At the turn of each new year we resolve to be better. We think this will be the year I loose weight, be more patient,make money, get organized etc. Its natural to want to change for the better with a new year. A new year, a new start. However usually by March our resolutions are long forgotten and we’re back to the old patterns that weren’t serving us positively. It may be time for a change of perspective. Instead of putting all the pressure of change on January first, make each day a new opportunity for growth and change. What if you started each day with the inspiration a new year brings? What if each day you gave yourself the opportunity to start fresh? Living mindfully can bring you these opportunities.
The yogic lifestyle offers many tools to help us manifest what we want to create. In my opinion, the most important tool is daily practice, or sadhana. A daily practice enables us to check in with ourselves regularly. It gives us the opportunity to begin anew. New day, new start! In the beginning a daily practice doesn’t need to be very time consuming. It can be as easy as making an intention for your day while you brush your teeth or taking a few mindful breaths before getting out of bed. As you continue the practice it can morph into something deeper like journaling, reading scripture or philosophy or meditation and yoga.
If you’re trying to begin a sadhana, I suggest setting an intention at the start or end of each day. Imagine your intention to be like planting a seed in fertile soil. The more you water, weed and care for your seed the bigger and stronger the plant will grow. There is a saying in yoga philosophy that I will paraphrase here: If the thoughts are dirty the mind is dirty but if the thoughts are pure the mind is pure. This is why a sadhana is vital to the yogic lifestyle. The daily reminder to be better will, in time, make the mind more pure, which will in turn make your actions more pure. When you constantly care for your seed you can harvest the fruits of your intentions.
Three easy steps on how to start or end each day with an intention:
Set a clear intention or goal for the day. Its important for it to be clear, precise and attainable. For example, instead of saying I will not get angry with the kids today, you could say I will count to ten before responding to the kids when I feel angry.
Take 3-5 breaths to visualize the success of your intention. I like to imagine how I will feel emotionally and physically as well as how my loved ones will feel if I can achieve my intention.
Let it go. This may be the most important step. Do not become so attached to the intention that you will feel like a failure if you don’t have a “perfect” day. Making mistakes is part of being human. Sadhana is a daily practice. Meaning each day you practice being better. Some days you’ll nail it and others you won’t. Its all okay.
Let’s face it life is hard! Being a householder takes constant vigilance and some days its all we can do to make it through the day. Creating a daily practice for yourself can be a step in the direction to change patterns that are not serving you. A daily practice will teach you how to live through the hard days with more grace and ease and to become who you are truly and divinely meant to be!
Natalie Hain, RYT, has over 500 hours of yoga training. She currently teaches in Blanco and San Marcos. She is available for private and small group classes. Please contact her at nattyoga8@gmail.com with questions or to set up a session.
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