Setting Intentions in the New Year
As we prepare for the New Year, practices to align and channel energy can strengthen your intentions and manifestations. January 1st, tomorrow, is the start of a new year and heightens our ability to walk the border between past and future. January was named after a Roman god of beginnings and transitions, Janus. With two faces, one of the past and one of the future, Janus was able to control time. With your transition from one year to the next, you are able to channel the energy of your past into the transformed energy of your future.
Growing up I was trained to set a New Year's resolution and I stayed motivated for a month at most. The Cambridge dictionary defines resolutions as "a promise to yourself to do or to not do something.” If that resolution was not met, how do you feel? Personally, I was hard on myself immediately after realizing my goal did not stick whether it was to lose weight, workout regularly, take up a new hobby/skill, get organized, etc. Eventually accepting my defeat, I would forget about my resolution until the next year came along. Are you learning from your resolutions? I wasn’t and can’t even recall what my last resolutions even were.
How about shifting to setting intentions? Intentions are different from setting goals, but they are related. Intentions correlate with your values and will guide you toward your path of what ultimately matters to you. For example, prioritizing your mental health can be achieved in many different ways and the path to achieve this can change throughout the year, but they are all overlapping toward the ultimate intention.
Practices for an Intentional New Year:
1. Meditate
Take the space to let the energy of the past year flow through you. Through your preferred meditation practice, you can . . . channel this energy to connect with your divine self and/or your spirit guides; release the attachments of this past year; and transform this energy into your manifestations and intentions for the upcoming year.
During my meditation, I choose to hold a crystal in my non-dominant hand and focus on the energy being released, the shape/size, and the imperfections. “The use of crystals in meditation practice can deepen your meditation, provide a focus object, and raise your consciousness and awareness of your higher self,” says crystal healer and certified meditation leader Carol Boote. Sometimes sitting down to meditate can be overwhelming as you may think you have to quiet your mind. Rather than quieting your mind, observe the energy of the thoughts and be aware of those that you would like to hold on to and those you’d like to release.
2. Set Intention
An intention is a charged thought, action, or promise which you can channel into your reality. During this month where the energy of the past and future mix, think of what you need in this upcoming year – Do you need to connect with your self? Learn body neutrality? Find love? – now is a great time to set your desires into tangible intentions.
3. Manifest
Determine what will be in your future and channel your energy into that outcome through mantras. Here are some prompts for your New Year manifestations:
[Write each row out 3 times]
In the New Year, I am attracting (calling in) . . .
In the New Year, I am releasing (letting go of) . . .
In the New Year, I am feeling . . .
In the New Year, I am with . . .
With love and light
