Balance is My True Nature

Some of you may already know that since Monday, I've been meditating in the evenings with the Oprah & Deepak Chopra 21-day Meditation Challenge. Meditation is also item #5 on my 30 by 30 list.

Tuesday night's meditation had particular meaning for me on my happiness journey for a couple of reasons.

A little background:
Sanskrit is one of two energetic languages that exist in the world. Meaning that its significance is derived from the energy created by the sounds the syllables make. That's why when we repeat mantras to ourselves, we say them in Sanskrit - so we're sending that energy out into the universe.
Tuesday night's mantra was "Yum, yum, yum", which is pretty epic in its silliness, BUUUUUT, we learned that the syllabic energies coming from the repetition of "yum" enliven the heart chakra, allowing us to follow our hearts and be compassionate.

Why this meditation resonated with me...

Reason #1
Ayurveda says that we can avoid illness as long as balance of mind, body, & spirit are maintained. It occurred to me that lately I have been dedicating so much of myself to my body and spirit that I have somehow managed to neglect my mind. I haven't been intellectually challenging myself. I haven't been reading. I haven't been getting my book-smarts on. So, this is my mini resolution to myself to challenge my brain. To try to learn and retain something interesting and important (to me) every day, so I stay sharp... and therein, balanced.

Reason #2
One of my teachers is regularly encouraging us to "find the yum" in our postures - to find the place where we have taken the pose to our personal edge and it feels marvelous.
Pair this with the belief that the mantra of "yum" activates and opens up the heart chakra, Anahata, we can be simultaneously spiritually and physically opening ourselves to love and compassion each time we find the place of "yum" and acknowledge it as such.
Find the yum, acknowledge it, and open your heart. 

My husband thinks this is all new agey mumbo jumbo, but I buy it and he has no problem with that, so that's all that matters.

Happy Thursday, my friends. Remember this is a linkup! Follow some other wonderful ladies as they explore their happiness projects.