My Morning Manifestation Practice

Hello, dear friends! It has been a few weeks since we've met. Mostly because I've been in the process of balancing wedding planning (eek!) with my own self care practice and work. Which leads us really perfectly into what I want to share with y'all today about a tool to be more aware of whether your priorities and actions are in alignment.

About a month ago, I went on a podcast listening/article reading/instagram stalking binge. I was searching for something new to add to my self care practice because it was feeling incomplete and I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for...until I found it! I was listening to a podcast where the guest, Gala Darling, was talking about what manifestation means to her and how she practices it. It made me contemplate about manifestation and my own relationship with the concept.

I remember the first time I read the book "The Secret" (and then watched the movie...and then went to a workshop focused on it...). I was a high school student always pretending to be happy when inside I was feeling lost. I was aching for a magical cure for everything that was hard in my life from relationships, to my Depression, to how classes would go that week. I made a vision board. I created this idea of what a perfect life would look like. Some of it worked for me because it helped to shift my attitude and opened me to the possibility of feeling positive. Other parts were frustrating because when things didn't seem to go my way, I lost faith in the possibility of the reality I desperately desired. For good reason, that manifestation practice eventually dissipated. Looking back, I missed something that I really needed in that practice. I needed to let go of what I couldn't control and create a manifestation practice that was about who I want to be, not what I want around me.

Three or four weeks ago after listening to the podcast, I started trying out Darling's "magical morning routine." She discussed in the podcast how it helped her be in touch with her "true desires." That intrigued me. It also gave me a sustainable way to practice self-care in the morning. I've always wanted a morning ritual. I've attempted starting a morning mediation and/or yoga practice probably more than 10 times now. It never sticks more than a few days. It probably has something to do with the fact I have to see my first patient at 7 AM every morning and this girl seriously values sleep.

Finally, here was this opportunity to start a morning ritual that I could do while driving to work! Color me excited! I began to use this manifestation practice every morning. During the week, I complete this practice on my way to work. My commute is about 15 minutes and the practice takes me about 10 minutes. On the weekends, I find time before my plans for the day (sometime after rolling out of bed and before heading out the door).

There were three simple steps to this routine/ritual. Everyday talk out loud about the following:

1. What you are currently grateful for in your life

2. What your vision for your day is

3. What your vision for your life is

The out loud part is important because hearing yourself say it is powerful! Plus, it helps me stay on task. If I try to just think about it, my thoughts wander pretty quickly...

During the first part (gratitude) I am as specific as I can be. This part felt most natural to me right away. For years, I have been a huge advocate as gratitude as a part of any wellness practice. Starting my day with gratitude was new though. I usually end my day with it. I loved being able to start every morning off a grateful mindset rather than my usual "I'm exhausted and just have to get to work on time" mentality.

During the second part (vision of the day) I took Darling's recommendation and talk about it in the past tense, as if it already happened the way I wanted it to be. I talk about my own interactions with people, what I am doing after work, my attitude throughout the day, etc. This part has been the most impactful for me because it has made me accountable to what I said I would do. In the moments I want to feed into drama or be frustrated with a particularly difficult case I am working on because it's easy to be negative, I have a new opportunity to say to myself "Hey Sam...you already said that all of your interactions today are coming from a place of empathy...this does not align with that." In the moments I want to skip yoga or exercise because my day was really tiring, I have to remind myself I already said I was doing it. I committed to the day I wanted for myself. Have I been perfect with this? No. Has it been better? Definitely. Heck, my yoga practice has been more regular the last few weeks than it has been in over a year!!

During the third part (vision for my life), I also talk in the past tense. This one has been really interesting for me. To speak about my vision for my life in regards to my career, my relationships with others, and my relationship with myself is truly eye opening. I don't even think I knew some of my own goals until I started. Did you know that I want to write a book someday? I didn't! I have started to really understand my own priorities. In that, I have an opportunity to ensure my day-to-day practices are moving me towards the vision I have for my life. I can't just wait for it to happen like I did as a high schooler looking for an easy way out. For example, I have come to really understand my vision places a lot of value on fostering relationships. So, when there was a moment that I could show up for my family a few weeks ago during a hard time, I dropped everything and drove 7 hours to make it happen. Because, in my life, that is the person I want to be and the vision I have for myself. My practice helped me take action, without hesitation.

Darling also recommended recording the practice and sending it to a friend. I do love that idea as a way to keep yourself accountable if it will help you. Recording and sending has not been the right choice for me. I have decided to keep it mostly private. Though I do talk about it with others after the fact, the practice itself is a conversation with my future self and a commitment to the person I want to be. In those few minutes of my morning, I get the opportunity to nourish my relationship with myself without worrying about or feeling accountable to anyone except me. As a person that has always taken on caregiving roles personally and professionally, having 10 minutes everyday for me and only me is probably the most powerful thing I do every day.

My daily manifestation practice has become is a check in on my own priorities and a way to hold myself accountable to actively take the steps towards those priorities. It has not been about a magical opportunity or change falling into my lap. It is an active alignment of my thoughts, desires, and actions. Try it for a few days, let me know how it works out for you. If you have ideas or different practices that you use, share them! We are all just trying to live our best lives. Start those lives in this moment.

With Love + Gratitude,

Samantha

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#spirituality #selfcare #wellness