I love the beginning of the year as it brings the opportunity for a fresh start, to let go of the past and embrace the future. A new year also encourages people to take a look at themselves and set new year resolutions.
In yoga there is a term called Swadhyaya which means self study and I feel that the start of a new year really encourages people to practice this element of yoga. Letting go of the past, making resolutions and setting positive intentions can really aid you to make the right changes in your life to achieve a greater sense of happiness and success.
However new year resolutions can also often feel over whelming and impossible to achieve. Therefore I would encourage practicing small steps of inner reflection and allow it to become part of your daily yoga practice rather than just an annual event. This can be achieved by practicing just ten minutes of meditation or setting daily positive intentions. Over a year this can start to build up into a great foundation of inner strength and belief. Slowly things which seemed impossible to achieve will start to become possible!
So I wish you all the best for 2014 and may each day start with your greatest intentions so that you can lead a happy, successful and healthy life!