January 2022, Issue #02

Happy New Year!

I hope that you have started the year healthy and with positive energy!
With the year already fully underway, it may not feel so new anymore, while some of us might just be getting used to ‘22. Some of us are just making plans for this year, while others might have already booked all of their holidays for the year ahead. Some have made very precise resolutions, while others prefer to see how the year unfolds…

Which type are you? The planner? The go-with-the-flow type? Or somewhere in between?

This month:

Resolutions - Recipe for Success or Failure?
An Energizing New Year’s Chair Yoga Practice
Recommendations (books, films, music)
New Playlist
Wrap-up

Resolutions - Recipe for Success or Failure?

Success/Failure rates over the first 6 months

Of those who make a New Year’s resolution, after 1 week 75% are still successful in keeping it.
After two weeks, the number drops to 71%.
After 1 month, the number drops again to 64%.
And after 6 months, 46% of people who make a resolution are still successful in keeping it.
In comparison, of those people who have similar goals but do not set a resolution, only 4% are still successful after 6 months.

Overall Success/Failure Rates

According to a 2016 study, of the 41% of Americans* who make New Year’s resolutions, by the end of the year only 9% feel they are successful in keeping them.
An earlier study in 2007 showed that 12% of people who set resolutions are successful, even though 52% of the participants were confident of success at the beginning.
*Other countries are also listed in these statistics
You can find more statistics about resolutions HERE.
Spoiler alert – the number one resolution year after year is to eat healthier/lose weight/improve health habits.

My Take on Resolutions
To be very honest, I am not a fan of new year’s resolutions and I do not make them. I have several reasons for this:

The high failure rate.
If I end up not sticking to the resolution, I end up feeling bad or guilty for not being able to succeed.
The implication that there is something wrong with me that I need to change to be “better”.
This is not to say I am against personal growth, however, I do believe that self-improvement should come from a more compassionate approach. “I will feel better if I exercise” instead of “I have to exercise to lose weight”.
Resolutions are usually not based on a plan, but rather rely on willpower.
This depends on the person – while some people are able to change their behavior overnight, many of us need a way to ease in or out of our habits and to have a game plan for when we slip up. I believe that making small but consistent tweaks in habits is more effective and sustainable than, saying that I will go from 0 to 100% overnight.
Setting goals is more effective.
If I create a solid game plan with a timeline and a deadline, I find this to be much more realistic and feasible than just setting a resolution.

Setting Goals
You can find many proven approaches to goal setting just by a simple google search and find all sorts of models used by time management specialists, life and career coaches, HR professionals, etc. However, one model that I personally find very useful is the SMART goal-setting approach.
SMART is an acronym for:
Specific – make your goal specific and clear, so that it can be planned effectively.
Measurable – define the factors that will be proof of your progress. These might be reevaluated as necessary.
Achievable – set your goals to be realistically attainable within your defined time frame.
Relevant – your goal should be meaningful for you and your long-term objectives.
Time bound – set a realistic, yet ambitious deadline for your goal. Some flexibility is okay, as long as you don’t start to procrastinate.
Here are a few additional tips, which I find useful in goal setting:
Break up big and ambitious goals into smaller, more attainable mini-goals.
Accountability: Share your goals with someone else. Better yet, get an accountability buddy – someone who also has planned goals, then check in with each other’s progress regularly. Quite often, we’re more willing to let ourselves down, but not another person, so if someone else is expecting us to meet our goals, we are more likely to follow through.
Click here for examples of SMART goal-setting.

Other Tools
YEAR COMPASS – my friend Lavi introduced me to it this year and I found it to be surprisingly helpful!
You can download and print a little booklet and reflect on the year behind you as well as write your expectations, goals, and inspirations for the coming year. I am sure that if one follows this format year after year, they’ll have a broader perspective on their year-on-year development.

Pen and Paper – writing your goals down on a piece of paper or in a journal has been shown to be more effective than on your laptop or on your phone. You can also write your goals and put them in a visible place, like your fridge or near your desk, so that you have reminders of your goals. Or, if you have a chalkboard or a whiteboard at home, that’s a great way to keep your goals visible. Finally, you can write your goals on Post-its and stick them where you can see them and where they are most relevant.

