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Most of us recognize that an intention to accomplish something is necessary in order to manifest that which we intend. Good intentions are a nice start, but without any effort or plan, they do often pave the ‘road to Hell’- a state of mind indicating failure or disappointment, leading us into a downward spiraling of behavior sure to defeat all of those good intentions. So if you are one of the many with good intentions for 2015, a couple of tips for manifesting your intentions:
1. Each intention should be small and manageable. If you resolve to exercise more, or drink less, in 2015, try a week by week goal. If the intention is too large, it becomes intimidating and then you set yourself up for self-defeat, which engenders feelings of guilt, disappointment, blame and shame.
2. Make a plan and write it down. Even though you might diverge from your original plan throughout the process, a well-thought out plan that works for your life and schedule is better than no plan.
3. Find a partner or a group to accomplish your goal with. Inspiration by others and accountability to others will motivate you to stick with your plan.
4. Incentivize yourself. An incentive will help you through difficult times, when you feel like quitting. You can tell yourself something like, “When I complete my intention in the first week/month, I’ll treat myself to ___.”
5. Keep a healthy distance from people, situations or things that might tempt you to relinquish your intentions, especially when willpower is low. Until your resolve is stronger than external influences, it is best to stay far away from temptation, and find an activity or group that is in alignment with your needs and goals.
Have a great New Year!
My colleague and I were clear at the Headstand Workshop about preventing certain tendencies that we witness commonly in class, such as aligning the hips on top of the shoulders, no hopping or kicking up into headstand and keeping the knees close to the chest in ‘egg-shape’ before attempting to straighten the legs. Clear, yes, as in crystal.
Yet, after 90 minutes of discussing, warming-up, strengthening, aligning and demonstrating, we watched fear and conditioning take over our participants and ease them back into the same ole, same ole habits of trying to go upside down. My voice picked up a few octaves and roared out the basics (after all, we were in Headstand Basics) as if the boom of my voice in their ears would break all the years of fear and conditioning Then I paused as this thought went through my mind, ‘If you want to pay me money to go right back to your same habits, go right ahead.’ Then, I heard my colleague’s voice in my ear, ‘I swear I just told him to work on the ‘tipping point’ and look, he’s back to kicking up.’ I looked, and he was indeed kicking, and smiling because he could claim, as he said, that he got upside down.
It is then, that I had to remind myself that these determined souls are here to learn new habits, not necessarily to break them. I have no control over their habits, nor does my colleague, but damned sure we wished we had. This is where my yoga philosophy took over, teaching me the grueling lessons of compassion and patience. When I want to break down one of my habits, infinitely small (such as changing where I place my toothbrush), it takes me days if not months for just the small stuff! We tell our students not to have advanced minds, but we, the teachers must heed the warnings too, and find compassion even after the 8th time repeating the same cues. It’s not only our jobs, it’s our evolution.
Overall the workshop was a great success with lots of enthusiasm and many making conscious efforts to change habits while leaving the destination or goal at bay. The faces seemed determined when they filed out of the room after the workshop, determined to break some of the old habits and build to the new. If they can do it, so can I.
Thanks to all who attended and participated! See you again on the mat to turn your world upside down!
