When I think of all the benefits I've received from studying and practicing Tantra and embodiment over the years, here is what I find:
increased sensitivity and aliveness in my body
deeper, more expansive orgasms
greater devotion
ability to harness my emotions as energy and power
greater inspiration and passion in my life
more intimacy with myself, others and the divine....
… and so much more I can't possibly put into words…but there is actually only ONE real reason that I am experiencing these things and that is:
Practice.
Yep. You've probably heard it again and again. You want to master something? Practice. Practice is how the violinist becomes a virtuoso, how the novice singer becomes the opera star... (I'm sure there are many examples that don't include music)....how about feeling alive?
Yes. Feeling alive is something you can practice. Devotion is something you can practice. Intimacy is something you can practice.
But I find many people can get stuck on this part. We expect (and wouldn't it be nice) if the things we really want would just come to us with no effort?
However if that were the case I think we'd be missing out on a key element of the journey: that the magic is in the moment. And we absolutely have the power to practice, and allow the practicing to become the thing that we long for.
Okay okay, but how? Here are a few simple tips to help you start, and commit to a daily practice.
Select what it is you want to practice, and be specific.
Maybe you want to practice breathing for 5 minutes. Stretching your body. Dancing. Choose something that excites you! And if you have no idea what practice to pick and want someone to curate that for you – scroll down to the end of this post.
Decide how long you are going to do the practice for
First start with how many days you'd like to do the practice for, and be realistic! A week can be a great place to start because it is generally easy to accomplish – which sends yourself the message that you CAN DO IT! (and you can always decide to keep going if you feel inspired.) Traditional time periods for sadhana (practice) are 21 days, 40 days or 100 days if you're feeling super ambitious.
Now decide on how long you will do the practice for every day.
2 minutes? 5 minutes? 15 minutes? Pick something that you could EASILY do everyday – even if it seems small. Don't go for an hour of dancing if you don't realistically think you can do it everyday. Now Set a timer. This will help you relax into the container of the practice, without checking the clock or getting distracted!
Have an accountability buddy.
It can be extremely helpful to have someone you can check in with. In the ideal world, they'd also be doing the practice as well! That way you can support each other through any resistance that may arise and cheer each other on!
Be gentle on yourself!
Remember that criticism does not create a space conducive to growth. If you fall off, simply notice and continue! No one is going to critique you but yourself. Also know that resistance is very likely going arise. And that is actually a very good sign – because it can mean that a pattern that once held a grip on you is loosening. Try on the attitude of embracing resistance and continuing anyways. And enlist support from your accountability buddy and/or community!
Whew! We made it!
At this point, I hope you feel that starting and committing to a daily practice is absolutely something you can do.
If you do decide to start a daily practice, please let me know so I can cheer you on! You can comment here, or shoot me an email at rosalieambergrace@gmail.com
Rose petals at your feet,