New Year’s Ritual
“This is what rituals are for. We do spiritual ceremonies as human beings in order to create a safe resting place for our most complicated feelings of joy or trauma, so that we don't have to haul those feelings around with us forever, weighing us down. We all need such places of ritual safekeeping. And I do believe that if your culture or tradition doesn't have the specific ritual you are craving, then you are absolutely permitted to make up a ceremony of your own devising, fixing your own broken-down emotional systems with all the do-it-yourself resourcefulness of a generous plumber/poet.”
-Elizabeth Gilbert
Another year is upon us as we say goodbye to 2021 and welcome in the new year!
I love the idea of creating a ritual around the start of a new year—to take the time to pause and reflect on the past year and look towards the year ahead. Rather than setting specific goals and resolutions, I like to focus on broader intentions, focusing more on how I want to feel and what I am calling into my life. For example, one of my intentions for the new year is to be of service to the greater community. With this intention, I am calling in more connection, more opportunities to give, and more love.
In terms of ritual, this can look like many things and I invite you to “make up a ceremony of your own” as Elizabeth Gilbert says. If you are looking for some inspiration, I offer you my New Year’s Ritual. This can be done on New Year’s Eve or at any point close to the end or the beginning of the year. I hope you enjoy!
NEW YEAR’S RITUAL
I invite you to begin by creating a sacred space. This can look like lighting a candle or some incenses, creating an altar, or anything else that feels nourishing to you. You can check out my picture here for some inspiration. I also recommend having a notebook and pen handy and to have one song ready that you will dance to at the end of the ritual.
Begin by closing down your eyes and connecting with your heart. You may choose to do a brief meditation here or just take some long, deep nourishing breaths to ground into your body and the present moment.
Then get out your journal and begin to sit with each of these questions. Taking some time to really feel each one in your body and heart. When you feel ready, you can begin to write about each one. As you journal, I invite you to notice any emotions, sensations, or thoughts that arise. If there are any parts of you that need to be heard or any memories that are desiring to be seen, give them the space to be there. I truly believe that the more we open our hearts to what is yearning to seen and heard within us, the more space there is for us to embody the life we deeply desire.
JOURNAL PROMTS:
What brought you joy this year?
What challenges arose for you this year and how did you meet them?
What are you ready to release from this past year?
What did you learn that you want to carry forward into the new year?
What are you inviting into this new year?
What feelings do you desire to embody in this next year?
After journaling sit for a few moments, and choose a word that will signify the theme of this new year. Imagine this word as a guiding light; something you can come back to at any time and any day. For example, my word for this year is trust.
I then invite you to play the one song you chose at the beginning and begin to move and dance. As you dance, really feel into your heart, into your word for this year, and into what you are embodying and calling in. Let all of these intentions radiate from you heart and spread throughout your whole body, until every part of you sings. You may continue dancing if that feels the most nourishing or you can begin to close the ritual.
To close the ritual, shut down your eyes and take some long, slow breaths as you connect to gratitude. Thanking your body, your heart, your whole being and finding gratitude for another year of life lived. Place your hands upon your heart and say your chosen word for this year one more time out loud. Let this word radiate as prayer through your whole body. And then open your eyes, greeting the start of your new year!