Point to Ponder: Do you have a plan to make your New Year goals and resolutions stick?
While the fresh start of the new year is always exciting, the pressure of being better than last year, setting new goals and resolutions can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when there is are infinite articles telling us “how to make it our best year, yet”. As a result, I have come up with my own four ‘yogic tips that help my New Years resolutions stick:
1. Satsaunga- Yoga tradition recommends satsaunga, or ‘keeping good company’. Many of our habits are the indirect result of our social network. Perhaps the most powerful thing we can do to change our habits are to hang out with people who have good habits and also encourage good habits in others. THIS is the biggest reason why I have chosen to be part of the iGnite team and lead iGnite Yoga and Pilates for the past 14 years!
2. Create Good Habits– Rather than worry about your bad habits, pay attention to cultivating what is good for you, such as:
Exercise– Do something you really enjoy and feel better after doing it.
Be in Nature– The best medicine EVER!
Hydrate– Carry your iGnite water bottle with you everywhere you go and finish it as often as possible. Drink a large glass of water before each meal.
Eat Like a Real Person– It’s much better to eat three hearty and healthy meals each day than to be plagued by a late night snack attacks that pack on the pounds, or grazing throughout the day and never knowing what you really ate!
Put Your Legs up the Wall– Or find another restorative yoga pose that helps elicit the relaxation response. Your body will say “why don’t we do this more often?!?!”
Go to Bed by 10:00 p.m.- Chinese medicine folks say that every hour of sleep before midnight is equal to two hours. It’s really hard to stick to good habits when you are exhausted and worn out!
3. Visualize It, Believe It!- If you are plagued by a negative thought, cultivate the opposite. Instead of thinking “Things are not going the way I would like; I’m not getting enough done,” say with conviction “Things are unfolding exactly as they should.” Instead of thinking “I feel out of control”, tell yourself “The universe supports me.” (and believe it!) Dream boards are a powerful way to bring exactly what you want into your life. Every year I design a bulletin board with the people/places I want to bring into my life, and they magically imbed into my heart and life.
4. Make Room for Silence– If a regular meditation practice seems daunting, try just a few minutes twice a day, preferably upon waking and before going to bed. It can be your prayer time, or your time to connect to your breath. Clear the mind and put things into perspective before going through your “to-do” or “didn’t-get-done” list.
Happy New Year!
Love,
Action Item: To get the most out of your New Year’s resolutions, keep good company, create good habits, visual and believe what you want and make room for silence.
Love,
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