I sit here at 4:45 AM completely awake and jet lagged from being in Europe for the last 10 days. I was in London finishing my advanced 300 hour certification with The Yoga People. It took me 16 months and three different countries to complete this leg of my yoga journey. The road to knowledge is never a straight one. When I was sleeping in my cockroach infested room in Mexico with my body aching from 10 hours a day of practice, I wondered if I was in my right mind. Who leaves home to be tortured? Even worse, who signs up for round two, three, and four? There has been one word floating around in my head....tenacity.

te·nac·i·ty

təˈnasədē/

noun

the quality or fact of being able to grip something firmly; grip.
"the sheer tenacity of the limpet"
synonyms:persistence, determination, perseverance, doggedness, strength of purpose, tirelessness, indefatigability, resolution, resoluteness, resolve, firmness, patience, purposefulness, staunchness, steadfastness, staying power, endurance, stamina, stubbornness, intransigence, obstinacy, obduracy, pertinacity
"she practices her gymnastics routine with the tenacity of a bulldog

The synonyms here really resonate with me. If you decide you want something you must be tenacious. You mush be tireless, resolute, stubborn, patient, and purposeful. Tenacity must push aside fear, insecurity, self doubt, negativity, and any other self sabotaging mental state that can get in your way. Tenacity is saying hello to people who will lift you up, and good bye to people who would tear you down. Tenacity is the power to endure and press on. It is your will power come to life. In yoga this power comes from your core, your center. If you dare to embrace it, you take full responsibility for your life. You become a force to be reckoned with. Now that I have completed this certification, I realize that the lessons learned on the road are infinitely more valuable than arriving at the destination. It is onward and upward from here.

A celebratory hollow back in front of Tower Bridge in London. The sun had just burst through the rain clouds. I took it as a sign.