The summer season is upon us, before we begin to busy ourselves with vacations and bbq’s I have an invitation for you: Reflect. Release. Reset.
We often get lost in thinking that “celebrations” have to be huge milestones in life and in the process overlook the events that occur every day, I’m guilty of it myself. Solstice literally means “standing of the sun”; it’s quite humbling when I see it that way. I think, wow – if the strongest ball of fire in our solar system and can stand still then who am I to say “I’m too busy”.
So often we rush from one day to the next and before we know it another year has gone by leaving the age old question “where did the time go?”. Time is finite with a certain number of seconds, minutes, hours, it doesn’t “go” anywhere it simply there to experience moment by moment. When we don’t stop to revel in the moments we share that’s when time seems to pass quickly, and with that comes feelings of stress and anxiety.
We can connect with this milestone in the earth’s natural rhythm by taking a moment to stop, be still, and reflect on our unique journey over the last 6 months as we emerged from the darkness of winter and create space for a new season of food, movement and meditation to nourish and energize us.
Avoid mid year stress and anxiety with these 3 simple steps: Reflect. Release. Reset.
If you want to have something in your life then you MUST set an intention for it and CONSISTENTLY 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.
Reflect.
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.
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.In free space ANYTHING can manifest, you can then plant your intentions and truly watch them manifest.
1. Recollecting and writing your accomplishments and regrets. Write down all of your greatest accomplishments (big and small) from the last 6 months: 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.
Release.
Review your list, if there is some action that needs to be taken to resolve an item note it down. Remember no action is necessary.
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.
Then take your list and either throw into a fire or drown it in water. Say out loud “ I offer everything that happened these past 6 months 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.
Reset.
On a blank sheet of paper plant your seeds for the summer, write down what you want to accomplish and more importantly how you want to feel by the end of the year. Remember, there is no quest too big to fulfill the how will work itself out.
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, and sludge to create space for the love, inspiration, and joy.
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