Ok everyone, hang with me here. Yesterday's thirty days of yoga challenge was all about 'Self Love', the day before that asked me to 'Believe' in myself and the day before that had me finding a way to 'Listen' on the deepest possible level. And today, that bloomin' Adriene Mishler may have gone a step too far by asking me to find my 'Charisma'.

I mean, as explained in yesterday's post, I have totally sailed the boat of self love and continue to ride those damn waves every day. Believing is an ongoing practice of mine (see pic below for starters - it's a postcard I have pinned on the wall directly in front of my face at my desk) and Listening to what I need and what my body tells me is a skill I've acquired through my mindfulness and meditation training.

But Charisma? I'm not sure I own an ounce of the stuff.

I mean, isn't charisma what George Clooney bathes in every day? As well as Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Javier Bardem, Matthew McConaughey and the like? Oops, sorry, may have just given you a swift insight into my mind. Didn't mean to throw in the bathing metaphor either (well, maybe I did).

Anyhoo, Charisma? But actually, on diving into today's You Tube video and just going with Adriene's crazy notions (she's got me this far, right?), the meaning behind what she was suggesting started to emerge.

She says charisma is an 'un-dismissable energy', something that is uniquely yours and is all about your authenticity.

Now she had me.

She likened it to a 'beginner's mind', a child-like air that we are all born with but perhaps too many layers are added to it as we get older and it is submerged. All this while I'm slapping my own bum (true - she told me to!) and rolling around on the floor like a mad thing.

And that's when I noticed, although there were a good few planks thrown in there, today's practice was altogether softer, playful and more child-like. Imagine a baby discovering its own feet, or a toddler crouching down to pick up a toy. Those movements are soft, round and joyous. Uncensored, uninhibited, free. How often do we tap into those qualities as adults?

I think we all know the answer to that.

In mindfulness, we also refer to something called the 'Beginner's Mind'. It's an approach to moments in everyday life where we act as if we haven't experienced something before. So perhaps imagine brushing your teeth. Can you imagine what it would be like to do this for the first time? Sensing the bristles on your gums and your teeth; the hard plastic of the back of the brush clinking around your mouth; the fresh scent of the toothpaste refreshing the inner parts of your mouth, perhaps even tickling the nostrils? See? We miss so many things in life.

Beginner's mind can be brought to so many things. Making a cup of tea (think of the millions of sensations there!), cuddling your child, folding a letter, washing the floor, walking along the street, hell, even rolling around on the floor and slapping your own bum as instructed by a Texan You Tube sensation. The possibilities are endless.

So as much as I'm partial to a bit of Clooney, today's charisma came from me. On a mat. In yet more magic leggings.

And that's why, when I finished my practice earlier today, I did a bit of development work on my website - channeling that inner charisma into a digital format that might, just might, one day land me a book deal (Believe!), get me more blog followers (self love!) and get me noticed by Clooney.

Or not.

Go well,

Abi

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#YWATRUE