End the Cycle, Break the Mold
We're all addicted to something. While the external ones are obvious (alcohol, TV, shopping, 50+ adaptogens in your morning matcha) it's the subtler, internal ones that are far more devious.
What are these sneaky addictions?
The addiction to self-doubt. The addiction to lack or poverty consciousness. The addiction to suffering. These mental "intrigues" as Yogi Bhajan called them, are far more powerful and have a much deeper hold on our lives than many of us realize.
Many of these have come from molds and patterns we've been presented with in childhood and by our peers in early adolescence/early adulthood. But I also think a lot of our "stuff" is inherited - it's ancestral and may run deep - but the buck can stop with you.
Each one of us, for some stretch of time, has stuffed ourselves into a mold that doesn't quite fit: the tomboy who wears Lily Pulitzer to fit in at her new school, the homebody who pushes herself to go out drinking, the artist cornering himelf into a corporate job that's far more "practical." And these molds have stifled and stagnated our heart's greatest longings for too long.
Why then did we do it? Why did we force it? Why are we still living out many of these well-trodden paths of unhappiness?
Because addictions create a cycle of needing to be fed again and again: the addiction of needing to fit in at all costs, or the addiction to feeling unworthy of a bigger freer life, and absolutely the addiction to complaining, begins to grow stronger and bigger, and becomes a self-feeding-nightmare. And because, until now, you haven't know what to do about it.
It is 100% possible for you to make a big change. To gain the energy to maneuver around and through these patterns, cracking them open and revealing how uncomfortable and stifling they really were for all those years (or lifetimes).
So how do we do this? A few techniques and strategies to get you on your way today. I believe in you!
THE ADDICTION MEDITATION: This is a solid gold 3-minute meditation that has the power to change you for the better. For me, it's an absolute daily dose. See my recording below.
MOVE YOUR BODY IN A NEW WAY: Our body holds patterns in its muscles, tissues, fascia, and beyond. When we stretch and move in ways that are new and maybe even a wee bit uncomfortable, we are literally creating new pathways, new growth and a new mold for ourselves. This can be done through free movement (i.e. not trying to look cute while you dance), practicing a new type of yoga, swimming or even walking in a different way then usual.
SLEEP TO THE GONG: The gong tracks on this album are fantastic and you can just loop them alllll night long. Taylor and I have been listening for weeks now and it's amazing - though it takes a little getting used to - you wake up refreshed, revived, and clearer. My teacher, Harijiwan has explained that resound of the gong goes into your subconscious and breaks up old patterns, forcing the mind to create new, better patterns that support a higher good. Yes, please!
UNBLOCK: Free and Native's "Reparent" is a beautiful place to start recognizing and unlocking old, stale molds of the past. From there you can take this work deeper in a one-on-one coaching setting to create (and hold yourself accountable for) a life of true self-led-creation.
THE POWER OF NOW: This book is a provocative game-changer to the typical mental mindset. I highly recommend it.
So there you go. Your starting blocks of change. The time is now and your great life is waiting for you. How exciting!
