Say no to Resolutions

 I love beginnings, a new year seems to bring to me a rush of creative energy, I am a goals type of person I love to try new things, set goals, and figure out what I want to experience next. This year for example,  I plan to try water skiing and surfing.

In the old days I used to set resolutions, dreary pledges to quit smoking, drink less, exercise more and to lose weight. Year after year I failed at these things, I drank more, continued smoking and did the yo yo dieting thing. It seemed like I lived on a roller coaster ride of hope, crashing into shame. I no longer make those types of resolutions and  I no longer drink, smoke and I am not overweight.

  I believe most resolutions fail because we are not ready, we are forcing ourselves to do something because we think we should not because it's time.

It's easy to diet, I can lose 20lbs in no time at all, the hard part is keeping it off. In my old days of dieting I would starve, look great, but in the back of my mind I was waiting for the diet to end so I could "eat" again, invariability soon after the compliments on how great I looked, faded. I would start eating again and the old habits would steadily creep back in. After each diet, I would gain back all the weight plus an extra 5 or 6 lbs. I would then begin the cycle all over again. This type of living caused me to feel deep shame and a sense of hopelessness.


The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I wonder if most of our resolutions don't fall into this category. This is one of the reasons I don't suggest diets to my students, I know that diets don't work in the long run, that they mess with your metabolism, and ultimately the cycle of weight loss then weight gain, destroys your self esteem and you begin to live in mental prison.To know if you are in this mental prison now, ask yourself what it is you won't do because of your weight. 

Yoga is about opening the doors to that mental prison.

If you are overweight you are probably addicted to food and addictions are best treated spiritually, find the root of the fear and deal with the underlying emotions you are hiding. Dieting is like treating the symptom of the problem, the problem will still exist and soon the symptom will return.

These days I leave change to my yoga practice, by practicing yoga for years, each week coming to my mat just a few times, I have learned to listen to a quiet voice inside that gently leads me. I have been led to give up coffee, a diet pop addiction and have given up all animal products, not because I resolved to one New Years day but because the quiet voice told me it was time.  Because of this it was easy for me, I changed when I was truly ready, not because my monkey mind said so, but because I followed the whispers of  my soul .

So I guess what I am trying to share with you is my thoughts on resolutions, rather then making a list of resolutions why not begin a daily spiritual practice, get up early or find a more convenient time for you. Then use this time to try some meditation, maybe do some yoga, read well written spiritual books, journal, or listen to lectures on your iPhone. Begin to get to know yourself and learn how to listen to your quiet voice.

There is a difference between your mind and your inner voice, your mind is like a bad parent berating you for this or that, giving you a list of " should's " your inner voice is soft, quiet and loving.

So if you feel the need to set a resolution why not resolve to get to know yourself, to find out how amazing you really are.

With Love, 
Sheree
xo