My Blessings of 2012

(Originally published 29 December 2012) 

Inspired by a Spark Friend who posted such a blog, I would like to mention 3 major positive influences which have supported my growth this year: Spark People, Seven Star Women's Kung Fu, and the Chopra Center.

I've been actively Sparking for more than 2 years, but this year has been more consistent (517 straight days of logging in—WooHoo!) and I've hit 2 major milestones this year. When I began this journey weighing in at 215 (well into the obese range as a short woman), 150 seemed a very far off dream. I reached that just before mid-year, and I finally broke into a healthy BMI at the end of the year here.

I love the tools and resources and diversity on this site! The wonderful teams I co-lead, my beloved Babysteps Brigade, Survivors of Abuse and A Gathering of Goddesses, have played a large part in my success. Checking in daily, sharing questions, ideas, struggles, progress, inspiration—all this has kept me on track and motivated as I babystepped my way to my fitness goals.

The sharing from our hearts in threads, blogs, comments, and goodie messages touches me emotionally and has helped me continue to heal and to fulfill my purpose in supporting others to do the same. I have many precious friends here who enrich my life and inspire me to reach farther.

Another friend's blog prompted me to finally research self-defense for women in my area, and led me to discover an all-women's martial arts studio in Seattle. I looked over the Seven Star website, emailed some concerns, observed a class, and signed up for their beginner cycle in July. I hadn't planned to study kung fu, & had never heard of kajukenbo (our style), but it's more than just self-defense, though we do work on those skills. It's a great physical discipline and has helped me build confidence and work through various issues.

My Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been triggered several times, especially during sparring. But the teachers and students are understanding and supportive, and I'm getting better at taking care of myself, dealing with things as they come up, working on them, and communicating as I need to. What a gift to be able to tackle some major issues in such a caring and supportive community!

Sparring is no longer loathsome nor terrifying, and while it's not exactly enjoyable for me, I can tell I'm getting better at it! I've had to struggle to accept my physical abilities and limitations and be patient as I learn the materials and skills. But I look forward to each class—the conditioning, review, learning new material, and feedback. And I felt privileged to take part in the Seven Star Winter Solstice tradition of kung fu by candlelight.

I don't recall which Spark Friend turned me on to the free meditation challenges given by the Chopra Center. I was already a fan of Deepak Chopra's, having read several of his books. (I've blogged about my favorite, Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul.) And I had tried meditating, tracking my inconsistent practice on my Other Goals page here on Spark. This year, I joined one of the meditation challenges on Love. I did pretty well, but sort of fizzled at the end, but I was meditating a lot more regularly, short sessions on waking and before sleeping. Then I joined the Abundance meditation challenge in November, kept up with it daily, and ended up purchasing the 3 challenges of 2012 on CD.

I won't claim that my life is dramatically different, but I know that meditating is one more tool that is helping me create the life I desire and deserve. I am thankful to Deepak for helping to make this practice so accessible. And I have no more desire to stop meditating than to stop taking walking breaks at work. Why would I ever want to not do something that's good for me and makes me feel better? These practices help me stay balanced and connected to Spirit. I've found what works for me, and I'm sticking to it!

Wishing you all many blessings in the year to come. May it be filled with Joy and Freedom for us all! Blessed Be, Amanda


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