Today is my eight day of yoga in a row. I’m proud of that. I can’t remember the last time I did anything eight days in a row. I rarely remember to take my vitamins eight days in a row. This is a real time commitment and real work, but its so good. The benefits are already huge.
I’ve struggled to find a mindfulness practice that works for me. I’ve been trying meditation for months, but each time I try its seems to fuel my anxiety more than help it. Body scans have been hell.”Notice the sensation” equals panic about the sensation. But yoga is different. It brings mindfulness to the body in a different way. It harkens me back to my days of martial arts. Being mindful of the pose and constantly working to fix it, but with the freedom to do what feels best is an incredible experience.
I’m on day eight of the Yoga Camp series on the YouTube Channel “Yoga With Adriene.” Its one of my favorite channels. The way she brings guidance while allowing and encouraging freedom in your own practice is wonderful. I did her 30 days of Yoga last year and it took me 3 months to get though it. This time I’m determined to do the videos each day as they come out, until I leave for my trip. Then I hope to finish the last two videos in San Fransisco.
What’s new with this series from the last is that she adds mantras. They aren’t the focus of the video, but its a very nice addition. I’ve used a few of them as journaling prompts already, but today I felt like writing publicly with today’s mantra, “I choose.”
I choose to live life in the slow lane; to have minimal commitments, leaving time to be with family and friends and alone with myself.
I choose to be an excellent steward of my resources including my time, property, and finances.
I choose to live a more mindful life; to slow down and focus on my breath and the world around me, to not get swept away in my own thoughts, but to curate them and to let go of the ones that don’t serve me.
I choose to be healthy; to eat healthy, to be active, to continue this yoga practice and my other healthy habits.
I choose to be peaceful and nonviolent; to communicate in the most peaceful ways possible, and in a calm loving manner, even when it is difficult.
I choose to give my best in everything I do; in writing, in parenting, in my work, in my care for my home and my family and my pets. I choose not to half-ass it.
I choose to read. I choose to be always finding new things to read to expand my center of knowledge and my experiences in ways I couldn’t otherwise. I choose to read widely and in varied genres.
I choose to have fun. I only have one wild life and I choose to experience the fullness that life has to offer though all sorts of experiences, hobbies, adventures, and games.
Most importantly, I choose to love. I choose to always be striving to love each person in my life the best I can and to keep learning what real selfless love looks like in my effort to come closer to it.