Hello and welcome to Ablaze.
Today we're going to set our heart ablaze on awareness,
Habit,
Reflection,
And growth.
So as usual,
We'll settle into a comfortable position,
Allow your body to be supported,
You can gently close your eyes down if you're able to,
And take a slow breath in through the nose,
Pausing briefly,
And exhaling through the mouth.
Again,
Inhaling steady and intentional,
And exhaling soft and unforced.
Let this breath signal a shift.
This is not time to fix yourself.
This is time just to observe.
Now bring your awareness into the body.
Notice those points of contact,
Whether it's your feet on the floor,
Your hips or your legs supported on a chair or on the ground,
Maybe your back.
I want you to pinpoint and focus in on those points of contact.
I want you to shift and soften the jaw if it's tightened up.
Relax those shoulders if they're tight or riding high.
Unclench your hands.
Notice if there's any tension in the body.
We start this practice by settling the body,
Because when the body settles,
The mind follows.
Stillness does not mean inactivity.
It means attention is available.
Now I want you to bring your awareness to the idea of patterns.
Patterns are simply behaviors repeated over time.
They aren't necessarily good or bad.
They are efficient.
Your brain builds patterns to conserve energy.
To respond quickly.
And to protect you.
Every pattern,
Every habit that we have,
Good or bad,
Once served a purpose in our life.
Let that sink in.
Nothing you do repeatedly is random.
There is always a reason,
Even if it's no longer helpful for you.
Begin to reflect on your daily life.
Notice small,
Familiar moments.
Maybe it's the way you start your mornings.
How you respond to stress.
Maybe it's what you do when things feel uncomfortable.
You're not here to criticize.
You're here to notice.
If a pattern appears,
Simply label it,
This is something I tend to do.
No story.
No shame.
No fixing.
Awareness alone changes the nervous system.
High performers don't improve by being harsher.
They improve by becoming more precise.
More deliberate.
More reflective on their patterns and their habits.
Now reflect gently.
Why might this pattern exist?
Not as a problem,
But as information.
Did it once provide safety?
Control?
Relief?
Or certainty?
See if you can appreciate the intelligence behind that pattern.
This pattern kept you functioning.
It kept you moving forward.
And now,
You are simply checking whether it still belongs.
Reflection is not regression.
Reflection is refinement.
It's checking in on yourself.
And seeing what still serves you.
And what are things that you need to work to improve.
See if there are certain things,
Habits that you still hold,
That maybe no longer serve you.
I want you to shift your perspective.
Imagine this reflection as a training session.
Just like reviewing game film.
Just like analyzing performance data.
Whether it's journaling at the end of the day.
You're not attacking yourself.
You're gathering information.
Ask yourself calmly.
Where do I lose energy?
Where do I react?
Instead of respond.
Where do I default?
Instead of choose.
Each answer is insight.
Each insight is leverage.
This is how performance evolves.
Not necessarily through intensity.
But through awareness.
Now imagine the next time this pattern shows up.
See it clearly.
Earlier than before.
There is space now.
Not pressure to change.
Just the option to.
I want you to silently repeat to yourself.
I can notice without judging.
I can pause without resisting.
I can choose with clarity.
Even noticing one second sooner is progress.
That is training.
It's getting a little bit better each day.
Now I want you to bring your attention back to your breath.
Inhaling slow and steady.
And exhaling grounded and calm.
Start to feel the body again.
The surface beneath you.
The space around you.
As we close the practice down today.
Know this.
Patterns don't define you.
They inform you.
Reflection isn't a step backward.
It's how you sharpen forward movement.
When you are ready.
Take one more deep inhale and exhale.
Gently open your eyes.
I want you to carry this awareness with you into your day.
To the rest of your week.
Not to judge but to notice and refine.
Have a great day.
