Finding an uninterrupted space and time to meditate is a challenge for me. 
Hi Diane! My family is from Iowa (Waterloo, Burlington, parents went to UofI). I went to Cornell College and lived in Iowa City for a year. Iām from Colorado and live there now.
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Jacquelyn, thank you for taking the time to share a response. Interesting that you bring up gluten and the depression it causes. Iāve just recently learned that gluten is not ok with my body and Iām in the process of grieving that loss.
āI am worthy of two minutesā is going to be my mantra this week.
Being vs. Doing.
I am a person who has struggled with routine on every level for decades. I resisted it, like a horse with a bit. Last year I took a class on Yoga and the Yoga Sutras with Sriramji at Hindu University of America. I began to understand the foundations of ABHYASSA (practice) and VIVEKA (discernment) as being at the core of the journey through the 8 limbs of yoga. Without repetition, the clarity and qualities I want to develop will likely be spotty, delayed and maybe even distorted. So Iām not perfect and Iām not even about perfect, but my heart is open to the wisdom of the practice, and thatās why Iām here. Aum ā Radha in LA
If I am honest, letting go of desire has always been a tough one for me. As a rather rationally minded person, the notion of desire (joy) may be even a tool for me that helps with personal growth in a positive way.
Listening to Biet Simkinās audiobook āDonāt just sit thereā has been very helpful here. She refers to the fourth way, that her father, an enlightened shaman, taught her. What I find interesting with the āfourth wayā (George Gurdjieff) is that they established a spiritual method that goes along with mundane life. Desire is part of being human, and I cannot deny that I am one, or?
I see of course, that desire, when it comes to clinging and rage, is not helpful.
Amen
Hi everyone! I really enjoyed the talk today, " we may need many alarm clocks to wake us up" this was a great reminder to not get to fixated on just one method. My ups and downs are not sticking to a schedule; as you all see, I am a bit behind, but I know the best part of any practice is being honest, holding myself accountable, and also giving myself grace. Have a great weekend, everyone.
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What a small world. So lovely to meet you, Maggie
Ups and downsā¦ ups: remembering that there are so many others on the path (thanks to gatherings such as these!) and feeling the flow of spirit when Iām able to let go of my mind/ ego.
downs: forgetting that there are so many others on the path and getting in my own way
Hello beautiful people 
I have set a time to meditate 
every morning at 7am as itās when the sunrises 
in zone.
I must admit that 98% of the time I get up & sit in my meditation cushionā¦ However, there are those time when I lose the battle to the mind & 
snoozeā¦
However, I trust that this habit is forming so I must be gentle & persistentā¦ I will take on the advise of RamDas & be more present in my daily rituals (brushing my teeth or/walking my dog) so I can begin the HABIT of Mindfulnessā¦
Thank you all for sharing 
Adriana 
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The imagery of this is so powerful. Thank you. I quite the idea of being a hummingbird. There is more than one way, isnāt there. There just be.
Distractions. All or nothing mentality. Being busy (when Iād rather not be). They all can make a regular practice challenging for me. By Iāve come to realise that my best is good enough and if I can only do it (a specific practice) x amount of times then that will have to do. Thereās no use beating myself up
about it. Ram Dassā teachings on dharma really helped me when it came to how I approached my Sadhana - being all or nothing and feeling bad when I wasnāt able to give it 100% - and like Ram said in the recording, āit isnāt falling off the path, it is the pathā - I shall try to hold onto that gem!
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The main struggle I have is WHAT my practice should be. Iāve been pretty good at getting up, sitting in my chair, and doing something spiritual. I just struggle with direction of if i should meditate, if I should do japa, if I should singā¦ etc
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I want to loudly echo showing up for myself is HARD! Iāve found it interesting that for decades I played competitive sports and not once found it hard to show up for an early morning workout or evening practice. But that wasnāt for me, it was to not let the team or coach down. So now I am working with that - choosing to love me; choosing to show up for me. When I donāt, it permeates through every facet of my life. When I do make time to practice asana, meditate, and read spiritual books, I find it easier to operate in/out of loving awareness for myself and others.
Random question - wasnāt sure where to put thisā¦A couple weeks ago I went to sleep resting my hands on my solar plexus area. Then, this incredibly strong vibration woke me up! Has that happened to anyone else? What can that mean?
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