What is your intention?

 

I don’t set goals, nope, even when many others are ringing in the New Year  with resolutions, I have always set intentions.  AND…I believe in living my life following thought with intentions.  If you say you are going to do something…do it! Now don’t get me wrong, goals are great but for me intentions have always seemed more personal, more full of desire. Actually there is a great article in Yoga Journal that sums up intentions and their place in your yoga and meditation practice.

The word for intention, according to yogic philosophy, is sankalpa. This word can be translated as a vow that has been birthed in the very core of your heart — the place of your deepest truth. It is different than a goal, in that it’s a longing that comes from your highest self instead of your thinking brain. Typically, a goal comes from a place of feeling, like you need to accomplish something to be happy. You may have noticed that even if you achieve a goal, you may still feel unfulfilled.

What the yogic practitioner attempts to do is to create a life in which her goals are the same as her sankalpas (her heart’s deepest longings). We do this by establishing an intimacy with our own inner essence — the quiet voice of our inner teacher that speaks in terms of love, silence, knowingness, kindness, and bliss.

To connect to your heart’s highest intention, simply turn your awareness inward. Meditate on the quiet centre of your heart and ask that silence to reveal a sankalpa that will guide you to real fulfillment. In this way, your individual will (goal) will be super-charged with the universal will (sankalpa).

I love that!  An intention is like a vow that has been birthed in the very core of your heart-the place of your deepest truth!!! That is beautiful and that sums it up. So no more, “I want to lose 15 pounds” or “I want to hike up a mountain”, from now on it is, “I will, I will…I will!”

What am I waiting for?

I am stuck….can’t seem to get going…can’t seem to start.  I have struggled for the last year with weight and health. Don’t get me wrong, I am healthy but mentally I just don’t know sometimes.  I battle constantly with guilt and self worth. I can’t seem to get control of my wellness.  I don’t want to say life because in all other aspects of my life, I have control.  My job is successful, my relationships are full but when it comes to my health I can’t seem to get balance, to get consistency, to get focus.  I know what I need, I blog about it, I pin it, I follow it and I am inspired by it.  Yoga, Meditation, Spirituality, healthy eating…I feel like I am doing research on a book report that never ends.  And…so far I have enjoyed every bit of it….because it interests me, inspires me, ignites me!!  But something seems to be stopping me from adopting it as practice. I meditate…inconsistently, I do not make healthy eating routine and I have not yet begun to make yoga a daily ritual. And I hate myself for every failure, for every avoidance.  I even picture me…older….possibly even in the throes of last moments and feeling regret for all I always wanted to commit to and never did.  What the hell?? What needs to click in my brain to make me feel motivated…focused.  But I have to make it click….I need to re wire my brain to make it so. How do I do that?  Is this a start…admitting and laying it all out there?  Do I need to do some spiritual purging and get rid of some of my mental clutter?  Maybe I need  to have more humility  to accept that I need guidance? Or have the courage  to see that age is what is happening, accept it and fight it every step of the way!  Don’t fight the wisdom, don’t fight the grace, don’t fight the elegance, don’t fight the respect…BUT…battle the fatigue, combat the slow metabolism, wage war on the mood swings…..Fight it! But first I have to get un-stuck…to start….to begin!!  NOW!

Balance

 

Something we are all always searching for and strive to achieve.  Balance. These days life seems so busy with ……expectations.  Expectations put there by us…by others, by society. And when we try to achieve those expectations, we get stressed, overwhelmed and sometimes …sick.  Why do we do it to ourselves? We are over achievers?  We don’t want to let others down?  We are to proud to admit we can’t do it?  Sometimes all these reasons apply. But there comes a time that it has to stop, because there will be suffering.  Wether it is your health, your relationships, or your work…something will suffer when you try to be all…do all. I know so many women who have succeeded in finding the balance but others, me included, who are still trying to figure it out.  But where do you start?   I think for each one of us its is different. I think for me, part of this journey is sorting it out soon and not just writing about it. So where am I going to start?

