There was a time when I kept a journal. Every day, usually before bedtime, I’d grab my book, usually a flowered fabric-covered one, and I’d write. By hand. With a pen. No crossing out allowed. And I did that from when I was in high school up until a few years ago. I’d write my thoughts, my desires, my dreams. I’d write for myself, no one else, and never worried about someone finding it. I kept them in boxes and never once thought, “what if I got hit by a car and someone found these when they were cleaning out my apartment?” So, when I spent last year cleaning out my storage unit, I tossed all my journals. I ripped up the pages while sitting in my office one night and shredded years of documentation about my life. Honestly, if there had been a way to  automate all the information, I’m not sure I’d even do it because honestly, just glancing at a few of the entries from early in my adulthood and I was filled with a mixture of embarrassment and humor. It’s actually quite funny to read back on the things that were so important you to when you were in college and the first few years post-college. Besides, I had a blog now; why did I need a journal?

So, the blog started in 2008 and was mainly focused on my training for my first marathon. It started as a way to document my runs, the distance, my reaction, my aches and pains. It was mainly for me, just like the journal but had more of a transparent feel, given it was on the internet versus my dresser drawer. The marathon blog continued after I was done running the Baystate Marathon in 2008 and transitioned into a health and wellness blog focused primarily on my love of yoga and yoga teaching. It’s now here on this site, one of my two internet “documents” ( I also host www.barebonesyoga.com) and I try as often as I can to dump the contents of my brain and heart into this journal format. I’ve not been as regular in keeping up with it. It’s funny; I was much more consistent with the manual process then what should be so much easier with the ease of just opening the laptop and writing. But there’s something somewhat impersonal about writing on line; it lacks a certain elegance, a certain mystique and even a little privacy and confidentiality. But in these days, where we post on our Facebook page what we had for dinner, post on our Twitter page our favorite books and articles and sayings and make professional connections on our Linked In Page, it became clear that the age of fabric-bound journals had been replaced. Even for a die-hard journal writer like me.

So, as I find myself looking ahead at 7 days of relaxation, I find that as always, I yearn for  a little structure. Not because I can’t relax ( stop shaking your head) but because I believe that time off should be filled with activities devoted to personal development. Whether your version of that includes blogging, writing, spending time in nature, exercising, practicing yoga, reading or just hanging by a pool, they may all fall into the category of personal development. I just like to set a few personal goals while I’m looking at a stretch of free days. That way, when I get back to my regular routine, I can do it with a sense of personal accomplishment. It’s just the way I’m built.

So, for the next 7 days, my goal is to create a blog entry for each day. Each day will be focused on a personal pillar of health and wellness. Now, maybe the things I’ll select might not jive with your pillars of health and wellness but maybe it’ll get you thinking about what your pillars are.. pillars to me depict the weight bearing, foundational support for a structure. In this case, the structure is me. So, what holds me up? What keeps my feet firmly on the ground? What are those things that I lean on, depend on, a look to for support and advice? I will make a list here, and see over the next few days as I create definitions for each one, how they hold up: ( please note these are not in rank order)

1. Believing in myself

2.  Yoga and Running

3. Love, Family and Friends

4. Personal Growth

5. Nutrition and Overall Wellness

6. Letting go

7.  Planning for the future

As the days go on, I may change these but the idea is to start somewhere. As I spend the next 7 days introspectively ticking away at my list, thinking deeply about my own path to health and wellness. Peace.