How you do anything is how you do everything

In the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.
-Buddha

This week's theme will be "how you do anything is how you do everything". As we're still early in a new year and new decade many of us may be working towards building new habits. In yoga, habits are also known as samskaras. Our samskaras are our mental and emotional patterns that we resort back to over our lives. The way we move on our mat is a reflection of how we move throughout our lives. 

One of my yoga teachers and mentors often talks about this idea with regards to using blocks and straps in our practice. She often says, if you refuse to accept the help of props in yoga class, you also refuse to accept help in your personal life. I remember as I was going through my teacher training how this struck a cord with me. Accepting help has always been hard for me, as I know it is for many others. In order to begin to change my habits, and learn to accept help, I had to recognize that this was an area I wanted to change.

Two years ago, one of my dear friends began a battle with breast cancer. Thankfully she is now cancer free. She has three little kids at home and needed to rely on others to help her, but she did so in such a gracious way. Her journey taught me so much about accepting help graciously. When I had my fourth baby, I also needed help! If it wasn't for learning from her experience, I'm not sure I would have accepted help. I now give myself much more grace in my yoga practice than I used to. 

I invite you this week to take a look at your own habits, particularly ones that are not serving you. A small change in behavior, or even heightened awareness of a particular habit, could help you make positive changes. And because how we do anything is how we do everything, those changes will certainly impact more than just that one area of your life.