Nykki Hardin

The older I get, the more authentic I become.  Why?  Because every day I am truer to myself, embracing my essence and letting my light shine to the world.

On the mat the other day, for the life of me I could not catch my balance in warrior three.  How many times had I been in this pose, what was the problem?  Watching the weight in my foot shift around and feeling my hips jumble side to side, the frustration magnified.  The struggle continues on until finally, I took a deep breath and surrendered.  It was at this point that it all became clear: bring the focus back to the breath, bend your knee, and start from the beginning....

Rooting all four corners of my foot into the earth, I created a solid foundation from which to build.  Slowly working my way up from the base, my mind went to squaring off the hip, strong in the raised leg, flexed through the foot, until finally, I was ready to straighten the bent knee for the full expression of the pose.  Presto -- I was able to hold the pose with ease for eight breaths.  Success!! 

After my practice, this experience brought on a giggle-- the struggle on the mat was such an analogy for difficulties in life.  We often find ourselves in challenging situations in which things are not going the way we want or the way we think they ought to be, thus leading to sever frustration and angst.  Our reaction is to push and push, usually without success, instead of merely bending, being flexible, and adapting to the conditions of the situation.  In times like these, it is best to take a step back and try a different approach.  Begin by getting back to the foundation of the problem and connecting with the intention.  From here, allow the situation to unfold in its own time rather than trying to force a desired outcome.  Many times, when we respond accordingly rather than react, the results end more in our favor than we ever could have imagined.

There is a natural process in all things;  it is important to be flexible and realize divine timing is ultimately out of our control.  

After a long dry spell from participating in one of my favorite past times, I finally crumbled and set aside three hours and went to the cinema.  Taking a risk in seeing a film I knew almost nothing about, my friend and I found ourselves in a packed evening screening of Julie and Julia-- what a perfect movie to break the silence!  Once again Nora Ephron brilliantly crafted a masterpiece and Meryl Streep gave an award winning performance, but the whole experience was so much more than just two hours of entertainment!  Without a doubt, every viewer walked out of the theatre feeling inspired in one aspect or another, be it personal, professional or romantic!

The movie follows the lives of two married women who both feel a lack of purpose in their lives.  Both women, identifying their love of cooking, throw their free time and energy into their newfound hobby.  This newfound passion fed their soul which thoughly enriched their lives AND resulted in amazing unexpected career opportunities.

This is such a valuable lesson for us to learn, especially right now where so many of us are realizing that something is not working in our lives and change needs to happen.  We have walked around programmed by society to produce and consume and produce and consume long enough!  It is time to step out of the matrix and lead a life that is more fulfilling, to exist in a state of personal happiness and bliss!

Here is the secret: FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE AND DO IT!!  This inspiration will feed your soul on so many levels!  Throwing time and energy into a hobby that fuels us, something we are passionate about, nourishes our spirit and creates joy in our lives!  This joy has a ripple effect and spills over into everything we do!  When we connect to our passion and put our heart into something we love, others feel the beauty and authenticity and many times new opportunities present themselves out of nowhere.  When we open our heart and nourish ourselves, the universe responds and rewards, just as it did for both Julie and Julia.