I forgot how much I love being a student and have really enjoyed these past few weeks, as I’ve been taking a deep dive into my yoga-teacher training. I’ve got less than a month to go before graduation and lots of studying and assignments to complete. This focus on learning has caused me to be a little absent on Twitter and less prolific on this blog. I really miss all my Twitter yoga peeps, but now is the time to buckle down and focus on graduating summa cum yogini.

I still take the time each day to check out a few of my favorite blogs and have read in awe as so many of my tweeps (@MeredithLeBlanc, @CieChange, @Emmainbxl, @yoga_mydrishti to name a few) have been bravely posting their New Year’s resolutions and goals for all to read—and (gasp) to keep you accountable. I wasn’t so brave. I’m still a little new to blogging and wasn’t ready to put that 2011 goal sheet up on the blog for public consumption. Why am I kidding myself? I still haven’t even started to write down my goals for 2011.

But I am going to put two firm feet on the ground, standing tall in mountain pose, hands at heart center, and proudly proclaim one goal for 2011. I am going to get into the practice of daily meditation. I am going to fall in love with it and spread the word about my experiences. If it is the only goal I work on and achieve this year, I will have accomplished something pretty damn amazing.

I just finished reading chapter one of Meditation and Its Practice by Swami Rama and can’t wait to finish this book. This book is on my required reading list for yoga-teacher training, and I plan to use it as my road map for my journey into the wonderful world of meditation this year.

So, why am I so fired up about meditation? Here’s a list of benefits Swami Rama provides in Chapter 1:

  • Meditation helps relax muscular tension and the autonomic nervous system and provides freedom from mental stress. I am a major stress queen. Meditation, take me away… I am so ready to be free of mental stress!
  • Meditation is a systematic way of enhancing our innate talents in daily life. Or, in other words, the practice will help develop my creativity, intuition, and ability to write and think more expressively. I’m not going to look at the time I spend each day meditating as something frivolous, but rather as professional enrichment, something I need to do each day to produce better, more productive work.
  • Meditating is a process that is restful for the mind. I don’t know about you, but we all beat the hell out of our mind on a daily basis. This year I’m giving back and letting my mind enjoy the breaks it deserves: the chance to let all those stressful thoughts—such as worrying, planning, thinking, and reasoning—just melt away.

Swami Rama claims that “the highest of all joys that can ever be experienced by a human being can be attained through meditation.” Now, that piqued my interest. Sign me up! I’m setting a goal of finding that highest joy!

So, there; I’ve done it. Put that goal out for all to read. Please hold me accountable in the coming year! Ask me how my meditation is going, and tell me about your experiences. I’m hoping some of my yoga buddies (like @yisforyogini) will continue to put out 30-day kriyas, and maybe I’ll start a few fun group activities to keep us all motivated to meditate!

Wishing you a year of delightful meditation in the quest for the highest of all joys!