In my post from a couple of weeks ago, I talked about my aversion to New Year's resolutions and how I eventually came around to finding one of my own. I talked about how I intended to “schedule 'me' time into my calendar so that I will be rested and nourished and present,” and become a better version of the woman I currently am.
Well, that's great and all, but after a couple of weeks of trying to put this into practice, I have a new perspective...
If trying to work self-care (or any other wellness-related New Year's resolution) into your schedule causes you to miss other important priorities and deadlines and ends up causing you guilt and stress, you've got to ease up on yourself!
Create balance. Schedule in some self-care, but don't go get too hung up on it. As one of my wise students shared in class this morning: celebrate small achievements, let go of shortcomings.
This week I've been studying how I'm dealing with shortcomings in my own planned self-care. Yesterday I arrived at the studio early with the intention of getting in a good hour of practice. That didn't quite work out, and I realized something.
Just getting on your mat is enough. Roll it out, lay down on it, see what happens.
Maybe you lay there and breathe, maybe you do some kind of movement. Maybe you get motivated to do something bigger, like sun salutes or hip openers or chest openers. It doesn't really matter what you do. Just indulging in the ritual of rolling out your mat and laying on it is calming and healing. Bonus points if you do some actual physical yoga poses.
There's no sense in berating yourself for not getting in 45 minutes of choreographed yoga sequences followed by 15 minutes of breathing and meditation 7 days a week. The point is wellness. The path you take to get there doesn't really matter.
So my thought of the day is, whatever is going on in your life, whether it be falling short on a New Year's resolution or something more serious, go easy on yourself. Let it go. Forgive yourself. Treat yourself with care and love, and try again tomorrow.
What are your thoughts on forgiving yourself? Have you ever held on to guilt too long? Have you ever experienced positive outcome after you've made the conscious decision to treat yourself with care and love? I'd love to learn from your wisdom - please post your comments below.
XO, Zelinda