I want to start by wishing you a wonderful, joyful, healthy and prosperous New Year. And I want to recommend to look inside for what you need before spending time, money and energy outside of yourself assuming others know more. They may but your intuition has to have the last say for you to get the most out of what information you are given.

I have been away from my social media routine for about a month and it gave me some perspective on what is worth doing and not-so-worth doing going into 2019. And I will share below my 5 thoughts based on my experience and 5 top resolutions in the hope it can be of service to you too.

1) Not all businesses automatically blossom with social media exposure and yet, solopreneurs feel they have to do it or else. It has not worked efficiently for me yet. However, I have expanded my business more substantially (with paying clients ) in the past few months going out, socializing, and having fun than when I was spending endless hours connecting to people online.

2) Sticking to our resolutions becomes a lot easier when it is part of a bigger picture rather than when it is a list of isolate ventures. Whether losing weight or growing a business, it becomes a meaningful venture when you are clear about why you want to do it and if that goal includes your personal needs and the needs of others (rather than focusing on one or the other). It is also more efficient when you start by knowing you are enough to start with. You don’t need to do anything else to be enough. Anything you do will only enhance your enoughness!:)

3) Many of us want to live in a more harmonious world, and yet, we do not really know how our body parts function as an integrated whole or how our inner parts function as a happy family. The truth is that the whole takes care of the parts but it is not true the other way round. And yet, modern fitness is still focusing on body parts. The thing is how can we create a better world if we are not ourselves functioning in an integrated way whether we are on or off the mat?

So, my 5 top resolutions
(not in any order of importance) are as follows:

1) Focus on having fun while growing my business
2) Less screen time, more personal connections out into my local world
3) Keep going to my hot yoga class as the integrated body that I am, using poses as a guide, not a goal. Disregarding what others around me are doing or what the teacher is saying if it does not agree with my whole body intelligence.
4) Make a point to have outdoor time daily in any weather and to keep prioritizing meditation and exercise first thing in the morning.
5) Remind myself daily that I am enough as is, and I am beautiful and successful despite the greyness of some days. Remind myself how beautiful we all are deep down, even when we witness negative words, gestures or behaviors.

Cecile Raynor has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years out of which came her Body Intelligence Activation Process™ (B.I.A. Process) to assist yogis in enhancing their practice towards best performance with optimal safety. She is also a Thai Yoga Massage Therapist and a Reiki Practitioner. Faculty at Akasha Yoga Teacher Training, she runs a 12 months Mastermind for Yoga Teachers with a Vision, and a 90 Day Live Online Program for trainees, new teachers and committed yoga practitioners interested in using their body more efficiently on and off the mat in a way not taught in regular training courses. She is also the author of a June 2018 publication called THE WISE WAY TO YOGA which is available on Amazon or from Cecile if you are local to Boston!