About six months ago I had a decision to make. My options were to allow myself to be consumed by the obstacle I was facing (which is what usually happened), or accept that though things are hard, and the pain I was feeling was real, it was meant to be there. For the first time in my life, I chose the latter. I realized that instead of perpetually creating more negativity by keeping myself in the dark place I was in, I could step into the light. I opened myself to the light of the Universe. If I could find light on even the darkest days, I knew that I would be okay.
I didn’t suppress my feelings. I allowed myself to dig deep and feel them. However, I accepted that in this moment, I am okay. In time, this will make sense. I needed to trust the Universe, and trust myself.
It took one day. One day. Then, something magical happened. I believe in signs. This was definitely one of them. It was this feeling you get that is deep in your core that tells you something is bigger out there. That you are on the right path. I wrote about this feeling in my first blog post (The Force). The Universe literally was waving at me frantically, jumping up and down, screaming “HEY THERE! IT IS ME, THE UNIVERSE. I AM HERE. YOU ARE OKAY.” I decided to listen to it. I had no idea at the time that it would have lead me to where I am now. But I knew in that moment, the Universe was open to me. I just needed to continue to open myself to it in return.
So I did just that. Time after time, I would trust the power of the Universe and these moments of validation came to me. I continued to accept where I was. I was living in the moment. I was practicing gratitude for every moment and in every aspect of my life. Then something magical would happen. I continued to practice this mindset. These validations only strengthened my understanding and trust in the Universe.
If you have read this far, you may be a little skeptical. That’s okay! New York Times best-selling authors like Eckhart Tolle and Wayne Dyer, among many others, speak about this phenomenon. Wayne Dyer specifically talks about how the Universe only knows abundance. If you approach the Universe saying you want more, that all of these things are wrong in your life, that you don’t have enough of ‘XYZ’, it can’t possibly generate abundance for you because it fundamentally does not understand this place of “lacking.” If you approach the Universe only knowing abundance, accepting that what you have, what you are doing, where you are, and who you are is enough. It will then continue to generate abundance in your life. Things will fall into place the way you want them. When you manifest this type of positive energy, the Universe hands it right back to you. I have experienced the profound beauty of this magic every day.
The only person who can manifest this is you.
This type of mindset does not come easy. It took trust, it took practice, it took patience. Something a year ago that I thought was a pipe dream, is becoming a reality. In yoga, we practice setting intentions. My new mindset gave me the courage to do just that on and off my mat. I made this dream of mine, not a just a dream, but an intention. When setting intentions you set them as already existing. (For example, I am healthy, I am happy, I work for ____, I live in____). I put my dream out into the Universe as a reality. Now, it actually is real. I would not have been able to come to this place had I not practiced this mindset.
Practice these five guiding ideals, that are all actually rooted in yoga, and you too will experience the magic of the Universe.
Trust.
Trust your mind, your body, your heart, your soul. Trust the Universe, and trust yourself.
Openness.
Open yourself to infinite possibilities. Open yourself to your dreams, to the light of the Universe. It will open itself to you!
Gratitude.
In this moment, what you have, is what you need. Nothing more, nothing less. You are enough.
Acceptance.
Accept that this is where you are meant to be. You are okay, right where you are.
Intention.
Set your intentions as already existing. Instead of saying, “I will ___,” say “I am ____.”
The Universe is a magical and powerful entity. It gives as much to you, as you give to it. You have the ability to manifest light, change, and create magic in your life. All you need to do is be willing to let go and breathe it in. 
