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Mind Body Messenger
issue#9 January 2004
Keeping Up with Heather
This month I’d like to share with you a New Year’s
tradition passed down to me by my Grandmother. It’s not a
new years resolution, it’s no ‘hair of the dog’
hangover cure, and it’s certainly not a ‘lose the
2 kilos you put on over Christmas by lunch’ diet. This is
a simple but powerful analysis and goal setting tool that has become
a ritual for me every year. It’s a really simple journaling
process, and it helps me to reflect on the year that I’ve
had, and put some ideas in motion for the next year that I would
like to have.
The process is this; at some point on New Year’s Eve, the
first day of the New Year, or within a few days of the first day,
take some time out with yourself to reflect on the year you have
had. Jot down your overall impression of your year. How do you feel
about the year you have just had. Keep in mind, this is journal
to yourself, so try to avoid chronicling what others “see”
and instead record how you “feel”. Detail your experiences
and the changes that occurred in family, work, your personal growth
practice, your hobbies, sports, home renovations, your health, your
finances, and every aspect of your life. Give yourself an honest
and non-judgemental assessment of how you feel you lived. Did you
achieve your goals? Did you grow and evolve in the way you intended/expected?
Do you have a new direction from last year? Did your choices and
actions support your deepest beliefs and values? Allow yourself
to explore your thoughts, feelings and emotions relating to all
that you’ve experienced.
I find that I am always amazed at the magnitude of what I experience
in each year, and I am often surprised at what I write…discovering
thoughts and feelings and observations that I didn’t realize
I had. You may find the same, so once you have completed your journaling
of last year, take some time to sit and reflect on all that you
have uncovered in your writing. As you reflect on your past year,
allow a picture of the new year to begin to formulated. Ask yourself
a few questions about this next year. What would you like to experience?
How would you like to grow into this new year?
What changes would you like to make in family, career, health,
finance?
What goals would you like to achieve (both internal and external)?
What belief systems and values would you like to drive your choices
and actions?
Who would you like to share your year with, how can you create
more space for these people in your life? As you formulate and ponder
on these questions, a clearer picture will begin to emerge as to
how you will create your next year. At this stage, use whatever
method you know, or draws you, to make this picture more tangible.
You can write a clear action plan, detailing your goals, what you
will do to achieve those goals, and how you will maintain your goals.
You may like to draw pictures or cut them out of magazines to create
a collage. You may like to use your computer and combine words and
graphics to create your plan, allow yourself to be creative in expressive
your dreams and desires for 2004.
Once your plan is complete, sit down in a quite place and try to
imagine what it will feel like when you start working towards your
goals; see yourself sitting in a classroom taking a course, see
yourself at the gym working on your fitness, see yourself in your
office enjoying your work…try to imagine yourself in these
circumstances, as this will draw these experiences to you. At this
stage you may decide to put your plan away and revisit it weekly,
monthly, or bi-annually. You may find that you naturally visualize
your dreams and don’t need the “paper plan”.
However, if you find that you get busy and tend to forget your goals
or put them on the ‘back burner’, keep your plan around
to remind you of all the wonderful dreams and desires you have.
Keep in mind that the New Year offers us a new opportunity to create
the life of our dreams. However, this change does not happen at
the strike of midnight. It does not happen in the formulation of
the plan. Creating the life you want to life occurs in the choices
you make in each and every moment, so take some steps now to put
a system in place to support yourself in those moments when the
choice isn’t so clear. This may mean reviewing your goals,
or a simplified version, first thing every morning. Perhaps you
will find your picture collage helpful as a reminder. Or, taking
a few minutes each day in meditation to visualize your year ahead
may keep your goals and dreams on the “front burner”
where they belong.
I hope you enjoy this process, and find it as enlightening and
motivating as I have. A very Happy New Year to you all. May we enjoy
a year of peace, harmony, and abundance.
Namaste, Heather.
Your Feedback
Another great feedback letter, many thanks to all of you who responded.
For the first time in ages I allowed myself to take the time to
read and enjoy the whole newsletter - which is kinda strange in
this the most manic week of my life. It was touching to hear you
share your inner most thoughts and feelings. Don't stop. We all
need to share more of ourselves - with our friends, our peers our
co-workers.
I find I have to share my fears, my failings and my achievements
as a mother so that I can put them into perspective. When I didn't
share my failures (as I perceived them) I judged myself too harshly
- was unforgiving and started to feel that I was the only parent
in the world who got angry, smacked, chastised the kids. When I
share my thoughts and feelings I realise I am just another human
being. Not a greater being or a lesser being. Just your garden variety
being who is trying.
I wish you well on your return to Canada. I thank you again for
your honesty about your feelings. I admire you for taking the risk.
I acknowledge your humility in admitting to one and all that it
didn't turn out as you expected.
S.W., Brisbane, Australia
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Yoga For Mind and Body
Part 1
This is the first in a series of columns offering yoga postures
for men, women, and children to practice at home, school, on the
road or in the office. With special thanks to Ross Pottinger of
Wink Photo Design in Brisbane, Australia for the photos and the
support in this project. And many thanks to Louisa Dick for inspiring
and taking part in the project. If you have a posture that you would
like to see in this column, I welcome your suggestions. Namaste,
H!
- A simple but powerful posture that improves balance, grounds
and centres the mind and body, and promotes poise and elegance
in the body, and steadiness of the mind.
Focus: Single-mindedness
of thought. Balances mind and body, left and right, yin and yang.
Imagine: you are a tree,
you do not end where your foot meets the ground or at the top of
your head, instead imagine that you can feel your ‘roots’
reaching into the ground for support, nourishment and strength.
You can feel your ‘branches’ reaching up into the
sky for sun and rain and air. Imagine you are a strong, flexible,
ancient tree that can weather any storm. Allow your body to be soft
but strong, relaxed but active, and focus on reaching down into
the earth and lifting up into the sky simultaneously.
Modifications: Face
a mirror to assess your posture and balance the left and right sides.
You may find that one shoulder dips lower than the other, or that
you are lifting your shoulders to your ears, or that you are pushing
your buttocks backward. Allow the mirror to reflect to you what
adjustments can be made in your posture, and make your adjustments
slow and subtle.
 To
Begin: Start in Tadasana, the mountain pose, and
take a few deep breaths in and out through your nose before you
begin. In your imagination see yourself in the posture, balancing
in a strong and relaxed tree and breathing deeply. When you feel
ready, move into the posture.
 The
Pose: Stand with feet together and find a point at
eye level at least 2 metres ahead of you to focus your gaze on.
On the left side, spread your toes of your left foot, lift your
kneecap up into your thigh to create strength, tuck your pelvis
under slightly to point your tailbone to the ground, and then draw
the right foot up to rest on the inside of your calf (Ross-left),
your inner thigh (Heather-right) or fold your foot up to your hip
and squeeze your knee back and down (Louisa-front).
Bring your palms together at your heart, or for more intensity
bring your arms overhead. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed.
Ensure that you do not rest your foot on your knee joint. And, focus
on lengthening through your waist, and creating a straight line
from your ear, through your shoulder, through your hip, to your
ankle bone. Hold for at least 5 deep breaths, then release, rebalance
in Tadasana, then repeat on the opposite side.
Update: If you are interested
in personal, semi-private, group or corporate classes in Toronto
or North, please contact Heather at heather@yogatrinity.
Thank you |
