In some sense, we should regard ourselves as being burdened: we have the burden of helping this world. We cannot forget this responsibility to others. But if we take our burden as a delight, we can actually liberate this world. The way to begin is with ourselves. From being open and honest with ourselves, we can also learn to be open with others. So we work with the rest of the world, on the basis of the goodness we discover in ourselves.
Chogyam Trungpa
revolutionary resolutions
Happy 2017 to my amazing community! I am pumped to begin this year with you and offer support through yoga classes and workshops, retreats, wellness consulting, mindfulness events, recipes and more. Thank you for being here and for being you.
Although resolutions are all well and good, why not revolt a little bit and set intentions instead? I say this not to discourage us from setting goals, but rather to inspire us to get crystal clear and pay attention to our heart’s deepest desires instead of setting unrealistic to-do lists or rules that can easily slip through the cracks.
Why do we sometimes wind up giving up on resolutions, anyway? From my perspective it has to do with outcomes we think we need to accomplish in order to become a more impressive person, versus what we wholeheartedly want in order to simply feel really awesome.
When we have rules or regulations lurking over us like a threatening bridge troll, keeping a resolution can seem more like a stressful duty than a fun and enlightening discovery of what we want for our Selves in order to feel our best.
And so I encourage us this day, month, or year to make an intention to pay attention to our Selves, hearts, desires, and how we ultimately want to feel. When we can better understand these things, we can move forward – unrestricted – in ways that support what we want for our lives.
Here are a few wisdom nuggets I learned and shared in 2016, which I like to reference when looking onward into the horizon of a new year:
I love to make healthy food! Let me know what you think, and what you want to see more of.
Looking within is a lifelong practice. Over and over again.
Consuming can be practiced consciously and compassionately, with a soft[er] carbon footprint.
We can choose to live as sustainably as possible, wherever we are.
Plants have a lot of protein!
Whole body health can happen anywhere, anytime, whether we stay put or are on the go.
Eating out does not have to mean eating junk.
We can work on being mostly balanced instead of flawlessly perfect.
Being healthy doesn’t have to be so hard.
Wellness works. I have my reasons.
Self-care is a really, really good teacher.
Wellness: addiction versus mindful application.
If diving deeper or getting into yoga in general is one of your feel-good intentions for 2017, my recent article on MindBodyGreen offers insight on how to approach the practice when you are feeling tight or inflexible, because when there is a will there is always a way.
Stay attentive to your intentions. Keep them with you and live a life that feels fucking great.
Read the newsletter to download healthy recipes from my goddess brunch e-book, listen to sweet new tunes, and check out upcoming wellness events to keep the good vibes rolling into 2017.
Photo by Renee Choi at Shaktibarre in Williamsburg, Brooklyn wearing Hyde organic cotton yoga apparel.
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