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new year resolutions

Many people resolve to lose weight every year, starting January 1st. You’ve heard it – “New year, new me!” Unfortunately, studies show that a mere 8% of people stick to their new year resolutions, with new year diets lasting only about two months. We have a few tips to help you with your weight loss resolution (or if you just want to get healthy, or exercise more, or whatever!) in 2017.

  1. Make specific goals: Have you heard of SMART goals? Make goals specific, measurable, accountable, realistic, and timely. Yoga is perfect for SMART goals. You can pick a specific pose you want to be able to do (measurable, of course, by actually doing it), share your goal with your yoga instructor who can keep you accountable (and can agree that this is a realistic goal for you), and pick a deadline for being able to do the pose. You will have to work hard every day to work up achieving your goal, and can pick a new and more difficult pose every month – keeping you working all year.
  2. Be patient: Many people give up on their journey to health or a lower weight because they want instant gratification. Unfortunately, it just doesn’t work like that. Use the non-exercise aspects of yoga – breathing, meditation, mindfulness – to stay present and grounded and remind yourself that achieving your goals will take time and dedication.
  1. Share your goals: Letting people in on your goals will help keep you accountable. Tell your friends, family, and most importantly your yoga classmates and instructor that you have set out a definite timeline of achievable yoga poses, and that you will be working all year to make it to those deadlines. You might be surprised at how many people remember and remind you to stay on track. Fitness, health, and weight loss don’t have to be done alone.

Even better, share a yoga experience of a lifetime with your friends at a yoga retreat in Nicaragua.

  1. Schedule it: This goes back to the “timely” aspect of SMART goals, and what better way to schedule work towards your goals than to sign up for yoga classes? You’ll have set times on set days that you have paid for and will want to stick to – especially if you’ve told all your friends and they call to ask where you are if you don’t go!
  1. Be resilient: Whether you get sidetracked by an injury or have a tough time keeping your schedule due to demands in other areas of your life, stick with it. Yoga can be done in short intervals every day, wherever you have time, which makes it a perfect activity for keeping up your weight loss or health goals all year. Just devote yourself to doing something every day, no matter how small.

Set yourself up to achieve your yoga goals this year by learning from and practicing with world class instructor Cher Aslor at her Bucket List of Bliss yoga retreat in Nicaragua.

Want to become an instructor rather than just practice? Join a Yoga Teacher Training right here in Nicaragua.

The editors of Travel & Leisure spilled their top travel resolutions – “whether it’s nailing the art of healthy travel, booking flights earlier to save cash, or snagging elite status from their favorite airlines.” These are our favorites, and ones we have resolved to do ourselves some day:

Get Outta the Country

“My priority for 2016 is to obtain a passport and take a maiden voyage out of the country. Not having many American cities left to visit on my bucket list, it’s time for me to venture out.” Mariah Tyler, Digital Photo Editor

Buy Tickets Early

“Start buying my tickets at the right time! I’m a chronic procrastinator when it comes to buying plane tickets, and while I’ve managed to get lucky so far, I could save serious cash with smarter planning. And thanks to the new bunch of forecasting apps, it’s easier than ever to buy at the right time, even for lazy shoppers like me.” Lila Battis, Associate Editor

Sign up & buy your tickets now to come learn to be a yoga teacher in the paradise of Nicaragua with Ella Luckett.

Cut the Gluttony

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“While eating like a local can be the highlight of a trip, it doesn’t mean that you have to pig out. I generally overindulge when I’m on the road, whether it’s too many snacks or frequently eating out. My goal for the upcoming year is to reign it in a bit and focus on eating healthier while on vacation (at least part of the time). Sean Flynn, Senior Web Producer

(Okay, we don’t need to make a resolution for this one. All of our yoga retreats and trainings feature health, local, natural meals!)

Go Solo

solo mindfulness nicaragua

“One of my resolutions for 2016 is to plan a solo trip. Obviously it’s fun to travel with friends and family, but it can be hard to juggle people’s schedules and priorities. Lately, I’ve been fantasizing about laying on a beach alone, with nothing to distract me and time to reflect, recharge, and make my own schedule. Plus, when traveling alone, you never know what interesting people you’ll meet.”Laura Itzkowitz, Contributing Digital Editor

Use Every Last Vacation Day

“Plan out my vacations for the year in January so that I not only have something to look forward to all year long, but can make sure I use the vacation time I have to recharge rather than letting it go unused.” Pam Russo, VP and General Manager

Do Good

“Participate in or help organize a volunteer trip abroad. Every day on the Greek island of Lesbos, some 2,000 Syrian refugees are displaced and in need of help. There are so many real-world issues happening both at home and overseas, but the opportunity to help during this crisis is something that is extremely important to me. After all, there’s nothing better than traveling than traveling for a good cause.” Michelle Gross, Producer and Contributor

Stay Fit on the Road

ella luckett jai yoga

“This will be the year I pack workout clothes—and use them. I must figure out how to maintain the exercise routine, even when I’m away. Especially when I’m away. Seeking all tips and suggestions from anyone who has figured it out, but I know that keeping up with workouts when traveling makes a huge difference for your health.” —Corina Quinn, Digital Travel Editor

Attend a 200 hour yoga teacher training and you’ll not only get a Yoga Alliance certification, you’ll leave your vacation more toned than ever!

Read the full original article from Travel & Leisure.