Happy New Year, Yogis! With the difficulties and changes to our normal routines and all the challenges faced here at Drishtiq Yoga studio, many of us are grateful that 2020 has ended and optimistically looking forward to ushering in the hopes of a new year.
New Year’s Day, sometimes referred to as New Year’s, is celebrated on January 1, the first calendar day of the new year. There are countless ways to celebrate New Year’s in both Western and Eastern cultures. This year many of those celebrations were held virtually. You may have watched The Ball drop at Times Square in New York City, attended a religious service, binge-watched a favorite TV series, or enjoyed a firework show all from the comforts of your home with family or friends.
One of the more common traditions at the start of the new year is to set New Year’s resolutions or goals. According to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, a New Year’s resolution is a promise to do something different in the new year. Could I set an intention to do things differently in 2021? Could I begin each day with a smile, keep a gratitude journal, or reduce my screen time in half? Could I focus on my pranayama (breathwork) to deepen my yoga, be present in dhyana (meditation), practice ahimsa (non-violence), or activate my core in each asana (pose)? Take a moment to set new intentions for yourself in 2021.
At Drishtiq Yoga studio, in January, we will practice new ways of being. To be present on your yoga mat in this new year, whether in-person at the studio or home virtually. Be here, now, and let go of 2020 by pressing forward into 2021. For instance, when working on Ujjayi breathing, a technique in yoga that focuses on inhaling and exhaling through the nose, try to remind yourself to be in the moment and release the past. Be aware that you made it through uncertainty or difficult times and heading towards a more radiant future. If engaged in meditation, when the mind wanders, be aware of the thinking, but let go of the judgment.
Instead, simply smile and acknowledge, but let it pass and return to the breath. Finally, let us be together practicing yoga collectively as one community. I love that Drishtiq Yoga studio offers so many classes to meet the needs of everyone from Hot, Warm, Gentle, to Yin & Restorative.
Now, there is a television in the Inspire Room to give practitioners access to a heated class and live streaming in a non-heated room. Yahoo, I can’t wait to join! With that said, the sun has set on the year 2020 and risen in 2021. I say, “Hello, 2021! I’m so glad to see you!”.
Namaste,
Danita R. Taylor