The start of a new year…

“We all live with the objective of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same.” Anne Frank (1929-1945); Diarist

The start of 2012 is upon us, and I have to admit that at the stroke of midnight, I was sound asleep.  I used to go to the all night parties, (in my much younger years, and awake the next day with an awful hangover), but now I enjoy spending the end of the year alone with my husband, reflecting on the past 12 months and looking forward to the coming 12 months.  I used to set lofty resolutions for the coming year, and like so many others, they would fall by the wayside by mid-January, and I would berate myself for a week or two and then just get over it, and go on with my life as before.

But this year, I didn’t set resolutions.  I know I want to deepen my asana practice and spiritual studies throughout the year, so I made a plan, and am now taking small, daily steps to enhance my asana practice and spiritual studies.  If I miss a day due to an early morning appointment or other commitment, then if I can, I work my practice and studies in later in the day, and if I can’t, I just continue on the next day.  I no longer beat myself up if I miss a day, I am much more kind and caring towards myself.  I’ve come to realize that berating myself for missing a practice is not caring for myself, and if I’m not caring for myself, how can I teach others to do what I am not doing??

I colored the mandala at the top of this post a couple of days ago to celebrate the peace that I’m hoping to find during this year.  I’m not necessarily looking for world peace, although that would be WONDERFUL, but I’m looking for peace within my soul so that I may interact with others with calmness, compassion, and happiness.

Here’s my toast to all of my fellow yogis and yoginis: “May 2012 be the year of happiness and peace for each and every one of us, just think what the world would be like then!!”

Namaste

Sheri