“the core of a fulfilled life is knowing that every moment is a choice”
“As your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny”
– Rod Stryker, The Four Desires
If you are someone who has made a New Year’s Resolution, you will need to have an implementation plan in order to move from the wish for change to the desire for change to becoming one with the desire. This ultimate yoga (unity) with your goal may be a path laden with resistance. A stubbornness to change is an obstacle to growth.. You may wish you were healthier. You may desire to lose weight, but until you start making choices to lead you to the NEW IMPROVED YOU ( the old one is perfect but we can all move towards excellence ) there will be lots of space between the resolution and the accomplishment of it. For example, eating healthier requires buying more natural produce and leaving the high fat snacks in the supermarket where they can continue to decorate the shelves. After all, as my friend, Gita says: “a minute on the lips, a month on the hips!”. This being said, when you do that shopping, you may encounter resistance from the old you who is afraid of change, and so once again, those chocolate cookies end up in your cart, in your pantry, in your tummy…
This should tell you that we need to rewire our brains before any substantial change can be made. When I first started Yoga, my teacher said: “intention, attention, and the details up to the universe”. You do need to intend to create change, then focus attention on it in a sustained way (includes practise, patience, practise, self-discipline, harmonising actions with that magical intention, practise and patience) and as you shift into the head space of change and implementation in a focused way, to be able to let go into a knowingness that the universe will help you out. Sometimes the universe will test you by sending you 50% off coupons for your favourite ice cream, which is a strengthening exercise to be grateful for, and you can pass with flying colours! Your inner attitude matters. Your perceptions matter.
I once set my intention as peacefulness. I had very noisy neighbours, for which I had to go to court, I couldn’t sleep and there was too much drama going on. So I recited the mantra: “om shanty shanty shanty” and decided that whatever the next year brought, it was going to be peace and positivity. I decided that even though a move wasn’t the best financial decision, I would still investigate options. I remember seeing one apartment that was really unaffordable for me. The rental agent was so giving with her time that I apologised for wasting it afterwards in a thank you note. She was so moved with this detail that she put me in touch with a concierge who had the perfect apartment for me and it was not yet on the rental market. I was tenacious with him, and this is where I am writing from. My sanctuary! The universe helped me, but I was not idle. I visualised, took actions, stayed focused and also, decided that whatever happened I could make even small personal choices on a daily basis to invite that which I was seeking.
One practise that is very useful is mantra recitation. It is a discipline that quiets the thinking brain and helps break emotional or thought patterns that are being held onto. As such, they can become obstacles on our path. If your internal state is unified with your desire, you can achieve anything. The system of YOGA is a very powerful toolbox for transformation.
This being said, whatever you are desiring, the best place to start working on your endeavour is your brain. This mantra is traditionally chanted to begin new projects with positive energy and remove any obstacles in the way:
Get quiet, sit still, where the spine is straighter and tension is dislodged. Traditionally recited 108 times, and try a 21 day period where you add this to your routine for a few minutes each day:
OM GUM GANAPATEYEI NAMAHA
Om Guhm Guh-nuh-puh-tuh-yea
Nah-mah-hah
(Om and salutations to Ganapati – Ganesha: the remover of obstacles)
Namaste,
Rana
Rana Waxman is a registered yoga therapist ERYT-500, with 20 years of teaching experience. Rana is a freelance writer and social media expert in addition to leading yoga workshops internationally and teaching alignment focused private and group Yoga Lessons in Hoboken and Jersey City NJ.
