Looking to the New, Reflecting on the Old
Wow, 2018. What a year you were: Immense highs of Himalayan peak proportions. Deep lows of death, sadness, and unexpected losses. Big, breathtaking surprises. And the lessons of expansion, adventure, and perspective-shattering openness that may not be rivaled for a long, long time.
As I personally prepare to journey down memory lane and also poise myself to maximize a new year of opportunity and wonder, I invite you to join me in a simple, gratis, year-ending meditation and ritual.
You will need:
A private, comfy space.
A candle
A journal + something to write with
This ritual has 4 movements that begin with this brief meditation.
Movement I
Light your candle as a way to step into a different time and space. Get comfy and press play.
Movement II
Reflect on anything important that came through in your meditation. Perhaps the three surprises, victories and challenges as well as their associated lessons. Or anything that came up for you.
Movement III
Celebrate + release. Through the power of moving your body (dance is a favorite method for this), I invite you consider and then play a song that encapsulates your year. Give yourself 3-5 minutes and dance it out. Celebrate those victories. Re-enact and release the surprises. Shake off the challenges. Feel yourself getting stronger, and allow yourself some F U N as you round out this year.
Here’s some of my favorite inspiration: Burn, Bliss, 80s, Florence…
Movement IV
PART I:
Dream time. Set a timer for 15 minutes. Take your journal, again you’re invited to play some inspiring music and mantra and start to free write about a dream year in 2019. Specific things coming to you? Get specific. Prefer to keep it vague and talk about big concepts like more prosperity, more love, more adventure…keep it vague then. The most important part of this exercise? As you write about these dreams in your life-design, write out how it will feel to experience and enjoy each of these beautiful, juicy, lovely component parts of your life. Take time to write out the feeling, then take some time to actually feel - in your body - in your belly - in your breath - in your mind - in your heart.
Don’t skimp on this dream time - it’s for you to play with and opens an imagination that has been stifled, bored or forgotten.
PART II:
Highlight or circle those feelings, thoughts, dreams and experiences that jump off the pages you’ve free-written. Maybe it’s words like “bold” or “rich” or “radiant.” Write them on a fresh piece of paper labelled “2019” in big beautiful numbers at the top. Let this be a guide list for you to come back to again and again to set and reset your course of action and adventure in this new year.
Work with Joanna one-on-one or at your Workplace.
photography by Tamera Darden