So here we are, just a few weeks into the New Year, and many resolutions made with zealous resolve have already slipped away -- leaving disappointment, and often,

self-blame.

Yoga offers helpful insight into

avoiding this "January 1st" phenomenon.  Rather than striving for a goal, such as losing 20 pounds, the yoga tradition encourages us to concentrate on our actions, such as doing 20 minutes of yoga every day or eliminating soft drinks from our diet.

Shifting our focus from the results we want, which may be difficult or impossible to control, to the behaviors that we

can commit to doing, is an empowering and helpful attitude adjustment. Too often, people become discouraged when they fail to meet goals and give up healthy behaviors entirely. Instead, yoga invites us to let go of the desire for a specific end result and focus our energies on living more skillfully in

the present moment.

Breath by breath, moment by moment, we can move with compassion and diligence in the direction of health.

So rather than making resolutions centered on something you want for the future, consider creating intentions that are rooted in behaviors you can commit to doing right now.  The yogic term for this process is samkalpa.  Setting an intention that you hold clearly in your heart and your mind helps channel your energies to move in a particular direction.

Be sure to set an intention that is realistic, meaningful and achievable--something you can and will do.  Avoid the common mistake of promising to do too much, and pick a healthy behavior that will become a permanent part of your life.  Even small changes can have profound benefits.

In Joy,