Lately, things have gotten much busier for me.

My yoga practice has fallen off the top of my priority list as we head into a busy holiday season that seems to have arrived faster than I was expecting. I also think the cold weather has me wanting to be a homebody as well. As I am realizing these shifts in my practice and where my focus has been drawn to, I am trying to understand more of my reasons for not always choosing to go to yoga. Typically, the reasoning doesn’t seem legitimate if I say it out loud, although sometimes I know it is. I’m realizing if I am actually tired I should skip practice to allow my body to rest, but if I am just tired of the cold, I probably should get my butt up and go to class. Harold always says “no one can kick your own ass” which is very true. I must be my own motivation to get to class but also to motivate myself through the practice once I’m on my mat.

I’ve decided on a few things for my practice coming into the New Year:

One is that I’m allowing myself to finish out the rest of 2018 with whatever yoga practice I can achieve throughout the rest of this busy season.

Two, that I will have 3-month goals going into 2019 of “yoga goals” I would like to achieve for myself. My end goal is I would like to attend 100 classes of yoga in 2019. My plan is that I will do 25 classes in each set of three-month periods. So, 6 classes plus two 1.5hr classes per month with the grace of knowing I may miss one here or there. When I can break it down into smaller quantities and look at each piece it seems more achievable overall.

Another goal I am considering adding to my list is being able to do a head or handstand by the end of 2019. We will see what else I add. I know I must hold myself accountable daily at work, in relationships, so why not also hold myself to the same standards when it comes to yoga?

I love the fact that yoga is a practice. It is forever what I make it to be on my mat that very day. But I want to make sure I am also not getting too comfortable with the term practice to where I am not applying my mental and physical strength I’ve gained over this past year or so. I do have to say though that I am grateful for the ebbs and flows of my practice, there always is time for reflection and assessment of where to go next with it. No matter if you fall out of practicing or are doing it every day, it is important that you can take the time to give yourself credit for how you do show up when you do.

No one can kick your own ass.