Fri, Jan 10, 2020, 8:15 AM

New Year’s resolutions aren’t like ordinary goals. In theory they have a far more powerful effect on our psyche because the start of a new year symbolizes new beginnings, a new chapter and a clean slate. Nevertheless, researchers tell us that over 1/2 of us will fail to commit to their New Year resolutions past six months. No sooner have we set our resolutions and announced them on social media, we find ourselves finding reasons to give them up.

So why then should meditation and mindfulness be the first two resolutions on your list? Because life is unpredictable, stress is normal and mindfulness can help you with all of it. A mindful meditation practice can helps you develop enough stillness to become aware of your internal state and the forces that drive your day to day behavior. In this way your meditation practice can go a long way to helping you keep your other promises to yourself! It also allows us the time and space to sit with difficult feelings and make better choices toward more helpful behavior. Finally, our time in meditation naturally spills over to become everyday mindfulness and the next thing you know, you're actually paying attention to the actual moments of your actual life! How radical!