It's easy to make lots of New Year's Resolutions on January 1st, but it gets progressively harder to keep them - they've very often fallen by the wayside by March. So how can you make Resolutions that you'll actually stick to that will bring about the positive changes you want in your life? Try doing it the yogic way and swap resolutions for Sankalpas - they're a little more compassionate.
A Sankalpa is an intention - not a wish or a dream, more of a personal vow. They are not just for New Year, but are an ongoing inner inquiry about how we are evolving. A Sankalpa requires us to look at whether our behaviour is aligned with our desire. There is no "fail", rather there's a readjustment and a stepping back on to the path again if you've drifted off it.
Here are 6 suggestions to help make your life planning more realistic, so that you stick to your intentions for 2016:
- write it down. If you don't write down your intention, you'll forget and it won't happen. Keep it somewhere where you'll see it often to remind you and keep you aligned with your new values.
- be specific. If your intentions are vague they aren't nearly as powerful. For example, instead of having the intention to spend more quality time with your family, decide how you're going to do it - go to the cinema once a month or eat a meal together at least 3 times a week. If your intention is to lose weight, choose instead to lose, say, 6lbs in 2 months, and if you want to get fit, have the intention to exercise 3 times a week for the next 6 weeks. Hone in on them, focus and get really clear.
- don't try to make too many changes at once. Choose fewer, more important things that you really want to do, not just things you feel you ought to do. If you have lots of modifications to make all at once you'll feel overwhelmed and uncomfortable and your focus will be diluted.
- ask yourself why you want these changes in your life? The best motivation is to do them for yourself because you recognise that you, and your health and happiness, are super-important. Goals to have a bigger house/look good on the beach/learn something new to impress friends don't come from the heart, they come in from outside. When you turn it round and make the intention more internal than external, it's for your personal growth and doesn't depend on anyone else or their ideas of what or who you should be - you want what you want for your own sake (I hope that makes sense!). We don't have very long on this planet, time flies by so quickly and life is precious, so make changes that will enhance your wellbeing and bring you peace and joy. Get clear on your "whys" and your intentions will become more powerful.
- use the words "I will" or "I choose to" rather than "I want to" or "I'll try" - they are more positive and they'll tell your subconscious that you that you really believe in the intentions you have set.
- if you forget your intention or get side-tracked for a while, don't give up! You're allowed to start again any time you like - it doesn't have to be just for New Year! Try not to think of a lapse as a "Fail" but rather an opportunity to readjust and realign. Maybe you need to set yourself a reminder, or ask a good friend to become your Accountability Partner, and share your intentions with them so they can encourage and support you.
So, I'm off to find my nice new 2016 notebook now to re-read my intentions and see what I need to do in the coming week to stay aligned with them. I hope, if you choose to set yourself a Sankalpa or two, that it comes to fruition and that you are at the beginning of your best year ever.
This week's healthy and simple recipe (it always has to be simple, I can't be doing with complicated recipes) is Sweet Potato with Feta and Pumpkin Seeds. I found this recipe in The Times on Saturday magazine a few weeks ago and I've made it a lot since. I love it at lunchtime in a salad - hot or cold it's delicious.
You will need:
4 large sweet potatoes
Olive oil
100g Feta cheese
4 tablespoons of toasted pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh oregano (or a teaspoon of dried)
Zest of 1 lemon
Serves 4 (I used half measures for a smaller amount)
Here's how to make it:
Peel and roughly cube the sweet potatoes
Season, place in a baking tray and drizzle over with olive oil
Roast at 190C (Gas mark 5) for about 20 minutes.
When it's cooked so that the potatoes are soft and tender, scatter over the feta, pumpkin seeds, oregano and zest.
Need some new equipment to start your new year of yoga? My favourite place to buy yoga kit is Yogamatters. They have a shop in north London and a big online store that stocks all things yoga at www.yogamatters.com. They have a January sale on some of their items at the moment. If you didn't get a new mat for Christmas (I did!) or would like to get some blocks, yoga straps, books etc, do take a look. Their Yogamatters Sticky Mat is good value at £17 and is comes in a wide range of colours and I found it wasn't too slippy as other new mats have been for me in the past.
 |
| My new mat undergoing rigorous testing by The Furry Guru |
In my classes this week I read an enlightening poem and an invocation for 2016. The poem, called Autobiography in Five Chapters is by Portia Nelson (singer, songwriter, author and actress) is a reminder of the habits we fall into and how, once we realise our habits and how some of them bring us suffering, we can make changes to our lives to allow life to flow more smoothly.
Autobiography in Five Chapters
Chapter I
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost...
I am hopeless.
It isn't my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don't see it.
I fall in again.
I can't believe I'm in the same place.
But it isn't my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in...it's a habit.
My eyes are open; I know where I am;
It is my fault.
I get out immediately.
Chapter IV
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
Chapter V
I walk down another street.
I read the invocation at the end of class after Savasana when everyone was relaxed and quiet. This powerful reading helps us set the tone for the coming year - it's ultimately what we all want for our lives.
Invocation for 2016
May we willingly release the things we no longer need and follow our hearts on a journey into the new light.
May we plant the seeds of our dreams with hope.
May we nurture them with love, courage, passion and belief.
May we watch them grow strong, sharing our joys with those who are dear to us.
May the year ahead be abundant and gratefully received.
And may we celebrate often, as a community, remembering in our hearts where we truly belong.
And Always –
May there be peace in our hearts, in our land and in our world.
May we honour each other with kindness and inclusion.
May we take care of the earth and all her beauty, treasuring her gifts to us.
May love surround us.
May Love Surround Us.
credit: Ruth McNeil and Eleni Zoe Palanzar
No comments:
Post a Comment