Happy 2012! This year’s first week has gone swimmingly, I’m happy to report. First of, we returned from the east on January 1, just in time to celebrate Jeff and my 5 year anniversary. I had Monday off, and so we spent the day relaxing and I started strong with a New Year’s resolution to be healthier. Step one was to relax more, step two was to exercise, and step three is to spend some more time working out.

And so, Monday I headed to yoga at the nearby yoga studio. It was my first experience with Kundalini Yoga, which I must confess I don’t think it quite my yoga. It’s a bit more meditation than I am used to, which does the opposite of relax me and rather stresses me out.

Nonetheless, I have a Groupon, and the Hatha Yoga classes aren’t at the most convenient times. And so, I have continued to go. Anyways, so I go to yoga on Monday during the day, and again on Tuesday morning. I babysat on Tuesday night, so I skipped Wednesday yoga, and opted for a 3 mile walk with Jeff around West Hollywood, the area we want to move, instead.

Thursday morning I was back at the yoga, and this morning I liked the most of all my yoga days at this new studio. Even though what I am about to say is pretty weird, it was actually fun, freeing, and made me giggle.

For the first ten minutes or so of class, our teacher asked us to wave our hands, torsos, and heads, while sitting cross legged on the floor, to music, as fast and as “crazy” as we could. And all I could think the entire time was of the Florence + the Machine song “Shake it Out.”

2011 was a rough year for a lot of reasons, and I think 2012 is going to be the year of shaking it out. As our yoga teacher yelled, “SHAKE IT OUT! SHAKE OUT YOUR ANGER. WHEN YOU GET TO THE POINT WHEN YOU NEED TO STOP, THAT’S WHEN YOU MUST KEEP GOING.” He sounded one part Wonka, one part Billy Blanks, and strangely, one part my mother. You must keep going. You must finish. You must do this.

And so, this year is about standing the test of time. Of getting healthy. Of shaking it out. Of standing up, and breathing. One day at a time. And, my new motto for the year is to do less, better. I heard it from somewhere (I think Real Simple) and it’s stuck. We get ourselves so busy, so tired, and so run down, we miss out on our actual LIVES. And so, this year, I shall do less. better.

After Thursday morning’s session, I rounded the week off with another long walk on Friday, and a day at the beach on Saturday. Today, Jeff and I biked about 16 miles along the LA River. I still haven’t unpacked, and I’m ok with that. There is sand on the floor from the beach, there are some dishes to be done, and Jeff and I are sitting here plotting an eventual trip to Europe. Life, my friends, is grand.

What are your new year’s resolutions? Or is your resolution not to have one? I’d love to hear from you!