new year reflections

"the unexamined life is not worth living." - plato

happy, happy new year.

it's that special time of the year where you may take a step back to evaluate where you are, where you've been, and where you're heading. on my flight back from visiting family in oklahoma this week, i took some time to list my 2009 highlights, lessons learned and dreams for 2010. this process is most cathartic and offers an opportunity to take stock annually to ensure movement in the right direction.

for yogis this is an important aspect of our practice and it's called svadyaya - self study - which is one of the moral codes of yoga. i love the above quote by plato as it's the perfect reminder to slow down, reflect, explore, and dig deeper. pull out your journal, grab a mug of tea, and let's indulge in self-study for a moment.

in light of this recent reflection, i wanted to share a few of my 2009 highlights with you: learning about mindfulness-based stress reduction, spending 10 days in paris, leading retreats in costa rica and new york, returning to school to pursue MSW, tranquil space foundation's film festival, celebrating tranquil space's 10-year birthday with you, penning tranquilista, releasing 4th yoga to go CD, and celebrating 5 years with my supportive beau. all in all, a productive, blessed year. what are yours? can you bring them together in visual form? doodle the highlights or simply list them.

lessons learned (and continue to relearn - as pema chodron reminds us, the same challenges keep reappearing until we've learned the lesson they have come to teach us): ask for what you need, speak with compassion (recently picked up nonviolent communication and can't wait to read it), keep working with word of the year "spaciousness" and remember it when overscheduling or overcommitting, declutter daily, savor the simple things (lesson brought back from parisians who you'd never catch with a to-go cup). what lessons are you taking away from your experiences this year?

now it's time to look forward. what do you want 2010 to hold? more strategic use of time and energy. since i oversee four organizations including three yoga studios, manage six bank accounts (not my cup o' tea), "mother" three furry creatures, and am a grad student, this is more important than ever. continuation of weekly boxing classes. design new e-course based on tranquilista or living your yoga. set up etsy store (heading to sewing excursion today so look for fun eco-items soon). daily meditation. host monthly dinners at chez moi. return to dance. daily sun salutations. more you tube videos. when you ponder what you want your life to look like december 31, 2010, what do you see? take a moment to collage, draw, dream, or paint it.

as we cross the threshold into a brand new decade, i wish you oodles of tranquility. raise a glass to 2009. honor your efforts. choose a word to focus on in 2010 - my attachment to "spaciousness" will continue. toast your practice of lokah samasta sukino bhavantu - thoughts, words, and actions benefiting others. relish in being uniquely, fabulously you. as pema chodron reminds us, you are perfect just as you are. i like to think that we can simply add dashes of enhancements (like the boosts we add to our smoothies at a juice bar) through practices of self-study and adherence to the above mantra.

let your life sparkle and shine in 2010. namaste.