What is the yogic take on this? Yoga teaches us to know the difference between what we want and what we need. It's one of the Yamas - guidelines for a life well-lived as set out in the 8 limbs of yoga by Patanjali (see my previous post here). There is nothing wrong with wanting and desiring nice things. Problems arise when we feel we need more things to make our life complete. In our yoga practice we notice how we are breathing and how we are placing our bodies. We notice our thoughts and our reactions to the poses and the sequences. When we cultivate that awareness off the mat too, we can make conscious choices and life becomes more intentional.
Leo Babauta from www.zenhabits.net reminds us in this article how practicising gratitude can help.
Gratitude to Cure the Impulse to Buy More Stuff
It’s funny that two days with such opposing spirits come back-to-back in our calendars here in the U.S. - Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday.
One is about being thankful for what you have, and the other is about getting more of what you don’t have. They aren’t aligned at all.
The good news is that we can use our thankfulness to overcome the urges to buy a lot of stuff — these urges being created in us by the corporations and purveyors of consumerism. We don’t have to listen to their messages of needing more things at discount (as if spending our money or getting into debt is “saving” money) or needing to buy things for our loved ones to show our love for them.
We can counter these messages with gratitude:
1. I’m grateful for what I already have, for the life I’m already living … and so I don’t need more. I can save much more by just not buying anything, and finding joy and contentedness in what I already have.
2. We can show our love for people not by buying them stuff, but by showing our gratitude for them being in our lives: sending them thoughtful letters or notes, giving hugs, spending time with them, playing games indoors and out with them.
We will get the impulse to buy more, but that doesn’t mean we need to follow the impulses. We can recognize the more rapid beating of our hearts when we begin to consider a shopping purchase, the excitement that comes from imagining a future with these purchases in our lives. Imagining a future happiness gets us excited!
Instead, we can calm these heart flutters by refocusing our attention on the present. Turn your attention to what’s in front of you, right now, and realize how amazing it is that you have all of this in your life. Turn your attention to the people in your life, near and far, and find gratitude for their presence in your heart. Turn to all the fortune you have, materially and monetarily and in spirit, and be grateful it’s there. Be grateful for the opportunity to live life, for the joy that you can find in every moment, for the good that’s inside of you right now.
These are what can bring us joy, not future purchases. This moment is all we need, and it is an opportunity for thunderous gratitude.
The following article reminds us how being aware can help us with our food choices during this time of excess and over-indulging:
The Only 3 Words You Need To Survive The Holidays
by Brigitte Weil via Mindbodygreen.com
I have a love/hate relationship with the holidays. I love the lights, the smell of cinnamon and pine, connecting with family and old friends, slowing down, taking the needed and well-deserved time away from the daily routine.
I hate the explosion of holiday goodies that suddenly appear everywhere: the cookie platter at my hair salon, the chocolate towers that arrive at the door, the eggnog that tastes too good, the parties with tiny innocent-looking but dangerous cocktail franks, too much creamy artichoke dip, and of course, the extra glasses of champagne.
It all looks so pretty, until I get on the scales the next day.
Just because I am a food coach and work all day with others seeking my guidance about WHAT and HOW to eat to stay on their food plan, I am not immune to these same holiday struggles. It’s hard work to navigate the festivities and maintain, or even lose, weight, especially when food is served to us in someone else’s home or at a dinner party and we feel a lack of control over portion size and food choices.
It also often seems that throughout this season of indulgence, even the most well-meaning friends and family want to make it easy for us to indulge. That is the double whammy: truly tempting food AND the tempters whose familiar pleas include:
“C’mon … just one bite won’t kill you!”
“But I made this especially for you!”
“You don’t look like you need to lose weight!”
Tough situations call for tough discipline, which sometimes feels a bit wimpy, especially after a couple of sips of that festive punch. To guarantee we all don't lose sight of our goals and that we come through the season with peace and ease, I came across these three little words that work like holiday magic:
“NO, THANK YOU.”
Easy enough?
You might have murmured those three simple words in the past, but if you weren't convincing enough to stop that huge slice of pumpkin cheesecake that was placed in front of you, it's because you missed the MOST IMPORTANT aspect of the three little words: your tone.
The trick is all in the delivery: You will need to use these three words firmly and decisively.
The key component is to add a big smile as you say, “No, thank you.”
Practice saying it again and again, and you will get better at it. Don’t forget the smile.
Each opportunity you have to say “NO THANK YOU,” increases your comfort level with expressing those three little words.
As you perfect your new skill, you will become a master at gracefully refusing food and walking away without guilt, regret, hard feelings, awkwardness, or discomfort. You'll get through the holidays with ease and confidence so you can truly enjoy a wonderful, joyful, and peaceful season.
Blueberry and Banana Overnight Oats
This is an easy, healthy breakfast you can prepare the night before and leave in the fridge overnight. It's ready to eat in the morning so it's perfect if you're in a hurry.
You will need:
half a cup oats
half a cup milk or almond milk
half a mashed banana
2 tablespoons of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
optional extras to add in the morning: crushed pecan nuts, dessert spoonful of almond butter, dessert spoonful of greek yoghurt, teaspoon of maple syrup
Put the oats in a jar or bowl, pour over the milk, stir in the bananas and blueberries. Cover and put in the fridge overnight. In the morning add the extra ingredients if required. If you want to heat your breakfast up you can add some extra milk and whizz it in the microwave for a minute or so. You can't get easier than that!
Take What You Need
Coby Persin, known for his YouTube channel focused on human behavioural experiments, is getting a lot of attention for his most recent video.
For his latest experiment Coby walked around New York City with $1 notes taped to his jacket, and a sign that said 'Take what you need' to see how people would react.
Unfortunately, the response revealed that most people who took handfuls of the money were seemingly wealthy, while a homeless man refused to take more than $2 that he needed to buy his lunch.
Interesting stuff...
Finally, my Facebook friend Kelly who runs Project Me for Busy Mothers posted the following on her page this week:
"I thought I'd share a little ritual I do every time I withdraw cash from the bank machine. (I just did it now, and it made me think of it.)
As the machine is counting out the cash and my hand is there, waiting for it to emerge, I say 'thank you, thank you, thank you' and I feel a genuine rush of gratitude as the money hits my hands.
I feel incredibly grateful to be in a position where, if I need money, I can walk up to a hole in the wall and instantly have some. How many people in the world would fantasise about that??? We have to appreciate the money we have and not focus on what we lack / wish we had more of.
True gratitude for whatever money we DO have will bring us even more abundance."
I love this and will be doing this next time I'm at the ATM! The attitude of gratitude is very powerful and can change your mindset in an instant - try it.
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