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Humans seem to have an innate desire to know why we are here. We search for meaning almost as naturally as we breathe. Sense of purpose at work, specifically, is more important than ever, as burnout is sharply on the rise. In fact, scientists have proven that sense of purpose is a key feature of resiliency.

Everywhere you look in my area (the southeastern United States), the 90s are back. The sundresses with little flowers on them, chunky white tennis shoes, and even cartoon nostalgia printed on sweatshirts and backpacks. These bucket hats are lighting up a part of me that I had long forgotten. A part of me that I worked so hard to cover up as bills, responsibility, and taxes got in the way. My guess is that this part of me reflects a part of you that you have also numbed out to or simply judged and shoved away.

Contrary to what the billion-dollar skin care industry would have you believe, the health of your skin actually starts on the inside. And while spa days and facials are a wonderful way to treat yourself, you don't need to be spending hundreds (or thousands) of dollars on your skincare routine.

Do you have an answer when you ask yourself the question, “What’s my purpose?”

"I dreamed I was a butterfly, flitting around in the sky; then I awoke. Now I wonder: Am I a man who dreamt of being a butterfly, or am I a butterfly dreaming that I am a man?" - Zhuangzi

Following our own dharma takes courage. On the one hand it is deeply fulfilling and meaningful, and on the other hand it challenges us to overcome our limiting beliefs. Self-awareness and growth, again and again, are an essential part of the path. Obstacles appear, and we must figure out new ways to overcome them. Yoga gives us tools to find our inner strength and gain self-trust as we walk life’s path. Through the eight limbs of yoga, including asana (postures), we can continue to cultivate hope, inner peace, and resilience. Here are three postures that help us reconnect to our everlasting reservoir of inner strength.

Traveling endows us with the clear, light, mobile qualities of Vata, and can provide insights and open our eyes to a perspective we may have been missing. Vacations inspire us with new beauties of the world, cultures, and nature, and remove us from the redundance of our day-to-day energy bubble and life routine.

Living your purpose will look and feel different for every person on this earth because your purpose is just as unique as you are. Often when we think of the question “what is my purpose?” we are left to think about our job or career, yet your purpose encompasses so much more than that. Dharma doesn’t always have to do with your work because dharma is the universal truth and the nature of all reality.

If they are fortunate, some people find their purpose in life and gain great satisfaction from it. Some people set spiritual goals and find fulfillment through inner growth. Unfortunately, the two groups don’t tend to be one and the same. In a society consumed with work, looking inward isn’t a priority. It might seem that the two worlds we all live in, the outer material world and the inner subjective world, aren’t even compatible.

I can feel the clear blue water around my calves. I can see the white sand that’s sinking my toes into its body. It’s cradling my stance as I look next to me and I see my grandmother and her mother standing in a line with all of my cousins, my father, my aunts and uncles, and my grandmother’s cousins. We are all in the water and the sun is shining, making priceless diamonds as it reflects on the blue-green ocean. The ocean water is carrying away the fears and the trauma of our lineage.