Open Yourself Up to the New Year

Cheers! 2018 is here. Now more than ever, this is YOUR time. Not your time to make a laundry list of everything about yourself and your life that you dislike, but to ask yourself, what do you want to cultivate and create?

Journaling and meditation are two powerful tools to ignite this questioning process and will give you all the answers. Below I have outlined a “jump start” mindfulness exercise to get this process going for you. Once you have established your intention, share it with at least one other person. The more we communicate and share our aspirations with others, the more likely they will come into fruition. Enjoy and let me know how this goes for you!

Cheers to 2018 and everything it has to offer us!
With love,
Cara

Open Your Heart to the New Year Mindfulness Exercise
All you need to complete this exercise is a pen and paper and any props that allow you to sit comfortably.

1. Breathe. Everything starts with the breath. In order to move through stuck thoughts and energy, we need to find connection with the breath. Find a seated position that is most comfortable for you, close your eyes and come into a breath that feels best for you.

2. Count 20 rounds of breath. Keep the breath slow, deep and relaxed. If you find you’re trying to rush it, take another 10 rounds of breath. Nice, slow and steady.

3. Meditate for 5 minutes. Let your breath stay at a constant relaxed state, set your phone timer for 5 minutes and drop right in. There is no “right” way to meditate. Meditation is just a process of paying attention and listening. Notice your thoughts and pay attention to what your feeling. Then let it go with each and every exhale.

4. Journal. Get your paper and pen ready and answer the following questions as they relate to 2017/2018:

1. What was your biggest accomplishment?
2. What was your biggest failure?
3. What were you most proud of?
4. What was your greatest fear?
5. Who in your life inspired you the most?
6. Who in your life caused the most heaviness?
7. Where in your day to day did you feel the most unsettled?
8. Where in your day to day did you feel the most energized?
9. What’s your biggest decision for 2018?
10. What’s one thing that you would do if you knew you could never fail?

5. Reflect on your answers. What themes repeated themselves? What feelings came to surface? Underline and circle those answers.

6. Write a letter to yourself and incorporate the following:
> what do you want to let go of?
> how do you want to feel?
> what do you want to create for yourself?
> What is your intention for the new year. Let this be a statement.

*It’s important to stay away from goals when writing this letter. If you find this is difficult for you, take a step back and ask yourself, what do you need to get there. For example, you want to meditate more. Instead of writing out your meditation training plan, think of an inspiring statement that lays out the foundation to make it happen. For example, your statement could be “be more and do less”. 

7. Breathe again. This time instead of counting, repeat your intention. Taking the example above, you would inhale “be more” and exhale “do less”.

8. Seal in your intention one more time. Bring your hands to your heart and once again declare it yourself.

9. Now declare it to a friend. The more we communicate our intentions the more they come alive!

10. Namaste!