Abundance vs. Scarcity

For the last week, I've been asking myself if I've been functioning from a place of scarcity or abundance. With the idea being scarcity represents lack, ego, insecurity. Hearing positive news about someone or seeing others success and jumping to the negative self talk, the jealously, the doubt. While abundance is quite the opposite. Trusting yourself, your intuition, your intelligence. Trusting the universe is actively working for you rather than against you.

I've asked myself this question in all aspects of my life.

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears.”

— Tony Robbins

When I step on my yoga mat…

am I practicing with the intention of changing myself or with the intention of connecting deeper within? Am I holding attachment to how the shapes look rather than how they feel?

When I eat food…

am I focusing on avoiding and removing foods that are "unhealthy" or am I focusing on nourishment and joy and flavor and staying present in the experience of cooking and eating a home cooked meal? Am I letting myself indulge without guilt?

When I speak to friends…

am I listening to respond or am I listening to be present and learn?

When I look in the mirror…

am I pointing out my flaws and insecurities or am I showing grace and gratitude to the miracle that is a human body that has been a home to my soul for the past 26 years?

What are areas in your life where you are functioning from a place of scarcity? Where can you bring in more abundance?

My Yoga Why

Yoga has been incredibly healing for me. My mat has been a sacred space for 5 years now. Yoga has given me a better relationship with my mind, body, and emotional capacity. I am a Black woman adopted into an all white family. At a very young age, I had a hard time conceptualizing why I didn’t look like my family or why my body was shaped differently than my friends. I grew up feeling different with no way to navigate my relationship with my body. I was an athlete my whole life but still had curves despite my small physique. In high school, I battled depression and anxiety. I was put on medication that resulted in weight gain which added more insecurities around my body and how it compared to white counterparts.

I was always driven by movement. Growing up playing sports, it was all I knew. When I was dealing with mental health issues in high school I naturally gravitated to the concept of it. My dad had the P90x DVDs and I always did the yoga class. It was a change of pace from soccer and volleyball but had so much emotional power over me. I dabbled with yoga a little bit in college, but my priorities weren’t in self-improvement but rather chasing the next party or boy. During my senior year, my grandpa passed away unexpectedly. All for health issues that were preventable. I quickly shifted the way I approached food, exercise, lifestyle as a way to cope with that. That summer yoga was reintroduced back into my life and I haven’t looked back since.

It has been my safe haven and place for me to grieve and connect with my health in a very holistic, all encompassing way. I am raw, genuine, and fearless when it comes to my radical self expression and that wasn't possible until I started practicing yoga. Yoga has taught me to appreciate the journey and fall in love with the process of being. Yoga is a practice for a reason, there’s no end. There’s always a lesson to learn. I connect a little deeper with myself each time I step on my mat. I think the same goes for self-love. I don’t think anyone will ever fully be there, but we can appreciate the small wins, the growth, the shift in perspective, the entire process.