My resolution this year is to get my s@#t together! I can see the big picture of how I’d like my life to run from day to day, but I’m not always sure how to make it happen. Managing my work, play and family is a wonderful but hectic job. Whenever I need to make a shift in a positive direction, I look to yoga for the answers:
Be present. It’s an overused term but it can’t be emphasized enough. It’s one thing to wear it on a tee-shirt, but to actually practice this daily is challenging but worth it. There are about 5 things I could be doing at any given time and when I try to do everything at once, nothing gets done well. My work suffers as well as my relationships. Focus on what you are doing and who you are with in that moment, letting everything else go. No more multitasking, do one thing at a time with 100% attention. It’s a concept I learned practicing yoga, and I have to constantly remind myself to apply it in every aspect of my life.
Embrace Ritual. Often when I wake up in the morning I run around the house like a crazy person. Make breakfast, tidy the house, get one kid dressed, feed the other kid, feed myself, get ready, the list goes on. I am rushing and my heart is racing and I end up incredibly stressed. My resolution has included waking up earlier so that I can have at lease 15 minutes of yoga and/or meditation. When I fit this into my morning, I approach these tasks more calmly and do not feel as rushed. Starting the day with a clear and quiet mind allows me to slow down and get everything in order without feeling so agitated.
Create an internal dialogue. I have bad habits that get in the way of me accomplishing my goals. When I’m about to waste time, I literally talk to myself – “Amanda, no, do not watch Real Housewives of Beverly Hills right now. Sit down and write or go in the backyard and do some yoga. You will feel better and you will thank yourself for it.” When I’m about to fall back into the behaviors I’m trying to get away from, I take a step back and open an internal dialogue. It helps to bring awareness to the actions that do not serve me.
Make time for creative endeavors. Life can’t be all about tasks. It’s important to make time to feed your soul. Whether it be painting, gardening, or reading, try to make a little time every week to do something that connects you to your creative side. It helps to fill the well back up again so you don’t always feel drained and exhausted.
On social media and in the yoga blogs, it seems like people are so obsessed with letting everyone know what yoga isn’t. I’m more focused on looking at all the different things that yoga is. It has brought me so many different things at different times. It’s what I turn to over and over when I need direction in my life. And on this mission of using my time more efficiently and approaching every day with a calm and steady manner, my yoga practice once again has all the answers.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.