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Health & Fitness

Ossining & Croton: Making Space in 2012

New Year is a time to make space

It’s 2012.  On New Year’s Eve, my family gathered with friends in front of a blazing fire to reminisce, share a delicious meal and welcome in 2012.  As we watched the ball drop in Times Square on TV, we celebrated with a toast to celebrate our friendship, accomplishments and good things to come.

Many have the tradition of moving into a new year with resolutions and healthful changes. The Chinese clean their homes, buy new clothes, get new haircuts and welcome in the new year with optimism and hope. Others make new resolutions, resolving to break bad habits and start fresh.  I for one, love to clean out all the papers and things I accumulated over the year, and re-assess my goals and dreams.

The new year can also bring new promises and opportunities.  In all of this, its easy to get overwhelmed with the idea of having to do so much in so little time.

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Stop.

There is enough time to do exactly what you want to do, in the exact moment, at the perfect time and place.

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Determining what you really think you need to do can be found by taking a moment of self reflection.  Observe yourself, the priorities you have set for yourself, and determine those things that you may no longer need.  What can you let go of? Once you have let them go, this carves out a new space for new commitments to reside.

It could be something material, emotional or just plain excess baggage.  Don't rush yourself into selecting what could be let go of. Ask yourself questions.  There may have been some challenges that you would like to forget. If so, ask yourself, what did I learn from that experience? It may be a lesson in that challenge that helped you grow into a better person.

To start, just select one thing to let go of.  Let it go by inhaling through your nose with your mouth closed into your lungs deeply, visualizing that you are filling them up from the bottom to the top.  Exhale it out.  Do this three times.  Then resume your regular breathe into that space.  After 1 minute, take "sips" of inhales through your nose- sip for 2 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, sip for 2 seconds more, hold for 2 seconds. Continue this until your lungs are completely full.  Hold your breath at the top of your full inhale for 2 seconds.  Softly exhale and release. Try not to explode on the release, but to gently let the air out of your nose, slow and long. Savor each moment. Try not to over-exaggerate the breath, but go back to your regular breath. Empty completely. Sit for 10 seconds.   Continue with this five times and see how your body feels. Observe your space for your new commitment. Whatever that may be, you are truly a beautiful person for taking a moment to take care of you.

Namaste

Become a friend on Facebook's laughing hearts yoga page.  New classes for tweens and teens begin this week. New class for 7 – 12 years begins on Jan 18th at Josie’s dance.  Contact her at info@laughingheartsyoga.com or 914 319 4010 for suggestions about her blog

Elisha Fernandes Simpson CKYT, RYT, aka laughing hearts yoga  teaches kids (ages 7 -18), mommy and me yoga and organizes free yoga classes for people with breast cancer.

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