2013 Resolutions

Last year, I made 30 resolutions for my 30th year. I’m not going to make 31 resolutions this year. I’ll stick with a more manageable number. Like five.

I enjoyed having my resolutions written down somewhere public. It gave me somewhere to reference, and kept me accountable. So without further ado – my 2013 resolutions:

1. Sucessfully complete Yoga Teacher Training! – My yoga instructor is offering her first teacher training. I’m so excited to be participating. I can’t wait to start this journey!

2. Proactively hang out with my friends (i.e. Invite people places more) – I tend to be a hermit. And after some of the events of last year, I felt most nights like sitting on my couch watching Homeland and drinking wine. I have some awesome friends, I have some awesome friends moving to Atlanta (yay!!!) and I’ve met some great people that I’d like to hang out with more. So, I’ll get up off my butt and call people, and do things.

3. Only drink once a week during teacher training - I know this might make No. 2 a little tricky, but No. 1 will flourish if I can stick with this one. It’s not like I’m a lush, but when I did Operation Bootcamp before the wedding, I saw much better results during the month where I only had one or two drinks per week.

4. Don’t cheat anymore with dairy products. – In 2012, I was probably 98% vegan. I had some cheats, mostly with baked goods and once during a dire situation where the only thing available was a quesadilla. This year, let’s be 100%. No more cheats.

5. Travel for Fun - I traveled a lot in 2012, but most of it was work-related. Now, it was awesome, but I definitely want to up the “pleasure” to “business” ratio.  We already have some fun trips planned – Portland in May, Hawaii in June, and either Raleigh again or a West Coast adventure for our anniversary.

So cheers to 2013!

A Very Kali-Like Year

Kali is a Hindu Goddess who often represents change. Now, on first impression, Kali is a pretty scary lady. She wears a necklace of skulls, she’s got blood dripping out of her mouth, she’s blue. . .

But, Kali is misunderstood. She represents change, but not slow gradual change. She represents destruction that pushes you out of your comfort zone and creates change. She symbolizes letting go of the past, to make room for a new, purposeful and bright future ahead.

2012 has been a very Kali-like year for me. We were forced out of our rental home, but it made way for us to find an even better home, with a fenced yard for our puppy. I had a great opportunity at work to take on new challenges that definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, but made me a better professional. I attended a retreat with my fellow yogis (the theme was letting go, very Kali-themed), and worked through some feelings I had held onto for way too long, and was finally able to accept and let go of some resentment, anger and grief I was feeling over a lost friendship. I went through a horrible ordeal in the hospital, but it helped me prioritize the things that are important in my life, and reminded me that life is short and to take advantage of opportunities presented to me and to also appreciate all of the blessings in my life.

As hard as 2012 was, it was also a catalyst for some great things to come. I have some very clear goals in mind for 2013, but I’ll post about those later. I’m optimistic going into 2013, and excited to see what it will hold.

Namaste.

Ahimsa

I spent the weekend in a beautiful place called Round Cove up in the mountains of Franklin County, Tennessee.

The yoga studio where I practice hosted a weekend-long retreat. We enjoyed hours of yoga, hiking, talking, journaling, and. . .eating.

I have to say it was quite refreshing to hang out with a group of people who didn’t care that I was vegan. We all planned meals ahead of time, and everyone was accommodating of my dietary differences. Any questions I was asked about my veganism during the weekend came out of a place of pure curiousity, and there was no negativity or judgement associated with it. It was truly refreshing! I need to hang out with my fellow yogis more often.

There are said to be eight sets of principles of yoga. The first set of principles are Yamas, a set of restraints (or boundaries) that guide our manner and being. Once such Yama is Ahimsa, which stipulates that people should try to live in a non-violent or non-harmful manner. One way some yogis honor ahimsa is through veganism and yoga has long been associated with vegetarianism.(Check out It’s Not Easy Being Vegan’s summary of veganism and yoga).

The theme of our weekend was to release and recharge. We all worked through the week on letting go of something we had been holding onto with hours of meditation and yoga. We closed the weekend with a fire, and we wrote on pieces of paper those things that we wanted to release. We also wrote things that we want for the future.

This weekend was much needed, and I’m thankful for this kind, loving and welcoming community of fellow yogis and friends.

Namaste.

Finding Freedom in Boundaries

My yoga instructor talks a lot about finding freedom with boundaries. I’ve found this theme running through several parts of my life lately.

An example she gives is drinking. If you have no boundaries, and get S&%tfaced at a party, there’s really no freedom in that. It’s no fun to have your head in a toilet. But if you set the boundary of only enjoying one or two drinks, then you have the freedom to have fun all night with your friends.

In yoga, you have the choice to bind your poses. I found the following definition that described this better than I can:

Binding in Hatha yoga refers to any action in which one part of the body holds onto another part of the body or when two parts of the body are intertwined. There are many poses that have binding variations.

The bind is a boundary, however, the bind allows you to deepen into a posture and hold the posture for a longer time. You find freedom within this bind.

I’ve found that by adding the “boundary” of no longer eating animal products that I’ve actually found more freedom in the types of foods I eat. I’ve discovered new ways to cook, more variety in my diet, more recipes I enjoy. I’m no longer bored by dinner choices. I’ve discovered new and exciting food items. I can really taste food better than ever. My taste buds are free.