At first, it felt like just another attempt at healing, another one of those things that everyone says could help. I remember the first time I tried yoga and meditation. My body didn’t want to cooperate, my thoughts kept racing – it was hard to sit still, hard to be present. The storm inside me was so loud, and when I felt the pain, I didn’t know how to let it go. I didn’t believe this would work for me. It’s not that I didn’t want to try, but something inside me wasn’t ready to come to terms with what I had been through. Every attempt to concentrate and stay committed felt like another small battle I fought within my mind. And every time I tried to continue, the silence didn’t come.
But in 2024, something shifted. I decided to commit – no more excuses, no more "tomorrow." When the new year began, I knew it was time to put myself first. I heard a wise speaker once say that milestones and rituals in our lives are simply opportunities to channel all the energy of our thoughts and emotions to create the change we desire.
So, even though there was no real sense of celebration, with the onset of the war, at the start of 2024, I decided I would do it, and I wouldn’t let myself escape. I joined a yoga and meditation group "Brothers in Yoga" and I committed to developing a new habit – to practice every day and not give up.
It was hard at first, like anything new. There were days when I felt I couldn’t continue, and the frustration never left me. My body didn’t always cooperate, my thoughts were loud, and sometimes I thought about giving up. But thanks to the group, thanks to the commitment we made together, I kept going. Each day became a small battle where I chose to continue, not to give up, not to dismiss myself.
And change came. It wasn’t magic or an immediate solution, but when I started practicing, my body began to feel different. I found myself breathing more deeply, a sense of inner calm began to seep in, and more and more, I felt how each session was drawing me into a new experience. There wasn’t a day when I didn’t feel the effects of yoga – not just on my body, but on my thoughts and emotions as well. The calm wasn’t just in words; it was within me, in every movement, in every breath.
Today, almost a year later, I can look back and see how persistence has changed me. I feel much more balanced, more at peace, with a bigger smile on my face. The consistency in yoga and meditation has not only improved my feelings but also the way I see the world. It’s not simple, and it’s not always easy, but every passing day I feel the change and I value the choice I made to dedicate myself to this.
With the new calendar year beginning this week, I recommend everyone make a new commitment, even if it’s small. Treat it like a personal ritual (preferably with witnesses), to break an old habit and develop something new. Don’t wait for tomorrow, don’t look for the easy and quick way. Sometimes, this self-commitment is exactly what’s needed to open the door to real change.
When you choose to commit, you choose yourself.
I committed to the new year in 2024, and today I realize that this commitment not only changed my year, but it changed the entire way I see myself.
Written by Tomer, senior brother inYoga
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