Having domesticated in Santa Monica for almost a year now, I have fallen prey to the most obvious of cliches...I'm a YOGI. I love, love, love YOGA. Those who know me have listened to me drone on for periods of 30 minutes or more about the benefits of a regular practice, those both seen and unseen. Clearly I embrace the LA yogi stereotype freely and without reservation, in fact with pride. To that end I would like to share with you an email that I received from my yoga studio, YogaWorks (which has locations in NYC as well as the West Coast) regarding New Year's Resolutions that I found particularly insightful. Enjoy!
"RESOLUTION
"Just don't give up trying to do what you really want to do. Where there is love and inspiration, I don't think you can go wrong".
- ELLA FITZGERALD
We all know the old cliche about resolutions - you quit smoking on Jan. 1 and are back off the wagon by Jan. 2. The type of resolutions that crash and burn before even getting close to Valentine's Day could be described as "January Penance" or "Stuff I'm making myself do because I'm bad." First of all, you are not bad. Everyone else just spent a month eating sugar cookies and watching movies in their pajamas instead of going to the gym, but it's been dark and cold and it's okay to cut yourself some slack. If you want your annual goals to be successful, it's best to choose them from a place of kindness.
When you think about changes you would like to see in your life over the next year, keep in mind your deepest values and focus on dreams that get you excited. For example, say that spending more time with your family feels important to you. You may love the idea of having a group dinner, but cooking can feel like torture after a long day of work. Rather than drumming up a precise schedule of meals and ingredients that you need to stick to (does not sound fun), instead make your resolution simply getting more excited about cooking. That might involve pouring over beloved old cookbooks, exploring new ones, and thrilling over the nurturing, sensual possibilities of providing beautiful meals as an act of love.
For many of us, this past fall was a tough time, and the last thing we need is to be even harder on ourselves at the start of a new year. By choosing resolutions that will bring more of what your soul personally craves, whether it's spiritual connection, warmth, passion, adventure, or healing, your success is inevitable."
-excerpted from YogaWorks LA News - Jan/Feb 2009
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