Do You Make Time For You?
July 12th, 2010
This summer, I participated in the amazing International Association of Yoga Therapists conference, which reinforced the idea that yoga is a unique experience for each yogi. Yet, while different for everyone, the one common maxim is the importance of incorporating elements of your health practice into your daily routine.
As one of the inspiring yogis at the conference shared, she knew she “needed to make lifestyle changes before the big C-word came knocking at the door.” It wasn’t until she had to quit her job to start her chemotherapy treatments that she found the time to incorporate daily health rituals to support her mind and body.
There is no one size fits-all approach for channeling balance, joy and, ultimately, health into your daily schedule. Summer is a time where we all hopefully get to slow down, whether for a vacation or a lull in a hectic schedule. A few ideas we love at Fine Balance to help you build new habits:
Practice what you believe: Pick one shift you know you need to make whether it is attending a yoga class every Monday or cooking a healthy dinner every Wednesday.
Feed yourself with silence: Whether it is through a meditation practice or a silent walk alone in the park (yes, sans Blackberry or iPhone), start or end each day by giving your mind some much-deserved rest.
Power of positive language: When the negative tape starts rolling in your mind replace it with a positive thought. Post a reminder to help you practice. Example: Begin each day by reading a helpful reminder like, “I create peacefulness in my mind and my body reflects this.”
Live your passion: You don’t necessarily have to be living out your passion in your full time job but make sure you spend time every week doing one activity you absolutely love.
It can be exciting and fun to develop a new routine to support balanced living but the key is the implementation. Chose ONE of the above ideas and calendar the time in for yourself. Keep yourself from being overwhelmed by committing to just one change for an entire month. Once it becomes routine to treat your body and mind with great care, great health will naturally follow!