Reasons to Ditch Resolutions & Focus on Intentions
As I stepped onto my yoga mat, the first time in 2022, I took in a deep breath and asked, what type of practice did I want today? I figured, this first yoga practice set the tone for rest of the year. I paused and thought for a while. In practices past, I’d set a resolution to practice every day without a break, or nail a specific pose. This year was different.
Without any specific goal or sequence in mind, I allowed my body to guide itself through 12 rounds of sun salutations, followed by split squats (not yoga… I know) and then ended with a series of floor postures taking relaxation with my legs up against the wall. I came out of this personalised sequence renewed. This year… it’s not about metrics, but about experience. I decided to ditch the idea of a resolution and instead focus on setting an intention.
The difference is that it’s less about setting goals and expectations and more about cultivating a specific attitude to how I would like to experience the year ahead. For me personally, this year’s focus is to be gentle on myself — taking it easy, but not lazy.
I’ve been in the business of teaching yoga for 20 years. I have followed a healthy lifestyle for a long time: plant-based diet, no caffeine or sugar or alcohol, fasted, detoxed, practiced yoga and meditation every day. (I’ve also fallen off the bandwagon and indulging in consumable pleasures, a few times… that’s right I’m human too.) At the start of every year, I would renew my goals to be better, fitter, and more goal oriented. At the end of each year, I would crash into the holidays, burnt out, hating on myself for not achieving everything I set out to do.
There is a subtle balance point between whole-hearted self-acceptance and working toward excellence without flowing over personal capacity. I have yet to find this evolving balance point. It’s my first intention. This means stepping into the year without shame, guilt, self-judgment, personal condemnation. Instead of analysing and trying to improve, I turn to appreciation, enjoyment, and shifting my attitudes from “should” to “choose.” No diet, no dry January, nothing. Just carrying on as usual, and doing my best in my capacity with ease.
Next is a professional intention:
As the yoga industry evolves, many aspects of it irk me — specifically the countless times I have witnessed yoga teachers shaming students for having different body shapes or abilities and “advising” them to lose weight to be a better yogi, or to not attempt a posture if they couldn’t do the most advanced variation. (I’m not even kidding… I saw this going on in a class multiple times.) My next intention is to boldly call out the yogis behaving badly and ensure that teachers who train with me learn how to skilfully accommodate all students in class. Teaching yoga is not the same as practising yoga or performing complicated postures. All hold value, yet to teach yoga is to have the skills to work with others who may not have any connection to their bodies.
As you already know, yoga is a transformative practice. What you might not fully realise, is that you have to find your own path for it to work. By now, it’s clear that there is no one size fits all to yoga; nor is there one set of practices that will magically cure you of all your life’s problems. A personalised integrated practice is the way forwards. It changes from day to day, which is why it makes sense to set an intention and not rigidly stick to a resolution (which most people fail to do so anyway).
So I intend to emphasise this more in my teaching moving forward. I’ve always regarded myself as a conveyor belt of the yoga tradition that I have come from, but I am feeling particularly courageous this year to evolve the tradition and bring it forward to the times we live now.
The teachings of yoga are an incredible set of values-based lifestyle choices for individuals to lead intentional lives. For yoga practitioners who want to deepen their understanding of how deep the practice of yoga goes, I invite you to sign up to one of my upcoming trainings that are empowering, inclusive and accessible. Embark on a personal journey to find your own path of wellbeing through comprehensive yoga teachings both on and off the mat.
Wishing you all a gentle start to 2022 and a year of intention.