Week of 9/1/2019. Intention: Tapas/Self-discipline. Spiral learning is a concept that over a period of time we will come to memorable anniversaries of life which are "markers" of our time here on earth such as birthdays, or other memorable events which leave dates etched in our minds (and most certainly in our bodies!) As these markers of time come around, we are prone to reflect upon where we were the last time or times these dates popped up on our calendar. In yoga, we strive not to be attached to results, or to be rewarded for our actions, but the ego does like a good pat on the back. So as we reflect, and come back around to the same linear point on the spiral, we can see if we have made any "progress" and moved up the spiral...or not. There are certainly times of obvious growth as we circle around and around on our life's spiral, and sometimes there are times of slippage. It happens. But what about the times in between? The space of time which takes place between one anniversary and another can sometimes be less than glamorous. These are the days we call upon our self-discipline. No party hats. No fancy, funny or meaningful cards. This is when we follow our inner voice to the real practice. Daily practice. Daily practice without seeing or feeling immediate results. This is when our practice becomes an offering. We practice, pray, meditate, mindfully eat or speak, study...whatever your calling is...because we know there is a higher purpose. We might not see it any time soon, but we lay who we are and what we do at the feet of God and trust that there is a purpose higher than us. Yes, our egos and our senses will begin to enjoy tasty morsels of the fruits of our labor, or we might get a giant cake of positive reflection on an anniversary date, but our souls know as we deepen our daily offering, whatever that is, that we are tapping into something infinite, something all-encompassing. Sometimes it doesn't feel that way on the non-glamorous days, on the just-do-it days, on the "in-between" days, but those are the days we show the most faith of all.