First, HAPPY NEW YEAR!! I welcome 2022 with open arms, an open heart, and an open mind. Do you feel the same? A New Year is always a mark in time that allows us to start fresh. We can reinvent ourselves, pivot our goals, and even shed unwanted habits all in a moment. At the stroke of midnight, a burst of confidence and willpower enters - even if only for months, weeks, days…or hours. I love this feeling of being able to start again, start fresh.
In the middle of 2021, I was fortunate enough to find a job. After having over a year off (the first time ever in life I had not worked), I took the last six months off from my website, posting, and social media in general. Like so many others, pivoting into a different role and industry was, has been, and is challenging. However, the last year and a half, and my recent birthday has really taught me about the person I am and want to be and the benefits of starting fresh. Here are a few lessons I learned…
Quieting the mind is essential for mental health. Not working for over a year allowed me to dabble in a variety of meditations and keep a regular yoga practice. What I noticed was something I already knew and teach regularly to - consistency in meditation and yoga are essential in noticing the accumulated benefits from this ancient practice.
In addition to a regular 1-hour yoga practice, I fell into a more regular meditation practice. The practice that helped me quiet the mind and actually focus on the present is called Equal Parts Breath.
How: Set a timer. Closing the eyes, come into your meditation space. Take 3 inhales and exhales (in through the nose, out of the mouth). Seal the lips; gently inhale for 10 seconds, hold the breath for 10 seconds, exhale for 10 seconds (working up to 20 seconds).
You don’t have to do dedicate hours to feel the effects but consistency is the key. The way I know this to be true is from my very unscientific study but logical conclusion.
Going back to work I traded my morning meditation/yoga time for learning my new job. I was still practicing but far less consistent and hardly meditating. Within weeks I noticed my anxiety growing and my confidence waning.
If you suffer from anxiety and confidence difficulties - the New Year is a great time to commit to taking control with consistent action. Schedule time for a consistent yoga and meditation practice. Try the meditation I suggested.
Reach out to me if you have questions or want a plan created for you!
Sitting at the beach in solitude.
Alone Time is essential to knowing yourself better. The last year-ish gave me the opportunity to spend more time alone. I am definitely a social person however, I recharge in solitude. This forced time showed me how much stronger I am than I thought. I actually enjoy and need the time with myself so I’m able to give to my tribe. It’s a practice…a practice to say no. A practice to stand up for yourself. It’s a practice to let go of the feeling you’re missing out on something. I started with making sure I scheduled at least one day a week that was not committed to anyone, anything else. Start with the time that makes sense to your situation but schedule the time in for you.
Nature is essential to grounding. How often are you getting outside to absorb and appreciate nature? When was the last time you lost yourself looking into the stars? Do you close your eyes to listen to the sounds of the ocean? You might not enjoy camping or being outside but the benefits of nature can be felt with a few deep breaths of fresh air in an instant.
If you’re busy or work from home, getting outside is crucial. Not only does the fresh air promote creativity and positivity, nature surely reminds us that we all need to let go and stop trying to control. Just as the tides move in and out, we too should learn to move with the ebb and flow of life.
Mantras really do work. I do not hide the fact I battle with anxiety that can sometimes be paralyzing. When I started my new job my anxiety kicked into over-drive. It was over a year since I worked. Plus, I had worked at the company for over 11 years and was comfortable. To stop the overthinking that was feeding my anxiety, I reverted back to my yoga and created mantras that combatted the untrue stories my mind was creating.
How: Identify 3 areas that are repeatedly showing up as fear, anxiety, stress, worry, etc. What story is being repeated? Create a phrase that is the present opposite of the repeated story. Repeat these phrases as often as possible throughout the day - when you are free of the negative feeling. When feeling the repeated fear - stop - close your eyes. Take 3 deep breaths. Keeping eyes closed, repeat your mantra 3 times (preferably out loud). Open the eyes, repeat the mantra for 2 more rounds, out loud if possible.
We have to be louder than the negative chatter the mind wants to distract us with. Creating our own mantras helps us take our control back and repeating the phrase sows new positive seeds that suffocate the negative through consistency.
Sharing from the heart is essential in raising the vibration of the world. Taking time off from posting, creating content, editing, etc gave me more to dedicate to my new job. The other day a friend and I were talking and he said, “we need to make sure to dedicate time not only to our career, someone else’s passion but to our own passion and well-being.”
So many people have helped me when they are vulnerable and open up about a shortcoming, a win, something personal, etc. it reminds me how much we all need connection. We need to share our ups and our downs; know that we are not alone. My friend reminded me that even if the only people that read my posts are my dad, a few friends, and that random person from Uzbekistan - I put my heart into my posts, my videos, my yoga classes, my private lessons; I put my passion into it.
What can you offer with passion, from the heart to the world? Even if it’s not received well - what can you give with true intention that will raise the vibration of your own heart and your community?
I guess the point of this entirely way too long post, is that unplugging and quieting the mind every once in a while creates clarity and strengthens your connection to yourself even more.