Create a daily practice of self inquiry and learning.
While we are on our mat having our yoga practice be about developing our attention in whatever style of yoga we are practicing, let’s devote ourselves to becoming even more attentive to the kinds of thoughts that shape our notion of who we are. The more aware we become of our own patterns of thinking, the more capacity we have to catch ourselves when we say “I can’t,” “I’m not enough” or “that’s impossible.” Then we can ask ourselves, “Hmm, is what I just heard myself saying actually true?” We take for granted that much of our view of ourselves in relation to the world comes from our family and social conditioning. Before we know it, we are creating a box through which we see the world without awareness that that is what we are doing.

Read and listen to people who inspire you, past and present. For many of us, the time in our car is some of the most useful time we have during the day. Find an author or a thinker that inspires you and listen. By the time you get home from work you will be recharged. Pick topic areas that transform the mind’s repetitive or small minded tendencies and actively address the big picture. Life is short, precious, and filled with wonder. There are so many ways we can remind of ourselves of this very true reality throughout our day. Living with these facts as the basis of our daily experience keeps our thoughts, speech and actions motivated by what truly matters.