Does it feel like your passion for life, or hobbies, has evaporated? Are you ready to reclaim your passion?Those of you who suffer from a chronic illness know how difficult it is to maintain enthusiasm and motivation. The things you love are replaced by the things that keep you going. The further you go down that path, the more your joys slip through your fingers like sand, or water. You go from living to surviving.

Just like anything, the day-to-day pattern of surviving becomes a habit. What was once a necessity, is now an unconscious pattern of being. The brain has wired itself to focus on surviving at the cost of joy. The good news is that you can rewire your neurology. It does take time and effort, but little steps, many times a day, will help you reclaim your passion.

Re-Ignite Your Inner Fire

Set a Heart-felt Prayer to Reclaim Your Passion.

Energy follows intention, so start with a sankalpa. Stating your intention helps you focus on where you want to go and what you want to create in your life. It needs to be short and simple, while ringing true. If you find yourself “talking back” to your intention, it is time to reword it.

• I am igniting my inner fire
• I embrace my passions
• My inner fire burns bright

For more on sankalpa, including a guided video practice, click here.

Relight the Fire in Your Belly

The solar plexus is the seat of our inner fire. Practices that focus on the solar plexus help to awaken the flames. A yoga practice that focuses on the solar plexus is great but who wants to go to yoga when your survival mode is active.

• Pump your belly – on the exhale, squeeze your navel towards your spine, relaxing it on the inhale. No need to go fast, one squeeze every three to five seconds is plenty. Try it for five minutes.
• Chant Ram – pronounced “rum,” this is the seed sound for the element of fire. What better way to reclaim your passion than by lighting a fire in your belly.
• Surya Mudra – practice this mudra while lying in bed to help awaken your vitality. Bend the ring finger into the palm and place the thumb on top. Add the mantra ram to strengthen the mudra.

Open the Heart

There are plenty of wonderful heart opening yoga sequences in the world. But sometimes you just need a simple practice.

• Lie down (in bed or on the ground) and place a pillow behind the heart. Let the arms fall open. In this position, focus on your intention. Hold that intention in the mind as true and happening. What does it look like? How does it feel, when it has already happened?

Engage Your Senses

The more of you that you can engage in this experience of reigniting your fire the better the chances are of the flames awakening.

• Play music that makes you want to move and create
• Essential oils like peppermint, orange, ginger, and cinnamon are great for waking up the mind.
• Wear colors that remind you of your passionate flow or bring those colors into your space.

Remember, this takes time. It is okay to not feel something immediate. Give yourself a week or two. Even better, invite a friend to join you on your path of reclaiming your passion.