Revival Roundup
A Roundup of the Things That Helped Me Step into Revival at My Lowest Point
Have you ever had one of those “something has to change” moments in your life? Maybe it was a serious, blow-your-life-up kind of change, or maybe it was a habit you wanted to break. All the same, these types of changes don’t typically happen overnight. Lasting, sustainable change and true revival comes with lots of reps of the little things practiced daily that add up over time.
Truth fast, I have had a few of these moments in life, some really serious and some smaller, and being on the other side, I can look back at what small, consistent practices brought me out of darkness and reminded me of my truth and my light. The intention is that my story, what I’ve learned along the way, and the pieces I have picked up will find you when you need it most. There is no secret or quick fix, and we have to do our own work toward this revival, but hopefully my experience and advice can help give you somewhere to start, which often feels like the hardest and heaviest part.
Therapy: This is a highly sensitive and individual journey and choice. It may not be something that serves you long term, but in initial life confusion, major roadblocks, or experiencing a mental state that makes you feel like you need support coming out of, I cannot recommend this enough. For me, I didn’t know which way was up or where to start, so talking with a professional in a safe and supportive space for healing that I could be totally honest with was incredibly liberating. What quickly stuck was the importance of self-reflection and understanding patterns. I was guided to process past experiences, that help to make sense of what I experience now, and that clarity continues to be a healing force in my life. This understanding fosters self-awareness, which is crucial for recognizing what truly serves your well-being and making intentional choices that lead to personal growth and a revitalized sense of purpose.
Meditation: I had a mentor for whom meditation was a part of his daily life. He never pushed it on me or anyone, but he was a living example of the type of person you talk to and think “they’ve really figured something out, and I want to make other people feel as amazing as he does.” Just a total light in the world, amazing energy and dialed in with inspiration and purpose. His presence was enough influence for my curiosity to grow. So I enrolled in a training with the same woman he trained with - Emily Fletcher and the Ziva method. And sure enough, I credit meditation as one of the absolute most transformative practices in my life. I can’t not meditate.
Check out the collection of meditations available on Wild Grace Wellness, I love this one that I turn to when you feel off my game, doubt projects, want to shift back to yourself, shed insecurities, and return to your true self and direction.
Gratitude: Santosha, one of the Niyamas, is described as the revolutionary act of finding deep gratitude for the present moment and accepting where you are without judgment or comparison. I recommend The 5-minute Journal! This helped me get into a rhythm with daily gratitude practice.
Yamas and Niyamas - 2 limbs of the yoga lifestyle’s 8-limbed path: The Niyamas are described as a personal guidebook to cultivating an inner landscape and building habits to elevate your being. They are about how you show up for yourself, whereas the Yamas are about how you interact with the world. The five Niyamas are:
Saucha (Purity/Cleanliness): This involves nourishing your body, hydrating deeply, moving in ways that feel good, and decluttering your mental space by letting go of toxic thoughts or gossip. It's about shedding anything that dims your inner light and creating space for your true self to shine through. Saucha also applies to your physical space, your body through nourishing food and movement, and your mind and spirit by purifying thoughts and releasing limiting beliefs.
Santosha (Contentment): This is about accepting where you are in the present moment and finding deep gratitude for it. It's choosing happiness daily and unlocking inner joy that external circumstances cannot touch.
Tapas (Self-Discipline/Burning Enthusiasm): This refers to your inner fire and passionate commitment to growth, which keeps you showing up even when it's challenging. It's about building resilience, cultivating willpower, and stoking the flames of transformation.
Svadhyaya (Self-Study/Self-Reflection): This Niyama invites you to look inward to understand your patterns, triggers, strengths, and shadows. It can involve journaling, meditating, observing thoughts, and reflecting on experiences, as well as studying sacred texts.
Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender to a Higher Power/Devotion): This is about releasing the need to control every outcome and trusting in something beyond yourself, whether called God, the Universe, or divine energy. It's finding peace in knowing you are part of something vast and beautiful.
Getting clear with yourself on what you like, what you don’t like, why you do the things that you do: Svadhyaya, or self-study, directly relates to this by inviting you to look inward and truly understand your patterns, triggers, strengths, and shadows.
Having hard conversations: Speaking your truth fast with kindness. Like a practice of Saucha, this helps in purifying your mind and spirit. This is a practice that can feel perhaps uncomfortably direct at first, but it gets a little easier each time and helps those you love understand you more. And if they don’t, you learn a lot from that, too.
Choosing a lifestyle of mindfulness and wellness isn’t a trend, it’s a revival. It is also an acceptance that lasting, sustainable change requires truth and time - time for getting clear with your truth, with little practices daily, to remind you who you are.
