How many times have you made a New Year’s Resolution that you were ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED to achieving, but then for reasons you can’t understand, you just didn’t? You REALLY wanted to make that change. You might have even had a plan, an accountability partner, SMART goals! But somehow you ran out of steam, or got too busy, or found some other reason to push that really important personal goal to the back burner, yet again.

You aren’t alone! Eighty percent of us fail to realize our New Year’s Resolutions. A third of us give up in the first month!

It’s NOT a moral failure on your part. And it’s not a matter of inadequate willpower. You ARE strong enough to make meaningful changes in your life; and you HAVE everything you need to do it already. In many cases, the problem is that our conscious, stated goals do not align with the unconscious desires we have already committed to. And those unconscious commitments are running the show.

This September, I am offering a workshop series, Align for Life, that will help you clarify your vision for the coming year and beyond by uncovering the unconscious desires and commitments that may be driving your current trajectory, so that you can map your stated goals onto authentic and better explored terrain.

This multi-part series will give you the tools and the time you need to create a strategic intention for next year that reflects your deepest values and highest aspirations. We will use techniques grounded in yoga Vedic and Tantric philosophies, psychology and practice—self-inquiry, meditation, somatic movement and breath work—to tap into your soul’s calling, uncover your unique mode of creatively expressing and realizing that calling, identify sources of internal and external resistance, and devise a plan that takes all of these things into account.

By January, you will have a clearly articulated goal, the skills to carry through despite the obstacles that may present themselves, and a supportive community to back you up all the way.

How it works

September: Excavation and Clarification. We will meet four times in person to begin the process with a deep dive into your own history with goal setting, acknowledging your accomplishments and difficulties, and identifying common themes; an introduction to yoga philosophy outlining the four desires you are meant to fulfill as part of your dharma; a clarification of the values and principles you WANT to guide your actions; identification of unconscious commitments that may be at odds with your stated principles; and the development of an initial sankalpa, or strategic intention, for your next year.

October: Self-study, self-observation and practice. October can be a very busy month for people. The weather is finally starting to cool, there’s football, Halloween, Dia de los Muertos and the beginnings of the hectic holiday season. What better time to find out what habits, mindsets, external obligations and scheduling details might get in the way of your following through on your intention? With the support of twice-weekly emails from me and weekly videos, you will work independently throughout October to try out a new habit, drop an old one, track your time and observe the process and results.

November: Consolidation and planning. In early November, we will meet again in a day-long mini-retreat on Nov 10 to consolidate our learnings, share our observations, revise your sankalpa and create a plan of action for January. The retreat will be held in Wimberley at the beautiful Ruby Retreats ranch.

Oh, and CELEBRATE all that you’ve already accomplished! This is hard work! There are no shortcuts to true fulfillment. No “life hacks” on your way to a meaningful life. Heck!! Every time we meet will be a celebration of all you are doing to figure this stuff out!

What you will need

• 2-3 hours each weekend in September for our in-person group sessions
• A minimum of 5 hours per “work week” (M-F) dedicated to independent reading, self-study, meditation and practice (approximately 1 hour a day)
• A desire to discover and realize your life’s calling
• A spirit of adventure, curiosity and wonder (about yourself!)
• A willingness to acknowledge and explore your shadow self

What you get

• An introduction to the ancient wisdom of yoga Vedic and Tantric philosophies
• Tools to understand and work with your unconscious motivations and priorities
• Access to and experience of the body’s intuitive and emotional intelligence
• Practical skills to overcome internal resistance
• Practical time-management skills
• 16 hours of in-person instruction with Lesley
• Twice-weekly support emails throughout October
• Access to a private Facebook group for ongoing conversation with our group
• Weekend mini-retreat
• Yoga Alliance-certified yoga teachers who complete the course will qualify for 16 hours of Continuing Education Credits (yoga philosophy)

What if I miss a class?

This is a time-intensive series. I understand that things come up and you may need to miss some sessions or the weekend mini-retreat. I will audio- or video record material reflecting our work on the September weekend sessions that you can access later that week. If you are unable to attend the weekend mini-retreat, I will work with you one-on-one to review the material covered and the work you’ll need to do.

Investment

For an investment of $475 ($125 for the course work, plus $350 for the mini-retreat), over 10 weeks you will identify and give expression to your life’s deepest desire (as you understand it now) and set yourself on a path to fulfilling that desire with the awareness of your own internal and external challenges, and a plan to work through them.

Email me with any questions or to get a link to the payment plan (lesley@mbslife.com) or register here.