Hello 2021!

Here is my current and evolving translation of the 8 Limbs. I hope it helps to guide your steps through the year. 

Yama I will be gentle and caring with other living things. I will always tell the truth. I will not steal or waste my energies and passions on trivial things. I will notice when I am craving things that other people have and try to reconnect with the feeling of gratitude.

Niyama I will do my best to be clean and orderly. I will experiment with trusting the feeling of contentment. I will strive for austerity. I will study my whole self - from the outside to the inner core of my heart mind and soul. I will practice trusting the feeling of ease that comes with surrender.

Asana I will treat my body with respect. I will show up to practice so that my body opens and transforms . I will try and move through the year with poise and clarity of intention. I will use my physical strength and presence to lift up and protect those who are more vulnerable and at risk.

Pranayama I will practice feeling my breath and the energy in me and around me. This year, I will take full responsibility for the effects of my presence in my community, and on this planet.

Pratyahara  I will try to be braver about looking inward and feeling my heart. I will try to decrease my dependence on external things like social media, shopping,  and comparing myself to others. I will remind myself that these cravings are just worldy things - distractions from my heart and true Self.

Dharana I will try and be steady and focused in my actions, even in the midst of the chaos around me. Rather than fan the flames of aggression and anxiety, I will provide, in my steady presence, a shelter from the storm for those around me.

Dhyana I will continue (or start) to meditate regularly. I will do this even though I won’t feel like it. I will believe the hype and stick with it. And in 3 months when I still haven’t started meditating, I will forgive myself instantly and start meditating.

Samadhi I will pay attention when I feel a connection to all things deeply and when I feel indistinguishable from all that surrounds me. I won’t analyze it. I will trust it. And in the challenging days ahead, I will try very hard to remember that love for, and connection to all living things is my most essential guiding principle.

Om Om Om