Vision Board – well, it speaks for itself and it works for plenty of people. Make a board containing your goals, inspirations, quotes, photos for the year to come and use that as your inspiration for getting things done. There are tons of examples on Pinterest.

One final but very important thing I want to stress is that whatever approach we take, the key is to be gentle and kind to ourselves, to not self-deprecate if we slip up or don’t meet a goal or resolution. We can just acknowledge that we’re not on track anymore and hop right back on! And the resolutions or goals should not be driven by negative self-critique, but as mentioned above, by the perspective of a positive outcome and how accomplishing the goal will make us feel.

Scroll down to the “Recommendations” section to find books and podcasts on the topic of goal-setting and habit-changing.

An Energizing New Year’s Chair Yoga Practice

This month’s chair yoga practice is designed to be rejuvenating and energizing thanks to the deeper twists and standing poses that will challenge your balance, open your hips and lengthen the front and back of your body. Whether twists are detoxifying is disputed - some believe that they help to “wring out” your internal organs and expel toxins, while others say that this is a myth, since our bodies already have a naturally-working detox system in place. Here is a quick-read article that addresses this argument well, in my opinion. One way or another, twists can feel great and leave you feeling more energetic and tall, thanks to the lengthening of the spine.

INDICATION: This practice is beneficial for anyone working long hours in front of the computer/sitting down, anyone feeling a bit under the weather, it is gentle enough for the pregnant and the elderly.
BENEFITS: Helps relieve back pain, helps with feeling less tired or sluggish, stimulates internal organs, relieves stress and anxiety, balances emotions, improves posture, stimulates circulation, lengthens and strengthens the neck, front and back of the torso, the hamstrings, opens up the hips, tones and lengthens the leg muscles, helps with balance and feeling grounded.

NOTE: If you are pregnant or have a medical condition where twists are not recommended, please skip them or twist very gently. Please check in with your doctor if you have any medical conditions that might be aggravated by this practice.
This month’s practice includes standing poses, where the chair will be used only for support. If performing the standing positions is not possible, please refer to last month’s practice, where all the poses are performed in the chair.

Here is the PLAYLIST to accompany your practice

Arrive and Settle In

Place your chair on a surface where it won’t slide, wear comfortable clothing, and sit in the middle or on the edge of your chair with your spine long, allowing the natural curve of your spine to be present.
Place your feet firmly on the ground and feel the connection to the ground, feel the support of the chair.
Roll your shoulder blades towards each other and then down towards the sacrum to open up the heart.
Reach with the crown of the head to the sky and feel the whole length of your body from feet to head.
Feel free to close your eyes and arrive in your chair and in your body.
Notice your breath and the way your clavicles, chest, and belly rise and fall with each in-and-exhale.
Notice how you are feeling right now physically.
Notice how you are feeling emotionally.
Set an intention for your practice.
Feel free to stay here and observe your breath until you are ready to begin moving.

Neck Stretches

From the above position, sit on the edge of the chair.
On the exhalation, tilt your head forward, bringing your chin toward your chest. Stay for three breaths.
Inhaling, lift your head and tilt it back, as long as this feels good for your neck, pointing your chin toward the ceiling. Stay for three breaths.
Then bring your head back to a neutral position on the inhalation. As you exhale, tilt your right ear to the right shoulder. Hold for three breaths.
Come back to a neutral position while inhaling. Exhale and let your left ear tilt to the left shoulder. Hold for three breaths.
Inhale and come back to the starting position, spine long, the crown of the head reaching for the ceiling.

Seated Side Stretches

Sitting up tall with both hands facing your hips, begin to lift your right arm in a circular motion until your fingers are pointing to the ceiling or as high as your arm will go.
With your left hand grab the side of your chair for support.
Begin to lengthen through the right side of your rib cage while leaning to the left.
Turn your head toward the right arm, if available, and gaze up toward the hand.
Roll the left shoulder away from the left ear.
Roll the right shoulder back to open the chest.
Keep both sit bones connected to the chair.
Hold for three breaths, then bring your right arm down to the starting position and repeat these steps on the left side.

