New Year SAME You! Delving into your darkness and finding your light….
Well, how was it? Sensible? Wild? How are you feeling as we delve into 2019?
January hang overs or feeling energised?
In a quest to start the New Year differently this year I embarked on Module 1 of Suzanne Faith’s TRUTH and BRAVERY, 100 hours of the 300 Hour programme of Advanced Yoga Teacher training which was in Barcelona from the 27th January – 7th January. Fair to say I had to lean into some of my own stark TRUTHS BRAVELY!
I’ve generally had a feeling of DARKNESS since about November, and have been in a period of contractive, heavy energy, general self doubt and confusion. It’s often hard to deal with this if you are naturally a being of positivity and light, but to deny it and is to confound it! Instead I’ve been facing some OLD DEMONS and really working on deeply accepting them. I had hoped the course would bring me much light and self confidence, but the energy of the course was about Durga and Kali and really LEANING in to these darker elements of yourself. It was probably one of the hardest courses I’ve done (including all the Vipassana adventures, my many trail/running races, and intense times at ashrams) but I feel deeply grateful to Suzanne and everyone at the Wellco Centre for their incredible teachings.
Photos- Suzanne Faith Yoga TTC
Reflections for you
- New Year, SAME you. Often in the New Year we pile on list after list of compressive resolutions, putting ourselves under fierce pressure and then by week 3 collapsing in frustration and going back to our OLD ways. So, instead of piling pressure on yourself for all of this. After you’ve created your vision for 2019,your hopes, your dreams, your wishes for self improvement, holidays, patterns to be addressed…I then really invite you to look at what OBSTACLES may stand in your way. So for example if you want to get fitter and stronger, you may find yourself pounding it at the gym the first few weeks, and then hitting a wall of exhaustion and giving up. Instead, think LESS IS MORE. Find a regular pattern that is sustainable, AND get yourself a MENTOR, COACH or FRIEND who will keep you on track and keep you MOTIVATED.
- BECOME the observer. It can take a long time of REAL commitment to really change thought patterns and behaviour. I really invite you to become the observer of your own thought patterns, your own behaviour patterns, and from there decide what changes you would like to invite in for the year. (The Chimp Paradox is a really great read for this (see link at the bottom)
- MORE LOVE! I really recommend each of us adds more LOVE to our lives. Often we seem to seek love, validation, joy from things outside of ourselves (trying to BUY happiness, I’ve been there many times!) when the key is perhaps to see what we can gain from the inside out. I’m an avid fan of LouiseHay, and really recommend you listen to this everyday at bedtime https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzfhrPXFMuA
- Wellness Wheels! So instead of compiling a list of BIG CHANGES for 2019, why not start small? I love having a look at things like these wellness wheels, asking ‘Where am I at right now’ (on each slice giving) and ‘What would I like to focus on this year’. I love these wellness wheels (website link below) from the coaching tool company. So assessing each area of your life and then asking which changes you would like to invite in (if any)
- Not suprisingly I’d say add in some Yoga/Meditation to your life. Again think SMALL CHANGES BIG DIFFERENCE. If you really can’t get to a class there is tonnes of stuff out there online. I Love the little sessions on Gaia if I just need a 20 minute boost in my day somewhere. https://www.gaia.com/
GOOD LUCK AND BE KIND TO YOURSELF!
https://www.thecoachingtoolscompany.com/products/wheel-of-life-coaching-tool/
https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Chimp_Paradox.html?id=6gx55pHEfWgC&source=kp_cover&redir_esc=y
