Summer is slowly leaning towards fall, school is already in full swing, the days are growing noticeably shorter, and I am settling in to habits and routines that I put in motion weeks and, in some cases, months ago in a deeper, more meaningful way. Even more so than New Year's, the shift into fall has always felt like an ideal time to start anew, and be more purposeful and deliberate in living the life that I want to be living.
For me, this year is especially important re: my work. My coaching practice is pulling me towards new offerings: an updated and more "me" website is underway; a handful of e-courses are in the draft stages; ever-evolving schedules have aligned and opened up new time slots for sessions, so that I will have the opportunity to work with even more of you. The yoga studio is open and the community there is growing. It's such an honor to be a witness to the work people are doing, both on and off the mat.
Something that keeps coming up for me, when I get really quiet and listen to where both coaching and yoga want to go, is that I have to live a life that supports the work I want to do in the world in order to actually do the work I want to do in the world. And, of course, the Universe is upping the ante. It's not enough to be a vegetarian who goes to bed early and generally wants to be a kind and grateful person, though all those things sound good on paper. Because here's the sneaky thing about being a vegetarian: pizza, burritos, and ice cream are all included. And here's the sneaky thing about going to bed early: it almost doesn't count if I don't make space in the morning for all of the nourishing practices that I can get in before 6:30am if I'm bringing my A game. And wanting to be kind and grateful? Well, that desire doesn't get me too far when my behavior doesn't actually line up with "kind and grateful".
And so, this year is about beginning again. Every single day I'm going to begin again. I'm going to eat very consciously and not just hide behind the label of "vegetarian". I'm going to go to bed early with the completely aware intention of making a sacred space for myself first thing every morning. I'm going to respond, instead of reacting, to whatever is coming my way with kindness and gratitude on the front lines of my emotional wellbeing. My life flows so smoothly when I have this foundation in place. I know this.
I'm not going to use any departures from these plans as an excuse to throw in the towel for the whole day (you already had a bagel this morning, why not a plate of pasta tonight?), or to let myself get lazy (you worked so hard yesterday, you deserve to relax), or to berate myself with negative self-talk (oh good grief, why can't you get this right already?!). There are no loopholes in these plans, nor any reason to not hold myself to consistently high expectations. But there is compassion, sensitivity, and warmth. A dance between knowing what I want and what I can do, and being supportive enough of myself to encourage myself to live that way.
What's important to you this year? How will you begin again every day? What will beginning again every day do to support you in your goals and desires? It's my mantra for the year: Begin Again.