Seated Twist Flow

From the neutral sitting position, inhale and lift your arms toward the ceiling, shoulders away from ears, you may gaze up to your hands.
Keep the natural curve of the spine.
Exhaling, begin to twist from the belly button to your right, turning your right shoulder to the back of the chair.
Place your left hand on the outside of the right knee to help you deepen your twist.
With your right hand, hold on to the backrest of your chair, opening up the chest and drawing the right shoulder to the right and away from the ear, draw the elbow downwards.
Turn your head to gaze over the right shoulder, if it feels fine for your neck. Otherwise, keep your chin perpendicular to your chest.
With each inhale lengthen your spine, with each exhale, find a touch more dept in your twist.
Hold for 3 deep breaths on one side.
Return to the starting position and repeat by twisting to the left.
Once you have twisted on both sides, you may try a twisted flow:
With each inhale bring the arms back up to the sky.
WIth each exhale twist.
Alternate the directions of the twist.

NOTE: if you are pregnant, skip the twist altogether or twist very lightly, resting your hand in the front on the same side knee as your hand, not on the opposite knee and you might want to open up your hip and knee slightly in the direction of your twist.

Seated Figure Four Hip Opener

From the neutral seated position, place your right ankle on your left thigh, above the knee.
Flex your right foot so that your toes are pointing forward. Stay here for a few breaths.
To deepen the hip opening, you may gently press your right knee down and with your left hand pull the foot closer to your hip aiming your shin to be more or less parallel with the ground. Hold this for a couple of breaths.
To continue deepening the hip stretch, grab a hold of the seat of your chair and with a long spine begin to lean your torso toward your right shin and calf.
Keep your neck in a neutral position, keep reaching with the chest forward. Hold this variation for a few breaths.
Return to the starting position and repeat these steps on the left side.

Seated figure four hip opener option 2 – side view

Chair Pose to Twisted Chair

From the neutral seated position, begin to lift your arms toward the ceiling again as you inhale.
Keep your shoulders drawing away from the ears and down toward your sacrum. Your hands can stay shoulder-width apart and face one another or you can bring your hands together in Anjali Mudra (prayer position) over your head. Bring your gaze up toward your hands.
On the exhalation, bring your prayer hands in front of the chest and begin to twist your torso to the right, while keeping the elbows facing away from one another.
Lengthen your spine and lean forward, lengthening through your neck and towards the crown of the head.
Hook your left elbow on the outside of the right knee. Press the knee against the elbow, to keep your knees hip-width apart.
Continue twisting and pressing the hands together, while aiming to bring your sternum in line with your prayer hands.
If your neck feels okay, gaze over your right shoulder, chin turning toward the shoulder.
Keep the left shoulder away from the ear and keep lengthening the spine.
Hold this position about three breaths on one side.
Come back to the starting position and repeat on the left.
NOTE: if you are pregnant, skip this pose altogether or repeat the gentle open twist variation from earlier in the sequence.

Seated chair post with Anjali Mudra hands

Supported Downward-facing Dog

Now it’s time to get your butt off the chair for our standing poses! Make sure your chair is on your mat or a non-slippery surface for safety and support.
Facing the seat of the chair, place your hands on the backrest and begin to walk your feet back, until you feel your legs are extended, your arms are extended and your torso is perpendicular to the floor.
Keep your feet hip-width apart and your weight distributed evenly from the balls of the feet through outer parts of the feet and into the heels.
Keep your spine long, and your neck neutral, your gaze facing the floor or the chair.
Actively pull your belly up and toward the spine, activating your core muscles.
Roll your shoulders away from your ears and away from one another broadening the space between the shoulder blades.
Your arms are fully extended and your hands resting on the backrest of your chair. Keep the hold of the backrest light, activating your core muscles to hold you up rather than sinking into the shoulders and hands.
Once you’re comfortable here, you may try a deeper variation, placing one hand after another on the seat of the chair.
Again, roll your shoulders away from the ears and the shoulder blades away from one another.
You may want to step your feet slightly away from the chair to increase the lengthening in your hamstrings, glutes, torso, and shoulders.
Stay here for 5 breaths or as long as it feels comfortable for you.
You may also gently “walk the dog” – lift one heel and bend the same knee and then switch, repeating this motion for several breaths.

