No January 1st would be complete without a set of well-intentioned New Year’s Resolutions. Almost from the beginning of time, it seems, humans have regarded the first day of the new year as a day of fresh beginnings, a time to reinvent oneself and one’s life.  One can almost imagine the prehistoric caveman stumping out of their caves on the first of the year and declaring, “Me learn to make fire this year.”  Even at the Happiest College in America, we still all have those little things that bother us that we’d like to change.  And although most resolutions don’t even last as long as a Champagne hangover (another grand tradition of the New Year), 2012 just wouldn’t feel complete without making at least a few.  This year, though, let your first resolution be to make better New Year’s Resolutions: ones that matter, and which, with a little effort, you can keep.  Here are a few suggestions for goals for the New Year… and a few classic resolutions that you can burn along with the mistletoe.

4 to Ditch:

1)   Lose weight
Unless your weight is endangering your health, stop stressing about the freshman (or sophomore, or junior…) fifteen!  As long as you are eating healthful foods and exercising, and your body feels good, save the weight loss resolution for your middle-aged self.  For now, enjoy the fact that there are five dining halls that feed you delicious meals three times a day— this will never happen again for the rest of your life, I promise.  Embrace the fact that you are young, that for a brief period your body can get away with a few pizza binges now and then.  Most of all, embrace your body and your self, and have fun without obsessing over a meaningless number on a scale.  Live it up!

2)   Get an “A” in every class
Such a broad and ambitious goal is guaranteed to create stress.  It’s January, you don’t even know what your classes are and how difficult they may be, so why make a blanket resolution that might be hard to uphold?  Instead, make smaller goals you know you can keep, like: “This year, I will read the books in my class instead of using Sparknotes for all of them,” or “I will buy an alarm clock so I don’t miss my 8am classes this semester.”  Keeping it simple is less overwhelming, and little steps can lead to a boost in grades more effectively than one large goal.

3)   Land the perfect job/internship
Even if you are a junior or senior, remember that you are still young!  Going a school with as many ambitious over-achievers as CMC, it’s easy to believe that getting the perfect internship starting freshman year is the norm.  Many people don’t get their first job until long after graduation, and still wind up employed and happy in the long run.  This year, ditch the job-search stress, even if you’re a senior.  If the perfect job happens to wander into your life, fabulous!  But if not, let yourself spend more time enjoying life and pursuing your passions, rather than worrying about the future.

4)   Find a soul mate
Again, this is college.  I’m not saying it doesn’t happen: I am one of the biggest romantics you’ll ever meet.  But setting your heart on finding true love this year can lead to much pain and disappointment.  Resolve instead to build friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime, and to be open to love if it throws itself in your path.

6 to Consider:

1)   Be more eco-friendly
In our era of global climate change and economic difficulties, you can be a huge force for change with only a tiny bit of effort.  Make the little changes that you’ve been meaning to make: don’t let the water run while you’re brushing your teeth, turn off the lights when you leave a room and turn the heat down while you are out of your dorm.  These seemingly insignificant acts will add up and as you practice keeping this resolution you will find them becoming absentminded habits. It’s easy being green.

2)   Get moving
Gyms and personal trainers love the beginning of a New Year, because one of the most common resolutions that always comes up is to exercise more.  While a resolution like “get ripped” or “lose weight” can be counter productive, “getting moving” is a way to ensure that your year is a fun, healthy and productive one.  Not all exercise is boring, and it doesn’t have to involve lifting weights or running at the gym.  Instead of pledging your allegiance to the elliptical this year, find something you love to do already, like hiking or surfing, and resolve to do it more! There are so many places to go around Claremont too!

3)   Start things early
If you made a resolution on January 1^st, you’re already on track for this one.  Instead of letting time slip away from you while perfecting your procrastination skills this semester, try getting things done ahead of time.  Here’s an equation for those mathematically minded out there: Less procrastination=less stress= doing better= being happier.  A great way to ensure that you keep this resolution is by getting organized right away this year: get a planner, a calendar, and some colored pens and make it fun.  Sounds simple, but it will pay off more than you can imagine.

4)   8 Hugs a Day
Ellie Beckett’s article 8 Hugs a Day to a Better World inspired the 4th New Year’s Resolution to consider. Claremont Graduate Professor Dr. Paul Zak (a.k.a. “Dr. Love”), found that hugging releases a chemical in the brain known as Oxytocin, which “helps us feel empathy, experience love, and connect to one another.” So spread some love this year and make your New Year’s Resolution to give 8 hugs a day and help build that better world.

5)   Learn something new
I know, you’re in college, isn’t it all supposed to be about learning new things?  Knowledge doesn’t all come from books and professors, though.  Learn something you’ve always been curious about: take a cooking class, try karate for PE instead of going to the gym to jog, go bungee jumping or learn to play the guitar.  Explore and enjoy.  There are so many opportunities to try new things at CMC: you never know when you’ll stumble across a true passion.

6)   Get money smart
If you can keep this resolution this year while you are in college, still under the cozy monetary wing of your parents, your adult self will thank you later.  Try changing little things: keep track of your flex dollars in a notebook so that you aren’t surprised when you go to buy your twelfth latte of the week at the Motley and discover you’ve spent yourself dry.  If you ha20ve a job, keep track of your earnings and deposit a specific portion of the money you make into a savings account instead of spending it right away.  Just becoming more aware of your money intake and output will help you be more responsible and successful later in life.  Read Kevin Burke’s article on Personal Finance 101 to get you started.

