But there's another way of looking at the Plateau Period. You can take it as a signal to go deeper into what you're doing—to find your edge in it. As in, learn something new. Ask some deeper questions of the practice, but also of yourself. Become more present with the practice. Take a risk. As a teacher, I've tried to avoid plateauing by not teaching the same thing the same way twice. It's more stressful, and sometimes my innovation doesn't work as well as the old method. But it has the great advantage of keeping me awake, present to my teaching, on edge in the best sense of that word.
When your commitment goes stale, plateaus, what is being asked of you? Essentially, to rekindle the instinct that drew you to make the commitment in the first place. Literally, to relight the fire of shakti in the heart of it. To love it more.
In the journey of committed living, the secret at this stage of mastery is always to find your edge.
In fact, we may go through the stages of commitment again and again as we deepen in a practice, a relationship, a vocation. We may find ourselves feeling like a beginner, submitting ourselves to learning at a new level. Then, questioning and testing. And, once again, entering a deeper intimacy with the practice, the relationship. This is especially true when the relationship is with God, with our own deep Awareness. The inner journey of testing, submission, testing, and intimacy is never done. With the inner journey, it's always new, always asking us to go deeper.
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