We are coming up on New Years Resolutions!!
During December we fight and scrounge to get the perfect gifts for all of our loved ones. We make lists of all that we covet and we celebrate the holidays in a variety of ways. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love getting together with family and friends over the holidays.
Then we start to make lists of things we want to change for the next year. Sometimes we turn mistakes we made THIS year into a resolution for next year. Sometimes we use these lists as a way to change something about ourselves or our situation that we find unfavorable at the moment.
I have noticed that most resolutions that appear on the lists of friends and family often include things that are created out of negativity, and one of the most prominent goals that I see in MANY people is to 'lose weight' or change something about his/her appearance.
I know that our outward appearance is truly what most people judge first. I mean, I REALLY know about that - living with invisible diseases. But why is it always about how OTHER people view us. What if we shifted that focus to how WE like ourselves, how we FEEL about ourselves and about changes that we have made?
For instance - my first New Year's Resolution is to do a very specific yoga routine every morning when I get out of bed. Right now my routine is to hit the snooze button a few times so that I can stay in the warmth of my bed a little longer, then throw on a huge sweatshirt and slippers and stand or kneel in front of the fireplace until I feel warmer. This won't do. This doesn't help me feel motivated or overly warm... it just makes me want to sit in front of the fireplace longer. No... I need something that will help me feel warm AND motivated.
So I created a simple yoga routine that I will do every single morning for 30 days. Then, the next 30 days will include a routine with a few different poses.
Feel free to join me in doing this routine every day for the next 30 days.
(I also believe that if I start a New Year's Resolution early, it won't feel like just a regular old New Year's Resolution and will be easier to stick to as a regular habit).
Mountain Pose - Chair Pose - Forward Fold - Halfway Lift - Forward Fold - Mountain Pose - Hands at Heart Center
Then:
Mountain Pose - Tree Pose (each side) - Half Moon Pose (each side) - Mountain Pose - Forward Fold - Halfway Lift - Forward Fold - Mountain Pose - Hands at Heart Center
This is easy enough to follow the limitations of my own body, while warming up my muscles, getting me moving, and increasing my core and flexibility. These kinds of routines can be performed by any one, at any age, and at any level of practice. So get moving! Don't give into the instinct to hibernate over the Winter!
During December we fight and scrounge to get the perfect gifts for all of our loved ones. We make lists of all that we covet and we celebrate the holidays in a variety of ways. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I love getting together with family and friends over the holidays.
Then we start to make lists of things we want to change for the next year. Sometimes we turn mistakes we made THIS year into a resolution for next year. Sometimes we use these lists as a way to change something about ourselves or our situation that we find unfavorable at the moment.
I have noticed that most resolutions that appear on the lists of friends and family often include things that are created out of negativity, and one of the most prominent goals that I see in MANY people is to 'lose weight' or change something about his/her appearance.
I know that our outward appearance is truly what most people judge first. I mean, I REALLY know about that - living with invisible diseases. But why is it always about how OTHER people view us. What if we shifted that focus to how WE like ourselves, how we FEEL about ourselves and about changes that we have made?
For instance - my first New Year's Resolution is to do a very specific yoga routine every morning when I get out of bed. Right now my routine is to hit the snooze button a few times so that I can stay in the warmth of my bed a little longer, then throw on a huge sweatshirt and slippers and stand or kneel in front of the fireplace until I feel warmer. This won't do. This doesn't help me feel motivated or overly warm... it just makes me want to sit in front of the fireplace longer. No... I need something that will help me feel warm AND motivated.
So I created a simple yoga routine that I will do every single morning for 30 days. Then, the next 30 days will include a routine with a few different poses.
Feel free to join me in doing this routine every day for the next 30 days.
(I also believe that if I start a New Year's Resolution early, it won't feel like just a regular old New Year's Resolution and will be easier to stick to as a regular habit).
Mountain Pose - Chair Pose - Forward Fold - Halfway Lift - Forward Fold - Mountain Pose - Hands at Heart Center
Then:
Mountain Pose - Tree Pose (each side) - Half Moon Pose (each side) - Mountain Pose - Forward Fold - Halfway Lift - Forward Fold - Mountain Pose - Hands at Heart Center
This is easy enough to follow the limitations of my own body, while warming up my muscles, getting me moving, and increasing my core and flexibility. These kinds of routines can be performed by any one, at any age, and at any level of practice. So get moving! Don't give into the instinct to hibernate over the Winter!
