by Setareh Moafi, Ph.D., L.Ac. & Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac.

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Every year on New Year’s Eve for the last several years, we’ve offered a popular New Year’s Eve Yoga-Qi Gong class in which we integrated writing and movement exercises to bring closure to the current year and set intentions and goals for the new year.

This year, we wanted to use our new podcast as a platform to share this experience with those of you listening at home from around the world.

2020 has created a lot of changes not the least of which has been to force many of us into deeper contemplation about our lives. And at the end of a year like this, it’s essential to not only look back and see where we’ve been, but also to look forward to new possibilities.

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We often pressure ourselves to make changes with our new year’s resolutions. But it’s important to keep in mind that since the new year in the West occurs on January 1st, right after the Winter solstice, it’s not an ideal time to create something new in your life. 

Winter is the most Yin and dormant season of the year and is related to the Water element, which is associated with introspection and cultivation, and is the most important time for rest so that you can build back the energy of the Kidneys.

When the Kidney energy is strong, you’ll feel vital and have the Will, known as Zhi, to carry out your goals and dreams during the upcoming Spring season.

While wintertime is not the time to actualize your dreams, it’s an important time to clarify your intentions and, through careful examination and meditation, to glean wisdom from the experiences of your past.

It’s a great time to do the inner work necessary to cultivate the vision you have for months ahead, especially as we get into the more Yang season of Spring which has the energy to support manifestation.

Today we’re going to guide you through a writing exercise I like to call New Year, New Intentions. 

You’ll want to grab your cup of tea, a notebook and pen.

EXERCISE 1: Offer Gratitude for 3 Things in Your Life

The first thing we need to do to begin anything new is to accept and give gratitude for where we are right now. 

Numerous studies at universities like UC Berkeley and Harvard have demonstrated that the expression of gratitude leads to more positive emotions and experiences, improved mental and emotional health, and stronger relationships.

No matter what’s going on in your life, you can always think of a few things to be grateful for, especially if you keep it simple. Perhaps you’re grateful for the gorgeous tree you can see from your office window or the warm bed you slept in last night.

The simple act of regularly acknowledging what’s good in your life can over time make you happier, healthier and more fulfilled.

With that in mind, write down 3 things you're most grateful for/proud of from the past year. 

During the time of this recording we’re in the middle of a pandemic and that 2020 was not an easy year for a lot of people, but this is exactly what makes this particular exercise so important.

Pause the audio as you take a few minutes to write those down and then come back.

EXERCISE 2: Let Go of 3 Things That No Longer Serve You

Ok, the next exercise has to do with something we all struggle with at times - and that’s the process of letting go. In order to create space for whatever it is you’re looking to cultivate in your life, you have to let go of what no longer serves you. 

You can begin this process with the Waterfall Meditation led by Salvador Cefalu, M.S., L.Ac., visualizing first a pool of water accumulate at the crown of your head then flowing down your upper body into your arms and hands, then gathering into your pelvis before making its way down into your legs and feet.

Now that you’re more clear and have released a lot of the stagnation in your body through the meditation, write down 3 things that you’re willing to let go of as you begin the new year (i.e. projects, people, feelings, etc.).

Pause the audio and we’ll meet you back here in a few.

EXERCISE 3: List 3 Specific Desires

The final exercise is to write down your intentions for the new year. 

Once you’ve accepted and offered gratitude for exactly where you are and let go of anything that no longer serves you, it’s time to get clear about your desires.

This next exercise is not about dwelling on what you need but rather it’s about weaving together a dream or creating a vision of what you want or desire.

To begin, write down 3 specific desires you’d like to manifest in the new year.

Be as specific as possible. You don’t want to say something like “I want a new car.” Instead, write down the specific make and model of your dream car - don’t worry about whether it’s “realistic.” The idea is to allow joy and imagination to take over.

If you have a goal you’d like to achieve, be specific about that goal and maybe even write down why you want to achieve it.

How will you feel when you have that car or achieve that goal?

And always remember that even though you’re setting goals for a new year, you don’t have to achieve them all in this new year. 

Oftentimes we overwhelm ourselves thinking about all that we want to achieve in a year and get discouraged when it doesn’t all happen. 

But some dreams take time (and divine timing!) to manifest.

We often overestimate what we can achieve in a year and we underestimate what we can achieve in a decade.

So be clear about your desires, allow yourself to dream a little and write it down. 

The simple act of clearly writing what you want activates the energy of the Universe to start bringing those things to you.

Review

Here’s a review of the 3 writing exercises from this episode:

1. Write down 3 things you’re most grateful for/proud of from this past year

2. Write down 3 things - behaviors, habits, mindset, projects, people - you’re willing to let go of

3. Write down 3 specific things you desire to bring into your life

Now, we’d love to hear from you—what did you learn about yourself in doing - or even just thinking about - these exercises? Is there a goal you’d like to share and get extra support with from us and our community? Let us know in the comments below.

Please share this episode with your friends and write us a review.

And finally, we’ll leave you with this quote from Mark Twain as inspiration for the year ahead:

“20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

Wishing you a healthy, abundant and magical new year!

Thank you so much for tuning in to the Natural Healing Podcast. Please share it with your friends and family, and leave us a review.

We look forward to connecting with you again next time!

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