om spirit
ready for unshakeable inner peace if the noise of the breathing of
the woman next to you makes you want to beat her to death with a
yoga block, for example. So guess what the practice is going to have
you working on for a while?)
Resolutions restrictions
For me, this is perhaps one of the most powerful concepts we can
take off the mat and out into our world. Especially at the beginning
of the year we set off into the next twelve months with inexplicably
grand resolutions about the wonderful things we are going to
achieve, all the ways we are going to make ourselves into better
human beings, and the terrible destructive things we’re going to stop
doing to help us get there.
And if that works, good for you. I am astounded, but impressed.
But it definitely makes you an exception rather than the rule. Now
stop reading and go polish your halo.
Resolutions are great. If they work for you. But what if they don’t?
What if they’re just another way to make ourselves feel a bit more
rubbish than we already do, with the added bonus of a clearly
definable reason to emotionally beat ourselves up every time we
do something that goes against whatever it is we’ve decided we
shouldn’t do or be?
Ultimate sat-nav
Ugh. Happy New Year? I don’t know about you but I already want to
say rude words and drink a pint of Baileys for breakfast.
So here’s a thought. Why not set intentions instead? Yes, get clear
on goals and outcomes; these are invaluable. This is setting your
ultimate destination/s into your sat-nav, so the clearer you can be
with these the better. Know when you want to be there by (but be
realistic – there’s no point in trying to break a land speed record
when you’re in a clapped-out Corsa.)
Now you know the destination, how do you want to feel whilst
you are getting there? What is your intention? To get there via a
route which encourages and allows for a sense of enjoyment and
nurturing, or one that encounters lack, scarcity and negativity?
(Hint – choose the first one.)
So, if your intention is to lose half a stone over the next six
months you know you’re aiming for Skinny Jean City - that’s your
destination and your intention. But how do you want to get there?
With a route through desolate, barren wasteland, or via scenery
which makes you get goosebumps?
The scenic (but not necessarily longer) route is no less
challenging, but it can be way more joyful. Every day you get
to decide how you want to feel on that day, and re-affirm your
intention. And here’s the best bit – if you wander off course you are
in a position of being immediately clear about whether it’s taking
you closer to your ultimate destination or further away because you
know where you’re trying to get to.
So yes, that triple chocolate brownie dessert does look enticing.
You know if devouring it is going to take you closer to Skinny
Jean City, or further away. And now is your time to decide how
important your destination is to you. Which route are you going to
take? Remember ultimately how you want to feel, what you want to
embody, and what your intention is.
Voyage of discovery
Now, if you eat the pudding first of all make sure you enjoy, savour
and take delight in every single mouthful. Lick the bowl clean. Get
your fingers in there if you need to. If you had resolutions you’ve
now got some very clear reasons to feel incredibly downhearted, like
a failure, and maybe a bit ashamed of yourself....which may well have
you running back to the pudding trolley.
But with a destination and set of intentions, you can be much
more curious, inquisitive and ultimately more discerning about this
as a process. You can be clear about how you now feel (apart from
a bit sick and off your face from sugar consumption). You know that
whilst it may have taken you further from your destination, you can
get straight back on track.
Once you get really clear about what your ultimate destination is,
and the route you’re willing to allow yourself to take, I think it makes
it more difficult to accept anything to the contrary.
Is it easy? Of course it isn’t. Change rarely is. You don’t have to
delve very far into any of the ancient yoga texts to see that yoga is
ultimately all about change; changing how we see ourselves through
changing our behaviour. The easy bit is seeing what we need to
change to help us get there; the hard bit is actually doing it.
Marcel Proust wrote: “The real voyage of discovery consists not in
seeing new landscapes, but seeing with new eyes.” Maybe thinking
in terms of intentions instead of resolutions could help our process
of discovery, and to introduce new pathways of awareness, and find
moments of insight.Clear intentions
Yes, it’s still hard. It’s hard because we’re having to undo years and
years of taking the same paths. On those occasions when we decide
to forge a new route, as soon as something happens and we get a
bit freaked out (or stressed, or tired, or angry, or sad, or happy...) we
find ourselves running back to those safe, well-worn routes.
But with a clear intention we can perhaps be quicker to notice
when this happens, remember what our ultimate destination is, and
set ourselves back on the route we have chosen.
Even if that route does take us via the Triple Chocolate Brownie
Ice Cream drive-thru...Meg Jackson is the founder of Real Life Yoga – a movement to
help real people bring a little (or a lot) of yoga into their real lives.
She teaches classes locally in London, workshops nationally, and
retreats internationally (soon!). Visit: reallifeyoga.netINTENTION