How do you feel about New Year’s resolutions? Instead of making an unreasonable commitment you can’t keep, how about setting an intention to live in alignment with your values and passions? Create habits that instill this into your life through Yoga Moves MS’s fun and free challenge.
Karma Yoga is the act of service, known as the “yoga of unselfish action,” which makes the world a better place. As 2022 comes to an end, Yoga Moves MS invites you to join us in a January Giving and Gratitude Challenge.
Join us for a kickoff event on January 5th at 11:15am EST with Dr. Amy Sullivan, PsyD., the Director of Behavioral Medicine and Research at the Mellen Center for MS at the Cleveland Clinic. At this event, you will have the opportunity to reflect on 2022 and set your intentions for 2023. At Yoga Moves MS, we are dedicating 2023 to the themes of generosity and gratitude. Each week we have the privilege of teaching adaptive yoga to those impacted by MS, Parkinson’s disease, and other neuromuscular conditions, and we are so grateful for our community!
Kickoff Event Registration – Dr. Amy Sullivan, PsyD.
Join the challenge and become a daily doer. It’s easy: every day in January pledge to:
- Write down or say to yourself 1-3 things you’re grateful for (we’ve included a gratitude log below if you want to keep track on paper)
- Spend a few minutes journaling on our prompt of the day. (We’ve included a list of prompts below and you can follow along on our Facebook or Instagram)
- Perform an act of giving each day. (We’ve included a list of suggestions, most of which cost nothing and require no special skills or equipment.)
The greatest gift we can give is to be fully present with our time and attention. Yoga asana or postures with breathwork bring our mind and body into the present moment, and karma yoga brings that awareness off the mat and into our daily interactions.
Tracking your progress in this challenge is “on your honor.” There’s nothing to submit at the end of January, but there is a lot to gain from participating. Gratitude and giving are shown to improve mental health, reduce stress and strengthen social connections, so everyone who participates is already a winner in our book!
As a mid-way check in, we are delighted to have TEDx speaker, Jacqueline Way of 365give share her story. Her “Stepping into Happy” talk on January 14th at 12:00 Noon EST will show how happiness and love can heal us with each step we take as we step into ourselves. Jacqueline has three children with neurodevelopmental disorders and understands how physical challenges can be so difficult in our lives. She will talk about the physical and heart centered perspective.
Mid-Way Check-In Event Registration – Jacqueline Way, 365give
Join us as we embark on generosity as a way of life. Interact with others challenging themselves on our daily social media posts and “in person” during our virtual yoga classes. Building a life of generosity and gratitude is a practice. If you miss a day, don’t beat yourself up, just begin again.
For everyone who participates in the challenge, whether for one day or the whole month, we’ll celebrate our collective contributions to making the world a more grateful and generous place at our wrap-up event on Zoom January 30th at 7pm EST with Megan Weigel, DNP, ARNP-c. Megan is an Advanced Practice Holistic Nurse, Board Certified, and Multiple Sclerosis Certified Nurse. Her bestselling book Monday Mantras with Megan is a yearlong guide to healing through mindfulness intentions and actions.
Wrap-Up Event Registration – Megan Weigel, DNP, ARNP-c
We would love to hear about your experience participating in this challenge. Send a written email, voice memo or video to mindy@yogamovesms.org. Who did you help? How did you feel?
While this challenge doesn’t require financial contributions, for those with the means, we would appreciate a donation to Yoga Moves MS — the nonprofit runs on your generosity.
If you are unable to attend each of the events on the dates/times listed, as long as you are registered you will be provided with the recordings to watch at your convenience.
If you donate at the $100 level or above, you will receive a Yoga Moves MS journal. At the $75 level you’ll receive access to the Yoga Moves MS Wheelchair Yoga videos, and at the $50 level you’ll receive a Yoga Moves Any Body ebook.
Now, Go Make The World A Better Place!
Here are your Giving and Gratitude Prompts for the Month
Use the prompts below to help generate ideas of how you can experience the joy of giving and gratitude. These are suggested options. We are interested to learn your ideas too.
