Monthly Archives: January 2015

Yoga translated from Sanskrit means “to yoke” or “to join” – simply said, a union.   Yoga is an aid in our life to help us be our best selves; to unite the mind, body, and spirit.  It’s not all juice fasts and lotus meditations, and it’s certainly not a sanctimonious attitude.   The following are some simple and some more challenging suggestions to live like a yogi in 2015.

1. Drink Hot Water & Lemon              

Daily Beauty Blotter

Everyone is talking about it…and we can all do it!  This little addition to my morning routine is an easy, breezy contribution to the “yogic” life with lots of advantages; chockablock full of vitamin C to boost immunity and improve skin, detoxifying and hydrating for the body, breath freshening, etc, etc….  Even if the magical qualities of lemon and water is overhyped, the conscious decision to start my day on the right foot contributes to overall virtuous choices throughout the remainder of the day.
Quite simply, if Gisele is doing it, count me in.

Snowga

2. Practice Yoga 

This one seems fairly obvious, but a daily 90 minute yoga session is not always feasible.   On the other hand, a 5 min sun salutation to start the day or few nighttime asanas can offer the same valuable quiet moments of breath work for harmony and rejuvenation.

3. Maintain a clean & uncluttered home                                 

A peaceful space leads to a peaceful mind.  Check out my previous post for suggestions.

4. Be Kind

One of the five yamas, or virtues of yoga, is ahimsa; translated from Sanskrit as “not to injure”.  Show compassion for all living things, including oneself.  To practice ahimsa we embrace non-violence to ourselves and to others in our thoughts, our actions, and in our words.  Each time we say namaste we are recognizing the beauty in other people.  Keep that sentiment with you in your daily interactions.

5. Eat Whole Foods                                                  

pinch of yum

It is hard these days to always eat whole foods.  We are so busy and there are so many easier alternatives in the world of cooking.  If cooking isn’t your thing, try integrating this one slowly or make very simple meals – salads, 3 ingredient soups.  for those who like to cook, organization is very helpful.  plan out meals for the week, make some ahead, and freeze for really busy weeks.  Try some of these recipes to kickstart healthy eating.
6. Indulge…occassionally.

spoonforkbacon

Life is short. ‘nough said

Resolutions are getting a bad rap lately, but setting goals for the new year is not a bad thing.  It’s a great thing.  The downside of resolutions is the self-shaming from the potential consequence of unmet goals, which leads to discouragement and then abandonment of the original resolution. Some serious drama.

However! If we set more realistic goals or at least footnote the broad, far-reaching goals then we have a greater chance of sticking with our program.  For example, our resolution is to become the most organized person in the world and produce a home that rivals Martha’s.  Ok, that’s fine.  We will either have to staff up Downton style or annotate that goal , “yes, I want to have a home that rivals Martha’s, but I’ll be happy if I organize my mudroom this month” (I don’t have a mudroom but that’s probably the first place I’d tackle if I did).

In my pre-yoga teacher life, I was an organizer/space planner/life coach.  I loved helping people release the stagnant energy of their home by eradicating the stuff.  A resolution to clear out the clutter in our homes is such a symbolic and cleansing way to start a new year.  Strike while the iron is hot and we can tackle a few areas of the home.  If motivation starts to wane come february, who cares…we made some major headway.  Removing the rummage is a healing action and a motivational tool.  It can trigger a sequence of responses such as happiness and healthiness; we all want that!

This is our home detox.

Here are my tips for decluttering homes:

1.  Choose a project

Establish how much time you have and how overwhelmed you are feeling.  If you have a lot to tackle start small and work up to bigger projects.  Allot the appropriate amount of time.  If you have 30 minutes, clean out a junk drawer.  A few hours in the evening, clear out a closet (you may need the next evening to put it back together), a couple of weekends go for the garage or basement. It’s not uncommon to get so fed up with something and tear it apart then get an hour through and realize it’s time to run to the bus stop and not return to the project for days or weeks. Be realistic about how much time you can dedicate.

2. Prepare

This is especially important for the bigger jobs. Make arrangements in advance so you are ready to get started. Get a sitter, clear the calendar, schedule a donation pick-up and dumpster…whatever you need to do to reserve that time.

 3. Purge before Purchasing 

Before you organize, you must eliminate.  In fact, don’t even allow organizing to cross your mind until everything has been cleared out.  It’s tempting to dash out to the Container Store when you are excited about the promising results, but be patient. Get a trash bag, recycling bag, and donation bag and start getting rid of stuff: erasers, ratty shoes, goody bag swag, random mementos.  Be harsh.

4. Stay Calm      

As the saying goes, things get worse before they get better.  As you are in the midst of your project, your world may seem to be crumbling.  This is a great sign!  It means you are making progress.  Things truly look chaotic about halfway through because you are taking something apart only to rebuild something much better.

5. Measure & Plan  

Once you have cleared out, decide what products you may need to keep the space working well.  You may not need anything since you’ve done such a good job with purging or you may have storage items already laying around.  Get creative organizing ideas online.  If you need to purchase something, measure the space, even if it’s just for a drawer, and head to the store. Avoid making any extra work or using valuable time buying and returning.

6.  Install & Enjoy Your New Efficient System

Clearing the clutter eliminates the stale energy  in your home and allows room for new vitality. Liberate yourself from stuff.