2015: Be Gentle

I have not always been kind to myself. With a natural disposition toward depression and the scars from times when my spirit could not bear the grief it felt—rational or not—it's taken time to learn to love and nurture my body, mind, and spirit. The habits associated with loving and nurturing, though, could be more consistent. And that's where my 2015 mantra comes in: in 2015, I will be gentle to myself and others in all that I do.

^ earrings by darlybird

2015 will be a year of more vegetables and less sugar, of yoga teacher training and following through with my desire to gain knowledge, of working out and of working hard. It's a year to consciously banish black-and-white thinking (because everything is not just all great or all terrible). It's the year of loving myself, and showing myself that love.

As a dear friend once told me, I need to strengthen myself in order to strengthen others. This is my intention.

I came back home after a sugar-heavy holiday vacation and was ecstatic to get back to a regular schedule. I have been exercising and pushing myself harder. Last year my neighbor introduced me to Blogilates and I've been doing her 30 Days to Flat Abs challenge. I've been spending way too much money at Mend Juicery, but my gosh, it's delicious (my favorites include F1, F2, F3, C1, G4, and G6). On a more creative side, I've also been continuing studying The Artist's Way with a book club, and I'm looking forward to continuing that program. I don't think any of these things are necessarily new for me—I've been pretty active for a while, and particularly over the past year or so—but I am approaching them with a new mindset and greater resolve.

I should note that I've also begun enjoying detox baths. I heard about Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath a couple years back while reading the Lil Blue Boo blog, as it was part of her detox routine while undergoing chemotherapy, and I have since read many other very positive reviews on it. Let me tell you, this product is a dream. It is "a gentle herbal formula with powdered mustard seed, eucalyptus, rosemary, wintergreen, and thyme." You put a scoop of the powder in a hot bath and sit in it for at least 20 minutes. If you don't do it for the physical benefits, do it for the calming effect. If this isn't being gentle to myself, I don't know what is!

2015 is going to be a beautiful year.

- Allie

What are your goals and intentions for 2015? We'd love to hear about them! Comment below!