I’ve been journaling since I was 10 years old. I can even remember the plastic pink cover that snapped shut and “secured” my kinder scribbling with lock and key: the first of many outlets and creative explorations.
From that day on, I’ve spent shameless amounts of money seeking out, indulging in, and once finding the perfect journal, stock-piling mass numbers of it for future use. Then there are the perfect pens, stickers, washi tape, glitter, bookmarks, and infinite crafty things to beautiful this sacred book.
My journal travels with me to classes I teach, courses I take, coffee shops I inhabit, places I visit, and from room to room to room in my own house. My significant other— who often carts these books and bobbles from Place A to Place B in return for freedom from the frustration that ensues if I forget it—can attest to this truth.
This sounds like a rambling tangent. But my intention is to provide some context around just how rare and rewarding it is to find the perfect journal. And I have: the Daily Greatness Yoga Journal.
I have always recommended keeping a notebook for scribbling some thoughts about the practice. Originally, for me, it was all about the postures. This was hugely beneficial, as I could see how far I had come and how much I had changed. Downward Dogused to make beads of sweat roll down my back and my shoulders burn with fatigue: now it’s a “resting pose.”
But beyond the postures, I was able to see the impact of the practice on my mind and where I was at just one year ago . . .the things that concerned me, the quotes or books that influenced me, and so on. I brought this book to Sylvie Gouin’s fabulous and inspirational course on Inspired Living. It was the perfect note-taking companion.
If you’re keen to the idea but don’t know where to start, the Daily Greatness Journal offers prompts and invites insights to encourage you. In addition to those, I scribble cool postural sequences, note muscle imbalances, and periodically colour it up with stickers. It is a profoundly enjoyable pastime and effective too for reducing stress.
Here are 7 cool things you can include in your book to enhance personal development and sweeten your experience along the way:
Log the time, location, and length of your session. How’s the weather?
How did you feel before you started and after you finished the practice? What was your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual state?
Did you experience any moments of inner peace, mental calm?
What challenged you the most during your time spent on the mat?
What posture brought you to a state of bliss?
How was your balance today?
Did you practice Savasana? For how long?
I hope this inspires you to pick up a pen and start scribbling. There are no rules! Enjoy the process and let me know how it goes!