So, what are my New Year’s Resolutions this year?  Make better resolutions, and embrace everything 2012 has to offer.  Oh, and write more articles for the Forum.  Here’s to the Happiest Year Yet!

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? Let us know in the comment section.

Read some of the New Year’s Resolutions from last year’s Forum staff. How did they do?

Wrong. These myths have probably deterred you from grabbing a mat and heading to one of Claremont’s many yoga classes. Plenty of CMC’s fine young men, however, can attest to yoga’s overwhelmingly positive effects. “The complete feeling of relaxation and calm after I finish a class is pretty awesome,” says Solon Christensen-Szalanski CM ’10. “Yoga also really helps with coordination and fine muscle control.” Professional athletes– LeBron James, Andy Murray, Shaq– swear by the addition of yoga into their workout routines.

Mentally, this activity will soothe your stressin’ psyche and help you focus for finals.  Physically, you will not only become more flexible, but also will get toned, improve overall strength, and increase your stamina. “I like the feeling of balance,” Brian Hoffstein CM ’12 explains. “In combining strength and flexibility with meditation, yoga synthesizes exercise with relaxation.”

Finally, the social benefits of yoga are superb…especially if you’re looking for a lady. Solon was led to yoga by an ex-crush who dragged him to classes.  ”Things didn’t work out with the girl, but I’ve done yoga consistently ever since,” the senior yogi claims. Plus, the famed yoga butt is one of this activity’s true stereotypes…need I say more? Gentlemen, take a deep, cleansing breath (in for a count of 8, hold, out for a count of 8…) and resolve to get your Om on sometime in the near future. You’ll never regret your decision.

The 5Cs offer a multitude of yoga classes that students can take for Physical Education credit next semester. Any of these classes can meet your GE requirement, or just join in for kicks. If terms like “downward dog” or “breath of fire” just sound like crazy talk, the Portal’s listings may baffle you. For easy enrollment, here are next fall’s offerings.

Hatha Yoga, the most popular method in the US, is the granddaddy of most yoga styles. Perfect for a beginner seeking a taste of what the activity has to offer, a Hatha class typically incorporates Asanas (postures), Pranayama (conscious breathing), and meditation– great for stress management and physical exercise. Pomona and Scripps will hold Hatha classes regularly next fall, some even taught by 5C students and professors like CMC’s own Lit lady Audrey Bilger.

Anusara Yoga is another style taught at the 5Cs. From this Pomona class, you should expect a heightened Hatha experience: Anusara uses principles of alignment to open the body and the mind to discover one’s true self by being more accepting of new ideas. For budding yogis seeking the most positive, joyful yoga practice, Anusara is the style to choose. Practitioners are encouraged to embrace ideals of creativity and freedom, making an Anusara class an ever-changing, light-hearted experience. You’ll leave this class beaming.

For a more invigorating type of yoga, CMCers should try one of Scripps’s Power Yoga classes. Power yoga emphasizes the development of physical flexibility and personal discipline–this isn’t your mama’s yoga class. Poses are held for extended periods of time while the breath is synchronized with the body, creating a trance-like movement.  Mental and physical stamina will improve dramatically through Power Yoga, and you’ll definitely break a serious sweat. You’ve been warned: Power Yoga is going to kick your booty the first couple classes.

Kundalini Yoga focuses on awakening the storehouse of energy that yogis believe exists at the base of the spine. Skeptical? Drop in on a class at Pomona’s Rains Center to give this style a test run. Kundalini requires yogis to chant mantras, meditate, and engage in visualizations during class. For some, this type of yoga is incredibly cleansing and psychologically beneficial; powerful endorphins are released through breath control and basic poses.  For others, however, Kundalini Yoga is borderline awkward: try the Breath of Fire yourself to see if Kundalini is the practice for you.

If it’s the most endurance-testing yoga experience you seek, Bikram (or “Hot Yoga”) may be the practice for you. Bikram Yoga classes are offered daily in the Village for a discounted price if you enroll for Phys. Ed. on the Portal. The rigorous classes take place in a room heated to anywhere between 95 and 100 degrees with 40 percent humidity. High temperatures allow for maximum muscle loosening and intense sweating, a process thought to purify the body of toxins and improve circulation.  Feeling beat after a weekend of partying? A single Bikram class will cleanse and revive your system. A series of 26 poses, each held for a long duration, will increase strength and stamina. Despite the buckets of sweat you’ll be drenched in, Bikram is notoriously addictive. Just remember: hydrate.

CMC’s administration seems to have realized the benefits of yoga. A recent email from Jim Nauls regarding the Yogathon on May 7 at the Tranquada Health Center is tagged as a way to relieve stress before finals. RSVP for the event to heo@cuc.claremont.edu.

A yoga revolution is definitely sweeping campus…and not just among the female student body. “The biggest myth about yoga is that it’s for pansies,” Hoffstein claims. “Real men are the true yogis.” Whoever says the Stags can’t dominate on the yoga mat has clearly not been enlightened. See you in the studio, CMC!