1. Work- I love my job and I think I am actually pretty good at it.  My work family is exactly that…like family, so in the past I would sometimes not press upon them, my expectations or I would not be as tough in terms of my standards.  Also, because I cared about the people I work with, I would sometimes try and make their job easier, which is not always bad, but I would sometimes do it by answering their questions instead of nurturing problem solving and/or I would put my job and my role aside to support them instead of giving them the tools to develop themselves.  As a result, I was often working on my lunch or at home to get my stuff done, or I would be over run with questions and issues as soon as I walked in the door which can sometimes be overwhelming.  There was no balance as I was always thinking of work and work was thinking of me.  Well, no more!  I sat down with my direct reports and simply told them how I felt. I was feeling a little overwhelmed and the pressure of people coming to me for everything was too much.  The weight of being the one everyone counted on was laying heavy on my soul.  And I was not doing them any favours.  I am so lucky though because I have the best women working for me!  They embraced  and appreciated my vulnerability and understood where I was coming from.  It wasn’t their fault after all, I had put that in place. It was my desire to have all the answers and always be the strong one.  Now I feel so hopeful that we will all have the balance at work and actually be more able to support each other.
2. It’s okay to say NO. That’s right, sometimes you need to say it!  You cannot accept every invitation, go to every party, attend every dinner.  Sometimes you just have to say NO, and that’s okay.  Friends will always understand.
3. No more guilt…family will understand.  For me, being raised Catholic, there is guilt.  Guilt not always placed there by someone but by yourself..because of that expectation you put on yourself.  Stop it! You cannot always fix every ones problems or save every one from their sadness or despair. Don’t feel guilty for saying NO, don’t feel guilty for not being there for every problem and don’t feel guilty because someone had a bad day….and you didn’t
4. Figure out the diet thing!  You cannot feel guilty and hate yourself because you had a glass of wine or a piece of chocolate.  I am sorry but if you are a foodie, as I am, you love food and the experience it can bring. So you have to figure it out. Have an amazing dinner?  Go for a run, a walk, do yoga!!  Whatever it takes.  If you know there is a dinner party coming up…be good all week, work out…whatever it takes so you can enjoy the experience of that dinner party and not bore everyone with your lines of “Oh I really shouldn’t ….” 
5. Unplug!!!  Yes, as I write a post online…on a blog…I say it…unplug!! The time we spend online can be crazy sometimes.  And don’t get me wrong.  I use it for so much research, creativity, communication..I love the internet but it can be all consuming and obsessive.  This is really where some of us will have challenges , me included…but if I unplug for 30 minutes, I can do yoga!!!  I can go for an amazing walk in the sun!  I can listen to music while washing dishes and sing at the top of my lungs. I can meditate. I can read a book.  I can prep meals for the week.  I can talk to a loved one on the phone. (no texting!)  Did I say already, that I can do Yoga?  Yes Yoga!  I have been wanting so badly to start my Yoga again and time and time again I do not seem to be able to find the time.  But the time is there….I am just doing something else…again…or for to long….or sleeping…Stop it!!!  This is where I really struggle….Day in and day out lately, I fail at making the time….BALANCE…Figure it out girl!                                                                                                                                               Balance it out!!! Put yourself first! Yes you!  First…because if you do that…if you remember what makes you happy, if you re-visit what you enjoy then you will be the best version of yourself..but that takes Balance. It won’t happen on it’s own, gotta do it..gotta make changes, gotta talk it out…Balance it out!

Happinez

Recently while on vacation in Texas, I stumbled across the most amazing magazine in Barnes and Noble.  I may have missed it if for not  deciding to go to the Starbucks to get  coffee. I was waiting in line and turned around to see a small rack featuring some magazines…and there it was.  I was immediately drawn to the beautiful cover. Once I flipped through the pages I could not believe it.  I felt like I found a magazine made for me and the present time in my life. Why have I not heard of this magazine before?  Of course I bought it and spent the rest of the afternoon ingesting all of it’s beauty.

So turns out this is a Dutch magazine that has been around for years but they just started publishing an English version in 2015.  So far there has been 2 issues and they just released their third.  In their own words….

Welcome to this new magazine. A magazine for people who have two feet on the ground, who are aware of living in a changing, hectic society and for that reason are looking for ways to find peace – as a starting point for a happy and harmonious life.

Let me tell you, this magazine is so beautiful!  The pages are thick and rich with stunning photographs, inspiring articles and amazing discoveries.  Seriously I had never heard of the 18 Ities before!  And there is a great article revealing it all.

This magazine struck with me so much that I have purchased a few for friends with similar passions as I feel it is meant to be shared.

In every issue is also beautiful cut away inspirational cards! Wow!

Now unfortunately this magazine is only available in Barnes and Noble in the US and that sucks for us Canadians, but the good news is you can now subscribe for a whole year on their website and shipping is fast and cheap! Their website also has a great Blog and of course beautiful images, as does their Instagram.

Can not wait for my next issue….