A New Year
Ahhhhh . . . the New Year! It invites us to be brand new and shiny! Time to shed our old selves, ditch habits that are no longer serving us, and adopt new life-affirming behaviors. We will give up alcohol and negative self-talk and start oil-pulling, taking our vitamins, worrying less and living more, finding calm in the chaos, glowing and growing and . . . YOGA!
We have all tried to be our best selves in January and sometimes, some things stick. After all, putting your best foot forward and trying is half the battle and as the greatest hockey player of all time, Wayne Gretzky, said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.”
How do you make sure the boom time of January doesn’t become the doom time of February?
Relying on willpower alone to follow through with your goals is like believing that a flashlight will work forever and never having extra batteries on hand. The irony is that willpower works because you have batteries on hand. Batteries are whatever you do to take care of yourself - eat well, rest, move your body in ways that bring you joy, and connect with loved ones. If you are not doing these things on a consistent basis, your willpower will not be there when you really need it.
How do you set yourself up for success?
Know your why . . . if you are clear about why you come to yoga, you will be more likely to feel committed to the practice. Coming up with a mantra that encompasses your why when you are feeling unclear is a powerful and easy way to bring yourself back to center.
Plan to succeed! This means that you don’t ask yourself if you are going to 6:00 pm yoga at 5:30 pm. Planning your classes for the week or planning the classes you will go to on a regular basis means that you don’t have to think about if you are going on a daily basis. Create a plan and then stick to the plan.
Plan to fail! Oops, sometimes life happens and you don’t make it to class when you thought you would. Sometimes you are sick or there is an ice storm. Don’t let these annoyances derail you from your long-term goals. Forgive yourself and get back on track.
Make a friend . . . Connection is such an important part of overall health and taking 5 seconds to introduce yourself to a new friend in the studio or the locker room is a simple but profound gesture of belonging. You will have someone to smile at and say hi to at the studio and maybe even a relationship will blossom from there. This will increase your sense of community that keeps you coming back.
Stay grateful! Gratitude is the key to the positive feedback loop! Taking the time to reflect on the progress you have made can be the motivation to keep coming. Yoga is a gift you are giving to your body, mind and spirit.