If Not You

Episode 4: If Not You, Who?

It's time to step into the exploration
Today, we are in search of our true self
But first, we prime the mind and the body
It begins in a sacred place free of life's noise
Sit yourself down in a comfortable but alert position
With posture that lets the air flow easily in and out of your lungs
Put your hands together
Rest them gently on your knees
Close your eyes
Breathe in through your nose and slowly out through your mouth
Continue with patience, match my flow
Feel every inhale and every exhale
Flow in, flow out

Today we want to reach inside and uncover the fullest version of our self
When I was young, I did just this
It lead me to my chosen name, The Divine Prince Rakeem
I chose a name that I had to live up to, a prince in the ghetto
It gave me strength and it forced me to be original
I later on became the RZA
Rakeem Zig-Zag-Zig Allah
Always reaching, always growing
Now it's time for you to look deep within yourself and visualize your true self
This begins with altering your physical stance
Which has a tremendous impact on your mental state
The right pose can help you think in deeper, more abstract ways
And encourage you to take risks

Rise up with me now
I want you to take on the stance of a warrior
Take a lunge-like position with your back leg straight
And your front leg bending forward at the knee
Now slide your back foot out a little big and feel the strength in your balance
Face your hips and shoulders forward so they are parallel with each other
Keep your breath steady
Make sure your feet remain rooted to the ground
Now become the warrior
Extend your arms as if you're ready to attack
Breathe, hold it
Even when it gets hard, let your muscles generate with each other
Life is hard, but only through great struggle come ease
Push, push yourself harder

Since the first day we entered this world
We had to push ourselves out of a tight situation
A warrior has the ability to push through, laser beam focus
Our goal is for the body to act in unison with itself
In unison with the mind
If your body knows that every other part is working as one
You can uncover a greater power
You can push that boulder up the hill
Feel the strength in your stance, feel the confidence that it creates
Visualize yourself in this warrior stance
Now name it, this is you
From this pose, you can take on anything
Remain here as you call to mind the next obstacle that you must overcome
How will you approach it differently with the strength you now possess?
Repeat this exercise with a variety of obstacles
Like a kung fu master, there's great power within you
Now how will you use it?

As we move towards the exit of our exploration
I want you to remember this stance and the confidence that comes with it
Return to it any time you feel overwhelmed and ask
"How will this version of my warrior self respond to this challenge?"

Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth
Again
Focus on the flow, inhale and exhale
Slow, smooth
And return to your day and carry with you what you have learned