Reflections on "13 Poses to Break Bad Habits" from Yoga Journal

In the January issue of Yoga Journal (2015) is a fantastic article on how to break bad habits through a series of yoga poses. The title of the article is
13 Poses to Break Bad Habits. The article suggests you give this sequence 40 days to really get your willpower working and your energy increased. I was particularly intrigued since it focused on setting intentions, or sankulpas, and since its the new year, I thought why not give it a try!

I began on January 5 with vigor. It didn't take me long to realize that I've really let my core muscles go. I was able to do all the asanas; however, not at the duration they suggested. As of today, I am close to the duration of the core strengthening poses, and I feel terrific. My stamina continues until bedtime. Usually during the week, if I can sneak in a short nap, I take it. My body seems to not need it now. I have not had a nap since mid-December!

A couple of nights ago, I was cuddling with my oldest son before bed and we have this lovely ritual that we do nightly. He asks me how my day was and the best and worst parts of it, I then ask him the same thing. For four days in a row I did not have a bad part of my day. He would nudge me and tell me to really think, but I came up with nothing. He commented, "Wow, Mom, four days in a row!" Could this be a coincidence? I think not!

My attitude is quite a bit brighter than it has been the last couple of years and the level of energy that I've been able to sustain hasn't happened since I was in my 20s. I truly believe this practice has shifted my view on life and has motivated me to continue. I will definitely make this a part of my practice--for much longer than 40 days. Namaste.