Is your New Year's resolution working against you? Drop it now.
by Zenevate Founder, Chereesca Bejasa
At Zenevate, we look for ways to make wellness easier to attain. If we can fast-track our efforts, perhaps our normal state will be one of optimal health rather than one we are always chasing.
We are barely into February and, today, my husband bemoaned the struggle with his new year resolutions to diet and get fit. We’ve all heard these stories and many of us have experienced this inability to stick to our resolutions. I’d like to propose an unexpected solution that will help you achieve your goals. It goes like this: do nothing. Really.
Skeptical? Here are two reasons to take this suggestion into consideration:
You are working against the energy of the season
You have likely experienced some exacerbated levels of stress or trauma in recent months
So instead of forcing big changes in your life and routine, invite yourself to do nothing for the next two months. Or, if you can’t stand the thought of simple idleness, you can focus on our suggested actions that are in flow with the season and will set you up to plan the seeds of your resolutions in the next season of change.
Read on for greater integration of this idea, especially if the idea of doing nothing triggered you.
“My arms grew tired from constantly reaching so I wrapped them around myself and allowed them to rest.”
Working with the seasons
The earth is in a constant cycles of seasonal change, and so are all its inhabitants.
Despite the advances humans have made in manipulating our environment, we are still heavily influenced by the seasons. The human body has spent many millennia attuning to earth’s rhythms. There are many studies on seasonal disorders and the like, but you probably don’t need to read those to know that you’re excited and lively in the spring, and much less so in the winter. Although we can live in whatever indoor climate and level of light that we choose, our bodies still move with nature’s rhythm, and in response to the energy around us.
We are currently in a season of rest. This is true for those in the northern AND southern hemispheres. Those in the northern hemisphere are at the height of winter, which, in ancient Chinese philosophy, is the “Yin Yin” season. Meanwhile, those in the southern hemisphere are in the height of summer (the “Yang Yang” season), when one would expect to be on summer vacation resting from the heat of the sun. Even if you are located in a 2-season climate, the energy of the rest of the earth continues to influence you.
Our attempts at new beginnings at the start of the new year are in direct conflict with this seasonal energy. You are fighting your own body by making such attempts.
The best time for change is in the spring and autumn; spring for starting new things, autumn for making big changes. Starting a new regime now would be the equivalent of swimming upstream.
So what should you do instead? Those in the southern hemisphere in the height of summer should focus on receiving. Recuperate in a beautiful setting, take in the sunshine, receive the love of friends and family, and the nourishment of good food. Find ways to celebrate big and small. Allow your battery to fully charge and take note of what drains you as you will let these things go in the fall.
Those in the northern hemisphere are in the height of winter and should focus on creating capacity. By this I mean resting, finding closure, and creating space so that you have more room in your life come spring.
World trauma
Perhaps you were not directly touched by the pandemic, elections, economic disaster, insurrection and the myriad of other hardships plaguing the world right now. Even so, you are a part of this world and the world is hurting.
Just like the seasons impact us, so does the emotional energy around us. How have you addressed the stress and trauma that came in waves in the past year? Does it sit in your shoulders and hips, or have you processed and release its energy?
Adding vigorous, yang activity on top of trauma can deepen the trauma and stress. The type of movement that deals well with trauma is slow, steady, purposeful movement; the type that reconnects you to your body. Even deep stretching can expose an already vulnerable body to more damage. For exercise at this time, resist going close to your end-range in both strengthening and stretching. Focus more on nurturing and nourishing your body. Somatic yoga is especially helpful for this.
But I can’t just do nothing
If you bristle at the notion of doing nothing, you and I have a lot in common. In 2012, in one of GuruNischan Khalsa’s chakra classes, she said something along the lines of, ”If you are out of alignment in the third chakra, you feel the need to do things for acceptance.” My immediate reaction was, “That’s not me, I don’t look for acceptance from others.” And then she continued, “You aren’t content doing nothing and don’t feel worthy for just being” to which I suddenly became angry, my skin burning hot, and in my mind I’m cursing, “damn right, you’re a f*ing waste if you do nothing.”
Why was I so angry? Thankfully, my tutelage under GuruNishcan taught me to observe these reactions and be curious about them rather than judging or suppressing them. It didn’t take much to discover that my self worth was wrapped up in my accomplishments: if I didn’t achieve, I wasn’t worthy. What an interesting discovery that suddenly made sense of the shape of my entire existence. Why did I work endlessly? Because yesterday’s accomplishments meant nothing today. Why was I always time-poor, and why did I strive for perfection in all that I did? I was trying to prove to myself that I was worthy. The thought of just sitting idle literally made me angry.
I accepted that I really wanted a shift in my life to one of joy and happiness - where I didn’t inadvertently make my loved ones feel as though time with them was a burden - yet I couldn’t seem to make any room in my life for that as I was drowning under the weight of my many obligations. If this is you, you may also need to learn the value of rest and could also use some third chakra love. I would recommend signing up to our Move With Purpose subscription if that’s the case. But for this season of rest, you can get around your need to accomplish by allowing rest to be an action on your to-do list as described below.
Your new resolutions
If you can, simply resolve to rest. That’s all. At least until the end of March.
If you need more of a plan than that, here are some Q1 2021 resolution plans designed for each of the hemispheres.
Northern hemisphere - the winter plan
Everyday do at least one of the following for any amount of time, but only if it feels nurturing:
Sleep more than usual and as much as possible. Aim for 60 to 70 hours of sleep a week.
Quit or postpone some of your obligations and projects, especially if they require extra effort.
Throw out old stuff - model the winter’s energy of letting things die. Rather than making this a project, let it be something that happens naturally - you try on a shirt and it doesn’t fit well, throw it out or into a giveaway (your unused luggage is great for this if you don’t have a bin handy).
Spend some awake time doing nothing. Just sitting or lounging.
Meditate
Do a movement practice that makes you feel nurtured. Somatic and bed yoga are just two of many helpful types of practice.
Support yourself with essential oils (I’d recommend Release and Valor from Young Living this season).
Here are some practices on Zenevate to get you into the winter flow (click an image to start the practice):
Subscribers can search for “winter” in the Zenevate app to find practices that are appropriate for the season.
Southern hemisphere - the summer plan
Everyday do at least one of the following for any amount of time, but only if it feels nurturing
Rest in the sun or shade
Meditate outside especially in nature
Tend to your plants and gardens
For movement, swim, and do gentle exercises that don’t raise your body temperature too high.
Connect with loved ones and be generous in your show of love for them
Find ways to laugh often
Support yourself with essential oils (I’d recommend Joy and Valor from Young Living)
Here are some sultry summer practices on Zenevate that are perfect for this time of year:
Subscribers can search for “summer” in the Zenevate app to find practices perfect for the summer.
Written with love
by Chereesca Bejasa, Founder of Zenevate