does your daily schedule rejuvenate you?

We all want enough energy to work, love, learn, and enjoy life. As human beings wanting to fully participate in life, this is a quest for us. Yet more and more of us are tired, burnt out, and depleted of energy.


Does your daily routine rejuvenate or drain you?

In Ayurveda (considered the sister science of yoga) an ideal daily routine is known as dinacharya and is considered vital for healthy living.

Ask yourself the following questions:
1. Do I have enough energy to sustain me throughout the day?
2. How does my body feel throughout the day as I work, play, and participate in activities of daily life?
3. Do I sleep sound at night and wake up feeling well rested?
4. Do I eat heathy foods throughout the day that nourish me?
5. Do I feel a sense of passion and purpose for my job?
6. Are my immediate relationships healthy or toxic?

If you answered the previous questions, or even scanned over them and felt an inner knowing that your current schedule and/or way of living is not conducive to a vibrant and healthy life, you may want to consider some changes.

Some of us are so driven by our work that we spend hours upon hours sitting at a desk and working. Some full time mothers can't find the time in their busy day to do something to nourish themselves. Some of us feel so disconnected from life that we just want to numb ourselves throughout the day.

We spend the majority of our day indoors, connected to computers, phones and televisions. We spend a lot of our day in the car driving.

If we can make it to the yoga mat for a little "me" time, it's a good day. I believe that we all deserve more that just making it through the day.

The ancient yogis felt that when we harmonized our internal rhythms with those of our environment that we would experience greater harmony in all aspects of life.

How to apply ancient wisdom to a modern day world.

I think it's important that we look at and study principles from the past, but that we do do so in a way that meets the needs of our current life. I believe this can be done.

I'm inviting you to commit to following an ideal daily routine for a week. Look at your current schedule and see how you can do the following:

1. Awaken 20 minutes earlier than usual in the morning.
2. Use these extra 20 minutes for yoga and meditation. For meditation make sure you can sit (on the floor or in a chair) comfortably. Close your eyes and commit to following your breath or a mantra (you can use the mantra "so hum") for 10 minutes.
3. Eat breakfast when you're hungry. Eat when your body says it's time to eat, not a clock.
4. Eat a healthy lunch. Ayurveda maintains that this should be your largest meal of the day.
5. Take a walk after eating.
6. Take 20 minutes in the early evening for yoga and meditation. Or come in for a class at Barefoot Works.
7. Eat a lighter dinner.
8. Go to bed by 10:30 p.m.

Need a little help hitting the "reset" button?

I believe in the power of taking time daily, seasonally, and yearly to tune into the rhythm of your body and the rhythm of nature. But it's not always easy. There are always other things happening that seem more urgent, more pressing than connecting to one's Self.

I have found one of the best things I do for myself (and my business, and my marriage, and my livelihood) is taking time to retreat. Now that I've moved beyond the place of justifying taking retreats (and I spent quite a bit of time justifying it) I see them as one of the most important things I do for myself.

Many people know that Tulum, Mexico has a special place in my heart. Tulum is located on the tip of Mexico's sacred Yucatan Peninsula. It's my favorite go to destination for fueling my body, releasing depleting emotions, nourishing my soul, reconnecting to my purpose, and moving to nature's beat.

It is without a doubt paradise for me. I'm so excited to offer two trips to Tulum this year...our annual weeklong yoga retreat AND a two week 200 hour yoga teacher training this fall.

I invite you to take a chance on yourself and choose to join me, to tune in to the wisdom of life, get to know yourself on a more intimate level, envision a fulfilling life, and choose to make it a reality.

For the retreat we'll be staying at Maya Tulum Resort & Spa, voted one of the Top Ten Resorts to Go Barefoot and one of the Top Ten Spas by Travel & Leisure. It sits right on the beach and every time I step foot onto the property I am transported away to peace and bliss.

I hope you can join me for a life changing trip! If a trip to Mexico this year is out of the question, I hope that you can make a few small changes in your daily schedule to put you back on the path of feeling full of life and energy.

With Love,
Sharon

Details about the yoga retreat in Tulum, Mexico here.

Details about the 200 hour yoga teacher training in Tulum, Mexico here.