Happy New Year!

The best thing about starting a new year is being able to reflect back on the previous year and look forward to the new year with what would you do differently?  A fresh start!  I like to set intentions not resolutions.  Resolutions are always broken, but with intentions you have some wiggle room.  Just like in yoga class, at the beginning I set my intention for the class. What will be the focus in class that day?  Sometimes it is getting better at a pose I have been struggling with or if I have a stressful day it is just focusing on my breathing to relax.  Whatever my intention is I try to stick with it for that class and it allows me something to focus on.  So, here are my intentions for 2011:

• Almost Vegan:  I have been vegan/vegetarian for the past 2.5 years now.  I always start out the year strong sticking to being vegan, but halfway thru the year I begin to falter and then stay vegetarian for the balance of the year.  So, why do I choose to be vegan?  For me, it is mainly health reasons.  I simply love the way I feel when I eat vegan.  Yes, the environmental and animal issues are important, but the main reason is health.  So, I decided to approach this year with a little different mind set.  I am not going to stress the small stuff!  I mean it's not like I am allergic to dairy...so, if my family want to go out to eat at a restaurant and I get a little butter in my meal, no biggie.   So, that is why I am calling myself..."almost vegan."
• Exercise:  Being off work this past week has allowed me to slow down and focus on myself a little more. I have been going to yoga and/or the gym daily and it feels awesome.  I am committing to staying focused on exercising.  I will not come home from work and veg on the couch every night.  I will remember how great I feel about myself when I take care of myself and that means sticking to yoga class.
• Saving $$:  This is a no-brainer, I think we all want to save more money.  I will not become seduced by commercialism trying to convince me that I need materialistic possessions to make me happy.  I will not waste time on the week-ends being herded thru shopping malls using my hard earned money on over priced crap from China.  I will use my precious week-end time to connect with my family and friends.
• Environment:  This year I want to do more to protect the environment.  Recycling is easy, but what can I do that is not so easy.  I want this to be more of a focus for my family this year.  I know there are tons of way we can improve our lifestyle to be more environmentally friendly, we just have to take the next step.  This year I am committing to taking that next step! 

Looking forward to a fresh start in 2011!