Most of us have made a grand declaration to eat better, exercise more, go to hot yoga flow or Krav Maga every day, or begin journalling. We set a start date, like New Year’s Day or next Monday, because beginning mid-week just seems irrational, am I right? We want to change something, so we decide to go big or go home, and then a week—maybe a month—later, we’re sitting stuffing our faces with chips and making excuses for why we haven’t kept up with our near-impossible declarations of massive change.
Well, I don’t know the first thing about Krav Maga and I’m terrible at journalling, so, this column is going to focus on what I do know: yoga and nutrition. I have over eight years of yoga teaching experience and a diploma in holistic nutrition.
My yoga experience is mostly around the physical practice of yoga, known as asana, and is traditionally practiced in order to prepare the body (think hips, knees, and back) to sit quietly in meditation. Patanjali refers to this more specifically as meditative absorption; it’s the seventh of the eight limbs of yoga.
Despite my background in both yoga and nutrition, I’m only human, ebbing and flowing through discipline and lack thereof as time ticks on.
I’m a little older now and wish that someone—anyone—had taught me that it’s okay to fall down, and that when I do, I can be gentle as I get up, brush the chip crumbs from my lips, grab my yoga mat, and decide to try a different, possibly gentler, class for a change.
I’d like to join you on a journey of exploring how to incorporate health and wellness into your life while learning how to allow yourself to also indulge in hedonistic pleasures and not judge yourself too harshly. I love food and I love yoga, so please, allow me to share two simple things with you to try this month.
1. Pay attention to what foods you crave and when: if you want to journal, be my guest. But simply spend a moment to notice when and why you crave food or drink that you probably know isn’t great for your overall health.
2. Pay attention to your breath. Again, if you want to journal about it, rock on. But simply begin to pay attention to when your breath (prana) is shallow, laboured, and restricted, or when it’s easy and deep.
Until next time, Keep it real.