Do you dream?

Do you envision your life playing out in such a way that you can embody your dharma, your highest calling?

Are you able to set intentions and make plans without rigidly attaching to the outcomes?

I believe happiness comes from living with purpose, with conscious intention, while at the same time being open to what the universe has to offer.

Lately I have been meditating on a life lived in my greatest joy. I see myself sharing and teaching yoga, writing and blogging in a way that sustains me, spending time surrounded by happy and loving friends and family, and taking the time to unplug.

I see myself finishing the vinyasa 200 hour teacher training I'm about to do in Folsom (!!!!). I feel my heart aching to be opened, my spirit to be nourished, my body to be challenged as I grow in my practice. I see myself teaching free yoga classes to strangers on the beach or at the park.

I picture myself watching a student experience a revelation in class, working through a pose. I wonder about the ways teaching will truly make me a student all over again. I imagine how excited I'll feel speaking that final namaste at the end of class.

Photo by Cara Brostrom.

I smile thinking about my blogging and the way it brings inspiration to other yogis around the world. I dream of growing Alive in the Fire's readership, of creating exciting and compelling posts to share, of connecting with other bloggers and partners. I hope to bring back the sponsored yogi program and to continue the karma yoga series and the Real Men Do Yoga series.

I set the intention to use this space for good, for bringing about positive energy, light, and love in the world.

My challenge to you today is this: don't let the sun set on another day where you aren't pursuing your dream life. You deserve happiness, satisfaction and abundance.

You can live in a way where your heart is set on fire, where your time is balanced, where you speak your truth and feel gratitude for the blessings you have. Things won't ever be perfect, but there is beauty in that, in the challenges you are capable of overcoming and the ways they make you stronger.

Take a few moments to consider what you are truly seeking from this world, this life. Turn yourself in that direction. Accept that things may not change overnight, and perhaps you will find yourself walking an unexpected path where you may encounter some suffering. Plan to carry on, to know you are capable of perseverance.

Run wildly and passionately toward your dharma.

And, above all, take the time to consciously be grateful for the moments of pure bliss that you're already surrounded by.