The Greatest Gift

Until the age of 30, my life felt mostly challenging.
I had gone to psychics, read tarot cards, dabbled in pagan and medicine ceremony, went to Yoga and Tantra classes - did a 21-day meditation "challenge," even had a badass mentor/teacher who exposed me to profound truths and spiritual experiences. I did dream groups and read yoga books, learned about crystals, did somatic therapy and had my astrology read.
Still, I felt small and weak in a big, tough world. Each thing I did exposed me to a piece of the puzzle, but I didn't understand my place in the big picture or how to claim it.
I often turned to drugs and alcohol as a way to relax, let go and experience a different reality, but I knew this was a tired habit that I eventually would like to let go of.
I wanted a deeper, richer experience of life, fully led from my heart and one where my work aligned with my soul. I wanted to integrate my spirituality into the daily fabric of my life, but I didn't know how.
So, in a desperate attempt to save myself from a life of mediocrity and compliance, I decided to leave Los Angeles and everything I knew in search of something greater.
I risked losing my money, friends and "future" to find out what life was like when I lived it for my soul's true purpose, having no idea where it would lead me or if I'd fail.
I sold everything, went to Asia and fell deep into the world of Yoga and Meditation. I trained with teachers, went to retreats and got support from trusted guides and community, doing so with the intention of strengthening my daily practice.
And in doing so, I discovered:
a) I'm in charge of how I experience life
b) The Source of Eternal Life lives in Me
c) My daily practice was how I experienced Source every day.
Because rather than being the one who life happens to, whose clarity, epiphany and growth comes from an experience outside of oneself - through my daily practice, I could be the generator and co-creator of my own experience. I could have the power to generate clarity and spiritual wisdom on my own.
After years of meditating every day and practicing yoga regularly, I can easily say this has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
Through the daily practice, I could develop and strengthen my own personal relationship with the Universe. The deeper and more consistent the practice became, the stronger my intuition, the more clarity I had, the easier I was able to make decisions, deal with stress and navigate through life.
I started to understand my place in the world more and more and used it as a way to stabilize even when things felt stressful or chaotic.
I have come to believe that this personal relationship with the Universe (or God or Source: however it's named) is our birthright, but that society and culture have devolved to the degree that it is no longer valued or taught.
Once we have self knowledge, we break out of the systems we've become accustomed to. We learn self-reliance. We learn how to heal ourselves naturally without drugs or pharmaceuticals. We start to see the interdependence of all people and things.
As I continue to grow and evolve with this over time, my intention is to hold space for others to find their own relationship with Source - to cultivate the deep healing, inner connection and clarity that is their birthright and see how positively this affects everything in their lives.
The way I found this connection with Spirit was through Yoga and Meditation, and more recently through the Akashic Records, but for you it could be something else. Our personal practice changes and evolves over time. It expands and contracts and takes different forms, and it's important to value all of our experiences. With a strong enough foundation, you know you can always rely on it to both elevate and stabilize you when you need it most.
If you are interested in starting or strengthening your personal practice through Yoga, Meditation or Akashic Records Healing, I am now offering Single and 5-Session Online packages. Contact me at Ashley@loveonlyone.yoga.