New Beginnings: A Review

Yesterday I taught a class with two new students, both first time to The SweatBox and completely new to Bikram Yoga. At the end of the class, one student came out with wide eyes, bright eyes and a little grin. "You did great!" I said, "How do you feel?"

"That was tough," he chuckled back, "but I'll be here tomorrow."

The other new student came out and bolted for the door. When she was already out of my sight, I hollered, "Goodbye...... did you have any questions?" She quipped back, clearly agitated, "Nope" and was gone.  A few moments later a regular student came out and told me that,while changing in the dressing room, this student was pretty vocally unhappy about her experience. I don't think she'll be back.

This drastically different response to the same exact experience made me think about my own responses to struggle, change, new things because, I, like many of us, push back against things that are hard. And how perfect to reflect on this when we are just days away from ringing in a new year. Every year the New Year sneaks up on me and I want to be a cynic and hater. By this point in 2014, I am fully holi-Dayed out. But I'm actually not a hater. I'm a lover. A lover or fresh starts, new beginnings, clean slates.

Last year, I committed to meditating three times a week.

In 2013, I decided to give up half and half.

The year before, my daughter and I made a joint resolution to "not be perfect."

In 2011 I did my first every Polar Bear Plunge.

And, I didn't start this blog until February of 2010, so I don't know if I had any resolutions that year!

As far as meditating goes, I've maintained my average, sometimes skipping weeks, other times doing it daily. I am still half-and-half free. For about a year, I gritted my way through black coffee. I now have a new plan involving milk that I feel really great about. Perfectionism is in my blood. I still hate to be wrong and I struggle to accept change gracefully, but having a daughter who I see battling with similar issues is my best and most constant reminder to model being open to change, open to failure, and proud of doing my best.  The Polar Bear Plunge.... been there. Done that!

Right now, in this moment of reflection, I feel very very grateful for this blog. This is one of the most grounding places in my world. It helps me remember the things I'm sure of, the things I'm still learning, and the profound number of things I don't know, at times when I most need reminding.  It is through teaching Yoga and trying my best to be a good partner and parent and friend that these lessons come.

I still have a few days to come up with my resolutions for 2015. I'm open to ideas........