Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile. Dwelling in the present moment I know this is the only moment.
We are in the last few days of the waning light as we close in on the Winter Solstice. This is a perfect time to reflect on the past year as we prepare for the next. Take a moment away from the strangeness and chaos of this holiday season to take stock of your journey. Closing out the year with this mindfulness exercise will call in the very best for 2021.
What have you discovered this year?
2020 has been the watershed year, nothing after it will be the same as before it began. We are tearing down outdated structures, habits, and patterns. 2021 will be less uncomfortable and more cooperative with our plans but won’t yet be smooth sailing. We will still be fine tuning ourselves and our structures to build towards the new normal.
So take stock of everything you have lost and gained in 2020. Mindfully, bless each experience, habit, belief, routine, and person that you are not taking with you. If you are having any unresolved anxiety, frustration, grief, or anger take some time and journal about it. Name it, claim it, have a conversation with it and ultimately allow whatever you feel to just be, feel it and know that acknowledging difficult emotions honestly will begin the transmutation process.
Don’t be in a rush to move on and leave the upheaval and trauma of 2020 behind. It is perfectly all right if the letting go takes some time. This is normal and appropriate, there is no stop watch or timer. Trust that the process has begun and your awareness ensures it will complete at the right time.
What is on the horizon for 2021?
Next year has been brewing for a while now. You have been building it, shaping it quietly in the background of your day to day activities. We are all pretty gun shy about making plans and in some areas even having expectations is difficult.
Take a minute and get quiet. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. What will the next year need from you? What growth is being called forward? And how will you meet the challenge?
I hope a few of the things on your horizon make you nervous. And I hope at least one feels a bit terrifying, like you are flying down a hill on your sled–hands in the air, screaming and laughing at the same time.
2021 will ask us to recommit to what matters most to us. It will ask us to move forward blindly to a future no one can predict. This is actually always true but the comfort of our routines makes us believe we have control and takes the terror out of day-to-day living. 2020 has stripped away our comforts and asked us to keep going anyway. How do we proceed without our trusty routines?
How will you support yourself next year?
Whatever this coming year holds for you, know you can handle it as long as you stay present in each moment. We don’t help ourselves move forward by ruminating on the past–that is gone–or by fantasizing (or catastrophizing) about the future. Take each moment as it comes, knowing that we have what we need in that moment to move to the next moment
Look at your experiences over this last year, and contemplate your plans for next year. Are there any practices or support structures you can put in place to help you?
Perhaps there are some classes you are considering. Maybe a new morning routine. Or some books or skills that can provide the proper stimulus for the year ahead.
Meeting the Challenge Mindfully
Whatever it is you are cooking up for 2021, I am sending you divine energy and grace for your journey ahead. Remember to bring your Spirit along with your body. When you feel resistance or uncertainty, drop down into your soul and ask for guidance.
Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed–stop, take a deep breath and ground. Know that you have the answers and your path is rich with tools, achievements, and expansion. I hope you bring magic with you and fun. Bring laughter along with the accomplishment and make 2021 a year to remember.
Two Opportunities to Help Close the Year
An online talk with guided healing for the end of the year and Vanessa Couto’s talk on the Astrology of 2021.
Winding Down the Year
Join me on Thursday, December 17th for Winding Down the Year. We will discuss the impact of this year on our bodies, what practices can support us through the season, and a special preview of the themes 2021 will bring us.
We begin at 5:00PM on Zoom, included in the online talk will be a meditation and group healing on the First and Second Chakras.
The Astrology of 2021
2021 brings in a different mythic theme, which, in many respects, is another layer of 2020.
In this class, we’ll explore the mythic and astrological themes of 2021, how we can best harness our focus, energies, and how the CITIZEN archetype can help us bring forth dreams that benefit both our communities and us.
For details and to sign up, visit
www.vanessacouto.com/events/
