Ted Talks: Devoting 2021 to Small Victories and Sun Salutations

By Ted Spiker
devoting 2021 to small victories

My relationship with yoga is a short one: I took a few classes some two decades ago. I had a trainer mutter 32 expletives when he tried to stretch me and felt how tight my muscles were. And I once did a hot yoga session for a story (it was one of my all-time favorite workouts โ€” though I dripped like Niagara during the 90 minutes, I felt so strong and energized afterwards). Iโ€™ve always wanted to be more mobile, more flexible and have hamstrings that didnโ€™t feel as rigid as Redwoods. But Iโ€™ve always dismissed regular yoga or stretching because, well, I felt like my workouts had to be more โ€” more intense and more action-oriented to chip away at my taco graveyard. I’ve decided that devoting 2021 to small victories and sun salutations will be a good idea.

Deep down, though, I know that this was short-sighted. There was so much to be gained if I could pigeon-pose my way through the day โ€” feeling better, moving better, getting stronger, and laying a bodily foundation that would help me in my other workouts.

Though Iโ€™ve wanted to add yoga and more purposeful stretching to my routines, Iโ€™ve never committed to a consistent approach that so many yoga devotees have. After all, itโ€™s not easy for rhinos to move like monkeys to venture into arenas for which youโ€™re starting at zero.

But maybe thatโ€™s the point?

Thatโ€™s where the growth comes from โ€” challenging ourselves, trying unfamiliar things, seeing progress slowly, and learning to maximize the power and potential of your body in new ways.

Even though Iโ€™ve been fairly consistent with doing strength and cardiovascular workouts, Iโ€™m craving something different (other than bacon burgers) this year: Mastering new movements and really seeing if I can nudge my body to be stronger and more mobile through yoga.

Oh, I debated a whole host of other resolutions involving weight, food, running, swimming and various #brownjuices. And I have my spreadsheet ready to go to log my workouts. But Iโ€™m going to take my own advice and try to avoid any grandiose goals this year (forearm stands by February!).

Iโ€™m just going to keep it simple when it comes to engaging in a practice: 10 minutes a day, every day.

And Iโ€™ll see where it takes me. Maybe Iโ€™ll do longer stretching sessions from time to time, or maybe Iโ€™ll learn to love yoga. Or maybe Iโ€™ll feel better for it? Maybe my groin muscles will stop feeling tighter than violin strings. Or maybe itโ€™ll help me in my other workouts. Maybe my heel pain will stop nagging me. Maybe thereโ€™s muchto be gained โ€” physically and mentally โ€” with small bouts of consistency.

And maybe โ€” just maybe โ€” Iโ€™ll keep doing it because I like it.

As we all sketch our resolutions, goals, and healthy habits we want to start in 2021, that might just be the most important barometer of all.

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