The Hands of Time

New Years Intentions and mindful techniques for interested yogis

I am Homesick for a place I am not sure even exists. One where my heart is full. My body loved. And my soul understood.”

-Melissa Cox

It is a conundrum to experience life as full of nothing but time, but we never seem to have enough of it. Days turn to nights, and accomplishments are always scheduled and rescheduled and the things we really want to do never fit. But why is it that the things we want to do aren’t at the top of our own lists? We have aspirations in life and a pull to fill our hearts, feed our souls, and love our self-doubt. More often than not, we waste time. We waste it on others, we waste it on things, we waste it hoping that the right time will come. I am here today to tell you that time can be strategically collected and organized so that you can spend it mindfully, creatively, and lovingly.

I believe that time heals all, and all we have is time. Figuring out who we are truly deep down involves nothing but spending time with the present moment and filling it with unity and self love.

Balancing out our Lives one Moment at a Time

I am not in love with the idea of “New Years Resolutions” nor do I think that they last long enough to make a real change in peoples lives. In all seriousness, on days that I don’t have the energy to be positive, Januarys suck. They are cold and gloomy and feel unproductive- if thats my mindset that I wake up with for the next twenty some days how do we think my month will go?

Our lives happen one moment at a time and although nothing changes from moment to moment we look back and everything is different.

It truly comes down to believing you want your life to be balanced and meaningful, and if you don’t want that then it couldn’t possibly be.

So lets start small. What does your morning routine look like? I know I hate getting out of my warm bed in January, and taking the journey alllll the way upstairs to splash some water on my face and start my day. How good you feel in the morning sets your attitude and productivity for the day.

Here is a morning routine that only takes about 15 minutes

I found this online a few weeks ago, and I would like you to join me in starting our mornings off manifesting gratitude and productivity.

Try it with me every day for the month of January and lets see what happens.

1. Make your Bed. Simple but powerful, and it eliminates your desire to get back in it.
2. Drink a glass of water. Kick start your metabolism with hydration.
3. Breath work. Connect to your Prana or life force energy, just sit and breathe a little deeper and connect with the pattern of inhale and exhale.
4. Meditate. Sit on a pillow on the floor, and quiet your mind for just one or two minutes. This releases dopamine, serotonin, relaxants, and tons of endorphins.
5. Journal. For one minute get all of your thoughts out onto paper, no judgement or trying to filter, just a stream of consciousness- maybe even jot down some dreams that you remember.
6. Exercise. For one minute. This could be 3 sun salutations, 30 jumping jacks, sit ups, pushups, anything that activates you and gets your heart rate up.
7. Gratitude. Recite out loud or on paper all of the things you’re grateful for in the present moment or things in the future as if they have already happened.
8. Listen to words of development. Find a motivational podcast, or read a page of your book. Take two minutes to adjust your mindset towards positivity and personal growth. I suggest Deepak Chopra, he’s on Spotify and has short mindful words of wisdom to share.

Lets see after a month if this makes our days or maybe even lives improve.

Other Orders of Business

Some Inspiring Journal Topics to Start your year

Lets Reflect.

• What am I most Proud of from last year, and why?
• What challenges did I face and overcome?
• What experiences do I want more of in my life, and who do I want to share them with?
• What do I wish I did Last year and never got around to doing?
• What kind of person do I want to be this year?

Journaling is intimidating at first. You hate your handwriting, you can never find the right pen or paper, and you can never find the correct words to pour it out onto paper. Practice with prompts first, and let it be time spent with yourself. Journaling and bonding with your thought process out on paper is a timeless and mindful way to be organized and goal oriented.

---

Things that I wish for you and I to improve upon this year is to decrease our output of waste

Highly effective and impactful ways we can do this:

Change to a Bamboo Toothbrush. This Eco-Friendly alternative to plastic is naturally antimicrobial, which means bacteria growth is virtually impossible. Bamboo plants are extremely fast growing and require no pesticides or chemicals in the growth process. They are also classy and unique!

Saving the Earth one shave at a time. This classic looking razor eliminates tons of waste, literally! 2 billion plastic razors end up in landfills in the US alone, and they take about 1000 years to degrade. Better yet: stop shaving all together! All the power to you!

