With the New Year just a day away it’s time to get serious about setting some goals for the year to come. I usually celebrate the ending of one year and the beginning of another by writing down all that I want to attain in the next year and then creating a vision board full of pictures and quotes which in some way are to send a message into the universe and bring all that I desire into my life. You might be thinking… “ah bullshit” or “how’s that worked out for you ritu” or maybe that’s what I’m thinking.
I firmly believe that if you want to have something in your life then you MUST set an intention for it and ALWAYS remind yourself of that intention. Feed your intention with positivity and attention and nurse it to life.
BUT simply setting an intention is not enough to manifest it, you must first and foremost create a space where you can plant your intention and then feed it with positivity and attention and nurse it to life.
The key in this intention setting process is “cleaning house” also known as recapitulation, where you recollect the greatest hits and flops of the year or years past. I know, I know it sounds painful and ridiculous. No I’m not trying to put a damper on your New Years. Trust me.
Once you bring to your mind any baggage you’re carrying and make a conscious decision to release it you immediately create space. It’s like getting rid of remnants of last season’s veggies in your garden so you can make room for next seasons harvest. And in free space ANYTHING can manifest, you can then plant your intentions and truly watch them manifest.
So you ready? Grab a pen, your journal, a few close friends (me, myself and I count) and let the karma cleaning party begin! It is extremely important to practice this technique in a safe space and with people who will be compassionate and loving, practicing alone is just as valuable.
1. Setting the stage. Take a deep breath to connect with your deepest self. Bring to your mind a time or place that made you extremely happy and accepted. Feel the energy of this moment and sink in to it. Keep this feeling with you as you continue.
2. Recollecting and writing your accomplishments and regrets. Start by listing out all of your greatest accomplishments from this past year, changes you had gone through, actions which made you feel proud or happy, moments where you were caring and loving. Write it all down, there is nothing too big or too small. Be specific. Note down your feelings around these events.
Now on a separate sheet of paper begin listing actions and words you regretted, moments of conflict with yourself or others, behaviors that led to your own or others suffering, and incidents that made YOU feel hurt or angry due to another’s actions.
This second part gets very heavy and is also just as important. We often want to think of ourselves as kind and caring beings and perhaps have those intentions however being human means making mistakes. Along the way we mess up and hurt someone’s feelings, or don’t live up to our best selves. It’s okay. Rather than burying these times or pretending they never happened, accepting our imperfections is what helps us be even more authentic.
Phew. The hardest part of the process is over. Take a deep breath.
3. Review. Browse over your list. If there is some action that needs to be taken to resolve an item note it down. Remember no action is necessary.
Now this part is optional but I recommend it. Take moment to feel happy and proud of the positive things and regretful about the negative times or mistakes. You can read out loud one thing from each list, be very specific. When you share these moments, especially those that made you feel regretful, in a non-judgmental space you are able to let go.
4. Destroy and dissolve. This is a crucial step in the process. Once you and your group have finished sharing its time to truly CREATE SPACE. Take your list and either throw into a fire or drown it in water. Say out loud “ I offer everything that happened this past year, positive and negative, to the sacred fire (water). May all that was accomplished bear good fruit for others. May all my mistakes be forgiven. May the karmas of this past year be dissolved. I offer gratitude for my life.”
Sit quietly for 5 minutes in meditation, then take a deep breath and smile. Feel the sense of freedom within you and the space that you have created for the next year. You are now ready to set intentions and manifest your desires.
Taking time to consciously recollect past actions and let them go is a powerful technique practiced in many cultures and traditions. In the Yoga tradition the practice of recollection also known as recapitulation is known as “Vichara” or self-reflection.
When you take an honest look inside yourself and embrace the beauty and the beast you dislodge and dissolve a lot of garbage, baggage, sludge, bad energy, it’s all the same.
Do this practice as often as you’d like, to create freedom openness in your life, and watch your intentions manifest into reality.
As always don’t take my word for it. Try it out and report back.
Happy New Year all. Be safe. Be happy.
Ritu Riyat
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']http://nutritionize.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Profile-Pic.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Ritu Riyat MPH|Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor| Yoga Therapist is a San Francisco based Health Counselor promoting universal wellness via Skype consultations, and seminars. Delivering simple techniques to add balance through food, movement, and meditation. She is an avid cyclist, crossfitter and yogini. Her motto “food is a drug, eat responsibly”… Nutritionize now![/author_info] [/author]
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