HI BEAUTIFUL SOULS!
I hope you all had a beautiful holiday.
Whether you were celebrating a religious holiday or simply taking time off to snuggle up on the couch and reflect on the year, my wish is that you feel restored in some way. Ready to take on the new decade. Honoring your old patterns and lovingly letting them go to create space for new growth and a new YOU.
If you did not have a beautiful holiday, my wish for you is a few precious moments to take care of your heart as it recovers. I wish you time to refill your cup. To soothe your soul with loving affirmations. To take your power back if you feel it was stripped from you.
If you have not yet been able to carve out some sacred time for yourself, today’s meditation is the perfect place to start.
Today, I’d like to share something very near and dear to my heart: my own daily meditation practice. I call it my Meditation for Wellbeing.
It’s super simple. As simple as meditation can get. As simple as taking five minutes to guide your awareness back to the present moment.
But I’m getting ahead of myself.
First, I want to tell you a little bit about my holidays.
THE HOLIDAYS
I spent the week in my mother’s beautiful oasis of a beach home with my boyfriend, father, and paternal grandmother, affectionately known as Nanny.
In typical Universe fashion, the theme of my five days with these souls – my Nanny in particular – turned out to be the perfect vehicle for consolidating and reflecting on this decade of growth and stepping into my power.
The theme of my holiday was this: I know where I come from, and I know who I am.
Let me explain.
My Nanny is 87 years old. She is sharp as a tack, funny as hell, and travels the country every year to spend quality time with her five children, nine grandchildren, and innumerable friends. She is the ultimate inspiration for joyful living. Wherever her heart calls her, she follows.
Nanny and I have a number of things in common.
First off, we share a phobia of flying on airplanes. I asked her one night at dinner how she overcame her fear to the point where she flies dozens of times a year all over the States. Her answer was fairly simple: “It came to the point where if I didn’t fly, I wouldn’t see my children and grandchildren.”
That’s it. Love beats fear. Simple as that.
Nanny also exhibits a healthy sense of integrity. Naturally, I’ve not yet reached Nanny-level integrity, but the spunky, even edgy authenticity I saw in her this past week reminded me of a quality I know I possess but don’t always act on.
She is unwaveringly herself when confronted with negativity. She is strong but deeply loving. Simultaneously a fighting warrior and a peaceful warrior. There is no situation in which she is not fiercely and unapologetically herself. She is absolutely unafraid to say no.
Her love for those around her is so palpable. It radiates without her ever having to say a word. Nonetheless, she does say “I love you” out loud and often.
I recognized this past week that my Nanny is a vision-holder for the very qualities I’ve been focused on developing this year and, perhaps less consciously, this whole decade.
My main intentions have been to: *Develop my self-worth *Let go of people-pleasing *Learn to hold my ground firmly *Embody love so deeply that my energy speaks for itself and uplifts others in my orbit
The validation and empowerment that came from knowing that all of these traits exist in my very DNA was beyond human words.
Thank you, Nanny. I am eternally grateful.
ON INTENTIONS
Speaking of intentions, my dad got me thinking when he asked if I had set any New Years resolutions. I realized this is the first year in as long as I can remember that I haven’t even thought about making a resolution.
It seems to me that resolutions typically revolve around the external: Losing a certain number of pounds, exercising a certain number of days a week, adhering to a diet, reading a certain number of books.
While I believe in the importance of setting goals, it seems to me that many resolutions don’t come to fruition in the long run because they don’t originate from a desire to journey inward and do the work required to make the energetic shifts that truly uplevel our state of being.
It all comes down to external vs. internal. Resolutions tend to be external. Surface-level. Intentions tend to be internal. Meaningful and substantial.
For this reason, I want to challenge you to set a few intentions for the New Year. Intentions essentially shape the way we approach our day’s work, and serve as an anchor point when we stray from alignment.
Intentions work best when phrased as if they are already so. For example, instead of “I want to be present in every moment,” try “I am present in every moment.”
Here is an excellent place to start: “I gift myself five minutes each day to ground in the present moment and set an intention.”
With this simple yet powerful intention in my heart, I am inspired to share my daily meditation practice with you. It will give you a tangible way to begin the new decade grounded in the present and living intentionally.
Give yourself the gift of five minutes a day. Time spent with yourself is the fertile ground for self-discovery. Time spent quieting your mind is the fertile ground for bringing your intentions to life and, in essence, evolving into a lighter, more joyful version of YOU.
Let’s evolve together, beautiful souls.
MEDITATION #3: MEDITATION FOR WELLBEING
Target: This meditation will ground you in awareness of the present moment, bringing more peace and clarity to your day.
Set-Up: To begin, find yourself in a comfortable seat of your choice. Rest your hands anywhere that feels natural to you. Find your alignment by rolling your shoulders up, back and down. Close your eyes. Check in. Lovingly notice any sensations your body may be experiencing without judging or labeling. Once you have taken stock, focus your awareness your breath. There is no need to change or control your breathing. Simply notice.
The Mantra: Once your awareness has settled on your breath, begin to incorporate this mantra: (inhale) “I” (exhale) “AM.” Repeat this mantra for five minutes or more. Allow thoughts to enter and exit your mind passively, always bringing your attention back to the mantra.
After five minutes or more, release the mantra. If you wish, set an intention for your day in this sacred space of stillness. Hold the intention in your heart, and imagine that it is already so. Open your eyes. Welcome to your day.
For a list of additional meditation tips and tricks, visit the bottom of my Meditation for When You Need to Reconnect post.
Happy New Year, dear ones. I wish you great self-discovery and self-love in the coming decade.
And above all, I wish you joy that sets you ablaze.
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