The Past No Longer Exists

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  New Year's Eve can be looked at as a celebration of the old year ending, the new year starting, or a combination of the two.  But no matter how you look at it, January 1st is technically the start of a new year.  This is the reason that so many people start the year off by making resolutions...due to the fact that they have a fresh start.  When resolutions are made, the goals that are set typically revolve around things that one hopes to improve upon, especially regarding ones that involve bettering one's state of fitness.  As I have been saying for the last few weeks, these goals are usually set with the best intentions.  But, for so many people, within a short time, even by now for many, the resolutions are no longer maintained.  And if people feel a sense of failure with this, there is usually little hope that they will start back up again even though each day is a brand new day to start anew.  In quite an unfortunate way, a large number of people who have "fallen off" of their fitness resolutions will not attempt them again until the next new year!  I'm here today to remind everyone that there is still plenty of the new year left.  And, as I just mentioned, each new day, regardless of the date on the calendar, is an opportunity to start fresh, just as January 1st was. 

          According to Buddhist teaching, Buddha had said “The past is already gone, the future is not yet here. There's only one moment for you to live, and that is the present moment”  The point of this saying is to remind us that we shouldn't dwell on the past, nor worry about the future but instead live for today.  This does not mean that we should indulge in a piece of cheesecake simply to enjoy the day, rather it means that we shouldn't let the something in the past, such as a failure, keep us from doing something better today.  Furthermore, in terms of the future, it simply means to not stress about it, but it IS still to be considered.  How this teaching applies to your health and fitness is in the fact that there may have been things that have come up in the past that have kept you from reaching your fitness goals, but they should not keep your from pursuing them today.  It could have been something simple like having too much to eat and/or drink over the weekend, or a little more involved such as enrolling in a gym membership but then never going more than once, twice or a few times.  Just because you have had a set back in the past does not mean you cannot have success in the future.

           The future is not yet here...  This is meant to be encouraging!  Rather than worrying about the future, in terms of stressing over reaching your fitness goals such as how many pounds of fat you would like to lose, you should realize that you have time to get there...you don't have to be at that healthier state today.  Furthermore, you don't need to be down on yourself for not being as healthy today as you are setting out to be.  The concept of Karma in the Buddhist tradition is that even though the future isn't here yet, we can do things today to make for an easier, better and happier tomorrow.  The relevance to fitness is that the time you spend in the gym today on the treadmill or pushing the weights, or making healthy food choices at each and every meal is good Karma for your body.  By making the healthy choices today, you will set yourself on the path to have that healthier, fitter new you.  This was emphasized in a class I took a few years ago led by renowned fitness instructor Lawrence Biscontini; in his class he used the mantra "Buddha says, if it's going to be, it's up to me, I control my destiny."  And you are in control, so do something today that your future self will thank you for!

          With the past already being gone, and the future not yet here, you can only work with the present moment.  While it certainly helps to anticipate the future in order to reach your fitness goals, for example by packing your gym bag in the morning so you can hit the gym directly after work and / or shopping for only healthy food items at the start of the week to give you good choices for meals throughout the week, you can still take away some of the stress of reaching your goals by focusing on what you can do today.  Throughout the day, take a step back, pause, breathe and then ask yourself what you can do in the moment to be healthier.  If you focus on the present moment, you can make the smallest changes that will benefit your health.  Maybe you can correct your posture while sitting at your desk.  Or maybe you actually get up from your chair and you do a set of body weight squats.  As you sit for a meal, look at your plate so before you start eating you can see if there are any changes you can make right there that will be more rewarding and less regretful.  If you are at the gym would it be too much to do one more set while you are already there?  Heck, even just pausing in the present to simply breathe can be invigorating in itself!

          It is a new year, and we can anticipate the days, weeks and months ahead of us.  But remember, each and every one of those new days is just that...a new day to start fresh and new.  Do not let past failures hold you back from becoming the healthier person you want to be.  You can do something today that will push you past those set backs.  And don't let the days ahead and your goal as a whole to intimidate you by letting it feel overwhelming...you have today and each and every day to work towards reaching your goal.  If you do something today, in the present moment, to better your life and improve your health you are creating positive fitness Karma for yourself.  String enough positive present moments together and you will eventually reach the future that you are shooting for.  Being healthy in the present moment is the mindful way to reach a fit new you!