An average of 25% of your food waste could be removed from the waste stream and composted in your backyards! Composting recycles organic resources, only to benefit your gardening season in the long run. It saves landfill space and holds a ton more water in your garden beds, which also reduces water usage. Best part is, it makes your worms very happy! Happy worms= Happy crops!

Look how cute these reusable grocery bags are! Please consider ditching your use of plastic grocery bags. One single persons switch to reusable bags saves about 22,000 plastic bags from the landfill in their lifetime. This doesn’t have to be limited to grocery shopping either! Take your reusable bags to your Homegoods hauls too!

Thrifting is groovy for so many reasons. Your wallet, and the environment will thank you! This goes both ways, donate your used goods and reduce waste in landfills. Almost 20% of pesticide use worldwide is on cotton plants, which also contaminates water sources. You will positively contribute to the decrease in worldwide textile demand and subsequent waste. I hope you’re sitting down… it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make one pair of jeans, and 400 to make one cotton t-shirt. Go visit your local sally and step your fashion and eco friendly game up!

Dare I even say it, but TURN THE WATER OFF WHEN YOU BRUSH YOUR TEETH! I hope you consider one of these changes as part of your new year intentions. Some of these are big changes, and difficult to adjust to, but mindful living fills our environment with love and potential solutions to our wastefulness as humans.

---

One of my Intentions for this year is to read more books. In light of this commitment I think its time for another Book Club!!

Book Club

This incredibly deep and moving novel that is top rated by many is a great read for escaping your day and diving into a book. It is an easy read, and you can always listen to the audible version instead! Highly recommended

If you are still interested in staying on our Patreon page I will be offering live and recorded classes and meditations consistently to that forum. The tiers will be changing. A $10 membership will give you access to our newsletter, special meditations, and short stretch videos. A full online membership will be $25 and you will get two full classes a week along with all of our meditations and short stretch videos. Let me know your interest, and I am open to suggestions for new classes and meditation options!

I cant wait to see your smiling faces, and hear your well practiced ujjayi breath filling the studio with life and love! See you on your mats.

I leave you with this thoughtful new years day address by his holiness Radhanath Swami. He is a wonderful person to consider following on Instagram for daily mindful wisdom.

“Today is new years day. it is a time when we have the opportunity to reflect on our past, our present and our future. We can do this anytime but there are certain occasions where it becomes a very prominent opportunity. When we understand our purpose then nothing will discourage us, because we will always be seeking opportunities to grow. When we look back at the past, and each and everyone of us have made so many mistakes, we have done so many foolish things, we may have deep regrets how we have treated people, there is every reason to be distressed, discouraged, depressed and deeply regretful. Sometimes human psychology choses to blank it out and pretend it never existed. In other words, to live in denial. As Devotees of God, we neither live in denial nor do we become discouraged. Whatever regrets there maybe, we recognize and we learn from them. The School of life, we learn our lessons. 
We will interpret our past, apply in the present and move in the future in such a way that we are moving towards the light of Krishna’s grace. When we suffer darkness we can have a greater appreciation of light. In this last year, most of us have probably have loved ones who have been ill, or who have died. Economically there is so much uncertainty, politically so much unrest, racially so many upheavels and individually so many are locked down, isolated. Like everything, it will pass. The good times pass and the hard times pass. How are we growing as they are passing? That is the real question in our life. 
We are coming out of a difficult year and moving into a year of opportunities. Srila Prabhupada would say the whole purpose of all Vedic literatures is let all beings be happy. We want everyone to be happy. Let this be our new years wish, ‘Sarve Sukhinah Bhavantu” Let all things be happy. True happiness, the happiness of awakening the love of the eternal soul. We receive so that we can give. We do not receive so that we could give, that is seva. My prayer is ‘Sarve Sukhinah Bhavantu’ let all beings be happy. Be kind to each other, seek shelter of the Lord’s names and let us together help the world to be happy.”

Consider his words as a reminder that everything is temporary and this too shall pass. Enjoy the wonderful and good things happening in this moment, stop dreading the future, and dwelling on the past.

Peace, love, and bliss

Finn