Supported downward-facing dog variation 2

Warrior I Variations

From Downward-facing Dog, step your feet forward, so that you are in a neutral standing position, feet hip-width apart, hip points facing forward.
Reach for the backrest of your chair and then step back with your left leg 50-100cm.
Turn the left foot about 45° toward the outside of the mat, while pressing into the outer edge of the left foot.
Keep the right hip point facing forward and turn it gently toward the mat.
Bending the right knee anywhere from 30-90°, depending on what feels fine for your knee, keeping the knee over the ankle.
If you need a bit more support for your upper body, feel free to place your hands on the outer sides of your chair.
However, if you would like to move toward the unsupported variation, release your hands from the chair and lengthen your spine.
Keep pressing in through the outer edges of the left foot, while simultaneously distributing your weight evenly between both feet.
You may bring your arms alongside your torso into the “ski-jumper” position. Stay here for 3-5 breaths if that feels like that is your pose for today.
Otherwise, swing your arms forward and up towards the sky, while taking your gaze up toward the hands. Stay here for 3-5 breaths.
We will continue the following few poses on the same side and then switch to the other.

Supported Pyramid Pose

From the previous position, keep your right foot in the same position, step your back foot slightly forward, so that both your feet are facing the chair, hips are parallel to one another, the torso is upright.
You might already feel a slight stretch here in your hamstrings, if so, you can stay here for several (3-5) breaths and that can be your pyramid pose for today.
If you would like to move on to the below-pictured variations of the pose, you may place your hands on the side of the seat of your chair, keep your spine long, belly activated like in the downward-facing pose position, neck neutrally extending from the spine. Distribute your weight evenly between your feet and stay here for 3-5 breaths.
Another variation of this pose is as described in the previous step, however, you may place your forearms on the seat of the chair and keep your gaze toward the chair. Keep your legs extended, spine long, and belly active.
Next variation, place your hands on the back of the seat of the chair and extend your arms, as you lengthen your spine, keep the neck neutral. The deeper you go with the torso, the more stretch you will feel in your hamstrings.
Feel free to adjust the distance between the front and back foot. The wider the stance, the more intense the stretch in your hamstrings will feel.
For the unsupported variation, walk your hands down toward the floor, keep your spine long.

Warrior III Variations

Whichever variation of Pyramid pose you decided to practice, return to the first one pictured above, with both hands holding on to the sides of the chair.
Begin to bend the right knee slightly and shift your weight toward your right leg. You may also shift the weight of your torso a bit into your shoulders, arms, and hands.
From here, begin to kick your left heel up, while you keep shifting your weight forward.
Keep both hips pointing down toward the mat and keep breathing!
Activate your core muscles, tightening up your abs, obliques, and the lats (latissimus dorsi).
Flex the left foot and point your toes down toward the floor.
You may keep a slight bend in your right knee, or if it feels safe for you, extend your right knee.
Lengthen your spine and try to establish a long line from the crown of the head to the heel.
Hold the pose for 3-5 deep even breaths.
For an extra challenge for your balance, begin to shift your weight into the standing leg and away from the arms.
Then carefully remove one hand from the chair and place your thumb near your sternum.
Continue to remove the other hand from the chair, bringing it to meet the first underneath your sternum. KEEP BREATHING!
Hold for 3-5 breaths or as long as it feels attainable.
Bring your feet together, hip-width apart.

Supported Triangle Pose

Keeping your right foot facing the chair, step your left foot 50-100cm back.
Rotate the back foot 90° to the left, parallel to the back edge of the mat.
Pivot the hips to be parallel to the long side of your mat, stack the shoulders above the hips, open your arms into a T-position. Lengthen your spine, keep reaching with the crown of the head to the ceiling.
Begin to hinge from the right hip lowering the right rib cage and torso towards the chair.
Lower until your right hand lands on the seat of the chair. Lift the left arm toward the ceiling.
Shift the shoulders away from your ears. If it feels okay for your neck, gaze up at your left hand.
Keep pressing into the outer edge of your left foot, distributing your weight evenly between your feet.
For another variation, before you begin the pose, you may turn the chair away from you and rest your forearm on the backrest.
Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths.

