RESOLVE TO EVOLVE

DHARMA TALK - December 31 , 2017 / January 2, 2018 I heart Yoga / Verona Yoga Studio

A new year's resolution is something most of, if not all of us have done with the goal of start off the year with a change for the better. So how did it devolve into a subconscious exercise in self-loathing?  Lose 10 pounds! (Message to self: You're fat).  Stop drinking caffeine! (You're unhealthy.).  Call your loved ones once a week!  (You're ungrateful.). Shop less (You're a shop-aholic).

Why not celebrate this new year by trading in your tired and all too familiar resolutions by setting an intention instead?  It's like a New Years resolution with a twist such that you are setting a more positive influence on yourself.  Instead of saying, I need to lose weight how about saying I eat when I'm feeling stressed therefore, I need to become conscious of this craving. Instead of saying I need to reach out more to loved ones, acknowledge that work and life get in the way therefore, resolve to set aside some time on weekends to connect with them.  Instead of saying, I spend too much, say I shop more when there's a sale so resolve to curb your spending habits by analyzing if you really need all that stuff.

When you focus on the effort rather that what you're doing wrong you will feel less guilty and mad at yourself for not keeping them.  That said, I encourage you for the next hour to open your heart to new possibilities.  In every pose, do not focus on what you're doing wrong, instead focus on what your body is doing and set an intention to progress in that pose.  Open yourself to the universe and where your practice takes you in 2018.