The New Year is here and the pressure to make (and keep!) resolutions can be very real. Or maybe you don't care at all after the series of catastrophic events that was 2020.
Anyway, let’s try thinking about resolutions a little differently this year.
The very essence of a yoga practice is to be in the here and now; to stay present by following the rhythm of your breath. So it’s safe to say that it goes against everything yoga teaches us is we make plans for an entire year.
On January 1st, why don’t you take your resolutions one day at a time.
Perhaps you want to rise before the sun and practice Surya Namaskara facing east.
Perhaps you want to shift your living habits and use less plastic.
Perhaps you want to embrace healthier eating habits by upping your vegie intake.
Why don’t you resolve to do that very thing you’ve been mulling over on January 1st. And then again on January 2. And on and on and on. Let's take it one day at a time.
And if there’s a day when you haven’t quite seen that resolution come to fruition, be kind and gentle on yourself. Learn from your experience and, most importantly, reflect on how you feel when you do get up early, use less plastic or eat more vegies.
Because keeping a resolution is very much about reflecting on the change - how you do it and how it makes you feel will affect other facets of your life.
Here are a few thoughts on resolutions:
- create a little mantra and herald the New Year by repeating it a few times to yourself
- write down your thoughts (in a fresh, new, sweet-smelling diary) and come back to them when you’re feeling uninspired
- talk to your yoga teacher about your resolutions and ask for a little motivation if you find that you’re lacking momentum
- remember that one round of surya namaskara is better than none and saying no to one plastic straw is the very beginning of change. Small steps are significant ones
Happy New Year, folks. May it be blessed, healthy and abundant.
