How's it going with your 40 Days?

by Savitree Kaur

Here is a question that comes up around doing a 40, 90, 120 or 1000 day meditation: 

What if I miss a day?
Do I have to start back on Day 1?

In class, I often distinguish between the ideal and the real. The ideal is the ideal version of what the posture or exercise should look like. The real is what your body can do at that moment, and as you may know, that can vary from day to day. As you practice regularly, your real generally moves towards the ideal, even if it's just barely noticeable. The important thing is that you know where you are in your own body, and that you are able to find that edge between going for the ideal and honoring your real. That edge should be outside the comfort zone, but not too far out, otherwise inviting injury or causing you to hate the practice so much you struggle to sustain it. Know what works for you.

So here is the ideal answer to that question:

Yes. Start back on Day 1. 
While many of you may have committed to this 40 day for the benefits of the Mul Mantra, the most amazing benefit, really, is the practice of carving out time to gift and nourish yourself daily, for 40 days, no matter what. It's a real practice in making sure you are fed, and that you are doing this for yourself. No one else can truly feed you. 

Think of the many things we do for others - employers, friends and family- no matter what. While we are sick, exhausted, while we are hosting in-town guests or are in the middle of another obligation; we just sandwich them all in, feeling ragged and tired, even when we think some of this stuff that we agree to are ridiculous. Yet for something we choose to do for ourselves - what we know will empower our core Being - even if it takes just 7 minutes of our time, we somehow allow it to fall off the moment those same circumstances come up for which we rally for others.   

Starting back on day 1 is giving ourselves another practice at finding 40 consecutive days to hold something dear for ourselves. It's 40 days of Self-Love. And it takes 40 days to create a habit. In this case, we create a habit of Self-Love. {I'm a big fan of 1000 days to MASTER it}.

So now you might be wondering about the other numbers:
40 days to create a habit.
90 days to confirm it.
120 days to make it who you are.
1000 days to master it.  

Here's the real:

If starting back on day 1 will cause you to drop your commitment to Self altogether, then start where you left off. It's your practice. Which means it can be at your own pace and on your own terms. Remember that what you put into anything is what you get out of it. And the most important thing to put into it is the practice of getting back on the horse over perfection. 

So it's all good.