It was January 2 and instead of feeling the excitement of this new year coursing through my veins, I instead felt the overwhelming strangle of expectations agenda and pressure.
And really it feels kind of ridiculous. I mean January 1 isn’t the day EVERYONE in the world has committed to being the first of the year.
The Chinese New Year is February 8, Iranian New Year is March 20 and Thai New Year is April 13-15 to name a few.
Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar and chose January 1 after Janus the god of gateways and beginnings. For a long time the new year was on March 25. Thank you google.
That’s the funny and often times dangerous thing about tradition, a. it’s easy to think that it’s the only way there is and b. we can become so attached to it that it can create stress instead of joy.
But yet there is this overworked and ridiculously commercialized notion that everything needs to transform, goals need to be made and we need to ride the new year’s train for all it’s worth.
Hence my feelings of resistance and overwhelm last week.
I didn’t feel ready for this new year and everything that clings to it like barnacles on the bottom of a ship.
I had a cold, two infections, a virus, a shoulder injury and a hamstring tweak. I felt like crap physically and emotionally.
Not the most enthusiastic way to begin the new year.
And because I felt disconnected to a tradition everyone in my culture celebrates I felt even worse. Our minds love to take our insecurities and build homes on top of them.
But then I realized that one of the reasons I felt crappy emotionally was because physically my body wasn’t well.
And of course my body wasn’t well because I had been processing so many emotions recently. We are intertwined like that.
Then I also realized that for the two weeks that occupied the holidays I barely taught yoga, didn’t work with many clients and didn’t write my blog.
So basically the things that light me up and make me feel on purpose weren’t happening. No wonder I didn’t feel like myself. I wasn’t feeding my passions.
But on Monday I started to feel the shift. I placed my annual one word intention, I started a cleanse (after the holidays and being on antibiotics and other meds my body so needs it) and I dove into a new project that involves lots of inspiring collaboration.
Just like that I began to feel more aligned, more on purpose, more balanced and in turn able to use the momentum this time of year provides us. Only now it’s on my terms.
We will get to the places we are going when we are meant to. It’s important to remember that. So often we are in a rush. To heal. To love. To understand. To transform. To grow. But the secret ingredient to all of these things is time.
But if you are ready to make some intentions for the “new year” (and it’s totally cool if your not) may I suggest starting with one.
The one word intention. Here’s how step by step:
- Pick one word you’d like to work with for the entire year. Something to inspire and infuse your year with intention and purpose.
- Sit in meditation and imagine what this intention: smells like, feels like (texture), tastes like, sounds like and it’s color. Be creative here.
- Then create a symbol for your intention. For example, my intention this year is self-love and my image is a big pink rose.
- Then imagine your symbol is hovering right over your heart and as you inhale let it into your heart. As you exhale, let it metabolize through your body.
- Then get a post it or paper and tape and put it somewhere you will see it ever single day. Mine is on my alter.
You’ve just created a contract with yourself. Nurture it. This is a VERY powerful practice.
Then let me know what your word is! Post in the comments below.