Best Self Challenge - Gracie

One of the first things we did in the first Best Self Challenge ever was get very specific about our goals. We used the SMARTER framework that included Specific, Measurable, Actionable, and risky goals

It was accountability to a new level

I didn’t see any resistance.

However it was during that time that as we spoke of my personal goals, Padmaji (my teacher and founder of Rasa Yoga) asked me to look closer at my life and where they may be areas where I may have lost hope.

I was speechless. Became quite. I didn’t know what she meant. But at this point in time in my studentship, I knew she was speaking a Truth I wasn’t seeing.

The Best Self Challenge is not about making superficial or temporary changes. It is about awakening hope - a message that is coming clearly through my teacher Padmaji nowadays. It is about beginning again. And again. And again.

It is about learning to stay in the game.

In the bigger picture, on the Master’s Path, mastery is not perfection. It is the willingness to remain present with the process of becoming the best self. To notice where I withdraw, where I lose heart, and where I abandon myself and then choose to return with renewed commitment.

I have learned through the teachings here at Rasa Yoga that responsibility and accountability are at the core of this process.

Responsibility means recognizing that it is our duty to cultivate and connect with our highest potential. No one else can do that for us. “No one is coming to save you Gracie,” My teacher has said on more than one occassion. But we have tools! The Best Self Challenge is huge in this process. And you have a teacher willing to hold you to your highest self.

This is why I am starting brand new with the upgraded Best Self Challenge 2026. It is another step forward on my path of mastery, with a willingness to see where I have lost hope and cultivate the courage to renew the light of hope.

It is not too late to join me ….

Gracie Alcocer (Gayatri Asita) 

Black Belt Circle at Rasa Yoga