Monday, February 9, 2009

Yoga in 2009 - It's Time For a Change

Yoga makes us realize that one person can change people for the best. Continued small changes can add up to major changes. The beginning of change, in any culture or society, starts within the thoughts of one or more people.

At the beginning of each year, we evaluate the past, plan for the future, and move forward with optimism. This year on January 1, 2009, the people of the world open their eyes with a vision of the future. We have choices and many decisions for 2009, but commitment is always the key to making changes.

It is so easy to lack commitment in relationships, work, and lifestyle changes. Most New Year's resolutions lack sincerity or commitment. The reason is because we have to believe a resolution is possible.

Barack Obama's campaign slogan, "Change you can believe in," comes to mind. When going up a flight of stairs, you are better off keeping track of each step up a stair case than to focus on arriving at the top step. If we do not focus on each step, the risk of falling down the stair case is much greater.

This attention to detail is a lesson we learn from life. If you want to make positive changes, write your goal down, but underneath the goal you should note each step that is required for you to accomplish your ultimate goal. This planning process is worth every minute or hour you invest.

No matter what form of Yoga you practice, there are bench marks and mile stones along your journey. Life is the same way, because small steps of achievement are the highway toward success. Some Yogis will criticize self-improvement, goal setting, and success enhancement techniques.

Consider this: If each of us gave up on the search for success, would we be helping our families or the world? Classic Yoga texts required a Yogi with a goal. The opposite of achieving is failing and quitting. Do we want to endorse failing and quitting? Yoga would not be the system it is today, if all of its practitioners were against self-improvement.

Therefore, see Yoga for what it is. Yoga is the mother of all self-improvement systems. Yoga is also the mother of all health maintenance systems. The first requirement, on the path toward success, is to see endless possibilities and reality at the same time. This is why Yoga students, of all kinds, take small, but sure, steps forward.

No comments: