Every New Year's, many Americans make resolutions for self-improvement during the next 12 months. Some intend to take up a new hobby. Others promise to participate in community service. But among the most common resolutions are smoking cessation, exercise and weight loss.

Research previously published by the Journal of Clinical Psychology compared people who made New Year's resolutions to individuals intending to enact life changes at a later point in the year. After six months, only 4 percent of the latter group were successful in achieving their goals. For those who made New Year's resolutions, that figure went up to 46 percent.

While that's a much better result, it still demonstrates that less than one-half of resolvers can reach their goal!

So how do people who resolve to lose weight stick it out? For starters, try not to overdo it.

"Most people work out too hard and they're not burning the fat they want, get frustrated and start to work out a little harder, and that's how people get injured," said personal trainer Casey Ruff, as quoted by an ABC news affiliate. Furthermore, it's important for an individual to take up something that they find fun.

For those who are interested in Dahn Yoga and weight loss, it's easy to find a center near you. So don't wait – there are only 11 months and change left!

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Some artwork has the ability to inspire some level of personal change, and a perfect example is the Picasso classic Guernia. Inspired by brutal acts of war, this famous piece has only become more popular over the years and its message of peace will certainly appeal to Dahn Yoga practitioners.

The mural-sized painting was completed in 1937, shortly after the Basque town of Guernica was mercilessly bombed by German forces during the Spanish Civil War. The town, a small and quiet location occupied mostly by women and children, was bombarded for hours, resulting in as many as 1,600 deaths.

Picasso was so moved by the horrific story that he took to painting what is considered to be one of his best works. It depicts scenes of violence and death, but does so in the hopes that similar actions will not be repeated.

Whether or not Picasso's message has been received by the rest of world in the decades since he painted Guernica is of course up for debate, but perhaps if the costs of war were more well-known, the world would be a more peaceful place.

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Dahn Yoga practice on breathing

Tips: Press these acupressure points with a comfortable pressure, not too firmly.

1. Place your hands on your head with the fingertips pointed backward and the thumbs resting on your temples.
2. Using your thumbs, slowly squeeze the Tae-yang acupressure points in your temples with a comfortable pressure.
3. Repeat 5 times.
4. Rotate your hands so the fingertips point upward and the pads of the hands are resting on the temples. Using the pads of the hands, lightly tap the temples 30 times.

You can practice to press the temples at a local Dahn yoga studio.

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Dahn Yoga’s Meridian exercises combine proper breathing with various stretching movements. When breath is combined with body movement, metabolism can be influenced more effectively. In order to optimize the effects of meridian exercise, movement, breathing, and awareness must be harmonized. Start the movements while inhaling. Hold your breath for a moment while holding the posture and then exhale slowly while returning to the beginning position. The body should be centered at the lower Dahn-jon, or energy focus in the lower abdomen, and your consciousness should be attuned to the areas being stretched during the movements. When exhaling, imagine that the impure, stagnating energy in the body is leaving. Imagine you are having a conversation with the body and focus on the changes or sensations occurring in it.

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