Chapter 7

The world needs YOU. Every day is a battle of time, energy and awareness. There are charitable causes, moral dilemmas and heartbreaking struggles for right and wrong in the world. You have the power the make a real a difference. If something tugs at your heart strings and won't leave you alone it's be used you have been chosen to do something about it!

Donate your time, energy, resources to a cause that moves you. What will your contribution be?

We are all wounded, we have all suffered. There is no one who is free from the inevitable pains of life. But that doesn't mean our spirits aren't bright. While it might be tempting to lock down in the face of hardship and fight back against hurt, the yoga path leads down a different direction. Yoga asks you to trust that everything is going to be ok, to trust that you are strong enough to handle whatever comes your way. Trust begins with recognizing your own basic goodness, a goodness that far exceeds the stumbles and falls. Place your faith in the highest truth within yourself and then let that be your rock. Place your faith in the material world and you will be let down every single time. Ask yourself if you are trustworthy, if you can count on yourself. If you spend your days waiting for someone to save you, for someone to discover you, for the world to give you what you think you're due, then you're looking outside yourself for your happiness. Look towards the inner world and discover the only real thing that is worthy of your trust anyway, the highest and most pure divine self. Orient your awareness to the truth contained within and instead of external standards or judgement you will be so solid in your authenticity that you'll know without a doubt what it means to truly trust yourself. You can say a thousand affirmations every day but only when you experience the connection to the highest self will you really know that all is good, that you are good. Trust that you are ok, that you are whole and complete, that you are strong enough, trust that you are worthy of love.

Sunshine, birds chirping, the ocean, trees gently swaying in the breeze, the beauty of nature is a timeless truth. Spend at least five minutes outside in silent reflection of your surroundings. Be still, look and listen with your soul. Wait for the magic of the moment to reveal itself. Spending the day attached to computer screens or mobile devices indoors can lead to a post modern anxiety that can easily be healed with five minutes of peaceful reflection in nature. Called Prakrti in Sanakrit, realizing our nature is a freedom that comes when Keene to stop fighting the natural order but accept and respect it. 

Each day is filled with more goodness, kindness and love than we can ever know. There are an infinite number of unsung heroes whose bravery goes unrecognized. The good always out weights the bad. Always, without a doubt. 

Called Vira in Sanskrit, living the yoga life means being strong enough to shift the narrative of your life story towards the light. Be strong enough to be the hero of your own life story. Being a spiritual hero doesn't mean being perfect, it means being strong enough to be a force of healing in the world. Be strong enough to love bigger than the hurt, strong enough to do the right thing even if it's against your personal preference, strong enough to rise above the drama and keep your heart open. Tag the heroes in your life today below and let them know that you see their brave hearts and appreciate them

who is always there when you need him, who puts himself last, who would risk his life to save a stranger if he had to, who would never ask for recognition for all the small acts of kindness he does each day but deserves the credit anyway.

Yoga is an inner state. It is an experience more than a physical destination. The practice works like a road map, leading you along your personal journey. Along the way you need to have some tools in your spiritual backpack to be prepared for the long and ale times arduous trip. Ashtanga Yoga is built on the Tristana method, a there pronged approach to the discipline of daily practice. You need the breath, the posture and the focal point in order to build the firm foundation for practice.

The breath is the invitation to the subtle body. The asanas or postures heal the body and give you a platform for inner awareness and reflection. The drishti or focal point concentrates and steadies the mind. 

You are who you were meant to be. You are exactly where you need to be doing exactly what you need to be doing. Every single event in your life is unfolding for a divine purpose. You are worthy of love and greatness. Don't force it or rush it. Give your soul permission to shine brighter than a thousand suns and the world will have no choice but to celebrate your beauty. I believe that truth and goodness always win out in the long run, that a kind word spoken from the heart can heal years of bitterness, and that life is a precious gift to be relished and enjoyed with your whole heart. 

Live every moment of your life on purpose, with purpose and for a deeper purpose. Look for the magic in every breath, the spark of sunshine hidden in every cloud, the secret message of every flower. Ask yourself what drives you and motivates you. If you accept that your life is divine mission, what is that mission? What is your purpose? Why are you here? Life is unfolding through you each moment. Play a conscious role in every decision and choose love, kindness, truth and compassion.