Since 1970, a day hasn't gone by in which I haven't engaged in some form of self-discipline. From running to TM and of course to everything Kundalini Yoga. I realized early on that it's just as easy to become addicted to things self-constructive as it is to things self-destructive. It hasn't always been easy but I have had it proven to me again and again that when we prioritize our practice the rewards are ample and ongoing. Maybe at this point on your path you've sensed your potential and feel that, if you could only crack the hard shell of your resistance, you'd be able to break through to a whole new level of self-mastery. The most profound and lasting success is built not on brute force but on strategy. Here are some tried and true tricks that will work for you when it's time to bust a move to a higher order of being. 1. Galvanize Inertia - The first thing to remember is that whenever we start making overtures towards a very big, or important change we come up against the ADVERSARY. It's our inner inertia. The very crafty couch-potato-self who resists any form of movement and change. We'll call him Mr. C.P. If Mr. C.P. would be willing to put as much energy into helping us as he does trying to thwart us it'd be handshakes all around. BUT, the good news is that Mr. C.P. doesn't want the inconvenience of having us get too lazy and unhealthy, etc. because that also would upset the status quo, maybe even keeping him apart from his comforts! Thus, Mr. C.P. knows he's got to accommodate us a little bit and that's where strategy comes in. We have to ease into our new regimen so that Mr. C.P. doesn't get threatened. Before long we're rocking and rolling and Mr. C.P. is along for the ride! 2. Cardio Anyone? - Do 10-20 min. of cardio to lead into your practice. This will get your energy moving and give you some amazing momentum. When I (Ravi) first started doing Kundalini Yoga, I used to run two miles and then go right into the Morning Wake Up Series with continuous Breath of Fire. Now I take brisk walk, 20 min. or more, uphill if possible, and go right into my practice. Ana, being the pitta that she is, is always ready. I am a kapha/pitta and I know from long experience that a kapha in motion will stay in motion but we often need a jump start to get going. Tricks of the trade! 3. Make a Party of It - Invite friends over to do your practice with you. This is the ultimate win-win. Not only do you get inspired and but your friend get the benefits of doing Kundalini Yoga. This is how I started teaching. I knew that if I had the responsibility of being in front of people I'd rock my practice. Of course it helped that I was (and am) so fully inspired by Kundalini Yoga that I wanted to share it with everyone. 4. Make Your Effort an Offering - Dedicate your practice to a good cause. In the eyes of the Universe, no sacrifice goes unseen and prayer unheard. When we sacrifice our time, space, and comfort, to get down on our mats and put our bodies on the line to be Divine, the Universe takes notice. Also, when we pray for someone the Universe prays for us. Another incredible win-win. Of course if someone's health and well-being is at stake, we can easily be motivated to signal the Universe with the intensity of our effort. 5. Start Small, Work Big - Every seed contains a tree and every thousand mile walk starts with a first step. I'd been doing mostly Meditation for the last 5+ years because that's really where my priority lies, but I realized that, unless I get back to a strong physical practice, it's going to get harder and harder to get back to where I was. What I did was to sit on the edge of our sofa and do the Spine Flex exercise, followed by Moving Spinal Twist, and some other upper body Kundalini Yoga exercises. Before long the magnetic pull of the floor beckoned and I branched out. As we always say: It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Something is something and it leads to Everything! 6. Do Your Practice the Same Time Each Day - Our habits can work for or against us. Was there ever a time in your life when making your bed was an onerous task? Then maybe it become part of your daily ritual and now you wouldn't feel right not doing it. When you ask Masters of anything how they maintain their discipline their answer is often: I don't even think about it, it's just what I do, like brushing my teeth or taking a shower. You can establish a habit in a few days that can serve you for a lifetime. 7. Turn Off Your Cell Phone (or at least be willing ignore it for the duration of your practice) - When we dedicate ourselves to a Path with Heart, time and space conspire to accommodate our schedule. When we focus on what we're focusing on the energy is more directly channeled and we get deeper, faster, more lasting results. Also consider that there is a more subtle datasphere that we can access when we turn off (our electronics) and tune in. 8. De-clutter Your Space - Everything is a metaphor. Everything is a map of our mind and psyche. This is a form of sympathetic magic. The world of things has resonance with the Thing Itself. Our room, our desk, the inside of our car, and the quality of our relationships are our own mind reflected back to us. Organizing our desk is not going to solve all of our problems but it's a good start! 9. Do Your Practice First Thing. Eat Light at Night - You've probably noticed that when you eat late at night it's a lot harder to get up, let alone get up and do your practice. Mr. Liver and Mr. Gall Bladder like to sleep in when Mr./Ms. (Your Name Here) burdens them with a nocturnal meal. In many ashrams and monasteries in Asia, it's customary for monks and yogis to have their last meal of the day at noon! 10. Accelerate Don't Coast - Our efforts should be an ascending plane otherwise the strivings of yesterday become the status quo of tomorrow. That's a good thing but the process doesn't stop there. Keep going! Step up your practice where you can. Seek out inspiration. I have my favorite go-to navel exercises (Stretch Pose, & Alternate Leg Lifts on forearms) but sometimes I ask Ana to lead me through her favorite Kundalini ab exercises which are really tough (I only need a few repetitions to feel that I am on my way to a 6-pack) and my abs get worked out in a new way. Making the impossible possible consists of incremental moves that become giant steps in retrospect. 11. Do Sat Kriya - Our inertia and resistance to change is a first chakra phenomena. First chakra blocks are by far the hardest ones to work through. Our first chakra orientation represents our biological imprinting and what's hard-wired into us. In this mode we see the world as a very threatening place. Sat Kriya (which is on Yoga Beauty Body, A Journey Through the Chakras, and many more of our DVD's) helps us to kick out the jambs (as in door jamb) and crank out the jams (as in the never-ending solo of Self!). It keeps us positive and empowered. If you do this in conjunction with a new regimen you will get further faster. Not only does Sat Kriya help us to break through the most intransigent lower center blocks, but its work on the navel gives us a secret weapon for lasting breakthroughs: Navel Power.