Repeat the Sequence on the Other Side

From the above pose, return to the starting position, face your chair and begin the sequence again starting with the Downward-facing Dog variations.
Continue practicing all the poses with the left foot forward.

Seated Wide-Legged Forward Fold

After practicing the sequence on both sides, have a seat in your chair again.
Bring your knees out wide, feet pointing to 11 (L) and 2(R) o’clock.
Bring your hands to your thighs and begin to lower your torso down in between your thighs. Once your torso is parallel to the floor, you may place your hands on the floor. You may stay here with a long spine, neck extended, or relaxed so that the crown of your head points to the floor.
If you would like a deeper fold that also works as an inversion, walk your hands toward your feet and fold the torso down from the hips. Allow your spine to round, allow the shoulders to relax, and let the head hang toward the floor. Feel free to shake your head “yes” and “no” a few times.
If you are finding it difficult to breathe in this position, back out to the variation with your hands under the shoulders.
Otherwise, empty your lungs completely with each exhale and allow the exhales to be longer than the inhales (the exhales can be twice as long as the inhales). If available, you may also bring your forearms to the floor, place the palms of your hands either flat on the floor or together in prayer position.
Stay here for 5-10 breaths.
Note: Avoid the deep fold with your head hanging down if you have high blood pressure, have a sensitive neck, or have suffered a neck or head injury.

• Seated Savasana

Walk your hands back under the shoulders and heel-toe your feet closer to each other– together or hip-width apart.
Use your hands to walk yourself back to a seated position.
Give yourself a big hug, bring your hands to the opposite shoulder blades. Then switch.
Slide a bit deeper into your chair. You can lean your back on the backrest of your chair.
Place your hands on your knees or thighs, or you may release the hands and let them rest next to your seat, with palms facing forward.
Stack your head over your shoulders, shoulders over the hips, tuck the chin toward the chest.
Let your breath be natural.
Close your eyes and allow yourself to stay in the resting position for at least 3 minutes or longer. You may also continue onto a meditation practice in this position.
Once finished, take note of your body again, notice your breath, notice your emotional state, remember the intention you set for your practice.
Remember to be kind and gentle to yourself.
Thank you for your practice, namaste.

Recommendations: Here is what I am watching/listening to/reading right now:

Netflix:
Queer Eye Season 6
I’ve watched every season of this show as soon as it comes on and this was no exception! I also think that this was my favorite season so far, as it was filmed about a year after Corona first hit the US, so many of the stories told have to do with the struggle related to the pandemic.

Orange is the New Black Season 6
After a long break from the show, I am just back into it.

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Seasons 4 & 5
These two were the first “All-Stars” seasons I have watched so far and I was hooked, as many of my fave Queens from previous seasons were back and the challenges were more demanding than on the regular Drag Race. It’s my go-to “guilty pleasure” show.

Podcasts:
This month I can highly recommend both of these episodes of “Ten Percent Happier” with Dan Harris, as they both have to do with habits, resolutions, goals and making positive changes in your day-to-day.

How to Change Your Habits | Katy Milkman
This episode, with Wharton School researcher and behavioral scientist Katy Milkman, explores why change can be so difficult, and what’s the best way to make it happen in your life.
You will find a link to Katy Milkman’s book below.
How to Actually do Self-Love | Karamo
In today’s conversation, we talk about why, for Karamo, learning to love himself started with learning to love his first name; how he overcame negative messages inside his abusive childhood home; why men struggle so much with the concept of self-love; and the areas in his own life where he struggles the most to practice what he preaches.
This episode is a rerun from earlier in the year with “Queer Eye’s” Karamo, who teaches Self-Love of the show.

