Making Small Shifts

November has certainly flown by, and I was blessed to spend one week of it in beautiful Aruba with my hubby celebrating our six year anniversary.


It is a chance to do nothing and love it! I get to trade my usually very detailed schedule for a blank slate. Lots of walking on the beach, reading, and eating good food. In fact I intentionally try to stay away from scheduling anything aside from a massage and a tee time.


This year for the first time though I decided to take a yoga class. It was held on the beach (thankfully under a beautiful huge tree out of the sun).


I have been practicing yoga regularly for awhile, and while it may often be only once a week, I have a pretty good grasp of the basics and can even pull off the handstand, headstand and backbends when I end up in the more advanced class.


This yoga class was really just the basics, since most or all of the participants were tourists. However doing even the most simple, familiar poses on sand was a whole new ball game. And definitely a bit challenging at times.


Sometimes it only takes a small shift to experience a big change.


With the busy holiday season underway, be aware of the small shifts you can make (like taking your yoga practice onto the sand -- ok, maybe not happening here in Connecticut this month!) and notice and enjoy the rewards you'll reap.

The Time You Find

I just read something from the "Daily Om" (which I love since they always seem to have the message I need at the right time) which got me thinking. It's an area many of us love to "talk the talk" but have difficulting "walking the walk." When was the last time you thought you needed to simplify your schedule? For me, that was probably about an hour ago!

"For many, life is a hodgepodge of never-ending commitments. Yet few of us can be truly healthy or happy without regular periods of downtime. While there is nothing inherently wrong with busyness, those of us who over-commit or over-extend ourselves potentially face exhaustion and burnout. When you feel overwhelmed by your commitments, examining your motivation for taking on so many obligations can help you understand why you feel compelled to do so much. You may discover that you are being driven by fear that no one else will do the job or guilt that you aren't doing enough. To regain your equilibrium and clear the clutter from your calendar, simplify your life by establishing limits regarding what you will and will not do based on your personal priorities."

Mondays are almost always long days for me. I leave for work by 7:30 am or so and often don't return home till 10:30 pm. Yesterday I decided that a few things could wait to be done until tomorrow and made myself a cup of tea instead. The thirty minutes I took to slow down the pace of my day kept me balanced and sane. Taking downtime helped me to be more efficient the rest of the day, teach an energetic class (my 2nd of the day) and do some cooking in the evening.

Even small steps will empower you to retake active control of the life that defines you.

Go to www.dailyom.com for a daily dose of inspiration .