Taking time to reflect, rest, and begin again
“Sometimes the most important thing in the whole day
is the rest we take between two deep breaths”
Elly Hillesum
I have a small diary where I’ve recorded my daily activities every day over the past year. I’ve been reading through this little book over the last couple of days and am really quite amazed that so much happened last year. Without this record of my day-to-day life I wouldn’t have believed that I really did that much, but it was truly an eventful year.
During the quiet break between the busyness of Christmas and anticipation of the new year, I like to take a little time to reflect on the past year and a lot of time to rest and prepare to begin the journey of a new year. I have my new planner and new daily journal all ready to crack open and get started.
I find that in order to get the ideas flowing, I first need to still my mind and move my body. By doing a breath and/or meditation practice as well as some slow mindful yoga before I put my pen to the paper, it allows my body to relax and my mind to be more clear and ready to reveal what I really need to know about myself.
Here’s a mindful reflection exercise to help you prepare for your own reflection of the past year and intentions for the new one. Before you begin this practice, grab your journal, or some sheets of paper, and a pen and have them waiting for reflection closeby.
Mindful reflection exercise:
Sit up tall in your chair with your spine straight and your feet firmly touching the floor. Feel your body where it connects to the surface beneath you. Make any adjustments you need to be as comfortable as possible. Take three (or more) slow, deep breaths and try to let go of your thoughts.
Once you are feeling calm, visualize yourself sitting in a comfortable chair in a cozy cabin in the woods. You are warm, relaxed and feel very safe. Perhaps there’s a gentle fire burning in the fireplace.
As you sit staring at the logs burning in the fireplace, you begin to see images of all the things you’ve done, people you’ve connected with, and places you’ve been over the past year. Notice the feelings in your body as you look at these images. What would you like to keep? What would you like to change? Make a mental note and then let those images fade.
Return your attention to your breath. Breathe in and out, slowly and evenly and then begin to notice the fire again. Now visualize your ideal year to come. What do you see yourself doing? Who are you with? Where are you? How does your body feel as you see yourself in these images? Again, make a mental note and let the images fade.
- When you’re ready, open your eyes and come back to the room you are in. Pick up your journal or sheets of loose paper and pen and begin writing. Write non-stop until you have filled at least 2 full pages. It doesn’t matter what you write, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just write.
- Once you’ve written 2 (or more!) pages, stop and have a look at what you wrote. Circle any words or phrases that stand out to you. Ask yourself, “What do I mean by this?” and continue writing. If anything seems unclear, keep asking yourself “what” or “why” until you’ve uncovered what you really mean.
You can do this exercise as often as you want. I highly recommend creating a daily habit of writing down your thoughts and each day when you wake up ask yourself how you want to feel throughout the day. What do you need to do to move closer to achieving the feeling? What teeny, tiny steps can you take to reach your goals?
Always remember that you have it within you to create the life you want.
Happy New Year!
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I’d love to hear from you so please send any comments or questions to me at sharon@sharonashtonmindfulyoga.com. Feel free to share this email with anyone else who may be interested.
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