Challenge and Practice

As stated in other articles, challenges and practice belong together. First you decide that you want to go for a challenge and decide which one feels right for you. Connected to this decision is the commitment to follow through with it for 30 days straight. Both elements, the decision making and the commitment belong together and are useless without each other.

Practice and Cultivation

Practice becomes cultivation if you see the organic nature of it: no two days are alike and your practice deepens when you become aware of the latter. Approaching your task in this way asks for a rhythm,your personal groove - and yes, that's why our (Ad-)venture is called 30 Day Groove.

Cultivation and Rhythm

Becoming aware of the cultivating nature of practice is probably the most important feature of it.The term 'groove' is of course borrowed from music. In our interpretation it makes your body move through a rhythmical flow of movement and invention. Yet most importantly you want to find your own rhythm, composed by the sequential experience of several days of practice.

Some hints about the 'Why' and 'How' of finding your own groove:

• its the only rhythm that suits you, at least for today. Tomorrow is another day. After a while you may find a pattern, your own groove.
• shun any complacency in obeying other people's groove: second-hand experience is worthless. You still have to find your own.
• happiness and fulfillment are healthy: take the analogy of dancing for your practice (beneficial 'beta endorphins', 'enkephalins', 'dynorphins' and 'oxytocins' are emitted), or even take it literally and integrate it into your challenge.
• you know that you found your groove when you feel it supports your motivation and even inspires you in a way that you can't wait for every new 'paragraph' in your daily book of cultivation.