As the turn of the year approaches once again, how many of you have started thinking about New Year’s resolutions – even if, quite often, they are not very new at all? In fact, all too often, they are actually the same ones we made last year but did not stick to.
Which begs the question of why bother? Change is hard work. So shouldn’t we just accept ourselves as we are and let go of the idea that we could create a better version of ourselves? Loving and accepting ourselves for who we are is certainly a worthy aim. But even doing that meaningfully can require transformation of a kind – a transformation in our thinking. And what about those resolutions that really would support us in living more fulfilling, connected and joyous lives?
If you are stuck in a job you hate, it IS important to make 2019 the year you find a new vocation. If you are feeling stifled creatively, 2019 IS the year to find a satisfying outlet for your passion. If you are chronically stressed and exhausted, 2019 IS the year to find a more balanced and sustainable way of living.
Transformational change
But change is challenging, and sometimes the best intentions in the world are simply not enough to ensure temporary change becomes lasting transformation. That is where kundalini yoga and meditation come in. They act as tools to help bring about authentic, lasting transformation by working on multiple levels.
Habits, both good and bad, exist not just in our subconscious and unconscious minds, but also in our cellular memory as well. So, to delete old habits and create new ones successfully, it is necessary to work on all of these levels. Kundalini yoga can help here by:
Rewiring our nervous system to remove old habits and embed new ones;
Rebalancing and reprogramming our endocrine (hormonal) system to support us through the emotional challenges that change generates;
Cultivating a neutral mind so that we have the necessary awareness to make conscious choices untainted by ego, which resists change;
Developing an achievable daily practice that specifically targets the changes we wish to make;
Providing us with a supportive community of fellow yogis, who are also working towards making change and so help to keep us accountable.
Life is too short to write off effecting transformational change in the name of loving and accepting ourselves as we are. It is important to remember that we cannot fully love and accept ourselves if we are not living an authentic life in which we recognise and honour our own needs. So it is vital to put in the hard work required to ensure those needs are met by creating the necessary change.
If you would like support in making such changes real and lasting, check out my new six-week Kundalini Yoga and Meditation Course starting on 9 January 2019 at the Mokshala Yoga and Meditation Centre in Saffron Walden, Essex. You won’t regret it.