Day 20: Make a Plan
Adding a new practice to an already full life can be extremely challenging. What I know about any new practice for myself is that the more I do it, the more I witness the effects on my life and the easier it becomes to integrate it into my world. This practice of self-cultivation can be included in the simplest of ways (a few minutes in your morning shower), to the more complicated (make a date with yourself, set up candles and music, set create the mood, enjoy). The important part is that you make it a practice.
Thought for the Day:
Conventional wisdom tells us that it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. In truth, no one really knows where that number came from. Yogis say that in order to create a substantive change or form a new habit, it takes 40 days of diligent and daily practice. 
What brain science tells us is that pathways in our brain run deep. It is the repetitive nature of a practice that supports creating new pathways. The pathways we are reworking here run deep and long. Born from generations of oppression, patriarchy, religion, shame, fear and guilt, this “work” has the potential to change the way in which you relate to your juicy, divine and delicious self.
If you have completed this course one lesson per day, you are now on day 20, and you have 20 days left to deeply integrate the changes that this practice can create for you. Check your calendar today, and mark the 40th day. Imagine 20 more days with so much pleasure and activation as a self-cultivation practice!
Practice:
Review your journal and the sentence or two you wrote at the very beginning. What were the reasons you gave yourself for taking this course? How do you relate to that sentence now? How do you feel about continuing the practice?
Make a plan. How will you add self-cultivation and your erotic altar into your life? How will you keep it a priority for your overall health and well-being? What most motivates this practice?
Find your breath, let out an audible exhale, and feel the gratitude for the pleasure system that is built into our bodies.
Daily Contemplation:
“Maintain a positive attitude with promoting habits for 40 days and you can change your destiny.”
~ Yogi Bhajan
