Habits, Time, & Yoga

Have you ever wondered why the same train of thoughts trail through your mind? Have you ever stopped to think - wait, I don't really believe that! We can trick ourselves into and out of many different kinds of behaviors. We can stop eating healthy foods, start drinking enough water, we can stop watching television, or start working out. We don't, however, end at point B without a lot in between point A.

Let's start by talking about food. So much of our day bombards us with unhealthy food options. From the inner section of the food store to the temptation to eat out at lunch, we are constantly questioning what we should put into our mouths. The real question is, are you stopping to think? What will this do for my body? Will this bring me a moment of pleasure, and then leave me to deal with the consequence? Why am I choosing this particular food? Have I had enough greens, protein, water, carbs? Do I know how much of each food group I should be eating on a daily basis?

The issue is that all of these questions are at hand in a moment when you are HUNGRY. You want to eat food now. Our culture is in a bizarre fill-me-up-quickly phenomenon. We are so ready to just get food into our mouths, and be done with that. The problem here is that, a lot of the time, this unhealthy eating habit leaves us malnourished, and still HUNGRY.

Slow down. Take a mindful moment and question - what would I like to feed my whole system? How would I like to take care of my body? What will bring me joy as well as sustenance for the rest of the day? - The habit? A TEN second breath before you decide if you would like to partake in that food or beverage. Choose to be mindful. Choose to practice your yoga even when you are not on your mat. These kinds of additions to our practice help us to bring what we learn on the mat with us into the rest of our chaotic and wonderful lives. How will you change what you are no longer being served by? Ten seconds could change your entire day.