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While I was not one to hit the gym after the strike of midnight on Happy 2011, I did write a list of New Year’s resolutions, the first of which I knew I needed most: Listen to My Body. I realize this may sound strange, dramatic, even.  It’s not that I need to take note of my pre-lunch tummy grumble to know that I am hungry, nor is it a need to not-eat until I hear all of those stomach aliens screeching feed me. Believe me, thunder-wielding god, Thor, lets me know.

The thought to listen to my body first came to me after reading the article Inner Light on yogajournal.com. The article suggests that connecting with oneself is a great strategy to stay on path of a healthy weight loss plan.

“The combined effects of the self-acceptance, increased body awareness, and inward reflection that are natural byproducts of a regular yoga practice [including Pranayama] can increase your ability to achieve and maintain a healthy weight, and can have a positive impact, whether you’re significantly overweight, just wanting to lose a few pounds, or struggling with a body-image problem despite being at a healthy weight.”

I am not personally focused on the numerical weight of my body, but rather the surrendering insistence that my body does indeed know what it’s doing and needs my brain’s awareness to keep it happy (I’m so busy, it can be 6pm, and I’ve had oatmeal and an orange. No water. Just coffee). No wonder I have a headache. In fact, I’ve lost all sympathy from friends who know my dilemma.

So, on January 2nd as my yoga mat came bounding out from its roll, I brought my new year’s resolution to it. I sat. I inhaled and exhaled slow and deep. I had done it before; I’ve taken yoga classes twice per week for a year. (The Ann Arbor YMCA has some great yoga classes, by the way). The exercise itself was no different, but my awareness was—the goal wasn’t going to be a fleeting breathing exercise that gave me temporary insight into how I was feeling (stressed, always); it was going to be one day out of every day that I would sit down and pay attention to each part of my internal self—and treat it with understanding.  It makes sense that any change in my body would only come from focused, inner work. And of course,  inner work could be only be achieved by taking the time to listen to it.  As silly as this may sound, why do I take the time and energy to fix my hair but not my exhaustion? My fingernail polish but not my tight quads? Why don’t I take the time to notice my body yearns to be physical, to stretch and move around?

If all of that motivation can come to me every day just by taking some time to breathe, if it can encourage me to transform my body into something that is happy and in sync with my mind, if I can gain energy and focus, I’m going to do it.

Cheers!

Yoga