Audible:
”Atomic Habits” by James Clear
This breakthrough book from James Clear is the most comprehensive guide on how to change your habits and get 1% better every day.
This book certainly relates to this month’s topic of changing your habits.
Personally, I would recommend getting the book in print, or listening to it at home when you have access to your computer so you can download the worksheets. Since I listened to this book on the go, I felt like I could have gotten much more out of it, had I done the worksheets.
Nevertheless, Clear presents easy-to-follow tools to change habits and make positive adjustments in your daily life.

”How to Change” by Katy Milkman
Award-winning Wharton Professor and Choiceology podcast host Katy Milkman has devoted her career to the study of behavior change. In this national bestseller, Milkman reveals a proven path that can take you from where you are to where you want to be.
I just started listening to this book after hearing the podcast with the author on “Ten Percent Happier”.

“The Fuck It Diet” by Caroline Dooner
Caroline Dooner tackles the inherent flaws of dieting and diet culture, and offers readers a counterintuitively simple path to healing their physical, emotional, and mental relationship with food…
My good friend Elizabeth has recommended this book and it was LIFE-CHANGING for me! Like the author, I have spent years obsessing over my weight, trying nearly every diet on the planet in hopes of becoming “skinny”, pretty much always ending up back at square one: disappointed, frustrated, and feeling shitty about myself… I can’t say I have followed the advice in this book 100%, still, it has helped me a lot to get over calorie-tracking and weight-checking.
I thought this was a very fitting recommendation for this month because so many new years’ resolutions have to do with eating, weight, and health.

Kindle:
“Meditation is Not What You Think: Mindfulness and Why It Is So Important (Coming to Our Senses Part 1)” by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
In this first book, Kabat-Zinn focuses on the "what" and the "why" of mindfulness–explaining why meditation is not for the "faint-hearted," how meditation can actually be a radical act of love, and why paying attention is so supremely important.
It’s the first book in a series of four, which are a repackage Jon Kabat-Zinn’s “Coming to Our Senses”.

Apps:
Downdog
I have been using this app for my home yoga practice for about 5 years after my dear friend Barb recommended it to me. I absolutely love it, because it has such a wide range of yoga styles you can practice and so many options for setting the kind of practice you need - from chair yoga, to restorative, to vinyasa and Ashtanga, even pre-natal yoga! The sequences are seamless and filmed in high-quality video in a lovely setting.
They are having a sale right now, so it’s a good time to order, however, the free version has quite a few options you can choose from, if you want to first just try it out. I HIGHLY recommend it!

InsightTimer
If stepping up your meditation game has been on your to-do list for this year, then I highly recommend this app. I’ve been on it since 2016 when I first learned about it during my teacher training and have been meditating ever since. You can use it as just a timer, or for guided meditations.
There are thousands of guided meditations and hundreds of teachers to choose from! I love it for the variety of meditations and teachings it offers–all for free, but you can choose to donate to the teachers when you complete a guided meditation, which IMO, is the right thing to do ;)
You can find me on there as Koko Yoga :)

Playlists:

2022 Koko Yoga Jan #01

Here is your playlist to accompany the chair yoga practice this month. ENJOY!

Wrap-Up

Well, this was another LONG one!
I can tell you already, that moving forward, I will keep this newsletter much shorter for several reasons:

The time and energy needed.
The December newsletter was prepared while I was on medical leave to recover from my knee surgery. This issue, while I am on a break between jobs. I start a new position at a new company on February 1st. I am quite sure that I will not have the time to continue putting as much time and effort as I have into these two issues once working again full-time .
I will eventually come back to teaching.
As of right now, I am hoping to be back to teaching in the studios (Wednesdays at Kreuzbergyoga and Saturdays at vea) in March. I will confirm or decline this once I have a better sense of how my knee is doing at some point in February.
I do intend to keep writing content and sharing my thoughts and recommendations with you, however, I will likely skip the detailed yoga practices, because we will practice again together in the studio.
These last two issues were LOOOONG.
I worry that they are so long that no one reads them. But to be sure, I would love to get some feedback! So write me or leave a comment below and let me know what you thought of these two entries so far.

So, thank you for reading, for your feedback, and for your support while I recover <3.

And many thanks to my super duper yogini colleagues keeping my classes going during my recovery: Mary Beth on Wednesdays and Jana on Saturdays.
Click here for the current schedule.