consistency is the new sexy… february newsletter!
Hello!
How has it been going for you since January?
Energetically, we tend to be all over the place in February. If January was chock full of us doubling down on all of our new year's-inspired efforts, than February is when things start to get boring and old. The gyms clear out, fitness classes are 3/4 full. The energy and enthusiasm that the beginning of the year brought have started to dissipate.
February can be a tough month for a lot of us - the freshness of the new year can start to wear off, and our commitment to whatever we started in January might feel a bit lackluster. It’s not easy to stick with what we start. No matter how enthusiastic we might feel when we first get going, a point always comes when we no longer feel quite as excited about our latest venture.
The thing is, long term change requires our consistency. And while it may not sound super sexy, small action, day in and day out, will ultimately be what pushes us over the hill, rather than a huge and immediate effort, which is often what we do in January.
Have you ever heard that saying - “Most people overestimate what they can do in a year, and underestimate what they can do in five or ten years.” We set goals for the year thinking we can turn everything around in those 12 months. But if instead of attaching and obsessing to our big final goal, which is easy to lose sight of or become disheartened by, what if our intentions revolved more about how we want to live, and creating lives with action that slowly pushes us forward? That feels a bit more sustainable (and also positive!)
Maybe we won't have reached our goal by February 1, but think of where we will be this time next year if we just keep going!
For example, say your New Year’s resolution was about losing weight, like so many out there. In January, you might dive full force into an intense fitness regime, a new eating plan, drinking water with lemon every single morning, and give up alcohol. That’s a LOT all at once, and my bet is, by the end of January, you would have been BURNT OUT, craving your creature comforts, and maybe haven’t yet seen the results you think you should.
So back up for a moment. Wanting to lose weight is a sign you want to live a healthier lifestyle. So perhaps you consider that in your life, you want to prioritize movement in some capacity the majority of the week. It doesn’t have to look just one way, but some kind of movement more often than not. Maybe you also prioritize cooking a healthy recipe for yourself a few days each week, making enough each time that you can eat leftovers for lunch the next day. Over time, these sustainable actions become habits that you just automatically do every week, and over time, life becomes a lot healthier. You might not see results in one month, but surely as time goes on you’ll observe a change in yourself, and a bit less of an aggressive approach might make it feel more like you’re building a lifestyle that feels good and has some wiggle room.
I am reminded here of the yogic principle of aparigraha, or non-attachment. It's not that we don't care about where we are headed. But we're willing to consider that success doesn't have to look just one way. And by practicing non-attachment, we give ourselves so much more space to explore, without shame of not doing everything “perfectly”, every single time.
Small, repeated, consistent action that feels attainable and sustainable is far more likely to help us not just drive toward a goal, but to actually live better over time. So in the month of February, I challenge all of us to create an intention around consistency. We don’t have to be perfect. We just have to show up again and again, whether we feel motivated or not.
How do you think a bit more focus on consistency, rather than attaching to one huge outcome, might shift your perspective on what you wish to cultivate in your own life? How would it feel to be less results-focused and a bit more dedicated to the overall quality of your life?
I'm rooting for us!
Steph
February Yoga Pose of the Month: Extended Side Angle Pose (Uttita Parsvakonasana)
In the spirit of sticking with it, I felt inspired to start to explore Side Angle in my classes this month. Uttita Parsvakonasana is an intense hip-opening pose that requires patience, breath, and a willingness to stay with it. There are TONS of variations to take before diving full in to this pose, but regardless of which you choose, here is what to think about:
Key concepts:
Don't just dump into your bottom hip. Aim to create stability in the hip by lifting out of the joint slightly.
Keep a 90 degree bend in your front knee. It's tempting to pull back to avoid fatigue, but we get stronger by taking the full bend of the knee.
Roll your heart OPEN to the sky. If you're rolling forward, pull your bottom glute underneath your bottom hip to rotate your chest OPEN. You'll almost feel like you're backbending into yourself.
Press deeply into your back foot to create and anchor in your back leg.
Choose your variation based on your breath. If you take a full bind but are not breathing, your body is telling you to back off.
Side Angle Pose stretches and strengthens the knees, ankles, hamstrings, and groins. It can also relieve back pain, and constipation. It can be modified with props or against a wall, or made more challenging by adding binds (not pictured here).
Try it out and let me know how it goes!
Wellness I’m Loving Lately:
It's funny, I thought when creating this newsletter that this section would be easy to write, because I'm always trying out new products that I want to share. But sometimes I haven't used a product long enough to know if I like it enough to share it with you.
This month I started taking an awesome Probiotic from MindBodyGreen (one of the best on the market). Probiotics are an incredible way to nurture your gut health, which is really just nurturing your entire body's health. Gut health is related to mood, skin, digestion, immune response, weight management, and so much more. And while eating gut-friendly foods (and staying off of antibiotics except when absolutely necessary) is an amazing way to keep up gut health, adding in a probiotic helps the "good bugs" thrive in your gut. I'll keep you posted on how I like this product!
The other big wellness push on my mind right now is therapy. I know, not a product per se. But I decided to start therapy again in December as a means to reconnect with parts of myself I'd been avoiding. I was lucky enough to find someone I liked on the first try, which almost never happens. And guys, let me tell you - being back in therapy has cracked me wide open. I hadn't cried in over a year before sitting down on her couch. I felt energetically removed from my center, like I had just been skimming the surface. And after 6 weeks in therapy I am FEELING it. Which is not always comfortable. But I know it is super healthy.
If you're looking to better understand yourself, therapy can be a great place to start. I found my therapist by Googling "CBT near me", but you can also find rosters of practitioners near you on Psychology Today, Zoc Doc, and GoodTherapy.org. Or, if you don't think you have time, BetterHelp.com provides therapy through online chat, video, or text. Which, I can't endorse but hey, some help is better than none!
On the skin front - things are definitely looking better, but truthfully, not better enough. I'm still breaking out (9+ hours in the hot room every week will do that to a person). So, even though I tried not to for years, I've decided to start Acutane. I know it's extreme. I know it's intense on the body. But I am that over the situation with my skin. So while I'm feeling so much less shame since coming out with what's happening on my face, and I'm definitely not trying to hide it, I still want my skin to heal. And my dermatologist seems to think this is the best way. So, off we go!
February Playlist to Rock Out To: These are my absolute favorite songs I played through the month of January, all compiled in a catchy lil playlist just for you. Think Ginuwine, Boyz II men, Beck, Ibeyi, Ella Mai, and more! You're welcome!
Reading list: In January I read Where The Crawdads Sing, The Silent Patient, The Woman in the Window, and The Wife Between Us. I just started The Dutch House. What are you reading and loving right now?
February Announcements!
After some thought, I decided to give up my Tuesday 6a class at Jewel City. Too many early mornings coupled with late nights have been wreaking havoc on ya girl. So in the interest of self care, I ditched the 6a.
I've been hired at Equinox! Teaching for Equinox was one of my big goals as a yoga teacher, and I am so happy to share that now I will be! Schedule is still TBD, but keep an eye on my Instagram as I pick up classes to sub for now!
I am heading out of town for vacay Feb 19-25th. So if you hop into one of my classes, please be nicer to the sub than my 13 year old brother is to the subs in his middle school classes. ;)
Alright crew, happiest February. I seriously love you. Be well!
Stephanie