As you know, I created a NY Resolution List this year and did a once over midyear to see how I was progressing. WELL, I totally forgot about it until today when I was revising my website and realized I did not do a blog entry in a few months and am overdue! (something to add to next year's list - 1-2 blog entries a month, but that's a different blog entry) Anyway, I have found the more I have practiced these things on a regular basis the more I grew as a person and most importantly am growing to like myself more. I am ending my year with a new spiritual practice (Sadhana) to help overcome my negative self talk, you would think at 40, I would know how to do this. Well kinda, I take everything with a grain of salt, other's opinions don't always matter, but again grain of salt. It's my own self talk that plagues me, because we can't get rid of the Ego, we can only tame it. I'm on my entering my 4th week of my Sadhana, this Sunday. Why am I sharing this? Because we all have negative self talk, we are all hard on ourselves and fall prey to those who are not happy with themselves that point fingers at our faults. We fall prey to believing that someone else's opinion actually matters when it doesn't. All that matters is how we see ourselves, live good lives or the best that we can, and send love to those who need it (even if they are horrible people, you can still wish them well and on their way. It's like a nice way of saying "I want good things for you, now fuck off" - I swear I mean that in the nicest way possible).
As for the meat & potatoes of my 2018, I had an eventful year, even second guessing my leap of faith into a whole new career as a business owner in the Holistic & Wellness industry. From opening my studio, to gaining the teachers & help from family and friends, to falling in love with teaching over and over again on a daily basis (I kid you not!), oh finally taking my leap and becoming vegetarian! (yay! - btw, send me your fav recipes if you have them! I'll try anything, except brussel sprouts, I have tried them many times over and not a fan). What else, being able to teach my own children again, and it's better than before. I had my son's bday party at my studio and had A BLAST! Decided to have those here at the studio (if you're interested check out the page here). I'm continuously learning, I'm always soul searching, always asking for guidance from my Angels, always seeing my signs of confirmation and then trekking through to the next thing that is on my list. I'm not going to lie, it's been one hell of a journey, probably one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life after motherhood of course, because NOTHING is as hard as being a good parent. BUT, it's the most exciting, I enjoy coming here every day, I enjoy teaching every day, the card readings I give and I truly love being my own boss and finding new ways of making this a better place for all of us (my students, my teachers, family, friends and for me). I pray for many more years here to help others in their yogic journey or just in the healing process. I pray for continued success for us and me here, because helping other has helped me in the process, find my way, realize my dream and fall in love on a daily basis with my practice and my teaching. I wish you all a wonderful year end to 2018 and I hope you all have a very Happy, Healthy & Successful 2019! Many Blessings & Namaste!
My 2018 resolutions list, in no particular order:
- Open my doors to the public in February 2018 at my Union Beach location. - Completed!
- Bring the community closer through yoga, meditation, workshops, social events at the studio & outside venues - Continuously working on it!
- Bring what I learn in my own practice, to the classes I teach. - Always working on this one
- Get my 500hr Teaching Certification - Completed!
- Get my Littlest Yogi's Certification (yoga for infants & toddlers) - Completed!!
- Find myself a wonderful staff of yoga teachers that I adore, who will teach with care, compassion, passion and mindfulness. YES!!! I love love LOOOOVE all my teachers!
- Run a few workshops for children over the summer - Yes and no, we had them, my kids loved them I know what I need to do next year to get more visibility. Always learning & growing from my "errors" if you want to call them that.
- Let Go on a daily basis! Still doing, this will remain on my list
- Smile, laugh, joke more - This I do more now on a regular basis than I have ever before & incorporated it into my classes now
- Drink more water - still working on this one
- YOGA EVERY DAMN DAY - 7 days a week! This will remain on my list because it's a must
- 45MIN MEDITATION EVERY DAMN DAY - I achieved this once! ONCE! I'm excited about that because it was a first for me! Now, I have done up to a 30 min meditation and working on the 45 mins on a regular basis. This will also remain on my list for 2019 because I can always meditate more and I have to tell you, it's working wonders for me! WONDERS!
- GRATITUDE EVERY DAMN DAY - EVERY DAY I DO THIS! MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY!
- Weekly Angel Card Readings for both myself and clients - I need to be more specific on this one!
- Hold Crow Pose for 5+ breaths - 4 breathes right now
- Hold headstand away from the wall! (slow & controlled rise and release) - Completed!!
- Stronger handstands - slow and controlled rise and release (I do what the little kids do and throw myself up, I can stay up but I want that control) - still fun, not controlled to rise and release...no rush on this one
- Learn more about Retreats, find one to try for end of 2018 or beginning of 2019 - Moving this one to the end of 2019
- Visualize more - I need to be specific but def doing it
- Manifest more - I created a vision board for this one to help me
- Send love to those who need it - I do this regularly & daily
- Be patient not passive. - I'M TRYING to be patient, passive I'm def not, although I do have moments where I over analyze but it is what it is. Working on this one.
NEW ADDS -
- Get rid of those relationship that have run it's course and those that are toxic - learning to do this
- Get rid of material items that are no longer needed, used, wanted, etc - have gotten rid of a lot, still doing this one
- Find creative ways of branching out, reaching out and getting more involved with the community. - Researching this one