Some yoga classes have you exploring and reveling in what your body can do, right here and now. Fun! Others reveal to you what you cannot yet do, which can be motivating or discouraging. Yet others wake you up to what you should no longer do, shaking you by the shoulders to release unhelpful habits. A bit sobering, those. 

Still others expose what you might do differently, simply to avoid always relying on those parts of you already strong and letting the weak parts get a free ride. These are exhilarating, to find out you have options! And to find out before you get injured, or overworked, or further imbalanced, that's a gift. 

And these revelations and awakenings are sometimes even more relevant for your mind, not just your body, in yoga class as elsewhere. 

So if you prefer one of these experiences over another, and keep going back to the same type of yoga class, it may be time to make room for the others. Fun has its place...and sometimes it is what we most need. But there are other kinds of joy in the tougher explorations. Time to explore!

Regardless of our other resolutions and intentions for this year, let's form one small and doable and potentially life-changing one:

Every day for the next three weeks, wake up and do ten minutes of sun salutations before anything else.

Make them the same sun salutations every day for these three weeks (then you can change them if you like).

Wake up to ten minutes of music, set a timer, or just estimate it.

No excuses. You don't need contact lenses or yoga clothes or even (gasp!) a mat. Just get yourself breathing deeply and moving mindfully, even if it feels sloppy.

It doesn't matter if you plan to take class that day. Still do it.

Let me know how it goes!