New year, new you?
Around this time of Winter, especially after Christmas and before the new year, a lot of us feel very reflective on our past year. For me, this has been an epic year full of changes, twists and unexpected turns but overall one to be proud of on reflection. There have definitely been years that haven’t felt so good – I’ve either not wanted to move on into what felt like a mammoth new year or couldn’t wait for the chance of a new beginning and the opportunity that it would bring.
Sometimes, we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to do something new, be something new, change ourselves for the better… new year, new you etc. etc. A lot of new year fitness regimes include attacking our body, pushing it and forcing it, rather than treating it with the love, care, and nurture it deserves.
I challenge you to move into the new year with ease. Rather than looking for a ‘new you’, why not look within yourself to something already there? Something that already exists within you and is part of you. This could be a passion, a dream, a thought you’ve been quietly nurturing or supressing for years – why not let this be the time, the year, the place to let it out and flourish? We can often find excuses, saying that not everything matches up in terms of location, timing or budget but can’t we always find an excuse? We all know that perfection doesn’t really exist so be brave, bold and go for it! Why not?! After all, there is no time like the present 😉 and, as a wonderful teacher of mine says, there’s no dress rehearsal for life – this is it, the only show we have!
Yoga can really help us to connect with the present and who we are right now, this time, this moment. Delving deep into ourselves and looking within isn’t always a pleasant experience. One of the hardest things to do can be to sit quietly just with ourselves and come to terms with our truths and who we really are. A good tip to gently ease deeper into ourselves can be to bring our awareness to our balance, both physically and mentally. Take a quick scan of the body to check your weight is grounded evenly on the right and left side. Then consider the balance in your life – perhaps there’s something depleting you that you could give a little less energy to. Or perhaps there’s something you could definitely give a bit more drive, passion and energy to. Food for thought anyway!
I wish you all a very happy new year filled with health, happiness and light and the chance to celebrate being YOU! Be proud to be you, be proud of who you really are, for your amazing unique qualities, characteristics and talents.
Be peace, be love, be free and, most of all, be brave with your life!
