teach me? What’s the lesson I need to learn here?" 

And then, sit still. Let the light enter those dark spaces. By asking those questions and being open to what arises, you’re letting the light in. The light of guidance and wisdom. It may be subtle as a little whisper from your inner voice. Or, it may be more obvious, like a blog post, book, or social media post that you stumble upon. 

If you find it hard to sit still, then try journaling. I meditate daily, which helps me tune in. But, journaling is actually the way I most easily tune into these messages. So, if meditation seems impossible, try sitting down with a pen and paper. Write down these questions: "Suffering, what are you hear to teach me? What’s the lesson I need to learn here?" 

Then, let your pen move. Free flow. Whatever comes out, let it be. And, then go back and read what you wrote. You might be surprised what you find. There may be a new perspective, a solution, or a lesson in what you wrote.

I’m interested to hear what you think of this idea of suffering being a choice. And, what you discover when you try out these practices! Leave a comment below to let me know!

I did a Facebook Live last Friday with Dr. Kim D'Eramo. Dr. D'Eramo is a physician, bestselling author of The MindBody Toolkit, and founder of the American Institute of Mind-Body Medicine. We chatted about the body's innate ability to heal itself. It's amazing! If you listen to it, your body is constantly telling you what it needs. It can be hard to hear it's signals sometimes. Other times, you can hear it (or, rather feel it through pain, stress, or fatigue), but don't know what to do about it. In this video, Dr. D'Eramo guides you through a brief practice to get in touch with what your body is feeling. She calls the process the ABC technique for:

A-Awareness
B-Breath
C-Concious Choice

The idea is this - send love to all the parts of your body that need healing. Partner with your body, instead of fighting with it. Know that your body is your ally, not your enemy. And, know that everything that comes up in life, be it physical or emotional pain, is an invitation to awaken. Lean into it and you may discover something far greater than you ever could have imagined!

Sending you so much love,
Sheetal

I hopped on a Facebook Live last Friday again with my friend, Dr. Aarti Soorya. She's an awesome functional medicine doctor based out of Michigan. If you haven't tuned in yet, we've been sharing wellness tips together on Facebook Live about once a month. We're both passionate about sleep, so that's been a topic we've been spending the most time on so far.

A few weeks ago, I interviewed her about sleep deprivation and it's effects to our health. This week, she asked me all about Ayurveda's perspectives on sleep. We talked about:

-The basics of Ayurveda
-The Ayurveda time clock and how it relates to sleep
-My top tips for getting a good night's sleep

Tune in here and leave a comment letting us know your thoughts and questions! Is there another topic you'd like to hear us talk about? Let us know that too!!

Love, Sheetal