Self-Reflection

We talk about self-reflection a lot in yoga. Most understand that it's a good practice, but it can be a bit daunting at first.  Adding a little structure to the process can help.  Yesterday, I read about keeping a reflective journal. I think it's an excellent idea that can help train you to think and solve problems more effectively.

From the Communication Skills Manual of Childbirth International:

Reflection is a process through which we look not only at what happened in a situation, but why. Reflection enables us to go beyond the surface of our experiences and to explore the reasons why we and others acted in certain ways, what influenced us, what choices we made, and whether those choices supported our goals. With reflection, we are able to see a whole range of alternatives we may not have identified at the time of the event in question, and can examine why we did not identify and/or choose any of those alternatives. Reflection helps us to be aware of our own power, even if at times we realize that we didn't use our power.

Once you've worked through some simple daily trials in reflection, you can apply the technique to bigger events in your past. The purpose of this isn't to dwell on the past - we know that yoga is about living in the now - but learning from your actions and the actions of others in order to avoid future conflict.